Tag: Altar

Calendar of the Sun for November 9th

Calendar of the Sun

Media Autumnus

Color: Brown
Element: Earth
Altar: Set out a brown cloth, an earthenware jug of water, dried stalks of yarrow in a vase, and incense of many woods. In front of the altar set a great empty barrel, an earthen pot of soil, another of the day’s vegetation garbage, a smaller one of wood ashes, and a basket of gathered dried leaves.
Offerings: Bits of hair or fingernail parings.
Daily Meal: Vegetarian.

Media Autumnus Invocation

Let us invest in the Earth
Beneath our feet
And see our returns in millenniums.
Let us say that our main crop
Is the ancient forest
Which we did not plant
And will not live to harvest.
Let us say that the leaves
Are harvested when
They have rotted into the mold.
Let us call that our profit,
And prophesy such returns.
Let us put our faith in the two inches
Of humus that will build
Under the trees every thousand years.
Let us listen to carrion.
Let us put our ears close and hear
The faint chatterings
Of the songs that are yet to come.

Chant:
Clay receives you
Earth has chosen you
Worms prepare you
Earth encloses you

(During the chant, several who have been chosen to do the work of the ritual come forward and add the garbage, the ashes, the soil, the dried leaves, the yarrow, and finally the water to the compost barrel. It is removed again to the corner until Spring.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Think Before You Cast

Think before you cast

HOW TO CAST A SPELL
To cast a sepll you have to follow the basic ritual structure.
Preparing the Altar.(nothing too elaborate, just a few of your favorite tools). Lighting the    candles.
Cleansing the area.
Casting the circle.
Invoking the elements.
Invoking the Deities.
Stating the Purpose of the ritual.
Magickal workings or devotions.
Raising the Energy. Releasing the Energy.
Grounding.
Thanking the Deities.
Thanking the elements.
Closing(or sometimes called opening) the circle.
Cakes and ale.
At the magick working section, you have to use your spell. In this spell you have to use the    correspondences to make a good ritual. You have to use the correct herbs, essential oils, foods, trees, flowers, crystals, colours, days, time, planetary    hour, zodiac hour. Look along them to see which fits in to what you want, let’s say protection:
Herbs – These can be used in a spell around a candle and then put in a silk bag (of appropriate colour)    and carried around as a charm bag. They add energy to the spell.
Essential Oils – These can be annointed on the candle or charm bag, made later
Foods – These can be eaten after the ritual, and for a week after, or until you don’t need the    spell anymore, to help you feel more protected.
Trees – These can be used in a wand, or in a talisman, as a writing tablet, where you inscribe symbols,    numbers and words. They can also be placed into the charm bag.
Flowers – These can be planted around your house and picked for the spell. The flowers will also act as    a protective barrier and as a home for fae, who will help too.
Crystals – These can be used in the spell and afterwards placed in the charm bag. You can make    protective patterns from many crystals and that will help protect too.
Days, Times, Planetary Hours, Zodiac Hours – These are used for the right moon phase, sun phase, zodiac    house etc. to help achieve the goal. When used in conjunction, all in the right way, there is a particular influece in that time which will help the spell    to travel, and for you to concentrate.

Calendar of the Sun for November 8th

Calendar of the Sun

8 Blutmonath

Feast of the Kitchen God/dess

Colors: Red and blue
Element: Fire
Altar: On this day the altar is built in the kitchen, on the center of the main table. All activity of the day centers around the kitchen. Crowning the pile should be the paper portrait of the Kitchen Goddess. Decorate the altar with dishes of food, glasses of drink, and copper pots. Use the best china. The portrait of the next kitchen goddess should be hidden under someone’s clothing, rolled up and waiting.
Offerings: The entire kitchen should be cleaned thoroughly. Afterwards, the kitchen should be cleaned again. A pot of honey should be placed nearby.
Daily Meal: Enough food should be made and laid out to feed the entire community for the lunch and dinner period, and outsiders should be invited in to share it if possible. The food should be lavish and elaborate and aesthetically prepared.

Invocation to the Kitchen Goddess

Lady who watches over
The heart of our home,
Lady who fills our bellies
And who observes all our faults,
Today we send you to heaven
On a curl of smoke from your hearth.
We ask you, be generous,
And speak well of our efforts.
When you speak of our faults,
Have compassion on our humanity
Lady who guides our hands,
Send us pots that do not burn,
And enough love and peace
To infuse every morsel
Of nourishment that we here consume.

(Each person present should step forward, dip their finger in the honey, and touch it to her picture, asking her aloud or silently to forgive them for whatever pettiness occurred in the kitchen that year, be it actions or thoughts. Then she is taken to the hearth and burned in the flame, while everyone present claps and chants rhythmically. After that, lunch is eaten, and then a new Kitchen Goddess is installed in her place.)

Chant: Fire of the hearth, Fire of the wine,
Fire of the heart, Fire of the mind,
Fire of the Art, Fire out of time.

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Calendar of the Sun for October 31st

Calendar of the Sun

31 Winterfyllith

SAMHAIN

Color: Black
Element: Air
Altar: The altar should be set as a table with a fine cloth and good dishes, and food for the Dead. Among the dishes places skulls, bones, a brazier, black candles, and pictures or items of the Dead.
Offerings: Give food to the Dead. Give divination to each other.
Daily Meal: Anything, so long as it is shared with the Dead.

