Repeating New Moon Ritual

New Moon on September 27 at 7:09am EDT 

I am still doing this repeating New Moon ritual.  I just love it.  To me it is the perfect way to celebrate the cycle of cleansing, renewal and stepping forward.





You will need:

One candle to honor the Goddess in her new moon, blue or white is nice, any color is fine. I have a large pale blue/green candle that I use for all moon rituals.

Incense or sage for cleansing the area.

A small unused notebook and a pen.

Four items to honor the elements.
I sometimes use:
a small bottle of sand for the element of earth
a feather for the element of air
a red candle for the element of fire
a small cup of water for the element of water

When I am in a candle mood I use candles for the elements:
brown or green for earth
yellow or pink for air
red or orange for fire
blue or white for water


Cleanse the area with incense or sage. I create sacred space by simply grounding and centering and visualizing an area around myself filled with energy, closed to random or chaotic spirits and open only to those I invite.

Call the Elements.
I start with Earth. If you are using candles, light them as you call each Element.
Calling them can be as simple as 'I call the Element of Earth to attend and add energy to this sacred space' or as elaborate as you wish.

After calling the Elements, take a moment to honor Goddess, ask her to look favorably on this ritual that you offer up to her and light the candle for her.

Take a few minutes to sit quietly. Reach out to the Elements for additional energy and power. Fill the space around you with their power and energy and reflect on the new moon as an opportunity for new beginnings. An opportunity that we are offered over and over again.

Take your notebook and write something along the lines of:
I will manifest these things that I desire and need in my life and I will do so without harm to anyone else.

Then begin to write down what you need to create in your life. It can be a few things or many. Large or small, tangible or not.

Concentrate on manifesting these things in your life without harming anyone else.

Release the energy that you have created with this work and send it out into the universe to do your bidding.

Thank the Goddess for her presence in your life and put out her candle.

Thank the Elements for loaning you their energy and ask them to return to their own realms, putting out their candles (if any).

Bring yourself back to normal time/space, ground the energy creating your sacred space.
_____________________________

On the full moon take your notebook and cross off any items that have manifested in your life since the new moon. On the next new moon create a new list, leaving off the things that have already arrived. Do not just cross off and add to the old list, each new moon write down the new list.

On her blog Liz has a cleansing ritual bath that would be a wonderful way to prepare for this ritual. Check it out at Lizzie's Logic.

Equinox, Mabon and Ostara

Image from Cauldron of the Goddess

and the Southern Hemisphere is celebrating spring and greeting Ostara 

 

Fall Equinox

 The Fall or Autumn Equinox is this week, September 23, 2011.
Also known as Mabon, it is the major harvest festival and the time of counting down to winter.  While the days have been getting shorter since the Summer Solstice, we tend not to notice too much until around this time in the fall, when suddenly it seems that we can feel the shortness of the days every day, earlier sundowns, darker mornings and we travel down the road to darkness until the Winter Solstice.
On the 23rd day and night are equal length and traditionally cultures around the world celebrate this day.
In our modern culture many people celebrate fall festivals without knowing why.  Take away modern conveniences and our ancestors celebrate the fall as a time of plenty, knowing that not everyone will survive the winter and be able to celebrate the spring.  In temperate climates winters can be harsh so the last days of warm days, full pantries and a little free time should be celebrated by all of us.

My Wheel of the Year is divided into Sun Festivals (Solstices and Equinoxes) and Fire Festivals (Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasad and Samhain).  Celebrate this Sun Festival with friends and neighbors, eat out of the fall harvests and enjoy the changing of the seasons.

August Full Moon - Corn Moon

The Corn Moon is one of the early harvest moons.  Gratitude, happiness in a successful crop (agricultural or not) and celebration of a good year are all part of the time of the Corn Moon. 
The Moon is full at 2:57 pm EDT

In the spirit of community I am taking part in the worldwide community meditation this weekend.  The energy of the Full Moon endures for three day before and after.  Join the meditation or plan your ritual within that time to celebrate the Full Moon.   See the previous post for info on the group meditation.
Be inspired by the words of Doreen Valiente in the Charge of the Goddess.  Even if you have read it a thousand times, sit under the Full Moon and read it aloud again.

Charge of the Goddess

Traditional by Doreen Valiente, as adapted by Starhawk:

Listen to the words of the Great Mother, Who of old was called Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Diana, Arionrhod, Brigid, and by many other names:
Whenever you have need of anything, once a month, and better it be when the moon is full, you shall assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of Me Who is Queen of all the Wise.
You shall be free from slavery, and as a sign that you be free you shall be naked in your rites.
Sing, feast, dance, make music and love, all in My Presence, for Mine is the ecstasy of the spirit and Mine also is joy on earth.
For My law is love is unto all beings. Mine is the secret that opens the door of youth, and Mine is the cup of wine of life that is the cauldron of Cerridwen, that is the holy grail of immortality.
I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal, and beyond death I give peace and freedom and reunion with those that have gone before.
Nor do I demand aught of sacrifice, for behold, I am the Mother of all things and My love is poured out upon the earth.
Hear the words of the Star Goddess, the dust of Whose feet are the hosts of Heaven, whose body encircles the universe:
I Who am the beauty of the green earth and the white moon among the stars and the mysteries of the waters,
I call upon your soul to arise and come unto me.
For I am the soul of nature that gives life to the universe.
From Me all things proceed and unto Me they must return.
Let My worship be in the heart that rejoices, for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals.
Let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you.
And you who seek to know Me, know that the seeking and yearning will avail you not, unless you know the Mystery: for if that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never find it without.
For behold, I have been with you from the beginning, and I am That which is attained at the end of desire.

Full Moon Meditation

The Full Moon is almost upon us (more on that later) and there is a worldwide meditation being planned on Facebook.  Here is the link
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=165700853500972
It starts on Friday evening and continues until Sunday morning.  Join in, drop out whenever you wish, join in the energy.  A solitary meditation, a group meditation or a Full Moon Ritual could all be part of the group energy.