{"collection":"bos","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/bos/bos238.htm","path":"bos/bos238.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/bos/bos238.htm","text":"Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999]\n \n \n THE\n \n STANDING STONES\n \n BOOK OF SHADOWS\n \n \n by Scott Cunningham\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n excerpted from:\n WICCA A Guide For The Solitary Practioner\n PP. 111 - 187\n 1989, Llewellyn Publications\n ISBN 0-87542-118-0\n \n 1011 \n \n WORDS TO THE WISE ....\n \n O daughters andsons of theEarth, adore theGoddess and Godand\n be blessed with the fullness of life.\n \n Know thatThey havebrought youto thesewritings, forherein lie\n our ways of the Craft, to serve and fulfill the keepers of wisdom, the\n tenders of the sacred flame of knowledge. Run the rites with love and\n joy, and the Goddess and God will bless you with all that you need.\n But those who practice dark magicks shall know Their greatest wrath.\n \n Remember thatyou are ofthe Craft. No moredo you trodthe ways\n of doubt. You walk the path of light, ever climbing from shadow to\n shadow to the highest realm of existence. But though we're the\n bearers of truths, others do not wish to share our knowledge, so we\n run our rites beneath moon filled skies enwrapped in shadows. But we\n are happy.\n \n Live fully, forthat is the purpose of life. Refrain not from\n earthly existence. From it we grow to learn and understand, until\n such time that we are reborn to learn more, repeating this cycle 'till\n we have spiralled up the path of perfection and can finally call the\n Goddess and God our kin.\n \n Walk the fields andforests; be refreshedby the cool windsand\n the touch of a nodding flower. The Moon and Sun sing in the ancient\n wild places: The deserted seashore, the stark desert, the roaring\n waterfall. We are of the Earth and should revere Her, so do Her\n honor.\n \n Celebratethe riteson theappropriate daysand seasons,and call\n upon the Goddess and God when the time is meet, but use the Power only\n when necessary, never for frivolous ends. Know that using the Power\n for harm is a Perversion of Life itself.\n \n But for those who love and magnify love, the richness oflife\n shall be your reward. Nature will celebrate.\n \n So love the Goddess and God, and harm none!\n \n 1012 \n \n \n THE NATURE OF OUR WAY\n \n * As often as possible, hold the rites in forests, by the\n seashore, on deserted mountaintops or near tranquil lakes. If this is\n impossible, a garden or some chamber shall suffice, if it is readied\n with fumes of flowers.\n \n *Seek outwisdom inbooks, rare manuscriptsand crypticpoems if\n you will, but seek it out also in simple stones and fragile herbs and\n in the cries of wild birds. Listen to the whisperings of the wind and\n the roar of water if you would discover magick, for it is here that\n the old secrets are preserved.\n \n * Books contain words;trees contain energies andwisdom books\n ne'er dreamt of.\n \n * Ever remember that the Old Ways are constantly revealing\n themselves. Therefore be as the river willow that bends and sways\n with the wind. That which remains changeless shall outlive its\n spirit, but that which evolves and grows will shine for centuries.\n \n * Therecan be no monopolyon wisdom. Thereforeshare what you\n will of our ways with others who seek them, but hide mystic lore from\n the eyes of those who would destroy, for to do otherwise increases\n their destruction.\n \n * Mock not the rituals or spells of another, for who can say\n yours are greater in power or wisdom?\n \n *Ensure that your actions are honorable, for all that you do\n shall return to you three-fold, good or bane.\n \n * Be waryof one who would dominate you,who would control and\n manipulate your workings and reverences. True reverence for the\n Goddess and God occurs within. Look with suspicion on any who would\n twist worship from you for their own gain and glory, but welcome those\n priestesses and priests who are suffused with love.\n \n * Honorall living things,for we are ofthe bird, thefish, the\n bee. Destroy not life save it be to preserve your own.\n \n * And this is the nature of our way.\n \n 1013 \n \n \n BEFORE TIME WAS\n \n Beforetime was, therewas The One;The One was all,and all was\n The One.\n \n Andthe vast expanseknown asthe universewas TheOne, all-wise,\n all-pervading, all-powerful, eternally changing.\n \n And space moved. The Onemolded energy into twin forms,equal\n but opposite, fashioning the Goddess and God from The One and of The\n One.\n \n The Goddess and God stretched and gave thanks to The One,but\n darkness surrounded them. They were alone, solitary save for The One.\n \n So They formed energy into gasses and gasses into suns and\n planets and moons; They sprinkled the universe with whirling globes\n and so all was given shape by the hands of the Goddess and God.\n \n Light aroseand the sky wasilluminated by a billionsuns. And\n the Goddess and God, satisfied by their works, rejoiced and loved, and\n were one.\n \n From theirunion sprang the seedsof all life, andof the human\n race, so that we might achieve incarnation upon the Earth.\n \n TheGoddess chose theMoon as Hersymbol, and theGod the Sun as\n His symbol, to remind the inhabitants of Earth of their fashioners.\n \n All areborn, live, dieand are rebornbeneath the Sunand Moon;\n all things come to pass thereunder, and all occurs with the blessings\n of The One, as has been the way of existence before time was.\n \n 1014 \n \n \n SONG OF THE GODDESS\n \n I am the GreatMother, worshipped by all creationand existent\n prior to their consciousness. I am the primal female force, boundless\n and eternal.\n \n I am thechaste Goddessof the Moon,the Lady ofall magick. The\n winds and moving leaves sing my name. I wear the crescent Moon upon\n my brow and my feet rest among the starry heavens. I am mysteries yet\n unsolved, a path newly set upon. I am a field untouched by the plow.\n Rejoice in me and know the fullness of youth.\n \n I amthe blessed Mother,the gracious Lady ofthe harvest. I am\n clothed with the deep, cool wonder of the Earth and the gold of the\n fields heavy with grain. By me the tides of the Earth are ruled; all\n things come to fruition according to my reason. I am refuge and\n healing. I am the life-giving Mother, wondrously fertile.\n \n Worship me as theCrone, tender of the unbrokencycle of death\n and rebirth. I am the wheel, the shadow of the Moon. I rule the\n tides of women and men and give release and renewal to weary souls.\n Though the darkness of death is my domain, the joy of birth is my\n gift.\n \n I amthe Goddess of theMoon, the Earth,the Seas. Mynames and\n strengths are manifold. I pour forth magick and power, peace and\n wisdom. I am the eternal Maiden, Mother of all, and Crone of\n darkness, and I send you blessings of limitless love.\n \n \n \n CALL OF THE GOD\n \n I am the radiant King of the Heavens, floodingthe Earth with\n warmth and encouraging the hidden seed of creation to burst forth into\n manifestation. I lift my shining spear to light the lives of all\n beings and daily pour forth my gold upon the Earth, putting to flight\n the powers of darkness.\n \n I am the master of the beasts wild and free. I run with the\n swift stag and soar as a sacred falcon against the shimmering sky.\n The ancient woods and wild places emanate my powers, and the birds of\n the air sing of my sanctity.\n \n I amalso the lastharvest, offering upgrain andfruits beneath\n the sickle of time so that all may be nourished. For without planting\n there can be no harvest; without winter, no spring.\n \n Worshipme as the thousand-namedSun of creation,the spirit of\n the horned stag in the wild, the endless harvest. See in the yearly\n cycle of festivals my birth, death and rebirth - and know that such is\n the destiny of all creation.\n \n I am the sparkof life, the radiantSun, the giver of peaceand\n rest, and I send my rays of blessings to warm the hearts and\n strengthen the minds of all.\n \n 1015 \n \n THE CIRCLE OF STONES\n \n The Circle of stonesis used during indoor rituals,for energy\n raising, meditation and so on.\n \n First cleanse the area with the ritual broom.\n \n For this circle you willneed four large, flat stones. If you\n have none, candles can be used to mark the four cardinal points of the\n circle. White or purple candles can be used, as can colors related to\n each direction - green for the North, yellow for East, red for South\n and blue for West.\n \n Placethe first stone(or candle) tothe North, torepresent the\n Spirit of the North Stone. In ritual when you invoke the Spirits of\n the Stones you're actually invoking all that resides in that\n particular direction, including the elemental energies.\n \n After setting theNorth Stone(or candle), placethe East,South\n and West Stones. They should mark out a rough square, nearly\n encompassing the working area. This square represents the physical\n plane on which we exist - the Earth.\n \n Nowtake a long purpleor white cordand lay it outin a circle,\n using the four stones or candles to guide you. It takes a bit of\n practice to smoothly do this. The cord should be placed so that the\n stones remain inside the circle. Now you have a square and a circle,\n the circle representing the spiritual reality. As such, this is a\n squared circle; the place of interpenetration of the physical and\n spiritual realms.\n \n The size of the circle can be anything from 5 to 20 feet\n depending on the room and your desires.\n Next, set up the altar. The following tools are recommended:\n \n * A Goddess symbol (candle, holed stone, statue)\n * A God symbol (candle, horn, acorn, statue)\n * Athame \n * Wand\n * Censer\n * Pentacle\n * A bowl of Water (spring, rain or tap)\n * A bowl of Sea Salt (it can also be placed on the pentacle)\n * Incense\n * Flowers and greens\n * One red candle in holder (if not using point candles)\n * Anyother tools ormaterials requiredfor the ritual,spell or\n magickal working\n \n Set upthe altar accordingto theplan shown hereor accordingto\n your own design. Also be sure to have plenty of matches, as well as a\n small heat-proof container in which to place them when used. A\n charcoal block is also necessary to burn the incense.\n \n 1016 \n \n \n Goddess God\n Symbol or Symbol or\n Candle Candle \n \n Censer\n \n \n Bowl of Red Bowl of\n Water Candle Salt\n \n \n Pentacle\n \n Cup Incense\n \n \n Cauldron,\n or Spell\n Wand Materials Knife\n \n \n Bell Boline\n \n Suggested Altar Layout\n \n \n Light thecandles. Set theincense smoking. Lift theathame and\n touch its blade to the water, saying:\n \n I consecrate and cleanse this water\n that it may be purified and fit to\n dwell within the sacred Circle of Stones.\n In the name of the Mother Goddess and Father God,\n I consecrate this water.\n \n As you do this, visualize your athame blasting away all\n negativity from the water.\n The salt is next touched with the point of the athame while\n saying:\n \n I bless this salt that it may be fit\n to dwell within the sacred Circle of Stones.\n In the name of the Mother Goddess and Father God,\n I bless this salt.\n \n Now stand facing North,at the edge of thecord-marked circle.\n Hold your athame point outward at waist level. Walk slowly around the\n circle's perimeter clockwise, your feet just inside the cord, charging\n it with your words and energy. Create the circle - through your\n visualization - with the power flowing out from your athame's blade.\n As you walk, stretch the energy out until it forms a complete sphere\n around the working area, half above the ground, half below. As you do\n this say:\n \n Here is the boundary of the Circle of Stones.\n Naught but love shall enter in,\n Naught but love shall emerge from within.\n Charge this by Your powers, Old Ones!\n \n 1017 \n \n When youhave arrived backat the North,place the athameon the\n altar. Take up the salt and sprinkle it around the circle, beginning\n and ending in the North, and moving clockwise. Next, carry the\n smoking censer from the altar, and finally sprinkle water around the\n circle. Do more than carrying and walking; sense the substances\n purifying the circle. The Circle of Stones is now sealed.\n \n Holdaloft the wand atthe North, atthe edge ofthe circle, and\n say:\n \n O Spirit of the North Stone,\n Ancient One of the Earth,\n I call You to attend this circle.\n Charge this by Your powers, Old Ones!\n \n As yousay this,visualize agreenish mistrising and writhingin\n the Northern quarter, over the stone. This is the elemental energy of\n the Earth. When the Spirit is present, lower the wand, move to the\n East, raise it again and say:\n \n O Spirit of the East Stone,\n Ancient One of Air,\n I call You to attend this circle.\n Charge this by Your powers, Old Ones!\n \n Visualize theyellowish mistof Airenergy. Lowerthe wand,move\n to the South and repeat the following with your upraised wand,\n visualizing a crimson Fire mist:\n \n O Spirit of the South Stone,\n Ancient One of Fire,\n I call You to attend this circle.\n Charge this by Your powers, Old Ones!\n \n Finally, to the West, say with the wand held aloft:\n \n O Spirit of the West Stone,\n Ancient One of Water,\n I call You to attend this circle.\n Charge this by Your powers, Old Ones!\n \n Visualize the bluish mist, the essence of Water.\n The circle breaths and lives around you. The Spirits of the\n Stones are present. Feel the energies. Visualize the circle glowing\n and growing in power. Stand still, sensing for a moment.\n \n The Circleof Stones is complete. The Goddess and God may be\n called, and magick wrought.\n \n 1018 \n \n CUTTING A DOORWAY\n \n At times you may have to leave the circle. This is fine, of\n course, but as previously mentioned, passing through the circle\n dissipates it. To prevent this from occurring it's traditional to cut\n a doorway.\n \n Todo this,face Northeast. Hold yourathame pointdownward near\n the ground. See and sense the circle before you. Pierce its wall of\n energy with the athame and trace an archway, tall enough to walk\n through, moving counter-clockwise along the circle for about three\n feet. Move the point of the athame up at the arch's center and down\n the other side until it is near the ground.\n \n As you're doingthis, visualizethat area ofthe circle'senergy\n being sucked back into the athame. This creates a void, allowing\n passage in and out of the circle. Pull the athame out of the circle's\n wall. You're free to walk outside.