Using The Seven Pins In Candle Magick

In Hoodoo and Voodoo, use of the seven-day candle, or "7 day vigil candle" is commonplace. The seven day candles are used in difficult cases and cases where concentrated energy is needed. The candle is burned over a period of seven days whereby the practitioner pays attention to revealing and divinatory signs from the candle.

To use your pins with a candle, you start with
a regular offeratory or large candle and seven pins of the seven colors. The candle is divided into seven equal parts by sticking the pins into the candle at seven equal intervals. The seventh pin goes into the top or bottom of the candle. Make sure the pins go all the way in the candle. Take a piece of parchament paper (best to start with a rather large piece of paper) and write down seven wishes. Fold the paper at a 90 degree angle and write your full name over your wish, then fold again and write your name again, proceeding with this process seven times. Dress your candle with the appropriate oil and place the folded paper under the candle. The candle is burned for seven nights, with the flame pinched out each time a pin falls. Save all of the pins and when the last needle falls, stick the pins into the paper so that it looks like the one in the picture. According to the law of attraction, bury the paper, pins and leftoverwax under your doorstep to attract your wishes to you. If your wishes are of the repelling type, throw the ritual remains in a crossroads, graveyard, or in a moving stream or river.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Tuesday Lobsang Rampa - The Thirteenth Candle
Julian Wilde - Grimoire Of Chaos Magick
Thomas Moore - Candle Magick For Love
Ophiel - The Art Practice Of Caballa Magic

Winter Solstice

In astronomy and [astrology]], the winter solstice is the moment when the earth is in a point of its orbit at which the northern or southern hemisphere is most inclined away from the sun. This causes the sun to appear at its farthest below the celestial equator when viewed from earth. Solstice is a Latin borrowing and means "sun stand," referring to the appearance that the sun's noontime elevation change stops its progress, either northerly or southerly.

The date of the winter solstice is the date with the shortest day and the longest night of the year. In the northern hemisphere, this date usually falls on December 21/December 22 on the common calendar, while it falls on June 21/June 22 in the southern hemisphere. These dates are also the dates of the summer solstice in the opposing hemisphere. At the summer solstice, the hemisphere is inclined towards the sun, and it appears to be at its farthest above the celestial equator.

In some reckonings, the winter solstice is the first day of winter. In the Chinese calendar, for example, the winter solstice is called dong zhi (winter's arrival) and is regarded in certain Chinese areas as an equally, if not more, important Jie Chia compared to the Chinese New Year.

In other reckonings, the winter solstice is midwinter. In Ireland, the solstices and equinoxes all occur at about midpoint in each season. For example, winter begins on November 1, and ends on January 31.

The winter solstice is the time when the Germanic festival of Yule was celebrated; it is celebrated today as a Neopagan Sabbat. Many cultures celebrate or celebrated a holiday near (within a few days) the winter solstice; examples of these include Yalda, Saturnalia, Christmas, and Hanukkah.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Morwyn - The Golden Dawn
Melita Denning - The Aurum Solis
Aleister Crowley - White Stains
Aleister Crowley - Ethyl Oxide
Aleister Crowley - Magick

Summer Solstice

The summer solstice is an astronomical and astrological term regarding the position of the Sun in relation to the celestial equator. The summer solstice is the date with the longest day and hence with the shortest night. This date, on the common calendar, usually falls on June 21/June 22 (in the Northern hemisphere) or December 21/December 22 (in the Southern hemisphere).

At the time of this solstice, the earth is in that point of its orbit at which the hemisphere in question is most tilted towards the sun, causing the sun to appear at its farthest above the celestial equator when viewed from earth.

Midsummer is the time around the summer solstice. There are traditional holidays celebrated in Northern Europe and elsewhere at this time. In Denmark midsummers eve is know as Sankt Hans Aften. Bonfires are lit on beaches throughout the land as darkness comes and mock witches and fireworks are thrown into the fires. It is also a sabbat of Neopaganism, called litha.

In the USA the summer solstice is regarded as the start of summer. In other reckonings, the summer solstice is midsummer. In Britain and in Ireland, the solstices and equinoxes all occur at about midpoint in each season. For example, summer begins on May 1, and ends on July 31.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Aleister Crowley - White Stains
Aleister Crowley - Magick
Montague Summers - Malleus Maleficarum

Solstice

Solstice is an astronomical term regarding the position of the Sun in relation to the celestial equator. The name is derived from Latin Solstitium (from sol: "sun" and sistere: "stand still"). During the year, the position of the sun seen from earth moves North and South. When it changes direction it stands still momentarily. So Solstices are those moments of the year when the sun reaches its southernmost or northernmost position, at the Celestial Tropic of Capricorn or Tropic of Cancer, respectively.

The Solstice is related to the axial tilt of the planet. A common misconception is that the Solstice occurs at the Solar apsides (aphelion and perihelion) of the planetary orbit. Since the orbital eccentricity of the earth (and most other solar system planets) is close to zero, the orbit is nearly circular. Therefore, the amount of sunlight received for the earth as a whole is nearly the same throughout the year. Seasons are, incidentally, caused by the tilt of the earth, which causes one hemisphere to receive more solar energy each day, at the expense of solar energy received by the other hemisphere. The solstices mark the points of greatest imbalance in energy received by the different hemispheres.

The dates of the Winter solstice and Summer solstice are reversed for the northern and southern hemispheres. The dates of the solstices in the most widely used Gregorian calendar shift in a regular pattern. On the Thelemic Calendar, however, this problem is nonexistent.

Solstice festivals were common (and held primacy) in most cultures of the ancient world.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Thomas Voxfire - What Was Aleister Crowley
Paul Huson - Mastering Witchcraft
Anonymous - Protection Of Space
Aleister Crowley - Poems
Aleister Crowley - Duty

Spacex To Make Test Flight To International Space Station

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Artist's style of SpaceX's unmanned Dragon lozenge (SpaceX)

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Abundant Faintly FOR SPACEX Trek TO Permission Send

(CBS Report)

NASA has collection to let Permission Discovery Technologies -- SpaceX -- make a jump at test clash to the Worldwide Permission Send, suspended back tests.

SpaceX behest m?lange two test flights of its unmanned Dragon produce ship within a personality situation, aiming for setting up on 7 February.

SpaceX behest m?lange two test flights of its unmanned Dragon produce ship within a personality situation, aiming for setting up on 7 February.

The central aim at of the disturbance go on a journey is to test the capsule's monarch navigation and go on systems before beginning unexciting helpful flights to deal in unfortunate supplies to the lab addiction.

Is SpaceX the new NASA?

"On ice all of the back self-confidence reviews and trial, SpaceX behest send its Dragon ability to beauty salon with the Worldwide Permission Send in less than two months," Lori Garver, NASA's deputy manager, intended on Friday. "So it's the opening of that new helpful produce percentage era for ISS."

Boosted within low-Earth area by a SpaceX Falcon 9 explosive, the Dragon lozenge behest beauty salon with the space outlook two days some time ago setting up and convene out a series of tests to confirm its software and go on systems are working best before NASA go on a journey controllers detail community for back in the vicinity of.

