the Wheel turns....

... and a new year begins.  May the Goddess bless us all in the coming season. 

Happy Holidays

The energy is crackling

If the clouds allow I will stay up and watch the eclipse tonight and skip Drumming up the Sun. :-(
The full lunar eclipse on the winter solstice will not happen again for 80+ years (2094 or something along there).
I took this from my back yard, 6 hours before the eclipse.  Not a good shot but from a hand held digital camera with no special lenses... not bad...the moon is enormous, just waiting to put on a show when that perfect alignment takes place.

Tonight and tomorrow

Driving home yesterday evening the nearly full moon was spectacular.  The multicolors of pale blue, wispy clouds and cold temps combined to make the sky look like the surface of a frozen pond, lit up by the moon shining on it.  I don't think I have ever seen it look like that.

Tonight through early tomorrow is the lunar eclipse of a full moon, tomorrow is Solstice.  I am trying to decide between staying up very late to see the eclipse and getting up very early to attend Drumming up the Sun.  I can't do both, I have to go to work and have to get a few hours of sleep somehow.   For the Solstice I will be attending a small gathering of women doing a guided meditation.  What will you be doing?
Here is some info about the eclipse, including times in different areas from SpaceRef.

Solstice Special!

This year the Winter Solstice, the Full Moon and a lunar eclipse will all take place on December 21st. 
Be sure to plan something special. 
I will be at Red Rocks at dawn joining in the Drumming up the Sun ritual.  If you are in the Denver area, please join us. 
I haven't decided on a Full Moon ritual for that evening yet, I will let you know.

repeating New Moon ritual...

The New Moon is Sunday December 5 at 12:36pm EST.


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.

Solstice Sun Wheel Ritual 2010

Beth Owl's Daughter, me and many many other are taking part in a Solstice Sun Wheel Ritual.  She is kicking it off on her website.  Please visit Solstice Sun Wheel Ritual for more information and join in.

no explanation...

So today, against my better judgment, I was in a grocery store to pick up a bottle of Martinelli's Sparkling Cider for a friend.  The place was packed, elbow to elbow, and I wasn't having any luck.  I didn't even know what it looked like and after cruising through several rows of drinks and asking two frazzled clerks (who pointed me in opposite directions) I gave up, decided to pick up a couple of bottles of pop and call it done.
I made a beeline for the Mountain Dew (my favorite) and there on the shelf, between two bottles of Mt. Dew, was a single bottle of Martinelli's Sparkling Cider.  I picked it up and then looked up and down the adjacent aisles for where it belonged.  No luck.
When I checked out the clerk said she thought it had sold out a couple of days ago.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

            

November Full Moon, Snow Moon

The Full Moon is on November 21 at 12:27 EST.  

The Snow Moon (also called the Mourning Moon, Tree Moon and Beaver Moon) tells us that winter will soon be here.  It is a time to stock up for the winter, count your abundance and prosperity, be grateful and plan for the winter.  Also keep in mind that winter, just like every other season, will pass.  This is a good time of the year to look to divination to help with your plans.

You may not be able to count on a visible Moon for your ritual, here is a simple way to bring the Moon indoors.
Use any jar or pillar candle.  White or a very pale color works very well.  Set it in a plain bowl, glass is beautiful, I like to use a metal mixing bowl.  If you are using a tall pillar candle you will want to fix it to the bottom of the bowl with a few drops of melted wax so that it doesn't tip over a try to float.  Fill the bowl with water as close to the level of the flame as possible.  The light reflection on the water will mimic the changing face of the Full Moon.  You can even add a little liquid soap to increase the reflections.

 Here is a Full Moon ritual that you might like to try.

Sit a moment and reflect on the Mother aspect of the Triple Goddess.  She who is always present in our lives.  She will nurture and guide and love; all we have to do is be present and open to Her.

Gather pure white energy from above and below and create your sacred space.  Call upon Earth, Air, Fire and Water to watch over and guard this space for this little time.

