Category Archives: Ritual

October 28, 2011 · 8:38 pm

My Samhain Altar and Ritual 2011…….

Merry Meet my friends!  Wow, just 3 nights until Samhain!  This month has gone by way too fast for me.  I love October so much, my favorite month, and I have kept myself busy enjoying every minute of every day.  We have had a few rainy days so colorful leaves are rapidly falling off the trees.  We’ve had some frosty mornings so the last of the summer flowers and herbs have gone away til next Spring.  My mums are fully bloomed and gorgeous.  The bird feeders are more active, squirrels and chipmunks and other furry creatures are scurrying to gather quicker.  Some of my friends have already experienced snow where they live! 

I can’t wait to see my grandkids in their costumes on Samhain evening.  We’ll be having dinner at my daughter’s house and hubby and I, will pass out candy while they take my grandkids out to collect some candy 🙂  Chili, cornbread and cherry crisp will be on the menu…quick and easy for such a busy day.  Then I’ll be home to do my ritual I have written here, and some time outside by the bonfire in my circle in the woods.  I’ve decided to do my Dumb Supper on Sunday evening as Samhain night will be so busy.  I hope to post some pics of the table set for it on my wordless wednesday blog post next week.  I think the table will look fantastic and I’m quite sure my grandmother will come to visit 🙂

I have spent some time the last couple of nights writing this ritual.  Please remember, this is just what I’m going to  do.  It may not be at all what YOU are thinking of doing or saying or using.  That’s just fine…make it yours and by all means, do it your way.  Your magick is your own after all!

First, here are some pictures of my Samhain altar.  It is to honor my ancestors and I think it’s one of my favorite altars I’ve done.  I think the pics speak for themselves of what I used and why.

Samhain Ritual to Honor Your Ancestors

By Autumn Earthsong

 Have your altar decorated however you like.  You can get some ideas from the pictures on my altar above.  A couple things you must have….. a God and Goddess candle and pictures or keepsakes from your ancestors and loved ones. I also highly recommend you have LOTS of candles on your altar…I set several votives to lighten my altar up bright!

Cast your circle in whatever way you do.  Ground and Center when you are ready.  If you are using elemental representatives, light the fire candle and the incense.   Light the Goddess candle and say ….

 “Dark Mother, Goddess of Death and Rebirth, Ruler of the night,  assist me in my magickal rite.  Lift the Veil between the worlds, as this time-out-of-time begins and as the barrier thins.  I ask for your blessing and guidance as I commune with my ancestors this Samhain night.”

Light the God candle and say…..

 “Dark Father, aged Consort of the Crone, Lord of the Underworld,  I ask for your blessing and favor on this magickal night, during this time-out-of-time, and during this rite.  Keep safe my ancestors as they come to me, from the other side of the Veil, for me to hear and see.” 

 Call the elements by saying what you usually do or something like this:

Earth and Air; Fire and Water
Guard and guide your loving daughter
I call on you this Samhain night,
Assist me in my sacred rite.  Sit quiet for awhile and wait for your ancestors to come..don’t forget
 your pets who have passed too….
 Quiet your mind and body and you will know when they are with you.
 When you know they are, say something like this:

    

“On this Samhain night the Veil has thinned


and the Spirits of my loved ones are here once again.

For my ancestors and loved ones who have gone on before me

I remember you with great love, in my heart you’ll always be.

Guide me and protect me, until one day I’m with you

I honor you every day, in everything I do.”

Blessed be! Blessed be!

 Now would be the time to do some divination with your tarot cards or runes, or do some scrying and see if any Spirits have anything to show you.  Enjoy some apple cider or wine and a “cake”.  When you are ready start to take down your circle by thanking those who came to you:

 “Dearest Ancestors thank you for joining me this night. I will never forget what you mean to me as you retreat once more beyond the Veil. For now, Merry Part.” 

 Release the elements as you usually do.
 Say Thank you and good-bye to the Goddess and God however you like.
 Snuff out candles, take down your circle, and make an offering to Mother Earth, outside, 
by leaving a bit of cake and wine.  Spend some time by a fire and relax.  You may feel
 a bit tired after having the Spirits of your ancestors with you on the glorious Samhain night!
 Samhain night, the Witch's New Year! Celebrate it! I found this poem a year or so ago,
 and have since connected with the author on facebook. I'd like to post it here for
 you all to enjoy! It makes me thrill to my witchiness :) I wish all of you a very Blessed Samhain!  

 

The wheel has turned, the wheel of light

 stoke the fire and make it bright

Samhain call, Samhain come

 feel the rhythm , hear the drum

The veil it thins, the veil it shrouds

 the spirits rise upon darkened cloud

The time of orange , time of black

 time to move forward and not look back

Pumpkin lit , with candle burn

 away dark spirits this guardian turns

Night of the ancients, night of the olds

 remembered in stories now to be told

The Crone doth rise upon this night

 look into the shadows without a fright

Rituals and rites across the lands

 empowers the soul where they stand

 Trick or treat, heal or curse ,

 the hand should be crossed from a silver purse

The Wheel begins its time anew,

 the release of the old for the knowledgeable few

The time to scry to see the path we must take

 and of the choices we need to make

She comes to us in many guises

 the Crow and the owl her favourite disguises

The Earth gives us her last to give

 the bountiful harvest so we can live

We feast and drink in a sacred space

 behind samhain masks to hide our face

Through darkened day and moonlight night

 All hallows Eve is a beautiful sight!

(C) Copyright Phiona Hutton July 2010

 

 
Blessings and Love, Autumn 
PS..I have NO IDEA why this post came out all weird..it obviously had the margins
set wrong..and I have NO IDEA how to fix it LOL...sorry..it's still readable I think :)

  

 

 

 

 

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Filed under Altars, Autumn, God, Goddess, Photography, Poem, Ritual, Samhain

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July 28, 2011 · 7:47 pm

Blessed Lughnasadh 2011…..

Merry Meet my friends!  Chances are there are some of you out there having the same weather I’m having here in Ohio!  Sweltering heat for a few weeks now! It is Hot Hot Hot!!  Though we’ve had some rain, our grass is brown and burnt from the heat.  My gardens…well some of it’s doing well and some of it not so much.  Even with watering, things are dying out.  I’ve never been a big fan of Summer because I don’t like it when it gets too hot, but this Summer has been one of the hottest I can remember for a while.  Because of this, my thoughts have turned to Autumn, my favorite time of year.  I’m dreaming of cool crisp mornings, leaves falling, pumpkins, apple picking, and warm things coming from the oven and the slow cooker 🙂 

Well…Lughnasadh, the first Harvest festival is upon us on August 1 and that just makes me smile!  Though we are in the midst of this heatwave and the peak of Summer…I can feel a bit of a shift around me.  The Sun is rising later and setting earlier, corn is tall and ready in the fields, the breeze feels different and our gardens are full and ready for harvest.  Stores even have their Autumn/Halloween decorations out on display! *sigh*  I love it!!

Today I was able to get my Lughnasadh altar ready.  I love the Autumn themed altars..more than any other.  The I kept in mind the Correspondences for Lughnasadh when putting it together and I was happy with the simplicity of it and how pretty it looked. 

Oh…the sunflower plate will hold my cakes of course! The crystals are any that are of the colors of Fall!  Green, gold, orange…aventurine, citrine, carnelian!  I have gold, orange and brown candles.  I wanted sunflowers but not luck finding them around here unless I raided somebody’s yard! LOL.  So I picked out some soft orange, purple, & yellow flowers and I LOVE the ornamental cabbage they stuck in the bouquet! The crow…well, crow’s and corn just go together 🙂  My “cakes and ale” will be homemade honey oatmeal bread, or corn bread, and a nice glass of red wine to represent the grape harvest.  I can’t wait to work at this altar.