Ritual Note: Like all the eight high holidays, this day should ideally be spent not enclosed and isolated, but in common with the larger pagan community. This can be done a number of ways, including spending the day elsewhere, at the Brigid’s Day ritual of another group or tradition, or by inviting in those pagans who would otherwise not be able to attend a ritual. Either way, the eight holidays should be a time of remembering the place of the house in the greater community. If the choice is made to go elsewhere, then no liturgy is needed for the day. If the choice is made to bring the greater community into the lesser one, the following ritual can be used.

This is the only rite on the solar calendar that is not celebrated at the hour of Sponde. Instead, Sponde is used for silent, solitary meditation. The Samhain rite is begun at Arktos, and all keep vigil overnight until Auge on the following day.

Samhain Ritual

(Four who have been chosen to do the work of the ritual come forward and cast the quarters.)

East Caller: Spirits of the East, powers of air
Winds that carry our ashes, winds that bear our cries,
Our howling on your black wings,
Today we speak for the beloved Dead,
We call to the Dead, and honor them with our voices!
Hear us!
South Caller: Spirits of the south, powers of fire
Flame of the altar and the cremation ground,
Stroke of scorched lightning,
We purify our lives as the funeral pyre,
We burn for the Dead, and honor them with our transformations!
Hear us!
West Caller: Spirits of the west, powers of water,
Still pools deep under the ground,
Drowning depths and freezing ice,
We give over our hearts to Necessity,
We drink with the Dead, and honor them with our surrender.
Hear us!
North Caller: Spirits of the north, powers of Earth,
Blackness that surrounds us, buries us,
Dust and the silence of waiting,
We see mortality etched onto our bodies,
We go into the Earth with the Dead, and honor them with our hands.
Hear us!

(One steps forward and holds high a cup of wine, saying:)

Drink, then, for the Dead!
Name them, those whom you have loved
Who have passed forth from this world
But are not forgotten.
Name them, those whom you never met
Save through words, or tales, yet still
Found a bond there to inspire,
To create courage, or brotherhood.
Name your ancestors of the blood,
Name your ancestors of the spirit.
Name your ancestors of the tribe.
Name your ancestors of the faith.
Call also to those for whom you have no names
But without whom you would not have been born.
Call to our Dead, as we do every year,
Remind them that they are not forgotten,
Remind them that they are still loved.

(The cup is passed, and each speaks of their beloved Dead. As they finish and drink from the cup, all say, “And he (or she, or they) too has a place at this table.” One follows behind the cup with a bunch of dried roses, collected and dried throughout the year from any rituals that used them, and gives each one a rose. The remainder of the roses are placed on the table. Another steps forth and holds high a crystal ball, and speaks the following as a call and response with all:)

Hail the Veil Between The Worlds!
Hail the bones in the Earth,
Hail the ashes in the fire,
Hail the fishes’ meal in the ocean,
Hail the birds’ meal on the mountaintop!
Hail the Hounds of Hel who eat the corpse!
Hail the Raven and the Vulture!
Hail the path which someday we all shall walk,
But we shall not walk alone!
Hail to our ancestors, who open the way for us!
Hail to the cold white breath of the Moon!
Hail to the drying heat of the Sun!
Hail to the ever-turning wheel of the stars!
Hail to salt of Earth and salt of tears!
Hail to the rot which feeds all new growth!
Hail to the cycle, which spins eternally!
Hail to the Dark, which is the counterpart of Light,
Hail to that Dark from which all life springs!
Hail to those who passed the Veil and returned,
Hail to those folk that we once have been,
And hail to those we will be again!
Hail to the Dead!
Hail to the Dead!
Hail to the Dead!

Chant:
Door of the ages
Veil of the years
Door of the darkness
Veil of our tears
Winds of our sorrow
Lift us in flight
Winds of tomorrow
Lift up our sight
Stones of the graveyard
Path we walk on
Stones of the labyrinth
Path of the dawn

(Each goes forth and places their dried rose in the fire of the brazier. Then one steps forward and says:)

The year is turning, and we stand at the crossroads.
Remember as you keep your vigil tonight,
That Darkness yields always to Light,
As Light yields always to Darkness,
And so shall it be, always and forever,
And so mote it be.

(All repeat “So mote it be.” Then all leave the room chanting together, and go solitary into various places to keep their vigil. The altar room is left as a feast for the Dead.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Samhain Cemetery Visit

Samhain Cemetery Visit

Honoring the Dead in the Midst of Life

By , About.com

In many cultures, the late fall is a time in which the dead are honored with great ceremony. A wonderful example of this is in Mexico, where Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) celebrations are a joyful and festive part of the season. Rather than being sad and mournful, families go to cemeteries where they honor their loved ones with picnics, colorful altars, and even parades.

You don’t have to be part of the Hispanic community to celebrate the season in this manner, though. Many non-Hispanic Pagans see Samhain as a time to honor their dead with happy remembrance. There are a number of ways you can do this, and incorporate a visit at your family’s cemetery into your Samhain festivities.

Headstone Cleanup

Start by cleaning up headstones. Pluck or trim any overgrown grass or weeds from around the gravesite or sites. To clean a headstone, you should be sure to check with the cemetery operators (if you can find them) about any cleaning policies. In general, a good guideline is that if a headstone is made of marble, limestone or or sandstone, you can use water (bring a couple of gallon jugs along) and a SOFT nylon bristle brush.