Light your candle for the Goddess, offer her your being, ask of her anything that you need in your life.
Read out loud the words that were written to honor Her.   Offer any prayers that you wish, make any other offerings in Her name.  After the reading, meditate in your sacred space for a while, listen for any wisdom that comes to you.  When you are ready, thank the Goddess, thank the Elements and release them.

Listen to the words of the Great Mother;
she who of old was also called among men
Artemis, Astarte, Athene, Dione, Melusine,
Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Cybele, Arianrhod,
Isis, Dana, Bride
and by many other names:

Whenever ye have need of anything,
once in the month, and better it be when the moon is full,
then shall ye assemble in some secret place
and adore the spirit of me,
who am Queen of all the witches.

There shall ye assemble,
ye who are fain to learn all sorcery,
yet have not won its deepest secrets;
to these will I teach things that are yet unknown.
And ye shall be free from slavery;
and as a sign that ye be really free,
ye shall be naked in your rites;
and ye shall dance, sing, feast,
make music and love,
all in my praise.
For mine is the ecstasy of the spirit,
and mine also is joy on earth;
for my law is love unto all beings.
Keep pure your highest ideal;
strive ever towards it;
let naught stop you or turn you aside.
For mine is the secret door
which opens upon the Land of Youth,
and mine is the cup of the wine of life,
and the Cauldron of Cerridwen,
which is the Holy Grail of immortality.

I am the Gracious Goddess,
who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man.
Upon earth, I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal;
and beyond death, I give peace and freedom
and reunion with those who have gone before.
Nor do I demand aught in sacrifice;
for behold,
I am the Mother of all living,
and my love is poured out upon the earth.

Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess;
she in the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven,
and whose body encircles the Universe.
I who am the beauty of the green earth,
and the white Moon among the stars,
and the mystery of the waters,
and the desire of the heart of man,
call unto thy soul.
Arise, and come unto me.
For I am the soul of nature, who gives life to the universe.
From me all things proceed,
and unto me all things must return;
and before my face, beloved of Gods and of men,
let thine innermost divine self be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite.
Let my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth;
for behold,
all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals.
And therefore let there be beauty and strength,
power and compassion, honour and humility,
mirth and reverence within you.

And thou who thinkest to seek for me,
know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not
unless thou knowest the mystery;
that if that which thou seekest
thee findest not within thee,
thou wilt never find it without thee.
For behold,
I have been with thee from the beginning;
and I am that which is attained
at the end of desire.

~Doreen Valiente~

found on Facebook...

Understand spiritual experiences, the afterlife, your sixth sense, all in one Powerful Holistic Resource.   Free in-home trial.

This is an advertisement for a "Wiccan" site on Facebook.  I think it is nice that we are moving into the mainstream and all, but do we have to copy the televangelists and turn everything into a commercial venture?
This is, of course, no more Wiccan than buying salvation by sending your donation in the postage paid envelope to the mega church is Christianity, but somehow most people seem to understand the latter and not the former. 

new resources site

Here is a new (to me anyway) site that is gathering resources.  I will be adding it to my resource page.  Check it out and let me know what you think. 

house cleaning witchy style

I have a hard time getting started with housework, once I get going I like making everything clean and shiny, it's just that I can find lots of reasons for avoiding it.
This morning I lit a bundle of sage and some sweetgrass in a cauldron, but some Blackmore's Night blasting on the stereo and got a lot done.  The house looks clean, smells clean and FEELS clean.
Works every time.

2 Days to Samhain

The wonderful thing about this fire festival is that you can celebrate it on the 31st, on the day before, the day after, all week or all month.  There is Halloween for the kids (and the kid in everybody), All Soul's Day for the Christian mystics among us (and there are lots) and Samhain for those of us on the pagan path.
You can be as open as you want, everybody wants to believe on Samhain.  I will be setting a table for the ancestors, handing out candy to the trick-or-treaters and later enjoying a ritual.
My favorite farmstand says they had to hire extra help this year to get the pumpkins ready and the corn stalks bundled.

A Full Moon Cleansing Ritual

First clean your ritual space, get rid of any clutter, clean and dust the area.

