Volume 12 Issue 3
Beltane 2015
Seasons of the Moon is a quarterly online magazine published by students and members of The Order of The White Moon, an eclectic international order of women dedicated to The Goddess. The Order provides personal empowerment and priestess training, and operates local groups. All contributions are original material submitted by our students and members. (We do not accept outside contributions.) Please direct comments and questions to the Ezine Editor.
Seasons Of The Moon Editor and Council:
Ajna DreamsAwake
Kerritwyn Ceannaire, Moonwater Chalcedony Ashwood , Sea Dragon, Etain Feohwynn, Mystic Amazon, Maeve Cliodhna MoonBird
Beltane 2015
Contents
Walpurgisnacht, Morrigan
Ancestors Speak Through Nature, Hecate Obsidian Oliva
Magic Mirrors and their Misty Past, Hecate Obsidian Oliva
The Wand, Janis
Fatima, Ajna DreamsAwake
OWM Happenings, Ka Wahine Ahi
Poetry and Song for the Spirit
Mother Goddess Epona, Lady Zephyr
The Tools of Our Craft, Peace Whitehorse
Blue Moon, Peace Whitehorse
Pagan Lore, Peace Whitehorse
I am Solitary, Janis
Goddess Work
Walpurgisnacht
Festivals like the Walpurgisnacht were originally fertility rites, like the pagan festival of Beltane where the nature was honored. The Walpurgis Night certainly is a love ritual since ancient days.
A ritual for two in love
Seek out a nice spot in the woods. If you found a place where you are secure, you can be laying on blankets or skins, to make it cozy. You now call Diana, the goddess of the hunt into you, invoke the strength and power of this goddess, until you feel her presence and then you will hunt - no animal but the man! You can as well just be with yourself and invoke the goddess and her power in you, feel her energy and be playful with yourself – just relish in these lustful energies. There is a magic, the most beautiful magic of the world.
This union is not only purely a physical one, you pay homage not only to yourself but to nature, all the gods and spirits who mean well with you.
As a woman, you may dedicate this festival to yourself. Nourish your life, give it power. Celebrate your being a woman, give yourself totally to yourself. Become aware that the earth survives with and through you.
Our children need the transmission of life. The world needs you and by you connecting and melting with mother earth, with the goddess, you feed them and yourself.
Your ideas, plans are worth living them - share them with others. May is the month of growth, the prosperity of flowering, of celebration.
A little charm on Walpurgis
Achieve what you want!
Dig out on Walpurgis Night (30th April) a bulb/onion (of a flower) of your choice.
This bulb symbolizes your desire, which then is to develop into reality. Then hold the onion for a while in every direction start here on the east then south facing, west, north.
Thank the Goddess for her listening to you and for the love she is given. Now think hard on what you want to achieve and how it will be if your wish has come true. Then put the onion back and water the plant. Take a stone that is close or a piece of the ground, put it in a small bag (red would be ideal) and carry it with you. The spell will make itself felt in the coming months.
© Morrigan
My name is Morrigan. I am a Priestess of Morrigan and practice Shamanism, Runes, Tarot and Usui Reiki. I am a sister in the Sacred Three Goddess School.
Ancestors Speak Through Nature
As a child growing up a witch I always wondered "who were these people speaking to me through these sounds of nature?" The rustling of the leaves in the trees always got my attention. So did running water, rain, wind, any sort of sound made in nature always got my full attention. My Dad, who was my teacher, would always say "listen for them, you are connected." I was so young at the time I wasn't sure who they were.I am not sure at what age it was, but sooner or later, within the sounds I could hear voices, familiar somehow, because I figured out they were my family from long ago. Ancestors who had walked the same path I walk today, each generation taking it a bit further. They were trying to help me learn their lessons and help me along my path, advising me, comforting me and guiding me along. Also keeping me company during times of uncertainty, which is of great comfort, especially now my whole family is on the other side other than my sister.
Nature is the Goddess, the source of life, in most witches' opinions (but no offensese to those whose opinions vary). She gave me my spirit; my one true possession speaks to me in the same manner. In prayer yes, but she also walks with me in life. She speaks through signs and every natural thing, rocks, trees, streams, lakes, tides, the moon, sun and every other beautiful creation she ever made if you just listen.
