Volume 19 Issue 1
Samhain 2021
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.
Samhain 2021
Contents
- Holy Days
Honoring Your Ancestors And Beloved Dead On Samhain, Maeve MoonBird
Working With The Dark Goddess From Samhain To Yule, Maeve MoonBird
- Southerly Sisters
Beltane and Litha, Ajna DreamsAwake
- Ritual Work
Setting Up a Devotional Altar, Peace Whitehorse
Samhain, M)0(rrigan
Yule, M)0(rrigan
- Goddess Work
Working with Oracles, Ajna DreamsAwake
Finding My Way to Deeper Spirituality Practices From Two Years of Fallowness, Gloria
- Witchy Writings
COVID‐19 Medicine Bag, Peace Whitehorse - Sacred Sites
Temple of Delphi, Ajna DreamsAwake - Gardening with the Goddess
Pardon the Weeds. We're Feeding the Bees!, Emily Beatrice
- OWM Awareness
OWM Happenings, Ajna DreamsAwake - The Bardic Soul: Poetry and Song for the Spirit
All My Friends Are Really Witches, Peace Whitehorse
Samhain, Peace Whitehorse
Singing Sweet, Crystal Spiritweaver
The Magic Circle, Crystal Spiritweaver
- Recipes Fit for a Goddess
Yule Lebkuchen , M)0(rrigan
Tipsy Chocolate Cake , Dancing River
Creamy Butternut Squash Soup , Iaret HesetSekhmet
- Just for Fun
Pinecone Door Hangers, Ajna DreamsAwake
Holy Days
Honoring Your Ancestors and Beloved Dead on Samhain
On Samhain the veils are thin, and our ancestors and beloved dead are closer to us. This is the end of this year and the beginning of a new Wheel of the Year.
We can celebrate Samhain by creating a Silent Supper for our ancestors and beloved dead. This can be simply setting a plate on the table and chair for them while you eat your meal silently.
You can create a celebratory feast with local autumnal foods and drinks, such as pumpkin, squash, apples, wine and apple cider. Or make food that celebrates your ancestral heritage or favorite foods of the beloved departed.
Decorate your table and add candles. You can place message after your meal on pieces of paper at your ancestral table setting. Later these can be placed on your Samhain altar. This is a lovely way to connect with your ancestors and beloved dead.
Creating an ancestral altar is another way to honor your ancestors and beloved dead on Samhain. Placed photos and items in their honor. Light candles and spend time with them at your altar.
Have a blessed Samhain.
© Maeve MoonBird
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Working With The Dark Goddess From Samhain To Yule
During Samhain until Yule working with the Dark Goddess, is very powerful.
The Dark Goddess can help you deepen connection to this darkening, more inward time of year. She helps you reflect on what you need to release in your life, as the season changes from autumn to winter. You can connect with the Dark Goddess to embrace more fully this seasonal shift and release. Her energy is empowering and you can see the beauty in the Dark Goddess, representing this time on the Wheel of the Year.
Some Dark Goddesses you can work with this time of year are Hecate, Morrigan, Cerridwen, Cailleach, Hel, Lilith, and Macha. You can also just work with the Dark Goddess, without a specific Goddess.
Some ways to work with the Dark Goddess during this season between Samhain and Yule are:
*Create an altar to the Dark Goddess and spend time at this altar every day in connection with Her.
*Light a candle during your morning coffee or tea and spend some time with your journal connecting to the Dark Goddess. What message does she have to tell you today? You can also make this an evening routine connecting to the darkening, longer nights with Her.
*To connect creatively, you can draw, paint, craft, or write about the Dark Goddess. Ritualize your creative process lighting a candle and asking Her for guidance as you create. Reflect on your creative piece after. Place or hang it in a special place to see each day.
*Take a walk during the liminal time of dusk into night. Feel the Dark Goddess present and guiding you into the winter season.
*Three days before the New Moon is the Dark Moon. This is a very powerful time to work with the Dark Goddess. You can do a New Moon Ritual with Her as well. Ask for her guidance and support in setting intentions from the New Moon until Yule or the upcoming Full Moon.
*Before bed ask the Dark Goddess to guide you in your dreams. Keep a dream journal next to your bed. Record any dreams you have. You can reflect what messages you are receiving in your journal. Mugwort can be placed under your pillow for more vivid dreams or drink mugwort tea before bed.
However you work with the Dark Goddess, may you have a blessed Samhain and Yule season.
© Maeve MoonBird
Maeve MoonBird is an HP of Order of the White Moon. She is a visual artist who enjoys exploring where creativity and her pagan spirituality meet. Maeve is passionate about sharing the Goddess and spirituality with OWM Sisters.
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Southerly Sisters
OWM is a global organization, with Sisters in countries around the world, including the Southern Hemisphere. The Wheel of the Year is reversed for our Southerly Sisters. To ensure we remain inclusive, we would like to share some information about the Holy Days that pertain specifically to them.
Beltane symbolizes the "Bright Fire" that burns within us all. It is a fertility festival in which we honour our sexual nature and revel in the glory that is our body. At Beltane, we honour Goddess as Virgin in the true sense of the word, "She Who is Whole Unto Herself". When we feel whole, we are no longer reliant on other people's opinions of us. We stand, secure and confident in the knowledge that we are beautiful, created in Her image. Create rituals honouring the Goddess woman that you are, perform self‐blessings, be naked in front of a mirror without judgment, and love the Temple where Goddess lives. Know and trust that you are whole unto yourself, a Goddess in your own right. Explore your body, your lover, your life, in a sensuous and sexual way. The Virgin is fearless, let Her guide you to glorious heights. For 'The Charge' states "… all acts of love and pleasure are Her rituals&qout;.
