Tag: Ritual

Calendar of the Sun for September 29

Calendar of the Sun

29 Halegmonath

Day of Hestia Tamia

Color: Brown
Element: Fire
Altar: Like all rituals to Hestia, this ritual takes place in the kitchen and not the altar room. A fire should be lit at the main hearth, and fresh-baked bread spread upon the table. The tables should be laid with the preserved jars and cans and bottles of the harvest.
Offerings: Have in visitors, and feed them. Feed the hungry.
Daily Meal: Any correct food, eaten with outsiders.

Invocation to Hestia Tamia

Call: Hail, Hestia Tamia, Lady of the Pantry!
Response: Hail, Keeper of the Storehouse!
Call: Hail, Lady who counts each grain
That each of your charges may eat,
That there be no waste and no greed,
That there be no inequality in hunger.
Response: We must sacrifice to Hestia!
Call: This is the saying of our ancestors,
But they did not mean food thrown
Into flames, or rivers; this is not the way
Of the Lady of the Storehouse.
To sacrifice to Hestia is to put that food
In the bellies of others than yourselves.
To sacrifice to Hestia is to bring in strangers
From the cold and the wet, and offer them food
And drink, no matter how little you have.
To sacrifice to Hestia is to remember the Law
Of Hospitality, and how the Gods all love that Law,
And that the stranger most soiled and tattered
May be a vessel of the Gods in disguise.
Response: We must sacrifice to Hestia!
Call: For the counting of one’s resources
Is a holy act, sacred to Hestia Tamia
And her never-emptying pantry.
May our own pantry be as generous, Lady
Whose face is never shown
As she would rather be known by her deeds
And her gentle presence. Hail Hestia Tamia!
Response: Hail Hestia Tamia!
(The rest of the afternoon until Hesperis is spent tallying the stores in honor of Hestia.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Calendar of the Sun for September 22

Calendar of the Sun

22 Halegmonath

MABON

Colors: Brown and orange
Element: Earth
Altar: Upon cloth of brown and orange, set the fruits of the harvest in many baskets, surrounding the altar if need be. Lay on it also a sickle, a pitchfork, a winnowing basket, and a flail. Have also pots of the four sacred preservation foods: salt, vinegar, wine, and honey.
Offerings: Give food to the hungry.
Daily Meal: Made from the fruits of the harvest.

Ritual Note: Like all the eight high holidays, this day should ideally be spent not enclosed and isolated, but in common with the larger pagan community. This can be done a number of ways, including spending the day elsewhere, at the Mabon ritual of another group or tradition, or by inviting in those pagans who would otherwise not be able to attend a ritual. Either way, the eight holidays should be a time of remembering the place of the house in the greater community. If the choice is made to go elsewhere, then no liturgy is needed for the day. If the choice is made to bring the greater community into the lesser one, the following ritual can be used:

(First four who have been chosen to do the work of the ritual cast the quarters with sickle, pitchfork, winnowing basket, and flail.)

East Caller: Spirits of the East, Powers of Air!
You who are the cold steel of the scythe,
You who are the blade that separates
One from another,
Life from death,
You who are smoke on the wind
And the bringer of the new dawn,
Be with us today!

South Caller: Spirits of the South, Powers of Fire!
You who are the Sun who moves towards the west,
You who are the gentle rays feeding the harvest
As summer moves into autumn,
Pulling the crops toward the sky
And drying them to golden as your rays,
Be with us today!

West Caller: Spirits of the West, Powers of Water!
You who are the sweat we have given to this land,
The blood that this land will feed,
The tears of joy that we shed to see
All your bounty brought to harvest
And know that our bellies shall be full of your bounty,
Be with us today!

North Caller: Spirits of the North, Power of Earth!
You who are the ground beneath our feet,
You who sustains and nourishes us,
You who brought us forth,
You to whom we shall all one day return,
We honor you especially today.
Be with us now!

Mabon Invocation

Today the Night and Day stand in balance!
Today the work of the year measures itself
Against the coming of the winter.
The Virgin with her sickle gives way
To the Scales that weigh our harvest,
Our hearts, our deeds, our worth.
On this day, our ancestors could look at their work
And look forward, and know whether they would be
Fat or thin, sharing or lending or borrowing,
Worrying or content. This is the Reckoning Day.
And what have we to reckon?
Bring forth the four sacred foods of Mabon,
Each sacred because they preserve the harvest
And allow what is done now to feed us later.
(The salt is passed around.)
Salt of the earth is wealth.
What wealth have you made or lost?
Have you shared it with others, or kept it to yourself?
(All speak of this in turn, then the vinegar is passed around.)
Vinegar, sour as a bad year,
Yet it is the symbol of hard work.
What work have you done that was a struggle
But that you are proud of?
(All speak of this in turn, then the wine is passed around.)
Wine, joy of Dionysos,
The symbol of gaiety, of bonding,
Of happiness and song. What happiness
Has come to you this year, like a gift unlooked for?
(All speak of this in turn, then the honey is passed around.)
Honey, blood of Aphrodite,
You are love in all its many forms.
What love have you brought to this table?
What has Love given you, and what have you given in turn?
(All speak of this, then a basket of harvest fruit is passed around.)
These are the fruits of our reckoning,
These are the embodiments of our toil,
These are the manifestation of our springtime hopes.
May all partake, in hope for the next year.
But save the seeds, for these too will be our hopes.
Hail to our ancestors, who stood where we stand!
Hail to those who will come after us,
And whose mouths our labors will feed!
Hail!

