“Most books on witchcraft will tell you that witches work naked. This is because most books on witchcraft were written by men.” ― Neil Gaiman

Solar Myth & Lore from Starlore of Native America,

assembled by Brad Snowder

“Once the sky had no day. When the sky was clear
there was some light from the stars but when it was cloudy it was very dark. Raven had
put fish in the rivers and fruit trees in the land but he was saddened by the darkness. The
Sun at that time was kept in a box by a chief in the sky. The Raven came to a hole in the
sky and went through. He came to a spring where the chief’s daughter would fetch water.
He changed himself into a cedar seed and floated on the water. When the girl drank from
spring she swallowed the seed without noticing and became pregnant. A boy child was
born which was really Raven. As a toddler he begged to play with the yellow ball that
grandfather kept in a box. He was allowed to play with the Sun and when the chief
looked away he turned back into Raven and flew back through the hole in the sky.,
bringing the Sun to our world.”

Moon Phases, Their Meanings, and How They Impact You

The Moon represents powerful feminine energy. It signifies wisdom, intuition, birth, death, reincarnation, and a spiritual connection. The cycle of the Moon is similar to the cycle of a seed: the seed grows into a flower, then blooms, and then dies.

Once we are attuned to the Moon, we can activate her innate powers

The moon also represents our deepest personal needs. We can use the knowledge and energy of the Moon’s cycle to better connect to ourselves.

Once we are attuned to the Moon, we can activate her innate powers

Each phase of the Moon’s cycle has a unique visual characteristic and spiritual meaning. Her cyclical course also signifies the rhythm of life within us.

Below is a quick guide to the different phases of the Moon and their meanings:

New Moon
The Moon is positioned between the Earth and Sun so it cannot be seen from Earth. This phase signifies new beginnings.

Waxing Crescent Moon
‘Waxing’ means the Moon’s illumination is growing and ‘Crescent’ means less than half of the Moon is illuminated. This phase signifies intention.

First Quarter Moon
Exactly half of the Moon is illuminated and the other half is shadowed. This phase signifies decision making.

Waxing Gibbous Moon
‘Waxing’ means the Moon’s illumination is growing and ‘Gibbous’ means more than half of the Moon is illuminated. This phase signifies refinement.

Full Moon
The Sun illuminates the entire moon. This phase signifies release and sealing of intention.

Waning Gibbous
‘Waning’ refers to the decreasing of the Moon’s illumination and ‘Gibbous’ means more than half of Moon illuminated. This phase signifies gratitude.

Third Quarter
Exactly half of the Moon is illuminated and the other half is shadowed. We will see the opposite side than the First Quarter Moon. This phase signifies forgiveness.

Waning Crescent
‘Waning’ refers to the shrinking of the Moon’s illumination and ‘Crescent’ means less than half of the Moon is illuminated. This phase signifies surrender.

New Moon
The Moon is positioned between the Earth and Sun so it cannot be seen from Earth. This phase signifies new beginnings, and the cycle begins again.

Attune To Her Glow
As the closest astronomical body to us, the Moon has a powerful influence on us as spiritual bodies. The Full Moon offers the most profound energies that we can absorb, while the New Moon is the next most powerful energy.

One way to connect to this energy and influence is to use the Moon’s energy to help set our intentions and clear negativity.

The Moon’s cycle is 29.5 days and it represents a full life-cycle. Each phase of the Moon has a different meaning and rhythm to the body.

Moon phases show us how the Moon affects the ebb and flow of our entire existence. Once we are attuned to the Moon, we can activate her innate powers.

Jillian Grabarczyk, Author
Jillian is a yogi and recipe developer living in Ann Arbor, MI. She is a Finance graduate from Ohio University and divides her time between teaching yoga and working a part-time office job to support her essential oil habit

YogiApproved.com

About the Month of April–The Month of Venus

This month of April has only thirty days, which is the number said to have been given to it by Romulus. The king who came after him gave it only twenty-nine, but Caesar, when he altered the calendar, gave it thirty again.

The name April comes from the Latin word aperire, which means “to open”, and the month was no doubt so named because it is during April that the earth, which has been bound by the sharp frosts of winter, once again opens beneath the warm rays of the sun; the withered sheaths fall away from the ripened buds, which, opening out, disclose to our eyes their long hidden treasures of beautiful colour.

We find that the month was sacred to Venus, the Roman Goddess of Beauty, and some people think for this reason that the name April comes not from aperire, but from Aphrilis, which in turn comes from Aphrodite, the name given to the Goddess of Beauty by the Greeks.

