Volume 16 Issue 2
Imbolc 2019
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.
Imbolc 2019
Contents
- Ritual Work
By the Triple Aspects: An Invocation and Multi‐Purpose Ritual, Mystic Amazon
Imbolc Meditation, Ajna DreamsAwake
- Sacred Sites
Kildare, Ireland, Ajna DreamsAwake - OWM Awareness
OWM Happenings, Ka Wahine Ahi - The Bardic Soul: Poetry and Song for the Spirit
Bright Freya, Valkyrie Queen, Mystic Amazon
Reclaiming, Peace Whitehorse
Morning Chat, Peace Whitehorse
Grey Morning, Peace Whitehorse
- Just For Fun
Imbolc Word Search, Ajna DreamsAwake
Ritual Work
By the Triple Aspects: An Invocation and Multi‐Purpose Ritual
*You may make either invocation into a Ritual by casting the Circle, lighting the appropriate candles for your purpose, and chanting the invocation three times with emphasis.
Invocation 1
By the three faces of the Goddess
By the three faces of the God,
I ask for your love and blessings
To help me to move forward.
May my shields be strong and brilliant
And my prayers be ever heard,
May your loving arms enfold me
And I be guided by your word.
By the three faces of the Goddess
By the three faces of the God,
I ask for your help and blessings
And soul strength to move forward.
Invocation 2
Teach me, Deities of Abundance
How to improve financially;
Sharing what I don't need with others,
Accepting success and prosperity.
Teach me, Oh Goddess of Wisdom
In accessing deep magick to learn;
Sharing this knowledge with others,
Filled with Your love and concern.
Teach me, Oh Battle Goddess
How to make any bullies flee;
Knowing as I come into your Presence,
You are there alongside me.
You may make it as simple or fancy as you wish. Meditate on your purpose. When you are through, dismiss the circle. Go to a door, open it and visualize your purpose coming into being. Then yell or say, "SO MOTE IT BE!"
Ground yourself, come back into the house, relax and let the candles burn down safely.
Blessed Be,
Witchymama Beth
© Beth Clare Johnson August 12, 2008
(Mystic Amazon)
Mystic Amazon is a High Priestess of the Order of the White Moon and an Ordained Minister. Her hobbies include writing, folk art, folk magick, Reiki, and reading.
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Imbolc Meditation
Imbolc is a celebration of women, who gather together to honour the Maiden aspect of Goddess embodied by Brighid. To honour the Goddess, light white candles, invoking Brighid's Flame. Whatever needs to get fired up in your life, call on Brighid and let Her Sacred Flame ignite your desires.
Connecting with Brighid's Sacred Flame
Items needed :
White candle to represent Brighid
White candle to represent your intent
Sit with the two white candles in front of you.
Light Brighid's candle, asking for Her guidance.
Close your eyes and visualize yourself surrounded by the cold and the snow.
Draw your awareness below the snow, past the ice and frost.
Take yourself deeper into the earth, notice the ground slowly melting around you.
You feel a quickening, the earth is awakening below the frozen surface.
You find yourself drawn to the warmth of a fire ahead.
You have arrived at Brighid's Cauldron, where Her Sacred Flame resides.
As you look into the flames, think on what needs to be re‐ignited in your life.
Set your intent as you look into the flame, perhaps it is for purification, or to add passion to your life, a spark of creativity or maybe for protection.
When you have a clear idea of what your intent is, light the second white candle, using the flame from Brighid's candle. Sit with your intent for as long as you need to.
Whenever you feel a need to re‐ignite your passion, light the white candles and call on Brighid to share Her Sacred Flame.
Imbolc Blessings!
© 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.
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Sacred Sites
And every year we gather to welcome the light into our world; and to hope that more light will shine in the world; and that someday out of the darkness of war, hunger, greed, poverty, will come the light of community, sharing, justice, music, dance, peace and love. ~ Luka Bloom
Approximately 50 km west of Dublin lies the ancient town of Kildare (originally derived from Cell Dara in Old Irish, meaning Church of the Oak). In pre‐Christian times, Kildare was the site of a shrine to the Celtic goddess Brighid. Following the introduction of Christianity in the 5th century, veneration shifted toward Saint Brigid, who founded two monasteries of monks and nuns on the site of the present cathedral. Saint Brigid built her church under the shade of an oak tree, the stump of which was still visible into the 10th century. The stump was revered as a place of miracles, and so no one was allowed to cut it, but people could break of pieces with their fingers to serve as a sacred relic.
The current cathedral at Kildare was built by the Norman Bishop Ralph of Bristol in 1223. It was erected upon the site of the ancient pagan temple known as Brighid's Fire Temple, where the original sacred fire was tended. The cathedral continued to serve the people until the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, when it gradually fell into disrepair. The church has since been restored and has become a sacred site for both Irish Catholics as well as Pagans.