© Hecate Obsidian Oliva
Magic Mirrors and their Misty Past
Mirrors, since their first invention, perhaps because they created ideas about one's own reflection, have been used for many things by all people over all times. Many present day practitioners of many paths use mirrors for many things such as telling the future. Historically, in Persia the Magi used mirrors for many magical endeavors. In the Far East they were called Stellar Mirrors and people believed they could see past the stars into vast realms or beings that could aid in predictions of the future and many other things.
In ancient Rome people who read things from mirrors were called Speculari. Pica della Mirandola had faith in them provided they were made under a favorable constellation, and that they should only be consulted when one felt comfortably warm, for the cold harms the lucidity of their oracle. Whereas those who read mirrors in China and in the Hindu religions made their mirrors both convex and concave, depending on the reader's preferences.
Some mirrors had names, some bore the name of their inventor (Cagliostro, Swedenborg, etc.) One in ancient Egypt was called the Mirror of Hathor. Hathor was the Goddess of the Nile in ancient times before Isis. Now they say that Hathor eventually ideologically evolved into Isis so that is up to the opinion of historians. It is said that a Mirror of Hathor could help one step into other realms of existence, as well as divine the future. One could also see spirits in these mirrors.
Some modern Mediums and Spiritualists use the magic Mirror to put themselves in a trance like state. It may also be used to put others into a trance for things like past life regressions, spirit work, and communing with the dead and ancestors. They are as important now as they have been for centuries.
There have also been many different ways to make these magical mirrors. Just to list a few:
- The Theurgic Mirror - a bottle of clear water looked at by a child and in which the Archangel Gabriel replies by pictures to questions to him.
- The Mirror of the Sorcerers - any kind of mirror or pail of water. The country sorcerer, standing near the consultant, recites a spell and shows him the reflection of the picture wanted.
- The Mirror of Cagliostro - the bottle of clear water is on a piece of furniture, and before it a child, on whose head the operator places one hand and tells him the questions to ask, to which replies are given in allegorical pictures.
- The Mirror of du Polet - a piece of cardboard having pasted on one side a sheet of tin and on the other a piece of black cloth. The operator magnetizes it strongly and places it a foot away from the eye of the consultant who, having fixed his eyes on it, soon sees in it the desired object.
- The Swedenborgian Mirror - a paste of graphite mixed with olive oil is poured on an ordinary mirror and allowed to dry for a few days. The consultant, whose image must not be reflected (he stands at some distance for this reason) looks into it, whilst the operator stares magnetically at the back of his head, and vision takes place.
The Magnetic Mirror - a round crystal globe filled with magnetized water at which the reader looks carefully until the desired vision appears.
The Galvanic Mirror - it is made of two discs, one of copper and concave, the other of zinc and convex, both magnetized nine times in nine days. The center of the concave is the focus of the reader.
Mirror scrying is an evolved form of water scrying. When it became possible to build mirrors they were regarded as being like water that was fixed into one place. The early mirrors were made of polished copper, brass, marcasite, tin foil or mercury behind glass, polished silver and obsidian. All mirrors can be used for scrying. Mirrors are linked to the moon. Some scryers prefer those that are backed with silver. Most seers prefer to use a black mirror.
There is really no debate in my mind that the mirror has been a magical gift from the first time someone saw their reflection in the water. There are books written on their historical uses and famous mirrors made by historical glassmakers for royalty or magic workers. It really, I believe anyway, depends in the individual as well as the individual mirror, the intent of both the tool and the user. If we are to believe that we can see all these magical abilities of this device why should it not have its own indwelling spirit or consciousness? I have walked by some mirrors and they are so clear and nice they feel inviting, some feel downright evil to me. Some of them make the hairs on my neck stand up just on sight, though technically they are pretty.
As a traditional witch myself I have a very close relationship with my tools and there is not a one that doesn't reveal many ways in which we can work together. I use them for divination, spirit work, meditation and many other things. If possible, if it is an interest it is a worthy investment, you never know what mysteries you may uncover.
