Happy Ever After Housewarming

When you have settled into your new home, invite your friends and family over to bless the rooms and ensure that you are surrounded with good energy.

Timing: The optimal time for a housewarming is during the new moon.

Take a bowl or cup of water and add a sprinkle of salt. Stand in the front room, near the front door. Dip your fingers in the water and sprinkle droplets on the threshold. Now turn to the east and say:

    Powers of the East,

    Source of the sun rising,

    Bring hope and inspiration.

Sprinkle some water in the east, then turn to the south and say:

    Powers of the South,

    Source of summer’s warmth and light,

    Bring joy and bounty.

Sprinkle some water in the south, then turn to the west and say:

    Powers of the West,

    Source of oceans and rivers,

    Bring the power of the waves.

Sprinkle some water in the west, then turn to the north and say:

    Powers of the North,

    Source of the winter, place of the mountains, and the polestar,

    Bring security and sight.

Now bring out the wine, mead, and sparkling cider and celebrate because you have now blessed this house!

Sacred Altar of Autumn: A Fall Equinox Ritual

Establish one room in your house as the temple. Ideally, it is the room in which you normally keep an altar or sacred shrine. In any case, you should create an altar in the center of the space. Place four small tables in the four directions, which may be closest to either the walls or the room’s corners, and place four evenly spaced candlesticks between the tables. Place a loaf of freshly baked bread (bread you have made with your own hands is best) in the east, a bowl of apples in the south, a bottle of wine in the west, and a sheaf of wheat or a bundle of dried corn in the north.

Upon the main altar, place a candle, a plate of sweet cakes, and a goblet. Light incense and place it in front of the cakes. Before your ritual, take some time for contemplation. Think about what you have achieved during this busy year:

• What have you done?
• What do you need?
• What remains to be done?
• What are your aspirations?

Write down your thoughts and feelings and the answers to those questions. Read what you have written and ponder it. Look for continuing ideas or themes, and make notes of these on a piece of paper. Next, take a calming and cleansing quiet bath, and snip a lock of your freshly washed hair and place it on the paper where you wrote your notes. Dress yourself in a robe that feels right for making magic and enter your temple space. Light the candle on the altar, and use this candle to light all the other candles in the temple. Speak the traditional Hebrew words of self-blessing:

    Ateh, Malkuth, Ve Geburah, Ve Gedulah, Le Olahm, Amen:

    through the symbol of the pentagram in the name of Adonai.

Repeat this facing each corner, and then face your altar and say:

    In the east, Raphael; in the south, Michael; in the west, Gabriel;

    in the north, Uriel.

    Welcome to this place in the name of Melchisedec, the High Priest

    of the Godhead.

Then go to the east, and raising the loaf of bread in a gesture of offering, say:

    Raphael, Lord of the Winds of Heaven, bless this bounty born of sun

    and air and earth.

    Let us feed the hungry and bless the hand that gives it.

Place the bread back into the bowl and go to the southern corner. Raise an apple in offering and state:

    Michael, protector of the weak and the oppressed, bless this sun-

    ripened fruit,

    and let it be not the fruit of temptation but the fruit of our

    knowledge,

    so we know how to make our choices and understand the measure

    of both good and evil.

Place the apple back into the bowl and go to the western corner. Lifting up the bottle of wine, say:

    Gabriel, bringer of the word of God, bless this wine that we may

    take into our body

    the wine of life shed by all saviors since time began.

Place the bottle back on the western table. Turn to the north, and raising the corn or wheat as an offering, say:

    Uriel, Lord of the Earth and all its bounty, bless this crop

    that it may be plentiful all over the earth,

    that this may be a year when all humankind

    will know the comfort of food and hearth.

Now return to the altar in the center of the temple. Light the incense and place some bread and the chalice of wine on the altar. Dip a piece of bread into the blessing wine. Proclaim:

    Melchisedec, priest of the most high God, in the desert after the battle

    with the kings of Edom you brought bread and wine to Abraham. In

    this communion shared between man and priest of the most high God,

    a covenant was made. I pray that this coming harvest makes bread

    for the world. In token of the ancient custom, I take this bread and

    wine into my body. Now in this sacred place, guide and teach me,

    show me how to pursue knowledge for the power of good. Help me to

    grow in wisdom. Bless me. Bless those who share my life. Bless all of

    those with whom I work. Bless this earth, this sweet, green world that

    gives us all the blessings we enjoy—all the water and wine, all the corn

    and wheat, all the joys of life in this body. Bless my home.

