The Magic of Autumn and the Equinox

Fae Rings, Acorn Spells and Fiery leaf Falls; The Mysterious Magic of Autumn

"So here are you, and here am I,
Where we may thank our gods to be;
Above the earth, beneath the sky,
Naked souls alive and free.
The autumn wind goes rustling by
And stirs the stubble at our feet;
Out of the west it whispering blows,
Stops to caress and onward goes,
Bringing its earthy odours sweet.
See with what pride the the setting sun
Kinglike in gold and purple dies,
And like a robe of rainbow spun
Tinges the earth with shades divine.
That mystic light is in your eyes
And ever in your heart will shine."
The Pagan- George Orwell

The twilight of the year has finally approached. Day time shades of ruby reds, blazing oranges and sparkling golds bleed into midnight navies, inky blacks and iridescent silvers. The moon and sun greet and share the dominion of a darkening blue sky. People wander through a dream-like atmosphere whilst they remain awake and we know the time of the Equinox has come. We are betwixt and between, dancing a tightrope upon the day of balance, where fae and men gaze into the other's world through the murky autumn veil. Life and Death bow before life parts and Death takes the throne. The dreaminess is oppressive and beckons us to close our eyes and open our other, animals begin to den into hibernation and leaves descend in a carousel to the floor and leave twisty, spiralling, spiky trees.

Autumn is one of the most picturesque of seasons, laced with nostalgia it speaks of pumpkin spice, long nights, sweet sticky toffee apples, home made stew warm jumpers and wellies, assaults of crashing wind and heavy rain, splashing in puddles, kicking through leaves, fairy tales and early nights, bonfires and fireworks, a thinning veil and a feel of the people who have passed before. Autumn is a transitory time that symbolises transformation in itself in the most visually recognisable way. As a Pagan, one honours the cycles of life and death, and how they are paramount to existence and are a cosmic dance here upon earth, it is how Gaia rejuvenates herself and how we pass from one existence to the next in order to learn and grow; Therefore Autumn is perhaps one of, if not my most, favourite times of year. As a child I would be conflicted, one part of me would resent the coming shortness of nights meant I would have to be home earlier but another loved the extra hours of night as my imagination would come out to play more, and as an adult that part of me has never died.


Witchcraft and autumn seem to marry so easily when one conjures images of both witches and the seasons. As Mother Nature cleans house as dead leaves and plants fall and wilt and group together in the street, one then pictures a housewife, bent over her creaky brush sweeping the leaves and debris from her porch, not too dissimilar to the older crone and her broom as a symbol for a witch. The powerful and meaningful symbol of the Celtic cauldron, another common symbol of the witch,  also harbours images of Autumn too; collecting in food, root vegetables and boiling them in the pot to make substantial warming meals for the cold nights ahead.

 Autumn Fairy- Anne Stokes

Some NeoPagans and Wiccans celebrate the passing of the seasons for example the Wiccan Sabbats, also known as the Wheel of the Year. During this season the God in the form of the Oak King is sacrificed for the harvest, and in some traditions, the Holly King or the Dark God rules in his stead, therefore Autumn marks the succession, the passing from one rulership into the other.There are a few events in the season of Autumn including Mabon or Harvest Home, Feast of the Ingathering, a time of giving thanks for the harvest and for gathering new fruits of the season, and the last crops of summer and feasting in merriment. Oktoberfest took place in September another festival of drinking and feasting in merriment as well as Oschophoria, Ancient Greek festival rites held in honour of Dionysus (God of the Vine). The Norse festival of Fallfeast takes place in September and Winter Nights towards the end of Autumn. Modern Druids celebrate Alban Elfed and mark the balance between day and night, light and dark. The Christian festival of Michaelmas also occurs in Autumn and includes a lot of Pagan harvest themes such as corn dolls and harvest celebrations.

For personal craft now would be a good time to harvest natural ingredients and food from your own home if you are a gardener, or a good time to participate in home baking, experiment with breads, soups, stews, pies. The apple tree is sacred to Autumn so why not bake an Apple pie during this season and share it in festiviy? It is a season of transition so is time to get creative, sweep out and clean away the old in your home and decorate in crafty ways, use a lot of the falling foliage to make wonderful household designs from twigs, branches, acorns, nuts. towards Halloween carve your own Jack-o-Lantern with pumpkin or be extra traditional and use turnip! As Harvest is a time of celebration to wine deities why not try brewing your own mead or do some wine tasting, be merry and thankful for all you have received so far in the year. Collect some acorns, they are of the Oak which is a sacred tree connected to the God who is in his transition during Autumn so use acorns to attract good luck and fairy blessings.

