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

24 Comments

Filed under Full Moons, Goddess, Herbs, Oil Blend Recipe, Protection, Ritual, Spells

Tagged as , , , , , ,

January 15, 2011 · 10:31 pm

Imbolc Recipes……

Good Evening friends!  Hope you are all having a great weekend so far.  I am having a good one despite the fact that my husband is pretty ill with pneumonia!  Not fun at all for him and I’m hoping that all of us around him are able to keep from getting it too.  We are taking good care of him both medically and magickally so he will hopefully get over it sooner rather than later.

I was sitting by the fire this evening and decided to pull out my recipe box and start looking for recipes for Imbolc.  As I posted in an earlier writing, the foods for Imbolc are seeds like pumpkin, sunflower, poppy, flax, sesame. Also raisins, dairy foods, spicy foods, pork, lamb, spiced wines, breads, cakes, muffins, pancakes, scones etc.  I tried to find recipes that combined some of these foods and was quite successful!  I thought I would share them with you so here we go……

This is top of my list that I’ll be making!

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Lemon Glaze

Yield 2 – 8×4 inch loaf pans

 Ingredients

1 (18.25 ounce) package lemon cake mix

4 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 (3 ounce) package instant lemon pudding mix

1 cup water

1/4 cup poppy seeds

Directions

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 – 8×4 inch loaf pans.

-In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, eggs, oil, pudding mix, water, and poppy seeds. Spread batter into two greased 8×4 inch loaf pans.

-Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Lemon Glaze

4 TB sugar

4 Tsp Lemon juice

Just mix sugar and juice well and pour over cake after allowing cake to cool for 10 minutes.

This recipe is classic for using milk…pudding.  Remember that Imbolc is the festival of the lactating sheep.  It is derived from the Gaelic word “oimelc” which means “ewes milk”.   So a recipe using milk is most appropriate for this Sabbat.  Now I don’t know about your but my pudding must be chocolate! Yummy!  This is a great recipe!

Chocolate Cream Pudding

 Ingredients

1 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2 egg yolks

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1.In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in milk and chocolate. Cook, stirring constantly, until chocolate melts and mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in egg yolks. Return to heat and cook 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Chill before serving.

Now, I was looking at the list and there are two things I love on the list…scones and raisins!  So here is a recipe for just that!

Walnut Raisin Scones

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

1/2 cup butter, cubed

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup raisins

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons buttermilk

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

Directions

-In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon peel.

-With a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix in all but 2 tablespoons of the nuts and the raisins. Mix in buttermilk with fork.

-Gather the dough into a ball and knead for about 2 minutes on lightly floured board.

-Roll or pat out 3/4 inch thick. With a chef’s knife cut into 3 inch triangles. Place, spaced 1inch apart, on a greased baking sheet. Brush tops with remaining 1 tablespoon buttermilk; sprinkle with the remaining sugar and the nuts.

-Bake in center of 425 degree F (220 degrees C) oven about 15 minutes or until nicely browned. Serve warm with butter or jam.

Both the Lemon Bread and these delicious scones would work great for a Cakes and Ale ritual at your altar.  Speaking of ale, a spiced wine is perfect for Imbolc and this is a yummy recipe..make this and serve to your family and friends and have it at your altar as well!

Spiced Wine

 1 cup water

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups pineapple juice

1 cup orange juice

6 whole cloves

3 whole allspice berries

2 cinnamon stick

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 cups red wine

2 oranges

8 cinnamon sticks, garnish

Directions

-In a large non-aluminum saucepan, combine water, brown sugar, pineapple juice, and orange juice. Season with cloves, allspice, 2 cinnamon sticks and salt. Cut the rind of 2 oranges into strips and stir into the mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes.

-Pour in the wine. Heat to just boiling and remove from heat. Serve hot with a cinnamon stick for garnish.

Sitting here by the fire tonight, I’m wishing I had some of this to savor right now! 🙂

Pork is appropriate for this Winter sabbat as well.  This recipe is delicious and sooo easy..you’ll love it!

Simply Delicious Pork

1 1/2 lbs boneless pork loin, cut into 6 pieces (trimmed)

4 medium yellow delcious apples, sliced

3 TB brown sugar

1 Tsp cinnamon

1/2 Tsp salt

Place pork in slow cooker.  Cover with apples. 