© Hecate Obsidian Oliva
Hecate Obsidian Oliva is an ordained reverend. She is a High Priestess in Stregheria and Egyptian witchcraft and is a member of the Fellowship of Isis.
Tools of the Trade
The Wand
In most neo-pagan religions today, a range of magical tools are used in rituals, prayer, spell casting, and more. Each tool has a specific use and association, but in a nutshell, their primary role is to direct energy towards a specific intent and for a specific purpose. As a Pagan begins to walk her path, she will collect her tools and grow her personal collection. She will feel a special connection to her ritual tools, which will enhance their power. Today, let's talk about the wand.
A Symbol of Air
In most Pagan traditions, including those who follow a Goddess tradition like us, practitioners consider the wand to be a symbol of the element of air. It is typically a ÒstickÓ that is equal to the length between your elbow and your wrist. Its purpose is to direct and channel energy toward a certain place or item, like casting a circle or charging a stone. It is used in much the same way as an athame, or ritual knife, and as a staff. But, many women who follow Goddess traditions prefer to use the wand over the athame because of the obvious resemblance an athame has to a weapon.
Wand Materials
A wand can be made out of anything, but the most common material used is wood. Sometimes, metal and crystals or stones are used in conjunction with wood, or they can be used alone to fashion a wand. The most common types of wood used by Pagans to make a wand are oak, willow, and ash. Maple, apple, and white pine are also very common types of wood for wand-making. A witch who follows a more nature-based path may use a tree branch from an oak that fell during a storm, just as it looked when she picked it up off the ground. A ceremonial witch may use something more elaborate, like a wand made of copper with a crystal point and stone embellishments.
You can easily find tree associations with a quick search on the internet to help you choose the best type of wood for your wand. This will help you pick a wood based on your intentions and what you will be using the wand for. It's not uncommon for a Pagan to have several different wands, each for a different purpose. You can also carve symbols into your wood wand, but be careful what you symbols you use because this will add to its energy.
If you'd like to make a wand using metals and/or stones and crystals, it's also important that you chose the type of metal and stones carefully, because they all have specific properties and magical traits that will mix in with your own energy. You could end up with a wand that doesn't do what you expected.
Making a Wand vs. Purchasing a Wand
Whether to make a wand or buy one is all about personal preference. If you have the money, you could easily spend hundreds of dollars on an elaborate wand. Or, you could pick up a stick from your back yard or your favorite park, consecrate it, and it will be just as or even more powerful than an expensive wand you purchased. They key is that you must feel a connection with the wand in order for you to get the most out of it.
Consecrating Your Wand
Just like any other tool of the trade, you should always cleanse and consecrate your wand before using it. Doing this will clear any energy it has picked up on its journey to you, and ready it for your work in the Goddess's honor. How you consecrate your ritual tools is up to you. Some people cast a circle and perform a consecration ritual. Others simply say a few words and pass their new tool through incense smoke, a candle's flame, and then sprinkle some salted water onto it – which covers all the elements. You can also wait to decorate your wand until you are in circle, which will help imprint your own energies onto the wand before you begin working with it. Doing this in circle also gives your Goddesses/Gods and your guides the opportunity to join you in creating or decorating your wand.
Here are some links to help you if you are interested in making your own wand:
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Make-Your-Own-Wand/
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Wiccan-Wand
http://grandpasgeneral.com/lwand.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Magic-Wand
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8th9g638K4 – Video!
http://naturalmagickshop.com/wands/
http://craftbunker.blogspot.com/2011/09/how-to-make-your-own-hand-crafted-magic.html
http://craftyteacher.blogspot.com/2007/08/make-your-own-magic-wand.html
© Janis Bennett
Janis is a student in Sisters Beneath the Whispering Willows School.