Today I also put together a couple of herbed oils and an herbed vinegar.  I did a rosemary/olive oil, a basil olive oil, and a lemon balm/apple cider vinegar.  I lightly warmed the oils since I was using fresh herbs from my own garden.  I can’t wait to use them.  I’m going to use the basil olive oil on tomato/mozzarella stacks, the lemon balm vinegar in salad, and the rosemary oil will be great on grilled veggies and meats.  Yummy!  I really need to get more of these bottles too..I think they’re so pretty, inexpensive, and look great sitting on the counter.  Would make nice gifts as well. 

Now I’m going to be upfront and tell you that I do NOT have a formal ritual for Lughnasadh.  I’d like to write my own and frankly just haven’t had the time.  If you research it online, you will find the same 2-3 rituals written over and over again.  Scott Cunningham’s being one of them of course.  Though I don’t have one to share here with you, I can most definitely give you some ideas.  Doing a Blessing and a prayer of thanks for the bounty and abundance of the Harvest would be a perfect quiet celebration.  You can do this while eating the bread you have baked or even while mixing the ingredients to make it.  You can Honor the Sun God who is dying, to be born again by his lover, the Goddess, who is pregnant with him.  A great time to do that would be as the Sun is setting on Lughnasadh night.  Light a fire, burn some of your harvested herbs..and reflect on your year so far.  What bad habits would you like to let “die”?  What new things would you like to manifest..to grow in your life…as the Goddess is growing the God?  Smudge your house and throw open windows to allow good energy in and the negative out.  Really, I smudge for every Sabbat!  Harvest your herbs and can your veggies from your garden or make jams from the bountiful fruits that are ripe like berries, peaches and plums.  Go take a walk, enjoy the Sun while it’s still hot..you’ll remember the warmth in the dead of Winter.

I have decided to bake my breads on the weekend and I’m looking forward to it.  There is nothing better then the smell of bread baking and the taste of it warm, slathered with sweet butter…it makes my mouth water just thinking about it 🙂  I’ll be making the crab dip and the pear salad for sure as well.  Don’t forget to check out my recipes I posted in a previous post..let me know if you try them what you think! 

I wish each of you a Blessed Lughnasadh and May the Sun God shine on you and the Goddess surround you with Love. 

Autumn

*Sources…my pictures.  🙂  My words.

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Filed under Altars, Autumn, God, Goddess, Herbs, Lammas/Lughnassadh, Photography, Ritual, Summer, Sunrise/Sunset

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June 11, 2011 · 2:55 pm

Witches Protection Bottle…….

Merry Meet friends! Well Summer has hit here in Ohio with a loud HOT bang! We went from weeks of cool, stormy weather  to 95* Hot and steamy days. That is just the way it is here in Ohio.  The good thing about the hot weather though was that finally the ground dried up and we were able to get out and get dirty working in the yard!  I got my herbs planted in pots and scattered around the yard. We re-did a whole bed in our backyard adding a Weeping crabapple tree and some red-pink knock -out roses.  I planted patio pots with a red/white/blue theme this year that has the most gorgeous deep red geraniums.  There are now  rows of impatience in our front beds,  with  rosemary and lavender for protection and luck.  We still have some space at the side of the porch we want to plant some holly bushes and a couple of hydrangea bushes..one of my favorites.  I am trying to talk hubby into removing a few excess boxwood bushes in the backyard so I can plant a moon garden….white flowers and silvery greens that will glow in the light of the moon.  He isn’t crazy about the idea but I’m working on him LOL !  I will talk him into it for sure! Here’s a few pictures…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Litha or Midsummer is coming up fast now and I need to get busy getting ready.  I’m on the search for the perfect altar cloth to get my altar ready.  I also am starting to collect items I need to make my witch’s protection bottles.  I do these every year at Litha.  Because it is warm out and I can be out at night and be warm and comfortable, I think it’s the perfect time to set out new protection for my home and those I love who dwell within.  If you haven’t ever done a witch’s bottle, you should seriously think about it.  I feel part of my practice is to protect what is mine and what I love and as a Witch I have the capability of doing that.  I like to think of myself as a Warrior Witch..ready to do battle to keep evil away from my door! 

A bit of history….

Witch’s Bottles have been in use in England and the United States since at least the 1600’s. Spell bottles were originally created to destroy the power of an evil magician or witch thought to have cast a spell against the bottle’s creator. They were often ceramic vessels and some had a face on them. They were also walled up into new homes as magical guardians. Spell bottles of this type continued to be used well into the 19th century. These bottles were apparently of English origin. Still, one example made from a glass wine bottle dated at 1740-1750 was found in Pennsylvania in 1976. And so, such protective devices certainly found their way from England to the United States with the colonists. There are over 200 Witch’s Bottles in known museums and they continue to be dug up during construction or gardening projects. 🙂 I always hope I’ll come across one sometime! LOL! The ceramic type of bottle is not made anymore so now it consists of a container, usually glass, filled with various objects of magical potency.

Witch’s bottles are made for a variety of purposes, and are used in numerous ways. Some are buried or otherwise hidden, while others are placed in windows of the home or in other prominent spots. All are concentrations of energy, created and empowered for specific magical purposes. It is a very powerful means of protecting your space and is buried on your property in order to attract all negative things to it, where it traps them. If you move, by all means, then dig it up and either destroy it or bring it to your new home. Now I actually choose to leave mine in place and just put out a new one each year..I like to think of the future residents of this house, happily gardening and coming across my wonderful jars LOL Makes me laugh to think what they might be thinking. 🙂

This Witch Bottle ritual is really great to do on a Full Moon night..the one closest to the Solstice.  The first thing you want to do is decide where you are going to bury it.  I like to put one right at my front porch steps, and one by the back door steps. Some people will put them at the four corners of their property or at the entrance of their driveway.  Live in a condo or an apartment?  No problem.  Just store it in a closet closest to your entry door…out of sight or bury it in a big pot of dirt with a houseplant in it in your entryway.   Once you decide where you are going to put it, dig a hole big enough to sink a your jar into the ground and cover it up well enough that it isnt’ too obvious something is buried there.  Now, get a jar or two…I use  Ball canning jars.  But you can use a snapple bottle, a mayo jar, olive jar..use what you have by all means.  Now it’s time to start collecting your supplies. Put the items on a tray or something that you an keep them all together..don’t put them in the jar yet.   Here is the ritual and what you’ll need……                                                

-A Sturdy, clean, wide-mouthed bottle or jar with a tight lid.
-Soil or sand from the area surrounding your home.
-Something sparkly or shining like small tumbled crystals, beads, sea glass  *I use small crystal pieces with protective qualities*

-A rusty bent nail or two 
-Pieces  of broken glass
-Dried herbs-  Mint, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme
-A new penny or other coin
-Some loose hair from any pets in your home
-Some hair from all living in the home

-A magickal spell candle
-Salt  

 

 

         Create and open sacred space. Light your working candle while you do your work. If you haven’t already dug your hole,  Dig the hole in the earth, try to keep the top sod in good shape to replace over the hole. Sprinkle with salt. Ground and Center.   When ready, say these words:

With the Goddess and God working for and through me
according to free will and for the good of all.
I now fill this bottle.

*As you say the words, put the items in the jar…… 

Earth anchors this magick in the ground.
This rusty nail, bent, now repels anything and anyone negative or life-denying.
The sparkling, shiny small pieces of crystals hold the light for me and my deities.
A broken piece of glass to deflect harm to anyone it is intended for.

These herbs infuse the bottle with their living properties;
Mint for money and protection
Parsley for protection
Sage for wisdom and protection
Rosemary for love, healing, and health
Thyme for health, love, and courage.

This new penny manifests abundance in my home.
 Hair from my beloved pets to protect them.
Hair from my loved ones who dwell here, to protect and draw away negativity.

This home is divinely protected and effectively safe.
Nothing and no one can enter without my permission
Only those people and beings through whom the Goddess and God work
Can stay here, can visit, can touch this place.

Only Positive Magick lives in this place
In safety, protection, abundance, love, and joy
According to free will and for the good of all!

Put the lid on the jar tight.  If you like, you can use old candle wax or sealing wax to seal the jar closed as well. Start to bury the bottle, and replace the sod you dug up before hand and then say:

I now bury this bottle
It is invisible to all but me
And its magick continues
And so mote it be!