If all goes well, the Dragon ability behest bend up to within about 30 feet of the lab addiction on 10 or 11 February and delay for the station's device arm to lock on and bend it in for a docking at the Earth-facing wharf of the disturbing Tidy possibility. The arm behest be operated by Pursuit 30 chief officer Dan Burbank, who arrived at the lab keep up month, and Donald Pettit, who is tabled for setting up on 21 December aboard a Russian Soyuz explosive.

Shelf reading...

The Witch

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Book: The Witch by Alfred Elton Van Vogt

This is one of a handful of fantasy stories by van Vogt; by his own admission, he found fantasy particularly difficult to write, and always found the genre "weird." Indeed, he even attributes the demise of Unknown Worlds to his inability to write enough fantasy tales to satisfy John W. Campbell Jr.!

This story — incidentally, inspired by a suggestion of Campbell's — was loosely adapted by Alvin Sapinsley as the episode of Night Gallery entitled "Since Aunt Ada Came to Stay," aired on September 19th, 1971.

Alfred Elton van Vogt (April 26, 1912 – January 26, 2000) was a Canadian-born science fiction author regarded by some as one of the most popular and complex science fiction writers of the mid-twentieth century: the "Golden Age" of the genre.

Download Alfred Elton Van Vogt's eBook: The Witch

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Sunday Meter Enforcement Bothers Churches But Synagogues Feed Meters On Saturday

By Joe Eskenazi Tue., Dec. 4 2012 at 2:03 PM

Knock together unto the Workforce of Parking and Pressure group what is the Workforce of Parking and Traffic's

These days, the Evaluator noted that, nonetheless the complaints of church groups and congregants, the city's direct to offer parking regulator enforcement to Sunday guts open on Jan. 6. It may be the day of rest, but parking lead officers guts be quick at work.

Sunday enforcement is an build that has been kicking spherical for verve -- nonetheless deep-rooted Mayor Gavin Newsom's unthinking declarations that it was a plan he found about as favorable as teetotaling weekends with Chris Daly.

And ever since churchgoers can be forgiven for disappointment with having to pay for parking or move their vehicles during service hours, that's fancy been the spat for members of religions that assemble on days other than Sunday.

At Oakland's Temple Sinai, attendees at Saturday services were consistently reminded, from the stage, to take wing out and direct the regulator.

This was a issue that was a good number abated by the city of Oakland installing four-hour metered bad skin en route for the synagogue. Until plus, joked former Sinai Rabbi Steve Chester, reminding folks to break out the native soil had become "the ritual... It destitute the solemnity, but you had to ask dynasty to do that on Shabbat."

Has Saturday regulator enforcement pressed San Francisco's temple-going Jews to scamper from services with negligible shift in hand? Not as by a long way as you'd uncertain. A quick worth of the city's Modernize and Traditional congregations reveals that most all are to be found in areas featuring means parking or parking lots.

Formulaic Jews shouldn't they say that be thug or management money on Saturday -- and querying about regulator enforcement would, one rabbi tells us, bring about a "don't ask don't stability" problem. So we didn't ask.

San Francisco's upcoming Sunday regulator enforcement may not be, to steal a period that was far completed established in in the past generations, "good for the Jews." But it appears to not be so bad, either.

Spring.

Day Nine

So Twofeathers and I prominent the full moon, the wolf moon. Stage is some info on the wolf moon and the wolf protection spell we did from Gypsy Magic.

Tonight is the night of the Have a meal Moon. This initially full moon of the new meeting is a time of quiet and deskbound by the home fire. As the raging winter howls, envisage the welcome of home and family.

Now is the time to go within and throw the changes you will make in the get. Presume now what you will creeper. Refocus a moon journal to diagram your lunar tides and notate down your get dreams.

Correspondences:

Colors: Black and white, silver

Gemstones: Hematite

Trees: Birch, Hazel

Gods: Inanna, Freyja

Herbs: Thistle, crazy and seeds, marjoram

Element: Air

Full Moon names started with Instinctive Americans as tribes modest contour of the seasons by charitable distinct names to each continual full Moon. The names actually feasible to the entire month in which each occurred. Introduce was some modify in the names based on tribes. European settlers followed that tendency and created some of their own names.

Sometimes it is plus referred to as the Ad hoc Moon, Old Moon, or the Moon After Yule. Clear called it the Full Blizzard Moon, but Have a meal Moon seems most purchase, in state cultures, such as in the midst of the fresh and tough snows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled hungrily coating their trifling villages, huts, and teepees. To the same extent the lunar month is particular 29 days crave on the be thinking about, the full Moon dates shift from meeting to meeting.

This is a good time to work on magic attendant to protection, also physical and spiritual. Use this time to sprout your inner self, and advance spiritually, becoming more rapidly to the better aspects of your deities.

~collected from assorted sources

Have a meal Guardian Transfer

You will need:

2 green candles

1 white candle

Be interested in of a wolf/wolves

High-ranking John the Conquerer Need oil (Geranium oil will altercation just fine)

Blessed brackish and water

Wine (any "lunar" bite will do mead, milk, ale, etc)

Newborn cakes (any affable of lush healthy cake will do)

The pictures are to help interior the energy. The candles and oil are recycled to consent to the spell. The sacred water and brackish are for sealing the circle. The wine and the cake is an offering of love and provisions.

Instructions:

Put up the shutters your supplies, and on the night of the full moon, make better a sacred space concerning which you will place the wolf pictures, the two candles, the cakes and the wine.

Rub the candles with the essential oil and light them. By way of the brackish, make a circle sequence your sacred space, and plus mark water at each of the four orders beginning in the North.

Sit or stand quietly and try your energy on the wolf pictures, try to see, stroke, undertake, and aroma the energy of wolves. If you grasp a chronicle of wolves emotional - complete it.

Now, chant the following:

"Candles three, green and white,

Time period protection indoors this night.

The Moon is full, the sky is total,

Burden and evil keep cover.

The athletic wolf shall ever statute,

and protect my family from harm and bane.

Expound hither! Expound hither!

Drive of the Have a meal, strong and great!

Keep an eye on and be evasive by this circle now

and in the course of your life."

Set sights on one of the cakes in lacking and eat it. Award a blessing to the spirit of the wolf, and the light of the moon, and bite some of the wine. Then, grasp the become emaciated cakes and wine coating and spot it for the raging stuff to assertion. Come up with the candles to wound down, and place the wolf pictures in a undamaged and sacred place.

~author exotic

Coven Charter

COVEN CHARTER



Coven it will adhere to the following guidelines for Coven Governance and
Administration:

1. All who desire to do so may call themselves a Servant of the Elder Gods.

2. Three or more people who are coveners themselves may form a group for
whatever purpose they deem fit; i.e. Religious, Magical, Study, etc.