Combine brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in small bowl.  Sprinkle over apples.  Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.

Thats it.  Easy Peasy.  You can shred it and put it on sandwiches or slice it and serve it with mashed potatoes and green beans or other veggies that you like.  You can also double this to feed more then 3-4 people. 

Another great recipe which would go great with the pork is this fresh salad…uses sesame seeds,  so again, you would be incorporating one of the foods that pertain to Imbolc.  I LOVE this salad!

Bok Choy Salad

In a large salad bowl, place….

1 Large head of romaine lettuce, chopped

1 Large bok choy, ends cut off and chopped

2 pkgs crumbled ramen noodles (noodles only)

Brown in a saute pan:

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup sliced almonds

2 TB butter

Pour over salad.  Top with 2 cans drained mandarin oranges.

Dressing:

1/2 cup sunflower oil

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 TB soy sauce.

Mix well and toss into salad right before serving!

All of these recipes are simple and will make your Imbolc celebration even better!  So after you have done your house cleaning and cleansing, throw some of these recipes in the oven or in the slow cooker and enjoy the good smells coming from your kitchen as you are enjoying your great smelling, great feeling home!  Then have some spiced wine and put your feet up for a bit after all your hard work!  Take a look around at what you have accomplished and know that you are just about ready for Spring!

Blessings and Love, Autumn

9 Comments

Filed under Imbolc, Recipe from my Kitchen, Spring

Tagged as , ,

January 12, 2011 · 11:34 pm

The Goddess Brighid………..

Merry Meet friends.  I want to start by thanking all of you who come to read my blog, subscribe, comment.  I have had a big jump in subscriptions and comments and up to 4500 hits!  I am humbled and happy that my blog seems to be liked 🙂  Thank you much.  This past Monday my family received wonderful news!  My daughter Kate is 20 weeks pregnant with baby # 2 ( if you read my blog or know me thru facebook you know Lily..my darling granddaughter who is 2)!!  Because she is 20 weeks, she was able to finally have her ultrasound and we were given the wonderful news that a  lovely boy is coming to us all!!  His name will be Charlie Matthew and he will be here towards the end of May.  We are all very happy and excited and Lily is already talking about baby Charlie and mommy and daddy are preparing the room and the whole family is shopping! LOL  The wheel of Life continues to turn and new joys come often don’t they!

I thought that as I have talked about Imbolc and Brighid is honored at this Sabbat, I would talk a bit about her.  Brighid happens to be a favorite Goddess that I will call on often as I am very Irish and the Celtic pantheon is important to me.  In Irish mythological cycles, Brighid (or Brighit), whose name is derived from the Celtic brig or “exalted one”.  She appears as Brighid to the Irish, Brigantia in England, Bride in Scotland and Briganu in Brittany.  She is the daughter of the Dagda, and therefore one of the Tuatha de Dannan. Her two sisters were also called Brighid, and were associated with healing and crafts. The three Brighids were typically treated as three aspects of a single deity, making her a classic Celtic triple goddess.  Brighid as maiden, mother and crone.  For Imbolc Brighid is a maiden, as it is the coming of Spring.  It is said that Brighid was born at the exact moment of daybreak;  rose into the sky with the sun, rays of fire beaming from her head. It is also said that wherever she walked, small flowers and shamrocks would appear. As a sun goddess her gifts are light (knowledge), inspiration, and the vital and healing energy of the sun.

Brighid was the patron of poets and bards, as well as healers and magicians. She also represents herbalism, childbirth and midwifery, hearth fire, and smithcraft.   She was a Goddess of Fire and a Warrior.  She was especially honored when it came to matters of prophecy and divination. She was honored with a sacred flame maintained by a 19  priestesses, and her sanctuary at Kildare, Ireland, later became the home of the Christian variant of Brighid, St. Brigid of Kildare. Kildare is also the location of one of several sacred wells  in the Celtic regions.  There are wells all over Ireland sacred to Brighid.  Water is associated with healing and wisdom.