     By the time you have finished this spell, the bottle should be buried. Cover with leaves or something appropriate to make it truly invisible. Under the ground, it will continue to work until you choose to remove it.

I love this spell….on a Full Moon Night..burying a jar filled with lovely witchy items….it is magickal indeed!   After I’m done with this ritual I spend time with the Moon Goddess while the candle burns down a bit. You can also draw a pentacle in the air over the burial spot with your wand, or protective runes for some added protection.  

Now for some other ideas of what you can put in the jar.   I throw some sea salt in my jar as well.  I also like to put lots of little sharp things, like old pins or needles, used razor blades,  rose thorns etc.  For the dirt and nails, you can use graveyard dirt and coffin nails.  Some people will add holy water or wine to the mix.  You can use fingernails instead of hair.  You can use your own urine in the bottle or even blood.  I read in a book somewhere that you can use the broken glass to cut a finger a bit and drip some of your blood into the jar.   You can write down on parchment using dragon’s blood ink, the names of those who are in your home often, to protect them as well. In my case, my sister and married daughter and grandchildren spend a lot of time here too, so of course I want them to be protected as well.   Anything you want to put in there that you feel will add to the protection of your home or family is a good thing. 🙂

Another really simple Protection Jar Spell is this:

Gather rosemary, needles, pins and red wine. Fill a small jar with the first three, saying while you work:

Pins, needles, rosemary, wine;
In this witches bottle of mine.
Guard against harm and enmity;
This is my will, so mote it be!

Visualize these doing just that. Then pour in the red wine. Then cap or cork the jar and drip wax from a red or black candle to seal. Bury it at the farthest corner of your property or put it in an inconspicuous spot in your house. Draw the banishing pentagram in the dirt above it. The witches bottle destroys negativity and evil ; the pins and needles impale evil, the wine drowns it, and the rosemary sends it away from your property.

I hope you take the time to do this on this next Full Moon..right before the Solstice.  You will love the ritual of it and you’ll feel great about the Power you have as a Witch to put out protection for those you love most and the home you care for.  I will be out on that night ..right with you all….

Soon, I’ll post pics of my altar and I’ll post pics of my witches bottle items as well.  Til then, Have a blessed weekend!

Love and Light, Autumn

*Sources:  Scott Cunningham, my BOS, the internet and various other books I’ve read 🙂 I am not sure where the rituals came from I’m afraid..I’ve just had them for a long time 🙂

 

                                                                                                                                               

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Filed under Full Moons, Garden, Goddess, History, Litha/Summer Solstice, Our Yard, Photography, Protection, Ritual, Spells, Summer, Uncategorized

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April 19, 2011 · 8:53 pm

Beltane altar and ritual……….

Merry Meet my friends!  Hope you all had a good weekend and your week is going well so far.  We had some amazing rainstorms come thru here last night and today…Nature releasing her energy in the form of thunder, lightning, heavy rains and even flooding in our area.  I could not believe how hard it rained..and yes, I was out in it LOL….there were literally rivers across the roads and forming in yards in the low areas.  Creekbeds flowing over the banks, grocery stores and basements filled with water.  It was something else.  Also, there is more coming tonight!  So far at least, we have kept our power so that is a good thing.

A busy week here too..as my extended family is christian, we celebrate “bunny day” on Easter sunday with them.  Today I shopped for goodies for my granddaughters basket and egg hunt and I’m planning the menu as everyone is coming to my house.  Thursday is also my 53rd birthday….so I have plans with my family for that as well.  So the last few days I got busy and got my altar maypole done and got my Beltane altar ready.  Thought I’d post a few pics here for those of you who always ask to see my altars.  Now keep in mind, this altar is set up indoors for pics and for a rainy day, but it will be moved outdoors..by a roaring fire on Beltane night!  Can’t have Beltane inside and without a fire..thats just all there is to it!

This is the close-up of my maypole..which my dear husband was quite eager to help me with.  I got a wooden base, dowel rod and candle cup I turned upside down for a top.  The base was painted green and the dowel and cap red.  Hubby also screwed the dowel rod to the base for me.  Then I got out glue gun, silk flowers and ribbons and just started glueing!  Easy Peasy!  and I think its really cute.

Sorry about the fuzzy picture..I think the candles were throwing it off a bit.  Left side has my Gaia statue, my goddess statue, crystals are bloodstone, red carnelian and red jasper, sunstones and rose quartz (for love).  My large cherry quartz point….just cause its red and looked great! 🙂   Daisies are one of my favorite flowers so had to have them.  Cauldron, always there.  and the Maypole.

The left side has my working tools, a new stone heart my friend Mossie sent me (thank you Mossie) ..I thought the heart was more then appropriate for Beltane!  One of my herb seeds in its pot..sprouting well…Sage..my plant ally.  Bird feathers to represent Spring and the critters who are running all over the place now.  Greenman, my chalice, and bell.  The glass pentacle my daughter got me for Yule. 

The full view.  The green altar cloth, lots of  red candles, elemental representatives..all there.  Still to come will be strawberries, may wine, a dish of honey, and oatmeal cake.  So there you go.  What will be on your altar?  I love seeing pics of altars..I find witches so creative when it comes to their altars.

Ok so on to a ritual.  As I posted in my previous post Countdown to Beltane, I talked about the Beltane being about lust and fertility and the union of the Lord and Lady…..The Great Rite.  I decided to post this lovely solitary ritual celebrating just that.  I think its a beautiful ritual.

Solitary Beltane Ritual

 Items Needed:

One tall Green candle (for God)

One tall White candle (for Goddess)

4 corner candles

Cauldron for Balefire (if performed outdoors, make a Bonfire)

Red candles (as many as you’d like)

Rose incense and sage  to burn in cauldron

chalice of wine or juice

bread

Athame (for The Great Rite) and/or wand

Spring and Summer flowers to decorate altar

 

*Cast circle and call the corners then light the incense

 INVOCATION OF THE GOD: (light  tall Green candle)

“I now do call upon the eternal God in the ancient way, as Young Lord and Oak King – Horned One of the Forests. I bid Ye welcome and ask Thee to come forth and join Thy Lady Goddess in the Holy Rite of Sacred Union. As it is willed, so mote it be!”

 INVOCATION OF THE GODDESS: (light tall White candle)

“I now do call upon the eternal Goddess in the ancient way, as Lovely Maiden, Mother and Crone – Three-fold Goddess be. I bid Ye welcome and ask Thee to come forth and join Thy Lord God in the Holy Rite of Sacred Union. As it is willed, so mote it be!”

 “Blessed be this day of Beltane,

 Wedding day of the Goddess and God;

 Holy day of sacred marriage,

 Holy night of sacred union.”

* Light the surrounding green rituals candles and say –

 “Tonight  I celebrate the union of our Mother Earth to Her consort, our Father God, the Green Man and Great Lord of the Forests, as nature rejoices in a blaze of color and life.”

* Go to the altar and pick up chalice,  hold upwards and say –

“Blessed be the sacred union which manifests all creation!

 Behold the womb of the Mother,

The entity from which all life flows,

Blessed be the Lady!”

*Put down the chalice and  pick up the athame, hold upwards and say –

“Behold the phallus of the God,

 Fruitful principle of the universe,

 Blessed be the Lord!”

 THE GREAT RITE (Symbolic) –

 *Pick up the chalice

 “Blessed be you, my Lady,

 The Holy Bride of Heaven and Earth,

Come unite with Thy Lord in the ancient rite of sacred marriage!”

*Pick up athame and then say-

 “Blessed be you, my Lord,

 The Holy Groom of Heaven and Earth,

 Come unite with Thy Lady Goddess in the ancient rite of sacred marriage!”

* While slowly dipping the athame into the chalice, repeat:

 “Chalice to athame,

 As Goddess is to God;

 Father is to Mother,

 As man is to woman,

 Behold the sacred union of The One!”

* Replace the chalice and athame back on the altar and say:

 “By this act of love, all life comes to be;

 By this act of faith, I proclaim my place on the eternal cycle of life,

 The Lord and Lady reign eternal!”