Lay out the items you need.
Cauldron or other heat proof container
White sage and sandalwood incense
3 candles in orange and red
Candles for any other deities or spirits
Items to be cleansed such as crystals, tarot cards, etc

Light the charcoal in the cauldron or heat proof container so it will be ready for the incense when you are ready to begin. (Make sure it is not accessible to pets or children and is in a safe place away from any flammable material.)

Take a ritual bath or shower with salt and any essential oils that you like.
Begin grounding yourself and letting your mind calm down as you shower or bathe. Use music if you want.

Dress in clean clothes (or go skyclad).

Place sage and sandalwood on the hot charcoal and smudge the area.

Take several deep breaths and take a moment to ground yourself.

Cast a circle and call the Elements to guard you during your ritual.

Invite specific deities or spirit guides into your circle (Do not randomly invite entities into your circle, only well known and trusted entities that you wish to take part in the ritual.)

Call on the Goddess and dedicate this ritual on this Full Moon to her. Light the three orange and red candles in honor of the Maiden, the Mother and the Crone on the Blood Moon.

‘Mother Goddess, from whom all things come and unto whom all things return, I ask that you bless this ritual in this time and space. The Blood Moon that I celebrate tonight is the time of change and preparation for your children and I dedicate this cleansing to you and ask your blessing.’

Add any additional prayers that you wish.

Take the items to be cleansed and hold them in the smoke from the sage and incense. Visualize any negative energy leaving the items and white light and glowing energy soaking into the items. Do the same for yourself.  Visualize negative energy leaving your body and light and glowing energy taking its place.  Take your time doing this, relax and visualize.

Meditate for a while on the meaning of the Blood Moon, the transition from autumn to winter, the cleansing that you have performed and making room for positive energy in your life.

Put out the candles and say thank you to the Goddess and other entities.

Release the circle and thank the Elements for their help and remind them to return to their own realms.

*** It has been pointed out to me (thank you, Pallas Renatus) that the moon will be void of course during the peak of the Full Moon phase.  Normally I wouldn't expect this to affect a Full Moon ritual, but due to the cleansing aspect of this planned ritual, I am going to wait until Saturday evening.  A Full Waning Moon should be wonderful. You can find more information here. ***

for the upcoming full moon...

As I already mentioned, I am feeling bogged down and fighting off negativity.  So I am going to do a cleansing ritual for the Full Moon.
Supplies (always optional)
3 candles in orange and red for the Blood Moon
white sage
other incense, I like sandlewood with sage
and I light candles for the other entities that I invite into sacred space; for me, some specific spirit guides and Bast

I am going to clean my work space, my tarot decks, my crystals and my pendulum.  All items in everyday use that are probably as clogged up as I feel.
more later

Spirit Day

I'm wearing purple today to support LGBT youth - make your profile pic purple today for Spirit Day at http://glaad.org/spiritday

coming up...

The next full moon is this Friday evening, should be perfect for ritual. 
I am feeling dragged down by the mundane, stifled and restless.  I think a full blown ritual is in order and I will come up with something to share. 
In the meantime, I am teaching my first Tarot class on Saturday... anyone have any advice?

I'm back!

My internet connection has been turning off and on for a couple of months.  Since I have work that I HAVE to do on the internet I have been limiting my time online mostly to that.  I have kept up with those of you on Facebook, but that's about it.  Sorry for the long hiatus, I am glad to be posting again in time for Samhain.
Full Moon this weekend. 

More tomorrow!

I haven't disappeared

I am having internet problems.

Isaac Bonewits

October 1, 1949 - August 12, 2010

May the Goddess guard him.
May he find his way to the Summerlands.
May his family and friends know peace.