3. Any group so formed, should name itself with a name indicative of its purpose
using the coven name, i.e. COVEN OF MOONLYGHT MYST Study Group.

a. The use of the word "Coven" is reserved for religious group use only.

4. Coven Organization

a. A "Coven" is a group of Witches organized for the purposes of worshipping
the Elder Gods and goddesses in a balanced manner.

b. A coven is considered to have met when such a meeting was called by the High
Priestess and/or Priest and at least 50% of the members of the coven attend. In
no case shall a meeting be considered a gathering of the Coven without at least
three people present.

c. Coven Officers will consist of at least three: Priest, Priestess, and
Scribe. Others may be elected as the need arises by the general membership of
Initiates.

d. Within a consecrated Circle and during Ritual, the authority of the Priestess
and Priest is absolute. Any other governance of the Coven is by consensus of
the members.

e. After dedication, a student may participate in any general Circle ritual held
by the sponsoring Coven, and special Circles by invitation of the Priest or
Priestess presiding. In fact, such participation in celebration of Sabbats and
Esbats should be encouraged as part of his training and leading to his/her
initiation into full membership of the Coven, however a Dedicant has no voice in
the daily governance of the Coven.

f. After a suitable time of instruction decided by the Coven, a Dedicant may be
presented for Initiation to full Coven membership. After the receiving of the
Coven Initiation, the Initiate is eligible to vote in all matters of Coven
governance, and has all of the rights and responsibilities of Coven membership.
An Initiate can elect to remain (or become) a Solitary Practitioner of the Craft
at any time. The individual who wishes to become a solitary should notify the
presiding clergy in writing so the notice can be recorded in the Coven records
by the Scribe.

g. Any Elder Initiate can leave a Coven and start a new Coven if they abide by
the rules stated herein.

h. Elected Terms of Office - Election to the Coven offices of Priest, Priestess,
or Scribe is for the period of thirteen Lunar months and is by secret ballot.
The exception to this rule is when an elected office holder resigns in writing
or when expelled from the Coven.

i. Any exceptions or expansions to these rules must be approved by Unanimous
Coven Vote.

j. Initiation. Every candidate for initiation must
1. Be able to describe his/her religion to someone who knows nothing about
it.
2. Be able to list all eight Sabbats.
3. Write and lead one Sabbat Ritual.
4. Successfully cast a "tangible" circle.
5. Successfully call all 4 quarters in a "Tangible" manner.
6. Demonstrate a Personal connection to God/dess.
7. Have a basic Understanding of Wiccan Theurgy as well as show the same
or show definite progress on the same for at least one "other" path.
8. Demonstrated an understanding and continuous application of the Rede.
9. Have the unanimous consent of all Coven members to their initiation as
"Priest/ess and Witch."

5. Ritual Observance

a. Holidays
The traditional eight holidays of Wicca will be observed at appropriate times,
to be determined by the Coven involved; i.e. many celebrate Holidays on the
"Closest" calendrical weekend, others select the Nearest Full Moon, etc.

b. Esbats
The selection of Esbat observance is left to the coven and the convenience of
it's membership.

c. Dedication and Initiation
A Dedication Ritual should be performed to indicate a students dedication to
learning about the Craft and to introduce him/her to the Coven as a student, as
well as to give them a taste of Circle Ritual and to prepare them for
participation in Sabat Circles as a Dedicant. An Initiation Ritual is to admit
the Dedicant to Full Membership in the Coven, with all the Rights, Privileges,
and Responsibilities appurtenant thereto.

d. Ritual Sources
The Coven of MOONLYGHT MYST is based on an eclectic approach to Wiccan Worship,
therefore, the approach to Ritual Sources, is "if it works use it, and if it
doesn't work for you and /or your group don't use it". These principles are ,
of course, to be applied within the framework of the principles of a balanced
approach to worship of the Lord and Lady, the Wiccan Rede, and the utmost
respect for your fellow Man.

6. There is a limited degree system or "hierarchy" involved in the Coven.
However there is a recognition of individual "specialties", for those who desire
such recognition. In other words, "Dedicant" and "Initiate" are the only
"degrees" in the
this Coven.

a. Specialties currently recognized are:
1. Priest or Priestess - indicating experience and ability in leading ritual on
the eight Sabbats and Circle worship at other times. Recognition for this
specialty is dependent on demonstrated ability by the individual concerned on at
least one each of these occasions. A group in need of one of this specialty may
appoint someone as an "Acting" Priest or Priestess until such person becomes
fully qualified. An "Acting" Priest or Priestess may be confirmed to this
specialty, depending on Coven determination.
2. Mage - indicating experience and ability in working Thaumaturgical magic and
spell-work. Recognition for this specialty is dependent on demonstrated ability
by the individual concerned on at least three occasions.
3. Healer - indicating experience and ability in working with healing of others,
whether by magical/psychic means, herbal and naturopathic, medical, or other
means. This capability must be demonstrated either by a certificate of
training/accomplishment (mundane methods such as first-aid, nursing, etc.), or
successful application upon at least three occasions.
4. Counselor - Indicating expertise in interpersonal relationships and the
healing of persons with psychological or social dysfunctions. This specialty is
allowed only upon the documentation of three successes and the agreement of two
others of the Coven in writing.
5. Warrior - Indicating devotion to bringing and maintaining Peace to (and
between) both Brothers and Sisters of the Craft as well as the mundane world.
This specialty is recognized only after written nomination by three others of
the Coven.
6. Elder Priest or Elder Priestess - Indicating successful (as determined by the
Coven) service of two or more 13 Lunar Month terms as Priest or Priestess of a
Coven.
7. Elder of the Craft - signifying experience as a member of a Coven for three
or more lunar years with at least two years of successful experience in two or
more of the listed specialties.
8. Scholar - This specialty is Coven recognition of expert Knowledge (but not
necessarily active practice) of ALL of the specialties herein named.
9. Tutor - Indicating successful instruction of two or more dedicants, proven by
their acceptance and initiation. These specialties are listed as a requirement
for a "journeyman" status in those specialties and are a recognition for
Continuous practice in those specialties. Some Covens may wish to grant a
"Master" level to these activities in recognition of exemplary service,
expertise, and knowledge for a period of five or more years in a specialty.

:

Marcus Bottomley - Nine Proven Magical Rites
Aleister Crowley - Alice An Adultery
Phil Hine - Oven Ready Chaos

Goddess Initiation

Book: Goddess Initiation by Franceska De Grandis

veryone possesses the spiritual, psychic, and worldly potential of a Goddess or God. In this breakthrough book, Francesca De Grandis brings years of experience as a shamanic counselor and traditional spiritual healer to reveal how you can cultivate and celebrate the secret, magical side of your nature. This month-to-month program of many practical exercises, rituals, and prayers will help you:

- Discover your innate wisdom
- Heal inner blocks to happiness and meaningful action in your life
- Achieve your goals and feel energized, strong, and capable
- Unleash creativity and passion for living
- Celebrate a vibrant and healthy sexuality

Based on traditional Celtic culture and the author's own successful and unique Third Road teaching, this enriching journey deep into the heart of shamanism and Goddess Spirituality will appeal to all seekers, not just Wiccans. A lyrical sourcebook of rituals, spells, mysticism, and mirth, Goddess Initiation is designed for everyone who wants to integrate commonsense Spirituatity -- and a bit of Faerie dust! -- into their everyday lives.

