Saturn-Day Soul Tribe Gathering

It is very important to gather your soul tribe and just celebrate each other from time to time. Here is a pagan ritual I have performed on weekends—I call it “Saturn-day night fever.” Over the years, I have added many embellishments, such as astrological or holiday themes. The basic ritual of cakes and ale, however, is a timeless and powerful classic.

Gather a group of friends either outdoors under the moon or in a room large enough for dancing, drumming, and singing. Have the guests bring a cake of their choice as well as a cider, mead, beer, or juice to share. (Note that the cake can be of any style, so it does not have to be an iced sheet cake; banana bread, Irish soda bread, or a braided honey bread will do just as well.) Place the offerings in the center, on an altar table. Then light green and brown candles for home and hearth.

Once everyone is seated, the host or designated leader intones:

    Gods of Nature, bless these cakes,

    that we may never suffer hunger.

    Goddess of the Harvest, bless this ale,

    that we may never go without drink.

The eldest and the youngest of the circle rise and serve the food and drink to everyone in the circle. Last, they serve each other. The ritual leader pronounces the blessing again. Then everyone says together, “Blessed be.”

The feasting begins, ideally followed by a lot more ale and lively dancing. A wonderful way to keep a group of friends connected is for a different person to host the circle one Saturday each month.

A Message from the Guardians: Dark Moon Spell

This little spell will take you deep and far inside yourself. It will greatly empower you and instill in you a much deeper understanding of who you are and what you are here to do. Each of us is as individual as a snowflake, and our souls are imprinted with a stamp of specialness. The closer you get to the revelation of your soul’s mission, the more you will know about why you are here, and even more important, what you are here to do. That is real magic.

The best time to perform this spell is during the dark of the moon, when the night sky is at its darkest.

Supplies:

• 1 votive candle
• Incense
• Pine essential oil
• Glass jar
• Compass

Go outside and find a solitary space in which you can cast a circle. Use the compass to find true north. When you feel comfortable and safe to begin, cast a circle of energy. Starting at the north point and moving clockwise or sunwise, acknowledge each of the Four Directions and call in the winter guardians. Stand in the center of the circle, and with your forefinger, anoint your candle with the essence of pine, a tree that stays strong, green, and alive all through the winter.

Place the candle in the glass jar and light it, setting both carefully and securely onto the ground. Then light the incense with the flame of the candle and stick it into the ground beside the votive candle. Breathe slowly and deeply; make yourself mindful that you are here in the darkest night, celebrating the sacred. As you breathe, look around at the majesty of nature and the world around you. Feel the ground beneath your feet. Listen to the silence around you.

Now, open your heart completely to the awesome power of the universe and the magic both inside and outside of you. Using the same forefinger, anoint your third eye, the chakric place above and between your eyes. With your eyes closed, speak aloud this rhyme of rime:

    Sitting here beneath the moonless sky,

    I open my heart and wonder why

    I am here.

    Tonight, I will learn

    the reason why I yearn

    to serve the Goddess and the God.

    This night, I’ll hear the reason

    I serve this darkest winter season.

    Guardians, I call on you now!

Remain at the center of the circle and keep your eyes closed. You may hear an inner voice, or you may hear an outer voice right beside your ear. Listen calmly, staying centered with your two feet on the ground. You will know when it is time for you to close the circle and leave with your new message and mission. Thank the guardians as you seal the sacred space, being sure to leave everything exactly as you found it. Incense, jar, candles, and matches all leave with you.

When you return home, write the message on a slip of paper and place it on your altar, where it will be hidden from any eyes but yours. Place the candle, jar, and any remaining incense on your altar and burn it each Dark Moon night.

Final thought: You may also want to begin a special journal of your thoughts, inspirations, and actions regarding the message you received. You have now embarked on an exciting new phase of your life’s journey. Your journal will help you as you make discovery after discovery. Your journal may evolve into a Book of Shadows.

From East to West: A Spell for Collective Healing

The ultimate alchemy is to generate positive energy that spirals outward, improving everything in its path. I know of shamans and wise women who have dedicated their lives to doing good works, including some crones who practice in the ancient rainforest to protect the trees, and aborigines who spend their “dreamtime” repairing the earth.

