Category: Esbats

Correspondences for Spring Equinox

Oestre – Spring Equinox – March 20　

Theme: balance – energy breaking out – spring-cleaning

Colours: mauve, pink, pale green & yellow, pastels

Oils: lily of the valley, violet, honeysuckle

Philtre: fumitory, horehound, lavender, lovage, lemon balm, celandine, orris root

Candles: mauve, pink, pale green, blue & yellow, pastels

Flowers: daffodil, jonquil, violet, dogwood, spring bulbs

Incense: lavender

Stones: bloodstone

Food & Drink: rose wine, eggs, lamb & barley stew, Brussels sprouts, hot crossed buns

The Festival of Oestre – March 21

The Festival of Oestre

The festival of Oestre or Spring Equinox, takes place on the day when the hours of light and dark art of equal length. Oestre was the Goddess of Spring, signifying all that was new and fresh. In the past, only fires were extinguished and the grates were cleaned. Only then could new fires be lit. This is where our tradition of “spring cleaning” originates. Today’s use of eggs, rabbits and hot crossed buns are rooted in ancient Pagan customs.

Spring Equinox Ritual Potpourri

Spring Equinox Ritual Potpourri 

A small cauldron filled with homemade potpourri can be used as a fragrant altar decoration, burned (outdoors) as an offering to the old Gods during or after a Sabbat celebration, or wrapped in decorative paper and ribbons and give as a wonderful gift to a fellow brother or sister of the Craft. 

45 drops rose oil

1 cup oak moss

2 cups dried dogwood blossoms

2 cups dried honeysuckle blossoms

½ cup dried violets

½ cup dried daffodils

½ cup dried rosebuds

½ cup dried crocus or iris

Mix the rose oil with the oak moss, and then add the remaining ingredients. Stir the potpourri well and then store in a tightly covered ceramic or glass container.

Ostara Incense

Ostara Incense　

2 parts Frankincense

1 part Benzoin

1 part Dragon’s Blood

½ part Nutmeg

½ part Violet flowers (or a few drops Violet oil)

½ part Orange peel

½ part Rose petals

Burn during Wiccan rituals on Ostara (the Spring Equinox, which varies from March 20th to the 24th each year), or to welcome the Spring and refresh your life.

MOON LORE

MOON LORE

 

Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side
which he never shows to anybody
~Mark Twain~

Moon Passage


Once long ago, humans depended upon the Moon for reckoning time, planting crops and harvesting the sea. It’s phases and it’s path through the sky were matters of concern and interest to all. Today very few people indeed are even aware, beyond a casual glance, of the Moon’s presence. In a sense the lovely silver sphere which sometimes lights our darkness is more mysterious now despite the exploration of its surface. The Moon’s curious forces continue to exert their influence over us and our planet. We and the oceans of Earth still unceasingly respond to the Moon’s magnetic appeal. As a symbol of Mystic significance, appreciated by so many ancient religious expressions, the Moon remains as potent as ever, at least to the poet, the artist and the witch.


Due to the nature of its orbit, the back of the Moon is unseen by viewers on Earth. This lends one more element of mystery to our single satellite. The Moon like the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Unlike the sun, its size and shape continually change. Four cycles of approximately seven days each total a lunar month, which forms the basis for our present calendar system. The ancients held that the day began at nightfall, and the custom of celebrating holidays on their eve echoes the old tradition.


The slender crescent appearing soon after dark-of-the-Moon is called, obviously enough, the new Moon. It waxes, grows larger, to the first quarter visible in the sky as a half-Moon. The quarter in this instance refers to the sequence of the four phases. As the Moon waxes, its horns point to the east until it reaches full circle. The waning Moon diminishes in size, horns pointing west, until we see no Moon at all.

The times of rising and setting relate to the phases according to a definite pattern, as recorded in this old country rhyme:

A new Moon rises with the sun,
Its waxing half at midday shows.
The full Moon climbs at sunset hour,
And waning half the midnight knows.

