Ian Elliott April, 2012

Witches’ Paradigms, Part Two: Following the Moon

Following the Moon:

While reverencing the Sun and the Earth, polytheistic witches identify the Moon as the special Goddess of witchcraft, a view borne out by that classic of the modern Craft, Aradia, Gospel of the Witches, recorded by Charles G. Leland and published in 1890.  Additionally, the witch Goddess (called the Lady and regarded by Wiccans as the personification of all Goddesses combined) has three visible aspects, corresponding to the waxing, full and waning phases of the Moon, known also as the Maiden, the Mother and the Crone.  She also has a hidden fourth phase, the Dark of the Moon, which corresponds to her monthly renewal from Chaos, the dark sea of awareness or spirit.  The Moon’s waning phase is often identified with Hekate, the classical witch-Goddess.    That the Moon herself in all her phases had witchcraft as her province can be seen in the second Idyll of Theocritos, often called “The Sorceress” (this can be read in the Viking Greek Reader).

The current phase of the Moon should be noted in every entry of one’s witchcraft journal, for the work one does will depend on the phase one is in.

The waxing phase, associated in antiquity with the Greek Goddess emis, begins with the New Moon.  When the Moon is a mere sliver in the sky, curving to the right and therefore facing left, the Maiden appears, and Her energy blesses all new enterprises.  It was traditional to kiss one’s hand to the New Moon for luck, a practice condemned in the book of Job in the bible, which as we know also condemns witchcraft.  It was also traditionally considered very unlucky to first catch sight of the New Moon through glass; in other words, witches and pagans in general went outside around the time of the New Moon to honor Her first appearance and the beginning of a new monthly cycle.

The Carmina Gadelica, a compendium of old spells and prayers, some from Druidic times, refers to the New Moon as “the Moon of guidance.”  This is the time for a witch to practice divination, in an effort to gain insight into the character of the lunar month just ahead.  Whether you deal the Tarot or cast rune-stones or coins for the I Ching, whatever your method of divination, this is the most important time to do it, preferably right after going out in the fields to catch your first glimpse of the New Moon and kiss your hand to Her.

When you have divined the shape and chances of this lunar month, it is time to plan your spellwork.  Spells of increase are effectively cast during the waxing phase of the Moon, especially as She grows round in the sky.  So begin any new enterprises at the New Moon, and from the 2nd quarter onward cast your spells of increase.  As the Moon begins to grow round, it is a good time to pray to Her for the recovery of lost things.  As Patricia Crowther writes:

Pray to the Moon when She is round,

Luck with you will then abound.

What you seek for shall be found,

In sea or sky or solid ground !

The witch’s prayer, of course, is little different from a spell.  Unlike a christian prayer, it is not a humble supplication with “thy will be done” tacked onto the end of it (a sure guarantee of failure).  The witch prays to the Gods in a friendly, cajoling way, much as a child will charm a parent into giving it a treat or present.  When you pray to the Lady or the Lad (the Oak or Holly King) or any other God or Goddess, do so in a friendly fashion, showing both respect and self-respect.  That is what They like.  Remember that there is no original sin in witchcraft, and unless we have broken our oaths or offended the Gods in some other way, we can approach Them with a clean slate.

In India, which follows lunar astrology, the eleventh day of every lunar cycle is traditionally a day for fasting, called ‘Ekadashi’.   This is the entrance into the week of the Full Moon, which includes the three days before and after the day of the Full Moon, and is sacred to the Mother, called Selene in classical times.   Fasting is a method of purification, and witches seek to purify themselves at the start of any new cycle so as not to carry over old energies or ‘miasma’ which could block the new energies that fuel the ‘magic of the beginning’.  In the same way, it is wise to purify oneself before a natural process reaches its height, as at the Full Moon or at Midsummer (Litha).

The Full Moon itself is the time when witches gather for Esbat, a word which has been said to derive from an old French word meaning “frolic.”  The main convocations of the witches are the Esbats and the Sabbats, the latter meaning “rests” or “restful recreations.”  From this we can conclude that the purpose of witchcraft is to have fun.  A Hindu sorceress once described life as a process of “playful growth.”  The play involved, however, is like the play of children, which is both frolicsome and serious at the same time.  When children play, they are practicing to be grown up, and throw themselves completely into what they are doing.  They laugh a lot but also get angry or weep at times.  Witches regard themselves as children of the Gods, and Esbats are the times for us to come together and play as children do, practicing and honing our skills in preparation for that distant day when we become daimones (that is, demigods) and can at last really help the Gods themselves.