There are two different wells at Kildare. The first, and the more prominent, is the Christian well honoring the Saint. This is the official well of Kildare, large, well maintained and elaborately decorated. The Wayside Well is the older of the two, found within the Japanese Gardens off a parking lot. This well is much plainer and its spring feeds the larger well. A simple inscription reads "St Brigid, Mary of the Gael, pray for us". Visitors may gather water from this well to use in healing rituals. It is customary to leave an offering to the Spirits and Fey who dwell here.
Brigid's small oratory became a center of religion and learning, including a school of art and metal work. As Abbess, she presided over all Irish monasteries as well as the clergy. Some of Saint Brigid's titles included the Patroness of Ireland, Queen of the South and Mary of the Gael.
Biographers claim that Saint Brigid's parents were a pagan chieftain (possibly Druid) and a slave who had been baptized by Saint Patrick. Brigid herself was said to have been baptized by the Irish Saint. Many believe the story is a fictional account, created by the church as a means of swaying the people over to Christianity. It is also possible that the woman we know as Saint Brigid was in fact, the last High Priestess of the pagan Goddess Brighid. Saint Brigid and her successors maintained a position of considerable power until it was usurped by male clergy at the Synod of Kells in the mid‐12th century.
There have been several miraculous tales associated with Saint Brigid. One such story relates that, as a child, she had given all of the family's milk to the poor. Fearing her mother's wrath, Brigid prayed for a miracle, and behold, when her mother arrived at the dairy, it was overflowing with milk. Another legend relates that while a young Brigid was left unattended at home, the neighbours noticed the house was on fire. Rushing to the scene, they discovered the house intact and Brigid unharmed. The most popular folk tale is that Saint Brigid was midwife to the Virgin Mary, and foster mother of Jesus. She was canonized by the Catholic Church, but, in the 1960's, there was found to be insufficient proof of Brigid's sanctity, and she was de‐canonized by the Vatican.
Saint Brigid derived many of her aspects from Brighid, the Celtic Triple Goddess. Brighid is associated with fire, poetry and inspiration, metalwork and crafts. As a Goddess of herbalism, midwifery and healing, Brighid was in charge of water as well as fire. She guaranteed the fertility of the fields, animals, and human and She protected all bodies of water. In the present day, one may still find clooties, petitions made of strips of cloth or rags, tied to the trees near ancient wells. Brighid's most well‐known symbol is a perpetual fire, representing wisdom, poetry, healing, therapy, metallurgy, and the hearth.
The Sacred Flame
Both Goddess and Saint are associated with perpetual, sacred flames. This sacred fire was tended to by nineteen virgin priestesses called Daughters of the Flame. Their tradition was that each day a different priestess was in charge of the sacred fire and on the 20th day, the fire was miraculously tended to by Brighid Herself. The tradition continued after Christianization with the nuns performing the fire tending duties begun by Her Priestesses.
The sacred flame at Kildare was said to have been surrounded by a hedge, which no man could cross. Men who attempted to cross the hedge were said to have been cursed to go insane, die, and/or to have had their penis wither. Food and other supplies were brought to the Priestesses by women of the nearby village.
The fire continued to be tended without interruption until the 13th century, when the arch‐bishop of Dublin ordered it to be extinguished as he considered the tending of the fire to be a pagan practice. The Fire was soon relit and remained so until the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century.
In 1993, Brighid's perpetual flame was finally re‐kindled by Sister Mary Teresa Cullen, who, at that time, was the leader of the Brigidine Sisters. February 1, 2006, the flame was permanently housed in a bronze sculpture resembling an oak tree in the Market Square. The Brigidine Sisters founded Solas Brídhe (Brigid's Light) ", a centre of learning and hermitage that offer spiritual opportunities for people of "all faiths and none," including:
Providing a place of welcome, tranquillity and peace where people can come and find nourishment for life's journey
Offering hospitality to people of all faiths and none
Sharing and celebrating the story of Brigid in a life‐giving, creative and challenging way
Facilitating pilgrimages to Brigid's sites.
Creating an environment where right relationship with self, others, the cosmos and God is nurtured
Providing opportunities for people to deepen their spirituality with reflection, prayer, ritual, spiritual accompanying, education and culture.
Solas Brídhe Sisters continue to lovingly tend the flame of St. Brigid's Fire Temple within their home. Visitors to the area are able to light a personal candle from the perpetual flame to take Brighid's inspiration home with them.
Every February, Kildare hosts Féile Bríde, a week‐long festival honoring Brighid. The festival also incorporates a Peace and Justice conference, workshops, and a candlelight ritual on Brigid's Eve at the Well. There is reflection, talk, music and dance. It is a gathering of people who want to celebrate the coming of Spring, and who want to call Brigid's qualities into the world, to light a spark for change.
http://solasbhride.ie/
http://brigidine.org.au/about-us/our-patroness/brigids-light-fire/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigid_of_Kildare
http://www.libraryireland.com/Wonders/St-Brigit-1.php/
© Ajna DreamsAwake January 2011
revised January 2019
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.
