Full Moon in Virgo

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

16th Day of the 3rd Lunar Cycle
Ruled by Gaia
Lunar Tree Cycle ~ Nion/Ash
1th Day of the Celtic Tree Cycle ~ Nion/Ash
Moon Phase: Full - 11:37AM EST
Moon sets: 6:34AM EST
Moon rises: 6:35PM EST
Moon in the Mutable Earth Sign
of Virgo
Rhiannon's Cycle of the Moon
Lunar Meditation: The gift of grace.
Sun in Pisces
Sunrise: 6:55AM EST
Sunset: 6:09PM EST
Solar Question for the Day: "Where is the Spring
in your life?"
Imbolc (Gwyl Mair) Quarter of the Year.
February 28th, 2010

   Full Moon in the Mutable Earth Sign of Virgo - During this moon transit in Virgo important issues are practicality, organization, clearning up your diet or your house, healing your body or offering healing to others and attending to loose ends.  Virgo wants to be of emotional service: now is the ti8me to offer this to others. Because there is more inward energy in the universe now, Virgo Full Moon is not the best time for a group ritual, unless it's a healing circle which would work just fine but keep it small.
There are Major magickal energies today for Health and Healing rites. 

Finding a Place of Power - from "The Inner Temple of Witchcraft" by Christopher Penczak

   One of the most important tenets in the traditions of witchcraft is the sacredness and power of the natural world. Making space for meditation in your inner reality by building an altar or shrine and then maintaining a practice is an important step. Another foundation stone in the process is to find a place in nature that is special and sacred to you, if possible. It does not have to be deep in the woods, but someplace accessible to you, to serve as another meditation spot where you can commune with the forces of nature as a pathway to yourself.

    Some of your magick will seem easier or harder outside of the safety of your home because you are communing with all manner of new energies. This can be in a park, a trail in the woods, a beach, a stream, a lake, or someplace off the beaten path where you feel safe, comfortable, and relaxed. You may find such spot as you continue your earth walking from exercise 6 (where you walk slowly and meditatively and be a ware of the Earth below your feet). Use common sense in selecting your area. If you are not an experienced camper or hiker, do not pick a place deep in the forest, far from help, in case you get lost. If you live in an urban environment and can't find a suitable place in a park, then don't worry, but the next time you are out of the city and in the country, try practicing your meditation there.

   Make or find a shrine at this spot, even if it is temporary. You do not need to put candles or incense in your shrine unless you want to do so, but try sitting by a special rock or tree that helps you make this connection. Spontaneous psychic experiences have been known to happen when you venture forth into nature, in search of a place of power.

New Assignment: 

*Exercises 7 through 12 - Complete and record your experiences in your Book of Shadows.  Incorporate them into as regular routine at least three times a week, if not daily. Early-morning or late-evening meditation times are usually best, but do not meditate lying down in bed or you will always associate meditation with sleeping. Sit up. Do exercise 12: Prpramming Your Trigger at least three times. Practice the orange meditation often, using all your senses. Use instant magick in your daily life.

Continuing Assignments: 
* Daily Journal
* Honor and recognize your intuition. Continue to ask it questions.

Tips:

* Prepare your space and set the mood for meditation. If you would like, use some soft repetitive music or perhaps a water fountain.
* Develop your inner narrator. Take the voice within you that may act critical and skeptical and give it a job to do. Train it to be your coach rathr than distract you. Silently tell yourself to relax your body and mind. Silently instruct yourself through each step of meditation, as if someone were there to help you. If you get internal criticism, thank the voice for sharing, but kindly ask it to sit down and focus on the task at hand. This inner guide will help you become your own best teacher.
* Always be sure to count yourself down and count yourself back up. Always give yourself clearance and balance at the end. Always check in to see if you need to ground more after meditation.
* Don't rush. Relax and take your time. You can spend quite a while with relaxation and breathing before getting to specific exercises. Let your body and mind tell you when you are ready, and then count down.
* There is no real 'getting there'. Some sessions seem deeper than others, but many students expect to feel 'under,' as if they were at a stage-hypnotist show. There are many levels of meditation, and all of them valuable. You can still be in a meditative state and have your mind wander. The alpha state is much like daydreaming, and when we daydream, our minds wander. When you recognize this, bring your thoughts back to the experience at hand. Don't feel you are failing because your mind is wandering. Sometimes you are distracted by outside noises. That happens to everybody. You are learning to bring more focus and direction to your meditation time, but that takes a lot of practice. Witches are walkers between the worlds, and must be conscious of both, but as you practice, you will begin to withdraw your senses into the inner world for greater lengths of time.  Do not berate yourself when meditation does not fulfill your expectations. Bring your focus back and do your best.
* You shouldn't fall asleep when meditating. If you do, reevaluate your sleeping and eating patterns, as well as your work habits. Take care of your physical body.
* Some people meditate better in the early morning hours. Others meditate better at the end of the day, before bedtime. Experiment and find out which time, if any, is best for you.

Tomorrow is the Full Moon

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

15th Day of the 3rd Lunar Cycle
Ruled by Gaia
Lunar Tree Cycle ~ Nion/Ash
10th Day of the Celtic Tree Cycle ~ Nion/Ash
Moon Phase: waxing Gibbous
Moon sets: 6:02AM EST
Moon rises: 5:18PM EST
Moon in Leo v/c 6:09PM EST
Moon enters the Mutable Earth Sign
of Virgo at 7:52PM EST
Rhiannon's Cycle of the Moon
Lunar Meditation: The integrity of
your vocation.
Sun in Pisces
Sunrise: 6:57AM EST
Sunset: 6:08PM EST
Solar Question for the Day: "What new
influences are trying to come into your life?"
Imbolc (Gwyl Mair) Quarter of the Year
February 27th, 2010


You can honor the Full Moon tomorrow with a simple rite of lighting a white candle and perhaps sitting for a few moments in meditation upon this phase of the Moon. Or you can maybe perfrom a more elaborate rite with maybe a spell for something you need and/or want.  Tomorrow there will be Major energies of Health and Healing... 

A Full Moon Ritual for Energy

   Use this ritual to bring specific lunar energies into your life. It should be carried out on the evening of the full moon or as close as you can. You can use this ritual for bringing plans to fruition or for an extra surge of energy when you need it to over come an obstacle or seize an opportunity.

* Light a row of three silver candles, two of the same size for the waxing and waning phases and one much large in the center for the full moon.
* Light three sticks of jasmine or mimosa incense.
* Take a branch from a willow or any other tree or plant that grows near water, and on it hang three silver baubles; one should be very large. If you have no baubles, make discs from silver foil. Silver is the color and metal of the Moon. Add nine tiny, silver-colored bells, hung with thread.
* If the full moon is visible, use a hand mirror, silver if possible, to direct its light toward the tree or plant saying: "Isis, mother of the Moon, your power this night bring to me soon. Your silver radiance on me shines, your fertile light now strengthen mine. Full moon, full glory, fill my heart, your loving wisdom to me impart. Mother Isis, your child I call, uplight and guide me lest I fall."  (You can, instead of Isis, choose your own Moon goddess if you prefer or just invoke the Moon mother.)

* Now with silver thread or ribbons, bind the tree and the baubles/discs with nine loose knots, saying:
"I bind your tree with tasks undone, Maiden, Mother, not yet Crone. I bind your strength to help my race not won. I take the power and i8t is done."
* Pull all your knots undone, one after the other, and shake the tree so the bells ring, and the energy is released.
* Leave the candles to burn down in a safe place.

