Magick Wyrd Witchcraft

Lughnasadh celebrations originally coincided with the first reapings of the harvest. When the plants of spring wither and drop their fruits or seeds for our use as well as to ensure future crops, the God sows the earth with his abundance.

The grand Sun God enters his old age as autumn begins, but he is not yet done. The God aspect symbolically loses some of his strength as the Sun rises farther in the South each day and the nights grow longer. It is like the autumn of life, when the peak has been reached and the time to rest is closer on the horizon.

This Sabbat was also adopted as ‘Lammas ‘, meaning ‘loaf-mass ‘, for Christian worship. Lammas is a time when newly baked loaves of bread are placed on the altar. An alternative date around August 5 (Old Lammas), when the sun reaches 15 degrees Leo, is another coven tradition for some believers.

Traditional Foods:
Apples, Berries, whole grain Breads, Grapes and Dark Cherries.

Herbs and Flowers:
Crab Apple, Heather, Grapes, Dark Cherries, Wheat, Grains, and Pears.

Incense:
1 part Sandlewood
1 part white Sage
1/2 part clove
2 drops Aloe Oil

Celebrate with good cheer and thankfulness!

Start with your “altar space”:
Two Altar Candles, Water Bowl, Salt Dish, Pentacle or plate,
Incense burner or Censor, Athame, four votive Candles for the Quarters;
Optional: Wand, Candle Snuffer; Thurible with smudge stick

Cleanse and Bless your alter items, so they are
fit for use before Gods and Elemental Spirits.

Some practitioners prefer to start in the dark.

A Solitary, or a Ritual Leader waits until it feels right to begin:

LIGHTING OF THE CANDLES:

I light the Candles, (light the Goddess and God Candle ~)
in the name of the Ancients Spirits,
which are, were, and ever shall be
male, female, all-knowing, all-powerful
and forever omnipresent.

And in the names of the four Mighty Ones,
the rulers of the elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water,
may power and blessing descend
in this hour upon this place
and those gathered here.

Now you Bless and then light the four quarter candles beginning with East
and then proceed Deosil to Bless and light each corner S/W/N:

I ask for the Blessing of the AIR, the Powers of Mind to assist me.
Blessed are the Spirits of Sylphs, the essence of Spiritual Existance.

I ask for the Blessing of the Fires, the Power of Action to assist me.
Blessed are the Spirits of the Salamanders, essence of Fire and Strength.

I ask for the Blessing of the Waters, the Power of Emotions to assist me.
Blessed are the Spirits of the Undines, the Power of Fortune and Abundance.

I ask for the Blessing of the Earth, Powers of the Body to assist me.
Blessed are the Spirits of the Gnomes, they embody the Energy of Life.

BLESSING OF THE WATER:

Kneal at the altar and place the Water Bowl upon the Pentacle or plate.
Purify the water by plunging the tip of your athame into the water, saying:
Creature of Water, I cast out from thee all impurity and uncleanliness of the world. In the names of Cernunnos and Cerridwen be blessed.

 BLESSING OF THE SALT:
Set the Water Bowl aside and place the Salt Dish upon the Pentacle.
Touch salt with the tip of athame, saying:

Blessings be upon thee, O Creature of Salt; let all malice and hindrance be cast forth from thee, and let all good enter within. Wherefore I bless and consecrate thee, and I bid you aid me. In the names of Cernunnos and Cerridwen be blessed.

Using the tip of the athame, take three measures of salt, add it to the water, then stir deosil three times with the athame, saying:

As water and salt purifies the body, so the scourge purifies the soul.

So mote it be!

CASTING THE CIRCLE:

Draw a circle, continuous from north deosil unto north with the Sword (or athame), saying:
I conjure thee, O Circle of Power, that thou become a boundary between the world of men and the realms of the Mighty Ones; a meeting place of love and joy and truth; a shield against all wickedness and evil; a rampart and protection that shall preserve and contain the power that is raiseed within this circle. I bless thee, and consecrate thee, in the names of Cernunnos and Cerridwen. 

CONSECRATION OF THE CIRCLE WITH THE FOUR ELEMENTS:

Take up the consecrated water and sprinkle the Circle with fingertips, from north deosil unto north. Water Bowl is then returned to altar.