For older headstones, which may crumble from age when you clean them, water alone may be your best bet. A headstone that is cracked or damaged shouldn’t be cleaned at all, at the risk of causing more damage. Do the best you can with what you’ve got – but for more detail on how conservationists suggest you clean an old stone, read here: Association for Gravestone Studies..

If you’d like to make a grave rubbing of a headstone, read here: How to Make a Grave Rubbing. Keep in mind that you should always follow the rules of the cemetery. Remember that while doing a rubbing usually doesn’t cause damage to headstones, particularly newer ones, there are certain precautions that should be taken. If a stone is worn or crumbling, pass on it. Rubbing an already-damaged stone can cause it to flake and chip to the point where it’s irreparable. Instead, choose stones which are in good condition – the best results come from either polished granite stones or solid slate markers. If there’s any doubt about the condition of the stone, don’t use it for a rubbing.

 

Ancestor Altar

Many people like to have an ancestor altar in their homes during the Samhain season, but you can set one up at the cemetery as well. It can be as simple as a few candles, a photo, and some flowers, or more complex. If the grave is an older cemetery, you may want to bring a small flat object to use as an altar – bed trays work well for this – so as not to damage the headstone. Be sure to check with the cemetery for guidelines, if you choose to leave your altar in place after you’ve left. If you do take it with you when you go, be careful to pick up any stray bits and pieces that may have scattered around. Don’t leave a mess behind.

Flowers and colorful ribbons are also a popular addition to headstones during this season – if you have wreaths, feel free to add those as well. In Mexico, another offering is travel items – razors, a bowl of water, and soap are a great addition, because your deceased loved ones can use these items to clean up after their journey.

For more about how different cultures venerate their ancestors, read here: Ancestor Worship. The concept of ancestor worship is not a new one for many Pagans today. Ancient cultures often venerated those who came before them, and even now, in our contemporary society, it’s not uncommon at all to find celebrations that honor the ancestors in a variety of different ways.

 

Sugar Skulls and Candy Coffins

You can make a batch of Sugar Skulls, which are confectionaries traditionally made at Day of the Dead celebrations. If you’re not sure about how to make them – or don’t feel confident in your own candy-making skills – check at your local Hispanic marketa – they almost always have them in stock in the fall. Another popular item is the candy or chocolate coffin – again, if you aren’t able to make them, an alternative is to use small boxes made of cardstock or lightweight cardboard to create coffins, and fill them with candy, trinkets, and tiny skeletons.

 

Cemetery Supper

For many people who celebrate Day of the Dead, a huge part of the day involves a meal. You can pack up a picnic supper, and visit your family at the cemetery while you eat. Some ideas you might try:

  • Bring loaves of sweet, dessert breads, which are traditional in many cultures, as a Samhain offering.
  • If you know a particular family member really loved a favorite dish, include that as part of your picnic supper.
  • Be sure to bring an extra plate for each of your beloved dead – they are with you in spirit, and should be offered a seat at the table (or picnic blanket).
  • You can either make your picnic formal and serious, like the Dumb Supper, or joyous and fun – it’s up to you.
  • Consider singing songs – if you have drums or a guitar, bring them along, and after you’ve eaten, sing your family’s favorite tunes to serenade your ancestors. If you know the traditional folk songs of your family’s culture, this is a great time to share them – and if you don’t know them, now is a good time to learn and pass on the traditions.

 

Saying Farewell… For Now

Finally, before you leave, be sure to say a last farewell to your ancestors, thanking them for joining you, and letting them know you will honor them all year long. If your celebrations have spilled over onto other gravesites, you may want to leave a small offering of thanks for those residents as well – broken pieces of bread are a good symbolic offering. Spend a day visiting with those who came before you, remember them well, and let them know that someday, you will see them again.

How To Celebrate the Cycle of Life and Death At Samhain

How To Celebrate the Cycle of Life and Death

By

Samhain is a time like no other, in that we can watch as the earth literally dies for the season. Leaves fall from the trees, the crops have gone brown, and the land once more becomes a desolate place. However, at Samhain, when we take the time to remember the dead, we can take time to contemplate this endless cycle of life, death, and eventual rebirth.

Here’s How:

  1. For this ritual, you’ll want to decorate your altar with symbols of life and death. You’ll want to have on hand a white candle and a black one, as well as black, red, and white ribbon in equal lengths (one set for each participant). Finally, you’ll need a few sprigs of rosemary.

    Perform this rite outside if at all possible. If you normally cast a circle, do so now.

  2. Say:

    Samhain is here, and it is a time of transitions. The winter approaches, and the summer dies. This is the time of the Dark Mother, a time of death and of dying. This is the night of our ancestors and of the Ancient Ones.

    Place the rosemary on the altar. If you are doing this as a group ceremony, pass it around the circle before placing on the altar. Say:

    Rosemary is for remembrance, and tonight we remember those who have lived and died before us, those who have crossed through the veil, those who are no longer with us. We will remember.

  3. Turn to the north, and say:

    The north is a place of cold, and the earth is silent and dark. Spirits of the earth, we welcome you, knowing you will envelope us in death.

    Turn to face the east, and say:

    The east is a land of new beginnings, the place where breath begins. Spirits of air, we call upon you, knowing you will be with us as we depart life.