(A cup is passed around for the seeds, which should be dried and saved. Dismiss the quarters. After the song, all will spend the day in preserving the sacred harvest.)

Song: Reckoning Day

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Book Binding Ritual

Book Binding Ritual

 

Items You will Need:

The Book

Plain white cotton string

 

The Spell:

Those of us who study the Old Ways of Natural Magick are usually fond of books. Our fondness often leads us to loan them to friends. Unfortunately, loaning a book may mean that we’ll never see it again. Hence, this book binding ritual. It utilizes knot magick. Binding and knots are ruled by the element Earth. In Natural Magick, knots are physical objects that both represent intangible goals (such as the return of loaned property) and absorb personal power. The following spell utilizes the power of the knot in this way. This ritual is not intended to force or to coerce another human being to return a book; it’s a spell to ensure the book’s return. It doesn’t affect the loanee; it affects the book itself. Before you loan the book, hold it between your palms. Send personal power into it while saying:

“By hill and wind, by flame and brook,

By shining moon and sea;

I place a bind Upon this Book

That it return to me.”

Wrap one foot of plain white cotton string around the book, securing the string with a knot. Knot tightly, but leave enough slack so that you can slip off the string with out untying the knot. As you make the knot, visualize the book returning to you and say once again:

“By hill and wind, by flame and brook,

By shining moon and sea;

I place a bind Upon this Book

That it return to me.”

Slip off the knotted cord. Put it in some secret place. As you actually loan the book, say the words even again (under your breath). The book should, indeed, return to you. Once it has, untie or cut the cord. It’s done its work.

How To Celebrate an Autumn Full Moon – Group Ceremony

How To Celebrate an Autumn Full Moon – Group Ceremony

Celebrate the autumn full moon outdoors!

In addition to — or instead of — holding a monthly Esbat rite, some Wiccan and Pagan groups prefer to have a season-specific full moon ceremony. During the autumn months, the harvest season begins with the Corn Moon in late August, and continues through September’s Harvest Moon  and the Blood Moon of October. If you’d like to celebrate one or more of these moon phases with a ritual specific to the harvest, it’s not hard. This rite is written for a group of four people or more, but if you needed to, you could easily adapt it for a solitary practitioner.

Here’s How:

  1. Try to hold this ritual outside. Fall nights are usually crisp and cool, and a perfect time for outdoor rituals. Ask each member of the group to bring an item to place on the altar — something that represents the bounty of the harvest. Decorate the altar with these seasonal goodies. Some ideas would be:
    • A basket of apples
    • Gourds, squashes, or small pumpkins
    • Indian corn
    • Colorful leaves
    • Stalks of grain or wheat

     

    You’ll want to include quarter candles, as well as a cup of wine or cider. If you’re including Cakes and Ale as part of your celebration, place your cakes on the altar as well.

  2. Assign a member of the group to call each quarter. Each person should stand at their assigned quarter holding their unlit candle (and a lighter or matches), and facing the altar. If there are more than four of you present, form a circle.

    Some traditions choose to begin rites facing east, while others prefer the north. This ritual begins with the calling of the north quarter, but you can adjust or adapt it based on the needs of your own tradition.

  3. The person in the north quarter lights their green candle, holds it to the sky, and says:

    We call upon the powers of Earth, and welcome you to this circle. May the fertile soil of the land bring us prosperity, abundance, and the bounty of the land, in this time of harvest.

    Place the candle on the altar.

  4. The person to the east should light her yellow candle, hold it to the sky, and say:

    We call upon the powers of Air, and welcome you to this circle. May the winds of change bring us wisdom and knowledge in this season of abundance and bounty.

    Place the candle on the altar.

  5. Moving to the south, light the red candle and hold it to the sky, saying:

    We call upon the powers of Fire, and welcome you to this circle. May the shining light of this season’s moon illuminate our way through the coming winter.

    Place the candle on the altar.

  6. Finally, the person to the west lights the blue candle, holds it to the sky, and says:

    We call upon the powers of Water, and welcome you to this circle. May the cool autumn rains wash away the last comforts of summer, and prepare us for the chill that is to come.

    Place the candle on the altar.

  7. Have everyone in the circle join hands and say:

    We gather tonight by the light of the moon, to celebrate the season, and rejoice. May the next turn of the Wheel bring us love and compassion, abundance and prosperity, fertility and life. As the moon above, so the earth below.

    Go around the circle, passing the wine or cider. As each person takes a sip, they should share one thing they are looking forward to in the coming month. Do you hope to manifest financial independence? Develop your intuitive powers? Or are you perhaps hoping to grow your relationships? Now is the time to state your intent.

  8. Take a moment to reflect on the bounty of the season. When everyone is ready, either move on to your next ceremony — Cakes and Ale, Drawing Down the Moon, healing rites, etc. — or end the ritual.

Tips:

  1.  Quarter candles are colored candles based on the colors of the four cardinal directions: green for north, yellow for east, red to the south and blue in the west.

What You Need

  • Candles for each of the four quarters
  • A cup of wine or cider
  • Symbols of the harvest to decorate the altar

How to Hold a Gratitude Ritual

How to Hold a Gratitude Ritual

By Patti Wigington

Do a Gratitude Ritual to express your thankfulness.

