The Wicca Book of Days for Saturday, October 3rd – Wine for Well-being

Wine for Well-being

Although its details have been obscured by the passing of time, it is likely that a festival name the Meditrinalia was celebrated in Rome on this day. Essentially a wine festival, when all vintages were enjoyed, the Meditrinalia was dedicated to meditrina, a Roman goddess of healing who was said to use wine, herbs and magick as curatives. As they imbibed people recited the following words: novum vetus vinum bibo, novo veteri, morbo medeor (Latin for “new and old wine I drink, of disease new and old I’m cured”).

The Empress

Today, editate on the major arcana Tarot card of the Empress (number III). A crowned and enthroned woman is pictured holding a scepter in her right hand, often surrounded by fertility symbols. She signifies the pinnacle of feminine achievement on Earth, and may also represent female fecundity.

The Wicca Book of Days
Selena Eilidh Ash

Calendar of the Sun for February 27th

Calendar of the Sun

27 Solmonath

Day of the Elders

Colors: Grey, silver, and purple
Element: Earth
Altar: On cloth of purple, grey, and silver place three lit grey candles scented with cypress, a branch of yew, a silver chalice of fruit juice, and a silver tray of frosted white cakes.
Offerings: Food or other aid given to organizations that give aid to elders. Offer to spend time helping or keeping companionship with an elder.
Daily Meal: Allow the three eldest members of the community to choose the meal.

Invocation to the Elder Spirit

Hail, Old One,
Crone and Wise Man,
Silver of hair
And adamant of spirit,
Aged like fine wine
Through years of experience;
You who watch the young ones grow
And remember their path
And tell them the pitfalls ahead,
You who have made a friend
Of changing Time,
You whom Saturn has blessed
With a double circle,
You who keep the mysteries
And the secret knowledge,
You who mentor and teach,
Show us how to walk gracefully
Into the sunset of life.

(The chant for this day should be a wordless harmony. First the cakes are passed around, served in order of age, eldest first; then the juice is likewise shared. Then each member of the community, starting with the youngest, goes before each member who is past their second Saturn return, or if there are none the eldest among them, kneels, and asks for their blessing. After the next eldest has asked for the blessing of the eldest, the ritual is ended.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Calendar of the Moon for February 13th

Calendar of the Moon

13 Nion/Anthesterion

Anthesteria Day 3: Khutroi

Color: Purple
Element: Earth
Altar: Upon a purple cloth set a great jug of water, the ship of Dionysos, a wreath of grapevines, nine purple candles, and a cauldron in which are many beans.
Offerings: Food. Feed people in the community.
Daily Meal: Beans and lentils and rice. Grains cooked with honey. Only water to drink today. A great meal should be prepared, and many people from outside the community should be invited, especially those who are in need. If there is not room, the meal may be cooked and taken to the appropriate shelter or soup kitchen.

Khutroi Invocation

After the joy of the vine,
We come to water and work.
Water of the flood, which washed away
Our ancestors, may you give us
Only aid, and may we not see
Your terrible aspect, drowning the millions.
Work of the world, the greatest of which
Is the giving of sustenance to those who have none.
As we come to a better understanding
Of what it is to be past childhood,
After the day of joy and mirth
We come to the threshold
Of work and toil for the good of others.
For this is truly the mark
That we have passed youth and innocence:
When we realize the Fate does not
Take care of everyone, including we ourselves,
And that we must stand in for Fate
And alter the order of the world,
Giving of ourselves that others may survive,
And thus become Fate.
On this the Day of Pots
We open our cooking fires
To the rest of the world.

(All depart and proceed to the kitchen, where the meal is prepared in silence, with all meditating upon the effort that it will take to feed all that they can, and what that means to one’s understanding of oneself as a mature being connected to the web of life.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Calendar of the Moon for February 12th

Calendar of the Moon

12 Nion/Anthesterion

Anthesteria Day 2: Khoes

Color: Purple
Element: Earth
Altar: On a purple cloth set a pitcher of wine, the ship of Dionysos, some children’s toys, six purple candles, and a wreath of grapevines and flowers.
Offerings: Ritual sex. Giving up of things left over from childhood. Wine libations.
Daily Meal: Goat or lamb. Lentils. Greek food. Wine.

