The lightness of Your touch may not be noticed
The brightness of Your presence may not be seen
The coolness of Your body may not be felt
Until You, Goddess of Snow, fall heavy
Until You, White Lady of the Forest, reflect sunshine
Until You, Ice Queen, want to be felt
Praises to the White Goddess
Praises to the Lady of the Ice Forest
Praises to the Snow Queen
Blessed Be
Traditionally entitled “Empress,” this major arcana or “trump” card portrays the energy of the Great Mother. She is Nature, around us but also within us, the ever-unfolding Source of life-giving power. She is often pictured as a pre-Christian Goddess, as the one whom the High Priestess is channeling down to earth for the rest of us.
In medieval Europe, the Empress card was painted to represent whatever Queen currently ruled the land, probably to satisfy the Inquisitors. But the scholars of the Renaissance and beyond had no doubt of her true identity, although she could not be fully revealed on Tarot cards as the “woman clothed with the sun” until after the French Revolution.
This supreme archetype of femininity also symbolizes fertility. It is She who provides us nourishment and security. She is also sometimes seen as delighting us with flowers and fruit. A potentially terrifying aspect of this archetype manifests itself whenever karmic mood swings wipe out our plans, like a storm that has come upon us. Whatever happens, the Empress is the Source of our Embodiment and of Natural Law. She might even be called “the Great Recycler.”
29 Winterfyllith
Day II of the Mysteries of Isis and Osiris
Colors: Green and black
Elements: Earth and Air
Altar: Upon cloth of green and black set a figure of Isis, a figure of Osiris, a box carved like a sarcophagus, and two large ivory candles.
Offerings: Continue with the long-term difficult project.
Daily Meal: Beer. Barley. Figs. Dates. Nuts. Flatbread.
Isis Invocation
Mistress of the Gods
Thou bearer of wings
Thou lady of the red apparel
Queen of the crowns of the South and North,
Thou mighty one of enchantments,
Mistress and lady of the tomb,
Mother in the horizon of heaven.
For when Isis the Queen found that her husband
Had fallen from grace through foul play,
She searched high and low in every country,
Until she came to a palace in a far place
Where a great sweet-scented pillar
Had been cut from a tamarisk tree
The like of which had never been seen before.
The mighty Isis clad herself in the robes
Of a common woman,
And presented herself to the Queen
To be her babe’s nurse. And so it was,
Yet the Queen one day found this nurse
Setting her child in the fire,
So as to make him immortal.
And Isis revealed herself,
And the pillar was cut down and opened,
And she did restore Osiris her husband
With many wonderful magics,
And so she triumphed over their enemies
And brought her beloved home.
Cry joyfully for them, Rulers of the Gods of Egypt!
(All cheer, and grain is thrown into the air in celebration.)
Traditionally entitled “Empress,” this major arcana or “trump” card portrays the energy of the Great Mother. She is Nature, around us but also within us, the ever-unfolding Source of life-giving power. She is often pictured as a pre-Christian Goddess, as the one whom the High Priestess is channeling down to earth for the rest of us.
In medieval Europe, the Empress card was painted to represent whatever Queen currently ruled the land, probably to satisfy the Inquisitors. But the scholars of the Renaissance and beyond had no doubt of her true identity, although she could not be fully revealed on Tarot cards as the “woman clothed with the sun” until after the French Revolution.
This supreme archetype of femininity also symbolizes fertility. It is She who provides us nourishment and security. She is also sometimes seen as delighting us with flowers and fruit. A potentially terrifying aspect of this archetype manifests itself whenever karmic mood swings wipe out our plans, like a storm that has come upon us. Whatever happens, the Empress is the Source of our Embodiment and of Natural Law. She might even be called “the Great Recycler.”
23 Yulmonath
Saturnalia Day 7: Day of the Mothers
Hail to Gaea, the Great Earth,
Green and rich, Mother of us all!
Hail to Rhea and Hera, gracious Queens,
Mothers of the height of Olympus!
Hail to Demeter, Mourning Lady,
Mother of the Seasons!
Hail to Cybele, Lady of Lions,
Mother of Anatolia!
Hail to Juno, to Tellus Mater,
To Ceres of the grain and to Ops,
Mothers of the Romans!
Hail to Danu and to Macha,
To Cerridwen of the cauldron,
Mothers of the Western Isles!