As the Full Moon assumes Her radiant nightly reign, the psychically sensitive witch will seek to soak up Her light and subtle influences as much as possible.  So even if you celebrate Esbat indoors, you should go outdoors at some point and walk in the moonlight for a while.  This light has the quality of changing our consciousness from beta to alpha rhythms, and in time inducing religious ecstasy.  Anti-pagan teachings have added the word “lunacy” to our vocabulary, warning against the trance that moonlight can induce.  We can learn a lot from these old churchy fables about Pagan religious practice.  For instance, people were warned not to lie out at night under the Moon, as the crone in the Moon would rake their faces with her claws.  From this we can infer that it was a practice to lie out under the Moon, soaking up Her light and subtle influences and perhaps having a visionary dream of flying to the true Sabbat.  So if you have a patio or fenced backyard and the full Moon is out, you might give this a try some night.

Classically-minded Pagans might like to chant the Greek poetess Sappho’s Paean to the Full Moon at this time:

Lo, the stars around the lovely Moon

Hide away their bright forms

Whenever she shines most fully

Over the whole Earth.

On the fifteenth night, that is, the night after the Full Moon, just as the Sun is about to set, the Moon will appear in the daytime sky for a while opposite the Sun, often with Her face tilted to one side, as though reclining in bed after love-making.  This is an excellent time for spells of balance.  Pauline Campanelli, in Ancient Ways (p. 6), writes:

“This is a powerful time for any magick that involves balance, power, a uniting of opposites, or the charging of a charm or amulet with energies of both the Sun and the Moon.”

The fourth day after the Full Moon begins Her waning phase, associated with Hekate, the Greek Goddess most closely associated with witchcraft. The waning phase is for curses and apotropaic spells, that is, spells to fend things off or get rid of things, called in traditional witchcraft ‘wanions’.  Following the Law of Threefold Return, which states that whatever energy we send out returns to us threefold, we modern witches do not engage in cursing people.  But there is nothing wrong with protecting ourselves and the fruits of our spells of gain from the ill regard of others.  That the thoughts of others can impact our minds and energy can be seen from the practices of Buddhist monks, who traditionally meditate in the early hours of the morning, when most people are asleep.  One reason witchcraft is called “the Hidden Path” is that a witch will seek to live in such a way as to be as free as possible from the restricting regard of others.  For this reason the witch cultivates the fourth power of the magus, keeping silent.  The less others know about the things you do, the freer you will be, psychically speaking, to do them.  This applies even to other coven members.

Hekate had power at the trivia, the places where three roads meet, in antiquity where witches gathered at midnight for their conjurations.  As the guardian of the trivia, Hekate was represented by a stake or column in the center of the intersection, upon which three wooden masks were hung, looking out along the three roads.  In the mid-fifth century BCE, she began to be represented by three sculpted female figures ranged around a column.   These figures were in Roman times identified with the three visible phases of the Moon, associated with emis as the Maiden, Selene as the Mother, and Persephone as the Crone, but Hekate came to be identified with all three phases, and the dark phase as well.  Her column is the world pillar or tree which links the three worlds of heaven, middle-earth and the underworld, and through which spirits and the ancestors travel as in a great cosmic elevator.  Hekate is the spirit of the pillar who grants Her worshippers access to the three worlds and is thus the Goddess who empowers witchcraft.

Of the three figures ranged around the pillar or hekataion, the first bears a torch, standing for the torch Hekate bore when she searched for Kore or Persephone when the latter was abducted by Hades.  As we saw above, the New Moon is a finder and a guide, which is why witches divine at the New Moon to seek Her guidance throughout the month.   The second figure holds a libation bowl and ewer, and stands for Selene facilitating prayer at sacrifices, which are most effective at the time of the Full Moon.  Finally, the third figure holds fruit, standing for the fruits of the Earth enjoyed at the harvests of the waning year, the fruits of wisdom gleaned in old age, and the fruits of the spells of increase cast during the waxing Moon and enjoyed during the waning time.

The waning phase, then, should be a time for enjoying the fruition of those short-range spells cast during the waxing phase, and the protective spells cast at this time serve to enhance the witch’s enjoyment by securing his or her fences against ill-wishers.  This is a time especially for cultivating inner silence, purifying the body and sweeping clean the mind from the miasma of past grievances and sorrows.  For the time of the dark phase is coming, when the witch will descend, in deep meditation, into that sea of chaos from which the Gods have their birth and rebirth, and out of which They fashion the worlds.  During the dark phase, the Lady Herself sinks into that dark sea of awareness and renews Her own energies.  And just as children imitate their parents, so witches imitate Her example and descend into their own inner darkness. This is especially fortuitous to do on the day after Yule, called The Nameless Day, on which see below.

The 25th day of the lunar month, three days before the dark Moon, corresponds to Ekadashi and is a good time to repeat the cleansing fast held earlier.  From then till the first appearance in the sky of the sliver of the New Moon is a time for resting, going within and practicing meditation after one’s ways.  One way is to go backward in memory, tracing one’s life back to the earliest times, and trying to recall the sense of oneself one had at different periods of one’s life.  Who were you when you were small?  Then try to go back before that, and get a sense of yourself before you were this person.  In Zen Buddhism this is called “one’s original face.”  Deep within, you are still this unknown person.   Try to face the world as it first appeared to you, as a fresh, unknown thing.  Then face yourself as unknown.  This is one way to descend into the sea of chaos, that fruitful place from which all things are born and to which they eventually return.

