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