Tag: Wicca

Coven Yule Ritual (It is rare to read a coven ritual)

A coven ritual is something that you will get to see unless you are a part of that coven. You sure won’t have the opportunity to read or hear about any of their rituals. Before I started writing this, I was thinking about how I use to feel about coven witches. I always thought that were so secretive. Everything was hush, hush. Then it hit me, Solitary witches are the same way. We keep all our spells and rituals secret. We don’t broadcast to the public what we are or what we do. So I guess when you get right down to the nit-gritty, we are all alike, lol! The only difference is a coven witch has kindred spirits and the Solitaries have to wonder through life bumming into their kindreds!

Whatever, we are all Witches and one big family! What’s the important part is that we have found each other. We can fellowship, laugh, cry, share, learn and most of all become friends.

I hope you enjoy reading the ritual.

Coven Yule Ritual
by Julia Phillips

Circle is cast and Quarters erected.

High Priestess:

We now stand at the turning of the year.

Dark Lord:

Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, All fades and passes, day to night.

Dark Lord extinguishes candles leaving only altar candles alight.

High Priestess:

Let us dance for the long year’s end, for the sun sets quickly in the west, and we begin the long night of hope.

Coven do Wheel or Cord dance widdershins about the cauldron  chanting:

Time and Death, Life and Seasons, All must pass, All must change.

Star Child now leaves the circle, and stands behind the veil in the North.

High Priestess stands at the cauldron in the centre, wearing a black veil.

High Priestess:

I am the Hag who engendered you all; I am the Three and the One who is here; I am the log that is ripe for burning; In my end is your hope of beginning.

High Priestess now lifts the cauldron aloft and presents it to each quarter.  She returns to the centre, and lights the cauldron candle, from  which she lights a quarter candle for each member of the coven.  The quarter candles are placed in their respective quarters.

Narrator:

This is the night of the Solstice; the Mother Night.  Now darkness triumphs, and yet gives way and changes to light. Time stops, and all wait while the cauldron  of the Dark King is transformed into the infant Light.  We watch for the dawn when the Mother  again gives birth to the sun, who is the bringer of hope and the  promise of summer. Holly gives way to Oak, the Wren to  the Robin, Old to New.

We stand now in the long night, we pray for the sun’s return. In darkness and shadows the Great Mother  groans. The Mother labours to bring forth the sun from her pain. From her cries of labour comes forth our  cries of welcome; from her toil and anguish our hope is reborn. Let us now call forth the Great Mother, and the Lord of Life, her husband and son.

The Star Child emerges from behind the veil, and lays at the feet of the High Priestess. The High Priestess points to the Star Child and proclaims:

Behold the Child! Here lies our king!

The High Priestess crowns the Star Child with a crown of mistletoe. She  removes her veil and announces:

I am the Mother who brought forth the child; I am the inspiration, and I am the rebirth.

Narrator:

You are the ecstasy of the blessed. You are the light of the sun’s beams. You are the lordly door of welcome. You are the guiding star. Yours is the step of the roe on the hill. Yours is the step of the white-faced mare.          Yours is the grace of the swimming swan. You are the jewel in each mystery.

Coven now do Wheel or Cord dance deosil about the cauldron  chanting:

Power of soil and power of air, Power of fire and power of water, Power that spins the wheel of birth, Spins the wheel of joy and mirth, Spins the wheel of sun and moon, Push, push, push, Open the gate.

Power of spell and magic free, Eternal power that binds the sea, Weaves the web of infinity, Light of dark and light of day, Speed the spokes fast on their way, Push push push – ah ah Open the gate, So Mote It Be!

High Priestess now invokes the Lord of Misrule into the circle. He is  challenged upon entry by the Dark Lord, and must explain who he  is, and why he is there. The Lord of Misrule is now in charge of  the circle, and may behave as he sees fit. At some point, he must  take the burdens of the coven for the previous twelve moons and  pack them in his bag.   Cakes and Wine.

The Lord of Misrule must be ritually hunted as a wren to bring  about his downfall. The coven mime hunting the wren chanting,

Burn the bush, Hunt the wren

When he is discovered, the coven point their athames at his neck  to symbolise his death.

Close ritual.

Yule – Winter Solstice

Yule Comments & Graphics

Yule – Winter Solstice

After Samhain and Beltane, Yule is the most important feast. Elaborate rites are performed to insure the rebirth of the Sun. It is the greatest crisis of the year, and before the commercial value of sentimentality was discovered, popular customs reflected a wide contrast of the dark and eerie against joyful music and glittering lights.

