From Her immortal head a radiance is shown from heaven and embraces earth; and great is the beauty that ariseth from Her shining light. The air, unlit before, glows with the light of Her golden crown, and Her rays beam clear…
~ Hymn to Selene (The Greek name for the Moon as Goddess), by Homer

Tonight (or in the wee hours of the morning tomorrow, depending on where you live), we celebrate the first Full Moon of 2012, the powerful time when the Sun is in Capricorn, and the Moon in her own sign of Cancer.

This is the Wolf Moon, also sometimes called the Old Moon, the Moon after Yule, the Snow Moon (but the February Full Moon is also sometimes given this name), the Quiet Moon, Cold Moon, Chaste Moon, the Disting Moon (the Full Moon before Imbolc), or the Moon of Little Winter.

The sign of Cancer is ruled by Mama Luna, therefore, now, while She is full and in Her home sign, this is Her most powerful time of the year.  If you enjoy working with Moon Magick, this is the night to do it! The Sun in pragmatic Capricorn will support your intention and can give you especially practical results.

Astrologer Beka Finch Turner calls this The Great Mama’s Moon, and I would wholeheartedly agree.

She writes, “From the top of Capricorn mountain, our attention is now drawn down and west, to the depths of the ocean, or the Cancer Full Moon. Cancer is cardinal water, the initiator of emotion, and for me, nothing has embodied the mystery, healing, sensitivity, life giving qualities of this sign more than the ocean (except for my own mama, who happens to have a Cancer Moon and arrives the day this lunation begins. Such synchronicities assure me we are in the flow of nature).

“Cancer is the only sign ruled by the Moon; this is where the lunar Goddess feels most at home…Where the Moon falls in your chart generally indicates what you need for emotional fulfillment. It is your ‘feeling’ side, where you are most sensitive, fragile and also truly fulfilled. If you are ignoring the needs of your Moon, you will probably never feel completely whole…”

She continues, “This is the weekend of receiving the motherly love you need. 2012 has come in strong and most of us sense this is going to be a big year of change and growth. Capricorn has already gotten many making plans, preparations and their heads “in the game.” But the universe is about balance, and lest we burn out before February even gets here, Cancer asks us to take a break, check in to see if our physical plans harmonize with our emotional needs and lay our heads in Her lap.”

I also like what astrologer Rhea Wolf suggests we might consider, during this intense Moon. “With the Full Moon in Cancer on January 8th, the focus is on the inner landscape of emotions. Cancer is ruled by the Moon and beckons us to our hearts. Cancer’s symbol, the Crab, may be covered with a hard shell to protect its soft flesh within, but its purpose is to love and trust without fear. Cancer does need its barriers, but it also has to be willing to open its defenses. Only by connecting with our hearts and sharing these feelings with others, we can grow into fullness.

“During this Full Moon, the call is to be responsive to your feelings,” Rhea explains. “You may feel more sentimental and moody. Remember this when you or loved ones get overly nostalgic – or fly off the handle about some small irritation. Don’t ignore how you feel, but don’t let yourself get carried away by these feelings either.

“Giving yourself the time to look within will help you balance all the responsibilities of your life.”

She adds, “This is a good time to take a look at how your home life is functioning. Are you giving yourself time to rest and nourish your body and soul? Take a cue from the changing Moon and find ways to appreciate the mysterious cycles of your own inner world.”

This is a beautiful opportunity for healing frayed emotions and the post-holiday jangles. Be near a body of water tonight if you can, ideally the ocean. But if that’s not possible, at least take a moonlit salt water bath with calming scents and peaceful music. Let the water, which all comes ultimately from Mama Ocean, cradle you, soothe you, and wash away way your worries. Relax deeply, remembering that this holy water is the womb from which you, and all that lives, came.

Lastly, I love what Becka suggests when she writes, “Cancer is the lunation when I most like to make an offering back to the Mother. She is always giving and if we only take, soon She will have nothing left.

“If you feel comfortable ringing out your moon-blood in water and giving the water back to the ocean, earth, stream, etc, that is a very powerful gift. Or, if that is not your style, make a donation to your favorite local non-profit or activist group that takes care of our waters…Be gentle with yourself this weekend. Drink lots of fluids; be around water in whatever way you can. Pay attention to your emotions. Do activities that are nurturing. And take time to honor and receive the Great Mama in your life.”

May the Great Mama cradle you in Her boundless love this night.

May your rites most blessed be!

 A collection of tidbits from my posts in years past, with heartfelt thanks to Waverly FitzGerald, who is the source for much of this lore. Blessings to you, Waverly, for your faithful, invaluable service as a Priestess of Time and the Wisdom of the Ancient Ways. 

Out with the old and in with the new!
There’s magic on New Year’s in all that you do!
~ Beth

We stand at the crossroads of a new year!

I suggest that you spend some time today in sacred space, setting your intention for the shining promise of this new beginning. Supported by the benevolent waxing Moon, all forms of manifesting magic, spells, and rituals are amplified today.

You can prepare by knowing that everything you do on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day is loaded with magical significance.

For example, make a ritual of writing down a list of all you do not want to carry forward into the new year. A toss into the fire or a smoldering, cleansing-herb filled cauldron will release those energies and is a time-honored tradition.

Before midnight tonight, sweep and clean your house and take out all the trash. You don’t want to sweep tomorrow or take anything out of the house, or else you will sweep away the new beginning that tomorrow brings.

