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

Cross Quarter Dreaming

I woke on the floor in a small log cabin. There was a rough-spun blanket wrapped around me. The only sounds were distant bird calls & the gentle rush of leaves blowing in the wind. When I stood the blanket fell from me & I was met by the chill of the air & a wonderful sensation of being alone.

Going through the only door found me outside, surrounded by a long neglected garden full of brambling herb bushes & nibbled on fruits & vegetables still attached to their mother plants.

I sat on a wooden armchair with the blanket in the wild garden to watch & learn, to understand where & when I had woken. A thick scrub of trees wrapped around the cabin. The sun was low & to my left, slowly heading for the horizon… Sunset.

A clear & darkening sky revealed to me the heads of the Gemini Twins, close behind the Sun… Late Autumn.

As the darkness deepened I sat under dampening air that froze the tip of my nose & made my ears ache with cold. No Moon… All night I waited but I could not find her… Dark Moon.

I slept then, under the gentle heat of the Autumn Sun & dreamed of a campfire council of my ancestors. I sat mute & watched them tell stories & dance & throw bunches of herbs into the fire. When it was down to embers, some coal was removed & ground in a bowl made of wood, along with some small black berries. They slit the throat of a boar & added his blood to the ground coal to make a paste, which was used to anoint the palms & ears & eyelids of all who were present… Including me. That’s when they came, shadowy figures moving through the small gathering, embracing some people, whispering to others. I felt the cold grasp of a bony hand from one shadow & heard the quiet voice reveal to me what I am required to do for this next turn of the Sun Wheel. Then I woke again, in the wild garden, with the sun & moon setting…

Samhain.

MOON Taurus SUN Taurus Solar Eclipse

Begin by marking your circle space with a combination of ground salt & rosemary. Then stand in the center with your arms outstretched, palms facing up. In this pose welcome Earth, Air, Fire & Water, welcome your ancestors, welcome Divine Masculine & Divine Feminine, welcome all of Creation. If you wish it, feel free to couple elements with directions here, to light a candle, incense, whatever feels right for you.

Sit in the center & enter your Power Place. From here take a journey to find all things that make you feel sensual & desirable & alive… Things that awaken all of your senses & insight reactions. Acknowledge what these things are, without judgement or analysis, & feel your physical body’s response as you gently come out of meditation.

Place your hands on the ground (this would be perfect to do out of doors) & take three deep breaths, each time you breath in, draw up energy from Mother Earth through your palms, & each time you breath out offer Her something in return.

Take a seed (it is to be swallowed so ensure it is small & not toxic, such as a sunflower or sesame or pumpkin seed) in your palm & whisper into it all the healing that you wish to offer to your body, for example green smoothies, regular sex, walking, more sleep, etc.. When you have filled the seed with your whisperings, swallow it using water.

Now think on your animal totem, guide, companion, teacher, & walk around in your circle as that animal, making the noises, displaying the personality. Note the impact this process has on your consciousness.

To finish, stamp your feet on Mother Earth, place you palms on the ground, ring a bell or clap hands & give thanks to Earth, Air, Fire & Water, to the lands spirits, your ancestors, to the Divine Masculine & the Divine Feminine, all of Creation.

)O(

Samhain & the Meet the Wytches gathering

Tonight we meet by my hearth to remember our ancestors, our beloved dead & our deepest most ancient selves. Under the watchful presence of Hekate & Cernunnos we will light the candles & burn the offerings to show our respect & reverence for the thinning of the veil & the longer reach of our prayers.

After our ceremony we will be breaking bread & toasting wine, meeting over friendly banter & divination for the future & heartfelt words for the past.

Whatever your plans for this turn of the Wheel, I wish you deep peace & love & happiness.

“I am tomorrows ancestor

The future of yesterday

And what I am in the here and now

goes rippling out all ways.

Goes rippling out always.”

-Brian Boothby

)O(

Hedge Wytch Mentorship

This mentorship program is for anyone who is connecting with themselves as a Spirit, anyone who is searching for something more than meets the eye in this vast & glorious world. You will be taken on a journey through the turn of one Wheel of the Year, a journey that will connect you to your Spirit, your path & your environment in a deep & profound way. It will equip you to maintain your own spiritual practice & inspire you to delve deeper into your own magickal gifts & sacred skills.

Your mentor will be The Lady Le Faye, founder & high priestess at The Hedgewitchery. Known to friends & family as Alison, the Lady Le Faye has very strong connections to her ancestry. She is the Granddaughter of the now deceased Tribal Elder of the Karawara Islands, East New Britain Province PNG, & is the descendant of a long line of farming folk originating from Wales & England. She was raised to respect the laws of the land, the spirit of the Creator & the importance of holding ceremonial space. Alison began her training as a Hedgewitch 22 years ago at the age of 16 & has been under the guidance of her Shamanic mentor for the past 4 years. In her role as a High Priestess she provides community based rituals, this mentorship program & various spiritual teachings. Alison has had formal training in Reiki, Aromatherapy, Western Medical Herbalism, and Homeopathic First Aid & has a current First Aid Certificate. She is also a qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist.