Samhain to Yule is a season of preparation. A fast is not exactly enjoined, but it is as good a time as any to lose a little weight, because you’ll surely gain it back during Yule. It is a time for serious introspection and spiritual discipline. Perform your devotions and meditations regularly. Just before Yule, thoroughly clean your home.

The celebration begins on Yule Eve with religious rites. Yule Day is for family observances of a cheerful, social nature, with a feast, perhaps in the evening, unless there is a ball or theater event. The next day is a peculiar time. It is the day left over in the old Pagan calendar of thirteen 28-day months. It belongs to no month and no year; truly a “time that is not time”. (On a leap year there are two of these intercalary days.) what is done on the third day, then, hasn’t really happened, or doesn’t count. It gives us a perfect opportunity to step outside our usual roles and experiment, even if we look foolish. No one is allowed to hold it against us. No commitments can be made of this day; they will not be binding.

The next day is the New Year from a solar point of view.

The season of Yule runs till the Eve of Oimelc, so for Pagans there is no post- Xmas letdown. You can have Yule parties every weekend till February. When your evergreen decorations dry up, you can renew them. But by Oimelc, every trace of the Yule greens must be out of the house. It is pleasant to burn them in your fireplace.

Images of the Divine Masculine

Images of the Divine Masculine

by K. C. Holt

In these times, the masculine seems in danger of being devalued. Examples of the masculine demonized as the patriarchal oppressor and destroyer of the environment and all that is good in society are all too easy to find. However, the feminist movement that gained momentum in the ’60s held out much hope not only to women, but to a great many men – men who not only agreed with what women were saying but realized that their own liberation from unrealistic and emotionally crippling stereotypes hung in the balance. In the following paragraphs, we will explore views of the masculine that are not new but have been lost to many in the mainstream of society and religious orthodoxy.

Looking at today’s spiritual landscape, it appears the image of the “Divine Masculine” is in a state of flux. The men’s movement has been late to start, galvanized into existence by some very patriarchal behavior within the women’s movement as well as by the need to reclaim what orthodox patriarchal religion has suppressed and persecuted. Patriarchal society has a numbing effect on the souls of men. Men now seek the door to their feeling, spiritual side with a renewed vigor unfettered by past convention, allowing them to love and work in ways that heal their lives.

Rites of passage for men have become little more than preparation for surrender to the hero image. Men find themselves sent forth to compete, to accumulate wealth, power and dominion over their environment. Dominion separates men from nature; they lack the immediate connection to the earth women gain through the cycles of menstruation and birth.

Men, instead, are linked to nature’s cycles through the activities of hunting and gathering or farming and agriculture. But these activities have largely been removed or distorted through the industrialization of society. Industrialization has helped lead to the incorrect and damaging association of nurture with the feminine and domination with the masculine. This pigeonholing of the male psyche by society and modern psychology has produced a shallow conception of the nature of masculinity. Furthermore, such an association ignores aspects of feminine psychology that do not necessarily fit the image of nurturer.

Aaron R. Kipnis, in his provocative book Knights Without Armor: A Practical Guide for Men in Quest of Masculine Soul, aptly states the problem: “Men in our culture today are undergoing a major restructuring of the basic paradigms governing masculine consciousness and behavior. It’s important to understand and uncover those aspects of the inner psychic life of persons that are essentially masculine in nature. We need to develop a working model that meets the needs of modern men on the basis of their own individual, personal experience. In many cases, this is very different from the constructs that have come out of heroic, monotheistic, patriarchal thinking or the revisions of feminist theory…. We need a more expansive psychology, which embraces the possibility of a moist, soulful, dark, authentic, mysterious, lunar, deep and earthy masculinity.”

Where might we look to find this concept of a mysterious, lunar, deep and earthy masculinity? Does it indeed exist, or does it need to be created? The answer is that it has existed for millennia. The evidence of its existence is carefully concealed by the orthodox monotheistic religions and the admittedly unbalanced patriarchal society we find ourselves in.

Wicca emphasizes polarity, worships the Earth God and has kept His memory alive. Most Wiccans see men and women as equal in spirit and intelligence but opposite in physical and emotional orientation. The practice and philosophy of Wicca is built around this polarity. I claim no authority to speak for any one tradition; Wiccans are as diverse as any religious group, ranging from what I like to affectionately call Fundamentalist Wiccans to Eclectic Wiccans. Some might prefer or better fit the title pagan or shaman. The point is that the gods associated with the deep and lunar side of masculinity are the gods of the earth and the sea.