And be sure you finish any projects you still have to complete, for a task carried over will never prosper.  (Uh-oh. I still haven’t finished my e-book!)

However, using that same sympathetic magic, you might follow the custom of leaving some money just outside your door, so that you can bring it in first thing tomorrow, setting a prosperity spell for the entire year!

The American custom of spending the night with the one you love and kissing them at midnight insures that the relationship will thrive in the coming year. In Vienna, the pig (sacred to the Goddess Freya, whose time this is) is the symbol of good luck. Pigs are let loose in restaurants and everyone tries to touch it for luck, as it runs by. In private homes, a marzipan pig, with a gold piece in its mouth, is suspended from a ribbon and touched instead.

Since ancient times in Scotland, this night has been celebrated as Hogmanay. Outshining even Christmas celebrations (which were banned for over 400 years in Scotland), this is a time for rich feasting, drinking, dancing, tale-telling, and music.

The first person to cross your threshold after midnight brings luck into the house. Since medieval times, then, the best possible first-footer would be a tall, dark-haired, handsome man, who brought gifts of whisky, bread, a piece of coal or firewood and a silver coin. He enters in silence and no one speaks to him until he puts the coal on the fire, pours a glass for the head of the house and wishes everyone a Happy New Year.

Then, of course, the revelries explode and continue into the wee hours, even for several more days in some cases!

I highly recommend adapting this practice at your parties tonight. It is a magical moment you will never forget, and rich rewards may be yours in the coming year!

Naturally, this a wonderful night for divination.  Since I am not available for Tarot readings tonight,  an alternative way to determine your future in the new year is to prick a newly-laid egg at the smaller end with a pin. Let three drops of the egg white fall into a bowl of water. Then use your powers of scrying to interpret the designs it makes. This will give you a glimpse of what the new year holds in store for you.

In many parts of the world, the New Year is greeted with a lot of noise, sometimes made by church bells. Originally this was to frighten away evil spirits that might try to sneak into the New Year and try to spoil it. People in the Northern Hemisphere sometimes lit bonfires for the same reason.

And you know those resolutions we make year in and year out (or else resolve not to make anymore)? We are not alone!

There are records from 4,000 years ago in Babylon of New Year’s resolutions.  Often they were announced publicly. The most common were to make good any outstanding debts and return anything borrowed.

Nowadays, the most common resolutions are to lose weight and give up smoking, closely followed by .. guess what! .. making good any outstanding debts and returning borrowed goods!

The ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all had the tradition of showing off the first babies born in the year. In the 14th century the custom of showing a baby entwined with a banner of the New Year began, in Germany.

New Year’s Eve is sacred to Yemaya, the Mother of the Sea. In Brazil, people dress in white, go down to the ocean, light candles in the sand and throw white flowers into the waves for Her.

And this day is also set aside for honoring Vesta – the Roman Goddess of the hearth. Known by the Greeks as Hestia, She was credited with the art of building houses (since every home was built around the sacred central fire). A good energetic cleansing and blessing of your hearth would be a most rewarding activity today.

Perhaps echoing that custom, this is the day that many put away their Solstice decorations, for some say it is bad luck for them to still be up in the New Year.

At least be sure to give thanks on this night for the benevolence of Hestia, for the roof above your head, and the plenty in your life. So many in this grim economy are discovering that home is a precious, sometimes precarious gift. So blessed be your holy home, that gives you the nurturing and comfort that enables you to go out into the world.

In the ancient Egyptian traditions, today is the sacred day of Sekhmet, the lion-headed Goddess whose worship center was Memphis, Egypt. Nursing mothers would pray to Her to let down their milk and to protect their wee babes.

And as you know,  the last day of every month is sacred to Hecate. Hecate is the Goddess of Witches and the psychopomp, who shows the way to those crossing to the lands of the dead. As such, She is the Guardian of the Crossroads, including  all mundane road crossings as well as the crossroads between life and death. We also welcome Her as She presides at this crossroads of the Year.

She is the Triple Goddess in Her most ancient form, the trinity of Artemis the Maiden, Selene, the Mother, and by Her own name, Hecate, the Crone.

On this night, leave food at a crossroads in Her name. If you are especially wise, you will pick a crossroads where She can see to it that the hungry may eat it, whether they know it is in Her name or not.

Hecate also rules over prophecy, healing, visions and magic. This amplifies even more the magic of New Year’s Eve as an outstanding night for divination, meditation and spellwork.

So raise a glass, and bid with me a farewell to 2011.  For better or worse, it is now a closed chapter.
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses.  The mythic 2012 arrives.

Remember this: We be many and they be few. They need us more than we need them.  Another world is not only possible, she is on her way.  On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.
~ Arundati Roy

Today is the fourth and last Sun Day before Winter Solstice, Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa. Tonight, you are invited to join once again (or for the first time) in our Yule/Advent ritual.

If you are celebrating this rite from a Pagan perspective, the fourth candle may represent the direction of North, or the element of Earth. In many Christian traditions, the fourth candle on the Advent wreath symbolizes Love.

Isn’t it divine, how these two meanings — the Earth, and Love –  are really the same?

So once again, tonight, gather with your beloveds, or in your quiet solitude, knowing in either case, you are not alone. There are great numbers of us circling the planet. We are all gathering as darkness falls, which depends as much on latitude and Earth positioning as on clock time or time zone.

