December Full Moon - Long Nights Moon

December's Full Moon is called the Long Nights Moon, Moon of Long Nights, Cold Moon, Big Winter Moon, Oak Moon, Wolf Moon, Aerra Geola (Month Before Yule), Wintermonat (Winter Month), Heilagmanoth (Holy Month), Big Winter Moon, or Moon of Popping Trees.

It is a time for sharing your good fortune with others, opening your heat and home to family and friends, and reaching out to those suffering spiritually or physiclly from this cold winter month.

Correspondences:
Colors: White, red, and black, blood red
Gemstones: Obsidian, ruby, serpentine, serpantine, jacinth, peridot
Trees: Pine, holly
Goddesses: Minerva, Athena, Persephone (Kore)
Gods: Osiris, Hades
Herbs: Ivy, mistletoe, holly and berries, cinnamon, fur, pinetta, Christmas cactus
Element: Fire
Flowers: holly, poinse
Scents: Violet, patchouli, rose geranium, frankincense, myrrh, lilac
Nature Spirits: snow faeries, storm faeries, winter tree faeries
Animals: Mouse, deer, horse, bear
Birds: Rook, robin, snowy owl
Power Flow: to endure, die, be reborn; Earth tides turning.  Darkness.  Personal alchemy.  Spiritual paths. Reach out to friends with family, the lonely and needy.


Sources:

Conway, D. J. Moon Magick: Myth & Magick, Crafts & Recipes, Rituals & Spells. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 1995. Print.

Wigington, Patti. "2012 Pagan/Wiccan Calendar." About.com Paganism / Wicca. Web. 04 Jun. 2012. <http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/holidaysandcelebrations/a/2012Calendar.htm>.

Wigington, Patti. "Long Nights Moon." About.com Paganism / Wicca. Web. 04 Jun. 2012. <http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/moonphasemagic/g/LongNights_Moon.htm>.

Wordless Wednesday: Happy, Happy!

Have a Merry Yule!

Have a Merry Yule!

Wordless Wednesday: Joyful Yule

Wordless Wednesday: May This Solstice

Wordless Wednesday: Happy Solstice!

Wordless Wednesday: Blessed Witches

November Full Moon - Mourning Moon

November's Full Moon is called the Mourning Moon, Snow Moon, Dark Moon, Fog Moon, Beaver Moon, Blotmonath (Sacrifice Month), Heristmanoth (Harvest Month), Mad Moon, Moon of Storms, or Moon When Deer Shed Antlers.

It is a time of letting go, leaving your baggage behind, focusing on the joys of the future, saying good-bye to bad habits and toxic relationships, and getting a fresh start on the new year.  Word on developing your connection with the deities.

Correspondences:
Colors: Gray, blues, sea-green
Gemstones: Lapis lazuli, turquoise, topaz, topaz, hyacinth
Trees: Cypress, alder, hazel, cypress
Goddesses: Bastet, Isis, Kali, Hecate, Astarte, Black Isis, Nicnevin, Bast, Sarasvati, Lakshmi, Skadi, Mawu
Gods: Osiris
Herbs: Thistle, betony, verbena, fennel, grains of paradise, verbena, betony, borage, cinquefoil, blessed thisle
Element: Water
Flowers: blooming cacti, chrysanthemum
Scents: cedar, cherry blossoms, hyacinth, narcissus, peppermint, lemon
Nature Spirits: Subterranean faeries
Animals: unicorn, scorpion, crocodile, jackal
Birds: owl, goose, sparrow
Power Flow: take root, prepare.  Transformation.  Strengthen communication with the god or goddess who seems closest to you


Sources:

Conway, D. J. Moon Magick: Myth & Magick, Crafts & Recipes, Rituals & Spells. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 1995. Print.

Wigington, Patti. "2012 Pagan/Wiccan Calendar." About.com Paganism / Wicca. Web. 04 Jun. 2012. <http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/holidaysandcelebrations/a/2012Calendar.htm>.

Wigington, Patti. "Mourning Moon." About.com Paganism / Wicca. Web. 04 Jun. 2012. < http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/moonphasemagic/g/Mourning_Moon.htm >.

Wordless Wednesday: 8 Tools of the Witch

Wordless Wednesday: Pagan Serenity Prayer

Wordless Wednesday: Lighting Candles

Have a Blessed Samhain!

E Have a Blessed Samhain! E

October Full Moon - Blood Moon

October's Full Moon is called the Blood Moon, Harvest Moon, Shedding Moon, Falling Leaf Moon, Winterfelleth (Winter Coming) Windermanoth (Vintage Month), Falling Leaf Moon, Ten Colds Moon, or Moon of the Changing Season.

It is a time when the veil between our world and the spirit world is the thinnest and we can feel the energy around us.  This is a good time for spiritual growth, contacting a deceased ancestor, a séance, and divination.  The messages you receive in their dream this month should be something you pay attention to.