  4. Face south, saying:

    The south is a land of sunlight and fire, and your flames guide us through the cycles of life. Spirits of fire, we welcome you, knowing you will transform us in death.

    Finally, turn to face the west, and say:

    The west is a place of underground rivers, and the sea is a never-ending, rolling tide. Spirits of water, we welcome you, knowing you will carry us through the ebbs and flows of our life. 

  5. Light the black candle, saying:

    The Wheel of the Year turns once more, and we cycle into darkness.

    Next, light the white candle, and say:

    At the end of that darkness comes light. And when it arrives, we will celebrate once more.

  6. Each person takes a set of ribbons — one white, one black, and one red. Say:

    White for life, black for death, red for rebirth. We bind these strands together remembering those we have lost.

    Each person should then braid or knot their three ribbons together. As you do so, focus on the memories of those you have lost in your life.

  7. While everyone is braiding or knotting, say:

    Please join me in chanting as you work your energy and love into your cords:

As the corn will come from grain,
All that dies will rise again.
As the seeds grow from the earth,
We celebrate life, death and rebirth.

When everyone has finished braiding and chanting, take a moment to meditate on the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Is there someone you know who reminds you of a person you’ve lost? Have you ever looked into a baby’s eyes and seen your late grandfather looking back?

Finally, ask everyone to take their knotted ribbons home with them and place them on their personal altar if they have one. That way, they can be reminded of their loved ones each time they pass by.

  1. Finally, ask everyone to take their knotted ribbons home with them and place them on their personal altar if they have one. That way, they can be reminded of their loved ones each time they pass by.

Tips:

  1. Rosemary is used in this rite because although it seems to go dormant over the winter, if you keep it in a pot you’ll get new growth in the spring. If there’s another plant you’d rather use, feel free.

What You Need

  • Ribbon in black, red and white
  • A white candle and a black one
  • Rosemary

Calendar of the Sun for October 24th

Calendar of the Sun

24 Winterfyllith

Feast of the Spirits of the Air

Colors: White, light blue, lavender, pale yellow, grey
Element: Air
Altar: This rite is to be done outdoors, and the altar consist of many flags, banners, ribbons, and windchimes on poles.
Offerings: Grain or papers thrown to the winds.
Daily Meal: Cold, light food.

Invocation to the Spirits of the Air

Hail to the Spirits of the Winds!
Hail to the Powers of the East,
The Morning and the Spring Equinox,
The cool breeze that awakens!
Hail to the bird that rides the skies,
Hail to the bat that swoops in the night,
Hail to the fragile butterfly on the flower,
Hail to the bee that sings her song,
Viewing the world from high above our heads!
Hail to the Power of Mind that we focus,
Hail to the Wings of Memory that we write,
Hail to the Beak of Thought that uses it.
Hail to the breath in our bodies,
Every one reminding us that we still live.
Hail to the gentle breath that moves the pollen
From green stem to green stem, bringing the fruit,
Hail to the strong wind that tosses the windmill’s arms,
Driving the clouds across the sky,
Hail to the tornado that writhes in the air,
Causing awe and terror in our hearts!
Hail to the Power of Words that we speak,
Of communication, of transmission of ideas,
Without which we would all be fumbling in silence.

(All then toss into the air whatever offerings they have for the spirits. Words written on small pieces of paper are most common, and can be wishes or blessings as well. Divination via the winds is then done, either with slips of paper or with arrows or from watching the omens of the flights of birds.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Calendar of the Sun for October 20th

Calendar of the Sun

20 Winterfyllith

Festival of the Boychild

Colors: Any mix of bright colors
Element: Water
Altar: Lay cloth of bright colors. On this day, let boy children below the age of puberty come into the house and lay upon the altar their most beloved toys, and hang pictures that they have drawn, and set on the altar what food they would offer, of their choice, to be provided by the house.
Offerings: Give gifts to boy children, especially of time and attention and companionship.
Daily Meal: What the boy children choose, so long as it is within the eating rules of the house.

Invocation to the Sacred Boychild

I sing the song of the Boy Child,
Rising with the dawn,
Eyes full of wonder,
Spirit like a kite riding the winds,
Spirit flying among the gulls and swallows,
Golden with the light of all beginnings,
Explorer of the old seen anew,
You breathe possibilities.
By breath and scent, by bud and blossom,
By hands that play and feet that wander,
By eyes that see and touch the sky,
We hail you on this day,
Spirit of the Boychild
Who lives within each of us.
Spark of fire that will one day be a flame,
Rushing, tumbling brook that will one day
Become a river and roar into the ocean,
Leaping sapling who yearns to be a tree,
Climber of trees who will one day be
The climber of mountain peaks,
We hail you on this day,
Spirit of the Boychild
Who lives within each of us.
May you fill us with laughter
And with mischief, and wonder,
And the bright days of springtime
That rise with the dawn in our souls.

(All drum and dance in a circle, including those boy children who wish it.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Calendar of the Sun for October 18th

Calendar of the Sun

Feralia: Day of Purification

Color: White
Element: Air
Altar: On a white cloth put a lit candle, incense, a cup of water, and a bowl of salt.
Offering: Although this day is not a day of total silence, it is a solemn day and talking should be done only when necessary and in quiet tones. Bodies should be thoroughly cleaned during the bathing hour, and then the altar area should be cleaned and purified with all four elements. Each person, upon entering the altar space at the beginning of Sponde should remove their clothing and be naked, and each body should be purified with the four elements and marked with water and salt, at which point they may enrobe again. Chores of the day should concentrate on cleaning and repair.
Daily Meal: Vegan and extremely simple and plain.