Khoes Invocation

On this day comes the child to his adulthood.
On this day comes the child to her readiness.
On this day he tastes the sweetness of maturity.
On this day she tastes the joy of ripening.
On this day we honor that which has come to fruition
And that which can no longer be protected.
We give up our self-enclosed innocence
For the promise of the deeper experience.
Come forth and join the rite of passage
That you may give up that which was before
And come to that which will be.
Io Dionysos!
Fair-Flowering, Reveller, Stormer,
Twice-Born, Lord of the Dance,
We who kneel before you pray
That you will be gentle with our
Little madnesses, and if you must
Drag us by the hair
To some new understanding,
Let it be done soon, and quickly,
For we would rather leap to doom
Than delay on the edge of the cliff.

(Let all make a circle, and let cups of wine be passed around to everyone. Let two who have been chosen from inside or outside the community come forth and lay in the center of the circle, and perform the hieros gamos, whilst the others turn their backs and chant wordlessly. Afterwards, let the wine be poured out in a libation, with the last two cups used to anoint the couple, and have them drink in a toast. Later that night, sex is appropriate between those whose vows do not exclude it, but those who would lie together must meditate on the responsibility inherent in being a sexually active adult, and how it brought them out of childhood and into adulthood.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Calendar of the Moon for February 11th

Calendar of the Moon

11 Nion/Anthesterion

Anthesteria Day 1: Pithogia

Color: Purple
Element: Earth
Altar: On a purple cloth set a bottle of wine that has not yet been opened (preferably last year’s homemade), a chalice of water, many cups, a wreath of pruned grapevines, and three purple candles. All should enter the sanctuary bearing the model of a Greek ship with purple sails, entwined with grapevines, which should be carried with all ceremony to the altar and set thereon.
Offerings: Libations of wine to Dionysos. Opening yourself to experiencing Him.
Daily Meal: Goat or lamb. Lentils. Greek food. Wine.

Pithogia Invocation:

Behold the ship of Dionysos!
He sails into each safe harbor
Like a wind of change that cannot be denied.
Be warned, you who have become
Too comfortable, for he will cast up
Your safe life and show you
All the thorns you have pretended not to see.
Honor the god of the Lesser Madness
Lest the Greater Madness swallow you whole!
Taste his gift and wonder, that raw juice
Left to age can slowly ferment
And turn into that which gives delight
And terror both.
Tremble, for he is coming for you!
Whether you drink his gift
Or give it back to him,
It matters not; your days of
Blind unquestioning comfort
Are numbered none, and end today.

(Each comes forward and selects a cup, into which is poured equal parts water and wine. Each may taste of the wine, if they wish, and then pour out the rest as a libation, or they may pour it out entirely. As the pour the libation, each says, “Io Dionysos!” The ship remains in the sanctuary for three days, until Anthesteria is over.)

Chant:
Flower of the vine
King of the wine
Dancer in the soul
We gladly pay your toll

Calendar of the Moon
11 Nion/Anthesterion

Anthesteria Day 1: Pithogia

Pithogia Invocation:

Chant:
Flower of the vine
King of the wine
Dancer in the soul
We gladly pay your toll

[Pagan Book of Hours]

In The Honor Of Hecate – Hecate Blessing Rite

Hecate Blessing Rite

Items You Will Need:

An altar or small table covered with a black cloth

One black candle

A glass or chalice filled with red wine

Patchouli incense

A plate filled with bread

Goat cheese

Smoked fish

The Wheel of Hecate symbol (pictured) inscribed with silver ink on black card stock (the wheel should be the size of a dessert or small dinner plate.)

To begin the rite, light the black candle as you say:

Mistress of Magick,

Great Hecate,

Let your Light

Now lead the way.

Set the plate of food on top of the Wheel of Hecate. Hold your hands over the food and ask Hecate to bless it as follows:

I summon thee by Witches Rune,

Waxing light and Waning Moon.

