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

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

A Capricorn Ritual

A Ritual Honoring Capricorn

Stars have been a guide for centuries to mankind, people have studied them, stood in awe of them, as they shine marvelously above us, they guided the Egyptian souls of the dead, the three wise men to the stable of Bethlehem, inspired men such as Nostradamus and John Dee on their magical endeavors and influence our daily lives, we are even said to be made of star dust. 

A few weeks ago I posted my Sagittarius ritual, now that we are in the sign of Capricorn, and will soon be transitioning into Aquarius in a few weeks, I will share some ideas on a ritual to honour Capricorn, based on a little of what I did.

Capricorn is an earth deity so spell works involving prosperity, wealth, stability, security, banishing, protection, grounding, fertilitiy, employment, healing or working with earth elementals are all strengthened when the sun is in this constellation. If you plant herbs, now would be a good time to bless those that are planted at this time of the year.

When it comes to Zodiac work, I advocate going outdoors and soaking up some star magic, it will help balance and cleanse your energies and root you to the earth whilst your mind expands into the celestial. If you can set your altar up out there and perform the whole ritual outdoors that is great! If not just include the journey outdoors or back inside ceremonially, make it part of the ritual or dedication.

I placed nature Gods on my altar, namely Cernunnos and Dionysus, and the Goddess Artemis and Persephone, Persephone was special as we had just reached Yuletide, the changing from one season to another as the blessed sun returns, and were also headed towards a new year. Stones I included were black garnet, snowflake obsidian, onyx, jet, tourmaline. Black stones, dark, introspective, grounding and earthly like the energy of Capricorn.

Capricorn is a dark and introspective being, it teaches us the benefits of meditation when it comes to inner knowing, it teaches us that the mastery of the self is hard work, takes dedication, persistent, that we must overcome trials in order to achieve completion. That nothing is gained without effort. It teaches us to start new projects and to commit wholly to them, to look after Mother earth and our home space, to live in synchronicity with nature.

For my spell I asked for the strength to break old habits, I wrote these down on paper, I also asked to heal my body, I asked for direction as I am lacking and for my hard work to finally pay off as well as some security for the new year. I thanked the Gods and Goddesses for the gifts I have received this year and how much I have achieved, I asked for healings for my friends and family.

For a dedication I used an Orphic hymn to Dionysus, one that teaches us to value the Gods and pay them our respects, where Dionysus turns some pirates into dolphins for not recognizing him, and paying him the respect due of a God. I found this hymn appropriate for Capricorn to wishes us to respect the earth and our place upon it, to recognize where we stand that we must respect the spirits of the land and the stars for they gift us our circumstances. I also found the reference to dolphins and the sea fitting in a ritual for the sea-goat Capricorn.

When I was outside meditating under the constellation for the ritual, thinking of the creature, part sea like and part land, I thought about the stability and depth of the earth and the strength and vastness of the sea, and how that is mirrored in the heavens above us. I then proceeded to plant my intentions which I had written on paper in the northern most pat of the garden, corresponding to the element of earth and therefore of Capricorn.

At the end of the spell I closed the circle and drew a pentacle across myself, not only is it protective, it is also compared to a goat head, whom I can rightly associate with Capricorn for this spell.

This is partial extracts of what I did, meant only as a guide or to inspire some ideas on how you too could do a spell or ritual to Capricorn. Hope it has helped!

Capricorn  by Noomxbass, http://noomxbass.deviantart.com/art/Capricorn-176450431

Freyja Rose 

)O(

Zodiac Magic: Capricorn Correspondence

Capricorn: Magic, Meaning, Correspondence

Capricorn  by Noomxbass, http://noomxbass.deviantart.com/art/Capricorn-176450431

Capricorn: The Sea Goat

Capricorn is the tenth sign in the zodiac, the constellation it originates from is Capricornus. It corresponds to the celestial longitute at 270-300 degrees. The symbol is based on the primal religion of Sumerian, specifically their God Enki, with the upper part of the body portrayed as a goat and the tail of a fish. It became known as Ea later in Babylonian and Akkadian religion. Enki was the God of intelligence, creation, crafts, magic, waters and water sources.