I like Blogger

Blogger has a spam detector which I have never bothered to look into.  I figured it is just easier to moderate comments, or delete the occasional sales pitch instead of trying to figure out the spam feature.
I just got a message from Blogger that they have activated the spam detector for this blog.  I have quite a few blogs, only this one now has a spam filter.
It coincides with a long rambling message from some busy body Christian wingnut who wanted to explain to me that I was consorting with the devil by practicing this "idolatry."  He would, of course, be willing to show me the way to salvation.   I left the message up - it's on the latest New Moon post.  I don't want anyone to start a food-fight, it is just a good reminder that in many minds, freedom of religion means pick your favorite variety of Christianity.  
I had to smile over Blogger taking the initiative to turn on the spam blocker for me.  Apparently THEIR spam identifier includes this type of message.
Thank you Blogger.

Lughnasadh and Lammas

..Lugh..

Although they are both celebrated here on August 1 and many of us say "Lughnasadh or Lammas" as if they are one and the same, they are not.
Lughnasadh (don't even try the nuances of the Gaelic pronunciation just stick with LOO-nus-uh) is a harvest feast and games held at the order of the Celtic god Lugh to honor his foster mother Tailtiu. Tailtiu may have been a mother earth goddess.  She died at the harvest and told her followers to remember her by holding games in her honor.  Lugh carried out these wishes and the festivities and competitions that help to celebrate the harvest are named after him. Athletic competitions, music and dance, eating and drinking are all part of Lughnasadh.

Lugh was the god of all skills and arts and honored even today as the patron of blacksmiths.
The earliest mention of him describes him as a King of the Tuatha de Danann and the master of many arts.  Later stories refer to him as the god of all skills and relate many stories about these skills.  Still later, because of the harvest festival and games that were held at his order, he became associated primarily with the harvest.
His heritage, like many of the early Celtic gods, was complicated.  Wikipedia does a good job of condensing it into a few lines:
Much of the early history of Ireland is recorded in the Book of Invasions, which recounts the many times Ireland was conquered by foreign enemies. According to this chronicle, Lugh was the grandson of one of the Fomorians, a monstrous race that were the enemy of the Tuatha de Danann. Lugh's grandfather, Balor of the Evil Eye, had been told he would be murdered by a grandson, so he imprisoned his only daughter in a cave. One of the Tuatha seduced her, and she gave birth to triplets. Balor drowned two of them, but Lugh survived and was raised by a smith. He later led the Tuatha in battle, and indeed killed Balor.

More information on Lugh can be found at Magic of Mythology 
image found at PaganNews.com

Lammas, on the other hand, is a Christian celebration of the first wheat harvest.  Farmers would take a loaf of fresh bread made from the current wheat harvest to church to offer as thanks and to ask for a blessing for the rest of the harvest.  It was also called the Feast of the First Fruits and celebrated with bread and apples.  This may a case of  "if you can't beat em, join em" and a way to de-paganize a celebration without causing too much resistance.  But this is primarily an Anglo-Saxon tradition and may only be related to Lughnasadh by coincidence.  All farming cultures celebrate the harvest and these appear to be two separate celebrations by two different cultures at two different times in history.
I don't know how the two terms came to be interchangeable in neo-Pagan circles, but there is a distinct difference in their history.
Nowadays I think we are doing well to remember to celebrate the harvest at all (unless you happen to be a farmer) so I suppose the name is not all that important, but it is nice to know the origins of these things.

Celebrate by offering thanks for our abundant earth.  Light candles of orange and yellow, burn incense of rose or sandalwood.  Prepare a meal of lamb, wheat bread, apples and wine and offer it to Lugh or whichever deity you owe some thanks to.  Don't forget to include some fun in the day including some games or competitions.  photo found here

I am going to do it.

And I am putting this on my blogs, FB, everywhere just so I don't stick it in a drawer and forget about it.
The Artist's Way is a 12 week project to free your creativity. 

The first chapter includes a written commitment to follow through for the full 12 weeks.  I am starting it tonight.
There is a website that has good information for anyone who is interested at The Artist's Way

seeker blog

I am trying to get my blogs up and running again.  While I have been on hiatus from blogging, I have been acquiring lots of info to share and want to get to it.
The Seeker blog is semi active again and needs your input.  We had some discussions going and I dropped the ball.
I want it to be a good resource and I have decided to add a bloglist for each of the methods of divination  listed on the page.  I started with some Tarot bloggers.  I have more, I will put them up later today or tomorrow.  If you have or know of a good divination blog of almost any kind please let me know.
So stop in and visit and leave comments and information at Seeker.

