Tag: Earth

Mid-Winter Feng Shui: The Year of the Earth Rat

Mid-Winter Feng Shui: The Year of the Earth Rat

  • Betsy Stang

Chinese New Year heralds the beginning of spring in the Northern hemisphere. In the southern states, the flowers begin to bloom, the rains come, often violently as the yin and yang, cold and hot fight for dominance. In the northern states, often fog will settle in for long periods as the rain and snow take turns letting each form of water rule.

The Year of the Earth Rat is a good time to build new foundations. Slow and steady, one grain at a time, the rat can move mountains.



Mid-winter is a good time for pruning and clearing. As the sap starts to flow upward, what shape do you want your life to take in the coming months? This is not a time for glamour and glitz. You won’t be getting by on a good idea or a pretty smile. What is the substance behind the dazzle? Expect to be called on for what you stand for.

It is a great time to look at your core values. What is important to you? Have you been putting your energy where your heart really is? Rats are pack animals, so look at your pack, your friend, family co-workers. How can you be more harmonious in your relationships? Have you reached out to those who are important to you in support and encouragement? Right now a small word and small gestures can make a lot of difference.

If you did not clean out your closets at the January New Year, do it now. Try clothing on and if you don’t love it, pass it along. I sometimes do swap parties with my friends and it’s a great way to perk up a dreary February afternoon. Pass along what your friends don’t want to the nearest women’s shelter or Salvation Army drop box. Somebody needs the clothing you don’t, and you will be spreading abundance and allowing for more to come your way. Also go through the cupboards and restock for emergencies and give food with approaching expiration dates to your local food pantry. Old grain should be put out as well or you might be visited by those pesky grain moths.

When was the last time you fertilized your plants? The growing season is coming on quickly and the new moon, new year is a great time to fertilize. If you have been composting, you might spread that around now, although if the ground is still frozen, wait until the next new moon.

Since it is an Earth year, it will be a time of gradual progress. It is one of those times that we get to learn patience like the farmer who must wait for harvest for his crops to be ready. This year, short cuts won’t work but hard work and perseverance will. In a society that values short-term results, this is a challenging aspect. However, Earth signs, like Taurus, Capricorn and Virgo will be in their element as well as those born in the last year of the Earth Rat, February 1948–January 1949.

Focus your changes on the center of your home, this section represents the Earth element as well as your health. Get that check-up you have been postponing, you might find you can stop a problem before it gets big. It is also a good time to get better nutrition. This is an especially good year to eat as organic as you can. If your stove is not working well, its time to fix it, especially if you are having cash flow problems.

Take small steps in your life to begin to bring about big growth later on. Those of you who have been afraid of change, it is your time to shine. It is a time of setting foundations, of planting who you want to become. To everything there is a season.

Lunar Eclipses – The Science Behind These Events

Lunar Eclipses

The Science Behind These Events

By John P. Millis, Ph.D

What Is A Lunar Eclipse?

Simply put, a lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon. (This means that lunar eclipses, by definition, can only occur during a full Moon.) The result is that direct sunlight from the Sun does not strike the lunar surface. However, this does not mean that no light reaches the surface.

Under certain types of eclipses, light from the Sun can actually be bent by Earth’s atmosphere, casting the Moon in a red or orangish color. Other types of eclipses will simply block a percentage of the Sun’s rays, making the Moon appear darker. And of course, some eclipses are a combination of the two phenomenon (see below).

How Does This Differ From The Normal Lunar Cycle?

While the Moon does go around the Earth, it’s path is actually normally tilted with respect to the Sun. Therefore the different phases of the Moon that we observe during the normal lunar cycle are a result of only half of the Moon getting sunlight at any given time. Then depending on where you are on Earth, you see the Moon at an angle.

The Different Types of Lunar Eclipses

Boiling lunar eclipse down to the Earth’s shadow being cast over the surface of the Moon is quite an over simplification. As already stated, some of the Sun’s light can still reach the surface because of the bending of the light around the Earth. But to complicate the matter further, the Earth’s shadow is actually broken up into two distinct parts (see image).

The umbra is the portion of the Earth’s shadow that does not contain any direct radiation from the Sun. The focus of the umbra is the point at which all three celestial bodies are properly aligned. Despite this, the eclipse does not completely drape the Moon in darkness because light from the Sun can actually be refracted through the Earth’s atmosphere and find its way to the Moon.

The result of this refraction is that the Sun’s light will be separated into individual colors. The more directly aligned the Earth, Moon and Sun are the Moon’s color will transition to more of an orange hue, then red. This is actually the same phenomenon that causes the sky to appear reddish at sunset and sunrise.

When the Moon is fully contained within the umbra, the Moon is said to be in total eclipse. This event can last nearly two hours, while the Moon can be in at least partial eclipse for nearly four hours.