Turn out the lights where you are, and have your wreath, candles and lighter ready. Then, ground yourself, find your center, and create sacred space in whatever way is right for your practice.

In the twilight, consider again (as you did on Nov. 27) the fears that might be associated with Hope and Expectations (in many Christian traditions) or else the Element of Air: knowledge, information, understanding, communication. Light this candle and see, know and forgive the ways those types of fear exist.

Then, move to the next candle that you lit Dec. 4 – the candle that represents the Element of Fire, the direction of South, or for our Christian friends, this candle often represents the Bible, the principle of knowledge, or the manger in Bethlehem.

In what ways do the matters associated with this candle, when out of balance, create fear in our world? And in what ways do you offer your prayers for them to be healed? As you send out your hope for blessings, light this candle.

This brings us now to the third candle, which we lit last week. In the Christian church, this candle is often pink, and represents Joy. For Witches, Pagans, and other Earth paths, I’ve suggested that it is for West, the Element of Water. Pagans know that Water is the Guardian of our emotions, intuition, empathy, compassion and is sacred to Autumn and the setting Sun.

In what ways do fear, selfishness, distortion, and misunderstanding pollute the waters of our emotions, as well as the literal, life-giving waters of our world? As you light your candle, with your energy, dispel and send healing to those roiling waves of anger, hate, fear, and greed that threaten to drown us all.

Tonight’s Candle

Now, we come to the last candle before the holiday itself. Before lighting the fourth candle for tonight, consider the aspects that are related to the Earth, or Love, that need healing.

What fears, scarcities, illusions, and greed have contaminated our holy Mother Earth, and our relationships with her? What is our definition of wealth, scarcity, and sufficiency?

How do we, ourselves, treat our planet? While it is lovely to appreciate all the beauty, bounty, and treasure She offers us, how do our daily decisions actually affect Her?

For instance, when I buy groceries, do I know anything about the lives of the people, the corporations, the farming, the packaging, and the transport that enabled those products to be served at my table?

What kinds of labor conditions, financial structures, and wealth (or lack of it) do my daily purchases support? Where do my electronics, cosmetics, jewelry, furniture, and clothing come from?

And where does my stuff go when I no longer want it? Of course, I don’t throw garbage out my car window, or litter the streets of our city. But I am still half-responsible for the trip we have to make to the Durham County Solid Waste site every two weeks (we don’t have access to city trash services).

How much do I know about the stewardship practices of the stores, restaurants, hotels, and other commercial enterprises that I support with my money? Do they acquire their resources in responsible ways? How do they dispose of their wastes and by-products?

The debacle of our collapsing financial institutions; the fears around hunger, disease, and climate change; the shaky backing behind our money; the response to natural disasters; the contamination and genetic modification of our food; and the very future of a habitable planet are all Earth issues have reached a crisis point.

Yes. Pretty heavy stuff.

But we have a candle before us. When we understand this, we can bring the light.

So I invite you to give thanks for the dark, for the blessed Earth.

Silent Guardian of the North, we stand on your threshold of Winter. Keeper of the deep places in the planet, the roots that are beyond knowing, we now light our fourth candle together, celebrating the great Love we all share with one another, and with this beautiful, divine Creation of which we are a part.

We see in the light that we are not, never were, never will be separate from the One who gives us life.  So we now summon our best, most powerful magics and blessings.

Feel in your body the turning. Know with your skin the sweet changing that heralds a more healthful, balanced, right relation with all that lives here with us on our Mother Earth.

Understand in your gut, in your heart, in your mind how intelligent, benevolent, fair exchange brings wealth to all.

We are learning how to take only what we need, to be generous with each other, and to end forever the blight of greed. Enough is enough.

Know in your body, feel in the soles of your feet how everything is already changing. Our love, our work, our hand-to-hand, spirit-to-spirit creation of community and cultures of sustainability, beauty and comfort are all coming alive within and around us.

Send the light and the love of your intention out to join with the light from others everywhere.

Listen.

At this most quiet moment of the deepest dark, we can hear Her breathing.

Then, after a period of meditation and affirmation, extinguish each candle in reverse order, from tonight’s to last week’s to the second, and then the first one.

So may our words and desires be fulfilled for the good of all.

Blessed be!

We begin to know the immensity of our heart-mind, and how it helps us to move beyond fear. What had isolated us in private anguish now opens outward and delivers us into wider reaches of our world as lover, world as self.
~ Joanna Macy, The Work that Reconnects

Tonight, Dec. 11, is the third night of our Solstice Sun-Wheel Prayer Circle.

This working is intended for all spiritual paths.  The Christian church calls it the Advent wreath, which was simply handed down from much older Pagan Advent celebrations.

Each candle can be symbolic of principles important to Christianity: The first candle is traditionally the candle of Expectation or Hope (or in some traditions, Prophecy).  The second is frequently the one that represents the Bible and the wisdom handed down across the centuries. The third (usually a pink candle), represents the Joy of the impending birth.

If you are neither Pagan nor Christian, I urge you to participate anyway!  Simply assign each candle a meaning that is important to your faith or world view (you need not even be religious!).

This is the prelude to a moment that has been celebrated since prehistoric times, by people of every culture. The dawning of the Winter Solstice and the re-birth of the Light is coming to all beings across the Northern Hemisphere, no matter what they believe about it!

