Blessing Moon

July's full moon is often referred to as the Blessing Moon and it  falls within the season of our early harvests. For this, along with the symbolic harvests within our lives, we count our blessings at this time. 

Back in March, I wrote about the Storm Moon which marked the perfect time of year for inviting new influences into one's life: I particularly focussed my ritual on reaffirming my desire to make more time for a return to the creative practices of  illustration and writing. 

Hopefully these little delvings into my sketch book will show that towards tonight's Blessing Moon I will be directing thanks for the inspiration and guidance to make this seed of intention come into fruition.

We also sometimes refer to July's full moon as the Meadow Moon or 'Wort' Moon. The word 'wort' comes from the Old English 'wyrt' meaning 'plant' and is most frequently associated with herbs. 

This time of year is perfect for harvesting herbs. They have been growing in abundance over the past few months and those which flower are likely to have done so already.

Designing a ritual today around the gathering of herbs would be the perfect way to celebrate and channel the energy of July's full moon. Those which you harvest can be dried and will hopefully last through the winter.

As this year's July moon falls in Aquarius, it is heavily influenced by the Aquarian attributes of innovation, inspiration and the expanding of the mind. If you have not yet learned the healing and culinary properties of the herbs you are gathering, you could begin doing so today, making a note of what you learn. Many garden herbs make nourishing teas, so perhaps you could experiment with some infusions, and begin keeping a journal of the flavours and qualities of each. 

However you choose to spend your days and evenings, full moon blessings go to all of you.

Storm Moon

Whilst meandering from site to site, admiring the many blog-worlds you wonderful people are creating, I stumbled upon the fantasy artist, Molly Harrison. Her work is hugely reminiscent of the likes of Amy Brown and Jessica Galbreth, whom I have admired for many years. These particular illustrations seemed apt representations of today's Storm Moon...

March's full moon is variously called the Storm Moon, Wind Moon, Seed Moon and no doubt known by many other names. It is the moon of change, prosperity and sweeping away 'cobwebs'. Some choose to utilise the high energy of this full moon to 'spring clean', with rituals involving the besom or dried heather to physically enact the sweeping of negativity or old habits from one's life. Others focus on the 'abundant' nature of this time of year, channelling the energy into desired change. 

This moon's power colour is green - one of the reasons these images seemed so suitable for today - and it is usually associated with personal growth and prosperity. As with our Ostara blessings, rituals that work well under this moon's influence are those which focus on particular desired achievements, both spiritual and practical. 

Throughout this whole season, it is important to focus our energies on renewal, repair and regrowth. For example, The Domestic Witch's fantastic 'Spring Cleaning' programme works towards de-cluttering your life, both inside and out. It may be that you use today's energies to reaffirm your determination towards reaching these goals.

You may prefer a simpler ritual focussed on a specific aspect of your life. This prosperity charm posted by Liz over at Lizzie's Logic is perfect and uses materials which can be found round the home and garden. 

For me, there are some particular influences I would like to invite into my space, in order to use my time and energy more effectively. My reasons for using these images in this post were twofold: not only do they conjure the symbols of the day, they also represent to me something which I want to focus on over the forthcoming months - a return to creative practices. Illustration used to be a pastime of mine and I haven't really drawn for a long while; I also want to write more. These along with some other goals are the focus of my ritual today. 

Brightest blessings.  

Blessed Ostara!

Happy Springtime! Today's vernal equinox falls during the early evening (17:32 to be precise) and it marks the moment when the Earth's axis is inclined neither away nor towards the Sun.

In 'real' terms, this means we have an instant of 'equal night'; the light and the dark are today of even length. Come tomorrow, our friends in the Southern Hemisphere will start moving into the dark months, while we here in the North will stride into light.

In pagan terms, this means Eostre / Persephone / Cybele / Freya is here. The Earth has awakened; reborn with new life. In Anglo-Saxon England, the goddess Eostre / Ostara was celebrated for the month following the equinox with her feast-day falling on nearest full moon after this moment of equal light and darkness. We see many of these pagan traditions mirrored in modern-day 'Easter' celebrations, with the Christian holiday falling on the nearest weekend to said full moon.

