Tag: Earth

Calendar of the Moon for December 11th

Calendar of the Moon
11 Ruis/Poseideion

Day of the Underworld II

Color: Grey
Element: Earth
Altar: The altar should be the same as the night before, with the vinegar water replenished if necessary. Something made of rotting flesh should be placed on the altar, for scent.
Offerings: Whatever the Gods tell you.
Daily Meal: Fasting tonight, until the next morning.

Underworld Invocation II

We are the stricken, dying with death,
Shrouded with weeds, wrapped in our loss,
Silent we wait, clouded by tears,
Torn by the wind, ragged with mist.
Where we are wounded
There is no healing.
Where we decay
Nothing is sound.
Ravaged by night, abandoned by day,
Silent we wait, shadows of grey.
Old in our broken houses of flesh,
Old among ruined pillars of Sun,
Old as the halls to which we descend,
Old as this dark that does not end.
Call: Tonight we go under the ground.
Response: Tonight we are as corpses in the Earth.
Call: On this night, and the next, and the next, we are dead.
Response: On this night, we feel our bodies as they rot.
Call: On this night, we praise the worms and the beetles.
Response: On this night, we learn about the grave.
Call: On this night, we learn that Earth is silence.
Response: On this night, we learn that Earth welcomes us home.
Call: Receive us, Guardians of the Gate!
Response: Receive us, Lords of Death!

(All kneel before the altar for a long time, meditating on rot and decay. The chalice is passed, and all take a sip. Then all rise and leave in silence. That night, each should place under their pillow some dried weeds, or a handful of earth from a graveyard, for a reminder.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Current Moon Phase for Dec. 11th – Waxing Crescent Moon

Crescent Moon

(waxing/56% of Full)

During this Moon phase, there is a slight slowing down of enthusiasm due to an emerging desire to produce tangible results from the energy being expended. The issue of values enters into the equation and an urge to tie together the data available so that you can utilize current opportunities. There is still plenty of forward motion, and this is a great time to continue initiating and progressing forward. This Moon phase favors gaining more information and the input of others to further your plans.

The Witches Almanac for Wednesday, December 11th

The Witches Almanac for Wednesday, December 11th

Wednesday (Mercury):  The conscious mind, study, travel, divination and wisdom.

The Pilgrimage at Tortugas

Waxing Moon

The Waxing Moon is the ideal time for magick to draw things toward you.

Moon Phase: Second Quarter

Moon Sign: Aries

Aries: Good for starting things, but lacks staying power. Things occur rapidly, but quickly pass. People tend to be argumentative and assertive.

Incense: Lilac

Color: Brown

Bright Blessings

Bright Blessings

Earth Mother
Giver of life
Strengthen me during my life-long strife.
Teach me Your ways of perfect love,
peace, and wisdom true.
Spawn from my purest heart
These words to You
May this prayer help me to better
myself in word and deed,
To a higher plane I shall succeed.
Beautiful Light of Goodness Fair
Lore of old we both do share
A Witch’s brew, I drink to You
My love for You, by day, by night
In thought and in sight
Will my soul learn
the meaning of this life again.

More Winter Comments

Calendar of the Moon for December 9th

Calendar of the Moon

9 Ruis/Poseideon

Day of Arawn

Colors: Black and brown
Element: Earth
Altar: Upon a black cloth lay four bowls of incense, a goblet of clear liquor, and the figures of black dogs and black horses.
Offerings: Resist a temptation. Keep a promise.
Daily Meal: Game birds, such as duck or turkey.