Sacred Sites
Fatima, Portugal
On May 13, 1917, an event took place which would dramatically alter the lives of three children and transform their tiny village into one of the most popular shrines in Portugal. On this day, siblings Jacinta and Francisco Marto and their cousin Lucia Santos, claim to have been visited by an apparition who called Herself the Lady of the Rosary whom some believe to be Virgin Mary. The Lady would appear to the children above an oak tree, a beautiful figure more Òbrilliant than the sunÓ.The meetings began on the 13th of May, 1917, and occurred on the 13th day of the month for six consecutive months. During her visitations, the Lady would ask the children to engage in acts of penance as well as to say the Rosary every day. Her messages consisted mainly of warnings that unless people gave up sinful life and turned back to God, there will be terrible divine punishment and various nations annihilated. Note that this was at the height of World War I. Germany had declared war on Portugal the previous year. The onset of the Russian Revolution occurred earlier in the year which not only effectively removed a powerful ally against the Germans, but led to the eventual rise of Communism.
The Lady shared three prophecies with the children, usually referred to as the three secrets. The first secret was a vision of Hell, not surprising considering the events that were happening during WW1. The second secret predicted the coming of WW2 and the rise of Communism unless people prayed the Rosary. The third secret predicts the death of a Òman dressed in whiteÓ, believed to refer to the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in 1981. She also predicted the deaths of two of the children (Francisco and Jacinta Marto both fell victim to the Great Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1919).
The final visitation occurred on October 13th, 1917 and is referred to as the day of the ÒMiracle of the SunÓ. On this day, 70,000 pilgrims made their way to Fatima to witness a miracle. Although only the three children saw the apparition itself, others, from as far as 30 miles away, witnessed remarkable phenomena. The day was grey and raining, but at noon, the rains stopped and the sun emerged from the clouds in a swirling display of colour and light. Witnesses report a globe made of light gliding majestically through then air, some reported seeing rose petals which vanished upon touching the earth, some felt the earth shake.
The Lady asked for a church to be built at Fatima. The Capelinha, or Chapel of Apparitions, was built in 1919 on the site of the appearances. The chapel is open year-round for regular services and can be virtually visited by webcam. At the center, a single white column rests above the site of the oak tree where the vision appeared. The original oak tree no longer exists, but a replacement tree grows near the entrance to the chapel.
With the large volume of pilgrims coming to the site, a larger church was built to accommodate. The Basilica of Our Lady of Fatima was erected on May 13, 1928. It consists of a 65 foot tall bell tower, with a crown of bronze resting at the top. Inside, there are 15 altars dedicated to the 15 mysteries of the rosary as well as the tombs of Francisco and Jacinta Marto. The stained glass windows depict events from the Marian apparitions. The shrine also houses a piece of the Berlin Wall. Many believers feel that Rosary prayers not only influenced the fall of the Berlin Wall but that this event is related to the second secret regarding the fall of Communism.
Colonnades surround and open plaza which is home to a monument dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Interestingly, the monument stands over an ancient spring that was discovered during construction.
Portugal was home to the Lusitanians, a branch of Celts. They honoured the Goddess Ataegina, whose name means ÒRebornÓ. She was a Goddess of death and rebirth as well as health. In Her role as a Moon Goddess, She is associated with magick and the night. No temples dedicated to Her have been found in Portugal, possibly because Her places of worship were the forests and hills themselvesÉor possibly ancient springs?
Portugal also has some of the oldest megalithic sites in Europe, dating back 20,000 years. Ancient sites around Fatima include dolmens and menhirs, ancient mounds, and even Neolithic cave art. One could say the area has been considered sacred ground for eons.
One of the interesting practices among pilgrims is the tossing of wax body parts into the sacred fires. Fatima is not considered a place of miraculous healing like Lourdes, and yet this practice, which is not condoned by the church, continues. The burning of wax body parts was common among pagans during the Roman Empire and may date back to the worship of Ataegina in Her role as a Goddess of health.
The town of Fatima was named after a Muslim princess who, like many Muslim females, was named after the daughter of the prophet Mohammed who said this of his daughter: "She has the highest place in heaven after the Virgin Mary."
Portugal had been conquered by the Moors but in the Middle Ages, Christians took back the country during the Reconquista. Princess Fatima, captured by soldiers, met and fell in love with a Christian named Gonzalo. She converted to Catholicism in order to marry her love. Sadly, she died shortly after and the distraught husband became a monk. He brought her remains with him to a newly-built priory, renaming the area Fatima, in honour of his wife.