Litha, the Summer Solstice, is the longest day of the year. We honour the transformation of the Maiden into Mother, fertile and ripe with life. The Earth is alive, teeming with life, growth and potential. Celebrate the season with action, manifest into reality, the seeds of ideas dreamt through the dark months. Create rituals that fire your passion and/orenhance creativity.
Although often referred to as the longest day, Litha, in fact, is the time of the longest twilight. This magickal time between day and night opens a gateway to the realm of the Fae. If you are patient, you may catch a glimpse of the Dance of the Fae.
© Ajna DreamsAwake
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Ritual Work
A devotional altar is dedicated to someone or something. A goddess or god, or perhaps the wheel of the year, or an event, or your Ancestors. My devotional altar is for the eight sabbats, or the wheel of the year.
A devotional altar is a good place to meditate or do daily devotions.
First you need to determine what your altar will be devoted to. Then do some research to see what would go well on such an altar. Things that can be included are gemstones and other items of corresponding colors, and appropriate trinkets.
Find a surface where you can set up an altar. Clean it thoroughly. Then cleanse the area with smudge.
Put down an altar cloth. For my devotional altar I change the altar cloth with the sabbat.
I honor the elements with my altar. I use incense for East/Air, a candle for South/Fire, a pretty bottle with water in it for West/Water, and salt for North/Earth. I have these elementals in a circle at the correct compass points, with enough room inside the circle for my devotional items.
For an altar devoted to a goddess or god, that might include a statue of that deity as well as items that are sacred to Her/Him. If devoted to an event in your life, or ancestors, a photo in a pretty frame would work.
I have a collection of items that correspond to each sabbat for my devotional altar. I have a Brigid statue as well a little lamb for Imbolc. Bunnies and eggs for Ostara. A Maypole I made for Beltane. A fairy for Litha. Decorative bread and grapes for Lammas. A cornucopia for Mabon. A Witch statue and a cauldron for Samhain. And a Father Christmas statue for Yule. I add various small items also that correspond to each sabbat. I also have altar tiles that go with each sabbat.
Keep the altar clean and orderly. If devoted to a goddess or god, or ancestors, you can include offering plates and make regular offerings, placing what you offer on the altar.
© Peace Whitehorse
Peace Whitehorse is the founder of 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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Samhain is the last Harvest in the year, marking the end of summer and begin of autumn. The transition times of the year, like spring and autumn, point to the cyclic nature of life itself. Samhain is celebrated at the 11th dark moon of the year. Traditionally this was the date when the young witches were initiated. There are sources for numerology that connect the number 11 to Light, in occultism the number 11 is connected to Daath – the hidden Sephira in the Tree of Life.
Anyway, a new moon energy encourages us and inspires us for new beginnings and I feel that Samhain is the perfect time for a strong commitment to walk a new path in life.
Samhain Altar
- Altar Cloth: cotton, dark green/black
- Goddess Statues or Pictures: There are several goddesses I believe apply. It really depends on your individual experience and perception which one to choose. You can choose a goddess that belongs somehow to this season or the goddess you feel close to, or has chosen you.
- Candles: 8 candles to represent the 4 moon and 4 sun festivals of the year. You can use tea lights for this evening or you can buy the bigger taper candles (you can always use them later to enrich your workings/rituals). Either you choose white for all 8 candles or a particular colour for each one, it is up to you, just do as you feel comfortable. Arrange these candles in a circle.
- 1 candle in the middle to represent yourself. Usually the colour is suggested to be golden, (orange or light brown).
- Incense: 1 tsp labdanum, 1 tsp amber, 1/2 tsp storax
- Decoration: all fruits of Nature and unique items you have found make a wonderful addition. Use pumpkins ‐ green, yellow, orange…, acorns, chestnuts, walnuts, leaves and rose‐hips, a special gemstone or a stone you found outside, a piece of wood. One night, when I went into the woods at a cross‐road to meet the goddess Hekate, I found a piece of wood that looked petrified and had the shape of an Algiz rune.
Meet your Special Ancestor
The veil between this and the other world grows thin and permeable from Samhain on. This is the perfect time to find and connect with our ancestors ‐ be they our physical family, or those we feel like family in a spiritual sense (I for example connected to an old woman from a book ‐ she had impressed me and she felt like my soul ancestor and I wanted to be with her).
Create a safe space where you feel secure ‐ this is necessary to be able to open ourself to the spiritual world. This place can be outside, a room rented for this purpose, a home. We can do this as a single ritual or in a group of close friends or like‐minded women.
Place a bowl filled with water in the middle of the room and, close to it, a lighter and red swimming taper candles ‐ one for each woman.
Stand around the bowl holding hands and walk widdershins, chanting "Hekate, Cerridwen ‐ Dark Mother take us in. Hekate, Cerridwen ‐ let us be reborn" over and over again. Imagine how you descend to the Dark Mother, each woman willing to meet with her special ancestor. When you feel you are 'there', let each woman take a candle and light it, and place it in the bowl of water. When all have placed their candle, stay quiet and watch the light swimming in the bowl. When you feel the time is right to go up, extinguish the candles. Hold each others' hands and walk back chanting ‐ this time deosil. Let the participants each pick a candle from the bowl. It is a nice souvenir of that evening and they can also use them to reconnect with their ancestor at any time.
To close the event and ground I would suggest some cake and sweets… and chatter.
© M)0(rrigan
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The winter solstice is the first step into the light, from the darkest night of the year. The difference may not be recognizable to us immediately but from this day on light and life are growing.
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Yule Altar
- Altar Cloth: white
- Goddess Statue or picture: Sunna, the Norse/Teutonic Solar Goddess. In this tradition, the sun is female (Sunna) and moon is male (Mani).
