Monday, 23 February 2015

Almanac 23rd February to 01st March


All information from "Llewellyn's Magical Almanac 2015" 
Colour and Incense based on information used by Llewellyn from 
Personal Almanac by Amber Wolfe

All times are Eastern Standard (US) Time (EST) 
or Eastern Daylight (US) Time (EDT)

Next Sabbats and Full/New Moons

20th March Ostara (Spring Equinox) - Northern Hemisphere
20th March Mabon (Autumn/Fall Equinox) - Southern Hemisphere

5th March Virgo Full Moon
20th March New Moon

The Moon and Correspondences For This Week

Monday 23rd 
Waxing Moon  
Moon Phase: First Quarter 
Colour: Ivory
Moon Sign: Taurus 
Incense: Hyssop

Tuesday 24th 
Waxing Moon 
Moon Phase: First Quarter
Colour: Scarlet
Moon Sign: Taurus
Moon enters Gemini 11:54 pm
Incense: Basil

Wednesday 25th 
Waxing Moon
Moon Phase: Second Quarter 12:14 pm
Colour: Brown
Moon Sign: Gemini
Incense: Marjoram

Thursday 26th  
Waxing Moon
Moon Phase: Second Quarter
Colour: Crimson
Moon Sign: Gemini
Incense: Mulberry

Friday 27th 
Waxing Moon
Moon Phase: Second Quarter
Colour: Purple
Moon Sign: Gemini
Moon enters Cancer 7:50 am
Incense: Mint

Saturday 28th 
Waxing Moon
Moon Phase: Second Quarter
Colour: Black
Moon Sign: Cancer
Incense: Magnolia

Sunday 29th 
Waxing Moon
Moon Phase: Second Quarter
Colour: Amber
Moon Sign: Cancer
Moon enters Leo 6:34 pm
Incense: Juniper

Tuesday, 17 February 2015

New Moon Ritual


The New Moon is literally the Moon starting her 29 day cycle again. Starting a new and so we celebrate this with the start of new beginnings. New projects, renewing commitments and healing. It is a time when we put the old behind us and look forward to the new. Old habits and worries. If there is something you have problems trying to put behind you, this is the ideal time to do it.

Now I haven't written a ritual as I really haven't had the time. But there is one at the end of the article. my part in this article is more about preparation. So lets start with the most important part of any ritual.

Intention


Firstly you must decide what your intentions are for this ritual. Why you wish to perform this. As I have said, this is the time for new beginnings and renewing commitments to old resolutions. Or you may wish to perform some healing work. Though you can do more than one thing. Just be sure of what you wish to do.

Preparation

Decide where you want to do your ritual. Outside is always nice, but also not always possible. So choose a room in your home where you have space to perform your ritual and where you will not be disturbed. Make sure those in your home are aware you need some quiet time and switch off mobiles/cell phones, computers, tablets and take the house phone off it’s hook.

Once you have decided where you want to perform your ritual. Make sure it’s clean and tidy
both physically and spiritually. Don’t just put things away and vacuum, but smudge the room too, sage or lavender are perfect for this.  Lavender and lemon balm are also associated with the New Moon. Open windows to allow fresh air to circulate.

Don’t forget to prepare yourself also. A nice cleansing and ritual bath. A shower really doesn’t have the same effect. Have some candles and lavender bath salts. When you soak imagine the Lavender salts drawing all the negativity from your body. Step out of the bath and then pull the plug and watch all that negativity drain away with the water.

Grounding and meditation are also important. Meditating on your intentions and grounding your mind, body and soul are as important as preparing your room.


Here’s a good article on the subject: Grounding and Centering

Your Altar and This You May Need


As this is a Moon ritual I would suggest either white or silver for the colour choices. It’s nice to combine both of this as it adds more interest to your altar. How you decorate your altar is of course up to you. Below are some suggestions. This form of decorating your altar can be used for any Moon ritual.