Muslims from various nations make pilgrimages to Our Lady of Fatima's Shrine which is now considered an "Interfaith Shrine," where all religions are allowed to perform their rituals.
Feast days are celebrated May 13 and October 13. On May 13th, pilgrims wave their handkerchiefs as a statue of Our Lady of Fatima is passed through the central square. From the ancient Mother Goddess, to Ataegina, Fatima and Mary, the energy of the Divine Feminine flows through the shrine that is Fatima.
http://www.fatima.org
http://www.holymary.info/howfatimacametobe.html
© Ajna DreamsAwake
Ajna DreamsAwake is a High Priestess and founder of Dark Moon's Heart School. Her personal journey of self-discovery continues
as she supports and guides women along their own healing paths.
OWM Awareness
Happenings in The Order of the White Moon
Omi Ejò completed Level I and is now an Initiate. You can read her lovely Level II Project on Hygeia in the Goddess Gallery.
I am very pleased to present information on High Priestess Peace Whitehorse's
new school, Peace Grove Circle! You can see the Peace Grove Circle web
site at http://peacegrove99.wix.com/home. Congratulations on your new White Moon school,
Peace!
High Priestess Moonwater Chalcedony Ashwood has an announcement to make:
It is with great joy that we announce the opening of a new daughter school of the Order of the White Moon! The Phoenix Rising Goddess School has been founded by HP Moonwater Chalcedony Ashwood, and is currently accepting students. Moonwater has been on her path with the Goddess for over 20 years now, being an ordained High Priestess for the last five, and brings a uniquely eclectic perspective to living daily life with the Divine Feminine to all of her students. For more information, please contact her at phoenix.risingowm@gmail.com and feel free to visit Phoenix Rising's new website at http://phoenixrisingowm.wix.com/home.
Congratulations, Moonwater!
We are, of course, delighted to welcome each and every one of our new students
in Dark
Moon's Heart, Sisters
of the Rising Moon, Sacred
Three, Beneath
the Whispering Willows and Phoenix
Rising. We are always happy
when sisters find their way to OWM!
If you're not an OWM student and you'd like to learn more about the Order
of the White Moon, the schools
offering Traditional
White Moon Studies, or browse the Goddess
Gallery, we welcome you to
learn about us!
May the Peaceful, Compassionate and Healing Presence of the Goddess be with you now and always.
HP Ka Wahine Ahi is the President of the Board of Directors and the Head of
the Order. She teaches White Moon lessons to women in the school that she
founded, The Sisters of the Rising
Moon School of the Feminine Divine.
The Bardic Soul: Poetry and Song for the Spirit
The Sisters of the Order of the White Moon are saddened by the recent loss of one of our own. HP Lady Zephyr, co-founder of Sisters Beneath the Whispering Willows School, passed away suddenly and now rests in the loving embrace of the Divine Mother. We will miss her feistiness, her sage advice and good humour. Below is a poem she wrote to honour Epona for her Level 1 final project. I hope she does not mind my sharing it with you. Lady Zephyr, you are loved and cherished and we will miss you dearly.
Mother Goddess Epona
Gather round my children
On this darkest of nights
And let me tell you of Epona
On her horse of pure white.
Neither myth nor legend
Do I speak,
But words of wisdom
Truth and light.
Epona's works are well known
Across many continents,
From a Celtic Birth
To Roman events.
Worship continues to this very day
By sisters within and even by men.
Lest not she be forgotten
Her message is passed
From generation to generation
Through Crone, Mother and Maiden.
Rituals continue,
Altars are laden
With wreaths of roses.
Candles lit, incense aglow,
Thanks are given.
Mother goddess Epona
Our love and devotion
We send to you.
© Pat Swanberg (Lady Zephyr)
The Tools of Our Craft
Witches we are and Witches we be
Conjuring magick for you and for me.
We use many things to help us along,
Drumming and dancing and chanting and song.
We use lots of tools in our magickal craft,
So many things that it near makes us daft!
Wands and besoms, athames and sage,
Stones and crystals, some in a gilded cage!