Additional Notes:

The inner aim of witchcraft is to enter an altered consciousness in order to be closer to the Otherworld of spirit.  This is balanced by the outer aim of practicing the Craft in the everyday world.  Witches must keep their outer lives in order so as to have the time and energy available for pursuing their inner aim.

Witches work within the lunar cycle, and seek closeness to the Lady as the Moon.  While this involves knowing the Lady, it is even more important to let the Lady know you.  As with the other gods, Lady Moon must become a personality in the witch’s life.  This is done, first of all, through greeting her when she is New or Full.  Treat her as you would any other important person in your life.  Do not stare at her overmuch, as this is rude to do to anyone.  When you are walking along and she is out in the sky and seen to the side, she will appear to be accompanying you in your walk.  When I mentioned in childhood that the Moon was following us home, my cousins told me it was an illusion.  There followed many years in which I lost my awareness of her companionship while walking.  When I was carrying my infant son home late one afternoon, he noticed her and I regained that perception.  I noticed that when I looked directly at the Moon, I remembered my cousins’ correction and a faint echo of my boyhood embarrassment.  But when I gazed at her to the side of my line of vision, I regained the childhood perception that she was walking alongside.

When the Moon is new, witches will go outside to see her without looking through glass, traditionally regarded as unlucky.  This means that deliberately seeking her company, and honoring her presence, when she first appears in the sky as a thin sliver is magically potent.  Other important times for seeking her company are after the first quarter; at the full moon; the day after the full moon when she regards the Sun, and vice versa, from across the sky; and just before she disappears at the dark phase.

Scientific studies of moonlight have proven that it induces alpha rhythms in the brain.  Ordinarily we operate with beta waves, and of course these studies were conducted by people in a state of beta consciousness.  (How reliable would a study of beta waves be if conducted within alpha rhythms?) The same thing is true of candlelight.  The emphasis on the Moon and candles in witchcraft underlines the importance to witches of achieving an alpha state whenever this is desirable.

The Bible condemns witchcraft, and provides important information about it in the process.  In Job we read a condemnation of Moon worship when he says that if he were to look on the Moon and be ‘secretly transported’ within, he would offend against ‘the most High,’ i.e., Yahweh.  “Secretly” means in private experience.  “Transported” means a feeling of religious ecstasy from a sense of contact with the divine person in the Moon.  If the Lady is indeed in the Moon, she is looking back at us when we look at her.  The face in the Moon is a reminder of this.  If we look on the Moon as we would a human face in our presence, we may come to feel she is looking back after a while.

Several other clues in folklore and language are obviously remnants of the Church’s anti-pagan teaching.  The word ‘lunacy’ is a warning that if we cultivate the presence of the Moon, we shall lose our minds.  Accepting the pagan practice involves a willingness to explore this state of consciousness.  Similarly, tales of the Crone in the Moon raking the faces of young people sleeping out under the Moon overnight are meant to discourage the act of falling to sleep in moonlight as a way of encouraging lucid dreaming, the prelude to a spirit journey.  This suggests that the last stage of attending the witches’ Sabbat after midnight was accomplished in altered awareness.  It further indicates that this practice was also carried on in the waning phase.

*

Gods and goddesses exist on different levels, and each level is a cycle.  This provides an easy answer to the question, how can the Lady be old or young as she wishes and yet appear as the Maiden in the spring, the Mother in the summer, and the Crone in the autumn?  One answer lies in the lunar cycle.  She is the Maiden in the waxing phase, even while she appears as the Crone in the autumn.  In the cycle of the seasons she is the Earth goddess, in the lunar cycle she is the Moon goddess.

We also go through shorter and longer cycles.  In the course of a single lifetime we know we can die and be reborn, in a psychological sense, many times.

Where the character of the Wheel of the Year matches that of the lunar cycle, the effect of actions taken at that time is heightened.  Thus, the New Moon phase is most potent in the springtime, heightening the effect of divination undertaken then; the Full corresponds to summer, especially Litha; the Waning phase is most potent at Samhain; and the Dark phase, from the Moon’s last appearance through her disappearance, is linked with the Nameless Day after Yule, which lies outside the lunar year altogether.

*

The Moon goddess is concerned with our current incarnation.  She it is who gives birth to souls waiting to reincarnate, and she does it when she is at the full, as the Mother (Semele in Greek).  So to be known by her is to let her look in on how we are living our current life.  She will not pry.  She only concerns herself with those who invite her regard.  Following the lunar phases invites that regard.