- Candles: 6 red candles and 1 golden (sunny‐yellow if there is no gold available)
- Incense: 1 tsp Sandarac, 1 tsp Mastic, 1 tsp Frankincense, 1 tsp benzoin Siam, 3 juniper berries, 4 raisins, red wine, honey lpar;forest), 1 knife‐point cinnamon
*Put the raisins in some red wine and let them soak for 7 days. Grind sandarac, mastic, frankincense (Oman first choice if possible), benzoin Siam, and the juniper berries, then grind the raisins separately (press them before so they are not too wet from the wine). Now add the cinnamon and mix well ‐ the consistency is right when you can form tiny cookies to put on the charcoal. - Decoration: If you collected the cherry tree branches on the 4th then the white‐rose blossoms will make a perfect accessory 😊, ilex/holly branches, pomegranate fruits, a golden Sun‐Mirror (to place behind the golden candle).
© M)0(rrigan
M)0(rrigan is a Priestess of Morrigan, and a practitioner of Shamanism, Runes, Tarot and Usui Reiki. She is is a Level III Adept in the Sacred Three Goddess School
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Goddess Work
An Oracle is a divinatory practice that allows you to tap into your unconscious mind, by taking you on a shamanic journey to that place where your inner wisdom resides. It is a living energy that communicates with you through the subconscious non‐rational part of the brain. The more you work with this energy, the more attuned you become.
Meaning is hidden in plain sight. Revelations occur when you add your unique process and personal experience into the reading. Trust in your intuitive senses and you begin to notice synchronicities. Engage in free association and you start creating connections between seemingly unrelated ideas or events.
The oracle does not provide answers, but it does offer opportunities for you to gain personal insights into yourself. Through symbolism, an oracle empowers you. You choose how to interpret the symbols. You make the decisions based on your own interpretations, and so take responsibility, holding yourself accountable for your actions. An oracle does not foretell the future, but rather clarifies the present. Once you are able to see your current perspective clearly, you can make a conscious choice to maintain course or change direction.
According to Nancy Vedder~Shults, there are three intuitive senses. We may engage in all three, but usually one tends to be more prominent and natural for us. This is our primary intuitive sense, and we are likely going to have better results when using this particular sense.
Kinesthetic ‐ "body wisdom, gut feelings" Ideal for journaling or stream of consciousness writing, painting or drawing, sculpting, walking a labyrinth.
Visual ‐ "second sight" Ideal for scrying, dreamwork, visual map.
Auditory ‐ "listening to the still small voice within" Ideal for communicating with deities, spirits, ancestors, higher self, chanting or drumming.
Kinesthetic sense
Tarot Oracle (1)An Oracle reading can be likened to the art of storytelling, and you are the author. You know the characters and basic outline of the tale. Your intuitive interpretations fill out the details.
Directions
Sit comfortably
Formulate your question
Ground and center
Select 4 cards from your Tarot deckCard #1 ‐ The Situation
What is the reading about?
By stating aloud the situation, you open the connection to your unconscious mind.Card #2 ‐ The Experience
What are the conflicts or concerns?
Make a note of everything you perceive, symbols, colors, feelings, associations… no detail is too small or insignificant.Card #3 ‐ The Change
What needs to happen?
This is the turning point. You have a choice to make. Use the information you have gathered to assist you.Card #4 ‐ The Resolution
What is the probable outcome?
This is the moment of revelation. Healing or transformation can occur if you follow through on your decision.Write down the story that emerges.
Give Thanks
Visual sense
Visual Map Oracle (2)A visual map is a drawing or collage that represents ideas, images, or words linked to the question you are seeking answers to. This is a structured form of free association. The more you move away from the center circle, the more you tap into the unconscious mind. As you add to the map, you begin to notice relationships between seemingly unconnected ideas. These connections can lead to even more divergent ideas as you branch further outward, eventually arriving at the answers you seek.
Items needed
Large piece of paper (or tape 4 pieces together to form a large square)
Pen
Colour pencils
Magazines and scissors (optional)Directions
Gather supplies
Ground and center
Ask your question
With the pen, draw a circle in the center of the page, add a few key words or an image representing the issue. Just outside this circle, in each quadrant, write down 4 of the major associations to your query.
Circle each one and connect it to the center circle. Take one of your colour pencils and colour in each of the major associations circles. Select one major association, draw several smaller circles around it with a line connecting each one to that circle. Write down anything that comes to mind. This may include words, concepts, images, feelings, colors etc…
Using a different colour, fill in each of the circles connected to this associationDo this for each of the other major associations. Use a different colour for each grouping.
Now, one by one, do the same for each of the smaller circles, moving further and further away from the center.
At some point in the mapping, you may experience an "Aha!" moment and arrive at an answer.
Alternatively, when it "feels right", put the pen down. Begin making connections between the divergent circles. The answers you seek may be found within these seemingly unconnected concepts.
If you cannot reach a satisfactory conclusion, you may need to refine your question, or branch out even further.
Or it may be telling you to take a break from the mapping. Display your map in a prominent place for several days. The rainbow of colours and the circles provide a visual stimulus that may spark your visionary mind once you have stepped away and gained perspective.
Give Thanks
Auditory sense
Drumming Oracle (2)Drumming is an excellent way to induce a trance state. This altered state of consciousness allows you to connect more deeply with your intuitive self.
Tom Keepers, a Cochiti drum maker states "To consult the drum, present your question to the drum and then play in a steady beat until it provides an answer. It's that simple and that profound."
You can choose to drum yourself, or listen to a recording, whichever is most suitable for you.
Directions
Sit comfortably
Formulate your question
Ground and center
State aloud the question
Begin DrummingKeep a fast steady rhythm.