\n \n Onceback inside, close the door by placing the athame at the\n lower North-Eastern point of the archway. With your athame trace the\n circle's perimeter clockwise, as if redrawing that portion of the\n Circle of Stones, again visualizing blue or purple energy flaring out\n from the blade and converging with the rest of the circle. It is\n done.\n \n \n \n RELEASING THE CIRCLE\n \n Once the rite is ended, face North, hold aloft the wand and say:\n \n Farewell, Spirit of the North Stone.\n I give thanks for your presence here.\n Go in power.\n \n Repeat this same formula to the East, South and West,\n substituting the proper direction in the words. Then return to the\n North and hold the wand aloft for a few moments.\n \n Lay the wandon the altar. Take up theathame. Standingin the\n North, pierce the circle's wall with the blade at waist level. Move\n clockwise around the circle, visualizing it's power being sucked back\n into the athame. Literally pull it back into the blade and handle.\n Sense the circle dissolving, shrinking; the outside world slowly\n regaining its dominance in the area.\n \n When you arrive at the North again, the circle is no more.\n \n 1019 \n \n VISUALIZATIONS FOR THE CIRCLE OF STONES\n \n If you wish, you can back up the circle casting with the\n following visualizations as you form the circle itself:\n Prepare asusual. Approachthe Northand set theNorth Stone(or\n the candle) on the ground. Then, visualize a stone slab standing\n upright two feet to the left of and behind the North Stone. Visualize\n this as being bluish-grey, two feet wide, two feet thick and six feet\n tall. This stone represents the Goddess.\n \n When thestone is really there- in your visualization- create\n another stone of the same size and color two feet to the right of and\n behind the North Stone. This represents the God.\n \n Now visualize a capstone resting on top of the two upright\n stones. It is about two feet by two feet by six feet. This\n represents The One before the Goddess and God, the source of all power\n and magick. The Northern Trilithon is now complete.\n \n Thestones form anarchway, a symbolof the gatewayto the realm\n of the element of Earth.\n \n Firmlyvisualize this, then gazethrough the archformed by the\n stones. See the greenish haze of the Earth energy.\n \n Repeat the entire procedure to the East, South and West.\n Visualize the appropriate elemental color within each trilithon.\n \n Now purify salt and water,cast the circle as usual, andcarry\n around the salt, censer, candle and water.\n \n As youapproach each quarterto callits Spirit ofthe Stone,see\n the trilithon firmly in your mind. Visualize it in all its Pagan\n splendor. See the elemental hazes within them, boiling and writhing\n in unmanifestedness. Stretch out with your feelings; sense the\n arrival of the spirit of each stone, then go on to the next.\n \n With practice this comes easily, but such visualizations are\n never necessary.\n \n \n \n THE BLESSING CHANT\n \n The Blessing Chant can be said at the beginning of any type of ritual\n as a general invocation. Separate invocations of the Goddess and God\n may follow.\n \n May the powers of The One,\n the source of all creation;\n all-pervasive, omnipotent, eternal;\n may the Goddess,\n the Lady of the Moon;\n and the God,\n Horned Hunter of the Sun;\n may the powers of the Spirits of the Stones,\n rulers of the elemental realms;\n may the powers of the stars above and the Earth below,\n bless this place, and this time, and I who am with you.\n \n 1020 \n \n THE SIMPLE FEAST\n \n Hold up a Chalice of wine (or some other liquid) betweenyour\n hands to the sky, and say:\n \n Gracious Goddess of Abundance,\n Bless this wine and infuse it with your love.\n In your names, Mother Goddess and Father God,\n I bless this wine (or brew, juice, etc.).\n \n Hold upa plate ofcakes (bread,biscuits) with bothhands tothe\n sky and say:\n \n Powerful God of the Harvest,\n Bless these cakes and infuse them with your love.\n In your names, Mother Goddess and Father God,\n I bless these cakes (or this bread).\n \n \n \n CONSECRATION OF TOOLS\n \n Lightthe candles. Set the incensesmoking. Castthe Circle of\n Stones. Place the tool on the pentacle, or a plate of salt. Touch it\n with the point of your athame (or your projective hand) and say:\n \n Iconsecrate you, O Athame of steel(or wand of wood, etc.) to\n cleanse and purify you to serve me within the Circle of Stones. In\n the names of the Mother Goddess and Father God, you are consecrated.\n \n Send projective energy into the tool, cleansing it of all\n negativity and past associations. Now pick it up and sprinkle with\n salt, pass it through the incense smoke, through the candle flame and\n sprinkle with water, calling upon the Spirits of the Stones to\n consecrate it.\n \n Then hold the tool to the sky, saying:\n \n I charge youby the OldOnes: By theomnipotent Goddess andGod:\n By the virtues of the Sun, Moon and Stars: By the powers of the Earth,\n Air, Fire and Water, that I shall obtain all that I desire through\n you. Charge this by your power, Old Ones!\n \n The toolshould immediately beput touse to strengthenand bind\n the consecration. For example, the athame can be used to consecrate\n another tool; a wand to invoke the Goddess; the pentacle to act as a\n resting place for a tool during its consecration.\n \n 1021 \n \n THE FULL MOON RITE\n \n Perform this at night,in the view ofthe Moon if possible. It\n is appropriate for crescents, white flowers, silver and other lunar\n symbols to be present on the altar for this ritual. The quartz\n crystal sphere can be placed on the altar as well. Or, if you prefer,\n use the cauldron (or a small white or silver bowl) filled with water.\n Place a piece of silver into the water.\n \n Arrangethe altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the\n Circle of Stones.\n \n Stand beforethe altar andinvoke the Goddess andGod, with the\n Blessing Chant and/or any other invocations (see Prayers, Chants and\n Invocations in this Book of Shadows).\n \n Now gaze at the Moon, ifpossible. Feel its energies sinking\n into your body. Feel its cool Goddess energy wash you with power and\n love.\n Now say these or similar words:\n \n Wondrous Lady of the Moon\n You who greets the dusk with silvered kisses;\n Mistress of the night and of all magicks,\n who rides the clouds in blackened skies\n and spills light upon the cold Earth;\n O Lunar Goddess,\n Crescented-One,\n Shadow maker and shadow breaker;\n Revealer of mysteries past and present;\n Puller of seas and ruler of women;\n All-wise Lunar Mother,\n I greet your celestial jewel\n at the waxing of its powers\n With a rite in Your honor.\n I pray by the Moon,\n I pray by the Moon,\n I pray by the Moon.\n \n Continue chanting\"I pray bythe Moon\" foras long asyou will.\n Visualize the Goddess if you so desire, perhaps as a tall, robust\n woman wearing silver jewelry and white, rippling, draped clothing. A\n crescent Moon may rest upon Her brow, or She may toss a glowing\n silvery white orb in Her hands. She treads the starfield of eternal\n night in an eternal round with Her lover, the Sun God, spreading\n moonrays wherever She goes. Her eyes laugh, Her skin is white and\n translucent. She glows.\n \n Nowis the timefor magick ofall types, forthe full ofthe Moon\n marks the height of its powers, and all positive spells cast then are\n powerful.\n \n FullMoons arealso excellenttimesfor meditation,mirror magick\n and psychic workings, for such are often more successful within the\n circle. Crystal-scrying is particularly recommended; flood the\n crystal with moonlight prior to the ritual. If you have no crystal\n sphere, use the cauldron filled with water and the piece of silver.\n Gaze at the water (or at the Moon glinting on the silver) to awaken\n your psychic awareness.\n \n 1022 \n \n Lunar liquids such as lemonade, milk or white wine can be\n consumed during the simple feast that follows. Crescent cakes are\n traditional as well.\n Thank the Goddess and God and release the circle. It is done.\n \n YULE (circa December 21) \n \n Thealtar isadorned withevergreens suchas pine,rosemary, bay,\n juniper and cedar, and the same can be laid to mark the Circle of\n Stones. Dried leaves can also be placed on the altar. \n \n The cauldron, resting onthe altar on a heat-proofsurface (or\n placed before it if too large), should be filled with ignitable spirit\n (alcohol), or a red candle can be placed within it. At outdoor rites,\n lay a fire within the cauldron to be lit during ritual. \n \n Arrange the altar, lightthe candles and incense, andcast the\n Circle of Stones. \n Recite the Blessing Chant. \n Invoke the Goddess and God. \n Stand before the cauldron and gaze within it. Say these or\n similar words: \n \n I sorrow not, \n though the world is wrapped in sleep. \n I sorrow not, \n though the icy winds blast. \n I sorrow not, \n though the snow falls hard and deep. \n I sorrow not, \n this too shall soon be past. \n \n Ignitethe cauldron (or candle),using long matchesor a taper.\n As the flame(s) leap up say: \n \n I light this fire in Your honor, \n Mother Goddess \n You have created life from death; \n warmth from cold; \n The Sun lives once again; \n the time of light is waxing. \n Welcome, \n ever-returning God of the Sun! \n Hail Mother of All! \n \n Circle the altar andcauldron slowly, clockwise, watching the\n flames. Say the following chant for some time: \n \n The wheel turns; the power burns. \n \n Meditate upon the Sun,on the hidden energies lyingdormant in\n winter, not only in the Earth but within ourselves. Think of birth\n not as the start of life but as its continuance. Welcome the return\n of the God. \n \n 1023 \n \n After a time cease and stand once again before the altar and\n flaming caldron. Say: \n \n Great God of the Sun, \n I welcome Your return. \n May You shine brightly upon the Goddess; \n may You shine brightly upon the Earth, \n scattering seeds and fertilizing the land. \n All blessings upon You, \n reborn One of the Sun! \n \n Works of magick, if necessary, may follow. \n Celebrate the Simple Feast. \n The circle is released. \n YULE LORE \n \n Onetraditional Yuletidepractice isthe creationof aYule tree.\n This can be a living, potted tree which can later be planter in the\n ground, or a cut one. The choice is yours. \n \n Appropriate Pagandecorations are fun to make,from strings of\n dried rosebuds and cinnamon sticks (or popcorn and cranberries) for\n garlands, to bags of fragrant spices which are hung from boughs.\n Quartz crystals can be wrapped with shiny wire and suspended from\n sturdy branches to resemble icicles. Apples, oranges and lemons\n hanging from boughs are strikingly beautiful, natural decorations, and\n were customary in ancient times. \n \n Many enjoy the custom of lighting the Yule log. This is a\n graphic representation of the rebirth of the God within the sacred\n fire of the Mother Goddess. If you choose to burn one, select a\n proper log (traditionally of oak or pine). Carve or chalk a figure of\n the Sun (such as a rayed disc) or the God (a horned circle or a figure\n of a man) upon it, with the Boline, and set it alight in the fireplace\n at dusk on Yule. As the log burns, visualize the Sun shining within\n it and think of the coming warmer days. \n \n As to food, nuts, fruits such as apples and pears, cakes of\n caraways soaked in cider, and (for non-vegetarians) pork are\n traditional fare. Wassail, lambswool, hibiscus or ginger tea and fine\n drinks for the Simple Feast or Yule Meals. \n \n \n \n \n 1024 \n \n IMBOLC (February 2) \n \n Asymbol ofthe season, suchas arepresentation ofa snow flake,\n a white flower, or perhaps some snow in a crystal container can be\n placed on the altar. An orange candle anointed with musk, cinnamon,\n frankincense or rosemary oil, unlit, should also be there. Snow can\n be melted and used for the water during the circle casting. \n \n Arrangethe altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the\n Circle of Stones. \n Recite the Blessing Chant. \n Invoke the Goddess and God. \n Say such words as the following: \n \n This is the time of the feast of torches, \n when every lamp blazes and shines \n to welcome the rebirth of the God. \n I celebrate the Goddess, \n I celebrate the God; \n all Earth celebrates \n Beneath its mantle of sleep. \n \n Light the orange taper fromthe red candle on the altar(or at\n the Southern point of the circle). Slowly walk the circle clockwise,\n bearing the candle before you. Say these or similar words: \n \n All the land is wrapped in winter. \n The air is chilled and frost envelops the Earth. \n But Lord of the Sun, \n Horned One of animals and wild places, \n unseen you have been reborn of the gracious Mother Goddess, \n Lady of all fertility. \n Hail Great God! \n Hail and welcome! \n \n Stop before the altar, holding aloft the candle. Gaze atits\n flame. Visualize your life blossoming with creativity, with renewed\n energy and strength. \n \n If you need to look into the future or past, now is an ideal\n time. \n Works of magic, if necessary, may follow. \n Celebrate the Simple Feast. \n The circle is released. \n \n IMBOLC LORE \n \n It istraditional uponImbolc, atsunset or justafter ritual,to\n light every lamp in the house - if only for a few moments. Or, light\n candles in each room in honor of the Sun's rebirth. Alternately,\n light a kerosene lamp with a red chimney and place this in a prominent\n part of the home or in a window. \n \n If snow lies on the ground outside, walk in it for a moment,\n recalling the warmth of summer. With your projective hand, trace an\n image of the Sun on the snow. \n \n 1025 \n \n Foods appropriate to eat on this day include those from the\n dairy, since Imbolc marks the festival of calving. Sour cream dishes\n are fine. Spicy and full-bodied foods in honor of the Sun are equally\n attuned. Curries and all dishes made with peppers, onions, leeks,\n shallots, garlic or chives are appropriate. Spiced wines and dishes\n containing raisins - all foods symbolic of the Sun - are also\n traditional. \n OSTARA (circa March 21) \n \n Flowersshould belaid onthe altar,placed around thecircle and\n strewn on the ground. The cauldron can be filled with spring water\n and flowers, and buds and blossoms may be worn as well. A small\n potted plant should be placed on the altar. \n \n Arrange the altar, lightthe candles and incense, andcast the\n Circle of Stones. \n Recite the Blessing Chant. \n Invoke the Goddess and God in whatever words please you. \n Stand before the altar