Early Christians, arriving in western European countries believed it would be easier to convert the pagan locals to their teachings if they could amalgamate their practices with existing dates and rituals. It is for this reason that this time of year sees pagan and Christian tradition walking hand it hand, as children at Sunday school paint eggs and make fuzzy-felt cards of chicks and rabbits; families perpetuate the story of the 'Easter bunny' providing chocolate treats and inside a church, filled with spring flowers, a minister will teach about rebirth and light.

For pagans, this time of year honours the Spring goddesses and the life they have brought back to the world. Traditionally these goddesses are associated with animals such as hares, birds and lambs - the creatures who are currently enjoying seasonal frolic and birth.

Eggs are used as decorations round the house, as powerful symbols of birth and the combined fragility and strength present in new life. Spring flowers such as tulips, daffodils and irises display their prominent blooms proudly, representing the combination of male and female required to make the land fertile. I cannot think of a flower more obviously showing off its reproductive organs than a daffodil!

Candles in bright colours demonstrate the growing light and warmth of the sun and often you will find modern-day pagans using a pair of candles (one black, one white) to symbolise the equality and balance found in today's festival.

Ostara is a time for sowing seeds, to ensure there is a harvest for autumn: this may be a physical act of planting your own food crops or a psychological one focussing on the spiritual and emotional rewards you would like to reap later in the year. Try writing down your goals - make them specific - and fold the piece of paper. Sit quietly in front of a lit candle and meditate, visualising the outcome of these hopes and aspirations in the dancing flames.

Ask your chosen Spring goddess to help you tend your wishes, by providing warmth and light whilst they grow. Once you have finished, take your folded paper and the candle down to a quiet spot somewhere earthy, perhaps beneath a budding hedge or beside a tree's roots. Plant both and bless the ground, thanking the goddess for her assistance. Remember to revisit your spot throughout the coming months to nourish with positive thoughts. Brightest blessings.

Imbolc

It has been a funny old week. Change is afoot in my department at school, with new appointments being made and colleagues moving on. Unsettling as this may be, I have found myself taking a strange kind of reassurance from it; ironically it has reminded me that one thing we can be sure of is change itself.

At exactly this time last year, I took a giant leap towards changing my own life.  It was at the beginning of February that I applied for and was given my current job. Having begun planting and putting down the roots of my teacher training during the previous autumn, it was with the first signs of spring that I began to see the results and the pathway I was about to take began unravelling before me.

It comes as little surprise to me now that this time of year often brings new growth and development. As the seasons change, the light increases and the earth warms, we find ourselves waking up and taking our first steps towards the year’s goals.

It is this awakening that I celebrate at Imbolc – the midpoint between winter and spring. ‘Imbolc’ originates from the Celtic ‘Oimelc’ (‘ewe’s milk’); the festival which falls on February 1^st or 2^nd is so named because the life-giving flow of milk heralds the return of spring. This sabbat is in honour of Brigid, goddess of the hearth and bringer of fire to warm the frozen earth. 

Having no open fire in my cottage, this year I saw fit to create a symbolic hearth to which I could invite Brigid. This was a simple ritual, using materials I could gather from around the home and hedgerow.

Firstly, I chose the point in my home which I feel is its centre. The living area downstairs is actually the lowest point in the cottage and feels closest to the earth; this is where we naturally gravitate towards for comfort and relaxation.

I then filled the space with white candles, to represent the coming light. On a small table in the space, I placed a red pillar candle, which would represent the flames of fire and surrounded it with stones gathered over the years, to represent the hearth.

Now, I rarely cast a formal circle but as this was the first time I had called upon Brigid and the first time I had used this particular space for magick, I thought it would be appropriate. Previously I had used the wind vane in the farmyard to check my directions, however we have since discovered it is out of sync so my partner insists on checking North on his iPhone compass. Granted, this is not the most traditional method but it definitely comes under the heading of ‘practical magick’.

In spite of this preparation, however, my first attempt to cast a circle in a long while was not without its hiccups.  I really hope I’m not alone in being over the age of eight and still having to think hard about which is East and which is West. Not the best trait in a witch.  Having apologised to the elemental guardians and rearranged my incense and my water goblet, we could finally begin.

The ritual was a simple one; I asked Brigid to bless our home and hearth with her warmth and light and thanked her for the return of Spring. I then cast a small spell for a positive attitude and the creation of happy memories as the year unfolds. Finally, we gathered around our ‘hearth’ and ate a traditional Imbolc feast of roast lamb.