You can contribute to universal peace and healing by burning a white candle, anointed with rose oil, on your altar during a waning moon on Saturday, which is Saturn’s Day. Place a single white rose in water and lay a garlic clove beside some rose incense. Light the incense, then take an herb bundle, light the end, and pass the smoke over your altar to cleanse the space. Chant:

    War and grief will come to an end

    as we walk the path of peace.

    Love thy neighbor as thy self,

    all we need is love.

    With harm to none, only understanding.

Write Your Destiny: A Waning Moon Spell

In days of yore, people often made their own inks, thus imbuing them with a deeply personal energy. They simply went to the side of the road and gathered blackberries or pokeberries from the vines that grew there. Often a bird flying overhead will supply a gift of volunteer vines best cultivated by a fence where they can climb, making berry-picking easier. When it comes to matters of the heart, contracts, legacy letters, and any document of real importance that you feel the need to make your mark upon, an artfully made ink can help you imbue your writings with power. This spell is best performed during the waning moon.

Gather the following for your ink recipe: a vial or small sealable bottle, dark red ink, 1/8th cup crushed berry juice, nine drops of burgundy wine, apple essential oil, and paper. You will also need one red candle.

Mix the juice, wine, and red ink in a small metal bowl. Carefully pour it into the vial and add one drop of the apple essence. Seal the bottle and shake gently.

Incant aloud:

    By my hand, this spell is wrought.

    With this ink, I will author my own destiny

    and have the happy life and love I’ve sought.

    So mote it be.

Now write the fate you envision for yourself in the near and far future using the enchantment ink and a feather for a pen. Let dry and seal it in an envelope, keeping it on your altar until the new moon phase. Then, by the light of a red candle, open the letter to yourself and read it aloud. After you have finished, burn the paper using the candle and scatter the ashes in your garden. By the next new moon, you will begin to reap the positive plans you invoked.

Summoned by the Light of the New Moon: A New Vocation Spell

The new moon is an excellent time for ritual, especially when your focus is on bringing new things into your life, such as a job change. If you’re seeking employment, try out the following ritual to manifest your desires. Get your supplies out:

• 2 green candles
• 2 white candles
• 2 gold candles
• 2 pieces of green jade or another green stone
• Cinnamon oil

Line up the candles, alternating the colors. Anoint each one with cinnamon oil, and rub a little oil on the stones, too. Start at one end and light each candle. As you light each one, repeat these words:

    A new career is what’s desired,

    I cast this spell so I’ll be hired.

    By the light of this new moon,

    I need a new job soon.

After all the candles are lit, take each stone and gently pass it through the flames, being careful of your fingers. Then hold the stones in your hands and visualize the type of job you want to get. After the spell, pocket the stones and carry them with you. You should have a new job by the next new moon.

Who Is My True Love? Pendulum Power

If you have any doubts about a friend’s intentions or actions, try using a pendulum to help you determine the truth. I take my pendulum, a lovely striated quartz, everywhere I go to answer those tough yes-no questions that crop up daily. Pendulums are available with many different stones and crystals, but you can make one from any number of herbs, as well.

Take a twelve-inch length of string and choose one of the following herbs. Experiment to see which one works best for you:

• A sandalwood chip, cinnamon bark, a star anise seed, orris root, a lump of frankincense

Your best bet would be a string of natural fiber. If you can, take a needle and poke a hole through your root, bark, or seed to ensure that your pendulum is secure. Start out by asking, “Show me yes,” and “show me no.” Then, ask a question for which you know the answer. Don’t be surprised if the pendulum appears to have a mind of its own. Now you are ready to use this divination tool in all interpersonal matters where questions arise.

Invoke Your Inner Goddess

At the next full moon, make a vow, alone or with your partner, to bring forth all your inner erotic powers. Begin with a blissful bath in oil-scented water; this essential oil must be the one that makes you feel sexiest. For me, it is an equal mix of vanilla and amber; my vamber has never failed me. When I wear this unguent, I feel as if a cloud of sensuality surrounds me.