* Now toast to the Lord and Lady by drinking from the chalice and breaking off a piece of the bread – setting aside a portion to give back to the Earth later.

 “I am a child of deity,

 I am part of the creative life force which moves the universe;

 I am part of all that is –

 Though we are apart we are always together,

 For we are one in the spirit of our Goddess and God;

 Merry meet, merry part and merry meet again –

 Blessed be!”

 *Close ritual, thank the deities and remember to give back to the Earth.

I love this ritual..I find it to be very sacred, very beautiful and very meaningful.  You may of course change the words, use different colored candles, burn a different incense.. whatever you wish..make it your own ceremony!

Now, I’m hoping you did this ritual outside, by a roaring fire.  That you are drinking wine, and that you are thinking about celebrating more with YOUR  loved one this night 🙂  After all, its not just our God and Goddess who can  be joined together in love  on this night.   Make it special.  Have a beautiful bath ready for the two of you.  A simple fresh meal…some wine….rose petals in your bed..red candles lit all over your bedroom.  Its a night for romance!  If you find yourself solitary at this time…well you can do the same for yourself…the bath, the meal, the wine, the candles…make it a special night for yourself….you deserve it either way!!

Blessings and love, Autumn

*Sources….my altar, my photography.  The ritual is from my own BOS but I don’t claim to have written it..but I have had it for a long time and no idea where I got it from..if you know, please tell me.

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Filed under Altars, Beltane, God, Goddess, Photography, Ritual, Spring

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March 15, 2011 · 1:46 pm

My Ostara Altar and Ritual……..

Merry Meet everyone.  I hope that you are all well and I continue to pray for Japan and the victims of all the terrible things going on over there.  The risk of a nuclear meltdown is very real  now and I am praying it doesn’t happen…..would not be good for the entire world for that to happen.  I am doing my best to stay positive and not to let it drag me down to the point I can’t help.  If I don’t have positive energy, I can’t send it out to the Universe.

So today I am undergoing a very unpleasant day of prep for a medical test tomorrow so I am close to home.  Yes, at my age, and some history, I’m having a colonoscopy tomorrow.  Nuff said.  Ugh.  It’s raining and gloomy so I finally took the time to get my Ostara altar completed and wanted to post some pics here for you.  I am quite happy with it.

I posted the correspondences for Ostara in a previous post so I’m not going to list them again.  I think the items on my altar are pretty easy to understand why they are there, but I’ll talk a little bit about each picture.

Sorry for the pics being a little dark..but well, its raining out and I don’t have a lot of light where my altar is.  This is the left side of my altar.  As you can see, in the center is my usual working items to represent the elements..they are always there.  I have fresh cut tulips, an egg basket, lamb, chick, bunny for obvious reasons.  My little goddess my hubby gave me for Yule, cauldron where I will burn my Ostara loose incense, Gaia, and my illuminator and goddess candle.  I picked all pastel colored crystals..rose quartz, blue calcite, amethyst, citrine, green flourite..just because I love the way they look 🙂

Right side of Altar…  Greenman, god candle, my pentacle and chalice, then I have a bird house and birds nest which speak of Spring to me, A garden faery for the same reason.  Another bunny I love..looks like he’s praying to me 🙂  and my altar tools. I wanted to put some seed packs here too but I did that ritual already as I posted a couple of days ago..but that would be a great idea too! 🙂 

 

Sorry agan about the darkness…my altar cloth is pink checked by the way….very soft and Spring-like.  I used soft green and pink candles..would have loved to have added some yellow elements but I had a terrible time finding pastel colored candles this year.  Was actually told at my local craft store that nobody uses taper candles anymore! LOL..I told them I beg to differ.  Oh well, I’m happy with it and it will feel most magickal to me on Ostara night.  And I know that you all KNOW there is a Full Moon the eve of Ostara..a SuperMoon actually….so it will be a most magickal weekend!  Make the most of it!

Oh yes, I also do a simple altar on my kitchen counter for the Sabbats as well.  Here is the one for Ostara I finished today as well.  I am wanting to get a potted plant for it but the tulips worked for now. I love the sparkly stones around the candle…so pretty.  As I’m in the closet with some family members, this altar is perfectly accepted as an Easter altar 🙂  But I add the crystals which gives it the witchiness I need. 

So my altars are ready and I have decided what ritual I’ll be doing as well.  Thought I’d post another here for you all..again, I have no idea where I got this as I’ve had it for sometime.  It may have come from the internet or it may have come from a book…I’m keeping better track of those things now that I’m blogging, but I didnt’ use to unfortunately.  I love this one because it should be done outside!  A great one for the full moon and Ostara this year!

 Ostara Ritual for Outdoors

Gather the supplies you’ll need:

-Two chalices of wine or water

  -Two white candles or pastel if you’d like

  -matches or lighter

  *Two bowls are necessary if working indoors

   Arrange a small altar placing one candle to the left of the altar and one to the right.  Place the chalices next to the candles.  If working indoors put the two bowls on the floor on each side. Offer prayers of thanks to the Lord and Lady for the blessings of Ostara.  Say them out loud being thorough.  Then say:

I stand at the center and balanced be,

the change of seasons meets here in me.

From wintertime’s dark and lonely nights,

to summertime’s warm and lively light.

     

  Light both candles:

 Now at the center at Ostara am I,

not light or dark to dominate the sky;

but a time of lengthening light and day,

as we pass from balance to summer’s days.

 

Extinguish one candle to represent the balance of light and dark.

Take the chalice to your right and hold it up, saying:        

 God of the Sun and Lord of Light,

I honor your spirit in which I delight.

Pour the water or wine onto the ground to your right or into the bowl to be poured onto the ground later.  Then take the chalice to your left, hold it up and say:

 Goddess of the Earth and of the night,

I honor your spirit as the earth turns light.

 Pour the contents of this chalice on the ground to your left or into the bowl.

 Spend as much time as you’d like at your altar, speaking with your deities, meditating, praying.  When you are ready, extinguish the candle and thank the Lord and Lady.  If you performed this ritual inside, take the bowls outside and pour them on the ground as an offering to Mother Earth.

 This is a very simple and beautiful ritual that will add beauty to the Sabbat for you.  As Spring comes in…whether like a lion or a lamb…honor Mother Earth and her greening.  No matter what is going on in the world, one thing is constant.  We can count on the turning of the wheel of the year, that Spring will come again after a long, cold, snowy winter.  That trees and flowers and grass will bloom and grow, that critters will come out and bask in the Sun and gather food again, that we will shed our heavy winter clothes and head outside to our gardens, porches, picnics, and we too will re-connect with the Earth Mother.  And She will re-connect with us.  I wish you all a Blessed Full Moon and A Blessed Ostara.  May Spring bring you great joy!

Love and Light, Autumn

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March 11, 2011 · 7:10 pm

Devastation and Regeneration…….

Hello my friends.  I write this with a heavy heart.  Today has been a terrible day in Japan and other places in the world affected by the 8.9 earthquake and resulting aftershocks and tsunamis. I know that you all join me in sending love, comfort and healing to the victims of this terrible tragedy.  Mother Earth is shifting and the effect is very dramatic and devastating.  There are earthquakes so often and they always seem to be  worse “someplace else”,  but we are all here on Earth together and the tragedy does indeed and should affect us All.   Many are saying that Mother Earth is angry and wreaking havoc…well that may or may not be true.  I prefer to think that She is not doing anything to hurt us or to punish us. That does not sound like the beautiful, loving Goddess I know.  I DO believe however that She has a right to be angry with us.  We have done Her great harm as a people.  Our treatment of Her has not been good for Her or the creatures,  plantlife, sealife, air we breathe, water we drink….we have done serious damage to this Earth we love so much.  Pagans feel the pain She is going thru as we have such an affinity for our Mother and want to take care of Her, Heal Her, treat Her better!  As my heart goes out to the victims of this day..my heart also goes out to our Mother Earth.  May this be a reminder to take care of Her the best we can. 

“How I do love the earth. I feel it thrill under my feet. I feel somehow as if it were conscious of my love, as if something passed into my dancing blood from it.”