Take up the censer, and likewise censes the Circle from north unto north. 
~~~~~

This is the initial Casting of the Circle, and from this point you will be calling on spirit powers to achieve your purpose.

Your Spellwork is performed after this, and then later your circle is closed, in a kind of reverse process - meant to send the creatures called to aid back to whence they came. You must close the open door to avoid loosing the elements and spirits, that can later cause you grief.

I will continue with the next steps of basic spell casting in an upcoming post.

“would you want Spellwork here” 88% positive
“would you like help to design your own spell” 10% positive
“No, I wouldn’t be interested in any spellwork” 2% positive

Poll results were immediately available after a submission.
Thank you for participating, I appreciate hearing from guests.

I will regularly post a variety of spells, and
you can always post a request for help.

July’s full moon is called the Blessing Moon, but also known as the ‘Meadow Moon’.

Rituals held today, are typically for “increase”. A time to gain the things you desire like love, wellness, children and good finances, a “Blessing Moon” is a great time for your hearts’ desire.

These are correspondences for July’s Full Moon:

Colors: Green, silver, blue-gray
Gemstones: Moonstone, white agate, opals or pearls
Trees: Ash and oak
Gods: Juno, Venus, Cerridwen, Athena, Nephthys, Lugh
Herbs: Mugwort, hyssop, lemon balm
Element: Water

Use the element of water for divination, a particularly powerful tool this night.

Take a shallow bowl or pan, glass or black ceramic if possible. If you regularly practice divination you may already have spring rain water ready, but you can obtain water from a “moving” body, like a stream. You just need a couple inches of water. Stir the water in a clockwise “deosil” direction with your finger. Carry the bowl outdoors, or to a window where you can view the reflected Moon. Raise the bowl until you can see the Blessing Moon on the water and speak:

“You who have been known by many names, and have shed your light on our Earth since time began, bless us with the bounty of the field and the vine”.

Gently swirl the bowl while gazing at the shimmering moonlight. In respect you should pour the water onto the Earth after you have stated what you want to manifest.

The renewal of the moon each month is to remind us that we are created with and have the ability to exercise free will. This is the blessing of every full moon, life is reflected from the soul when you look into the dark pool.

Blessed be.

As the Sun enters Cancer, the water sign, this is a time for you to collect water for your altar and spellwork. Perform ritual blessings on an annual supply, gather sea water and rain water from electrical storms for its potent energies at this time.

This is traditionally when you harvest magical and medicinal herbs, which are maturing for their virgin cuttings. Use a curved boline or scythe by the light of the Moon to harvest. Enchant your herbs and roots with a charm. It’s proper to leave an offering for the rest of the plant, and try not to harvest more than 1/3rd to keep herbs healthy and vigorous.

2008 Summer Solstice falls on Friday, June 20th, 19:59 EDT
The sun ascends to its highest latitude on the celestial sphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, we have the longest day and shortest night of the year, and the reverse in the Southern Hemisphere.

Color correspondence: Red
Herb correspondence: Cinquefoil; Galangal; Mugwort; Patchouli; Verbena
Stone correspondence: Emerald, Jade, Tiger’s Eye, and Lapus Lazuli
Day correspondence: Strength; Goal achievement; Destinations
Planet correspondence: Mars (masculine influence)

Litha (Midsummer) Altar and Blessing Oil
1 part Hazelnut Oil
1 part Elder Oil
1 part Lavendar Oil
1 part Rosemary Oil
Use for ritual celebration, annoint your altar and candles.

Midsummer Incense for ritual celebration:
2 parts White Sandalwood
1 part Cinquefoil (Five Fingers)
1 part Galangal
1 part Mugwort
a few drops Lavender oil
a few drops Neroli oil
a few drops Patchouli oil

Ritual Celebration:

Perform your ritual bath before you begin.
Use a few drops of Patchouli oil and Cinquefoil herb to purify your bath water.
Items you may want: Yellow, gold or white robe; flowers in the same colors.

Assemble altar, ritual tools, and offerings, refer to “Ritual Recipe” for basic steps.
Be sure to have blessing water, sea salt, incense and ritual oil ready.
Perform your circle, and reflect on the blessing of the summer season.

Here are some simple chants you can incorporate into your celebration:

Fireflies and summer sun
in circles round
we become as one.

Singing songs at magick’s hour
we bring the winds
and timeless powers.

Swaying breathless, beside the sea
we call the Goddess
so mote it be!

You can write your own charm or blessing in your book of shadows, simply
