Aurora February, 2009

Kindred Heart Rite

Supplies

Apple
Boline

Cutting board
Athame

Cinnamon stick incense
Pentacle paten
Rosewater
Small red drawstring pouch
Rosewater
Offering bowl
Tealights
White or red taper candle
Three candles to represent the God, Goddess, and universal energy
Offering: Chalice with hot apple cider & plate with angel food cake

Ritual Prep

Set up your altar in advance.  If indoors, turn off any lights in the ritual room and extinguish any candles, so you will re-enter the room in darkness.

Take a cleansing ritual bath or shower by candlelight. Dress in ritual robes and jewelry. Bring the candle with you as you walk to the ritual space.

When you enter the ritual space, put the candle down in a safe place and go to your altar. Anoint your forehead with rosewater.  Light a couple of tea light candles around, if you need more light.
Rite

Light the cinnamon stick incense and walk with it around the sacred space deosil three times, purifying the area.

Sit down in a comfortable position and ground yourself in your traditional way.

When you are ready, stand up and cast a sacred circle.

Call forth the Elemental guardians at each of their quarters.

Stand at the center of the circle and invite the energies in the sacred space to join with your personal energies. Visualize all the energy swirling around you and gather it together. Bring it within yourself and center it at your internal place of power. You will feel energized and perhaps a little lightheaded. Sit down, if you need to, and allow yourself to absorb the energy safely.

Light the center candle on your altar to represent the universal energy of magick.

When you are ready, invoke the God and Goddess and welcome them to your circle.  Light the God and Goddess candles on your altar.

Spellwork

Place the apple upon the cutting board. Using your boline, slice the apple horizontally, so that the inner core star formation is revealed.

Slice away the rest of the apple until all that you have left is a small square piece of apple with the star formation.

Place one whole apple seed into four of the five slots of the star, leaving one slot empty.

Light a white or red taper candle and carefully drip the wax into the five slots of the star until they are completely filled with wax.

Blow out the tape candle and put aside carefully. Allow the waxen apple piece to completely dry.

When dry, carefully pull away the flesh of the apple to reveal the wax star with the apple seeds embedded within it.

Place this waxen star on your altar on top of your pentacle paten.

Hold your athame above the waxen token and repeat:

Let the magick of the Gods tonight
With my power through blade unite,
And consecrate this star token,
Add power to my words spoken.

Fruit to seed and back once more,
Candle to wax, to wax we pour,
We’ve all been here once before.

We return to where we start,
Return to me, my kindred heart.

Token star guide me steadfast,
As I move to present from past.

His/her name I remember not,
But my senses have not forgot,
Our hallowed time in the past,
In my heart will ever last.

God and Goddess, please do hear,
Allow this star to guide me near,

To the one I hold most dear.

Aid me in my lifelong search,
Through holly and oak, ivy and birch,
In woods and mountains, where rivers do flow,
Bring him/her back, the one my heart does know.

So mote it be done, denied by none!

Place the token in a small red drawstring pouch and keep it with you. Once a month, go somewhere you have never been before. It doesn’t have to be very far away, just somewhere new. Keep your senses open. Take notice of the people and energies around you. If you find a place that you seem drawn to, try to visit it frequently. You just might run into someone you have been looking for!

Offering

Bless your chalice of hot cider in your own traditional way. Pour libations in honor of the God and Goddess onto the ground (if outside) or into a bowl (if inside).

Bless your plate of cake in your own traditional way.  Offer a piece in honor the God and Goddess by crumbling it onto the ground (if outside) or into a bowl (if inside).

Offer the remains of the apple to nature.
Closing

Thank the Elemental guardians and let them take their leave.  Thanks the God and Goddess and bid them farewell. Open the magick circle. This rite is complete.
Notes

The token is fragile, so don’t worry if it breaks, just keep the pieces together in the pouch. Once you find who you are looking for, return the token to the earth.

Tags: magic, magick, rite, ritual, Spell

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Aurora January, 2009

Bewitching Winter Rite

Supplies

8-10” long thin silver cord

4 snowflake charms

White knob candle and holder

Dark blue glass bowl
Silver ink pen
Piece of parchment paper
Small hand towel

Mitten

Notebook

Snow & icicle
Ritual Prep

Find a large icicle (about the size of a pencil) and gather snow clean snow from outside. Keep them in the freezer until you are ready to begin this rite.

Rite

Cast a circle in your own traditional way. Call forth the Elementals of Water and Air to aid your in your magick tonight. Invite the God and Goddess to witness your rite and guide you in your workings.