Venus is said to have sprung from the foam of the sea, and to have made her way to Mount Olympus, the home of the gods, where, because of her wonderful beauty and grace, she was welcomed as the Goddess of Love and Beauty. All the gods fell in love with her, but she scorned them all, and Jupiter, to punish her for her pride, ordered her to marry Vulcan, the God of Fire, who was deformed and very rough in his manner. He had been thrown from the top of Mount Olympus by Jupiter in a fit of anger. Had he not been a god, he would, of course, have been killed by the fall, but he escaped with a broken leg which made him lame for the rest of his life. He now lived on the earth, and spent his time at the forge making many wonderful and useful things from the metals which he found buried in the mountains. He built gorgeous palaces of gold for the gods, which he decorated with precious stones, forged the terrible thunderbolts used by Jupiter, and also made the arrows used by Venus’s son, Cupid. Vulcan was naturally worshiped by all blacksmiths and workers in metal, and a great festival called the Vulcanalia was held in his honour.

Cupid, whom we have just mentioned, was the God of Love; he never grew up, but remained a little chubby boy, with beautiful wings. He always carried a bow, and with his arrows pierced the hearts of young men and maidens in order to make them fall in love with one another.

Another son of Venus was Aeneas, the great hero who was supposed to have been the founder of the Roman race. He escaped from Troy, when at the end of ten years’ siege it fell into the hands of the Greeks, and after many adventures reached a part of Italy, called Latium, where in later times his descendants, Romulus and Remus, founded the city of Rome.

The story of Aeneas has been wonderfully told by the Roman poet Virgil in his great work called the Aeneid. In this book Virgil wishes to show that Augustus, the emperor of his time, being a descendant of Aeneas, was also descended from the gods, since Aeneas was said to be the son of Venus.

Part of the story of Troy, or Ilium, is told in the Iliad of Homer, the great Greek poet. We read there of the fierce struggles which took place before the walls of the city, of deeds of strength and valour, and particularly of the final combat between the great heroes Hector the Trojan and Achilles the Greek, in which the Trojan was killed. In spite of many successes in the field, the Greeks were unable to gain an entry into the city, nor were the Trojans able to drive the Greeks from the shore, and it seemed as if neither side would ever secure the victory.

At last Ulysses, a Greek prince who was renowned for his cunning, formed a plan for entering the city and thus finally bringing to an end the war that had lasted for ten years. The Greeks built a wooden horse of such size that a number of men could be hidden within its hollow sides. This horse, filled with fighting men led by Ulysses, was left on the shore, while the army embarked in their ships and sailed away as if tired of the endless struggle. The Greeks also left behind a cunning slave, named Sinon, who was to play an important part in the plot. The Trojans, overjoyed at the departure of the Greeks, flocked down to the shore and crowded round the enormous wooden horse, full of wonderment at its strangeness. Many wished to drag it into the city at once, while some were filled with suspicion and urged their companions to distrust anything made by their enemies. Sinon, when questioned by the Trojans, pretended that he had been ill-treated by the Greeks, and spoke with hatred and anger against them. He explained that the horse was an offering to the sea god, Neptune, whose help the Greeks would need on their journey home, and he advised the Trojans to seize it and take it into the city. In spite even of those who suggested that armed men might be hidden in the horse, the Trojans dragged it into the city with great triumph, pulling down part of the wall to admit it, since it was too large to go through the gates.

Then followed a night of feast and revelry; the Trojans in their excitement laid aside their armour and their weapons, and gave themselves up to wild merrymaking. The smoky flare of the torches lit up a scene of mad delight. Suddenly shouts of alarm arose on every side, followed by the clash of weapons. Armed men poured in on the astonished Trojans, and in a short time Troy was in the hands of the Greeks. Under cover of the darkness and the noise Ulysses and his companions had crept from their hiding-place, had overpowered the careless sentries, and opened the gates for the Greek army, whose ships had returned in the night. Thus, through the help of the clever Ulysses, the Greeks overcame the army that had so often beaten them in the field, and by a trick brought to a victorious end the great Trojan war, for which the Goddess Venus had been responsible, as we shall read in a later chapter.

The Old English name for the month of April was Oster-monath or Easter-monath, because it was the month sacred to Eastre, or Ostara, the Goddess of Spring; the same name is still kept by the Germans, who call it Ostermonath. The time of year known as Easter is named after this goddess, and though Easter is now a Christian festival, it was in the first place a feast held by the Saxons in honour of their goddess Eastre. It was the custom for the people to give one another presents of coloured eggs, because the egg is supposed to represent the beginning of life, and the feast was held in the spring-time, when Nature awakes to a new life from the death of winter. The custom, which we still have, of sending Easter eggs to our friends, is therefore a very, very old one indeed.

