Tag: Earth

An Opening Ritual

An Opening Ritual

As we stand in our circle, let the arms of the Goddess enfold us. Feel her warm
loving touch. In her touch we feel all that is … around us. We can feel the
oneness of all things. We call her to enfold us … to encircle us. In her arms
we fear nothing, for everything is part of us.

We call upon the elements of Air. Spirits of the East. Let our thoughts be as
Air — clear and crisp. Swirling free, with no bounds. Whispering through the
lonely canyons. Rising up to meet the sun.

We call upon the elements of Fire. Spirits of the South. Let our will rise
within us like lava, radiating with energy and power, flowing down to meet the
sea.

We call upon the elements of Water. Spirits of the West. Let our emotions be
fluid as the tide, changing shape and form with its surroundings. Reflective
as deep blue pools … passionate as the crashing waves upon the rocks.

We call upon the elements of Earth. Spirits of the North. Feeling it beneath
our feet, we draw strength. We send our roots down into her soil. Growing solid
and firm. Partaking of her warmth and security.

Thus we are in her embrace, wherein we are not separate beings … but one …
in total trust and total love.

Imbolc Ritual

Imbolc Ritual
(Candlemas, February 2nd)

Tools:
In addition to your m’jyk-l tools, you will need:

  • A White Altar Cloth
  • Light Green Taper Goddess Candle
  • Light Yellow Taper God Candle
  • 13 White 4″ Stick Candles
  • Brideo’ga*
  • Small Woven Basket with White Flowers
  • Pentacle Candle Wheel
  • Handful of Acorns
  • Cauldron
  • Snow/Crushed Ice
  • Small White Pillar Candle
  • Potpourri Holder
  • Tea Lite
  • Basil, Bay, Heather Flowers, Cinnamon and Vanilla Potpourri Blend
  • Long Wooden Stick Matches

Preparation:
Sweep area, moving in deosil direction. Outline your circle with white cord Angelica leaves. Place Pentacle Candle Wheel in the center of altar. Place the lt. green taper Goddess candle to the top left of altar and the lt. yellow taper God candle to the top right of altar. Put the white flowers in the basket as bedding for the Bride’s Bed, then place the Brideo’ga atop the flowers. Place the basket in front of the Goddess candle, to the left of the Pentacle Candle Wheel. Place the acorns in front of the God candle, to the right of the Pentacle Wheel. Place the tea lite in the bottom of potpourri holder, and put holder at front center of the alter. Place white pillar candle in the middle of the cauldron, fill cauldron about 1″-2″ with snow or crushed ice, and position on floor in front of altar. Put the container with potpourri where it can be reached easily. Place the rest of your tools and props according to personal preference. Bathe or shower for purification. Ground and center. When ready, put on some soothing music associated with this Sabbat and your ritual.

Cast circle by holding out your right hand and tracing over the cord or leaves in a clockwise direction. As you trace over the outline envision flames of pure white rising up along the perimeter. When the beginning and the end join the circle is complete. Step up to the cauldron and light the white pillar candle, saying:

“Amidst the darkness the Lady is stirring,
Gently awakening from frozen dreams,
All the world has awaited this moment The return of the Maiden,
And Her promise of oncoming Spring.”

Call Quarters. As this is a time to honor Mother Earth as she wakes from her winter’s recovery of giving rebirth to the Sun King at Yule, start with North, the element Earth. Pick up the container of potpourri, step up to the altar and pour some into the holder, saying:

“Powers of Earth, the Maiden awakens!
Come join the circle and share in the light.”

Put the container back where it was. Light the white candle at the North point of the Pentacle Candle Wheel. Continue, by waving your hand over the potpourri as if to create a breeze on which to carry the scent, saying:

“Powers of Air, the Maiden awakens!
Come join the circle and share in the light.”

Light the white candle at the East point of the Pentacle Candle Wheel. Light the tea candle in the bottom of the potpourri holder, saying:

“Powers of Fire, the Maiden awakens!
Come join the circle and share in the light.”

Light the white candle at the South point of the Pentacle Candle Wheel. Pour some water into the holder with the potpourri, saying:

“Powers of Water, the Maiden awakens!
Come join the circle and share in the light.”