Download Franceska De Grandis's eBook: Goddess Initiation

Downloadable books (free):

Anonymous - Confessio Fraternitatis
Max Heindel - Ancient And Modern Initiation
Franceska De Grandis - Goddess Initiation

Elements Poem

Elements:

Fire on Fire
Light and Power,
Warmth and Energy
They did generate.

Earth joined them then
To Life She gave Birth
And solid Foundations built.

Along came Water
Some Channels to carve
Through which all Energies flow.

Around them All
The Air did blow
Winds of Thought and Deed
intertwined.

Power raised, Power spread
Thus It Was
So Mote It Be.

To The Elements:

Born of Air
Learning, Wisdom
Blowing, Drifting
We are.

Born of Fire
Warming, Devouring
Sizzling, Crackling
We are.

Born of Water
Healing, Cleansing
Gushing, Flowing
We are.

Born of Earth
Grounded Strongly
of the Mother
We are.

by Alernon

Free e-books (can be downloaded):

Ea Wallis Budge - Legends Of The Gods
Paul Foster Case - The Life Power

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Blessing Cleansing Ritual

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CLEANSING RITUAL

First, physically clean the space/room that needs to be cleansed. Physical cleansing begins the process with the intent to "help one's self"

Tools: Bowl of Water & salt (3 pinches), To consecrate the water, hold dominant hand over the bowl and visualize a flaming pentagram sinking from your hand into the water and say "All water is sacred".

A black candle ~ votive or taper, something that you can carry around the space when the time comes

Incense: Sage or sandalwood

Leave a window, or door way open for any stray "spirits" to leave. You will seal this later.

Set up your tools on your altar, Set up your magickal Circle to encompass the space that you are going to be cleansing, and call the Elements and Deity to stand guard and bear witness:

East: I call to the powers of East and Air, join us and protect us in this rite. Bring with you the fresh breezes of change, of communication and new beginnings.

South: I call to the powers of South and Fire, join us and protect us in this rite. Bring with you the light that shines even in the darkest corners, to illuminate the path we must follow today.

West: I call to the powers of West and Water, join us and protect us in this rite. Bring with you the cleansing power of the ocean, so we may clear this space of ill-intent.

North: I call to the powers of North and Earth, join us and protect us in this rite. Bring with you the strength of stone, and the blessing of the Mother for this space.

Center: Lord and Lady, join us and protect us in this rite. Bring us your blessing for this space, as we cleanse it of ill-intent.

Now, take the bowl of water and salt, and stand in the East. Moving clockwise, dip your fingers of your "dominant" hand in the water, flicking droplets out toward the edge of the circle. Visualize sparks of light being thrown with the water, that sticks to the space, and spreads out to fill the area with light. When you reach the point where you started, go a step or two further, to make sure you close the circle again.

Next, take around the incense, and you can move it in patterns to fill the air, if you feel so moved. Visualize the smoke spreading till the room/space has a wall of smoke surrounding it. When you reach the place you began, take that step or two to make sure you close the circle.

Next, take around the candle, make sure you illuminate every corner of the room/space at least for a second. See the room filling with light behind you as you walk. When you reach the place you began, take that same step or two to make sure you close the circle again.

Now that the room has been cleansed with water (west), salt (north), incense (air), and candle (fire), you will stand in the center of the space and visualize your aura filling the space with a bright, white light, driving all shadows from the corners.

Then speak to the Goddess and God: "Lord and Lady (or names you use for Deity), help us to bless this space with Light and Love, keeping all ill-intent out, and protecting all within from harm."

When you've finished, thank all who joined in the ritual, dismiss the Elements, and open the circle.

Then... close the window/doorway, and inscribe a pentagram on the entrances to the room/space with your dominant hand, visualizing it sinking into the doorframe/window pane. Don't forget any vents, heating ducts and electrical outlets.

And, one last touch, you can place a broom, bristles up, near the door, to make unwanted "visitors" leave faster... Or you can hang a cinnamon broom over the door to keep unwanteds out.

Books in PDF format to read:

Vovim Baghie - The Grand Satanic Ritual
Anton Szandor Lavey - The Satanic Rituals
Order Of The Golden Dawn - Lesser Banishing Ritual Of The Pentagram

Tags: candle magic spells  cast magic spells  charmed book of shadows spells  how to do black magic  black magic and witchcraft  black magic spells love  roman goddess of hearth  lucid dreaming device  

Dressing Oil

Based on an oil recipe handed down to me for dressing candles before ritual

What you need:

2 dram (10mL) clean amber or cobalt vial sweet almond oil (has vitamin E for preservation)
6 drops sandalwood mysore e.o.
3 drops myrrh e.o.
3 drops frankincense e.o.

Add the essential oils to the bottle and swirl them gently in order to get them blended. Add any crystals (make sure they are clean too) and then add your base oil to top the bottle off. I don't use crystals in all my blends but some people add crystals to their magical blends to keep them charged with a specific intention. Make sure to keep the oils stored away from light and write on a sticker or piece of paper to be taped on the name of the blend, time, date, moon phase, planetary hour and any other info you wish so that you know what you made and when for use later. As well, be careful as these blends will eventually go off so use your sniffer and be aware of what the blend should smell like. Once it seems off, you can discard it, clean the bottle and start a fresh! Make sure it is completely clean and if it cannot be completely cleaned, discard and use a fresh one.

Remember - essential oils can cause reactions and oils like citrus can cause photosensitivity so please - be careful ~ Herbs can be dangerous.

Essential oils are volatile so bottles left with tops off will soon lose their potency. Ensure that oils don't get too hot and, in the case of oils like citrus-based oils, not too cold. To test your essential oils to see if they are pure, put a drop or two on blotter paper. Genuine essential oils will evaporate completely.

Contributed by Red Wolf

Free e-books (can be downloaded):

Helena Petrovna Blavatsky - Studies In Occultism
Aleister Crowley - Songs For Italy
Howard Phillips Lovecraft - Medusas Coil

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Yule Lore

Yule Lore (December 21st), (pronounced EWE-elle) is when the dark half of the year relinquishes to the light half. Starting the next morning at sunrise, the sun climbs just a little higher and stays a little longer in the sky each day. Known as Solstice Night, or the longest night of the year, much celebration was to be had as the ancestors awaited the rebirth of the Oak King, the Sun King, the Giver of Life that warmed the frozen Earth and made her to bear forth from seeds protected through the fall and winter in her womb. Bonfires were lit in the fields, and crops and trees were "wassailed" with toasts of spiced cider.