  • So a silver or white altar cloth. Or possibly a white altar cloth with silver thread running through it.
  • A feather to represent air, again this could be a white feather
  • A white or silver candle that represents both the moon and fire
  • A silver or clear glass bowl of Salt to represent Earth. Or you can use a stone or a some soil.
  • A silver or clear glass bowl or goblet of water. If you can use spring water for this do. But don’t worry if that’s not possible.
  • You may also wish to have white flowers with silver sprayed twigs
  • Silver moon shaped sequins liberally scattered around
  • A silver pentacle (if you don’t have a large one, you could use a pendent) can also be used to represent Earth just as a wand can be used for air or fire
  • If you are going to burn paper, a cauldron is suggested. I would say that your cauldron needs to be at least 11cm in diameter. Anything smaller and it’s not safe enough to burn things in. Make sure you place it somewhere safe and don’t burn too much. Keep it small and keep it safe.

The Ritual


It is always nice to try and write your own, but that’s not always possible. The internet is 
filled to the brim of the cauldron with various rituals. So take a look around. Find one you 
like and then make it your own. Change the words for instance. Try to use it as a guideline 
rather than actually using the ritual. Remember the more personal it is, the better it will work for you. I have added a ritual at the end of this article.

Here’s a little check list I found, and it’s rather nice, of things for your new Moon Ritual

  • Prepare the space by lighting one white candle and burning a stick of sage.
  • Write on a small index cards intentions for the next 28 days.
  • String intentions up via string.
  • Begin meditating on intentions
  • Imagine letting go of things that no longer serve you
  • Visualize a new life. Create a vision board with images that reflect this new life.
  • Say prayer of thanks and gratitude
  • Blow out candle
I know I am bound to have forgotten some things in my article. So here are some useful and interesting links. Do read, as you will learn more that way.






Now as I have had a very busy week with my Birthday and family visits, I am resorting to my suggestion. So the following ritual is one I have found and liked.

This ritual is a rather simple one, but also really nice. I have provided a link below to the actual page, so if Carole mentions other pages to visit, just follow the link I've provided and go from there.

And don’t forget, rituals don’t have to be over complicated. If anything, the simpler the better is often the best mantra. As they say KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid

Beannachd

Pagan Hare

New Moon Ritual For Manifesting:

by CAROLE FOGARTY

“We can change our lives. We can do, have, and be exactly what we wish”  Tony Robbins

Any new moon is the perfect time to release your monthly wishes out into the universe. Astrologically it carries a strong energy for giving birth to new ideas, habits or projects.

To give my wishes the special attention they deserve, I send them on their merry way with a simple, yet meaningful ritual.  Rituals needn't be complicated, time consuming or confusing.  In fact mine are around 3 – 5 minutes.

Firstly, I become still and arrive fully into the moment.  I want my whole body, mind and breath to participate.  Secondly, I connect with the four elements of nature, after all they nourish us all on a daily basis and we certainly couldn't survive without them.   Then, and only then, do I feel connected and prepared to release my wishes out into the big wide world.

Acknowledge the start of your ritual:

Light a candle to signify the start of the ritual – giving thanks and gratitude. You can even open with a little blessing or prayer if that feels right for you.

Arrive fully at the ritual:

Give 100% of your whole self when releasing your wishes by arriving fully into the moment.  Involve your mind fully,  breath fully, body fully and your soul fully.

Feel and become aware of  your body (feet, toes, fingers, legs, arms etc), shake and move your body if you need too.

Feel and become aware of your breath, follow it as it moves through your body.  It is your breath and words that will give energy to your wishes.

Feel and become aware of your thoughts – do not follow your thoughts just notice them and your mind will soon arrive without getting distracted.

Feel and sense the energy of your heart, the core of your being, the essence of who you are.

Now, pay closer attention to the environment around you. Tap into your senses.  What can you see, smell, taste, touch or hear?

If you need help arriving, then you might like to read my article called the 3 arrivals.  A simple Buddhist practice that encourages you to arrive fully into the here and now.

Connect with the elements of nature:

To connect with the essence of the universe you need to acknowledge the four main elements of nature.  Fire – water – earth – water.  You can do this by feeling, sensing or having a physical representation for each of the elements.