Sit in a darkened room, encircled by flickering jasmine, musk, or “vamber” candles. Raise a cup of jasmine tea or a glass of wine from a vintage that represents a lucky year for you, and speak this spell aloud:

    Now I awaken the goddess in me.

    I surrender to love’s power.

    Tonight, I will heat the night with my fire.

    As I drink this cup, my juices flower.

    I am alive! I am love! And so it is.

You will radiate passion and be intensely drawn to your lover.

Spell for Attracting New Love

To attract new love, two nights before the full moon, take a small pink votive candle and place it inside your cauldron or any large metal pot. Lay a rose and a bell beside the cauldron and your altar. Use either rose or apple blossom essential oil to anoint the candle’s wick. For the next two nights, light the candle, cup it in your hands, and direct loving thoughts into its flame. On the night of the full moon, take a thorn from the rose and carve the name of your heart’s desire into the candle’s wax, reciting:

    I will find true love.

Light the pink candle and ring the bell thrice, saying:

    As this candle begins to burn, a lover true will I earn.

    As this flame burns ever higher, I will feel my lover’s fire.

Ring the bell three more times and watch the candle burn completely.

Flame of Love: A New Moon Candle Spell

If you are looking for love, perform this rite and you will soon find a lover to satisfy your needs. On the night of the next new moon, take two pieces of a pink or red crystal—rose quartz will do nicely—and place them on the floor in the center of your bedroom. If you are lucky enough to have two garnets, rough rubies, or pink tourmalines, by all means use two of those heart stones.

Light one pink and one red candle and speak this love and life-affirming chant:

    Beautiful crystal I hold this night,

    flame with love for my delight.

    Goddess of Love, I ask of you

    guide me in the path that is true.

    Harm to none as love comes to me.

    This I ask and so it shall be.

Now, make yourself ready!

Dispel Your Fears: A Rite for Good Riddance

The world can overwhelm us at times with problems relating to work, illness, and all manner of problems that get in the way and want to stay. But these problems are not beyond your control! The ultimate best times to release bad luck and unwanted negative energies are immediately after a full moon or on any Friday the thirteenth.

For this spell, get yourself a big black candle, an obsidian sphere (or at least an obsidian crystal), a piece of white paper, a black ink pen, a cancellation stamp (readily available at any stationary store), and a big flat rock that is slightly concave in the center. Write on the paper what you wish to be freed from—this is your release request. Place the candle and the obsidian on the flat rock, and light the candle near an open window so the negative energy will leave your home. While the candle burns, intone:

    Waning moon, most wise Cybele,

    from me this burden please dispel.

    Upon this night so clear and bright

    I release (my request) to the moon tonight.

Bury the candle’s base in your garden for thirteen minutes so that it stands in the earth as it burns. Take your stamp and mark the paper “cancelled.” Put the candle out; fold the paper away from you and place it under the flat stone. Repeat this process for twelve more nights (thirteen total). On the last night, which should ideally be the beginning of the new moon phase, burn the paper and bury the candle, ashes of the paper, and flat rock far from your home. Give thanks to the moon for assisting you, and let go of your troubles.

A Full Moon By Any Other Name

Many of our full moon names come from medieval books of hours and also from North American Native Americana. Here are other, rarer names from these two traditions that you may want to use in your lunar rituals.