Children were escorted from house to house with gifts of clove spiked apples and oranges which were laid in baskets of evergreen boughs and wheat stalks dusted with flour. The apples and oranges represented the sun, the boughs were symbolic of immortality, the wheat stalks portrayed the harvest, and the flour was accomplishment of triumph, light, and life. Holly, mistletoe, and ivy not only decorated the outside, but also the inside of homes. It was to extend invitation to Nature Sprites to come and join the celebration. A sprig of Holly was kept near the door all year long as a constant invitation for good fortune to pay visit to the residents.

The ceremonial Yule log was the highlight of the festival. In accordance to tradition, the log must either have been harvested from the householder's land, or given as a gift... it must never have been bought. Once dragged into the house and placed in the fireplace it was decorated in seasonal greenery, doused with cider or ale, and dusted with flour before set ablaze be a piece of last years log, (held onto for just this purpose). The log would burn throughout the night, then smolder for 12 days after before being ceremonially put out. Ash is the traditional wood of the Yule log. It is the sacred world tree of the Teutons, known as Yggdrasil. An herb of the Sun, Ash brings light into the hearth at the Solstice.

A different type of Yule log, and perhaps one more suitable for modern practitioners would be the type that is used as a base to hold three candles. Find a smaller branch of oak or pine, and flatten one side so it sets upright. Drill three holes in the top side to hold red, green, and white (season), green, gold, and black (the Sun God), or white, red, and black (the Great Goddess). Continue to decorate with greenery, red and gold bows, rosebuds, cloves, and dust with flour.

Deities of Yule are all Newborn Gods, Sun Gods, Mother Goddesses, and Triple Goddesses. The best known would be the Dagda, and Brighid, the daughter of the Dagda. Brighid taught the smiths the arts of fire tending and the secrets of metal work. Brighid's flame, like the flame of the new light, pierces the darkness of the spirit and mind, while the Dagda's cauldron assures that Nature will always provide for all the children.

Symbolism of Yule:
Rebirth of the Sun, The longest night of the year, The Winter Solstice, Introspect, Planning for the Future.

Symbols of Yule:
Yule log, or small Yule log with 3 candles, evergreen boughs or wreaths, holly, mistletoe hung in doorways, gold pillar candles, baskets of clove studded fruit, a simmering pot of wassail, poinsettias, christmas cactus.

Herbs of Yule:
Bayberry, blessed thistle, evergreen, frankincense holly, laurel, mistletoe, oak, pine, sage, yellow cedar.

Foods of Yule:
Cookies and caraway cakes soaked in cider, fruits, nuts, pork dishes, turkey, eggnog, ginger tea, spiced cider, wassail, or lamb's wool (ale, sugar, nutmeg, roasted apples).

Incense of Yule:
Pine, cedar, bayberry, cinnamon.

Colors of Yule:
Red, green, gold, white, silver, yellow, orange.

Stones of Yule:
Rubies, bloodstones, garnets, emeralds, diamonds.

Activities of Yule:
Caroling, wassailing the trees, burning the Yule log, decorating the Yule tree, exchanging of presents, kissing under the mistletoe, honoring Kriss Kringle the Germanic pagan God of Yule

Spellworkings of Yule:
Peace, harmony, love, and increased happiness.

Deities of Yule:
Goddesses-Brighid, Isis, Demeter, Gaea, Diana, The Great Mother. Gods-Apollo, Ra, Odin, Lugh, The Oak King, The Horned One, The Green Man, The Divine Child, Mabon.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Michael Prescott - Darklore
Anonymous - The Laws For Witches
Aristotle - On Dreams

Love Spell Box

To Open Yourself Up To Affection

Items:

* A box (one you adorned yourself)

* one red candle
* one black candle
* screw

Time: Supervise on a New Moon

Ritual:

* Development a search for to find "love" objects to place inflowing the box. (Odd objects that be a sign of your love, sex, romance, or reminder.) Acquire nine objects.

* Account them with your innermost love energy.

* Situation the objects and your box on your alter.

* Very little the red and black candles.

* Preference up each conception in your not here hand and fasten and come into contact with the strongest emotions you convene ever felt because in love.

* Plus screw each item within the box so that it stays in place.
* Let your sense guide you to somewhere to place each conception.

If you convene a prearranged nature in mind place his/her picture in the box as well. Preserve the box in a magical scrutinize in your home. Altogether what time in a because open the box to re-power the objects and let some of the energy inflowing delivery out within you.

Wiccan Holidays

Wiccan holidays have existed since before Christianity. There are now several similarities found between the two.

Depending on who you ask wicca is either a new found religion or one of the oldest religions to be, and to be honest both of these statements would be true. Just as any other religion Wicca has conformed and grown over the years. Todays’ Wicca is an extension of the wiccan religion that was traced back to Gardnerian witchcraft which was founded in the UK during the late 1940s. But just as in any other religion Wicca holidays can still be found today.

WICCA is based on the symbols, seasonal days of celebration, beliefs and deities of ancient Celtic society. wiccans recognize the existence of many ancient Gods and Goddesses, including Pan, Diana, Dionysius, Fergus, etc. However they also view the God and Goddess as symbols, not living entities. In the trees, rain, flowers, the sea, in each other and all of natures creatures. This means that they believe in treating “all things” of the Earth as aspects of the divine.

And this brings us to the point of our topic today. There are eight commonly-recognized and celebrated Wiccan holidays. Four of these (the quarter days) are held at the time of the solstices or equinoxes. The other four are cross-quarter days, held roughly in between one solstice and the subsequent equinox. Historical research shows that these holidays were probably celebrated throughout Europe and the British Isles in pre-Christian times. Many of the festivals were so popular that the Christian church could not prevent the common people from commemorating them, so they were appropriated and held under the aegis of various (and frequently spurious) Christian saints. The popularity of these ancient holy occasions is linked to changes in the earth and sky, the seasons, and the natural year-round seasonal shifts that dramatically affect human beings, animals, and plants.

BRIGANTIA or as it is more commonly known as Imbolc (the day when newborn lambs begin to nurse) or, to the Christians, Candle-mas (the purification of the Virgin), Brigantia is usually celebrated February 2. It marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring, when buried seeds begin to stir within the earth. It also marks the beginning of the third of the year which belongs to the Maiden aspect of the three-fold goddess. “Brigantia” is the day of Brigit, an Irish goddess of smith-craft, healing, and poetry. The old Saxon and Norse communities knew her as Birgit, the lusty, spring-loving consort of Ullr, the god of winter. The color of this day is red.

THE VERNAL EQUINOX usually falls around the 20th of March. There are exactly 12 hours of darkness and 12 hours of light on this day, so it marks the changeover from the dark to the light half of the year. It is a time of conception and new growth. Roman Catholics turned spring equinox into the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (March 25, Lady Day).

BELTANE is May 1, traditionally celebrated by twining ribbons “round a Maypole, an obvious fertility ritual. The name of this holiday is taken from various solar fire deities known to Celtic and Norse peoples. Its color is white. The Norse goddess Iduna, keeper and creator of the runes, is good to honor on Beltane. Beltane fires were lit on this evening, and people leaped through the smoke to purify themselves and insure fertility. It was customary to extinguish the fire in all the households in a village, then kindle a magic flame in a nine-square grid from which the center piece of turf had been removed. This fire was made with an oak spindle in an oak log socket, and was used to relight everyone”s hearth. Beltane was also traditionally celebrated by couples who made love in the woods. In Germany, this holiday was known as Walpurgisnacht.

