Happy New Year

December New Moon

By the calendar it is the last New Moon of the year, but it feels like the first. Solstice has passed, the sun is returning, the new year is already starting, January 1st is just a date on paper. I generally celebrate the Full Moons more than the New Moons, but this New Moon has taken on special meaning for me, this feels like a very power filled time of the year.

I will celebrate it with a psychic house cleaning, banishing negativity from the premises and allowing the light to enter. A good sage smudging is my favorite way to do this, but unlike some people, I love the smell of sage, even burning sage. I use the bundled sage that is sold for smudging. Another option is sage and sweetgrass, I found a local shop that carries this made by a local craftsman and I love it also. If sage or sweetgrass is going to drive you out of the house instead of the negative energies, try lavender which also has great cleansing power. You can find lavender and sweetgrass bundled with sage, or use just use lavender incense.

After you have finished smudging and blowing the smoke outside, sprinkle sea salt around the boundaries of the property, inside or out or both. Sea salt is a good boundary ward. Ask the Elementals to assist with this part, showing them the area that you want protected.

Then I will cast a circle and do a simple candle spell for prosperity in all its forms and lastly I will offer the coming year to the Goddess and ask her to continue to allow me to follow her path and grow and learn.

The New Moon is on Saturday, December 27 at 7:22 am EST

If you would like more information about smudging, check out this article on about.com

Merry Christmas

Yule Log

Happy Yule

Solstice, a blog in three parts

The Wheel turns. The Great Horned God, the Sun God is reborn. The long night will end and spring will come. The sun stands still for three days and then begins its long trek northward, spreading light and warmth and renewal.

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Midwinter festivals and celebrations occurring on the longest night of the year, often calling for evergreens, bright illumination, large ongoing fires, feasting, communion with close ones, and physical exertion by dancing and singing are examples of cultural winter therapies that have evolved as traditions since the beginnings of civilization. Such traditions can stir the wit, stave off malaise, reset the internal clock and rekindle the human spirit. (widipedia)

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For three days twice a year the earth stops tilting back and forth on its axis. It stops, pauses and then begins the swing back the other way. Think how different this planet would be if this third rock from the sun had a stable orbit and a stable orientation. No seasons, no seasonal plants, no migrations, no changing foliage or changing patterns in the animals and birds. The simple difference, the flip of a coin, when this rock settled into its orbit around this sun, that it was an unstable one. Lucky us. Say thank you.

sunrise 7:18am sunset 4:39pm (MST)

And a Happy Summer Solstice to everyone in the southern hemisphere!

A Pagan Christmas Tree

tree ornament

short days, long nights

Sunrise 7:13 am Sunset 4:36 pm
Moonrise (sat 5:47 pm) Moonset 9:22 am

December Full Moon, Oak Moon

Cold Moon, Moon of the Long Night.

The Moon reigns over the Sun in this time of short days and long nights. It is the time of death, but also the time of rebirth. It is the time for spiritual growth and introspection.

The long nights are nearly over, the promise from the Goddess is that the Sun will be reborn and return to make our days longer. The Solstice is only days away.

A Winter Full Moon Ritual

We call upon the powers of Earth
and welcome you to this circle.
You hold the seeds within you, warm and deep, waiting for the return of daylight. Keep the roots of life sacred within your womb until it is time for growth to begin once more.

We call upon the powers of Air
and welcome you to this circle.
The whirling winds of winter bring snow and cold to our hearths and homes.
They also bring with them change, opportunity and renewal as they blow.

We call upon the powers of Fire
and welcome you to this circle.
May you keep us safe and warm in our homes, spirit of the sun.

We call upon the powers of Water
and welcome you to this circle.
Snow and ice, sleet and rain wash away that which we no longer need.

We gather tonight to rejoice by the light of the moon.
We celebrate the season of darkness, knowing that the next turn of the wheel will bring light.
We use this time of darkness for thought, introspection and growth.

As the moon above, so the earth below.

December Full Moon is on Friday Dec 12 at 11:37 am EST

Full Moon

Friday, December 12 is the next Full Moon.
Nine days later is Winter Solstice.
Six days after that is the December New Moon.
Christmas is sandwiched in there too.

Sounds like a great time to throw a 15 day party. It would definitely get the Winter off to a good start.

