Tuesday, 29 September 2009

Solitary Moon Rite

This rite may be used for either New or Full Moon. The difference is in your meditation and mental attitude in preparation. Remember that the New Moon is a time of outward work and thought, building to the peak, which is the Full Moon. At the Full Moon, you should be preparing to lessen the outward flow of energy, bit by bit, until the period before New Moon, during which you are passive, building a pool of energy within you, in preparation for the New Moon.


The altar should be placed in the center of the ritual area. On it should be placed a rose or stick of incense on the eastern side, a red votive candle to the South, a cup of water on the West, and a bowl of salt or living plant on the North.


Around your ritual area, you should place an unlighted candle at the cardinal point of each direction.





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To begin your rite, enter your darkened temple, carrying one burning candle, white or lavender, with you. Place it on the center of your altar, sit, and meditate on the meaning of the rite. When you feel the time is right, stand, and go to the eastern point, carrying with you the burning taper. Light the votive at the eastern point and go to the southern, picturing, as you do, an arc of pure strong light curving from one candle to the next. Continue to the West, and then to the North, lighting the candles as you go, and then walk to your eastern candle again, having formed a circle of protective light surrounding the area in which you worship.


Return to the center of the circle; replace the candle on the altar, and say:


My Lady of the Moon, who is called Diana, Artemis, Levanah, Isis and by any other names,
I come to you to bring you my love and my devotion.
May you grant me the joy of your presence.


Mentally divide the room into four quadrants by visualizing a line of silvery moonlight from the southeast to the northwest, and from the northeast to the southwest. Go the East, taking with you the rose or incense. Say:


Sweet Goddess, the gentle breeze is the touch of your loving hand,
the wind of storm a reminder of your strength.
The sound of the trees in the wind is your voice,
and the fragrance of flowers borne on the wind is your gift of beauty.


Place the rose next to the votive candle, then stand there as you picture the quadrant filling with moonlight. See the moonlight streaming quietly and gently into the room, filling the quadrant from center point to the edge of your circle.

When this is complete, take the red candle to the South. Place the gift and see the quadrant fill with moonlight. Say:


Most loved Lady, the light of the candle is a guide along our path leading to you;
ts warmth the reassurance of your presence and your love.
The light of the Sun is the knowledge you impart to us,
driving out ignorance and those things, which can survive only in darkness.


At the West:


Lovely One, the quiet pool is the serenity of your being.
The vast sea where life began on this planet
is the vast sea of your being whence all life came;
its waves are the ebb and flow of the universe you rule.


At the North:


Goddess of all, the fertility of the earth is a sign of your fertility, whence all life
rose. The solidity and permanence are still of it are still less than yours.
The earth's fertility feeds our bodies, and your fertility feeds our souls.


Go to the center of your temple, which is now filled with moonlight.



Everything in the circle is touched by it, blessed by it, including you. Sit down and feel this moonlight around you. Know that it is the Goddess. Realize that you are in the center of a sphere of light that is half above and half above and half below where you sit. Begin to breathe slowly and evenly, deep breaths that penetrate your whole body. When this rhythmic breathing becomes natural, imagine that the moonlight by which you are surrounded enters you, fills you entirely.


With each exhalation of your breath, some of the essence of yourself leaves your body, and with each inhalation, the light enters you. You are being filled ever so gently with this beautiful light. This light, which is the presence, the being of the Goddess, is within you as well as without. With each breath, you are less yourself and more the Goddess.


When you are filled with light, filled with the Goddess, the shell of your body fades away. You have no body; there is nothing to separate you from the entire being of the Goddess. Nothing exists but the being of which you are apart. You have ceased to be a separate entity. You are nothing and everything. All that was, that is, and all that will be, you are.


Enjoy this feeling as long as you like. When you feel it is time, picture the outer shell of your physical body reforming, becoming solid again. It is being built out of the Universe of which you are a part.