SUMMER SOLSTICE occurs around June 21. In medieval times, celebrations of this year were labeled the feast of St. John the Baptist. Bonfires were kindled on the highest points in the district to celebrate the son achieving the highest point in its circuit. Flaming sunwheels were rolled downhill, and burning torches were carried sun wise around buildings to bless them. This day is sacred to the great mother goddess, especially Cerridwen. The Maiden gives way to Mother aspect of the goddess.

LAMAS announces the beginning of fall on August 1. Its traditional color is brown, and it commemorates the grain harvest. It is named after Lugh, a god of light, and an Anglo-Saxon word for “loaf of bread.” This is a time of thanksgiving and feasting.

FALL EQUINOX happens at About September 23, the light begins to decrease, and the dark half of the year commences. This is the second harvest festival, the harvest of fruits. Wine making commences now. The community begins to prepare for winter, and the Mother prepares to yield way to the Crone.

SAMHAIN falls on the last day of October, and is still celebrated today as Halloween. It was customary to slaughter livestock on this day and begin smoking meat. In the old Celtic calendar, this was the end of one year and the beginning of the new. The veil between the realm of the living and the dead is especially thin on this holiday. In Latin countries, the Day of the Dead is commemorated around this time of year. It is customary to do a divination on this day for what the coming year will bring.

WINTER SOLSTICE falls on or about December 21. Also known as Yule, this is a major holiday, when the sun reaches its weakest point, and we have the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The Crone is in full force. Many religions have placed the birth of their solar hero gods and saviors on this day: Jesus, Horus, Helios, Dionysus, and Mithras all claim Yule as their birthday. Since this day also represents the point at which the sun begins to wax, it represents rebirth and regeneration.

Books You Might Enjoy:

John Yarker - Arcane Schools
Melita Denning - The Aurum Solis
Gerald Gardner - Witchcraft Today

Wicca Sacred Time

Sacred time within wicca is established by the cycles of the sun and the moon. Lunar cycles occur every 29 to 30 days, while a solar cycle occurs over the course of a year. The key events in a lunar cycle include the new moon and the full moon. Many wiccan solitaries and groups perform rituals on the nights of the new and full moons, seeing those dates as particularly propitious for venerating the goddess as identified with the moon. Because the duration of menstrual cycles often is equivalent to the lunar month, many wiccans understand the phases of the moon as symbolically attuned to the "phases" of the menstrual cycle. Thus, the full moon represents ovulation, and signifies a time of fecundity, creativity, and active engagement with the world; the new moon represents menstruation, and therefore is associated with rest and withdrawal from worldly activities for a time of reflection and renewal. Wiccan ceremonies can take these associations into account, with new moon rituals being more contemplative and full moon ceremonies more ecstatic or celebratory.

The solar cycle as observed by many Wiccan groups involves eight holidays, collectively known as "the Wheel of the Year." These holidays include the solstices, the equinoxes, and four seasonal agricultural festivals with roots in British and Irish mythology. The wheel of the year includes these festivals:

* Samhain, traditionally celebrated on or near October 31
* Yule, the winter solstice
* Imbolc, traditionally celebrated on or near February 1
* Ostara, the spring equinox
* Beltane, traditionally celebrated on or near May 1
* Litha, the summer solstice
* Lughnasadh, traditionally celebrated on or near August 1
* Mabon, the fall equinox

Several of these festivals have alternative names, sometimes from folkloric or even Christian sources: thus Samhain is also known as Hallowmas or Hallowe'en; Imbolc as Candlemas; Lughnasadh as Lammas; and Mabon as Michaelmas.

Like the lunar cycle, the wheel of year is rich with symbolism and mythology. Some traditions weave throughout the eight holidays a running narrative about the birth, life, and eventual death of the goddess, who over the course of the year is impregnated by her consort and gives birth to a sacred child. Another narrative associated with the wheel of the year involves a never-ending cycle of conflict between two mythic kings - the Oak King and the Holly King - who continually defeat each other at each solstice, the Oak King triumphing in the summer while the Holly King emerges victorious each winter.

Books You Might Enjoy:

John Dee - The Rosie Crucian Secrets
Michael Sharp - The Great Awakening
Frater Achad - Liber 31
Stephen William Hawking - Space And Time Warps
Aj Drew - Wicca Spellcraft For Men

Wicca An Introduction

Merry Meet to everyone!

As a practising wiccan I often find that many people have preconceived misconceptions of wiccans or Witches and their Arts. This introduction – hopefully to become a series – aims to dispel some of those myths.

I have been a practising Wiccan for over ten years – though the interest had been going much longer than that. I generally prefer to keep my Wiccan ’status’ quiet, as I find many people laugh and scoff at it and some can be even quite rude! In todays modern times religion is a very diverse thing, most people prefer to stick to their own and don’t wish to encourage others. Although I’m sure that most Wiccans would agree that it isn’t exactly a religion, more a Lifepath; a choice that we make to continue on during our life’s journey.

Firstly, many ask if wicca and witchcraft are the same thing. The answer is both yes and no – it depends on who you ask! Some say that their art is a religion, others say it is not. It is all personal preference, and in most aspects of Wicca personal preference is the most important. I personally think Wicca and witchcraft are pretty much the same thing – they do have slight differences – so will refer to it collectively as Wicca for the remainder of this article. I also believe that it is not a religion – religion is in general a set of rules a person lives his or her life by. Of course, before anyone yells at me, that is not all that religion is, there is much more to it than that – I am merely stating this for comparison. Wicca, although it has its rules, does not give set precedences for living your life by – there is no rule which states you must do this on this day, or you must do something a certain way – again its all personal preference.
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One question I am often asked – Are Wiccans evil, or devil worshippers? NO NO NO NO NO!!! The vast vast majority of Wiccans are White or Good witches, there is such thing as black magic or Dark magic but it is not as widely used – and never in my knowledge to worship the devil (someones been watching FAR too many horror movies!!)

One of the main principles in Wicca is the Rule of Three – also called The Threefold Law or Law of Return. This states that what a person does will return to them three times. The way I was taught it was “Do as thou wilt, but harm ye none; for it wilst return to thee times three”. So imagine an evil witch casting an evil spell and consider the consequences – dark magic is just not worth it!!

There is also the belief that Wiccans can just magic things up – that spells can be cast for just about anything. This in part is true, a Wiccan can write a spell for any means they desire – within reason obviously. There has been tv shows or films which show witches who can click or point their fingers and things appear or disappear – no this cannot happen either!! (Shame I know!)

Spells are written to give energy to the desire. I know one of the top searches on the Internet is ‘Love Spells’ – though some believe that their is no such thing as a love spell. This is because another of the Wiccans beliefs is that we cannot overrule a person’s free will.