July Full Moon, Mead Moon

The Full Moon is July 25 at 9:37pm EDT

The Moon card from the Sacred Circle Tarot

Mead is the nectar of the gods. Now is the time to celebrate the fruits of the earth. The early harvest is nearly ready. The earth is in full bloom. Enjoy your life. Gather your herbs and do a spell for prosperity. Share your mead with the gods. Celebrate what you have accomplished.

smudging

The Full Moon is coming up this weekend. Do you have any tools, cards, etc that you would like to smudge in time for ritual, but it takes forever to cleanse tools properly in the smoke of an incense burner?
Here is a way to do it fast and create a lot of smoke, so either do it outside or throw open the windows and doors.

Take a large flower pot, the big terracotta pots or something that shape works the best and a small baker's cooling rack.  If there are holes in the bottom of the pot, cover them securely. Place a layer an inch or two deep of sand or fine gravel, like aquarium gravel, in the bottom. Place your incense charcoal in the bottom and light. Add your smudging incense or herbs. I like sage, not everybody likes the smell. Sandalwood is another good cleansing incense. Place the cooling rack on the top of the pot. Lay your tools or cards on the rack. The smoke will swirl deep in the pot and come out in a large cloud instead of a drifting spiral and it will fill the opening, covering whatever is on the rack.

Strength

I did a guided meditation a couple of days ago and was told to pay attention to the Tarot card "Strength" This is the Shadowscapes Tarot.

The card speaks of perseverance, having confidence and unshakable resolve. There are many kinds of strength; strength is adaptive and passionate but not uncontrolled.
This card also attaches the swan and cats to the central figures. The swan is a Celtic symbol of movement and success or glory. Cats have been seen in many cultures as symbols of freedom and creativity, in this context they might also be a distraction from the main goal.
As an outcome card Strength tells us to keep moving toward the goal and attain success. As an advice card Strength tell us not to let emotions run unchecked and distract us.
Strength can also be about courage and a reminder that courage is not the absence of fear, but rather taking action in the face of fear.

and ye harm none....

and ye harm none, do as thou will

I don't get all wrapped up in this.  Lots and lots of discussions about what this means.  I think you either have a moral compass or you don't and either way this is a simplistic, albeit confusing, directive.

I think Crowley proposed a more challenging way to think about this:
Do as thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.  Love is the law, love under will.

And St. Augustine of Hippo phrased it slightly differently:
Love and do what thou wilt.

Draw the Circle

any energy to spare?

Send some good energy and do a little magick for me, would ya?

Here is the scenario, as short as I can make it.
A couple of years ago I started doing PR in the Horse Industry.  I am a competitor and instructor and I loved learning how to do this.  Made a fair living working for a marketing company.
A year and a half ago I quit to take care of my mother who had terminal cancer and passed away in December.  Since then I have been working part time and trying to get a PR business of my own up and running.  Part time with a long commute still eats up the day and I am sooooo unmotivated to work on this in the evening.
Fast forward to present.
I have my website up and looking as good as I can make it right now, I could dither and tweak it forever, but that doesn't help.
I have collected a list of companies that fit what I do and how I like to work.
Here is the kicker:
I took off a week (unpaid) from the part time job to jump start this endeavor.  I want at least 2 new clients by the end of the week.
And I hate this part.  I love doing the work and dealing with the clients and the media, but I hate selling myself to prospective clients.  I can find many many many reasons for procrastinating.
I am doing magick, I have a schedule that I have managed to stick to for, oh, half of the day, with progress on the other half.
If you have any energy to spare, even in the form of a kick in the pants it would be appreciated.
And if you have a little magick to send my way I would be eternally grateful.

Repeating New Moon Ritual

Sorry this is late, I was thinking the New Moon was on the 12th.

New Moon is July 11 at 3:40 pm EDT

the new moon is in Cancer

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.

Are you a witch?