Some facts and correspondences:

Name:  Brighid/ Brigit/ Bríd/ Brigid / Bride

Race:   Tuatha Dé Danann

Properties:  Healing, Fertility, Smithcraft,  Poetry, Midwifery/Childbirth, Herbalism, Hearth Fire, Inspiration

Lesser Properties: Agriculture

Father:  The Dagda

Husband:  Bres Mac Elatha

  Consort: Turenn son of Oghma

Sons:  Brian, Iuchar & Iucharba (Gods of Poetry) by Turenn

Grandson:  Ecne (God of Knowledge)

Associated Deities:  Danu

Festival:  Imbolc (1st February)

Season:  Spring

Element: Fire

In many Pagan traditions today, Brighid is celebrated with crafts that honor her role as the protector of the hearth. You can make a Brighid corn doll;  as well as a Bride’s Bed for her to sleep in. Perhaps the best known decoration is the Brighid’s Cross whose arms represent the place where a crossroads comes together, the space between light and dark.  You can find multiple sites on how to make the Brighid’s Cross..even you tube video’s so I won’t go into that here.  To make a Bride’s Bed:

* You’ll need a small box, or basket.   Line it with a towel or small blanket.  Add or make a small pillow and place in the basket as well. Then top with another warm blanket, just like your own bed. Place the bed by your hearth fire.  If you’ve made a Brighid doll,  place her in the bed before you go to sleep at night. If you don’t have a Brighid doll and don’t wish to make one, you can use a broom or besom to represent Brighid instead.  The broom is an old symbol of female power and the fertility that Brighid represents.  If you want to bring fertility and abundance into your home this year, make sure Brighid doesn’t get lonely in her bed. Place a Priapic wand (acorn wand)  in there with her to represent the god of your tradition. Remember — fertility doesn’t just mean sexuality. It also applies for financial gain and other abundance.  Once Brighid is in her bed, you can gather around the hearth fire with your family, and welcome your guest with the traditional greeting, spoken three times:

Brighid is come, Brighid is welcome!

Leave candles burning beside Brighid throughout the night – place them in a dish of sand or dirt for safety considerations. If you need inspiration in a matter, or wish to work some divinatory magic, stay up throughout the night and meditate, asking Brighid for guidance.  I put my candles in my cauldron or right in my fireplace after the hearth fire dies down. 

 One of my favorite tales about the goddess Brighid  involves two lepers who appeared at her sacred well at Kildare and asked to be healed. She told them that they were to bathe each other until the skin healed. After the first one was healed, he felt only revulsion for the other and would not touch him to bathe him. Angered, Brigid caused his leprosy to return. Then she gently placed her mantle (cloak) around the other leper who was immediately healed.  This also goes along with her mantle or cloak of green…as she comes in the Springtime, her cloak awakens the Earth and it greens and the flowers start to bloom.  How wonderful!

 

 To have Brighid represented at your altar for Imbolc,  you can of course have a statue of her, print a picture off the internet,  a book of poetry or your own poem you’ve written,  healing herbs, silver coins,  and lots of candles.  A cauldron of water could represent her sacred wells. If you aren’t familiar with Brighid I hope this post gives you reason to learn about her and to place her high on your list of favorite goddesses.  She will not disappoint you!

Love and Blessings, Autumn 

*Some of this information comes from About.com and Goddess Gift and my own BOS.

9 Comments

Filed under Altars, Goddess, Imbolc, Mother Earth, Spring, Thank You!

January 9, 2011 · 6:42 pm

A Winter Sunrise Morn……..

Merry Meet friends!  I hope that you are all having a lovely Sun day.  Sun day is my favorite day of the week.  It is usually a stay at home day for me.  I spend it puttering in the house, cooking a yummy breakfast or dinner or both (like today!)  watching football or movies, reading, crocheting, hanging out by the fire.  Sometimes I will spend time working on my Book of Shadows or mixing oil blends or incense blends, or spending some time at my altar or studying something like runes or tarot.  Just laid back and wonderful!  Today I was actually busy..made breakfast, then took a drive to have some me time, then grocery, then made up two dishes of baked pasta!  By 4:30, I finally sat down to catch up on facebook and write in my blog and relax. 🙂 

My day though started off in a most beautiful way…which is what I’m really here to write about.  This morning there was a gorgeous Sunrise that I was most blessed to be up in time to see.  There was ice on all the tree branches and the beauty took my breath away!  I grabbed my camera and snapped these pictures…

I am really getting into photography and I got a little better camera from my hubby for Yule.  It is the first step towards getting the ultimate camera I want…but it’s a good one and I will enjoy it for awhile!  I was most pleased with these pics..almost as pleased as I was with the real thing! 🙂  I was so inspired too by my experience that I wrote a little poem….now I have very rarely written a poem.  I am pretty good at writing spells and charms etc but poetry has always escaped me.  So be kind and don’t think too harshly of my poetry writing…but it comes from the heart and expresses what I felt and saw this morning!