Light the white candle at the West point of the Pentacle Candle Wheel. Remove the white candle from the top point of the Pentacle. Since Akasha is the omnipresent, it need not be invoked. Light the candle and invoke the Goddess and the God by lighting the lt. green Goddess candle and the lt. yellow God candle with the white candle. Place the white candle back in the top point of the Pentacle Candle Wheel, saying:

“Be with me now, oh Ancients, eternal,
Hear now my prayers, hopes and dreams.
The Goddess has wakened, once more as the Maiden
By loving caresses from the strengthened Sun King.”

Light the inner cross points of the Pentacle Candle Wheel, starting with the cross point to the right of the North point. Light all 5 cross points in succession, saying:

“The Earth now grows warmer, as the Wheel again turns
And as each passing day adds strength, To the Sun King’s rays
The Maiden, of his gift of life, now silently does yearn.”

Take a couple of the acorns from in front of the God candle and place them in the Bride’s Bed with the Brideo’ga. Light the three aspects of the Goddess candles. All aspects are white because She is the Triple Goddess appearing as the Maiden, pure, and renewed. Step back from the altar and contemplate the light that is brought about by the re-union of the God and the Goddess saying:

“Behold the God and Goddess,
Lord of the Forest and his Bride,
Once again the Earth is blessed
With life anew inside.
Seeds shall soon begin to sprout
And creatures shall young bear
For this is the Promise, the Cycle of Life
That is born of the love They share.”

Now is the time for meditation and any spellworkings. Spellworkings associated with Imbolc include those for fertility, defining and focusing on goals for the future, organization, health, and protection. Next, celebrate with Cakes and Ale (Poppyseed Cakes* and Spiced Tea*) Ceremony, saving some for the wee Folkes, outside. Thank the God and Goddess for Their presence snuff their candles. Thank and release the Quarters, saying:

“Though you leave this circle, tonight,
Water, Fire, Air, and Earth
Your symbols shall linger on a while
Blessing my home and hearth.
The herbs that scent this room tonight,
Were chosen with loving care,
To bless me, my family and my friends,
And my sisters and brothers everywhere.”

Snuff each of the white candles at the directional points of the Pentacle Candle Wheel, starting with the candle at the top point first, then the West point and working in a widdershins direction. Snuff the inner cross point candles also in a widdershins direction. Finally snuff the three aspects of the Goddess candles. Step back from the altar and face the cauldron with the white pillar candle still burning brightly saying:

“I honor Thee, Maiden, most blessed Bride
As your candle burns through this night
And thank you for the renewed life you offer us all
As you emerge from the dark to the light.”

Release the circle. Clean up, place the cauldron from the floor onto the middle of the alter. Let the candle burn out by itself. Place the potpourri in a spot where its scent and blessings fill the house. You are done.

How To Design a Nature Ritual

How To Design a Nature Ritual

Adapted from Connecting with Nature, by John R. Stowe (Findhorn Press, 2003).These four guidelines can help you to design simple, personal rituals that honor your own connection with the living world of nature.

The benefits of intentional connection are threefold. First, it helps to antidote the alienation that comes from believing in separation. Second, by focusing your attention–and your creative energy–on your positive relationships with the living world, you make them stronger. Finally, through your practice, you feed the living world around you. If your practice fills you with gratitude, appreciation, respect, and beauty, you and all of life are so much richer.

Find out how to create your own satisfying rituals of connection with nature:

1. Set your intention. To begin, choose a simple action to indicate that you intend o focus your full attention on whatever follows. It could be a short prayer–especially if you follow a religious tradition–or annunciation to the energies of Spirit to join you. It might be a simple gesture like reaching down to touch the Earth, turning to each of the four cardinal directions, or taking three slow, deep breaths. You could light a candle, sing, ring a small bell, touch your heart, or whatever else feels right to you.

Setting your intention establishes the tone for the whole ritual. It reminds you that you’re creating a space that is special, outside the flow of normal activity. You’ll find that the more you repeat a certain opening gesture, the more comforting and familiar it becomes. In time, just repeating it will help you calm your mind and focus your attention quickly and easily.