Now, as you continue your slow deep breathing, see the moonlight flowing out of your body, as gently and slowly as it entered. As it flows out, realize there is a difference. Because you have become one with the Goddess, with the Universe, your being has changed. As the moonlight flows out of your body, it takes with it a part of that which was yourself, now part of the Goddess, and leaves behind a part of the Goddess, forever now part of you. You become yourself again, solid as you were, but changed. You are surrounded by the presence of the Goddess, which now contains a part of yourself.


Move again to the East. As you speak, and after, picture the moonlight in that quadrant flowing back to its source, leaving that quadrant as it was.


Do this at each quadrant, until all the moonlight has returned to the Moon.


At the East:


My Lady, guide my thoughts.
Let them lead always closer to you.


At the South:


Gracious Goddess, guide my actions.
Let them always help and never harm others or myself.



At the West:


Lovely One, guide my emotions:
Let them be healing and touched always by you.


At the North:


Sweet Goddess, let my mind always be fertile and strong,
that I may grow always toward you.


Return to the East to complete the circle and say:


Queen of Heaven, I thank you for your presence,
both now and always. My love and devotion are yours. Blessed be!


All spirits that have joined me tonight may depart, with my love. Return to your proper places.


Walk again around your circle, but this time counter clockwise, extinguishing the quadrant guards as you go, and at the same time, mentally erasing the white line which surrounded your circle. When the candles are out and the circle gone, rap on your altar and say:

The rite is ended.




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By

Ellen Reed, Coven of Sothistar

Full Moon Woman Circle



EAST

Spirits of the east,
spirit of inspiration,
spirit of intellect,
the spirit that blesses the air we breathe,
spirit of new beginnings.
Behold the child as it sees the glories of life, the start of new adventures.

Let us honor the presence of the spirits of the East
and invite you to join with us tonight to do our work.

Be with us now. Blessed be.


SOUTH

Spirits of the south,
spirit of passion,
spirit of creativity,
spirit of fire.


Bless us with your flames and heat and the seeds of life are sown.

Behold the maiden as she sows the seeds of change from child to mother;
as she transforms from the innocence of the child
to prepare for the fruits of motherhood.

Let us honor the presence of the spirits of the South
and invite you to join with us tonight to do our work.

Be with us now. Blessed be.

WEST

Spirits of the west,
spirit of water,
spirit of emotion,
spirit of harvest.
Behold the mother as she bears the child created in her womb,
the fruits of her union.

Bless the mother who will nurture this child on the start of a new cycle of life.

Let us honor the presence of the spirits of the West
and invite you to join with us tonight to do our work.

Be with us now. Blessed be.

NORTH

Spirits of the north,
spirit of rest,
spirit of recovery,
spirit of renewal,
spirit of strength.
Behold the crone as she transcends the labors of motherhood
and reveals her truth, her wisdom.

Let us honor the presence of the spirits of the North
and invite you to join with us tonight to do our work.

Be with us now. Blessed be.

CENTER

Spirits of the center,
spirits above us,
spirits below us.

We welcome you.

We are the child, the maiden, the mother, the crone.
We are one, we are the parts combined to be whole.

We embrace life.

Let our work begin. Let our play begin.

Blessed be.


By ~


Janine Sutphen


- Full Moon WomanCircle, August, 2000


Sunday, 27 September 2009

Moot Mabon Picnic

What a beautiful day yesterday was! At the last moot meeting I thought it would be nice for som e of us to get together for a lovely mabon picnic and we couldn't have asked for a better day. It was clear blue skies and stunningly warm. The gods were most deffinately kind to us that day! Especially as Friday was rather chilly.

We had the picnic at our local park and the spot we had it in is surrounded by lovely old hawthorne trees. They were there when we moved here and that was, I hte to say, some time ago now, and there were mature then!


It was even nicer because my sister and young nephew also game and he added entertainment to the whole proceedings by chasing or being chased by either myself, my sister or one of our other moot members!


The picnic started at just gone 2pm and we didn't leave until around 6pm. Though my day did start rather badly...My own fault really, should have sorted everything on Friday, but frankly I was having a bad day and really didn't much feel like it. So I spent the mornign baking a Tuna Quiche and Fruit Parcels YUM! But the pastry really didn't want to play! lol I can make my own pastry, but didn't have the time, so I used *gasp* frozen! Rubbish!!! But all worked out in the end...