Winter Sunrise Morning

by

Autumn Earthsong 

 

I know before I’m completely awake that it is very cold

As I lay, I see a slight shimmer starting to show on the snow

I jump up with coffee in mind, when I see ice shining bright and bold

On the bare, dark trees, glittering from a beautiful sunrise glow

 

I grab slippers and camera, and head out  to catch this beautiful sight

 Out to the porch I go, when  cold air hits me, and my breath leaves me

I stop,  and my eyes  take in the Sun’s pink and orange light

Just coming up over the horizon,  in time for me to see

 

Through the camera lens a magickal world appears

Of white snow and dark trees and Sun and ice

My heart swells with the beauty that is so near

I snap a picture, once, twice, thrice…….

 

I shiver and watch the Sun rise higher a minute more

Then I give thanks  to the Goddess  with  a full heart

For the gift of this glorious winter sunrise morn

Then indoors I run, to coffee and warmth,  my day is off to an excellent start!

Now again, its ok if you don’t like my prose, but I’m pretty proud of myself for even attempting it…much less posting it here!  🙂  So my word of advice for today is…get out and see those sunrises and sunsets.  Taking the time to do that, yes even if you have to get up early, is sooo worth it.  It really does help me to connect with Mother Earth, Goddess, God every day.  Thats all it takes to connect with the Divine.  After all, the gift is there to take..so take it! Relish it!  Take pictures of it!  Dance and sing!  Whatever you feel inspired to do!   Just don’t let it pass you every single day..

Love and Light, Autumn

12 Comments

Filed under Goddess, Mother Earth, Nature, Photography, Poem, Sunrise/Sunset, Winter

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

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

11 Comments

Filed under Goddess, Imbolc, Mother Earth, Quote, Ritual

Tagged as , , , ,

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.

11 Comments

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

Tagged as , , , ,

December 31, 2010 · 1:02 pm

To Welcome 2011~!…….

Merry Meet my wonderful friends!  So here we are at the end of the year…saying good bye to 2010 and welcoming in 2011!  For me, 2011 brings a new grandchild..boy or girl? we’ll know in about 10 days! 🙂  Either way we welcome this child into our family with great love and open arms.  This child is blessed to have the my daughter and her husband as parents and many sets of grandparents and great grandparents who would do anything for them. 

My wishes for myself for 2011 is probably the same as all of you.  Blessings of good health, prosperity, abundance, joy, fun, growth in knowledge and spirituality, Love….with no sign of sorrow, sickness, strife, drama, hurt or troubles.  I wish for all of you the same thing! 

“Here’s a toast to the future, a toast to the past, and a toast to our friends, far and near. May the future be pleasant, the past a bright dream; may our friends remain faithful and dear.” –Anonymous

May you all have a wonderful New Year’s Eve and ring in the New Year with those you love…whether you are partying or spending quiet time in reflection and repast!  Ponder on good things and the Goddess will bless you!

With much love, Autumn

16 Comments

Filed under Family, Goddess, New Year, Quote

Tagged as

December 27, 2010 · 7:23 pm

Saying good-bye to 2010……

Merry Meet my friends.  I hope that you all had a fabulous holiday and that Santa was good to you all!  I had a very nice holiday myself and my family was very generous and thoughtful this year…there were many “witchy” presents under our tree, for my daughters and myself.  My hubby got me the camera I had been wanting as well..can’t wait to play with the powerful zoom lens! 🙂  

If you’re like me, pretty quick after the last present is open and the feast is over and everything put away…it’s time to think about taking down the decorations! LOL!  For me this starts immediately.  All of the sudden I feel the need to clear out all the clutter that I find so beautiful and charming when the holiday season starts.  I want to put it all away, de-clutter, organize, clean.  As a witch, I also start thinking about clearing the house of the stale air and any negative energy.  I start thinking of projects I can work on during the long winter ahead.