I will post some suggestions for slightly more restrained celebrations later this week.

giving thanks for the horses...

At some point over the winter I like give thanks for something very important in my life. Horses. Horses have given me:
partners
friends
goals
dreams
beliefs
peace
excitement
patience
endurance

So for the horses in my life and for the horse people in my life I thank Epona, guardian of the horse. And in her honor I want to share with you....

The Wild Mares by Ann Moura

The rain fell gently, mistily; my heart with joy aroused;
List'ning to ethereal song drift through the storm tossed clouds;
I wandered 'cross the grassy mounds, long hair blown in the wind,
Embracing now the moment's charm, my own voice chorused in.

I found I yearned for Elder woods and Fairie Lands Beyond;
Lush verdant realms in primal haze, where Other Folk had gone.
I saw across the shining sea, the gleaming Fair Domains,
And looked within to ponder how I might these lands attain.

My lunar mind released to me the knowledge that I sought,
I raised my arms and to the Wind I called without a thought;
E-PON-A! E-PON-A! Send me the wild mares!
White steeds with flashing teeth and tangled manes to take me there.

The wind rose and 'cross the tor, the hoofbeats sounded sharp;
The air now split with wild shrieks as horses cleared the mark!
With certitude I stood my ground, in timeless magic cue;
And great white beasts, all sleek with rain rampaged into my view!

They slowed their pace and arced to me; I stood within their breach,
I spied the lead, who with a friend, came gently to my reach.
The leader passed with ado, the second t'ward me drew;
They tossed their heads and stamped their feet and that was when I knew.

The wild mares were what I loved! The race against the wind!
I leaped upon the second steed and rode off with a grin.
Within the herd I traveled fast, my laughter flying free;

E-PON-A! E-PON-A! You heard my call to thee!
You sent me wild mares to ride, across the Elder Sea.

Prop 8, The Musical

In case you haven't seen it. This is a great video and the current talk of the internet.

Prop 8, The Musical

first quarter moon

Friday, December 5 at 4:26pm (EST) is the waxing quarter moon.
This is the time for gathering and increasing.
Moonrise is at 12:08pm and moonset is at 12:09am (on the 6th). While the moon is in the sky, light a white candle and meditate on your psychic abilities. Ask the Goddess to help you increase your powers. Breathe, relax, focus on the purity of the flame on the white candle. Listen to your intuitive voice, ignore your analytical voice, you can listen to it later. Let the intuitive part of your mind reach out without judgement or censor.
Allow the candle to burn itself out.
(a tea light burns for about 4 hours, don't leave a burning candle unattended)

Magick doesn't always have to be serious in order to work.
Here is a fun prosperity spell from Ellen Dugan's Kitchen Witchery.

Mix together a teaspoon of cinnamon for prosperity, a teaspoon of allspice to bring money and a half cup of sugar to sweeten up your life. Mix the ingredients together then pour into a glass container. Snap or screw the lid into place.
Empower the mixture to bring prosperity into your life. Try this charm.

Sugar and spice and everything nice,
Make up this Witch's spell.
A pinch of magick, a bit of charm,
And all will turn out well.

Put a pinch in a charm bag. Seal a tablespoon into an envelope and put it in your bill drawer or the bottom of your purse to bring money.

Sprinkle a spoonful on your buttered toast in the morning to add prosperity and success to your day.

cast a circle...?

I know, I know, it's a Wiccan thing.

Or is it?

I see it shrugged off as 'just a Wiccan thing" but it doesn't make sense to me that the idea of creating sacred space in order to perform a ritual or create magick, should be limited to one group of witches.

I've been told that Druids don't, but I know at least one that does. Some green witches do. Don't ceremonial magicians cast a circle? How about chaos magicians?

I don't usually cast a circle to perform a ritual. Most of my rituals are about honoring the Gods and Goddesses, Elements, other entities and this sort of ritual does not require sacred space.

And I do simple candle spells and simple banishing spells without casting a circle.

But if I am going to do a spell that requires some serious visualizations and concentration, I do cast a circle. Casting a circle, for me, takes a little time and some effort.

I do a little meditation to start to ground and center myself. Once I am grounded I can pull energy from the earth. I use that energy to project the circle and once it is securely in place I call the Elements to guard and watch over it while I do my spell.