Feralia Invocation

Breathe the air into your body
And breathe out again,
And as you breathe out,
Let all grime and corruption
Depart on that breath
(All breathe together for twelve breaths.)
Feel the blood coursing through your body
And imagine it clean
Of anything but what should be there.
Feel the energy coursing through your body
And wash it clean
Of anything that does not belong.
Feel the Earth beneath you,
Remember that She can absorb all
Remember that all rot is her provenance
Draw her energy up into you
And give it back again.

(After this grounding, all breathe together again in a yogic breathing pattern for the next half an hour, after which all will go with water and salt and incense and fire to all rooms in the house and cleanse them. Great care should be taken for the rest of the day not to disturb the energy of the freshly cleaned house.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Calendar of the Moon for October 16th

Calendar of the Moon

16 Gort/Puanepsion

Day of the Blackthorn Tree

Color: Dark Blue
Element: Earth
Altar: Upon a dark blue cloth set a vase of blackthorn twigs, a single dark blue candle, a knife, a pot of soil, herb seeds, a bowl of water, and a bell. Several wooden staves lean against the altar.
Offerings: Plant seeds. Face conflict.
Daily Meal: Vegan

Invocation to the Green Man of the Blackthorn Tree

Hail, Green Man of the Autumn!
Blackthorn tree of the hedges,
Whose thorns dissuade cattle
And intruders from trespassing,
Tree of the walking staff
Whose name is Strife
And whose job is Boundary,
You teach us that sometimes
Guardianship can lead to battle,
And that not everything can be held
Peacefully, be it land or goals
Or objects or rules or values.
Sometimes there will be strife
By the very nature of the universe,
Which encompasses both equally
And sees conflict as the necessary
Adjustment that points out our blindnesses.
Tree of thorns, hulking and sullen,
You will not stand to be mistreated
Or taken advantage; your nature
Does not lend itself to yielding.
We hail you, sacred blackthorn tree,
Green Man of the Autumn,
On this the day of your bloodshed.

(Let one who has been chosen to do the work of the ritual arm themselves with a staff, and guard the altar. Each approaches the altar, and is swung at; they take up a staff and meet the blow with it. After this they are allowed to approach and plant a seed in the pot of soil, saying, “Hail Green Man of the Earth!” Water is poured onto the pot, and then the rest is poured out as a libation. Ring bell and dismiss.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

How To Honor the Ancestors at Samhain

How To Honor the Ancestors at Samhain

By

Many Wiccans and Pagans choose Samhain as a night to honor their ancestors.

For many modern Pagans and Wiccans, there has been a resurgence of interest in our family histories. We want to know where we came from and whose blood runs through our veins. Although ancestor worship has traditionally been found more in Africa and Asia, many Pagans with European heritage are beginning to feel the call of their ancestry. This rite can be performed either by itself, or on the third night of Samhain, following the End of Harvest celebration and the Honoring of the Animals.

Here’s How:

  1. First, decorate your altar table — you may have already gotten it set up during the End of Harvest rite or for the Ritual for Animals. Decorate your altar with family photos and heirlooms. If you have a family tree chart, place that on there as well. Add postcards, flags, and other symbols of the country your ancestors came from. If you’re lucky enough to live near where your family members are buried, make a grave rubbing and add that as well. In this case, a cluttered altar is perfectly acceptable — after all, each of us is a blend of many different people and cultures.
  2. Have a meal standing by to eat with the ritual. Include lots of dark bread, apples, fall vegetables, and a jug of cider or wine. Set your dinner table, with a place for each family member, and one extra plate for the ancestors. You may want to bake some Soul Cakes.

    If your family has household guardians, include statues or masks of them on your altar. Finally, if a relative has died this year, place a candle for them on the altar. Light candles for other relatives, and as you do so, say the person’s name aloud. It’s a good idea to use tealights for this, particularly if you have a lot of relatives to honor.

     

  3. Once all the candles have been lit, the entire family should circle the altar. The oldest adult present leads the ritual. Say:

    This is the night when the gateway between our world and the spirit world is thinnest. Tonight is a night to call out those who came before us. Tonight we honor our ancestors. Spirits of our ancestors, we call to you, and we welcome you to join us for this night. We know you watch over us always, protecting us and guiding us, and tonight we thank you. We invite you to join us and share our meal.

  4. The oldest family member then serves everyone else a helping of whatever dishes have been prepared, except for the wine or cider. A serving of each food goes on the ancestors’ plate before the other family members recieve it. During the meal, share stories of ancestors who are no longer among the living — this is the time to remember Grandpa’s war stories he told you as a child, tell about  when Aunt Millie used salt instead of sugar in the cake, or reminisce about summers spent at the family homestead in the mountains.
  5. When everyone has finished eating, clear away all the dishes, except for the ancestors’ plate. Pour the cider or wine in a cup, and pass it around the circle (it should end at the ancestor’s place). As each person recieves the cup, they recite their genealogy, like so:

    I am Susan, daughter of Joyce, the daughter of Malcolm, son of Jonathan…

    and so forth. Feel free to add in place names if you like, but be sure to include at least one generation that is deceased. For younger family members, you may wish to have them only recite back to their grandparents, just because otherwise they can get confused.