Leave the branch or plant still hung with the silver baubles/discs and bells throughout the week of the full moon and use the week to focus on your specific Moon theme. Sit, if you can, for a few minutes each night by silver candlelight and see yourself surrounded by an orb of silver light./ Maximize the possibilities in your everyday world.
[From: Cassandra Eason's "A Practical Guide to Witchcraft and Magick Spells"]



  

Gibbous Moon phase

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

13th Day of the 3rd Lunar Cycle
Ruled by Gaia
Lunar Tree Cycle ~ Nion/Ash
8th Day of the Celtic Tree Cycle ~ Nion/Ash
Moon Phase: Gibbous - 6:45AM EST
Moon sets: 4:47AM EST
Moon rises: 2:41PM EST
Moon in Cancer v/c 12:47PM EST
Moon enters the Fixed Fire Sign
of Leo at 8:08PM EST
Rhiannon's Cycle of the Moon
Lunar Meditation: The invitation sent ]
by your dreams.
Sun in Pisces
Sunrise: 7:00AM EST
Sunset: 6:05PM EST
Solar Question for the Day: "What are your dreams telling you?"
Imbolc (Gwyl Mair) Quarter of the Day
February 25th, 2010

Gibbous Moon:  Keywords for Gibbous phase are: analyze, prepare, trust. It is the time in a lunar cycle to process the results of the actions taken during the First Quarter. During this phase you are gathering information. Give up making judgments, it will only lead to worry. Your knowledge is incomplete. Laugh; Analyze and filter. LOOK WITHIN.

There are Major magikcal energies for spells for Security before the void of course at 12:47PM EST.
There are Major magickal energies for spells regarding Recognition and after the void of course there are Major magickal energies for rites of Collecting Debts or Favors after the void of course. 

In Llewellyn's Witches' Datebook for 2010 a tip for today is "'To represent the four elements, place a staurolite stone on your altar."   I had to look this one up because I have never heard of one of these stones.... and I found some good information at this site: http://crystal-cure.com/staurolite.html

At another website is given this information:

"Staurolite is a gentle grounding and shielding crystal. It has historically been a good luck stone, due to its cross-like shape.

Staurolite is considered to be an excellent stress reliever and mood-lifter. It can create a connection between the physical and astral planes and provides a balance between the two. It can also help organise thought patterns and ideas. Staurolite is sometimes used by those attempting to give up smoking, because its grounding effect it believed to neutralise the need to smoke.

Chakra Alignment: Root
Zodiac: Pisces"
http://www.crystalage.com/crystal_information/stone_type/staurolite.cfm 

Woden's Day - Major Energies for Magick!!

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


12th Day of the 3rd Lunar Cycle
Ruled by Hera
Lunar Tree Cycle ~ Nion/Ash
7th Day of the Celtic Tree Cycle ~ Nion/Ash
Moon Phase: waxing Half
Moon sets: 4:00AM EST
Moon rises: 1:25PM EST
Moon in the Cardinal Water Water
Sign of Cancer
Rhiannon's Cycle of the Moon
Lunar Meditation: The compassion of memory.
Sun in Pisces
Sunrise: 7:01AM EST
Sunset: 6:04PM EST
Solar Question for the Day: "What mutual burdens can you
lift from other's backs?"
Imbolc (Gwyl Mair) Quarter of the Year
February 24th, 2010

    It is Woden's Day - Mercury's Day, the day of Communication and Connection. There are Major magickal energies for Magick today.  And minor magickal energies for divination and elemental magick.  Woden's Day/Wednesday carries all of the planetary and magickal energies and associations of the witty and nimble god Mercury himself. Some of these mercurial traits include good communication skills, cleverness, intelligence, creativity, business sense, writing, artistic talent, trickiness and thievery.  Wednesdays bring us excellent opportunities for seeking wisdom, changing your circumstances, and improving your skills, be they in trade and commerce, music and art, or in communication and writing. Be bold and daring today. Expand your knowledge of the Craft by working with the planetary energies of Mercury on this multifaceted day of the week. Wednesday is the wild and wily day of the week, so try to go with the flow, don't fight the quirky energies of the day.

"Knowledge comes,

But wisdom lingers"

Alfred Tennyson

Mudras, Triggers, Instant Magick - From "The Inner Temple of Witchcraft" by C. Penczak   con.

   You need not be limited by these examples (ways to use your triggers). Penczak says that just as he has found special tricks to fit his lifestyle and needs in the use of 'triggers', you can also expand your instant magick into new areas. The most important thing to notice about all these acts is how mundane they are. Penczak says: "I am not putting simple magick down; I am just emphasizing that the simple acts of life can be infused with magick."  Your everyday reality is a vehicle for living a magickal life. Many people who follow a spiritual path resign it to a particular time when they are 'being' spiritual, usually once a week at a service. Don't think magick is relegated to a few special times a week when you sit down and prepare to do it. Witches weave the threads of magick, family, home, and world together because they are all parts of the web of life. Integrating your magick, and more importantly your magickal viewpoint, into your daily life is a very important step.

    Although technically these simple spells should work for you regardless of your path or tradition, if you do see yourself on a spiritual path, Penczak suggests thanking the divine powers, the Goddess, God, and Great Spirit, for every gift, even those that did not occur. If an act of instant magick does not happen as you intended, there is probably a reason for it. Perhaps being late for work even though you tried to bend time might have prevented you from being in an accident. Giving thanks is a great lesson for any path, because gratitude opens up a new world of blessings.

    Now that you have an idea of what instant magick can do, try this meditation to program your own trigger. This exercise should be repeated several times to ingrain the program into all levels of consciousness.

Exercise 12: Programming Your Trigger

1. First decide on what trigger position feels comfortable to you. Penczak suggets your first two fingers and thumb together or crossing your middle and index fingers.

2. Start Exercise 9: Counting Down to a Meditative State to get into your magickal mindset.

3. Once you are at your meditative level, physically perform your trigger on one or both hands. Penczak says he likes to program both hands so he has a choice as to which one he uses, depending on the circumstances. He says if he triggers both hands that he feels he goes a bit deeper.

4. State to yourself, 'I program this as my instant magick trigger. With this trigger I can instantly access a light meditative state and all my magickal abilities for the good of allo, harming none.'   Say this statement three times.

5. When done, return yourself to normal consciousness, counting up, giving yourself clearance and balance. Ground yourself as needed.

When you hold the trigger position, you enter a light magickal mindset. When you need to get out of this state, release the trigger. The process is that simple.

Christopher Penczak wrote a book titled "Instant Magick" and it was published in 2006 - it will give many more techniques of instant magick... I have a copy but sadly I've never checked through it. After posting this information on Instant Magick from "The Inner Temple of Witchcraft" I think I will be looking this book also. 

Moon moves into the Cardinal Water Sign of Cancer

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


11th Day of the 3rd Lunar Cycle
Ruled by Hera
Lunar Tree Cycle ~ Nion/Ash
6th Day of the Celtic Tree Cycle ~ Nion/Ash
Moon Phase: waxing Half
Moon sets: 3:04AM EST
Moon rises: 12:16PM EST
Moon in Gemini nv/c 12:39PM EST
Moon enters the Cardinal Water Sign
of Cancer at 6:29PM EST
Rhiannon's Cycle of the Moon
Lunar Meditation: The memory of your
spiritual quest.
Sun in Pisces
Sunrise: 7:03AM EST
Sunset: 6:03PM EST
Solar Question for the Day: ""What memories do you most appreciate?"
Imbolc (Gwyl Mair) Quarter of the Year
February 23rd., 2010

     On this Tiu's Day there are minor magickal energies for rites/spells regarding warrior and/or courage.  This is a day of Activity and Physicdality, Passion and Desire.  So if you need these aspects get out there and do something!

Chakra Balancing

  One technique for whole body healing is balancing the Chakras, the seven major junctions in the energy lines of the body. When these are balanced, energy flows uninterrupted through the body, but an inbalance can lead to discomfort, lethargy and even illness.