Notice the sensations of each sound, each vibration as you synchronize with the beat. Feel the rhythm pulsate through your body, taking you deeper and deeper into a meditative state. As you become caught up in the beat, you stop thinking.
You may hear a voice within the drumbeat, or a sound that triggers memories, words, or images.
You may connect to the heartbeat of Mother Earth, and She may have a message to share with you.
You may not receive an answer until the drumming has ended. After 10‐15 minutes, stop drumming. Listen, in silence, for your inner wisdom to speak to you.
Give thanks.
References:
(1) The Journey Oracle by Kristen Scholfield~Sweet
(2) The World is Your Oracle by Nancy Vedder~Shults.© 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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Finding My Way to Deeper Spirituality Practices from Two Years of Fallowness
Before the Great Shutdown of 2020 my last Pagan event included a workshop discussing the "fallow" times of our worship. Those are the stretches of time when you haven't connected with Deity, completed your daily worship routine, or just got so darn busy that it just slipped your mind until 6 months later. It was an interesting conversation that introduced a few new concepts to me. In this class I recognized my fallow times, but was not concerned over it as I felt pretty fulfilled in between. This last year, approaching two years, has taught me otherwise. The first year I felt fine…ish. I missed my friends terribly, which is to be expected… but at the beginning of the second year of the shutdown, I examined my cycle of worship, and having an abundance of time to conduct introspection, found myself withering as I was solely dependent on Pagan campouts and gatherings to connect with Deity in any of her manifestation, and as my cup dried up, a requirement arose for me to develop deeper individual worship practices. In an effort to develop them, I listened for the call of Deity and my own feelings. It didn't take long, as some feelings come around like clockwork.
The start of my Pagan year comes around early to mid‐November, where I feel an intense desire to worship. The strong call to seek and connect deeply with Deity does coincide with Hecate's Day, and my father‐in‐law's and daughter's birthdays. As my in‐laws come to our house for birthdays and stay a week, I become a skittish teenager being caught with "The Occult" because my father in law randomly wanders the house at all hours of the day and night. Our open house design is my downfall as he is known to come across me in my crafting room, surrounded by candles, doing Goddess‐knows‐what, and having a minor, pearl‐clutching heart attack for a normal ritual day in our house. For him it looks too shocking for his deep southern Christian ways, and causes me to reconsider my options and what I can do. Having privacy to be in my own home and conduct rituals of deeper magic becomes a quest for me. Once my husband lost me and called the police thinking I had been kidnapped right out of our house, only to find me in the back yard doing a ritual. More to the point though, completing a descent into the underworld, preparing and conducting a shamanic journey into the spiritual plane becomes an obsession with me, and must be completed, yearly, and I have (more or less). Once over, I normally go into hibernation. My spiritual cup has been filled, and I fall into the pattern of doing little to nothing to worship, as it is a time of fallowness in my normal practice.
What brings me back to worship yearly is Imbolc. My crafting heart creates a new wreath to hang in our window to worship Brigid, my friends come over, and we reconnect, have some food, and reaffirm our relationship as friends, confidants, and sisters in worship. Fortunately it doesn't fall at the end of a school and sport season, so I am not incredibly exhausted and coming out of a frantic and slightly manic phase of the year that August, September, and October bring to me. Imbolc is a welcoming renewal of the spring ahead and preparing the soul for the upcoming year. I employ all the candles I have collected over the last year and light them up just before sunrise to greet the dawn, and feel a sense of accomplishment. Because this was the beginning of the crises, we all skipped this. The second year we huddled at a pavilion and tried to do something, but ultimately walked away without our feeling of completion. My individual candle ceremony went well, but I could not stop thinking that I missed out on friends during this ritual.
Usually my cup feels full, and I dive headlong into spring. Kids' school, social obligations, my own school and work demands increase to a high whine, and Beltane comes around for me to blow off some steam! Having the Great Shutdown of 2020 has really taught me how important these larger Pagan gatherings are to me and my extroverted soul. The camping, the fires, the workshops where I encounter new ideas and broaden my horizons, and to just be with people who may not know my Pagan path and ways, but accept and understand that it's a calling that I cannot refuse and here, right here, I can express it. A full 3 or 4 day weekend brings me home with new sense of being. As the Great Shutdown caused all of us to stay home, I worked on adapting. We hosted our first virtual Beltane, and it was an experience! It almost filled up every sense of me, and brought me around to what I truly wanted: community, support, a deeply connected group of friends. And the fallow time where I normally let dust collect on my altar and the tarot cards was ignored that summer saw a shift. The fallow time had fewer days or weeks where a tarot draw was ignored, and days of me arriving to sip more to fill my spiritual cup at the altar increased. In this was my lesson, I could do big events that satisfied my soul for a while, or have the choice to do little things every day or week. I do feel emptier from not attending these events, and it is possible these fallow times during a normal year was not from being irresponsible, but being truly comfortable with where I was at with Deity. During the Great Shutdown year the demands of Deity and my spiritual soul changed. If I cannot do big events, multiple small events are the replacement for me.
At first, over the summer after Beltane these small rituals, daily and weekly practices worked. Until the fall, when Mabon came back around, and the environment constraints we have stayed in place… twice. And in this is when I truly understood a term and practice that were just outside of my grasp of deeply understanding and resonating with‐‐liminal space and the Hermit. Mabon covers my birthday, so it feels like everyone in the Pagan camp was celebrating me, not only celebrating coming together. I get a double dose of Deity and personal fulfilment. But, as we all got to experience first hand, we all had to cancel our plans, and with it, a bit of my optimism and hope withered. In the second year I felt that my connection to Deity became a bit more translucent. And as August, September, and October has additional stresses of managing a full house and their activities, albeit curbed and abbreviated, having any time for me specifically was nigh impossible. As my frustration built this second year, I realized this fallow time was different, dry, empty, and dusty. I had to change what I was doing. I decided I had to create a space parallel to space. I had to separate myself from my mundane and make it special time and space. A lightbulb went off for me as I realized the meaning of liminal.
