Last Quarter Moon phase

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

23rd Day of the First Lunar Cycle
Ruled by Medusa
Lunar Tree Cycle ~ Beth/Birch
Celtic Tree Cycle ~ Beth/Birch
Moon Phase: Last Quarter 5:39AM EST
Moon rises: 12:34AM EST
Moon sets: 11:33AM EST
Moon in the Cardinal Air Sign of Libra
Ceridwen's Cycle of the Moon
Lunar Meditation: The dormant life of the seed.
Sun in Capricorn
Sunrise: 7:43AM EST
Sunset: 5:08PM EST
Solar Question of the Day: "Which of your plans
needs better motivation?"
Samhain (Calan Gaeaf) Quarter of the Year
January 7th, 2010

  The Last Quarter Moon's keywords are: realignment, revision, integration, and cleansing. It is the time in a lunar cycle to take closing action, to follow-up and complete the activities begun at the New Moon phase. During this phase you become aware of what is and is not working with respect to the achievement of your goal for the cycle. The movement is toward integration. Open to your success.
MANIFEST YOUR GOAL. Be responsible.

Obsidian stones

   As one of very many 'Witchy' stones, Obsidian is both centering and protective. It is a volanic stone
and also a form of naturally occurring glass. Obsidian is often used in grounding or when you have trouble getting your physical self into order. As with all stones and crystals it is better to have one or two small off-cuts than a piece which has been blasted out of the earth for commercial reasons. Obsidian can be carried in a pouch or used in Ritual.
   If you feel 'unconnected' with the 'real world' sit on the earth and place a tiny piece of Obsidian under each foot. Also plant your hands on the soil. Close your eyes and visualize the energy of the Earth flowing in through your hands and exiting via your feet, while also visualizing the Obsidian absorbing any excess non-physical energies. When you feel purified, take the Obsidian stones, wrap them in a dark cloth, and bury them in the place where you sat.
   Should you feel threatened in any way, carry cleansed Obsidian in a pouch, close to your waist. It will deflect and absorb negative energies which may come your way.
   Obsidian also has many uses in Scrying. An Obsidian egg, or sphere is a far easier scrying tool to use than one of Crystal as it easier to let go of your conscious mind in the depths of a black stone.
[From Kate West's "The Real Witches' Year"]


The Magical Mind
 (excerpts from Christopher Penczak's Inner Temple of Witchcraft)

   Witches do magick, plain and simple. But defining what magick is can be much more difficult. One of the reasons why words witch and witchcraft have such a stigma attached to them is because people's inability to understand magick. Even practitioners disagree on the definition of magick because it is such a personal art. Some outside of the tradition think magick and spells are a way of claiming power over someone else, of controlling and harming. This misunderstanding leads to defining witchcraft as some form of evil. Although magick has been used with such intents, this is not the true purpose of magick. If anything, magick is learning to flow with the soul of nature.
   One of the best definitions of magick I've learned is from the work of Aleister Crowley. Crowley defined magick as 'the science and art of causing change in conformity with will.'  Witches define magick as both an art and a science. Magick has basic rules and structure, like science. They are not moral codes, but conditions that allow magick to occur. As an art, magick also has a creative, individual component. As long as it conforms in some way to the 'scientific' laws of magick, you can vary it to your own individual tastes. "Causing change" are important words here. Magick is not speculation; it is actually making something occur. Lastly, "in comformity with will" means the change you are creating matches your intention. Makgick is learning to work with change, with the forces that create change, and to shape the outcome to match your intention. One definition of Wicca that you've probably already heard before is "to bend and shape." You are bending and shaping natural occurrences to fit your will.
    A spell is a specific act of magick to cause a specific change. You can have one magickal ceremony and in it do several spells for different results. I think a good way to look at a spell is think of a spell like being prayer. In many mainstream traditions one prays to God for help, support, healing, or manifestation; in essence, to create change. A spell is a similar petition to the powers of the universe, but uses a different method to send the petition out into the Universe. ... To further the analogy between prayer and spells - in a Catholic tradition many people pray to various saints to fulfill an intention. Each saint has a different province or specialty. In witchcraft, different goddesses and gods are petitioned, each having a different realm of rulership in life. The choice of patron and the symbolism used in the ceremony make up the 'art' of spell casting. ...  Once something as arcane and secretive as a spell is defined as 'my tradition's way of saying a prayer,' much of the unknown is dispelled and we can build a dialogue with those who have difficulty accepting nature-based paths as valid religions.

   Though you don't have to do magick to follow this spiritual path, such as training is part and parcel of becoming a witch. You do not have to actively cast spells to make the concepts behind their working a pary of your everyday life. One part of magick that is not focused on in many books and classes is that magick is any change caused by your will, including internal change. We tend to focus on external changes, manifestation in the physical world, as 'proof' that magick really works. We all need to see the results of our actions, but some of the most important, profound and healing magick comes through an internal change, a shift in perspective or consciousness. In that sense, if you choose this path of the witch, you may not necessarily be doing spells and rituals all the time, but you will undeniably be doing magick. Magick is a part of each breath we take and every action we make.