Autumn is also the time for introspection. The veil is said to thin during this time and the Otherworld becomes more tangible. In mythology the Goddess descends into the underworld. In Sumerian the Goddess Inanna journeys into the underworld and so the world starts to wither and nothing grows until she ascends back and so the world is brought back to life and Spring has arrived. Similarly in Greek mythology Persephone a young fertile Goddess is kidnapped to the underworld by Hades and her Mother Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest and grain, mourns her daughter and so the earth is no longer bountiful. An agreement is made with Hades that Persephone can return to the world each year but she must return back to him for a time. When she returns the earth is fertile again and so we have the cycles of Spring and Autumn.

So as the nights get darker there is more time for rumination and meditation. It is a time to venture into the darkest parts of our mind, as Persephone and Inanna venture into the underworld, we should journey into our subconscious, and reflect on the lessons there, what in life can we give up on which no longer serves us? What can nourish us in the coming year? What have I learned this year? How can I grow? Use this time of year to learn much about yourself and your emotions and connect to the darker, or underworld deities that guide this darker half of year, and honour your own life and death cycle of inner and outer transformation. Be creative and use these reflections to inspire stories, painting, designing, sewing, anything that gets your inner artsy juices flowing. Why not try scrying? A pool, a bowl of water, crystals even a mirror are all good focus points to allow the mind to concentrate, focus and eventually lose sense of the material world to journey into the next to gain lessons and visions from the Otherworld. Always remember to ground yourself first! I like to visualise roots growing from my feet and reaching down through the floor and tying to the earth's core so I can feel Mother Earth's energy channeling through the roots into my veins and know that I am safe and rooted to the earth.

As the boundaries between here and the Otherworld breakdown towards the end of Autumn, culminating in Samhain, when the ancestors walk among us, use this time of year to honour your family, your ancestors, give thanks that you are here because of them and try connecting with their energies and have a feel of them. Why not make an ancestor shrine? Light a candle on Samhain and guide them home. Spend time with your relatives, especially the older ones and learn some family stories about the past, honour your lineage, and immortalise them into the stories we pass on.

Take this time to walk in nature, use the solemn solitary atmosphere of Autumn to connect with the spirits of the land, the fae, the ancestors of the Land, and sit out beside them in their energies. Leave some offerings giving thanks, home baked offerings are great for Autumn, some cakes or baked bread. Find some fairy rings and leave offerings, get to know the spirits around them. Pay attention to the birds you see, the animals that cross your path, signs or unusual feelings you feel, get to know spirit, during this time of year our perception opens so much more so you may find the spirit world seems more vocal!

I hope this article has inspired your love for autumn and given you some crafty Fall ideas!
Many Blessings!
Freya Rose
)O(
https://www.facebook.com/TheGoddessPage/

"Thou comest, Autumn, heralded by the rain, 

With banners, by great gales incessant fanned, 

Brighter than brightest silks of Samarcand, 

And stately oxen harnessed to thy wain! 

Thou standest, like imperial Charlemagne, 

Upon thy bridge of gold; thy royal hand 

Outstretched with benedictions o'er the land, 

Blessing the farms through all thy vast domain! 

Thy shield is the red harvest moon, suspended 

So long beneath the heaven's o'er-hanging eaves; 

Thy steps are by the farmer's prayers attended; 

Like flames upon an altar shine the sheaves; 

And, following thee, in thy ovation splendid, 

Thine almoner, the wind, scatters the golden leaves!"

