On The Bright Side

Happy full moon to all of you out there, if you can see it. It is stormy here tonight so the clouds are a good shield. But she peeks out every now and again and lights up the night.

This moon is called the Wolf Moon or the Cold Moon. It was called the Wolf Moon in colonial times because it was the time when hungry wolves came close to the villages. And the Cold Moon because… Well, it’s cold. And it sure was cold here today. There is a lovely winter storm.

Tonight we held a simple Esbat service here. Not only did we honor the moon, but we used magick to banish negativity and pessimism.

We used alter cloth of yellow and orange to bring positive thoughts. And purple for faith.

We used daffodils for hopeful thoughts.

We used pearls for compassion and thoughtfulness.

We used Myrrh for tranquility and serenity.

We used chamomile for tranquility and a calm spirit.

We used pine for optimism.

And we used oranges for encouragement and optimism.

I used a guided mediation to raise the energy to the heavens. I chose meditation as I was looking to instill patience. I found that particular meditaion in the book The Magical Year by Danu Forest.

We had communion. I used even used yellow cake.

Thank you to those who joined me tonight.

Blessed be.

On A Cold Night

Sometimes your best laid plans don’t always pan out. Sometimes what the Gods deliver is better than your plan.

Tonight we honor the full moon. This one is called the Cold Moon or the Long Night’s Moon. Both of those names are apt as for the fact that they happen around the winter solstice and the coldest and darkest time of the year.

Today I went to Disneyland and honored the God and Goddess by spending the time with my family. We walked around and had a great time as always. (FYI… I read somewhere that Walt Disney was Pagan. His family came from Ireland, so perhaps Celtic.) In the park they had booths set up to try holiday foods of other cultures. We tried a curry dish from India, a lamb dish from the Middle East and kugel from the Jewish booth. (The curry was my favorite.)

Since I knew we had planned to go to Disneyland today, I had planned to have an esbat last night by myself.

Planned to.

But then…

Some very nice person made a coconut cake for a friend. And that friend was having a bad day and the cake sure lifted her. Then she called me and asked if I wanted to share in this cake. And I told her since she is sharing her cake with me; I will share my dinner with her. (It was tacos and pozole.)

So instead of an esbat service for one, I held an impromptu, informal service for several. We ate a fabulous meal. I taught a younger witch (13) about runes. She and I did a candle spell together for good luck. She told me about her first deck of tarot cards. She admired things on my alter and I gave her stuff to set up her own at home. (Much like mine and her mother.) I gave her a candle and some incense and an incense holder. I even lent her a book to study and gave her a new blank book to write in.

Before I go on… let me tell you about that blank book.

Earlier this month I received a box of items from a subscription service I subscribe to. Inside the box was this blank book. It has a design on it from the new movie “Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them”. (Yes, I am a huge Harry Potter nut.) When I pulled it out of the box, my husband asked me what I was going to do with yet another blank book. I immediately told him I was going to give it to the before mentioned 13 year old. I told him she would need it. For what purpose and when, I did not know, but she would need it.

And she did. Last night. The God and Goddess know what they are doing.

Anyway, she and I read runes and talked. Then we enjoyed an informal communion. We used the coconut cake as it was already a blessing.

After they left, her mother sent me this picture of the alter she went home and set up.

I love it.

See…

I wrote this post for these reasons…

1. Being Pagan is a perfectly normal part of life.
2. The God and Goddess know what is best for us.
3. Magick is everywhere, you just have to look for it.
Blessed be.

Dam Good

Tonight’s full moon is called the Beaver Moon. Perhaps it was because the Native American’s would set their beaver traps at this time to insure plenty of furs to keep them warm through the winter. Or maybe it was just the activity of the beavers themselves as they built dams to stay safe and warm through the winter. It is also called the Frost Moon, but I think you can figure out why.

Some wiccans also call this the Mourning Moon. As it would be the first full moon of the New Year, it is time to say goodbye to bad habits and toxic relationships, and get a fresh start for the New Year.