   The Chakras each have a function and color of the rainbow. The Base Chakra, at the borrom of your torso,  is red. Reproductive, just above the pelvic bone, is orange. Stomach, at the navel, is yellow. Herart, in the center of the chest, is green. Throat, just below your Adam's apple, is blue. Third eye, in the center of your forehead, is indigo. Crown, at the top of your head, is violet.

  One way of Chakra balancing is through meditation and visualization. Find a warm, comfortable, private environment, lie flat on your back and close your eyes. Take several deep breaths to relax. Now visualize a red disc spinning over your base Chakra. When you can see it clearly; visualize an orange disc spinning over the reproductive Chakra, while still seeing the red one. Continue up through the Chakras, keeping the proceding discs spinning until you reach the crown. Here you visualize the energy rising up through your body and then down, covering you. Keep this going for a minute or so then, in reverse order, visualize each of disc slowing and ceasing to spin until you reach the base again. At the base slow the spinning without stopping it completely. Take a few more breaths, and then ground yourself with something to eat and drink.
[From: "The Real Witches' Year" by Kate West]

Trigger exercises continued - from "The Inner Temple of Witchcraft" by C. Pencak

 Early Warning System: Holding your trigger with the intention of awareness in times of danger can keep you alert and prepare for anything. Although Penczak does not advocate any speeding loaws to be borken, he uses his instant magick to warn him of police speed traps.

Guidance: As you continue with this training and explore the world of spirit guides, you can use your trigger to instantly make a connection to higher guidance and ask questions.

Healing: People have a remarkable ability to heal themselves and others. You can use your trigger and visualize yourself or the other person getting better, more healthy and vibrant. Other techniques will be explored later, and your trigger can help you access them instantly.

Internal Alarm Clock: We all have a biological clock. Our bodies know what time it is by the cycles of the day, and if we are in tune with them, we can know, too. Some of Penczak's students have experienced using their triggers to ask Spirit what time it is, and get an accurate time. Penczak has used his trigger before bed and visualize a clock with time he wants to get up and indeed he wakes up them. He loves to sleep in but he tells his body that he will wake up refreshed at the time he has set to wake up at. He gets up feeling fine when he does this. It can also be used as part of a  morning meditation for those suffering from insomnia. When you wake up, set your internal alarm clock for the time you plan on going to bed and sleep will come much easier.

Memory: Use of your trigger improves memory. Use your trigger when meeting new people, to remember their names. When you introduce yourself, think your name as you say it, so your new friends will hear and remember it on a deeper level.

Parking Spaces: Penczak's favorite trick of instant magick by far is visualizing a parking space near the door of his destination about fifteen minutes before arrival. Almost always, there is one. Don't pick an exact space, but an approximate  location. When

Protection: Enter your light meditative state when feeling unsafe and ask the Goddess and God to protect you from all harm. This activates your personal shield of protection. Call on your protective spirits. You need not know them to ask them to intervene for your highest good. You will learn more specifric techniques of protection and how to meet spirits as you progress through the lessons.

Reduce Anxiety: If you have a tendency to get anxious under pressure, or stress easily, use your trigger and tell your body and mind to calm down. Use it for any performance situation, public talks, meeting new people, visiting family, and job interviews. Use your trigger if you feel road rage or need to cool down after a lomg day and can't fully meditate.

Repairs: As our intention can heal the body, strangely enough it can also repair inorganic systems. Penczak has used his trigger to visualize ailing cars, computers and office equipment working. He has even used it when signing on to the Internet. He knows a crystal healer who successfully uses crystals on her car, so visualization on machines is not far-fetched. Usually this magick is a stopgap measure, but it can be more permanent.

Traffic Lights: Another poular use of the trigger is to get traffic lights to turn green, but this can be dangerous. What if you switch a circuit that makes your light green without turning the other lights red? It is far better to start your journey and visualize all lights being green, getting you to your destination on time, than to try to 'force' each set of lights to turn green as you approach.

Weather Magick: When in difficult or dangerous weather, particularly while driving, use your trigger to project a clear and safe path for yourself.

Tomorrow - Programming Your Trigger....

Moon Day - Day of Remembering and Feeling

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

10th Day of the 3rd Lunar Cycle
Ruled by Hera
Lunar Tree Cycle ~ Nion/Ash
5th Day of the Celtic Tree Cycle ~ Nion/Ash
Moon Phase: waxing First Quarter
Moon sets: 2:02AM EST
Moon rises: 11:16AM EST
Moon in the Mutable Air Sign
of Gemini
Rhiannon's Cycle of the Moon
Lunar Meditation: The vista through the
windows of imagination.
Sun in Pisces
Sunrise: 7:04AM EST
Sunset: 6:02PM EST
Solar Question for the Day: "In what areas
do you need to rest and recover?"
Imbolc (Gwyl Mair) Quarter of the Year
February 22nd., 2010

 Moon in Gemini - Moon in the Mutable Air sign of Gemini is a time of communication and other means of expression, freedom, adaptability, short journeys (probably to work and back), reading or writing, a desire for variety and having more than one thing giong at once. You might feel talkative and you might want to work with your hands. Women are more adaptable and changeable, so take all statements and promises with a grain of salt, especially if the person has proven fickle in the past. It's a hard time to make any decisions, but a good time to use your wit and cleverness in conversation.  And by the way there Major magickal energies today for rites/spells regarding travel and intuition...

Monthly Astrological Transits of the Moon - The moon's astrological sign changes every 2 to 2 1/2 days, as  she is the fastest moving of all planets in the zodiac. Her lunar transists indicate daily and hourly moods which can change as quickly as the moon's sign.  Days of the month when the transisting moon is in your personal moon sign is a good time to work on your compulsions and unexplainabloe drives. It is also one of your personal power days. If the transisting moon is conjunct (the same sign and degrees as your natal sun or moon sign), it will be a time of strength and authority. Eclipses often bring on crises, particularly if they occur during your astrological sign.
    You may want to begin creating rituals for times (called returns) when the astrological sign is in the same sign as your sun, moon, and other personal planets. These rituals can give your the opportunity to ground yourself and become attuned to these energies.

Triggers/Mudras - from "The Inner Temple of Witchcraft" by Penczak

    Continuing from yesterday's posting on Instant Magick and triggers that put us into mindsets for light trances ---   Once you program your trigger, you can use it for many different effects in your everyday life. Here are some of the more traditional ideas used by witches. Penczak combines visualization with intent. Sometimes he will ask the Goddess and God for his intent, silently in his mind, and ask that it be 'correct and for the good of all involved.'

Accelerated Learning - Hold your trigger when reading a book, studying for a test, or listening to a lecture. The teaching will penetrate deeper and be more fully understood. When you need to recall the information, use your trigger again. Some people can re-create the pages memorized on the screen of their mind, and 'look up' the answers.

Affirmation - Use your trigger when you do affirmations and you don't have time to get into a meditative state.

Animal Communication - You can project your thoughts to animals, and receive impressions from them as well. Try 'speaking' to a pet or other animals, and see if it responds. This communication is not limited to animals, but also extends to the consciousness of plants and even minerals.

Bending Time - Believe it or not, time, or our perception and movement in it, is not as immutable as you think. Next time you are running late and do not have enough time to get to your destination, use your trigger and imagine yourself getting there exactly on time. Penczak has used this many times to get to jobs on time when running impossibly late. There is a joke that there is 'real' time and pagan standard time, running about a half hour late. It does not have to be so, if you use instant magick.

Body Control - We have far greater ability to control our bodily systems than we currently use. Medicine is exploring the frontier through something called biofeedback control, but witches and shamans have known about it for a while. You can control your response to extremes in temperature and pain. The next time you are out in the cold, use your trigger and either imagine yourself warm or unbothered by the cold. Penczak has tested it out on cold New England mornings waiting for the bus,  and he is very glad he learned this skill.