  6. Go back as many generations as you can, or (in the case of people who have done a lot of genealogy research) as many as you can remember. You may be able to trace your family back to William the Conqueror, but that doesn’t mean you have it memorized. After each person recites their ancestry, they drink from the cider cup and pass it to the next person.
  7. A quick note here — many people are adopted. If you are one them, you are fortunate enough to be able to choose whether you wish to honor your adoptive family, your biological family, or a combination of the two. If you don’t know the names of your birth parents or their ancestry, there’s nothing wrong with saying, “Daughter of a family unknown.” It’s entirely up to you. The spirits of your ancestors know who you are, even if you don’t know them yet.
  8. After the cup has made its way around the table, place it in front of the ancestors’ plate. This time, a younger person in the family takes over, saying:

    This is the cup of remembrance. We remember all of you. You are dead but never forgotten, and you live on within us. 

    Take some time to meditate on the value of family, how fortunate we are to be able to know the connections of kin and clan, and the value of heritage. If your family has a tradition of music or folktales, share those as a way to wrap up the ritual. Otherwise, allow the candles to burn out on their own. Leave the plate and cup on the altar overnight.

Tips:

  1. If you didn’t do a separate ritual for animals, you can add photos and candles for deceased pets to your family altar.
  2. If you like, you may wish to follow this ritual with a Seance.

What You Need

  • Items to represent your family members
  • A meal to eat
  • A cup of cider or wine to drink
  • Candles

The Best For Last

The people in Washington have been come unreasonable. They will eventually settle this mess and people will forget. I hope they don’t and as many people this mess has effected they probably won’t. I believe as many others do that everyone in Washington should be send home next election. I ran across the spell and was so delighted to see it. You will either have to write it down or print it. Then put the spell in your BOS, whatever you do, do not lose it instead use it.

Cause a Politician to Lose an Election
　
Items You Will Need:
One black candle
One green candle
One white candle
One newspaper mentioning the election
　
Instructions:
Spread the newspaper out on your altar and say the following:
“This is the field of play, this is public opinion.”
Place the black candle on the newspaper and say the following:
“This is (Person’s name) his/her heart is as black as night.”
Place the white candle next to the black candle, and say:
“These are the people that will elect (Person’s name). They have not seen the evil of (Person’s name).”
Place the green candle next to the black candle, and say:
“This is the money that will allow (Person’s name) to achieve office.”
Light the black candle, then say the following:
“The evil and corruption of (Person’s name) is shining bright for all to see.”
Light the white candle, and say the following:
“The eyes of the people are open to the evil of (Person’s name). They see them for what they are. As the candle burns down their understanding and hatred of (Person’s name) will grow.”
Move the white candle to the other side of your altar and say the following:
“They forsake (Person’s name).”
Light the green candle, and say the following:
“The money leaves the evil (Person’s name). As the candle burns down so will their resources, until they are no more.”

Move the candle to the other side of the altar, and allow all of the candles to burn out to release the power of the spell.

Calendar of the Moon for October 9th

Calendar of the Moon

9 Gort/Puanepsion

Stenia Day 1

Color: Brown
Element: Earth
Altar: Upon cloth of brown set two green candles and the Thesmoi, the sacred figures to be put into the Mundus Cereris. They include snakes, phalli, and pigs all made of bread. Unlike the regular opening of the Mundus Cereris, only women with wombs can move the stone today.
Offerings: Thesmoi. Ritual sex is an appropriate offering for this day.
Daily Meal: Pork and bread.

Stenia I Invocation

We gather today in the name of Demeter,
To fertilize the Earth with our spirits.
The Earth yields to us, and gives us nourishment,
But we must return our energy to Her body,
Give and take in equal parts. So today we give forth
What energy we can. Bring forth the Thesmoi,
Give them the warmth of your love.

(The women with wombs take the Thesmoi from the altar, and bring them to any men with testicles to hold, bless, and place energy within them. Women without wombs and men without testicles must watch and chant, but cannot touch the Thesmoi once they are placed on the altar, for this magic must be that of fertility.)

Hail, Demeter! We bring you our gifts,
To be placed in the dark of your womb!
We bring you our hopes, our joys,
Our passions and desires, that you may
Enjoy them, and your womb fill to overflowing
And burst forth in goodness upon our world.
As you have given to us, so we give to you.

Chant: Mother Earth I sing to you
Demeter and Gaia
Mother Earth I bring to you
All within my hands

(The women with wombs carry the Thesmoi to the Mundus Cereris, roll back the stone, and place them within, also chanting. They reset the stone, return to the altar room, and announce, “It is done!” All who have been chanting cry out “Hail Demeter!” and the rite is ended.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Aid In Financial Difficulty

Aid In Financial Difficulty

Materials:

Green Candle
Purple Candle
Sage Oil
Scribing tool such as a crafters exacto knife, athame or kitchen knife

On a Thursday (you can do it on any day but Thursday is associated with Power, Success, Fame, Wealth etc.)