Place the snow in a dark blue glass bowl and place it on your altar, next to the candle in its holder. Light the candle. Allow the snow to melt while doing the next part of the ritual, but keep an eye on the candle for safety reasons.

Gather the cord and the four snowflake charms. Fasten the charms on the cord by making a knot in the cord on either side of each of the charms, so they cannot slide down the cord. Each charm should be the same distance apart on the cord from each other. As you are tying the knots and fastening the charms on the cord, think about what area in your life you need energy the most. This may be health, school, work, family, etc. Focus your mind on where you would send the elemental energies of winter. When you are ready, tie the cord around your wrist like a bracelet.

Next, take a piece of parchment paper and draw a picture of a snowflake on it in silver ink. Lay down a small towel under that piece of parchment paper on the altar. Then, put on a mitten and go get the icicle from the freezer. Holding the icicle like a pen with your mitten hand, trace the image of the snowflake with the icicle over and over again with increasing speed, until the icicle melts completely away. While you do this, imagine that the snowflake as a symbol for that area in your life that needs energy. Visualize yourself standing outside with a flurry of snowflakes spinning around you. Accept all the energy that you need as a gift from the Winter Elementals.

Allow the snow in the bowl to fully melt. When it is melted, dip your fingers into the water and draw a pentacle on your forehead.

Raise your hands above your head and invoke the God and Goddess to guide you in your scrying work. Gaze into the water and let your eyes relax. You may start to see the glow from the candle reflecting on the water begin to form shapes and images. Just allow those images to form. Don’t try to force yourself to see something. Just relax and let it happen naturally. Spend about ten minutes gazing at the water in the candlelight.

When you are ready, take a few minutes and write down or draw anything that comes to your mind in a notebook when you are done.

Next, take off the charm bracelet and hold it out in front of you. Touch each of the silver charms, one-by-one, and name something that you can commit do to aid yourself in that area of need. For example, if I was concerned about my health, my four promises could be: 1) I will eat better; 2) I will exercise every day; 3) I will take vitamins; 4) I will create a healthy daily routine. These four statements will move you towards the direction you want to go, and the charm bracelet will serve a reminder of your commitment to yourself and the Deities.

Thank the Elementals and the God and Goddess. Open the magick circle. This rite is complete.
Notes: Wear the bracelet for as long as you need, but store it away after the Spring Equinox.

Tags: magick, rite, ritual, winter

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Aurora December, 2008

Northern Star Rite

As we approach the Yule season, we are reminded that although we have been in the dark half of the season, we will always return to the light. The Winter Solstice marks the beginning of the return of the sun. Our days will continue to grow longer, and our nights will become shorter. It is a time of quiet reflection, but also joyous celebrations of winter.

This rite is in honor of the North Star that brightens the winter night and offers its power of guidance to all that accept it. The North Star can be found in many traditional stories of the winter holiday season, so this rite may be a comforting childhood reminder of the power of the brightest star in the night sky.

Gather with friends to perform this ritual on an evening before the Winter Solstice. This rite is written as if it would be too cold to perform outside, like it is here in Maine in December! However, you can certainly do all of this ritual outdoors as weather permits.
Disclaimer

Please use caution when burning candles and incense. Never leave candles or incense unattended or in the reach of small children or curious pets. Also, please use caution when handling ritual blades and burning candles. Inform participants ahead of time about the use of incense, and check on possible food allergy issues.

Supplies
Black altar cloth
Small bowl of water
Small bowl of salt
Incense burner with trivet
Charcoal tablet
Loose pinon pine resin
Feather
Athame or ritual blade
Chalice of milk
Plate of star-shaped cookies
One white taper candle in holder
Two red and white striped candles in holders
Several tea lights in holders
Matches
Markers
Thin ribbon and scissors
Gentle, instrumental music
Basket of wooden cut-outs of stars with holes pre-drilled for a hanging ribbon
Altar set-up

Spread out the black altar cloth on the altar. Place the white taper candle in its holder on the center of the altar. Place the bowl of salt (representing earth) to the left of the white candle and the bowl of water (representing water) on the right of the white candle.

Add the incense burner to the left side of the altar and place an unlit charcoal tablet on it (representing fire). Make sure to place the incense burner on a trivet to prevent heat damage to your altar. Have the pinon pine resin (representing air) handy nearby.

Also add the ritual blade to the left side of the altar. Place the chalice of water to the right side of the altar, along with the feather. Have the plate of cookies somewhere on the altar if there is room.

Place one of the red and white striped candles on either side of the altar. These candles represent the God (left) and the Goddess (right).