Cosmic Telephone Message - Cosmic telephone message is a quirky way to say you are leaving a psychic message for someone to call you. It is partticularly useful when the person is out of reach. Use your trigger and think of the person you wish to reach. Leave a message, like you would on an answering machine, asking him or her to call you. Usually you will hear from the person in three days, saying "I don't know why, but I was thinking about you."

More ways to use your 'trigger' tomorrow.

First Quarter moon phase tonight

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


9th Day of the 3rd Lunar Cycle
Ruled by Kore
Lunar Tree Cycle ~ Nion/Ash
4th Day of the Celtic Tree Cycle ~ Nion/Ash
Moon Phase: First Quarter - 7:42PM EST
Moon sets: 12:57AM EST
Moon rises: 10:27AM EST
Moon in Taurus v/c 10:54AM EST
Moon enters the Mutable Air Sign
of Gemini at 1:47PM EST
Blodeuwedd's Cycle of the Moon
Lunar Meditation: The blessing of fire.
Sun in Pisces
Sunrise: 7:05AM EST
Sunset: 6:01PM EST
Solar Question for the Day: "What needs clarification
and what motivations underlie it?"
Imbolc (Gwyl Mair) Quarter of the Year
February 21st, 2010

 First Quarter Moon - The keywords are: action, expression, growth, breaking away. It is the time in a lunar cycle to take initial action necessary to achieve your goal by expressing your needs and desires. FEEL & MOVE. Make phone calls. Write letters. Dance. Act now.

This is Sun Day - the Day of Intent, Creation and Renewal.... and there are minor magickal energies for doing rites/spells for movtivation and personal finances.  Good day with this First Quater coming on to do perhaps a rite to 'motivate' yourself to get started on the goals you want to achieve in this lunar cycle.

Instant Magick - from "The Inner Temple of Witchcraft" by Penczak 

  
    Instant magick is the practice of putting your will into motion very quickly, using the power of visualization and attaining a light meditative state through the use of a trigger.  There are many names for it: the power of creative visualization, projecting (because you are projecting yuor will into the future to maniafest), or causal magick. It is a form of magick without deep meditation, ritual or tools, and many discount it because of that, thinking 'anyone' can do it so it is not 'real'
magick, but Penczak disagrees with that thought. Yes, anyone can do magick if they decide to, and the rewards of instant magick are by no means little. These seemingly insignificant acts help us reevaluate the way we create our own reality from moment to moment

   Such instant spells never cease to amaze Penczak. When you start out in the practice of magick, it is easy to chalk success up to coincidence, even as you learn  metaphysically that there are no real coincidences. Still, it's a hard fact to swallow when most of us are told otherwise throughout life. If you are able to to integrate this talent into your daily life, your results venture out of realms of coincidence and into the truly amazing. You then learn to expect the amazing and live a magickal life.

    Instant magick is projecting your will forward through visualization and specific intention to create an opportunity lining up what seem to be coincidences. You do this by entering a light state of alpha, a meditative level where you can still talk, walk, drive and carry on with everyday life. The sensation is similar to letting your mind wander for a moment, but it is not wandering. In fact, it is truly focusing, but only for a few moments. In those few moments, you state silently or out loud what you want to happen, or visualize it. You do not even need to close your eyes. Imagine it for a moment.

    You reach your light magickal mindset through intention. By programming a trigger, you can reach this state no matter how stressful a situation is. There are many times in life when we need access to our magickal and meditation skills, but circumstances do not give us the time, space, and quiet we are accustomed to having. The trigger helps us. It is like a post self-hypontic command that says, "When I do some specific motion,  I will enter a light trance state." Triggers can be hand motions, gestures, words, or images that, when performed, help us reach our magickal mind.

    Although you can choose any trigger you like, Penczak suggests a simple hand position. He originally learned from Laurie Cabot to cross my first and second fingers to activate my trigger. She taught it as a basis of our expression "I'll cross my fingers," when we want something to happen.  Children's games associate crossed fingers with lying, and that root also probably comes from witchcraft, when the craft was associated with harm. Penczak was surprised to find out that this position is actually a mudra in Hindu mysticism. Author Guruna, (Joseph Michael Levry) says, "If you need a favor, or have a wish, such as wanting a raise, all you have to do while asking for it is cross the middle and index fingers....This procedure balances your energy, thereby momentarily increasing your magnetic field for your desire to be fulfilled."

    Other mudras that are potential hand positions for your trigger include putting the thumb and index finger together, putting the thumb and middle finger together, or even putting the thumb with both the index and middle fingers together.

   Experiement in meditation and see what feels comfortable to you. The reason why Penczak suggests simple hand movements is because grand and sweeping gestures attract attention, and you want to be able to do this when you drive and have a conversation with someone and not necessarily explain what you are doing.  In Celtic myth, thumb sucking is a trigger for inspiration and wisdom, though I don't suggest using it in public. Some use a specific word as their trigger into the trance state and a word to end the trance state. Use what feels comfortable to you. You do not necessarily have to vocalize the word or make to make it effective.

 Here are some links to check out Mudras and various positions:

http://www.astrojyoti.com/mudras.htm

http://healing.about.com/od/east/ig/Mudra-Gallery/

Waxing Crescent Moon in the Fixed Earth Sign of Taurus

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


8th Day of the 3rd Lunar Cycle
Ruled by Kore
Lunar Tree Cycle ~ Nion/Ash
3rd Day of the Celtic Tree Cycle ~ Nion/Ash
Moon Phase: waxing Crescent
Moon sets: 12:05AM EST
Moon rises: 9:47AM EST
Moon in the Fixed Earth Sign
of Taurus
Blodeuwedd's Cycle of the Moon
Lunar Meditation: The welcome of
like-souled friends
Sun in Pisces
Sunrise: 7:07AM EST
Sunset: 6:00PM EST
Solar Question for the Day: "Is
your criticism undermining someone or someting?"
Imbolc (Gwyl Mair) Quarter of the Year
February 20th, 2010


    Saturn's Day - the Day of Manifestation and Structure, Assessment and Responsibility.  The Moon is in the Fixed Earth Sign of Taurus whose key phrase is "I have."  So here we have today the Moon in a lunar transit that concerns money, work, property, the body, home and family, sensuality, building cautiously and slowly, beingconscientious growth, sensitivity, planting and emotional patterns based on security. The energy flow is even and yet it is a time for us to experience the sensual.  So these energies combing with Saturn's day of Assessment, Responsibility, Structure and Manifestation - there can be a lot of organization of our lives' structures... You may find yourself desiring to protect your material goods and a strong need for financial security. It is a good time to continue or to finish projects.  The Taurus moon transit gives attention to order and detail. While there is great stubborness emotionally there is also a great sensitivity to others.
    Saturdays are like a magickal 'let's cean house' day. Any magickal messes left lying around that need to be addressed or any problems that need to be cleared up are best delt with on the day devoted to Saturn.

