Tips ’n’ Tricks: A Muse-ical Wand

If your passion is making art or music, throwing pots, or growing an artful garden, you are an imaginative person, and you need to stay in touch with your muse. Call her to you anytime you are feeling blocked or uninspired. You can make a very special tool that will draw your muse to you with sweet-smelling smoke.

You’ll want to keep a pot of the hardy and sun-loving herb sage on your windowsill so it is handy at all times. Here is a simple way to use this herb to create a wand for instant inspiration: Combine a long stalk of fennel with a twisted bundle of sage and long sticks of your favorite incense, such as cinnamon or nag champ (my personal favorite). Braid the materials tightly together into a wand using purple (for power) and gold (for money) string or thread. Before any artistic endeavor or meditation, light one end of the wand with a candle and wave it around to clear your environment, allowing the smoke to clear your mind in the process.

Communing with Your Coven

The path of Wicca can often feel solitary, but it doesn’t have to be. Witchcraft, which is in itself highly creative, is even more so when practiced in a supportive circle. Wednesdays are wonderful for getting together with like-minded folks. Invite four of your fellow pagans over.

Gather together

    * a censer or incense burner

    * 2 green candles

    * 2 yellow candles

    * palo santo incense

Place the ritual elements on a table that will serve as an altar. Stand in a circle near the altar, holding a censer or incense burner. Ask each of your guests to represent one of the four directions: north, east, south, and west. Give the people representing north and south green candles and east and west get yellow. Light the incense and bless each candle with the sweet-smelling smoke.

Bless the candle of the East, saying:

    Inspired by air.

Bless the candle of the West saying:

    Burnished by fire.

Bless the candle of the North, saying:

    Cleansed by water.

Bless the candle of the South, saying:

    Strengthened by earth.

Together, everyone chants:

    Blessed be.

After the ritual, sit in a circle and share your ideas and creative vision. Talk about how you can support each other in realizing your full potential.

Walking the Pagan Path: Stepping Stones

For centuries, in group rituals and solo spells, witches have walked specific paths in the form of symbolic shapes that hold potent spiritual meaning. All you need for this ritual is a stone that brings you special inspiration.

Maybe it is your birthstone; perhaps it is your jade talisman or calming quartz or intuition-boosting amethyst or labradorite. Put the stone in your pocket and you are ready. You may find one walking pattern to be especially enriching for you. I recommend walking the figure eight, the “eternity” symbol from the magician card in the tarot deck. Otherwise, choose from among the universal shapes below. I suggest always walking sunwise, or clockwise. It can be a distance of your choice, in your living room, a bigger shape in your own backyard or whatever feels right to you, intuitionally. For the more complicated patterns you can draw them on paper and place it where you can see it to use as a guide:

    * Oval: The shape that designates the spirit and divine being.

    * Circle: The shape of the sun and moon, designates the whole, the complete, that which never ends and     encompasses all.

    * Cross: The form of a human figure with arms outstretched from the center. The importance of this             symbol predated Christianity by millennia.

    * Hexagram: In the Jewish tradition, the beloved. It is two triangles intersecting, the meeting of heaven     and earth.

    * Five-pointed Star: This resembles the human form with arms and legs outspread—Leonardo Da             Vinci’s favorite.

Prepare for your pagan pilgrimage, your walking meditation, when the moon is in Sagittarius, Aquarius, or your natal moon sign. These prayer walks represent a journey to our own center and back again out into the world, some of the inner work we witches need to do now and again. Keep your eyes closed for the first step, then open your eyes and pray aloud:

    Guide my steps; help me to walk in wisdom.

    What I seek on this day, I shall find as I go

    With an open heart and mind.

    Today, I receive the blessings of the sun.

Your Personal New Year: Birthday Rite

The anniversary of your birth is like a new year, when everyone can start again, wearing new clothes, beginning life anew with a fresh attitude and bright hopes. Invite your friends and loved ones over for this special day.