and gaze upon the plant as you say: \n \n O Great Goddess, \n you have freed yourself from the icy prison of winter. \n Now is the greening, \n when the fragrance of flowers drifts on the breeze. \n This is the beginning. \n Life renews itself by Your magick, \n the Earth Goddess. \n The God stretches and rises, \n eager in His youth, \n and bursting with the promise of summer. \n \n Touch theplant. Connect with itsenergies and, throughit, all\n nature. Travel inside its leaves and stems through your visualization\n - from the center of your consciousness out through your arm and\n fingers and into the plant itself. Explore its inner nature; sense\n the miraculous processes of life at work within it. \n \n After a time, still touching the plant, say: \n \n I walk the Earth in friendship, \n not in dominance. \n Mother Goddess and Father God, \n instillwithinme throughthis plantawarmth forall living\n things. \n Teach me to revere the Earth and all its treasures. \n May I never forget. \n \n Meditate uponthe changing of theseasons. Feelthe rousing of\n energies around you in the Earth. \n Works of magick, if necessary, may follow. \n Celebrate the Simple Feast. \n The circle is released. \n \n \n \n \n 1026 \n \n EOSTRA LORE \n \n A traditional VernalEquinox pastime:go to afield andrandomly\n collect wildflowers [Thank the flowers for their sacrifice before\n picking them, using a collection formula such as can be found in \"An\n Herbal Grimoire\" elsewhere in this Book of Shadows]. Or buy some from\n a florist, taking one or two of those that appeal to you. Then bring\n them home and divine their magickal meanings by the use of books, your\n own intuition, a pendulum or by other means. The flowers you've\n chosen reveal your inner thoughts and emotions. \n \n It isimportant at thistime ofrenewed life toplan a walk(or a\n ride) through gardens, a park, woodlands, forest and other green\n places. This is not simply exercise, and you should be on no other\n mission. It isn't even just an appreciation of nature. Make your\n walk celebratory, a ritual for nature itself. \n \n Other traditionalactivities include plantingseeds, workingon\n magickal gardens and practicing all forms of herb work - magickal,\n medicinal, cosmetic, culinary and artistic. \n \n Foods intune with thisday (linkingyour meals withthe seasons\n is a fine way of attuning with nature) include those made of seeds,\n such as sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds, as well as pine nuts.\n Sprouts are equally appropriate, as are leafy, green vegetables.\n Flower dishes such as stuffed nasturtiums or carnation cupcakes also\n find their place here. [Find a book of flower cooking or simply make\n spice cupcakes. Ice with pink frosting and place a fresh carnation\n petal on each cupcake. Stuff nasturtium blossoms with a mixture made\n with cream cheese, chopped nuts, chives and watercress.] \n \n \n \n BELTANE (April 30) \n \n If possible,celebrate Beltanein a forestor neara livingtree.\n If this is impossible, bring a small tree within the circle,\n preferably potted; it can be of any type. \n \n Create a small token or charm in honor of the wedding of the\n Goddess and God to hang upon the tree. You can make several if you\n desire. These tokens can be bags filled with fragrant flowers,\n strings of beads, carvings, flower garlands - whatever your talents\n and imagination can conjure. \n \n Arrangethe altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the\n Circle of Stones. \n Recite the Blessing Chant \n Invoke the Goddess and God. \n Stand before the altar and say, with wand upraised: \n \n O Mother Goddess, \n Queen of the night and of the Earth; \n O Father God, \n King of the day and of the forest, \n IcelebrateYour unionas naturerejoicesin ariotous blaze\n of color and life. \n Accept my gift, \n Mother Goddess and Father God, \n in honor of Your union. \n \n 1027 \n \n \n Place the token(s) on the tree. \n \n From Your mating shall spring forth life anew; \n a profusion of living creatures shall cover the lands, \n and the winds will blow pure and sweet. \n O Ancient Ones, \n I celebrate with You! \n \n Works of magick, if necessary, may follow. \n Celebrate the Simple Feast. \n The circle is released. \n \n \n BELTANE LORE \n \n Weavingand plaiting are traditionalarts at thistime of year,\n for the joining together of two substances to form a third is in the\n spirit of Beltane. \n \n Foods traditionally come from the dairy, and dishes such as\n marigold custard (see recipes - food) and vanilla ice cream are fine.\n Oatmeal cakes are also appropriate. \n \n \n \n MIDSUMMER (circa June 21) \n \n Before the rite, make upa small cloth pouch filled withherbs\n such as lavender, chamomile, St. John's Wort, vervain, or any of the\n Midsummer herbs listed in \"An Herbal Grimoire.\" Mentally pour all\n your troubles, problems, pains, sorrows and illnesses, if any, into\n this petition as you construct it. Tie it shut with a red string.\n Place this on the altar for use during the rite. The cauldron should\n also be there or nearby. Even if you use candles to mark the\n quarters, the red candle in a holder should also be on the altar. For\n outdoor rituals, light a fire - however small - and drop the pouch\n into this. \n \n Arrangethe altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the\n Circle of Stones. \n Recite the Blessing Chant. \n Invoke the Goddess and God. \n Stand before the altar and say, with wand upraised: \n \n I celebrate the noon of summer with mystic rites. \n O great Goddess and God, \n allnaturevibrateswith YourenergiesandtheEarth isbathed\n with warmth and life. \n Now is the time of forgetting past cares and banes; \n O fiery Sun, \n burn away the unuseful, \n the hurtful, \n the bane, \n in Your omnipotent power. \n Purify me! \n Purify me! \n Purify me! \n \n \n 1028 \n \n Lay thewand onthe altar. Take up theherbal petitionand light\n it in the red candle on the altar (or, if outdoors, the ritual fire). \n When it is burning drop it into the cauldron (or some other heat-proof\n container) and say: \n \n \n I banish you by the powers of the Goddess and God! \n I banish you by the powers of the Sun, \n Moon and Stars! \n I banish you by the powers of the Earth, \n Air, \n Fire and Water! \n \n Pause,seeing thehurts andpains burninginto nothingness. Then\n say: \n \n O Gracious Goddess, \n O Gracious God, \n onthis night of Midsummermagick I pray that You\n charge my life with wonder and joy. \n \n Help me in attuning with the energies adrift on the\n enchanted night air. \n I give thanks. \n \n Reflect upon the purification you have undergone. Feel the\n powers of nature flowing through you, washing you clean with divine\n energy. \n \n Works of magick, if necessary, may follow. \n Celebrate the Simple Feast. \n The circle is released. \n \n \n \n MIDSUMMER LORE \n \n Midsummeris practically theclassic time toperform magicks of\n all kinds. Healings, love magick and protections are especially\n suitable. Herbs can be dried over the ritual fire if you're\n celebrating outdoors. Leap the fire for purification and renewed\n energy. \n \n Fresh fruits are standard fare for Midsummer. \n \n \n \n \n 1029 \n \n LUGHNASADH (August 1) \n \n Placeupon the altarsheaves of wheat,barley or oats,fruit and\n breads, perhaps a loaf fashioned in the figure of the Sun or a man to\n represent the God. Corn dollies, symbolic of the Goddess, can be\n present there as well. \n Arrangethe altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the\n Circle of Stones. \n Recite the Blessing Chant. \n Invoke the Goddess and God. \n Stand before the altar, holding aloft the sheaves of grain,\n saying these or similar words: \n \n Now is the time of the First Harvest, \n when thebounties ofnaturegive ofthemselvesso thatwemay\n survive. \n O God of the ripening fields, \n Lord of the Grain, \n grant methe understanding ofsacrifice as Youprepare to\n deliver Yourself under the sickle of the Goddess and journey to the \n lands of eternal summer. \n O Goddess of the Dark Moon, \n teachmethe secretsofrebirth asthe Sunlosesits strength\n and the nights grow cold. \n \n Rub theheads of the wheatwith your fingers sothat the grains\n fall onto the altar. Lift a piece of fruit and bite it, savoring its\n flavour, and say: \n \n I partake of the first harvest, \n mixing itsenergieswithmine thatImay continuemyquestfor\n the starry wisdom of perfection. \n O Lady of the Moon and Lord of the Sun, \n gracious ones before Whom the stars halt their courses, \n I offer my thanks for the continuing fertility of the Earth. \n May the nodding grain loose its seeds to be buried in the\n Mother's breast, \n ensuring rebirth in the warmth of the coming Spring. \n \n Consume the rest of the fruit. \n \n Works of magick, if necessary, may follow. \n Celebrate the Simple Feast. \n The circle is released. \n \n \n \n \n 1030 \n \n LUGHNASADH LORE \n \n It is appropriate toplant the seedsfrom the fruit consumedin\n ritual. If they sprout, grow the plant with love and as a symbol of\n your connection with the Goddess and God. \n \n Wheat weaving (the making of corn dollies, etc.) is an\n appropriate activity for Lughnasadh. Visits to fields, orchards,\n lakes and wells are also traditional. \n \n The foods of Lughnasadh include bread, blackberries and all\n berries, acorns (leached of their poisons first), crab apples, all\n grains and locally ripe produce. A cake is sometimes baked, and cider\n is used in place of wine. \n \n If youdo make afigure of theGod from bread,it can beused for\n the Simple Feast. \n \n MABON (circa September 21) \n \n Decorate the altar with acorns, oak sprigs, pine and cypress\n cones, ears of corn, wheat stalks and other fruits and nuts. Also\n place there a small rustic basket filled with dried leaves of various\n colors and kinds. \n \n Arrangethe altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the\n Circle of Stones. \n Recite the Blessing Chant. \n Invoke the Goddess and God. \n Standbefore the altar, holdingaloft the basketof leaves, and\n slowly scatter them so that they cascade to the ground within the\n circle. Say such words as these: \n \n Leaves fall, \n the days grow cold. \n The Goddess pulls Her mantle of the Earth around Her as You, \n O Great Sun God, \n sail toward the West to the lands of \n Eternal Enchantment., \n wrapped in the coolness of night. \n Fruits ripen, \n seeds drop, \n the hours of day and night are balanced. \n Chill winds blow in from the North wailing laments. \n In this seeming extinction of nature's power, \n O Blessed Goddess, \n I know that life continues. \n For spring is impossible without the second harvest, \n as surely as life is impossible without death. \n Blessings upon You, \n O Fallen God, \n as You journey into the lands of winter \n and into the Goddess' loving arms. \n \n \n 1031 \n \n Place the basket down and say: \n \n O Gracious Goddess of all fertility, \n Ihave sownandreapedthe fruitsofmy actions,goodandbane.\n Grantme the courageto plantseeds of joyand lovein the coming\n year, \n banishing misery and hate. \n Teach me the secrets of wise existence upon this planet, \n O Luminous One of the Night! \n \n Works of magick, if necessary, may follow. \n Celebrate the Simple Feast. \n The circle is released. \n \n \n MABON LORE \n \n A traditional practice is to walk wild places and forests,\n gathering seed pods and dried plants. Some of these can be used to\n decorate the home; others saved for future herbal magick. \n \n The foods ofMabon consistof the secondharvest's gleanings,so\n grains, fruit and vegetables predominate, especially corn. Corn bread\n is traditional fare, as are beans and baked squash. \n \n \n \n \n 1032 \n \n Samhain (October 31) \n \n Placeupon thealtarapples, pomegranates,pumpkins, squashesand\n other late autumn fruits. Autumn flowers such as marigolds and\n chrysanthemums are fine too. Write on a piece of paper an aspect of\n your life which you may wish to be free of; anger, a baneful habit,\n misplaced feelings, disease. The cauldron or some similar tool must\n be present before the altar as well, on a trivet or some other\n heat-proof surface (if the legs aren't long enough). A small, flat\n dish marked with an eight-spoked wheel symbol should also be there.\n [This is just what it sounds like. On a flat plate or dish, paint a\n large circle. Put a dot in the center of this circle and paint eight\n spokes radiating out from the dot to the larger circle. Thus, you\n have a wheel symbol - a symbol of the Sabbats, a symbol of\n timelessness.] \n \n Prior toritual, sit quietlyand thinkof friends andloved ones\n who have passed away. Do not despair. Know that they have gone on to\n greater things. Keep firmly in mind that the physical isn't the\n absolute reality, and souls never die. \n \n Arrangethe altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the\n Circle of Stones. \n Recite the Blessing Chant. \n Invoke the Goddess and God. \n \n Lift one of the pomegranates and, with your freshly-washed\n Boline, pierce the skin of the fruit. Remove several seeds and place\n them on the wheel-marked dish. \n Raise your wand, face the altar and say: \n \n On this night of Samhain I mark Your passing, \n O Sun King, \n through the sunset into the Land of the Young. \n I mark also the passing of all who have gone before, \n and all who will go after. \n O Gracious Goddess, \n Eternal Mother, \n You who gives birth to the fallen, \n teach meto know that inthe time of the greatest\n darkness there is the greatest light. \n \n Taste the pomegranate seeds; burst them with your teeth and\n savour their sharp, bittersweet flavour. Look down as the\n eight-spoked symbol on the plate; the Wheel of the Year, the Cycle of\n the Seasons, the End and Beginning of all Creation. \n \n Light a firewithin the cauldron(a candle isfine). Sitbefore\n it, holding the piece of paper, gazing at its flames. Say: \n \n Wise One of the Waning Moon, \n Goddess of the Starry Night, \n I createthis firewithin Your cauldronto transform\n that which is plaguing me. \n May the energies be reversed: \n From the darkness, light! \n From bane, good! \n From death, birth! \n \n \n 1033 \n \n Light thepaper in thecauldron's flames anddrop it inside. As\n it burns, know that your ill diminishes, lessens and finally leaves\n you as it is consumed within the universal fires. [The cauldron, seen\n as the Goddess.] \n If you wish, you may attempt scrying or some other form of\n divination, for this is a perfect time to look into the past or\n