Quartz

   Quartz and crystal are terms which are often used interchangeably to refer to a wide range of stones.
However, there are many types of Quartz and each has its own energy. Many of these, such as Amethyst and Carnelian, are given their own names, while others are known as Quartzes, like Rose Quartz.
     Crystal Quartz is often employed in the Craft; it is symbolic of the Great Mother, the Moon, the Sun,  and the 5th Element, Spirit. It has powers of healing, protection, and psychic enhancement. It can be worn to enhance these energies during ritual, placed on the Altar to represent the Goddess and the God or to act as a magickal 'amplifier', attached to a silver chain to make a pendulum, and much more. Genuine Crystal will rarely be completely clear, so look for flaws in the stone to prove it is the real thing. Thirteen natural Crystals, or points, can be used to create a magick circle for divination or ritual. A single Crystal placed in a glass of spring water in the light of the Full Moon, makes a healing drink, but remove the stone first!
     Quartz is available on the beach, although it will rarely be clear. These stones, which have been tumbled by the sea, are excellent for use in spells and magick. To make a magickal tool collect a number of such stones and enough sand to cover a dinner plate. Spread the sand over the plate and place the stones in a spiral. When working your spell trace the stones inward to the center and then out to the edge, three times, while repeating your need.
[From: "The Real Witches' Year" by Kate West]

Sun moves into the sign of Pisces

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


6th Day of the 3rd Lunar Cycle
Ruled by Artemis
Lunar Tree Cycle ~ Nion/Ash
1st Day of the Celtic Tree
Cycle - Nion/Ash
Moon Phase: waxing Crescent
Moon rises:  8:46AM EST
Moon sets: 10:46PM EST
Moon in Aries v/c 10:52PM EST
Blodeuwedd's Cycle of the Moon
Lunar Meditation: Meditate upon truth
Sun in Pisces - 1:36PM EST
Sunrise: 7:10AM EST
Sunset: 5:57PM EST
Solar Question for the Day: "What do you need
to let go of and how is it impeding you?"
Imbolc (Gwyl Mair) Quarter of the Day
February 18th, 2010


The Sun in Pisces

   The Sun has enters Pisces today, one of the Water signs indicating the intangible world of feelings and emotions. It is also one of the Mutable signs bringing flexibility and problem solving.
   Those born when the Sun is in this sign are generally sensisitive, compassionate and easy going. They are receptive, imaginative, and many have strong intuitive and psychic abilities. A typical Piscean is very unworldly, and will react strongly to suffering, either doing everything to help or by recoiling. They are very fluid, hard to pin down, and do not easily conform. They work best where rational thought and control are not required, being good at caring and things artistic. In relationships they can be very intense and lovable but are less effective on the practical side. On the negative side they can be over-emotional and inclined to think of themselves as being the victim, and their very flexibility can also lead them to changing direction and to extremes of thought. Pisceans can also be submissive, gullible and easily disillusioned.
    At this time Pisceans need to avoid making commitments, taking strangers on trust, and over-reacting to people and events. They should also avoid practical tasks such as DIY. It is however a good time for looking inward and working on deep-seated problems. Others should be aware that emotional swings are problable in this period. It is a good time for lavishing care and attention on the self and also for water-based activities.
[From: Kate West's "A Real Witches' Year"]

Celtic Ash Tree Month

  Today is the first day of the Celtic Tree Cycle (Nion/Ash).  The Ash is one of the most magickal trees.
Yggdrassil, the World Tree, the one from which Odin hung to gain the Runes, is thought to have been an Ash. The Ash was called a check on peace for it was from this tree that spears were made. It is a tree of Initiation and intelligence. It is said that the Ash should never be burnt or cut down, but it is permissible to take wood from the living tree if you make the appropriate offerings first. The Ash is a tree of protection and they were planted to keep Witches at bay, although as with many things thought to ward off Witches it is quite possible that this was invented to cover the magickal uses of the tree.

   As well as being used to spear shafts, it was also used to make the quarterstaff. Ash is a healing tree and a staff would be placed over the door to keep illness at bay. Ash leaves placed in water would be by the bed to prevent sickness from entering overnight, the water and leaves being renewed each evening; a good idea if someone in the house has an illness which you do not others to catch. Ash leave are also carried in the pocket to attract the admiration of the opposite gender. Placed beneath the pillow the leaves will bring on prophetic dreams. Scattered around the house the leaves serve as a protection.

   Note that you should never stand under an Ash during a thunderstorm as they are said to attract lightning.
[From: "The Witches' Real Year" by Kate West]

Ash Lore - from John Matthews' "The Green Man Tree Oracle"

   The dual powers of the ash tree are its strength and its rootedness in wisdom and both of these aspects are clearly reflected in this tree's mythology. Three of the five sacred trees of Ireland are ash trees, for instance, Yggdrasil, the world ash of Scandinavian myth, is the tree that supports the world and wisdom itslef is drawn from its roots, protected by the ancient keepers of destiny called the Norns. It is also seen as the steed of the god Odin, who hung himself on the ash tree in order to discover the runes from all of humanity. It has also been noted that, after the hawthorn, the ash is the second mostly widely used tree for planting beside a holy well. The symbology of this parallel Norse myth, with the ash drawing its wisdom from the water as Yggdrasil does from the well of Urd. The fact that the tree produces seed pods that are roughly key-shaped has also contributed to its association with opening doors to wisdom. Strength itself comes from wisdom, and gives us the necessary ability to use our strength in the correct way. As the novelist T. H. White put it, "Not might is right but might for right."

Affirmation Exercises - "The Inner Temple of Witchcraft" by Peczak

Exercise 11 -

1. Choose at least five affirmations from the previous list (posted in yesterday's blog entry), or create your own. Focus on which qualities you would like to bring to you. Memorize them as best you can, so you will be able to recite them in a meditation.

2. Start exercise 9; Counting Down to a Meditative State to get into your magickal mindset.

3. Once you are at your meditation level, recite each affirmation at least three times.

4. Take note of how you feel when you recite each affirmation. You may not feel anything at first, but you are subtly changing your inner programming. You may see things or think of people or places from your past. Let the ideas flow in and out. Do not hold onto them, but remain aware of them. They can give you clues as to what issues need attention.

5. Return yourself to normal consciousness, counting up, giving yourself clearance and balance, and do any necessary grounding.

Woden's Day - Crescent Moon phase

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

5th Day of the 3rd Lunar Cycle
Ruled by Artemis
Lunar Tree Cycle ~ Nion/Ash
28th Day of the Celtic Tree Cycle ~ Luis/Rowan
Moon Phase: Crescent - 11:51PM EST
Moon rises: 8:22AM EST
Moon sets: 9:43PM EST
Moon in the Cardinal Fire
Sign of Aries
Blodeuwedd's Cycle of the Moon
Lunar Meditation: Your kinship
with humanity.
Sun in Aquarius
Sunrise: 7:11AM EST
Sunset: 5:56PM EST
Solar Question for the Day: "What
message is your body trying to tell you?"
Imbolc (Gwyl Mair) Quarter of the Year
February 17th, 2010

     Crescent Phase of Moon - Keywords are: expansion, growth, struggle, opportunity. This is the time in a lunar cycle that you gather wisdom learned in the New phase and communicate your intention to move forward. Light a candle. Write or read an affirmation. LISTEN & ABSORB. Commit to your goal.   Hopefully you have a list of goals and intentions for this lunar cycle made.  This is the day to commit yourself to them.  This is the time when you're committing to your vision for the future.

