WORDS TO THE WISE .... O daughters and sons of the Earth, adore the Goddess and God and be blessed with the fullness of life. Know that They have brought you to these writings, for herein lie our ways of the Craft, to serve and fulfill the keepers of wisdom, the tenders of the sacred flame of knowledge. Run the rites with love and joy, and the Goddess and God will bless you with all thet you need. But those who practise dark magicks shall know Their greatest wrath. Remember that you are of the Craft. No more do you trod the ways of doubt. You walk the path of light, ever climbing from shadow to shadow to the highest realm of existence. But though we're the bearers of truths, others do not wish to share our knowledge, so we run our rites beneath moon filled skies enwrapped in shadows. But we are happy. Live fully, for that is the purpose of life. Refrain not from earthly existence. From it we grow to learn and understand, until such time that we are reborn to learn more, repeating this cycle 'till we have spiralled up the path of perfection and can finally call the Goddess and God our kin. Walk the fields and forests; be refreshed by the cool winds and the touch of a nodding flower. The Moon and Sun sing in the ancient wild places: The deserted seashore, the stark desert, the roaring waterfall. We are of the Earth and should revere Her, so do Her honor. Celebrate the rites on the appropriate days and seasons, and call upon the Goddess and God when the time is meet, but use the Power only when necessary, never for frivolous ends. Know that using the Power for harm is a Perversion of Life itself. But for those who love and magnify love, the richness of life shall be your reward. Nature will celebrate. So love the Goddess and God, and harm none! THE NATURE OF OUR WAY * As often as possible, hold the rites in forests, by the seashore, on deserted mountaintops or near tranquil lakes. If this is impossible, a garden or some chamber shall suffice, if it is readied with fumes of flowers. * Seek out wisdom in books, rare manuscripts and cryptic poems if you will, but seek it out also in simple stones and fragile herbs and in the cries of wild birds. Listen to the wisperings of the wind and the roar of water if you would discover magick, for it is here that the old secrets are preserved. * Books contain words; trees contain energies and wisdom books ne'er dreamt of. * Ever remember that the Old Ways are constantly revealing themselves. Therefore be as the river willow that bends and sways with the wind. That which remains changeless shall outlive its spirit, but that which evolves and grows will shine for centuries. * There can be no monopoly on wisdom. Therefore share what you will of our ways with others who seek them, but hide mystic lore from the eyes of those who would destroy, for to do otherwise increases their destruction. * Mock not the rituals or spells of another, for who can say yours are greater in power or wisdom? * Ensure that your actions are honorable, for all that you do shall return to you three-fold, good or bane. * Be wary of one who would dominate you, who would control and manipulate your workings and reverences. True reverence for the Goddess and God occurs within. Look with suspicion on any who would twist worship from you for their own gain and glory, but welcome those priestesses and priests who are suffused with love. * Honor all living things, for we are of the bird, the fish, the bee. Destroy not life save it be to preserve your own. * And this is the nature of our way. BEFORE TIME WAS Before time was, there was The One; The One was all, and all was The One. And the vast expanse known as the universe was The One, all-wise, all-pervading, all-powerful, eternally changing. And space moved. The One molded energy into twin forms, equal but opposite, fashioning the Goddess and God from The One and of The One. The Goddess and God stretched and gave thanks to The One, but darkness surrounded them. They were alone, solitary save for The One. So They formed energy into gasses and gasses into suns and planets and moons; They sprinkled the universe with whirling globes and so all was given shape by the hands of the Goddess and God. Light arose and the sky was illuminated by a billion suns. And the Goddess and God, satisfied by their works, rejoiced and loved, and were one. From their union sprang the seeds of all life, and of the human race, so that we might achieve incarnation upon the Earth. The Goddess chose the Moon as Her symbol, and the God the Sun as His symbol, to remind the inhabitants of Earth of their fashioners. All are born, live, die and are reborn beneath the Sun and Moon; all things come to pass thereunder, and all occurs with the blessings of The One, as has been the way of existence before time was. SONG OF THE GODDESS I am the Great Mother, worshipped by all creation and existent prior to their consciousness. I am the primal female force, boundless and eternal. I am the chaste Goddess of the Moon, the Lady of all magick. The winds and moving leaves sing my name. I wear the cresent Moon upon my brow and my feet rest among the starry heavens. I am mysteries yet unsolved, a path newly set upon. I am a field untouched by the plow. Rejoice in me and know the fullness of youth. I am the blessed Mother, the gracious Lady of the harvest. I am clothed with the deep, cool wonder of the Earth and the gold of the fields heavy with grain. By me the tides of the Earth are ruled; all things come to fruition according to my reason. I am refuge and healing. I am the life-giving Mother, wondrously fertile. Worship me as the Crone, tender of the unbroken cycle of death and rebirth. I am the wheel, the shadow of the Moon. I rule the tides of women and mem and give release and renewal to weary souls. Though the darkness of death is my domain, the joy of birth is my gift. I am the Goddess of the Moon, the Earth, the Seas. My names and strengths are manifold. I pour forth magick and power, peace and wisdom. I am the eternal Maiden, Mother of all, and Crone of darkness, and I send you blessings of limitless love. CALL OF THE GOD I am the radiant King of the Heavens, flooding the Earth with warmth and encouraging the hidden seed of creation to burst forth into manifestation. I lift my shining spear to light the lives of all beings and daily pour forth my gold upon the Earth, putting to flight the powers of darkness. I am the master of the beasts wild and free. I run with the swift stag and soar as a sacred falcon against the shimmering sky. The ancient woods and wild places emanate my powers, and the birds of the air sing of my sanctity. I am also the last harvest, offering up grain and fruits beneath the sickle of time so that all may be nourished. For without planting there can be no harvest; without winter, no spring. Worship me as the thousand-named Sun of creation, the spirit of the horned stag in the wild, the endless harvest. See in the yearly cycle of festivals my birth, death and rebirth - and know that such is the destiny of all creation. I am the spark of life, the radiant Sun, the giver of peace and rest, and I send my rays of blessings to warm the hearts and strengthen the minds of all. THE CIRCLE OF STONES The Circle of stones is used during indoor rituals, for energy raising, meditation and so on. First cleanse the area with the ritual broom. For this circle you will need four large, flat stones. If you have none, candles can be used to mark the four cardinal points of the circle. White or purple candles can be used, as can colours related to each direction - green for the North, yellow for East, red for South and blue for West. Place the first stone (or candle) to the North, to represent the Spirit of the North Stone. In ritual when you invoke the Spirits of the Stones you're actually invoking all that resides in that particular direction, including the elemental energies. After setting the North Stone (or candle), place the East, South and West Stones. They should mark out a rough square, nearly encompassing the working area. This square represents the physical plane on which we exist - the Earth. Now take a long purple or white cord and lay it out in a circle, using the four stones or candles to guide you. It takes a bit of practice to smoothly do this. The cord should be placed so that the stones remain inside the circle. Now you have a square and a circle, the circle representing the spiritual reality. As such, this is a squared circle; the place of interpenetration of the physical and spiritual realms. The size of the circle can be anything from 5 to 20 feet depending on the room and your desires. Next, set up the altar. The following tools are recommended: * A Goddess symbol (candle, holed stone, statue) * A God symbol (candle, horn, acorn, statue) * Athame * Wand * Censer * Pentacle * A bowl of Water (spring, rain or tap) * A bowl of Sea Salt (it can also be placed on the pentacle) * Incense * Flowers and greens * One red candle in holder (if not using point candles) * Any other tools or materials required for the ritual, spell or magickal working Set up the altar according to the plan shown here or according to your own design. Also be sure to have plenty of matches, as well as a small heat-proof container in which to place them when used. A charcoal block is also necessary to burn the incense. Suggested Altar Layout Light the candles. Set the incense smoking. Lift the athame and touch its blade to the water, saying: I consecrate and cleanse this water that it may be purified and fit to dwell within the sacred Circle of Stones. In the name of the Mother Goddess and Father God, I consecrate this water. As you do this, visualize your athame blasting away all negativity from the water. The salt is next touched with the point of the athame while saying: I bless this salt that it may be fit to dwell within the sacred Circle of Stones. In the name of the Mother Goddess and Father God, I bless this salt. Now stand facing North, at the edge of the cord-marked circle. Hold your athame point outward at waist level. Walk slowly around the circle's perimeter clockwise, your feet just inside the cord, charging it with your words and energy. Create the circle - through your visualization - with the power flowing out from your athame's blade. As you walk, stretch the energy out until it forms a complete sphere around the working area, half above the ground, half below. As you do this say: Here is the boundary of the Circle of Stones. Naught but love shall enter in, Naught but love shall emerge from within. Charge this by Your powers, Old Ones! When you have arrived back at the North, place the athame on the altar. Take up the salt and sprinkle it around the circle, begining and ending in the North, and moving clockwise. Next, carry the smoking censer from the altar, and finally sprinkle water around the circle. Do more than carrying and walking; sense the substances purifying the circle. The Circle of Stones is now sealed. Hold aloft the wand at the North, at the edge of the circle, and say: O Spirit of the North Stone, Ancient One of the Earth, I call You to attend this circle. Charge this by Your powers, Old Ones! As you say this, visualize a greenish mist rising and writhing in the Northern quarter, over the stone. This is the elemental energy of the Earth. When the Spirit is present, lower the wand, move to the East, raise it again and say: O Spirit of the East Stone, Ancient One of Air, I call You to attend this circle. Charge this by Your powers, Old Ones! Visualize the yellowish mist of Air energy. Lower the wand, move to the South and repeat the following with your upraised wand, visualizing a crimson Fire mist: O Spirit of the South Stone, Ancient One of Fire, I call You to attend this circle. Charge this by Your powers, Old Ones! Finally, to the West, say with the wand held aloft: O Spirit of the West Stone, Ancient One of Water, I call You to attend this circle. Charge this by Your powers, Old Ones! Visualize the bluish mist, the essence of Water. The circle breaths and lives around you. The Spirits of the Stones are present. Feel the energies. Visualize the circle glowing and growing in power. Stand still, sensing for a moment. The Circle of Stones is complete. The Goddess and God may be called, and magick wrought. CUTTING A DOORWAY At times you may have to leave the circle. This is fine, of course, but as previously mentioned, passing through the circle dissipates it. To prevent this from occurring it's traditional to cut a doorway. To do this, face Northeast. Hold your athame point downward near the ground. See and sense the circle before you. Pierce its wall of energy with the athame and trace an archway, tall enough to walk through, moving counter-clockwise along the circle for about three feet. Move the point of the athame up at the arch's center and down the other side until it is near the ground. As you're doing this, visualize that area of the circle's energy being sucked back into the athame. This creates a void, allowing passage in and out of the circle. Pull the athame out of the circle's wall. You're free to walk outside. Once back inside, close the door by placing the athame at the lower North-Eastern point of the archway. With your athame trace the circle's perimeter clockwise, as if redrawing that portion of the Circle of Stones, again visualizing blue or purple energy flaring out from the blade and converging with the rest of the circle. It is done. RELEASING THE CIRCLE Once the rite is ended, face North, hold aloft the wand and say: Farewell, Spirit of the North