                                                                                               James Russell Lowell

It is almost Spring and every witches heart is turning to thoughts of her garden….the flowers, herbs, and veggies that we will tenderly plant, and watch grow, and harvest and use in mundane and magickal ways.  Digging in the dirt, feeling it in my hands and under my feet, the rich smell, is one way to connect with the Earth Mother.  There is no way you won’t appreciate what She gives to us after planting a garden.  With that in mind, I planted my herb seeds today…to try to connect to the Earth while this terrible day unfolded.  I had shopped for my pots, soil, markers and seeds last week and the time is right to plant here in Ohio..and the Sun came out and melted the night’s snow away..put me in the mood for sure.

As you can see..I’m all set to get started.  The pots are peat pots that you can plant right in the ground or outdoor pots when your seeds are ready.  They just become part of the soil.  I bought herbs like rosemary, thyme, sage, basil, lavender, chamomile, dill, organo, cilantro/coriander, parsley, catnip…hum..just realized I didnt’ get mint yet.  I also got soapwort flowers…haven’t grown them from seeds before but thought I’d try.  The first thing you do is fill each pot with good soil to start seeds.  Mine is organic which I find necessary in my book 🙂 

As I fill the pots, I visualize the dirt as rich in nutrients and see my herbs growing big and strong because of it. As I filled mine..I got a visitor…my little Harley..who is always by my side..came to help. 🙂

After filling, I water down the pots and soil til the pots are damp.  Then comes the fun part.  I love to see the seeds, what they look like, do they have a scent? 

 I just poke my finger in the pot, drop in the seeds, press down the dirt and place a marker with the name of the herb in the pot.  Once done, give them a good watering again.  That’s it..all done.  Now place in a sunny window..water frequently and watch them grow for the next 6 weeks.  Transfer to patio pots or the ground once you get past all chance of frost. 

All done..easy peasy?   Nah….I’m a witch..there is another step.  I have to bless my seeds.  Spell them to grow as magickal and strong as they can be….for use in future spells, teas, medicinal remedies, loose incense recipes, cooking…I want them to be full strength!  I like this seed blessing for its simplicity……I found it on Llewellyn’s spell a day but changed up the words a bit to suit me. 

Seed Blessing Ritual

Spread your seed packets on your altar or kitchen table. Burn a green candle dressed with vetivert. Spend some time visualizing the beautiful garden you’ll have this year. Hold your hands over the seeds and say:

Blessed Gaia, mother of us all,

Make these plants grow strong and tall.

Herbs and Flowers sweet and bright,

 
Blessed by the Sun and pale moonlight

 I’ll tend them well as they grow

So magick will abound and flow

By my will and with harm to none

By fire and oil, this spell is done.

 Then you will go ahead and plant as I’ve described above.  I have been perusing my herbal books and buying new herbal books and am working with a friend on learning more about herbalism..even taking an online class.  I have made some herbal remedies here and there but I intend to do so much more in the future.  This is another way that I can get closer to the Earth…to plant, grow, harvest, dry, and make herbals is a great way to honor Her.  Living off the land so to speak. 

I wish you all well with your gardens this year….put all the magick you can muster up into your work and you will be blessed with an abundant garden filled with sweet smelling herbs, colorful flowers and warm from the Sun veggies.  Feel blessed in your hard work and know that you are connecting with the Divine Mother. 

“He who would have beautiful roses in his garden

must first have beautiful roses in his heart”

                          Samuel Reynolds Hole

Blessings of Love and Light, Autumn

 

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January 20, 2011 · 9:59 pm

Home Protection…..

Greetings my friends!  I hope this Wolf Full Moon time has been magickal for you and that She continues to shine her energy on you.  I have not been able to see Her unfortunately…we have had heavy cloud cover, fog and about 5-6 inches of snow so far today.  The snow is beautiful but has made for some slippery roads, busy grocery stores, sore backs from shoveling and smoke coming out of many chimneys.  I stepped outside earlier for a moment and the smell was incredible from the wood smoke and the sharp cold.  A beautiful snowy night despite the fact the Full Moon Goddess is hidden from my sight.  Though I can’t see Her I can feel Her incredible energy and after having a tough couple of days, her magick is most appreciated by me!

On my facebook page today I asked the question..Do you have protection established around your home to protect you and your loved ones.  As per usual, my wonderful, amazing, smart and funny friends came through with many responses.  In general they DO have protection set up.  Everything from rosemary in their garden…to a broom over their doorway….to a witches bottle buried at their front door.  I learned about cutting an apple so the natural pentacle shows and burying them in your garden beds.  I learned about something called bindrunes which I’ve never heard of and am waitingly anxiously to hear about them.  I had friends who of course smudge , place crystals and/or salt in the corners of their house or property, have a pentacle on their front door, and use blessing oil on their doorways and windowsills.  

Putting protection spells on our homes is easy and smart. There are spells to protect from intruders and storms.  We can also protect ourselves from negative vibes sent our way, those who may put a dark spell on us, psychic vampires and the like.  There are many simple spells and rituals that can be done so I thought I’d post a few of my favorites for you. 

This first one is so easy and basic.  Choose your item carefully!

Home Protection Talisman Spell

  Make or buy an item to display in your home that you can charge with protective energy. This could be a wreath, ornamental plaque, a painting or statue.. anything you can display. Before you hang it or put it in view, place the item in a circle of salt. Sprinkle the salt clockwise as you say:

 Salt of earth, Guard this home,

While I’m here, or when I roam

Keep it safe, and all within

For good of all, this bond begins

By my will, with harm to none

By Earth power, this spell is done!

 *Not sure where I got this but it’s very possible it’s from Ellen Dugan…the charm sounds much like her. 🙂

Think about what you would want to use.  A statue, a piece of china or pottery, a painting, a candle holder.  I can picture using a statue of a faery, a dragon, a large crystal point.  You could use something from nature like a river rock, a large bird’s feather, a sea shell.  Use something that you will love to display.

Another talisman spell I like to use is making up a charm bag that you will literally hang over a doorway.  I think this one is really fun because of all the things you can gather for it.  Use what has meaning for you…what item means protection to YOU!

 Home Protection Talisman For When You’re Away From Home.

To make this talisman, choose at least 3 of the following dried herbs and place them in a charm bag that is white or gold.

Nettles                         Oak Bark                   Bay

    Anise                           Basil                           Linden

   Pennyroyal                 Valerian                      Wormwood

        Broom                         Angelica                      Yarrow

       Calamus                       Hazel                          Hawthorn

      Mistletoe                      Myrrh                         Thistle

      Meadowsweet             Garlic                          Flax

      Clove                           Cumin                          Frankincense

       Cinquefoil                    Black Pepper

Then add any amount of any of these stones….

Gold Pyrite                Malachite                     Cat’s Eye

   Tiger’s Eye                 Topaz                          Amber

    Mica                            Quartz Crystal            Red Zircon

      Flint                            Beryl                          Bloodstone

    Tie up the bag and with a permanent marker, make 3 large X figures and place the talisman over a main entry point of your home.  Then spell it with the following words of power! 

This dwelling is never empty,

Though I be not at home;

I leave behind a talisman

to protect it while I roam.

No intruder great or small

May gain entry past this line;

Protected, sealed, and warded,

     By my will, safety be mine

   I finish this charm with harm to none;

    By herb and stone, this spell is done!

 

 

Some other things that you can use for protection is a protection oil…you can use it to anoint your doorways and windowsills.  I like to draw a pentagram with it!

 

Protection Oil

 4 drops Patchouli

 3 drops Lavender

 1 drop Mugwort

  1 drop Hyssop

*You will add this to 1/8 cup of a base oil like olive, almond, jojoba..whatever you like.

Another simple way to protect your home is to put salt around the outside of your house, lay it in your windowsills, place it inside your house in the outside corners.  Now if you are a very picky house keeper, you might want to keep it outside.  Also a word of warning here…be sure that anything you have laying around is safe for your pets…you don’t want them to get sick from eating salt or some herb they shouldn’t.  That would not be good.