During the course of this Year & A Day (one full turn of the Wheel of the Year) you will be connected with your broadest self, your various guides, guards & guardians, your personal internal world, your own ancestral ritual & magick, your innate magickal gifts & talents, & your sacred skills.

Beginning at April 30, you will be invited to attend Dark Moon & Full Moon circles, any Wheel of the Year Festivals & a minimum of 2 face to face or skype sessions with The Lady Le Faye (at a time that suits you both) every month. Upon completion of your Year & A Day journey, you will be initiated into Hedge Wytchcraft & ready to step out on your own & explore the magickal world that surrounds you.

There is a limited number of places for each intake so please register your interest as soon as possible via alison@thehedgewitchery.com

)O(

MOON Pisces SUN Scorpio

It has been quite some time since I have been able to write here; web gremlins have been playing games with my IT Fairy. It has been an interesting time, this journey from Ostara to Beltane. I have been birthing something new, something deep & something that will change my life forever…

There is a part of me that was uninterred at Dark Moon in Leo. I was in the loving sacred circle of my Shamanic mentor & we took a great leap into the Underlands. I feel so safe & comfortable traveling in my mentors held space.

The parts of me that linger under the surface were gathered around a grave, her grave whose name I cannot yet share. Together we dug deep & pulled her from her earthly cocoon & ran with her in our arms to the ocean’s shore. Wading in with her submerged, she was taken swiftly by the Mere People, my Ancestors. They returned her later, alive, cleansed & fire in her eyes.

She is here now, always, influencing all that I do & how I do it. Now I am she & she is me. Together we are reshaping the world.

)O(

MOON Aries SUN Leo

My feet have finally hit the ground again after such a high over the weekend with Full Moon Tarot Meditation Circle on Saturday & Imbolc- a celebration of the awakening light workshop on Sunday…

As I sit by my fire contemplating ancient language & symbolism, I realise that holding regular Full Moon & Dark Moon Esbats as well as workshops for the Sabats, I have settled into a rhythm that holds me in a lovely place. I know that what I choose to do in the “actual” world will have an echo within as well as to my past & present selves. These regular circles & practices are setting me on a mighty course indeed!

So, I give thanks for my life & my love as I continue to be guided by my ancestors, the Fae & my own intuitive voice, dancing the Wheel again & again…

)O(

Samhain Dreaming

I stood at the gateway watching the veil become so thin that I could see shadows moving around behind it. There were two sentries, my usual Jackal-headed men, & they stepped aside when the time was right. I moved through the gateway, the veil felt like mist…

The next thing I remember was becoming aware that my entire being was tiny particles, scattered on a horizontal plane about 20 meters from the Earth below. My consciousness was removed, looking down from above – a bit like the sensation of astral projection. My particles had a soft green glow. Another set of particles on the same plane moved over mine. They had a deep red glow. I knew who it was: we had been connecting for some time. She began sinking & blending with my particles, & as I watched, some of me fell to the ground, as did some of her. When this transformation was complete, my consciousness met my newly Blended particles & my form began to return.

I was moving along a path & as I went I realised that it was in fact my family tree. I could see clearly the placement of all the family that I knew & even the places of the ones that I did not know. I stood in my place on this tree & began the search for my Spirit Tribe connection. When I saw it, it was a bright tunnel of light that moved through me & went forever above & forever below. I allowed my Spirit form to separate from my body & flew in both directions wrapping this tunnel of light with colourful ribbons, making strong my connection with my Spirit family & ancestors. This done, I sat, in my body again, & allowed my Spirit Tribe to moved through & communicate what I needed to hear. I am so grateful for this process & have been gifted with some very powerful tools to support the flow of love through my life.

When I cam back to me, I was sitting around a fire with my Mothers Mother, Pilili. She has been in my Dreaming often & has shared many mysteries & treasures with me over the past few moons… She was brewing a potion over the fire & telling me about the process. I could feel all of my beloved dead gathered around, just beyond the light cast by the fires flames. My beautiful familiar, Iimaja, was purring at my feet… She & Granny were the only dead that I was able to see & communicate with, & I am thrilled that I was able to connect with them both. There was also another aspect of me sitting opposite me by the fire, but she did not say anything, just stared into the flames.

Leaving this space was difficult. I feel so at home on the other side of the veil… But leave I did & with a sack full of love & wisdom & stories & spells over my shoulder.

)O(