Tags: moon

• Articles

R. Wolf Baldassarro July, 2011

Environmental Factors of Ghost Hunting: The Moon

We left off last month discussing some of the mainstream scientific and environmental factors that contribute to paranormal research and ghost hunting. I touched on many of those topics as best I could and ended with a mention of how the Moon affects investigations. We’ve got a whole new month and column to stretch out our minds and comfortably talk about this important aspect of our otherworldly stroll.

The Moon has played an important role in spiritual and psychological matters for as long as there’s been recorded history; many modern terms, such as lunacy, derive from the effects that the Moon is claimed to have on our psyches.

As the lunar cycle waxes to full, incidents of psychotic behavior, violence, and crime seem to escalate; the phase of the New Moon also seems correlated to a rash of abnormal behavior. Current understanding of human psychology and physiology supports the observation that the Moon can exert significant influence on the human mind.

But is there really any scientific support for such claims?

Well, it so happens that this pattern has been proven in a variety of studies. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry (1978); a 1987 survey; and at the University of New Orleans (1995) are a few examples.

Statistically, the studies found that psychiatric admissions actually drop at the New Moon, but that they increase during the first quarter; homicides, suicides, aggravated assaults, and fatal traffic accidents all increasing as the Full Moon arrives.

As a professional in the psychology field, I find this interesting. If the Full Moon exerts an influence on rising ocean tides and also an increase in erratic human behavior, and psychiatric admissions drop at New Moons, that supports a hypothesis that the gravitational pull of the Full Moon is counteracted by the equal but opposite effect of the New Moon having an adverse effect on the chemical imbalance in the brain, perhaps due to a reduction in the gravitational pressure exerted on the fluids within the body.

It is well established in science that the Moon’s gravity is the cause of the ocean tides and affects many different phenomena in weather and nature. The Earth is mostly water; but the human body is also made up of mostly water to the same percentages. So if the Moon affects the planet due to its abundance of water, why not the creatures on the planet made up of the same materials?

As long as we’re discussing the Moon’s effect on water, it may be interesting to note that sites with poltergeist activity report unexplained drops or small puddles of water in the room, and in general more poltergeist activity is reported near water; many poltergeist reports involve kitchens. Several of the best EVP recordings and other captured evidence for hauntings occur near streams or in close proximity to groundwater. Early studies suggested that running water may generate a frequency that renders some people more sensitive to psychic phenomena.

Some scientists argue that the lunar effect on gravitational forces doesn’t just affect the tides, but are linked to earthquakes as well. A study of 2000 earthquakes demonstrated that they occurred when tidal forces where over the epicenter of the earthquake. The study showed that there seems to be a lunar trigger. Another study in 1978 found that the Moon triggers particle flow, which disturbs the Earth’s magnetic field.
Eclipses are known to have an effect on the conductivity of the atmosphere, especially the E-region, which in turn affects the Earth’s geomagnetic field- the largest effects occurring in the morning around the time of equinoxes. A 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Japan occurred on the same day of the joint winter solstice/eclipse on December 21, 2010.

So if a major parapsychological theory contends that paranormal activity is tied to fluctuations in the geomagnetic field of the planet, then it stands to reason that investigations can benefit from close association with lunar events to produce effective results.

Activity often increases on the anniversary of death, especially if the Moon was full or new on the date that the person died. A possible cause of this is due to the gravitational forces being increased and therefore providing additional energy to bridge the gap between the different planes of existence. Whether or not the person’s death correlates to a Full or New Moon, it’s wise to check for increased activity on those nights each month, or on whichever moon phase was nearest the time of death.

Paranormal activity is often easily influenced by subtle factors so it’s possible that the Moon has a greater effect on them now that they exist in the non-physical realms.

Some researchers have noticed slightly better statistical results during investigations held during the New or Full Moon.

In addition to the effects of the Moon on spirits, researchers can have greater psychic sensitivity during the Full and/or New Moons. The Full Moon has been shown to affect the physical body, including menstrual cycles (which in turn affects the body mentally and physically); whereas the New Moon is related to increased influence on mental states.

There is definitely a lot of room for speculation about lunar cycles and increased paranormal activity, or perhaps more awareness of it.

So, have any of you noticed an increase or decrease in activity during certain Moon phases? Is there any credit to these theories, or is it all just lunacy? Let me know what you think. The floor is yours.