Take a lock of hair, light it from the candle, and burn it in the bowl of incense, saying:

    This is the offering of myself.

    In the east—blessings to Raphael.

    In the south—blessings to Michael.

    In the west—blessings to Gabriel.

    In the north—blessings to Uriel.

    Blessed be to all.

Now go around your temple space in reverse order, extinguishing all candles. Then declare your temple closed. The common wisdom is that you should place the apples, bread, and wine in your garden the next day as an offering and a blessing to all of nature.

The Spring Equinox: Ritual for Ostara

At this time, celebrate the festival of Ostara (a.k.a. Eoster), the Saxon goddess who is the personification of the rising sun. Her totem is the rabbit. Legend has it that her rabbit brought forth the brightly colored eggs now associated with Easter. At this time the world is warming under the sun as spring approaches. Every plant, animal, man, and woman feels this growing fever for spring.

This ritual is intended for communities, so gather a group. Tell everyone to bring a “spring food” such as deviled eggs, salads with flowers in them, freshly made broths, berries, mushrooms, fruits, pies, veggie casseroles, and quiches. Have the food table at the opposite side of the area away from the altar, but decorate it with flowers and pussy willow branches that are just beginning to bud, the harbingers of spring.

Essential elements for this ritual are an altar table; a cot; bay laurel leaves; bowls of water; multicolored crystals; candles; a jar of honey; fruits of colors including yellow, red, white, and purple; musical instruments; and one bowl each of seeds, leaves, flowers, and fruit.

Create your own Ostara altar in the middle of the ritual area by covering the table with a cloth in a color that represents spring to you. It could be a richly hued flowered cloth or a light green one in a solid color. The cloth should represent new life. Scatter bay laurel leaves around the table. Place goddesses on the altar table, too, with Ostara at the center. Put colored eggs, chocolate rabbits, candles, and crystals around the goddesses. In the east, set a yellow candle and crystals of amber, gold, and yellow such as citrine or agate. Place yellow fruit such as pears or bananas in front of the candle as an offering to the energies of the east. In the south, set a red candle and red and orange stones such as garnet or the newly available “rough rubies,” which cost only a few cents each. Apples and pomegranates are excellent red foods to place in front of this candle. In the west, set a purple candle with amethysts in front of it. Sweet plums are a perfect fruit to place in front of the candle, perhaps with some purple berries. In the north, set a white candle and a clear quartz or white crystal. Honeydew melon is an appropriate selection for the fruit offering.

Choose four representatives to invoke the directions.

East—Everyone faces east. The representative for the direction should weave a story and create a vision that can be shared by all that evokes new beginnings, such as the rising of the morning sun. Spring is the time for renewal and growth in nature. The speaker can, for example, take the bowl of seeds and tell the tale of the seeds sprouting in the dark moist soil of Mother Earth. Pass the bowl of seeds around to everyone, and urge them to take some seeds home to plant.

South—Everyone faces south. The speaker for this direction should invoke the power of the leaf. Leaves draw in the energy of the sun through photosynthesis and help keep an important cycle of life moving. Leaves grow throughout the summer season, drinking in the water of life and using the power of the sun for photosynthesis. Pass the bowl of leaves around to everyone in the group.

West—Everyone faces west. The speaker for this direction should invoke the power of flowers. Flowers bud and bloom. They follow the sun and are some of nature’s purest expressions of beauty. Flowers bring joy to people, and many flowers become fruit. Pass the bowl of flowers to the group and urge everyone to take some.

North—Everyone faces the north. The speaker for the north should invoke fruit and harvest time. Fruit is the result of nature’s generosity. Fruit also contains the seeds for our future. Pass the bowl of fruit around and suggest everyone take one and eat it, meditating on the glory and deep meaning it contains. If it is appropriate, you can also offer juice or wine as part of the fruit invocation. Wine is the glorious nectar of fruit.

Now it’s time for the ritual enactment. Everyone takes a seat around the altar. Drummers should start to play a gentle rhythm. Chanting, singing, and ululating are also encouraged, however people feel comfortable expressing themselves.