Gather together

    * plenty of candles

    * 1 cup (240ml) of water

    * a dish of salt

    * incense

    * a new piece of clothing (such as a scarf) or a new item of jewelry

    * a plate of cakes and sweets to share

Light as many candles as you can in the room where you are performing this ritual. Create a circle of candles, and create a sacred space by having a symbol of each element in your circle: a dish of salt for Earth, a cup of water, incense for Air, and a candle for Fire. Sit lotus-style in the center of your circle and relax in the flickering candlelight. Feel the presence of the four elements and the balance they create. Notice how warm and alive the room feels. Notice how the gentle, flickering candlelight makes all feel safe. As you bask in the atmosphere of the loving candlelight, say to each of your guests, one by one:

I am grateful to have you in my life. May the power of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water bless you.

When you have finished your statements of appreciation, purify the new piece of clothing or item of jewelry by passing it through the smoke of the incense. Then put on your new piece of jewelry or clothing, saying:

With this act, I declare this new year is here, and see the future bright with hope.

Stay within your circle of light for 5 minutes. Then share the food and libations and relax with your special friends. Leave some of the cake or sweets as an offering to the gods in thanks for your new life in the coming solar year.

Foretelling Your Future: Mercury Sortilege

The god Mercury prevails over communication, speed, prophecy, mental clarity, and fun. Traditionally, he also escorts the dead to the afterworld. All things yellow and citrus can bring forth Mercury’s bright presence, which will help you in all your interactions with others. Try these surefire ways to make contact with the god of swiftness and time.

Gather together

    * 3 yellow candles

    * lemon essential oil

    * neroli essential oil

    * a notebook and a pen

Timing: It is best to do this during the waxing moon.

When the moon begins to wax, burn all three candles. Anoint yourself and the candles with the essential oils. Look at the flames and meditate upon them. Breathe deeply, filling your lungs with the fiery citrus scent. Holding both hands out, palms up, say:

    Messenger of the gods,

    Bring me your news.

    Tonight, in this fire and flame,

    Tell me the place and the name.

    Mercury, messenger and god,

    I will listen for your word on the wing.

    Blessed be, to thee and me.

Now, you can either go to sleep with your dream journal nearby, or you can close your eyes and take up your pen for “automatic writing,” allowing your hand and wrist to relax until you see what words take shape on the paper. Carefully record symbols and images that show up in your dreams; they all have meaning. Often, the names of people you will soon meet appear here first.

For Insights and Ideas: Element of Air Tonic

This spell should give you brilliant insight, enabling you to see with great peace and clarity.

Gather together

• 1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds
• 4 tablespoons fresh peppermint leaves
• a pinch of dried lavender
• a yellow teapot
• honey

Timing: Perform this spell when the new moon is in an Air sign: Aquarius, Gemini, or Libra.

Steep the herbs in boiling water in your sunny yellow teapot; yellow is one of the colors associated with mental prowess. After 5 minutes, sweeten with honey, and either drink the mild tea while facing east, the source of the rising sun, or mark the four directions and pour the tea on the ground outside toward the east, praying:

    Winged Mercury, God of air,

    I entreat you to bring me sight and true awareness.

    Like the wind, speed my way.

Make everything new.

Listen to your intuition now; it will not fail you.

Waning Moon Contentment Ritual

 

You can create a week of blissful and composed calm with the following spell.

Gather together

• a purple candle
• hibiscus or violet essential oil
• a bouquet of purple flowers (violets, for example)

Timing: On a Monday, as the moon grows smaller in the sky, try this spell.

On a waning moon Monday evening, anoint your purple candle with the essential oil. Place the candle on your altar beside a vase of fresh violets or other purple flowers. Sit in front of your altar as twilight begins, and when the sun is completely gone, light the candle and chant:

    Any care and despair begone.

    Here with the mountain, the river, the tree, the grass and the moon.

    I receive my strength from Nature and she is my center.

    Tomorrow and the next, all gladness will enter.

    Harm to none, only good.

Don’t Worry, Be Happy: A Spell to Quell Anxiety

As the sun sets on a waning moon day, you can quiet the inner voices of worrywart that get in the way of life. When our moon ebbs, another grows forth, and so it goes for our creativity and renewal cycles.