Invocation to Arawn

Dark Lord of Annwfn,
Keeper of the Country of the Black Sun,
King of the Land Under the Earth,
Grey-Cloaked, Silver-Tongued,
Rider of the Pale Horse,
We call your name into the echoing silence.
(All whisper: “Arawn, Arawn, Arawn!”)
You are the tester of those who believe
They are the image of honor;
Your silver tongue guides us deeper
Into the swamps of our illusions
Until we find ourselves hunted down
By the fierce howling of your hounds,
And we learn truth, hard truth, running
Like a rabbit through the thorns.
(All whisper: “Arawn, Arawn, Arawn!”
Your hounds were pilfered
And yet your judgment dogs our guilty heels.
Your deer were stolen
And yet your truth follows us fleet of foot.
Your lapwing bird cries in our ears
A song of accusation that we cannot shut out.
Your swine were stolen
And yet it is we who must learn to sacrifice.
(All whisper: “Arawn, Arawn, Arawn!”)
Guardian of the Ancestral Tree,
Master Hunter who moves in shadow,
Whose doors are the wild springs of the wood,
May we never mistake your tests
For mere random cruelty,
Lest we lose the wisdom to be found
In the dark depths of your implacable eyes.
(All whisper: “Arawn, Arawn, Arawn!”)
Let us drink from your bitter cauldron,
Let us bow in respect and reverence
Before you and your dread lady
Whose cold hand we dare not touch;
Let us learn to keep our promises,
To resist the temptation to think
That we know better than the Gods,
And to prove our honor in your eyes.
Bless us, Lord of Annwfn,
And may we all survive the chase
Wiser than we were when we began.

(All howl like hounds, then when silence falls, all shall kneel before the altar and think of what temptation pulls them to betray honor and vows. Each shall whisper it to Arawn, and then whisper their promise anew, to be heard and held by Him.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Current Moon Phase for December 9th – First Quarter

First Quarter Moon

(waxing/47% of Full)

Emotions begin to stir coupled with recognizing that the new beginnings you are making must also increase personal security to be worthwhile over the long haul. This is a time when it’s appropriate to get in touch with your gut instincts and begin to guide your life more deliberately, with an awareness of using your “sixth sense” as well as your enthusiasm. Obstacles may emerge that require you to reevaluate how to better integrate yourself into your immediate environment.

The Witches Magick For December 9th – Three-Stone Home Magick

The Witches Magick For December 9th

Three-Stone Home Magick

Cast this spell to bring more harmony and happiness into your home by way of benevolent faeries.

You will need three small white stones you find in nature.

At 6:07 p.m., draw a magick circle and call in the elements. Hold each of the three stones in your power hand, one at a time, and face your altar. Take a deep, complete breath in and out. Merge with the faeries and charge each of the stones by saying:

“Blessed be, blessed three moon and star stones,
Please bring harmony and happiness to my home.”

Now, slowly spin clockwise three times. When you are done spinning say:

“Helpful, bright, and friendly faeries
Please bring harmony and happiness to my home
Ayea, Ayea, Ayea, blessed fae! So Be It!

Sit or stand quietly in the middle of your circle and imagine the helpful powers of the earth, air, fire, and water faeries bringing more harmony and joyful happiness to your home forever and a day. Do this for at least fifteen minutes, then offer the stones to the faeries by placing them gently on the ground beneath a flower, bush or tree. As you do, repeat with each stone:

Blessed be, blessed three moon and star stones
Please bring harmony and happiness to my home.

Today is Moon’s Day – “Moon’s Day” Manidagar

Today is Moon’s Day – “Moon’s Day” Manidagar

Monday, “Moon’s Day” governs the emotions, wildlife, fertility and the life giving waters. In some traditions, the Moon may be attributed to a God or Goddess.

“Moon’s Day” or “Manidagar” as it is known in Old Norse governs the emotions, wildlife, and the giving waters. This day honors the God/dess, the moon cycles, the tides, and our feelings. This is a good day to honor the God/dess within. This Rune is called Lagu (OE), Laguz (G), or Logr (ON).