Autumn- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Summer Solstice and My Relighting the Sun Within

The Summer Solstice: The Zenith of the Sun and the Return of the Blogger

The Summer Solstice is vast approaching and I realise I have not written in a long time. It has been a long, dark time of mourning, betwixt the Wolf Moon of January and the Snow Moon of February, I quickly and unexpectedly lost the great Pillar Stone of my life, my patriach, my earth and solar king whom I had loved, and loved me deeply, and raised me from when I was but a seedling, to the woman I am today, with his gentle nature and the care of a wise old gardener, a brilliant father figure, he was both my grandfather and my father, my hero. What I knew of the world, and my safety within it, was put to rest the moment he took his last breath and in the time of darkness and recluse for the soul, the animal world, my Grandad's spirit went into hibernation, like the sun, he was in the depths below the horizon, and I was left to fend, adapt and grow in the winter of these months.

Summer Solstice, also known as Litha, marks Midsummer and is both the longest day and shortest night of the year. To Neopagans the Sun God is at the height of his virility and the Goddess is pregnant with child. The solstice is a joyous celebration of cycles, the sun rises and sets each day, and each year we mark the passage of the seasons and will flourish in times of abundance and strive through times of hardship and cold nights. The Goddess will again rebirth the Sun God after he perishes and abdicates his throne to his brother the Holly King, and we will soon be celebrating the zenith of the sun again. 

Two things can be symbolised with the journey of the sun and both have a personal significance with this time in my life and the lessons I have been reminded recently, as it will for many for it is the true gift of life. The first is the eternity of the soul and the passage of life with the threefold birth-death-rebirth. The sun guides us through the day and illuminates the vivid world around us  in effervescent green and blues, nourishes the ground and feeds the plant world and revitalises the animal kingdom before it sets below the horizon and plunges us into darkness leaving us to the mercy of predators. The void and darkness hints at death in our psyche, our beloved sun who provides life is lost and nowhere to be found, and there are dangers unfortold to us as we can not see them edging around the corner without light and our life can end in a moment. As humans we fear death, the ending of our short sacred time upon earth, but the ever return of the sun offers us our security, our assurance that things can return after disappearing, that things can pass on and exist elsewhere in our cosmos. The same is true with seasons, there is a poetic beauty in spring time with fresh new blossoms, baby animals, the flux between spring rain and sunshine and then summer is full of power, promise, ecstaticness, the oak is a deep green, the grass is vibrant, the sunset is full of colour and life is at its fullest.  But like all things must they start to dwindle in autumn, the leaves age and go through a fiery montage of colour, red, brown, orange, yellow, before the branches are left bare. Animals hibernate and as the rough winter approaches only the evergreens remain and life is lucky to survive the harsh  cold temperatures. 

But there lies the miracle of life, when all things seem lost, when hope has drained, when our vegetation has died and our sun seems to have eluded us, hope raises its glorious face and breaches the clouds and a new season, a new dawn, a new sun emerges once more and life on earth rejoices and is fertilised. We celebrate the Goddess and the God as they walk amongst the earth throughout our year, and give us the gift of life and spirit, we know these forces will guide and nurture our souls through this life and the lessons they teach assure us there will be a next for all things return to earth and arise from again.

The second symbol of solstice is the ascent of consciousness for as the sun reaches its zenith, so too is the mind and soul uplifted. It is believed the sun can act as a gateway between worlds and as it reaches its peak in the skies souls look upwards and aspire to journey from this world into the beyond. 

Solstice is a fire festival, fire being the element symbolising spirit and ascension, and many ancient cultures marked the solstice with monuments aligning to highlight the rising of the summer sun at olstice. Bonfires are lit, wheels burned and a procession of lanters are traditional celebrations of the solstice and to brighten ones inner and outer light. The solstice is also a favoured time for weddings, a fertile month, taking place in June, named after Juno the Roman patron of Marraige. 

My faith wavered earlier this year, but as the sun started to ascend towards spring time a slight feeling of joy was rekindled when I walked through his garden, the ghost of him hanging flowers, tending to saplings, a living icon of the Green Man himself to me, like a child I watched bewildered and the memories of my Grandad and his green thumb started to take life as the bird song returned and I cherished the gentle gardener teaching me how to grow sunflowers, the attention he paid to seeds, watering them, talking to them, rotating them indoors and outdoors to maintain the correct temperature, not too hot, not too cold, and all the time he smiled at me, he was letting me know for things to grow and flourish one must care for them, be attentive, guide them, as the sun does for all life, as the Green Man tends the forest and the Goddess tends all living things. I started to hear his voice, he began to reappear in dreams as the sun broke through the windows. And slowly but surely this empty shell of a girl started to find herself again. Now the summer has returned and the Sun is reaching its zenith, and though I doubted shortly, my belief has returned again. 