January: Old Moon, Chaste Moon

February: Hunger Moon

March: Crust Moon, Sugar Moon, Sap Moon, or Worm Moon 

April: Sprouting Grass Moon, Egg Moon, Fish Moon

May: Milk Moon, Corn Planting Moon, Dyad Moon

June: Hot Moon, Rose Moon

July: Buck Moon, Hay Moon

August: Barley Moon, Wyrt Moon, Sturgeon Moon

September: Green Corn Moon, Wine Moon

October: Dying Grass Moon, Travel Moon, Blood Moon, Moon of Changing Seasons

November: Frost Moon, Snow Moon 

December: Cold Moon, Oak Moon 

Engagement Blessing Ritual

The important thing to remember in the engagement process is to make sure you share similar ideas about the path of life. Being engaged is a time to make sure you are compatible on many levels as you enjoy the romance. You will need to have frank discussions on career, home, health, children, sex, and the expectations you have for yourself and your partner in all these areas. Sometimes when we are in love, we expect people to simply “know” what we want. Magical people expect that even more, feeling that their partner is so intuitive that they should be able to anticipate each other’s actions and opinions on these aspects of life. Though it would be ideal, that’s not realistic thinking. Sometimes it can be hardest to read the person we are closest to. A good relationship requires good communication. This formalized engagement ritual involves dream sharing, and should only be done after such frank discussions so that nothing comes as a shock. Wanting to perform this ritual is a good way to initiate such talks. It can be done right after the acceptance or at any point later in the engagement process. Just make sure you are both aware of each other’s ideas of the future before you begin your life together.

When you are ready to move forward and begin the ritual, first go someplace comfortable where you will not be disturbed. This ritual can be done in your home or even at a quiet restaurant or coffee shop. Perhaps you’ll want to take your love to the place where you first dated.

Start with your favorite drinks. I like a good wine or champagne, but it doesn’t have to be alcoholic, just something you both enjoy and can share. Have three glasses ready.

Light three candles: one of your favorite color, one of your betrothed’s favorite color, and the third of a color you both like. Unless you choose the same color for all three candles, the third candle should be different from the first two, so that neither of you dominates in the energy of the relationship. When in doubt, three white candles work well. Each of you light your candle, and together light the flame of the third with your two candles.

Pour the drink into two of the three glasses, making each about half full. Hold the two glasses near the fire. Don’t get too close—you don’t want to shatter your glasses. The light, not the heat, is the important part. Speak close to the mouth of the glass, and whisper into the wine your hopes, dreams, and blessings for the marriage. What do you feel? What do you want to do? What do you want to create together? Envisioning a long, healthy, happy life together, you can talk about home, family, and careers. See yourselves supporting each other in separate goals and working together for your joint dreams. You each should speak your words into the liquid. Then pour both drinks into the third empty glass, combining your hopes and dreams. Share that one glass, savoring its flavor and reflecting on your future. Do not speak until you have both finished the combined drink. Look into each other’s eyes, and kiss. The ritual is complete. 

Lunar Lore: A Thirteen-Moon Guide to Rituals Throughout the Year

Thanks to the way the earth orbits the sun and the way the moon orbits the earth, our calendar year contains thirteen full moons and moon cycles. Here are some traditional correspondences from astrology and folklore:

January is known as the Cold Moon or Wolf Moon. This is the time for new beginnings, for planning for and conceiving a child, as well as making other goals for yourself, your working life, your health goals, and any other aspirations. You should look deep inside yourself and take this time during the Wolf Moon to think about and contemplate what is most important to you, and how you can have what is truly meaningful in your life. The Cold Moon is also when you should perform protection spells for yourself and your loved ones and rituals of safekeeping for your home and the people and things you really care about.

February is the time of the Wild Moon or Snow Moon, Now you can begin growing the seeds you panted in your soul during last month’s Wolf Moon. The Wild Moon is an excellent time for purification rituals and for cleansing old “bad” energy out of your life, your home, your psyche, and your office. The Wild Moon can be a time of great healing, especially after a ceremony for energy cleansing. One of the best cleansing rites you can perform is true acceptance of yourself, letting go of all self-loathing and saying goodbye to your inner critic. A ritual of self-love and recognition would be a wonderful observance of the Wild Moon of February.

March is Crow Moon or Seed Moon and is a time to balance your life energies. After the cleansing and goal-setting of the past two moons, now you can begin to activate your plans.

This March full moon is also an excellent time to concentrate on prosperity. Crow Moon is a wonderful time for an abundance ceremony.

April is the Hare Moon or Pink Moon, one of the most creative times of the year. This is the moon when you can act on what you have been dreaming of during the earlier moons. You can begin to manifest your deepest desires during both in terms of your aspirations and your amorous side, since Hare Moon is made for love spells and other rites of romance. Pursue your passions with confidence and optimism.