Each speaker should in turn light a candle and invoke the ancestors of the group. Remembrances to people who have died in the past year are an important respect that may be paid to the community at large.

Next is the honoring of the moon. Ask people to speak about the moon, reciting their favorite moon poems or moon memories.

Anointing the third eye blesses your insight for the coming year. Pass the bowls of water and laurel leaves around. Take a leaf and dip it in the water, then touch the wet leaf to your third eye. Pass the bowl on to the next person. When the bowl has made its way back to the ritual leader, sing and dance in celebration of spring.

Everyone should get in a line and hold hands and dance around the circle like a plant moving and growing, flowering and fruiting. When the four speakers feel that the energy has reached a climax, each one should clap and say in turn:

    And now it is done; now it is spring!

They open the circle by saying together:

    It is spring in the East, it is spring in the South, it is spring in the

    West, and it is spring in the North!

Casting the Sacred Circle and Calling the Four Directions

Native American culture honors and respects ancestors as guiding spirits. This ritual uses Native American-inspired invocations of your ancestors as your guides.

Before calling the sacred circle, prepare yourself and your space as previously described. You may choose to cast the circle using a drum or rattle as you speak, saying:

Grandmothers and Grandfathers, please come and create the sacred circle of light. Surround me in a circle of light. Thank you.

Grandmothers and Grandfathers of the north, I thank you for coming and I welcome the energy of the north, Great Spirit, the sacred Mountains, connection to our ancestors and the elders, and connection to our knowing, remembering, and our wisdom. I welcome White Buffalo here. Aho!

Grandmothers and Grandfathers of the east, thank you for coming, and I welcome the energy of the east, the golden doorway that leads to all levels of awareness and understanding. I connect to the rising sun, to the warmth of the sun, to new beginnings, to illumination, and to the light, for mental clarity. I welcome the spirit seeds of new ideas and the male energy to move forward. I welcome the energy of Eagle here. Aho!

Grandmothers and Grandfathers of the south, I welcome you and thank you for coming. I welcome the energies of the south, innocence and play and coming into the world from our child’s wonder, our authentic self. I welcome the balance of lightheartedness. I welcome the energy of Coyote here. Aho!

Grandmothers and Grandfathers of the west, welcome. I give thanks to the energies of the west, the place of letting go of what no longer serves us, the place of diving deepinto the void, the darkness, Great Mystery, the place of the creative feminine and looking within. I welcome Bear here. Aho!

Grandmothers and Grandfathers of the Above World, I welcome you and the energies of Father Sky, the Cosmos, Star Beings, Light Beings, Ascended Masters, Angels, Archangels, and all who work with us from the light. Welcome. Aho!

Grandmothers and Grandfathers of the Below World, Great and Mother Earth, we welcome your mud, your beauty, and all our ancestors of the earth, the mineral kingdom, plant kingdom, animal kingdom, all creatures, and our relatives. We give thanks to you and all your vibrations and your wisdom. I welcome the nature spirits and align with the elements. Aho!

Grandmothers and Grandfathers at the Center of all being, we welcome you. I welcome the energy of love and well- being, the place that connects us all at heart. May we know our oneness and our unique gifts. Aho!

Once you have opened your chakras and created the sacred circle, you may call for a vision, pray for guidance, pray for healing, or choose to give thanks. This is a circle of light where you are connected to the divine source of love and light. Enjoy your journey. When you have completed your mission within the circle, open the circle by giving thanks to all who came to guide you, guides and totems, and all the energies of the directions. 

Ostara’s Equinox: a Ritual for Spring

At this time, celebrate the festival of Ostara, the Saxon goddess who is the personification of the rising sun. Her totem is the rabbit. Legend has it that her rabbit brought forth the brightly colored eggs now associated with Easter. At this time the world is warming under the sun as spring approaches. Every plant, animal, man, and woman feels this growing fever for spring.

This ritual is intended for communities, so gather a group. Tell everyone to bring a “spring food” such as deviled eggs, salads with flowers in them, fresh broths, berries, mushrooms, fruits, pies, veggie casseroles, and quiches. Have the food table at the opposite side of the area away from the altar, but decorate it with flowers and pussy willow branches that are just beginning to bud. These are the harbingers of spring.