Liminal space is space aside from the normal space usage. It has to be an intentional change, the mind has to specifically think of the time and the location as different. Have you ever visited a space that is regularly used for Pagan camping outside of the event? I have‐‐once, and the private campground we attend Pagan camping at regularly looks unrecognizable when my coven and I visited outside of our Mabon event. It was quite shocking! After much consideration, I set about doing the same thing for myself. All the talk in my books about "consciousness shift", and making "sacred space" finally made sense. I just wasn't paying attention before because the lack of environmental constraints did the thinking for me! Once I tried to force myself and the environment into that liminal space, it was quite the effort to accomplish. Here I learned the second useful term, the Hermit. Oh yes, the need to be alone, and not because of cooties. And it's a little more than "alone"‐‐it's about solitude. Solitude is harder now. Home is where everyone is at. For me, I define solitude is just being in your skin and asking yourself what are you going to do now that there is no other walking human spirit in the house that you have to do a social interaction with. For these last few weeks I have worked on this solitude by walking in the woods and being mindful and present in it; I lock the door, lock out all communication devices (and the harder part is not to think or worry about them), and spend time in an empty space so no one can take my attention for themselves. It works! Now I understand the period of time in the middle ages where mystics became Hermits to connect with their Deity. Because Deity comes easier here. It has taken me several sessions of trial and error, but also focusing to get it right.
I spent the last few weeks working through setting time aside, making talismans to carry with me, and readjusting to a different style. I am grateful for the lesson of being cooped up, and having stalwart friends who refused to meet with me, even for just a teensy bit. I am able to track this evolution. Intellectual growth came first, I recognize the importance of the Hermit, and the meaning in the tarot deck better. I can transition better from mundane to magical, and make sure I have space in my calendar for time to do so, it even has its own glaring color. Spiritual growth soon followed. It forced me to evolve my practices to be a better practitioner and worshiper. I am able to recognize in myself a strength to adapt, and to acknowledge the bit of laziness that allowed me to give a bit of lip service to Deity between stretches. My new liminal spaces include doing something during the scout camping, taking nature walks during the 3 hours of kids sports practices, and taking up early morning reflection time to open myself up to Goddess. As October progresses and November arrives at our door, I am looking forward to keeping my new practices and merging them with the old as things slowly open back up.
© Gloria
Gloria is almost done with her Initiate training with the Order of the White Moon, and has finally decided to do something about this after an extended hiatus.
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Witchy Writings
Get a cloth or leather drawstring pouch. Since we will be adding herbs to this pouch, the ones made of netting will not work well. The herbs will leak out.
The size of the pouch you choose will determine the size of the gemstones and the amount of herbs that you use.Gather the crystals, herbs and oils listed below.
- Crystals
- Clear quartz
This clear crystal is considered a "master healer". It's said to amplify energy by absorbing, storing, releasing, and regulating it. Clear crystals are claimed to help stimulate the immune system and balance out your entire body. This stone, often paired with others, aids and enhances their abilities. - Obsidian
Obsidian aids in detoxification while potentially helping reduce pain. - Malachite
Reduces inflammation and draws toxins from the body. - Amethyst
Protective, healing, and purifying. Restful sleep is a claimed benefit of this stone. It's said to cleanse blood, and relieve pain. - Bloodstone
Claimed to help cleanse the blood by drawing off bad environmental energies and improving circulation. - Garnet
Purifies the heart, lungs and blood.
- Herbs
- Chamomile
Reduces inflammation. - Echinacea
Echinacea is commonly used to treat or prevent colds, flu, and infections, especially upper respiratory infections. - Feverfew
Used to treat fevers. - Gingko
Used to treat a variety of conditions including asthma and bronchitis. - Willow
Provides relief from fever and pain. Aspirin comes from the willow. - Elderberry
Immune system support.
- Essential Oils
- Eucalyptus
To silence cough and clear the chest. - Tea Tree
Anti‐inflammatory and anti‐viral properties. - Rosemary
Directions
Cleanse the crystals using smudge smoke.
Mix the oils together in equal parts in a carrier oil. Use to anoint the crystals.
Place the crystals in the pouch.
Use the remaining oil on your pulse points (temple, throat, wrists) at bedtime.
Measure out the herbs in equal amounts and place in the pouch.Hold the pouch to your chest, and chant.
COVID‐19 go away.
You are not allowed to stay.
You are not to tarry here,
But if you do, I have no fear.
Long term effects there will be none.
I banish you from blood and bone.
By the power of three times three,
And by my will, so mote it be.Carry the pouch with you or place it under your bed pillow.
Good health to you!
Goddess bless, and blessed be.Click on the link to follow Peace at Witchy Writings
© Peace Whitehorse August 8, 2021
Peace Whitehorse is the founder of 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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Sacred Sites
The Temple of Delphi lies 100 miles (160 Km) northwest of Athens, at the base of Mt Parnassus (home of the Muses) and overlooks the Gulf of Corinth. Legend has it that Zeus wished to know the location of the center of the earth. He released two eagles, who flew in opposite directions, meeting at Delphi. Zeus marked the spot with a sacred stone, the Omphalos. Delphi became known as the Navel of the World and a temple was raised in honour of Gaia.