May is the Merry Moon, the Flower Moon, the Green Month in terms of green magic and the time of the fairies. Nature has now burst into a glorious full spring. In May, your inner wisdom is at its height. Now is the time to connect with nature and explore the beauty of our beautiful and sacred planet. Rites of spring are a wonderful way to commune with spirit.

June is the Mead or Strawberry Moon, the Lover’s Moon. Now we can taste the sweetness of life and celebrate our strength and fruitfulness. It is a time of security and protection. Assess the results of all that you have planned and seeded in the past months.

July is the Thunder Moon or Blessing Moon, a time for divining meaning and focusing on spirituality. Now we can expand our consciousness and listen to the messages of our dreams. The Thunder Moon is when we receive the blessings of the rain and feel the charged energy of the thunderstorms. The Thunder Moon is an auspicious time for a dream ritual or a divinatory rite.

August is known as the Corn Moon or Red Moon. This time of years is bursting with health, vitality, and ardor. This is an optimal time to gather friends and family together and celebrate the brightest side of life. Feasting, dancing, and delight are the order of the day.

September is the Harvest Moon and Singing Moon. Now we see completion of plans and ideas and the harvesting of our crops. Now we reap what we have sown earlier in the year— our thoughts, actions, words, and projects. The Singing Moon is a wonderful time to organize our lives and let go of anything that is no longer working. If something is worn out, broken, or simply does not suit your life anymore, including emotions, patterns, beliefs, and even people, this is the perfect time to let go. Declutter and simplify your life.

October is the Hunter’s Moon or the Falling Leaf Moon. Great transitions are taking place all around you now and change is also taking place within. Take time to observe and feel these transformations in your life and in the world around you. Notice how the temperature changes, how the trees shed their brightly colored leaves, how the geese and other birds fly south. The Hunter’s Moon should honor the very human need for physical nourishment, warmth, and rest. Seek inner peace now after the hurly-burly of summer. This is the season for relaxation and release. This is a karmic time during which you can seek karmic completion. You should acknowledge the changing of the seasons with ceremony.

November is the Beaver Moon or Mourning Moon. At this time you should get in touch with your spirit through introspection. Many countries observe November 1 as an Ancestors’ Day and remember the dead through ritual and feasting.

December is Winter Moon or Long Nights Moon. This is when we experience a metaphorical death and rebirth. We can also light the flame of our hearts and souls through journeys of the spirit.

The “extra” or thirteenth full moon of the year is the blue moon of the expression, “once in a blue moon,” which refers to rare and special occasions. How do we know when the blue moon occurs? It is on that rare occasion when two full moons occur in one calendar month. The blue moon is to be used wisely. Take this opportunity to look at your long-term plans and goals and to give thanks for what you have accomplished. As you take stock, be grateful for what you have and for the people in your life. Bear in mind that “what you have” should not make you think about your fat stock portfolio but rather about good health, children, a job you enjoy, good friends, a comfortable home, and opportunities.

The blue moon is also a time for prophecy. Each blue moon ritual you create should contain an aspect expressing thanks to the gods and goddesses and to Mother Nature, who gave you life. 

One Moon for All the World

Although many cultures around the world have had ceremonies to celebrate the full moon, only a few are still practiced today. The Balinese have received wide interest for their full moon ritual, and Bali has become a popular destination for people on a pilgrimage or for tourists who want to be in touch with the sacred. A growing number of nature- worshiping people gather in magical circles to do the same in North America and Europe.

In Peru there is a sacred site, the Quenko-Labyrinth of the Serpent, where full moon ceremonies are held. It is believed that on this site you can experience your true connection with the earth, the feminine, and life, for this sacred site embodies the Goddess. Rites of passage and sacred ritual offerings have been performed here for centuries. Shamans teach this as an important way for humankind to connect with and balance nature and community.

Balinese Full Moon Ceremony

Nearly every temple and Bali celebrates this monthly event.

Essential elements for this ritual are incense, offerings of fruit and lots of flowers, rice, and holy or blessed water.

Gather a group of like-minded folks and head to the nearest body of water—a lake, pond, creek, river, or the ocean. Nature will be your temple.