Correspondences:
Colors: Dark blue, black, purples, dark blue-green
Gemstones: Obsidian, amethyst, tourmaline
Trees: Apples and yew
Goddesses: Ishtar, Demeter, Astarte, Kore (Persephone), Lakshmi, Hathor
Gods: Herne, Apollo, Cernunnos (Horned God), Mercury, Belili
Herbs: Apple blossom, pennyroyal, mint family,catnip, Sweet Annie, thyme, uva ursi angelica, burdock
Element: Air
Flowers: Calendula, marigold, cosmos
Scents: Opal, tourmaline, beryl, turquoise
Nature Spirits: frost faeries, plant faeries
Animals: Stag, jackal, elephant, ram, scorpian
Birds: haron, crow, robin
Power Flow: to let go; inner cleansing.  Karma and reincarnation.  Justice and balance.  Inner harmony.


Sources:

Conway, D. J. Moon Magick: Myth & Magick, Crafts & Recipes, Rituals & Spells. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 1995. Print.

Wigington, Patti. "2012 Pagan/Wiccan Calendar." About.com Paganism / Wicca. Web. 04 Jun. 2012. <http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/holidaysandcelebrations/a/2012Calendar.htm>.

Wigington, Patti. "Blood Moon." About.com Paganism / Wicca. Web. 04 Jun. 2012. <http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/moonphasemagic/g/Blood_Moon.htm>.

Wordless Wednesday: A Samhain Chant

Wordless Wednesday: Blessed Samhain

Wordless Wednesday: Happy Halloween

Wordless Wednesday: Samhain Blessing

29 Days Until Samhain!

I can't believe it's only 29 Days until Samhain, or the Witch's New Year.  Over the next few weeks I plan to do quite a few entries on Samhain, starting with the pronunciation.   Samhain is pronounced "Sow-en."  Samhain starts the evening of October 31st and ends the evening of November 1st.  During the forced conversion of the Pagan people to Christianity, the Catholic Church created the holidays All Hallows Eve (Halloween) on October 31st, All Saints Day on November 1st, and All Souls Day on November 2nd.   They did this to make the conversion of the Pagans smoother, just as they did with other holidays, such as Easter (the Pagan holiday Ostara) and Christmas (the Pagan holiday Yule).

Samhain is the most solemn of the Pagan festivals; we remember our ancestors that night.  The veil between our world (the mundane) and the spirit world is thinnest on Samhain.  If most of us think about it, even those who are not Pagan, you can feel a distinct difference around you once the sun goes down on October 31st. It's almost like the air is crackling energy, I've always felt it but didn't know what to call it until I became a witch.

Contrary to popular opinion, Samhain does not have anything to do with evil, Satan, sacrificing animals, or sacrificing anything alive for that matter...  If we offer a sacrifice to the Gods and/or Goddesses, it is usually something like wine, mead, or food.  We never sacrifice animals, or any living thing.  There is not evil god named Samhain that we worship, and we Pagans love cats, we certainly don't harm them.  We don't drink blood, steal souls, or do any of the evil things we are accused of, and we are not Satanists or Devil worshippers.

Samhain, and hence Halloween, is an ancient Celtic holiday, that is directly across the Wheel of the Year from Beltane, our biggest fertility festival, that is also Celtic.  It is important to remember that not all Pagans celebrate the all or any of the holidays on the Wheel of the Year, but I do.

Samhain celebrations commonly involve apples, a bonfire, carving pumpkins or turnips, and different ways of remembering our ancestors, such as a dumb supper.  It isn't just a solemn holiday, though, we also have to remember to have joy and love in our hearts as we start the new year.

September Full Moon - Harvest Moon

September's Full Moon is called the Harvest Moon, Wine Moon, Singing Moon, Sturgeon Moon, Haligmonath (Holy Month), Witumanoth (Wood Month), or Moon When Deer Paw the Earth.

It is a time of preparation for the upcoming chilly months.  It is a good time to set up an hearth or kitchen alter and clear out clutter.

Correspondences:
Colors: Browns and greens, earth tones, yellow-green, yellow
Gemstones: Citrine, chrysolite, peridot, bloodstone, olivine
Trees: Bay, larch, hawthorn, hazel
Goddesses: Demeter, Brighid, Freyja, Vesta, Ceres, Isis, Nephthys, Ch'ang-O
Gods: Thoth
Herbs: Wheat, valerian, witch hazel, skullcap, copal, fennal, rye
Element: Earth
Flowers: narcissus, lily
Scents: storax, mastic, gardenia, bergamot
Nature Spirits: trooping faeries
Animals: snake, jackal
Birds: ibis, sparrow
Power Flow: rest after labor; balance of Light and Dark. Organize.  Clean and straighten up physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual clutter


Sources:

Conway, D. J. Moon Magick: Myth & Magick, Crafts & Recipes, Rituals & Spells. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 1995. Print.