2. Communicate. When you’ve opened your ritual, how you proceed depends on your intention. What are you here to honor? What would you like to express? The possibilities are endless–and entirely up to you. Some people make a ritual to honor the sunset, or the full moon. Others may want to honor a specific natural event (the first snowfall, thunderstorms, moonrise) or a particular animal.

Give your imagination free rein. Ask yourself what you’d like your ritual to communicate, which connection with the living world you’d like to honor, which of your companions you’d like to thank. Then, ask yourself how to make a statement as simply and eloquently as possible. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to come up with simple, enjoyable rituals. Start simply, focus on one thing at a time, and let your experience lead you onward.

3. Completion. Just as you opened the ritual with a gesture, mark its closing in the same way. These two gestures–even if they’re as simple as a focused breath–reinforce your intention that everything between them be special. Your closing gesture could be a repeat of the opening one or something different–whatever feels appropriate. Choose one that helps you to honor your intention and then let yourself return to normal awareness.

4. Action. Using the outline you just created, find a time to perform your ritual. Choose an appropriate setting. Take your time. Proceed with intention and as much clarity as you can. When you complete your ritual of intentional connection, take a few moments to notice how you feel. What was your experience? What have you learned? If you were to perform this practice again, is there anything you’d change? How else might you like to observe your connections with Nature?

MIND/HEART/SPIRIT HEALING RITUAL

MIND/HEART/SPIRIT HEALING RITUAL


To quiet a troubled mind, mend a broken heart, or heal a wounded spirit, you will
need the following items:
1 DOVE FEATHER (preferably one that crosses your path by chance, but definitely
one which has NOT been plucked, but has fallen naturally.)
2 BLUE CANDLES (for healing, tranquillity, peace and forgiveness)
LAVENDER BATH SALTS OR OIL (for love, peace, happiness, purification and protection)
1 CINNAMON STICK (OR CHIPS) (for spirituality, success, healing, power, love and protection)
ALTAR BELL
On the night of a NEW moon, gather the items and place them on your altar
(or, if you have the privacy, outside on a tree stump or other earth area).
Take one blue candle and the lavender bath salts or oil and bathe in the lavender
by the light of the blue candle, concentrating on that which requires healing.(If you
cease bathing before the candle is completely burned out, do NOT extinguish the
flame by blowing it out, but do extinguish it.) Once at your altar (or earth place), light
the blue candle and recite the following:
It is time to awaken to the cry of the dove,
Hearken to the chimes of the bells of love,
Spirit rise and soul take flight,
Into the halls of endless night
Where shadows ceases to fall upon
The brilliant light of endless dawn.
The fire, cold, burns radiant
Consuming all in sweet content.
The joy a pain, the peace a wound,
The pain a peace, the joy a boon.
Next, light the cinnamon stick or chips (the stick works best) with the candle flame.
Pass the dove feather through the flame (quickly, so as not to set it afire) then the
cinnamon smoke, in that order, three times. While still holding the feather, ring your
altar bell three times. Leave the cinnamon burning in your censure ’til it goes out on
its own, and leave the candle burning ’til it does the same. Take the feather outside
and place it under a tree (elder, preferably, but any will do) — place it under a different
tree if you are performing this spell near a tree outside. This will set it free, freeing you
as well. DO NOT touch the feather again, let it leave on its own!

Ritual for Letting Go and Taking Stock

Ritual for Letting Go and Taking Stock  
By Cait Johnson, author of Earth, Water, Fire, and Air (SkyLight Paths, 2003).Early autumn is the traditional time for taking stock: what do we need to release so we won’t feel burdened in the months ahead? What do we keep in our spiritual larders to sustain us? We can take a gentle lesson from nature as we witness the trees and their graceful letting-go, and the busyness of squirrels as they gather the stores of food that will ensure a secure winter.Here is a simple ritual designed to help you free yourself from the burdens of the past, and to help you identify the skills, strengths, and gifts that will be your wise companions this winter. Read it here:

1. Take a little time where you will not be disturbed. Sit comfortably with a small pad of paper and a pen or pencil and close your eyes. Take a moment to feel how gravity keeps you firmly here on this planet. Take comfort in your weight. Now take note of all the places where your body is touching something solid: the chair, the floor. Feel how you are cradled by these places. Take a moment to feel grateful for your life.

