"So mote it be!"
GREETINGS & BLESSINGS!
We are all however, one particular thing....we are people who CARE about all Colors, Creeds, Races, Religions and Sexual Preferences.We don't give a diddly damn if you are rich, broke, skinny to the bone, large bodied, have a disease, married, hooked up, or a One-Person Family!
What we do care about is helping others, loving as many people as we can in our lifetimes, being kind and compassionate and maybe supplying you with a laugh or a shiny pearl of wisdom!Come on in! Have a cuppa coffee, tea, a beer, a drink, a cola, hot cocoa...or a joint.
Welcome to thee all and lets have a great time, working and playing, laughing, crying, casting spells and learning from each other, every day!!
Kay (Star)
With the promise of spring and rebirth in the air, you may want to include a statue of the Goddess on your altar. Red, pink and brown, or yellow and gold candles are appropriate. Use a small set of lights to brighten your altar and acknowledge the fire festival. You can include a small bowl of seeds and sprouts as a symbol of fertility and rebirth.
You can decorate your altar in fresh spring flowers, adding a heavenly fragrance. Also a nest which you might have found, or any hand made nest would be nice to put your dyed eggs into. Pastel colors are nice, also green, yellow and gold, to honor the Goddess of fertility.
This is a time for flowers, lots of them, picked by you or bought, any flowers will do. Beltane is a great fire festival, so a group of candles on your altar bunched together in warm colors such as red, green or pink would be nice to substitute for a small fire. You might also want to include images of the sex organs, this doesn't have to be graphic, it can be a phallic rock and a creviced stone, or flowers, or a yin-yang symbol.
Sun images made by your children or by yourself. Some sort of fire on your altar is important, use candles or votives. Use fresh fruits as a reminder of the earth's bounty. Use flowers of gold, orange and yellow, roses are traditional also. A symbol or picture of Earth on your altar is a gentle reminder to honor Her.
To celebrate the harvest, a loaf of bread hand made by the entire family is a nice centerpiece on the altar, surrounded by harvest figures. Add a wooden bowl filled with fruits and vegetables to show a bountiful harvest.
The Samhain altar becomes a shrine to our beloved who have passed on. You may want to drape your altar in black cloth. To honor those who've passed on, you may want to place their pictures or mementos on your altar. You also may want to place candy on your altar as offering to all of the children who have passed on. Symbols of the season such as pumpkins and autumn leaves, apples and nuts. You might also want to put a bowl of water on your altar for scrying.
Most of us enjoy this time of year for the beauty of the fall colors and the energy felt in the cool air, which seems to put an added perk in our steps. It can be great fun hunting for just the right harvest symbols. Your altar is a great place for fruits such as squash and apples set in an old wooden bowl, you will also want to add pomegranate, in association with Persephone. Decorate your altar with orange, brown and yellow, using candles, fruits, corns, etc. Also you might want to add a bowl of water, since Autumn is associated with water, emotion and relationship. Keep in mind that this same bowl of water can be used for scrying on Samhain.
CREATING THE YULE ALTAR
Moon Phases and Majik
Each phase of the moon brings with it a special energy for that lunar cycle. Everyone knows the moon affects the tides of the worlds oceans, but because we are mostly liquid ourselves, these phases also affect us. Understanding what these energies bring, help you to connect with and use those energies in your magikal rituals, meditations and even your daily life.
New Moon
Used for personal growth, healing and blessing of new projects or ventures. It's also a good time to cleanse and consecrate new tools and objects you wish to use during rituals, ceremonies or an up coming festival .
Waxing- 1st Quarter -
Between the new and full moon is a period of the Waxing moon. Used for attraction magik, inner love spells, protection for couples and healing energy for couples.
Full Moon
Used to banishing unwanted influences in your life. Creating protection magik and performing divination. Setting up plans and releasing old patterns or issues are all. Full Moon magik can be conjured during the 3 days prior to the rise of the Full Moon, the night of the Full Moon and during the 3 days after.
Waning- Last Quarter -
Between the full moon and the dark moon is the period of Waning moon. Used for banishing and rejecting those things that influence us in a negative way. Negative emotions, diseases, ailments, and bad habits can all be let go and special spells for clearing can be performed at this time.
Dark Moon- Void Of Course -
The Dark Moon period occurs 3 days prior to the New Moon. This is the time when you can't see the moon in any phase. Typically no magik is performed during this time. This is the time to give yourself a break, to turn to self and pamper or replenish your own energies. Vision quests and deep meditations are called for at this time to focus on personal matters, questions and answers.
Lunar Eclipse
A Lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes into the Earth's shadow. This type of eclipse does not occur every year. But when it does, it's a wonderful and magikal night. When it does occur it lasts for only a few hours, so you need to plan your rituals well in advance. This one night is perfect for all purposes. Simply plan your spells to coordinate with the passing shadow. When the moon is in full eclipse, treat those few moments as if the moon was in it's Dark phase. Some witches forego magik work all together and use this time to honor the Goddess in a special ritual.
Penumbral
Occurs when the moon passes into the outer shadow of the earth. This type of eclipse is hard to spot unless the moon is 70% into that shadow. These type of eclipses are more common and generally occur at least once a year. When you can see it, the lower part of the moon becomes distorted. During a waning phase for instance, the lower half of the moon will look blurred or smudged. Once again it's a special night. This is the perfect night to honor the magik of the Goddess. No work or casting, just thankfulness and gratitude.
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