The original shrine was built in the 15th century BCE. According to myth, Gaia’s daughter, Pytho, acted as guardian as serpents were sacred to Gaia; and were believed to act as a bridge between the Goddess and humans. Her High Priestess, the Sibyl, would prophesy while under the influence of snake venom. In the 11th century BCE, a new god of prophecy, Apollo, seized the temple and slew the guardian. A chasm was created when the enormous snake fell to earth, emitting noxious fumes (which were believed to give the Pythia her ability to speak with the Divine). In later myths, Goddesses Phoebe and Themis gift the site to Apollo, legitimizing his appropriation of the site.
The Pythia, High Priestess of Apollo, was known as the Oracle of Delphi. The name comes from Pytho, (to rot) referring to the decomposing body of the serpent slain by Apollo. She was widely credited for her prophecies; no major decisions could be made until she had been consulted.
The Pythia only gave prophecies during the nine warmest months of each year, when Apollo was believed to be present in the Temple (his brother Dyonisus presided during his absence). On the seventh day of each month, the Pythia would purify through fasting, bathe in the Castalian Spring (created where the hoof of Pegasus once touched the earth), drink holy water from the Cassotis river (home of the Naiads), and, finally, don a plain white dress and cover her face with a purple veil.
The Pythia then led the procession to the Temple where she would remove her veil. A goat would be sacrificed at the Eternal Fire of Hestia to ensure the day was favourable to prophecy. The Pythia then descended to the Adyton, the Inner Sanctum, and sat upon a tripod seat to await petitioners, holding laurel leaves and gazing into a bowl of spring water.
The Oracle was available to everyone, however the wealthy and civic leaders usually secured first place in line. People journeyed to Delphi from all corners of the Mediterranean in hopes of receiving a consultation with the Pythia. They would be interviewed by the clergy to determine if their petition was genuine and then would present their offering prior to setting out on procession to the Temple. Upon arrival, they would be ushered in to the Adyton to meet the Pythia, pose their question and receive her oracle.
If a petition was rejected, there were other means of receiving oracles at the site: Egkoimisi ‐ prophecy through dream interpretation, and Kliromanteion ‐ tossing coloured beans to answer a simple yes‐no question. Along the processional way, lay a stone known as Sybil Rock, once believed to be where the oracle of Gaia shared her visions with followers.
The Delphic oracle was always a woman, as women were considered to be more sensitive than men. Initially they were chaste virgins, but this became problematic. It is said that Echecrates, a Thessalian, became enamoured of the young prophetess and raped her. A law was then passed, only older women could be Pythia, although they continued to dress in the robes of a young virgin. Priestesses of Delphi enjoyed many liberties not available to other women, such as the right to own property and attend public events. At a time when women were considered second‐class citizens, the Pythia was one of the most powerful women in classical Greece.
https://www.thevintagenews.com/2019/01/03/pythia-oracle-of-delphi/
https://www.historyanswers.co.uk/ancient/oracle-of-delphi/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delphi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythia© 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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Gardening with the Goddess
Pardon the Weeds. We're Feeding the Bees!
The wind cuts through the trees and knocks down a few more loose leaves. The air smells like snowmelt. The wheel turns and the season changes again. Closer to winter. Fall 2021 is a little different than the fall I grew up with in this area. It's warmer this year, granting us a few more days for growing. (Keep your fingers crossed! I've got 4 baby pumpkins maturing on my vines still!)
I don't like to do a lot of winter prep with my garden. I do however do a daily walk through to check on everything. Most of my winter prep has to do with hygiene. Plants that are at the end of their life cycle and/or showing serious signs of disease or a parasite issue are dispatched and cleared in order to prevent spread. Otherwise, I leave everything I can in order to provide a little extra shelter for the animals.
Pollinators, and providing them a space to thrive, is my main concern here. I carefully calculate the last day I mow for the season so there's enough debris on my lawn for pollinators to overwinter. Where I live we have almost 500 species of native bees. Pollinators don't just include bees though. Birds, bats, butterflies, moths, small mammals and so much more are included in that group. Anything that transports pollen grains from one place to another is considered a pollinator. Everyone always thinks about honey bees when thinking about pollinators. However, honey bees are too big to pollinate some plants. So it&aposs important to attract a variety of critters to your garden. By attracting pollinators you are able to attract to your garden you can expect not only higher yields, but a healthier ecosystem.
Honey bees in particular have a place in lore throughout history. Melissa is the Goddess of bees, in ancient Greece, Melissae were the priestesses in the Goddess temples. Bees have symbolism in ancient Egypt, during the Napoleonic Wars, as well as in western religious ideologies. (Hopkinson, 2020) While we recognize now the importance and inclusion of native pollinators, the symbol of the honey bee as the worker bee that keeps society going and allows us to survive is a strong visual reminder of their importance.
Skip that last lawn mowing. Leaves are not litter. They provide food and shelter to pollinators during the winter season. Consider the Melissae for a second when you work in your growing space and how you're carrying on their tradition. Let your reflections illuminate your spiritual path. Our practices may have changed. We may practice our spirituality different than those who came before us, but our intentions are still the same.
REFERENCES
Hopkinson, I. The representation and symbolc meaning of the honey bee through time. (September 1, 2020) Bee Culture: The Magazine of American Beekeeping. Retrieved from: Out of the Past | Bee Culture
Native bees. (2021) Retrieved from: Native Bees - Education (illinois.gov)
Pollinators need you. you need pollinators. (2021) Retrieved from: About Pollinators | Pollinator.org
Wheeler, J. Leave the leaves! (October 6, 2017) Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. Retrieved from: Leave the Leaves! | Xerces Society© Emily Beatrice
Emily Beatrice is a Priestess of the Order. She is currently enrolled in Level IV High Priestess training.
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OWM Awareness
We are thrilled to announce that Crystal Fire, of Dark Moon's Heart, has been elevated to the rank of Priestess. Please enjoy her beautiful project on the Black Madonna
On behalf of the Ordination Council of the Board of Directors, and the High Priestess Council, we are proud and honoured to announce that Sage Moonmaiden has been elevated to the rank of High Priestess and is now an Ordained Minister of the Order of the White Moon!!