Earth: go barefoot and feel the earth beneath your feet.  If you can’t go outside you may prefer to wear or hold a crystal, be close to a plant or vase of flowers. Breathe the earths energy up through your feet.  Feel the connection.

Fire: the burning candle signifies fire – feel or sense the cleansing properties of the fire, and the energy it is fueling your wishes with.

Air: light a piece of dried white sage or sage smudge stick (as shown in the picture on the right). The smoke represents air. Let the smoke fill the air around you.

Water: have a bowl of water with a small handful of rock salt. This connects you to the ocean and all water on this planet. Add essences, flowers , crystals or infuse your water with sunshine – if this feels right for you.

Write and cleanse your wishes:

Write your wishes down on a piece of paper and then cleanse away unseen obstacles and energy blocks with the smoke from your sage smudge stick (Shown in the photo above).  Continue cleansing until you feel a lighter energy around your written wishes.

I have used dried white sage (either loose or as a smudge stick) for over 20 years and strongly believe in its cleansing and purification properties.  Burning sage is almost a daily occurrence in my home.  If you can find organic, then all the better.

Release your wishes:


The first part of releasing your wishes is writing them down.  The second part is saying them out aloud as if you are speaking in person to the universe.  Feel or sense the words of your wishes in your breath, in your exhale as they leave your body. Release them with love and grace.

Close ritual:

Finish your new moon wish ritual by blowing out your candle and giving thanks and gratitude. Close your eyes and spend a few special moments in silence – feeling whatever you need to feel.  I usually get a feeling of my wishes flying out into all corners of the world.

You may  keep your written wishes under your pillow, next to your favourite crystal,  on your bedside table, in your wish bowl, on your altar or bury them in the ground for the next
month.  You may even prefer to keep a visual image or picture that represents your monthly wish.  Alternately read your monthly wish/wishes just before you go to bed. Do whatever feels right for you. Trust and be guided your intuition.

In case you are wondering what my monthly wish is – it’s to complete my first e-book “Unwind” and become an author. Wish me luck.  May all our wishes come true, easily and effortlessly.

Original Source For Ritual:


http://thehealthylivinglounge.com/2010/04/18/new-moon-wish-ritual-for-manifesting/


Almanac 16th to 22nd February


All information from "Llewellyn's Magical Almanac 2015" 
Colour and Incense based on information used by Llewellyn from 
Personal Almanac by Amber Wolfe

All times are Eastern Standard (US) Time (EST) 
or Eastern Daylight (US) Time (EDT)

Next Sabbats and Full/New Moons

20th March Ostara (Spring Equinox) - Northern Hemisphere
20th March Mabon (Autumn/Fall Equinox) - Southern Hemisphere

18th February Aquarius New Moon
5th March Virgo Full Moon

The Moon and Correspondences For This Week

Monday 16th 
Waning Moon  
Moon Phase: Fourth Quarter 
Colour: White
Moon Sign: Capricorn
Moon enters Aquarius 7:13 pm 
Incense: Clary Sage

Tuesday 17th 
Waning Moon 
Moon Phase: Fourth Quarter
Colour: Black
Moon Sign: Aquarius 
Incense: Bayberry

Wednesday 18th 
Waning Moon
New Moon 6:47 pm
Colour: Topaz
Moon Sign: Aquarius 
Moon enters Pieces 6:47pm
Sun enters Pieces 6:50 pm
Incense: Bay Lavender

Thursday 19th 
Waxing Moon
Moon Phase: First Quarter
Colour: Green
Moon Sign: Pieces
Incense: Jasmine

Friday 20th 
Waxing Moon
Moon Phase: First Quarter
Colour: Pink
Moon Sign: Pieces
Moon enters Aries 6;13 pm
Incense: Rose

Saturday 21st
Waxing Moon
Moon Phase: First Quarter
Colour: Gray
Moon Sign: Aries
Incense: Rue

Sunday 22nd 
Waxing Moon
Moon Phase: First  Quarter
Colour: Yellow
Moon Sign: Aries
Moon enters Taurus 7:28 pm
Incense: Eucalyptus

Saturday, 14 February 2015

My Birthday Altar and Wishes Spell




Today is Valentines Day. But not only that. It's my birthday. and this year i decided to do something that I have never done before. I created a special birthday altar.