Stone. I give thanks for your presence here. Go in power. Repeat this same formula to the East, South and West, substituting the proper direction in the words. Then return to the North and hold the wand aloft for a few moments. Lay the wand on the altar. Take up the athame. Standing in the North, pierce the circle's wall with the blade at waist level. Move clockwise around the circle, visualizing it's power being sucked back into the athame. Literally pull it back into the blade and handle. Sense the circle dissolving, shrinking; the outside world slowly regaining its dominance in the area. When you arrive at the North again, the circle is no more. VISUALIZATIONS FOR THE CIRCLE OF STONES If you wish, you can back up the circle casting with the following visualizations as you form the circle itself: Prepare as usual. Approach the North and set the North Stone (or the candle) on the ground. Then, visualize a stone slab standing upright two feet to the left of and behind the North Stone. Visualize this as being bluish-grey, two feet wide, two feet thick and six feet tall. This stone represents the Goddess. When the stone is really there - in your visualization - create another stone of the same size and colour two feet to the right of and behind the North Stone. This represents the God. Now visualize a capstone resting on top of the two upright stones. It is about two feet by two feet by six feet. This represents The One before the Goddess and God, the source of all power and magick. The Northern Trilithon is now complete. The stones form an archway, a symbol of the gateway to the realm of the element of Earth. Firmly visualize this, then gaze through the arch formed by the stones. See the greenish haze of the Earth energy. Repeat the entire procedure to the East, South and West. Visualize the appropriate elemental colour within each trilithon. Now purify salt and water, cast the circle as usual, and carry around the salt, censer, candle and water. As you approach each quarter to call its Spirit of the Stone, see the trilithon firmly in your mind. Visualize it in all its Pagan splendor. See the elemental hazes within them, boiling and writhing in unmanifestedness. Stretch out with your feelings; sense the arrival of the spirit of each stone, then go on to the next. With practise this comes easily, but such visualizations are never necessary. THE BLESSING CHANT The Blessing Chant can be said at the beginning of any type of ritual as a general invocation. Separate invocations of the Goddess and God may follow. May the powers of The One, the source of all creation; all-pervasive, omnipotent, eternal; may the Goddess, the Lady of the Moon; and the God, Horned Hunter of the Sun; may the powers of the Spirits of the Stones, rulers of the elemental realms; may the powers of the stars above and the Earth below, bless this place, and this time, and I who am with you. THE SIMPLE FEAST Hold up a Chalice of wine (or some other liquid) between your hands to the sky, and say: Gracious Goddess of Abundance, Bless this wine and infuse it with your love. In your names, Mother Goddess and Father God, I bless this wine (or brew, juice, etc.). Hold up a plate of cakes (bread, biscuits) with both hands to the sky and say: Powerful God of the Harvest, Bless these cakes and infuse them with your love. In your names, Mother Goddess and Father God, I bless these cakes (or this bread). CONSECRATION OF TOOLS Light the candles. Set the incense smoking. Cast the Circle of Stones. Place the tool on the pentacle, or a plate of salt. Touch it with the point of your athame (or your projective hand) and say: I consecrate you, O Athame of steel (or wand of wood, etc.) to cleanse and purify you to serve me within the Circle of Stones. In the names of the Mother Goddess and Father God, you are consecrated. Send projective energy into the tool, cleansing it of all negativity and past associations. Now pick it up and sprinkle with salt, pass it through the incense smoke, through the candle flame and sprinkle with water, calling upon the Spirits of the Stones to consecrate it. Then hold the tool to the sky, saying: I charge you by the Old Ones: By the omnipotent Goddess and God: By the virtues of the Sun, Moon and Stars: By the powers of the Earth, Air, Fire and Water, that I shall obtain all that I desire through you. Charge this by your power, Old Ones! The tool should immediately be put to use to stengthen and bind the consecration. For example, the athame can be used to consecrate another tool; a wand to invoke the Goddess; the pentacle to act as a resting place for a tool during its consecration. THE FULL MOON RITE Perform this at night, in the view of the Moon if possible. It is appropriate for crescents, white flowers, silver and other lunar symbols to be present on the altar for this ritual. The quartz crystal sphere can be placed on the altar as well. Or, if you prefer, use the cauldron (or a small white or silver bowl) filled with water. Place a piece of silver into the water. Arrange the altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the Circle of Stones. Stand before the altar and invoke the Goddess and God, with the Blessing Chant and/or any other invocations (see Prayers, Chants and Invocations in this Book of Shadows). Now gaze at the Moon, if possible. Feel its energies sinking into your body. Feel its cool Goddess energy wash you with power and love. Now say these or similar words: Wondrous Lady of the Moon You who greets the dusk with silvered kisses; Mistress of the night and of all magicks, who rides the clouds in blackened skies and spills light upon the cold Earth; O Lunar Goddess, Cresented-One, Shadow maker and shadow breaker; Reavealer of mysteries past and present; Puller of seas and ruler of women; All-wise Lunar Mother, I greet your celestrial jewel at the waxing of its powers With a rite in Your honor. I pray by the Moon, I pray by the Moon, I pray by the Moon. Continue chanting "I pray by the Moon" for as long as you will. Visualize the Goddess if you so desire, perhaps as a tall, robust woman wearing silver jewelry and white, rippling, draped clothing. A cresent Moon may rest upon Her brow, or She may toss a glowing silvery white orb in Her hands. She trods the starfield of eternal night in an eternal round with Her lover, the Sun God, speading moonrays wherever She goes. Her eyes laugh, Her skin is white and translucent. She glows. Now is the time for magick of all types, for the full of the Moon marks the height of its powers, and all positive spells cast then are powerful. Full Moons are also excellent times for meditation, mirror magick and psychic workings, for such are often more successful within the circle. Crystal-scrying is particularly recommended; flood the crystal with moonlight prior to the ritual. If you have no crystal sphere, use the cauldron filled with water and the piece of silver. Gaze at the water (or at the Moon glinting on the silver) to awaken your psychic awareness. Lunar liquids such as lemonade, milk or white wine can be consumed during the simple feast that follows. Cresent cakes are traditional as well. Thank the Goddess and God and release the circle. It is done. YULE (circa December 21) The altar is adorned with evergreens such as pine, rosemary, bay, juniper and cedar, and the same can be laid to mark the Circle of Stones. Dried leaves can also be placed on the altar. The cauldron, resting on the altar on a heat-proof surface (or placed before it if too large), should be filled with ignitable spirit (alcohol), or a red candle can be placed within it. At outdoor rites, lay a fire within the cauldron to be lit during ritual. Arrange the altar, light the candles and incense, and cast the Circle of Stones. Recite the Blessing Chant. Invoke the Goddess and God. Stand before the cauldron and gaze within it. Say these or similar words: I sorrow not, though the world is wrapped in sleep. I sorrow not, though the icy winds blast. I sorrow not, though the snow falls hard and deep. I sorrow not, this too shall soon be past. Ignite the cauldron (or candle), using long matches or a taper. As the flame(s) leap up say: I light this fire in Your honor, Mother Goddess You have created life from death; warmth from cold; The Sun lives once again; the time of light is waxing. Welcome, ever-returning God of the Sun! Hail Mother of All! Circle the altar and cauldron slowly, clockwise, watching the flames. Say the following chant for some time: The wheel turns; the power burns. Meditate upon the Sun, on the hidden energies lying dormant in winter, not only in the Earth but within ourselves. Think of birth not as the start of life but as its continuance. Welcome the return of the God. After a time cease and stand once again before the altar and flaming caldron. Say: Great God of the Sun, I welcome Your return. May You shine brightly upon the Goddess; may You shine brightly upon the Earth, scattering seeds and fertilizing the land. All blessings upon You, reborn One of the Sun! Works of magick, if necessary, may follow. Celebrate the Simple Feast. The circle is released. YULE LORE One traditional Yuletide practice is the creation of a Yule tree. This can be a living, potted tree which can later be planter in the ground, or a cut one. The choice is yours. Appropriate Pagan decorations are fun to make, from strings of dried rosebuds and cinnamon sticks (or popcorn and cranberries) for garlands, to bags of fragrant spices which are hung from boughs. Quartz crystals can be wrapped with shiny wire and suspended from sturdy branches to resemble icicles. Apples, oranges and lemons hanging from boughs are strikingly beautiful, natural decorations, and were customary in ancient times. Many enjoy the custom of lighting the Yule log. This is a graphic representation of the rebirth of the God within the sacred fire of the Mother Goddess. If you choose to burn one, select a proper log (traditionally of oak or pine). Carve or chalk a figure of the Sun (sush as a rayed disc) or the God (a horned circle or a figure of a man) upon it, with the Boline, and set it alight in the fireplace at dusk on Yule. As the log burns, visualize the Sun shining within it and think of the coming warmer days. As to food, nuts, fruits such as apples and pears, cakes of carraways soaked in cider, and (for non-vegetarians) pork are traditional fare. Wassil, lambswool, hibiscus or ginger tea and fine drinks for the Simple Feast or Yule Meals. IMBOLC (February 2) A symbol of the season, such as a representation of a snow flake, a white flower, or perhaps some snow in a crystal container can be placed on the altar. An orange candle anointed with musk, cinnamon, frankincense or rosemary oil, unlit, should also be there. Snow can be melted and used for the water during the circle casting. Arrange the altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the Circle of Stones. Recite the Blessing Chant. Invoke the Goddess and God. Say such words as the following: This is the time of the feast of torches, when every lamp blazes and shines to welcome the rebirth of the God. I celebrate the Goddess, I celebrate the God; all Earth celebrates Beneath its mantle of sleep. Light the orange taper from the red candle on the altar (or at the Southern point of the circle). Slowly walk the circle clockwise, bearing the candle before you. Say these or simular words: All the land is wrapped in winter. The air is chilled and frost envolopes the Earth. But Lord of the Sun, Horned One of animals and wild places, unseen you have been reborn of the gracious Mother Goddess, Lady of all fertility. Hail Great God! Hail and welcome! Stop before the altar, holding aloft the candle. Gaze at its flame. Visualize your life blossoming with creativity, with renewed energy and strength. If you need to look into the future or past, now is an ideal time. Works of magic, if necessary, may follow. Celebrate the Simple Feast. The circle is released. IMBOLC LORE It is traditional upon Imbolc, at sunset or just after ritual, to light every lamp in the house - if only for a few moments. Or, light candles in each room in honor of the Sun's rebirth. Alternately, light a kerosene lamp with a red chimmney and place this in a prominent part of the home or in a window. If snow lies on the ground outside, walk in it for a moment, recalling the warmth of summer. With your projective hand, trace an image of the Sun on the snow. Foods appropriate to eat on this day include those from the dairy, since Imbolc marks the festival of calving. Sour cream dishes are fine. Spicy and full-bodied foods in honor of the Sun are equally attuned. Curries and all dishes made with peppers, onions, leeks, shallots, garlic or chives are appropriate. Spiced wines and dishes containing raisins - all foods symbolic of the Sun - are also traditional. OSTARA (circa March 21) Flowers should be laid on the altar, placed around the circle and strewn on the ground. The cauldron can be filled with spring water and flowers, and buds and blossoms may be worn as well. A small potted plant should be placed on the altar. Arrange the altar, light the candles and incense, and cast the Circle of Stones. Recite the Blessing Chant. Invoke the Goddess and God in whatever words please you. Stand before the altar and gaze upon the plant as you say: O Great Goddess, you have freed yourself from the icy prison of winter. Now is the greening, when the fragrance of flowers drifts on the breeze. This is the beginning. Life renews itself by Your magick, the Earth Goddess. The God stretches and rises, eager in His youth, and bursting