If you have chosen to use the Elements as your template for the work, here are some suggestions for tonight’s ceremony.

Tonight, gather with your loved ones, or alone, ideally around sunset. Ground and center yourself, or create sacred space in whatever way is right for your practice. Turn out the lights where you are, and have your wreath, candles and lighter ready.

In the twilight, consider again (as you did on Nov. 27) the fears that might be associated with the Element of Air: knowledge, information, understanding, communication. Light the candle for East and see, know and forgive the ways those types of fear exist.

Then, move to the next candle that you lit last week – the candle that represents the Element of Fire, the direction of South, or for our Christian friends, this candle often represents the Bible, the principle of knowledge, or the manger in Bethlehem.

In what ways do the matters associated with this candle, when out of balance, create fear in our world? And in what ways do you send your prayers for them to be healed? As you send out your hope for blessings, light this candle.

Tonight’s Candle

This brings us now to the third candle, which we are lighting tonight for the first time. This candle is for West, the Element of Water.

Pagans know that Water is the Guardian of our emotions, intuition, empathy, compassion and is sacred to Autumn and the setting Sun.

As we contemplate our unlit candle, we might consider the fears, distortions, and untruths that flow through our hearts and our world. How do our emotions, and especially the manipulation of our feelings, create suffering for our human family? How does the elusive nature of Joy or the emphasis on the pursuit of happiness create trouble when out of balance?

And of course, there is the matter of the waters of our world.

This year, many of us have endured another bout of frightening, devastating drought. The rains that usually cleanse our cities and lands, that feed our crops, that strengthen our forests, that provide home to countless habitats failed this year.  Parched, cracked Earth cried out; wildfires where there once were fields obliterated homes and farms.

For others, the rains were too much.  Torrential and destructive, they dumped terrifying, unprecedented floods that swept away property and lives.

And we will never forget the ghastly images of the tsunami wiping out tens of thousands in northern Japan.

Meantime, thanks to global climate change and explosive population growth, access to safe drinking water is an endangered resource.

Did you know that only one percent of all the water on our planet is drinkable?  The World Health Organization reports that about 1.1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water. That means – no access. Contaminated water is one of the biggest killers in the world, with young children most at risk.

Add to that the fact that, at more than $1 trillion each year, the U.N. and World Health Organization estimate water is the world’s third largest industry (just behind electricity and oil), and is the most-traded commodity on Earth.

The rampant greed that is at the heart of so much suffering is very much focused on the commoditizing of water. In developing countries around the world, giant corporations like Bechtel and Halliburton are buying up the local water sources and then selling it back to the impoverished residents who live there!

As you consider these truths, honor the many feelings that flow through you. If this brings you sorrow, give thanks, for you are alive and you care!  If you do not feel despair at times, you are not paying attention, and dangerously out of touch.

Owning our pain for the world is absolutely necessary.  It is our sorrow, the feelings of our heartbreak, that provide the fertile ground for healing and hope. Without them, no change is likely.

So when you are ready, with clarity and compassion, light your candle.  Let this light chase away the shadows that darken your heart.

Notice and give thanks for all the ups and downs of our emotions. They can be tumultuous at times and strangely prescient. They open our hearts and sometimes break them, bringing cleansing tears and joyful laughter. What a sacred gift it is to feel our feelings, even when it hurts!

As you gaze upon this wondrous addition of light to the wreath before you, consider the life-giving blessings of Water.

See in your mind’s eye the beautiful rains when they come gently, in balanced abundance.  Give thanks for the incredible gift of turning on a tap at your home, and having clean, pure, hot and cold water pour forth. Such luxury was beyond the imagination of gilded pharaohs and emperors of old!

Remember Mama Ocean in your thanksgiving – the Mother of us all, the ever-restless, changing, flowing source of all life on our blue planet.

Know that the river of tears and joy is a deep, ancient one that defines our humanity.  It gives us the motivation and possibility of the true, deep, lasting transformation we so desperately need.  May its light heal the fear, the hurt, and all of our troubled waters.

Gaze now at your three dancing flames and call upon the powers of these Elements or Gifts of Spirit, to heal and bless. Tonight, it becomes truly clear that the birth of the shining Child of Promise, and the renewal of Life, is on the way!

When you are at peace, and the time feels right, going backwards from Water, to Fire, to Air, gently extinguish your candle.

Blessed be!

For some of us, our love of the world is so passionate that we cannot ask it to wait until we are enlightened.
~ Joanna Macy, World as Lover, World as Self

Tonight we celebrate the second Sunday of our Advent Solstice Sun-Wheel prayer circle.

Advent simply means the coming of. So every Sunday between now and Solstice or Christmas (or other Winter holiday you celebrate), people around the world are joining together wherever they live to celebrate and prepare for the coming rebirth of the Light.

All you need is a wreath with four candles in a circle, and a fifth candle in the center.

Please Note: Even if you missed out last week, it does not matter. You can begin any Sunday,  since we go back and re-light the previous candles from prior weeks.  Please join us — your energy and good wishes are most welcome.

To read the additional particulars about what you need to do to join in this powerful prayer-spell, click here.

The gist of it is that tonight, preferably at sunset (but more important is that it is when you have time and peace), take a few quiet moments to be fully present as you stand before your Sun Wheel.

