Blog changes

In an effort to get this blog back on track I have simplified it, deleted some of the attached one-topic blogs
and focused on Sabbats and Esbats, which was the original intent.
Other writings will be in 'stumbling upon the path of the goddess'
and the Borrowed Book of Charms is still active.
Links in the right hand column.

Sunday, February 28, 2010

February Full Moon - Storm Moon

Storm Moon also called the Quickening Moon or the Death Moon

The February Full Moon reminds us that we can weather any storm.
Imagine before modern society...February was a time of great hardship in the Northern Hemisphere. Lambs and calves were being born and perhaps there was a hint of new grass. But temperatures were extreme, storms were intense, the food selected in the fall to last til spring is running out. The first hint of spring brings hope, but not much else. Even spring harvest is far away and eating any livestock now means reducing the herd that will live 'til fall to supply food for the next winter. Now is the time to tighten the belt, keep the fires burning, nourish and care for any tiny living thing that brings hope. Few people in the western world live this way anymore, but the cycles of the seasons, the feelings of hardship and deprivation, the longing for spring are hardwired into us.

Take those feelings and the feelings that the cold and grey bring out in you and use them this Full Moon. Call on the Goddess for courage, for fortitude, for the wisdom to make good decisions in our lives. Our hardships, our life changing decisions, our goals and plans do not, in general, hinge on the turning of the seasons any more, but our ancestral memory does and this is the time to celebrate strength, to regroup in your life to rededicate your self to the things that you value. If your life is in transition, ask the Goddess for the wisdom to make the good decisions, not the easy ones. If things are going smoothly, ask the Goddess to be present as you continue down this path.

As you may know, I don't generally do magick on the Full Moon. Unless it is really necessary, I prefer to use these days to honor and celebrate the Goddess and life.
I will light a white candle and thank the Mother Goddess for life and do a meditation to connect with the energy of the universe.
Then I will burn some incense and thank Bast, who leaped into my life with a bucketful of courage not too long ago, to continue whatever it is that she is doing.

I hope your Full Moon is peaceful and blessed. Full Moon is at 11:38am EST.

Witchtalk again

Here I am in the chat room again. Many more people this time. The guest is Donald Michael Craig, author of "Modern Magic" talking about the Kabbalah.
And I was wrong when I posted that these interviews are an hour long. They are two hours long. Very indepth talks and very enjoyable. 4pm EST on Blogtalk Radio. There is a link on the previous post from last week.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Witchvox


Witchvox is now on Facebook. Search: The Witches' Voice Inc.
Become a fan and give them a welcome.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Witchtalk


I am right this minute listening to Witchtalk live on Blogtalk Radio. I am in the chat room so I can talk to other listeners. I usually listen to Karagan on a podcast later in the week at work, but I have been wanting to experience this as a live interactive show, so here I am.
I will post a little about how this goes.
Witchtalk is becoming my favorite podcast/show right now. These hour long indepth interviews with pagan authors and activists are enlightening and inspiring.
This week the interview is with Sirona Knight. The link to the show is here.
Sirona is the co author of the beautiful Tarot deck, Shapeshifter Tarot. And an author with an impressive list of books to her credit. I have read a few of these, but for some reason the name of the author didn't click when I saw this interview. Here is a list on Wikipedia.

This was, as always, a good interview. Not a lot of 'chat' in the chat room. A few comments to the guest. I am going to try this again the next time I am at home when this show airs.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Is Imbolc over? Did I miss it?


Short answer...No.
Depending on your sources Imbolc might be celebrated on February 1st, which is sort of traditional in North America. Or it might be celebrated on February 2nd, which is Candlemas Day, a Christian version of Imbolc. Or if you look at some astronomical data you might find that it is on February 4th. info found here
A friend of mine says her coven celebrated on the 2nd, according to their astrological data.
Many people, out of practicality, celebrate the Sabbats on their day off work, regardless of the actual date.

So, I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about my personal take on the Sabbats.
Many of us follow the Celtic calendar, more or less. Also known as the Wheel of the Year, this calendar shows us 8 Sabbats. Four of them are Sun Festivals, sometimes called the major Sabbats. These are the solstices and equinoxes. In my practice, the exact day and time that these fall on is important.

Some might say that modern science can pinpoint the exact moment of these occurrences, but how could ancient peoples have done this? So why should it be important?
All over the world are carved stones and piles of rock and carved crevices and holes in stone that line up precisely at the moment of these astronomical events. How they did this is not as important to me as the idea that they felt it was important to know the exact moment and mark it.
I try to mark these days on the exact moment also. A formal ritual on the day, if not at the exact time, has special meaning for me.

The other four Sabbats are known as the Fire Festivals or cross quarters.
In my practice the exact dates and times of these festivals are not as important as observing them.

In my thinking, the Sun Festivals are about what goes on in the heavens and the Fire Festivals are about what goes on here on the earth. The Fire Festivals are about celebrating the actual changes in the seasons and it is more important to fully appreciate these changes than it is to celebrate on a particular day.

Imbolc is an old Gaelic term that translates as 'ewe's milk' and refers to the beginning of the lambing season. This runs through mid-February and for the ancient Celts was the first tangible sign that spring was actually on its way.
Spring, the fertility of the flock, the turn of the wheel all were worthy of a celebration or Fire Festival.

In celebrating this day Brigid is often honored. Brigid is a Fire Goddess. She brings spring by breathing fire into the frozen earth.
Fire is the Element of creativity and passion. This is a good day to organize a ritual around creativity.
Do you need a boost in the area of creativity? Could you use her help in freeing up some creative feelings? Would you like to thank her for the creativity that you have and enjoy? Are you starting a new project/job that would benefit from a boost in creativity? Try your own variation of this:

Cast a circle, call the Elements to stand guard, light candles dedicated to Brigid.
Call on her and ask her to be present.
Take a few minutes and think about Brigid and her roles of shepherdess, fire goddess, healer and warrior. Think about where your own creative abilities or aspirations lay.
Make an offering to Brigid.
Sing, dance, draw, paint,write, cook, care for your plants, visualize the perfect fashion outfit, the perfectly decorated room, the abundant garden..... offer her, physically or mentally the best of your creative talents.
Now ask her to continue to bless your abilities and help you to find ways to grow. Meditate on this, visualize what you want to do, be receptive to any suggestions about how to grow and improve.
Thank Brigid for coming, put out the candles, let the Elements go and disperse your circle.

Happy Imbolc.

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