With the turning of the tide,

All that’s past be laid aside.

Threefold Goddess of the night,

Bless me from the shadows light.

Banish now all trouble and fear,

Bring me happiness for all the year.

You will now want to bless the wine by holding your hands over the chalice or glass of wine as you say:

Let now the knowledge of the light,

Bring me wisdom and inner sight.

For all that was, has now passed away,

That new beginnings shall come my way.

In honor of Hecate, eat a portion of food and drink some of the wine. Take a few moments to reflect on the rite, and then extinguish the black candle as you say:

O glorious Hecate your are my power

Bless me my Lady from this hour.

To ensure that Hecate will bless you in the coming year, you must now take the remaining food and wine to the nearest crossroads and leave it. Place the food in the center of the crossroads and pour the wine over it. As you do this, ask Hecate to bless you. When you return home, clear the altar, and hang the Wheel of Hecate over your altar or bed.

Calendar of the Moon for January 10th

Calendar of the Moon

14 Luis/Gamelion

Lenaia Day III

Colors: Purple and green
Element: Water
Altar: A large post is set up behind the altar, draped in robes of purple and green, with a mask of Dionysus upon it, and arms raised upwards made of grapevine and fruit tree branches. The altar is draped in purple and green, and upon it set two purple candles, a wreath of grapevines, two jugs of wine (one white and one red), and a chalice.
Offerings: Dancing. Drumming. Music. Transforming dreams into reality.
Daily Meal: Wine. Goat or lamb. Lentils. Grape leaves. Greek food if possible.

Lenaia Invocation I

Hail, son of Semele! Iakkhos, Giver of Wealth!
Not only wealth of body and thought,
But wealth of spirit as well,
Numinous in sacrifice,
One whose mysteries
Cannot fully be spoken,
One who we can only truly know
Through the way of unknowing,
We ask for fertility of soul
Not merely for us, but for
The whole world of humanity.
We dance for the soul’s creation
And re-creation, again and again,
You who understand the cycle
And know that all endings
Are simply beginnings.
From our souls down through our bodies,
From our bodies into your Soul,
From your Soul into the Earth,
We give you our open eyes
That you may fill them with vision.

(Instead of a particular chant, a drum circle is formed and all dance for at least an hour. Any appropriate chant may be used. After the drum circle is closed, the red wine is passed around and shared, with the worker saying, “Behold the blood of Iakkhos.” The remainder is poured out as a libation. Then the white wine is passed around and shared, with the worker saying, “Behold the dreams of Iakkhos.” The remainder is poured out as a libation.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Calendar of the Sun for January 1st

Calendar of the Sun

1 Wolfmonath

Kalends: Day of the Moerae

Colors: White, red, and black.
Element: Air
Altar: Drape with cloths of white, red, and black, and place upon it three candles in these same colors, three goblets in these same colors holding white wine, red wine, and elderberry wine, a spindle wound with handspun thread, a piece of woven cloth, and a large knife or pair of shears.
Offerings: Libations of wine.
Daily Meal: Vegan. Should be eaten in silence.

Invocation to the Moerae

(Light the white candle and raise the spindle.)
Spin truth into words,
Spin words into doom,
Spin doom into fortune,
Spin fortune into life,
Spin my life fine and strong,
O Lady with the spindle
Whose thread is my beginning.
(All take a piece of thread from the spindle. Pour out the white wine as a libation. Light the red candle and lift the woven cloth high.)
Weave truth into vision,
Weave vision into mind,
Weave mind into spirit,
Weave spirit into life,
Weave my life with depth and color,
O Lady with the shuttle
Whose tapestry is my existence.
(All knot their thread. Pour out the red wine. Light the black candle and lift the shears high.)
Cut truth away from falsehood,
Cut falsehood away from illusion,
Cut illusion away from matter,
Cut matter away from body,
Cut my body away from my life
When the time comes,
O Lady with the shears
Whose knowing hand is my doom
And also my truth.
(The leader of the ritual drapes his or her head with a cloth of black and walks around the circle, cutting each thread in silence. The cut threads are laid upon the altar as an offering, and all sit in silence, meditating on their Fate and that of the coming year. Leave in silence.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

The Witches Magick for Dec. 11th – Clurichaun Blessing

Clurichaun Blessing

The residents of a house would leave offerings for the Clurichaun, who sing in Gaelic with enchantingly beautiful voices. Related to leprechauns, Clurichaun are house faeries that specialize in caring for and protecting wine and beer cellars. Clurichauns also guard a hidden treasure. In this spell, you are asking the Clurichaun to bless and protect your home.