Within the pagan and Wiccan philosophies, these gods find their emphasis, and as to their personal value to men, I speak from my experience as a son, father, grandfather and pagan. Men navigate their worlds through the powers of air (intellect) and fire (action). When they look to the depths of their souls, however, they find the earth and sea powers of love, attraction, affection, beauty, harmony, artistry and peace.

To turn inward to the subconscious, the feminine, in order to transform yourself does not mean to become feminine! The mistaken concept that one must become feminine has led many men astray from the God. A “real” man is one who lets the gods of the Earth teach him to understand his physical potential and limitations. He follows his heart with the warrior spirit to the depths of the sea, where he finds wisdom, sanctuary and the secrets of his strengths and weaknesses. The world problems we can attribute to the negative aspects of a male-dominated society cannot be solved by immersion only in the female aspects of divinity. They must include recovery of the forgotten and positive aspects of the God. The Great and Horned One, oldest of all the gods, sees women as equals and is a just and strong god rather than judgmental and vengeful.

The Horned God predates civilization. His image first appears in a Paleolithic cave in France, the meager beginnings of what we know as recorded history. He is the Wild Man, the Green Man, God of the Forest and Animals and Consort of Nature, the Goddess. The Horned God of Wicca, Cernunnos, is pictured holding a ram-headed serpent in his hands. He wears an open neck-ring or torque, in which we can see the symbol of the moon. He is the guardian of the cauldron, the lover and son of the Goddess who is Her partner in the sacred dance of creation.

With the shift in consciousness that led to patriarchal monotheistic thought, something was lost. The polytheistic pagan and matriarchal society’s concept of the one universal consciousness or deity that is expressed through a multiplicity of forms, both male and female, was forgotten or more likely totally ignored by the patriarchs. Cernunnos was devoted to Nature and the Goddess. He taught his sons to hunt, protect, nourish and cherish His mother, sisters, daughters and mate. The monotheistic patriarchy now vilified him as a devil.

The concept that sexuality leads men to confuse mystical ecstasy with eroticism led to the lie that the Goddess would seduce men to their folly. With the Horned One demonized and the Goddess expelled from the heaven of the patriarchs, Nature was open to plunder and rape. Is it any wonder that we see the anger of the Mother in the eyes of her female worshipers?

While Wicca has kept the memory of the Earth God alive, there are other places we may look to reclaim positive images of the Divine Masculine. In the pantheon of ancient Egypt, we find Nu, goddess of the night sky and stars, arching her naked body over Geb, god of the earth. He is depicted hard with desire, reaching upward for union with the stars. He strives towards Her, knowing that She will come to Him at Her need: a knowledge all men hold in their hearts.

Osiris was Geb’s heir. Sometimes he is depicted colored red for the earth, and more often green for vegetation. The Atef crown he wears sometimes is shown with a pair of horns sprouting from its solar disk.

Pan of the Greeks was linked to Aker of the Egyptians. A horned god who guarded the entrance to the Underworld, Assur was an Assyrian supreme god, who while associated with war was a fertility and moon god also. The moon has not always been the sole domain of feminine deities, nor the sun of male deities, for that matter. Osiris was referred to as Lord of the Moon in numerous instances. In Sumer, in the city of Ur, Nanna was worshipped as the Moon Father. In India, the Moon Father is referred to as Soma. The Babylonians knew him as Sinn.

Celtic mythology is also full of gods associated with the earth and the sea. Dagda brought back the cauldron of abundance and led the Tuatha De Danan underground to the faery mounds. He is associated with sexuality and fertility. Cromm Cruaich is known as the Lord of the Mound and associated with the harvest. Manannan Mac Lir was the Irish god of the sea, who separated the world of the faeries and humans.

The image of solar gods is lofty, dry and remote. The other side of masculinity, which is moist and deep with feeling, is to be found in the gods of the sea. Poseidon or Neptune was god of the sea. Poseidon conspired with Hera and Athena to overthrow the sky god Zeus. Most have seen Neptune as a patriarchal god, but this story shows us how the watery, earthy depths of our masculine feeling side can work to overthrow the Sky Father, high above the earth.

Whereas the sky gods often have hidden if not absent sexuality, the earth and sea gods are sexually well-endowed. Poseidon’s trident symbolizes his phallic nature. The trident is also associated with the wild dancing god Shiva of the Hindus. These are just some of the examples of where one may look to find a soulful, dark, lunar and earthy masculinity.