Place the tea lights in their holders and place them safely around the room. Use enough so you can turn off all the electric lights and still see and safely maneuver around the ritual space.  The tea lights represent the twinkling, starry sky. Light the tea lights right before you are ready to begin.

Rite

Lead the group in a grounding and centering breath exercise.

Sprinkle some of the salt into the bowl of water, and stir three times with your ritual blade or athame.

Light the charcoal tablet and place on the incense burner. Wait until the tablet is smoking, and then add a small amount of the loose incense on to it.

Have the first participant to volunteer approach you at the altar. Dip your finger into the water and draw the shape of a star on the forehead of the participant.  Then use the feather to move the incense smoke in their direction. Repeat with all participants (ending with yourself) while repeating:

Charcoal lit and incense burn

Salt and water stirred in turn

Earth, water, fire and air

Blessed in the name of the sacred pair

Once everyone has been cleansed and blessed, join together around the altar and take each other’s hand. Cast the circle by saying together:

Hand to hand, this circle is cast

Be us not in the now

Yet not in the past

From above and below

To dare and to know

Within and without

To whisper, to shout

As the Gods will it

So mote it be

Take a moment to enjoy the energy flowing between you all, and then release your hands.

You can call the four elemental quarters here if you like, but it is not necessary.

Light the Goddess candle (striped candle on the right side of the altar) and invoke the Goddess with spontaneous words.

Light the God candle (striped candle on the left side of the altar) and invoke the God with spontaneous words.
Drawing in the Star Power

Participants should find a comfortable spot to sit or lay down. Start playing the meditation music.  Add more incense to the charcoal, if desired.

Lead the participants through a meditation. Have them imagine themselves standing in a snowy, flat landscape, where are compelled to gaze at the magnificent, clear night sky. The sky is full of beautiful, sparkling stars, yet one stars stands out from the rest. This is the North Star. Spend some time developing the scene for the participants. Don’t rush things. Let the description naturally come to your mind’s eye and then describe it out loud to the group. When you’ve reached a full description, ask them to open their eyes.

Pass around a basket of thin wooden cut-outs of stars and encourage everyone to take one.  Then, pass around some markers.

Now, ask them to imagine themselves back at the landscape again. This time, they should imagine reaching out their hands and drawing the energy gently down from the North Star and into themselves.  Explain to them that the North Star’s energy is a guiding energy. Ask them to think about where they need guidance in their life.

Allow several minutes of time to pass, before asking them to open their eyes again and hold their stars. Ask them to write down on the wooden stars what they would like guidance on. When everyone is ready, have everyone gather around the altar, and light the middle white taper candle on the altar.  Ask everyone to hold their star between the palms of their hands, while reciting together:

Brightest star of the dark, night sky,

And kin to the sun in the daylight hour,

We reach out to you from on high,
And wish to honor your power.

Finding that within and that without,
Which guides our hearts and minds,
We follow you without any doubt,
Beyond the realm of places and times.

We take your strength within ourselves,
Hold fast to your rays of light,

Where our spirit and hope truly dwells,
With the sincerity of new sight.

We look upon your shining glow,
In need of wisdom, a path we seek
Please help us go, we must know,

At this night hour of your peak.

So mote it be!

Invite participants to come up to the altar, one-by-one and share with the group about how they plan on using their star energy to guide them. You can seal their star tokens by dripping a few drops of wax from the white taper candle onto the tokens and leaving them on the altar to dry. Be careful not to get any candle wax on yourself or the participant.

Allow the tokens to dry before moving them again. Invite the participants to tie a red ribbon on the star for hanging in a Northern-facing window at home.

When everyone is ready, pick up the chalice of milk and hold it out in front of you, saying:

We drink to the Gods, fair and true.
We drink to our kin, those we know and knew.
We drink to the evening sky and the stars so bright.
We drink to the slumbering earth and the cold, dark night.

We drink to honor the moment and times past.

We drink to change the future and help our magick last.

Blessed be!

Pass the chalice around the room and enjoy! Pour the remainder on the ground outside later.

Pick up the plate of cookies and hold it out in front of you, saying:

We partake in the honor our constant companion, the North Star.

Pass the plate around the room and enjoy! Toss the remaining food on the ground outside later.

Give thanks to the God and Goddess in any way you see fit.

Dismiss the four elemental quarters, if you called them.

When you are ready, gather around the altar once more and take each other’s hands, saying:

Hand to hand, this circle is broken.

Let us return to the now,
As our magick has been spoken.
Let us find harmony in the work we’ve done,
With greater good and harming none.

So mote it be!

Tags: magic, magick, night, rite, ritual, Spell

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