Dates: December 21- January 19

Degree: 270- 300

Element:: Earth

Ruling planet: Saturn

Quality: Cardinal

Feminine

Tarot Card: The Devil

Day of the week: Saturday

Metal: Lead

Colours: Black, indigo, Grey, Dark brown and green

Stones: Jet, Onyx, Hematite, Tourmaline, Obsidian, Black garnet, Turquoise

Plants: Pansy, ivy, red and black poppy, hellsbane, willow, pine, elm, yew, aspen, poplar, cypress, spruce, thistle, pine, root of all plants, hyacinth, onion

Incense: Musk, opium, frankincense, carnation, comfrey, thistle

Animals: Dog, goat, donkey, pigs, cloven foot animals

Deities: Set, Pan, Hermes, Vesta, Bacchus, Dionysus, Cernunnos, Baphomet, Persephone, Demeter, Diana

Altar Decorations: Antlers, wooden animals, black altar cloth, pentacles/pentagrams, stags, gems, black or dark purple or dark green candles, eath, soil, roots

Capricorn is the goat of stability, aspiration and introspection, being ruled by saturn, Capricorn magic will be about grounding oneself, setting goals and intentions, banishing negativity and bad habits to find security and stability. It is a dark feminine sign so introspection will be increased to transform oneself, meditate and practice one's own magical abilities.

Freya Rose

)O(

Zodiac Magic: Sagittarius Correspondence

Sagittarius: Magic, Meaning, Correspondence

Zodiac: Sagittarius, by Anja Uhren, http://anja-uhren.deviantart.com/, https://www.facebook.com/AnjaUhrenIllustration/?fref=ts

This was originally posted on Wordpress but I decided to share it here too!

For those of you who do not know me I practice magic and spells regularly and also have a fascination with the stars and astrology, as people practice wheel of the year I also like to do an ode to the zodiacs so this is just a little info article on some ideas and attributions to Sagittarius in case anyone else is interested. I will try and do this for each zodiac sign as we rotate through them.

Sagittarius: The Archer

Sagittarius is the 9th astrological sign in the zodiac. It is represented as a centaur, and named the archer after Ares' mentor in archery, the Greek centaur. The centaur is both a healer and a hunter. The sign's symbol is also a bow and arrow.

Dates: November 22- December 21

Degree: 240-270

Element: Fire

Ruling Planet: Jupiter

Quality: Mutable

Masculine

Tarot Card: Temperance

Day of the Week: Thursday

Metal: Tin

Colours: Red, Crimson, Purple

Stones: Turqoise, Sapphire, Amethyst, Lapis Lazuli, Diamond, Topaz

Plants: Ash, Oak, Chestnut, Dandellions, Vine, Moss, Carnation, Sage, Pink Clover, Wallflower, Pimpernal, Rush, Mulberry

Incense: Cinnamon

Animals: Mare, Centaur, Lion, Eagle, Peacock

Anatomy: Liver, Hips, Thighs, Pelvis

Deities: Nephthys, Apollo, Thor, Artemis, Diana, Vishnu, Ares, Zeus, Fortuna, Tyche

Altar decorations: Horses, Athame, Arrow, Compass, Jupiter symbolism, cinnamon sprig, corresponding gem stones, red or purple altar cloth. Red or purple candles.

Sagittarius magic could concern travel, as Sagittarius is an adventurer. The archer is about focus so Sagittarius magic would be good for setting your goals and intentions, and draw upon the energy for much needed focus. Sagittarius is also concerned with Alchemy, Higher Learning, Philosophy, After life, Psychic awareness, so all magic involving transmutation, self improvement, increasing abilities or awareness, communicating with the afterlife or nature spirits. Sagittarius is also a fire sign so magic including sex magic, protection (for the centaur/archer is also a hunter and protector) and banishment, and purification. Sagittarius is also a healer so all healing magics can be performed.