The penumbra is the region of space where the Earth is only partially blocking the light from the Sun. As the Moon moves from outside the shadow toward the umbra the Moon will begin to appear darker and darker. Again, the Moon never appears in complete darkness because some of the light from the Sun is always reaching the surface up until the Moon reaches the umbra.

Normally the Moon will lie only partially in the penumbra area (known as a penumbral eclipse), but occasionally, the Moon will find itself completely in the penumbra. These events, called total penumbral eclipses, are rare. And they are typically characterized by one side of the Moon appearing darker than the other due to one side approaching or receding from the umbra.

These total penumbral eclipses can immediately precede or follow a partial eclipse where the Moon is partially in each of the umbra and penumbra regions.

The Danjon Scale For Lunar Eclipse Brightness

There are obviously a variety of lunar eclipses, causing a variety of different Lunar appearances. In order to classify what kind of lunar eclipse is occurring a scale known as the Danjon scale was developed by André-Louis Danjon.

Essentially an L value is determined based solely on the appearance of the Moon. Using only the naked eye, the observer estimates which category the eclipse falls into to.

    • L=0, This represents the darkest eclipse, and is probably what most people imagine when they think of a lunar eclipse.

 

    • L=1, While still very dark, there is a grey or brown hue to the Moon. However, details of the Moon are still difficult to identify.

 

    • L=2, During this type of eclipse the Moon will appear dark red, possibly with a slight hint of orange. The Moon still appears very dark at this value.

 

    • L=3, The Moon is now brick-red and noticeably lighter than the previous value. Also, the edges can appear lighter, possibly with a yellowish hue.

 

  • L=4, The Moon now appears bright red or orange, while the edge of the Moon appears almost bluish

The problem with the Danjon scale is that it is not based on an absolute flux or color level, meaning that scientific instruments aren’t used to decide what L value the eclipse represents. Therefore, different people observing the same eclipse can arrive at different L values. So, it’s not very precise, but typically it yields a fairly good idea of what kind of eclipse you are observing.

When Is the Next Lunar Eclipse?

There are always at least two lunar eclipses per year. However, these are sometimes penumbral eclipses which can be difficult to see because the Moon simply appears slightly darker. And given atmospheric conditions, no noticeable different may be apparent.

Total and partial eclipses are far more exciting however, although these are more rare. Typically there are anywhere from zero to three total or partial eclipses each year. To determine when the next eclipse will occur, NASA has put together a handy online tool, which will tell you the date and time of the next lunar eclipse given your location on the Earth.

Lunar Eclipse

Lunar Eclipse

In the Earth’s Shadow

By Molly Hall

The Full Moon is always the alignment of the Sun and Moon in opposite Zodiac signs. The lunar eclipse happens when the Earth is smack dab in the middle, altering how the Moon reflects the solar light. Eclipses come in pairs, and usually come every six months, as that’s when the Moon’s orbit hits the ecliptic.

There’s a mysterious, underworld quality to the lunar eclipse. The Moon turns orangey or blood red, because of the shorter wavelengths being filtered through the Earth’s atmosphere. This frightened people in earlier times, as the cool lunar surface turned a malevolent red. Some cultures believed the Moon was swallowed by a three-legged toad (China) or a jaguar (Maya), and was a herald of demonic or destructive energies afoot. They shouted, clanged pots and pans, and banged drums to dispel the dark spirits lurking around.

What does it bring?

 Since full Moon’s are a time of illumination, the lunar eclipse momentarily throws up shadows of darkness. And often it’s the shadows of the “unlived life,” buried potential, being brought to the surface. It’s a bit like the rich void of the New Moon, where you’re in touch with a well of psychic material. It can be disorienting, as your feet are often leaving the ground of the known!

If you’ve been living in a fantasy world, you’re knocked back to earth. It can be destabilizing and rock the foundations. You are forced to be fully present to some event. You may get shattering news. It takes awhile to fully understand what’s happening, and to find your footing again. Sometimes the events of the eclipse are worked out over a long period, say six months.

Full Moons are times of super high energy, and surging emotion across the spectrum. The eclipse intensifies the sense of being overwhelmed, and events are experienced in vivid color. You’ll get this hit in the house in which the eclipse is taking place. It also loosens the moorings of any planet it touches. You’re in the rapid transformation chute, and clues to how it’ll manifest come from the Zodiac sign of the Sun and Moon at the time. Eclipses liberate us from the status quo, and get things moving. It’s a time to trust, though the outcome may be uncertain, that all things work toward progress in the end.