On behalf of the Ordination Council of the Board of Directors, and the High Priestess Council, we are proud and honoured to announce that Emily Beatrice has been elevated to the rank of High Priestess and is now an Ordained Minister of the Order of the White Moon!!
We have had some changes to our Board of Directors. HP Sage Moonmaiden is now Vice President of Public Outreach for our Weekly Tarot Zodiac. HP Emily Beatrice is now Vice President of Public Outreach for Prayer Requests as well as the Editor in Chief of Seasons of the Moon. We are grateful to Sage and Emily and to all our Board Members for their dedication and service to the Order.
The Board decided to cancel our Annual Gemstone Exchange this year due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. We look forward to next year when we can, hopefully, resume this OWM tradition.
Wishing all the Blessings of the Season
HP Ajna DreamsAwakeWe are, of course, delighted to welcome our new students in Sacred Three, Moonlit Path, Peace Grove School, Pyramid of Light, 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!
For those who are not currently Sisters of the Order but would like to feel supported, we encourage you to visit OWM's website and submit a Prayer Request. This Public Outreach program is one of the ways that OWM gives back to the community. We offer prayers, distance healing, and loving support to members of public.
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.
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The Bardic Soul: Poetry and Song for the Spirit
All My Friends Are Really Witches
All my friends are really witches.
Contrary to thought they are not bitches.
They will keep you tied in stitches.
All my friends are really witches!Cauldrons and wands and a broomstick.
Rituals, spells and an incantation.
Herbs and oils, incense and brews.
Believing we do in reincarnation!Dancing wildly under a Full Moon.
Prayerfully talking to the Goddess.
Pentacles shining in the moonlight,
Under a shawl pinned to a black dress.All my friends are really witches.
Contrary to thought they are not bitches.
They will keep you tied in stitches!
All my friends are really witches!Eye of newt and adder's tongue,
Into the cauldron, that and more.
Cooking up something really yummy
That will stand you up or put you on the floor!Stereotypes aside, most are good.
Doing things to help and heal.
Caring for others is our trademark,
Knowing inside just what you feel.All my friends are really witches.
Contrary to thought they are not bitches.
They will keep you tied in stitches!
All my friends are really witches!© Peace Whitehorse, October 20, 2020
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All Hallow's Eve, or Halloween,
The highest day of all the year,
Samhain comes on sacred feet,
And Spirits unto us appear.The veil is at its thinnest now,
As in between the Worlds we stand.
With our dead we now commune,
Light the path and take the hand.Jack‐o‐lantern's ghoulish glow,
Trick‐or‐treaters in the night,
Mundane now is magickal,
And many things give us a fright!
Bring the last of produce in,
Fill the cellars, seal the jars.
Winter now around the corner,
Cold clear nights are filled with stars.Feast of the Dead or a Dumb Supper,
Welcome spirits to our homes,
Passing through to Summerland,
A place to rest their weary bones.Light the bonfires, warm the night,
Dance a jig to celebrate.
Spread the ashes, bless the land,
That next year's harvest may be great.Set a place at the harvest table
For your loved ones who have passed,
The final harvest is now gathered,
Earth and people rest, at last.© Peace Whitehorse, October 30, 2020
Peace Whitehorse is the founder of 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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Sometimes she sings loud
And seems too strong and proud.
But always, always singing sweet!1. When the thunder rolls
And flood rains drench the land,
We wonder why the Mother
Has to force her hand.
But after rain is sun
And after clouds a bow,
In every storm a reason
Greater than we know.
Sometimes she sings loud
And seems too strong and proud.
But always, always singing sweet!2. When death comes to call
And take our love away,
We wonder why the Mother
Couldn't let them stay.
But through the grief is peace
'Cause every part is whole.
We're safe within her keeping,
Every single soul.
Sometimes she sings loud
And seems too strong and proud.
But always, always singing sweet!3. When we&pos;re down so low
And cannot stand the hurt,
We wonder why the Mother
Lets us feel like dirt.
We ask her for a sign
Of all‐embracing Love,
Before, behind, within us,
Under and above.
So we can sing it loud,
Stand tall and strong and proud,
And always, always singing sweet!
Sing your Spirit loud,
Stand tall and strong and very proud,
And always, always singing sweet!To listen to Singing Sweet click here https://mysticalstrings.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/13-singing_sweet.mp3
© Crystal Spiritweaver
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I ground and ground and circle round.
On Mother Earth I'm safe and sound.
What felt so lost, within is found.
I ground and ground and circle round.I feel the Water, water well.
Emotions difficult dispelled,
A better story now to tell.
I feel the Water, water well.I know the flaming Fire's flame.
A transformation, not the same,
Destroying every fear and shame.
I know the flaming Fire's flame.The Air is fresh, refreshing mind,
And I am free, no more confined.
I work with Nature's great design.
The Air is fresh, refreshing mind.And Spirit makes my spirit soar!
Of Its foundation I am sure.
It manifests my Good and more,
For Spirit makes my spirit soar!I ground and ground and circle round.
On Mother Earth I'm safe and sound.
What felt so lost, within is found.
I ground and ground and circle round.To listen to The Magic Circle click here https://mysticalstrings.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/the_magic_circle.mp3
Instruments:
Earth: Terra chime and Rhythm Rock shaker
Water: Aqua chime and cowrie shell shaker
Fire: Ignis chime and myrtlewood shaker
Air: Aria chime and pear branch shaker
Spirit: Harmony Ball and Egg of Creation shaker© Crystal Spiritweaver
Crystal Spiritweaver is a student of Sacred Three Goddess School. She especially loves connecting with Goddess, Nature, and the Elements through sound healing, music, and poetry.