with the promise of summer. Touch the plant. Connect with its energies and, through it, all nature. Travel inside its leaves and stems through your visualization - from the center of your consciousness out through your arm and fingers and into the plant itself. Explore its inner nature; sense the miraculous processes of life at work within it. After a time, still touching the plant, say: I walk the Earth in friendship, not in dominance. Mother Goddess and Father God, instill within me through this plant a warmth for all living things. Teach me to rever the Earth and all its treasures. May I never forget. Meditate upon the changing of the seasons. Feel the rousing of energies around you in the Earth. Works of magick, if necessary, may follow. Celebrate the Simple Feast. The circle is released. OSTRA LORE A traditional Vernal Equinox pastime: go to a field and randomly collect wildflowers [Thank the flowers for their sacrifice before picking them, using a collection formula such as can be found in "An Herbal Grimoire" elsewhere in this Book of Shadows]. Or buy some from a florist, taking one or two of those that appeal to you. Then bring them home and divine their magickal meanings by the use of books, your own intuition, a pendulum or by other means. The flowers you've chosen reveal your inner thoughts and emotions. It is important at this time of renewed life to plan a walk (or a ride) through gardens, a park, woodlands, forest and other green places. This is not simply exercise, and you should be on no other mission. It isn't even just an appreciation of nature. Make your walk celebratory, a ritual for nature itself. Other traditional activities include planting seeds, working on magickal gardens and practising all forms of herb work - magickal, medicinal, cosmetic, culinary and artistic. Foods in tune with this day (linking your meals with the seasons is a fine way of attuning with nature) include those made of seeds, such as sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds, as well as pine nuts. Sprouts are equally appropriate, as are leafy, green vegetables. Flower dishes such as stuffed naturiums or carnation cupcakes also find their place here. [Find a book of flower cooking or simply make spice cupcakes. Ice with pink frosting and place a fresh carnation petal on each cupcake. Stuff nasturium blossoms with a mixture made with cream cheese, chopped nuts, chives and watercress.] BELTANE (April 30) If possible, celebrate Beltane in a forest or near a living tree. If this is impossible, bring a small tree within the circle, preferably potted; it can be of any type. Create a small token or charm in honour of the wedding of the Goddess and God to hang upon the tree. You can make several if you desire. These tokens can be bags filled with fragrant flowers, strings of beads, carvings, flower garlands - whatever your talents and imagination can conjure. Arrange the altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the Circle of Stones. Recite the Blessing Chant Invoke the Goddess and God. Stand before the altar and say, with wand upraised: O Mother Goddess, Queen of the night and of the Earth; O Father God, King of the day and of the forest, I celebrate Your union as nature rejoices in a riotous blaze of colour and life. Accept my gift, Mother Goddess and Father God, in honour of Your union. Place the token(s) on the tree. From Your mating shall spring forth life anew; a profusion of living creatures shall cover the lands, and the winds will blow pure and sweet. O Ancient Ones, I celebrate with You! Works of magick, if necessary, may follow. Celebrate the Simple Feast. The circle is released. BELTANE LORE Weaving and plaiting are traditional arts at this time of year, for the joining together of two substances to form a third is in the spirit of Beltane. Foods traditionally come from the dairy, and dishes such as marigold custard (see recipies - food) and vanilla ice cream are fine. Oatmeal cakes are also appropriate. MIDSUMMER (circa June 21) Before the rite, make up a small cloth pouch filled with herbs such as lavender, chamomile, St. John's Wort, vervain, or any of the Midsummer herbs listed in "An Herbal Grmoire." Mentally pour all your troubles, problems, pains, sorrows and illnesses, if any, into this petition as you construct it. Tie it shut with a red string. Place this on the altar for use during the rite. The cauldron should also be there or nearby. Even if you use candles to mark the quarters, the red candle in a holder should also be on the altar. For outdoor rituals, light a fire - however small - and drop the pouch into this. Arrange the altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the Circle of Stones. Recite the Blessing Chant. Invoke the Goddess and God. Stand before the altar and say, with wand upraised: I celebrate the noon of summer with mystic rites. O great Goddess and God, all nature vibrates with Your energies and the Earth is bathed with warmth and life. Now is the time of forgetting past cares and banes; O firey Sun, burn away the unuseful, the hurtful, the bane, in Your omnipotent power. Purify me! Purify me! Purify me! Lay the wand on the altar. Take up the herbal petition and light it in the red candle on the altar (or, if outdoors, the ritual fire). When it is burning drop it into the cauldron (or some other heat-proof container) and say: I banish you by the powers of the Goddess and God! I banish you by the powers of the Sun, Moon and Stars! I banish you by the powers of the Earth, Air, Fire and Water! Pause, seeing the hurts and pains burning into nothingness. Then say: O Gracious Goddess, O Gracious God, on this night of Midsummer magick I pray that You charge my life with wonder and joy. Help me in attuning with the energies adrift on the enchanted night air. I give thanks. Reflect upon the purification you have undergone. Feel the powers of nature flowing through you, washing you clean with divine energy. Works of magick, if necessary, may follow. Celebrate the Simple Feast. The circle is released. MIDSUMMER LORE Midsummer is practically the classic time to perform magicks of all kinds. Healings, love magick and protections are especially suitable. Herbs can be dried over the ritual fire if you're celebrating outdoors. Leap the fire for purification and renewed energy. Fresh fruits are standard fare for Midsummer. LUGHNASADH (August 1) Place upon the altar sheaves of wheat, barley or oats, fruit and breads, perhaps a loaf fashioned in the figure of the Sun or a man to represent the God. Corn dollies, symbolic of the Goddess, can be present there as well. Arrange the altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the Circle of Stones. Recite the Blessing Chant. Invoke the Goddess and God. Stand before the altar, holding aloft the sheaves of grain, saying these or simular words: Now is the time of the First Harvest, when the bounties of nature give of themselves so that we may survive. O God of the ripening fields, Lord of the Grain, grant me the understanding of sacrifice as You prepare to deliver Yourself under the sickle of the Goddess and journey to the lands of eternal summer. O Goddess of the Dark Moon, teach me the secrets of rebirth as the Sun loses its strength and the nights grow cold. Rub the heads of the wheat with your fingers so that the grains fall onto the altar. Lift a piece of fruit and bite it, savouring its flavour, and say: I partake of the first harvest, mixing its energies with mine that I may continue my quest for the starry wisdom of perfection. O Lady of the Moon and Lord of the Sun, gracious ones before Whom the stars halt their courses, I offer my thanks for the continuing fertility of the Earth. May the nodding grain loose its seeds to be buried in the Mother's breast, ensuring rebirth in the warmth of the coming Spring. Consume the rest of the fruit. Works of magick, if necessary, may follow. Celebrate the Simple Feast. The circle is released. LUGHNASADH LORE It is appropriate to plant the seeds from the fruit consumed ib ritual. If they sprout, grow the plant with love and as a symbol of your connection with the Goddess and God. Wheat weaving (the making of corn dollies, etc.) is an appropriate activity for Lughnasadh. Visits to fields, orchards, lakes and wells are also traditional. The foods of Lughnasadh include bread, blackberries and all berries, acorns (leached of their poisons first), crab apples, all grains and locally ripe produce. A cake is sometimes baked, and cider is used in place of wine. If you do make a figure of the God from bread, it can be used for the Simple Feast. MABON (circa September 21) Decorate the altar with acorns, oak sprigs, pine and cypress cones, ears of corn, wheat stalks and other fruits and nuts. Also place there a small rustic basket filled with dried leaves of various colours and kinds. Arrange the altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the Circle of Stones. Recite the Blessing Chant. Invoke the Goddess and God. Stand before the altar, holding aloft the basket of leaves, and slowly scatter them so that they cascade to the ground within the circle. Say such words as these: Leaves fall, the days grow cold. The Goddess pulls Her mantle of the Earth around Her as You, O Great Sun God, sail toward the West to the lands of Eternal Enchantment., wrapped in the coolness of night. Fruits ripen, seeds drop, the hours of day and night are balanced. Chill winds blow in from the North wailing laments. In this seeming extinction of nature's power, O Blessed Goddess, I know that life continues. For spring is impossible without the second harvest, as surely as life is impossible without death. Blessings upon You, O Fallen God, as You journey into the lands of winter and into the Goddess' loving arms. Place the basket down and say: O Gracious Goddess of all fertility, I have sown and reaped the fruits of my actions, good and bane. Grant me the courage to plant seeds of joy and love in the coming year, banishing misery and hate. Teach me the secrets of wise existence upon this planet, O Luminous One of the Night! Works of magick, if necessary, may follow. Celebrate the Simple Feast. The circle is released. MABON LORE A traditional practise is to walk wild places and forests, gathering seed pods and dried plants. Some of these can be used to decorate the home; others saved for furture herbal magick. The foods of Mabon consist of the second harvest's gleanings, so grains, fruit and vegtables predoninate, especially corn. Corn bread is traditional fare, as are beans and baked squash. Samhain (October 31) Place upon the altar apples, pomegranetes, pumpkins, squashes and other late autumn fruits. Autumn flowers such as marigolds and chrysanthemums are fine too. Write on a piece of paper an aspect of your life which you may wish to be free of; anger, a baneful habit, misplaced feelings, desease. The cauldron or some simular tool must be present before the altar as well, on a trivet or some other heat-proof surface (if the legs aren't long enough). A small, flat dish marked with an eight-spoked wheel symbol should also be there. [This is just what it sounds like. On a flat plate or dish, paint a large circle. Put a dot in the center of this circle and paint eight spokes radiating out from the dot to the larger circle. Thus, you have a wheel symbol - a symbol of the Sabbats, a symbol of timelessness.] Prior to ritual, sit quietly and think of friends and loved ones who have passed away. Do not dispair. Know that they have gone on to greater things. Keep firmly in mind that the physical isn't the absolute reality, and souls never die. Arrange the altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the Circle of Stones. Recite the Blessing Chant. Invoke the Goddess and God. Lift one of the pomegranates and, with your freshly-washed Boline, pierce the skin of the fruit. Remove several seeds and place them on the wheel-marked dish. Raise your wand, face the altar and say: On this night of Samhain I mark Your passing, O Sun King, through the sunset into the Land of the Young. I mark also the passing of all who have gone before, and all who will go after. O Gracious Goddess, Eternal Mother, You who gives birth to the fallen, teach me to know that in the time of the greatest darkness there is the greatest light. Taste the pomegranate seeds; burst them with your teeth and savour their sharp, bittersweet flavour. Look down as the eight-spoked symbol on the plate; the Wheel of the Year, the Cycle of the Seasons, the End and Beginning of all Creation. Light a fire within the cauldron (a candle is fine). Sit before it, holding the piece of paper, gazing at its flames. Say: Wise One of the Waning Moon, Goddess of the Starry Night, I create this fire within Your cauldron to transform that which is plaguing me. May the energies be reversed: From the darkness, light! From bane, good! From death, birth! Light the paper in the cauldron's flames and drop it inside. As it burns, know that your ill diminishes, lessens and finally leaves you as it is consumed within the universal fires. [The cauldron, seen as the Goddess.] If you wish, you may attempt scrying or some other form of divination, for this is a perfect time to look into the past or future. Try to recall past lives too, if you will. But leave the dead in peace. Honour them with your memories but do not call them to you. [Many Pagans do attempt to communicate with their deceased ancestors and friends at this time, but it seems to me that if we accept the doctrine of reincarnation, this is a rather strange practise. Perhaps the personalities