Many God/dess orientated Study Groups and Meta- physical Groups often meet on Mondays. It is good day to organize and plan for the rest of the week as well. IN THE NORSE AND GERMANIC TRADITIONS, THE MOON IS ALWAYS MASCULINE! In Norse, the Moon is “Mani.” Mani’s sister is Sol, the Sun. Sol is pursued by a wolf and Mani is pursued by Hati, who will catch him at Ragnorok and devour him. This is why the wolf is called Managarmr ‘devourer of Mani.’

This can also be a day of creativity drawing upon ones imagination and also a day of psychic awareness.

The Witches Almanac for Monday, December 9th

The Witches Almanac for Monday, December 9th

Monday (Moon): Peace, sleep, healing, compassion, friends, psychic awareness, purification and fertility.

St. Leocadia’s Day

Waxing Moon

The Waxing Moon is the ideal time for magick to draw things toward you.

Moon Phase: Second Quarter 10:12 am

Moon Sign: Pisces

Pisces: The focus is on dreaming, nostalgia, intuition and psychic impression. A good time for spiritual or philanthropic activities.

Incense:  Hyssop

Color: Green

Daily Feng Shui for December 5 – ‘Bathtub Party Day’

‘Bathtub Party Day’ can quell your nerves while cleaning you up at the same time. Consider it an anxiety-reducing party in your bathtub! Place one tablespoon each of rose petal and wheat grain and ten chopped dried plums in a net. Suspend the net in the bathwater and then add ten drops of rose essential oil. Lie down in the water, close your eyes and focus your concentration on the bottom of your collarbone. Massage your temples while doing this and within twenty minutes you’ll feel like taking this party out of the tub and out on the town.

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Thinking Differently

Thinking Differently

The New Moon and Uranus team up to get you out of the box…

Jeff Jawer    Jeff Jawer on the topics of uranus, sagittarius, new moon, blogs, astrology

 

The fires of imagination are burning this week, kicked off by Monday’s incendiary New Moon in Sagittarius. This visionary sign is more interested in flying past the limits of ordinary life than hunkering down and struggling with its mundane details. Adventurous instincts stir escapist urges as we see ourselves flying away to beaches in Tahiti, ski slopes in Switzerland and ashrams in Tibet. Travel is a natural desire of the Sagittarian spirit, which can sometimes seem like a childish flight from reality. Yet the message of this week’s New Moon is especially apt at a time when most of the leaders and institutions we depend upon lack answers to our biggest questions

The current framework of ideas, our collective menu of intellectual choices, is severely limited by conventional thinking. Neither the capitalist’s eternally expanding economy or the socialist’s communal society are dreams that are likely to come true any time soon. Financial and environmental disasters come and go and could, sadly, occur more frequently in these changing times. The search for solutions runs into walls of philosophical differences where winning today’s political and profit games blinds us with short-sightedness. As personal and institutional pressures to survive increase the capacity to seek long-term solutions diminishes, especially when the strongest convictions are held by religions that promise a better life beyond planet Earth rather than a fulfilling one on it.

Back to solid ground

Unless you’re ready for the Rapture or interested in an extra-terrestrial intervention, we need to put our feet and our aspirations back on terra firma and look for ways to continue the human adventure on this beautiful blue planet. Fortunately, this Sagittarius New Moon is charged up with a creative trine from innovative Uranus that can break open our fields of inquiry and provide radically different perspectives on our current situation.

“You can’t solve a problem on the same level you created it” is a statement credited to Albert Einstein. The former patent examiner who revolutionized physics recognized the value of looking outside the box, which is exactly how Uranus works. This transpersonal planet’s trine with the Sagittarius Sun-Moon conjunction stretches minds and sparks intuitive insights that might seem impractical at first. Uranus breaks the walls of consciousness to present perspectives that shake our present view of reality. What we see often seems weird and worthless, yet could be exactly what we need.