You need a chalice full of wine (or juice) and your magick wand.

Begin by drawing a magick circle and calling in the elements. With your want in your right hand and the chalice of wine in your left hand, stand in front of the north point of the circle while saying:

Clurichauns and all good house faeries

Protect this home with your energies.

Go around to the east, south, and west points in that order, doing the same thing. Once this is completed, return to your altar and place the chalice of wine on it while saying:

I offer my thanks with this wine

To the Clurichauns this is my sign.

Bless the faeries, always, blessed be!

Thank the Clurichauns, bid farewell to the elements, and pull up the circle. Leave the chalice of wine on your altar overnight, and in the morning pour it into the earth as an offering to the faeries.

Calendar of the Sun for October 23rd

Calendar of the Sun

23 Winterfyllith

Day of the Scorpion: Beginning of Scorpio

Colors: Dark red
Element: Water
Altar: Set with a cloth of dark red, a large chalice of red wine, a curved knife, a candle, a whip, and a wreath of thorns.
Offerings: Extremities – of asceticism, or indulgence.
Daily Meal: Meat. Bitter greens. Vinegar. Spicy or sour food. Shark or eel.

Invocation to Scorpio

Desert’s child of the scorching heat,
Bearing each night of barren cold,
Springing from the core of the earth,
Underground water running beneath,
Darkest cave of mysteries,
You whose gift is Desire,
Bless us with the ability
To follow our true passions,
And to start over again from the beginning
When the burning comes.
By the power of all that transforms,
You challenge us
To forever stoke the inner flame.
May we go forth with lust for life.

(The Scorpio chant is a low ohm, in multiple harmonies. Afterwards, one who has been chosen to do the work of the ritual approaches with the wine in one hand and the wreath of thorns in the other. S/he asks, “Wilt thou have agony or oblivion?” To accept and hold the wreath is to say that one has been asleep for too long, and needs to be violently awakened. To accept the wine is to say that there has been too much pain, and one needs respite from it. If one accepts neither, s/he says, “Thou hast enough of either, so thou must give some away to others.” The individual must then either offer massages to those who chose oblivion, or a whipping to those who chose agony.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

October Lore — the Dumb Supper

October Lore

The Dumb Supper

Samhain is a celebration of death, and as such it is marked by several traditions. One of these is the Feast of the Dead, sometimes called the Dumb Supper. This has many variations — from a complete meal shared by the living, with places set at the table for the dead, to the simple leaving of cakes and wine, or any similar combination, by the fireside on Samhain Night. And this is the most traditional time for communication with the dead. For this reason, after welcoming them into your Samhain Circle through the Western Gate, the direction of death, you can allow the spirits of the deceased to communicate with you if they so desire. One method is the wineglass.

Similar to a ouija board but without the undeserved sinister reputation, the wineglass is just that, an inverted wineglass (the champagne type is better than the wine type, as t is less likely to tip). The glass is surrounded by a circle of letters. An alphabet in Gothic style drawn on squares of white paper helps to create an appropriate atmosphere.

It must be mentioned here that many occultists turn up their noses at such devices as the ouija board, the pendulum board, and, no doubt, the wineglass, preferring instead personal mediumship, or channeling, as it is currently being called. But we believe that entities willing to take control of the body or voice of another individual cannot be of the highest calibre. Nor is every scene that passes before the inner eye psychic or spiritual, or the motivations that created them always spiritually pure. This is not to say that we do not believe in either channeled information or that which is received psychically. We most certainly do, but we have seen many instances of self-delusion, which is one of the greatest barriers to true spiritual development.