Gather together

• 1 vanilla bean pod
• sandalwood incense
• amber resin
• a charcoal cake for burning incense
• a fireproof glass or clay dish
• 1 black or gray candle

Timing: As the moon decreases in size, cast this spell.

Set aside a small piece of the vanilla bean, then grind together a teaspoon each of sandalwood, amber, and the remainder of the vanilla bean using either the back of a spoon or your mortar and pestle. Burn this resin-based mixture on a piece of charcoal in the fireproof dish on your altar. Light the black or gray candle, for protection. Rub the reserved small piece of vanilla bean in your palm until the scent begins to waft up thanks to the heat in your hands. Concentrate on the flame and rub the same vanilla essence on your temples and place your hand over your heart.

As you meditate, think about how you sometimes doubt yourself, worry needlessly, and how you will begin to trust your innate wisdom and instincts. Visualize clearing all anxiety from your mind. Think about the wonderful aspects in your life, your bright future, and your potential as you chant:

    La lune, goddess of the moon,

    As you may grow, so do I.

    Here, tonight, under your darkest light,

    I embrace all within me that is good and right,

    and bid goodbye to all the rest. Blessed be.

Blow out the candle and throw it into a fireplace or your cast iron cauldron to burn away. You must completely destroy the candle because it contains the energy of your anxiety and fear. Now, go and worry no more.

The Witch’s Toolkit: Everything You Need to Know for Making Fast Magic Part II

Essential oils are natural oils made by distillations of herbs and flowers, ideally organic. They retain the fragrance of the original plant from which they are made. When you are making a blend of oils or a potion or lotion, mix them with a carrier (or base) oil, such as jojoba, almond, apricot, grapeseed, or sesame, to dilute the essential oil and make it safe to apply to the skin. Always test a blend on a small area of the skin first and leave for 24 hours to check you don’t have any reaction to it.

Magical Meanings of Essential Oils

• Psychic power: jasmine, benzoin, cinnamon, sandalwood
• Courage: geranium, black pepper, frankincense
• Dispelling negative energy and spirits: basil, clove, copal, frankincense, juniper, myrrh, pine, peppermint, rosemary, Solomon’s seal, yarrow, vervain
• Divination: camphor, orange, clove
• Enchantment: ginger, tangerine, amber, apple
• Healing: bay, cedar wood, cinnamon, coriander, eucalyptus, juniper, lime, rose, sandalwood, spearmint
• Joy: lavender, neroli, bergamot, vanilla
• Love: apricot, basil, chamomile, clove, copal, coriander, rose, geranium, jasmine, lemon, lime, neroli, rosemary, ylang-ylang
• Luck: orange, nutmeg, rose, vervain
• Peace: lavender, chamomile
• Prosperity: basil, clove, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange, oak, moss, patchouli, peppermint, pine, aloe
• Protection: bay, anise, black pepper, cedar, clove, cypress, copal, eucalyptus, frankincense, rose geranium, lime, myrrh, lavender, juniper, sandalwood, vetiver
• Sexuality: cardamom, lemongrass, amber, rose, clove, olive, patchouli

Incense contains inherent energies that you can use to further your intention and promote your purpose. Every New Age store, herb shop, or health food store has a wide variety of cone, stick, and loose incense. Many spells call for creating your own incense mixture, best done by grinding the incense ingredients in a mortar and pestle. You can then store the fine powder in small sealable jars. Craft stores and New Age shops carry the 4-ounce (115ml) lidded jars that are perfect for DIY incenses. This kind of powdered or loose incense needs to be burned on a charcoal cake, usually sold in these same stores in packets of ten. You should set the charcoals in a fireproof glass or clay dish or use your censer from which the smoke will waft out enchantingly. Another kind of sacred smoke you will come to rely on is when you burn sage to purify and clear a space. Sage bundles are readily available at any New Age shop and are essential to keep on hand for much of your ritual work.

A censer, also called a thurible, is an incense burner and represents the elements of Air and Fire. Place your censer at the center of your altar. Incense can be used to purify your other sacred tools and to cleanse your ritual space.