Today, clearing out his greenhouse to make space for tomato plants that he had ordered before christmas, we found a growbag at the back, abandoned in a corner, from a few summers past. It should have been withered like the others, old, dead, unwatered and threw in a corner away from the sun, a rare thing as it was considering he used to throw out the contents of the bag and renew them the next year, we found it bursting with forming perennial plants, a living symbol of the return of life. Although we could not see him, although he wasn't physically tending his garden, his nature, his spirit, has and will return again, the summer sun renewing its life.

 I know now, like the deities that guide us in spirit world, my Grandad walks hand in hand beside me, whispering to me, still tending to me like the Gentle Gardener he is, like the Green Man, and that like all things, he may have perished but he awaits the next step in the Grand cycle, rebirth, and that maybe not in this life, soon I will see him again and hug him once more. The sun will shine down again, Summer has returned. And will return.

In Loving Memory of a Gentle Giant x

Wolf Moon Ritual

Wolf Moon- Full Moon Ritual

Also known as: Chase Moon, Moon of Little Winter, Cold Moon, Snow Moon, Quiet Moon

Today is the full moon of January, 2017. It is known as the Wolf moon in Native American tradition as this moon would appear in a time of winter and scarcity and the wolves could be heard howling outside of Native American Settlements. There is plenty of associations of wolves and the more in folklore and mythology, most notable the lore of the werewolf turning man into wolf.

A January moon speaks of new beginnings, protection, new intentions, manifesting your new goals. Now is the time to act for change. This is a good time to meditate, visualise whom you want to become and what change you wish to see in your life or in the world. 

Now is a significant time to make change for the Moon is in Cancer, a water sign (like the moon), governed by the moon, making the timing more significant, which governs emotions and healing and meditation making this a great time for learning lessons, healing wounds, transmuting your emotions, and manifesting new beginnings as in numerology 2017 is a time of a big shift, a new transition, a new beginning for many so the time for change, for manifestation is definitely now so fix your intentions and manifest change!

The day of this moon is Thursday, Thors-day, governed by Jupiter it is a time of goal setting, prosperity, achieving your intentions and action so use this active, achieving energy to increase the power of your spell.

Full  moon magic is great for spiritual magic, enhancing psychic abilities, dream walking or achieving lessons in dreams, meditations, divination and a great time to direct energy into those things which are priority like careers, or healing. The moon in cancer makes great nurturing energy so healing will be in abundance.

For my full moon ritual I placed corresponding icons on my altar including Thor, for the day of the week, and the Goddesses linked to the moon, Artemis and Isis, which I felt would assist me in my healing and in manifesting my aspirations. I put a statue of the wolf on my altar paying homage to the totem animal and its energies along with white candles to manifest the healing energies of the moon. I had a vessel of moon water, water which I had blessed and left outside to soak in some moonlight, for anointing, cleansing and as an offering to Lady Moon, Selene, Isis. 

I included a prayer to wolf, and a reading of the love between wolf and moon to fit with the Native American Lore and to get in the spirit of the "wolf moon", I also included an incantation of the Lunar Queen from one of my favourite oracle decks the Isis Oracle deck by Alana Fairchild.

Incantation of The Lunar Queen by Alana Fairchild

The Lunar Queen Lady Isis, Goddess of Night,

Help me now to follow the neutral Light,

Of the Shining Moon in all her flow

I release force and fear, help me let go

Guided by the Full Moon Now I am open to receive great boon

**(please note the incantation actually says Crescent moon but I have adapted it for this incantation)**

 

To close the ceremony I made my offering to the earth and the moon and then (as funny as it is ^_^) howled at the moon in the spirit of the wolf.