The wineglass, on the other hand, has several built-in safety devices. It cannot be easily operated alone, so spiritual possession is less likely, and since two or more people are operating it, self-delusion is not so easy. It is interesting to note, too, that the wineglass brings with it some intrinsic symbolism. It is a vessel or container for wine, itself a symbol for spiritual awareness, so the wineglass is a container for spiritual knowledge.

The wineglass can be used within the Samhain Circle. The four quarters of the Circle may be marked with candles in jack-o’-lanterns, and an extra candle, an indigo blue one (the colour symbolizing the higher spiritual planes), should also be lit. This candle might be anointed with oil and marked with a rune such as û` that describes the travel between the planes. After a moment of meditation each person present places a fingertip on the upturned base of the wineglass and the traditional “Is anyone here that wishes to give us a message?” is asked. Then as the glass slides from one letter to the next, rapidly spelling out messages, read the words. You may find it easier to use a tape recorder because it can get confusing. At this, the most solemn of Pagan festivals, the messages are often personal and profound.

from: “Wheel of the Year” by Pauline Campanelli

Calendar of the Moon for October 7th

Calendar of the Moon

Grapevine Month
Colors: Blue and Purple
Element: Water
Altar: Upon cloth of blue and purple set a great pitcher of wine with many cups, four purple candles, and many wreaths of grapevine and baskets of grapes.
Offerings:
Daily Meal: Vegetarian, with wine or grape juice to drink, and of course grapes.

Muin Invocation

Call: Hail the Month of the Grapevine!
Response: Hail the Month of the Vine-Gods!
Call: Hail the month when sour turns to sweet!
Response: Hail the month when labor comes ripe!
Call: Hail the month when our hands come together,
Response: Hail the month when the cup is passed!
Call: This is the time of bonding,
Response: When the fruits of the harvest lay within our grasp.
Call: This is the call of Joy and Merriment,
Response: This is the time of coming together.
Call: For though we may have forgotten laughter beneath our burdens,
Response: Laughter comes for us at last.
Call: And yet we begin to see the year passing to its end,
Response: And our laughter is the light passing into the dark.
Call: May we go to into the dark like the Children of Dionysos,
Response: Embracing the cycle with open arms!
Call: Like the grapevine, we are givers of ecstasy.
Response: Like the grapevine, we are givers of dream.
Call: Like vines, we yield up our fruit.
Response: Like vines, we yield up for the good of all.
Call: Like vines, we twine towards the Light.
Response: Like vines, we twine towards the Spirit.
Call: We hold the line, we keep the Mysteries true,
Response: We hold the line, we keep the Mysteries true,
Call: I am the vine; the branches, you and you.
Response: I am the vine; the branches, you and you.

Chant:
Taste Joy in the Day
Take Joy in the Night
Touch Joy in your face turned
To the fading light
Ay ay ay ay-yi-hey.

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Calendar of the Moon for October 3rd

Calendar of the Moon

Grapevine Month

Colors: Blue and Purple
Element: Water
Altar: Upon cloth of blue and purple set a great pitcher of wine with many cups, four purple candles, and many wreaths of grapevine and baskets of grapes.
Offerings:
Daily Meal: Vegetarian, with wine or grape juice to drink, and of course grapes.

Muin Invocation

Chant:
Taste Joy in the Day
Take Joy in the Night
Touch Joy in your face turned
To the fading light
Ay ay ay ay-yi-hey.

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Calendar of the Moon for October 2nd

Calendar of the Moon

Grapevine Month

Muin Invocation

Chant:
Taste Joy in the Day
Take Joy in the Night
Touch Joy in your face turned
To the fading light
Ay ay ay ay-yi-hey.

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Calendar of the Moon for September 23

Calendar of the Moon

Grapevine Month

Muin Invocation

Chant:
Taste Joy in the Day
Take Joy in the Night
Touch Joy in your face turned
To the fading light
Ay ay ay ay-yi-hey.

[Pagan Book of Hours]

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