Do you self identify as a witch, regardless of whether you ever use that term to describe yourself to others?

Why do you?  What makes you a witch?  Or why don't you?

Send  me your answer at pagantapestry@gmail.com
I want to print the answers I get as a group in a post.  I will remove all names except my own and I will give you my answer too.

This looks like a very interesting book

Wicca, Magickal Beginnings
by
David Rankine, Sorita D'Este









I listened to an interview with David Rankine on Witchtalk (blogtalk radio) and I can't wait to read this book.  I plan to order it this week.

David talked about the origins of Wicca and Witchcraft, what we know and what we don't know.

He traces the idea of Witchcraft back through time through the contemporary writings.  References to witchcraft are continuous throughout history.   And if you reject the idea of a continuous cohesive history of witchcraft, what about the idea of a continuously emerging practice, reinventing itself?

In his interview David also talked about how Wicca today is not a distinct practice but an eclectic collection of ceremonial magic, folk magic and mythology.  I hope that he covers this in depth in the book also. 

If this book lives up to the interview it will be well worth reading.  I'll let you know.

OOPS...big correction....I originally listed this interview as being on Hex Education and it was not.  It was on Witchtalk....sorry bout that Kharagan!  You can listen HERE. 

a cornerstone?

Horatio did not much like being confronted by a ghost.  And he did not much like Hamlet saying to him:

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

I think that somehow this must be a tenet of Paganism.

Isn't the unknown, unrecognized, undreamed of possibilities....what we are all about?

June Full Moon

The June Full Moon is at 7:30 am EDT.  
There is also a partial lunar eclipse earlier in the morning and visible from the Pacific.

Lover's Moon, Strawberry Moon, Rose Moon, Honey Moon, Flower Moon

Unlike some of the winter full moons, it seems that everyone wanted to name this moon.  But all names are about good things, abundance, beauty, love. 
Now is the time to take care of your garden, your job, your family, the things that are important to you.

This Full Moon feel like a good time to share ritual with friends.  The coven that I occasionally circle with is, I think, out on the mountain tonight.  I forgot to check their schedule.  The local Unitarian church is holding a circle in a city park.  I might join them.

I offer Full Moons to the universal energy, Goddess and do not usually bring specific goddesses or other energies into circle.   The white peonies bloomed very late this year and there are some left for my altar.  Peonies are spring flowers (usually) and can symbolize a prosperous life or marriage.

Full Moon blessings to all of you. 

Hekate

There is a new book out on Hekate, HEKATE Her Sacred Fires by Sorita d'Este, Raven Digitalis, and Vikki Bramshaw.  Cool, I am planning to read it.  But I am not building an altar for Hekate and declaring that I am now working with her as I order it from Amazon.  I follow a lot of blogs and all over the blogosphere I am seeing people popping up with this new found interest in Hekate and claiming a deep understanding and relationship with her.   And while some new to the Craft have always been smitten with the idea of Dark Goddesses, it is hard to watch.  I saw one blog this morning of a very sincere and quite inexperienced writer, who was delighted just a few weeks ago to find Cunningham's books, now writing about her new workings with Hekate.
I know a few, a very few, people who work with Hekate.  They are thoughtful, careful and respectful in their dealings with her.  Yes, they are excited about the new book too, but they are not basing their relationship on it. 
For anyone thinking of approaching a Dark Goddess based on one book or online chatter, Tolkien offered some very good advice, "do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger."
Apply that to the Dark Goddesses and think about it before you ask one of them to dance. 

Mineral and Crystals

I have Cunningham's book on Gem and Crystal Magic, but I am looking for something along the same lines, but with more stones and crystals and more information.  Any suggestions?  I was thinking about the Crystal Bible, I have seen it in stores and enjoyed looking through it, but I found the mineralogists on Amazon pointed out errors in crystal structure, class etc.  Not really into that, but those things are easy to look up and if you don't get those right and your proof reader doesn't check, it has to make the rest of the information suspect.  I may be passing on a good book, but I would like to find something else.  Any suggestions?

Summer Solstice

BBC photo from Stonehenge, Summer Solstice 2010.