A pendulum is a witchy tool that helps with decision making. Pendulums are easily bought at any metaphysical or New Age shop or mind, body, spirit bookstore, but you can also make your own, with a 12-inch (30cm) strip of string or leather cord and a small rose quartz with a pointy end. Knot the quartz onto your cord and test it to show you which is “yes” and which is “no.” This is done by asking it yes/no questions that you know the answer to, then observing its responses— you will notice it swings in a different way for each one, for example, round in a circle clockwise or anticlockwise, or back and forth.

Keep cord and string in different colors for use in your spellwork—a magic cord is a rope that binds you to magic. I like silken cords as they feel good in your hands and are lovely, but knitting yarn makes for nice string and comes in an endless array of magical hues.

Potpourri is a hedge witch and herbalist’s staple for floral spellcraft. Similarly, you should have a collection of dried flowers, petals, and herbs and mix them into combinations with special energies.

Wands are conduits of energy and your personal magic; as such, yours should be a very special tool either made or chosen with care. Find out more overleaf.

The Witch’s Toolkit: Everything You Need to Know for Making Fast Magic Part I

Your Essential Tools

Your altar is the center of your enchantments, your personal power space. A Wiccan altar is where you place symbolic and functional items for the purpose of spells and ritual work as well as a space for speaking chants and prayers. Your altar can— and should—evolve and change with the seasons.

Your Book of Shadows is a journal of your choosing in which you write down your magical workings and notes. When you track the effectiveness of a ritual, you can use this to refine your spellcraft in the future and your power will increase.

Candles are truly essential and contain all four of the elemental energies:

* Air—Oxygen feeds and fans the candle flame.

* Earth—The solid wax forms the candle.

* Water—Melted wax is the fluid elemental state.

* Fire—The flame sparks and blazes.

You can “dress” or anoint the candle with a couple of drops of essential oil on the side of the candle using a dropper or cotton ball. Go with your instinct on choosing sizes, shapes, and colors. I recommend keeping an array of options on hand. Different candle colors can enhance your spells and many of the rituals in this book suggest specific colors.

Magical knives: An athame (pronounced “a-thaw-may”) is your magical knife and should be placed on the right side of your altar. The athame is used to direct the energies raised in your ritual and usually has a dull blade. Since black is the color that absorbs energy, athames should have a dark handle. A bolline is a white-handled knife that is used for making other tools and for cutting materials, such as cords and herbs, within a magic circle. You can cut a branch to create your wand, for example.

Brooms (or “besoms”) have certainly captured the popular imagination as the emblem of witches. Using a broom as a magical tool came about from sweeping the ritual area clean before and after casting a spell. Now they’re mostly used in symbolic energy management.

Cauldrons represent the Goddess (also called Source or divine power), their round basins symbolizing the womb from whence all comes. A cast iron cauldron can hold fire and can even be used to burn incense or purifying sage. You can place a cauldron on your altar if there is room, or on the floor to the left of the altar.

Autumn Equinox

Here is a wonderfully creative variation on this seasonal rite designed by Robin Heerens Lysne, the author of Living a Sacred Life. It is based on the Native American Muskogee Creek tribal story about the spider who weaves her web sack to catch the sun and bring it back to earth. Lysne suggests holding a potluck dinner followed by a story-telling session as the light begins to wane. While people tell their equinox or fall season stories and feelings, they should hold the end of a ball of yarn or string and toss the ball to the next person to signal that it is their turn. As people hold the yarn, they should wrap it once around their wrists. When the talking is done, you will have a web of people woven together. Make the web of life with the yarn, symbolizing the weaving of night, day, relationships, and the time of autumn. When you are finished, let yourselves be in the web and contemplate the meaning of your connections.

January 11, Carmentalia, Day of Prophecy

Romans observed this day of Carmenta, beloved for her prophetic powers and for her protection of motherhood. One of Rome’s famed gates, the Porta Carmentalis, is dedicated to her. A fascinating detail of her lore is that the priests to this goddess never sacrificed animals because Carmenta forbade any kind of butchering. The ancient oracles always gave their prediction in verse, and this Arcadian deity did so as well. Her name comes from the same root as Carmen, which means “song,” and indicates a spell as well as a prophecy. One legend tells that Carmenta was the mother of Evander, who brought the humanities with him, both the arts and the foundation of the Latin alphabet; another suggests that she was the mother of the alphabet. Only the priests of Carmenta were permitted to enter her innermost shrines. Roman women made sure they visited Carmenta’s shrine during their pregnancies, especially on January 11, to hear the song spell sung for their new babies. This is a wonderful ritual for women to share so that they can know what to predict for the year to come.