that we knew still exist, but if the soul is currently incarnate in another body, communication would be difficult, to say the least. Thus, it seems best to remember them with peace and love - but do not call them up.] Realease any pain and sense of loss you may feel into the cauldron's flames. Works of magick, if necessary, may follow. Celebrate the Simple Feast. The circle is released. SAMHAIN LORE It is traditional on Samhain night to leave a plate of food outside the home for the souls of the dead. A candle placed in the window guides them to the Lands of Eternal Summer, and burying apples in the hard-packed earth "feeds" the passed ones on their journey. For food, beets, turnips, apples, corn, nuts, gingerbread, cider, mulled wines and pumpkin dishes are appropriate, as are meat dishes (once again, if you're not vegetarian. If so, tofu seems ritually correct). A RITUAL OF GESTURES Stand in the ritual area. Still your thoughts. Breathe deeply for half a minute or so until composed and calm. Turn your mind to our Deities. Face North. Lift both hands to waist height, palms down. Press your fingers together, creating two solid, flat planes. Sense solidity, foundation, fertility. Invoke the powers of the Earth through the gesture. Moments Later, turn toward the East. Raise your hands a foot higher, your palms facing away from you (no longer parallel with the ground), and elbows slightly bent. Spread your fingers and hold this position, sensing movement and communication. Invoke the forces of Air through the gesture. Face South. Lift your hands fully above your head. Keeping the elbows straight, grasp your fingers into tight fists. Feel force, power, creation and destruction. Invoke the forces of Fire through the gesture. Turn to the West. Lower your hands a foot or so. Bend the elbows, turn your palms upward and cup them, pressing the thumbs against the forefingers. Sense fluidity, the ocean, liquidity. Invoke the forces of Water through the gesture. Face North again. Trow your head back and raise both hands to the sky, palms up, fingers spread. Drink in the essence of The One, the unknowable, upapproachable ultimate source of all. Sense the mysteries within the universe. Lower your projective hand (your writing hand) but keep your receptive hand high. Pressing the third, forth and fifth fingers against the palm, lift the forefinger and thumb to create a rough cresent shape. Sense the reality of the Goddess. Sense Her love, Her fertility, Her compassion. Sense the powers of the Moon in the gesture; the force of the eternal seas - the presence of the Goddess. Lower your receptive hand; lift your projestive hand. Bend down the middle and forth fingers toward the palm, and trap them with the thumb. Lift the forefinger and little finger up to the sky, creating a horned image. Sense the reality of the God. Sense the power of the Sun in the gesture; the untamed energies of the woodlands - the presence of the God. Lower your projective hand. Lay down flat. Spread your legs and arms until you've created the pattern of a pentagram. Sense the powers of the elements running through you; merging and coalescing into your being. Sense them as emanations from The One, the Goddess and God. Meditate. Commune. Communicate. When finished, simply stand up. Your rite of gestures is over. THE LAW OF THE POWER 1. The Power shall not be used to bring harm, to injure or control others. But if the need rises, the Power shall be used to protect your life or the life of others. 2. The Power is used only as need dictates. 3. The Power can be used for your own gain, as long as by doing so you harm none. 4. It is unwise to accept money for the use of the Power, for it quickly controls its taker. Be not as those of other religions. 5. Use not the Power for prideful gain, for such cheapens the mysteries of the Craft and magick. 6. Ever remember that the Power is a sacred gift of the Goddess and God, and should never be misused or abused. 7. And this is the Law of the Power. INVOCATION OF THE ELEMENTS Air, Fire, Water, Earth, Elements of Astral birth, I call you now; attend to me! In the circle, rightly cast, Safe from psychic curse or blast, I call you now, attend to me! From cave and desert, sea and hill, By blade and wand, cup and pentacle, I call you now; attend to me! This is my will, so mote it be! [This invocation may be chanted while moving or dancing around the altar to raise elemental energy for magickal workings.] PRAYERS, CHANTS AND INVOCATIONS OF AND TO THE GODDESS AND GOD These prayers can be used to invoke the Goddess and God during ritual, just after the circle casting. Of course, any which you compose or are inspired to say and be used as well. A few chants are also included to raise energy or to commune with the deities. Some of these invocations rhyme, and some do not. But recall the power of rhyme - it linke our conscious mind to the unconcious or psychic mind, thereby producing ritual conciousness. Some of these are related to specific deities but, as Dion Fortune wrote: "All the gods are one god; and all the goddesses are one goddess, and there is only one initiator." INVOCATION TO THE GODDESS Cresent One of the starry skies, Flowered One of the fertile plan, Flowing One of the ocean's sighs, Blessed One of the gentle rain; Hear my chant 'midst the standing stones, Open me to your mystic light; Waken me to your silver tones, Be with me in my sacred rite! INVOCATION TO PAN O Great God Pan, Beast and man, Shepherd of goats and Lord of the Land, I call you to attend my rites On this most magickal of nights. God of the wine, God of the vine, God of the fields and God of the kine, Attend my circle with your love And send Your blessings from above. Help me to heal; Help me to feel; Help me to bring forth love and weal. Pan of the forests, Pan of the glade, Be with me as my magick is made! ISIS INVOCATION Isis of the Moon, You who are all that ever was, All that is, And all that shall be: Come, veiled Queen of Night! Come as the scent of the sacred lotus Charging my circle With love and magick. Do descend upon my circle, I pray, O Blessed Isis! PRAYER TO THE HORNED GOD Horned One of the wilderness, Winged One of the shining skies, Rayed One of the spen'drous Sun, Fallen One of the Samhain cries- I call amidst the standing stones Praying that You, O Ancient One, Will deign to bless my mystic rites- O fiery Lord of the Bazing Sun! NEW MOON CHANT TO DIANA Waxing, waxing, growing, growing- Diana's power is flowing, flowing. (repeat) CALL TO THE GOD Ancient God of the forest deeps, Master of beast and Sun; Here where the world is hushed and sleeps Now that the day is done. I call You in the ancient way Here in my circle round, Asking that You will hear me pray And send Your Sun force down. INVOCATION TO THE GODDESS Gracious Goddess, You who are the Queen of the Gods, The lamp of night, the creator of all that is wild and free; Mother of woman and man; Lover of the Horned God and protectress of all the Craft: Descend, I pray, With Your Lunar ray of power Upon my circle here! INVOCATION TO THE GOD Blazing God, You who are the King of the Gods, Lord of the Sun, Master of all that is wild and free; Father of woman and man, Lover of the Moon Goddess and protector of all the Craft: Descend I pray, With you Solor ray of power Upon my circle here! GODDESS CHANT Luna, Luna, Luna, Diana Luna, Luna, Luna, Diana Bless me, bless me, bless me, Diana, Luna, Luna, Luna, Diana (repeat) EVENING CHANT TO THE GOD Hail fair Sun, Ruler of day; Rise on the morn To light my way. (to be said while watching the sunset) EVENING CHANT TO THE GODDESS Hail fair Moon Ruler of night; Guard me and mine Until the light. (to be said while Moon-gazing at night) GODDESS CHANT Aaaaaaaaaaaaah Oooooooooooooh Uuuuuuuuuuuuuu Eeeeeeeeeeeeee Iiiiiiiiiiiiii [These are obviously, the vowels of the English language. Pronounce them as: A-"Ah," O-"O," U-"Oo," E-"E," I-"Eye." Extend the vowels as you vocalize them, stretch the sounds. This produces Goddess awareness, and rouses the psychic mind] THE LORE OF NUMBERS To be used in ritual and magickal workings. In general, odd numbers are related to women, receptive energy and the Goddess; even numbers to men, projective energy and the God. 1. The universe; The One; the source of all. 2. The Goddess and God; The perfect duality; projective and receptive energy; the couple; personal union with deity; interpenetration of the physical and spiritual; balance. 3. The Triple Goddess; the Lunar phases; the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of our species. 4. The elements; the Spirits of the Stones; the winds; the seasons. 5. The senses; the pentagram; the elements plus Akasha; a Goddess number. 7. The planets which the ancients knew; the time of the Lunar phase; power; protection and magick. 8. The number of Sabbats; a number of the God. 9. A number of the Goddess. 13. The number of Esbats; a fortunate number. 15. A number of good fortune. 21. The number of Sabbats and Esbats in the Pagan year; a number of the Goddess. 28. A number of the Moon; a number of the goddess. 101. The number of fertility. The planets are numbered thus: Saturn 3 Venus 7 Jupiter 4 Mercury 8 Mars 5 Moon 9 Sun 6 THIRTEEN GOALS OF A WITCH I. Know yourself II. Know your Craft (Wicca) III. Learn IV. Apply knowledge with wisdom V. Achieve balance VI. Keep your words in good order VII. Keep your thoughts in good order VIII. Celebrate life IX. Attune with the cycles of Terra X. Breath and eat correctly XI. Exercise the body XII. Meditate XIII. Honour the Goddess and God RECIPES FOR FOOD CRECENT CAKES 1 cup firmly ground almonds 1 1/4 cups flour 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar 2 drops almond extract 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 egg yolk Combine almonds, flour, sugar and extract until thoroughly mixed. with the hands, work in butter and egg yolk until well-blended. Chill dough. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Pinch off pieces of dough about the size of walnuts and shape into crecents. Place on greased sheets and bake for about 20 minutes. Serve during Simple Feast, especially at Esbats. BELTANE MARIGOLD CUSTARD 2 cups milk 1 cup unsprayed marigold petals 1/4 tsp. salt 3 tbsp. sugar 1 to 2-inch piece vanilla bean 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten 1/8 tsp. allspice 1/8 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 tsp. rose water wipped cream Using a clean mortar and pestle reserved for cooking purposes, pound marigold petals. Or, crush with a spoon. Mix the salt, sugar and spices together. Scald milk with the marigolds and the vanilla bean. Remove the vanilla bean and add the slightly beaten yolks and dry ingredients. Cook on low heat. When the mixture coats a spoon, add rose water and cool. Top with wipped cream, garnish with fresh marigold petals. SOFT MEAD 1 quart water, preferably spring water 1 cup honey 1 sliced lemon 1/2 tsp. nutmeg Boil together all ingredients in a non-metalic pot. While boiling, scrape off the rising "scum" with a wooden spoon. When no more rises add the following: pinch salt juice of 1/2 lemon Strain and cool. Drink in place of alcoholic mead or wine during the Simple Feast. BEVERAGES If you wish to avoid the use of wine, which has long been utilized in religious and magickal rites, there are many other beverages that can be used to toast the Goddess and God. These include (but certainly aren't limited to): Sabbats: apple juice, grape juice, grapefruit juice, orange juice, pineapple juice, black tea, soft mead, guava nectar, cinnamon coffee, ginger tea, hibiscus tea Esbats: lemonade, apricot nectar, mango nectar, pear nectar, papaya nectar, peach nectar, jasmine tea, peppermint tea, rosebud tea, milk RECIPES FOR INCENSES To make incenses, simply grind the ingredients and mix them together. As you mix, sense their energies. Burn on charcoal blocks in the censer during ritual. CIRCLE INCENSE 4 parts Frankincense 2 parts Myrrh 2 parts Benzoin 1 part Sandalwood 1/2 part Cinnamon 1/2 part Rose petals 1/4 part Vervain 1/4 part Rosemary 1/4 part Bay Burn in the circle for all types of rituals and spells. Frankincense, myrrh and benzoin should definitely constitute the bulk of the mixture. ALTAR INCENSE 3 parts Frankincense 2 parts Myrrh 1 part Cinnamon Burn as a general incense on the altar to purify it and to promote ritual consciousness during rituals. FULL MOON RITUAL INCENSE 2 parts Sandalwood 2 parts Frankincense 1/2 part Gardinia petals 1/4 part Rose petals a few drops Ambergris oil Burn during Esbats or simply at the time of the Full Moon to attune with the Goddess. SPRING SABBAT INCENSE 3 parts Frankincense 2 parts Sandalwood 1 part Benzoin 1 part Cinnamon a few drops Patchouly oil Burn during spring and summer Sabbat rituals. FALL SABBAT INCENSE 3 parts Frankincense 2 parts Myrrh 1 part Rosemary 1 part Cedar 1 part Juniper Burn during fall and winter Sabbat rituals. RECIPES FOR OILS To create oils, simply mix them in a bottle. Wear for ritual purposes. SABBAT OIL #1 3 parts Patchouly 2 parts Musk 1 part Carnation Wear to the Sabbats to promote communion with the deities. SABBAT OIL #2 2 parts Frankincense 1 part Myrrh 1 part Carnation 1 part Allspice Use as the above formula. FULL MOON OIL #1 4 parts Gardenia 2 parts Lotus 1 part Jasmine Anoint the body prior to Esbats to attune with Lunar energies. FULL MOON OIL #2 3 parts Sandalwood 2 parts Lemon 1 part Rose Another like the above. GODDESS OIL 3 parts Rose 2 parts Gardenia 1 part Lemon 1 part Lotus 1 part Ambergris Wear to honour the Goddess during rituals. HORNED GOD