We are the sum total of all that has come before us: the Mesolithic hunters, gatherers and Neolithic farmers of matrilineal culture (7000-2000 B.C.); the Indo-European warriors emphasizing the male sky gods in the centuries of the Bronze and Iron Age (2000-800 B.C.); the turn of the millennium with the advent of Christian mythology and its concepts of dualistic division between body and soul, world and spirit and Original Sin; and finally the age of scientific rationalism. Rationalism allows for nothing supernatural and reduces the universe to a language of numerical abstraction – mathematics.

No one of these periods surpasses the other. They all possess a unique imprint on the human experience. Any one of them taken alone represents but a fraction of the evolutionary progress of the human soul. The earth gods, born in the distant past, still prove necessary to us; they are the force whereby the land springs forth in an ever-changing cycle. We must identify and nurture the positive aspects of maleness embodied in our God or gods and unite the God to the Goddess.

In a time when the orthodox concept of God has become sterile and sexless, the deities of the earth and sea await all men. They possess the ability to guide men to a fuller meaning of what it is to be sons, fathers and grandfathers. They offer a positive alternative of what it means to be male in a world that has lost sight of the good nature of Man. As men, we have the task to reclaim the divine masculine and unite with our sisters in perfect trust and perfect love.

A Little Humor – Signs That You Need More Room For Ritual

Signs That You Need More Room For Ritual

  1. Your goals for ritual include finishing without knocking over the fire element.
  2. You need to time your rituals to last no more than 1 hour, in order to not be suffocated by the one incense stick in the east.
  3. Your familiar entering the circle pushes you out of it.
  4. And your familiar is a dragon fly.
  5. Your cauldron is a coffee cup and your altar is a dinner plate.
  6. You must dance while sitting, so you don’t trip over Freya.
  7. You think your carpet has turned white, but then you realize it’s the salt you used to mark the circle.
  8. The last time you invoked the Horned One, you had to patch the ceiling.
  9. The water element sunlight’s a fishbowl, a drinking glass, and a sink,              simultaneously.
  10. Your coven is only three people, and you still have to leave your shoes in the hallway to make room.
  11. You have to offer money to the Gods, because a steak or loaf of bread would take up too much space in the circle.
  12. You have to fold the bed against the wall to fit the air element in.
  13. Your rituals are all skyclad, after that nasty incident of an overanxious candle torching all the coven’s robes at once last Lammas.
  14. You’re a Taurus, and you still think this situation must change.
  15. You’re a Scorpio, but you’re developing a fear of candle fire.
  16. You’re a Gemini, but you have no indecision about the need for more room.
  17. You’re a Leo, and you’re growing shy because it’s your bedroom we’ve been practicing in.
  18. You’re an Aries, but you’re now adept at dancing around numerous candles on the floor without burning yourself, for reasons of survival.
  19. You’re a Cancer, but you don’t need to ask your mother if this is enough space. You know it’s not.
  20. You’re a Virgo, and you can’t manage to engineer the space in order to fit everyone.
  21. You’re a Libra, and you’re firmly with Gemini on this one.
  22. You’re a Sagittarius, but the remains of the sea glass from the West at last Esbat which will still not leave your feet are starting to depress you.
  23. You’re a Capricorn and you are starting to dream of grand forests with acres of space, and a mansion to practice in on rainy days.
  24. You’re an Aquarius and the burning hair problem is starting to make you              emotional.
  25. You’re a Pisces but you know that something’s wrong.
  26. You’re a Discordian, but when asked if the problem needs to be fixed, you reply, “Yes, immediately! How about my place?”
  27. You’re a New Ager, but not even you believe another crystal will help.
  28. You’re an Old Wiccan, but have started using the chalice and wand for the Great Rite anyway.
  29. You’re a Neo Wiccan, but you’ve had to remove some of the rainbows and “Goddess loves us!” banners in order to make room for your name.
  30. You’re Asatru, but you’re starting to consider putting some of your battle axes into storage.
  31. Last time to walked to the West you flooded the place.
  32. Casting a circle involves moving things out of the way.
  33. Jumping over your bed is part of the spiral dance.
  34. If the whole coven ever drew their athames to call the quarters, you would wind up with CSI: Between The Worlds.
  35. You are openly Pagan but still can say you’re in the closet.

 

Turok’s Cabana

Dancing in a Wiccan Wonderland!