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Wednesday’s Associations

Color: Purple

Planet: Mercury

Metal: Mercury (Quicksilver)

Deities: Odin, Hermes, Lugh

Gemstones: Mercury, Athena

Crystals: Adventurine, Agate

Herbs: Aspen trees, lilies, Lavender, Ferns

Associations: Business, Communication, Loss and Debt, Travel.

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Today is Wednesday, April 5

Wednesday is the day of the Teutonic deity known as Wodin or Odin, an aspect of the Allfather, god of knowledge, wisdom, enlightenment and combat, the parallel of Hermes, the planet Mercury

Deity: Woden

Zodiac Sign: Gemini & Virgo

Planet: Mercury

Tree: Ash

Herb: Cinquefoil

Stone: Emerald & Sardonyx

Animal: Raven & Cat

Element: Air

Color: Red & Blue

Number: 6

Rune: Odal(O)

The Celtic Tree Month of Fearn(Alder)(March 18 – April 14)

Runic Half Month of Ehwaz(horse) (March 30 – April 13)

Goddess of the Month of Columbina (March 20 – April 17)

—The Pagan Book of Days
Nigel Pennick

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The Goddess Book of Daysome, the day of the Cerealia, seed time, the return of Persephone from the underworld, the blooming of the Earth once more. She is Flora, Kore, Primavera, Proserpina, Mary, Diana, the Maiden, the Daughter returning to her mother Demeter or Ceres. Some sources date the Cerealia at April 12–19.

Goddesses Associated with Wednesday

For Woden: Isis, Demeter, Ceres, Spider Woman, Bona Dea, Oya, Devi-Kali, Hella, Rhiannon, Coatlique, Maman Brigette

—The Goddess Book of Days
Diane Stein

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~ The Goddess Days of the Moon ~

Days 4-6 Ruled by Artemis/Diana, the independent one of the wilderness, the impetus behind the newly planted seed
Days 7-9 Kore rules these lunar days, and she is seen as the Maiden of Menarche, the link between childhood and adulthood
Days 10-12 Ruled by Hera, Queen of Heaven and creatrix, representing the power of inspiration
Days 13-15 Demeter, the nurturer, rules these
Days 16-18 Dedicated to Gaia, the Earth Goddess
Days 19-21 Hestia, Goddess of Waning Moon, is the matriarchal grandmother, ruling and protecting her family
Days 22-24 Ruled by Medusa, the crone of death and spiritual release, the necessary destruction that allows a new cycle to begin
Days 25-27 Ruled by Hecate, queen of the underworld and the shades, she is seen as the one who allows departed souls to choose thier paths in the next phase of existence and rebirth
The remaining days of the moon – the dark days – are those of the unknowable Masked Goddess, who is present, but invisible.

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The Wicca Book of Day

In Iran, on the thirteenth day of their New Year, special bowls containing sprouted seeds are traditionally cast into the rivers as offerings in the belief that the bad luck of the previous year will be carried away.

The goddess Persephone’s annual return from the Underworld, allowing the Earth to bloom again, was celebrated every year on this date by the ancient Romans.

–The Wicca Book of Days
Gerina Dunwich

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The Witches Guide for Wednesdays

Ruler: Wodin, Mercury

Colors: Orange, light blue, and gray

Power Hours: Sunrise and the 8th, 16th, and 24th hours following

Keywords: Success, creativity, communication

The word Wednesday is reminiscent of the Norse wind god Wodin, which is referenced in the popular rhyme verse “Wednesday’s child is full of woe.” This does not mean that those born on this day are full of sorrow or trouble. To be full of Wo (Wodin) means to be full of wind, to be spirited. Woden was such a powerful pagan god that the German church fathers changed the name of his day to Mittwoch, meaning midweek, in an attempt to exorcise his influence.

In the Spanish word for Wednesday, miercoles, we clearly see its connection to Mercury. Under the guidance of Mercury; Wednesday is a day of swift activity, communication, correspondence, and phone calls. This is a good day for journalists, writers, poets, bargaining, hiring employees, and visiting friends.

On Wednesdays, the hour of sunrise and every eight hours after that are also ruled by Mercury, making these times of the day doubly blessed. These are the strongest four hours for ritual work. Check your local newspaper, astrological calendar, or almanac to determine when sunrise occurs.

