The Wheel of the Year & Moon phases

BEING IN TUNE WITH NATURE

The wheel of the year consists of 8  ' festivals'.  Four of these celebrating the season equinox's and solstices (Sun Festivals):

Yule - Mid Winter (21 December)

Ostara - Spring, (March 21st/22nd)

Litha - Midsummer (21st/22nd June)

Mabon - Autumn. (September 21st-23rd)

The observation of the seasons were vital to our ancestors and their lives depended on these festivals for harvest, planting etc

The other four observations are known as Fire Festivals - 

Imbolc - Candlemas, or Brigid's Day (February 2nd)

Beltaine - Celtic May Day (April 30th/May 1st)

Lammas - Lughnasadh (August 2, July 31st/Aug 1st)

Samhain - Summers End, Halloween (October 31st)

 



Another day that is on the calendar is:

Nebyn - 12th Night - The Twelfth Night is also traditionally the time that the winter celebrating and feasting would end.

Image refs:
http://kmareka.com/2010/10/30/happy-samhain/,  http://www.thewhitegoddess.co.uk/the_wheel_of_the_year/index.asp
http://www.moonconnection.com/moon_phases.phtml

MOON PHASES

Next full moon is

in about 2 days

Last Quarter Oct 20 03:30

New Moon Oct 26 19:56

First Quarter Nov 2 16:38

Full Moon Nov 10 20:16

Lunar phases are created by changing angles/ positions of the earth, moon and sun, as the moon orbits the earth.


The 1st quarter and 3rd quarter moons - "half moons", occur when the moon is at a 90 degrees to the earth and sun. We see exactly half of the moon illuminated and the other half in shadow(invisible).



You will need to understand  lunar phase names:
crescent, 
gibbous, 
waxing, and 
waning. 


The word crescent refers to the phases where the moon is less that half illuminated. The word gibbous refers to phases where the moon is more than half illuminated. Waxing essentially means "growing" or expanding in illumination, and waning means "shrinking" or decreasing in illumination.


Combine the 2 words to create the phase name, as follows:


After the new moon, the sunlit portion is increasing, but less than half, so it is waxing crescent. 


After the first quarter, the sunlit portion is still increasing, but now it is more than half, so it is waxing gibbous. 


After the full moon (maximum illumination), the light continually decreases. So the waning gibbous phase occurs next. 


Following the third quarter is the waning crescent, which wanes until the light is completely gone -- a new moon.



Other sources for info:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheel_of_the_Year, 
www.paganfed.org/pagan-wheel.shtml, 
www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/paganism/holydays/year.shtml, 
www.gaias-garden.co.uk/articles/woty.html, 
www.mindspring.com/~stardancer/wheeloftheyear.org/, 
www.witchway.net/days/days.html 

Merlins spells (TV Series)

These are quite fun ;)

Look at the videos here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/merlin/basic/videos/spell_10/#/videos

There's money, guess what your thinking tearing and mending paper, and lots of others

Orbits of the 5 inner Planets

This post details something I saw when I was doing a maths problem on Polygons, in particular Pentagons, and the 5 sided figure that is geometrically constructed inside a pentagon ie.e Pentagram.

This lead to many links of various natures regarding the origin and belief systems surrounding the pentagram (5 sided star).

One of these sites linked to an image of the orbits of the earth which is quite fascinating.  I also picked up a similar image on another site.

BELOW:  ".......When viewed from Earth, successive inferior conjunctions of Venus plot a nearly perfect pentagram shape around the zodiac every eight years."


.
Image source: http://www.esotericonline.net/group/sacredgeometry/forum/topics/sacred-geometrythe-pentagram?commentId=3204576%3AComment%3A9364&groupId=3204576%3AGroup%3A9042


BELOW:  Orbits of the inner planets viewed from the Earth



Image Source:  http://montessorimuddle.org/tag/space/

The Tears of Lord Siva are Rudraksha - the original Vedic Beads of Power worn by the Yogis of India and the Himalayas for thousands of years to maintain health and to gain self empowerment and fearless life on their path to Enlightenment and Liberation.