Yule Comments & Graphics

Dancing in a Wiccan Wonderland!

by Alexander and Aarcher

Pagans sing, are you listenin’
Alters set, candles glisten,
Its a magical night, we’re having tonight
Dancing in a Wiccan Wonderland

Blades held high, censor smoking,
God and Goddess, we’re invoking,
Through Elements Five, we celebrate life,
Dancing in a Wiccan Wonderland,

Queen of Heaven, is in her place,
Triple Goddess, now the Crone face
Above and below, She’s the Goddess we know,
Dancing in a Wiccan wonderland.

Now the God, is the provider
Supplying game for our fire,
Above and below, He’s the Horned one we know,
Dancing in a Wiccan Wonderland

In a circle we can burn a Yule fire,
And await the rising of the Sun, It’s the great wheel turning for the new year,
Loaded with abundance and great fun

Later on, by the fire,
Cone of Power, gettin’ higher
Its a Magickal Night, we’re having tonight,
Dancing in a Wiccan Wonderland!

~Magickal Graphics~

Elemental Magick

Elemental Magick

Elementals are the forces behind each act of creation and destruction. They conduct the life force through nature. Each of the four elements (Earth, Air, Fire and Water) is manifest through the essences of the individual elements. They translate the blueprints of the nature devas into the actual flowers, trees or crystals. Elementals give the seeds the power to grow and the energy to flourish as mature trees. They continue to energize the cycle of growth, maturity and decay through the scattering of new seeds until the eventual bark decays, the tree dies and is replaced; in the case of a Yew tree this can take up to two thousand years.

Elementals don’t exist permanently as separate entities from their elements. Nor do they have distinct species or personal characteristics in the same way as for example a gnome, the archetypal earth nature spirit, does. However, they can appear as wavy, flickering, flame-like figures, as swirling shimmers of water rising from a waterfall, as darting flashes of light in the air or as a wispy mist rising over the land. People fleeing from forest fires have described how animated flames seem to curl like huge fingers to snatch at them.

When an elemental has finished its task, which could last from a few minutes to a thousand years or more, they return to their own element in  undifferentiated form. They can change size and appearance while they are animated, but remain as part of the same element. What is more they cannot after the first creation brought the elements into being, be created or destroyed.

The elemental beings are, therefore, the bridge of power between the material and spiritual plane.

Today’s Magick: A Simple, But Effective, Ritual for Easing Pain

Book & Candle Comments

 A Simple Magical Ritual To Ease Your Pain

This ritual may help ease your pain. Take a walk. As you walk, look for an ordinary stone that appeals to you. Place this stone on your altar. As you meditate about your day, hold this stone. Visualize all your pain entering the stone.

When the day comes that you feel your life is returning to normal, you may get rid of your stone. To do this, go out to a favorite spot, perhaps where you found your stone. Thank the stone, leave it. Keep walking and don’t look back.

Excerpt from:

The Sun Also Rises:
Dealing with Grief
James Kambos

~Magickal Graphics~

Ancestors Welcome Our Young Ones With Open Arms

Sympathy Comments

Prayer for the Deceased

Go your way to the land of the Ancestors,
where they wait for you with open arms,
there on the edge between this world and the next.
See; there they stand.
Ancestral spirits, welcome this one
to the place where we all must go.

Source: “A Book of Pagan Prayer” © 2002 Ceisiwr Serith.

~Magickal Graphics~

Ah, It Is A Glorious Morning On This Thursday! Blessings To All, Dear Friends!


Yes, yes, yes, I am in a fabulous mood this morning. Guess why? I actually got to sleep in a bed last night, lol! The simple things we take for granted until we are forced to sleep on top of a desk. Well not all of us would be that silly now would we? The first night we tried sleeping on the floor, good grief, I didn’t think we would ever get to sleep. Every time we would get laid down, one of the babies would dart out. Then when we went to chase that one, the others would run like wild critters, lol! We were up all night. The next night, we got the bright idea to go in the office. At least there if they got loose there wasn’t that much room for them to run around. Then when we put the sleeping bags on the desk, we thought what if one falls off. So we ended up practically duck taping the top of the sleeping bags shut. Someone needed a camera during all of this! But once they all got in the bags and got warm, they went to sleep. Rested assured they weren’t going anywhere, we could then go to sleep. All in all it was adventure, I wouldn’t soon forget. I did learn one thing, the coyotes and wild dogs that use to come and terrorize the refuge. They sort of don’t do that anymore. When they get too close the cougar lets out one of her huge growls and off they run. Perhaps I need to tape record that and just play it continuously all night long, lol!

