Artemis, Goddess of the Healing Moon

Artemis is one of the best-known goddesses and, as it turns out, is one of the most needed as she is a healing divinity. She is the Greek goddess of the moon. In her Roman form, Diana, she is the deity to whom Dianic witches and priestesses are devoted. She is a bringer of luck, the goddess of the hunt, and a powerful deity for magic and spellwork. As the huntress, she can help you search out anything you are looking for, whether it is tangible or intangible. As a lunar deity, she can illuminate you. Invoke Artemis when you want to practice moon magic, by saying aloud “I call upon you, beloved Artemis.” I suggest you study her mythology further to design original lunar ceremonies. Enshrine her by dedicating an altar or sacred space to her to bring about any of her marvelous qualities and to bring about healing.

The Sun Returns: A Winter Solstice Ritual

Winter solstice rituals traditionally celebrate the rebirth of the sun. In a safe place outdoors, build a bonfire and create a solstice altar to the east of it. Place a small cauldron with a candle in it on the altar, and surround it with mistletoe, ivy, and holly. Participants should also wear crowns woven from these evergreens. If it is too cold or snowy where you live, you can gather indoors and form a semicircle either around the fireplace or around the altar.

Begin the ritual by holding hands around the fire. Hum softly, gradually building the hum to a shout. This shout represents the cries of the Goddess giving birth once again to the sun, and to the new year. The ritual leader says:

    All bow to the East! Hail to the newborn Sun, and to the Great

    Goddess who has brought him forth!

Everyone bows to honor the Sun God and the Mother Goddess. The ritual leader chants:

    Brigid,

    Diana,

    Morgan,

    Cerridwen,

    Heaven’s Queen,

    by the light of this moon

    in this dark night,

    teach us the mystery of rebirth.

The ritual leader lights the candle in the cauldron while everyone else remains perfectly still. Now is the time when the Goddess will reveal herself privately to each participant. If you are outdoors, listen and look carefully for a sign. Traditional omens are a sudden wind, shooting stars, the screeching of an owl, or the appearance of a deer. Even if you are indoors by the fire, the Goddess will still make herself known in your heart. When the time feels right, the ritual leader says:

    Queen of the Stars,

    Queen of the Moon,

    Queen of the Earth,

    Bringer of Fire,

    the Great Mother gives birth to this new year

    and we are her witnesses.

Everyone shouts:

    Blessed be!

Pass the lit cauldron to each participant so they can speak a blessing for the new year and the newly reborn sun. Place the cauldron with the candle back on the altar. The ritual leader closes the ritual with this final expression of gratitude to the Goddess:

    Blessed be to the Mother Goddess.

    Thank you for the sun that gives us life

    without beginning and without end

    everlasting in eternity.

    this ritual is now done!

A toast to the new sun should take place with hot cider or mead and warm festive foods.

Mystical Mugwort Spell: Sharpening Your Second Sight

Honing your intuition will enhance every aspect of your life, and this spell, which can sharpen your sixth sense, is an excellent place to start.

Gather together:

• 1 stick of vanilla incense
• Yellow candle
• Small jar or pouch of mugwort herb
• Small yellow citrine crystal
• Teaspoon of dried mugwort
• Ceramic bowl of hot water

Light the candle, and then light the stick of vanilla incense and place it in a fire-safe burner. Now place the single yellow flower in a vase to one side of the incense burner. Yellow symbolizes intelligence and mental clarity. On the other side, place a bowl containing a citrine crystal.

In your teakettle, boil two cups of freshly drawn water. Pour it in the ceramic bowl and add in the teaspoon of mugwort and stir. Once it has cooled completely, dip your fingers in the water and touch your “third eye” at the center of your forehead. Now speak aloud:

    Diana, Goddess of the Moon,

    fill me with your presence divine.

    I seek your vision; lend me this boon.

    Greatest seer, may the second sight be mine.

    And so it is. And may it be soon.

Mugwort has long been used in magical workings, starting in Mesopotamia and expanding to Europe, Asia, and now the world. It is used by seers and shamans for achieving new levels of consciousness. Mugwort is especially good for the mental plane and helps to overcome headaches and soothe anxiety for mental balance and calm. It will help you hone your psychic abilities, which will help and guide you through life.

Wild Women

For your celebratory mask-making ceremonies, you can and should design your own wild woman images. You can also choose from a list of classical goddess images, such as:

• Peacock Woman is Juno whose totem is the royally plumed bird
• Winged Isis wears the sun disk on her head r Medusa has snakes for hair
  
• Sphinx is an image of eternal mystery
  
• Saints are holy women with halos
• Mermaid goddesses wear tricorn crowns
  
• Imps and some underworld goddesses have horns
  
• Diana has the crescent moon on her head
  
• Fairies have butterfly-like wings and antennae at times
  
• Elves have pointed ears
  
• Dryads are tree nymphs with leafy crowns
  
• Anima Mundi, the “soul of the world,” has a crown of stars

Amethyst—The Rose de France

The Chinese have been wearing amethyst for more than 8,000 years. Tibetans consider this stone to be sacred to Buddha and make prayer beads from it. One lovely legend associated with the purple crystal is that it comes from Bacchus, the Greek god of wine. Mere mortals had angered this divinity, and he vowed a violent death—death by tiger—to the very next mortal he would encounter. A pretty girl by the name of Amethyst was en route to worship at the temple of Diana. The goddess Diana protected Amethyst by turning her into clear crystal quartz so she could not be torn apart by the ravaging tiger. Bacchus regretted his actions and anointed Amethyst with his sacred wine. However, he didn’t pour enough to cover here entirely, leaving her legs without color. Thus, amethyst is usually uneven in its purple color. The fact that Amethyst was anointed with wine also relates to the healing power of this stone to help with sobriety. The Greek word amethystos means “without wine.” In the Victorian era, a paler amethyst was called Rose de France and was a favorite stone in jewelry. The Victorians sometimes left amethysts out in the sun to fade them. Nowadays, the darker purple stones are considered much more valuable.