Daily Cosmic Calendar for December 10th

Stop, look and listen! Not only is Uranus still motionless in early Aries, but a potent New Moon (energizing 19 degrees of Sagittarius and Gemini) clocks in at 6:37AM PST – just 4 minutes after a Total Lunar Eclipse occurs at 6:33AM PST. Individual and group meditations are encouraged. Send out your healing thoughts and prayers to friends, family, associates, and the kingdoms of nature. Open the gates of knowledge and see yourself evolving as a wisdom-keeper. Realize that the simultaneous station of Uranus is adding an enormous dynamism to today’s potential achievements across the board. New ideas, containing enormous power to change the consciousness of the masses, are streaming into the Earth – just waiting for your eager mind to seize the day and turn your life around for the ultimate good. While everything that is serious and profound is accentuated – thanks to both the presence of the Full Moon as well as a flowing trine from the Moon in Gemini to Saturn in Libra (11:06PM PST) – word, board or card games can top the charts. Put more oomph into beloved hobbies and favorite arts and crafts. Weather permitting – fly a kite, kick a soccer ball around or toss the Frisbee to a pal or well-trained pet canine. Watch out for the shadow side of the Sagittarius and Gemini energy-field which sometimes create split-personality vibrations and dualistic thinking that sustain unnecessary worries and self-doubts. Focus more on helping and nurturing dear ones than pushing your own agenda.

Daily Cosmic Calendar for Friday, December 9th

The two days before any Full Moon are a 48-hour time-period of preparation for the enlightenment that can descend into humanity and every soul who is seeking spiritual illumination. We are well within that 48-hour window of potential inspiration since the Full Moon – combined with a Total Lunar Eclipse – will happen tomorrow morning. However, there is an added dose of higher vibrations waiting to come through the cosmic pipeline and into the human kingdom on Earth as Uranus in Aries is poised to make its official station – turning from reverse to direct – tonight at 11:05PM PST. Today’s combination of curious, eager and adaptable Gemini Moon with a stationary Uranus – a key agent of revolutionary changes, flashes of genius, shock waves, surprises, and breakthroughs or breakdowns in consciousness – can be quite a handful. Think more about your exalted destiny in this lifetime and how you can exert your leadership qualities to enhance the flow of goodwill around our beleaguered home planet in the solar system. Be aware that Uranus is also stopping at the first degree of Aries – the same place it was located in back in March 2011 when the zodiacal year began with an exceedingly rare Sun-Uranus union at the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. The forces of personal liberation and freedom from tyrannical forms of authoritarian control are spreading like wildfires across nations and continents – part of a larger cycle of Uranus entering Aries every 84 years and synchronizing with tumultuous shifts on terra firma.

2012- A Witches View of Life and the ‘End’

2012- A Witches View of Life and the ‘End’

Author: Fayte Ravencraft

Unless you have been living under a rock, you have undoubtedly heard of the phenomenon that is 2012. The calendar of the ancient Mayan civilization ends on December 21, 2012, and many believe that it spells out disaster for our planet. Others think that it will be a time of transformation and spiritual rebirth. Here is the opinion of one humble Witch:

I won’t lie and say that the whole ‘2012 hysteria isn’t a little scary. I mean we have several extremely rare celestial occurrences, which also coincide with this exact date, which seem to add to the possibility of strange or catastrophic events occurring. The Earth and the Sun will be perfectly aligned with the ‘Great Rift, in the center of our galaxy, and this alignment is said to occur only every 21, 000 years or so. The Sun will also reach its solar maximum, the peak in its level of sunspot activity. Scientists have noticed recently that the Sun has been alarmingly weak for this point in the cycle — the lowest in over one-hundred years according to one article—, which may mean, in my own opinion, that when the Sun activity does pick up, it may cause a little trouble here on Earth.

The Sun’s own magnetic poles are supposed to switch in 2012 as well, which may cause further issues here on earth. These are simply the facts. Not even the most brilliant among us can truly say what they mean because it has never happened before in recorded history, and all theories are just that: theories. I encourage you to do your own research before coming to any assumption, and do not panic about the ‘approaching disaster, ” because there is not necessarily anything to be worried about. You do, I’m sure, remember the same mass hysteria about the supposed apocalypse in 2000, which never occurred.

I say all this simply so that you, the reader, may come to your own conclusions as to what the future may hold, and so that you know just what everyone is causing all the commotion about. I have listed as many Internet sources as possible so that you may further research them if you wish.

It is my personal feeling that December 21, 2012 will be a time of extraordinary power, a time when the veil between the worlds will be at its absolute thinnest. The Great Rift in the center of our galaxy has always been symbolic of the creative power of the Goddess, the ‘Great Womb, so to speak. The fact that the Sun, the symbol of the Lord, The Great Rift, a symbol of the Lady, and our Earth will be aligned will have a significant meaning magickally. There will never be a better time in our lives to perform magick of all types especially that of the divinatory type.

I do feel like it is a significant milestone in the history of human kind, and that, for those of us who are enlightened and willing, it is the perfect time to reach the maximum of our potential. Being a time of great power, it is also a time when we can make a powerful commitment to change things, both within and without, and to decided just where it is we want to go with our lives. Any energies set to work during this rare alignment are going to have extraordinary results, so why not use this as a time to heal the Earth, and with it, all of mankind. The Maya knew that this would be a time of immense power, and both feared and respected it.