Essential elements for this ritual are an altar table; a cot; bay laurel leaves; bowls of water; multicolored crystals; candles; a jar of honey; fruits of yellow, red, white, and purple; musical instruments; and one bowl each of seeds, leaves, flowers, and fruit.

1. Create your own Ostara altar in the middle of the ritual area by covering the table with a cloth of color that represents spring to you. It could be a richly hued flowered cloth or a light green solid color. the cloth should represent new life. Scatter bay laurel leaves around the table. Place goddesses on the altar table, too, with Ostara at the center. Put colored eggs, chocolate rabbits, candles, and crystals around the goddesses. In the east, set a yellow candle and crystals of amber, gold, and yellow such as citrine or agate. Place yellow fruit such as pears or bananas in front of the candle as an offering to the energies of the east. In the south, set a red candle and red and orange stones such as garnet or the newly available “rough rubies,” which cost only a few cents each. Apples and pomegranates are excellent red food to place in front of the candle. In the west, set a purple candle with amethysts in front of it. Sweet plums are a perfect fruit to place in front of the candle. In the north, set a white candle and a clear quartz or white crystal. Honeydew melon is an appropriate selection for the fruit offering.
   
   
2. Choose four representatives to invoke the directions.

• East—Everyone faces east. The representative for the direction should weave a story and create a vision that can be shared by all that is characterized by new beginnings, such as the rising of the morning sun. Spring is the time for new beginnings and growth in nature. The speaker can, for example, take the bowl of seeds and tell the tale of the seeds sprouting in the dark moist soil of Mother Earth. Pass the bowl of seeds around to everyone and urge them to take some seeds home to plant.
• South—Everyone faces south. The speaker for this direction should invoke the power of the leaf. Leaves draw in the energy of the sun through photosynthesis and help keep an important cycle of life moving. Leaves grow throughout the summer season, drinking in the water of life and using the power of the sun for photosynthesis. Pass the bowl of leaves around the group.
• West—Everyone faces west. The speaker for this direction should invoke the power of flowers. Flowers bud and bloom. They follow the sun and are some of nature’s purest expressions of beauty. Flowers bring joy to people and many flowers become fruit. Pass the bowl of flowers to the group and urge everyone to take some.
• North—Everyone faces the north. The speaker for the north should invoke fruit and harvest time. Fruit is the result of nature’s generosity. Fruit also contains the seeds for our future. Pass the bowl of fruit around and suggest everyone take one and eat it, meditating on the glory and deep meaning it contains. If it is appropriate, you can also offer juice or wine as part of the fruit invocation. Wine is the glorious nectar of fruit. 

3. Now it’s time for the ritual enactment. Everyone takes a seat around the altar. Drummers should start to play a gentle rhythm. Chanting, singing, and ululating are also encouraged, however people feel comfortable expressing themselves.

4. Each speaker should in turn light a candle and invoke the ancestors of the group. Remembrances to people who have died in the past year are an important respect paid to the community at large.

5. Next is the honoring of the moon. Ask people to speak about the moon, reciting their favorite moon poems or moon memories.

6. Anointing the third eye blesses your insight for the coming year. Pass the bowls of water and laurel leaves around. Take a leaf and dip it in the water, then touch the wet leaf to your third eye. Pass the bowl on to the next person. When the bowl has made its way back to the ritual leader, sing and dance in celebration of spring. Everyone should get in a line and hold hands and dance around

   the circle like a plant moving and growing, flowering, and fruiting. When the four speakers feel that the energy has reached a climax, each one should clap and say in turn:

And now it is done; now it is spring! 

Then open the circle by saying together:

It is spring in the East, it is spring in the South, it is spring in the West, and it is spring in the North!

North, South, East, and West: a Ritual for Daily Life

You can purify your home every day and create sacred space for living a life of daily ritual. After cleaning or straightening your home, bless the rooms and ensure that you are surrounded with good energy. Take a bowl or cup of water and add a sprinkle of salt. Then anoint your fingers and forehead. Now turn to the east and say:

Powers of the East,
Source of the sun rising,
ring me hope and inspiration.

Sprinkle some water in the east, then turn to the south and say:

Powers of the South,
Source of summer’s warmth and light,
Bring me joy and bounty.

Sprinkle some water in the south, then turn to the west and say:

Powers of the West,
Source of oceans and rivers,
Bring me the power of the waves.