In the end, it’s all about the journey

A good way to work with this Uranus influenced New Moon is to recognize when you’re imprisoned by your thoughts. The choices that we think we have are generally interpreted as the only ones possible, yet this Sagittarius lunation can burn off old beliefs and free us to look and live happily outside the box. Consider your usual assumptions as the starting points of a journey of discovery rather than the end of the road. Imagine that you have a mental laboratory where you get to experiment with “weird” ideas, the ones that don’t make sense right now but might prove meaningful later. Give yourself the freedom to speculate and make mistakes because Uranus’ gifts don’t come in neat packages. They arrive as messy, strange and sometimes uncomfortable notions that are habitually rejected out of hand. This holiday season give yourself the gift of weirdness, because it’s when you escape conventional thinking that you’re most likely to come up with the most brilliant and valuable answers.

Current Moon Phase for December 5th is Waxing Crescent

Crescent Moon

(waxing/10% of illumination)

During this Moon phase, there is a slight slowing down of enthusiasm due to an emerging desire to produce tangible results from the energy being expended. The issue of values enters into the equation and an urge to tie together the data available so that you can utilize current opportunities. There is still plenty of forward motion, and this is a great time to continue initiating and progressing forward. This Moon phase favors gaining more information and the input of others to further your plans.

The Witches Magick for December 5th – A Winter Night’s Blessing

A Winter Night’s Blessing

While preparing your bed, read this blessing aloud as part of your nightly prayers.

“When the nights are dark and stormy,
and things become hard to see,
Dear God and Goddess
Help to keep the light within me glowing,
So that no matter which way the wind’s blowing.
I am on the path I should be:
I am one of the blessed,
Who seek complete union with the divine,
I am one of the shining ones,
Whose light continues to brighten the night,
In the name of the Lord and Lady, Blessed Be!
 

As you shift to sleep, imagine that you are a candle the Goddess has lit. Imagine your light burning bright and shining like a star in the night sky. Every night, your light grows brighter and brighter and your life becomes filled with the joy of divine love.

Today Is Thursday, Thor’s Day

Today Is Thursday, Thor’s Day

“Thor’s Day” or “Thorsdagar” in Old Norse (Thursday), was named for a huge and hearty Norse God who was a defender against the world of chaos with his hammer, referred to as Mjollnir, the Destroyer.

Thor’s hammer was said to be made of stone and to have fallen from the heavens as a meteorite. Ancient alchemists believed there were two kinds of meteorites: Glass and the Irons. Moldavite, which is an extraterrestrial kind of peridot, is just one of many kinds of Glass meteorites that reach the Earth’s surface. The other kind of meteorite, The Irons, includes metals such as copper, nickel and iron. It was thought the Mjollnir was an iron and nickel alloy meteorite forged by Sindri the dwarf, an alchemist and smith of magical and mysterious metals.

Thor’s hammer obeyed his every command doing his bidding and returning to his hand once thrown. Thor commanded the thunderbolts, and could sling them at his foes. Known as a Storm God, Thor was easily irritated. He would roar like thunder and sling thunderbolts when angered. On the other hand, he could be benevolent and a strong friend to peasants and yeoman bringing rain when needed, stilling a storm, and above all as their protector and defender.

A Rune to use on this day is Thurisaz (Germanic), Thuith (Gothic), Thorn (Old English), Thurse (Old Norse). A real thorn can be tiny, but irritating. Problems may appear bigger than they really are. Thorn helps to put them in perspective, especially when an important decision must be made. The advice of what was needed can result in a very successful outcome. Problems and fears can then be encountered as creative challenges. Ask for advice and help when needed, especially on this day!

The Witches Almanac for Thursday, December 5th

The Witches Almanac for Thursday, December 5th

Thursday (Jupiter): Expansion, money, prosperity, and generosity.

Hanukkah ends

Waxing Moon
The Waxing Moon is the ideal time for magick to draw things toward you.

Moon Sign: Capricorn

Develops strong structure. Focus on traditions, responsibilities, and obligations. A good time to set boundaries and rules.