Back to the picnic...

We chatted, as is the norm with us, about all sorts of things be it pagan or not pagan. We talked about past moots and blots (three of our members are Heathen and I'm an honoury Heathen as I attend some of the blots). And of course my nephew stole our thunder a good number of times! lol

And like with past picnics we left offerings to the spirits/gods as a thank you for the harvest and a good day. I lit some Nag incense and left some fruit and one of my Fruit Parcels and we also left flowers, cakes and more fruit. My nephew (who's non pagan) didn't understand why we were doing this. So I explained to him why, that it was a thank you for the harvest etc and he too wanted to leave and offering and we were all duely impressed as he left a chocolate croissant. I may have had a hard time parting with that! lol

Now I am thinking of possibly a Yule dinner..Think that maybe nice...

Friday, 25 September 2009

Herbal Tea for Coughs and Runny Noses!!


Herbal Tea for Coughs and Runny Noses!!




 This is my own recipe so I hope you like it.

What you will need:~

Small tea pot
Thyme
Cinnamon
Lemon Juice
Clear Honey

Method:~


1: Firstly warm your Tea Pot with boiling water for a few minutes.
Refill the kettle with fresh water and boil ready for tea.

2: Pour hot water out of tea pot and put in two tsps
of dried thyme.

3: Now break into the pot either 1/2 or 1 stick of
Cinnamon.

4: Pour freshly boiled water over the herbs and leave
to brew for about 4 minutes.

5: Warm your cup with some hot water.

6: Pour brewed tea into cup. Stir in a tsp of clear
honey and squeeze in some lemon.

7: Now put your feet up and sip the healing drink
slowly.


I would suggest having this drink 2 or 3 times per day until your cold has gone.


 




Chants, Prayers & Blessings - Part one

Here are a few chants I love to use. They are not my own, so I make no claim to them. But please, if you do know of the author, do please let me know. 







We all come from the Goddess



We all come from the maiden, and to her we shall return.
Like a budding flower, blooming in the springtime.


We all come from the mother, and to her we shall return.
Like a grain of wheat falling to the reaper’s scythe.


We all come from the wise one, and to her we shall return.
Like the waning moon, shining on the winters snow.


We all come from the Goddess, and to her we shall return.
Like a drop of rain, flowing to the ocean




At The Alter


This is a time that

Is not a time
In a place that is not a place
On a day that is
Not a day


I stand at the threshold
Between the worlds
Before the veil of
The mysteries


May the Lady and
The Lord help
And protect me
On my magickal
Journey


So Mote It Be!


A Prayer of Oneness



I release my isolation to the Stars
Breathing in the Energy that connects all things
Allowing my body to be caressed by Nature


Filling my lungs with eternal Breath
Filling my senses with the joy of Being Alive
Filling my heart with gratitude for this Moment


Finally allowing my Spirit to soar Free
I am a creation of the Universe
Eternal in my Essence


In time . . . when my life wanes
Returning my body to Star Dust
Held in the body of the Great Goddess
I will again, be the Energy of Life





Thank You For This Day



Thank You for this day on Earth
Ancient Mother who gave me birth
Healing Mother who keeps me strong
Crone Mother who brings each new dawn


Thank You for the gift of being
For blessing me with the wonders of seeing
For the sounds and feeling of laughter
and the wisdom learned through pain


Spirit Mother bless me,
tomorrow with a day again






Nature Berries Notebook

I was floating around google looking for images of berries and found this little gem of an idea. I have thought of it before, creating a little notebook with drawings and what not from walks and such like. But I have a habbit of making everything so complex, such as drawings, that I get bored and loose interest.

But this I love as it reminds me that my drawings only need to reflect what it is. It doesn't need to be complicated or photographically correct! It's such a pretty page...It also helps me with regards to my grimoire, again, something I keep thinking needs to be complex! Hogwash Reki, it doesn't need to be complex at all. I think this all harkens back to my art college days!! lol

So now, because of my search for something else I stumble on this little gem and feel inspired! Always a good thing me thinks!