Hail to Frigga, Queen of Asgard,
Mother of the Aesir!
Hail to Nerthus, to Holda, to Nehallenia,
Mothers of the Vanir!
Hail to Laufey, to Sigyn, to Angrboda,
Mothers of the Rokkr!
Hail to Mielikki, Mother of forests! Hail to Parvati, Mother of the Upanishads!
Hail to Kali Ma, Mother of the Void! Hail to Tiamat, Mother of the Primal Ocean!
Hail to Yemaya, Mother of the Orisha!
Hail to Nuit, the overarching one,
To Isis and Nephthys, sisters light and dark,
Mothers of the desert lands!
Hail to Sophia, Mother of Wisdom!
May you all enfold us in your arms
And protect us from all harm that may befall.
We beseech you, Mothers of the Universe,
And we honor on this your day of Glory.
Song: Ancient Mother
11 Yulmonath
Day of the Snow Queen
Color: White
Element: Air
Altar: Upon cloth of snowy white place many snowflakes, silver branches, a cup of clear alcohol in which has been placed a piece of dry ice to give off mist, and a knife of glass.
Offerings: Spend time in the cold, enduring her kiss.
Daily Meal: Frozen dishes.
Invocation to the Snow Queen
Hail to the Snow Queen, Lady Winter!
Hail to the cloak of white across the fields,
The treacherous ice on the road
That threatens us as we ride,
Creator of beauty on every window,
Sharp icicle that falls with lethal force,
Crystal of fairness that reflects the Sun tenfold,
Bitter winds of death that freeze the body
And free the soul to ride the circling blizzard,
We hail you, Heart of Ice, in this your season!
For you are the cutting edge of survival,
The one who tests us, and our skill.
When we fail to learn the lesson
Of the King of Frost, your consort,
We are left to your tender mercies
And gathered to your deathly white bosom.
Have mercy on us, Lady of the Snow!
Teach us that we must band together for warmth,
And teach us with a lesson less than fatal.
(One comes forth with the chalice of steaming alcohol, and another with the glass knife. The knife is dipped into the iced drink, and touched to the palms of each who will hold theirs out. Then the alcohol is poured out as a libation.)
Song: Snow Queen
Thou who whispers gentle yet strong
Thou for whom my soul doth long,
By most men you are seldom seen
Yet you ever reign as Virgin, Mother, Queen.
Through the veil you pass with pride
As I beckon thee now to be at my side.
Thou who knows, thou who conceals
Thou who gives birth, thou who feels,
For you are the Goddess and Mother of all
Pray thee now come as I call,
Now through the mist, I hear your voice
And invoke thee most gracious Goddess by choice.
Thou who suffers as all men die
Doth with her victim in love lie,
For you are the Goddess and Crone of despair
To our ending we all must share,
I feel thy passion and feel thy presence
I desire to be one with thy vital essence.
I pray thee dancer of eternal bliss
Bestow upon me thy wondrous kiss,
Let now thy light, love and power
Descend, become one with me this hour.
For you are the Creatress of Heaven and Earth
To my soul and spirit you have given birth.
More Fantasy Comments
19 Haymonath
Opet: Day of the Marriage of Isis and Osiris
Colors: Gold, blue, and red.
Element: Earth
Altar: Upon cloth of gold, blue, and red, much decorated with Egyptian symbols, place incense of frankincense, a chalice of beer, wreaths of flowers, and two great statues of Isis and Osiris. These are borne into the chapel in a procession, with all present clanging rhythm instruments.
Offerings: Beer. Grain. Flowers.
Daily Meal: Beer. Egyptian food – flatbreads and lentils, figs, dates, beef.
Invocation for the Wedding of Isis and Osiris
Hail Osiris, Green Man Below!
Hail Isis, Winged Mother!
When you two came to the marriage bed,
Love was great between you,
Yet more than love was created!
You taught the people to plow the land,
And to sow new seeds, and breed their animals fine.
Hail Osiris, Crowned King with Crook and Flail!
Hail Isis, Queen and Throne!
You taught the people of crafts and skill,
To make beautiful things and dream greater ones.
Hail Osiris, Beloved One!
Hail Isis, Lady of the Knotted Girdle!
You taught the people of marriage,
Of the power of two coming together,
By your own divine example.