Sprinkle some water in the west, then turn to the north and say:

Powers of the North,
Source of the winter, place of the mountains, and the polestar,
Bring me security and sight.

Close this simple ritual by sprinkling the water and salt all around your home, especially on or around windows, windowsills, doorways, and thresholds where energy passes in and out as visitors arrive and depart. By doing this, you are cleansing and managing the energy of your space. After an argument or upsetting event, or even after a visit by a person who is in a foul mood, you can repeat this ritual to clear out the “bad energy." 

How the Four Directions Relate to the Four Elements

The four directions we invoke in modern magical circles and ceremonies correspond to the four elements. Calling out to the four directions creates the sacred space of the circle, the center of ritual work. In doing this, you are also calling forth elemental entities and energies. Here are some general modern associations for the directions. Be aware that these associations are not universal. They can vary from culture to culture, as well as among traditions and from practitioner to practitioner within a spiritual path.

North

The north corresponds to earth and wintertime. Brown and green are the traditional colors and the totem animals are elk, wolf, and the mighty bear. The tarot suit of pentacles is associated with both earth and the north.

South

The south corresponds to fire and summertime. Gold and red are the traditional colors and the totem animals are lizard, snake, and the lion. The tarot suit of wands is associated with both fire and south.

East

The east corresponds to air and springtime. Yellow and pink are the traditional colors and the totem animals are all birds, including eagle, hawk, and raven. The tarot suit of swords is associated with both air and east.

West

The west corresponds to water and autumn. Purple and blue are the traditional colors and the totem animals are water beasts, including swans, whales, and dolphins. The tarot suit of cups is associated with both water and west. 

North, South, East, and West: The Four Directions and the Four Elements in Ritual

There are many layers of meaning to add to ritual that are based on centuries of mystical and spiritual source material that still influence us today. These sources are called “magical correspondences,” and the transformative process that is ritual calls for as many correspondences as possible to add to the overall effect, creating a synthesis of energies to work these changes in your life and in the world. Just as there are the specific astrological influences of the stars and planets, such as the rhythmic phases of the moon, and a range of powers in stones, there are particular powers in the elements you can call upon in your ritual work.

Earth, air, fire, and water are the four elements of the ancients. The pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, Empedocles of Sicily, taught the theory of the four elements about 2,500 years ago. Modern metaphysicians and magicians no longer believe literally in four elements but find them useful tools for magic.

Earth

Earth is the manifestation of the “solid.” It is matter made tangible. Earth represents intransigence, constancy, and durability. We are made of earth, and so we are part of our own planet. Upon our death, we once again return to the earth. Earth is the stable material and the stable element. You can place salt in a ceramic bowl or soil in a small vial upon your altar to represent this element. You can call upon the element of earth to become more grounded or to build a new aspect into your life. Earth signs Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn should perform earth ritual on a regular basis to stay centered.

Water 

Water is the fluid state of matter, the nurturer of all life and essential for all continued existence. The blood that flows through the veins of animals is mostly water with trace minerals flowing within it. Water cleanses, nourishes crops, and washes away what no longer serves a purpose. Water is the opposite of earth in that it flows: it lacks stability. Even ice, water in a stable form, can melt. Water in our rivers, lakes, and oceans is ever-changing. Water is a very important cleansing and blessing element to bring into play in your ritual. A fountain or bowl of water in your home represents the all-important water of life. You can use water for any kind of releasing ritual. Water signs Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces should stay in tune with their sensitive, creative natures with water rituals. 

Air 

Air is an ever-changing element, matter in its gaseous form. Air has ultimate mobility and dynamism. The oxygen in the air we breathe is essential to the continuation of our life.

Air is unseen and is, in and of itself, formless. Wind is the power of air to move and stimulate change. Air signs Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius can maintain their brilliance and superior communication skills with rituals invoking their native element of air.

Fire 

Fire is sheer transformational power, capable of changing the other elements. The most visible form of energy, fire is also heat. Watch the flicker of your candle flame, the ember of your incense, and the blaze of your council fire, and you will see a constant transmutation of matter. Fire has the ability to both excite and incite us and is used to bring about active change. Fire signs Aires, Leo, and Sagittarius will stay strong and vibrant when they employ their personal element, fire.