future. Try to recall past lives too, if you will. But leave the\n dead in peace. Honor them with your memories but do not call them to\n you. [Many Pagans do attempt to communicate with their deceased\n ancestors and friends at this time, but it seems to me that if we\n accept the doctrine of reincarnation, this is a rather strange\n practice. Perhaps the personalities that we knew still exist, but if\n the soul is currently incarnate in another body, communication would\n be difficult, to say the least. Thus, it seems best to remember them\n with peace and love - but do not call them up.] Release any pain and\n sense of loss you may feel into the cauldron's flames. \n Works of magick, if necessary, may follow. \n Celebrate the Simple Feast. \n The circle is released. \n \n \n \n SAMHAIN LORE \n \n It is traditional on Samhain night to leave a plate of food\n outside the home for the souls of the dead. A candle placed in the\n window guides them to the Lands of Eternal Summer, and burying apples\n in the hard-packed earth \"feeds\" the passed ones on their journey. \n \n Forfood, beets,turnips,apples, corn,nuts, gingerbread,cider,\n mulled wines and pumpkin dishes are appropriate, as are meat dishes\n (once again, if you're not vegetarian. If so, tofu seems ritually\n correct). \n \n \n \n \n 1034 \n \n A RITUAL OF GESTURES \n \n Stand in the ritualarea. Stillyour thoughts. Breathedeeply\n for half a minute or so until composed and calm. Turn your mind to\n our Deities. \n \n Face North. Lift bothhands to waistheight, palms down. Press\n your fingers together, creating two solid, flat planes. Sense\n solidity, foundation, fertility. Invoke the powers of the Earth\n through the gesture. \n \n Moments Later, turn toward the East. Raise your hands a foot\n higher, your palms facing away from you (no longer parallel with the\n ground), and elbows slightly bent. Spread your fingers and hold this\n position, sensing movement and communication. Invoke the forces of\n Air through the gesture. \n \n Face South. Lift your handsfully above yourhead. Keepingthe\n elbows straight, grasp your fingers into tight fists. Feel force,\n power, creation and destruction. Invoke the forces of Fire through\n the gesture. \n \n Turn to the West. Lower your hands a foot or so. Bend the\n elbows, turn your palms upward and cup them, pressing the thumbs\n against the forefingers. Sense fluidity, the ocean, liquidity.\n Invoke the forces of Water through the gesture. \n \n Face Northagain. Throw yourhead back and raiseboth hands to\n the sky, palms up, fingers spread. Drink in the essence of The One,\n the unknowable, unapproachable ultimate source of all. Sense the\n mysteries within the universe. \n \n Lower your projective hand (your writing hand) but keep your\n receptive hand high. Pressing the third, forth and fifth fingers\n against the palm, lift the forefinger and thumb to create a rough\n crescent shape. Sense the reality of the Goddess. Sense Her love,\n Her fertility, Her compassion. Sense the powers of the Moon in the\n gesture; the force of the eternal seas - the presence of the Goddess. \n Lower your receptivehand; liftyour projective hand. Benddown\n the middle and forth fingers toward the palm, and trap them with the\n thumb. Lift the forefinger and little finger up to the sky, creating\n a horned image. Sense the reality of the God. Sense the power of the\n Sun in the gesture; the untamed energies of the woodlands - the\n presence of the God. \n \n Lower yourprojective hand. Laydown flat. Spread yourlegs and\n arms until you've created the pattern of a pentagram. Sense the\n powers of the elements running through you; merging and coalescing\n into your being. Sense them as emanations from The One, the Goddess\n and God. \n \n Meditate. Commune. Communicate. \n When finished, simply stand up. Your rite of gestures is over. \n \n \n \n \n 1035 \n \n THE LAW OF THE POWER \n \n 1. The Power shall not be used to bring harm, to injure or\n control others. But if the need rises, the Power shall be used to\n protect your life or the life of others. \n 2. The Power is used only as need dictates. \n 3.The Power can be usedfor your own gain, aslong as by doing\n so you harm none. \n 4.It is unwiseto accept money forthe use ofthe Power, for it\n quickly controls its taker. Be not as those of other religions. \n 5. Use not the Power forprideful gain, for such cheapens the\n mysteries of the Craft and magick. \n 6. Everremember that the Poweris a sacred giftof the Goddess\n and God, and should never be misused or abused. \n 7. And this is the Law of the Power. \n \n \n \n INVOCATION OF THE ELEMENTS \n \n Air, Fire, Water, Earth, \n Elements of Astral birth, \n I call you now; attend to me! \n \n In the circle, rightly cast, \n Safe from psychic curse or blast, \n I call you now, attend to me! \n \n From cave and desert, sea and hill, \n By blade and wand, cup and pentacle, \n I call you now; attend to me! \n This is my will, so mote it be! \n \n [This invocation may be chanted while moving or dancing around the\n altar to raise elemental energy for magickal workings.] \n \n \n \n PRAYERS, CHANTS AND INVOCATIONS \n OF AND TO \n THE GODDESS AND GOD \n \n These prayers can be used toinvoke the Goddess and Godduring\n ritual, just after the circle casting. Of course, any which you\n compose or are inspired to say and be used as well. \n A fewchants arealso includedto raise energyor tocommune with\n the deities. \n Someof theseinvocations rhyme, andsome donot. But recall the\n power of rhyme - it link our conscious mind to the unconscious or\n psychic mind, thereby producing ritual consciousness. \n Some of these are related to specific deities but, as Dion\n Fortune wrote: \"All the gods are one god; and all the goddesses are\n one goddess, and there is only one initiator.\" \n \n \n \n \n 1036 \n \n INVOCATION TO THE GODDESS \n \n Crescent One of the starry skies, Flowered One of the fertile plan, \n Flowing One of the ocean's sighs, \n Blessed One of the gentle rain; \n Hear my chant 'midst the standing stones, \n Open me to your mystic light; \n Waken me to your silver tones, \n Be with me in my sacred rite! \n \n \n \n INVOCATION TO PAN \n \n O Great God Pan, \n Beast and man, \n Shepherd of goats and Lord of the Land, \n I call you to attend my rites \n On this most magickal of nights. \n God of the wine, \n God of the vine, \n God of the fields and God of the kine, \n Attend my circle with your love \n And send Your blessings from above. \n Help me to heal; \n Help me to feel; \n Help me to bring forth love and weal. \n Pan of the forests, Pan of the glade, \n Be with me as my magick is made! \n \n \n \n ISIS INVOCATION \n \n Isis of the Moon, \n You who are all that ever was, \n All that is, \n And all that shall be: \n Come, veiled Queen of Night! \n Come as the scent of the sacred lotus \n Charging my circle \n With love and magick. \n Do descend upon my circle, \n I pray, \n O Blessed Isis! \n \n \n \n PRAYER TO THE HORNED GOD \n \n Horned One of the wilderness, \n Winged One of the shining skies, \n Rayed One of the spen'drous Sun, \n Fallen One of the Samhain cries- \n I call amidst the standing stones \n Praying that You, O Ancient One, \n Will deign to bless my mystic rites- \n O fiery Lord of the Blazing Sun! \n \n 1037 \n \n NEW MOON CHANT TO DIANA \n \n Waxing, waxing, growing, growing- \n Diana's power is flowing, flowing. \n (repeat) \n \n \n \n CALL TO THE GOD \n \n Ancient God of the forest deeps, \n Master of beast and Sun; \n Here where the world is hushed and sleeps \n Now that the day is done. \n I call You in the ancient way \n Here in my circle round, \n Asking that You will hear me pray \n And send Your Sun force down. \n \n \n \n INVOCATION TO THE GODDESS \n \n Gracious Goddess, \n You who are the Queen of the Gods, \n The lamp of night, \n the creator of all that is wild and free; \n Mother of woman and man; \n Lover of the Horned God and protectress of all the Craft: \n Descend, I pray, \n With Your Lunar ray of power \n Upon my circle here! \n \n INVOCATION TO THE GOD\n \n Blazing God,\n You who are the King of the Gods,\n Lord of the Sun,\n Master of all that is wild and free;\n Father of woman and man,\n Lover of the Moon Goddess and protector of all the Craft:\n Descend I pray,\n With you Solar ray of power\n Upon my circle here!\n \n \n \n GODDESS CHANT\n \n Luna, Luna, Luna, Diana\n Luna, Luna, Luna, Diana\n Bless me, bless me, bless me, Diana,\n Luna, Luna, Luna, Diana\n (repeat)\n \n 1038 \n \n EVENING CHANT TO THE GOD\n \n Hail fair Sun,\n Ruler of day;\n Rise on the morn\n To light my way.\n (to be said while watching the sunset)\n \n \n \n EVENING CHANT TO THE GODDESS\n \n Hail fair Moon\n Ruler of night;\n Guard me and mine\n Until the light.\n (to be said while Moon-gazing at night)\n \n \n \n GODDESS CHANT\n \n Aaaaaaaaaaaaah\n Oooooooooooooh\n Uuuuuuuuuuuuuu\n Eeeeeeeeeeeeee\n Iiiiiiiiiiiiii\n \n [These are obviously, the vowels of the English language. Pronounce\n them as: A-\"Ah,\" O-\"O,\" U-\"Oo,\" E-\"E,\" I-\"Eye.\" Extend the vowels as\n you vocalize them, stretch the sounds. This produces Goddess\n awareness, and rouses the psychic mind]\n \n 1039 \n \n THE LORE OF NUMBERS\n \n To be used in ritual and magickal workings. In general, odd\n numbers are related to women, receptive energy and the Goddess; even\n numbers to men, projective energy and the God.\n \n 1. The universe; The One; the source of all.\n \n 2. The Goddess and God; The perfect duality; projective and\n receptive energy; the couple; personal union with deity;\n interpenetration of the physical and spiritual; balance.\n \n 3. The Triple Goddess; the Lunar phases; the physical, mental and\n spiritual aspects of our species.\n \n 4. The elements; the Spirits of the Stones; the winds; the\n seasons.\n \n 5. The senses; the pentagram; the elements plus Akasha; a Goddess\n number.\n \n 7. The planets which the ancients knew; the time of the Lunar\n phase; power; protection and magick.\n \n 8. The number of Sabbats; a number of the God.\n \n 9. A number of the Goddess.\n \n 13. The number of Esbats; a fortunate number.\n \n 15. A number of good fortune.\n \n 21. The number of Sabbats and Esbats in the Pagan year; a number of\n the Goddess.\n \n 28. A number of the Moon; a number of the goddess.\n \n 101. The number of fertility.\n \n The planets are numbered thus:\n \n Saturn 3 Venus 7\n Jupiter 4 Mercury 8\n Mars 5 Moon 9\n Sun 6\n \n 1040 \n \n THIRTEEN GOALS OF A WITCH\n \n I. Know yourself\n II. Know your Craft (Wicca)\n III. Learn\n IV. Apply knowledge with wisdom\n V. Achieve balance\n VI. Keep your words in good order\n VII. Keep your thoughts in good order\n VIII. Celebrate life\n IX. Attune with the cycles of Terra\n X. Breathe and eat correctly\n XI. Exercise the body\n XII. Meditate\n XIII. Honor the Goddess and God\n \n \n \n \n \n RECIPES FOR FOOD\n \n \n \n CRESCENT CAKES\n \n 1 cup firmly ground almonds\n 1 1/4 cups flour\n 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar\n 2 drops almond extract\n 1/2 cup butter, softened\n 1 egg yolk\n \n Combinealmonds, flour,sugarand extractuntil thoroughlymixed.\n with the hands, work in butter and egg yolk until well-blended. Chill\n dough. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Pinch off pieces of dough\n about the size of walnuts and shape into crescents. Place on greased\n sheets and bake for about 20 minutes. Serve during Simple Feast,\n especially at Esbats.\n \n 1041 \n \n BELTANE MARIGOLD CUSTARD\n \n 2 cups milk\n 1 cup unsprayed marigold petals\n 1/4 tsp. salt\n 3 tbsp. sugar\n 1 to 2-inch piece vanilla bean\n 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten\n 1/8 tsp. allspice\n 1/8 tsp. nutmeg\n 1/2 tsp. rose water\n whipped cream\n \n Using a cleanmortar and pestle reservedfor cooking purposes,\n pound marigold petals. Or, crush with a spoon. Mix the salt, sugar\n and spices together. Scald milk with the marigolds and the vanilla\n bean. Remove the vanilla bean and add the slightly beaten yolks and\n dry ingredients. Cook on low heat. When the mixture coats a spoon,\n add rose water and cool.\n Top with whipped cream, garnish with fresh marigold petals.\n \n \n \n SOFT MEAD\n \n 1 quart water, preferably spring water\n 1 cup honey\n 1 sliced lemon\n 1/2 tsp. nutmeg\n \n Boil together all ingredients in a non-metallic pot. While\n boiling, scrape off the rising \"scum\" with a wooden spoon. When no\n more rises add the following:\n \n pinch salt\n juice of 1/2 lemon\n \n Strain andcool. Drinkin placeof alcoholic meador wineduring\n the Simple Feast.\n \n \n \n BEVERAGES\n \n If you wish to avoid the use of wine, which has long been\n utilized in religious and magickal rites, there are many other\n beverages that can be used to toast the Goddess and God. These\n include (but certainly aren't limited to):\n \n Sabbats: apple juice, grape juice, grapefruit juice,\n orange juice, pineapple juice, black tea, soft mead,\n guava nectar, cinnamon coffee, ginger tea, hibiscus tea\n \n Esbats: lemonade, apricot nectar, mango nectar, pear\n nectar, papaya nectar, peach nectar, jasmine tea, peppermint\n tea, rosebud tea, milk\n \n 1042 \n \n RECIPES FOR INCENSES\n \n To make incenses, simply grind the ingredients and mix them\n together. As you mix, sense their energies. Burn on charcoal blocks\n in the censer during ritual.\n \n \n \n CIRCLE INCENSE\n \n 4 parts Frankincense\n 2 parts Myrrh\n 2 parts Benzoin\n 1 part Sandalwood\n 1/2 part Cinnamon\n 1/2 part Rose petals\n 1/4 part Vervain\n 1/4 part Rosemary\n 1/4 part Bay\n \n Burn in the circle for all types of rituals and spells.\n Frankincense, myrrh and benzoin should definitely constitute the bulk\n of the mixture.\n \n \n \n ALTAR INCENSE\n \n 3 parts Frankincense\n 2 parts Myrrh\n 1 part Cinnamon\n \n Burn as a general incense on the altar to purify it and to\n promote ritual consciousness during rituals.\n \n \n \n FULL MOON RITUAL INCENSE\n \n 2 parts Sandalwood\n 2 parts Frankincense\n 1/2 part Gardenia petals\n 1/4 part Rose petals\n a few drops Ambergris oil\n \n Burn during Esbats or simply at the time of the Full Moon to\n attune with the Goddess.\n \n \n \n SPRING SABBAT INCENSE\n \n 3 parts Frankincense\n 2 parts Sandalwood\n 1 part Benzoin\n 1 part Cinnamon\n a few drops Patchouly oil\n \n Burn during spring and summer Sabbat rituals.\n \n 1043 \n \n \n FALL SABBAT INCENSE\n \n 3 parts Frankincense\n 2 parts Myrrh\n 1 part Rosemary\n 1 part Cedar\n 1 part Juniper\n \n Burn during fall and winter Sabbat rituals.