I think this is useful in several ways. It creates a space where I will not be disturbed or distracted. It helps me to focus. It protects me from any stray energies or entities that could be attracted by my drawing energy and not have my best interests in mind. It allows me to draw energy from the Elements, if they allow it.

When I am finished, the act of dispersing the circle, sending the Elements back to their own realm and grounding energy ensures that no stray energy (or entities) are left hanging around.

This sound to me like a good mackical practice for all sorts of magick, under the right conditions.

sunrise 7:03am sunset 4:36pm moonrise 10:53am moonset 9:01pm

talk to the earth

There is no shame when one is foolish with a tree. No bird ever called me crazy. No rock scorns me as a whore. The earth means exactly what it says.
Chrystos

ooohhh...lookie.....new book.....

Grimoire for the Green Witch; a Complete Book of Shadows by Ann Moura

This isn't technically a book review because I haven't really read this whole book yet, mostly I have just leafed through it going "ooohhh.....aaaahhh"

This is a great reference book. It is NOT Witchcraft 101. There is some basic information in it for the beginner, also useful if you want to make some changes to your basic rituals and freshen them up a bit.
Most of this book is reference material, it is a true Book of Shadows, not a 'how to' or 'why' kind of book.

Some of the information includes:
Spellcrafting
Witch's Sigil Wheel
Color Correspondences
Daily Influences
Elemental Influences
Tidal Influences
Herbal Correspondences
Trees and Shrubs
Sabbats Incenses and Herbs
Zodiac Associations
Names of Power
Runic Table
Energy Points
Stones and Crystals
Amulets
Planetary Squares

That's a partial list of one section of this book. There are also some spells and rituals designed to be rewritten for a specific intent.

This is a reference book for every witch. This book has jumped into my hands every time I have seen it in the bookstore and I have always carefully put it back and promised myself that I would buy it someday. I am patting myself on the back for finally having a copy of this to hold in my hands.

new moon on Thanksgiving Day

"This is the Moon of my Lady as Crone, Lady of Darkness, of Wisdom, of Mysteries revealed. The Wheel turns through birth, death and rebirth and every end is a new beginning." Ann Moura

The New Moon can be as powerful as the Full Moon. Rites, rituals and magick that center around new beginnings, new projects, a new phase in your life are powerful now. Welcome a new Goddess or spirit or other entity into your life. Make positive changes now. This is the time for opening yourself to the new.

Light a yellow candle and thank the Element of Air for a new intellectual pursuit, a red candle and thank the Element of Fire for a new passion, a blue candle and thank the Element of Water for new emotions and a brown patchouli candle for celebrating the season of the earth and giving thanks to the Gods and Goddess and the Element of Earth.

The new moon is on Thursday, November 27 at 11:54 am EST.

pause...

Water, Fire, Air and Earth,
Womb to life, death to rebirth.
Our Great Wheel of the seasons turns,
The mortal heart forever yearns.
The sacred Sabbat candle burns,
Within our souls its light sojourns.
We all are children of the Goddess
And to Her we shall return:
Womb to life, death to rebirth,
Water, Fire, Air and Earth.

Gerina Dunwich

to banish or not?

I ran into something this week that had me rethinking and questioning my use of banishing spells. Rethinking and questioning is good; it is, for me, what this path is all about. I love it when I run into the wall of another way of doing things and have to decide whether to stop or tear down the wall.

I don't know if I have mentioned this, but I listen to Ariel's lectures from the Druidic Craft of the Wise. I listen to them over and over. Ariel's insights have changed my practice and my life. That said, Druidism and especially the DCW is not Wicca and there are some very clear points where we disagree, yet the overall content of the lectures has always been helpful and more importantly, makes me think and question and reaffirm my own practice.

I do banishing spells. I usually use the waning phase of the moon and do banishing spells on a regular basis. I also cleanse the area where I work and beyond with sage on a semi-regular basis. I cleanse any magickal tool that I acquire.
I live in a very negative household, I'm a big believer in chasing negativity out the door.