2. Now gently bring into your awareness anything you carry that makes you feel weighed-down, heavy, sad, or angry. Perhaps a relationship issue or a negative pattern of thinking. Perhaps worries about not having enough of something. With compassion for yourself, write these things down on your paper.

3. Now, still keeping your eyes closed, turn over a new leaf in your pad. Give yourself a few moments to think of any important lessons you learned from these burdens–any skills you gained from having carried them. (For example, if a relationship did not work out as you had wished, you may have learned to be more self-reliant and independent.) If you release the sadness or anger associated with each burden, what are the gifts that remain? Write these gifts down on the fresh piece of paper.

4. Now give some thought to your personal talents, skills, and qualities of character. These are things that nothing can take away; they are part of the great gift to the world that you are. Write down as many as you can think of on the same piece of paper.

5. When you are ready, open your eyes. Take the list of burdens and, without looking at it, tear it into small pieces. These may be burned, buried, or released into the air or water. (One friend took a chair outdoors, stood on it, and released her paper bits like autumn leaves, enjoying the sight of their gentle drifting-down.) Now read the list of gifts. Fold the paper and put it in a safe place. Whenever you need a reminder, take it out and reread it.

Meditation on the Pentacle and Earth

Meditation on the Pentacle and Earth

Into a dark world comes the dawn, the start of a new day coming from the East. The powers of Earth spring from the same source. Buds burst forth into new growth. Animals come out to look at the world as it blooms again and fill their bellies once more, the starvation and hunger of winter at an end. The Earth is our foundation and our stability as we learn to frolic and play.

The powers of Earth are vast and abundant. When she is angry, the ground shakes and trembles, warning us to change our actions and helping to shake us free from standing around and watching life pass us by. The gifts she gives are boundless.

If this element were to be placed on the face of a clock, following the path of the sun, it would be in the east, at dawn, when time is new and the earth is just beginning to burst forth with new life. It is a light, creative time that holds the promise of the day to come.

Similarly, the moon rises in the west, and if a witch wished to follow the lunar cycle, the element would be placed there. The new, waxing moon is a time of promise of things to come. It is a time of bringing things into being and manifesting growth into the world. This is the time of the Maiden, of the Huntress, those who hold the reins of creativity and inspiration.

The earth, for a witch, is symbolized by the pentacle. It may be as elaborate or as simple as is meaningful. Simple rocks have been used along with things as complex as sun catchers, crystal plates, and hand thrown pottery. It is the foundation to all a witch’s works and all her spells and magick. It helps to keep them stable and able to work their magick and let go of themselves into ecstatic states, knowing they will find their way back.

If a stone is to be used, the best kinds are ones that are found out on one of the walks or trips that the witch takes. Tumbled or polished ones will work, but they are somewhat distracting from the natural ties that the pentacle has to the earth at times. If you want a shiny one, purchase a small rock tumbler (Most are less than $20.00) and tumble the rocks that you find outside on your own. Granite also works well, if there is a source nearby, since it has both a rough surface and a glossy one.

Marble is another choice, if available, that is a good option if a fancier pentacle is desired. Since the pentacle represents the north and is the stability that a witch ties her spells to as she casts them, it is the anchor point for a circle. Make certain that your pentacle is sturdy enough to take the strain of these things before you acquire and consecrate it.

Copyright © 2000, Jet Blackthorn

Meditate on the Waxing Moon

Meditate on the Waxing Moon

 
According to Celtic tradition, the waxing of the moon (when it passes from new to full) is a time of inner transformation that gives us a heightened awareness of the voice of the soul. At some point during this period, spend five minutes meditating on the moon. At the start of the meditation, imagine Olwen, the lady of the moon, assisting you in allowing your soul to speak.

