Full Moon - Moon of the Witch Gods

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

17th Day of the 12th Lunar Cycle
Ruled by Gaia
Lunar Tree Cycle ~ Ngetal/Reed
Celtic Tree Cycle ~ Ruis/Elder
Moon Phase: Full - 2:29AM EST
Moon sets: 7:59AM EST
Moon rises: 5:04PM EST
Moon in the Mutable Air Sign of Gemini
Rhiannon's Cycle of the Moon
Lunar Meditation: The message of the wind.
Sun in Sagittarius
Sunrise: 7:27AM EST
Sunset: 4:51PM EST
Solar Question for the Day: "Do you appreciate the other side of the argument?"
Samhain (Calan Gaeaf) Quarter of the Year
December 2nd, 2009

   Full Moon in Gemini - the sign of Gemini brings energies of adaptability - there are feelings floating around of wanting to express yourself, of wanting freedom; of taking short journeys, a desire for variety and having more than one thing going at once.  You may feel talkative and might want to work with your hands during this moon transit.  All communication (talking, writing or reading and intellectual matters) are easier during a Gemini moon transit. As we feel more adaptable and changeable during this time, remember to take all statements and promises with a grain of salt, especialy if the person has proven to fickle in the past. It's a hard time to make decisions, but a good time to use your wit and cleverness in conversation. There is a strong desire for variety and freedom in emotional matters and in your environment. Issues of the practical world are set aside.

The Full Moon: Keywords are: fulfillment, illumination, realization, experience. It is the time in a lunar cycle that you are given a clear view so that you can make adjustments to put you back on track to manifesting the goals you set at the New Moon phase. Go to a public place. Do something with a friend.
LISTEN. Receive awareness. Understand others.

  There are Major magickal energies for spells/rites for Negotiations using correspondences of the Moon, the color yellow, the tarot card Temperance and the rune Ansuz.  Also there are Major magickal energies for Favorable Communications - use the correspondences of the element Air, the color dark blue, the tarot card Seven of Swords, and the rune Ansuz.  

"Write or speak, words smoothly flow

You will hear what you should know

to grant my wishes. Blessede Be.

You will want what's best for me."

The Yule season is coming......

  On the shortest day of the year, the Earth is at its greatest distance from the sun on the celestial equator, and the sun shines directly over the Tropic of Capricorn. The winter solstice is the time of the longest night, when the sun is at its point on the horizon.

   The word solstice comes from the Latin sol steit, which literally means 'sun stands still.'  Most likely, this description came from the illusion caused by the sun's position in the horizon. For six days around the time preceding and following the solstice, the sun appears to rise and set in the same place. The sleeping earth is filled with magic and mystery. We contemplate the beauty of the night sky and marvel at the rebirth of the light. Days that have grown increasingly shorter conslude with the celebration of Yule and the rebirth of the god.

   The origins of Yule are speculative at best, with possible ties to the Saxon word for wheel, hweol. The 'wheel' o0f the winter solstice could refer to the wheel of the year as well as the wheel that is the sun. The Yule-tide celebration has its roots in the ancient Roman observance of Saturnalia, which was held from December 17th until December 25th.

   Saturnalia was the geast of the god Saturn, whose Grecian counterpart was Cronos. The rule of Saturn was said to be a Golden Age and is described by Ovid as a time of peace and bounty, characterized by an absence of war and work. All beings lived beside one another in trust and perfect accord. There was no need to plow the land, for the land provided all manner of fruits and nuts and vegetation freely, without the toll of harvest. There were no city walls, for no one feared the threat of another. And there was but a single season, and that lovely spring.

   Saturn is eventually overthrown by Jupiter, as Cronos is by Zeus. The Age of Gold comes to an end. The Age of Silver begins and with it, the cycle of changing seasons and the need for farming and protection from the elements.

[From: "The Wiccan Year" by Judy Ann Nock]

Circle Craft: Full Moon Rituals
by Selena Fox

Full Moon time is a wonderful time for doing rituals. Here are some examples of Full Moon rituals I have created as part of my practice of the Circle Craft tradition:

Greeting the Rising Moon
    When possible, do this rite outdoors in a natural setting. As the sun is setting, and at least fifteen minutes before Moonrise, go to a place with a good view of the rise of the Full Moon on the horizon. Stand or sit meditatively, with your focus on the horizon. Notice the glow appearing on the point of the horizon where the Moon will rise. As the Full Moon rises, raise your arms up, and speak or sing a welcome. If you wish, follow this with a standing or sitting meditation.

Moonlight Bask
   Go to a place illuminated by the light of the Full Moon. Turn off electric lights and other forms of illumination. Meditate on yourself glowing with moonlight as you lay down, sit, or stand. You may want to hold a sacred tool or other spiritual object as you do this so that it, too, will bask in the Moonlight. When possible, do this ritual outdoors. If, indoors, do this by a large window and open it, if possible.