Begin by sitting in a circle and making garlands of flowers. You should talk, laugh, or be silent as you wish, but most important, be comfortable. When everyone is settled with a garland of flowers, place the garland around the neck of another person. Light the incense and set the rice and holy water in the middle of the circle.

Go around the circle and offer the water to people, sprinkling it on them gently with your fingertips in the Balinese fashion, and offer everyone a cupful of the holy water to rinse their mouths with so the words they speak will be holier. Each person should make a fruit or flower offering to the gods, and lay it near the cleansing smoke of incense. After the offerings are made, everyone should anoint their neighbor’s forehead with grains of rice and speak blessings aloud for each person. If a body of water is accessible, get wet, even if it is just to dip your hands or walk in the water.

Silently acknowledge the blessings in your life through prayer and meditation, and, again, give quiet thanks to the gods for the gift of your life. Unlike most Western-based rituals, there is not much talking during the Balinese Full Moon Ritual. Bask in the tranquility and listen to your thoughts.

Pung-Mul Norj

Pung-Mul Nori is a full moon ritual that has been performed for about two thousand years and continues to this day. Korean traditional folklore combines ritual, acrobatics, dance, and music. Toyo Ongaku, music for this ritual, has remained popular since ancient times when it was performed day and night to protect the crops and dispel evil spirits.

Developed by and for Korean farmers, this ritual was devised to help them keep up their strength and their spirits during the exhausting labor of planting and harvesting season. Many years ago, it was especially important for everyone in the community to participate in this expression of thanksgiving. Every man, woman, and child who was physically able to do so had to sing, dance, drum, play instruments, and perform acrobatics. The word Nori in Pung Mul Nori means to play and, indeed, this is one of the most playful of all the world’s moon rituals. 

The New Moon

The new moon is sometimes called Diana’s Bow, a reference to the Roman goddess of the hunt. The Maiden phase arrives when the moon comes out of the shadows and begins to show its first glimmering crescent of light. The new moon is the time to begin new projects and bring new energy into your life. It is an auspicious time for blessing rituals. I save new ventures to begin them on the new moon. Now is the perfect time to plant a garden, reorganize your office, start a new business, begin an art project, or embark on a new relationship—anything that requires the energy of developing and growing. Budding and building are the key words for the new moon.

New Moon, New Beginnings

This new moon time is a wonderful opportunity to involve yourself in personal improvement and transformation, whether spiritual or health-related, like practicing yoga or following a new diet. The new moon has great advantages for healing. This phase is also marvelous for rituals that draw something to you. Rituals and charms commenced in the new moon can have tangible results by the next new moon. Divinatory rituals performed during the new moon can also bring great clarity.

Here is a new moon ritual to ignite new energy for new projects and new beginnings.

New Moon Herbal Potpourri

This flower-infused potpourri is wonderful for clearing the way for the new in your life and planting “seeds” for new moon beginnings. You can also create a wreath with garlic bulbs for self-protection and insurance that your newly laid plans won’t go awry.

Flower ingredients:

- Rose, Marigold, Cyclamen, Snapdragon, Carnation

Place the flowers in a bowl and then sprinkle them with a few drops of geranium, clove, and cinnamon oil. Place the mixture on the south point of your altar for the duration of a full lunar cycle, from new moon to new moon. A wreath of these same flowers with garlic cloves woven in will protect you from harm and illness. If you want to remain calm at your place of work, place a small, sweet-smelling bowl of your sanctuary incense on your desk for constant comfort.

Power Stones for Prosperity and Success

Stones placed in strategic areas around your office and home can help accelerate the change you desire to bring into your life, whether that change is in your personal prosperity or being able to take care of family and loved ones. Using what I call “crystal feng shui,” you can place a crystal or a geode in the appropriate position in your home to facilitate specific results. For example, amethysts will promote healing and release any negative energy that is clinging. Clusters of jade or yellow “lemon quartz” will activate vibrations of abundance and creativity.