This week Ariel's lecture was about the concept that banishing anything is a waste of time. Let me back up here a bit, one of the basic tenants of the DCW is that everything...EVERYTHING in this world falls into two catagories...that which brings us closer to perfection and that which does not. So there is not good and bad or positive and negative or healthy and sick. Everything is working to bring us to perfection or not. There is more to it, but that will do for the purpose of this post.
So his premise was that doing banishing spells or more simply, trying to get rid of anything is futile. Instead we have to find a way to fill our lives with what we want and need. The "bad" is a lack, a hole, an empty space...fill it with what you want to be there instead.

I thought about this a lot this week. I do this most of the time. I don't do a money spell to get rid of the inability to pay a bill or get rid of the lack of cash to buy what I want, I do a money spell to bring money.
I don't meditate on my health to get rid of something, I meditate to let my body heal itself and become healthy.

On the other hand, I do banishing spells to get rid of the negativity spewing out of people around me. I do banishing spells to get rid of my attraction to surfing the net when I should be working. I do banishing spells (this one is new) to ward off that driver weaving around eating lunch and talking on his cellphone in heavy traffic.

So, in conclusion, I decided that while his concept is a good one; for me, right now, I will continue to do banishing spells......I may go back and listen to him again later.

the dreaded podfade

A conversation with another blogger about podcasts reminded me that I need to update my own list here at A Pagan Tapestry.

One podcast that I listen to that I somehow left off of my list is The Crooked Path. I corrected that and Peter is now on the list.

But I am sad to note the number of podcasts that I have listened to and enjoyed that seem to be fading away. deo's shadow is no more. I have downloaded and burned his show to disk, it was that good.

Some others that seem to be fading away are The Broom Closet, last heard in July 08, hopefully to return, she did leave a message on her blog that she plans to come back.
The Forest at Night last heard in Feb 08.
Modern Musings of a Cultured Barbarian last heard in April 08
Pagan Wisdom last heard in Oct 07
Witch in the City last heard in May 08
The Gods Must be Crazy, after a good first show in Aug 08, never heard again.

These are just the ones that are still in my ipod, I am sure there are others.
This is a talented bunch of people, we miss hearing your voices. I hope that everything is well and just a busy and full life got in the way.

There is hope. Fey, of The Dark Side of Fey, took a long break and came back energized and with a better than ever show. I hope some of our other missing pagan podcasters do the same.

The Pagan Podcasters were my very first experience with other live pagans.
Up until then I had only the books to tell me that there were others with my beliefs. The pagan podcasters inspired me to reach out, contact other pagans and even to give this blog a try.

If you listen to pagan podcast shows, let them know that you appreciate them. Send them an email or vote on podcast alley. And if you don't listen to pagan podcast shows...why in the world not? You are missing out!

Help stamp out the dreaded podfade!

Epona

Epona, Celtic Goddess and protector of the horse.

One of the reasons that the Romans were so successful at enlarging their Empire is that they knew when to leave well enough alone. After the dust settled they generally left the newly conquered locals pretty much alone. A new governor, maybe some other officials. New taxes. But they left local government on its own, offered military careers to the men and mostly importantly, left the local Gods and Goddesses alone.

The Romans were pretty much happy with their own Gods and did not care about converting anybody else. By leaving the local gods, priests and rituals in place they sidestepped a lot of problems. They also showed little to no interest in those local gods.

But Epona was a different story. Goddess of the horse, a Celtic warrior in her own right and a fertility Goddess, the Romans were quite taken with her. So much so that they took her back to Rome and set her up on the altars of their own Gods. She didn't seem to mind and became part of everyday life in Rome.

The Celts honored several warrior goddesses, Epona, Rhiannon and Brigid are some of the better known.

Equal Rights means Everyone

If you think equal rights means everyone. If you think '...life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...' should apply to everyone. If you think freedom of religion means any religion. If you think that discrimination is wrong. Visit this site.

Here is a list of the corporate donors, in and out of California, who funded the initiative to discriminate against gay couples.
Corporate Donors on 8

If you do business with any of these companies, please rethink that decision.
And please pass this list along.

The Trickster

My practice revolves primarily around Celtic mythology, with one very important exception. The North American Trickster. I have felt a special connection to the Trickster since childhood and after living in the southwest for many years and learning more about him I have incorporated him into my practices.
The Celtic Gods and Goddesses don't seem to mind.