\n \n \n \n RECIPES FOR OILS\n \n To create oils, simply mix themin a bottle. Wear for ritual\n purposes.\n \n \n \n SABBAT OIL #1\n \n 3 parts Patchouly\n 2 parts Musk\n 1 part Carnation\n \n Wear to the Sabbats to promote communion with the deities.\n \n \n \n SABBAT OIL #2\n \n 2 parts Frankincense\n 1 part Myrrh\n 1 part Carnation\n 1 part Allspice\n \n Use as the above formula.\n \n \n \n FULL MOON OIL #1\n \n 4 parts Gardenia\n 2 parts Lotus\n 1 part Jasmine\n \n Anoint the body prior to Esbats to attune with Lunar energies.\n \n \n \n FULL MOON OIL #2\n \n 3 parts Sandalwood\n 2 parts Lemon\n 1 part Rose\n \n Another like the above.\n \n 1044 \n \n GODDESS OIL\n \n 3 parts Rose\n 2 parts Gardenia\n 1 part Lemon\n 1 part Lotus\n 1 part Ambergris\n \n Wear to honor the Goddess during rituals.\n \n \n \n HORNED GOD OIL\n \n 2 parts Frankincense\n 2 parts Cinnamon\n 1 part Bay\n 1 part rosemary\n 1 part Musk\n \n Wear to honor the Horned God during rituals.\n \n \n \n ALTAR OIL\n \n 4 parts Frankincense\n 3 parts Myrrh\n 1 part Galangal\n 1 part Vervain\n 1 part Lavender\n \n Anoint thealtar withthis oilat regularintervals topurify and\n empower it.\n \n 1045 \n \n OF GATHERING FLOWERS, HERBS AND PLANTS:\n \n Before cutting with the Boline, attune with the plantthrough\n visualization. Feel its energies. As you cut, say these or similar\n words:\n \n Olittle plant of (name, such as hyssop, etc.) I ask\n that you give of your bounty that it may aid me in my work. Grow\n stronger by my stroke, stronger and more powerful, O \n plant of (name)!\n \n If it isa tree, substitute theappropriate word (tree ofoak).\n Gently cut only what you need, and never from very young plants or\n more than twenty-five percent of the growth. At the base of the plant\n leave an offering: a silver coin, a bright jewel, a bit of wine or\n milk, grain, a quartz crystal and so on. Cover the offering and it is\n done.\n \n \n \n OF THE CIRCLE\n \n The magick circle may be fashioned with garlands of flowers\n sacred to the Goddess and God. Alternately, flowers can be scattered\n around the perimeter of the circle.\n The point stones may be ringed with fresh flowers and herbs\n suitable to the elements, such as:\n \n North: corn, cypress, fern, honeysuckle, wheat, vervain\n East: acacia,bergamot,clover, dandelion,lavender,lemongrass,\n mint, mistletoe, parsley, pine\n South:basil, carnation, cedar,chrysanthemum, dill, ginger, \n heliotrope, holly, juniper, marigold, peppermint\n West: apple blossoms,lemon balm,camellia, catnip,daffodil, \n elder, gardenia, grape, heather, hibiscus, jasmine, orchid\n \n Fresh flowers may be present on the altar or, if none are\n available, greens such as ferns may be used.\n \n When casting the circle around a tree, youcan use the fruit,\n leaves, nuts or flowers of that tree to mark out the circle, if\n desired.\n \n All of these can be used in addition to the cord and stones.\n \n 1046 \n \n OF THE BALEFIRE:\n \n If you wish to build a fire for an outdoor ritual, it can be\n composed of all or any combination of the following woods:\n \n Rowan Dogwood\n Mesquite Poplar\n Oak Juniper\n Pine Cedar\n Apple\n \n If these are unavailable, use native woods. Rites run on the\n seashore can be illuminated with balefires of dried driftwood\n collected prior to the rite.\n \n \n \n OF THE HOME CIRCLE:\n \n Magickal plants growing outside the home incontainers can be\n placed around the circle or on the altar during ritual. If you\n primarily work indoors, choose an odd-numbered selection of sacred\n plants and grow these in your ritual area. If they need more\n sunlight, simply move them outdoors and bring inside during ritual.\n Give them energy and love, and they'll aid you in your worship and\n magick.\n \n Though anybut poisonousplants canbe used,such plantsas these\n are recommended:\n \n African Violets Red Geraniums\n Cacti (all types Rose\n Ferns (all types) Rose Geranium\n Holly Rosemary\n Hyssop Ti (Cordyline terminalis)\n Palms (all types) Wax Plant (Hoya carnosa)\n \n \n \n OF THE CELEBRANT:\n \n Wearfresh flowers and herbs in yourhair and on your body, if\n you prefer, during the rites. Crowns or caplets of flowers are always\n appropriate for spring and summer rites. Wear oak and pine during the\n winter rituals.\n \n You may wishto wear anecklace ofherbs and seeds,such astonka\n beans, whole nutmegs, star anise, acorns and other seeds and nuts,\n strung on a natural fiber. Strings of small pine cones may also be\n worn.\n \n For Full Moon rituals held at night, wear night-blooming,\n fragrant flowers to suffuse yourself with Lunar energies.\n \n 1047 \n \n OF THE TOOLS:\n \n These are suggestions for dedicating the tools prior totheir\n first use or formal consecration, if any. Perform these with proper\n visualization and ritual intent.\n \n The Athame or Sword:\n \n Rub the blade with fresh basil, rosemary or oak leaves, at\n sunrise, outdoors where you will not be disturbed or seen. Lay the\n sword or Athame on the ground with its point to the South. Walk\n clockwise around it thrice, scattering bay leaves (preferably fresh)\n over it. Take up the sword or Athame, stand facing East and, holding\n it upward but with arms lowered, invoke the God to infuse your Athame\n or sword with His strength. Point it to the sky, invoking the Goddess\n to charge your blade with Her love and power.\n \n Wrap yourAthame or swordin red cloth andtake it home. It may\n be stored in the cloth, if desired.\n \n The Bolline:\n \n Early in the morning, goto a forest (or park, garden,or your\n indoor garden). Choose the most beautiful and vibrant plants. Touch\n the point of the Boline gently to these in turn, forging a connection\n between your Boline and the plants (and, thusly, the Earth).\n \n Next, siton the Earth. Ensuring thatyou are quitealone, draw\n a pentagram with the Boline's point on the ground. It is done.\n \n The Wand:\n \n If the wand is of wood, take it outdoors at sunsetand rub it\n with fresh lavender, eucalyptus or mint leaves. Raise it in the air\n toward the East (or the Moon if it is visible) and invoke the Goddess.\n At sunrise, take it again outdoors, rub with the fresh fragrant leaves\n and invoke the God by raising it to the East.\n \n The Pentacle:\n \n Place the pentacle on bare Earth. Lay upon itdried parsley,\n patchouly, mistletoe, or fresh jasmine or honeysuckle flowers. Sit\n before it facing North for several seconds, visualizing the pentacle\n absorbing the Earth's energies. Then pick it up and scatter the herbs\n or flowers to the four quarters, beginning and ending in the North.\n \n Ifthis must bedone indoors, filla small dishwith fresh Earth\n and place the pentacle on this. Proceed as above, saving the herbs or\n flowers to be scattered outdoors at a latter time.\n \n 1048 \n \n The Censer:\n \n Fume purerosemary, frankincenseorcopal withinthe censerprior\n to its first use. Do this for about an hour.\n \n The Cauldron:\n \n Takethe cauldron toa stream, river,lake or ocean. Gather the\n leaves of some plants growing nearby (at the sea, perhaps seaweed).\n Dip the cauldron into the water to fill it. Place the leaves in the\n cauldron, then set it on the water's edge where it is on both water\n and sand. Place your hands on the cauldron and dedicate it to the\n Goddess in any words you like.\n \n Emptyand drythe cauldron, andreturn home. Thecharge has been\n made.\n \n Ifperformed inside, placethe cauldronin alarge basinof water\n or the bathtub, in a candle-lit room. Add a bit of salt to the water,\n which should be cold. Proceed as above.\n \n Salt water corrodes metal. Thoroughly wash the cauldronafter\n immersion in sea or salk water.\n \n The Chalice:\n \n Anoint the base withgardenia, rose or violetoil and fillwith\n pure spring water. Then set afloat a sprig of ivy, a small rose, a\n fresh gardenia or some other appropriate flower or herb. Gaze into the\n Chalice and invoke the Goddess to bless it. You might also wish to\n take it outside as night, filled with water, and catch the Moon's\n reflection within it.\n \n The Broom:\n \n It canbe fashioned from anash staff, birch twigsand a willow\n binding. Brush the broom with chamomile, willow, lemon balm, elder or\n mallow stalks and branches, then bury these with due solemnity. You\n might also wish to carve a crescent Moon upon its handle.\n \n The Crystal:\n \n Onthe night ofa FullMoon, rub thesphere with fresh(or dried)\n mugwort, then take it outside. Hold it up so that it drinks in the\n light and energies of the Moon. Gaze at the Moon through the crystal\n by holding it before your eyes. Repeat at least thrice yearly for the\n best benefits.\n \n The Book of Shadows:\n \n Sewinto the cover of the Bookof Shadows leaves of the sacred\n herbs vervain, rue, bay, willow or others, if you wish. They should\n be well-dried and secretly placed by the light of the Moon. The\n covers of the Book of Shadows should, of course, be covered with cloth\n for this purpose.\n \n 1049 \n \n The Robe:\n \n If you choose to wear one, lay it among sachets filled with\n lavender, vervain and cedar when not in use. Sew a bit of rosemary or\n frankincense into the hem while fashioning it, if desired (and if the\n resulting stains won't show after washing).\n \n \n OF THE HERBS OF THE SABBATS:\n \n Tobe used asdecorations on thealtar, round thecircle, in the\n home.\n \n Samhain:\n Chrysanthemum, wormwood, apples, pears, hazel, thistle,\n pomegranates, all grains, harvested fruits and nuts, the pumpkin,\n corn.\n \n Yule:\n Holly, mistletoe, ivy, cedar, bay, juniper, rosemary, pine.\n Place offerings of apples, oranges, nutmegs, lemons and whole cinnamon\n sticks on the Yule tree.\n \n Imbolc:\n Snowdrop, rowan, the first flowers of the year.\n \n Eostara:\n Daffodil,woodruff,violet, gorse,olive,peony,iris, narcissus,\n all spring flowers.\n \n Beltane:\n Hawthorn, honeysuckle, St. John's wort, woodruff, all flowers.\n \n Midsummer:\n Mugwort, vervain, chamomile, rose, lily, oak, lavender, ivy,\n yarrow, fern, elder, wild thyme, daisy, carnation.\n \n Lughnasadh:\n All grains, grapes, heather, blackberries, sloe, crabapples,\n pears.\n \n Mabon:\n Hazel, corn, aspen, acorns, oak sprigs, autumn leaves, wheat\n stalks, cypress cones, pine cones, harvest gleanings.\n \n \n \n OF THE HERBS AND PLANTS OF FULL MOON RITUALS:\n \n Placeupon thealtar allnocturnal, whiteor five-petaledflowers\n such as the white rose, night-blooming jasmine, carnation, gardenia,\n cereus, lily, iris; all pleasingly-scented flowers which shall call\n forth the Goddess. Camphor is also symbolic.\n \n 1050 \n \n OF OFFERINGS:\n \n To the Goddess:\n \n Allwatery and earthy flowersand seeds suchas camellia, lily,\n water lily, willow stalks; those flowers used in Full Moon rituals;\n white or purple blooms such as hyacinth, magnolia, heather and lilac;\n sweet-scented herbs and flowers; those dedicated to Venus or to the\n Moon; rue, vervain and olive; or others that seem suitable.\n \n To the God:\n \n All fiery and airy herbs and flowers such as basil,\n chrysanthemum, snapdragon, clover, lavender, pine; strongly-scented,\n clean or citrusy herbs and flowers; those ruled by Mars or the Sun;\n yellow or red blooms such as sunflower, pine cones, seeds, cacti,\n thistles and stinging herbs; orange, heliotrope, cedar, juniper and so\n on.\n \n 1051 \n \n OF THE SACRED HERBS OF THE GODDESSES:\n \n Aphrodite: olive, cinnamon, daisy, cypress, quince. orris\n (iris), apple, myrtle\n Aradia: rue, vervain\n Artemis: silver fir, amaranth, cypress, cedar, hazel, myrtle,\n willow, daisy, mugwort, date palm\n Astarte: alder, pine, cypress, myrtle, juniper\n Athena: olive, apple\n Bast: catnip, Vervain\n Bellona: belladonna\n Brigit: blackberry\n Cailleach: wheat\n Cardea: hawthorn, bean, arbutus\n Ceres: willow, wheat, bay, pomegranate, poppy, leek, narcissus\n Cybele: oak, myrrh, pine\n Demeter: wheat, barley, pennyroyal, myrrh, rose, pomegranate,\n bean, poppy, all cultivated crops\n Diana: birch, willow, acacia, wormwood, dittany, hazel, beech,\n fir, apple, mugwort, plane, mulberry, rue\n Druantia: fir\n Freya: cowslip, daisy, primrose, maidenhair, myrrh,\n strawberry, mistletoe\n Hathor: myrtle, sycamore, grape, mandrake, coriander, rose\n Hecate: willow, henbane, aconite, yew, mandrake, cyclamen, mint,\n cypress, date palm, sesame, dandelion, garlic, oak, onion\n Hekat: cypress\n Hera: apple, willow, orris, pomegranate, myrrh\n Hina: bamboo\n Hulda: flax, rose, hellebore, elder\n Irene: olive\n Iris: wormwood, iris\n Ishtar: acacia, juniper, all grains\n Isis: fig, heather, wheat, wormwood, barley, myrrh, rose,\n palm, lotus, persea, onion, iris, vervain\n Juno: lily, crocus, asphodel, quince, pomegranate, vervain, iris,\n lettuce, fig, mint\n Kerridwen: vervain, acorns\n Minerva: olive, mulberry, thistle\n Nefer-Tum: lotus\n Nepthys: myrrh, lily\n Nuit: sycamore\n Olwen: apple\n Persephone: parsley, narcissus, willow, pomegranate\n Rhea: myrrh, oak\n Rowen: clover, rowen\n Venus: cinnamon, daisy, elder, heather, anemone, apple, poppy,\n violet, marjoram, maidenhair fern, carnation, aster, vervain,\n myrtle, orchid, cedar, lily, mistletoe, pine, quince\n Vesta: oak\n \n 1052 \n \n OF THE SACRED HERBS OF THE GODS:\n \n Adonis: myrrh, corn, rose, fennel, lettuce, white heather\n Aesculapius: bay, mustard\n Ajax: delphinium\n Anu: tamarisk\n Apollo: leek, hyacinth, heliotrope, cornel, bay, frankincense,\n date palm, cypress\n Attis: pine, almond\n Ares: buttercup\n Bacchus: grape, ivy, fig, beech, tamarisk\n Baldur: St. John's wort, daisy\n Bran: alder, all grains\n Cupid: cypress, sugar, white violet, red rose\n Dagda: oak\n Dianus: fig\n Dionysus: fig, apple, ivy, grape, pine, corn, pomegranate,\n toadstools, mushrooms, fennel, all wild and cultivated trees\n Dis: cypress\n Ea: cedar\n Eros: red rose\n Gwydion: ash\n Helios: oak\n Horus: horehound, lotus, persea\n Hypnos: poppy\n Jove: pine, cassia, houseleek, carnation, cypress\n Jupiter: aloe, agrimony, sage, oak, mullein, acorn, beech,\n cypress, houseleek, date palm, violet, gorse, ox-eye daisy,\n vervain\n Kernunnos: heliotrope, bay, sunflower, oak, orange\n Kanaloa: banana\n Mars: ash, aloe, dogwood, buttercup, witch grass, vervain\n Mercury: cinnamon, mulberry, hazel, willow\n Mithras: cypress, violet\n Neptune: ash, bladderwrack, all seaweeds\n Odin: mistletoe, elm, yew, oak\n Osiris: acacia, grape, ivy, tamarisk, cedar, clover, date\n palm, all grains\n Pan: fig, pine, reed, oak, fern, all meadow flowers\n Pluto: cypress, mint, pomegranate\n Poseidon: pine, ash, fig, bladderwrack, all seaweeds\n Prometheus: fennel\n Ra: acacia, frankincense, myrrh, olive\n Saturn: fig, blackberry\n Sylvanus: pine\n Tammuz: wheat, pomegranate, all grains\n Thoth: almond\n Thor: thistle, houseleek, vervain, hazel, ash, birch, rowen,\n oak, pomegranate, burdock, beech\n Uranus: ash\n Woden: ash\n Zeus: oak, olive, pine, aloe, parsley, sage, wheat, fig\n \n \n \n Asthe Craft, wewill takeonly that whichwe need fromthe green\n and growing things of the Earth, never failing to attune with the\n plant before harvesting, nor failing to leave a token of gratitude and\n respect.