Dark Moon Affirmation Magick (Snow Moon)

Dark Moon Affirmation Magick

(Snow Moon)
 
 
The dark Moon can be a time of fear and doubt. This spell will help you to affirm your magick and move forward in your patterns.
 
You will need a white candle. Draw a circle of light and call in the elements. Light the white candle, and invite the Goddess into your circle:
 
Divine Mother so bright
Please bless my circle with your light.
 
Stand before your altar, and call out three times:
 
Today and everyday I am on a quest to make my life more the way I want it to be. My magick is strong. I will prevail in my quest.
So be it!
 
Thank the Goddess for her blessings, bid farewell to the elements and pull up the circle. For best results write the affirmation on an index card, and put it on your bathroom mirror. Read it aloud to yourself at least three times each day and three times each night.

The Witches Credo

The Witches Credo

Hear now the word of the Witch,the secrets once hid in the night,When darkness was for protection,We now bring forth in the light.Mysteries of the Water and Fire,The Earth and the wide-ranging Air,By hidden Quintessence we know them,and we bring honor in silence and fair.The birth and rebirth of all Nature,the passing of Winter and Spring,We share with the life Universal,rejoicing in the never-ending RingFour times in the year we give homage,come forth the Witches are seen,At Lammas and Candelas we’re dancing,so too on May Eve and old HalloweenWhen daytime and nighttime are equal,when sun is at it’s greatest and least,The four lesser Sabbats are summoned,again the Witches gather in feast.Thirteen silver moons in a year,thirteen to be the magikal array,Thirteen times at Esbat we make merry,for the work of the night and the day.

The knowledge has passed down the ages,each time between woman and manEach century unto the other,old times since the ages began.When drawn in the Magikal circle,by sword or athame of light,It’s compass between two worlds opens,in honor and love for this night.Our world has no right to know it,and the world beyond will tell naught,The oldest of Gods are invoked there,the great work of light’s Magik is wrought.For two are the mystical pillars,that stand at the gate of the shrine,And two are the powers of Nature,the forms and the forces divine.Do what thou wilt be the challenge,so be it in love that harms none,For this is the only commandment,By wisdom of faith so let it be done.

Your Native American Horoscope

Your Native American Horoscope

  • posted by Annie B. Bond

Adapted from Shamanic Spirit, by Kenneth Meadows (Inner Traditions, 2004).

Many Native American traditions teach that there are twelve Earth Personalities that make up the Earth Medicine Wheel. These form an earth-centered horoscope that gives us valuable information about our totem animal, our personality, and our spirit-task in life. Find out which Earth Personality you are, as well as your totem animal and your principle life-lesson:

March 21 – April 19: The Awakening Time. Falcon.
Your principle lessons: Discovering that happiness comes through sharing, and that individuality need not be selfish but van be expressed more fully when it is in harmony with others.

April 20 – May 20: The Growing Time. Beaver.
Your principle lessons: Your worst emotional traumas are likely to be in those areas of your life in which the tendency to form attachments extends into close personal relationships and becomes possessive. Through the grist of experience you are cultivating flexibility, adaptability, and compassion. You need to give others the “space” to be themselves, just as you demand the space to be “you.”

May 21 – June 20: The Flowering Time. Deer.
Your principle lessons: The rifts you have with others indicate divisions within yourself. You are learning how to co-ordinate that which appears to be contrary but which truly is complementary.

June 21 – July 21: The Long Days Time. Woodpecker.
Your principle lessons: To learn to treasure the moment. Not to dwell on regrets of the past or on expectations of what may be in the future, but to recognize that the power to make changes ins always in the Now! The challenges you face on your Earth “Walk” are to enable you to mature through the experience of closeness. Much stress and anxiety may be caused through tenaciously holding on to what has served its purpose, and through mistaking attachment for love. The ability to let go is often a test of true love.

July 22 – August 21: The Ripening Time. Salmon.
Your principle lessons: You are frequently faced with situations which challenge your stubborn resistance to change, and with the need to become more flexible and adaptable through developing a regard for the emotional needs of others. You are learning to recognized that fulfillment comes not so much through the forcefulness of making things happen, but through allowing things to be.