First, we are going to light the candle that we lit last week. For Earth spirituality participants, this would be the candle for Air or East. (While I am primarily going to address this for working with the Directional Elements, I want to include our Christian friends. So for you, the first Advent candle is usually associated with prophecy, particularly the Book of Isaiah).

As you light your candle, think again of the fears and shadows that have to do with information, thoughts, imagination, our narratives, our judgments, communication, knowledge and understanding.

Now, light the candle for East and see, know and forgive the ways those types of fear exist. If you have words or a prayer to share aloud, please do.

If not, simply focus on how this one candle changes the darkness to light in and of itself. That is our desire for our world. Bask in its beautiful light, giving thanks in whatever ways your heart speaks to you. Send out healing for those fears you have thought of.

Next, gaze at the second candle – the one that is in the South and represents the element of Fire (in Christian traditions, this candle often represents the Bible, the principle of knowledge, or the manger in Bethlehem).

Contemplate the meaning of Fire, and the fears that might be ruled by Fire.

For example, Fire is energy, action, power, passion, creativity and change. In what ways are these matters sparking fears and distortions in our world?

You might consider the geopolitical power struggles for domination; issues around global warming and climate change; the wars being fought over fossil fuels; the resistance to change; or out-of-control growth. If you are Christian, how have conflicts over the Bible and its interpretations brought anger, hate, or grief to your faith?

On a personal level, how do the distortions of Fire impact you? Does your job have a power hierarchy that stifles creativity or innovation? Have you ever thought about the differences between “power over” and “power with?” Do you have fears about stepping up as a leader or creative person? Do you fear change?

With clarity and compassion, as the evening descends, notice the energy that comes from these fears. Feel the ways that these dramas may have hurt you, your loved ones, and your community.

And then, using your focus as a magical tool,  when you are ready, light your candle now, and gaze upon it. Combined with the first one, look how much brighter things are now! This is how we will see change happening in the coming year.

As you gaze upon it, feel the energy of how Fire cleanses, transforms, burns away what must be given up, while also feeding  the life force. Our passion is referred to as our Fire, and we all experience physical desire as a flaming energy.

Fire is our creativity, our welcoming hospitality. Fire warms and illuminates. Fire feeds us, and we feed the fires in our lives. It is the gift of Prometheus, it is home hearth of Hestia, and the sacred blessing of beloved Brighid.

Give thanks for the gift of the healing Fire in your life, for it is the electrochemical stream that is the life force itself. It brings the genesis of civilization.

Visualize the bonfires lit upon ancient hilltops, signaling in times of need or celebration. Think of the hearths of our ancestors, tended nightly with ceremony, with families gathered round in warmth, sheltered with love while icy winds would blast outside.

Know that our Fire candle tonight, being lit by so many others across town and across the world, will re-align and heal the goodly power of Fire.  The current “World on Fire,” of greed, force, consuming, competition and war can be eased and returned to a life-sustaining hearth of welcome,  where there is energy, magic, creativity, and plenty for all.

Celebrate the candles of Air and Fire and let them warm you. Move and dance with the flames, laugh with your beloveds. Then, when you are ready, gently, reverently bid the Fire candle farewell and extinguish it, and then the first candle. Know that as you so say, so shall it be.

Blessings this night to one and all!

It’s time to join together each Sunday through Yule (or Christmas) for our annual Yule Prayer-Spell.

Background

If you have been a regular reader of mine, you know that for many years now, starting in late November, I invite all my visitors to join together in a virtual prayer circle, or spell weaving.  All spiritual paths are welcomed to this beautiful and powerful practice.

This is a very, very simple ritual, so although this post is long, the practice is not. I am just including lots of background for you.

We begin the Solstice Sun-Wheel Prayer today!

Inspired originally by Beltane Papers founder, the late Helen Farias, and continued by Waverly FitzGerald, I have found this to be a gentle, inclusive, yet powerful practice.

Over the years, the numbers participating have grown exponentially, with many of our participants agreeing that it has become an important annual ceremony for themselves and their families.

This ritual may remind you of the Christian practice of lighting candles around an Advent wreath. That was, in fact, copied from older Pagan practices surrounding the advent of the Winter Solstice. The word “Advent,” simply means the coming of.

So this works for all faiths, all spiritual paths.  You can easily adapt this to be in harmony with your own dreams, desires, and beliefs. I encourage you to join others throughout the world, who are also participating.

And please share it with your friends and beloveds. Let’s spread the word and good energy!  Truly – the more, the merrier!

Where We Are

This year we find ourselves in a most extraordinary time.  For one thing we are on the threshold of the year 2012 – a year upon which we have heaped countless myths, legends, stories, hopes and fears.

We also know ourselves to be at a pivotal point as the entrenched hierarchies of power around the globe are being challenged in ways never seen before.

Truly we are in the midst of the Great Turning.

From Occupy, to the Arab Spring, to the drama-filled American elections being decided next year; from the crumbling of the Euro and the ongoing multinational debt crisis, to the specter of an ever-deepening economic collapse; from astrological forecasts, to environmental crisis, to the interpretations of the Mayan calendar — we appear to be at a critical tipping point.

As my friend and teacher, Pomegranate, has noted in her prayer-spell, healing the greed is crucial at this time.

But for our Solstice Sun-Wheel, I would like to widen that view just a bit.

Because I see greed as being one symptom of the bigger, more grave illness that has so long infected our world: fear.