Unlike the Winter Solstice, which was and to some extent still is, a time of quiet desperation and hope.  The Summer Solstice is a time of celebration.  The harvest is coming, the days are long, the weather is warm.

Most of you know by now that I am more a digging in the dirt kind of pagan than a formal ritual kind of pagan.   I offer these few days of Solstice celebration to Amaterasu, Japanese sun goddess, who brought the dawn to the earth.  I spent a little time tending my poor neglected garden yesterday and today I am planning lunch in a park by a lake.  I will spend some time reading and thinking about the sun gods and goddesses and their role in human celebrations.
If you are engaged in formal ritual this solstice, may I suggest that you also go outside, put your feet in the dirt and turn your face to the sun and feel the life of this planet, this universe, coursing through you.

Scroll down to the next post for the story of Amaterasu. 

Amaterasu

Amaterasu

 The Japanese Shinto sun goddess, ruler of the Plain of Heaven, whose name means 'shining heaven' or 'she who shines in the heavens'. She is the central figure in the Shinto pantheon and the Japanese Imperial family claims descent from her ¹. She is the eldest daughter of Izanagi.She was so bright and radiant that her parents sent her up the Celestial Ladder to heaven, where she has ruled ever since.

When her brother, the storm-god Susanowa, ravaged the earth she retreated to a cave because he was so noisy. She closed the cave with a large boulder. Her disappearance deprived the world of light and life. Demons ruled the earth. The other gods used everything in their power to lure her out, but to no avail. Finally it was Uzume who succeeded. The laughter of the gods when they watched her comical and obscene dances aroused Amaterasu's curiosity. When she emerged from her cave a streak of light escaped (a streak nowadays people call dawn). The goddess then saw her own brilliant reflection in a mirror which Uzume had hung in a nearby tree. When she drew closer for a better look, the gods grabbed her and pulled her out of the cave. She returned to the sky, and brought light back into the world.
Later, she created rice fields, called inada, where she cultivated rice. She also invented the art of weaving with the loom and taught the people how to cultivate wheat and silkworms.
Amaterasu's main sanctuary is Ise-Jingue situated on Ise, on the island of Honshu. This temple is pulled down every twenty years and then rebuild in its original form. In the inner sanctum she is represented by a mirror (her body). She is also called Omikami ("illustrious goddess") and Tensho Daijan (in Sino-Japanese pronunciation).

She was called the 'illustrious ancestress of the Emperor' prior to 1945. At that time, the Japanese Emperor disclaimed any form of divine ancestry and polytheistic ancestor worship was no longer permitted.


This article by Micha F. Lindemans found here.

Healing prayer for the gulf

Perhaps more useful than sending all our anger blasting out into the universe.

Dr Masaru Emoto's healing prayer:

"I send the energy of love and gratitude to the water and all the living creatures in the Gulf of Mexico and its surroundings. To the whales, dolphins, pelicans, fish, shellfish, planktons, corals, algae and all living creatures...I am sorry. Please forgive me Thank you. I love you."

source: Donnaleigh de LaRose on Facebook

Our repeating New Moon Ritual

New Moon is June 12 at 7:15 am EDT
the new moon is in Gemini

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.

book: Druid Magic

I found a copy of Druid Magic by Maya Magee Sutton in a used bookstore for a couple of dollars.  I leafed through it, it looked like it might be fun to read and there was a section on Druid history.  Since Druid history is a highly debated subject I thought it might be interesting to get this author's take on it so I bought it.  I admit I also felt bad for it all alone on an entire wall of Christian writings and one book by Edgar Cayce.  It obviously needed a home.
I looked it up on Amazon and found reviews all over the place.  By far the majority liked it.  Some liked it with reservations and a few really tore it to bits.  The best I could tell, the main criticism wasn't so much what was written but rather that it wasn't scholarly enough.  At least two critics who really hated it suggested that readers stick to authors like Ellis. 
Hmmmmm.....  I have The Celts: A History and Celtic Myths and Legends by Peter Beresford Ellis.  He is the acknowledged authority in the field and I have manage to plow through these books and probably will read his books on the Druids.  BUT, his writing is academic and can be pedantic.  It is not for light reading with some education thrown in.  Druid Magic, from what I can tell just leafing through it and reading the first few pages, is not intended as a serious scholarly work, but rather as an informative and relatively easy read.
If everything about the Druids is supposed to be written in the most arch and academic style possible in order to be worth reading.......then it isn't going to be very interesting.  Even I know that real information on the Druids is sketchy at best and therefore some writers go to extreme lengths to defend their hypotheses.
I also know that reconstructionists believe that the Druids were the scholars and record holders of their day....but does that mean that everything has to be on the far side of serious?   I learned more history from the history professor who thought that history was a hoot than from the one that droned on and on about it.