\n \n 1053 \n \n SPELLS AND MAGICK\n \n PROTECTIVE CHANT\n \n Visualizea triplecircle ofpurplish lightaround youbody while\n chanting:\n \n I am protected by your might,\n O gracious Goddess, day and night.\n \n Another of the same type: visualize a triple circle and chant:\n \n Thrice around the circle's bound,\n Evil sink into the ground.\n \n \n \n A MIRROR SPELL OF PROTECTION FOR THE HOME\n \n Compose analtar: place acenser inthe center beforean imageof\n the Goddess. Have a twelve-inch (or so) round mirror there as well.\n Ring the altar with nine white candles. Burn a protective incense\n (such as sandalwood, frankincense, copal or rosemary) in the censer.\n Beginningwiththe candlemost directlybefore theGoddess image,\n say these or similar words:\n \n Lunar light protect me!\n \n Repeat as you light each candle until all are glowing.\n Now,holding the mirror, invokethe Goddess inHer lunar aspect\n with these or similar words:\n \n Great Goddess of the Lunar Light\n and Mistress of the Seas;\n Great Goddess of the Mystic Night\n and of the Mysteries;\n Within this place of candles bright\n and with Your mirror nigh;\n Protect me with Your awesome might\n while ill vibrations fly!\n \n Standing before thealtar, holdthe mirror facingthe candlesso\n that it reflects their flames. Keeping the mirror toward the candles,\n move slowly, clockwise, around the altar, watching the reflected\n firelight bouncing off your surroundings.\n \n Gradually increaseyour speed,mentally invoking theGoddess to\n protect you. Move faster and faster; watch the light shattering the\n air, cleansing it, burning away all negativity and all lines along\n witch the ill energies have traveled into your home.\n \n Charge your homewith the protectivelight of theGoddess. Race\n around the candles until you've felt the atmosphere change, until you\n feel that your home has been cleansed and guarded by the Great\n Goddess.\n \n When finished, stand once again before the image. Thank the\n Goddess in any words you wish. Pinch out the candles one by one, bind\n them together with white cord and store them in a safe place until\n (and if) you need to use them again for this same purpose.\n \n 1054 \n \n A SPELL TO BREAK THE POWERS OF A SPELL\n \n Ifyou believe that a spell hasbeen cast against you, place a\n large black candle in a cauldron (or a large black bowl). The candle\n must be tall enough to extend a few inched above the cauldron's rim.\n Affix the candle to the bottom of the cauldron with warmed beeswax or\n the drippings of another black candle so that it will not tip over.\n \n Fill the cauldron tothe rim with fresh water,without wetting\n the candle's wick. An inch or two of the candle should remain above\n the water. Deep breathe, meditate, clear your mind, and light the\n candle. Visualize the suspected spell's power as residing within the\n candle's flame. Sit in quiet contemplation of the candle and\n visualize the power flowing and growing with the candle's flame (yes\n the power against you). As the candle burns down, its flame will\n eventually sputter and go out as it contacts the water. As soon as\n the flame has been extinguished by the water, the spell will be\n dispersed.\n \n Break your visualization of the spell's power;see it explode\n into dust, becoming impotent.\n \n Pourthe water intoa hole inthe ground,a lake orstream. Bury\n the candle. It is done.\n \n \n \n TO PROTECT AN OBJECT\n \n Withthe firstand middle fingers(or yourAthame, ifyou have it\n with you), trace a pentagram over the object to be protected.\n Visualize electric-blue or purple flame streaming from your fingers\n (Athame) to form the pentagram. Say this as you trace:\n \n With this pentagram I do lay\n Protection here both night and day.\n And to the one who should not touch\n Let the fingers burn and twitch.\n I now invoke the Law of Three:\n This is my will, so mote it be!\n \n CRYSTAL MAGICK\n \n Crystals andstones are gifts ofthe Goddess and God. They are\n sacred, magickal tools which can be used to enhance ritual and magick.\n Here are some of the ways of Earth magick.\n \n 1055 \n \n PREPARING THE CIRCLE:\n \n The magick circlecan be laid out withcrystals and stones, if\n desired, rather than with herbs.\n \n Beginning and ending in the North, lay 7, 9, 21 or 40 quarts\n crystals of any size around the circle, either inside the cord or in\n place of it. If the ritual to be conducted within the circle is of a\n usual spiritual or magickal nature, place the quartz crystals with\n points outward. If of a protective nature, place with points facing\n inward.\n \n If youuse candlesto markthe four quartersof themagick circle\n rather than large stones, ring each candle with any or all of the\n following stones:\n \n North: Moss Agate, Emerald, Jet, Olivine, Salt, Black Tourmaline\n East: Imperial Topaz, Citrine, Mica, Pumice\n South: Amber, Obsidian, Rhodochrosite, Ruby, Lava, Garnet\n West:Aquamarine,Chalcedony, Jade,Lapis Lazuli,Moonstone, \n Sugilite\n \n \n \n A STONE ALTAR:\n \n Tomake this altar, searchthrough dry riverbeds and seashores\n for a variety of smoothly-shaped stones. Or check rock shops for\n appropriate pieces.\n \n Create thealtar itself ofthree large stones. Two smallerones\n of even size are used as the base, while a longer, flat stone is\n placed on top of these to form the altar itself. On this place one\n stone to the left of the altar to represent the Goddess. This might\n be a natural, river-rounded stone, a holed stone, a quartz crystal\n sphere, or any of the stones related to the Goddess which are listed\n below.\n \n Tothe right of the altar, placea stone to represent the God.\n This might be a piece of lava, a quartz crystal point, a long, thin or\n club-shaped rock or a God-symbolic stone such as those presented\n below.\n \n Between thesetwo stones placea smallerstone with ared candle\n affixed to it to represent the divine energy of the Goddess and God as\n well as the element of Fire.\n \n Beforethis, place a flat stone to receive offerings of wine,\n honey, cakes, semi-precious stones, flowers and fruit.\n \n A small,cupped stone (ifone can befound) should be setto the\n left of the offering stone. Fill this with water to represent that\n element.\n \n To theright of the offeringstone place aflat rock. Pour salt\n upon this to symbolize the element of Earth.\n \n Additionally, another flat stone can be placed before the\n offering stone to serve as an incense burner.\n \n 1056 \n \n Use along, thin,terminated quartscrystal as awand anda flint\n or obsidian arrowhead for the Athame.\n \n Any other tools which are needed can simply be placed on the\n altar. Or, try to find stone alternatives to them.\n \n This can be used for all types of Craft rituals.\n \n \n \n STONES OF THE GODDESSES:\n \n In general,all pink, greenand bluestones; thoserelated tothe\n Moon or Venus; Water and Earth-ruled stones, such as peridot, emerald,\n pink tourmaline, rose quartz, blue quartz, aquamarine, beryl, kunzite\n and turquoise.\n Stones which are related to specific deities follow.\n \n Aphrodite: salt\n Ceres: emerald\n Coatlicue: Jade\n Cybele: jet\n Diana: amethyst, moonstone, pearl\n Freya: pearl\n The Great Mother: amber, coral, geodes, holed stones\n Hathor: turquoise\n Isis: coral, emerald, lapis lazuli, moonstone, pearl\n Kwan Yin: jade\n Lakshmi: pearl\n Maat: jade\n Mara: beryl, aquamarine\n Nuit: lapis lazuli\n Pele: lava, obsidian, peridot, olivine, pumice\n Selene: moonstone, selenite\n Tiamat: beryl\n Venus: emerald, lapis lazuli, pearl\n \n \n \n STONES OF THE GOD:\n \n Generally,all orange and redstones; stones relatedto the Sun\n and Mars; Fire and Air-ruled stones, such as carnelian, ruby, garnet,\n orange calcite, diamond, tiger's eye, topaz, sunstone, bloodstone and\n tourmaline.\n \n Stones which are related to specific deities follow.\n \n Aesculapius: agate\n Apollo: sapphire\n Bacchus: amethyst\n Cupid: opal\n Dionysus: amethyst\n Mars: onyx, sardonyx\n Neptune: beryl\n Odin: holed stone\n Poseidon: beryl, pearl, aquamarine\n Ra: tiger's eye\n Tezcatlipoca: obsidian\n \n 1057 \n \n \n [Pearl and coral have been mentioned in these lists as \"stones\"\n because they were anciently thought to be such. Our knowledge of them\n as products of living creatures leaves us with the ethical question of\n whether or not to use them in ritual. This must be a personal\n decision. Beach gathered coral and shells (mother of pearl is from\n shells) can be used without conflicting with the above statement\n because the creature has already died by the time the item was found.\n If you decide not to use them, just remember leather is also a product\n of a living creature.]\n \n \n \n CAIRNS:\n \n Inearlier times, throughout the world,people built mounds or\n piles of stones. These were sometimes formed to mark the passage of\n travelers, or to commemorate some historic even, but such cairns\n usually had ritual significance.\n \n In magickal thought, cairns are places of power. They\n concentrate the energies of the stones used to create them. Cairns\n are rooted in the Earth but lift upward to the sky, symbolically\n representing the interconnectedness of the physical and spiritual\n realms.\n \n Duringoutdoor circles, a smallcairn, composed ofno more than\n nine or eleven rocks, can be fashioned as each point of the Circle of\n Stones. This can be done prior to creating the circle itself.\n \n The nexttime you're insome wild, lonelyplace with aprofusion\n of stones, clear a place among them and sit. Visualize a magickal\n need. As you visualize, grasp a near-by stone. Feel the energy\n beating within it - the power of the Earth, the power of nature.\n Place it on the cleared ground. Pick up another stone, still\n visualizing you need, and set it next to the first.\n \n Stillvisualizing, continue toadd stones, buildingthem into a\n small pile. Keep adding stones until you feel them vibrating and\n pulsating before you. Place the last rock on top of the cairn with\n firm ritual intent - affirm to yourself, to the cairn and the Earth\n that with this final magickal act you're manifesting your need.\n \n Placeyour hands oneither sideof the pile. Giveit your energy\n through your visualization. Nurse it. Feed it strength and see your\n need as being fulfilled.\n \n Then leave the cairn alone to do its work.\n \n 1058 \n \n A QUARTZ AND CANDLE SPELL:\n \n Have a candle of the color symbolic of your magickal need,\n according to the following list (or as your intuition tells you):\n \n WHITE Protection, Peace, Purity, Truth, Sincerity, Spirituality\n \n RED Strength, Health, Vigor, Sexual Love, Passion, Protection,\n Courage,Danger,Warning,Anger,Element ofFire,God \n oriented, Male aspects\n \n LIGHT BLUE Tranquility, Happiness, Understanding, Patience, Health, \n Element of Water, Goddess oriented, Feminine aspects\n \n DARK BLUE Impulsiveness, Depression, Changeability, psychism\n \n GREEN Finance, Fertility, Luck, Growth, Employment, Element of \n Earth, Goddess oriented, Feminine aspects\n \n GOLD/YELLOW Attraction, Persuasion, Charm, Confidence, Intellect, \n Study,Divination,ElementofAir,God oriented,Male \n aspects, (Gold) The Great God, The Sun\n \n BROWN Hesitation, Uncertainty, Neutrality, Healing Animals, \n Poverty\n \n PINK Honor, Love, Morality, Friendship\n \n BLACK Protection from, absorption Evil, loss, discord & \n Confusion,Lackofcolorandvibrations, Neutrality, \n Element of Akasha, Spirituality, The Divine, The Void\n \n PURPLE Relief from; Tension, Calming, Healing of severe Disease, \n Spiritualism,Meditation,Protection,PsychicPower,\n Element of Akasha, The Divine\n \n SILVER/GRAY Cancellation, Neutrality, Stalemate,(Silver) The Great \n Goddess, The Moon\n \n ORANGE Encouragement, Adaptability, Stimulation, Attraction, \n Energy\n \n GREENISH YELLOW Sickness, Cowardice, Anger, Jealousy, Discord\n \n With the tipof acleansed, terminated quartzcrystal, scratcha\n symbol of your need onto the candle. This might be a heart for love,\n a dollar sign for money, a fist for strength. Alternately, use an\n appropriate rune or write your need on the candle with the crystal.\n \n As you scratchor draw,visualize your needwith crystalclarity\n as if it had already manifested. Place the candle in a holder. Set\n the crystal near it and light the wick.\n \n As the flame shines, again strongly visualize. The crystal,\n candle and symbol will do their work.\n \n 1059 \n \n A SELF-DEDICATION RITE\n \n Prepare yourself by doing the Ritual Bath and Self Blessing.\n If you,reperforming this ritual at the sea or a river, bathe\n there if you so desire.\n \n As you bathe, prepare for the coming rite. Open your\n consciousness to higher levels of awareness. Breath deep. Cleanse\n your mind as well as your body.\n \n After bathing, dry and dressfor the journey. Go to aplace in\n the wild where you feel safe. It should be a comfortable spot where\n you won't be disturbed by others, an area where the powers of the\n Earth and the Elements are evident. It may be a mountain top, a\n desert canyon or cave, perhaps a dense forest, a rocky outcropping\n over the sea, a quiet island in the center of a lake. Even a lonely\n part of a park or garden can be used. Draw on your imagination to\n find the place.\n \n Youneed take nothingwith you buta vial ofrichly scented oil.\n Sandalwood, frankincense, cinnamon or any other scent is fine. When\n you arrive at the place of dedication, remove your shoes and sit\n quietly for a few moments. Calm your heart if you've exerted yourself\n during your travel. Breathe deeply to return to normal, and keep your\n mind free of cluttered thoughts. Open yourself to the natural\n energies around you.\n \n When you're calm, riseand pivot slowly on onefoot, surveying\n the land around you. You're seeking the ideal spot. Don't try to\n find it; open your awareness to the place. When you've discovered it\n (and you'll know when), sit, kneel or lie flat on your back. Place\n the oil on the Earth beside you, Don't stand - contact the Earth.