We have a great thing here on our planet, and we too often take even the air we breathe for granted. The gifts we have received from the Universe have been greater than we could ever ask for, and it is time now to realize that. I am not convinced that 2012 marks the end of our world, but I certainly hope it marks a great change within the heart of mankind. We must learn to be grateful for all that we have; our lives and this astoundingly beautiful planet, or we might as well have never been here. I hate to say it, but if by some chance the world truly does end in 2012, I am just glad that I’ve had the blessing of spending this life on this beautiful planet. If it doesn’t end, I hope we all do our very best to be more appreciative; we have a good thing going on here, and we get too caught up in the daily grind of things to realize it sometimes.

While I do not feel that the world is truly about to end, I do think that we need to start living as though the end of the world were today, because it very well could be. We have never been guaranteed any amount of time here, and should view every second, the good and bad, as a gift. If we could truly follow ‘In perfect love and perfect trust, ” and have that love and trust towards ourselves and our fellow man, we would truly be making the absolute best of our time here.

As the great Henry David Thoreau said:

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”

Let us learn all that we can in this life so that when the end comes, we will have the satisfaction of knowing that we have done something that few ever have: Truly lived. If we can say in all honesty that we have lived a full life, then we cannot possibly grieve at its ending. We were lucky even to have one day here, let alone an entire life of loving, laughing and learning! The Great Cycle will continue eternally and we are all but small parts of the infinite cycle. When we embrace the entire cycle, life, death, and rebirth, then there is absolutely nothing to fear.

Nothing is ever truly destroyed, simply changed; and change, my friends, is a very good thing. Embracing change is embracing life.

Blessed Be,
Fayte Ravencraft


Footnotes:
Interview with NASA Solar Scientist

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/sthttp://www.witchvox.com/vu/fms/farticle.htmlory.php?storyId=128268488

http://www.interestingfacts.org/fact/2012-interesting-facts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4JuoBD56HQ

On Creating Magick

On Creating Magick

Author: Lady Wolfwind

I have been blessed with another bright and beautiful day. I’m not sure what I will do with it. It is like a gift to me. I think for a while I will just lay in my chair outside under the tree. It’s my favorite place to be when I choose to seek peace. For a while today, I think I will try a visualization meditation. I find that I can travel anywhere and see anything I choose to. When I come back to a waking state I feel refreshed, more alive. The mind is a wonderful tool if we learn how to use it.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I feel the breeze blowing and lifting the ends of my hair. I feel the touch of the sun on my skin. I concentrate on my breathing. In, out, in, out. I let all the stress leave my body. I feel it slowly melt out of my fingers and toes. In my mind, I open my eyes. I have been transported. Today, I float on a raft in the middle of a lake far, far away. It is not where I live now, but my native state of New York.

I continue to breathe. I am alone. All around me are the trees of autumn. It is a warm fall day. The maples and the poplars are decked out in all their glory, the orange, the gold and the browns that make this time of year special to me. It’s funny; when I left, it was August. At this place and time, it is October, my favorite time of the year. I take a deep breath and I can smell the water all around me. I can smell the crisp scent of the leaves and the subtle scent of my mother, the Earth. I open all of my senses. I can feel the breeze on my skin and also the warmness of the sun. There is promise of winter in the air. A sense of someone whispering and telling me to enjoy this day, this gift. Soon the snow will be flying and the earth will rest for the winter.

As I listen I hear the quiet swirl of a fish that has come to the surface to snatch a bug. I hear the singing of the frogs on the nearby shore. It’s as if they are singing a song just for me. I hear the leaves rustling and I realize that this is the music of the Earth. I just lie on my back and look at the puffy white clouds in the sky. I remember when I was a child and I could lie for hours and pick out shapes and animals. Today, I spend some time doing the same. I’ve forgotten what it feels like to just stare into the sky without a worry in the world.

After some time, I grow bored with the clouds and I flip onto my stomach, lay my chin on my arms, and stare at the reflection of myself in the water. I smile. I am so at peace. I know that this feeling will follow me for weeks to come. I also know that I can travel this way whenever I need to. I focus deeper and see small minnows swimming just beneath the surface. I also see small bits of moss suspended in the water floating by. I let my one arm free and feel the refreshing coolness of the water. Part of me would like to take off my clothes and dive right in. At this moment I am too lazy to move. I close my eyes and drift in and out of sleep. I know that here I am safe. In travels there is nothing that can hurt me.

I lay here for a few hours, dreaming of my life at home and of the people I know. The rustle on the bank interrupts my thoughts. It is a family of rabbits stopping by to take a drink. The mother rabbit eyes me nervously, but we communicate on a different level, without words. I sense that she understands that I mean her no harm and they continue to take a drink of the cool water. There are birds flying overhead, gliding on the current. I am sometimes envious of their ability to do this. At times I visualize that I am a bird in flight. I can hear the wind rushing past my ears and I feel the quietness that surrounds me. I look at the earth below and feel the freedom. Today, I just watch in amazement as this great creature glides over my head.

