MOON Taurus SUN Taurus

Taurus Dark MoonThis Dark Moon rite is best done tonight, Friday the 6th of May.

You will need-

  • A candle
  • A colourful array of gemstones
  • Four bowls of salt
  • Sheets of paper & a pen
  • A tub of warm water that you can put your feet into
  • Epsom salts (optional)
  • As many things from the following list that you can muster- honey, cinnamon, orange, anise, damiana, lotus, myrrh, raspberry, yarrow, hibiscus, chamomile, milk

The rite-

Gather all of your components together in front of an altar, preferably one that honours your Ancestors. You will need a stool or chair or bed to sit on.

Place a bowl of salt at each of the four quarters of your home or room where you are working.

Put the candle on your altar & as you light it say-

This rite is intended to acknowledge my Ancestors & be open to their guidance, & to ground & empower my physical form as it steps surely & steadily towards my goals.

Face East, close your eyes & give thanks for all that comes from there. When you feel full of gratitude, bow. repeat this process to the North, then the West & finally the South.

Face the altar, stand tall & strong & tilt your head back.Close your eyes & give thanks for all that comes from Sky. Then kneel down & press your forehead to the ground & give thanks for all that comes from Earth.

Sit the tub of warm water near the stool or chair or bed where you can sit comfortably with your feet in it.Take the gemstones that are white, clear or light coloured & arrange them at the Eastern side of the tub. Take the gemstones that are orange, yellow or red & arrange them at the Northern side of the tub. Take the gemstones that are blue or green & arrange them at the Western side of the tub. Take the brown, black or dark gemstones & arrange them on the Southern side of the tub.

Add to the tub of warm water the Epsom salts (or any salt if you do not have this component) & all of the items from the list above that you have to work with.

Sit with paper & pen nearby & place your feet into the tub. Let your body relax, your eyes drift to the altar before you & allow the smells to engulf you.

Take five deep breaths & then say-

I acknowledge that I have been pushed from my comfort zone to help me become more empowered & authentic. For this I am grateful.

Imagine this… You have all the resources of the world at your disposal, what can you dream up to do with your life? When you have a good story going, write it down on the sheets of paper. This is your dream script.

Take your feet from the tub & sit for a while as they dry naturally.

Press your forehead onto the ground before your altar giving thanks to Earth. Stand & tilt your head back giving thanks to Sky. Bow to each quarter (beginning at South, then West, then North & then East) & give thanks.

Snuff out the candle but leave the tub & the stones where they are. Sleep with your dream script under your pillow.

On rising, read your dream script & then burn it over a bowl so that you can retain the ashes. Take the ashes to an outdoor location to the East of your home & place them in the ground. Then take the tub of water to an outdoor location to the West of your home & pour it over the ground.

Finally, take up your gemstones & place them onto the bowls of salt. These will need to remain until the next Full Moon (Sunday the 22nd of May AEST). At this time, bury your salt to the South of your home & place the gemstones under the Full Moon to the North of your home.

)O(

The Rite Writers- Alison Bramich, Jessie Giles, Aurora Bellarose, Michelle Duke & Minna Davidson

Winter Solstice rite

Spirit Animal: The Hawk by FuShan via deviantart

This rite is to be done in two parts… Part 1 at Sunset of the longest night, Part 2 at Sunrise after the longest night. Where I live that will be Sunday the 21st June.

You will need:

A bowl of Holy Water (I will be using Florida Water that I made last Balsamic Moon)

A bowl of Bay leaves

A candle that will burn the whole night through but not much longer than that

Sandalwood incense (with myrrh if you have it)

Mandrake oil or Frankincense oil

A pen, paper, matches, a skewer or blade, & a spade

Part 1

Begin at Sunset. Take your candle &, using the skewer, inscribe it with symbols or words that make you feel connected to the mysteries, that bring you protection & potency. Then light it with the matches & light your incense from its flame.

Stand tall & with grace, facing West. Dig deep & ponder who you have been & then write your story down on paper. Read it back to yourself. Then, rip it into tiny pieces & place them into the bowl of Holy Water. Hold the bowl in your hands & pray for your past to rest in peace.