Later in the evening, long after it had gone dark, we used our hearth flame to light the candle of our lantern, which we took for a walk down to the nearby river. Placing an incense stick in the earth on the riverbank and with our lantern aglow, we had the four elements surrounding us once more. As cold as the night was, there was a warmth in that moment: one beautiful memory already created.

To warm the heart and ease the mind

This is a beautiful spell that was passed on to me by a hedgewitch friend at a particularly sad time in my life. It helped me re-energise with positivity and has since become a favourite ‘treat’ when I’m feeling low.  I send it into the ether now, with love and light, for anyone who may so need.

Firstly, cleanse your bathroom, ensuring the space is free from clutter or items which may distract you. The aim of this ritual is to focus on yourself which means mobile phones and so on should be banished from the area.

• Around your bathroom, light purple or pink candles. Place them safely so that they cast pools of light on the water when you fill the bath.
• Let the water run to fill the bath, then turn off the taps.
• Add five drops of rose essential oil and five of ylang ylang, dropping them into the pools of light. *
• Place a rose quartz or amethyst crystal into the water to strengthen self-love and approval.
• Lie in the water and swirl the light pools in turn, making a clear affirmation for each one. For example, ‘I exist, I am unique, I am of worth, I have many gifts (name them), I value myself, I love myself, I am complete in myself, I treasure what I have and what I am’.
• Continue to swirl the light, visualising it flowing within you, making you a body of light and loveliness.
• Finally, make a wish for yourself in each light pool.
• When you are ready, stand up and step out of the water. Take out the plug, saying:

Doubts and sorrow, flow from me, what I wish, I can be.

• Look at yourself in the mirror framed by light and you will see how your inner radiance creates true beauty that cannot fade.
• Carry the candles into your bedroom or living room and spend the evening reading a special book, listening to music, or just dreaming of happy tomorrows as you gaze into the light.

 * While rose essential oil can be added to the bath water unblended, some people experience sensitivity to ylang-ylang and so may wish to blend the oil in a carrier such as sweet almond beforehand.

When you wish upon a star...

...drop a coin into a wishing well, or blow out the candles on your birthday cake, have you ever considered carefully what you are doing and what it means?  These are sweet, superstitious practices for most, passed down from generation to generation and given an encouraging nudge by the film-makers at Disney: nothing more.

Sometimes there is genuine thought and desire behind a wish; often it is whimsical – a spur of the moment fancy. For me, it is the combination of thought and action (as with almost every aspect of life) which creates power. In practical terms, it is the intent with which something is done which provides its driving force.  If you take besom to hearth and create a sweeping motion, without intent to remove the dust, you will simply swirl it around the room; if you make a wish without clear intentions about the forthcoming outcome, it is unlikely you will recognise whether it has been achieved – or know that it is what you truly want.

In simple terms, a ‘spell’ is a form of wish: a desire for a particular outcome or change. What is beautiful and, paradoxically, often frightening about the concept is that what we desire is achievable simply by aligning our thoughts with our actions. It is within us. Whether you direct your intent towards a deity - or as I more often prefer to do, towards nature and the universe as a whole - the wish, spell, prayer is cast through visualisation of the hoped-for outcome amalgamated with the energy provided through an – often symbolic – action.

Dropping a coin into a well symbolises an offering to the universe; candles were historically put on cakes to symbolise the glowing of the moon – it was said that the smoke rising from them would carry a person’s prayers to the gods.  

As for me, I sent my wishes skyward this year by paper lantern, which carried my hopes into the universe gracefully. These intentions were coupled with the action of burying apples in a particular spot in my garden. In giving this offering back to the ground, I was visualising a symbollic outcome: my first snowdrop sighting. 

This symbol of hope represents the arrival of a much craved-for spring; life and light beginning to seep back into the darkness we currently find ourselves enveloped in. The next turn of the wheel. I never fail to feel joyous at the sight of that first fragile and most courageous of flowers, braving the February frosts. A beautiful metaphor for what the spirit can overcome.  

When I see these wondrous reminders raise their heads from a wintery slumber, at the spot where I buried my offerings and released my hopes to the sky, I will know my wishes have already begun to come true.