The Witches’ Almanac, Ltd

Full Moon Holy Water

Full Moon Holy Water

pink-self love and friendship
red-passionate love
green-money
blue-healing
purple-increase of psychic abilities
.

Fill a glass of water and place a stone in it to charge it with what
you want to bring to you. Ask the blessings of the Earth and Goddess
and then drink a bit to cleanse you inside. The remainder of the
water can be kept tightly corked to use in spells and recipes
anytime you need the extra power of the Full Moon!

New Moon Esbats – Gemini

New Moon Esbats

 

GEMINI
 
Basic energy: Intellect, awareness, agility, adaptability, multi-tasking.
 
Zodiac color association: Orange.
 
Primary element: Air
 
Suggested magickal operations: Rituals and spells for any type of learning or research. Spells to finish the old and move on to the new, to help you juggle the many projects you are working on at once without failing or for finding a new car or new job. Spells for any of the mental arts, including meditation,learning a divination tool, pathworking, and telepathy. Magick for learning to understand and deal with siblings.

Avoid: Trying to pack too many magickal operations into one ritual.

Be careful: Of self-denial.

New Moon Esbats – Taurus

New Moon Esbats

 
 
TAURUS
 
Basic energy: Stability, peace, affection, responsiveness, saving, artistic ability, devotion, harmony.
 
Zodiac color association: Red-orange.

Primary element: Earth
 
Suggested magickal operations: Rituals and spells for prosperity, saving money, holding on to something you already have (like a grade point average), building and keeping harmony in the home, investing time and money in a project, long-term goal planning, spells for people you love, spells for long-term healing, meditations for peace.
 
Avoid: Missing a good opportunity.
 
Be careful: Of your own stubbornness.

Full Moon Chant

Full Moon

 
The Moon’s energy is most intense when She reaches abundant fullness. Any magickal effort, especially difficult ones, can benefit greatly from the potency of this phase. Use the full Moon to amplify magickal intent and to give spellworkings additional power.
 
To seal spells performed during the full Moon, use this chant or one of your own choosing:
 
Abundant Mother, Moon so bright
Hear my plea upon this night.
Your fertile power lend this spell;
Make it potent, strong and well.

Waning Moon Chant

Waning Moon 

 
The shrinkage of the Moon from full to dark is called the waning phase, and it offers an energy suitable for recession, peaceful separation or elimination. Use the waning Moon to end undesirable eating patterns, break bad habits or to remove yourself from dysfunctional partnerships or stressful situations. Its energies favor any magickal effort requiring decrease or removal.
 
To seal spells performed during the waning Moon, use this chant or one of your own choosing:
 
Oh Aging One of grace, now hear:
With your guidance, this spell steer.
Remove all blocks and hesitation,
And take it to its destination.

Waxing Moon Chant

Waxing Moon

 
This phase occurs when the Moon grows from dark to full. In this phase, the Moon provides the proper energy for magickal efforts requiring growth or enhancement. It is a good time for beginnings, fresh starts and new love and is of benefit in building, businesses, friendships, partnerships, and financial prosperity. The waxing phase also provides suitable conditions for planting herbs, developing psychism, and increasing physical health and well-being.
 
To seal spells performed during the waxing Moon, use this chant or one of your own choosing:
 
Oh, Maiden Moon, now hear my plea:
Hearken, hearken unto me!
As you grow, my spell enhance–
And power its magick with Your dance.

Dark Moon Chant

Dark Moon Chant 

 
Some practitioners use this phase as a period of rest. They find it useful for regeneration, relaxation, and gathering for the creative phase of the waxing Moon.
 
Others prefer to use it for meditation, psychic power enhancement, or for delving into past life memories to help them better understand current difficulties. Dark Moon energy also lends itself to divination and maters where truth is an issue.
 
To seal spells performed during the dark Moon, use this chant or one of your own choosing:
 
I call on You, Oh Crone so wise–
One Who rules the darkest skies.
Come and be my treasured Guest,
And aid me on this magickal quest.