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OWM Awareness
I wish everyone peace, love and blessings from the Goddess in 2019.
HP Ka Wahine Ahi ‐ Head of the Order
We are, of course, delighted to welcome our new students in Pyramid of Light Mystery School , The Sisters of the Rising Moon, Sacred Three and Dark Moon's Heart from all over the world! We are always happy when sisters find their way to OWM!
More About 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!
You can connect with OWM on social media! Follow us on Twitter at @OrderWhiteMoon for regular updates on Seasons of the Moon, the Weekly Tarot Zodiac and other OWM public outreach programs. Our Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/orderwhitemoon.
Visit and like us! The Twitter feed and Facebook page are available to the public. Feel free to share these links. We appreciate your feedback so please let us know if you have any questions or suggestions.
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.
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The Bardic Soul: Poetry and Song for the Spirit
I saw her, tall and straight, riding a winged horse
Her golden necklace glittering round her neck,
Brisingamen, the necklace is called, magickal.
The Valkyries flew behind her, with winged helmets
And their spears held aloft to the twilight sky.
Three times around the moon, they rode
Chanting runes aloud and brandishing their spears,
Then finished with a loud, triumphant cry…
"We ride! We ride! To choose those righteous in battle,
To find brave women to help others in glorious cause."
Bright Freya, their queen, leads the fearsome array
Not many see her, but she is there, warrior goddess;
Listening to those that would speak with her,
Answering their prayers and entreaties with kindness.
Brave Freya! Share with us your strength and wisdom.
© Beth Clare Johnson September 13, 2005
(Mystic Amazon)
Mystic Amazon is a High Priestess of the Order of the White Moon and an Ordained Minister. Her hobbies include writing, folk art, folk magick, Reiki, and reading.
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I was there then I was not.
Once my passion ran red hot,
Then it was lukewarm at the best
As life, the world, and all the rest
Came cruelly crashing down on me
Like a mighty falling tree.
I cannot walk this path without Her,
Nevermore will I doubt Her.
I am Hers and She is mine,
For right now and for all time.
She was never gone from me,
She waited for me patiently.
I say now I'll not walk alone
I name the Goddess as my own
And take back all that I have learned
Every line read and each page turned.
All I do, I'll do for Thee.
I'll serve my Goddess faithfully.
And if you happen to drift away,
Take to heart these words I say.
Never doubt that She is with you,
She'll never leave nor dismiss you.
She'll wait for you and wait some more
For you to come to Her once more.
© Peace Whitehorse Imbolc 2018
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When I woke up this morning
The Goddess said to me,
"Never doubt you are My child,
And never doubt you Me.
I am around you all the time,
I see the things you do,
Make sure in every action
That you honor Me and you.
I am here in the morning,
In the afternoon, and night.
I never, ever leave your side,
In darkness or in light.
No matter what all you may do,
Throughout the day or week,
Harm none is the only Law,
As peace and love you seek.
Don't forget the Rule of Three,
As through your life you walk,
Send out goodness every day
In your actions and your talk."
I pondered on these things She said,
As She told them to me.
I can't tell you how blessed I felt
As I began to see…
We are here upon this Earth
But a short time in this life,
But while we're here we need to work
To eliminate all strife.
Each of us is just one person,
But together we are strong.
We must be good to one another
Always, our whole life long.
We must care for the blessed Earth
And all of Nature too,
The animals, the trees and stones,
The water, air and YOU.
Yes, we are part of Nature,
For ourselves we must care,
Spirit, body, soul and mind,
As water and the air.
Don't you ever dare forget
How important that you be.
She speaks to you in quiet tones
Just as She speaks to me.
Listen for Her sweet, low voice
And hear Her wisdom speak,
The voice is there within your heart,
And She is all you seek.
© Peace Whitehorse, January 11th, 2015
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Gray morning.
Fogwebs hanging in the woods,
Stark branches bare of leaves
Outstretched, waiting.
All looks dead.
Life is hidden beneath winter's cloak.
Leaf carpet muffles my footsteps
Like I am not there.
Snow patches cover drowsy bulbs.
Mists swirl around me
On the windless air
And all is floaty and soft.
Just for now I revel in the silence
Of the winter woods.
For one more moment.
Then I turn for home.
© Peace Whitehorse, January 30, 2013
Peace Whitehorse is a graduate of The Sacred Three Goddess School and a High Priestess in the Order of the White Moon, teacher at the Peace Grove School of the Goddess and facilitator and High Priestess of the Peace Grove Coven. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and her Shetland sheepdogs, and is active in Sheltie Rescue.
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Just For Fun
Imbolc Word Search
To download and print a PDF copy of this puzzle Click here
Thanks to http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com for assistance in creating this Word Search puzzle.
© 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.
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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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