Colors and numbers, words and creeds.
Candles and oils, soil and seeds.
Jewelry and robes, flame and fire,
Cloak and gowns and fancy attire!
Herbs and incense from flowers and trees,
Berries from bushes fertilized by bees,
Animal totems and spiritual guides,
And otherworld beings that walk at our sides.
Sacred space and Circles of salt
Within which we stand without shame or fault!
Holding arms high or crossed on our breast,
Honoring Goddess and God with great zest.
Some think us silly, the tools or our trade,
Without which they think that no magick be made.
But there is a secret to you I will tell –
All we need is our minds – well, and maybe a bell!
© Peace Whitehorse, 03-30-2015
Blue Moon
Blue moon, special moon, we salute thee!
Gift of the Gracious Goddess to the earth.
The phrase, "Once in a blue moon" means
Something fine, only occurring rarely,
And we treasure it.
This is a time of power, of magick!
A time to dance and to sing of the Goddess
And sing to the Goddess!
We sing Her praise and give Her our devotion,
And She showers Her blessings down upon us.
This is a time when the veil between the Worlds is thin,
A time when we may touch the past and the future.
May we find love and luck and prosperity,
Friendship and good memories.
Goddess, You who are the Moon and the Earth,
Who sustains us with Your bounty and Your love,
We worship You in the manner that You deserve,
With revelry and high spirits, and food and drink!
For joy and love and happiness are Your rituals,
And those who practice them are Your children!
Let us then live in joy and let no one steal it away.
Let us live in happiness every single day.
And may we live in love every moment,
Remembering always that we are the children of the Great Goddess,
And She is Maiden, Mother and Crone to us forever.
© Peace Whitehorse, August 2012
Pagan Lore
Did you know? Have you heard?
There is a little bit of Pagan in everyone -
Things we do and say and celebrate,
Superstition, Moon, Stars and Sun!
Christmas coincides with Yuletide,
The Winter Solstice. Christmas trees
And evergreens were honored on this day -
The longest night of the year, you see.
Groundhog Day on February second
Falls on Imbolc, when sheep give birth,
Which is the middle of the winter season,
Celebrated with fire and mirth!
The Day of Hearts in February,
Known as Valentine's Day
Comes from Lupercalia
Celebrated in the Roman way.
Easter is from the Spring Equinox.
With bunnies and eggs galore,
Fertility is celebrated on this day,
According to Ostara lore.
May-day then comes rolling 'round,
Or Beltane as it's known.
Wash your face in the morning dew,
Your freckles left upon the ground!
Halloween, or All Hallow's Eve,
Is a harvest festival day,
The final crops are coming in
And winter's on its way.
So you see, many customs
And things we celebrate
Are Pagan in their origins,
A fact you can't debate.
© Peace Whitehorse, February 2014
Peace Whitehorse is a graduate of The Sacred Three Goddess School and a High Priestess in the Order of the White Moon. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and
her Shetland sheepdogs, and is active in Sheltie Rescue.
I am Solitary
Alone I sit,
Feeling the surge of energy,
Vibrating through my body.
I am Solitary.
Surrounding myself in light,
Bright flames of protection.
My church-
I am Solitary.
I am not alone,
The guardians come at my call,
Lending to the growing power,
Shielding me from negativity,
I am Solitary.
The most important guests arrive,
The Mother and Father -
The Moon and the Sun-
The Ocean and the Earth-
They enter my church,
They kiss me, They bless me.
I am Solitary.
I give thanks.
I make an offering.
I talk with my guests.
I sing and dance.
I am Solitary.
I am at peace.
I am a vessel of Universal Love
I AM SOLITARY!
© Janis Bennett 2003
Janis is a student in Sisters Beneath the
Whispering Willows School.
The articles featured in Seasons of the Moon are written and/or submitted by members of the Order of the White Moon and are their own intellectual property. Please feel free to share this publication but do give credit where credit is due and link back to the source.
Thank you for reading, we hope that you have enjoyed it just as much as we have enjoyed presenting it to you.
Many blessings to you and yours,
Seasons of The Moon Staff
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