As I'd never done one before I had a look around on Google to see what others had done and I found almost nothing except one a mother did for her 5 year olds birthday. So in the end I just used my experience.



My Birthday Altar

The birthday altar will probably be one of your most personal as this altar literally reflects you. Or it should do. After all, this is YOUR day. So firstly I looked at the month I was born. For me violet is the key word in colour, flowers and incense and in crystals Amethyst. And it's also Valentines Day. So I started with:











  • A cloth that was violet in colour
  • An Amethyst crystal
  • And for my incense I chose Lavender. It's the closest in colour to violet. But for my it's a favourite flower and scent. Remember this is a personal altar
  • A picture of Brighid as my birthday falls in the month of Imbolc
  • A tarot card The Star as is this represents my birth sign Aquarius The Water Barer
  • Hearts scattered on my altar and hanging on the wall for Valentines Day
  • A lavender candle
  • And of course it's my birthday, so a small cake with a candle (for the spell)
After those choices everything is literally personal to me. So this is also what is on my altar.

  • A picture of myself as a baby with my Grandad Newton
  • A picture of myself with myself. I used this picture because I have a camera in my hand and like Doctor Who, it has been with me all my life, photography not that camera lol I am a creative individual and photography is just one outlet for that creativity. The younger me in the picture is 5 years old
  • I wanted flowers on my altar, so I chose yellow tulips. Again a personal favourite.
  • A green cloth and a single green ribbon because I love green
  • The is a small Buddha, because it was because of Buddhism I found the path to Paganism
  • A TARDIS because Doctor Who has been with me all my life and I am still a fan
  • A Torchwood ID card with Captain Jack Harkness, This represents two things. I became a fan of Torchwood via Doctor Who and it was because of John Barrowman aka Captain Jack, that I stepped out of the closet.
  • A Rainbow googly eyed thing (I have yet yo identify) it's something I was given at the last Gay Pride I attended last year. Because I am gay
So that's my very personal altar. I set it up last night and when I sat and looked I confess to shedding a tear because this was part of who I am. Not all of me, but a part and it's very emotional I think when you see it like that. Especially when it's yourself that has done this.

So remember, when you do your birthday altar it's YOU that you should see there. Some of the things that mirrors the person you see yourself as.

Of course this wouldn't be a birthday altar with out a birthday wish spell!









Birthday Wish Spell

Firstly, i don't claim this spell as my own. I liked it because it's a lovely and in truth, a very old spell as we have been doing this for a very long time. So nobody can claim it as their own on the internet.

So now, nobody wants to be doing too much on their birthday. You want to relax and chill out with those you love, and this lovely and simple spell reflects that. This is all about the wish. now you could do this when you have your party. But for me this was personal moment. So I chose to have a small cake in my room. And an extra one for my party :P

For this spell all you need is:

  • A candle. This doesn't need to be a big candle. One you would have on your cake is ideal. This technically should be a colour that represents you, such as your birth colour. In my case that's violet. But it's not always possible. So I chose a white one and has another candle that was the right colour on my altar (to tell the truth I wanted a candle on my cake :) )
  • A cake. Well of course! It's your birthday! Mine is a red velvet cake. again reflecting the Valentines Day theme.
As I said, this is all about the wish. So light your candles. I lit all mine on the altar, as well as the one on my cake.

Close your eyes and think about your wish. When you have it, say the following and then blow out the candle.


"A year has come,
A years has passed,
I'll make my birthday wish at last,
Magic powers old and new,
Make my birthday wish come true!"

Blow out your candle!

I then added:

"I cast this spell with harm to non,
so mote it be my spell is done!"







And there we are. One simple spell, that is as old as the hills themselves! Enjoy your birthday! And now I shall join my family and await my sister Raven Moon and her hubby to arrive!