I am in no hurry. I know that I have left my body behind in a semi conscious state. I have nothing to fear there either. I continue to drift. After a time, I hear the cry of the loons. I’ve always thought it was such a haunting sound. I wonder what it would be like to lay on this raft at night. I’ll have to try it sometime. I wonder what sounds I will hear. Instead of looking at the clouds I can look for the constellations and contemplate how it must have been to live so long ago and have to chart courses using only the stars.

There are many places to go. I will wait for another day. After some time, I reluctantly let myself return to my body. I slowly open my eyes. I’ve been gone for quite awhile. The sun has changed position and it is cooler. I feel so at peace, I have a hard time describing this feeling of quietness within me. I sit in my chair for a while longer and allow my spirit to settle into my body completely. I laugh at the thought of someone asking me what I did today. “Well, ” I’ll tell them, “I traveled to another time and place and drifted on a raft, celebrating life.” Won’t they look at me funny?

Sometimes when I’m having trouble sleeping I will slip off somewhere and lie under the stars and look up at the moon. Before you know it, it’s morning and time to start my day. When life gets to be too much for me to handle, I escape somewhere else where life is more peaceful. Sometimes I may spend the day with my mother or father, lost long ago. We don’t usually talk, but we sit, quietly enjoying each other’s company for a few hours. If this is not a gift from the Goddess, then I don’t know what is. I have been blessed with this ability and I’m happy that I’ve shared it with you all here.

It didn’t just happen overnight. I’ve spent years developing my meditation techniques. I’ve spent years developing my imagination and my insights. It’s like anything else, it’s something you have to work at, but oh, so worth every moment spent. I get so lost in these places I visit, and the people who spend time with me there that I’ve often wondered what is real and what is imagined. At times, it feels as if I could reach out and hug my parents. Maybe one day I’ll try. I may scare myself though.

Once I had a dream. It has always haunted me. I dreamed that I was in a wolf’s body. It was a cold night. I was standing on the edge of a stream with my front feet in the water. There was a fallen tree beside me and I could smell the decaying of the wood. I could feel the coldness of the water on my feet. I turned my head and looked at my mate behind me. I looked right into her eyes. I woke up with a start. I expected to feel that my hands were wet. I have never had a dream so vivid before or since. I’m not sure of its significance. This is the way it feels when I visually meditate, except I am in control. I make up the sequence of events. This dream was spontaneous and very odd.

So, today, I share with you a little piece of me. I think that, maybe, we all have this ability, to let go of all the stress and slip away, if only for a few short moments. I’d like to think that we could all find a peaceful place in the middle of chaos, where we can breathe, where we can think, where we can focus on what matters, just living.

We all speak of the Goddess. What gifts has she given to you? Are you afraid to develop them, to use them? You may be surprised. I’d like to challenge you to step outside your comfort zone and test the waters of some of your abilities. She gave them to you for a reason. There is no reason to be afraid. We all have unique abilities. It’s part of your magic; it’s how you create magic.

Some ask how do you create spells or how do you create magic. I believe that it is all around you. The problem I see is that we don’t truly believe deep down inside. Ever since we were children we were told that such things were myths and did not exist. As a child, you know they did. We were bashed and brainwashed to conform and to not talk about such things. Look, deep inside of yourself. Find that magic and that belief again. You know it’s there, sleeping, waiting, wanting to come to the surface again. You would be surprised what magic you can create if you discover the gifts that were given to you.

Today’s Tarot Card for December 8th is The Magician

The Magician

This Tarot Deck: Winged Spirit Tarot

General Meaning: Traditionally, the Magus is one who can demonstrate hands-on magic — as in healing, transformative rituals, alchemical transmutations, charging of talismans and the like. A modern Magus is any person who completes the circuit between heaven and Earth, one who seeks to bring forth the divine ‘gold’ within her or himself.

At the birth of Tarot, even a gifted healer who was not an ordained clergyman was considered to be in league with the Devil! For obvious reasons, the line between fooling the eye with sleight of hand, and charging the world with magical will was not clearly differentiated in the early Tarot cards.

Waite’s image of the Magus as the solitary ritualist communing with the spirits of the elements — with its formal arrangement of symbols and postures — is a token of the freedom we have in modern times to declare our spiritual politics without fear of reprisal. The older cards were never so explicit about what the Magus was doing. It’s best to keep your imagination open with this card. Visualize yourself manifesting something unique, guided by evolutionary forces that emerge spontaneously from within your soul.

Candle Chant

Book & Candle Comments 

Upon this candle I will write
What I recieve of thee this night
Grant what I wish you to do
I dedicate this rite to you
I trust that you will grant this boon
Oh lovely goddess of the moon
I call to earth to bond my spell
Air speed its travel well
Fire give it spirit from above
Water quench my spell with love  

~Magickal Graphics~

Dressing The Candle

Dressing The Candle

Chose type and colour of candle appropriate for the ritual at hand.