\n \n Continue deep breathing. Feelthe energiesaround you. Callthe\n Goddess and God in any words you like, or use the following\n invocation. Memorize these words before the rite so that they'll\n spill effortlessly from you, or improvise:\n \n O Mother Goddess,\n O Father God,\n Answers to all mysteries and yet mysteries unanswered;\n In this place of power I open myself to Your Essence.\n In this place and in this time I am changed;\n From henceforth I walk the Paths of the Craft.\n I dedicate myself to you, Mother Goddess and Father God.\n \n (rest for a moment, silent, still. Then continue:)\n \n I breathe you energies intomy body, \n commingling, blending,\n mixing them with mine,\n that I may see the divine in nature,\n nature in the divine,\n and divinity within myself and all else.\n O Great Goddess,\n O Great God,\n Make me one with your essence\n Make me one with your essence\n Make me one with your essence.\n \n 1060 \n \n You may feel bursting with power and energy, or calm and at\n peace. Your mind might be in a whirl. The Earth beneath you may\n throb and undulate with energy. Wild animals, attracted by the\n psychic occurrence, might grace you with their presence.\n \n Whatever occurs, knowthat youhave opened yourselfand thatthe\n Goddess and God have heard you. You should feel different inside, at\n peace or simply powerful.\n \n After the invocation, wet a finger with the oil and mark the\n symbols of the Goddess and God somewhere on your body. It doesn't\n matter where; you can do this on your chest, forehead, arms, legs,\n anywhere. As you anoint, visualize these symbols sinking into your\n flesh, glowing as they enter your body and then dispersing into\n millions of tiny points of light.\n \n Theformal self-dedication is ended. Thank theGoddess and God\n for Their attention. Sit and meditate before leaving the place of\n dedication.\n \n Once home, celebrate in some special way.\n \n 1061 \n \n THE DAYS OF POWER\n \n \n In the past, when peoplelived with Nature, the turningof the\n seasons and the monthly cycle of the Moon had a profound impact on\n religious ceremonies. Because the Moon was seen as a symbol of the\n Goddess, ceremonies as adoration and magick took place in its light.\n The coming of Winter, the first stirrings of Spring, the warm Summer\n and the advent of Fall were also marked with rituals.\n \n The Witches,heirsof thepre-Christian folkreligions ofEurope,\n still celebrate the Full Moon and observe the changing of the seasons.\n The Pagan religious calendar contains 13 Full Moon celebrations and\n eight Sabbats or days of power.\n \n Four of thesedays (or,more properly, nights)are determinedby\n the Solstices and Equinoxes, the astronomical beginnings of the\n seasons. The other four ritual occasions are based on old folk\n festivals. The rituals give structure and order to the Pagan year,\n and also remind us of the endless cycle that will continue long after\n we're gone.\n \n Four of theSabbats - perhaps thosethat have been observedfor\n the longest time - were probably associated with the agriculture and\n the bearing cycles of animals. These are Imbolc (February 2), Beltane\n (April 30), Lughnasadh (August 1) and Samhain (October 31). These\n names are Celtic and are quite common among Witches, though many\n others exist.\n \n When careful observationof theskies led tocommon knowledgeof\n the astronomical year, the Solstices and Equinoxes (circa March 21,\n June 21, September 21 and December 21; the actual dates vary from year\n to year) were brought into this religious structure.\n \n Who first beganworshipping and raising energy atthese times?\n That question cannot be answered. However, these sacred days and\n nights are the origins of the 21 Craft ritual occasions.\n \n Many of thesesurvive todayin both secularand religiousforms.\n May Day celebrations, Hallowe'en, Ground-hog Day and even\n Thanksgiving, to name some popular North American holidays, are all\n connected with ancient Pagan worship. Heavily Christianized versions\n of the Sabbats have also been preserved within the Catholic Church.\n \n The Sabbats are Solarrituals, marking the points ofthe Sun's\n yearly cycle, and are but half of the Pagan ritual year. The Esbats\n are the Pagan Full Moon celebrations. At this time we gather to\n worship She Who Is. Not that Witches omit the God at Esbats - both\n are usually revered on all ritual occasions.\n \n There are 13 Full Moons yearly, orone every 28 1/4 days. The\n Moon is a symbol of the Goddess as well as a source of energy. Thus,\n after the religious aspects of the Esbats, Witches often practice\n magick, tapping into the larger amounts of energy which are thought to\n exist at these times.\n \n 1062 \n \n Some of the oldCraft festivals, stripped of theironce sacred\n qualities by the dominance of Christianity, have degenerated. Samhain\n seems to have been taken over by candy manufacturers in North America,\n while Yule has been transformed from one of the most holy Pagan days\n to a time of gross commercialism. Even the later echoes of a\n Christian savior's birth are hardly audible above the electronic hum\n of cash registers.\n \n But the old magick remains on these days and nights, and the\n Craft celebrate them. Rituals vary greatly, but all relate to the\n Goddess and God and to our home, the Earth. Most rites are held at\n night for practical purposes as well as to lend a sense of mystery.\n The Sabbats, being Solar-oriented, are more naturally celebrated at\n noon or at dawn, but this is rare today.\n \n THE SABBATS\n \n TheSabbats tell osone ofthe stories ofthe Goddessand God, of\n their relationship and the effects this has on the fruitfulness of the\n Earth. There are many variations on these myths, but here's a fairly\n common one, woven into the basic descriptions of the Sabbats.\n \n \n YULE\n \n The Goddess gives birth to a son, the God, at Yule (circa\n December 21). This is in no way an adaptation of Christianity. The\n Winter Solstice has long been viewed as a time of divine births.\n Mithras was said to have been born at this time. The Christians\n simply adopted it for their use in 273 C.E. (Common Era).\n \n Yule isa time of thegreatest darkness and isthe shortest day\n of the year. Earlier peoples noticed such phenomena and supplicated\n the forces of nature to lengthen the days and shorten the nights.\n Witches sometimes celebrate Yule just before dawn, then watch the Sun\n rise as a fitting finale to their efforts.\n \n Sincethe God is also theSun, this marks thepoint of the year\n when the Sun is reborn as well. Thus, the Witches light fires or\n candles to welcome the Sun's returning light. The Goddess, slumbering\n through the Winter of Her labor, rests after Her delivery.\n \n Yule is remnantof early rituals celebratedto hurry theend of\n Winter and the bounty of Spring, when food was once again readily\n available. To contemporary Witches it is a reminder that the ultimate\n product of death is rebirth, a comforting thought in these days of\n unrest\n \n 1063 \n \n IMBOLC\n \n Imbolc (February 2) marks the recovery of the Goddess after\n giving birth to the God. The lengthening periods of light awaken Her.\n The God is a young, lusty boy, but His power is felt in the longer\n days. The warmth fertilizes the Earth (the Goddess), and causes seeds\n to germinate and sprout. And so the earliest beginnings of Spring\n occur.\n \n This is a Sabbat of purification after the shut-in life of\n Winter, through the renewing power of the Sun. It is also a festival\n of light and of fertility, once marked in Europe with huge blazes,\n torches and fire in every form. Fire here represents our own\n illumination and inspiration as much as light and warmth.\n \n Imbolc is also known as Feast of Torches,Oimelc, Lupercalia,\n Feast of Pan, Snowdrop Festival, Feast of the Waxing Light, Brighid's\n Day, and probably by many other names. Some female Witches follow the\n old Scandinavian custom of wearing crowns of lit candles, but many\n more carry tapers during their invocations.\n \n Thisis oneof thetraditional timesfor initiationsinto covens,\n and so self-dedication rituals, such as the one outlined in this Book\n of Shadows, can be performed or renewed at this time.\n \n OSTARA\n \n Ostara (circa March 21), the Spring Equinox, also known as\n Spring, Rites of Spring and Eostra's Day, marks the first day of true\n Spring. The energies of Nature subtly shift from the sluggishness of\n Winter to the exuberant expansion of Spring. The Goddess blankets the\n Earth with fertility, bursting forth from Her sleep, as the God\n stretches and grows to maturity. He walks the greening fields and\n delights in the abundance of nature.\n \n On Ostara the hours of day and night are equal. Light is\n overtaking darkness; the Goddess and God impel the wild creatures of\n the Earth to reproduce.\n \n Thisis a timeof beginnings, of action,of planting spells for\n future gains, and of tending the ritual gardens.\n \n 1064 \n \n BELTANE\n \n Beltane (April 30) marks the emergence of the young God into\n manhood. Stirred by the energies at work in Nature, He desires the\n Goddess. They fall in love, lie among the grasses and blossoms, and\n unite. The Goddess becomes pregnant of the God. Witches celebrate\n the symbol of Her fertility in ritual.\n \n Beltane (alsoknown as MayDay) has longbeen marked withfeasts\n and rituals. May poles, supremely phallic symbols, were the focal\n point of Old English village rituals. Many persons rose at dawn to\n gather flowers and green branches from the fields and gardens, using\n them to decorate the May pole, their homes and themselves.\n \n The flowers andgreenery symbolizethe Goddess; theMay polethe\n God. Beltane marks the return of vitality, of passion and hopes\n consummated.\n \n May poles are sometimes used by Witches today during Beltane\n rituals, but the cauldron is a more common focal point of ceremony.\n It represents, of course, the Goddess - the essence of womanhood, the\n end of all desire, the equal but opposite of the May pole, symbolic of\n the God.\n \n MIDSUMMER\n \n Midsummer, the SummerSolstice (circa June 21), also known as\n Litha, arrives when the powers of Nature reach their highest point.\n The Earth is awash in the fertility of the Goddess and God.\n \n In the past, bonfires were leapt to encourage fertility,\n purification, health and love. The fire once again represents the\n Sun, feted on this time of the longest daylight hours.\n Midsummer is a classic time for magick of all kinds.\n \n LUGHNASADH\n \n Lughnasadh (August 1)is thetime of thefirst harvest, whenthe\n plants of Spring wither and drop their fruits or seeds for our use as\n well as to ensure future crops. Mystically, so too does the God lose\n His strength as the Sun rises farther in the South each day and the\n nights grow longer. The Goddess watches in sorrow and joy as She\n realizes that the God is dying, and yet lives on inside Her as Her\n child.\n \n Lughnasadh, also known as AugustEve, Feast of Bread, Harvest\n Home and Lammas, wasn't necessarily observed on this day. It\n originally coincided with the first reapings.\n \n AsSummer passes, Witches rememberits warmth andbounty in the\n food we eat. Every meal is an act of atunement with Nature, and we\n are reminded that nothing in the universe is constant.\n \n 1065 \n \n MABON\n \n Mabon (circaSeptember 21),theAutumn Equinox,is thecompletion\n of the harvest begun as Lughnasadh. Once again day and night are\n equal, poised as the God prepares to leave His physical body and begin\n the great adventure into the unseen, toward renewal and rebirth of the\n Goddess.\n \n Nature declines, drawsback its bounty,readying for Winterand\n its time of rest. The Goddess nods in the weakening Sun, though fire\n burns within Her womb. She feels the presence of the God even as He\n wanes.\n \n SAMHAIN\n \n At Samhain(October 31),the Craftsay farewell tothe God. This\n is a temporary farewell. He isn't wrapped in eternal darkness, but\n readies to be reborn of the Goddess at Yule.\n \n Samhain, alsoknown as NovemberEve, Feast ofthe Dead, Feastof\n Apples, Hallows, All Hallows and Hallowe'en, once marked the time of\n sacrifice. In some places this was the time when animals were\n slaughtered to ensure food throughout the depths of Winter. The God -\n identified with the animals - fell as well to ensure our continuing\n existence.\n \n Samhainis a time of reflection, oflooking back over the last\n year, of coming to terms with the one phenomenon of life over which we\n have no control - death.\n \n The Craft feel that on this night the separation between the\n physical and spiritual realities is thin. Witches remember their\n ancestors and all those who have gone before.\n \n After Samhain, Witches celebrateYule, and so the Wheelof the\n Year is complete.\n \n 1066 \n \n Surely thereare mysteries buried here. Why is theGod the son\n and then the lover of the Goddess? This isn't incest, this is\n symbolism. In this agricultural story (one of many Craft myths) the\n everchanging fertility of the Earth is represented by the Goddess and\n God. This myth speaks of the mysteries of birth, death and rebirth.\n It celebrates the wondrous aspects and beautiful effects of love, and\n honors women who perpetuate our species. It also points out the very\n real dependence that humans have on the Earth, the Sun and the Moon\n and of the effects of the seasons on our daily lives.\n \n Toagricultural peoples, the majorthrust of thismyth cycle is\n the production of food through the interplay between the Goddess and\n God. Food - without which we would all die - is intimately connected\n with the deities. Indeed, Witches see food as yet another\n manifestation of divine energy.\n \n And so, byobserving the Sabbats, Witches attunethemselves to\n the Earth and to the deities. They reaffirm their Earth roots.\n Performing rituals on the nights of the Full Moon also strengthens\n their connections with the Goddess in particular.\n \n It is thewise Witch who celebrates on theSabbats and Esbats,\n for these are times of real as well as symbolic power. Honoring them\n in some fashion is an integral part of Witchcraft.\n \n THE ESBATS\n \n When our earliest ancestors first painted images of their\n religious rituals on the walls of sacred caves and understood all of\n Nature to be inhabited by Spirit, there can be little doubt that they\n first reckoned time by the waxing and waning of the Moon. The primary\n reason for this is that the monthly cycles of the Moon are far more\n visible than the slow and subtle changes in the position of the Sun,\n even to someone who is not especially looking for repeated cycles.