Moon Dance

     In silence, with song, and/or with rhythms, dance by yourself or with others in the light of the Full Moon. Begin by attuning yourself to the Moon and one or more associated aspects of the Divine. Then, dance ecstatically in free form and/or folk dance styles. When you are done, sit meditatively and then give thanks. This Full Moon rite is especially appropriate for the Moon in Gemini...

Drawing Down the Moon
    Drawing Down the Moon refers to ritually connecting with the power and wisdom of a Full Moon divinity. In some Wiccan traditions, this is done by the priest of a group calling the Moon Goddess into the priestess in order for her to become the living embodiment of the deity during the ritual. However, there also are other types of Drawing Down the Moon rituals. In the Circle Craft tradition, all participants in a group ritual Draw Down the Moon by simultaneously evoking the Moon Goddess within themselves. We also Draw Down the Moon as a personal rite by the following method. Do a personal Drawing Down the Moon ritual in a private place where you are not likely to be disturbed. Create sacred space. Then, hold your arms up above your head, curving them slightly and holding your palms toward each other so that as you do this you get a sense of being a great chalice. Invoke the Full Moon Goddess or some other Full Moon Divine form you wish to link with. As you do the invocation, call to mind the image of a shining disc of Moonlight coming down into yourself through your sacred chalice posture. Drink in the power, wisdom, and light of the Moon Goddess. Then, slowly move your arms so that your hands overlap each other on your heart area. Experience yourself as becoming one with the disc of Moonlight and the Moon Goddess. Experience yourself glowing with Lunar radiance, power, and wisdom, and continue to resonate for several minutes. Then, receive, reflect on, and remember your experiences and any guidance that comes to you. When you sense it is time to end the ritual, give thanks to the Moon Goddess and Sacred Moon. Then, end the ritual and eat some food to aid in grounding. Write about your experiences.

Moon Mirror Healing
      Place a silvered mirror, face up on an altar or other sacred place so that the light of the Full Moon shines upon it. In the center of the mirror, place a symbol to represent the one seeking healing. The symbol could be a photo, crystal, lit candle, piece of jewelry, lock of hair, name on a card, or some other object. Use the symbol on the mirror in the Moonlight as a focal point as you imagine that the one needing healing is becoming well and then is healthy. After the ritual, deliver the symbol to the subject of the healing rite as an additional way of transmitting healing. Cleanse the mirror you used by washing it with Mugwort potion or passing it through Mugwort smoke or some other incense so that the mirror will be ready for you to use for other healing work in the future.

Chalice of Spiritual Wisdom
    Fill a chalice, cup, or other drinking vessel with clean and delicious water, preferably from a well or spring. Hold the chalice up so that the light of the Full Moon shines upon the water it contains. Honor the Divine as Full Moon with an invocation or chant. Ask the Divine to energize the water and bless you with spiritual wisdom. Then drink of the water of the chalice, meditate, and pay attention to any guidance you receive as you do this. Give thanks. Pour out any left over water in the chalice as an offering onto the land where you did the ritual or give it to a tree or other plants.
[From: http://www.circlesanctuary.org/circle/articles/circlecraft/FullMoonRituals.html ] 

  And this website: http://www.hecatescauldron.org/full_moon_ritual.htm   has a full moon ritual based around Hecate...

So you want to be a Witch -  challenging your mind

  Today, Wicca and other forms of Paganism are among the fastest growing spiritual movements in the world. Book, covens, teachers, and other students are everywhere and Witches are present in every level of society.  It is easier
than it used to be to find information on the Craft.
   But whether you teach yourself, work with other beginners, have a study group with access to a teacher or teachers, or have a whole teaching coven to help you, you will be challenged by the powers of the universe and by your God and Goddess as you progress toward the end of your year and a day. You will be expected to do much reading - not just Craft books, but of astronomy, astrology, mythology, physics, and botany. You will learn to expand your thinking to include multiple realities, omnipresent time, and the fact that many paths and ideas can lead us to reunion with our creator or creators, which is the ultimate purpose of any religion.
   You will run into lots of other Pagans along the way, some of whom you will like and others you won't. This is because we're not our religion; we're just people, and that means we're not perfect. This is also the reason some covens hum with high energy and others just lie around doing nothing. Some Witches who've been through these immature rumbles often leave for another coven or for solitary practice. If you pick up Pagan magazines, you will often hear all this nonspiritual teeth-gashing called a Witch War, or, a favorite phrase - Witchcrap. Unfortunately, no religion has found a way to keep its zealots under control. Those who practice with us but naysay every point create a chasm within good covens by turning their focuses on infighting and pointless arguments.