Here is a little list of Wolf Moon correspondence and some information on the wolf totem:

Correspondences

Animals: Fox, Coyote, Wolf

Colours: Black, blue-violet, brilliant white

Deities: Chang-O, Freyja, Hera, Inanna, Sarasvati, Artemis, Selene, Isis, Nature Spirits

Flowers: Crocus, Snowdrop, Thistle, Nuts, Willow

Stones: Selenite, Moonstone, Opal, Garnet, Jet, Onyx

"To understand totem wolf symbols, one must first understand the heart of the Wolf. This takes time because the Wolf has had to endure many false stereotypes, misconceptions and misunderstandings.
Not at all the picture of ferocity or terror, the Wolf is a creature with a high sense of loyalty and strength. Another misconception is that of the "lone wolf." To the contrary, the Wolf is actually a social creature, friendly, and gregarious with its counterparts.
The Wolf is an incredible communicator. By using touch, body movements, eye contact as well as many complex vocal expressions - the wolf makes his point understood. Those with totem wolf symbols are of the same inclination - they are expressive both vocally and physically. Those who have the wolf as their totem animal are naturally eloquent in speech, and also have knack for creative writing" Sourced from: http://www.whats-your-sign.com/totem-wolf-symbols.html

Full moon blessings!

Freyja Rose )O(

Journeying with the Scarlet Goddess

The Lantern Light Down a Winding Road

 

What follows is a series of images I received whilst gazing at a chalice of water, perhaps it is simply a meditation, perhaps it was water scrying, perhaps I just have a vivid imagination but the images were so striking, colourful and vibrant they have imprinted on my mind's eye, and there they shall remain. I have been inspired to share these with you and hope you shall enjoy.

The way the light refracts into seven rays, red, orange, yellow, blue, green, indigo and violet, around the rim of the glass is the first thing to catch my attention and then I am drawn to the small stream of bubbles, rising in dancing glee, and popping at the surface. It's a calming sight, and one that adds a merry persona to the spirit of water sprites. 

Through a bubble I see a gold light distort and suddenly it is as if I am gazing at the sun and so the vision begins. The sun becomes partially obscured as if a bird has flew in front and then I am focused on a swan in flight, a beautiful, graceful bird of pure white. The sky starts to darken and the sun turns into a moon in the background and the swan becomes a deep scarlet red. My eyes blur as the wings continue to move in rhythmic motion and then the swan disperses into mist, becoming red bubbles itself. I watch as these bubbles drift on the wind across the starry sky lit by silver moonlight and slowly fall merrily towards earth. They float across a dark forest, the tips of the spiky trees glowing like silver cones, and my gaze focuses on a winding forest road breaking through the trees and a warm fiery light comes into view. The bubbles gather together around the fire light and form a woman cloaked in a red robe walking towards me holding her lantern outright. 

Her eyes are dark and piercing and her hair a deep red. She has a presence, the earth kisses her feet as she walks and the animals and stars stare in adoration, she has seen a thousand suns and is upon the breath of every spoken and unspoken word. She is beauty, grace and strength. Wild and majestic but graceful and regal. She is the blood of the moon and our cycles and the soul at the center of rubies. She has a twinkle in her eye and a smile teases across her lips as she holds her finger to her mouth as we stare at each other motioning for me to still, shush and pay attention.

She holds the lantern to me and the lantern explodes into the image of a phoenix, the phoenix calls, rises and creates an ouroborus around us, binding me to her before the flames engulf one another and a ring of ash settles upon the floor. The woman stays alight, the fires of enlightenment burning within her and casting a golden glow.

Before my eyes I see the burning rune Kenaz, the rune of "torch", enlightenment. As it clears and I try to focus on her suddenly her head splits into twelve lions, staring off into different directions and from her cloak three black wolves step out, one directly in front of, and one either side of her and a snake coils from her feet and winds around her, circling her, hissing as the lions roar. The wolves howl, their calls reaching the moon and I feel it reverberate into my bones, they chorus an ancient song, one I do not know the words of, as the Goddess' face returns and her fingers dip into the soil, they emerge soaked in blood and she reaches forward, drawing a ring upon, in the center of my forehead, as if I am being anointed, reborn, initiated into her mysteries. Her body ripples as I am suddenly staring at her reflection upon the black waters of a river. The wind carries ashes around me and they descend upon the waters as in the reflection the goddess turns and departs through a set of heavy doors, down into the underworld.

The vision ends.