August 22 – September 21: The Harvesting Time. Brown Bear.
Your principle lessons: Whatever you are searching for is to be found where you are. You are learning to know when to exert energy to effect a change, and when to accept circumstances that cannot be changed.

September 22 – October 22: The Falling Leaves Time. Crow.
Your principle lessons: To gain the inner strength that comes from acting firmly on your convictions, and acquiring the wisdom that results from making sound judgments.

October 23 – November 22: The Frost Time. Snake.
Your principle lessons: Your impatience causes you pain and discomfort, but such traumas are teaching you the need for proper timing. Being confronted with seemingly formidable tasks and difficult tests is part of the regenerative process inherent in your nature, which can enable you to transform what was into that which may now be. Such challenges push you beyond your own self-limitations.

November 23 – December 21: The Long Nights Time. Owl.
Your principle lessons: Learning to manage your potentials by not dissipating your energies in too many directions at once. Attainment of inner sight so you can perceive beyond the obvious, and a warm heart so you can be compassionate towards those who stumble around in the dark.

December 22 – January 19: The Renewal Time. Goose.
Your principle lessons: These are derived from your efforts to arrange and conserve, for their purpose is to teach you self-reliance and self-sufficiency in order to establish your own identity.

January 20 – February 18: The Cleansing Time. Otter.
Your principle lessons: To help you to find the courage to act more on an inner “knowing” than on other peoples expectancies. You are learning to turn visions into practical realities through struggle and even adversity.

February 19 – March 20: The Blustery Winds Time. Wolf.
Your principle lessons: To learn to become more discriminating in facing the demands that are constantly made upon you. The challenges of your life are for the purpose of enabling you to break free from entanglements that are limiting and restrictive, so your horizons can be extended.

 

Thirteen Clues You Might Be A Witch

Witchy Comments=
Thirteen Clues You Might Be A Witch

 
 
Witches come in all shapes, sizes, colors and genders. Identification via wardrobe is unreliable: anyone can dress up. However, there are some true, telltale clues. If any one or more of these statements applies to you, then you might be a witch—or, a least, have the option of heading down that road, should you so choose.
 
1. You’re fascinated by the magical arts, the occult science, and/or the hidden powers of Earth.
 
2. You perceive Earth as sacred, filled with mystery, worthy of awe.
 
3. You feel an affinity with wild weather, wild creatures, and Earth’s wild places.
 
4. You perceive power, positive strength and magic, maybe even the divine, in women.
 
5. You can maintain a relationship with an individual of another species, such as a bird or an animal. (Whether you define your opposing gender as another species is up to you.)
 
6. By nature, you’re nocturnal.
 
7. Darkness doesn’t scare you–not consistently anyway.
 
8. You have an independent nature; you like to make your own rules and you value your privacy and autonomy.
 
9. You possess curiosity and a thirst for knowledge.
 
10. Ancient stories (myths, legends, fairy tales) enthrall you.
 
11. You think the Universe might hold undiscovered mysteries. Not everything can be explained by science; not everything can be controlled by people.
 
12. The mysteries of birth and death fascinate you.
 
13. You consider yourself a witch, or sometimes suspect that you are one, or think you might like to be one.

  ~Magickal Graphics~

The Goddess Is Alive

Goddess Comments & Graphics
THE GODDESS IS ALIVE
              
Moon shines down upon a sea of Light,
Shifting sands lay singing in the Heart of the Night.
I looked upon a scene that gripped me to the core,
White-clad maidens below were dancing on the shore.
  
Sweet sounds slipped from moon-lit throats,
Wind whipped hair abound,
Lit by the light within and without,
The Women circled ’round.
  
As I stood, water engulfed my feet,
My body swayed to your Heavenly Heart beat.
Wind and wave and fire light,
Paled in my mind Earthly delight.
  
Time slipped by me as you held your embrace,
And windblown spray covered my face.
Protected deep within your Womb,
I could feel the tender pain of Life’s bloom.
 
Candles flared high as the Dance progressed,
Deep inside with a healing touch you blessed.
All around, wind, wave and fire shouted of your life,
Your light speared deep within, soothing my strife.
 
