Sunday, January 17, 2010

Aquarius Moon goes void of course


"I'm one with the Goddess
and open to Her Wisdom."

Third Day of the 2nd Lunar Cycle
Ruled by Persephone
Lunar Tree Cycle ~ Luis/Rowan
Celtic Tree Cycle ~ Beth/Birch
Moon Phase: waxing New Moon
Moon rises: 8:46AM EST
Moon sets: 7:51PM EST
Moon in Aquarius v/c 3:22PM EST
Blodeuwedd's Cycle of the Moon
Lunar Meditation: Service to the Universe
Sun in Capricorn
Sunrise: 7:40AM EST
Sunset: 5:19PM EST
Solar Question for the Day: "Are you fulling your
spiritual vocation?"
Samhain (Calan Gaeaf) Quarter of the Year
January 17th, 2010

    There are strong magickal energies for doing spells/rites for before the Moon goes Void of Course.
Sun Day is the Day of Intent, Creation and Renewal.... so take advantage of these 'helpers' in doing any spells or rituals for Opportunity before the Moon goes void of course.  Some of magickal correspondences that can used are: Element - Fire; Colors - gold, yellow; Tarot cards - The Sun, Ace of Wands and/or The Chariot; Crystals/Stones - Carnelian, amber, tiger's eye or quartz crystal; Metal - Gold.   Plants and flowers to use - Carnation, chhrysanthemum, marigold, St. John's wort, or Sunflower.  A deity to call yupon can be:  Sunna or Brigid.

Gold


   Gold is the color linked to the Sun and to the Element of Fire. It is used in spells for success, power, prosperity, protection and wisdom. Symbol of the Sun and the Solar Gods, gold is strongly linked to the male.
   In magick which uses gold it is usually in the form of burning gold candles or writing with a gold pen. However, gold itself is sometimes added to spells, usually in one of the following ways:
   'Gold Water' can be made by taking a piece of gold (usually jewelry), and placing it in a quanity of rainwater. This is then left in the light of the Full Moon for three nights, the jewelry removed and the water kept for use.
    Seawater is sometimes used in recipes requiring gold. This is because seawater actually contains minute amounts of gold. If you have enough patience, collect a quantity of seawater and allow it to evaporate naturally. The remaining crystals, although mostly salt, will contain gold, albeit in infinitesimal quantities.
    Small sheets of gold leaf can be obtained from art supply stores and pieces brushed off for use in dry spells, or applied to candles. As gold leaf is very tricky to handle, it is a good idea to practice first.
     When it is impossible to use gold in any of the above forms then golden oranges and yellows can be substituted.
    Wearing gold increases your personal power and energy, and will improve your self-confidence and self-control.
[From: "The Real Witches' Year" by Kate West]

Energy - continuing with Penczak's Inner Temple of Witchcraft

    If we are going to talk about directing energy, you must, you must have some awareness of what energy is. The word energy evokes images of power lines and outlets, or more personally your metabolism, but there is invisible energy all around us. This energy is part of us and our environment, as is the energy we direct when we do any magickal work.
  
    Many forms of energy exist. Most that we know of fall into a range, a spectrum of frequencies, that can be detected via scientific means. The most common is the visible light spectrum, the rainbow, but there are many forms of invisible energy above and below physical light, such as radio and television waves and radiation. These energies are all part of the electromagnetic spectum. We are also aware of a range of energies that are physical vibrations, or sounds.  Although scientists have agreed on the characteristics and ranges of these quantifiable energies, metaphysicians have known about a whole other range of energies.

   Currently, most of our 'evidence' of spiritual energies comes from personal accounts rather than objective, scientific data. Every individual describes the experience in a unique way, so we sometimes have diverging opinions on the spiritual energies. Different spiritual traditions call these forces by different names, and each name has a specific cultural connotation.

   Let's start with personal energy. Personal energy is the energy within and emanating from your own being. It is the energy of your body and all its systems, and it includes such things as metabolism, body heat, and nerve impulses.
  