Each direction –  East/Air, South/Fire, West/Water, North/Earth — holds a particular energy. To me, greed is a fear that is particular to the Element of Earth.

But we also have fears of each other (which we could associate with Water).  There is fear of what is unfamiliar or unknown (Air).  Fear of the emptiness that all the money, consumer goods, entertainment, and war dramas never seem to fill (Fire). Fear of the loss of control and power (also Fire).

The Intention

It is time to face our fears, and heal them the only way fear can ever be healed: with love.

As we make the final descent into the darkest time of the year, we align with the light that shall be reborn at Yule.

Candle by candle, heart to heart, each week together, we will gather in the twilight of sunset.

We will open our hearts and spirits to know the truth of our fears as they are associated with Air, with Fire, with Water, and with Earth.

Then, with clarity, compassion and our united love, we will illuminate and heal the fears within ourselves, and our human family.

Instructions

First, you’ll need make an Advent wreath, or call it a Solstice Sun Wheel, or whatever is appropriate to your beliefs. You’ll be lighting one candle on each Sun Day prior to the Solstice, starting this Sunday Nov. 27. Either on Yule night, or on Christmas eve, depending on your preferences, you’ll light the final, fifth candle.

Your Sun Wheel is simply a small wreath, the sacred Circle of the Divine Feminine, laid horizontally upon a table, altar, or other special place. Evergreens are a nice touch, but it can be of holly berries, or grapevine, or whatever materials you have on hand. The wreath should have the four candles around its periphery, and a fifth candle in the Center.

The colors and type of candles are up to you. The Christian Advent wreath traditionally is made with three candles of violet, and a fourth, which is lit the last Sunday before Christmas, of rose pink. In some churches, a center pillar candle of white is also included, lit on Christmas or Christmas Eve.

My suggestion for non-Christians is to use five simple white candles (tea candles perhaps), or a yellow candle for East (Air), a red candle for South (Fire), a blue candle for West (Water), and a green candle for North (Earth) with a fifth candle in the center for Spirit (Mystery). A black, white or purple candle would be a good choice, but let your heart be your guide.

The idea is that each Sunday before Solstice, ideally on the threshold between day and night, at sunset, you have a quiet ceremony to light a new candle.

Tonight (Nov. 27) is the first Sunday
Gather with your loved ones, or alone, tonight around sunset.  Ground and center yourself, or create sacred space in whatever way is right for your practice. Consider the fears that might be associated with the Element of Air:  knowledge, information, understanding, communication.  Think about how fear distorts what we see, what we believe, how we make choices.  We pass judgments, we are told and sometimes share hurtful stories about one another.  If you are with others, you might talk a while about these fears.

Then, allow some silence.  With your breath, inhaling and exhaling, begin to see, know, and forgive the ways those types of fear exist.

With clarity and compassion, see the ways that your own beliefs have wounded you.  The ways that you have spoken untruths or unkindness.  And then, still using your breath as a magical tool, let those fears and hurts be dispelled as you light your candle.

Additional considerations

As you do this, send your energy and intentions for empowering and welcoming the birth of the Light. Consider all the meanings that this has for you – in your own personal life, for the good of our community and our planet as well.

Be aware that, based on the many, many emails I’ve gotten over the years, there are hundreds of other people, in many different time zones, around the world, who are participating in this with you. (One person has called it a prayer version of “The Wave”).

All of our hearts are joined in this act of both acknowledging the dark, gazing with unflinching hearts at our fears, and knowing we are in unity and empowerment as we light our candles.

As you focus your will, remember that we are not fighting, fearing, or trying to defeat the dark. Darkness is necessary; without the dark, there are no dreams, no healing sleep, no deep growth that is necessary to thrive. We honor the dark, but heaven knows our troubled world is in great need of a new day dawning.

So gaze a while upon the dancing flame and call upon the powers of the week’s Element or Gift of Spirit, to heal and bless. We look forward to the coming Sun Child, and the renewal of Life.

When you are at peace, and the time feels right, gently extinguish your candle.

Blessed be!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 

Let’s cook up something delicious together, shall we? Like, say, another spell from Pomegranate?

This harnesses the power of tonight’s Solar Eclipse, reaching closest totality Nov. 25 06:20 GMT or 1:20 a.m., Eastern; Nov. 24, 10:20 p.m., Pacific.  Tomorrow, I will have more details about the current astrology, so please check back here then.

In the meantime, won’t you join with us?  Sing, chant and incorporate this into your New Moon and Eclipse magic. Now is the time to heal the greed and empower the Great Turning.

Our Intention: Heal Greed.

Here is the spell:

“The ancestors are watching.
This is the crossroads,
the heart of the future.
We see the signs of the great turning.
What has been at the edges
we bring to the center, clearing the way.
And the heart cracks open,
healing the wound of greed.
The descendents are waiting.”

This is from Priestess, artist, my teacher, and beloved friend, Pomegranate.  You may remember her beautiful spell-chant on behalf of Japan that I shared here and I believe worked a number of miracles. 

She lives in Portland, where the U.S. police state has been showing its true colors. Here is a powerful invocation to the Green Dragon on behalf of the Occupiers. Please share it far and wide, and most especially, chant it aloud, and make it so!   Blessed be! ~ Beth

Prayer to the Green Dragon

We live in a world defiled by
Racism
Poverty
Sexism
Homophobia
Classism
The destruction of the earth
And filled with grinding hopelessness.