For many Wiccans and Pagans, autumn is a time of thanks giving. Although this is the most obvious around the Mabon holiday, if you live in the United States, most of your friends and family will be giving thanks in November. If you’d like to tie in to that a little, but with a Pagan flair, you might want to consider doing a short gratitude ritual as a way of expressing your own thankfulness.

Here’s How:

  1. Before you begin, decorate your altar with symbols of the season. You may want to choose items that represent abundance, such as:
    • Baskets of fruit, such as apples or grapes
    • Cornucopias
    • An abundance mandala
    • Colors associated with abundance, such as gold and green
    • Symbols of things you’re thankful for, such as your health or your career
    • Photos of your family and friends who mean a lot to you

    You’ll also want to have a candle on your altar. Gold or green is preferable, but you can use another color if it signifies abundance to you. Also, make a batch of Gratitude Oil ahead of time to use in the ritual.

  2. If your tradition calls for you to cast a circle, go ahead and do so.

    As you begin, take a moment to reflect on the abundance in your life. When we say abundance, it doesn’t necessarily mean material or financial gain — you may be abundant if you have friends who love you, a satisfying family life, or a rewarding career. Think about that things you have for which you are most grateful. These are the things you will be focusing on in this rite. As you’re thinking about these things, anoint the candle with the Gratitude Oil, and then light it on your altar table or workspace.

  3. If you have a particular deity in your tradition who is associated with thankfulness, you may wish to call out to this god or goddess and invite them into your circle. If not, that’s okay too — you can express your gratitude to the universe itself.
  4. Beginning at one corner of the table, begin saying the things you are thankful for, and why. It might go something like this:

    I am thankful for my health, because it allows me to feel well. I am thankful for my children, for keeping me young. I am thankful for my career, because each day I get paid to do what I love. I am thankful for my job, because I am able to feed my family. I am thankful for my garden, because it provides me fresh herbs. I am thankful for my coven sisters, because they make me feel spiritually complete…

    and so forth, until you have expressed your thankfulness for everything in your life.

  5. If you’re doing this ritual with a group, each person should anoint a candle of their own, and call out their own things that they are thankful for.

    Take a few more minutes to meditate on the candle flame, and to focus on the notion of abundance. While you’re thinking about things you are grateful for, you might also wish to consider the people in your life that are grateful towards you, for the things you have done. Recognize that gratitude is a gift that keeps on giving, and that counting one’s blessings is an important thing to do, because it reminds us of how truly fortunate we are.

  6. Note: It’s important to realize that one of the things about being thankful is that we should let people who have made us happy know they’ve done so. If there’s someone specific you wish to thank for their words or actions, you should take the time to tell them so directly, instead of (or in addition to) merely doing a ritual that they’ll never know about. Send a note, make a phone call, or tell them in person how much you appreciate what they’ve done for you.

What You Need

  • Symbols of what you’re thankful for
  • A candle
  • Gratitude Oil

Summoning the Ancestors

Summoning the Ancestors

Items You Will Need:

  • A Staff (preferably one you have worked with before)
  • Incense burner (stick and cone incense will work here, I first made this ritual using those, but you must have a way to burn the offering)
  • Purification or protection Incense (I use Frankincense or Sandalwood)
  • a small offering (meat works well, though bread will work too, I’m not sure about offertory incense though because I have never tried to use it with this ritual)
  • 6 white Candles (any type will do, i just depends on how long you intend to hold the ritual, I usually use tea candles if I’m not going to take too long, though it can be hard to tell sometimes how long the ritual will last.

The Spell:

This ritual works best at night though can be performed at any time

Form the candles into a circle around the incense burner (or incense) and light the candles and start burning the incense (note: if using stick or cone incense, keep a ready supply within the ritual area and light it with the candles, there can be no new fire added or it can disrupt the ritual)

(optional, but recommended) Cast a circle

Hold up your staff and visualize a light at its end as you say in a firm tone

“Ancestors of Blood and Spirit, come to this light. Come to guide and aid me in this time and place, for I seek you wisdom and knowledge, please lend me your aid and grant me an audience oh wise ones”

You should start to feel their presence in short order, though you can never tell how many or which of your ancestors will come, some may not even be related to you by blood and some may only have spiritual ties (I have had a few animals and one Amakua [guardian spirit/deity] show up, this is why I recommend some experience with spirits

Hold the ritual for as long as you need

When closing the ritual don’t forget to burn the offering and be careful to thank all that came and bid that they fare well until next time (this can be anyway you like as long as it is personnel and done with the appropriate respect)

Extinguish the candles one by one and envision that the spirits are leaving with the candle smoke

Open the circle once the last spirit has left.

Good Monday Afternoon, dear ones!

I hope you are having a terrific day. Mine, HA! The contractors that are putting in the fiber optic lines are BACK! And that means my cable, phone, lights and everything has been down for three hours. I have to go to the doctor later on this afternoon for my blood pressure. So I am going calm down, breath, calm down, breath! Hell it will be 200/180 the rate I am going. But I am trying to relax. I calmed down and answered all of the comments that were waiting for me. Which I found very relaxing, thank you for writing it helped me.