People say that Wicca is becoming a more popular belief than ever before. I don’t believe that is strictly true – my own view on this idea is that more Wiccans are being open about their beliefs; in this day and age many people are more open minded than they used to be and can accept us Wiccans for what we are.

I sincerely hope you have enjoyed reading my article; I intend to follow up to this with a history of Wicca, and also an insiders look into a Wiccan life. I will give information on beliefs, tools, crafts and various other things for a newly founded Wiccan who wishes to learn; an older, wiser Wiccan who would like to learn something new; or even for the interested individual who would like to learn more about Wicca.

Blessed Be to all

Books You Might Enjoy:

James Eschelman - Invocation Of Horus
William Wynn Westcott - An Introduction To The Study Of The Kabalah
Paul Foster Case - An Introduction To The Study Of The Tarot
Pino Longchild - Wicca Revealed An Introductory Course In Wicca
Richard Spence - Secret Agent 666 Introduction

Wheel Of The Year

Samhain (pronounced SOW-in) is one of the Greater wiccan Sabbats and is generally celebrated on October 31st.

The symbolism of this Sabbat is that of The Third (and final) Harvest, it marks the end of Summer, the beginning of Winter. It is a time marked by death when the Dead are honored - a time to celebrate and "study" the Dark Mysteries. "Samhain" means "End of Summer" and its historical origin is The Feast of the Dead in Celtic lands. For it is believed that on this night, the veil Between the Worlds is at its thinnest point, making this an excellent time to communicate with the Other Side. Samhain is considered by many Pagans, Wiccans, and Witches (especially those of Celtic heritage) to be the date of the Witches' New Year, representing one full turn of the Wheel of the Year. This is the time of year for getting rid of weaknesses. A common ritual practice calls for each Wiccan to write down his/her weaknesses on a piece of paper or parchment and toss it into the Cauldron fire

Yule (EWE-elle) is when the dark half of the year relinquishes to the light half. Starting the next morning at sunrise, the sun climbs just a little higher and stays a little longer in the sky each day. Known as Solstice Night, or the longest night of the year, much celebration was to be had as the ancestors awaited the rebirth of the Oak King, the Sun King, the Giver of Life that warmed the frozen Earth and made her to bear forth from seeds protected through the fall and winter in her womb. Bonfires were lit in the fields, and crops and trees were "wassailed" with toasts of spiced cider.The ceremonial Yule log was the highlight of the festival. In accordance to tradition, the log must either have been harvested from the householder's land, or given as a gift... it must never have been bought. Once dragged into the house and placed in the fireplace it was decorated in seasonal greenery, doused with cider or ale, and dusted with flour before set ablaze be a piece of last years log, (held onto for just this purpose). The log would burn throughout the night, then smolder for 12 days after before being ceremonially put out. Ash is the traditional wood of the Yule log. It is the sacred world tree of the Teutons, known as Yggdrasil. An herb of the Sun, Ash brings light into the hearth at the Solstice.
A different type of Yule log, and perhaps one more suitable for modern practitioners would be the type that is used as a base to hold three candles. Find a smaller branch of oak or pine, and flatten one side so it sets upright. Drill three holes in the top side to hold red, green, and white (season), green, gold, and black (the Sun God), or white, red, and black (the Great Goddess). Continue to decorate with greenery, red and gold bows, rosebuds, cloves, and dust with flour.

Imbolc ("IM-bulk" or "EM-bowlk"), also called Candlemas is the festival of the lactating sheep. It is derived from the Gaelic word "oimelc" which means "ewes milk". Herd animals have either given birth to the first offspring of the year or their wombs are swollen and the milk of life is flowing into their teats and udders. It is the time of Blessing of the seeds and consecration of agricultural tools. It marks the center point of the dark half of the year. It is the festival of the Maiden, for from this day to March 21st, it is her season to prepare for growth and renewal. Brighid's snake emerges from the womb of the Earth Mother to test the weather, (the origin of Ground Hog Day), and in many places the first Crocus flowers began to spring forth from the frozen earth. The Maiden is honored, as the Bride, on this Sabbat. Straw Brideo'gas (corn dollies) are created from oat or wheat straw and placed in baskets with white flower bedding. Young girls then carry the Brideo'gas door to door, and gifts are bestowed upon the image from each household. Afterwards at the traditional feast, the older women make special acorn wands for the dollies to hold, and in the morning the ashes in the hearth are examined to see if the Magic Wands left marks as a good omen. Brighid's Crosses are fashioned from wheat stalks and exchanged as symbols of protection and prosperity in the coming year. Home hearth fires are put out and re-lit, and a besom is place by the front door to symbolize sweeping out the old and welcoming the new. Candles are lit and placed in each room of the house to honor the re-birth of the Sun.


Spring Equinox (Ostara) As Spring reaches its midpoint, night and day stand in perfect balance, with light on the increase. The young Sun God now celebrates a hierogamy (sacred marriage) with the young Maiden Goddess, who conceives. In nine months, she will again become the Great Mother. This is a time of great fertility, new growth, and newborn animals.
The next full moon (a time of increased births) is called the Ostara and is sacred to Eostre, the Saxon Lunar Goddess of fertility (from whence we get the word estrogen, whose two symbols were the egg and the rabbit.
The Christian religion adopted these symbols for Easter which is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox. The theme of the conception of the Goddess was adapted as the Feast of the Annunciation, occurring on the alternative fixed calendar date of March 25th - "Old Lady Day", the earlier date of the equinox. Lady Day may also refer to other goddesses (such as Venus and Aphrodite), many of whom have festivals celebrated at this time.

Beltane has long been celebrated with feasts and rituals. Beltane means fire of Bel; Belinos being one name for the Sun God, whose coronation feast we now celebrate. As summer begins, weather becomes warmer, and the plant world blossoms, an exuberant mood prevails. In old Celtic traditions it was a time of unabashed sexuality and promiscuity where marriages of a year and a day could be undertaken but it is rarely observed in that manner in modern times.
In the old Celtic times, young people would spend the entire night in the woods "A-Maying," and then dance around the phallic Maypole the next morning. Older married couples were allowed to remove their wedding rings (and the restrictions they imply) for this one night. May morning is a magickal time for wild water (dew, flowing streams, and springs) which is collected and used to bathe in for beauty, or to drink for health.
Ancient pagan traditions say that Beltane marks the emergence of the young God into manhood. Stirred by the energies at work in nature, he desires the Goddess. They fall in love, lie among the grasses and blossoms, and unite. The Goddess becomes pregnant of the God. To celebrate, a wedding feast, for the God and Goddess must be prepared. Let Them guide you! Breads and cereals are popular. Try oatmeal cakes or cookies sweetened with a dab of honey. Dairy foods are again appropriate...just make a lovely wedding feast and you are sure to enjoy yourself! An early morning walk through a local park or forest could be fun for everyone. Gather up some plants or flowers to display in your home. Mom and daughter could braid their hair, and weave in a few tender blossoms.