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Recipes Fit for a Goddess
- Ingredients
- 350 g (1½ cups) honey
- 250 g (1 cup) sugar
- 125 g (½ cup) butter
- 5 eggs
- 1 teaspoon cloves and cinnamon
- 1 knife point of Cardamom
- 1 pinch of salt and pepper
- 500 g (2 ¼ cups) flour
- 125 g (½ cup) grinded almonds
- 100g (⅓ cup) minced candied orange peel
- 200 g (¾ cup) minced candied lemon peel
- one table spoon water
- 15 g (1 ½ Tbsp) potash
Directions
In a medium pot over low heat blend in the honey, sugar, butter. When mixing, make sure the sugar melts completely. You can heat the sugar a bit with the honey and the butter.
Once the mixture has cooled, add the eggs.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, potash and the spices. Blend in the butter mixture to form the dough.
Add the almonds and candied fruits and, last but not least, the water.Put the dough in a muffin pan ‐ I have special muffin forms from my mother that were passed down to her from my grandma. They had been forged by my aunt's husband decades ago but regular muffin tins should work.
Bake them in a pre‐heated oven 180‐200°C (375°F) for 10‐15 minutes. Use a toothpick to see if the muffins are cooked through. If there is still dough stuck to the toothpick, leave them in a few more minutes. If it comes out clean, you can take them out. Allow to cool.
Enjoy!
© M)0(rrigan
M)0(rrigan is a Priestess of Morrigan, and a practitioner of Shamanism, Runes, Tarot and Usui Reiki. She is is a Level III Adept in the Sacred Three Goddess School
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Course: Dessert
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Cooling Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutesIngredients
- For the Cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 sticks unsalted butter
- 1½ cups buttermilk
- 1 cup hot chocolate
- ½ cup dark rum
- 1½ cups plus 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder divided
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1¾ cups brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- For the Rum Glaze:
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup rum
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- Special Tools:
- 15‐cup Bundt Pan
Instructions
- To make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray a 15‐cup bundt pan with baking spray, then dust with 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder; set aside.
- Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
- In a large saucepan set over medium heat, combine butter, buttermilk, hot chocolate, rum, cocoa powder, and spices. Heat until butter melts and all ingredients come together, then whisk in sugars, stirring until dissolved. Cool mixture for 5 minutes, then transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and vanilla extract, and add to cooled chocolate rum mixture, stirring until combined.
- Add flour mixture and stir until just combined ‐ batter will be rather thin but slightly lumpy/bubbly.
- Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake for 50‐60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted to the bottom comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 20‐30 minutes while you prepare the glaze.
- To make the glaze:
- In a small saucepan, dissolve brown sugar into cream over medium‐low heat. When combined, add rum and set heat to low. Allow to simmer until liquid is reduced and thickens. Add butter and stir to melt, then remove from heat.
- Using a skewer, poke multiple holes across the bottom of the cake. Spoon or brush buttered rum glaze on the cake, and allow to soak 5‐10 minutes, then repeat with more glaze two more times. Let cake soak & cool 20‐30 minutes.
- When cake is cooled, turn it out onto a cake plate. Brush top and sides of cake with remaining glaze, making multiple passes over it until it's all used up.
- Top with whipped cream or ice cream if desired before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Adapted from: The Crumby Kitchen© Dancing River
Dancing River has been committed to her spiritual path for over 15 years. She's in her 3rd year of studying with The Order. She's currently studying with the Dark Moon's Heart School.
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This is my favorite Fall recipe! Every year when the air gets a little cooler, and the days a little shorter, I get a craving for this comforting soup. It is a wholesome, healthful, and happens to be vegan, in case that is something that is important to you.
I hope you enjoy!
~iaret
-
You will need:
- 1 whole butternut squash
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 2 cups vegetable soup broth
- olive oil
- 1 shallot (largest you can find)
- 4 minced or crushed garlic cloves
- 1 tsp maple syrup (optional/if you prefer it a little sweeter)
- a pinch of nutmeg
- black pepper & salt
- soup pot
- blender
Directions
While preheating the oven to 425°F, split the squash in half, lengthwise and remove the seeds.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the squash halves on it.
Coat the insides with olive oil.Bake the squash until it is soft all the way through (40‐50 min), and then set it aside to cool.
Chop the shallot.
Warm up a tablespoon of olive oil in the pot.
Add the shallot and garlic and stir until golden.Put the shallot/garlic mix into the blender.
Spoon the flesh from the squash into the blender.
Add the almond milk, vegetable broth, and seasonings.
Blend until smooth.
Finish heating the soup in the soup pot (or allow it to heat through in the blender if you have that kind of blender).
Serves 4.
© Iaret HesetSekhmet
Iaret HesetSekhmet, is a Level II Initiate in Pyramid of Light Mystery School.
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Just for Fun
This Victorian tradition is a fun and simple project for the whole family.
- Supplies
- Pinecones, boughs and seed pods
- Bells
- Ribbon in festive colours (about 3 feet long for each hanger)
- Wire to fasten items together
Directions
Place a small bough on your work surface.
Place pinecones and seed pods, in cascading fashion, on top of the bough.
Using wire, fasten everything together.
Make a loop in the ribbon, big enough to go over a doorknob, and tie a knot in it.
Make a bow and add another knot just below it.
Fasten the bough/pinecones to the lower knot using wire.
Tie in the bells.
Hang them on doorknobs throughout the house.* Optional
Apply paint and/or glitter to the pinecones. Dry thoroughly before fastening them to the bough Tie in cinnamon sticks to the doorhanger for added flair© 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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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,
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