I did run across one comment that hit me like a ton of brick. I feel like the subject needs to be addressed. The comment was in regards to an article that was put on the blog about the Wiccan Rede. The author of the comment was giving the article hell because he/she interrupted it as throwing the Rede out the window and doing what you wanted to. I went and read the article myself. I caught it right off the bat, the article was written by a Witch not a Wiccan. I have said this time and time again but…….A True Witch does not recognize the Rede. The Witch answers to know one but herself. She does as she likes and she suffers the results of her actions. It is in a Witch’s heart to know right from wrong.  Some do, some don’t. Let me rephrase that, they do but they do what they please. A Witch is a free spirit, very free. That article was written by a Witch, I hope that does comfort the reader’s mind.

Now, one more thing while I am chatting. I would like to talk about White Magick and Black Magick. You know there is no color in magick. I know this and you know this, but some of the people that aren’t witches that visit the blog, don’t. I do hope they read this today. There is no Black or White Magick! Magick exists! We have the ability to use it and we do. It is our intent when we conjure up a spell or ritual that determines the color of magick. Let’s me explain it this way, pretend magick is a balloon out floating in the air. Nothing special, just an average balloon. There are thousands of them, they all look alike. I go and pick one of those average balloons out. Now let’s say my intention with the balloon is something nasty. Like I am going to let the air out of it and pop someone in the head with it. Well that balloon just became dark/black because it is going to do my bidding. And my bidding is not good at all. Now let’s say, I go get another balloon and pick it out. This time all I want to do is hold it and watch it float in the air. I have nothing but good intentions with this balloon. So it is a white/good balloon. Do you see what I am saying? I know it is a funny example, balloons and magick.  But basically the principle is the same. We have all these spells and rituals at our disposal. When we pick one up, we know what we intend to do with it before we ever touch it. That spell is just laying there waiting on us to tell it what to do, to do our bidding. We are the ones that make the spells and rituals, black, gray, or white. It is with our will and intention, that we do this.

Well now that I have all that off my chest, I guess I will put a few things on the blog before I go to the doctor. At least blogging is relaxing for me. I have one of the girl’s wanting to put a blood pressure cuff on my arm while I am typing. I am going to get the broom and sweep her out the door if she don’t quit, lol! But I am going to run for now and get something done, who knows what, but something.

I hope you have a great day. Wish me luck at the doctor’s office.

Luv & Hugs,

Lady A

More Monday Comments

Dedication of Altar and Athame

Dedication of Altar and Athame

Durwydd MacTara

Altar

    This Altar in the circle’s center, A focal point that only good may enter
    Erected to God and Goddess in strength, Circular, it has neither breadth nor length
    Focal point in A Circle of Power, A mighty lens for every Tower!
    Sacred to Lord, Maiden, Lady and Crone, The foundation of many a powerful Cone
    Resting Place of Magick and its implements, Let veneration and Love be our only sentiments!
    A tool of will, powerful and free, As it is willed, So Mote it Be!

Athame

    Mighty Deities, Gracious Lady and Mighty Lord, As I perform this ritual, Pray hearken to my wordThis tool, conceived in Mind of Air, (

point east

    ) Forged and formed in Fire of the South, (

point south

    ) Power tool for those who dare, I CLAIM thee with my mouth! (

kiss blade)

    Tempered with Water for Strength, (

point west

    ) Also dedicated to the Earth,in Power. (

point north

    ) Blessed be, entire in length, (

kiss pommel

    ) As it partakes of every Tower!By the Power of Cosmos, As above, (

point up

    ) The Expression of Cosmos, is below. (

point down

    ) Upon this instrument of Will and Love, My Sacred Tie I bestow! (

1 drop of blood on each side and hilt)

    This tool is dedicated to my service of Lady and Lord, Please find this work beneficial and good. Bound to thee by homage, decimation, effort and word, Bound to me by words, will and blood. By the powers of earth, sky, star and sea; Such is my will, So mote it be!

Creating Your Sacred Space

Creating Your Sacred Space

 

Preparing Your Space

Before you begin any ritual or ceremony, you should Clear and Cleanse the area where the work is to be done. This is especially true when you’re first consecrating your sacred space. You should re-cleanse this area each time you begin a ritual or use of this space, but these later efforts will all be affected by how you first set the intent and use of energy in this space for the first time.

 

Selecting A Space

Designate an area in your home or outside where your sacred space will be. This should be a place that is undisturbed by other members of your household. If you don’t have the space in your home to designate a room as your spiritual area, then set aside a corner or portion of a room. You can use curtains, an attractive room divider or just a special arrangement of furniture.

If you decide to create a space outside, the same considerations apply. You want this area to be undisturbed by other people. A place where your ritual objects will be safe if you leave them outside.

Setting Up Your Space

Before any spiritual event can occur, you should create or designate a place that can act as your “Sacred Space”. Your personal area where only spiritual work and interaction will be conducted. Once you have designated an area, inside or outside, you will need to cleanse the area, energize it and create a “gateway” for spiritual communication and work.

 

Decorating Your Space

Decorations add to the “essence” of your spiritual space, but they also server as symbolic reminders and tools for your work. If you have a close affinity to the energy of a particular animal, then add a statue or picture of that animal in your area. If you have a particular connection to a pentacle or medicine wheel, then give that object a prominent location in your space.