   The Moon at this time in the lunar cycle rises mid-morning and sets before midnight. Throughout the lunation cycle, the Moon rises and sets a little later each day; sometimes fifteen minutes, sometimes ninety minutes after the previous day's rise and set. A special quality of the waxing Crescent Moon is how illuminated the 'earth shine,' the entire orb of the Moon is dimly visible behind the crescent, making an early evening "Moon sit" especially compelling. This is a good time to think of the unknown - and all the good it holds in store for you.  The Crescent Moon appears approximately three and a half days after the New Moon, when the Moon goes forty-five ahead of the Sun. Visible in the western sky after sunset, this slender, shimmeirng Crescent has an expquisite luminescence, as though inked with the radiance of angel wings. Its image universally inspires optimism and hope. Even the word 'Crescent' seems to draw us forward, deriving from the Latin 'crescere,' meaning to increase or grow. At this phase we can lasso a dream so bold, we'll pattern a great leap in succeeding phasses.
     The most eager New Moon devotee often falls away from the lunation cycle here. What we need is a good witch Glenda to throw snow on the poppy field and pinch our cheeks awake. After all, fertility is promised; we need only discover what to cultivate. Setting the right goal for the cycle can keep us moving along the path. If we've fixed our objective prematurely at the New Moon, we may have propped the old goal with little power to carry us forward. But at the Crescent it's not only right to focus ourselves, it's important.  Our good witch Glenda offers some advice: "Remember, not all dreams are energeticallyt supported at all times."  She wants us to stay awake to the world, to retain some of that New Moon openess. This means our goal should respect the messages in our environment as well as the desires in our heart. We need to both direct effort and listen. This is especially true when the world is telling us something we don't expect to hear, something that makes us yawn or drives us nuts.
[Excerpts from Dana Gerhardt's "Moon Watching"]


Affirmations - Meditation techniques and exercises from "Inner Temple of Witchcraft" by Penczak

   Affirmation are beneficial statements we make to ourselves, out loud or silently, to re-program our deep levels of consciousness. You know that magick requires an alignment of the conscious mind with the psychic and divine minds. One of the methods of achieving this alignment is through meditation, quieting the inner chatter to bring this harmony. From this alignment, magick flows. When people start meditating, many are filled with a sense of accomplishment, while others are unsure if it is really working. This uncertainty can accompany disbelief, doubt, and fear. The root of these frustrations and fears is found in the subconscious, a connecting link to your psychic mind.

   Humans are like vast, unlimited computers, capable of quite literally anything we set out to do. We are only limited by our programming, the directions, instructions, and images we contain. As individuals, we program ourselves, but use templates and programs from our family, friends, and society. Unfortunately, at the moment we do not live in the lost life-affirming and optimistic world, and our self-programning can reflect that. Every thought and idea becomes a part of our overall programming. If we think we are unworthy, unwanted, or unlovede, our self-esteem falls. Feeling confident and good about ourselves is paramount when using our magickal abilities. If our programming prevents us from feeling connected to spirit, our abilities are greatly diminished. When we try to connect them, the blocks surface. When difficult feelings arise in meditations, at any level, we are attempting to clear through the blocks.

   Clearing away the blocks through experienceis important, but there is another way to tackle this problem: through direct, conscious reprogramming. Because every thought you have becomes a part of your new programming, conscously think new, helpful thoughts to replace old pargramming with the new. Affirmations are the new programming. The idea of inner programming does not replace free will or conscious choice. We choose and create our own programming. Most of us have accepted a log of programming that is not of our own making. Now is the time to take back control and responsibility.

   Daily affirmations are a great way to instantly reprogram the subconscious and gain greater access to our personal power. They can be done in meditation, to deeply implant them in your consciousness. They can also be done in a regular beta state with great effect. Here are come sample affirmations that have help Penczak and his students. This set is great to start out with to build self-esteem and a sense of connection to your own spirit.

I love myself, I love all others, I am infinitely loved.

I forgive myself. I forgive all others.

I am walking in the love of the Goddess, God and Great Spirit.

Everything I do is for the good of all involved, harming none.

I am open to my highest guidance.

For those who have programmed block to their own prosperity, using affirmations can help clear the way to great blessings.

I am successful and talented.

I am prosperous.

I have all the money and resources I need.

I am always in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing.

I am joyful in all that I do.

This third set of affirmations is to open and awaken psychic abilities.

All of my senses are growing stronger every day.

I am safely opening and increasing all of my psychic abilities.

I am seeing psychically.

I am hearing psychically.

I am knowing psychically.

I am traveling psychically.

I am psychic.

This last set creates personal health and prepares you to take an active role as a healer. Healing is one of the highest skills learned in witchcraft.

I am completely healthy on all levels.

I am in balance and harmony.

I release all that does not serve my highest good.

I am safely opening my healing abilities.

  Many of these affirmations are in the form "I am" statements. The phrase "I am" is very powerful because it connects the affirmation to the highest quality of your being, your higher or divine self.  The phrase goes back to an Old Testament phrase when the Divine, taking the form of a burning bush, says, "I am that I am."  You don't have to be Jewish or Christian to use the power of these two simple words. In the kundalini-yoga tradition, a popular mantra is "Healthy am I. Happy am I. Holy am I." In the Silva Mind Control Method, they use "Everyday, in every way, I am getting better and better and better."

   The "I am" statements are also in the form of what you want to create, rather than what you don't want. An affirmation of health is "I am healthy" rather than "I am not sick." In the latter, you are focusing on the word sick and may be creating more sickness, even though that is not the intent of the statement.

   Affirmations are often said a certain number of times. Set of three are popular, for not only the pagan Triple Goddess, but for the conscious, psychic, and divine minds. Saying affirmations in sets of three, nine, thirty-three, ninety-nine, and 108s are extremely effective. Others prefer sets of four, for the four elements. The elements correspond to our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies. Use what resonates most strongly with you.

   Don't feel uncomfortable doing affirmations. When you start them, there is a tendency to feel awkward or foolish. Let yourself feel that way - it will soon fade. Then get back to the affirmations, no matter how silly it seems. That is part of your programming. You are trying to dissolve feelings of self-consciousness so that you can be free to do whatever you want, whenever you want, without embarrassment. Once you nstart to see how powerful they are, you quickly overcome the embarrassment. The power of affirmations can make you rethink many song lyrics that you sing over and over again, as well as using exporessions such as 'He's a pain in the neck."  Your words literally create your reality.

Tomorrow I will post Affirmation exercises....

The Waxing New Moon enters the Fire Sign of Aries

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

4th Day of the 3rd Lunar Cycle
Ruled by Artemis
Lunar Tree Cycle ~ Nion/Ash
27th Day of the Celtic Tree Cycle ~ Luis/Rowan
Moon Phase: waxing New Moon
Moon rises: 7:59AM EST
Moon sets: 8:42PM EST
Moon in Pisces v/c 11:13AM EST
Moon enters the Cardinal Fire Sign of Aries
at 7:30PM EST
Blodeuwedd's Cycle of the Moon
Lunar Meditation: The gifts of Spring
Sun in Aquarius
Sunrise: 7:12AM EST
Sunset: 5:55PM EST
Solar Question for the Day: "What experience
of life do you most crave?"
Imbolc (Gwyl Mair) Quarter of the Year
February 16th, 2010

    It is Tiu's Day (Tuesday) Mars Day - the day of Activity and Physicality, Passion and Desire.  With the moon moving into the Cardinal Fire Sign of Aries later this evening there will be plenty of 'fiery' energy going on then - waxing new moon + Fiery Aries = Major magickal energies for rites/spells regarding Competition and Personal Advocacy issues can be done after the moon enters Aries at 7:30PM EST.. In the meantime there are some minor magickal energy for rites/spells regarding job hunting before the moon goes void of course at 11:13AM - perhaps in the early morning hours as new beginnings.

    Tiu's Day is the day to work any magick that falls in the catagory of increasing strength, courage, bravery and passion. All of these intense emotions are linked to this day's energies, and spells designed around these themes will have extra punch when performed on this magickal day. So, let's add a little passion and conviction into your life!  Break out the daring red pieces of your wardrobe, and put a little pizzazz into your day. A goddess associated with Tiu's Day is Lilith, work with her and see what she has to teach you about personal power and sexuality.  This advice comes from Ellen Dugan's "Book of Witchery". 