Beannachd

Pagan Hare




Thursday, 12 February 2015

Valentine's Day: Pagan or Christian Holiday? Pagan Origins of Valentine's Day by Austin Cline



For me Valentines Days is kind of special for both myself and my parents. Not because I have a cue of suitors every year outside my door, but because I am a Valentine baby. I was, according to my parents, an extra special Valentine present. And your mum and dad are always right? Of course they are, they're your parents. But this Valentine baby is also a pagan baby and I thought it would be nice to either write or post something about the origins of this day and it's connections to both Pagan and Christian beliefs. Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to sit and write something myself. But I did find a good article about this very subject. And believe me, if you Google Valentines Day you will find a myriad of articles dedicated to this very subject. And do remember that this article is just one individuals view point. Like anything, read more.

So enjoy the following article written by Austin Cline and maybe dip your toe into the myriad to learn more.

Beannachd

Pagan Hare

Valentine's Day: Pagan or Christian Holiday? Pagan Origins of Valentine's Day
 by Austin Cline

Valentine’s Day as a Pagan Holiday:

Isn’t Valentine’s Day a Christian day, named after a Christian saint? When we consider the matter more closely, we don’t find a strong relationship between Christian saints and romance. There is a lot of debate and disagreement among scholars about the origins of Valentine’s Day. We’ll never be able to disentangle all of the cultural and religious threads in order to reconstruct a complete and coherent story, but the pagan connections to the date are much stronger than the Christian ones.

February 14th & Juno Fructifier or Juno Februata:

The Romans celebrated a holiday on February 14th to honor Juno Fructifier, Queen of the Roman gods and goddesses as well as goddess of marriage. In one ritual, women would submit their names to a common box and men would each draw one out. These two would be a couple for the duration of the festival (and at times for the entire following year). Both rituals were designed to promote not only fertility, but also life generally.

February 15th & Feast of Lupercalia:

On February 15, Romans celebrated Luperaclia, honoring Faunus, god of fertility. Men would go to a grotto dedicated to Lupercal, the wolf god, located at the foot of Palatine Hill and where Romans believed that the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, were suckled by a she-wolf. The men would sacrifice a goat, don its skin, and run around, hitting women with small whips, an act which was supposed to ensure fertility.

St. Valentine, Christian Priest:

According to one story, Roman emperor Claudius II imposed a ban on marriages because too many young men were dodging the draft by getting married (only single men had to enter the army). A Christian priest named Valentinus was caught performing secret marriages and sentenced to death. While awaiting execution, young lovers visited him with notes about how much better love is than war — the first “valentines.” The execution occurred in 269 CE on February 14th.

St. Valentine, Second and Third:
Another Valentinus was a priest jailed for helping Christians. During his stay he fell in love with the jailer’s daughter and sent her notes signed “from your Valentine.” He was eventually beheaded and buried on the Via Flaminia. Reportedly Pope Julius I built a basilica over his grave. A third and final Valentinius was the bishop of Terni and he was also martyred, with his relics being taken back to Terni.
Christianity Takes Over Valentine’s Day:
In 469, emperor Gelasius declared February 14th a holy day in honor of Valentinus instead of the pagan god Lupercus. This allowed Christianity to take over some of the celebrations of love and fertility which had perviously occurred in the context of paganism. Pagan celebrations were reworked to fit the martyr theme — Christianity did not approve of rituals that encouraged sexuality. Instead of pulling girls’ names from boxes, both boys and girls chose the names of martyred saints from a box.
Valentine’s Day Turns to Love:
It wasn’t until the Renaissance of 14th century that customs returned to celebrations of love and life rather than faith and death. People began to break free of some of the bonds imposed upon them by the Church and move towards a humanistic view of nature, society, and the individual. Moving towards more sensual art and literature, there was no shortage of poets and authors connecting the dawning of Spring with love, sexuality, and procreation.
Valentine’s Day & Divination:
As with so many other holidays that have pagan roots, divination came to play an important role in the development of modern Valentine’s Day. People looked to all sorts of things, primarily in nature, in order to find some sign about who might become their mate for life — their One True Love. There were also, of course, things which came to be used to induce love or lust.
Commercialization of Valentine’s Day:
Today, capitalist commercialism is the biggest aspect of Valentine’s Day. Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent on chocolate, candies, flowers, dinners, hotel rooms, jewelry, and other gifts used to celebrate February 14th. There’s a lot of money to be made from people’s desire to commemorate the day. Only Christmas and Halloween come close in the way that modern commercialism has transformed and adopted an ancient pagan celebration.
Valentine’s Day as a Pagan, Commercial Holiday:
Valentine’s Day is no longer part of the official liturgical calendar of any Christian church; it was dropped from the Catholic calendar in 1969. It’s not a feast, a celebration, or a memorial of any martyrs. A return to more pagan-like celebrations of February 14th is not surprising — and neither is the overall commercialization of the day. Millions of people all over the world celebrate Valentine’s Day in one fashion or another, but it’s unlikely that even one of them celebrates it in an even remotely religious manner.