OIL 2 parts Frankincense 2 parts Cinnamon 1 part Bay 1 part rosemary 1 part Musk Wear to honour the Horned God during rituals. ALTAR OIL 4 parts Frankincense 3 parts Myrrh 1 part Galangal 1 part Vervain 1 part Lavender Anoint the altar with this oil at regular intervals to purify and empower it. OF GATHERING FLOWERS, HERBS AND PLANTS: Before cutting with the Boline, attune with the plant through visualization. Feel its energies. As you cut, say these or simular words: O little plant of (name, such as hyssop, etc.) I ask that you give of your bounty that it may aid me in my work. Grow stronger by my stroke, stronger and more powerful, O plant of (name)! If it is a tree, substitute the appropriate word (tree of oak). Gently cut only what you need, and never from very young plants or more than twenty-five percent of the growth. At the base of the plant leave an offering: a silver coin, a bright jewel, a bit of wine or milk, grain, a quartz crystal and so on. Cover the offering and it is done. OF THE CIRCLE The magick circle may be fashioned with garlands of flowers sacred to the Goddess and God. Alternately, flowers can be scattered around the perimeter of the circle. The point stones may be ringed with fresh flowers and herbs suitable to the elements, such as: North: corn, cypress, fern, honeysuckle, wheat, vervain East: acacia, bergamot, clover, dandelion, lavender, lemon grass, mint, mistletoe, parsley, pine South: basil, carnation, cedar, chrysanthemum, dill, ginger, heliotrope, holly, juniper, marigold, peppermint West: apple blossoms, lemon balm, camellia, catnip, daffodil, elder, gardenia, grape, heather, hibiscus, jasmine, orchid Fresh flowers may be present on the altar or, if none are available, greens such as ferns may be used. When casting the circle around a tree, you can use the fruit, leaves, nuts or flowers of that tree to mark out the circle, if desired. All of these can be used in addition to the cord and stones. OF THE BALEFIRE: If you wish to build a fire for an outdoor ritual, it can be composed of all or any combination of the following woods: Rowan Dogwood Mesquite Poplar Oak Juniper Pine Cedar Apple If these are unavailable, use native woods. Rites run on the seashore can be illuminated with balefires of dried driftwood collected prior to the rite. OF THE HOME CIRCLE: Magickal plants growing outside the home in containers can be placed around the circle or on the altar during ritual. If you primarily work indoors, choose an odd-numbered selection of sacred plants and grow these in your ritual area. If they need more sunlight, simply move them outdoors and bring inside during ritual. Give them energy and love, and they'll aid you in your worship and magick. Though any but poisonous plants can be used, such plants as these are recommended: African Violets Red Geraniums Cacti (all types Rose Ferns (all types) Rose Geranium Holly Rosemary Hyssop Ti (Cordyline terminalis) Palms (all types) Wax Plant (Hoya carnosa) OF THE CELEBRANT: Wear fresh flowers and herbs in your hair and on your body, if you prefer, during the rites. Crowns or caplets of flowers are always appropriate for spring and summer rites. Wear oak and pine during the winter rituals. You may wish to wear a necklace of herbs and seeds, such as tonka beans, whole nutmags, star anise, acorns and other seeds and nuts, strung on a natural fiber. Strings of small pine cones may also be worn. For Full Moon rituals held at night, wear night-blooming, fragrant flowers to suffuse yourself with Lunar energies. OF THE TOOLS: These are suggestions for dedicating the tools prior to their first use or formal cosecration, if any. Perform these with proper visualization and ritual intent. The Athame or Sword: Rub the blade with fresh basil, rosemary or oak leaves, at sunrise, outdoors where you will not be disturbed or seen. Lay the sword or Athame on the ground with its point to the South. Walk clockwise around it thrice, scattering bay leaves (perferably fresh) over it. Take up the sword or Athame, stand facing East and, holding it upward but with arms lowered, invoke the God to infuse your Athame or sword with His strength. Point it to the sky, invoking the Goddess to charge your blade with Her love and power. Wrap your Athame or sword in red cloth and take it home. It may be stored in the cloth, if desired. The Bolline: Early in the morning, go to a forest (or park, garden, or your indoor garden). Choose the most beautiful and vibrant plants. Touch the point of the Boline gently to these in turn, forging a connection between your Boline and the plants (and, thusly, the Earth). Next, sit on the Earth. Ensuring that you are quite alone, draw a pentagram with the Boline's point on the ground. It is done. The Wand: If the wand is of wood, take it outdoors at sunset and rub it with fresh lavender, eucalyptus or mint leaves. Raise it in the air toward the East (or the Moon if it is visible) and invoke the Goddess. At sunrise, take it again outdoors, rub with the fresh fragrant leaves and invoke the God by raising it to the East. The Pentacle: Place the pentacle on bare Earth. Lay upon it dried parsley, patchouly, mistletoe, or fress jasmine or honeysuckle flowers. Sit before it facing North for several seconds, visualizing the pentacle absorbing the Earth's energies. Then pick it up and scatter the herbs or flowers to the four quarters, beginning and ending in the North. If this must be done indoors, fill a small dish with fresh Earth and place the pentacle on this. Proceed as above, saving the herbs or flowers to be scattered outdoors at a latter time. The Censer: Fume pure rosemary, frankincense or copal within the censer prior to its first use. Do this for about an hour. The Cauldron: Take the cauldron to a stream, river, lake or ocean. Gather the leaves of some plants growing nearby (at the sea, perhaps seaweed). Dip the cauldron into the water to fill it. Place the leaves in the cauldron, then set it on the water's edge where it is on both water and sand. Place your hands on the cauldron and dedicate it to the Goddess in any words you like. Empty and dry the cauldron, and return home. The charge has been made. If performed inside, place the cauldron in a large basin of water or the bathtub, in a candle-lit room. Add a bit of salt to the water, which should be cold. Proceed as above. Salt water corrodes metal. Thoroughly wash the cauldron after immersion in sea or salk water. The Chalice: Anoint the base with gardenia, rose or violet oil and fill with pure spring water. Then set afloat a sprig of ivy, a small rose, a fresh gardenia or some other appropriate flower or herb. Gaze into the Chalice and invoke the Goddess to bless it. You might also wish to take it outside as night, filled with water, and catch the Moon's reflection within it. The Broom: It can be fashioned from an ash staff, birch twigs and a willow binding. Brush the broom with chamomile, willow, lemon balm, elder or mallow stalks and branches, then bury these with due solemnity. You might also wish to carve a cresent Moon upon its handle. The Crystal: On the night of a Full Moon, rub the sphere with fresh (or dried) mugwort, then take it outside. Hold it up so that it drinks in the light and energies of the Moon. Gaze at the Moon through the crystal by holding it before your eyes. Repeat at least thrice yearly for the best benefits. The Book of Shadows: Sew into the cover of the Book of Shadows leaves of the sacred herbs vervain, rue, bay, willow or others, if you wish. They should be well-dried and secretly placed by the light of the Moon. The covers of the Book of Shadows should, of course, be covered with cloth for this purpose. The Robe: If you choose to wear one, lay it among sachets filled with lavender, vervain and cedar when not in use. Sew a bit of rosemary or frankincense into the hem while fashioning it, if desired (and if the resulting stains won't show after washing). OF THE HERBS OF THE SABBATS: To be used as decorations on the altar, round the circle, in the home. Samhain: Chrysanthemum, wormwood, apples, pears, hazel, thistle, pomegranates, all grains, harvested fruits and nuts, the pumpkin, corn. Yule: Holly, mistletoe, ivy, cedar, bay, juniper, rosemary, pine. Place offerings of apples, oranges, nutmegs, lemons and whole cinnamon sticks on the Yule tree. Imbolc: Snowdrop, rowan, the first flowers of the year. Ostara: Daffodil, woodruff, violet, gorse, olive, peony, iris, narcissus, all spring flowers. Beltane: Hawthorn, honeysuckle, St. John's wort, woodruff, all flowers. Midsummer: Mugwort, vervain, chamomile, rose, lily, oak, lavender, ivy, yarrow, fern, elder, wild thyme, daisy, carnation. Lughnasadh: All grains, grapes, heather, blackberries, sloe, crab apples, pears. Mabon: Hazel, corn, aspen, acorns, oak sprigs, autumn leaves, wheat stalks, cypress cones, pine cones, harvest gleanings. OF THE HERBS AND PLANTS OF FULL MOON RITUALS: Place upon the altar all nocturnal, white or five-petaled flowers such as the white rose, night-blooming jasmine, carnation, gardenia, cereus, lily, iris; all pleasingly-scented flowers which shall call forth the Goddess. Camphor is also symbolic. OF OFFERINGS: To the Goddess: All watery and earthy flowers and seeds such as camellia, lily, water lily, willow stalks; those flowers used in Full Moon rituals; white or purple blooms such as hyacinth, magnolia, heather and lilac; sweet-scented herbs and flowers; those dedicated to Venus or to the Moon; rue, vervain and olive; or others that seem suitable. To the God: All fiery amd airy herbs and flowers such as basil, chrysanthemum, snapdragon, clover, lavender, pine; strongly-scented, clean or citrusy herbs and flowers; those ruled by Mars or the Sun; yellow or red blooms such as sunflower, pine cones, seeds, cacti, thistles and stinging herbs; orange, heliotrope, cedar, juniper and so on. OF THE SACRED HERBS OF THE GODDESSES: Aphrodite: olive, cinnamon, daisy, cypress, quince. orris (iris), apple, myrtle Aradia: rue, vervain Artemis: silver fir, amaranth, cypress, cedar, hazel, myrtle, willow, daisy, mugwort, date palm Astarte: alder, pine, cypress, myrtle, juniper Athena: olive, apple Bast: catnip, Vervain Bellona: belladonna Brigit: blackberry Cailleach: wheat Cardea: hawthorn, bean, arbutus Ceres: willow, wheat, bay, pomegranate, poppy, leek, narcissus Cybele: oak, myrrh, pine Demeter: wheat, barley, pennyroyal, myrrh, rose, pomegranate, bean, poppy, all cultivated crops Diana: birch, willow, acacia, wormwood, dittany, hazel, beech, fir, apple, mugwort, plane, mulberry, rue Druantia: fir Freya: cowslip, daisy, primrose, maidenhair, myrrh, strawberry, mistletoe Hathor: myrtle, sycamore, grape, mandrake, coriander, rose Hecate: willow, henbane, aconite, yew, mandrake, cyclamen, mint, cypress, date palm, sesame, dandelion, garlic, oak, onion Hekat: cypress Hera: apple, willow, orris, pomegranate, myrrh Hina: bamboo Hulda: flax, rose, hellebore, elder Irene: olive Iris: wormwood, iris Ishtar: acacia, juniper, all grains Isis: fig, heather, wheat, wormwood, barley, myrrh, rose, palm, lotus, persea, onion, iris, vervain Juno: lily, crocus, ashpodel, quince, pomegranate, vervain, iris, lettus, fig, mint Kerridwen: vervain, acorns Minerva: olive, mulberry, thistle Nefer-Tum: lotus Nepthys: myrrh, lily Nuit: sycamore Olwen: apple Persephone: parsley, narcissus, willow, pomegranate Rhea: myrrh, oak Rowen: clover, rowen Venus: cinammon, daisy, elder, heather, anemone, apple, poppy, violet, marjoram, maidenhair fern, carnation, aster, vervain, myrtle, orchid, cedar, lily, mistletoe, pine, quince Vesta: oak OF THE SACRED HERBS OF THE GODS: Adonis: myrrh, corn, rose, fennel, lettus, white heather Aescalapius: bay, mustard Ajax: delphinium Anu: tamarisk Apollo: leek, hyacinth, heliotrope, cornel, bay, frankincense, date palm, cypress Attis: pine, almond Ares: buttercup Bacchus: grape, ivy, fig, beech, tamarisk Baldur: St. John's wort, daisy Bran: alder, all grains Cupid: cypress, sugar, white violet, red rose Dagda: oak Dianus: fig Dionysus: fig, apple, ivy, grape, pine, corn, pomegranate, toadstools, mushrooms, fennel, all wild and cultivated trees Dis: cypress Ea: cedar Eros: red rose Gwydion: ash Helios: oak Horus: horehound, lotus, persea Hypnos: poppy Jove: pine, cassia, houseleek, carnation, cypress Jupiter: aloe, agrimony, sage, oak, mullein, acorn, beech, cypress, houseleek, date palm, violet, gorse, ox-eye daisy, vervain Kernunnos: heliotrope, bay, sunflower, oak, orange Kanaloa: banana Mars: ash, aloe, dogwood, buttercup, witch grass, vervain Mercury: cinnamon, mulberry, hazel, willow Mithras: cypress, violet Neptune: ash, bladderwrack, all seaweeds Odin: mistletoe, elm, yew, oak Osiris: acacia, grape, ivy, tamarisk, cedar, clover, date palm, all grains Pan: fig, pine, reed, oak, fern, all meadow flowers Pluto: cypress, mint, pomegranate Poseidon: pine, ash, fig, bladderwack, all seaweeds Prometheus: fennel Ra: acacia, frankincense, myrrh, olive Saturn: fig, blackberry Sylvanus: pine Tammuz: wheat, pomegranate, all grains Thoth: almond Thor: thistle, houseleek, vervain, hazel, ash, birch, rowen, oak, pomegranate, burdock, beech Uranus: ash Woden: ash Zeus: oak, olive, pine, aloe, parsley, sage, wheat, fig As the Craft, we will take only that which we need from the green and growing things of the Earth, never failing to attune with the plant before harvesting, nor failing to leave a token of gratitude and respect. SPELLS AND MAGICK PROTECTIVE CHANT Visualize a triple circle of purplish light around you body while chanting: I am protected by your might, O gracious Goddess, day