Many mythological systems include a trickster of some kind. The best known of the European mythologies is probably the Norse God Loki. In European lore the Trickster is often seen as an entity somehow linked to the heroic figures. Sometimes he assists, sometimes he hinders. He sometimes changes shape, changes gender or even takes on the appearance of one of the other Gods. His goals are often unknown and remain undiscovered.

North American spirituality ascribes a slightly different role to the Trickster. While he still sometimes opposes and sometimes aids in a quest or project, he is often more than he seems. The Trickster nearly always has a lesson to teach and it is best to heed his presence. He is included in nearly all ritual as a reminder that there are often secrets and untold meanings around us and we should not accept the world at face value.

The Creator will sometimes take on the persona of the Trickster in order to work more closely with humans. So when dealing with the Trickster it is impossible to know and unwise to question his true identity.

The Trickster is generally depicted as the Coyote, an animal with the ability to blend into its natural surroundings and come and go unseen.
A Shaman with the Coyote for a spirit guide is fortunate indeed, he has been blessed with the greatest teacher.

The Trickster reminds me to step back and look at the world with wide eyes instead of the narrow vision that we tend to develop. Secrets, hidden meanings, dangers and treasures often lurk in the shadows. If you let him, he will point them out and even assist in uncovering what they reveal.

In this depiction by Susan Seddon Boulet, the Coyote is stealing fire.

Full Moon

Fabulous full moon over Colorado tonight. There is a storm moving in and the fast moving wispy clouds at the leading edge of the storm were racing across the sky.
It appeared as though the moon was the one moving, dancing in and out of the clouds.
I tried to get a picture but don't have a good enough camera to catch the light and reflections. It looked a little like this.

When you look at the moon, see the power of the Goddess.

November Moon, Snow Moon

The full moon occurs on November 13th at 12:13EST. This moon is variously known as the Snow Moon, Tree Moon, Beaver Moon and Mourning Moon.

This is a time of transformation and the time to work on the bonds between you and the people around you. It is also a good time to work on future prosperity. Green candles are appropriate for prosperity and money spells; as are jade, cat's eye, topaz, opal and peridot.

Remember those good intentions you set at Samhein? The waning phase of the moon coming up is the time for banishing the unwanted from your life. Why not pick one of those habits you want to break and work on it from after the full moon until the new moon on the 27th. For candle work, black is generally used for banishment, but yellow-green is good for banishing discord, anger and jealousy and magenta burned along with another color can increase energy and help produce quicker changes.

Calcite and brown zircon are helpful in centering and grounding, which can be harder to do when we are trying to break a bad habit or rid ourselves of something.

In astrological studies, this Full Moon is in Taurus. For more information about the astrological data, check out this article at About.com

book review, Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler

I am very happy to introduce a guest writer. HedonsDog graciously agreed to do a book review of Margot Adler's
Drawing Down the Moon.

With my thanks, here it is:

Drawing Down the Moon

Drawing Down the Moon was originally published in 1979. The author, Margot Adler, has made several revisions since then, but has made it a point to only make additions and corrections and has not "rewritten" the book in each revision. She has presented the content objectively, and did a very good job of giving all points of view when conflicts were identified.

The book contains 646 pages but the appendices start on page 461, so a good part of the book is reference material. Appendix 1 goes into some detail about the Scholars, Writers and Journalists. Appendix 2 is a description of Rituals, and Appendix 3 is a description of all of the resources used and referred to in the book.

The other 460 pages outline the history, the key people, the traditions, beliefs, and desires that she has found in Paganism in the last 30 years or so. Interviews and quotes are sprinkled throughout the pages, and the author tells of her own experiences along the way too. The chapters cover Paganism at the start, today, and in the future, Magic and Ritual, Feminist and Gay traditions, Reconstructionist, and even describe a couple traditions that were started as a joke and somewhere along the line, the joke caught hold and became serious traditions.

When I purchased this book, I was warned, "It reads like stereo instructions." I didn't think it was that bad but it is definitely written with a scholarly language. If your intent is to read the book cover to cover, be prepared to put a little effort into it. This is definitely not a light read.

Having said that let me also say that this book contains a wealth of information about the history and ideals of Paganism and traces the history from the beginning through today, and into tomorrow. There is so much information contained in these pages that all of it cannot be absorbed in one sitting. After having read it, it will remain on my shelf as a reference book.