This has resulted in some backlash among reiligious leaders in some societies. Some of the negative reactions are due to the pagan and commercialized elements, but some must be attributed to the long-term Christian character of the day. In India, Hindu nationalists threatened anyone caught observing any Christian holidays, including Valentine’s Day. Some young lovers ccaught in public together on Valentine’s Day were even assaulted. Government officials in Saudi Arabia prohibited Muslims from doing anything at all associated with Valentine’s Day.
A few Christians seem to be interested in restoring some semblance of religion to Valentine’s Day, though not in any traditional sense. They don’t want to use it as a means for memorializing saints, but as a means of evangelization. In Kansas, for example, Christians sent roses to high school girls that were accompanied by Bible verses. It’s not clear whether they were trying to reclaim a lost Christian holiday or merely trying to appropriate a secular, commercial holiday for their own purposes.
The truth, though, is that American culture has so taken over Valentine’s Day that no amount of Bible verses will be able to change things. Commercial interests make so much money from Valentine’s Day that they aren’t going to accept any changes that won’t lead to even more profits. Christians helped make Valentine’s Day a cultural holiday, and now it’s entirely out of their hands.

Monday, 9 February 2015

Almanac 9th to 15th February


 All information from "Llewellyn's Magical Almanac 2015" 
Colour and Incense based on information used by Llewellyn from 
Personal Almanac by Amber Wolfe

All times are Eastern Standard (US) Time (EST) 
or Eastern Daylight (US) Time (EDT)

Next Sabbats and Full/New Moons

20th March Ostara (Spring Equinox) - Northern Hemisphere
20th March Mabon (Autumn/Fall Equinox) - Southern Hemisphere

18th February Aquarius New Moon
5th March Virgo Full Moon

The Moon and Correspondences For This Week

Monday 9th 
Waning Moon  
Moon Phase: Third Quarter 
Colour: Silver
Moon Sign: Libra
Incense: Narcissus 

Tuesday 10th 
Waning Moon 
Moon Phase: Third Quarter
Colour: Maroon
Moon Sign: Libra
Moon enters Scorpio 2:05 am
Incense: Ylang-ylang

Wednesday 11th 
Waning Moon
Moon Phase: Fourth Quarter 10:50 pm
Colour: Yellow
Moon Sign: Scorpio
Incense: Bay Laurel

Thursday 12th 
Waning Moon
Moon Phase: Fourth Quarter
Colour: White
Moon Sign: Scorpio
Moon enters Sagittarius 11:46 am
Incense: Myrrh

Friday 13th 
Waning Moon
Moon Phase: Fourth Quarter
Colour: Rose
Moon Sign: Sagittarius 
Incense: Thyme

Saturday 14th 
Waning Moon
Moon Phase: Fourth Quarter
Colour: Brown
Moon Sign: Sagittarius 
Moon enters Capricorn 5:24 pm
Incense: Pine

Sunday 15th 
Waning Moon
Moon Phase: Fourth Quarter
Colour: Gold
Moon Sign: Capricorn
Incense: Hyacinth