I'm just starting to find things to read about the Druids and already questioning the wisdom of the self identified high mucky-mucks of the tradition.   Oh wait, don't tell me.... Wiccans aren't the only ones who go online with preposterous titles and awe inspiring resumes and wait for the masses to swoon at their feet.

Summer Solstice

Hibiscus Moon had these wonderful Summer Solstice Sachets in her Etsy store and featured on Facebook.  I just had to have one.  Citrine, pyrite, lavender, meadowsweet, sage, heather and more.  All some of my favorites.  I could have put it together myself, but as you can see, she puts a lot of energy and care into her work and I am happy to include that energy in ritual.
Now I am starting to plan a ritual for Litha and I am pondering selecting a deity that I don't usually work with to honor.  A Sun Goddess.  The only male god I work with is Hern and he is not a sun god. (a few words about Hern here)
It's early yet.  Any suggestions for a Sun Goddess?

Hare Moon, Planting Moon, May Full Moon

May Full Moon

Known as the hare or planting moon, this moon arrives in a time of romance, passion and wisdom.  Seeds that you have planted are beginning to grow.  You may have to make choices about which path to take, which career track, which romance.  Sit back for a moment and observe the things that are manifesting in your life.  Use your favorite divination to help make choices.

Full Moon is May 27th at 7:07pm EST.

World Tarot Day

May 25 is World Tarot Day.  There are some special activities planned on some very good tarot sites and shows.  Here are the ones I am going to be listening to.

World Tarot Day.org

Tarot Today on Blogtalk Radio

Beyond Worlds - Tarot Tribe

Check out the link for the times in your area and enjoy World Tarot Day.
If you know of any others - if you are doing something special yourself, please post it in the comments.

my newest favorite card

The Hierophant from the Shadowscapes Tarot

I have never had much connection to the Hierophant.  He is supposed to be a voice of wisdom, more earthly wisdom than the High Priestess, but I have always had a hard time relating to him.  He is often depicted with Christian trappings and usually appears to me to be the filter from the divine to me, the usual religious filter.  Since this represents everything I have rejected in my spiritual life, I often do not give him much weight in a reading or I find myself looking for knowledge of negative things because he is there.  My own little quirk, I admit. 

But Stephanie Pui-Mun Law has created a Hierophant that I want to listen to and that I can listen to without being distracted by the organized religion themes found on many cards.  

This Hierophant speaks of the wisdom of the earth because he is of the earth, not a go-between. 

Here is the artist's description: 

"The Hierophant's roots reach deep, entwined around secrets and traditions and the ages.  He believes in ritual and ceremony, in pursuing knowledge and deeper meaning and in the rigidity of a belief system. He elucidates the spiritual and brings it to the earthly plane.  He is calm and in possession of himself and he is the teacher who can help unravel mysteries."

It is amazing what a different image can do for our perceptions.

Druidism

Can anyone recommend some good reading about modern Druidism?  Or even opinions about what is a waste of time. 
I went to Amazon last night to see if I could find something and there is so much!  I know enough about witchcraft to be able to browse books and see what might be interesting reading, but I am kind of at a loss about Druidism and have a new curiosity.  Help me out.

Our repeating New Moon ritual

New Moon is May 13 at 9:04 pm EDT
the new moon is in Taurus

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.