find a few words to say thanks to the Goddess for summer abundance.

After you have performed the circle, called the directions (ESWN),
and invoked the Goddess or your spiritual guide, this is an excellent time
to ask for things you want.

Moon in Cancer is the best time to work magick for home and domestic life.
Healing rituals for ailments of the chest or stomach are also done during this period of time. It is a good time to ask for increase or prosperity, and to bless those you love, or to create amulets than bring love, luck, and health.

Ingredients:

9oz Sweet Red Wine
9 Basil Leaves
9 Rose Petals (red)
9 Cloves
9 Apple Seeds
9 Drops Vanilla Extract
9 Drops Strawberry Juice
9 Drops Raspberry Juice
1 Ginsing root cut 9 equal pieces
9 Pink Candles

By the light of 9 pink candles, Put the 9 ingredients in the cauldron during the 9th hour, and 9th day of the month. You will make the stongest of all potions if this is done during the 9th month of the year.

Stir Potion 9 times deosil with a wooden spoon, while reciting the magickal incantation:

“Let the one who drinks this wine
Shower me with love divine
Sweet love potion number 9
Make this love forever mine”

Bring mixture to a gentle boil, reduce heat, let simmer for 9 minutes. Stir 9 times widdershins while imagining your lover’s face. Remove from heat and let cool.

Blow 9 times upon the potion, Bless it with names of 9 love goddesses, then strain thru a cheesecloth into a glass container (NOT leaded crystal), cap and refridgerate until serving it to the one you love. No-one should see the potion except your lover. Do not tell them what it is.

Warning: This potion is extremly potent and should be used with caution! Results can be very intense and long lasting, and difficult to control or reverse…

SO BE ABSOLUTLY SURE THE PERSON TAKING THE POTION IS WHO YOU WANT DEVOTED TO YOU FOREVER!

Apparently, only human beings see giant moons!

Why would that be, you might wonder. Well, there are several theories, but no confirmed explanation.

Maybe it’s the shape of the sky. People see and understand the sky as flat overhead while the sides drop far into the horizon. We imagine a kind of flat top dome with the zenith low overhead and the horizon quite distant. When the moon is near the horizon, your brain, which wants to bring far things closer, miscalculates the Moon’s true distance and size.

Or, there is another Blue Moon. Our full moon this month of May 2008 happens to be the 3rd full moon in a season that has “four” full moons. This 3rd moon is also considered a Blue Moon. Easter is observed on the Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon— the first full moon after the vernal equinox. The Paschal moon this year was on March 21, the first of the calendar four moons this season. April 20th was the “Wind Moon”, 2nd of the season. June 18th will be the “Rose Moon” in common moon lore.

So, is the moon truly “Blue”? Actually, it is not a blue color, although sometimes a moon halo (Fairy Ring) will give it a tint that can be captured in photos.

The true reason for naming a 2nd moon in a month “blue”, or third moon in a seaon, is closely related to Christian ecclesiastical dates, particularly in how the date for Easter was determined each year. Some years have a 13th moon, and this alters crucial calendar dates for established seasons. Naming the 13th moon, and treating it separate, maintains a more traditional moon cycle in the Gregorian Calendar.

This Full Moon was in the last degree of Scorpio… we already had a Full Moon in April that was in the first degree. This past month had an “ALPHA/OMEGA kind of reality and generated a spectacular effect, drawing down energies, and ripping into emotions, but now as that comes to a close things will settle out a bit.

So what else was going on? Well Venus transits Neptune and is 24 degrees into Taurus/Aquarius, which makes material matters and personal relationships, also your money resources, quite chaotic. Lots of confusion, disappointments, even crisis events are expected right about now. If you have travel plans, delay them, if you are starting a new relationship, take it very slowly or postpone it a week. If you have investments you are thinking about, wait, watch, and move in small increments. By next week things will be moving more positively.

Also, the sun is entering Gemini, which is a good thing for students who have been doing the grind and need a break, it is now PARTY TIME! The cosmic duet is the influence to make your good times roll. When meeting new people, carefully remember their names, take numbers, and call them back next week. New ideas and friendships are on the horizon.

It’s a great time for the Tarot, break out your cards for divination, or visit you personal spiritual advisor for a reading.

There are trines and retrogrades this week, but for now the Moon has set the motion.