Lilith

    Lilith is the divine lady owl and the original bad-ass chick. She is often portrayed as a dark, winged beguiling sorceress. Our most familiar image of Lilith comes from a terra-cotta relief from Sumer, dating back to about 2000 B.C.E.  She is shown as an attractive winged woman with clawed feet. In modern times, she is popularly imaged as the beautiful

vampire and the ultimate femme fatale. It is easy to envision Lilith as a raven-haired
seductress draped in flowing black, her ebony wings swirling around her. She is thought to be ethereally beautiful, with pale skin, dark red lips, and perhaps a small flash of elongated teeth. Seductive, aggressive, and dangerous - Lilith is all of these things.

To modern practitioners, Lilith is a patroness of Witches and a goddess of sexuality, wisdom, female equality, power and independence. While Lilith is not traditionally
linked Tuesday, it would seem with all these qualities about her I would think this would be a good day to work her energy and aspects. Perhaps it's time to make some new traditions. Sometimes you gotta go with your gut - personalize your witchery and magick! Go with what you think will work best for you. After all, Lilith's feisty and fiery qualities are perfect for a Tuesday. Today is the ideal day for a big dose of in-your-face female empowerment! These aggressive and strong characteristics are just what is called for.
[Further excerpts from Dugan's "Book of Witchery"]

Waxing New Moon in Pisces

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


3rd Day of the 3rd Lunar Cycle
Ruled by Persephone
Lunar Tree Cycle ~ Nion/Ash
26th day of the Celtic Tree Cycle ~ Luis/Rowan
Moon Phase: waxing New
Moon rises: 7:37AM EST
Moon sets: 7:42PM EST
Moon in the Mutable Water Sign
of Pisces
Blodeuwedd's Cycle of the Moon
Lunar Meditation: Memory of
childhood games
Sun in Aquarius
Sunrise: 7:14AM EST
Sunset: 5:54PM EST
Solar Question for the Day: "Who are
you trying to control?"
Imbolc (Gwyl Mair) Quarter of the Year
February 15th, 2010

     It's Moon Day (Monday) - the Day of Remembering and Feeling.  There are Major magickal energies for rites/spells for Feminine Intuition and minor magickal energies for domestic issues and maternal issues.  With the Moon being in the Mutable Water sign of Pisces intuition is at its height and psychic energy is powerful.  So you could probably get some great vibes and results from a rite or spell done for intuition or psychic powers.  You will be able to get in touch with your deepest self but you could become sidetracked by vagueness, unclarity or uncertainty at this time that goes along with the moon in Pisces. 

    From Cassandra Eason's "Complete Book of Natural Magick" comes this nice little rite for increasing your psychic awareness.  Her daughter Miranda devised an incense for use during divination with Tarot cards, a crystal ball or any other psychic tools. This incense/rite can be used on the New Moon (before it is visible in the sky) to enhance psychic powers and especially clairvoyance. It is also a good incense for the night of the Full Moon for divination on this most magickal of nights.
Resin: Copal or myrrh
Herbs: Jasmine, lemon balm, linden blossom, rose, stocks or minosa
Empowerment: "Maiden, mother, grandmother moon, awaken my vision of the hidden mysteries."
* Use a dish of moonstones as a focus and a pure white candle; also any of your divinatory tools.
*You can circle them all with the incense or walk round the incense carrying nyour tools. You can keep the empowered moonstones with you in a protective circle when you next read the cards or gaze in your ball. 
[Page 106 from above mentioned book]

  

New Moon enters Pisces - Valentine's Day

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

2nd Day of the 3rd Lunar Cycle
Ruled by Persephone
Lunar Tree Cycle ~ Nion/Ash
25th Day of the Celtic Tree Cycle ~ Luis/Rowan
Moon Phase: New
Moon rises: 7:15AM EST
Moon sets: 6:43PM EST
Moon enters the Mutable Water Sign of
Pisces at 7:23AM EST
Blodeuwedd's Cycle of the Moon
Lunar Meditation: The things that inspire you.
Sun in Aquarius
Sunrise: 7:15AM EST
Sunset: 5:52PM EST
Solar Question for the Day: "What enslaves you and
how can you be free?"
Imbolc (Gwyl Mair) Quarter of the Year
February 14th, 2010

     Busy in the heavens over us this morning - the Moon and Sun rose at the same time 7:15AM and then the void of course moon entered the sign of Pisces 8 minutes later.  There are minor magickal energies today for rite and spells of Self-Improvement. 

    As Kate West says in her book "The Real Witches' Year" "Whilst in  no way a Wiccan festival Valentine's Day has become so much a part of our modern calendar that it seems unreasonable to omit it here."  I suppose someone somewhere could dig up a connection between Witchcraft/Wiccan/Pagan practices that can be connected to Valentine's Day - but does it matter?  After all us witches must live in the real world as well.  And so Kate continues on:  "Having said that, whilst this day is named after one of two Christian Martyrs of the same name, there have been fertility festivals around this time far longer.

    15 February is the Roman festival of Faunus, also known to the ancient Greeks as Lupercalia or the festival of Pan. Both woodland deities, Faunus and Pan are closely linked at this time to Priapus who originated in Asia, definitely a fertility God. Images of the God were decorated and displayed through the streets, and the Priests would whip members of the crowd, especially women, to bring about fertility.
    In addition to the Gods and festivals of fertility there are a great number of Gods and Goddesses who are linked to love, like Ros, Venus, Aphrodite and Hathor, and these are perhaps more appropriate deities to honor if you are seeking love and romance. Light a pink candle to your chosen deities and ask them to bring you a true love. Resist the temptation to work magick to make someone love you; not only is it unethical but it also invariably results in problems and disappointment.
   While today it is customary for us to send a greeting card, whether romantic or humorous, to those we love, this only originated in the Victorian era. Before this it was a country custom, which still exists in some parts, for unattached girls and boys to draw names from which to choose their partner for the day."

Exercise 10 - Basic Visualization - From "The Inner Temple of Witchcraft" by Penczak

1. Start exercise 9: Counting Down to a Meditative State to get into your magickal mindset.

2. Again, call up the screen of your mind. Imagine that it is like a board where you can control all the drawings. You can use any color to draw this set of shapes. You might find it helpful to physicaly riase your hand and 'draw' the shapes in the air in from of you with your finger.

3. Draw a triangle on the screen of your mind. Hold this image for a few moments. Then wipe it away, like wiping away chalk dust. Again, you can physically move your hand with a wiping motion.

4. Draw a rectangle on the screen of your mind. Hold the image for a few moments. Then wipe it away.

5. Draw a circle on the screen of your mind. Hold the image a few moments. Then wipe it away.

6. Draw variations of the triangle, rectangle and circle. If you are comfortable with these three shapes, then move on to other, more complex shapes, like a diamond, parallelogram, pentagon, hexagon, and octagon.

7. If you feel confident with these two-dimensional shapes, try working with three-dimensional shapes, starting with the cube, box, and pyramid. Later try more complex three-dimensional shapes, like the Platonic solids, such as a tetrahedron, octahedron, dodechedron, or iconsohedron.  Do not be intimiated by them. Allow them to appear on the screen of your mind and hold the images as best you can.

8. Wipe all the shapes off the screen of your mind and clear it. Then ask for the energy and images of an orange to appear on the screen of your mind. See the orange before you, as if a real piece of fruit is hanging on an invisible tree. Take note of the color, and variations of color. Is it completely ripe?

9. Notice the texture of the orange's skin, the curves and bumps. Reach out with your physical hands and pretend to grab it. The orange is now in your hands. How does it feel? Can you smell it? Peel back the skin. Can you feel the wetness of the juice on your hands? Can you taste it? Use all your senses.

10. Experience the orange fully. Then magickally visualize yourself puttingit all back together, perfect and unbroken. Hang it back on the tree on the screen of your mind.

11. Thank the orange, and wipe the image a way, erasing it.

12. Return yourself to normal consciousness, counting up, giving yourself clearance and balance, and do any necessary grounding.