By HedonsDog

Solitary or group practice?

Overall I am content with my solitary practice.

Good thing because I don't seem to be likely to find a compatible group. I fill my need for social contact and group think with groups that are not based on spiritual practice. But sometimes I make a tentative attempt to reach out to the pagan community in the flesh instead of in cyberspace.

Each time has been an enormous failure. Several years ago I went to a few meetings of pagans. I found notices posted in neighborhood bookstores and the locations were in the same neighborhood, seemed like a good start. I mostly found people who thought they were there for a casting call for Harry Potter.

That cured me of that for a while.

This week I went to a meeting of pagans at a pagan bookstore. I have to go on a tangent here...I did not know this bookstore existed and it is a delightful little place with coffee, books, crafts and wi-fi. A great place to spend some time.

The group however, was to say the very least, disappointing. I was greeted warmly, got some coffee and sat down. The leader of the group, an outgoing young lady with a small child, started the discussion. It was supposed to be about wealth and prosperity.

The only group discussion was some heartfelt agreement that wealth was bad and prosperity was good. The idea was that the two are incompatible. There was a short lived contest I will call Poor Pagan during which each attempted to show the others how poor they were.

Then the 'discussion' moved on to the prosperity part and we were treated to over an hour of the leader of the group talking about how prosperous she was. I found out more about her love life, finances and plans for the future than I know about some of my friends. Everyone else nodded along and seemed content to listen and say nothing. I remarked that wealth and prosperity were not mutually exclusive. That was greeted with silence and blank stares so I shut up.

A few minutes later the discourse on prosperity was interrupted by a rousing game of Show Off Your Tattoos, which involved removing some clothing. I don't have any tattoos so I kept my clothes on. Then one of the group announced that people who claimed to be pagan but did not have tattoos and piercings were obviously trying to fool others and not really pagan. This was met by some agreement all around.

Back to more of the ramblings about the prosperity of the group leader. Her child was repeatedly climbing over me, stepping on my feet and wiping Baklava on my jeans and I decided that it was time to go.

I chatted with the shop owner about how good the coffee was, waved a goodbye at the group and escaped. They seemed as relieved to see me go as I was to leave.

Not what I am looking for. Solitary looks really really really good right now.

a time to give thanks

Tonight I am going to light a candle and thank the God and Goddess for all of their blessings, including this chance that we have been given to set this country on a better path.

Hope, Excitement, Change

I want to enjoy this one more day...

President-Elect Barack Obama

Manifest something great!

It is the time of the waxing moon. It is a few days after Samhein. It is the day before the most important election in this country in a lifetime. I cannot think of a better time and place to cast a spell for bringing something into our lives. How about bringing a thoughtful, intellectual man into our lives to lead our government?
Don't think about getting the good ole boys out,
cast a spell to bring a good man in.

Say a prayer, cast a spell, light a candle, make an offering, meditate, sing, dance. Do whatever you do to get in touch with the energies of the universe and then manifest Obama winning the election tomorrow.

And then go and VOTE! Wishes don't elect Presidents, polls don't elect Presidents, that spell isn't going to work if you aren't doing your part.

Vote
Vote
Vote
Vote
Vote

New TV series. Magic, anyone?

There is a new fantasy TV series that started the season last night. Legend of the Seeker.

The two hour pilot had some rough spots. Most fantasy or sci-fi series have some glitches trying to set the background and environment for a complicated story. This one was no different.

Many of the critics are trashing it. I find that TV critics tend to hate anything that makes you think a little or follow a story line. They love 'reality' TV and game shows.

I rarely watch TV anymore, it is so mind numbing. I can count on one hand the shows that I watch regularly.

I am always willing to give a fantasy or sci fi series a chance and see what happens.

This one has villains, heroes, wizards, witches, magic, an enchanted sword, a destroyed Book of Shadows (damn!), horses, monsters, scenery and a story.
What more could you ask for?

I am hoping that it lasts long enough to smooth the rough spots and get going. I could use a heroic epic complete with magic on some upcoming winter evenings.

Here is the official site: Legend of the Seeker

spelling and a thanks

I want to give a big thanks to The Cauldron Brew for the very nice witchy art that I have been using for the last couple of weeks. The Cauldron Brew has a Library online full of great free witchy stuff. You will find the ones I used there as well as many others. Not everything on the site is free so check carefully before taking.