Take the bowl to an outdoor space in the West. Pour the water out with the paper that was you & bid yourself farewell.

Return indoors & take the bowl of Bay, inhale its scent & place it next to the candle. Rub a drop of Mandrake or Frankincense oil onto your Third Eye then sit facing East, close your eyes & dream of your perfect place. From this spot, allow yourself to fly as Hawk & venture into unknown spaces & times. Look long at the details of any visons that are exciting or desirable or enticing to you, pondering how these visions can be turned into wishes for your coming times.

When you return, write these wishes onto the Bay leaves, 1 wish per leaf. Hold the bowl of wishes in your hands & pray for your future to bring dreams coming true. Sit the bowl next to the candle.

If you can, stay awake all night busying yourself with productive work such as baking or sewing or crafting. If you need to sleep, it would be nice to do so with your candle & bowl placed safely nearby.

Part 2

As the Sun rises, light some more incense & read back over your Bay wishes. Watch the Sun rising & give thanks for the return of light after the longest night. This is done nicely with a warm cup of tea or bowl of porridge.

When you are ready & your praises have been sung, take the Bay wishes & your spade to an outdoor space in the East. Bury your Bay leaves, pat the soil down & whisper your blessings over it. Return to this spot often to place fortune over your wishes. Allow your candle to burn until it goes out naturally.

Notes:

  • create sacred space for these processes in whatever way suits your sensibilities
  • be sure to dispose of the candle wax & incense dust responsibly & intentionally, eg buried under your tree friend
  • make a list of the steps you can be taking to ensure the manifestation of your wishes & stick it somewhere that you can see it, crossing off each step as you complete it

)O(

Long Nights

I was recently instructed to take a Long Nights Sit for three consecutive nights as a way to pray for the return of a part of me that has been lost. No matter how much work I do to grow & change into the best that I can be, there is always more that can be done.

Sitting with the nights entirety is something that I do at Yule, occasionally it will spontaneously occur. The space between Sun down & Sun up is spectacular… It has its own rhythm & soul, so different to the rolling pace of the day time. Consciously embarking on a quest in this sacred shadow time is something that I highly recommend.

The drive for this was a calling to seek, an urgent need to reclaim an important part of me. This became the held space for my nights, keeping me alert to the messages coming through & the clues that I was asked to follow. I left myself opened & unbound to structure, which led me down many a wonderful path & set me before incredible people, enlightening rune & tarot readings, interesting midnight snacks & volumes of information to document.

My day times became dreamlike as I meandered through the mundane workings of my life, & I was surprised that I had no desire to catch up on sleep during the light hours. I would find myself excited as the Sun began his descent & eagerly wrap up the mundane world in anticipation of each night.

The hardest part about this process for me was the emotional settling at the end of the three nights. So much had been returned to me which meant that so much of me was falling away, & this was hard for my heart to manage. Thank the Gods for my shamanic mentor or I may be a messy puddle on the floor right now! But here I am, changed in the most exquisite of ways & eager beyond belief to see how this me embraces what will come.

)O(

MOON Gemini SUN Gemini

I have been lucky enough to be inspired again by Michelle Duke & her magickal herb mixes to develop a Dark Moon Rite that will connect me more intimately with my Fae-self, harnessing the energy of Gemini to explore integration of opposing forces within myself & release me into a more natural & magickal state. The artwork in the photograph above is by Justin Balmain. I will be performing this rite on Wednesday night the 28th of May at the Witching Hour (AEST).

Gather into your sacred space the following dried herbs in 4 separate dishes…

Lavender & Sage

Bay & Dragon’s Blood

Skullcap & Thyme

Mugwort & Vervain

You will also need 4 incense coals in 4 heat proof dishes, a green candle in an appropriate holder & a cup of warm water with a teaspoon of Poppyseeds steeping in it. If you are unable to ingest Poppyseeds then substitute with a herbal tea of your choice. A journal or paper, & a pen will also be required.

