MOON Aquarius SUN Aquarius

Create your space.

Face East & feel deeply into these words as you read them out loud or just in your mind:

“I call to the Lovers of Minds & Learning. Bear witness as I become the Breath of Inspiration.”

Face North & feel deeply into these words as you read them out loud or just in your mind:

“I call to the Lovers of Passion & Will. Bear witness as I become the fiery Spark of Resilience.”

Face West & feel deeply into these words as you read them out loud or just in your mind:

“I call to the Lovers of Hearts & Compassion. Bear witness as I become the Embodiment of Love.”

Face South & feel deeply into these words as you read them out loud or just in your mind:

“I call to the Lovers of Silence & Respect. Bear witness as I become the Foundation of new Growth.”

Stand or sit in the center.

Love your feet & your hair & all things in between.

Understand the flow that surrounds you & emanates from within you & moves through you.

Turn your head towards Sky to find Peace & Perspective.

Turn your thoughts deep within & far into the past of this place & its inhabitants. Draw upon the understanding & wisdom that arises from this action & let it become an iridescent arrow. Turn to the darkest shadow you can find & shoot the arrow into its heart. Observe what the arrow reveals closely, openly & unobtrusively, & take note of what you see there.

Give thanks.

Make offerings.

Release your space.

)O(

MOON Capricorn SUN Cancer

Best Self Standing

You will need:

  • pen & four pieces of paper
  • a handful of salt or earth or stones
  • items for an altar (see below for ideas)

Stand in a powerful pose & call your best self into you. Consider where your ambitions are & feel these ambitions settle into your body.

Create an altar space that reflects these ambitions & walk around it three times deosil (anti-clockwise in the Southern hemisphere). Then sit by your altar & complete the following sentences, one on each piece of paper:

  1. I want… & to achieve this I am going to be responsible for…
  2. I feel… & to benefit from this I am going to be responsible for…
  3. I desire… & to fulfill this I am going to be responsible for…
  4. I know… & to utilise this I am going to be responsible for…

Stand facing South in a powerful pose, & in a strong & confident voice read the first sentence three times. When done, continue to stand in this way pondering what you have said for as long as you can. Write down any ideas or thoughts or sensations that come to you underneath where you wrote the first sentence. Place the paper on the ground here & put some salt/earth/stones on top. Give thanks with a deep bow.

Stand facing West in a powerful pose, & in a strong & confident voice read the second sentence three times. When done, continue to stand in this way pondering what you have said for as long as you can. Write down any ideas or thoughts or sensations that come to you underneath where you wrote the second sentence. Place the paper on the ground here & put some salt/earth/stones on top. Give thanks with a deep bow.

Stand facing North in a powerful pose, & in a strong & confident voice read the third sentence three times. When done, continue to stand in this way pondering what you have said for as long as you can. Write down any ideas or thoughts or sensations that come to you underneath where you wrote the third sentence. Place the paper on the ground here & put some salt/earth/stones on top. Give thanks with a deep bow.

Stand facing East in a powerful pose, & in a strong & confident voice read the fourth sentence three times. When done, continue to stand in this way pondering what you have said for as long as you can. Write down any ideas or thoughts or sensations that come to you underneath where you wrote the fourth sentence. Place the paper on the ground here & put some salt/earth/stones on top. Give thanks with a deep bow.

Sit at your altar space again & imagine that your ambitions are working for you & shaping your life. Let this fill you & roll it around your senses & your body & your mind & your heart & your spirit. Walk three times widdershins (clockwise in the Southern hemisphere) looking at the ground & seeing the path to your goals unfolding beneath your feet.

Leave the altar & paper piles where they are at least for the night. When you are ready, gather the salt/earth/stones & scatter them somewhere to the East of your space. Put the pieces of paper somewhere that you can see them & on a regular basis (eg. every morning on rising) stand in your power, repeat the sentences & reflect upon the other things you have written under it, adding bits or adjusting it if you feel the need to.

Happy Moontide!

Alison xxx

Winter Solstice

Yule 2016

Solstice Blessings!

The candles are lit here at The Hedgewitchery in preparation for the longest night… The children are playing with their Solstice gifts, the oven is baking our evening meal & warming the house, there are nuts & pastries & hot chocolates. Tonight we will sit around a fire & craft our dream wishes using quick drying clay, have a shadow puppet show, set out our crystals to catch the residual Full Moon glow overnight & the rebirthing Sun light at dawn, & place dream incubation bowls beside our beds to enhance our dreaming experiences. We really love this time of year!

This Winter is asking me to take the time for self reflection & to become aware of how I am reflected through my external world. This is what I will be doing to help with that…

At sunset (5:08pm here in Melbourne)…

  • Stand facing West & sing my Sun Prayer- “Every morning I wake up to see Your shining face. You give me the energy to face this human race. You’re watching over me all throughout the day, and in the evening time You slowly fade away… It sends chills down my spine to see the Sun’s shine!
  • Make an offering with gratitude in your heart for the bounty of Sun. Mine will be a liquid libation.
  • Contemplate how life has unfolded since the last Winter Solstice & look at the changes that have been made within your core in the past year.
  • Pluck out a piece of hair while thinking about who you are now, then bury it at the western-most spot of your property.

At midnight…

  • Sit in meditation then consider goals that you would like to see drawing nearer in the next year.
  • Make a “To Do” list that outlines the steps to reaching your goals, with the highest priority at the top.

At sunrise (7:36am here in Melbourne)

  • Face the rising Sun & sing His praises.
  • Make an offering, mine will be the dream incubation water that I have with me through the night.
  • Read aloud the “To Do” list from a place of internal power.
  • Give thanks for the return of Sun & spend as much time basking in His light as you can.

Have a lovely night folks.