Since I didn’t smell like a skunk today, they actually let me stay in the office. So I quickly checked the email. By the way, Bobbi and Peter, I will email you later on today, my dear friends. Then I have read some of the comments in the back also. One subject that keeps coming up is Practitioner that charge for their services. One lady in the comments, I felt totally sorry for her. I don’t remember the particulars of her problem but she needed a witch. She found this one so called “Witch” and told her the situation. Well that “Witch” had the perfect spell for her. This “Witch” would cast this spell for her for just $700.00. I believe I remember the lady’s problem, she was having money problems. Now if you are having money problems, how on this Earth are you going to come up with $700.00. The lady said she got upset because of the cost. She did a search for witchcraft groups, I guess. She found us. She searched through our spells and lo’ and behold there was the same spell that the “Witch” was trying to sell her for $700.00. She said that our spell was easily understandable and more in-depth than the costly one. So the lady decided to cast the spell for herself.

The above story is becoming all to familiar especially with the economy in the shape it’s in. There has been along standing debate in The Craft community in regards to Practitioners selling their skills. Some say it is perfectly fine, others like myself say no it isn’t. I know with this next statement, I might make some of you mad but it is what I have always said. To my students and anyone seeking my advice, I say, “If you run into a Practitioner that wants to charge you for her/his services, RUN!” Stay away from them. I am a Practitioner of the Ancients and this is the way I believe. We have to go back to the beginning and see what is said about our talents. Our talents are given to us to use for the benefit of mankind. The Ordains (you can do a search for them here, they are listed) even states, “You are to never charge for your services. If you can help, it is your duty to help.” I don’t know what to think about people that charge for the Goddess’ given talents. Are they not familiar with the Ways of Our Ancestors? Have they not read our Laws and The Ordains? Are they Witches at all? Perhaps they have just run across sites like this and say a way to make a quick buck?

I know there are individuals that are in desperate shape. They are looking for help in any form they can get it. But Magick is not a quick fix for anything. You can read the spells here, you can use the spells here. But there is much more to Magick than just doing spells. I should add before I go any further, spells don’t always work even for us seasoned Practitioners. Magick is a Religion like no other. You have to come to know the Goddess, Her Beauty and Her Love. You have to learn what our Religion is truly about. Witchcraft has been stereotyped for so many years. We have a black mark on our name. But we are gradually changing that. We want people to come to our Religion, commit to it and become fine Practitioners. You see you have the magick within yourself. Learn to harness it and control it. Magick is driven by your intent. Your intent is your passion about your problem, situation or whatever is bothering you. Stop to think about it. You tell me about your problem. I agree to do a spell for you. Do you think I will have as much passion about your problem as you would? NO! You are the one that has that red-hot, passion about your problem. You put that passion (intent) into your spell, all of it. You see most people don’t know that. There is a lot most people don’t know about our Religion, Witchcraft.

In closing, if you are in need of assistance and hunting for a Practitioner. Don’t waste your time, please. Instead come and learn about Witchcraft. When you are through you will not only be able to solve this problem, but all that follow. To be called a Witch is a honor and a blessing. Our gifts and talents are given to us from our Great Lady. We are not to use them for personal gain. We are to take our talents and use them to benefit mankind. Learn the truth about Witchcraft, learn our beliefs and ways of living. When it is all said and done you will be so glad you did.

May the Goddess Bless Each of Her Children,,

Love,

Lady A

More Winter Comments

Magickal Hours of the Day

Magickal Hours of the Day

 

As analogy of how the hours of the day influence magick can be drawn to a day in the life of a flower.With the first rays of sunshine, the flower begins to open. The, it fully opens, and stays open until closing again at dusk. The flower quietly sleeps, yet it still continue to grow and develop all through the night, until the dawn comes once again.

Magickal timing by the hour of the day follows the flower pattern. Although some of us are morning people, while others are night owls, you will discover that there are certain times during the day and night that you do your most successful magick. Pay attention to you own natural rhythms, and honor them, choosing the times when you have the most energy for magick making. The following is correspondences for the daily timing of potions and spells.

Dawn

A time of renewal, rebirth, new ideas dawning, new beginnings, and consecration. Over the centuries, people have collected the dew on the grass and plants at dawn to use as a magick love potion.

Morning

This is a good time for setting patterns in play for preparing potions, and casting spells for attaining goals. The day’s light is growing strong and your magick grows accordingly. Mid-morning is a good time to harvest flowers.

Noon

The solar energy is most powerful at high noon, and there is a tremendous amount of energy for magick making. Noon is also a good time to gather flowers for magickal uses.

Afternoon

This is a time of harvesting magickal goals. The heat of the afternoon sun is a good time for harvesting herbs for potions.