Face East, light your incense coal & add the lavender & sage. Send out your prayers to the Keepers there & sit quietly in contemplation of Air… of your Mind… of your Thoughts… of your Memories… Search for any imbalance in this area & decide where you can support a more balanced Mental Body. Write these instructions down.

Face North, light your incense coal & add the bay & dragon’s blood. Send out your prayers to the Keepers there & sit quietly in contemplation of Fire… of your Spirit… of your Crafts… of your Desires… Search for any imbalance in this area & decide where you can support a more balanced Spiritual Body. Write these instructions down.

Face West, light your incense coal & add the skullcap & thyme. Send out your prayers to the Keepers there & sit quietly in contemplation of Water… of your Heart… of your Wellbeing… of your Cycles… Search for any imbalance in this area & decide where you can support a more balanced Emotional Body. Write these instructions down.

Face South, light your incense coal & add the mugwort & vervain. Send out your prayers to the Keepers there & sit quietly in contemplation of Earth… of your Body… of your Health… of your Possessions… Search for any imbalance in this area & decide where you can support a more balanced Physical Body. Write these instructions down.

Move to the center, light the candle, drink the poppyseed elixir & prepare for an internal journey…

Find yourself in a Forest, take in all that you see & become one with the space you are in. Search for tracks or signs that will lead you to the nearest Fae community. When you arrive, ask for permission to meet with someone, giving your own name. When you are together be guided by your Fae Self, be open to sharing intimate thoughts & feelings, especially the ones that came up during the beginning of this rite. Let this interaction be natural & organic. When you are ready, be sure to give thanks. Return & record your experience in your journal straight away.

Release your circle in the way that you feel most comfortable.

Snuff out the candle & relight at any time that you can revisit the words you wrote during this rite, checking in to see how you are progressing.

Toss the incense dust to the winds as soon as you can.

)O(

The Festival of Light

There is a brightness to the rays of Father Sun at this time, a warmth when He can break through the icy winds, a yearning from life towards His mighty pull. Today I saw the first Jasmine flower & the smell was a delicious promise of heady warm nights to come. Imbolc, Brigit, Oimealg, Candalmas… This festival of light is upon us.

As I prepare my rite for this turn of the Wheel, I am feeling the ominous sensation that comes before a life changing event… like I am stepping through into something new & exciting. Perhaps it is the intense build up that has been on offer since the mating of the Earth & Water trines, or it could just be the general theme for this Year of the Snake. Whatever the case, I am aware of how important this time is for me & so my recognition of this festival is to be deep & personal & transformative.

The Rite

Set your sacred space within you, become the circle from which you have called your guides & guards & ancestors to stand watch, your deity/s to hold, the elements to keep, & ask this bountiful land to permit you. Draw a picture of yourself & describe who you are in words on that same piece of paper. Find a large rock & place it on top of this paper, preferably on the ground. Turn your back & walk away from it with the awareness that for a short while you are not you but a potent Spirit new to this world.

Find a place that you can be close to nature, for example your garden or the local park. Take a very slow walk to & around this place, looking with these fresh eyes, indulging in the smells & colours & textures & tastes that surround you. Ask this awesome new land to show you who you are now & patiently wait for a response. When you have it, give thanks & leave an offering (or be sure to take one back at another time).

Make a slow journey back to where you began feeling the new you taking form around the Spirit you. When you return take another piece of paper & draw & describe yourself with words upon it. Look at the paper from before your journey & note the differences. Burn the old you & place the new you in a significant place in your home.

Release you circle & focus on the embodiment of your newness as your instincts change & your body adjusts.

)O(

MOON Aquarius SUN Leo

Full Moon meditation

As the Sun will be moving into Leo at 1:57am AEST & the Moon into Aquarius at 4:08am AEST Tuesday the 28th, I will be performing this meditation at Moon rise tomorrow.

Find a comfortable, quiet place to sit for the duration of this meditation.

Light a candle, burn incense, create an altar, do whatever your process is to get into the head space for meditation. Say the name Etain (pronounced Ay-deen) three times taking three breaths between each annunciation.

Begin in your Power Place, explore & ensure that it is your perfect space for you in that moment. Then take a journey along a path with the intention of meeting Etain, the Shining One.