I'd also love to see the rest of this book....Well look what I've just found, the rest of the book and it seems to be have been designed for children! How wonderful :)

......Enjoy!

Thursday, 24 September 2009

Deep Listening

Listening is something we all take for granted to the point that we never truly listen anymore. We think we do, but we don't. We only hear snipets of life, from the TV to iPods. Train announcements to the general chatter of teens on the bus. But it is snipets as we are so wound up in our day to day mundane lives and we are surrounded by so much noise that we have almost become numb to true sound. We have stopped deep listening!


Of course I'm no different really to anyone else. I'm sat here typing away with the TV playing behind me and I'm not really listening at all as I'm focused on this. People will speak to me and I don't really hear them because my mind is elsewhere. And even when we're meant to be listening, we don't.

But an odd thing happend a few days back when I was doing something very mundane. I was making myself lunch, a simple sandwhich. I seemed to have my ears truly open and every sound I made in the kitchen, I heard it. From the peeling back of the margarine tub to opening the fridge door. I was hearing sounds I'd not really noticed that much before. Of course I heard the sounds when ever I did such things, but I never really listened to how they sounded.


So can the same be said when we step out in to the green woodlands or the sandy beaches? Do we truly listen to each step we take and the results of the impact of our footfalls? Do we really hear every rustle of the breeze in the trees or the waves on the pepples? How much do we miss because we have stopped deep listening. I think for the most part it is hard to listen so deeply because our minds, as well as our ears, are so full of life in general. It creates a kind of barrier and the only real way to listen so deeply is to sit quietly, and focus on the sounds around us. To almost block out everything else. Something that can be rather difficult as we are so easly distracted. Things popping in and out of our minds and ears. Mundane and silly little things. But still, it is something we should all try from time to time, to open  up our hearts, minds and ears to the beauty that surrounds us, be we pagan or not. To really listen to those beautiful sounds, no matter how mundane they may be.

Wednesday, 23 September 2009

Mabon 2009

It has been a while since I last did a full on ritual, on my own! I have had SO much happening in my life the past few years, most of it not very nice as it has involved the loss of a loved ones? And so I found myself feeling lethargic and not feeling like taking too much trouble.

Mabon09 #1
(Alter: The ribbons are attached to my Oak wand. For some reasone I didn't take a picture of this lol!  The pentagle at the back was made from a wood chopping board)

All I have done is make token alters and no real ritual. Nothing of any substance in my opinion. Nothing to make your spin tingle and make you stop amd think! For the past year I have been part of a Heathen group, and think. For the past year I have been part of Heathen eventhugh I am not actually a Heathen. I found myself in this group because I have three very good friends who happen to be Heathen. They could have just as been easily Wicca or Native American. For me the link and being part of a Pagan group was more important, than being part of my "own kind" what ver that bloody means! I've kidded myself, for a while, that it doesn't REALLY matter if I do or do not do a ritual and yet to an extent I think it does matter. I feel I have drifted away from who I am, and that ritual is a part of who we are.

Mabon09 #4
(Alter: to the right of the bowl is my goblet I bought from Steve the Potter at Thornborough and a close up of my pentagle)


My ritual lasted around an hour and took a day to plan, gathering materials and making items of spiritual importance. The preparation, in truth, was part of the ritual. I had the ritual written out before me in black and white, and yet I let it flow in what ever direction it felt it needed to go. I don't cast a circle as my home and garden is already protected from anything that may cause harm, mischievousness and so forth. And so I don't feel any need to do so. It was both moving and powerful and I loved every minute of it. When I started to clear the area I found myself walking, whilst shaking my shaker, deosil in a spiral from the outseid to the centre. It just seemed the right thing to do; and I always believe in going with the flow. When I finished I did the same thing, only widdershins. In both cases I felt very emotional and empowered.