Moon Phase: First Quarter

Incense: Jasmine

Color: Purple

Daily Motivator for December 4th – Waves of Healing

Waves of Healing
Ocean Meditation

by Madisyn Taylor

There is much we can learn from the ocean as we have a similar inner landscape within us as well.

 

Like us, the sea is ever-changing. And, like us, the earth’s vast oceans appear at a distance to be stable and homogenous. But beneath the mask of solidity that both we and the sea wear, there lies unpredictability, sensitivity, and power. There is much we can learn from the ocean, representative as it is of our inner landscapes. The rough sounds of the sea’s waves are spiritually soothing, and its salt can purify our physical selves. Yet not everyone has the luxury of living by the shore or even visiting the coastlines where water and land meet. The ocean, however, exists in our conscious minds, put there by images we have seen and descriptions we have read. Wherever we are, we can access that mental image and use it as the starting point from which we can help to heal our emotions by meditating on the sea.

To begin, gather together any ocean artifacts you may have on hand. Seashells, a vial of sand, beach glass, stones rubbed smooth by the pounding surf, or a recording of ocean sounds can help you slip more deeply into this meditation, but they are not necessary. Sit quietly and visualize the ocean in your mind’s eye. Allow all of your senses to participate in your mental journey. Feel the tiny grains of sand beneath your feet and the cool spray of mist; hear the sea’s rhythmic roar as the waves meet the beach and retreat; smell the tang of salt in the air. Watch the sun’s rays play over the ocean’s surface, creating shifting spots of teal, cerulean, cobalt, and green. Don’t be surprised if you see dolphins or whales frolicking in the waves—they are there to assist you. Spend a few minutes drinking in the ocean’s beauty and appreciating its vast splendor.

Once you are fully engaged with the setting before you, visualize yourself sitting on the beach, facing the ocean, and watching the waves advance and retreat. As each new wave of seawater approaches, imagine it carrying healing energy toward you. The magnificent ocean in your thoughts is sending you light and love while the sun supports your healing efforts and Mother Earth grounds you in the moment so healing can occur. When you feel you are finished, grant the ocean your earnest gratitude for the aid it has given you. Thank the sun, the sand, and any other elements of your visualization that offered you guidance. Perform this meditation daily or monthly in order to rid yourself of negativity and reestablish emotional equilibrium. Just as the ocean’s tides sweep the shores free of detritus, restoring balance, so can the waves in our mind’s eye cleanse our souls of what no longer serves us.

The Daily OM

How to do Magick

How to do Magick

Very, very carefully

There are certain factors that must be in your mind when you do magick.

1. The Wiccan Rede?

2. The rule of three?

3. Have you been asked to do the magic?

4. Are you ready to take away another’s will?

5. Are you ready to pay for what you are going to do?

Magick is something that one does not take lightly. Do not let the movies or TV be your guide at this time. For everything we do there is a price to pay.

So say you, that you will only do “good magick.” Therefore you have nothing to worry about. You have a friend that has been ill for a while and you decide to help them. You cast a healing spell and your friend does not get better, but instead dies. You know whose fault that is? You – the caster.

First by casting the spell without being asked goes against the Rede. Secondly you are taking over a persons will. You have no idea what medication had been given to your friend. You stick your two cents in and wind up counteracting the good the medication might have done. Now what do you thing will happen to you? Remember the rule of three. Good returns good three times, evil returns evil three times. Feeling comfortable with this, are you?

Great, you will stay away from healing, but what about that great looking Guy or Gal at the office. You would like them for yourself. Before you cast, think, which of the five items above are you willing to accept?

All of a sudden casting does not seem like fun and games. In the future you will learn that casting is not to be taken lightly. It is not a gift, but a responsibility, and one not to be taken lightly. When you are willing to accept the responsibility and results of casting them should you get involved.

 

Cook Book Spells

There are many books on the market with spells in them. Spells, unlike recipes are not some thing that you can get out of a book. In my Grimore are spells I have cast and that have worked for me. I can hand the book over to you and all you would have is a book of lovely words. That’s all! A spell is part of the individual casting.