For me the ultimate protection is the Witches Bottle…. this is also one of the most fun things to do!  Remember in the movie Practical Magic when Sally (Sandra Bullock) goes around and collects her magickal items needed for her perfect love?  Gathering the items for your witches bottle?  Yes, it feels like that! 🙂  I feel very “witchy” doing it LOL..but it IS serious business too.  You really want to be sure, each step of the way, to put your full intention into the items and the ritual.  I put my bottle together on a Full Moon night for the added strength and I renew it at least once a year…

 

 Witch’s Protection Bottle

You will be burying this bottle in the ground at your front door.

Gather items needed:                                                   

-A Sturdy, clean, wide-mouthed bottle or jar with a tight lid.
-Soil or sand from the area surrounding your home.
-Something sparkly or shining like small tumbled crystals, beads, sea glass

-A rusty bent nail.
-A piece of broken glass
-Dried herbs

*Mint, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme
-A new penny or other coin
-Some loose hair from any pets in your home
-A piece of hair from every person in the home

-A magickal spell candle
   

Find the appropriate spot in your yard to bury the bottle. Work on the night of a Full Moon at the height of the Full Moon,  or on the Full Moon right before Summer Solstice. Have all your items with you and a shovel. Use salt to purify the space.

 Cast a circle around your working area.  Light your working candle while you do your work. Dig the hole in the earth, try to keep the top sod in good shape to replace over the hole. Sprinkle with salt. Ground and Center.   When ready, say these words:

With the Goddess and God working for and through me
according to free will and for the good of all.
I now fill this bottle.

As you say the next part, actually add the items that you are naming as you go.  Take your time putting your intention into each item you place.

 

 
 

Earth anchors this magick in the ground.
This rusty nail, bent, now repels anything and anyone negative or life-denying.
The sparkling, shiny small pieces of crystals hold the light for me and my deities.
A broken piece of glass to deflect harm to anyone it is intended for.
These herbs infuse the bottle with their living properties…

 

 Mint for money and protection
Parsley for protection
Sage for wisdom and protection
Rosemary for love, healing, and health
Thyme for health, love, and courage.
This new penny manifests abundance in my home.
 Hair from my beloved pets to protect them.
Hair from my loved ones who dwell here, to protect and draw away negativity.

 

This home is divinely protected and effectively safe.
Nothing and no one can enter without my permission
Only those people and beings through whom the Goddess and God work
Can stay here, can visit, can touch this place.
 

Only Positive Magick lives in this place
In safety, protection, abundance, love, and joy
According to free will and for the good of all!

Start to bury the bottle, and replace the sod you dug up before hand and then say:

 

I now bury this bottle
It is invisible to all but me
And its magick continues
And so mote it be!

     By the time you have finished this spell, the bottle should be buried. Cover with leaves or something appropriate to make it truly invisible. Under the ground, it will continue to work until you choose to remove it. If you leave that area, it is best to dig up the bottle. Then perform this again at your next residence.

If you’re like me, your home is your sanctuary, your blessed space, where the people and fur babies you love the most of all, dwell.  You are the most comfortable, the most loved, the most ..YOU…when you are there.  Of course you want to do all you can to protect it and those who live there with you.  I wish for all of you a safe 2011 and all the Blessings that Goddess can bestow!

Blessed Be, Autumn

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January 7, 2011 · 3:44 pm

Countdown to Imbolc……

Greetings lovely friends.  How is your New Year going so far?  Mine is going very well.  As I write this it is 2:30pm..I am still in my jammies, there is snow on the ground and it’s really cold out and snowing again.  A warm fire, a warm drink, celtic music playing, veggie soup in the crock and I have just finished catching up on bills/paperwork and organized some things. Now I am relaxing and   have started thinking about Imbolc and how I want to celebrate it, decorate my altar, etc.   Imbolc is a a wonderful Sabbat to me as it is the first one I actually celebrated many years ago.  I had read about Sabbats for many years, knew alot about them, but hadn’t done anything but read about them and recognize the day.  When I finally actually DID something to celebrate..well, my practice changed for the better, needless to say.  So lets talk a bit about Imbolc.  I love the book Simple Wicca by Michele Morgan for her beautiful prose on what is happening to Mother Earth during the time of each Sabbat! 

  “Winter fights valiantly to hold the land.  The crisp snows of January have turned to storms of sleet, and the Earth and the sky are gray, leaden, and heavy with the cold.  But here and there, scattered like jewels in the sodden grass and the frozen garden, the first slender tips of daffodils start up toward the pale, growing Sun, and something in us stirs as well, as life pulses unseen beneath the still-slumbering ground.”

 This is Imbolc, known also as Imbolg, Candlemas, the Festival of Brighid, and the Feast of Lights.  The word Imbolc means “in the belly,” or in the womb of Mother Earth, as well as “in milk,” which refers to ewes coming into milk for the first lambs of the season. This Sabbat marks the return of spring, even as winter continues its reign.  Imbolc is February 2nd and is of course, in modern times, also known as Groundhog’s Day.   

 Imbolc is a time of cleansing and purification.  It is time to throw out the old and bring in the new.  This not only means the “stuff and clutter” in your home, but also your old thoughts, anger, hurt feelings etc.  It’s time to prepare for the warm spring days and for the renewal of Mother Earth and her bounty.  Rites of initiation and consecration of altars and ritual tools are often conducted at this Sabbat.  Imbolc is the time of year that I often renew my devotion to my Path by performing a self re-dedication ceremony. 

The customs of Imbolc include ritual “spring cleaning” of the house, to banish the last  of winter and hasten the growing days.  Use lavender and rosemary in a pot of boiling water to wash floors and walls, vinegar and mugwort for windows and mirrors.  Burn sage to cleanse the psychic energies, and replace old protection and prosperity charms.  I will be renewing my witches bottle at the Full Moon closest to Imbolc.  Cleanse your body with a ritual bath scented with lavender, and as you soak, meditate to clear your mind and heart of any thoughts or emotions that no longer serve you.  This is all to “start a-new” in mind, body, spirit and home.  I love doing this..the house smells wonderful and feels so clean..and cleansed and Blessed, and what’s not to love about a ritual bath with great smelling lavender!

      In ancient times, the Goddess Brighid was honored as her Maiden aspect, as the Bride.  One way to celebrate her is to make Brighid’s Crosses,  fashioned from wheat stalks and exchanged as symbols of protection and prosperity in the coming year.  Home hearth fires are put out and re-lit, and a besom is placed by the front door to symbolize sweeping out the old and welcoming the new.  Candles are lit and placed in each room of the house to honor the re-birth of the Sun. Just before sunset, turn off all the lights in the house.  With a single white candle burning to represent Brighid, knock three times on the front door and invite the Goddess to enter, asking that she bestow health, success, abundance, and love upon everyone in the house.  Then slowly begin turning on the lights, moving room to room, until every light in the house is on. 

Imbolc Correspondences

*Element/Gender-Earth/female

 *Threshold- Midnight

*Symbolism-First stirring of Mother Earth, lambing, growth of the Sun God, the middle of  winter, Purity, Re-newal, Fertility, dispensing of old and making way for the new

 *Symbols/Tools/Decorations-Brighid’s Crosses, Brideo’gas, Besoms, white flowers, acorn wands, candles, Brides bed, milk, evergreens, daffodils, grain/seeds, snowflakes

*Herbs-Angelica, basil, bay laurel, blackberry, heather, iris, myrrh, violets, clover, willow, and all yellow flowers.

