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.