and night. Another of the same type: visualize a triple circle and chant: Thrice around the circle's bound, Evil sink into the ground. A MIRROR SPELL OF PROTECTION FOR THE HOME Compose an altar: place a censer in the center before an image of the Goddess. Have a twelve-inch (or so) round mirror there as well. Ring the altar with nine white candles. Burn a protective incense (such as sandalwood, frankincense, copal or rosemary) in the censer. Beginning with the candle most directly before the Goddess image, say these or simular words: Lunar light protect me! Repeat as you light each candle until all are glowing. Now, holding the mirror, invoke the Goddess in Her lunar aspect with these or simular words: Great Goddess of the Lunar Light and Mistress of the Seas; Great Goddess of the Mystic Night and of the Mysteries; Within this place of candles bright and with Your mirror nigh; Protect me with Your awesome might while ill vibrations fly! Standing before the altar, hold the mirror facing the candles so that it reflects their flames. Keeping the mirror toward the candles, move slowly, clockwise, around the altar, watching the reflected firelight bouncing off your surroundings. Gradually increase your speed, mentally invoking the Goddess to protect you. Move faster and faster; watch the light shattering the air, cleansing it, burning away all negitivity and all lines along witch the ill energies have traveled into your home. Charge your home with the protective light of the Goddess. Race around the candles until you've felt the atmosphere change, until you feel that your home has been cleansed and guarded by the Great Goddess. When finished, stand once again before the image. Thank the Goddess in any words you wish. Pinch out the candles one by one, bind them together with white cord and store them in a safe place until (and if) you need to use them again for this same purpose. A SPELL TO BREAK THE POWERS OF A SPELL If you believe that a spell has been cast against you, place a large black candle in a cauldron (or a large black bowl). The candle must be tall enough to extend a few inched above the cauldron's rim. Affix the candle to the bottom of the cauldron with warmed beeswax or the drippings of another black candle so that it will not tip over. Fill the cauldron to the rim with fresh water, without wetting the candle's wick. An inch or two of the candle should remain above the water. Deep breathe, meditate, clear your mind, and light the candle. Visualize the suspected spell's power as residing within the candle's flame. Sit in quiet contemplation of the candle and visualize the power flowing and growing with the candle's flame (yes the power against you). As the candle burns down, its flame flame will eventually sputter and go out as it contacts the water. As soon as the flame has been extinguished by the water, the spell will be dispersed. Break your visualization of the spell's power; see it explode into dust, becomeing impotent. Pour the water into a hole in the ground, a lake or stream. Bury the candle. It is done. TO PROTECT AN OBJECT With the first and middle fingers (or your Athame, if you have it with you), trace a pentagram over the object to be protected. Visualize electric-blue or purple flame streaming from your fingers (Athame) to form the pentagram. Say this as you trace: With this pentagram I do lay Protection here both night and day. And to the one who should not touch Let the fingers burn and twitch. I now invoke the Law of Three: This is my will, so mote it be! CRYSTAL MAGICK Crystals and stones are gifts of the Goddess and God. They are sacred, magickal tools which can be used to enhance ritual and magick. Here are some of the ways of Earth magick. PREPARING THE CIRCLE: The magick circle can be laid out with crystals and stones, if desired, rather than with herbs. Beginning and ending in the North, lay 7, 9, 21 or 40 quarts crystals of any size around the circle, either inside the cord or in place of it. If the ritual to be conducted within the circle is of a usual spiritual or magickal nature, place the quartz crystals with points outward. If of a protective nature, place with points facing inward. If you use candles to mark the four quarters of the magick circle rather than large stones, ring each candle with any or all of the following stones: North: Moss Agate, Emerald, Jet, Olivine, Salt, Black Tourmaline East: Imperial Topaz, Citrine, Mica, Pumice South: Amber, Obsidian, Rhodochrosite, Ruby, Lava, Garnet West: Aquamarine, Chalcedony, Jade, Lapis Lazuli, Moonstone, Sugilite A STONE ALTAR: To make this altar, search through dry river beds and seashores for a variety of smoothly-shaped stones. Or check rock shops for appropriate pieces. Create the altar itself of three large stones. Two smaller ones of even size are used as the base, while a longer, flat stone is placed on top of these to form the altar itself. On this place one stone to the left of the altar to represent the Goddess. This might be a natural, river-rounded stone, a holed stone, a quartz crystal sphere, or any of the stones related to the Goddess which are listed below. To the right of the altar, place a stone to represent the God. This might be a piece of lava, a quartz crystal point, a long, thin or club-shaped rock or a God-symbolic stone such as those presented below. Between these two stones place a smaller stone with a red candle affixed to it to represent the divine energy of the Goddess and God as well as the element of Fire. Before this, place a flat stone to receive offerings of wine, honey, cakes, semi-precious stones, flowers and fruit. A small, cupped stone (if one can be found) should be set to the left of the offering stone. Fill this with water to represent that element. To the right of the offering stone place a flat rock. Pour salt upon this to symbolize the element of Earth. Additionally, another flat stone can be placed before the offering stone to serve as an incense burner. Use a long, thin, terminated quarts crystal as a wand and a flint or obsidian arrowhead for the Athame. Any other tools which are needed can simply be placed on the altar. Or, try to find stone alternatives to them. This can be used for all types of Craft rituals. STONES OF THE GODDESSES: In general, all pink, green and blue stones; those related to the Moon or Venus; Water and Earth-ruled stones, such as peridot, emerald, pink tourmaline, rose quartz, blue quartz, aquamarine, beryl, kunzite and turquoise. Stones which are related to specific deities follow. Aphrodite: salt Ceres: emerald Coatlicue: Jade Cybele: jet Diana: amethyst, moonstone, pearl Freya: pearl The Great Mother: amber, coral, geodes, holed stones Hathor: turquoise Isis: coral, emerald, lapis lazuli, moonstone, pearl Kwan Yin: jade Lakshmi: pearl Maat: jade Mara: beryl, aquamarine Nuit: lapis lazuli Pele: lava, obsidian, peridot, olvine, pumice Selene: moonstone, selenite Tiamat: beryl Venus: emerald, lapis lazuli, pearl STONES OF THE GOD: Generally, all orange and red stones; stones related to the Sun and Mars; Fire and Air-ruled stones, such as carnelian, ruby, garnet, orange calcite, diamond, tiger's eye, topaz, sunstone, bloodstone and tourmaline. Stones which are related to specific deities follow. Aesculapius: agate Apollo: sapphire Bacchus: amethyst Cupid: opal Dionysus: amethyst Mars: onyx, sardonyx Neptune: beryl Odin: holed stone Poseidon: beryl, pearl, aquamarine Ra: tiger's eye Tezcatlipoca: obsidian [Pearl and coral have been mentioned in these lists as "stones" because they were anciently thought to be such. Our knowledge of them as products of living creatures leaves us with the ethical question of whether or not to use them in ritual. This must be a personal decision. Beach gathered coral and shells (mother of pearl is from shells) can be used without conflicting with the above statement because the creature has already died by the time the item was found. If you decide not to use them, just remember leather is also a product of a living creature.] CAIRNS: In earlier times, throughout the world, people built mounds or piles of stones. These were sometimes formed to mark the passage of travelers, or to commemorate some historic even, but such cairns usually had ritual significance. In magickal thought, cairns are places of power. They concentrate the energies of the stones used to create them. Cairns are rooted in the Earth but lift upward to the sky, symbolically representing the interconnectedness of the physical and spiritual realms. During outdoor circles, a small cairn, composed of no more than nine or eleven rocks, can be fashioned as each point of the Circle of Stones. This can be done prior to creating the circle itself. The next time you're in some wild, lonely place with a profusion of stones, clear a place among them and sit. Visualize a magickal need. As you visualize, grasp a near-by stone. Feel the energy beating within it - the power of the Earth, the power of nature. Place it on the cleared ground. Pick up another stone, still visualizing you need, and set it next to the first. Still visualizing, continue to add stones, building them into a small pile. Keep adding stones until you feel them vibrating and pulsating before you. Place the last rock on top of the cairn with firm ritual intent - affirm to yourself, to the cairn and the Earth that with this final magickal act you're manifesting your need. Place your hands on either side of the pile. Give it your energy through your visualization. Nurse it. Feed it strength and see your need as being fulfilled. Then leave the cairn alone to do its work. A QUARTZ AND CANDLE SPELL: Have a candle of the colour symbolic of your magickal need, according to the following list (or as your intuition tells you): WHITE Protection, Peace, Purity, Truth, Sincerity, Spirituality RED Strength, Health, Vigor, Sexual Love, Passion, Protection, Courage, Danger, Warning, Anger, Element of Fire, God oriented, Male aspects LIGHT BLUE Tranquility, Happiness, Understanding, Patience, Health, Element of Water, Goddess oriented, Feminine aspects DARK BLUE Impulsiveness, Depression, Changeability, psychism GREEN Finance, Fertility, Luck, Growth, Employment, Element of Earth, Goddess oriented, Feminine aspects GOLD/YELLOW Attraction, Persuasion, Charm, Confidence, Intellect, Study, Divination, Element of Air, God oriented, Male aspects, (Gold) The Great God, The Sun BROWN Hesitation, Uncertainty, Neutrality, Healing Animals, Poverty PINK Honour, Love, Morality, Friendship BLACK Protection from, absorption of; Evil, loss, discord & Confusion, Lack of colour and vibrations, Neutrality, Element of Akasha, Spirituality, The Divine, The Void PURPLE Relief from; Tension, Calming, Healing of severe Disease, Spiritualism, Meditation, Protection, Psychic Power, Element of Akasha, The Divine SILVER/GRAY Cancellation, Neutrality, Stalemate,(Silver) The Great Goddess, The Moon ORANGE Encouragement, Adaptability, Stimulation, Attraction, Energy GREENISH YELLOW Sickness, Cowardice, Anger, Jealousy, Discord With the tip of a cleansed, terminated quartz crystal, scratch a symbol of your need onto the candle. This might be a heart for love, a dollar sign for money, a fist for strength. Alternately, use an appropriate rune or write your need on the candle with the crystal. As you scratch or draw, visualize your need with crystal clarity as if it had already manifested. Place the candle in a holder. Set the crystal near it and light the wick. As the flame shines, again strongly visualize. The crystal, candle and symbol will do their work. A SELF-DEDICATION RITE Prepare yourself by doing the Ritual Bath and Self Blessing. If you,re performing this ritual at the sea or a river, bathe there if you so desire. As you bathe, prepare for the coming rite. Open your consciousness to higher levels of awareness. Breath deep. Cleanse your mind as well as your body. After bathing, dry and dress for the journey. Go to a place in the wild where you feel safe. It should be a comfortable spot where you won't be disturbed by others, an area where the powers of the Earth and the Elements are evident. It may be a mountain top, a desert canyon or cave, perhaps a dense forest, a rocky outcropping over the sea, a quiet island in the center of a lake. Even a lonely part of a park or garden can be used. Draw on your imagination to find the place. You need take nothing with you but a vial of richly scented oil. Sandalwood, frankincense, cinnamon or any other scent is fine. When you arrive at the place of dedication, remove your shoes and sit quietly for a few moments. Calm your heart if you've exerted yourself during your travel. Breathe deeply to return to normal, and keep your mind free of cluttered thoughts. Open yourself to the natural energies around you. When you're calm, rise and pivot slowly on one foot, surveying the land around you. You're seeking the ideal spot. Don't try to find it; open your awareness to the place. When you've discovered it (and you'll know when), sit, kneel or lie flat on your back. Place the oil on the Earth beside you, Don't stand - contact the Earth. Continue deep breathing. Feel the energies around you. Call the Goddess and God in any words you like, or use the following invocation. Memorize these words before the rite so that they'll spill effortlessly from you, or improvise: O Mother Goddess, O Father God, Answers to all mysteries and yet mysteries unanswered; In this place of power I open myself to Your Essence. In this place and in this time I am changed; From henceforth I walk the Paths of the Craft. I dedicate