Ritual for Carmentalia—Prophecies for the New Year

On January 11, gather a group of women together. Ask them to bring pens, paper, and offerings of fruit, flowers, or vegetables to Carmenta. Use these to build an altar, with the bounty placed around a black bowl filled with water that is used as the scrying mirror. Place candles around the room and turn down the lights.

Form a circle around the bowl and altar, and as each woman places her offering beside the bowl, she says aloud the name of her offering: 

Pomegranate [or orange or lily, etc.], Goddess’s herb,

Perform for me enchantment superb.

You give us grain and bread.

Foretell for me the year ahead.

After placing the offering to Carmenta on the altar, each woman should kneel over the mirror and look upon the water. Some people may see images, but oftentimes the information comes as an impression, thought, or meditative reflection. People should only share their visions if they feel the need to do so.

After everyone has had a turn, everyone should chant and sing together:

Daughters under this sun

Sisters under this moon

Tonight we receive your blessings 

Carmenta, goddess great and good— 

We thank you for the year to come.

Now open the circle and sit in silence for at least ten minutes, so that everyone present can record her impressions and visions from Carmenta in a journal. In years to come, if you and your circle of women decide to observe the Feast of Carmentalia annually, as I recommend, you can share and compare notes from prior years. This is a wonderful way to process the passages of your lives. Afterward, a feast is called for. The fruit and veggies from the altar should be consumed, and the flowers should decorate the dining table. Make sure to smudge very well with sage at the end of the evening, as remaining energies should scatter and not stay in the home. Water from the scrying bowl should be poured into the earth outside. 

365 Days of Ritual

January

January 1, New Year’s Day, Gantan-sai (Japan)
January 2, Kakosome, the Japanese Day of First Writing: Ancestry Day (Haiti)
January 3, Saint Genevieve Day
January 4, Our Lord of Chalma Day
January 5, Festival of Befana (Italian)
January 6, Epiphany, also known as Three Kings Day
January 7, Greek Orthodox Christmas
January 8, Midwife Day
January 9, Feast of the Black Nazarene
January 10, Seven Lucky Gods of Japan
January 11, Carmentalia, Day of Prophecy in Rome
January 12, Seijin no Hi, Coming of Age Day (Japan)
January 13, Glaedelig Jul, Norwegian Twentieth Day
January 14, Feast of the Donkey in Paris
January 15, Martin Luther King’s birthday
January 16, Festival of Ganesha
January 17, San Antonia Abad
January 18, World Religion Day
January 19, Baha’i Feast of Sultan
January 20, Portuguese Breadbasket Festival
January 21, Saint Agnes Day
January 22, Burgundian Winemaker’s Holiday
January 23, Buffalo Dancer’s Holiday
January 24, Bolivian Ekeko Fair for Prosperity
January 25, Robbie Burns Night (Scotland)
January 26, Indian Independence Day
January 27, Mozart’s Birthday
January 28, St. Thomas Aquinas Day
January 29, Martyr’s Day (Nepal)
January 30, Three Bishops Day
January 31, Feast of Hecate (Ancient Rome)

Any discussion of rituals for the month of January must include New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. I remember the drama that ensued as people around the globe stood by to witness the sunrise on January 1, 2000, perceived as the beginning of the new millennium. While many other cultures observe their New Year at other times during the year, January 1 has also become a time of celebration, reflection, and an opportunity to embrace change.

For many millennia, indigenous peoples have celebrated their own New Year in unique ways. One common element is the use of fire rituals by North, Central, and South American peoples. The Pilgrims who arrived in what was to become New England observed and documented that the Iroquois and other tribes they encountered had a New Year’s Council Fire, a time when the tribe gathered to review the past year, listen to the elders, and speak their hopes, dreams, and visions of the coming year.