It was cold here tonight and the moon looked so huge. There were no clouds and a slight wind. My dearest husband made me a fire in the pit in the back yard. We burned lavender and had communion. It was a short service because we were freezing. The goddess will understand.

On a side note, I cannot wait to have the indoor fireplace fixed so we can have fires inside.

On A Shopping Spree

A Flower Moon... a good time to get out in the garden. Grow some herbs. Do some magic. That is what I am going to do. I have some great spells in mind.

How about you?

So...

Ever need a witchy item and be all like…

“Where does one even get one of those?”

Well, Amazon has a ton of options you can order right from home. I have ordered candles, a candle snuffer, a tiny cauldron, some charms and various books right off Amazon. Even better, you can buy used books for cheap. I got a couple for a penny plus shipping.

But if you are looking for something a little more specialized, I use Azure Green.

Check out their website.

They have a ton of great stuff. Their staff is awesome and the items ship quickly. I have purchased several candle holders, a bunch of great incense, some charms and a little bell. They have a great selection of runes and tarot cards. There are so many wonderful little boxes and a wide array of alter cloth. I could spend hours on the website just shopping.

Not only do they offer a ton of stuff for Wiccan practices, they also offer items for Asatru/Odinist Pagans, Buddhists, Hindu, and even Santeria.

Now I just want to buy stuff. Look what you made me do. So when this little jewelry box arrives, I am telling my husband it is your fault.

Blessed be.

The Winds Of Change

A blessed full moon to all of my witches this evening. It is beautiful out there. This moon goes by a lot of names. Wind Moon, Seed moon, Pink Moon…

Wind Moon because of the winds outside; the change of seasons and the change of times.

Seed Moon because now is a good time to plant seeds.

Pink Moon because now is the time of Pink moss, or wild ground phlox, one of the first Spring Flowers.

I like Pink Moon because I like pink. And while the moon is not actually pink, I still like the idea.

Today is Earth Day, and so, for today, we are discussing the element of Earth. Everything starts with it. Earth is one of the five elements invoked during ritual to balance the energies of either the sacred space or the individual or both. (With the other four elements being wind, fire, water and Spirit.)

The Earth is stable. It is the foundation of all. It is feminine, Mother Earth, giver of life. It is the North, the top, the beginning. It has a grounding affect. Earth is used in stone, crystal, and knot magick as well as garden magick and runes. It is often used in spells relating to hearth and home as well as the gaining of material things including money, employment, general security and family matters. It is useful in spells related to health, fertility and prosperity. It is a winter and night element and can be represented by drums.

Earth is represented in many ways. On an altar, it can be represented by stone or crystals, specifically onyx, jade, halite, amethyst, and fluorite. It can be represented by salt or a bowl of soil. It is represented by the colors brown, black, green, and yellow. It is represented by plants, particularly grains, ivy, red poppy, mushrooms and potatoes. Bulls, stags, dragons, wolves, owls, cats and Sphinx are animal representative of Earth. Gnomes, fauns, goblins, satyrs, dryads, sylvesters, dwarves and trolls are all mythical beings of the Earth element.

The goddesses Demeter, Ceres and Persephone are strong in the Earth element as are the Horae and Prosperpina. The gods Hades and Pluto are also gods of Earth. The Horned God is also a representative of the Earth element.

Earth is felt strongly in caves, forests, valleys and fields. It is in the practical areas of your home; the bathroom, the kitchen, the dining room.

People with earth based personalities like to work with their hands. They are also very family-oriented. On the other hand, too much can cause inability to dare or branch out in any way.

Earth is the first and last. The giver of life. And where we return at the end.

On my alter I generally use a bamboo bowl of salt as well as a rock I got from Yosemite on a trip there and a pine cone my daughter collected in Big Bear.

What do you use? What represents Earth to you?

Blessed be!

In Like A Lion

The old saying goes March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. That is why March’s full moon is called the Storm Moon. Native American’s call it the Worm Moon, as now is the time when the ground softens, the earth worms come out, and the robins return.