Some people like to set all natural materials in their space. A solid wood table and chair(s) with natural fiber coverings and so on. These additional practical items are entirely up to you. But if you feel that natural objects help you connect with the natural forces around you, then add these specific items to your space.

Some things you may want to consider putting in your space are:

Table and at least 1 chair.

A small table for a permanent altar.

Candles of varying color.

Crystals and stones for future rituals.

Incense for cleansing and clearing.

Don’t forget the matches.

Any other Magikal Tools you may wish to use.

Preparing and Casting the Circle

Preparing and Casting the Circle

Though it sounds simple, preparing the circle for a ritual can be a long, laborious process with little thanks given by the people that come to the circle. The witch in charge of setting up the space for a circle must decide what they think is necessary and make adjustments on the fly for missing things. They must listen to the discussion on what will be done at that circle and find what is needed, often digging up scraps from here and there to get everything. The leaders of the circle in particular, will generally bring any special items that will be required, but the things that are more common fall to whomever is doing the ritual preparation.

If a witch works as a solitary, then she is responsible for everything. This, of course, is made simpler by the fact that she disturbs no one if she forgets something and has to go get it. Preparation for circle includes such things as vacuuming the carpet if the floor is carpeted and sweeping it if it is not, setting up the altar and cleaning out any items that were not cleaned out after the last circle, setting up the charcoal for the incense and lighting it just before circle so that it is hot when needed. She needs to check that there is a pitcher of juice or wine available if a feast is being done, that there is good ventilation and sufficient heat in the room, and that everyone is ready to go before the circle starts.

There should be enough time before a ritual starts for people to sit together in silence to attune to one another, allowing the mundane world to slip away and adjust to a sacred way of thinking. Shirking on this is shirking on the preparation of a ritual, as it is very important that a group work together as a coherent whole.

Once the preparations and meditations are done, it is time to cast the circle. This can be done in many different ways. Several are presented below to give the student a choice and different ways to do this. The actual techniques do not matter so much as the intent and desire. It is a way to trigger the mind into working in a different manner than it is accustomed to working. As a student becomes more practiced and able to cast stronger and better circles, they will notice the way their minds shift focus from mundane to the sacred as they create their space. They will also begin to experiment with different ways of casting a circle. When this happens, they have learned a critical step to becoming a witch.

Daily OM for August 28 – A Special Goodnight

A Special Goodnight

Creating a Nightly Ritual

by Madisyn Taylor

Bedtime can be a perfect time for a nighttime ritual of sending love to the world and finding gratitude for your day.

At the end of the day, as the sweet, dark stillness of night beckons us to lay down our bones and rest, we find ourselves at a clear transition point: Behind us lies the previous day and all that has come before; ahead of us, dawn heralds the unfolding of all that is yet to be. While many of us have morning rituals that connect us with our center and help us to set intentions, we may want to explore the magic and power of nighttime ritual as well. It holds for us a beautiful chance for self-appreciation and blessing. Before you go to bed each night, you can send gratitude, compassion, and healing to the being you have been up until this moment. And you can send lightness and love into the future for the one you are in the process of becoming.

Though simple, this action honors the journey you have taken thus far, while opening you to the wonderful possibilities still ahead. When you consciously engage with your own evolution this way, you may find that your sleep gets sweeter, filling your night with a deeper sense of trust and relaxation. As you rest, you can surrender to these peaceful hours, knowing that the road behind you has been seen and acknowledged with respect and kindness, while the path ahead now holds your own benevolence and well wishes.

This bedtime ritual empowers you as the only one who can determine the meaning of your own past and the hopefulness of your future. By setting this special time aside each night, you can begin to orient yourself on your path of growing. It allows you to let the past have its place, to trust that the future is taken care of, and to simply rest yourself in the graceful arms of the present moment.

Elemental Banishing

Elemental Banishing

 

Elemental banishing is a little more complex way to clean an area of the negative influences that reside there. It should only be done within a cast circle. This is an ideal way to prepare a new living space before you move in. It will take away any remnants of the old tenants that were there before you and let you move into a fresh, new space.

Cast a circle as you normally would. Before you call the elements to attend, take your athame to the west side of the circle and face outwards. Draw a banishing pentagram (point downward towards the earth) and then re-center the athame into the middle of it. Push the athame slowly outward while pushing outward with your own energy, ordering, “Go, or be cast into the depths of the flood!”

Move to the south and repeat your actions, saying, “Go, or be cast into the flames!”

Move to the east and pause to gather yourself and close the circle before drawing the final pentagram and saying, “Go, or be rent by the grinding earthquakes!”

Move to the north and repeat your actions, saying, “Go, or be torn apart by the whirlwind!”

Turn back into the center and yell, “I (we) banish you! I banish you! I banish you! BEGONE!” while clapping and clattering and making a great deal of noise.

At this point, you can proceed with the rest of the ritual that has been planned, starting with invoking the elements to bless the circle

Smudging as an Air Ritual

Smudging as an Air Ritual

Smudging is an easy Air ritual designed to purify, provide balance, cleanse, or sanctify a sacred space. You can smudge a room, a piece of furniture, or even yourself.

Let’s say that you “inherit” a bookcase from your new boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend. You need the extra room, but you want to eliminate her essence(but not do her any harm!). A smudging ritual can purify the bookcase and bring some harmony back to your living space.