In addition to your personal New Year’s ritual with the significant people in your life, I recommend the Mayan Fire Ceremony as a powerful way to bring positive change of the New Year into your life.

The Mayan Fire Ceremony was considered to open a door or portal into the spirit world that held the promise of receiving the blessings of spirit—love, healing, prosperity, peace, and anything you need for personal transformation. This ritual is also an opportunity to pay respects and make homage to your ancestors and loved ones you have lost. For this reason alone, I suggest enacting the Mayan Fire Ceremony: our culture is losing the important connection to the older people in our lives. Involving them in the rituals, ceremonies, and passages of our lives could heal a cultural rift and bring deep wisdom to all. Mayan shamans could “read” the fire in a divinatory fashion, and I hear that some modern metaphysicians can do the same. If you are fortunate enough to know anyone with such skills, invite them to your fire ceremony to share what they divine from the flames. 

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. 

Song of Myself—A Ritual for Self-Expression

This is definitely one of the more entertaining solo rituals. It requires you to look hard at yourself, but it’s also fun. Essential elements that are necessary for this ritual include:

• Big sheets of butcher paper
• Color markers, glitter, beads, shells, cloth, ribbon, yarn—whatever colorful materials you respond well to
  
• Sewing kit and craft boxes with random scraps, buttons, and/or shiny objects

It is good to undertake this ritual on a Sunday, but whenever you need support, reserve half an hour of quiet time and brew up some willpower to help you with your self-expression. Light a white candle anointed with peppermint oil and light spicy incense such as cinnamon. Prepare for your Song of Myself by sipping this warm drink for encouragement: Take a sprig of mint (homegrown is best), a cup of warm milk, and cinnamon sticks and stir together clockwise in a white mug. Recite:

Herb of menthe and spicy mead,
Today is the day I will succeed.
In every word and every deed.
Today I sing the song of me.

Drink the brew while it is still warm and “sit for a spell.” You will know when you are ready.

Now take the paper and markers and begin your song of yourself. Write with any marker you pick up and finish this sentence at least twenty-four times: I am _____________________.

Be as wild and free and true as you can. You are so many things. Express them here and now, once and for all. I will share some wonderful “Songs of Self” that I have seen and heard: 

I am a wild woman.
I am beautiful.
I am wide.
I am a secret.
I am sexy.
I am brilliant.
I am a blue sky.
I am all possibility.
I am a dream come to life.
I am truth.
I am the Goddess.
I am the living incarnation of wisdom.
I am life.
I am a living blessing.
I am the road.
I am perfect.
I am a tiger.
I am yesterday and today.
I am hope.
I am angry.
I am art.
I am a crone.
I am a sister to the sun.
I am a poem.
I am creative.
I am me!

This can go on as long as you want it to. Only when you feel you have expressed every aspect of yourself should you put down your marker and begin to decorate the paper. Paint on it, glue mirror shards to it, do one or many self-portraits. Scrawl symbols on it. Write more words and allow yourself total and absolute creative freedom. There is no wrong or right; there is only you and all your myriad aspects. Celebrate yourself and reveal yourself completely. By the end, you should have a one- of-a-kind self-portrait that tells your real story.

Hang your self-song portrait in a sacred place, perhaps near your altar or shrine area. Its energy will permeate the place with your personal essence in a wonderful way. 

Metamorphosis Ritual

Choose a place in your home or wherever you feel secure to do this deeply personal ritual. Allow it to be dark. You are in the dark cocoon and about to burst out into the light. Cast your circle of change by moving clockwise around the room three times. Notice as you walk that you can feel the darkness increasing. You are creating a magical space in which you will work for your desired change.

Stand in the middle of the circle and speak aloud what you want to get rid of in your life. Speak the truth from the safe center of your sanctuary. Close your eyes and turn to the east. Now, using creative visualization, call up the element of air. Picture a piece of the day sky filled with clouds and the night filled with stars. This is the element of air. Wait until you feel its presence fully entered in the circle and speak aloud:

I face the east; I am air. I call upon the powers of the sky and the stars to aid me now.