It is not necessary for a spell to be spoken in rhyme, but it helps. By writing your spell in rhyme it forces you to give though to what you are doing. You MUST be very specific with what you want a spell to do; else it can come back to you.

 

Self Gain

Never cast a spell that will benefit you with riches, or rewards. It is not our place in the universe to be the richest people in existence. But don’t get me wrong. If you are unemployed there is nothing with casting a spell to gain employment. But be careful here too. Your competition for the job may be unemployed also.

 

For a Simple Healing the cost is…

Wiccans and Witches DO NOT have a sliding fee schedule for the magic we do. As a matter of fact we DO NOT charge. To charge is to belittle who and what you are. We give from our hearts. For the most part the Wiccan community cares for those around us. We love the Earth and all she stands for. We care for animals and humans alike. Being a Wiccan / Witch is NOT a business.

 

Today’s Tarot Card for December 4th is The Moon

The Moon

Wednesday, Dec 4th, 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What has traditionally been known as the Moon card refers to a deep state of sensitivity and imaginative impressionability, developed within a womb of deep relaxation. Here we dream and go into trance, have visions and receive insights, wash in and out with the psychic tides, and experience deep mystical and/or terrifying realities beyond our ordinary senses. The full moon and/or eclipse cycle charted by the Magi (as in some of the earliest Moon card images) exemplify this as a mechanism that Nature uses to expand consciousness.

The variants of the courtly lovers (representing skillful use of the sex force) or the man sleeping it off under the tree (use of drugs to alter consciousness) are also traditional avenues for tapping this primal force. Human interest in higher states propels us to the frontiers of consciousness, where we cannot always control what happens. The Moon card represents the ultimate test of a soul’s integrity, where the membrane between self and the Unknown is removed, and the drop of individuality reenters the Ocean of Being. What transpires next is between a soul and its Maker.

Calendar of the Moon for December 4th

Calendar of the Moon

Elder Tree Month

Color: Russet
Element: Air
Altar: Upon a russet cloth set three black candles, a cauldron filled with water, a vase filled with elder branches, a cup of dried elderberries, and a knife.
Offerings: Give aid to the elders in the House, and outside.
Daily Meal: Soups and stews, and soft foods.

Ruis Invocation

Call: Hail the month of passing.
Response: For all things pass away.
Call: Hail the month of waning.
Response: For all things must fade and die.
Call: Hail the month of creaking wood.
Response: Hail the month of creaking bones.
Call: Hail the month of the dwindling Sun.
Response: Hail the time of all endings.
Call: For even as we began the year in silence,
Response: So we shall end the year in silence.
Call: For even as we began the year with chill winds of newness,
Response: So we shall end the year with chill winds of darkness.
Call: May the raven croak his warning from the bare branches.
Response: May the deer leave her footprints in the wake of the first snows.
Call: We will surrender ourselves to the darkness.
Response: Yet even with that surrender, we shall not pass away.
Call: For the seed that was grown in the spring still lives.
Response: Its life force is given back to the Earth.
Call: Its life force is given back to the Maker of new life.
Response: And new life shall spring forth in time.
Call: This is the moment of waiting for the end.
Response: This is the moment of bowed heads.
Call: Elder Goddess, teach us to praise loss, death, and the passing of all things.
Response: For from this flux we know your blessings flow.

Chant: In the eye of the Moon
We walk willingly
Into the darkness.

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Current Moon Phase for Dec. 4th – Waxing Crescent Moon

Crescent Moon

(waxing/4% of Full)

During this Moon phase, there is a slight slowing down of enthusiasm due to an emerging desire to produce tangible results from the energy being expended. The issue of values enters into the equation and an urge to tie together the data available so that you can utilize current opportunities. There is still plenty of forward motion, and this is a great time to continue initiating and progressing forward. This Moon phase favors gaining more information and the input of others to further your plans.