Begin by meditating as you normally do, in addition I always use white light as a protection around my circle before I cast any spells. Inscribe on your candles money symbols, Success, Wealth.  Begin inscribing at the bottom of the candle, rotating it to the left in a spiral method. So your inscriptions will rotate up to the right and around. While you inscribe your candles, visualize your goals; see yourself succeeding be clear on what you want. Rub your candle with the Sage oil from the bottom up while asking for what you want.

Ask the Earth (As an element) to grant your spell use words that are meaningful for you. I face North and light the candles:

By the power of the Earth and the Grace of her body
I ask for Success in obtaining wealth
I ask that I be given focus and ability
To earn with love and light on this
Thursday Night I thank thee spiritually,
Emotionally, mentally and physically
As it harm none
So Mote it Be
 

You may also burn incense alone or in combination Honeysuckle, pine, musk, cedar, patchouli or jasmine in honor of earth. While the Candles burn, continue to meditate and or visualize your specific goals or you may visualize the earth guiding you to success.

We wanted to do something special for you on this Mabon!

I wanted to do something special for you on this Mabon. I don’t know if you followed long with the ritual or not. Nor do I know if you can’t anything out of it. But I know I did, I suddenly found a peace. A peace that came over me like an ocean. I know now everything is going to work out for the best. It is going to take some work on our part but we can make it happen.

The world is too violent of a place right now. If we don’t step in and do something, then I believe the Goddess is going to get fed up with all of us. Especially us, the witches, because it is our main objective to work for the betterment of mankind. That is why we were given our powers “to better mankind.”

I know there has been times when I have called us together to act as one. But now, as out of hand as the world has gotten we need to do it every day to something gives. Till we see a sign that our work is accomplishing something. There is a lot to be done. Truthfully, I don’t even know where to begin. We have are own government that can’t get along with itself, we have nuclear maniacs or at least we are told that, we have terrorists taking over malls, terrorists killing our troops overseas. It has to stop! We have to be the ones that stop it. Instead of sitting on our butts, we need to hit the floor on bended knee and pray to our Divine Mother.  Pray to Her for guidance, pray to her for her love and most of all her help cleaning the mess this planet is in, UP! Pray to Her that she will guide us and assist wherever we are needed. No matter what it is, we have to act.

The way the world is headed, it won’t go on much longer without Divine intervention. Ask the Goddess or whatever Divine Power you believe in, to help us. For we never need our Divine Mother now more than ever. All we have to do is ask and she will show us. Please pray with me, my friend, please!

This Mabon season as we look around and our bounty runs over with a plentiful harvest. Think of those who are less fortunate and pray for them. Pray that they may come and know the beauty and True Love of our Divine Mother. Pray they will come back to the Ways of the Old. No murders, robberies, mass executions, nuclear bombs, chemical weapons, shall I go on. Pray instead that our new world return to its old Ways. The Ways of the Ancient were Love ruled the land along with peace, harmony and good will. Let us not become so advance that we become barbaric. Remember how it once was, wouldn’t it be lovely if our children could grow up in that world again. They can and we can make it so. Wishing Each & Everyone of my dear family members here,

A Very Prosperous & Blessed Mabon,

Love,

Lady A & The Witches Of The Craft

Mabon Ritual

Mabon Ritual

(circa September 21)

Decorate the altar with acorns, oak sprigs, pine and cypress cones, ears of
corn, wheat stalks and other fruits and nuts. Also place there a small rustic
basket filled with dried leaves of various colors and kinds.

Arrange the altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the Circle of Stones.
Recite the Blessing Chant.
Invoke the Goddess and God.
Stand before the altar, holding aloft the basket of leaves, and slowly scatter
them so that they cascade to the ground within the circle. Say such words as
these:

Leaves fall,
the days grow cold.
The Goddess pulls Her mantle of the Earth around Her as You,
O Great Sun God,
sail toward the West to the lands of
Eternal Enchantment.,
wrapped in the coolness of night.
Fruits ripen,
seeds drop,
the hours of day and night are balanced.
Chill winds blow in from the North wailing laments.
In this seeming extinction of nature’s power,
O Blessed Goddess,
I know that life continues.
For spring is impossible without the second harvest,
as surely as life is impossible without death.
Blessings upon You,
O Fallen God,
as You journey into the lands of winter
and into the Goddess’ loving arms.
Place the basket down and say:

O Gracious Goddess of all fertility,
I have sown and reaped the fruits of my actions, good and bane.
Grant me the courage to plant seeds of joy and love in the coming year,
banishing misery and hate.
Teach me the secrets of wise existence upon this planet,
O Luminous One of the Night!

Works of magick, if necessary, may follow.
Celebrate the Simple Feast.
The circle is released.

Let's Talk Witch – Do You Know Your Altar Has to Have Balance

phantasmal_familiar_by_rebelkitty-d5iar4f

Let’s Talk Witch – Your Altar Has to Have Balance

If you choose to leave your ritual tools out on your altar, be sure to display all four principal items—Athame, pentagram, chalice and wand—together to establish balance. These four implements represent the four elements: Air, Earth, Water and Fire respectively.

In addition to the four primary tools, you’ll want to keep a variety of other magick items and ingredients on hand for your workings. Most Witches store a supply of candles in different colors, along with incense, essential oils, herbs, crystals, and gemstones. In time, you might also consider adding ribbons, parchment, small bags, a crystal ball, bells a cauldron, tarot cards, runes, pendulum, ritual clothing and jewelry and a Book of Shadows for recording your spells.