© 2011 R. Wolf Baldassarro/Deep Forest Productions

Tags: ghost hunting, moon, paranormal

• Articles

Hoi Sum July, 2011

Remembering to Honor the Moon

As a witch I try to be faithful about honoring the wheel of the year. Every sabbat I do my best to at least have a  solitary ritual if I am unable to attend a group ritual. I used to to have a full moon ritual every esbat too. My full moon rituals are my favorite. They are such a magickal and intimate time between me and my deities. Unfortunately I have gotten so busy lately that I have been forgetting to celebrate the esbats. I get bummed out every month when I realize another full moon has passed me by. Sometimes we are so busy in our mundane lives we neglect our magikal lives. It is important to honor the moon and to celebrate her phases. The moon phases are not just important to witches because of the different energy aspects for spell work, but the moon phases also represent the life stages of the Goddess and all women. An esbat ritual is a chance to honor and worship the Goddess and to honor our own womanhood. It is important as a witch to take the time to honor the moon and to honor our own feminine energy. Esbat rituals are a great way to do this. Even when we are busy we need to remember to take the time to have an esbat ritual. An esbat ritual doesn’t always have to be long and complex. Sometimes a simple ritual of lighting a candle and taking time to meditate on the moon is enough. The important thing is to take time, even a small amount of it to honor the moon every month. The moon is an integral part of our craft as witches. I am personally taking a pledge to make an effort to honor the moon every month and to take the time to celebrate the Goddess with esbat rituals! I hope you will join me in this pledge! Blessed Be!

Tags: moon

• Articles

Rayneschild March, 2011

A couple of years ago I read about using the energy from the full moon to charge water for future use in spells, cleansing, whatever.  I don’t remember which author it was to give proper credit, but I use it quite often and Ostara happens to come under that category.  It’s best to use spring, ocean, or rain water, something from the elements and catch it in a non-metallic container.  Put the container outside where the light of the full moon can shine on it unobstructed all night and then bring it in before it is touched by the sun.  Keep it somewhere dark like a closet, etc., and dip it out to charge for use.  In my Ostara ritual I am specific about the mountains I’m lucky enough to live in since Spring here is like watching the Earth Mother reawake every year and that in and of itself is a blessing, Happy Ostara!!!

On this blessed first day of Spring I cleanse and claim this sacred ring

With water touched by Goddess light under the Horned God’s golden light

My altar too is sacred ground, blessings of love and joy abound

Witnessed by both stone and tree

This is my will so mote it be!

I give thanks for the blessings of Spring

The mother brings new life to everything

She lovingly whispers to each creature and tree

Come dance in my circle I have new life for thee

And here in my own circle I ask the Mother’s gift

That along with all the seeds and bulbs

My spirit too will lift

It’s Ostara in the mountains which are a gift to me

And it is with deepest reverance I give my thanks to thee.

Tags: energy, moon

• Articles

John Conlin December, 2010

The Long Night’s Moon and Yule

“The Wheel turns and I feel my fire has burned away.

I feel the Earth holding me tight. I know the Crone now walks through the night.

And I know the Wheel still slowly turns, back to me to make me burn,

With the love, I forever, hold for thee…..”

For me, both of these moments separately mark very significant changes upon the Wheel. When they coincide within the same night, something that occurs roughly once every 19 years, there is magick in the air.  This night, I am able to witness and emerge myself in the middle of the dance that shadow and light eternally share. I am able to stand at the edge of the deep dark and reach out to touch the spark of the journey anew. It is to me, both the end and the new beginning of my own path around the Wheel.  As I sit in the quiet darkness I try to recall all of the signs, all of the sights and smells and the sacred moments I experienced throughout this turning of the Wheel. From the inward searching Winter’s hold asks of my spirit, to the first fragile glimpse of the dreams of Spring, I remember how the air felt upon my skin. Soon, the maiden began to dance away the snow, awakening the earth from her slumber and chasing away the last grasp of Winter. I remember feeling the forest come back to life. I remember the rich, deep breath the forest shared and how the air tingled with energy. The stillness of the cold was long gone, replaced with the passion and vibrancy new life promised. Where there was only black and white, there now exploded a world of color, fueled with the magick of wet and warm touching, and the days grew. Longer, warmer, filled with the sounds and scents of Nature’s rejoicing, the days stretched themselves into the night. The Tiger Lilies returned and the Ghost plant made its brief appearance as the shadows all but disappeared from the forest. The Spring rains faded and the Sun rose higher.  Sitting by the altar in my house, holding a rock I borrowed from the river, I think back to the morning of the Summer Solstice. I pick up my wand and trace my finger over the ring I burned into it that day, with the Sun’s fire. I remember how connected I felt that day, standing beneath the Sun, between the forest and the river.  Slowly I gaze over everything I’ve placed on the altar and savor the memory each item conjures. Shadow and light, love and death, the endless dance that weaves itself within the change beckoned by the turning of the Wheel, it all lies represented upon my altar. Beneath my altar I notice the coiled black cord. The black cord we used in our Mabon ritual to represent the Mother pulling up the shadows from the God’s passing. I reach out and hold the cord. I   wonder what the end of the ritual is like, for I have never witnessed the closing, choosing instead to embrace the path the God walks that night. I close my eyes and drift within the shadows of the Fall. I remember the way the feel of the air changes, a damp heaviness on my skin as I begin to smell the decay of those things forgotten by the fading Sun. My thoughts turn to the Crone and her lone walk through the trees under a stark moon. I recall the way her touch turns the leaves to the colors of his fire. I think about the last days of the salmon, keeping their long promise to return, giving themselves back to the forest and the river. I have come full circle once more and although my memories of the past flow with similarities, I recognize my need to embrace change. Here at the place where I believe the end and the beginning touch, I ready  my spirit to step into the unknown. In this night, within this moment the Goddess sheds the Crone’s dark mantle, her shadows sliding back into the Earth, revealing the Mother. I consider how I should honor the past and remember its weight as I acknowledge the Mother’s presence, breathing in the present. I light a single yellow candle to celebrate the return of the God. It is a small spark of light that will slowly push against the edge of the dark, until the days are once again long and warm.  Until then, I will hold space for the future and the untold promises of wonder, the new year that turns to me, can manifest.  Blessed be and Merry Yule to all,