I have blogged about how to do a house cleansing here before so I wont’ go into it again.  But I will be doing a thorough cleaning this week.  New Year’s eve I will do a thorough cleansing.  I will also at midnight throw open the doors and invite in positive, healthy energy and send out the old, negative energy! Grab your broom and sweep out all the things, both physical and mental, that no longer serve you well.  Do  a good smudging and a quick chant…that should do the trick!  I will also spend some time at my altar which will be set up just simply…holding only my elemental reps,  My god and goddess candles, some crystals, and my working tools.  As I think about what I want to come my way in the new year, I will place sympathy items there to represent those hopes…such as coins for prosperity,  a red heart stone for love,  a band aid for good health, food and drink for abundance, a 4 leaf clover charm for good luck, etc. Think about what you would like to have come your way and place items on your altar as well.  Ask god and goddess to bless you in the new year to come..you know they are listening! 🙂

We are heading for the New Moon as well soon.  Want to start a new project for winter?  The New Moon is the perfect time for that as all witches know!  I am going to tackle my attic to get rid of junk, turn a never used sewing room into a room for my grandkids, make a quilt for my granddaughter’s big girl room, and work on my Book of Shadows…seriously work on that!  I will catch up on reading as I will have more time to do that and will start working on making some herbal remedies I’m in need of as well.

I know alot of people don’t love Winter, but I say it’s an opportunity to both relax and reflect, and  a time to get your home organized and cleaned out for the coming spring.  Winter gives you time to work on those projects that you always want to do but don’t seem to have the time to do.  What will you do this winter?  What would you like to accomplish?  Find something to look forward to, don’t let the blues or the “I’m so bored” take over!  Think about spring coming..maybe you’d like to peruse gardening books and plan your garden.  Paint a room a pretty spring color like yellow or green or lilac.  Work on your BOS or make up some lotions and potions.  All of these things will make winter go faster and be more enjoyable and you’ll feel so good and so accomplished!

New Year’s resolutions?  Do you do them?  I have done them in the past and of course, like everybody else, start out with good intentions and work hard to do them, but they soon fall to the wayside.  I quit doing them many years ago.  This year however, I have a few things that I would like to resolve to do..to improve my life.  These I hope are very doable for me 🙂

*Be kind and speak softly

*Open myself up to receive love from others and to give love in return

*Practice witchcraft somehow, everyday

*Continue to learn and grow in my path..becoming stagnant is to lose my magick

*To be the best I can be

*To live in the moment

*To honor the Goddess and the Earth everyday in all I do

*Practice random acts of kindness

I hope these are things I can “do” everyday…hopefully without even giving it a thought..that it just comes naturally.  Have you thought about resolutions?  Things you’d like to bring into your life, that you want to change about your life?  Now is the time! 

Love and Blessings, Autumn

10 Comments

Filed under Altars, Book of Shadows, Discussion, Goddess, New Moons, Winter

December 24, 2010 · 5:48 pm

Christmas Joy to you and yours…..

Merry Meet my wonderful readers!  It is after 5pm Christmas eve.  I am settled in by the fire with husband and daughter at my side.  A Mickey Mouse Christmas is on tv, a glass of spiced wine is in my hand.  My hubby is trying to secretly wrap the gifts he chose for me, my daughter is dozing, and I am feeling warm and happy and accomplished! 🙂  Wrapping is done, gifts are bought, the fridge is full and the candles and fire are lit.  Tomorrow and the next day will be busy and festive and fun.

Tomorrow the entire family gathers here in the evening for the usual ham dinner with all the fixings and our gift exchange which is a game..I’m sure you know of it.  Everybody picks a number out of a hat.  #1 goes first, of course, and picks from a pile of presents and opens it.  #2 goes next…they can pick a present from the pile or steal the gift from person #1!…and so it goes!  Often very funny and the gifts are great!  Can go on for hours! LOL

On Sunday, my daughter, her hubby and my granddaughter will be here for our family gift exchange and a brunch.  We started celebrating a different day when our beautiful granddaughter came along.  So they could be home in the morning with her and her gifts from Father Christmas.  Changing things up was necessary and a surprising positive thing.  We are much more relaxed and less rushed and it’s always a peaceful, relaxing, fun day.