\n One of the earliest calendars known (although its use is still a\n controversy that may never be settled) is a 30,000 year-old piece of\n bone from Europe. It is pierced with variously shaped holes in a\n series of sevens, suggesting the quarters of the Moon, in a loop\n design, which represents the Lunar cycle from New Moon to Full and\n back to the New or Dark of the Moon. The artifact, just a few inches\n across, describes three such Lunar cycles - three months or one\n season.\n \n Because there are 13 Lunar months in a year, and because the\n first New Moon does not necessarily coincide with the first day of the\n first Solar month, the Full Moon, midpoint of the lunar month, may not\n always fall in the Solar month that is given here. And because there\n are 13 Full Moons in a Solar year, one month will have two. The\n second Full Moon to occur in a Solar month is popularly called the\n Blue Moon.\n \n 1067 \n \n JANUARY\n \n To each Lunar monththe ancients assigned a namein accordance\n with the nature of the activity that took place at that time. The\n Moon of deepest Winter is the Wolf Moon, and its name recalls a time\n when our ancestors gathered close around the hearth fire as the\n silence of the falling snow was pierced by the howling of wolves.\n Driven by hunger, wolves came closer to villages than at any other\n time of the year, and may have occasionally killed a human being in\n order to survive.\n \n The wolf innorthern countries wasat one timeso feared thatit\n became the image of Fenris, the creature of destruction that\n supposedly will devour the world at the end of time. The Christian\n version of the myth would leave it at that, but the myth continues.\n Like the wolf in the fairy tale of Little Red Ridinghood, which\n preserves the full idea of the myth but is used only to frighten\n children, the wolf is slain; and the grandmother, like the world, is\n brought forth once more.\n \n As the lightof the new-born yearslowly increases andthe Wolf\n Moon waxes full, it is a good time to look back upon that which has\n just ended and learn from our experiences. Bid the past farewell and\n let it go in order to receive the year that has just been born.\n Learning to let go of that which we would cling to is one of the\n greatest secrets of magick.\n \n FEBRUARY\n \n The Moon followingthe Wolf Moonis the StormMoon. Whetheryou\n meet with a coven on the night of the Full Moon, salute Her in a\n solitary ritual, or simply blow Her a kiss, bear in mind the magick of\n this night and the nature of the storms of February. Unlike the\n boisterous storms of the light half of the year, which are accompanied\n by the clashing of thunder and the flinging of lightning bolts, the\n storms of February come in silence. They blanket the world in\n coldness in keeping with the nature of the dark half of the Wheel of\n the Year. But beneath the blanket of cold and silent snow, Nature\n rests, as we do when in the realm of the Spirit that is called death;\n and like those in the world of Spirit, Nature prepares for life anew.\n \n 1068 \n \n MARCH\n \n The Moon following the Storm Moon is the Chaste Moon. Like\n Diana, chaste Goddess of the Moon, all of Nature at this moment is\n pure potential waiting to be fulfilled. The Goddess has many forms:\n The maiden pure and lovely as the snow of February, the seductive\n enchantress of the night, or the Crone ancient and wise. As the\n Goddess can change Her form according to the Moon or according to Her\n will, ever renewing Herself, ever beginning again, se can we, Her\n children, always begin again by discovering new potential within\n ourselves. When you cast the Circle of the Chaste Moon, when the\n candles have been lit and the incense burned, look deep within\n yourself to discover what potential lies there waiting, like the\n Maiden, to be fulfilled.\n \n As it is the time forthe planting of seeds on the material\n plane, so may it be time to do so on the psychic planes as well. On\n the night that the Seed Moon (another name for the Chaste Moon) of\n March is full, cast your magick Circle. Then before the rite has\n ended, select the spiritual seeds you would like to plant. They may\n be seeds of wisdom, seeds of understanding, or seeds of certain\n magickal skills. Then by an act of will, plant these seeds in the\n fertile soil of your subconscious mind with the firm commitment that\n they will be nurtured and cultivated in the months that lie ahead, so\n that they will grow and flower and bear fruit.\n \n APRIL\n \n Asthe Hare Moonof Aprilwaxes full,observe therabbits leaping\n and playing, carefree in their mating and joyful in their games, and\n as you cast your Esbat Circle and joyfully dance the round, feel\n within your heart the carefree nature of the wild creatures that are\n also children of the Old Gods.\n \n MAY\n \n This time ofthe Sacred Marriage of the Godand Goddess is the\n Dyad Moon, the time when the two become one, when all things meet\n their opposites in perfect balance and in perfect harmony. As you\n cast your Circle this night of the Dyad Moon, adorn it with apple\n blossoms, and light candles of white. When the sacred round has been\n danced, sit a moment and reflect. Seek harmony in all things. As the\n dark half of the Wheel of the Year balances the light, as heat\n balances cold, recall the words of the Goddess, \"Let there be beauty\n and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and\n reverence, within you.\" And then before the rite is ended, if it is\n appropriate, become one with your working partner, physically as well\n as spiritually.\n \n 1069 \n \n JUNE\n \n Afterthe spectacular flowers of May have passed and the bees\n have gathered their pollen and nectar, the hives are filled with honey\n that is waiting to be gathered. In ancient times much of this honey\n was made into a drink called mead by a fermentation process similar to\n that of making wine. The \"Moon in June\" is the Mead Moon. Mead has\n been considered to have magickal and even life-restoring properties in\n many of the countries of ancient Europe, and it was the drink of many\n of the great heroes of legend.\n \n Thelegendary figureRobin Hood, whois acceptedhistorically as\n being a composite of several peasant leaders during the reign of King\n Richard I, is also generally accepted by Pagans as being one of us.\n One reason is that Robin was a popular Witch name, and also because he\n was always described as being dressed in green, symbolic of the Green\n Man of Sherwood Forest. Lincoln green, which is made from woad, the\n dyestuff used by the Picts of ancient Britain and the Druid\n priestesses, is also a color that symbolizes, historically, the Pagan\n peasantry. Among the articles robbed from the rich by Robin Hood are\n \"met and met.\" This probably means \"meat and mead.\" In the myth of\n Odin, one of His quests is for the Poetic Mead of Inspiration, which\n He returns to the realm of the Gods where it belongs, but a few drops\n fall to Earth, and this may be had by anyone who can find them.\n \n Onthe night thatthe Mead Moonwaxes full, afterthe Circle has\n been cast and dancing done, fill the cup with mead (if it is\n available), sweet wine, or an herb tea sweetened with honey. Sip the\n sweet drink and sit quietly and make yourself a vessel ready to\n receive the inspiration of the higher realms. Become a mead cup ready\n to be filled, not with the brew of everyday life but with the clear,\n bright liquid of illumination. Every time this ritual is performed,\n even if there are no immediate results, you are becoming a more\n perfect vessel for divine inspiration.\n \n If the night of the Mead Moon is very close to the Summer\n Solstice, the results of this exercise can be very powerful. If the\n Mead Moon is full on Midsummer Night, then the priestess into whom the\n Moon is Drawn should be prepared.\n \n JULY\n \n As the Wort Moon of July waxes full, this is the time for\n gathering of herbs. The word wort is old Anglo-Saxon for \"herb.\"\n When the magickal herbs have been gathered and hung to dry, the time\n of the Wort Moon is the time to give thanks to the spirits who dwell\n in the herb garden, and to leave them an offering. Perhaps as you\n place an offering in the moonlit garden, they will whisper to you\n other secrets of herbal magick.\n \n 1070 \n \n AUGUST\n \n One day atmid-month we realize that therobins and wrens that\n were nesting nearby have simply vanished. Their lovely songs have\n been replaced by the shrill calls of the bluejays, who were so silent\n during the nesting season.\n \n As August progresses the days are still hot but nighttime\n temperatures are beginning to cool, and the late afternoon\n thunderstorms that bring the cooler air also bring about the ripening\n of tomatoes.\n \n In thefields and meadowsand along roadsidesnow thereare wild\n herbs to be gathered. There are goldenrod, Queen Anne's lace, and\n milkweed - all awaiting the natural dyer who can extract from them\n tan, green, and bright yellow respectively, for dyes and for natural\n inks for talismans. Among the medicinal herbs to be collected at this\n time is boneset, which does not help broken bones to heal but is a\n febrifuge that was used as a remedy for \"Breakbone Fever\" in the\n 1840s. Milkweed pods with their silken fluff, goldenrod, and wild\n grasses and grains gathered now will be dried in time to adorn the\n altar at the Autumnal Equinox.\n \n As thearomatic herbs begin tofill the rafters inthe dry heat\n of the attic, and the braids of onions and garlic fill the cool\n darkness of the root cellar, the golden grain and yellow corn ripen in\n the fields under the waning August Sun.\n \n Tothe Ancients thiswas the Barley Moon,a time to contemplate\n the eternalness of life. Just as we are descended from the first\n woman and the first man, who descended from the Gods, so is the grain\n of the bread that we eat descended from the first grain ever gathered.\n By ritually eating the Lammas bread we are participating in a chain of\n events that stretches back through time to the Gods themselves. And\n here before us in the ripening fields is the promise of the future.\n \n Everywhere there is abundance -in herb garden, the vegetable\n garden, the field, and the orchard. The pantry shelves are lined with\n glistening glass jars that are filled with colorful fruits and\n vegetables preserved for Winter days; quarts of red tomatoes,\n cucumbers in slices or spears, dark red beets with cloves and cinnamon\n sticks, the yellow of corn, the orange of carrots - a feast for the\n eyes as well as the palate. The house is filled with delightful\n aromas as pickling spices are added to crocks of brine and exotic\n chutneys simmer on the stove.\n \n But thetime of abundance isdrawing to a close. The fireflies\n of June and July have given way to katydids, whose scratchy calls to\n one another fill the evening air of August with the promise of frost\n in six weeks.\n \n 1071 \n \n SEPTEMBER\n \n Sincewine was, and is, such asacred fluid, the Pagans of old\n naturally named this Lunar month the Wine Moon. As you celebrate the\n night of the Full Wine Moon and dance the magickal round in the\n moonlit Circle, pour some white wine in a silver cup. Before the rite\n is ended, if possible, catch Her reflection in the liquid, then take a\n sip. As the Moon-blessed wine casts its inner glow, sit quietly and\n feel your own spirit, of which the wine is a symbol. As the body is\n stilled and the spirit soars, feel on this night of magick a sense of\n the kind of transformation that takes place during true spiritual\n initiation.\n \n Today the term HarvestMoon is appliedto the Full Moonnearest\n to the Autumnal Equinox. This is because, it is said, in other times\n when harvesting was done by hand, as the days grew shorter farmers\n were able to work into the night in the brightness of Her light.\n \n OCTOBER\n \n Atthis timeof yearthe abundanceof fruit andvegetables begins\n to slow. It is a time when our ancient ancestors gathered what they\n could store and then supplemented their Winter diets either by hunting\n wild animals or by slaughtering domestic ones. So this Lunar month is\n called the Blood Moon. As you cast the Esbat Circle on this moonlit\n Autumn night and fill the cup with blood-red wine, know that you will\n be joined in the sacred dance not only by the unseen presence of\n departed friends and family so close at this time of year, but also by\n the spirits of animals as well, perhaps of those that have died so\n that we may have food. In this age of assembly line slaughterhouses\n and meatpacking plants, it is especially appropriate that on this\n night of the Blood Moon we who are on the Pagan path ritually ask the\n understanding of our animal sisters and brothers, bless them, and bid\n them merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again.\n \n 1072 \n \n NOVEMBER\n \n As theWinter Sun wanes andthe Snow Moon waxesfull, cast your\n Circle in the warm glow of candlelight. Salute the Moon in Her snowy\n whiteness and breathe in the coolness of Her light. Become as still\n as this Winter night, and know that the activity of the warm light\n months is behind us. Ahead are the dark months of the year. The\n Spirit is most active when the body is most still.\n \n DECEMBER\n \n The Full Moon nearestthe Winter Solstice is the OakMoon, the\n Moon of the newborn year, the Divine Child. Like the Divine Child who\n is born to die and dies to be reborn anew, the ancient Oak has its\n trunk and branches in the material world of the living, while its\n roots, the branches in reverse, reach deep into the Underworld,\n symbolic land of the Spirit. As the roots probe downward into the\n grave-like darkness of the Earth, its branches grow ever upward toward\n the light, to be crowned by sacred Mistletoe. At this most magickal\n time of the year, as the light of the old dying year wanes and the Oak\n Moon waxes to full, cast your Circle wearing Mistletoe in your hair.\n Let this token remind you that like the Oak, we too dwell\n simultaneously in two worlds - the world of physical matter and the\n world of Spirit. As you invoke the Goddess of the Moon, ask that you\n become ever more aware of the other side of reality and the unseen\n forces and beings that are always among us.\n \n 1073","title":"Internet Book of Shadows: Standing Stones Book Of Shadows...","type":"page"}