*Incense/Oils-Basil, bay, wisteria, cinnamon, violet, vanilla, myrrh, jasmine, rose, sage lavender,

*Colors-Gold, light green, green, blue, yellow, pink, white, red, brown and pastels

 *Crystals/Stones-Amethyst, bloodstone, garnet, ruby, turquoise, onyx, moonstone, red jasper

*Customs/Activities-Candle lighting, seeking omens of spring, cleaning house, bonfires, indoor  planting, stone collecting, hearth re-lighting, storytelling

*Foods-Pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds, spicy foods, dairy, raisins, poppyseed bread/cakes,  muffins, scones, breads, pancakes/waffles, spiced wines, herbal teas

*Gods- Pan, Cupid/Eros, young Sun Gods

*Goddesses-  Brighid, Venus, Diana, Virgin Goddess, Maiden Child Goddess, Aradia, Athena, Inanna, Vesta, Gaia,  Selene, Februa

 *Spellworking/Rituals-Cleansing, purification, renewal, creative inspiration, purification,  initiation, candle work, house & temple blessings, welcoming Brigid,   feast of milk and bread, Self-dedication

To aid you in your house cleansing, here is a ritual I love to do after all the Cleaning is done….

Imbolc House Cleansing Ritual 

 -First do a complete physical cleaning of your house.

-Clean windows with vinegar and mugwort water.

-Clean floors with lavender and rosemary water.

-Throw out old, used, worn items or give to charity.

-Sort thru piles of paperwork. 

-This physically sweeps out the old negative energy in the house and makes room for the new.

-Light a smudge stick and walk around the rooms of your house to replace old protection and prosperity.

-Make Blessing Oil.

As you pass from room to room, anoint each door and windowsill with the Blessing Oil by tracing the shape of a pentagram or other symbol of your tradition. This prevents anything negative from crossing into the home. Say:

“May the goddess bless this home,
making it sacred and pure,
so that nothing but love and joy
shall enter through this door.”

For me the house cleaning part takes place the week before.  Then I do the floors and windows the day of, then I perform this ritual.  The night of Imbolc, I light candles all over my home for awhile.  Then I do as suggested above.  I turn off all lights and light a single white candle and go to each door, knock 3 times, throw it open and invite in the goddess and ask her for all the good things in life to come into my home; Health, abundance, prosperity, and joy!  As I go room to room, I turn the lights back on.  I will then spend time at my altar doing my self re-dedication and honoring the Goddess Brighid,  whom I often will call on.

I will post more about my altar and my Imbolc celebration in the coming days.  If you haven’t already started thinking about this beautiful Sabbat, then do.  There is alot of work involved with this one.  The clearing out of the old is not for the faint of heart! LOL  Be brutal in both your home and yourself!  Really clear out the stuff that needs to go.  You will feel so much better about your home and you will feel lighter and happier with yourself as well.  Spring is coming and I know that makes many of your heart’s soar!!  Start it out with a clean, uncluttered great smelling home and a clean slate full of positivity, lightness and joy for yourself!

Blessed Be, Autumn

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January 4, 2011 · 10:08 pm

New Moon Blessings……

Merry Meet my friends!  Blessed New Moon night to you all.  The first one after the New Year…the first one in 2011!  This one is even more magickal indeed as there is much happening in the sky.  Last night during the dark of the Moon, there was a meteor shower and early this morning with the Sunrise, there was a solar eclipse…magickal indeed!  Did you see it?  I was able to see a bit of the meteor shower but the clouds came in and that was that.  I love the New Moon almost as much as the Full Moon…the quiet and peacefulness, a black starry sky, and reflecting on the possibilities.  There is some amazing workings that can be done during the Dark and New Moon….if you aren’t utilizing it..you are missing out indeed!

Let’s start first with some correspondences about the New Moon:

 Time: From Dark Moon to Waxing Moon.

New Moon – The magic should be performed between dawn and sunset for the best use of this magic.  I have to say that I do not do my New Moon magick during the day.  I do mine before midnight!  I like to be out in it..out in that black inky sky.

Dark Moon – As odd as this may sound, the strongest pull of the dark moon is around 10:00 a.m.  Again, I like to be out at night 🙂 

Goddess Aspect:   Maiden

Dark Moon Godesses:    Hecate, Kali, Morrigan,  Callieach, Banshee,

New Moon Goddesses:  Inanna, Juno

Pagan Holiday: Winter Solstice
Goddess Name: Rosemerta’s Moon
Goddess Energy: Goddesses of growth
Offering: Milk and Honey
Theme: Abundance
Rune: Fehu for abundance, Kenaz for openings, Gebo for love
Tarot Trump: the Fool

Magickal Attributes:   Banishing,  Releasing the Old, Removing Unwanted Negative Energies, Wisdom, Psychic Abilities, Scrying, Reversing Circumstances. Also a great time to cleanse and consecrate your altar tools.

New Beginnings:   Weight loss, Goal setting, Planning, Cleaning, Personal Cleansing, General beginnings and considerations.

Spellwork for:     Starting new ventures, new beginnings, love, romance, health, or job hunting, and creative ventures.

New moon – beauty, health,  self-improvement,  planting gardens,  job hunting,  love and romance.

Dark moon – addictions, change, divorce, enemies, justice, obstacles, quarrels, removal, separation, stopping stalkers and theft.

As you can see, there is sooo much you can do during the New Moon.  Creative ventures to start?  How about working on your Book of Shadows, setting up a witches cupboard, starting a blog, writing spells.  Self-improvement? Being on time, finding balance in your life, exercising more, spending more “me” time.  Because the New Moon is a time for starting a-new, the spells will be very powerful to help you to manifest these types of desires.  Being the New Year, you may have some resolutions you want to stick to…the New Moon energy will help with that too!

The New Moon is a great time to cleanse and consecrate your altar tools, crystals, magickal jewelry etc.  Here is a ritual that I like for doing that.  I have had this ritual for a long time and don’t know where I got it from….Of course where it says (Tool), you will say what it is you are consecrating such as wand, athame, crystal, candle etc.

 Gather supplies needed and tools to be consecrated:

South/Fire…A white candle

West/Water…A chalice of water

North/Earth…A small bowl of salt

East/Air…incense

If your tradition requires you to cast a circle, do so now. Light the candle and the incense. Take the tool or other items you wish to consecrate in your hands, and face north. Pass it over the salt and say:

 Powers of the North, Guardians of the Earth,
I consecrate this (tool) and charge it with your energies.
I purify it this night, and make this tool sacred. 

 Now, turn to the east and, holding the tool in the smoke of the incense, say:

Powers of the East, Guardians of the Air,
I consecrate this (tool) and charge it with your energies.
I purify it this night, and make this tool sacred. 

 Next, face the south and pass the tool over the flame of the candle  and speak the words:

Powers of the South, Guardians of Fire,
I consecrate this (tool) and charge it with your energies.
I purify it this night, and make this tool sacred.

Finally, turn to the west, and pass your ritual tool over the cup of water. Say:

Powers of the West, Guardians of Water,
I consecrate this (tool) and charge it with your energies.
I purify it this night, and make this tool sacred.

Face your altar, hold the (tool) to the sky, and speak the words:

I charge this (tool) in the name of Old Ones,
the Ancients, the Sun and the Moon and the Stars.
By the powers of the Earth, of Air, of Fire and of Water
I banish the energies of any previous owners,
and make it new and fresh.
I consecrate this wand,
and it is mine.

So Mote It Be!

Now you’ve not only consecrated the tool, you’ve claimed ownership.

I will also make this Dark Moon oil blend and use it at my altar and on my tools.  Smells delicious!

Dark Moon Oil.

 7 drops Jasmine

      3 drops Chamomile

  3 drops Patchoul

 1 drop Sandalwood

 

New Moon Ritual

    In early societies, the reappearance of the moon was often a cause for celebration – after all, it meant that the dark had passed, and the full moon was on its way back. The following rite is one which welcomes the moon back at the beginning of her cycle.

     First, if your tradition requires you to cast a circle, do so at this time. If you don’t normally cast a circle, take the time to ritually purify the area by smudging or asperging. This will establish the space as sacred.

     Perform this ceremony outside if at all possible — it’s the best way to get a good look at the sliver of new moon. You’ll need a moon candle, wrapped in a black cloth, to place on your altar. This is traditionally a white unscented pillar-style candle. You’ll also need a hand-held mirror. Tie some silver and white ribbons on it if you wish. Finally, have a small bowl of Blessing Oil handy.