John

Tags: moon, night, yule

• Spells & Rituals

John Conlin November, 2010

A Full Moon in November

A heavier darkness now eats at both the beginning and the end of the day. The colors of Autumn have fallen and yielded to gray shadow. Spring and Summer drift further away, carried deeper into memory, upon the colder winds that have started to blow. The Full Moon rises over the river, Her bright light illuminating a world laying on the edge of sleep, waiting for the Wheel’s inevitable turn to Winter. Native people called this moon the Beaver Moon for they saw them using the last few days before the ice formed, readying themselves to outlast the impending cold. Others call this the Dark Moon or the Hunter’s Moon but I think they all seek to acknowledge the same awareness and sense of purpose. For me this moon is a reminder to be sure that I am prepared for the long dark journey through Winter back to Spring. Some rain laden clouds begin to stack up against the mountain and temporarily obscure the Moon’s light. The path I’m on is quickly swallowed by the darkness and I can feel the cold trying to wrap more tightly around me. Unable to see I simply stand and wait, breathing deeply tuning myself to this exact moment. I can hear the river, stronger now with the Fall’s rains, rushing past. Its sound is deeper and more serious than the carefree sounds it carried past in Summer.  There is nothing else moving this night. I feel the forest withdrawing. The harmony and united breath I felt within this place before, no longer exists. I can feel each tree standing alone, centering its energy within its core and grounding itself to the earth. They are all bracing for Winter’s onslaught. I wonder if those trees standing along the river’s banks now sense the vulnerability of their position. What was enchanted real estate through the Summer can unforgiving turn to misfortune amidst Winter’s storms. As I think about the trees, the Moon’s light breaks free from the clouds allowing me to resume my walk down the path. It was not that long ago when this path was seemingly covered with spider webs of all shapes and sizes. The air was a buzz with insects and the deciduous trees were ablaze in color .That is gone now, returned to the earth to be re-claimed. I am reminded of this with each noisy step I take down upon the crunchy leaves. Only the evergreens look the same, though I sense they worry about the burden of snow they’ll have to endure in the months that lie ahead. I slowly make my way to a spot that overlooks the river from the tree line. There is an old stump there, a tree felled by loggers long before I was born, that offers a perfect vantage upon the river while remaining within the forest’s hold. I sit down on the stump thinking it is not too wet and pull a small cauldron from my pack. I am pleased that I managed to keep almost all of the sand from the river inside the cauldron as I set it on the forest floor. Without a breeze blowing I am able to ignite the charcoal with a single match and shortly it is glowing red. I ritually place some sage on the coal and embrace the magick released. Throughout all the years I’ve tried to walk my path, breathe within a sacred moment and reach into another realm, I have found and collected those things that inspire my spirit. It is so simple a thing to burn sage, yet for me, there are few things that pull me away from the mundane so effortlessly and move me so deeply to another place. My thoughts turn to this Full Moon, the Beaver Moon and I think about what it should mean to me. I am so blessed to live where I do and actually have beavers that live not far from where I currently sit. I remember seeing all the young branches they had gathered a couple weeks ago when I was fly fishing. I think about the basic things I have gathered to prepare for the months ahead. My list is a bit different than what the Native people who were here had to do, but it seeks to capture the same assurance. Elemental basics, food, fire and water that I will need to sustain my physical self through the coming Winter, have all been gathered. What though of my spiritual self? What should I gather to nurture my spiritual self through the dark?  I sit in the dark stillness, staring through the gray smoke from the burning sage, searching the forest for the wisdom of the Crone. Her aspect for me singularly and poetically captures the essence of being alone in the dark. It is She who offers to take me on a journey to let go of everything that binds me to possibly discover what more I am.  I sit here in the cold darkness and I try to glean what Nature is showing me. I feel the forest around me, individually, tree by lone tree gathering strength. I begin to understand that unlike Spring and Summer now is not the time reach outward and spread one’s self too thinly. It is time embrace solitude while strengthening the core of my being. It is time to focus my vision into the great darkness and without fear, wonder. It is time gather my resolve, embracing my singular awareness that I might better understand my connection to the universe. I place one last pinch of crumbled sage upon the charcoal as I think about what I want to accomplish. Peering through the rising gray smoke of the sage to the place where the Moon’s light yields to the dark, I hear the Crone whispering, take what the natural world gives and trust it to lead you.  .