I am sure there are many layers and interpretations to this vision, spiritual, historical, folklore and I know I have not learned or know them all yet but I do know this vision teaches me to step into my self worth and my own divinity, I have been gifted with time upon this earth and whilst I am here it is my duty to look after her for she is sacred. I know it reminds me the Goddess was worshiped in many ancient cultures and she is still active in this world today. It teaches me to not fear, but explore the darkness, both externally, and in my subconscious as that is where the true mysteries lie. It teaches me that cycles and mankind are sacred and that we should all live in harmony with nature. And furthermore she invites me to delve deeper, develop a more personal connection with her and continue to meditate, to learn the ways of the old.

If anyone has more interpretations they could offer or have some information on any of the images please feel free to comment, message or even go direct to my facebook page and contact me there! Or if you have had any of your own experiences I would love to hear so please share and comment! Thanks and blessings to you all!

 https://www.facebook.com/TheGoddessPage/

Freya Rose

)O(

Ode to the Moon

Anqet, Goddess of the Nile by Thornerose, http://www.deviantart.com/art/Anqet-Goddess-of-the-Nile-58549051

Luna, The mysterious magical Queen of the Night,

Mistress of the skies and Divine Empress of the Heavens.

The Sun rises and falls to your embrace.

You are the great guider of knowledge,

the natural magicks and sacred waters of this earth.

You who flows through my blood

with each pass of every month and

whom opens the pinecone of my sight, my third eye,

you who darkens and descends

only to rise again each time in splendid glory

and guide me through the universe.

You guide my rhythms and I rejoice in the synchronistic dance

as you cleanse my body and soul of impurities.

You are sacred, blessed and beautiful.

To you we offer ourselves.

May we stay in the eternal fountain of your nourishment and grace.

Goddess of the Moon  by Christy Tortland, https://www.instagram.com/christytortland/ or https://www.facebook.com/christytortland/

For an ode to venus on my other blog, visit: http://thegoddesscave.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/ode-to-venus.html

The Calling of the Dark Goddess

Descent to the Stars Within: The Song of Hecate . Based on personal meditations.

Image Source

She calls you in the dead of night, the rhythmic drumming of her words penetrate deep into the rivers of your veins. She flows within you, is behind your every thought, is the power behind your very breath and you cannot escape her. She lies within the dark of your cells, the blankets of your thoughts, within the very current which keeps your body living. She can be found in the darkest bowels of the earth, Gaia's womb, and her hands reach up from its chambers and yearn to hold you, to take you to her, to claim you, she beckons you within, to journey down the river Styx.

You fear her call, try to ignore her voice, you don't want to listen to her. You fear the unknown, the darkness, what may lie within, the absence of light, of knowing, of being, you are safe and secure in your ignorance, you don't want to listen because you know she is change. She will call you to see your truths, you know acknowledging her will bring a change that cannot be stopped, cannot be ignored, and is in fact inevitable. This change involves standing up and facing your true self, looking upon the person you are meant to be, meant to become, shredding self hate and embracing your true self, loving it, hugging it, for this self is a gift granted to you by the Goddess, she has made you that way, sculpted you that way and anything less is not authentic, anything else is shunning that birth right you hold within your hands. She makes you face up to excuses and your denial, she will show you reality, the life you are meant to lead, the courage you should carry in your footsteps and just how far you are falling short.

She will present you with courage, with knowledge, with the power to stand astride the earth and she will want you to embrace it! She wants you to be wild and free, to run with wolves, with the heartbeat of ocean waves and the sound of thunder in your steps. She wants you to turn your back on former knowledge, on people's opinions, on old paradigms, and reign with majesty like the royalty you are! You know the darkness beckons because within there is the power you are yet to grasp, the light of knowledge, of divinity. Within your heart is the sun and within your womb the moon and the Goddess is the gravity that guides your cosmic dance, for every person is a star, and you, child need to shine!

You will arise with blood on your hands and gold within your womb, you will arise with eyes so dark from gazing upon the blackest night, you will arise with wings and horns, the majesty of dark and light. You will arise divine, fit to walk side by side, hand in hand with She Who Is the Universe. A fine representative of the Goddess, like Kings and Queens of Old.

Follow the curls of the ivy, the grain of the stone, the winding root of the yew, follow the bubbles of the meandering stream, follow the hum into the damp cavern, follow the hornet into its nest, follow the wolf into its den. Follow your heart into the Goddess.