myself to you, Mother Goddess and Father God. (rest for a moment, silent, still. Then continue:) I breathe you energies into my body, commingling, blending, mixing them with mine, that I may see the divine in nature, nature in the divine, and divinity within myself and all else. O Great Goddess, O Great God, Make me one with your essence Make me one with your essence Make me one with your essence. You may feel bursting with power and energy, or calm and at peace. Your mind might be in a whirl. The Earth beneath you may throb and undulate with energy. Wild animals, attracted by the psychic accurrence, might grace you with their presence. Whatever occurs, know that you have opened yourself and that the Goddess and God have heard you. You should feel different inside, at peace or simply powerful. After the invocation, wet a finger with the oil and mark the symbols of the Goddess and God somewhere on your body. It doesn't matter where; you can do this on your chest, forehead, arms, legs, anywhere. As you anoint, visualize these symbols sinking into your flesh, glowing as they enter your body and then dispersing into millions of tiny points of light. The formal self-dedication is ended. Thank the Goddess and God for Their attention. Sit and meditate before leaving the place of dedication. Once home, celebrate in some special way. THE DAYS OF POWER In the past, when people lived with Nature, the turning of the seasons and the monthly cycle of the Moon had a profound impact on religious ceremonies. Because the Moon was seen as a symbol of the Goddess, ceremonies as adoration and magick took place in its light. The coming of Winter, the first stirrings of Spring, the warm Summer and the advent of Fall were also marked with rituals. The Witches, heirs of the pre-Christian folk religions of Europe, still celebrate the Full Moon and observe the changing of the seasons. The Pagan religious calandar contains 13 Full Moon celebrations and eight Sabbats or days of power. Four of these days (or, more properly, nights) are determined by the Solstices and Equinoxes, the astronomical beginnings of the seasons. The other four ritual occations are based on old folk festivals. The rituals give structure and order to the Pagan year, and also remind us of the endless cycle that will continue long after we're gone. Four of the Sabbats - perhaps those that have been observed for the longest time - were probably associated with the agriculture and the bearing cycles of animals. These are Imbolc (February 2), Beltane (April 30), Lughnasadh (August 1) and Samhain (October 31). These names are Celtic and are quite common among Witches, though many others exist. When careful observation of the skies led to common knowledge of the astronomical year, the Solstices and Equinoxes (circa March 21, June 21, September 21 and December 21; the actual dates vary from year to year) were brought into this religious structure. Who first began worshipping and raising energy at these times? That question cannot be answered. However, these sacred days and nights are the origins of the 21 Craft ritual occasions. Many of these survive today in both secular and religious forms. May Day celebrations, Hallowe'en, Ground-hog Day and even Thanksgiving, to name some popular North American holidays, are all connected with ancient Pagan worship. Heavily Christianized versions of the Sabbats have also been preserved within the Catholic Church. The Sabbats are Solar rituals, marking the points of the Sun's yearly cycle, and are but half of the Pagan ritual year. The Esbats are the Pagan Full Moon celebrations. At this time we gather to worship She Who Is. Not that Witches omit the God at Esbats - both are usually revered on all ritual occations. There are 13 Full Moons yearly, or one every 28 1/4 days. The Moon is a symbol of the Goddess as well as a sourse of energy. Thus, after the religious aspects of the Esbats, Witches often practice magick, tapping into the larger amounts of energy which are thought to exist at these times. Some of the old Craft festivals, stripped of their once sacred qualities by the dominance of Christianity, have degenerated. Samhain seems to have been taken over by candy manufacturers in North America, while Yule has been transformed from one of the most holy Pagan days to a time of gross commercialism. Even the later echoes of a Christian savior's birth are hardly audible above the electronic hum of cash registers. But the old magick remains on these days and nights, and the Craft celebrate them. Rituals vary greatly, but all relate to the Goddess and God and to our home, the Earth. Most rites are held at night for practical purposes as well as to lend a sence of mystery. The Sabbats, being Solar-oriented, are more naturally celebrated at noon or at dawn, but this is rare today. THE SABBATS The Sabbats tell os one of the stories of the Goddess and God, of their relationship and the effects this has on the fruitfulness of the Earth. There are many variations on these myths, but here's a faily common one, woven into the basic descriptions of the Sabbats. YULE The Goddess gives birth to a son, the God, at Yule (circa December 21). This is in no way an adaptation of Christianity. The Winter Solstice has long been viewed as a time of divine births. Mithras was said to have been born at this time. The Christians simply adopted it for their use in 273 C.E. (Common Era). Yule is a time of the greatest darkness and is the shortest day of the year. Earlier peoples noticed such phenomena and supplicated the forces of nature to lengthen the days and shorten the nights. Witches sometimes celebrate Yule just before dawn, then watch the Sun rise as a fitting finale to their efforts. Since the God is also the Sun, this marks the point of the year when the Sun is reborn as well. Thus, the Witches light fires or candles to welcome the Sun's returning light. The Goddess, slumbering through the Winter of Her labour, rests after Her delivery. Yule is remnant of early rituals celebrated to hurry the end of Winter and the bounty of Spring, when food was once again readily available. To contemporary Witches it is a reminder that the ultimate product of death is rebirth, a comforting thought in these days of unrest IMBOLC Imbolc (February 2) marks the recovery of the Goddess after giving birth to the God. The lengthening periods of light awaken Her. The God is a young, lusty boy, but His power is felt in the longer days. The warmth fertilizes the Earth (the Goddess), and causes seeds to germinate and sprout. And so the earliest beginnings of Spring occur. This is a Sabbat of purification after the shut-in life of Winter, through the renewing power of the Sun. It is also a festival of light and of fertility, once marked in Europe with huge blazes, torches and fire in every form. Fire here represents our own illumination and ispiration as much as light and warmth. Imbolc is also known as Feast of Torches, Oimelc, Lupercalia, Feast of Pan, Snowdrop Festival, Feast of the Waxing Light, Brighid's Day, and probably by many other names. Some female Witches follow the old Scandinavian custom of wearing crowns of lit candles, but many more carry tapers during their invocations. This is one of the traditional times for initiations into covens, and so self-dedication rituals, such as the one outlined in this Book of Shadows, can be performed or renewed at this time. OSTARA Ostara (circa March 21), the Spring Equinox, also known as Spring, Rites of Spring and Eostra's Day, marks the first day of true Spring. The energies of Nature subtly shift from the sluggishness of Winter to the exhuberant expansion of Spring. The Goddess blankets the Earth with fertility, bursting forth from Her sleep, as the God stretches and grows to maturity. He walkes the greening fields and delights in the abundance of nature. On Ostara the hours of day and night are equal. Light is overtaking darkness; the Goddess and God impel the wild creatures of the Earth to reproduce. This is a time of beginnings, of action, of planting spells for future gains, and of tending the ritual gardens. BELTANE Beltane (April 30) 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. Witches celebrate the symbol of Her fertility in ritual. Beltane (also known as May Day) has long been marked with feasts and rituals. May poles, supremely phallic symbols, were the focal point of Old English village rituals. Many persons rose at dawn to gather flowers and green branches from the fields and gardens, using them to decorate the May pole, their homes and themselves. The flowers and greenery symbolize the Goddess; the May pole the God. Beltane marks the return of vitality, of passion and hopes consummated. May poles are sometimes used by Witches today during Beltane rituals, but the cauldron is a more common focal point of ceremony. It represents, of course, the Goddess - the essence of womanhood, the end of all desire, the equal but opposite of the May pole, symbolic of the God. MIDSUMMER Midsummer, the Summer Solstice (circa June 21), also known as Litha, arrives when the powers of Nature reach their highest point. The Earth is awash in the fertility of the Goddess and God. In the past, bonfires were leapt to encourage fertility, purification, health and love. The fire once again represents the Sun, feted on this time of the longest daylight hours. Midsummer is a classic time for magick of all kinds. LUGHNASADH Lughnasadh (August 1) is the time of the first harvest, when the plants of Spring wither and drop their fruits or seeds for our use as well as to ensure future crops. Mystically, so too does the God lose His strength as the Sun rises farther in the South each day and the nights grow longer. The Goddess watches in sorrow and joy as She realizes that the God is dying, and yet lives on inside Her as Her child. Lughnasadh, also known as August Eve, Feast of Bread, Harvest Home and Lammas, wasn't necessarily observed on this day. It originally coinsided with the first reapings. As Summer passes, Witches remember its warmth and bounty in the food we eat. Every meal is an act of attunement with Nature, and we are reminded that nothing in the universe is constant. MABON Mabon (circa September 21), the Autumn Equinox, is the completion of the harvest begun as Lughnasadh. Once again day and night are equal, poised as the God prepares to leave His physical body and begin the great adventure into the unseen, toward renewal and rebirth of the Goddess. Nature declines, draws back its bounty, readying for Winter and its time of rest. The Goddess nods in the weakening Sun, though fire burns within Her womb. She feels the presence of the God even as He wanes. SAMHAIN At Samhain (October 31), the Craft say farewell to the God. This is a temporary farewell. He isn't wrapped in eternal darkness, but readies to be reborn of the Goddess at Yule. Samhain, also known as November Eve, Feast of the Dead, Feast of Apples, Hallows, All Hallows and Hallowe'en, once marked the time of sacrifice. In some places this was the time when animals were slaughtered to ensure food throughout the depths of Winter. The God - identified with the animals - fell as well to ensure our continuing existence. Samhain is a time of reflection, of looking back over the last year, of coming to terms with the one phenomenon of life over which we have no control - death. The Craft feel that on this night the separation between the physical and spiritual realities is thin. Witches remember their ancestors and all those who have gone before. After Samhain, Witches celebrate Yule, and so the Wheel of the Year is complete. Surely there are mysteries buried here. Why is the God the son and then the lover of the Goddess? This isn't incest, this is symbolism. In this agricultural story (one of many Craft myths) the everchanging fertility of the Earth is represented by the Goddess and God. This myth speaks of the mysteries of birth, death and rebirth. It celebrates the wondrous aspects and beautiful effects of love, and honours women who perpetuate our species. It also points out the very real dependence that humans have on the Earth, the Sun and the Moon and of the effects of the seasons on our daily lives. To agricultural peoples, the major thrust of this myth cycle is the production of food through the interplay between the Goddess and God. Food - without which we would all die - is intimately connected with the deities. Indeed, Witches see food as yet another manifestation of divine energy. And so, by observing the Sabbats, Witches attune themselves to the Earth and to the deities. They reaffirm their Earth roots. Performing rituals on the nights of the Full Moon also strengthens their connections with the Goddess in particular. It is the wise Witch who celebrates on the Sabbats and Esbats, for these are times of real as well as symbolic power. Honouring them in some fashion is an integral part of Witchcraft. THE ESBATS When our earliest ancestors first painted images of their religious rituals on the walls of sacred caves and understood all of Nature to be inhabited by Spirit, there can be little doubt that they first reconed time by the waxing and waning of the Moon. The primary reason for this is that the monthly cycles of the Moon are far more visible than the slow and subtle changes in the position of the Sun, even to someone who is not especially looking for repeated cycles. One of the earliest calandars known (although its use is still a controversy that may never be settled) is a 30,000 year-old piece of bone from Europe. It is pierced with variously shaped