Cleanse the candle prior energies: you may use water, salt, pure soap, or baby oil (all previously blessed and consecrated).

Bless the anointing oil to be used, appropriate to ritual.

State and engrave (if you wish) what the candle is to represent.

Anoint the candle with oil and focus on desire (purpose of ritual).

For ritual of achievement: anoint oil from the top of the candle to the middle in a downward motion, then from the bottom of the candle to the middle in an upward motion.

For ritual of banishment: anoint oil from the middle of the candle to the top in an upwards motion and then from the middle to the bottom of the candle in a downwards motion.

Bless the candle and then meditate on the desired outcome.

Some do not use matches to light candles, the sulphur is considered unclean. If you feel this, use an incense starter or stick to light your candles. Others feel that lighters are not natural enough – choose the method that you feel comfortable with.

To extinguish a candle, snuff it out, do not blow it out. Blowing a candle out blows desires away and is considered by some to be an affront to the element of fire.

THE LAW OF THE POWER

Witchy Comments

THE LAW OF THE POWER

          
1.  The Power shall not be used to bring harm, to injure or control others.  But
if the need  rises, the Power shall be used to protect your life or the life of others.
2.  The Power is used only as need dictates.
3.  The Power can be used for your own gain, as long as by doing so you harm none.
4.  It is unwise to accept money for the use of the Power, for it quickly controls
its taker.  Be not as those of other religions.
5.  Use not the Power for prideful gain, for such cheapens the mysteries of the
Craft and magick.
6.  Ever remember that the Power is a sacred gift of the Goddess and God, and
should never be misused or abused.
And this is the Law of the Power.  

 

 ~Magickal Graphics~

THE ORDAINS (Witches Laws)

Witchy Comments
The Ordains(The Witches Laws) 

 

 1.   And ye harm none, do as ye will.
 2.   If you know the Rede is being broken, you must work strongly against it.
 3.   Watch, listen and withhold judgment; in debate you your silences be long,
       your thoughts clear and your words carefully chosen.
 4.   Never boast, or threaten, or speak evil of anyone.
 5.   Be truthful always, save when speaking would lead to a great harm.
 6.   Keep clean your body, your clothes, and your house.
 7.   Should you take a task upon yourself, work hard and well to accomplish it
       properly and in good time. Always do the best you can.
 8.   Do not haggle over the price of your ritual tools.
 9.   Witches know that there are no absolute truths.
10.  Witches understand that the universe consists of perfect balance; therefore,
       everything has an opposite.
11.  Witches realize that for every action there is a reaction. (The Law of 
       Three).
12.  Witches know that we are all one, we are all connected.
13.  Never lie to yourself for this is the ultimate act of deceit.
14.  Witches understand that the ultimate act of spirituality is the act of 
        positive creation through love.
15.  Witches realize that the energy created through worship and rituals
        manifests as a circular stream of positive energy.
16.  Witches should never close their minds to knowledge.
17.  Never practice a magickal system that you don’t fully understand.
18.  Do not set a price on your magickal work.
19.  A Witch uses the magickal circle as a physical and non-physical
       representation of a temple on the earth plane.
20. Witches use the energies around them to assist in raising power.
21.  Witches use common sense and do not share their mysteries with fools.
22.  A Witch who knowingly breaks the Law (Ordains) will not be permitted to
        incarnate on Earth again.

BRIGHT BLESSING

Fantasy Graphics= May the East fling open your windows,

and fill your rooms with air;

May the South send you strong sunshine,

and give you the strength to dare;

May the West wash rivers into your

heart, and oceans into your soul,

May the North share the secrets and

gifts of the earth,

to heal and make you whole.

Blessed Be!

   
~Magickal Graphics~

Prosperity and Success Spell

Prosperity and Success Spell
Original Author D.J. Conway

Ingredients:
1 small cauldron
1 small green or brown charm bag
3 silver coins
Cinnamom
Cedar oil
A small table to use as an altar

Spell:
Place a little dish or cup inside the cauldron with a small amount of cinnamon and cedar in it. Lay the three coins next to it on your altar. Tap each coin with the forefinger of the hand you write with (your power hand) and chant:

“Glistening silver coin of the Moon,
Shiny and round, bring me a boon.
Draw to my hands many more of your kind.
Multiply, grow, like the image in my mind.

Place the coins in the cauldron with the herbs and three drops of oil. Using your power hand, stir the air clockwise seven times over the cauldron and chant:

“Earth elements, cunning and bright,
Share you treasures here on this night.
Share with me riches of silver and gold,
Success, prosperity, all I can hold.”

Place the herbs and the coins in the talisman bag. Carry this with you until the Full Moon goes through her phases and returns to Full.

Candle Cleansing and Consecration

Candle Cleansing and Consecration  
Cleansing a candle removes any psychic debris or residual energy, think of a cleansing as a spiritual ‘reset’ button.

