Merry Christmas!

Enjoy the holiday with your family and friends and I will be back on Saturday to talk with you about the Blue Moon coming up on December 31.
Brightest Blessings to you all!
Celestite

the drumming

Drumming Up the Sun was well worth attending. There was a cloud bank along the eastern horizon so there was no dramatic moment of sudden sunlight, instead a gradual light increasing and lighting the clouds, turning them from grey to pink to white. The weather was mild and comfortable. My sister went with me and we sat with some friends. The drumming was fun. Everyone sort of doing their own thing until the sunrise got close and then the beat synchronized and the sound grew.

Just sitting there, watching the light and listening to the drums, I thought about how people have been gathering on this day for thousands of years to do this.
And even now, when we have scientific explanations for everything, it is still magickal.

December New Moon

If you are thinking about doing a ritual or casting a spell this month and just haven't gotten around to it, think about this.
This month there are two full moons, a new moon and the winter solstice. Think about all the like minded people in the world celebrating these events and using their energy in a positive way. Think of the flow of that energy out into the universe and back. How could there be a better time to join in that energy and participate?
Don't think about it, do it.

If you are working the repeating new moon ritual, here is the link:
New Moon Ritual for New Beginnings

New Moon on December 16, 7:02 am EST

Drumming Up the Sun at Solstice

I am so excited. I am going to the annual Drumming Up the Sun at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
I have never been before.
Drumming Up the Sun is an combined effort of pagan groups in the Denver Metro Area.
It's a BIG drum circle celebrating the dawn on the solstice. Red Rocks is a natural amphitheatre just outside of Denver in the foothills. It is hard to photograph because it is so big. In the photo that center space is the seating area. At the top of that area the lighter stripe is a row of small buildings and the darker red area at the bottom of the seating area is the stage. It has all been enhanced; seats, wings on the stage, lighting etc etc, but the basic area is a natural stage. You can sit in the top row and hear someone speak on the stage with no amplification. The enormous rock formations on both sides trap and carry the sound. Red Rocks is a site of concerts (I saw the Beatles there many many years ago) and is famous for the Easter Sunrise Service, a non-denominational celebration.
These sorts of celebrations are breathtaking as the seating faces east and you can see over the top of the Denver skyline. I think you can see Kansas from there.

It is a fabulous site for something like a solstice celebration. I just hope is it a little warmer than it has been lately. It has been below zero here in the mornings.....need to warm that up a bit to spend a couple of hours standing out in it.

December Full Moon, Oak Moon, Cold Moon

image found here

In December our attention turns to the moon as its influence is spread over long hours and the sun retreats to the shortest days of the year. Your Full Moon ritual might include some expression of gratitude for the closure of the dark time and the return of the light at Solstice. Do not focus on the coming light just yet. This is a time to make sure that long term projects are completed before the Solstice. The is a time of closure, a time to let go of grievances that have affected the past year, a time of accounting for your goals and accomplishments. In preparation for the longer days just ahead, let go of the negative.
I find that meditation and ritual that include the Elements are wonderful for grounding and letting go of negativity. The Elements are here and now, not past, not future, they are the energy of now.

The Full Moon is on Wednesday December 2 at 2:30 am EST
Solstice is on December 21 at 12:47 pm EST
This is a powerful month for moon magick, the Blue Moon is on December 31 at 2:13 pm EST
More on the Blue Moon later