     Hold this ceremony at sunset if you can. Turn to the west, and watch as the sun goes down (without looking directly at it). Once the sun has dropped below the horizon, you’ll be able to see where the new moon is rising. Once you see the moon in the sky, unwrap the candle. Hold it up high and say:

Welcome back, Moon!
we’re glad to see you again.
Another cycle has passed
another month gone by
and our lives have moved forward.

 

Place the candle on the altar and light it, still facing the moon. Say:

 

 Today is a new day,
and a new month begins.
As the tides flow, and the moon rises above,
we are thankful that She has returned.
She watches over us, ever constant,
yet always changing,
and we are thankful for her light.

   Next, turn to face east, where the sun will rise in the morning. Pick up the mirror and hold it so you can see the new moon behind you. Say:

Bring us your wisdom, your guidance,
your protection, in the coming month.
You are behind me at every step,
watching and guiding me,
and I am thankful.

     Place the mirror back on the altar, beside the moon candle. Take a moment to reflect on your goals. After all, this is a time of new beginnings, and a good time for new commitments and vows. Warm the Blessing Oil over the candle for just a moment, and then anoint your forehead. As you do so, say:

May the blessings of the moon be with me.

     When you are ready, close the circle and end the ritual. If you choose, you can move into healing rites or magical workings, or a Cakes & Ale ceremony.

 

I love this ritual and find it very magickal.  I often call on Hecate to help me at the time of the Dark of the Moon; especially if I’m not clear on my course of action, what I want to focus on or change in my life.  Remember that she is a dark goddess and she is the Goddess of the crossroads.  She will help guide you if asked.  So I hope that each of you will take advantage of the energy during the dark and new moon and see what  changes, new beginnings, or adventures you can manifest in your life.  But don’t forget that you have to do the work as well!  You can’t do a spell to say, bring balance to your life, and then just sit back and hope it will happen.  Asking  the Goddess for help is wonderful, finding the Goddess within you and doing the work yourself..well,  that will make you feel powerful, strong and joyful in your accomplishment.  Perhaps keep a journal of what you are trying to manifest, your goals for achieving it, the work you do to make it happen, and the outcome.  Writing it down will help you to focus and get the job done!

So good luck my friends, and again, New Moon Blessings and Goddess Bless, Autumn

*Sources..I’m afraid I have had this information so long I don’t have my sources..if you know, feel free to tell me.  I appreciate very much whoever wrote them 🙂    Also, these two pictures are from the internet.

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Filed under Book of Shadows, Goddess, New Moons, Oil Blend Recipe, Ritual, Spells

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December 6, 2010 · 11:40 pm

Yule traditions and symbolism…..

Merry Meet lovely friends!  I am sitting in my easy chair with a warm glowing fire going, my daughter in the chair next to me, chili in the slow cooker, hot tea (cinnamon) in my cup and decided to write a blog post.  It has been snowy again today..we have about two inches of snow so far with more expected as the week goes on.  Winter is here no doubt!  Temps in the mid 20’s during the day, windy, brisk..and I just love it!

Earlier this week I pulled out three books I have on Yule..one is Dorothy Morrison’s book “Yule..a celebration of light and warmth.” and “The Winter Solstice.the sacred traditions” by John Matthews, and “Pagan Christmas”  by Christian Ratsch and Claudia Muller-Ebeling….all three are great books and contain a huge amount of information, history, recipes, crafts & rituals for the Yuletide season.  A common theme all 3 books is the symbolism behind our much loved “stuff” we put all over the place at this time of year.  Thought I would discuss a few of them!

Bells– Pagans, at their festivals, would originally ring bells to drive away the “demons” that surfaced during the cold, dark time of the year.  Christians are taught in the bible “to make a joyful noise”.  Bell ringing seemed to fit the bill.  Have you ever heard a bell ringing choir during a christmas eve service or mass?  Very beautiful.  Bells are very much associated with the season.

Candles-As a witch, the symbolism of a candle is about representing the element of fire, and representing God and Goddess and sends healing and protection when needed.  Candles are thought to have originated in ancient Rome when they gifted them to each other during Saturnalia.  The flame was thought to chase away dark winter demons and urge the Sun back into the sky.  At this time of year especially, my home is alight with candles to add warmth and light to my home.

Evergreens– Evergreens were used to decorate homes and halls dating back to the earliest Winter festivals.  Because the green never fades, they were thought to have power over death and destruction.  That power was again thought to chase away the winter demons and urge the Sun to come back. Evergreens in winter gave the pagans hope for a return of the light and the renewing power of the goddess nature.  I love to bring in the greens for their wonderful scent also!

Holly–  Holly has vibrant green leaves and bright red berries during the winter’s cold, providing a beautiful symbol of rebirth. The Celts gathered holly branches and placed them in their homes the night before the winter solstice as protection against sorcery, lightning, and death.  In Scandenavia, it was believed that holly would bring luck to the house.  In Roman Bacchus, holly was the female counterpart to male ivy and this is why wreaths were made of both and hung on the front door.  Pagans believe Holly is Masculine to Ivy’s feminine.  With this multilayerd symbolism, the holly is indeed the crown jewel of evergreens.  This is why the Green Man wears a crown of holly.  I have beautiful holly bushes in my own yard and can cut fresh stems thruout the season. 

Mistletoe– Sacred to the Druids, the berried mistletoe symbolized the semen of the gods, and was used to bring about great fertility and abundance.  Brought into the home and hung over doorways, it also protected from evil.    Why do we kiss under the mistletoe?  Norse legend  says that Frigg, loved her son Balder so much that she couldn’t stand the thought of something happening to him.  but Loki (the God of Mayhem) fashioned an arrow out of mistletoe and gave it to Balder’s blind brother.  The arrow was shot and Balder fell dead.  Frigg’s tears restored Her son to life, and in her happiness, she declared the mistletoe plant a symbol of luck, love and promise.  Kissing under the mistletoe means you are receiving Frigg’s blessing.  I think it’s also very romantic and fun!

Reindeer– Pagans believe the reindeer symbolizes the horned God Cernunnos.  Others believe they represent the stags that drew the Norse goddess Freya’s chariot..either way, reindeer have pagan origins.  And how would Santa get all over the world without them??? 🙂

Wreath–  A circle of greens…to a pagan a perfect symbol of  the never-ending cycle of birth, death, and re-birth.  Often used to represent the Sun as well.  The Romans gave wreaths during Saturnalia as a gift to symbolize goodwill, friendship, and joyfulness.  To me, nothing says Yule/Christmas more then a wreath on the front door.  And now many people keep a wreath on their door all year long..decorated for the various holidays or seasons.

Yule Log– The Celts adorned a log (symbolizing the Oak King) with evergreens (symbolizing the Holly King) to signify the  death of darkness and the warmth of the sun during the newborn  solar year.  According to tradition, the log should be burned continuously for 12 days, and a bit saved  to light the yule log for next year’s fire.  I burn my Yule log on Winter Solstice night.  I decorate it with greens from my own yard.  I also make a tabletop version…holes have been cut to support tapered candles in red, green and gold.  Covered in greens, pinecones and a big red bow!

In her book “Yule”, Dorothy Morrison has a beautiful chant to say while burning your Yule log…

Old King we thank you for all you’ve done

For lessons learned and victories won

We must however, bid you adieu

For your reign is finished, it’s over and through

Come forth young King of newest light

Be born with ease; grow strong and bright

Gain strength and stature in the sky

Shed your warmth on us, now from on high!

Now, while decorating  for the holidays, you will know the meaning behind the items you place so lovingly around your home.  You are bringing magick into your home, celebrating rituals that have been practiced since ancient times.  Warm bright candlelight, the smell of pine and fir, the family gathered for wassail while the Yule log burns.  Whether you celebrate Yule, Christmas, Hannukah…the feeling this time of year is universal.  It is approached with great love and  joy.   Take the time to celebrate the Solstice…you will make a new tradition in your own family that will be passed on to your children and grandchildren.  Blessings to you and yours, Autumn

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Filed under Books I'm reading, Family, Nature, Ritual, Uncategorized, Yule/Winter Solstice/Chrismas

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