If you want to bring more money into your home or office, place a big chunk of citrine on the left side of your desk, and the money will begin to flow! If you have a dark hallway that feels spooky or an area in your home or office in which the energy feels very static or low, place an obsidian ball there, perhaps on a pedestal, to absorb this negative energy. If you want to have your bedroom be a place of bliss and unconditional love, rose quartz will create this all-important atmosphere. Not only will these tips add to the buoyancy and joy of your home, it will also make it more striking and serene.

Crystal Power

• Citrine for stronger communication skills
• Lace agate for happiness with your job
• Lapis lazuli for mental brilliance
• Moonstone for self-love and self-expression
• Red coral for good health and physical strength
• Rose quartz or opal to make you appealing to others
• Turquoise for calmness and protection from the earth

WeMoon Sweet Potato Cakes

Hearty and oh-so-healthy, these pancakes make for a marvelous full moon meal. Sweet potatoes are truly beneficial to women’s health and contain estrogen; these tubers are good for you inside and out, as they also give your skin a nice boost. But their main magic for folks of all ages and genders is that they are a grounding tonic. Anytime you feel spacey, out of sorts, or distracted, this food will serve you well, even if you just bake and eat a sweet potato. For this savory sweet, you will need:

• 2 large semi-baked sweet potatoes, peeled and grated
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 2 large semi-baked russet potatoes, peeled and grated
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 cup of yogurt (organic will taste best)
• Chives, sage, and rosemary

Mix the grated potatoes and carrot in a large bowl. Beat the eggs, then add to the veggie mixture and mix thoroughly. Grind the rosemary and sage to a very fine powder in your mortar and pestle and add in a tablespoon of the herbs to the mixture; salt and pepper to taste. Shape into round balls, enough for eight mooncakes. Warm the oil slowly until it is nice and hot. Place the balls in the oil and flatten into rounds with a spatula. Cook through until they are golden and beginning to crisp on both sides. Plate up and top with organic yogurt, garnishing with chives. If you are feeling decadent, dollop on some sour cream and enjoy with a circle of friends under the sheen of a bright and holy moon.

Tips ’n’ Tricks: Relationship Rescue

If you and your mate are simply not getting along of late, turn to this romantic remedy rock: moonstone. Moonstone can reunite loved ones who have parted in anger. This lovely, shimmering stone also imparts luck in love. Keep moonstone around, by all means!

Fire Agate

This interesting specimen has small, thin layers that allow light to fill them with what is known as fire. Really, the effect occurs due to the inclusions of very thin layers of iridescent limonite, which cause the light to refract in differing colors. Fire agate is formed when silica-laden water is heated and mixed with iron oxide, filling the cracks between the rocks and then cooling into this interesting stone. Most often found in India, Iceland, Brazil, North America, and the Czech Republic, fire agate needs to be cut in just such a way to feature the layers; one wrong cut and the fire agate is ruined. The process of cutting fire agate is a reversal of Mother Nature’s process.

Fire agate is favored for its iridescent appearance; some believe it is the physical manifestation of the spiritual flame, one of absolute perfection. Fire agate brings the wearer courage and the ability to fend off fear. The fire inside this agate provides a protective shield that actually sends fright back to its source. Fire agate causes a sense of calm and a greater connection to the planet. It is a very useful mind-clearing stone for meditation. Fire agate is wonderfully conductive to introspection, helping to bring deep-seated issues to the surface so they can be examined in the clear light of day. Orange stones are thought to be the most powerful for their high degree of stimulation and for their ability to reveal the hidden.

Fire agate brings out the best in you with this positive, cardinal energy; it propels you forward for advancement in both the spiritual sense and in the real world of work and success. Fire agate can be placed upon the meridians of the body in the same way an acupuncturist or acupressure healer lays on hands. In this way, any sensory blockage can be cleared away, and nervous and circulatory issues can be dealt with.

This is a healer’s stone—the companion for doctors, shamans, and dentists, and psychologists. It is also a cleansing agent of the stomach and glands and is great for the eyes, even said to improve night vision. And, as one might guess with fire, this agate is a sexuality stone. So, light the flame within with fearless agate. Make sure you’re sporting this sexy gem when you are planning a big seduction!