There are any number of smudging herbs, but some are most traditional than others. These three are most closely related to the Element of Air.

*Sage–There are several different kinds of sage, all types work for smudging, but perhaps the king of sage is white broadleaf sage. It is the most aromatic and is excellent not only for smudging to cleanse and purify, but also for meditation.

*Sweetgrass–As its name suggests, sweetgrass produces a sweet, light fragrance when burned. Believed to attract only positive spirits, it is excellent for cleansing a sacred space.

*Lavender–Most useful for attracting peace, happiness and restful sleep, lavender imparts a lovely aromatic, refreshing scent when burned.

Smudging can be accomplished by using a smudge stick or by burning loose herbs in a smudge pot or a firebowl. First dry the herbs by hanging them upside down in a still room, a pantry, or some other dry room where they won’t be disturbed. They will need to dry for several weeks.

If you want to use a smudge stick, cut your dried herbs into 5- or 6- inch lengths, bundle them together, and bind them tightly with red thread, which represents the Fire Element. Use a candle to light the bundle because you will want to hold it in the flame long enough to get the stick really smoking. The combination of Fire and Air purifies the space or object and disperses negative energy. Use a feather or your hand to fan the smoke into the corners of the room you’re purifying. Smudging is the equivalent of spiritual spring cleaning. You might find that the house feels cleaner and brighter even though you haven’t dusted or vacuumed.

Sweetgrass is often braided into a small rope to be used in smudging. Tie off the ends with red thread. Although you can find sweetgrass growing wild in some prairie places, it’s rare; you might have to grow your own.

ELEMENTALS

ELEMENTALS

The magical elements are said to be peopled by spirits

and mythological entities called elementals or nature spirits.

These are grouped into four main categories —

Gnome (earth) Undine (water) Salamander (fire) Sylph (air)

============= ============== ================= ===========

dwarfs nymphs jin (genies) fairies

elves tritons storm angels

brownies mermaids

hobgoblins mermen

lepricauns sirens

harpies

Elementals are usually only visible to those with

clairvoyant sight and are more likely to be seen at night in

the mountains or country away from cities — especially if you

are tired or sleepy. Although elementals exist naturally, it is

also possible to create one which will exist for a limited time

— no elemental has immortality. A created elemental is called

an ‘artificial elemental’.

To the Ancients, elementals were the physical

explanation of the universe. However, some contemporary

occultists see them only as symbols for forces and otherwise

not ‘real’ at all. Another word sometimes used for elemental is

‘familiar’ (usually in medieval witchcraft); the term is

ambiguous, as it might merely be an ordinary household pet such

as a dog or cat.

ARTIFICIAL ELEMENTALS

ARTIFICIAL ELEMENTALS

An artificial elemental is useful for certain

tasks:

1) invisible watcher and observer, telling you what

it sees;

2) psychic guard;

3) it can be used in healing;

4)it is helpful in other ways.

Ophiel calls the artificial elemental a ‘familiar’. Producing your own artificial elemental is fairly easy. YOU MUST ASSUME THAT THE ACT HAS PRODUCED RESULTS, EVEN IF YOU DO NOT IMMEDIATELY OBSERVE THEM. It is entirely possible to produce one of these little

beasties and not know it (not being clairvoyant enough to

observe it directly). Therefore, and this is a general

principle of any magick, never ignore forces you have set

into motion. Even though you may not see the elemental, you

may nevertheless ‘feel’ it.

 

WARNING — Do not use artificial elementals for any

kind of aversive magick at this point; they can be nasty

little critters to get rid of. Should you have to eliminate

one of them which you created in error, you must re-absorb

it back into yourself through your will; or in some cases

you can ‘exorcise’ it.

Ritual Magick: Finding Your Past Lives Through Candle Magic

Finding Your Past Lives Through Candle Magick

Find a nice, quiet, relaxing place were you can obtain peace, quiet and relaxation.

This ritual requires two people. It is a good idea to make sure the second person is a very patient person.

Use a tall candle, one that is dripless or a wide candle on a saucer-like holder (which I personally like to use because this type illuminates more light.)

An audio/video tape recorder can be used to record messages given.

Sit across from the other person in the lotus position, face to face (if possible). If the lotus position is too difficult, then sit on two chairs facing each other.

One person is to hold the candle to the side and front of their face, you will easily determine the distance once you begin.

You must try to not blink too often and remain as still as you can.

There is a tendency, when the other person tells you what they see, to respond emotionally or physically, talk or laugh.

The person not holding the candle will relax, wait and soon see your facial features start to change.

When they change that person may have a message for you about who they are seeing and anything related to that person, thoughts that enter into their minds.

After a while, you will see the person change again and again depending on how long the person can sit still without much flinching.

It is now your turn to hold the candle and allow the other person to view you.

This is very easy, as everyone changes.

You can also do this by yourself standing in front of a mirror, in a dark room, the candle on the side of your face, and then watch yourself sift. You are returning to the source of creation, the light and seeing other aspects of your soul experience.

Talk to that person in your mind, as they have come to you now, through the spiral of time for a reason. Tell them to clear their issues that you seek soul union and something is blocking you here.

With either of these exercises, if you feel discomfort, stop immediately. Something is resisting either emotionally or physically. You can always try later.

There is no time frame for either of these rituals. It is up to you to end them. You know yourself when you are tired or have exhausted all your souls for the evening it is time to quit.