New Moon Esbats – Libra

New Moon Esbats

 
 
LIBRA
Basic energy: Beauty, love, sociability, cooperation, originality, courtesy, responsiveness

Zodiac color association: Emerald

Primary element: Air
 
Suggest magickal operations: Rituals and spells for sharing the arts (music, painting, dance, writing) where you seek the approval of others. Spells for love, friendship, and romance, and for conflict mediation. Spells to ensure you are treated fairly, to enjoy beauty and to learn to cooperate with others. Spells to improve communication between yourself and a teacher or parent. Partnerships of any kind.

NEW MOON

NEW MOON

 
The New Moon is as powerful in its own way as the Full Moon. It is a time for taking stock. It is a phase of hibernation, retreat, and contemplation. Avoid crowds and gatherings and seek a little time for yourself. Rest is crucial during the New Moon. Simple foods and quiet times are powerful healers. Many women menstruate with the New Moon. It is natural to want to curl up in bed with a good book and nice cup of chamomile tea. Stronger nervines (relaxing herbs) are skullcap, hops, catnip, oatstraw, and valerian. After the New Moon ends and that first crescent appears, then the healing lunar cycle begins all over again. Most acute diseases do not last a full lunar cycle. The information in this article is only intended to be an educational tool, not a prescription. It is always wise to consult with your health care provider when experiencing any illness or discomfort. Awareness of the rhythms of nature can assist you and your health care provider in determining the best course of treatment at any given time. Naturally, some conditions will require that you apply therapies that don’t necessarily “fit” with the phase of the Moon.

Lunar Phases

LUNAR PHASES

 
The lunar phase is important in determining the best time for magick. There are basically two lunar phases: waxing moon (ideal time for positive magick) and waning moon (ideal time for banishing/negative magick, study, and meditation). In between you’ll have the dark moon (the time of greatest power for banishing and negative magick) and the full moon (the time of greatest power for positive magick). Most witches and pagans work around these lunar phases. However, others suggest a much more complicated subdivision of the moon phases. New Moon Magic (from the day of the New Moon to 3 1/2 days after) Timing: The magic should be performed between dawn and sunset for the best use of this magic. Conjuring: beauty, health, and self-improvement farms and gardens job hunting love and romance networking Crescent Moon Magic (from 3 1/2 days after the new moon through the 7th. day) Timing: The moon rises at mid-morning and sets after sunset. Conjuring: animals, business, change, emotions, matriarchal strength First Quarter (Waxing Moon) Magick ( from 7 to 10 days after the new moon) Timing: Sunset is the prime time for waxing moon magic. Conjuring: courage, elemental magic, friends, luck, motivation Gibbous Moon Magick (from 10 to 13 days after the new moon) Timing: It’s a wonderful time for working around 10:00 to 11:00 p.m. Conjuring: patience Full Moon Magick (14 days after the new moon) Timing: Midnight is the best hour to work. Conjuring: artistic endeavors beauty, health, and fitness change and decisions children competition dreams families health and healing knowledge legal undertakings love and romance money motivation protection psychism self-improvement Disseminating Moon Magick (3 to 7 days after the full moon) Timing: The time of souls is at 3:00 a.m. Conjuring: addictions, decisions, divorce, emotions, stress, protection Last Quarter (Waning Moon) Magick (7 to 10 days after the full moon) Timing: The moon rises at midnight and sets at noon. Conjuring: addictions. divorce, health and healing (banishing disease), stress, protection Dark Moon Magick (from 11 to 14 days after the full moon) Timing: As odd as this may sound, the strongest pull of the dark moon is around 10:00 a.m. Conjuring: addictions, change, divorce, enemies, justice, obstacles, quarrels, removal, separation, stopping stalkers and theft. Lunar Eclipses Eclipses represent the perfect union of sun and moon. Any type of magick is acceptable. There are 2 types of lunar eclipse: 1.Partial eclipse 2.Penumbral eclipse of the moon Moon Void of Course It’s said that the moon is void of course before it enters a new moon sign (Cancer, Leo, Virgo…). There is a sort of dead space when this is happening. The rule here is to avoid doing any important magick work while the moon is avoid of course. Don’t do any major magick work. Don’t complete any magick work.