Dusk

A powerful junction point between solar and lunar energies, dusk is the time when the portals to all worlds are thrown open and you can freely enter them. This is a very potent time for any magick making because the portals are open and communication with Divine energies is particularly strong.

Dark of Night

The lunar and stellar energies are strongest at night. Throughout history, witches have always cast their spells under the cloak of night. This is also a good time to map out magickal potions and spells.

Midnight

Traditionally called “the witching hour,” midnight is a good time to let go of old habits or negative relationships and banish negativity from your life. This is also the time for updating your life patterns and practicing dream magick.

The Hour Before Dawn

This is the time of the Otherworld of fairies and when many predators hunt. It is a good time to stay indoors.

 

How Powerful Is Your Mind, Really

Witchy Comments

How Powerful Is Your Mind, Really

Our minds are extremely powerful, we sometimes forget how important that is for our magick to work. Without the proper will of mind, or faith – no matter how many herbs or spells, stones, rituals or prayers you use – your ability to raise magickal energy will be limited. We need good solid faith to manifest healthy balance, gain and success in all things in our lives. Our faith comes from ‘knowing’ as opposed to wishing or hoping. We must know that we are directing energy into the Universe and know that it will create change. Without this, a spell is just words.

~Magickal Graphics~

About.com: 12 Days of Yule Devotionals (Day 6)

About.com
Day 6: A Sunset Prayer for Yule                              
Patti Wigington
FromPatti Wigington, your Guide to Paganism /Wicca                                                                           
As the sun descends into the horizon on the longest night of the year, take a moment to ponder what you will see when you wake the next day.
 

A Sunset Prayer for Yule                            

Set aside some time to meditate upon the meaning of this time of year, and what it signifies for you and your life.


The longest night has come once more,

the sun has set, and darkness fallen.

The trees are bare, the earth asleep,

and the skies are cold and black.

Yet tonight we rejoice, in this longest night,

embracing the darkness that enfolds us.

We welcome the night and all that it holds,

as the light of the stars shines down.          

                   

 

Additional Reading                            

Make those long winter nights a little more refreshing with some freshly blended incense. Put together a batch of Winter Nights Yule Incense, and burn it during rituals, or just to make your home smell comforting in the cold of winter.
Tomorrow: A Nordic Yule Blessing                            

                                        This email is written by:                                                                      Patti Wigington                                                          Paganism / Wicca Guide                                        

About.com: 12 Days of Yule Devotionals (Day 7)

About.com
Day 7: A Nordic Yule Blessing                              
Patti Wigington
From Patti Wigington, your Guide to Paganism /Wicca     
                                                                       
The Norsemen of old had a custom that if two people who were enemies met under a bough of mistletoe, they must lay down their arms. This time of year, set aside old conflicts. Take a moment to meditate upon the relationships you have, and try to find ways to get along with people who normally antagonize and anger you.
 

A Nordic Yule Blessing                            

Yule is a time to set aside animosity between yourself and people who would normally antagonize you. Set aside your differences, and think about finding peace in the spirit of the season.


Beneath the tree of light and life,

a blessing at this season of Jul!

To all that sit at my hearth,

today we are brothers,

we are family,

and I drink to your health!

Today is a day to offer hospitality

to all that cross my threshold

in the name of the season.

Additional Reading                            

For many Pagans and Wiccans, the holiday season becomes a time of conflict with their non-Pagan family. They may not understand what it is you celebrate, or there may be old wounds that surface each year when family gets together that have nothing to do with your beliefs. Regardless, read on for tips on how to Survive the Holidays With Your NonPagan Family.
Tomorrow: Snow Prayer                            

                                        This email is written by:                                                                      Patti Wigington                                                          Paganism / Wicca Guide                                        

About.com: 12 Days of Yule Devotionals (Day 8)

About.com

 

Day 8: Snow Prayer for Yule                              
Patti Wigington
From Patti Wigington, your Guide to Paganism /Wicca                                                                           
There’s a lot to be said for the beauty of snow. Welcome the white stuff with a prayer reminding us of why we love it.
 

Snow Prayer                            

Depending on where you live, you may be seeing snowfall long before Yule arrives. Take a moment to appreciate its beauty, both as it falls and once it covers the ground.


From the reaches of the north,

a place of cold blue beauty,

comes to us the first winter storm.

Wind whipping, flakes flying,

the snow has fallen upon the earth,

keeping us close, keeping us together,

wrapped up as everything sleeps

beneath a blanket of white.