Some Witches change the decorations on their altars to coincide with the seasons and sabbats. This practice keeps your altar looking fresh and attractive, while also linking you to the Wheel of the Year and the cycles of life.

Hecate Ritual: Banishing Negativity

Hecate Ritual: Banishing Negativity

In this ritual you will be calling on Hecate in Her Crone aspect. It is performed during the Dark of the Moon. Some people are fearful of working with the Dark Moon and the Crone, but She is the wise protector who will take your negativity and transform it in her cauldron of change.  Begin by setting up your altar as you normally do for ritual, making sure you have a black candle and wine or water in your chalice in addition to anything else you use. You will also need cleansing, purifying incense and a censer or some kind of container, which can be carried, around your home.  (I use a large shell to hold smoldering charcoal, or stick incense.) It is best to set your altar on the floor for this rite, but you may do it however you feel most comfortable.

Cast your circle as you normally do. When you are through, kneel before your altar and light the black candle. With your arms held, palms upward, at your sides, call Hecate by saying three times:

Hecate, beautiful Crone of Night

I call you here to put things right.

Transform the negative thought and pain

And help my life be whole again.

Close your eyes. When you feel the presence of Hecate and know she is there to help you, open your eyes. Bow your head to her to show your reverence, then take the chalice, saying:   

Lady of the Dark Moon,

Share with me this wine.

Bring your protection to

Flood this life of mine.

May the waters of your eternal womb

Bring change most divine.

Sip a small amount of the wine (or water), envisioning it as liquid energy, flowing to effect a positive change within and outside of you.  Leave the rest as an offering to Hecate.  Light the purifying incense in the censer, cut a door in the Circle, and, beginning in the eastern-most corner of your home, smudge your home, going counter-clockwise. Go into every closet, the bathroom, and the garage – make sure your entire house is smudged. As you go, chant: 

Negativity be gone.

Come back into the Circle and visualize your entire house and yard bathed in a peaceful blue light. Since you have created a void by banishing the negativity, you will need to fill that void. Now going deosil (clock-wise), re-trace your steps through the house, asking that good, protective spirits come into your home and that positive energies replace the negative ones that have just been banished. This is an important step, because if you don’t fill the void with something good, the negativity will come right back. Sometimes during such a ritual, I take one large and one small black stone and charge them to keep away negativity. I promise Hecate that the large one will remain in a prominent place in my house and that I will keep the small one with me at all times.

Thank Hecate. Meditate if you wish, visualizing your life free from negative happenings and feelings and full of love, prosperity, and happiness. Feel how She has changed your home and your life.  Close the Circle and know that it is done.

Calendar of the Sun for August 15

Calendar of the Sun

Feralia: Day of Purification

Color: White
Element: Air
Altar: On a white cloth put a lit candle, incense, a cup of water, and a bowl of salt.
Offering: Although this day is not a day of total silence, it is a solemn day and talking should be done only when necessary and in quiet tones. Bodies should be thoroughly cleaned during the bathing hour, and then the altar area should be cleaned and purified with all four elements. Each person, upon entering the altar space at the beginning of Sponde should remove their clothing and be naked, and each body should be purified with the four elements and marked with water and salt, at which point they may enrobe again. Chores of the day should concentrate on cleaning and repair.
Daily Meal: Vegan and extremely simple and plain.

Feralia Invocation

Breathe the air into your body
And breathe out again,
And as you breathe out,
Let all grime and corruption
Depart on that breath
(All breathe together for twelve breaths.)
Feel the blood coursing through your body
And imagine it clean
Of anything but what should be there.
Feel the energy coursing through your body
And wash it clean
Of anything that does not belong.
Feel the Earth beneath you,
Remember that She can absorb all
Remember that all rot is her provenance
Draw her energy up into you
And give it back again.

(After this grounding, all breathe together again in a yogic breathing pattern for the next half an hour, after which all will go with water and salt and incense and fire to all rooms in the house and cleanse them. Great care should be taken for the rest of the day not to disturb the energy of the freshly cleaned house.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Calendar of the Sun for August 5th

Calendar of the Sun

5 Weodmonath

Dumuzi’s Day

Color: Golden
Element: Earth
Altar: Upon a golden cloth is laid a sheaf of grain, two red candles, a cup of wine, incense, a sheepskin, a knife, and a bowl of blood.
Offering: Make a sacrifice of any kind.
Daily Meal: Meat and grain.

Invocation to Dumuzi

Hail, Lord of the flocks and herds
Who is slaughtered that we may live.
Hail, sacred king of Babylon
Who gives his life for Inanna’s freedom
And for Ereshkigal’s hunger.
Hail, reluctant one who goes unwillingly
To the sacrifice, as many of us do,
Yet who learns the beauty and dignity
Of the path of being an offering.

(The cup of wine is passed, and the remainder poured out as a libation.)

It is the nature of sacrifice
To be difficult.
If it was easy to throw away,
It was no sacrifice.
If it was did not miss it
It was no sacrifice.
If it was not the best you could give
It was no sacrifice.
If it was not agonizing to choose,
It was no sacrifice.
If it did not make you waver at least once in your choice,
It was no sacrifice.
If it did not make you weep,
It was no sacrifice.

(The bowl of blood is poured out as a libation.)

Song: Lammas Prayer

[Pagan Book of Hours]