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Wednesday’s Witchery

Be bold and daring today! Expand your knowledge of the Craft by working with the planetary energies of Mercury on this multifaceted day of the week. Consider the Greco-Roman gods Mercury and Hermes and all of the many lessons they have for you. Embrace change and movement, and work on your communication techniques. Conjure up a little good luck for yourself with that Mercury dime spell. Call on Athena to inspire you to try magickal arts and crafts and to be more creative in your own spellwork and witchery.

Meditate on Odin and see what you can discover about him. I wonder what sort of fabulous and fascinating magickal wisdom you will uncover? Odin is a shaman, after all; he may appear in many guises and faces. I guarantee that he will make you laugh at yourself before he is through with you, but you will learn. It’s up to you what you do with that knowledge. Will you let it shapeshift into wisdom?

Wednesday is the wild and wily day of the week, so try to go with the flow; don’t fight the quirky energies of the day. Most importantly, follow your heart, and always keep a good sense of humor, because of Wednesdays you will really need it.

Source

Book of Witchery: Spells, Charms & Correspondences for Every Day of the Week
Ellen Dug

Correspondences for Wednesday

Dedicated to the Teutonic god Woden or Odin, an aspect of the “All-Father” god of knowledge wisdom enlightenment and combat, the parallel of Hermes.

Element : Air

Planet: Mercury

Zodiac Sign : Virgo / Gemini

Angel : Raphael

Metal : Mercury

Incense / Perfumes : Jasmine, Lavender, Sweet Pea

Oil: Benzoin, Clary Sage, Eucalytus, Lavender

Color : Red, Orange, Light Blue

Stones : Bloodstone,Garnet, Aventurine, Hematite, Moss Agate and Sodalite

Plants/Herbs : Almond, Anise, Cherry, Clover, Dandelion, Dill, Fern, Hazel, Hyssop, Lavender, Lemongrass, Lilac, Mace, Peppermint, Rosemary, Vervain

Magick to Work: the conscious mind, study, travel, divination, consulting oracles, wisdom, communication ,cleverness, contracts, creativity, information, intellect, memory, perception, science, wisdom, writing

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The Witches Magick for Wednesdays

MONEY RITUAL FOR PROSPERITY IN LIFE

This isn’t some “get-rich-quick” spell.

You will need:
Green candle

Bay Leaves

Plain white piece of paper

I usually have some other candles around and sometimes will also use some of the essential oils that I know draw in money. Think of the amount of money that is needed, not what is wanted. Asking for a million dollars is absolutely ridiculous to say the least. Write down the amount that you know you need to help you achieve your goals (paying bills, paying for college, camp fees, whatever) on the plain, white piece of paper. Fold the paper in half three times.

After getting a connection with your goddess, light your green candle. Use your own incantation to ask the Goddess for her help and guidance to find the money that you need. Place the paper under the candle. Now close your eyes and see money coming to you. Don’t think of how it comes, just see it come. See it appear in your hand or maybe imagine it flying around you like in those money booth games and see yourself snatching it out of the air. While doing this, I burn a bay leaf in the candles flame. Inhale the fragrance emitted by the bay leaf. If you have money-drawing oils, then a few drops on the sides of the candle can be placed as you give thanks to the Goddess for listening to you.

Close as you feel appropriate. Leave it all set up when you finish if you are able and repeat. Start it on the new moon and repeat several times until the full moon. At this point, burn the paper and spread it’s ashes to the wind.

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Witch Tip #23

If you find yourself in a situation where you are unable to burn herbs or candles, use essential oils as a substitute.

Witch Tips : The Essential Guide to Contemporary Witchcraft
A. Rayne

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Daily Incantations & Enchantments

This is to dispel negative attitudes and provide protection from dark influences. Repeat it as needed throughout the day, or if you feel you are coming under attack from a particular person or circumstance.

A white light surrounds me, and all that I see.

I ask for protection and security.

All that is negative I now erase, I have serenity and peace in it’s place.

–The Power of Positive Witchcraft: Daily Incantations & Enchantments: A Spell a Day for 30 Days .

Garden Summerland

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CRAFT MANNERS

Say “Blessed Be” when greeting other Wiccans. (The alternative “Bright Blessings” is sometimes used, as is the written abbreviation “B.B.”).

Greet Pagans of the opposite sex with a kiss on the lips, and those of your own sex with a warm handshake

Never handle the ritual equipment (tools) of another without their permission.

Never give out another Pagan’s name, address, or telephone number; or discuss their beliefs in front of another; without their permission

When answering advertisements that say “write”, don’ t just turn up on the doorstep

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“Blessed Are The Witches”