Well, the poll went against my spelling of Samhein 2 to 1. The majority use Samhain.
I'm just glad that anybody else spelled it the same way I do.
I did a little tour of the internet and found good stuff spelled both ways and whacky stuff spelled both ways.
*sigh*

Samhein

The Brits called her Morgan Le Fay, the Celts called her Morrigan. She was the ruler of the Isle of Avalon and the death Goddess. "The ambivalence with which she is traditionally represented echoes our own fear of her deep and ancient wisdom." Michael Babcock
It seems fitting to think of her on Samhein.

Samhein, Samhain, Samhuiin, Halloween, All Hallow's Eve, Oiche Shamhna, Nos Calan Gaeaf, Hallowmas, All Saints Day, Hollantide. Those are just some of the names from the British Isles. The day to honor the dead is known around the world and is usually at this time of year.

What we call the thinning of the veil between worlds is a force that people from ancient times have felt and honored. Even the Catholic Church at the height of its power in Europe could not stamp out this festival and had to settle for co-opting it. It is a powerful, mystical time of the year.

In Celtic lore, the Great Horned God dies at Samhein and passes into the underworld. He will be reborn at Yule and the Wheel will turn again. The Goddess is now seen in her Crone aspect, healer and destroyer as the winter progresses.

This is the end and the beginning of a new year. It is a time to look back on the year just passed, honor the dead who have crossed over during this year and take accounting of our own lives. It is a time to be honest with ourselves about what we have accomplished or failed to accomplish and what we want to do in the coming year.
Not in the way of making resolutions that has become a silly game played on January 1st, but a real committment to move forward with our lives.

Sometimes those who have died recently or other unknown spirits will reach out through the veil at this time. Some are able to hear or see them.
If you are contemplating being the one to reach out from this side of the veil, I urge you to take along an experienced guide or at the very least cast a strong circle and be very clear about whom you are inviting into it.
The last thing most of us need is a bored or malevolent energy hanging around in our lives. Personally I have never been tempted to try this, so perhaps I am more wary of it than it deserves. But caution can be a good thing.

Other than the spiritual side of the day, there is also, Trick 0r Treat, costume parties, time to act silly and see how you look in black and orange, pumpkin carving, corn mazes, haunted houses (the fake kind), and at least locally, the Witches Ball.

Have fun and be safe.

For anyone who missed this link on The Wild Hunt.....enjoy:

Fending off religious tourists and struggling to organize a coven on Halloween.by: Lee Ann Kinkade

Invoking the Elements

There are many different ways to invoke the Elements. You can simply ask them to be present, you can make calling them an important part of a ritual or you can even make calling them the ritual itself.

This little invocation is one of my own and is about as short and to the point as you can get:

I call upon the wisdom of the North,
The creativity of the East,
The passion of the South,
The emotion of the West,
To create this sacred space between the worlds.

This is another very simple invocation that I wrote for myself and use quite a lot:

Spirit of the Earth, Guardian of the North, You ground me and feed my connection to the earth. Be with me now to be witness and guardian to this ritual.

Spirit of the Wind, Guardian of the East, You fuel my imagination and give me creativity. Be with me now to be witness and guardian to this ritual.

Spirit of Fire, Guardian of the South, Your power leaves me in awe, I am comforted by your flame. Be with me now to be witness and guardian to this ritual.

Spirit of Water, Guardian of the West, you are my pathway to the Goddess, you bring me peace. Be with me now to be witness and guardian to this ritual.

Akasha, spirit of energy that surrounds us. Be with us now to be witness and guardian to this ritual.

Here is an invocation that is the ritual itself. It is a Winter Full Moon ritual. I regret that I do not remember where I found this. I think it is a lovely ritual.

We call upon the powers of Earth and welcome you to this circle.
You hold the seeds within you, warm and deep, waiting for the return of daylight. Keep the roots of life sacred within your womb until it is time for growth to begin once more.

We call upon the powers of Air and welcome you to this circle. The whirling winds of winter bring snow and cold to our hearths and homes. They also bring with them change, opportunity and renewal as they blow.