Tags: moon, november

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John Conlin August, 2010

Lughnasadh and the Moon of August

“I remember I held you, up high on the mountain’s side.

As I looked out over the land, all your magick filled my eyes.

I hear the ravens call my name, reminding me everything must change.

For the Earth, she lays waiting for me.”

This month I stand between the Summer Solstice and the Autumnal Equinox. It is a moment upon the Wheel that seems to defy my ability to discern the turning changes still taking place. The morning air is warm and sweet. I can see and feel a richness of the land. The bounty of Summer’s end is now ripened and ready to be savored within the lazy last days before the turn to Fall. The forest around me is so quiet as the Sun’s light peaks over the tree covered ridge. An occasional bird briefly sings but their calls now sound more like a contented sigh than anything else. Although I realize the Wheel must still be turning at the same speed, it surely does not feel that way to me. All around me there is a deep stillness. As if the forest was trying to take one last nap in the light before the shadows of the Fall claim their place, pushing Summer back into dark memory. Not yet though I think to myself as I pick some grapes and a few plums before heading down to the river. Slowly, as I breathe in the warm morning air, I step further away from the mundane allowing my senses to align with the natural world. The deeper I step, the clearer the subtle changes that mark Lughnasadh and this Moon become. I can see that the light, ever so slightly, has a hint of darker gold within it. There are spider webs everywhere, commanded by large garden spiders and adorned with the empty carcasses of the less fortunate. The moss on the trees is now dry and brittle. The once vibrant green has now faded toward a more sage like gray as it yields to August’s heat. My steps are noisy as the parched ground beneath my feet crackles under my steps. There are no more wildflowers in the small clearings and the few bees I see seem frustrated by their disappearance. Making my way down to the river I notice there is an osprey sitting upon one of the large branches reaching out from a shoreline tree. The river is at its lowest levels of the year now and although she is a little off colored from glacial melt, the water is too low to provide any decent cover for the fish. As a result, the ospreys and kingfishers are now having their day but even they seem relaxed. I finish making my way down to the river and head over to one of my favorite rocks. It has been scoured smooth and partially hollowed by the river’s rage but at this time of the year it makes a comfortable vantage point for observing. I set down my backpack, pulling out some water and sit on the cool rock. The morning Sun has not yet reached this spot and for a few minutes longer I am within the shade of the large trees. I think about the coming of Lughnasadh and the traditional start of the harvest season as I bite into one of the plums I picked earlier. I close my eyes, remembering the mornings I first saw the blossoms appear and then the initial signs of the fruit to come. For all things given there is an equal amount of energy given back, returned to the source for the Circle to flow and be complete. I remember the baby birds I found beneath the tree that had fallen from their nest to be returned to the Earth. Sitting quietly, the Sun now embracing me, I can see the ebb and flow of energy around that tree as the Wheel turned, the seasons changed and the Circle spun. The Sun is warm but now in August not nearly so direct and it feels gentle upon my tanned skin. I open my eyes, looking around and notice a heron fishing just upstream from where I sit. I watch him catch a few fish and wonder how much harder it will be for him to be so successful once the rains return in a short while. The native people call the moon of August the Full Sturgeon Moon, for it is one of the best times to catch these large fish. Others call it the Grain Moon, the Fruit Moon, the Full Red Moon for the reddish tint it takes on rising through the sultry haze of late Summer, as well as the Moon when all things ripen. They all have their connections and depending upon ones own relative perceptions a stronger or lesser personal relevance. I simply call it the Moon of Harvest, for it marks the first hint of noticeable transition the seemingly endless days toward those requiring a more structured and responsible effort. Not yet though I remind myself as I walk over to one of the larger pools in the river. This is one of the few times during the year when Fire and Water are gently entwined. The energies between the two seem closer and for a short time the river is refreshingly cool and not freezing cold. As I drift in the pool and then sit at its edge I think about everything I harvest from this world around me. Not just those things I physically consume but all that I take, borrow and use along my journey. Do I return or give back anything close to what I take?  While I sit there in the river, wondering, I see the first Chinook salmon of the season to make it this far up river. She is a large female, her fins torn and tattered from her long promised journey. She has come to spawn and then give back all that she has left, returning what she has harvested along her way.  Once again I am awed by Nature’s magickal perfection and as I head back home I have a deeper understanding of this moment upon the Wheel.