When you find Her, She is going to illuminate the parts of you that are rising with the growth of this past solstice/super moon/water trine/retrograde period. So much wisdom that has been developing within you in a whirl of life experience & mental processing. Etain will show you how to ride this into a balanced whole from which your next journey can begin. Allow Her to guide you without any preconceived idea of how that will happen, put your trust in Her as she works with you.

When She bids you farewell, be sure to offer Her thanks & head back to your Power Place. Spend some time thinking back over your experience before coming back into your body.

Write your experience down & revisit these words after a day or two has passed.

)O(

MOON Cancer SUN Cancer

DARK MOON RITE

You will need

a bowl of water (preferably rain or spring or sea or river or lake)

chamomile flowers

a wand

salt (preferably rock or sea)

a candle (preferably white or pink)

incense (preferably myrrh)

The Rite

Prepare you body, mind, spirit, set your space (place all of the items mentioned above on an altar at the West, & cast & call your circle as you see fit.

Light the candle on one side of the bowl & the incense on the other.

Hold your wand in your left hand (or right if you are left handed), touch the tip to your feet & conjure into your minds eye anything that is sticking your feet to the ground, holding you back from a movement that you wish to take, keeping your attention on unwanted & not helpful thought process, activating emotions that no longer serve you. Let these things all pool into your feet & enter your wand. When you have finished, place the wand tip into the water using your right hand (or left if you are left handed) & release all that is stored within into the water.

Pass the wand over the flame of the candle & through the smoke of the incense & sit it on the altar. Take the chamomile flowers into your palms, hold them close to your lips & whisper to them-

Sacred flowers of Sun & Moon & Earth I honour thee & ask that you sooth & ease the passing of the energies held in this water that they may move back into the cycle of birth death & rebirth to serve another in need of their services. And as they dissolve from me I ask you to tend to them lovingly. Thank you.

Place the chamomile flowers into the water. Gently blow your breath over them. Take the salt into your palms, hold it close to your lips & whisper into it-

Sacred minerals of this loving Earth I honour thee & ask that you hold tight to these energies as they pass from me & make their journey back to Mother Earth. Guide them with sure steps & the strong presence that you possess. Thank you.

Place the salt into the water. Lift the bowl with both hands & place it in the South.

Take your wand in your left hand (right if you are left handed) & stand in the center facing East. Hold the wand high into the air, tip pointing up, & place your right hand (left if you are left handed) palm facing the ground. Say-

I surrender to the tides as they change, I allow the currents to take me & trust that I will be swept into the perfect moments that await me. My heart & mind are strong & receptive. I am open to inspiration, I am ready to feel my way forward into – [say here what you are working towards but have been struggling to achieve] – Let this waken my will that it may be done. Blessed Be! Blessed Be! Blessed Be!

Open your circle & complete your ceremony as you see fit. Let the candle burn out naturally & dispose of the residual wax by burying it under a tree. Take the bowl of water to the furthest Western point you can walk with it & pour it onto earth, making sure all of the salt & flowers leave with it & that none of the water gets onto your hands. When you return home, rinse the bowl thrice pouring the water on earth near your back door or into the toilet if you have no back yard.

)O(

YULE – The Winter Solstice

The longest night will be on Friday the 21st of June… tomorrow. I will be sharing a lovely story-telling, dream-pillow-making, soup-eating, mulled-wine-drinking evening with some wonderfully magickal folks to celebrate this festival. I will also be stepping through 3 gateways during the course of the longest night to honour this time & encourage my own energy to grow & flow with the natural currents available to me.

SUNSET (17:08 AEST) – Moving Through The Western Gate

At sunset I plan on lighting a candle in the West & watching as Father Sun takes his descent into His longest journey through the darkness of Mother Night. I will grieve for Him as He goes & in that grief I will bring all that I need to release to the surface & out through my right palm to anchor it into a rock. I will place a tear onto the rock & sit it next to the candle.