Hail Osiris, Lord of the Dead!
Hail Isis, Mourning Mother of Horus!
You taught the people of a love
That lasts beyond death and destruction,
A love strong enough to change the world.
Bless us, Royal King and Queen,
And may we strive to your example:
That by our relationships with the divine
Outside us and in each other,
We may change the world itself.
(The statues are reverenced, and laid together in a bed draped in white, and sprinkled with petals and wine. They will be left there until the hour of Arktos, when they will be removed again.)
Calendar of the Sun
8 Thrimilchimonath
Fulla’s Blot
Colors: White and blue
Element: Air
Altar: Upon cloth of white and blue set twelve white candles, one sky-blue candle, a great jug of mead, and a sheaf of grain. Throughout the next eleven days, the altar stays the same, and one more candle is lit. On this day, light the blue candle and one white candle.
Offering: Inventory the food supplies. Do things correctly.
Daily Meal: Soup or stew. Bread with cheese, meat, or jam.
Invocation to Frigga’s Handmaidens
Call: Twelve maidens hold the halls of Asgard!
Response: Twelve virgins hold the pillars of heaven!
Call: Twelve mysteries hold the luck of Asgard!
Response: Twelve virtues hold the Law of heaven!
Call: Twelve words of power resound through Asgard!
Response: Twelve stars light up the dome of heaven!
Call: We call upon the power of Virtue!
Response: We call upon the mysteries of heaven!
Invocation to Fulla
Hail, Asgard’s princess,
Younger sister of the Queen!
Hail, maiden of plenty
Who fills the pots and larders,
Who gives us abundance in all things
That we may in turn give hospitality.
Hail, maiden of the fields
Who makes the grain rise fine and proud!
For abundance is more than mere riches,
It is the careful accounting of fairness
So that everyone gets enough for survival
Enough for happiness
And enough to pass on to others.
Chant:
Cloth of honor from the thread of truth
Weave your heart into all you offer
(A libation of mead is poured out for Fulla, and the jug replaced for the next day’s ritual. Invite outsiders in for dinner on this day, in honor of the virtue of hospitality.)
Calendar of the Sun
7 Thrimilchimonath
Frigga’s Blot
Color: White and blue
Element: Air
Altar: Upon cloth of white and blue set twelve white candles, one sky-blue candle, a great jug of mead, and a drop spindle full of handspun yarn. Throughout the next twelve days, the altar stays the same, and one more candle is lit. On this day, light only the blue one.
Offering: Learn to spin. Bring harmony to some place that needs it. Do things correctly.
Daily Meal: Soup or stew. Bread with cheese, meat, or jam.
Invocation to Frigga
We call you, Frigga, from your misty halls at Fensalir,
All-knowing Queen, norn-wise,
Odhinn’s loved companion, splendid queen of tribes,
Blessed in triumph, binding folk together.
Lover of your people, lady bright-minded,
Bridler of kin-strife, bourne of kin-mindfulness.
Protector and peaceweaver, friendly goddess:
Your blessings give to us, to babies and brave ones,
Great-hearted queen, holding secret counsel
With god-loving soothsayers; to the wise-minded
Giving rede and wisdom, discretion and prudence.
Key-keeper mighty, in your starry cape,
You know there is no tongue in which to tell
Of all that is and that shall be;
To sort the spinning strands of possibility
Into a span of words,
Yet with your spindle and your well-strung loom
You weave the airy clouds
And send the winds to shape them,
Writing your wordless wisdom-runes
In the ever-changing valleys of the sky.
(Adapted from Winifred Hodge)
Chant:
Cloth of honor from the thread of truth
Weave your heart into all you offer
(The drop spindle of yarn is passed around from person to person, and each speaks of how they intend to bring frith – order, harmony, and correctness – to some aspect of their lives. Then some mead is poured out as a libation to Frigga, saying, “Hail, Lady of Frith!” The rest is placed back on the altar for tomorrow’s ritual.)
Once Upon A Time: Make Your Own Good Luck
Author: etain.butterfly
After watching two episodes of the new series Once Upon A Time I remembered the old nursery rhymes I used to read to my children when they were young.