Moons and Days

MOONS AND DAYS

New Moon–Begin banishing and negative works several hours before the New Moon
and positive works several hours after the new Moon.

Waxing Moon–We call on the Goddess as the Virgin and begin new projects.

Full Moon–We worship the Goddess as mother and perform positive works.

Waning Moon–We call on the Goddess as Crone and work banishing of negative
energies.
Each Full Moon has a different meaning and magical purpose. Because of this, it
is a good idea to plan your Full Moon Rituals to work with the meaning and
purpose of the Moon.

November–Snow Moon: Plan for a ritual to work on ridding yourself of negative
thoughts and vibrations.
December–Oak Moon: Plan for a ritual to help you remain steadfast in your
convictions.
January–Wolf Moon: Plan a ritual of protection around your home and family.
February–Storm Moon: Plan a ritual to ask the Old Ones for help in planning
your future.
March–Chaste Moon: Plan a ritual to plant your desires.
April–Seed Moon: Plan a ritual to physically plant your seeds of desire in
Mother Earth.
May–Hare Moon: Plan a ritual to reaffirm your goals.
June–Dyad Moon: Plan a ritual to balance your spiritual and physical desires.
July–Mead Moon: Plan a ritual to decide what you will do once your goals have
been met.
August–Wort Moon: Plan a ritual to preserve what you already have.
September–Barley Moon: Plan a ritual of Thanksgiving for all the Old Ones have
given you.
October–Blood Moon: Plan another ritual of Thanksgiving. Make sure to have
some red Wine on hand for an offering.

Days

Sunday–Sun: Rituals: money, health, friendship related. Color: yellow.
Element: Fire. Number: 6

Monday–Moon: Rituals: Conceptual, self-inspiration, psychic ability,
inspiration, change.
Element: Water. Color: Silver. Number: 9

Tuesday–Mars: Rituals: Overcoming enmity, developing courage, protecting
property.
Element: Fire. Color: Red. Number: 5

Wednesday–Mercury: Rituals: Career.
Element: Air. Color: Yellow. Number:

Thursday–Jupiter: Rituals: Money, Legal Matters, Religious, Matters.
Element: Water. Color: Blue. Number: 4

Friday–Venus: Rituals: Love, Attraction.
Element: Earth, Water. Color: Green. Number: 7

Saturday–Saturn: Rituals: Disciplining ourselves.
Element: Earth. Color: Black. Number: 3

Moon Phases & Astrology

MOON PHASES & ASTROLOGY

Moon in Aries:
This is the best time to work magick involving leadership, authority, rebirth, spiritual conversation, or wilpower. Healing rituals for ailments of the face, head, or brain are also done during this period of time.

Moon in Taurus:
This is the best time to work magick for love, real estate, material acquisitions and money. Healing rituals for ailments of the throat, neck and ears also done during this time.

Moon in Gemini:
This is the best time to work magick for good communication, change of residence, writing, public relations and travel. healing rituals for ailments of the shoulders and arms, hands, or lungs are also done in this period of time.

Moon in Cancer:
This is the best time to work magick for home and domestic life. healing rituals for ailments of the chest or stomach are also done during this time period of time.

Moon in Leo:
This is the best time to work magick involving autority, pwer over otehrs, courage, fertility, or childbirth. Healing rituals for ailments of the upper back, spine, or heart are also done during this period of time.

Moon in Virgo:
This is the best time to work magick involving employment, intellectual matters, health and dietary concerns. Healing rituals for ailments of the intestines or nervous system are also done during this period of time.

Moon in Libra:
This is the best itme to work magick involving artistic work, justice, court cases, partnerships and unions, mental stimulation and karmic spiritual or emotional balance. Healing rituals for ailments of the lower back or kidneys are also done during this period of time.

Moon in Scorpio:
This is the best time for magick involving sexual matters, power, psychic growth, secrets and fundamental transformations Healing rituals for ailmlents of the reproductive organs are also done in this period of time.

Moon in Sagittarious:
This is the best itme to work on magick for publications, legal matters, travel, and truth. healing ru=ituals for ailments of the liver, thighs or hips are also done at this time.

Moon in Capricorn:
This is the best time to do magick for organization, ambition. recognition, career and political matters. healing rituals for the knees, bones teeth, and skin are also done at this time.

Moon in Aquarious:
This is the best time to work magick involving science, freedom, creative expresion, problem solving, extrasensory abilities, friendship and breaking bad habbits or unhealthy addictions. healing rituals for ailments of the calves ankles or blood are also done in this period of time.

Moon in Pisces:
This is the best time to work magick involving dreamwork, clairwoyance, telepathy, music, and the creative arts. Healing rituals for ailments of the feet or lymph glands are also done at this time.

The Sixth REDE – The Great Rite

THE SIXTH REDE – THE GREAT RITE

Let my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth; for behold, all
acts of love and pleasure are my rituals.

Initiation into the high priesthood in Moondaughter’s tradition always involved
performing the Great Rite in true. The necessity for this sexual act arose
naturally out of Moondaughter’s understanding of the power of love.

The Power of Love

Love, Moondaughter taught, is the power through which the Lord and Lady gave
birth to all things. Love is the source of human life and happiness. The power
of love is greater than that of the natural laws which govern the universe.