And Greed is at the root of all these ailments
Greed breeds Racism and Poverty
Greed breeds Sexism and Homophobia
Greed brings Classism
Greed destroys this good green earth
And it is that Greed causes us to lose hope.

But those of us who rail against these ailments cannot lose hope.
Those of us who believe in Love and Peace will not lose hope.
Those of us who believe in Beauty and Justice and Freedom, WILL NOT lose hope.

Therefore we call upon The Green Dragon of Compassion

Dragon,
You who are the green fiery heart of unblinking truth
You who hold all beings as equal
You who are the cure to greed
You who are the breath of change
Come into me
Enter my heart
Enter my breath
Work in my hands

So that where there was Racism there will be equality
So that where there was Poverty there will be equality
So that where there was Sexism, Homophobia and Classism there will be equality
So that the Good Green earth is restored
And all the beings of the world may live in Love and Peace, Beauty, Justice and Freedom.

Hail the Green Dragon.
Hail our Fiery Green Hearts.

Hail! Journeyer of the Heavens,
Queen of Brightness, King of Beauty!
Gifts of gladness richly bringing,
Autumn sheaves and red leaves’ fall.
Generous be the heart within us,
Open be our hands to all,
Justice to be in equal measure,
Harvest thankfulness our call.
~ Greeting to the Autumn Equinox
Caitlín Matthews, A Celtic Devotional

Today is the Equinox, taken from the Latin for “equal night.” It is the Autumnal equinox in the northern hemisphere, and the Spring equinox below the equator.  At 5:05 this morning (Eastern time), the Sun moved directly above the Earth’s equator.  From this day on, until March, in the northern lands, the night will outlast the daylight hours.

Among some traditions, this date is known as the Witches’ Thanksgiving and many Earth-based practitioners call it Mabon. Some lore says this is for Queen Mab of the Faeries, or maybe the Celtic heroine Queen Maeve.

But the name Mabon actually has links to the Mabinogion, the ancient stories of Gods and Humans in Welsh mythology.

The tales of the Mabon are the “tales of the hero.” They derive this meaning from “mabon” or “meibon” — meaning a young man or youth. It is also the name of the God named Mabon ap Modron (Mabon in Welsh means “son”). So this is a reference to the son of the Welsh Goddess Madron. She is the Divine Mother and He is, simply, the Divine Son.

Most scholars agree that the Celts did not call the Autumn Equinox by the name Mabon. You can find an eloquent article debunking the use of the term for this Autumnal Equinox sabbat by visiting here.

However, it seems to me that the invention of this newer adaptation is in keeping with the fine ancient Celtic practice of adopting festivals, myths, and Deities from other cultures.  The Druid traditions know this festival as Alban Elued (“Light of the Sea”).

At this time, the Mother of the Harvest becomes the Old One, the wise grandmother who teaches us to rest after our labors. We also honor the Goddess Demeter, who is Goddess of all growing things, and Her daughter Persephone, who becomes Queen of the Underworld now. As Persephone descends into the Underworld, Demeter covers her face, and all living and growing things die until Persephone returns at Ostara.

Now is the time of equal night and day and light and dark. In the northern lands, after today, the nights are longer than the daylight and with the diminishing sunlight hours, we move from warmth into cold. And below the equator, our brothers and sisters are looking for signs of Spring, as their days will now stretch beyond the nighttime hours.

By the way, if you have heard the tale that only on this day (and at Spring Equinox) you can balance an egg on its end, visit here for some clarification.

Today is the second harvest, the midpoint of the harvest season. With some urgency now, we gather in the remaining bounty of summer, and prepare for Winter.

Everything in Nature is constantly giving to and receiving from everything else. Consider, however, that balance is almost never a 50-50 equality. Only at Spring and Autumn Equinox, only two days of the year, is light and dark exactly equal. A fifty-fifty equality is not necessarily the ideal, nor is it the natural way of things. In fact, it seems to me to be a simplistic concept that can bear bitter fruit, like “an eye for an eye.”

But balance is always possible, and is the natural way. This is true in our lives as well. There are gifts that our loved ones give us that we can never repay equally, starting with the gift of our very lives from our mothers and fathers. Yet we can give thanks, and be grateful for our blessings. And we repay by making the most of all that is given to us; we pay our thankfulness forward by our deeds and how we live.

So as we are gathering in all the gifts and blessings of the Goddess, we must remember to give something back, to make an offering, and to express our gratitude by doing good for others at every opportunity.

This is a time to look back at all the things and people we have to be thankful for. It is also a time to take stock of ourselves, and see how much we have grown and changed throughout the year.

So to you and all your beloveds I wish a splendid harvest of those qualities and blessings that most nurture what is best and most precious to you. May you reap sweet abundance and goodness of every kind.

Blessed be!

Amazing Grace, how sweet the Earth
That birthed a Witch like me.
I once was burned, now I survive
Was hanged, but now I’m free.

T’was grace that drew down the Moon
And grace that raised the sea,
The magic of our people’s will
Will set our Mother free.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Blessings of Litha!

Happy Litha (Summer Solstice) to those of us in the northern hemisphere, and Happy Yule to our friends below the equator! On this day (above the equator) the Sun, giver of life, reaches its zenith in the sky. Today, the Shadow is smallest, the bright Sun illuminates all! From this day forward, She diminishes, the days grow shorter, and the harvest season beckons.