Mabon09 #2
(Alter: Not sure if you can see it. But there's a wood shavings Headgehog poking it's nose out of the basket! My lovely Oak Greenman is sat in front of the basket)


I did all my ritual, with extras and spent much time just thinking. When I'd completed the ritual I invited my parents to come outside and drink some wine and eat bread and giving blessings to the harvest. That was lovely and is something they are more than happy to do. Although they are, in principle, are pagan, they don't do rituals. It's more their belifs and attitudes. It is something they always do for me when I've finished a ritual, no matter how great or small.


Mabon09 #3
(Alter: My beautiful Celtic lady. I use her as a goddess symbol and often place things in her cauldron as offerings. She normally sits on my out side alter, which is hiding under and behind this table alter)


All in all it was a beautiful ritual and I am now going to prepare for Samhain! I don't plan in doing things in small doses again!


May the darkened months be blessed with happiness, good health and prosperity.


Beannachd xxx

Monday, 21 September 2009

What Does Your Notebook Say About You?!


I was watching a programme today about Agatha Christie. They were trying to crack her code, trying to see what made her tick! One of the things they looked at was one of her notebooks (which have never ever been seen by the public before). In this wonderful book they found notes about her books and also shopping lists.

This made me think on how revealing a notebook can be about an individual. So I started to think about my notebook I keep in my bag, what is in it. I will list some of what is in it in a moment...So what's in your little notebook you keep in your bag. The one that goes everywhere with you. The one you use for shopping lists etc...(Not the one you only keep spells or recipes in! lol)

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I went through my book and numbered the pages to make life a little easier! lol So what does

my notebook say about me....(I will add I've had this book for well over a year!)

Page 1:

At the top of the page it says Nana and is followed by a short shopping list of such things as Ham, Chicken and Smoked Haddock (my last shopping list for Nana before she died)

A note of a nusery name "Smiley Faces"..It's bracketd and underlined so I don't forget it

Another shopping list

At the bottom of the page and upside down is a not of "Rouraksh"...No idea what this is! lol

Page 2:

A note of a DS game called "The Settlers" and also "CSI: Dark Motives"

A friends address

A pagan book tittle and authors name

And another book tht is a witchcraft book

There's a couple of notes of YouTube videos "Bill Baily - Chaucer Pub Gag" and "The Usage Of The Word Fuck"

Page 5:

Old Xmas list of families gifts (well some of them lol)

Page 11: 7th Febraury 2008

It's a poem that I have written and curiously crossed out....

Why do I not remember
The things that you have
Said?
Of a life that has long
Since past.

Why is it so hard to have
The voice that I know
So well, speak softly in my head?

Why do all these precious things
Seem as thin as
Smoke?


Right at the bottom of this, not crossed out is:

A number now redundant
In my phone, that will belong
To another some time soon


All this refers to the reacent loss of my Nana

Page 15:

Some notes of old family names on my maternal grandparents side...Family search me thinks!

Page 17:

More notes on witchcraft and Pagan books!

Page 20:

As with page 17

Page 23:

A note I made to ask a fellow Pagan Fedration Officer a question!

Page 24:

Some notes I made about a bannishing spell using herbs etc and a picture and also how to make some magical herb preporations.

Page 31:

Another poem..Not crossed out..dated 18th April 2008

My breath..cold..shallow
Life. Soul. Breath. Darkness

Darkness closing around me

Life the cape of the reaper
Cold, Lifelss and Without
Form.

My breath. Hollow whispers in
My inner soul. It speaks to
Me of things that could.
Should, have been.

Whispers so cold. So Hollow.
So lonely. Hidden. Lost


Note from me: I need to get these written down properly, it was the first time I'd written in ages. One of the things known by only a few...I'm a published poet!

Page 35:

More notes on witchcraft/pagan books (there's a lot of these through out my notebook)and an friends email addy.

Pages 46 & 47:

A list of my brothers PS3 games

Page 50 to 56:

Notes from my reacent Pedriatric First Aid classes

Page 59 - 60

My packing list for my last holiday!

Page 63/64:

Dated 23rd August 2009

A spell I wrote whilst on holiday! Ingredients and words!

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I think that will do for now! lol So what does this say about me then?