Now turn to the south and visualize a flaming red ball of sun, which is fire, heat, and life. You will know the element of fire is present by the heat you feel in your circle. Speak aloud: 

I face south; I am fire. I call upon the powers of flame and heat, the passion of fire to help me through. Burn away the old, my former self.

Now turn to the west and visualize the waters of the world— oceans, rivers, creeks, and lakes— all merging into a single drop of the holiest water. Speak aloud: 

I face the west. I am made of water. I call upon the powers of water, more powerful than any stone. I ask the waters of life to cleanse me and purify me, ready me for total change.

Now face the north and visualize the green of the earth, the soil and seeds of change. Speak aloud:

I face the north. I am grounded in this earth. I call upon the powers of earth, our planet, to give me the strength to change.

Stand still in the center of your circle and feel the energies of the elements, the powers of the four directions, and the strength of nature’s helpers. Relax into this energy and allow visions, ideas, and inspiration to arise. Welcome new feelings and sensations. You should be open to experiencing new patterns of thought. Thinking in a new way is one way to shed your old skin. Now begin to move and stretch in your circle of magic. Reach up as high as you can, and bend and bow as you emerge from the cocoon of your old self. Breathe deeply, inhaling and exhaling slowly and fully. After ten breaths, you should begin to feel a buzzing sensation at the top of your head. This is the signal that you have arrived at a new level of consciousness. You have shed your old limits; your transmutation is complete.

Walking counterclockwise, retrace the steps of your circle. As you walk, speak your gratitude to the elements and the directions, taking care to give thanks for all the help you have received during this circle of change. Your circle is now open.

As you go through the next few days, reflect on your new feelings and impressions. New people will come into your life. New opportunities will arise. You have given yourself the gift of new life. Enjoy this new post-metamorphic phase of change and treasure it. 

Baby Naming Ceremony

Often, there is a name given at birth based on an ancestor or family member. Later, when a child has come of age, another name is given to acknowledge maturation. This tradition needs to be revived, and I believe it is a wonderful rite of passage to institute in the lives of young people today who are so desperately in need of community support and inclusion. Of all the wonderful customs of the world, my favorite baby naming custom comes from joining the names of the parents. For example, if the father’s name is Robert and the mother is named Carolyn, you could name the baby Roblyn. Christina and Toby’s child could be Christoby, or if you needed a more conventional version, Cristobel. Anna and Justin’s child could be named Justina. The possibilities are endless, as you can see. They don’t always work well, however, so Filipino families sometimes end up using the names of grandparents, godparents, and the revered “aunties,” women who are not actually related but are very special friends of the family. Sometimes they choose to overlook the custom entirely and opt for outside names, but naming is alive and well in this modern age.

Here is a ceremony for a baby naming as performed by the wonderful Viray family, a joyous and generous “tribe” of Filipinos that stretches from Indiana to California to many of the Philippine Islands. 

Everyday Sacred: A Ritual Guide to the Days of the Week

Each day of the week has specific correspondences and meanings. Here is an at-a-glance guide to the days of the week, gleaned from the mythologies of centuries put to practice for different types of ritual. I do a money-enhancing ritual every Thursday, or “Thor’s Day,” which is the day for prosperity. Perhaps you want new love in your life; if so, try a “Freya’s Day” ritual on a Friday night.

Sunday is the day for healing and vitality, as well as creativity and new hope. It is a day of confidence and success. This is the day ruled by the Sun, so it corresponds to fire and the sun sign, Leo. The colors for this day are gold, orange, and yellow, and the sacred stones for this day are also in those colors, amber, citrine, carnelian, and topaz. Sunday’s herbs and incense are cloves, cedar, chamomile, frankincense, amber, sunflower, and heliotrope.

Monday or “Moon Day,” is a dreamy day for intuition, beauty, women’s rituals, and your home. Monday is associated with the element of water and the sign of Cancer. The clouds are shiny silvers, pearl, pale rose, white, and lavender, which are reflective like the moon. The gems and stones are similarly shaded moonstone, pearl, quartz crystal, fluorite, and aquamarine. The herbs and incense are night blooming jasmine, myrtle, moonwort, vervain, white rose, poppy, and camphor.

