Claim Your Health: A Clary Sage Incantation

Here is a handy spell for physical well-being as well as a self-esteem boost. For this witchy approach to preventive medicine, take a green candle on a Friday, dress it with clary sage oil, and speak the following three times:

    My health is mine, under this moon divine.

    I choose to be well as in this healthy body I dwell.

    No more pain and strife, vital breath of life.

    Harm to none; health to me.

    So mote it be.

Full-Moon Stone Invocation

The full moon is the most powerful time of the month and the perfect time to celebrate with special people in your life. The ritual will heighten your spirituality, your friendships, and your connection to the powers of the universe. As I write this, it is a full moon in Libra, and I look forward to getting together with some of the sisterhood, some fellow Wicca chicks, and kicking up our heels in celebration of life and asking for what we need from the universe. We will wait until midnight, the traditional witching hour. We will gather in one of our favorite spots near water under the spring moonlight.

Here is our recipe for ritual: We place a large crystal—usually a geode, an amethyst chunk, or a big quartz or rock crystal—in the middle of the altar. We place a goblet of wine before an image of the Goddess. We all bring candles in sturdy, tempered-glass votives to light out way, and we perform a rite we learned from our elders. Each of us holds a crystal that is our touchstone.

You can perform this ritual in your home or garden or a sacred place of your choosing. Designate a leader who will perform all the incantations as the group forms a circle. Begin with the appropriate chanting:

“Oh, lady of silver magic, we honor you here,
In this place, sacred and safe.
This circle is in your honor.”

The person in the northern point of the circle places her candle and her crystal on the ground as the leader chants:

“Blessed one, all earth is yours.
May we all heal,
May we all draw strength,
May we grow.”

The person in the eastern point places her candle and her crystal on the ground while the leader chants:

“Oh, lady of laughter and joy, so is the sky yours, too.
May the air be clear and pure,
And the clouds sweet with wind and rain.”

The person at the southern point lays down her crystal and candle while the chanter speaks:

“Oh, lady of summer, each season is yours.
May each spring bring flowers and crops for all.”

The person at the western point lays down her candle and crystal while the chanter speaks:

“Goddess of the waters,
The rivers and the ocean are yours.
May they once more flow crystal clear.
Lady, we have built this circle in your honor.
Be with us here now.”

Now each member of the circle goes to the altar and kneels, placing her candle and crystal on the altar. Each takes a sip from the goblet of wine and says:

“I toast thee, bright lady,
In your honor. Blessed be.”

Then, they all pick up rattles and drums and sing and dance under the sparkling crystals in the sky.

Phases of the Moon

Performing a spell at the optimal time in the lunar cycle will maximize your power. As you read the rites and rituals in this book, keep this elemental magic in mind: Each lunar cycle begins with a new phase, when the Moon lies between the Sun and Earth so that the illuminated side cannot be seen from Earth. The Moon gradually waxes until it has moved to the opposite side of Earth. When it has reached the far side of Earth, its lit side faces us in the full-moon phase. It then wanes until it reaches the new-moon phase again.

The entire cycle takes a month, during which the Moon orbits Earth. To determine the pattern of astrological signs governing the Moon, you will need a celestial guide or almanac. My favorite is Llewellyn’s Daily Planetary Guide. The Moon moves from sign to sign every two or three days. 

Count Your Blessings: Morning Moon Meditation

Plan this for an early morning when you can still see a sliver of the moon as the sun rises. Sit in a comfortable position in front of your altar and meditate. Think about your blessings. What are you grateful for at this moment? There is a powerful magic in recognizing all that you possess. Breathe steadily and deeply, inhaling and exhaling slowly for twenty minutes. Then chant:

Great Goddess, giver of all the fruits of this earth, 
Of all bounty, beauty, and well-being,
Bless all who give and receive these gifts.
I am made of sacred earth, purest water,
Sacred fire, and wildest wind. 
Blessings upon me. Blessings upon thee, 
Mother Earth and Sister Sky.
So mote it be.

A wonderful practice is to record your gratitudes in your Book of Shadows or a thankfulness journal. At the end of the lunar year, you’ll have your own Book of Blessings you can reflect upon and share with others.

Serious Moonlight

Since prehistory, we have looked into the night sky with wonder. The moon is both magical and majestic. She rules the ocean tides, the crops in our fields and our moods and emotions. The moon is mysterious and reflective. Aside from the sun, our brightest star and the source of life, the moon is the singlemost important light in our sky. Every culture in the world, both past and present, has moon lore, myths, rites and a great respect for our favorite “night light.”

The early Babylonians called the moon “the boat of life,” while the Taoist Chinese believed the moon was a white dragon. A most unusual perspective came from the usually reasonable Plutarch, who theorized that girls grew into women as a result of a female essence that came down from the moon. The very name of our galaxy, the Milky Way, comes from the mythical white cow that jumped over the moon. It may well be that no other celestial object is as revered as the moon. A common and beloved ritual—baking, decorating, and eating a birthday cake—is descended from the Greek custom of celebrating the monthly birthday of the moon goddess Artemis with full-moon cakes.

To this day, modern Pagans “draw down the moon” in some rituals. In Asia, it is said that the moon is the mirror that reflects everything in the world. Some cultures consider the moon to be male and the sun female: for example, the Japanese honor the sun goddess Amaterasu and her brother the moon god Tsukiyomi. In this book we have explored some of the myths and lore of the moon, supplying you with many approaches to ritual from the treasury of our human history. Let Luna be your guide as you design and develop your own moon ceremonies and rites of the night.