Balsamic Moon in Sagittarius

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

27th Day of the First Lunar Cycle
Ruled by Hecate
Lunar Tree Cycle ~ Beth/Birch
Celtic Tree Cycle ~ Beth/Birch
Moon Phase: Balsamic - 12:29AM EST
Moon rises: 4:56AM EST
Moon sets: 2:02PM EST
Moon in the Mutable Fire Sign of Sagittarius
Ceridwen's Cycle of the Moon
Lunar Meditation: The wandering path
of the soul.
Sun in Capricorn
Sunrise: 7:42AM EST
Sunset: 5:12PM EST
Solar Question for the Day: "Which old desires do you need
to relinquish?"
Samhain (Calan Gaeaf) Quarter of the Year
January 11th, 2010

   Balsamic Moon - The ending of one cycle and the beginning of another. Keywords for the Balsamic phase are: transition, release, transformation, renewal, purity. It is the phase in a lunar cycle when you must let go of everything you have been working on that does not deal with the current cycle issues. During this phase you reflect on this passing cycle and prepare for the new. Trust in renewal. It is important to separate from others now so that you can clear the intellect of negativity. LET GO. Become still and meditate.

    This is Moon Day (Monday) - a Day of Remembering and Feeling. Magickally, Monday encourages the lunar energies of inspiration, illusion, prophetic dreams, emotions, psychic abilities, travel and women's mysteries and fertility.  

 Candle Magick - a brief introduction

  Candle spells are one of the most popular forms of magick, probably because they are simple as well as effective. Not only that but if a non-Witch comes into your home they are unlikely to notice, let alone comment on a burning candle.
   There are many ways of using candles in magick. The easiest is to take a few drops of oil and massage it into a candle of the appropriate color, rubbing from the center of the candle out to the ends while visualizing the effect you intend. Light the candle and let it burn all the way down to set your spell into action. Another way is to take a white candle and a length of thread of the appropriate color. Tie the thread around the candle, knotting it three times to secure your spell. In this method the candle is only burnt down until the thread is brunt. A third technique involves placing a pin in a candle and burning it down until the pin drops in order to activate your magick.
   Whichever method you use, only use the candle for the intended spell. Do not be tempted to use the same one later for a different spell, or for a different person, as this may result in some very confused magick!
   It is as well to remember that a burning candle should always be placed in secure holder and on a heatproof dish. Furthermore, a burning candle should never be left unattended.

"In magick, as in all things, it is focus

and intent which makes it work."

Movie Magic Versus Real Magick - excerpts from Penczak's "Inner Temple of Witchcraft"

   Many people get involved in witchcraft because of what they see in movies, movie magic, and have difficulty understanding what the essence of magick is all about. They expect special effects: lightning bolts out of the sky and rolling mists over the hills. Penzcak says that he is lucky to have been privy to many a magickal night outside where unusual things have occurred, but they are added benfits, not the goal of magick.

  

   Magick is all about manifesting change, in our inner or outer life, in compliance with our will. The channels that bring us this change can seem very mundane, but to line up many seeming 'coincidences' is the art of magick. Let's say you want a new job.  You know what kind of job you want. You do your magickal spell and the next day you go to a party. You didn't want to go to the party, but felt you should be there. There you meet someone who mentions that his company is hiring. After talking a bit, this person gives you the name and number of who you should call. That person has a job opening that is perfect for you, and by the end of the week you have a new job. Coincidence, or magick? At first you are inclined to think coincidence, but if you live the life of a witch, you find more and more of these coincidences happening in response to the intentions you have voiced to the universe. Intuition is the guide to such fortunate 'coincidences.'

  Penczak says that while he was being interviewed as a subject for a college student's term paper, the subject of magick came up. She was studying the social groups, customs, and beliefs of those in the pagan subculture and wanted to ask me a few questions. After talking through a pleasant dinner, she looked at me a bit like I was crazy and said, "I have good things happen to me, too, but I don't think I'm doing magick."   She couldn't quite understand why I did. Over the course of the evening I came to see her as a very powerful person, both working full-time and going to school, making her way in the world. She was very intelligent and organized, yet open and intuitive while she guided the interviews. I have no doubt that she practiced her own brand of magick. You don't need candles, robes, spells and herbs. You don't need to know the definition of magick. She didn't. You do need to access the other facets of yourself, your psychic, intuitive mind, and your divine self, to manifest with your willpower. I believe she did. I think many people who never call themselves witches still do magick. People are magickal by nature. I tried explaining that to her, but she had difficulty with the concept that she created those coincidences, that they were not just the results of good luck. The difference for witches is to actively and consciously pursue this relationship with the universe and ourselves.