holes in a series of sevens, suggesting the quarters of the Moon, in a loop design, which represents the Lunar cycle from New Moon to Full and back to the New or Dark of the Moon. The artifact, just a few inches across, desribes three such Lunar cycles - three months or one season. Because there are 13 Lunar months in a year, and because the first New Moon does not necessarily coincide with the first day of the first Solar month, the Full Moon, midpoint of the lunar month, may not always fall in the Solar month that is given here. And because there are 13 Full Moons in a Solar year, one month will have two. The second Full Moon to occur in a Solar month is popularly called the Blue Moon. JANUARY To each Lunar month the ancients assigned a name in accordance with the nature of the activity that took place at that time. The Moon of deepest Winter is the Wolf Moon, and its name recalls a time when our ancestors gathered close around the hearth fire as the silence of the falling snow was pierced by the howling of wolves. Driven by hunger, wolves came closer to villages than at any other time of the year, and may have occasionally killed a human being in order to survive. The wolf in northern countries was at one time so feared that it became the image of Fenris, the creature of destruction that supposedly will devour the world at the end of time. The Christian version of the myth would leave it at that, but the myth continues. Like the wolf in the fairy tale of Little Red Ridinghood, which preserves the full idea of the myth but is used only to frighten children, the wolf is slain; and the grandmother, like the world, is brought forth once more. As the light of the new-born year slowly increases and the Wolf Moon waxes full, it is a good time to look back upon that which has just ended and learn from our experiences. Bid the past farewell and let it go in order to receive the year that has just been born. Learning to let go of that which we would cling to is one of the greatest secrets of magick. FEBRUARY The Moon following the Wolf Moon is the Storm Moon. Whether you meet with a coven on the night of the Full Moon, salute Her in a solitary ritual, or simply blow Her a kiss, bear in mind the magick of this night and the nature of the storms of February. Unlike the boisterous storms of the light half of the year, which are accompanied by the clashing of thunder and the flining of lightning bolts, the storms of February come in silence. They blanket the world in coldness in keeping with the nature of the dark half of the Wheel of the Year. But beneath the blanket of cold and silent snow, Nature rests, as we do when in the realm of the Spirit that is called death; and like those in the world of Spirit, Nature prepares for life anew. MARCH The Moon following the Storm Moon is the Chaste Moon. Like Diana, chaste Goddess of the Moon, all of Nature at this moment is pure potential waiting to be fullfilled. The Goddess has many forms: The maiden pure and lovely as the snow of February, the seductive enchantress of the night, or the Crone ancient and wise. As the Goddess can change Her form according to the Moon or according to Her will, ever renewing Herself, ever beginning again, se can we, Her children, always begin again by discovering new potencial within ourselves. When you cast the Circle of the Chaste Moon, when the candles have been lit and the incense burned, look deep within yourself to discover what potential lies there waiting, like the Maiden, to be fulfilled. As it is the time for the planting of seeds on the material plane, so may it be time to do so on the psychic planes as well. On the night that the Seed Moon (another name for the Chaste Moon) of March is full, cast your magick Circle. Then before the rite has ended, select the spiritual seeds you would like to plant. They may be seeds of wisdom, seeds of understanding, or seeds of certain magickal skills. Then by an act of will, plant these seeds in the fertile soil of your subconscious mind with the firm commitment that they will be nurtured and cultivated in the months that lie ahead, so that they will grow and flower and bear fruit. APRIL As the Hare Moon of April waxes full, observe the rabbits leaping and playing, carefree in their mating and joyful in their games, and as you cast your Esbat Circle and joyfully dance the round, feel within your heart the carefree nature of the wild creatures that are also children of the Old Gods. MAY This time of the Sacred Marriage of the God and Goddess is the Dyad Moon, the time when the two become one, when all things meet their opposites in perfect balance and in perfect harmony. As you cast your Circle this night of the Dyad Moon, adorn it with apple blossoms, and light candles of white. When the sacred round has been danced, sit a moment and reflect. Seek harmony in all things. As the dark half of the Wheel of the Year balances the light, as heat balances cold, recall the words of the Goddess, "Let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honour and humility, mirth and reverence, within you." And then before the rite is ended, if it is appropriate, become one with your working partner, physically as well as spiritually. JUNE After the spectacular flowers of May have passed and the bees have gathered their pollen and nectar, the hives are filled with honey that is waiting to be gathered. In ancient times much of this honey was made into a drink called mead by a fermentation process similar to that of making wine. The "Moon in June" is the Mead Moon. Mead has been considered to have magickal and even life-restoring properties in many of the countries of ancient Europe, and it was the drink of many of the great heroes of legend. The legendary figure Robin Hood, who is accepted historically as being a composite of several peasant leaders during the reign of King Richard I, is also generally accepted by Pagans as being one of us. One reason is that Robin was a popular Witch name, and also because he was always described as being dressed in green, symbolic of the Green Man of Sherwood Forest. Lincoln green, which is made from woad, the dyestuff used by the Picts of ancient Britain and the Druid priestesses, is also a colour that symbolizes, historically, the Pagan peasantry. Among the articles robbed from the rich by Robin Hood are "met and met." This probably means "meat and mead." In the myth of Odin, one of His quests is for the Poetic Mead of Inspiration, which He returns to the realm of the Gods where it belongs, but a few drops fall to Earth, and this may be had by anyone who can find them. On the night that the Mead Moon waxes full, after the Circle has been cast and dancing done, fill the cup with mead (if it is available), sweet wine, or an herb tea sweetened with honey. Sip the sweet drink and sit quietly and make yourself a vessel ready to receive the inspiration of the higher realms. Become a mead cup ready to be filled, not with the brew of everyday life but with the clear, bright liquid of illumination. Every time this ritual is performed, even if there are no immediate results, you are becoming a more perfect vessel for divine inspiration. If the night of the Mead Moon is very close to the Summer Solstice, the results of this exercise can be very powerful. If the Mead Moon is full on Midsummer Night, then the priestess into whom the Moon is Drawn should be prepared. JULY As the Wort Moon of July waxes full, this is the time for gathering of herbs. The word wort is old Anglo-Saxon for "herb." When the magickal herbs have been gathered and hung to dry, the time of the Wort Moon is the time to give thanks to the spirits who dwell in the herb garden, and to leave them an offering. Perhaps as you place an offering in the moonlit garden, they will whisper to you other secrets of herbal magick. AUGUST One day at mid-month we realize that the robins and wrens that were nesting nearby have simply vanished. Their lovely songs have been replaced by the shrill calls of the bluejays, who were so silent during the nesting season. As August progresses the days are still hot but nighttime temperatures are beginning to cool, and the late afternoon thunderstorms that bring the cooler air also bring about the ripening of tomatoes. In the fields and meadows and along roadsides now there are wild herbs to be gathered. There are goldenrod, Queen Anne's lace, and milkweed - all awaiting the natuaral dyer who can extract from them tan, green, and bright yellow respectively, for dyes and for natural inks for talismans. Among the medicinal herbs to be collected at this time is boneset, which does not help broken bones to heal but is a febrifuge that was used as a remedy for "Breakbone Fever" in the 1840s. Milkweed pods with their silken fluff, goldenrod, and wild grasses and grains gathered now will be dried in time to adorn the altar at the Autumnal Equinox. As the aromic herbs begin to fill the rafters in the dry heat of the attic, and the braids of onions and garlic fill the cool darkness of the root cellar, the golden grain and yellow corn ripen in the fields under the waning August Sun. To the Ancients this was the Barley Moon, a time to contemplate the eternalness of life. Just as we are descended from the first woman and the first man, who descended from the Gods, so is the grain of the bread that we eat descended from the first grain ever gathered. By ritually eating the Lammas bread we are participating in a chain of events that stretches back through time to the Gods themselves. And here before us in the ripening fields is the promise of the future. Everywhere there is abundance - in herb garden, the vegetable garden, the field, and the orchard. The pantry shelves are lined with glistening glass jars that are filled with colourful fruits and vegetables preserved for Winter days; quarts of red tomatoes, cucumbers in slices or spears, dark red beets with cloves and cinnamon sticks, the yellow of corn, the orange of carrots - a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. The house is filled with delightful aromas as pickling spices are added to crocks of brine and exotic chutneys simmer on the stove. But the time of abundance is drawing to a close. The fireflies of June and July have given way to katydids, whose scratchy calls to one another fill the evening air of August with the promise of frost in six weeks. SEPTEMBER Since wine was, and is, such a sacred fluid, the Pagans of old naturally named this Lunar month the Wine Moon. As you celebrate the night of the Full Wine Moon and dance the magickal round in the moonlit Circle, pour some white wine in a silver cup. Before the rite is ended, if possible, catch Her reflection in the liquid, then take a sip. As the Moon-blessed wine casts its inner glow, sit quietly and feel your own spirit, of which the wine is a symbol. As the body is stilled and the spirit soars, feel on this night of magick a sence of the kind of transformation that takes place during true spiritual initiation. Today the term Harvest Moon is applied to the Full Moon nearest to the Autumnal Equinox. This is because, it is said, in other times when harvesting was done by hand, as the days grew shorter farmers were able to work into the night in the brightness of Her light. OCTOBER At this time of year the abundance of fruit and vegetables begins to slow. It is a time when our ancient ancestors gathered what they could store and then supplemented their Winter diets either by hunting wild animals or by slaughtering domestic ones. So this Lunar month is called the Blood Moon. As you cast the Esbat Circle on this moonlit Autumn night and fill the cup with blood-red wine, know that you will be joined in the sacred dance not only by the unseen presence of departed friends and family so close at this time of year, but also by the spirits of animals as well, perhaps of those that have died so that we may have food. In this age of assembly line slaughterhouses and meatpacking plants, it is especially appropriate that on this night of the Blood Moon we who are on the Pagan path ritually ask the understanding of our animal sisters and brothers, bless them, and bid them merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again. NOVEMBER As the Winter Sun wanes and the Snow Moon waxes full, cast your Circle in the warm glow of candlelight. Salute the Moon in Her snowy whiteness and breathe in the coolness of Her light. Become as still as this Winter night, and know that the activity of the warm light months is behind us. Ahead are the dark months of the year. The Spirit is most active when the body is most still. DECEMBER The Full Moon nearest the Winter Solstice is the Oak Moon, the Moon of the newborn year, the Divine Child. Like the Divine Child who is born to die and dies to be reborn anew, the ancient Oak has its trunk and branches in the material world of the living, while its roots, the branches in reverse, reach deep into the Underworld, symbolic land of the Spirit. As the roots probe downward into the gravelike darkness of the Earth, its branches grow ever upward toward the light, to be crowned by sacred Mistletoe. At this most magickal time of the year, as the light of the old dying year wanes and the Oak Moon waxes to full, cast your Circle wearing Mistletoe in your hair. Let this token remind you that like the Oak, we too dwell simultaneously in two worlds - the world of physical matter and the world of Spirit. As you invoke the Goddess of the Moon, ask that you become ever more aware of the other side of reality and the unseen forces and beings that are always among us.