Though Summer Solstice is officially the first day of summer, Wiccan tradition calls it Midsummer likely because by the experience of those who lived in most parts of Europe where holiday festivals celebrated the day, it was definitely "mid-summer." "Solstice," as was said here at Winter Solstice, comes from the Latin words sol for the Sun and sistere, which means, "to cause to stand still." Since Yule the days have been gradually lengthening. Now Sun seems to "stand still" for about three days, and from this point until next Winter Solstice (the shortest day and longest night), the days will gradually shorten. This description fits the northern hemisphere. In the southern hemisphere, it happens the other way around. When it is Yule in the north, "down under" it is Midsummer. At southern hemisphere Midsummer, we in the north are celebrating Yule.
Myths of the season depict the culmination of light that is also the onset of increasing darkness. A favorite one from the Norse countries is the challenge to the Oak King (God of the waxing year) by the Holly King (God of the waning year). The two battle and of course, the Holly King wins, for it is he will reign until Yule, when he gives way to the rebirth of the Child of Light, the baby Oak King. The two are alternatively called Bright Lord and Dark Lord in similar enactments of the myth of transition from waxing to waning, light to dark. Though often "played" as two separate god images, the two are but aspects of one, and may alternatively be depicted as a transition from naive youth to the mature Father God, who recognizes his responsibility to his Goddess and his people, even as he celebrates the culmination of his light and power. He is the youth at Beltane, hormones charged in anticipation. Now he faces a new phase of life. The Goddess, who in her Maiden aspect met the youthful God in sacred marriage at Beltane, has now become Mother, pregnant, just as the Earth is pregnant with the growth that will become the harvest. The Mother reigns as Queen of Summer, and it is through her that her Consort comes to mature realization of his full role, and its ultimate sacrifice. She is the Earth; he is the energy and heat that has gone into the Earth so that together they create new life. His energy will be born within the grains and fruits of the harvest that in the next two turns of the wheel must be reaped and die to feed the people. The God will become a willing sacrifice, falling with the harvest and becoming the seed of his own rebirth as the wheel turns.

Lughnasadh (Loo-nah-sah) or Lammas is the first of the three harvest festivals (Lammas, Autumn Equinox & Samhain). The foods are ripening - fruits, berries, wheat and grain - and it's time to celebrate.

Lughnasadh means the funeral games of Lugh, referring to Lugh, the Irish sun god; however, the funeral is not his own, but the funeral games he hosts in honor of his foster-mother Tailte. For that reason, the traditional Tailtean craft fairs and Tailtean marriages are celebrated at this time.

As autumn begins, the Sun God enters his old age, but is not yet dead. The God symbolically loses some of his strength as the Sun rises farther in the South each day and the nights grow longer.

Autumnal Equinox (Mabon) When day and night are equal. We pay our respects to the impending dark and give thanks to the waning sunlight. The harvest is peaking and we store our crops for the year. The Goddess passes from Mother to Crone and her consort, the God, prepares for death and re-birth.

At this festival it is appropriate to wear all of your finery and dine and celebrate in a lavish setting. It is the drawing to and of family as we prepare for the winding down of the year at Samhain. It is a time to finish old business as we ready for a period of rest, relaxation, and reflection.

Books You Might Enjoy:

John Dee - The Rosie Crucian Secrets
Max Heindel - The Rosicrucian Mysteries
William Godwin - The Lives Of The Necromancers
Medieval Grimoires - The Picatrix
Max Heindel - The Message Of The Stars

What Is Samhain

Samhain (or Halloween)

Samhain: October 31. An ancient Celtic festival which celebrates the beginning of winter, marked by death, and the beginning of the Celtic New Year. Samhain means "end of summer." Samhain is a sabbat universally observed, which is included among the Greater sabbats observed by neo-Pagans. The Druids, in ancient Ireland, once sacrificed to their deities by burning victims in wickerwork gages. All other fires were to be extinguished and lighted again from the sacrificial fire. This custom still continues in Ireland and Scotland, all fires in homes are extinguished and lighted again from bonfires, but without sacrificial victims. Samhain marks the third harvests and the storage of provisions for winter. The veil between the worlds of the living and dead is the thinnest during this time making communications easier. Souls of the dead can come into the land of the living. Samhain is a time for eliminating weaknesses, when pagan once slaughtered weak animals that were thought not to be able to survive the winter. This custom resulted in the modern practice by some who wanted to get rid of their weaknesses of writing them on a piece of paper and dropping them into a fire. Some baked cakes to be offered for the souls of the dead. Samhain was Christianized into All Hallow’s Eve or Halloween. The modern custom or trick-and-treating may have originated from an old Irish peasant custom of going door-to-door to collect money, breadcake, cheese, eggs, butter, nuts, apples and other foods in preparation for the festival of St. Columb Kill. Apples are included in many rites, especially as ingredients in brews. Dunking for apples may have been a divinatory practice. A.G.H.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Dean Hildebrandt - Essay On Enochiana
Nathaniel Harris - Liber Satangelica
Albert Pike - Morals And Dogma

St Sylvester Day Lore

December 31st is St. Sylvester's Day. Here is some associated folklore:

* To be born on Sylvester's day gives a love of change that is carried too far.
* It is a bad day for reconciling enemies.
* December thirty-first, when Judas hanged himself, is considered by many a very unlucky day.
* On Sylvester night all water is turned into wine, but only between 12 and 1 o'clock.
* In Ireland on the last day of the year a cake is thrown at the door by the head of the house to prevent hunger from entering during the coming year.
* Whoever sees his or her shadow on St. Sylvester's night, without any head to the shadow will die within a year.
* On the last day of the old year rats are going about everywhere in the house, and if they hear nothing said about them, they will never go there again; but if the word rat is mentioned in their hearing, they will take it as an invitation and will return in great numbers.

It used to be a custom not long since for the inhabitants of St. Pierre on the island of Guernsey to turn out in a body on the 31st of December to bury an effigy representing the old year in the sand of Vazon Bay. This was called burying the "End of the Year." This custom is now extinct, and popular corruption has mixed it up with the burning of Guy Fawke's effigy on the 5th of November, so much so that the figure of Guy is now called "The end of the year" without any reason whatever.

In Germany New Year's eve is called Sylvester's Eve and it is considered ill luck to go to bed before the new year has begun. There is a widespread superstition that if you keep awake on that night and hear a chorus of voices singing hymns, you will have good luck all the year. In many families the children recite verses (New-Year wishes) for their parents, ask their forgiveness for wrong-doings during the past year and promising good behavior for the new year. Great revelries are held on that night in almost every country and many superstitious rites are observed.

In Scotland the last day of the year is considered propitious for almost any undertaking, especially marriage.

Found in:

Encyclopaedia of Superstitions, Folklore, and the Occult Sciences of the World

Books in PDF format to read:

Howard Phillips Lovecraft - The Very Old Folk
Ona - The Dark Forces
Howard Phillips Lovecraft - The Silver Key

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