May the children of Earth awaken, rise up,
and be about the sacred healing of our home.
In the way of our ancestors, we honor the Turning.

This is the Summer Solstice by astronomical reckoning, although it is also a “fixed” holiday in many traditions, starting at sunset June 23.

The Summer Solstice is called Midsummer or Litha in some medieval and Craft traditions; and Alban Hefin or Alban Heruin in the Celtic and Druidic traditions.

The word “solstice” literally means “standing-still of the sun.” It comes from the fact that the Sun’s apparent path across the sky moves upward, from December to June, and seems to stop at its highest level above the southern horizon on June 21.

You can see why monuments like Stonehenge are tuned to this event: it is an unmistakable point from which the rest of the yearly calendar may be accurately reckoned.

So today, we celebrate the ending of the waxing year and the beginning of the waning year, in preparation for the harvest to come. Midsummer is when all may absorb the Sun’s warming rays and it is a celebration of fertility, not only for humans, but also for crops, animals and all beings.

In the mythical cycle, this is the end of the reign of the Oak King, and the beginning of the Holly King’s rule.

Witches consider the Goddess to be heavy now with pregnancy from Her mating at Beltane – honor is given to Her. The God is celebrated as the Sun is at its peak in the sky and we celebrate His approaching fatherhood – honor is also given to Him. This is a time when everything is exuberantly alive and the Spirits of Nature are most active.

Now the threshold between the worlds of humans and the Others is wide open and beckons, making it one of the most magical times of the year.

Lore tells us that on Midsummer’s Night, the field and forest Elementals, as well as the Faeries of all races, abound in great numbers. This a fortuitous time to commune with them if we are respectful and wary, for the Good People are not the cute wee people of greeting cards, but an ancient race: the powerful, fey Shining Ones.  They have their own free will, their own rites, and agendas.  Beware of interfering or inserting yourself where you have not been invited!

In some Western traditions, the Faery folk are an ancient race of people who lived in the British Isles long before the Celts or the Anglo-Saxons arrived. They are believed to have descended from the Tuatha de Danann (the tribe of the great Mother Goddess Danu), a magickal race who, in some tales, were said to have flown into Ireland in ships that descended from the clouds. They came from the four great cities of Falias, Gorias, Finias and Murias, and brought with them the four Great Treasures: the Lia Fail (Stone of Destiny), the sword of Lugh, a magic spear, and the endlessly abundant Cauldron of the Dagda.

There is a great deal of lore regarding how to contact the Good Folk on Midsummer’s Eve, if that is something you dare to do. For instance, one of my favorite rituals is based on The Greater Key of Solomon, which contains instructions for making an aspergillum using nine holy herbs. Mentioned in a number of old texts, there is some debate about exactly which ones are being referred to.

But in the Green Witchcraft tradition that I practice, I light my cauldron fire and sprinkle it with betony wood, chamomile, either fennel or lavender, lemon balm, mullein, rue, St. John’s wort, thyme and vervain.

Caution – you should only burn this mixture outdoors, please; and people with sensitivities or women who may be pregnant should avoid this smoke.

But otherwise, burning these lovely herbs together is one of the most heavenly, simple, and truly Fae experiences one can conjure! Scrying with this smoke is especially powerful, and in my experience, its magic is very enticing to the Gentry.

It is an old tradition that couples who became enchanted with one another at Beltane are now given the opportunity to make a more permanent commitment at Litha. They may do so by jumping the bonfire (or a burning cauldron fire) into which the nine blessed herbs have been cast.

Speaking of herbs, this is said to be a most auspicious time for Druids to harvest mistletoe with their golden sickles. And many Witches pick their herbs and worts tonight, particularly at midnight, as this is the peak of their most numinous and divine essence. For now is the height of fertility and the Sun’s influence, so they will be most powerful for use in spells and making poppets.

In fact, any magical plants plucked on Midsummer are especially efficacious and even keep better. Happily, it is also a waning Moon, making it an even more fortuitous time for harvesting.

In addition to mistletoe, St. John’s wort, mullein, wormwood, mugwort, thyme, and yarrow are especially recommended for harvest, either at noon or midnight tonight. Always remember to ask the plant’s permission first, never harvest endangered, stressed plants, or the last bit of one, and be sure to give an offering in return.

Litha is naturally considered a time of great magical power. Especially effective are magicks and spells for love, fertility, healing and prosperity.

This is also a very good time to perform blessings and protection spells for your pets and home. Hanging boughs and bouquets of St. John’s wort, fennel and honeysuckle bring sweetness and protection.  Linden and fennel seeds are especially favored gifts for the People of Peace. Other offerings always appreciated are cream and honey.

* * * * * * *

Last but not least, as I posted yesterday, I invite you to join in an unprecedented global spell working/prayer for the Spirit and well-being of the Tarot.

In collaboration with such luminaries as Mary K. Greer, Rachel Pollack, Thalassa, Joanna P. Colbert, and Linda Marson, I have helped create this intention, to be send out under the shining influence of The Solstice Sun:

With the Great Solstice Turning of the Seasons, we honor the spirit of the Tarot and all those — past, present and future — who unselfishly support its gifts of illumination, healing, and inspiration for all.

So mote it be!

Blessed be!