Divine Mother, Goddess of Light,
To you I come seeking protection from the night.
Come home to shelter within your arm,
Surrounded by Love, hidden from harm.

Holy Mother, Queen of Heaven and Earth,
From you we all trace our Birth.
Heavenly Goddess, light from above,
Shine down upon us, we pray for your Love.   ~Magickal Graphics~

Thanking the Gods – A Solitary Ritual of Thanks

Witchy Comments & Graphics

A Solitary Ritual Of Thanks

 

You will need: a large white or pink bowl, one white candle, spring water, fresh flowers (that are white if possible), and a piece of white cloth.

This can be performed outside or in, whichever you prefer. Place the bowl on the ritual surface (your altar or the ground). If desired, cast a circle. Affix the white candle to the center of the bowl with warmed beeswax or with wax from another white candle.

Pour water into the bowl. Place the flowers in the water (either take the petals off or pop the heads of the stems and set the stems aside). Light the candle.

Visualize your reason for the ritual, remember why you are giving thanks. Touch the water on both sides of the candle with your fingertips, saying:

Lady of the Moon, of stars and the Earth,
Lord of the Sun, of forest and the hills,
I perform a ritual of thanks
My love shine like the flame
My love floats like the petals
Upon you.
Lady of Waters, of floers and seas,
Lord of Air, of horns and of fire,
I perform a ritual of thanks.
My love shines like the flames
My love floats like the petals
upon you.
Lady of Caves, of cats and snakes,
Lord of Plains, of falcons and stags,
I perform a ritual of thanks.
My love shines like the flames.
My love floats like the petals
Upon you.

Look into the candle flame, then down into the water. Blow gently upon the water’s surface and watch the flowers move. Meditate, commune and give thanks to the Lord and the Lady.

When it is time to close, remove the flowers from the water. Place them in the center of the white cloth. Wrap them up in the cloth. If you have cast a circle. close it now. End your rite by quenching the flame, pouring the water onto the ground and burying the flowers into the Earth. It is done. 
~Magickal Graphics~

NASA Image of the Day for November 25th

A New Map of the Moon

 

A New Map of the Moon

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter science team released the highest resolution near-global topographic map of the moon ever created. This new topographic map shows the surface shape and features over nearly the entire moon with a pixel scale close to 328 feet.

Although the moon is Earth’s closest neighbor, knowledge of its morphology is still limited. Due to the limitations of previous missions, a global map of the moon’s topography at high resolution has not existed until now. With LRO’s Wide Angle Camera and the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter instrument, scientists can now accurately portray the shape of the entire moon at high resolution.

Astronomy Picture of the Day for November 25th

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2011 November 25
See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available.

A Glimpse of CLIMSO
Image Credit & Copyright: Alain Sallez (picdumidi.org)  

 

Explanation: A tantalizing glimpse inside this dome was captured after sunset at the mountain top Pic Du Midi Observatory in the French Pyrenees. But while most are just beginning their work at sunset, this observatory’s day was done. The instrument looming within is CLIMSO (for Christian Latouche IMageur Solaire), dedicated to exploring dynamic phenomena across the surface and atmosphere of the Sun. To image the solar atmosphere or corona, CLIMSO uses coronagraphs. Developed by French astronomer Bernard Lyot in the 1930s, coronagraphs block light from the center of the telescope beam to create an artificial solar eclipse and allow a continuous view of the solar corona. In this surreal twilight scene above a sea of clouds, the dome’s interior was revealed by the single, long exposure as the open slit rotated across the field of view.

Your Horoscope Spirit Profile

Your Horoscope Spirit Profile

  • posted by Annie B. Bond

Adapted from Earth Magic, by Claire Nahmad (Inner Traditions, 1994).

Most of us have read the personality descriptions on the online horoscope sites, or in the newspaper. But here is a somewhat deeper look at your Sun Sign’s primary qualities, seen from the perspective of the spirit.

Find out more about your deeper nature, right here:

Aries, March 21-April 19: Forceful, self-willed, enthusiastic, exaggerative, passionate, extrovert, pioneer, courageous, self-sufficient, idealistic.