Sexual love, for Moondaughter, was the most potent and volatile form of love.
She believed that in sexual love a man and a woman unite not only physically,
but also spiritually and magically. By that magical act the lovers are
transformed, for better, or for worse.

The Misuse of Love

It is not difficult to observe in the physical world that the power to do good
is also the power to do harm; Moondaughter taught that the same was true of the
sacred power of sexual love. While she prized the sexual act as the holiest and
most powerful of rituals, she understood the misuse of that power to be
responsible for many of the dysfunctionalities of human society.
Today, even more than in Moondaughter’s time, we have become aware of the severe
psychological damage which can result from sexual abuse of children and from
rape. Moondaughter believed these were only the most visible ways that human
beings could take harm when the magical and spiritual energies exchanged during
sex were misused for purposes of exploitation and domination.

The Sacred Marriage

Moondaughter considered her coveners to be undertaking a course of both magical
and priestly training, and in that role she made demands of them which many
modern Pagans might find unacceptable. Married coveners were expected to be
strictly monogamous, and single coveners to be chaste. This requirement was not
merely an ethic, but a magical act, part of a spell of self-transformation to
prepare them to receive the third degree initiation.

In Moondaughter’s tradition, the initiation to third degree was identical with
the Sacred Marriage, a vital aspect of the Great Work.

When a couple was ready to receive the third degree, the Great Rite was first
administered in token to the woman by a male elder, and the woman then
immediately administered it — also in token — to her partner. At some later
time, the couple would perform the Rite in true to sexually complete the
initiation begun by the symbolic ritual.

There were rumors that in earlier times the true Rite had followed the pattern
of the token Rite, but this was never the practice in the United States.

Following the third degree initiation, the man and the women were considered to
be magical partners, a priest and priestess whose sexual union was an embodiment
of the Lord and the Lady.

All Acts Are Her Rituals

For Moondaughter, both the sexual ecstasy of the Great Rite and the sexual
abstinence that preceded it were magical acts for the transformation of the self
and the world. More than that, they were acts of worship, rituals of the Lord
and Lady.

Today it is common for the statement that “all acts of love and pleasure are my
rituals” to be regarded as an endorsement of casual sex. Moondaughter would have
seen such an attitude as the equivalent of a devout Catholic offering
consecrated hosts with salsa and dip as a party snack.

Moondaughter taught that every act of love and pleasure was indeed a ritual, and
cautioned her students to approach every such act with the reverence (as well as
the mirth) that such an incredibly sacred ritual deserves.

Magickal Thinking For Everyday Living – Finding Your Personal Goddess

Find Your Personal Goddess

For The Solitary Witch

If you walk your path alone, here is a ritual you can use to try and find the name of your personal Goddess. Of course, it can also be used by Witches who usually practice in a group; just pick a night when you will be by yourself instead of with your coven or circle.  Since you are in search of the Goddess, the best night to do this ritual is on a Full Moon – outside, if you can manage it. But inside works too, if you can’t be out under the moonlight.

You will need:  a quiet, dimly lit space (if you are outside, a bonfire is nice, but completely optional);  rhythmic music (preferably without words)  or a drum; a large white or silver candle to represent the Goddess ( a candle in a woman’s shape is nice, but any good-sized candle will do); a large bowl filled with pure water; a slip of blank paper or parchment; a pen; and a sage smudge stick or any purifying incense.

Prepare you space by setting the bowl on a level surface (the ground, an altar, or a low table).  Place the candle behind the bowl and inscribe it with your name if you wish; if you have a magickal name, use that. If you are using prerecorded music, start it now. Place the slip of paper in front of the bowl along with the pen.

Light the sage or incense and waft it around the space and around yourself to clear and cleanse your energy. Then sit or stand in front of the bowl and light the candle. Breathe slowly and deeply, feeling the light of the Moon coming down from the sky and into your body. If you will be drumming, start now. As you drum or listen to the beat of the music, think about the thythm of your heart. Feel that rhythm expand to fill the area around you, just as it did whe you were in your mother’s womb. Then, you could feel her heartbeat, too. As you listen to the drum beats, hear the beating of the Great Mother’s heart surrounding you.

You may enter into a light trance state, or you may just be relaxed and tuned in to the energy around you; either one is fine. Go with the beat as long as you want, and send out your desire to learn the identity of your personal Goddess. Close your eyes and send that yearning out with all your heart, opening yourself to an answer.

When you are ready, open your eyes and look into the bowl. Can you see her? Do you see the form of a maiden, a mother, or a crone?  Do you see birds or animals or symbols? You may even see her face or hear her name echoing in the music. If you need quiet now, turn off the music. Pick up the pen and paper and write down her name without thinking about it. You might be surprised what will come to you.

If you don’t get a clear answer right away, try putting the blank piece of paper under your pillow that night, with the intention of dreaming of her. In the morning, pull out the paper and write down whichever name pops into your mind first, while you are still half asleep. (Be sure to leave the pen by your bed.)

Don’t be discourage if the ritual doesn’t work. Perhaps the time isn’t right for you to know, or you are torn between two paths and the Goddess is waiting for you to make the choice that will lead to her.

Excerpt from

Llewellyn’s 2012 Magical Almanac,

Practical Magic for Everyday Living

Find Your Personal Goddess

For The Solitary Witch

By Deborah Blake