Alison xxx

Dark Moon in Gemini: Meditating with Fear

Dealing with the Spirit of Fear

The following was my experience when working with how fear hangs out in & around my body. If it suits your sensibilities, it might be a nice thing to do with this Gemini Dark Moon.

I set my space, as I was called to, & stood within it, actively holding my body tall & strong.

I then sent my awareness to a space below my feet, if you can imagine about one quarter of the distance to the centre of Earth. Here there was a brilliant black light that revealed my fear of death & how it impacts my day to day life.

From there, my awareness drifted up to settle at my pelvic floor. Here there was a brilliant red light that revealed my fear of loss & how it impacts my day to day life.

Next I found myself about an inch behind my belly button. Here there was a brilliant orange light that revealed my fear of disconnection & how it impacts my day to day life.

My awareness then landed on my solar plexus, right at the tip of the sternum. Here there was a brilliant yellow light that revealed my fear of self & how it impacts on my day to day life.

Within the currents of the heart was where I found myself next. Here there was a brilliant green light that revealed my fear of healing & how it impacts my day today life.

Then I was in my throat, central enough to feel the pulse of the carotid arteries & the jugular veins. Here there was a brilliant blue light that revealed my fear of assimilation & how it impacts my day to day life.

Up to the brow next, the place of the third eye. Here there was a brilliant purple light that revealed my fear of change & how it impacts my day to day life.

Then my awareness reached the dome of my skull, the crown of my head. Here there was a brilliant golden light that revealed my fear of growth & how it impacts my day to day life.

Then I was reaching above my head, far into the void of space, many galaxies away. Here there was a brilliant white light that revealed my fear of power & how it impacts my day to day life.

Finally, I was entirely me & frantically writing in my journal the details of this marvelous dream.

Enjoy the Dark Moontide folks.

Alison xxx

MOON Sagittarius SUN Gemini

Aegishjalmur

Something for your Full Moon, best performed Saturday evening or Sunday morning this weekend.

You will need:

  • a green stone
  • your favourite incense
  • a candle, preferably green but white is also good
  • Holy Water or Florida Water or water from a natural source
  • seeds that you can either eat or plant in your garden

The ceremony:

  • Create your circle in a way that suits you then ground & centre in the space.
  • Light the candle & sit holding your seeds in your non-dominant hand. Close your eyes, pretend you are asleep & dream of what you would like to manifest in your life. Focus your dream thoughts down along your arm & into the seeds that you are holding. When you are done, place them beneath the candle.
  • Light the incense & hold the green stone in your dominant hand. Close your eyes & send your awareness throughout your body checking for any imbalances that require your attention. These may be physiological, emotional, spiritual or psychological. Focus on these spots of imbalance then radiate the colour & solidity of your green stone to those exact areas, energising them for healing & restoration. When you are done, hold the stone over the incense & give thanks. I recommend carrying this stone with you, close to the skin, every day until you feel that you have dealt with or are dealing with these imbalances. For now, place the stone next to the incense.
  • Stand in Warrior Pose (see image below or choose your own style of Warrior pose) facing North. Stare out towards that horizon, empower your pose & breath deep. While you hold this position, connect to the rich, nourishing energy that rises up to you from Earth. Draw it up through your feet & legs & trunk, considering your healing & dreams as it rises. Let it pool & build in your chest as you define the steps ahead that your healing & your dreams require of you. When have reached your peak, shoot the energy out to the Northern horizon. Step your legs together, facing North, & bow.
  • Take the Holy Water, dip your finger into it & draw the Aegishjalmur (pictured above) on your chest. As it evaporates & cools your skin, feel the waters connecting you to the world of material things & calling to you all that you need for the healing that you require & all that you must cross paths with to see your dreams coming true. I recommend anointing this Bindrune daily until you begin to experience the changes you wish to see.
  • Say the following 3×3 times-

Let me pray for peace, health, wealth, wisdom for all.

May all meet under the light of Grandmother Moon forever more.

Children of my children hear my prayer.

Blessed Be!

  • Stamp your feet, shake your limbs & make some noise (I recommend a bell or singing bowl).
  • Release & clear your circle in a way that suits you.
  • Allow the candle to watch over the seeds until it has let itself go out (you may have to snuff it out & relight it again for safety reasons). When the candle is done, eat the seeds or set them aside for your next planting day.
  • Gather the incense dust & toss some into the Winds.
  • Carry the stone with you & each day cleanse it by sitting it in the Holy Water on an altar.

Warrior Pose

Blessings on your Full Moon Weavings!

)O(

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(

A Magickal Life: Herbal Basics

Connecting to the Kingdom of Plants is essential in my work as they bring such a grounded & mystical energy to all that I do. The generosity of Plants is always captivating to me & in this course I hope to share some of my joy at working with them to all who attend.

A Magickal Life: Herbal Basics takes the seeker on a journey into the realm of plants with the intention of understanding their own unique connection to this realm & how they may be able to honour & share the bounty of the beings that dwell within it.

We will be crafting incense blends, annointing oils, fluid condensers & balms, as well as taking a close study of several plants with regards to their magickal properties. Safe practices will of course be discussed.

This course will be run during the month of August in four 3 hour long sessions in Melbourne, Australia. If you are interested or have any questions please email alison@thehedgewitchery.com

)O(

A Magickal Life: Ritual Foundations

Take a gentle step towards making your life more magickal in this short course that reveals a simple yet effective way to move closer to manifesting your perfect world. We will begin with intent & slowly open to the expression of that intention as we build a ritual to energise it & release it out into all the Worlds.

No prior spiritual work is necessary but this course will benefit all levels of spiritual awareness. There will be four sessions held in Melbourne, Australia, from 2-5pm beginning on June 8th 2014.

For bookings or inquiries please contact me via alison@thehedgewitchery.com

)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(