We call upon the powers of Fire and welcome you to this circle. May you keep us safe and warm in our homes, spirit of the sun.

We call upon the powers of Water and welcome you to this circle. Snow and ice, sleet and rain wash away that which we no longer need.

We gather tonight to rejoice by the light of the moon. We celebrate the season of darkness, knowing that the next turn of the wheel will bring light. We use this time of darkness for thought, introspection and growth.

As the moon above, so the earth below.

The following is one of the more ornate ways of calling the Elements that I have run across lately. It is from Embracing the Moon by Yasmine Galemorn. If you are really into ritual, hold on to your hat...

Spirit of the North, Spirit of the Earth,
You who are stone and rock, bone and crystal,
You who are tree and root and branch,
You, whose soil is the body of the Goddess
And whose grass is the green of her hair,
Spirit of Earth, come to me!
Spirit of the Wolf, Spirit of the Gnomes,
I call upon thee.
You who rule from the blackest caverns below To the highest mountain tops,
Hear me.
Bring to these rites your spirit of prosperity, Of stability and manifestation.
With a ring of stone and bone and crystal,
I encircle this sacred space and all within.
Let nothing enter unwelcome. Spirit of the Earth, welcome and blessed be!

Spirit of the East, Spirit of Air,
You who are mist and vapor and cloud,
You who are fresh breeze and wild hurricane,
Webweaver at the edge of dawn,
Sweeping out the stagnation to weave a new day,
Come to me.Spirit of the Hawk Spirit of the Sylph, Hear me.
Bring into these rites purification and clarity,
Sweep through and remove stagnation.
With a ring of mist and vapor and fog,
I encircle this sacred space and all within,
Let nothing enter unwelcome.
Spirit of the Air, welcome and blessed be!

Spirit of the South, Spirit of the Flame and Faerie Fire.
You who are the crackle of bonfires,
you who are the golden sun and glowing lava,
You who are the heat of the desert
and the sparkle of phosphorescence on the shore in the the water.
Come to me.
Spirit of the Phoenix, Spirit of the Flame Dancers,
Hear me.
Bring into these rites your spirit of creativity And passion,
Your ability to transmute and rise new from the Ashes.
With a ring of sunlight and lava I encircle this sacred space and all within.
Let nothing enter unwelcome.
Spirit of the Flame, welcome and blessed be!

Spirit of the West, Spirit of the Water
You who are the Moon Mother,
You who are the Undines of the Rivers
And the sirens of the crashing ocean breakers
You who are the Naiads of the grottos,
Come to me.
Spirit of the Shark,
Hear me.
Bring to these rites your deepest intuition and truest emotions,
Teach me to be flexible, to adapt and flow Like your waters.
With a ring of wave and rain and tears
I encircle this sacred space and all within
Let nothing enter unwelcome.
Spirit of the Water, welcome and blessed be!

I'm sure there are much more ornate ways to do this. I'm sure there are invocations that go on for hours. Fortunately, I don't have any of them.

5 Elements

Not four, five..... Earth, Wind, Fire, Water and Akasha.

The Elements, as primal forces of nature and The Elements as we tend to think of them when working magick are unique and independent.

But actually, the Elements are one of the best examples of how we are all interconnected and dependent on each other.

The Earth needs Water, Air and Fire in order to be anything but a cold rock. Air needs water molecules, Water is teeming with life, Fire needs fuel. Each cannot, in the physical world, exist without the others.

This interdependence is also a force of nature and it has a name. The energy force that binds the Elements together, us to the Elements and them to us is called Akasha.

Akasha is the primal source of unchanging energy that fuels the Elements. In perfect balance and harmony, not manifested in physical form.

Modern physicists have a modern name for Akasha. They call it dark matter. Can't see it, feel it, touch it or even prove that it exists, but it binds the universe together. This is a relatively new scientific discovery.

Akasha, the fifth elemental force, has always been there, many of us feel it without being told. Scientists may have known this too, but prefer to think of it in scientific terms.

Some magick traditions feel that the spark of the divine within each of us, sometimes called our soul, is a bit of Akasha within us.

My invocations of the Elements include an acknowledgment of this source of the Elements. Not to be used or commanded, I acknowledge the existence of Akasha with respect.

Coming up next.....a variety of invocations, from the dramatic and ornate to the simple.