You can cleanse a candle using any of the following methods:

Pass it through incense smoke
Allow it to bath in the light of the moon overnight
Bury the candle in sea salt, and leave it for a day

Consecration is when you reprogram the tool, in other words – you tell the item what it’s purpose is:

Hold your projective (writing) hand over the candle and imagine that white light is beaming from your palm, and into the candle – say the following:
“I consecrate you, candle of wax,
to cleanse you and purify you,
so that you may serve me in my magickal workings.
In the name of the Mother Goddess and Father God
you are consecrated.”

After this you need to charge it, hold the candle with both hands, and say:

“I charge you by the power of the Ancients: the Goddess and the God
by the powers of the Sun, the Moon and the Stars
by the elements of Air, Fire, Water and Earth
May you serve me well.
So Mote it Be.”

The candle is now ready for use.

 

Pagan Magick
Candle Magic  
One of the simplest of magical arts which comes under the heading of natural magic is candle burning. It is simple because it employs little ritual and few ceremonial artifacts. The theatrical props of candle magic can be purchased at any department store and its rituals can be practiced in any sitting room or bedroom.

Most of us have performed our first act of candle magic by the time we are two years old. Blowing out the tiny candles on our first birthday cake and making a wish is pure magic. This childhood custom is based on the three magical principals of concentration, will power and visualization. In simple terms, the child who wants his wish to come true has to concentrate (blow out the candles), visualize the end result (make a wish) and hope that it will come true( will power).

The size and shape of the candles you use is unimportant, although highly decorative, extra large, or unusually shaped candles will not be suitable as these may create distractions when the magician wants to concentrate on the important work in hand. Most magicians prefer to use candles of standard or uniform size if possible. Those which are sold in different colors for domestic use are ideal.

The candles you use for any type of magical use should be virgin, that is unused. Under no circumstances use a candle which has already adorned a dinner table or been used as a bedroom candle or night-light. There is a very good occult reason for not using anything but virgin materials in magic. Vibrations picked up by secondhand materials or equipment may disturb your workings and negate their effectiveness.

Some magicians who are artistically inclined prefer to make their own candles for ritual and magical use. This is a very practical exercise because not only does it impregnate the candle with your own personal vibrations, but the mere act of making your own candle is magically potent. Specialist shops sell candle wax and molds together with wicks, perfumes, and other equipment.

The hot wax is heated until liquid and then poured into the mold through which a suitably sized wick has already been threaded. The wax is then left to cool and once is this has occurred the mold is removed , leaving a perfectly formed candle. Special oil-soluble dyes and perfumes can be added to the wax before the cooling process is complete to provide suitable colors and scents for a particular magical ritual. Craft shops which sell candle-making supplies can also provide do-it-yourself books explaining the technicalities of the art to the beginner.

Once you have purchased or made your ritual candle it has to be oiled or ‘dressed’ before burning. The purpose of dressing the candle is to establish a psychic link between it and the magician through a primal sensory experience. By physically touching the candle during the dressing procedure, you are charging it with our own personal vibrations and also concentrating the desire of your magical act into the wax. The candle is becoming an extension of the magician’s mental power and life energy.

When you dress a candle for magical use, imagine that it is a psychic magnet with a North and a South pole. Rub the oil into the candle beginning at the top or North end and work downwards to the half-way point. Always brush in the same direction downwards. This process is then repeated by beginning at the bottom or south end and working up to the middle.

The best type of oils to use for dressing candles are natural ones which can be obtained quite easily. Some occult suppliers will provide candle magic oils with exotic names. If the magician does not want to use these, he can select suitable oils or perfumes from his own sources. The oils soluble perfumes sold by craft shops for inclusion in candles can be recommended.

The candles you use can be colored in accordance with the following magical uses:

White – spirituality and peace.
Red – health, energy, strength, courage, sexual potency.
Pink – love affection and romance.
Yellow – intellectualism, imagination, memory and creativity
Green – fertility, abundance, good luck and harmony
Blue -inspiration, occult wisdom, protection and devotion
Purple – Material wealth, higher psychic ability, spiritual power and idealism
Silver – clairvoyance, inspiration, astral energy and intuition
Orange – ambition. career matters and the law.

If you wanted to use candle magic for healing, you would select a red candle to burn. To pass an exam, burn a yellow candle, to gain esoteric knowledge burn a blue candle or for material gain, burn a purple one. It is obvious these colors relate to the signs of the zodiac and the planetary forces.

The simples form of candle magic is to write doesn’t the objective of your ritual on a virgin piece of paper. You can use color paper which matches the candle. Write your petition on the paper using a magical alphabet, such as theban, enochian, malachain, etc. As you write down what you want to accomplish through candle magic- a new job, healing for a friend, a change of residence, a new love affair, etc.- visualize your dream coming true. Visualize the circumstances under which you might be offered a new job, imagine your employer telling you that your salary has been increased or conjure up a vision of your perfect love partner.