Wigington, Patti. "2012 Pagan/Wiccan Calendar." About.com Paganism / Wicca. Web. 04 Jun. 2012. <http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/holidaysandcelebrations/a/2012Calendar.htm>.

Wigington, Patti. "Harvest Moon." About.com Paganism / Wicca. Web. 04 Jun. 2012. <http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/moonphasemagic/g/Harvest_Moon.htm>.

Wordless Wednesday: Pagan Pacman

Mabon Prayers

These Mabon prayers were written by Galen Gillotte in the Book of Hours: Prayers for the Goddess and the Book of Hours: Prayers for the God.

I got this off the website Wicca Spirit.

Mabon Morning

This prayer should be done in the morning, between dawn and noon

Opening

Hail Bright Maiden of quicksilver delight
shine upon me.
Thy morning blessing, which,
like the new dawn, refreshes my Spirit and
lifts my heart with song.
Blessed Be."

Main Prayer

Lady,
In swirling cloak of crimson,
of burnt orange and saffron,
You ride the winds of morning.
The scent of burning leaves fills the air;
the Second Harvest draws near.
Solitary once again You embody balance -
You are an archetype of the Self -
consummate, remote.
I long to follow as You seek the
formless wilderness
with never a thought to the cost.
You are the bright flame of morning,
impelling and unrestrained.
Bless me with Your passion.

Meditation

Equal day and equal night,
Where do you need more balance in your life?

Daily Affirmation

In the Name of the Maiden:
I am filled with magic and will share some today.

Closing Prayer

Thanks to Thee Bright Maiden for Thy care,
for green laughter and fire-edged dew,
and for Thy blessing, a most precious jewel.
Blessed Be.

---

Mabon Afternoon

This prayer should be done in the afternoon, between noon and 3pm.

Opening

O God of Thunder, God of Might,
set aside Your lightning bolts
and take Your ease of Love with me.
You are the God of laughter!
You are the God of all delights!
Blessed Be.

Main Prayer

Lord, The Lord has gone to sleep
while Maiden's weep.
The edge of death
conceals the ivory bones
of Winter from our sight,
as equal day and equal night
gives way to the dark.
The silence is our hearts
proclaims the end of Summer
and the passing of the light.
The sorrowful Maiden's weep,
for Winter keeps
all things to Herself.
The dormant God gestates
within the womb of fate,
and dreams He is the coming of the light.

Meditation

Equal day and equal night.
Where do you need more balance in your life?

Daily Affirmation

In the Name of the God: I will seek balance in thought,
word, and deed today, in order to be open to the God's visions..

Closing Prayer

Thanks to Thee, Lord of the Dance,
for leading me into the deeper mysteries
of the heart.
Be with me now and always.
Blessed Be.

---

Mabon Evening

This prayer should be done in the evening, between 3pm and dusk

Opening

Hail Mother of the golden wheat, You of
plenty and fertile womb, breathe Thy blessing
upon my heart, nourish my soul
that I, too, may create the world with love.
Blessed Be.

Main Prayer

Lady,
Cloaked in ebon sorrow
You herald the Second Harvest;
the Wheel is almost turned to
Winter's stillness.
To some You mourn the sacrifice of
Mystic Lover and of love;
to others pale Persephone's embrace
of Death's domain call forth Your grief.
Your drink is sacrifice and sorrow,
and bitter desolation...
Yet, like death, Your lamentation
cannot endure forever;
Winter's solitude and silence
offers peace.

Meditation

Sorrow you have known. What strengths grew out of it?

Daily Affirmation

In the Name of the All-Mother: I am strong on many levels:
physically, spiritually, emotionally, creatively, and mentally.

Closing Prayer

Terra Mater, Mother of all life, I give
Thee thanks for Thy blessing -
the fruit of the vines, the fruit of my spirit;
life's abundance.
Blessed Be.

---

Mabon Night

This prayer should be done at night, between dusk and dawn.

Opening

Hail Dark Lady of the Crossroads,
of wisdom hard-won,
grant me Thy blessing, purify my heart,
and teach me the truth of my soul;
show me that death is but the gateway to life.
Blessed Be.

Main Prayer

Lady,
Dark Lady of the Autumn,
of fire-tipped trees
and glowing flame,
of wild, star dappled nights,
bless this time of harvest,
both of the earth and
of the spirit.
Fill me with dreams of foretelling;
for You are silent save in dreams.
Fill me with wisdom;
for You are the Lady of the Wise.
Prepare me for Winter's stillness;
for revelation springs from the Great Silence
and I shall have visions
and prophesy in Your holy Name.

Meditation

Light and dark; positive and negative; birth and death.
Where are you in the balance of opposites?

Dream Images

In the Name of the Dark Crone: I see the coming of the Crone..

Closing Prayer

I bow to Thee Hecate, Diana, Mari and thank
Thee for Thy blessing - the Cauldron of Night
full of life, and death, and life again;
Thy magic gives me wings.
Blessed Be.

Have a Merry Mabon!

Have a Merry Mabon!