THE WITCHING HOUR (midnight) – Moving Through The Southern Gate

I will take the rock & glass of wine to the bridge over my local river at the Witching Hour. Holding the rock in my left hand & the wine in my right hand I will send my awareness to the water below, down through the water & through the earth beneath it, through the molten center of this planet & up & up through the soil & out of the soil on the other side & through space to finally stop in front of Father Sun. I will tell Him why I wish for His return, tell Him of the importance of His presence in my life. Then my awareness will slowly come back until I am once more on the bridge & I will whisper into the cup of wine “Thank you Mother Night for His safe return.’ & I will pour the wine into the river. Then I will whisper to the rock “Thank you for the lessons that the grief you hold has given to me, I can let them go now.” & then I will throw the rock into the water.

SUNRISE (07:36 AEST) – Moving Through The Eastern Gate

In the East I will light some incense & sit in meditation reflecting on all of the parts of my world that are building & growing. I will give thanks for the return of Father Sun & the gifts that He is bringing into my life & I will give thanks for the abundance that has been provided to me.Then I will sing…

‘Every morning I wake up to see your shining face

You give me the energy to face the human race

You’re watching over me all throughout the day

Then in the evening time you slowly fade away.

It sends chills down my spine to see the Sun’s shine

It sends chills down my spine to see the Sun’s shine…’

(words by me)

HAPPY YULE!

)O(

MOON Gemini SUN Gemini

DARK MOON MIRROR MAGICK

You will need:

  • pen & paper
  • a mirror
  • cloth & methylated spirits
  • salt
  • candle
  • incense

Set your sacred space & call your circle as you desire.

Begin by writing on the paper a list of all the things about you that seem to contradict each other. For example, I am friendly & easy to converse with but rarely spend time in social situations. Next group these attributes to form two different people, giving them names & form. Decide which of these you would like to embody most & allow it move into you until you become this person.

Next, take your mirror & wipe it clean with the methylated spirits & cloth. Sprinkle it with salt & then prop it against a wall where you can look into it comfortably. Light the candle & burn the incense in front of the mirror. Consider the other person that was formed from your attributes & allow their form to enter the mirror.

Look into each others eyes, recognising the differences & honouring each other for their own unique qualities. Now explore how you fit together, now move together, now communicate with each other. Be aware that this is how you divide yourself & how those divided parts support each other. Allow the mirrored form to emerge & embrace each other… At this point you can choose to merge together as one. Burn the paper together, they must be on fire at the same time.

Finish & close your ritual in a way that suits your desires & give thanks. Dispose of incense & paper ash on the next windy day off a high point.

)O(

 

MOON Gemini SUN Sagittarius Lunar Eclipse

This eclipse gate is an opportunity to gather valuable information & understand this information within the context of your life. We can do this by searching the deep dark places & facing the shadows with courage, bringing to them clarity & cutting through all the things that may be holding you back… Sound like fun?? Here is a ceremony that I will be doing at the Witching Hour on Saturday night:

You will need: a candle, a bowl, a jug of Holy water (alternatively spring or river or ocean water will suffice), writing implements

Ceremony: Create your sacred space in whatever way suits you. Hold the empty bowl in your hands & feel it becoming an extension of your body. When you feel connected breath three long slow breathes into it & place it down gently. Hold the jug of water in your hands & open your emotional body to it allowing your heart to pulse through it. When you feel the connection say “Waters of Awakening I call thee” & gently pour the water into the empty bowl. Hold the candle in your hands & allow the Celestial Beings to move through you & into the wax. When you feel the current say  “I reconnect to all that is & honour the source of life itself” & light the candle. As you hold the lit candle, let go of time & thought & inhibitions… feel them oozing off of you & seeping into the ground. When you are present & open & empty, begin to drip the wax onto the water. You will know when to stop, you will feel it, & when you do, place the candle in a holder & gaze into the bowl under the light of the candle. Gently open your mind to receive what lies upon the surface of the water, what lies beneath the surface. As information comes to you write it down without explanation or justification. When you have gathered all that you can, release your sacred space & allow the candle to burn down in a safe place. Pour the water with the wax into a river or the seas or a hole under a tree.

Follow up: About 3-9 hours after you have performed the above ceremony, revisit the information you found & begin to piece it all together.

)O(