Tuesday is the day for action, as mighty Mars rules it. Now you can seek your passion, surge toward your goals, find your destiny, and be strong and courageous. “Mars’s Day” is the time for high energy in your career, for physical activity and sports, for aggression in meetings and negotiations, and for strong sexuality. Both fire and water come into play and the astrological assignations are Aries and Scorpio. Red is the day’s color, and the corresponding gems and crystals are ruby, garnet, carnelian, bloodstone, and pink tourmaline. Incense and herbs for Mars’s Day are red roses, pine, carnation, nettle, patchouli, pepper, and garlic.

Wednesday, or “Odin’s Day,” is when the planets of communication, Mercury and Chiron, rule. This is the optimum time for writing, public speaking, intellectual pursuits, memory, and all other forms of communication. It is also a day to recognize your karmic duties through astrology and your Chiron sign, an important asteroid placement in your chart. Through introspection, try to find your “sacred wound” and heal it so it does not hold you back in life, trapping you in old patterns and relationships. The element for Wednesday is earth and the sun sign is Virgo. Colors for this mercurial day are light blue, gray, green, orange, and yellow. The crystals are sodalite, moss agate, opal, and aventurine. The herbs and incense are cinnamon, periwinkle, dill, sweet pea, cinquefoil, and ferns.

Thursday is the day for business, politics, legalities, bargaining, good fortune, and material and fiscal wealth. In other words, it is money day! The elements that come into play are water and fire, and Jupiter, the planet of abundance is the ruler. Pisces and Sagittarius share this planet as ruler. The colors are blue, purple, and turquoise. As you might suspect, the crystals are turquoise, sapphire, amethyst, and lapis lazuli, so favored by the Egyptians. The herbs and incense for the day are saffron, cedar, nutmeg, pine, oak, and cinnamon.

Friday is doubtless everybody’s favorite day of the week, as it is ruled by Freya, the Nordic Venus, goddess of love. Friday is all about beauty, love, sex, fertility, friendships, and partnerships, the arts, harmony, and music, and bringing the new into your life—new energy, new people, new projects. Haven’t you met a lot of people on a Friday night out? Air and earth are the elements and the signs of Libra and Taurus are the astrological signs. Pale green and deep green, robin’s-egg blue, pink, and violet are the colors, and the crystals are emerald, pink tourmaline, rose quartz, as well as jade, malachite, and peridot. The herbs are incense for Fridays are apple, lily, birch, pink rose, verbena, ivy, rose, and sage.

Saturday is ruled by Saturn and connects the elements of air, fire, water, and earth. It is a time for protection, discipline, duty, binding, family, manifestation, and completion. The sun signs are Capricorn and Aquarius, with their colors of black, brown, and deepest blue, Saturday’s crystals are amethyst, smoky quartz, jet, black onyx, obsidian, and darkest garnet. The incense, plants, and herbs for this day are ivy, oak, rue, moss, myrrh, deadly nightshade, mandrake, hemlock, and wolfsbane. (Many Saturn herbs are poisonous; please exercise caution when using them.) How do we use these magical correspondences in ritual? You can create your own ritual simply by choosing candle colors, crystals, and incense from the list that matches your intent and go from there. I have included some sample rituals that draw from these magical correspondences. 

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. 

Phases of the Moon

Performing a ritual at the optimal time of the lunar cycle will maximize your power. As you read, keep this basic magical guideline in mind: Each lunar cycle begins with the new moon phase, when the moon lies between the sun and the earth so its illuminated side cannot be seen from the earth. During the next two weeks, the moon gradually waxes until it has moved to the opposite side of the earth. When the moon has reached the far side of the earth, its lit side faces us as the full moon. Now it begins to wane until it apparently vanishes. Then it cycles again.

The entire cycle takes approximately a month, during which the moon orbits the earth. To determine the sun sign governing the moon on any given day, you will need a celestial guide or almanac. My favorite is Llewellyn’s Daily Planetary Guide. The moon moves into a new sign every two to three days.