Tags: lughnasadh, moon, rite, ritual, sabbat

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John Conlin April, 2010

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Rev. Melissa King Ph.D April, 2010

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John Conlin March, 2010

The Promise of Spring is Ours to Keep

Ostara and the Quickening Moon

The light has changed and all but the most stubborn shadows have yielded their hold. Darkness gives way to green. All that was forgotten by the Sun and left to Fall’s descent, now lies transformed, ready to fulfill the promise of Spring. Ostara, the Vernal Equinox, brings us to the moment where the dreams of Imbolc begin to physically manifest. It is the point upon the Wheel where color begins to return in earnest to the world around you. The solemn quiet of Winter gives way to Nature’s chorus, as more and more of Her creatures follow the Goddess’ and God’s lead into the throes of the great dance. You can feel the energy blowing across fields and through the forests, refreshing your senses. You can feel it dancing over your skin; cool yet warm, flickering back and forth like a candle, as the seduction of Spring reawakens the desire to want more. Under the Spring rains and within the growing incandescence of the heightening Sun, you can feel wet and warm touch. The sky above fills your eyes with blue and the ground below vibrates with new life reaching outward. In all of this I can hear and feel the Earth, through Nature, speaking to me and showing me, that it is time to move ahead. It is time for me to take action on those dreams born at Yule and then nurtured at Imbolc. To act upon those discoveries I made, venturing into the darkness while embracing the wolf moon and those ideas I thought over as I sat in the stillness and quiet of the snow moon.  The Wheel has turned, the energies are converging and it is our moment, as well to apply our energy to a time and place. I recognize that traditionally the union of the Goddess and the God, (the aspect energies of each within Nature), is celebrated on May 1^st at Beltaine. From my perspective, where I live, I feel their energies unite much closer to Ostara. And by the 1^st of May, feminine and masculine energies have not only embraced but have been set to their destinies. I guess what I am trying to say is that I feel Ostara marks the union of the Goddess and the God, while Beltaine is the celebration of that prior union. The mystery and wonder of Nature move with her whim and such things are difficult at best to capture with even the most enlightened of calendars. I give this explanation, not so any who read this will follow my interpretation word for word, but instead, hoping that they will seek to feel what is present in their own world and interact accordingly. Before I address the ritual components I use for Ostara, I would like to talk a little about the Quickening Moon. This month’s full moon falls just after Ostara and as such, it directly corresponds to the same energies. To me it is the Quickening Moon but many know it by other names. The Full Worm Moon, the Crow Moon and the Sap Moon are some of the most common names. They all speak to the same concept though, a recognition and acknowledgement of the convergence of energies present at this point upon the Wheel. Each name serves as a reminder for us to constantly tune our awareness, a reminder for us to try to see the small, subtle actions taking place around us that ultimately shift the seasons. There are many ways to see and experience this world. Through both the mundane and the poetic we can find ways to make sense of all we encounter, thereby furthering our own understanding. No two beings find their way in exactly the same manner, because each of us interfaces with a different way or rate, to the Universe. What I see, what I feel, when I walk through the forest will be completely different and quite possibly somewhat irrelevant to another. For I think it is true, that each of us, can only experience, some lesser part of that which we imagine possible. That being said, there are still some things, like the turning to Spring, that can move and make us smile. It is not realistic to hold every ritual outside or travel to some natural location you deem to be sacred. Ostara however is one that I highly recommend you try to take outdoors. Whether you hold your ritual on the Vernal Equinox or need to wait a week to find the time, do what it takes in order to have it in Nature. I prefer to keep my ritual simple, heading down to where the forest touches the river, with just a few items. A candle each for the Goddess and the God, a chalice and my blade, a bottle of water, (not plastic), a piece of cake, (usually something slightly cinnamon), some incense and a magnifying glass, is about all I will bring. I like to use water for this ritual, as I see the coming together of fire and water as the catalyst of Spring. I tend to use the same cake recipe throughout my rituals, increasing or decreasing the cinnamon levels according to the season, in relation to the aspect present of the God’s energy. The magnifying glass is for lighting the incense, but it’s a good idea to bring along a few matches just in case the Sun does not cooperate. After doing everything involved with casting circle, I will light some incense and just sit or stand quietly. I will close my eyes at times to rely more heavily upon my other senses and allow myself to drift in between. The most important aspect of this ritual though is to breathe and feel the Spring. To pull the energy of the great dance within yourself, melt away the last of Winter’s hold and re-ignite your flame. Then as you stand in the Sun’s light, feeling the Earth tremble with energy, hold your vision brought forth from Imbolc and wrap it with the magick of Ostara. I will then tap three times on large rocks, trees and upon the Earth while saying,” Mother Earth, through soil and stone I call to thee,

For Father Sun has returned the light to see.

Awaken anew from your Winter’s sleep,

the promise of Spring is yours to keep.”

Tags: moon, Ostara, ritual

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