It is also the energy from your nonphysical systems, your
energy bodies and chakras. We shall delve deeper into the anatomy of the energy body later, but for now, understand that you have a nonphysical component to your body, your spirit, so to speak. The interactioners call this the aura. The energy flowing into these energy systems, like blood flowing through the physical body, is called ki, or chi, in the Eastern traditions. It can be
absorbed from the environment and processed by the body. We replenish our store of vital personal energy through sleep, though some people are naturally more energentic than others. Ki and chi also refer to forms of energy we will be discussing. Kundalini, a word from the Hindu traditions, is another form of personal energy, but more specifically refers to the energy found at the base of the spine that can rise from the spine, activating the spiritual centers known as chakras.

   To witches, the most important energies to connect to are those below our feet, the earth energies. This is the energy of the center of the planet and the Goddess, the consciousness of the world that sustains us. It has been called mana or shakti kundalini. Most perceive this energy as feminine. Earth energy is not only the energy inside the planet, but also the energy around the planet, such as the magnetic field, and grids of energy, called ley lines or Earth grid lines.  Sacred sites, such as Giza in Egypt and Stonehenge in England, are renowned for being focal points in the grid system of Mother Earth. Think of the grids like acupuncture meridians in our bodies. They let invisible energies flow to promote health and life.

   Above the Earth is the energy of the sky. Cosmic energy is also a fitting description for this energy because it encompasses the energy of the Sun and stars, in fact the energy of the entire universe, raining down upon the Earth. As many pagan traditions associate the Earth with mother and Goddess, the sky is usually linked to the masculine deities. Sky gods are prominent in many mythologies as father figures, protection and providers. In the Hindu traditions, the invisible life force riding on the breath, absorbed by us through food and water we consume and the breath we take in, is called prana. It is interesting how the Hindu energy called prana is very similar phonetically to the Hawaiian name of life force mana.  Prana, mana, ki and chi, along with a whole host of other names, such as orgone, od, odic force, pneuma, numen, telesma, and runach, describe a basic life energy found in all things.

   Divine energy is a catchall category for energies not included in the masculine/feminine or above/below polarity. There are many other kinds of spiritual energies and being, with many different flavors and descriptions. Witches work with divine energy through the ritual of the magick circle, creating what is traditionally called 'perfect love/perfect trust.'  In other words, pure divine energy, what we would call unconditional love, is used to create sacred space for our rituals. This energy is all loving and all knowing, beyond all polarities, yet encompassing them all.

Exercise 2 - Feeling Energy

    The purpose of this exercise is to physically feel some of this spiritual energy that you personally generate. Many students find this easy with a little practice, but others have difficulty because they do not know what to look for. Penzcak feels this energy like very weak, very subtle magnetic repulsion. If you were to take the two positive ends of a magnet and try to put them together, you would have some difficulty. The fields of energy offer resistance. Take that feeling and expect something a bit less dramatic or concrete, and you can feel the resistence offered between the fields of your hands. They are not exactely opposing charges, so they do not offer the same kind of resistance as two magnets.

   Magnets are the way Penczak would describe feeling. Since this is individual and subjective, others perceive it as a temperature shift. You could also feel a slight tingle or 'pins and needles' sensation, as if your hands are 'asleep.' Others feel a pressure or even texture. Everyone feels it differently.

   Once you feel it, you will be able to manipulate this energy through your will and intent. This is a fundamental building block for magick and psychic development.

1. Hold your hands about three feet apart, palms facing each other. Close your eyes if would like. You are aware of any new information you received from your hands, but you are not judging the experiences or trying to create it. Allow it to happen naturally.

2. Bring your hands closer together, slowly. Be aware of the sensation. Notice any feelings that come in waves or layers. These are the levels of your aura, your energy body. Some layers offer more 'resistance' than others. Try it several times, with eyes closed and then open. If you have difficulty, start over, but begin by rubbing your hands together vigorously, as if you were trying to warm them up. This will increase your hands' sensitivity.

3. When you are done, wipe your hands together as if you were wiping excess water off them. This removes any other energies you might have picked up along the way. End all of these energy exercises with such a wiping motion.

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