Additional Reading                            

You may at some point in the Yule season find yourself stuck inside — after all, if too much of the white stuff comes down, it’s hard to get anywhere! Stock up on reading material, and turn being snowbound into a family treat with Ten Great Books for Yule.
Tomorrow: A Prayer to the Old Gods                            

                                        This email is written by:                                                                      Patti Wigington                                                          Paganism / Wicca Guide                                        

About.com:12 Days of Yule Devotionals (Day 7)

About.com
Day 7: A Nordic Yule Blessing                              
Patti Wigington
From Patti Wigington, your Guide to Paganism /Wicca                                                                           
The Norsemen of old had a custom that if two people who were enemies met under a bough of mistletoe, they must lay down their arms. This time of year, set aside old conflicts. Take a moment to meditate upon the relationships you have, and try to find ways to get along with people who normally antagonize and anger you.
A Nordic Yule Blessing                            

Yule is a time to set aside animosity between yourself and people who would normally antagonize you. Set aside your differences, and think about finding peace in the spirit of the season.


Beneath the tree of light and life,

a blessing at this season of Jul!

To all that sit at my hearth,

today we are brothers, we are family,

and I drink to your health!

Today is a day to offer hospitality to all

that cross my threshold in the name of the season.

Additional Reading                            

For many Pagans and Wiccans, the holiday season becomes a time of conflict with their non-Pagan family. They may not understand what it is you celebrate, or there may be old wounds that surface each year when family gets together that have nothing to do with your beliefs. Regardless, read on for tips on how to Survive the Holidays With Your NonPagan Family.
Tomorrow: Snow Prayer                            

                                        This email is written by:                                                                      Patti Wigington                                                          Paganism / Wicca Guide                                        

The Gems of Yule, Ruby

Ruby

Because of its red color, ruby is the stone of love and passion. This stone is connected to  the heart and can help open the heart to the love of another or to aid the wearer in feeling compassion for others. A stone of fear, it can be worn to bring bravery to the wearer.

 

More Christmas Tree Comments

The Gems of Yule, Garnet

 

Garnet

For its color, garnet is known as the stone of passion. Use garnet for  spells of love, sex or passion. It is also good for attracting money toward you. Wear on your receiving hand for wealth. Garnet brings prosperity, courage, abundance, fertility, love, health, fidelity, and happiness. This stone will help the wearer to control anger. Garnet has long been known as the favorite stone of the dragons. Use when invoking dragons or performing dragon magick. Garnet allows the user to tune into       high levels of power, so take heed when using this stone. Fire.

The Gems of Yule, Jet

Jet

Jet is the stone of self-control. Wear jet to regain control over your life, thoughts, and feelings. This is good for women who are experiencing monthly hormone changes and mood swings. This stone will also help with negative feelings such as anger or depression.

 

More Christmas Tree Comments

The Gems of Yule, Citrine

 

Citrine

Citrine, like bloodstone, is a powerful, uplifting healing stone. This stone helps with health in general, bringing the chakras into alignment. Specifically, it heals the muscles, heart, stomach and kidneys and will prevent blood problems. I have heard that this stone can heal gangrene as well. Besides health, this stone brings upliftment for the soul and battles depression, sorrow, grief, weakness, obesity, and guilt. Citrine will also purify any area in which it is placed. Keep a nice piece wherever you perform your rituals. Laying a strand of citrine along the spine or around the neck will help bring the chakras and the body back into balance.

 

More Christmas Tree Comments

About.com: 12 Days of Yule Devotionals (Day 6)

About.com

 

Day 6: A Sunset Prayer for Yule                              
Patti Wigington
From Patti Wigington, your Guide to Paganism /Wicca                                                                           
As the sun descends into the horizon on the longest night of the year, take a moment to ponder what you will see when you wake the next day. 
 

A Sunset Prayer for Yule                            

Set aside some time to meditate upon the meaning of this time of year, and what it signifies for you and your life.


The longest night has come once more,

the sun has set, and darkness fallen.

The trees are bare, the earth asleep,

and the skies are cold and black.

Yet tonight we rejoice, in this longest night,

embracing the darkness that enfolds us.

We welcome the night and all that it holds,

as the light of the stars shines down.     

                        

 

Additional Reading                            

Make those long winter nights a little more refreshing with some freshly blended incense. Put together a batch of Winter Nights Yule Incense, and burn it during rituals, or just to make your home smell comforting in the cold of winter.
 

Tomorrow: A Nordic Yule Blessing                             
This email is written by:                                                                      Patti Wigington                             

Paganism /Wicca Guide