Freya Rose

)O(

A Sagittarius Ritual

A Sagittarius Ritual

Zodiac: Sagittarius, by Anja Uhren, http://anja-uhren.deviantart.com/, https://www.facebook.com/AnjaUhrenIllustration/?fref=ts

I have recently started another blog on wordpress too, simply because I am finding other blogs on that site a bit easier than blogspot at the moment so I will post similar articles on there, occasionally the same, if one takes more traffic and the other fails I will move everything over probably but for now, head over to the wordpress blog and check it out ^_^ https://wordpress.com/stats/insights/goddesscavern.wordpress.com

I am a witch who pays particular attention to the movement of the stars and the celestial energies and dieties attributed with them. As witches we are interested in the organic mother earth around us, and we aim to live in tune with her rhythms, however I also believe by aligning ourselves to the movements of the stars and planets we are aligning ourselves with both the earthly and celestial movements. We can embody the maxim "As Above So Below", and live between here and the veil beyond. So with each passing of the Zodiac I like to do a little ceremony to the cheif of that astrological energy. Currently we are in the constellation of Sagittarius, the Centaur, a healing, focused, direct and purifying energy. Its ruling planet Jupiter and its element fire, Sagittarius is an active energy which can purge away the old and bring in the new, the sign that heralds the coming of Yule, the rebirth of the Oak King, the beginning of a new year, new opportunites, new chances, a chance to change and do away with what no longer serves us! Especially after the dark introspective summoning of the Scorpio passing.

This post is a brief breakdown of a Sagittarius ritual, in case somebody else needs any ideas. For some info on correspondence use or altar ideas visit: https://goddesscavern.wordpress.com/2016/12/03/sagittarius/ 

  

 Sagittarius by  Blackbehemot, http://blackbehemot.deviantart.com/art/Sagittarius-519527203

The Ritual

After preparing my altar I would protect my sacred space. For example use white sage to smudge, especially considering sage is a correspondending plant of sagittarius.

I would then open the circle and invite positive energies, these can be anything, Gods/Goddesses,  angels, nature spirits, and for this ritual the energies of the starsign Sagittarius to come and bless the sacred space and participate in the magic.

I would set my intentions, I decided to do a bit of healing, I also needed to set some goals and invoke more will power to stay focused, and ask for some mental clearing. (Sagittarius is also a sign of spirit and higher learning). So I set my goals down on a piece of paper. The list was in order of priority and then performed a little mantra:

Like a swift, blazing arrow,
I release my goals from its bow,
I will manifest the change I need to be.
Succeeding in the next year, so mote it be!

It's small and not really good, but it doesnt have to be! I then burnt the paper over a candle and placed in an offering bowl along with some cinnamon.

I then went out and stood under the stars, pictured the centaur galloping in the sky, carrying my intentions with him before placing my offering into the soil of my garden and going back inside.

I read out a dedicated poem, an ode to the centaur/Sagittarius.

I closed the ritual by thanking the energies involved, the Gods/Goddesses I had also called upon to witness the ritual and help manifest the change I am willing. Then finally cast my circle closed.

This is brief and there are my own personal flourishes I do within the ritual but these are personal to me, this is just meant as a skeleton to give you some ideas on how to perform your own.

The Zodiac, Sagittarius by KAGAYA, http://kagayastudio.narod.ru/the_zodiac/

Freya Rose

)O(

Hello And Welcome: About me and this blog

Hello And Welcome!

"How do you know I’m mad?” said Alice.
“You must be,” said the Cat, “or you wouldn’t have come here."- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland- Lewis Carroll

 

 I hope for this blog to be not only an imaginative magical den for all my thoughts, speculations and discussions on pagan, magical, spiritual subjects and an exploration of witchcraft, but inspiration, a helping hand or even an interesting rest stop for all of you along your own path ^_^

About Me:

I am Freya Rose, a witch, a pagan, a childlike mind stuck in an ageing body, with a fascination with writing, stories, reading, adventures, magic, unicorns, nature, animals, botanicals, music and anything that fulfills the soul.

The pantheon I pay homage to has deities from different cultures, for I believe as a nomadic species there is something to be gained from connecting to the dieties and cultures of different lands, I also mix a tiny bit of Abrahamic religions in, I believe in angels, demons, or perhaps negative energies, and evil and good. I respect everyone has different opinions and do not seek to persuade anyone so I hope the same respect can be reserved for me.

Feel free to browse my essays, thoughts, speculations, rituals, spells, guides and whatever weird and crazy articles I post whenever I get round to finishing them and hope they please you as much as they have me experiencing and writing them!

Blessings on your travels!  )O(