The many Devotees of Truth who deliberately live their lives according to Eternal Natural Law that is Sanatana Dharma Know that Rudraksha Beads are a Gift from The Almighty God and are a Natural Birth Right of the Mankind.

The Holy Rudraksha beads are based in the Absolute Field of Consciousness and they manifest in the Relative Field for the good of all concerned to help relieve sin and suffering and pain world wide.

Rudraksha beads have been used for thousands of years as an aid to Self Empowerment and the Fearless Life.

Hindu Japa malas are usually worn around the neck when not in use. Rudraksha are used to recite mantras, holding the mala with the right hand.

Hindu Style malas are usually made from Sandalwood or Rudraksha beads.

Rudraksha Malas natural seeds come from an Indian or Indonesian Himalayan Rudraksha Tree.

The beads called Rawa".

The beads are slightly rough to the touch.

A mala has 108 tigers eye markers and guru beads.

The word Rudra is the name of Lord Shiva and aksha means tears.

There was a demon called Tripura Sur who was gaining more and power and becoming invincible. Lord Brahma, Vishnu and other Gods and Goddess went to Lord Shiva for help. They asked him to control the devil and conquer him.

Lord Shiva used his most fierce fire weapon called ‘Aaghor’ to destroy the demon. But Lord Shiva knew about the devastating effect of this weapon and this brought tears to his eyes. When he opened his eyes, a few teardrops fell on the earth. Wherever his tears fell, trees grew and were named the Rudraksha trees meaning ‘Tears of Lord Shiva’.

 

How to make Holy Water

This is such an interesting posts

Read the article here:  http://networkedblogs.com/dZwDR (brilliant site)

Extract: 


"The rural people of the British Isles also believed in the power and sacredness of water and used holy water in many of their folk magic rites. Even though the British Isles have been Christianized for centuries, it is the farmers, fishermen, and housewives, men and women alike, who consecrate the holy water and not a Catholic priest. This goes against the teachings of the church as well as more modern Christian and Hoodoo superstitions that holy water can only be blessed by man of God. I believe the consecration and use of holy water in the British Isles is a remnant from Paganism as are the magical rites the water is used for."

Mythology: The Inner and Outer Hebrides off the western coast of Scotland

Read the full article here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebridean_Myths_and_Legends

Extract:

The Inner and Outer Hebrides off the western coast of Scotland are made up of a great number of large and small islands. These isolated and mostly uninhabited islands are the source of a number of Hebridean myths and legends. It is a part of Scotland which has always relied on the surrounding sea to sustain the small communities which have occupied parts of the islands for centuries, therefore, it is natural that these seas are a source for many of these legends.

Contents 1 Water Spirits 1.1 Kelpies 1.2 Blue Men 1.3 Seonaidh (Shonny) 2 Merpeople 3 Water Monsters 3.1 Loch Monsters 3.2 Sea Monsters 4 Werewolves 5 Will-o'-the-wisp 6 Fairies 7 See also 8 References

[edit] Water Spirits

[edit] Kelpies

"Boy on white horse" by Theodor Kittelsen.

Kelpies were said to occupy several lochs, including one at Leurbost.

[edit] Blue Men

The Blue Men of the Minch (also known as storm kelpies), who occupy the stretch of water between Lewis and mainland Scotland, looking for sailors to drown and stricken boats to sink.

[edit] Seonaidh (Shonny)

Seonaidh - a water-spirit who had to be offered ale.

[edit] Merpeople

A Mermaid by John William Waterhouse.

It has been claimed that there is a mermaid's grave in Benbecula, but the exact location is unknown. The mermaid was killed in the early nineteenth century after having been seen for a couple of days, before a teenage boy threw a rock at it, killing the entity. Accounts stated that the upper part of the creature was the size of an infant, while the bottom was like a salmon.