Taurus, April 20-May 21: Strong-willed, toiling, practical, sensuous, musical, literary, artistic, temperate, moist, fruitful, magnetic, beneficent, intractable.

Gemini, May 22-June 20: Communicative, inventive, alert, inquisitive, swift, sharp, versatile, dry, mental, ardent, youthful, mobile, idealistic.

Cancer, June 21-July 22: Reflection, sensitivity, memory, receptiveness, fluctuation, responsiveness, sympathy, magnetism.

Leo, July 23- Aug 22: Initiation, power, glory, vigor, ardor, beneficence, creative force, self-expression, full of ideas, talent.

Virgo, Aug 23-Sept 22: Practicality, discernment, intelligence, healing (health, hygiene, diet), duty, fundamentals, craftsmanship, purity.

Libra, Sept 23-Oct 22: Harmony, gentleness, stability, discrimination, beauty, affection, partnership, marriage, social awareness, justice.

Scorpio, Oct 23-Nov 21: Power, energy, intensity, will, magnetism, subtlety, resurrection, elimination, renewal, resolution.

Sagittarius, Nov 22-Dec 21: Honesty, clarity, dignity, benevolence, magnanimity, jollity, encompassing quality, optimism, loyalty, independence, generosity, love of education, literature, justice.

Capricorn, Dec 22-Jan 19: Responsibility, duty, toil, enquiry, restraint, secrecy, discipline, patience, persistence, doggedness, indefatigable aspiration, limitation, taciturnity, practicality, idealism.

Aquarius, Jan 20-Feb 18: Independence, turbulence, fellowship, friendship, relationship, originality, genius, brotherhood, abstraction, optimism, intellect, remoteness, literature, science, inventiveness, peace, artistry, inspiration, perversity, tenacity, intuition.

Pisces, Feb 19-March 20: Intuitive, impressionable, fanciful, naïve, free spirit, unworldly, creative, imaginative, clairvoyant, retiring, vulnerable, studious, romantic, emotional, trusting, vacillating, melancholy, indecisive, insecure, artistic.

 

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2011 November 23
See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available.

The View from Chajnantor
Image Credit & Copyright: Stéphane Guisard (Los Cielos de America), TWAN 

 

Explanation: From an altitude of over 5,000 meters, the night sky view from Chajnantor Plateau in the Chilean Andes is breathtaking in more ways than one. The dark site’s rarefied atmosphere, at about 50 percent sea level pressure, is also extremely dry. That makes it ideal for the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) designed to explore the universe at wavelengths over 1,000 times longer than visible light. Near the center of the the panoramic scene, ALMA’s 7 and 12 meter wide dish antennas are illuminated by a young Moon nestled in the arc of the Milky Way. ALMA’s antenna configurations are intended to achieve a resolution comparable to space telescopes by operating as an interferometer. At left, a meteor’s streak and the Milky Way’s satellite galaxies, the Large (bottom) and Small Magellanic Clouds grace the night.

Moon Water Healing Potion

Moon Water Healing Potion

 
 

1 – Place sacred objects in a cauldron or glass bowl.

2 – Cover them with pure spring water.

3 – Expose this water to moonlight over night.

4 – In the morning drink the water or use it to bathe with.

Although this spell is specifically recommended for digestive disorders, it may be beneficial for other health ailments as well.

To Control Another

To Control Another


This is rather advanced sorcery, but with a little perseverance, you may be able to bring it off. (It’s marvelous for coping with in-laws, tyrannical bosses, uncooperative employees, etc.) Find a pocket size mirror that’s set in a wooden frame. Encircle it with ivy and put it, with the ivy still attached, face up in a pail of water. Leave it outdoors, in a place where it will be exposed to, the rays of the new moon for an entire night.

In the morning, take out the mirror and dry it. Carry it with you, in a hidden place, from that moment on. When the person you want to influence comes near, look into the mirror (but don’t let him see the mirror or your glance into it). Then look into his eyes. Keep doing this until you find the person more and more willing to accept suggestions from you. One day you may have him completely in your power.