As I said in a previous post, Christmas for us has always been a secular holiday..we do not celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.  But we don’t mind being told Merry Christmas either.  We are open to all religions and their celebrations.  So be it Yule, Hannukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa…however you celebrate it, it is a magickal time of year. 

What would be really wonderful, is if everyone could keep the way they feel this time of the year, in their heart and minds all year long.  The love that is shared with your family and friends, should be shared all year long.  Feeling the thrill of christmas morn like a child, the warmth and comfort of a fire or a lit candle, the feeling you have when you see the faces of your children and grandchildren opening their gifts, the swelling heart you feel when your loved ones are gathered around the table, the smell of food cooking and the tree and greens that adorn your home, and the peacefulness of a dark room with lit tree and fire….all those feelings should be there all year long!  Try to record these feelings in your memory and recall them all year long!

“[I]t is the one season of the year when we can lay aside all gnawing worry, indulge in sentiment without censure, assume the carefree faith of childhood, and just plain “have fun.”  Whether they call it Yuletide, Noel, Weinachten, or Christmas, people around the earth thirst for its refreshment as the desert traveller for the oasis. ” ~D.D. Monroe

I wish you all a joyous Yuletide season…However you celebrate it.  May your next year find you and yours healthy, happy, prosperous, and content with the life you are living.  I am appreciative of all of you who come here to visit, and to my sisters in spirit, and my facebook friends who have helped me grow so much in my path, my experience, and my lessons in life!  I am most Goddess Blessed indeed.  Love to my family who support and love me and whom I love more than life itself. 

Blessed Be, Autumn

13 Comments

Filed under Family, Quote, Yule/Winter Solstice/Chrismas

December 19, 2010 · 10:54 pm

Yule Altar…………..

Merry Meet my friends!  Yule is just two sleeps away and I am so excited.  This year is even more magickal with the Long Night’s Full Moon, the lunar eclipse and a meteor shower thrown in for good measure!  The energy, beauty and magick will be amazing!  Today I got my altar all ready to go and I’m really happy with it. 

I chose a black altar cloth as it is the longest night and all the gold, red, green and white decorations look fabulous against it.  My Yule log is the centerpiece of course.  This is not one I will burn but one I made specifically for my alter.  Its is a small white birch log with white pine greens and holly from my own yard.  Pinecones, cinnamon sticks, gold star tinsel and a big red bow finish it off.  The red candle is for the Holly King, the green candle for the Oak King, and the gold candle for the Return of the Sun King.  I anointed it with Yule oil a lovely witch sister made for me.  (Thanks Mossy) 

Also on my altar is my cauldron to burn my loose Winter’s Solstice incense.  I have scattered gold glittery stars, pine cones, a beautiful stag statue, orange pomanders, a cardinal, a rosemary tree, the elemental reps, and my working tools.  A beautiful silver chalice to hold mulled wine and later I will add my “cakes” to enjoy during my ritual.  There is also crystals of Garnet, tiger’s eye, Aventurine..red & green of course… and a picture of the Oak King and Holly King I printed out from the internet.  and of course lots of candles!!

I have so much fun setting up my altars and put alot of time and thought into them.  When I sit down to work at it I want it to have all the magick I can muster from the “things” on it, and to feel that the elements are working with me, in sync, to accomplish whatever spell or ritual I am performing.  I always bless and consecrate it as well.  Whether your altar is a whole room, a shelf on the wall, a dresser or table you set up then put away, or you take it all outside, setting it up for each Sabbat is a ritual in itself.  Put your own magick and your intention into each item you place on it.  Take pics and save them in your BOS to remember in the future what you did in the past.  Or you can start a blog and talk about it there..LOL.

As I don’t think I will be back on my blog between now and Tuesday I want to wish all my friends in the Southern Hemisphere a very Blessed Litha..may your Summer Solstice bring you Love and Light!…and I wish all the rest of you a very Blessed Yule.  May the long night be full of love, magick, time with loved ones, may your candles burn brightly, and may your heart be filled knowing that the Sun returns again! 🙂  Thank you all for sharing this season with me!

Much Love Light and Blessings, Autumn

8 Comments

Filed under Altars, Full Moons, Yule/Winter Solstice/Chrismas

Tagged as , , ,