[edit] Water Monsters

[edit] Loch Monsters

Searrach Uisge - a monster who was said to occupy Loch Suainbhal. Resembling a capsized boat, this creature has been reported swimming around for one and a half centuries. Locals say lambs were once offered annually to the creature^[1]. Other such creatures have been reported in several other lochs, including Loch Urubhal.
At Loch Duvat in Eriskay, while out looking for a horse that escaped his farm in the mist, a farmer saw what he thought was his missing beast in the loch. As he approached, he realised he was looking at a strange creature which gave an unearthly yell, sending the farmer running home.^[1]

[edit] Sea Monsters

Various sea monsters have been reported off the shores of Lewis over the years, including a sighting reported in 1882 by a German ship off the Butt of Lewis. The ship, 15 kilometres off the coast, reported a sea serpent around 40 metres in length, several bumps protruding from the water, along its back. Sea serpents have also been reported at the southern side of the island.^[1]

[edit] Werewolves

A German woodcut from 1722

A family of werewolves were said to occupy an island on Loch Langavat. Although long deceased, they promised to rise if their graves were disturbed.^[1]

[edit] Will-o'-the-wisp

Wills-o'-the-wisp have been reported in the area of Sandwick. The lights that float around the area normally announce approaching death for a local. Some say the light belongs to an Irish merchant who was robbed and murdered on the island.^[1]

[edit] Fairies

At Luskentyre in Harris, a hound has been known to leave oversized paw prints on the damp sand which vanish suddenly half way across the beach. It is alleged that this is a fairy hound.^[1]. Then in South Uist, a woman walking with two friends in the pitch dark watched as a self-illuminating dog, the size of a collie but with a small head and no eyes, ran towards her. The creature vanished as it bounded past. On reaching home, she described what had happened to her aunt, the older woman told her it was a Cu Sìth, a fairy dog. One of the heirlooms of the chiefs of Clan Macleod is the Fairy Flag. Numerous traditions state that the flag originated as a gift from the fairies.

See also

• Scottish mythology
• Celtic mythology
• History of the Outer Hebrides
• Hebrides
• Rocabarraigh

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Paranormal Database, Outer Hebrides Pages

Hedgecrossing Ritual - have a look at this great site (Link below)

The Witch of Forest Grove

« The Evolving Botanica

Hedgecrossing Ritual

This ritual is designed for 1-2 persons, but could be used by a group as well with one person acting as watcher. How one crosses the hedge differs from person to person as one technique doesn’t work for everyone. Due to this, there are many options presented within this ritual to customize it to your own preferences. The term “hedgecrossing” is modern in usage stemming from the Germanic term haegtessa meaning hedge witch. In the shamanic community this technique is called “shamanic journeying”. Hedgecrossing doesn’t necessarily mean flying out of body. Hedgecrossing is truly an altered state of consciousness commonly known as trance. When in this altered state certain persons can see, hear, and interact with gods and spirits, receive visions, as well as perform divinations as a seer or oracle.
First you’ll need to pick your stimulus. Your stimulus is what aids you to go into trance and it becomes a repetitive ritual action you do over and over so your body, mind, and soul know that now is the time to fall into trance. You could play a traditional trance-inducing instrument like a drum, rattle, or sistrum using fast beats and rhythms. Fast repetitive drumming has been scientifically proven to alter some people’s state of consciousness as much as an entheogen would, but it doesn’t work for everyone. Some find drumming distracting and prefer a more silent stimulus. Others may have trouble keeping up playing an instrument during trance and for this I recommend making a recording when starting out. If you make a recording it also allows you to set a time limit on your travels; when the music stops, it’s time to return.
Your stimulus could be an entheogen, but I wouldn’t recommend starting out with harsh ones as you wouldn’t know if your experience was real or if you were just hallucinating. If you choose this method use a milder entheogen like wormwood, mugwort, tobacco, or even alcohol and then work your way up to flying ointments if entheogens are part of your practice. Entheogens can be a tool in hedgecrossing, but they aren’t a requirement. If you choose to use an entheogen be aware that it can leave you open to possession or harm by spirits and protective talismans, a protector familiar, or a person acting as watcher are necessary to prevent this.
Other stimuli can include ecstatic trance postures, breathing techniques, a chant or rhyme, donning a ritual costume, ecstatic dancing, or even performing the rite somewhere in complete darkness like a cave, a room with no windows, or a blacked-out room. Such stimuli are aids to those with trouble and mental blocks when it comes to slipping into trance and letting go of normal consciousness. I recommend trying a few different stimuli when starting to find one that works best for you.
To perform this ritual you will need: a notebook and pen, a warm blanket, a pillow, a blindfold (optional), a musical instrument (optional), a stave (wand, stang, or staff), and incense or offerings for your gatekeeper deity and your familiar spirits. Now that you have chosen your trance cue and have gathered all your items needed, you can begin the ritual:

1. Purify yourself with spring water and smoke – wipe or sprinkle your face, hands, and feet with the water and waft incense or smoke from smudge over your body with your hands.
2. Cast a protective sphere around the space you’ll be using with whatever your chosen method is. I like to hold onto a wand or have my stang in the center of the ritual space when I cast a caim and hedgecross.
3. Invoke a gatekeeper to open the door between worlds. If you worship gods call a psychopomp or messenger (i.e. Hekate, Hermes, Prometheus, Manannán mac Lir, Gwyn ap Nudd, Nicneven, Odin, Heimdall, Papa Legba, etc). Be sure to ask which door. It is best to start with the underworld or upperworld –avoid the middle world until you truly know what you are doing.
4. If you are an animist, invoke a “crossroads” animal instead (owl, serpent, frog/toad, etc) or the great World Tree itself.
5. Give offering to the gatekeeper, animal, or tree in thanks; incense, alcohol, tobacco, food –whatever their favourite offering is.
6. Call your familiar spirits. You will need one protector to watch over your body and one guide to lead and protect you in the otherworld. If you use fetiches as spirit vessels for animal or ancestral familiars use your vessels to summon them. If the fetiche is something you can wear on your person, even better.
7. If you need to, set a time limit. If you have a watcher, they can gently bring you back with a song, a musical instrument, or by burning incense when your time is up. If you’re alone set a “gentle” alarm. If you have the luxury of time you won’t need a limit. If you are alone and not setting a time limit you will need a cue so you remember to return. A safety word or chant to use while wandering in the otherworld should work.
8. Lay down on the floor either on your back or stomach (there are differing opinions as to which is better so I leave it up to you), and cover yourself with the blanket so your body being cold doesn’t bring you out of trance. If you’ll be drumming or playing another instrument throughout you can stay sitting up, and just make yourself comfortable with blanket and pillow. If light distracts you, wear a blindfold.
9. Pick a place to start/enter. Is there a tree you go to, a cave, a stairway, a well? Fall up or down the rabbit hole like Alice. You can have a specific destination in mind or person/spirit/god to reach or you can have no plan and see what you see and go where you go. Both are rewarding. Let the images and experiences and words come. Don’t fight what you experience and don’t try to control it. Relax and let it happen.
10. Remember this is spirit work and the most important thing is manners, manners, manners. Be very polite to whatever and whoever you meet. Read fairy tales to brush yourself up on spirit manners as well as how to protect from the dangerous ones. I hold a Rowan wand when travelling as spirits cannot harm one touching the wood and sometimes it can be used to open more doors once in the otherworld.
11. Don’t rush back – retrace your steps and find a way back. If you need help, ask your familiar guide to lead you back. When you are fully back in your body wait a moment to rest, collect all the bits of your soul back together, and think on your experience. When you are ready, sit up.
12. Write down your experiences and any messages you received right away so you don’t forget. No matter how much you think you’ll remember it later, you won’t.
13. Thank your familiars and leave them their favourite offerings. You don’t need to banish familiars because they are a part of you.
14. Ask the gatekeeper/animal/tree to close the door between worlds. The gate is closed – lock it with your stave as key. Leave them another offering and say farewell to gently banish their presence from your space and their power from your stave.
15. Take down your protective space and ground. Eating is the easiest way to ground after travelling about as it reminds you you’re flesh and blood.