When you have completed writing down your petition, carefully fold up the paper in a deliberately slow fashion. Place the end of the folded paper in the candle flame and set light to it. As you do this concentrate once more on what you want from life.

When you have completed your ritual, allow the candle to have completely burned away. You do not need to stay with the candle after the ritual, but make sure that is safe and that red-hot wax will not cause damage or fire. Never re-use a candle which has been lit in any magical ritual. IT should only be used in that ritual and then allowed to burn away or be disposed of afterwards.

If you are conducting a magical ritual which involves two people (e.g. an absent healing for a person some distance away) then the second person can be symbolically represented during the ritual by another candle. /all you need to do is find out the subject’s birth date and burn the appropriate candle for that zodiacal sign. These are as follows:

ARIES red
TAURUS green
GEMINI yellow
CANCER silver
LEO orange
VIRGO yellow
LIBRA pink
SCORPIO red
SAGITARIUS purple
CAPRICORN black
AQUARIUS all colors
PISCES mauve

 

Pagan Magick

PROTECTION SPELL

PROTECTION
God and Goddess of the skies, Please respond to my cries.
Lift me up in your strong arms, Away from those who seek to harm.
Shield me from the awful rage, That shall face me day to day.
Help me be strong in what I do, And help my heart remain true.
Give me strength to face each day, And the hardships before me lain.
Let those who I love love me in return, And everyday let me learn.
I bid you both my spirit keep, While I’m awake and asleep.
So mote it be!

Spell to Nehellania

Spell to Nehellania

 

Perform this during the Dark Moon if possible, and when casting Circle move counter clockwise from the East.

Items needed: sword.

Stand before the altar with arms raised and say:

“Dark Mother, let your power flow through the body of your daughter/son and out again
to repel and destroy all negative thoughts and deeds that are directed against me.”

Stand in silence as you draw down the power, then face East, raise your sword in greeting and say:

“Hail Chichiri, great One of the East, Whose airy eyes see all in the Element of Air!
I do summon you here to protect and defend me.”

Move to the North and say:

“Hail Tamahome, great One of the North, Whose green eyes see all in the Element of Earth!
I do summon you here to protect and defend me.”

Go to the West and say:

“Hail Hotohori, great One of the West, Whose liquid eyes see all in the Element of Water!
I do summon you here to protect and defend me.”

Finally at the South say:

“Hail Tasuki, great One of the South Whose bright eyes see all in the Element of Fire!
I do summon you here to protect and defend me.”

Place your hands on the sword and say:

“Great Dark Mother, I call on You to build up this protection,
To send back all the wrong that has been done to me.”

Raise your sword high and say:

“Dark Mother, Queen of the Night, there is one who stands against me.
Let his/her efforts fail.
Let him/her go down in the darkness.
May You judge his/her wrongfulness and lies as he/she stands before
You in the courts of Hell.
May his/her efforts be lost in the darkness with no light to guide him/her.
I am Your child, protect me, Dark Mother!”

Rest the sword with the point on the ground between your feet. Say:

“Dark Mother, help me to reach my goals, to live my life to the fullest, to walk a path of balance.
Sweep away all barriers built by those who want me to fail.
Crush the evil sent against me!
Sweep its remains back into the body and brain of the one who sent it!
The evil is dead!
My attacker tastes his/her just rewards!
His/her mouth is full of ashes, his/her thoughts of nightmares, his/her life of unfulfillment.
Only once he/she ends his/her attacks and hatred shall he/she know peace again!
I stand under the sword and the hand of the Goddess! So mote it be!”

Draw a pentagram on the floor between your feet with the sword and say:

“It is done!”

Replace sword on the altar (or if too large like mine, simply lean it against the altar) and say:

“Your hands protect me from Dark Moon to Dark Moon.
Your sword covers me from Dark Moon to Dark Moon.
Your care shelters me from Dark Moon to Dark Moon.
All love and honor to the Dark Mother Nehellania!”

This is the time for any further spell working or to finish other ritual matters.
When finished take your sword to the east and raise it in greeting, and say:

“Farewell Chichiri! My thanks for your protection and defense. Depart in peace, blessed be!”
At the North say:
“Farewell Tamahome! My thanks for your protection and defense. Depart in peace, blessed be!”
At the West say:
“Farewell Hotohori! My thanks for your protection and defense. Depart in peace, blessed be!”
At the South say:
“Farewell Tasuki! My thanks for your protection and defense. Depart in peace, blessed be!”
Stand before altar with arms raised and say:
“My thanks to the Dark Goddess Nehellania and to all who have helped here this night.
Depart in peace, blessed be!”

Bless and eat the Simple Feast, and finish closing the Circle.

Nehellania is another name for the Norse Hel. Her name means Nether Moon, a direct linking
with her underworld kingdom Niflheim, Nef-hel, or Nifl. She is the Queen of the Dead and rules
over dark magick and revenge.