There was Rumpelstiltskin a tiny little man who spun straw into gold for the miller’s daughter, but for a price. The first time he spun the straw into gold she gave him her necklace; the second time it was her ring and the third time she had nothing to give him. Rumpelstiltskin made her promise to give him her first child if she became Queen. The tale continues…the King was young and handsome and saw the miller’s daughter leaving the castle and fell in love with her. They soon married and she became pregnant. Rumpelstiltskin returned to collect on the promise of her first born child. The Queen cried so hard that Rumpelstiltskin had pity and gave her three days to find out his name and if she did she could keep her child. The Queen was determined to change her luck. She sent out messengers all over the land to find different names. One messenger returned with a rhyme he heard a strange little man singing:
Tonight I brew, tomorrow I bake,
And then the child away I’ll take.
For little knows the Royal Dame
That Rumpelstiltskin is my name. [1]
The Queen was so delighted and immediately summoned Rumpelstiltskin to let him know she knew his name. “A witch has told you that – a witch has told you that!” shrieked the little man as he fled into the woods in a rage never to be seen again.
Beauty and the Beast is another fairy tale that taught us that beauty is only skin deep and that what is in you heart is most important. As Beauty got to know the Beast he appeared less ugly in her eyes. As the story goes, the Prince had a spell put on him by the magician because he was proud, thoughtless, vain and selfish. He was to remain that way until a beautiful girl consented to marry him of her own free will.
The Prince did not give up. He was determined to change his luck and break the spell. He succeeded and Beauty and the Prince got married and lived happily ever after.
These fairy tales always had an evil villain that made life almost unbearable and emphasized the determination of the recipient to figure out a way to beat the odds. Isn’t that what real life is all about? Well, maybe not the ‘evil villain casting spells’ part but the concept of triumph over adversity is the same. Life is filled with all kinds of plunges and how we choose to handle these obstacles is the key to survival.
As Witches, we have many tools that can help us on this journey we call life. However when things get really tough we sometimes forget to use them. One of my most beloved techniques is ‘grounding and centering’. It’s an easy ritual to use. You can take it anywhere and using this ‘tool’ can show results almost immediately.
In times of stress or anxiety, grounding is a way to release excess energy and allow you to calm down and think things through. At times when you need energy, grounding enables you to draw energy up from the Earth, offering a wellspring of power that can flow through you without exhausting your own resources.
Another tool that we as Witches have at our fingertips to help detangle life’s hard knocks is meditation. Just like grounding and centering, it’s simple and inexpensive and it doesn’t require any special equipment. You can practice meditation wherever you are. Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance. When you meditate, you clear away the information overload that builds up every day and contributes to your stress. The emotional benefits of meditation include: gaining a new perspective on stressful situation, building skills to manage your stress, increasing self-awareness, focusing on the present and reducing negative emotions.
By clearing away the informational overload, you reclaim the ability to think clearly, allowing you to formulate plans that will help you get through the tough times. It is all about survival. There can always be a new beginning.
The concepts behind “Once Upon A Time” gave me the inspiration to create this poem:
Fairy Tales (by Terry Moore / Etain.Butterfly ©)
Jack and the bean stalk, Cracker Jack box,
Life isn’t a fairy tale; it does have some hard knocks.
Mary had a little lamb and little Bo Peep,
Sometimes things plunge and sometimes things peek.
There is Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty and lots of happy endings,
So keep in mind when life gets tough there is always new beginnings.
Like hay diddle – diddle, the cat and the fiddle and the cow jumped over the moon,
Remember to keep a smile on your face, for your luck will change real soon.
For all things we cannot control, just remember those old rhymes,
Never give up, make your own good luck and create your own good times.
My Witchy philosophy is to use all the tools that are available to me to help me to create a life that sustains my mind, body, and spirit for a “happy ever after” in this lifetime. For real, life is not a bowl of cherries and I have experienced some really hard knocks. The key is that I did not give up. I got back up determined to create my own good luck. I did not rely on someone else to fix the bumps in my road of life – I used the tools I had within myself to resurface my own road.
Once I figured out that I have the ability to ‘act on’ instead of ‘react to’ those obstacles that everyday life throws my way, I learned it is easy to make my own good luck. I am a Witch and I am truly blessed. I am living the “happy ever after” in this lifetime.
Blessed Be.
Footnotes:
1. Rumpelstiltskin; Shirley Temple’s Storybook – Random House 1958
Witches Of The Craft® 