Of course, if you live in the desert like I do, rain may seem like a far-fetched dream. Perhaps a nice rain talisman would help…

So…

Let’s talk about aquamarine.

Aquamarine is a light blue stone, also called blue beryl. And it was once used as a stone to bring rain. It is a water element stone also used for protection for those who travel by, over or near waters. Its name is Latin meaning “Water of the Sea”. Aquamarine evokes water, the ocean and calm seas. It brings luck to sailors and is considered treasure of mermaids.

Aquamarine is the color of heaven reflected in the ocean going on for infinity. It is the pale blue of the winter sky as it gives way to spring. It is calming, soothing and cleansing. It inspires truth, trust and letting go. It is a stone of eternal youth and happiness. It can cultivate inner tranquility, cleanse the emotional body and open channels of clear and heartfelt communications. It is also a mediation aid.

It is a cooling stone. It is the stone of breath and balance. It is a stone of empowerment showing that not all power comes from force. Ancient Romans believed it would render a soldier invincible and that it was an antidote for poison. They also believed that if a figure of a frog were carved into or out of aquamarine that it would serve to make enemies into friends.

Aquamarine is the stone of Kuan-Yin, the Chinese Goddess of Mercy, Compassion and Unconditional Love. It is also the stone of Akna, the Mayan Goddess of Motherhood, as well as Kupala, the Slavonic Water Goddess.

It is the Zodiac stone of Scorpio. It is associated with the Tarot Symbol- the Hanging Man. It is a traditional gift for a 19th wedding anniversary and is said to reawaken love in married couples.

But most common of all, it is the birth stone for the month of March.

And as today is my birthday, it is my birthstone.

Snow People Make The Best Friends

Another full moon is upon us. Time passes way too quickly.

This full moon is called the Snow Moon or the Quickening Moon. The full moon that occurs in February is traditionally called the Snow Moon because that is the height of the winter snow season. It is also a time when we are all sick of being cooped up inside and are looking forward to Spring.

I spent my full moon with one of my closest friends. She brought her daughter and we had a fabulous tea party and chatted and laughed. For dinner we made fondue and stuffed ourselves with all kinds of goodies. Then at night we bundled up and sat around the fire in the back yard and enjoyed the night. Our girls ran around and toasted marshmallows and everyone was happy.

I don’t think you can beat that.

Bright and Shining

Happy Full Moon!

This moon is called the Wolf Moon or the Cold Moon. It was called the Wolf Moon in colonial time because it was the time when hungry wolves came close to the villages. Another fabulous day here in the land of me and I must say, that moon was bright and big tonight.

I worked 16 hours today and had very little time to enjoy the day. I stepped out into the night and was able to bask in the full glow of the Cold Moon. It was a nice drive home too.

My mother in law sent me a bloodstone in the mail. She has a habit of picking up random things at flea markets and such and mailing them to us. I don’t think she understood the significance of the particular piece. This was a blood stone on a silver chain with fairies around it.

Bloodstone is a powerful healing stone that has been valued for 100’s of years for its healing energies. It purifies and detoxes the body. It can ground negative energies and help to cleanse your body’s energies. It increases strength and energy. It promotes a constant flow of energy though out the body. It is good to have for athletes or people who have jobs with a lot of physical activity. (Like me.)

I wasn’t sure where this one had been or what kind of negative energy is had absorbed so I did a cleansing of it. There are many ways to cleanse such an item. I rubbed it with coconut oil, wrapped it in a blue cloth and buried it in a wooden bowl full of river rocks. I set the bowl on the fire ring in my back yard. I left it there from the new moon until the full moon. Now it is ready for use.

Other ways to cleanse items include:

Washing it in Salt Water (Preferably Sea Water)
Bury it in the garden
Leave it in a slow moving stream
Let it lie out in the moonlight

Anyway, now I have a fabulous new item to help me in times of need.

Until we meet again…