   If you practice this meditation often, you can skip the shapes, if you'd like, and start with the orange. Replace it. Use any fruit you like, or substitute other objects, like an egg, leaf, or crystal.  Although you think you are visualizing an object, you are doing more than that. It's like playing pretend, but you are not playing, you are actually connecting to the energy of an orange from somewhere in space and time. The orange was not physical, but it was real. You were reaching out to it and your mind made a little simulation of it before you, so you could observe it. If you try this exercise twenty times, you will probably get twenty different oranges, unless you have the intention to get the same one each time. Little blemishes and details you might not think to include if you were completely making it up will be there.

New Moon - New Lunar Cycle

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


1 Day of the 3rd Lunar Cycle
Ruled by Persephone
Lunar Tree Cycle ~ Nion/Ash
24th Day of the Celtic Tree Cycle ~ Luis/Rowan
Moon Phase: New - 9:52PM
Moon rises: 6:51AM EST
Moon sets: 6:45PM EST
Moon in Aquarius v/c 11:35PM EST
Blodeuwedd's Cycle of the Moon
Lunar Meditation: A  plant or flower of
your choice.
Sun in Aquarius
Sunrise: 7:16AM EST
Sunset: 5:51PM EST
Solar Question for the Day: "What significant patterns are
emerging from the last year of your life?"
Imbolc (Gwyl Mair) Quarter of the Year
February 13th, 2010

    New Moon

The beginning nof a new cycle. Keywords for the New phase are: beginning, birth, emergence, projection, clarity. It is the time in a lunar cycle that you are stimuated to take a new action. During this phase the new cycle is being seeded by your vision, inner and outer. Engage in physical activity. Spend time alone. VISUALIZE your goals for the 29.6-day cycle ahead.

Love Divination

   Love divination traditionally takes place at many times of the year, including St Agnes' Eve, Midsummer's Eve, Halloween, Christmas Eve and of course St Valentine's Eve.  While historically these are usually carried out by girls, there is no reason why they should not work just as well for a boy. Here are just a few.

    A blue thread should be thrown over the left shoulder and out of the window. Its shape will indicate the initial of the loved one.
    Two girls should sit in silence from midnight to 1:00AM. Each should pull as many hairs from her head as she is years old and place them in a clean white cloth with some Moonwort fern. At the stroke of 1:00AM, each should burn these hairs, one at a time in the flame of a white candle. Then, still not speaking, they should retire to bed where they will dream of their true love.
     To bring your true love to you, you should sit on the doorstep shelling peas until you find a pod with nine peas in it. This should be placed on the threshold of the kitchen door and the next man to cross over it will be your sweetheart.
     The new bride should give a piece of wedding cake to each of her unmarried friends, which, if they put it under their pillow on the night after the wedding, will give them dreams of their future partner.
     Go out at dawn on St Valentine's Day and seek the trail of a snail. The first you see will have the shape of your future lover's initial.

"Relationships are easy; it's

having good ones which is hard."

[From: "The Real Witches' Year" by Kate West]

Exercise 9 - Counting Down to a Meditative State - "The Inner Temple of Witchcraft" by Penczak

 1. Get into your meditative position. You can do exercise 7 - Total Relaxation and exercise 8 - Candle Meditation if you would like.  Relaxation and focus before any exercise is great, but this countdown can also be used alone to get into a medittive state quickly.

2. Visualize a giant screen before you like a blackboard or movie screen. This is the screen of your mind, or what is called your mind's eye. Whenever you visulize or recall anything, or remember a person's face or anything else, you project it on to this screen. You have always had it, but now we are going to give it some attention. Anything you desire will appear on the screen.

3. On the screen of your mind, visualize aseries of numbers, counting down from twelve to one. With each number, you get into a deeper meditative state. The numbers can be any color you desire, drawn as if writing them, or appearing whole.

       Now visualize 12, see the number 12 on your screen.  12

       11, see the number 11 on your screen.  11

       10, see the number 10 on your screen.  10

        9, see the number 9 on your screen.   9

        8, see the number 8 on your screen.   8

        7, see the number 7 on your screen.   7

        6, see the number 6 on your screen.   6

        5, see the number 5 on your screen.   5

        4, see the number 4 on your screen.   4

        3, see the number 3 on your screen.   3

        2, see the number 2 on your screen.   2

        1, see the number 1 on your screen.   1

4. You are at your meditative state. Everything done in your meditative state is for your highest good, harming none. You are now counting down to a deeper, more focused meditative state. Count backward from thirteen to one, but do not visualize the numbers this time. Let the numbers gently take you down: 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1. You are now at your deepest medittive state, your magickal mindset, in complete control of your magickal abilities.

5. From this point, you can continue on to other exercises and experiences, or meditate at this level for a while and bring yourself up, counting from one to thirteen and then from one to twelve. Gently start to wiggle your fingers and toes and slowly move to bring your awareness back to the physical.

6. Take both hands and raise them up over your head, palms facing your crown. Slowly bring them down over your forehead, face, throat, chest, abdomen, and then groin, and 'push out' with your palms facing away from you. This gives you clearance and balance, releasing any harmful or unwanted energies you might pick up during your magickal responses. Tell yourself:

"I give myself clearance and balance. I am in balance with myself.

I am in balance with the universe. I release all that does not serve."

7. Ground yourself as needed.

This exercise effectively takes you into a meditative state. Even if you have difficulty visualizing the numbers, hold the concept  of them, if not the visualization, in your mind until it grows stronger.

In the first part of the meditation, we cound using the numbers twelve and thirteen. Witches follow the natural cycles, particuarly those of the Sun and Moon. The solar calendar is based on twelve divisions, like the twelve zodiac signs, and the lunar year is based on thirteen Moons. The Sun is associated with more masculine, linear, and logical thought, so during the active solar twelve count, you are actively visualizing and controlling what you see on the screen of your mind. The Moon is linked with the intuitive, feminine energies, emotions and mystery. During the lunar thirteen count, you do not try to visualize or control anything. Simply go with the flow of the numbers and allow it to happen. Psychics and witches often rely on feelings and intuition rather than concrete visualization and direct messages. Doing both counts brings us into balance with the masculine and feminine energies within. Both are needed to make magick.

At the end of this countown, you wave your hands down over your crown and over the front, vertical axis of your body, the chakra line. Chakras are spiritual energy centers in the body. We are primarily working with the third eye, or brow chakra, on the forehead between and above your two physical eyes. This point control your sense of psychic 'seeing', visualization and what many call the mind's eye. During visualization, this chakra is more active. In fact, during many magickal practices, your energy centers activate, like taking a running car from out of neutral and into gear. They are always on, but in different states of activity, depending on what you are doing. Clearance and balance return these centers to a normal energy level to prepare you to focus your energy again in the physical world. It also helps detach any harmful, unwanted energies you may have come across in your magickal practices, returning you to a state of clarity and balance.

   As we continue with further exercises and meditations, refer to exercise 9; Counting Down to a Meditative State to get your magickal mindset. If you are not comfortable with a visual countdown, you can use the techniues of exercises 7 and 8 to begin meditation. Some people modify the countdown to suit their own needs. You can imagine a set of twelve steps that you are walking down, perhaps in a spiral staircase. This engages not only the sense of sight, but also the feeling of movement. Whenever you complete your meditations and exercises, alway end with the last few steps of exercise 9, including counting up, clearance and balance, and grounding if necessary. These help prepare your senses to return to physical reality. The count up is a very important part of the process. Do not skip it just because you become aware of the physical world before you count up.

    There are many meditations and exercise designed to help you access these psychic abilities and improve your skill at creating and holding visual images. The next exercise starts with a series of basic shapes......