December Full Moon, Oak Moon, Cold Moon

image found here

In December our attention turns to the moon as its influence is spread over long hours and the sun retreats to the shortest days of the year. Your Full Moon ritual might include some expression of gratitude for the closure of the dark time and the return of the light at Solstice. Do not focus on the coming light just yet. This is a time to make sure that long term projects are completed before the Solstice. The is a time of closure, a time to let go of grievances that have affected the past year, a time of accounting for your goals and accomplishments. In preparation for the longer days just ahead, let go of the negative.
I find that meditation and ritual that include the Elements are wonderful for grounding and letting go of negativity. The Elements are here and now, not past, not future, they are the energy of now.

The Full Moon is on Wednesday December 2 at 2:30 am EST
Solstice is on December 21 at 12:47 pm EST
This is a powerful month for moon magick, the Blue Moon is on December 31 at 2:13 pm EST
More on the Blue Moon later

podcasts? a rant, be warned....

If you have been reading this blog for a while, you know that I regularly cruise around looking for and checking out new pagan podcasts. I love the pagan podcasts, such great thoughts, entertaining stories and good music. My current favorite is Witchtalk for the GREAT interviews with well known pagan authors and activists. Ariel is still my all time favorite, his stuff goes on disk so I don't ever lose it. Darkly Fey has switched to the light side with her new Spirits Cast. Mojo and Sparrow, of course, Tommy Elf, Odin, Greywolf and many many more who produce these wonderful podcasts and offer great insight and personal experience.

You know what all the good ones have in common? THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY.
While I love the fact that there are so many podcasts to chose from, we seem to be missing something lately.....namely, something to say!!

I just finished listening to 6, count em...SIX, new podcasts that have more than one episode out and shall remain nameless.
Here comes the nasty ole witch in me, but I just can't help it.....

A message to some wannabe podcasters....

That funny name we use for Halloween is not English, it is a Gaelic term for end of summer and it has a funny pronunciation....it is NOT sam-hane. Look it up, even wikipedia can get it right.

All pagans are not Wiccans.

All pagans are not dualists.

All pagans do not follow the Rede. (and by the way that overused quote is only one line out of a very long and thought provoking piece of writing)

Bashing Christians should be left to those with the wit and style to do it gracefully. A description of giving the bird to an elderly family member who is Christian does not make me like you.

If you can talk for two minutes and say nothing but....hmmmm, ummmm, ya know, like, whatever and f--k, without any thought whatsoever mixed in there, you may win some sort of award but it won't be for broadcasting.

Yelling and cursing repeatedly reminds me of being in junior high and hiding behind the gym to smoke and bitch....not a great endorsement for a podcast.

Announcing that you are eager to teach me how to be a pagan left me spitting coffee on the computer, but otherwise was not impressive.
I appreciate that you are eager to make a contribution to the community but there is a time to learn and a time to teach.
Try being quiet and listening for now.

So for now I have no new podcasts to add to the list. If you haven't checked out the podcast list, it is on the right hand column. Not all of those listed are on my ipod, not all are personal favorites but all have something to say.

Now I think I will go listen to Druidcast.

Give-away WINNERS

(sorry this is a day late)

Here was the clue for the 'name that herb' give-away:

"Its cry is fatal to all that hear.
But it's a gift to a teacher a child holds dear.
The devil you say you don't believe.
But just ask Adam what he got from Eve."

The herb is Mandrake, also known as Satan's Apple.
Our 6 winners will be receiving their Mandrake in the mail ASAP.

Eva - Netherlands
Lindsey - Montana
Rhea - Illinois
Michelle - Norway
Sara - Florida
Tori - Colorado

Thanks for playing, we will be doing another give-away next month.

Hecate: To Be A Witch

Hecate: To Be A Witch

November Full Moon

image found here

The November Full Moon is the Mourning Moon. This is the time for introspection, transformation and divination. Winter is coming but it will not last forever. If you have a relationship with a dark goddess, now might be a good time to do a special ritual for her, make a special offering and listen to any advice for the upcoming dark time of the year.

2:14 EST on November 2

The Scarlet Witch is doing a give-away!

spread the word...

GIVE-AWAY! In the spirit of Samhain, The Scarlet Witch is doing a giveaway. Search The Scarlet Witch website at http://www.thescarletwitch.com and solve the riddle. Find the common name AND the folk name for this herb. We will do a drawing of all correct entries and six lucky people will receive an ounce of this magickal herb. Here is your clue:.....

"Its cry is fatal to all that hear.
But it's a gift to a teacher a child holds dear.
The devil you say you don't believe.
But just ask Adam what he got from Eve."

Send your answer to journey@thescarletwitch and include a mailing address before midnight on November 9. We will announce the winners here and on The Scarlet Witch Facebook Page on November 10.

Samhain

Image found here

from Irish Samhain [ˈsˠaunʲ], cf. Scottish Gaelic Samhuinn [ˈsavɯɲ], Manx Gaelic Sauin and Old Irish Samain [ˈsaṽɨnʲ] — "summer's end", from sam meaning "summer" and fuin meaning "end") is a festival held on October 31–November 1 in Gaelic cultures. A harvest festival with ancient roots in Celtic paganism, it was linked to festivals held around the same time in other Celtic cultures, and continued to be celebrated in late medieval times.

Samhain marked the end of the harvest, the end of the "lighter half" of the year and beginning of the "darker half". Many scholars believe that it was the beginning of the Celtic year. It has some elements of a festival of the dead. The Gaels believed that the border between this world and the otherworld became thin on Samhain. Bonfires played a large part in the festivities. People and their livestock would often walk between two bonfires as a cleansing ritual, and the bones of slaughtered livestock were cast into its flames.^[5]

The Gaelic festival became associated with the Christian All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, and has influenced the secular customs now connected with Halloween. It continues to be celebrated as a religious festival by some Neopagans.^[3][4][6]

Samhain and an t-Samhuinn are also the Irish and Scottish Gaelic names of November, respectively.

(wikipedia)

As we run back and forth between parties and trick-or-treat and trying to hold serious ritual and celebrate the thinning of the veil, remember to keep things separate. Not all spirits are benevolent and not all gods and goddesses are receptive to being called upon if you haven't introduced yourself previously. If you cast a circle, make it a strong one, call on elements and deities that already know you. Experience the thinning of the veil, but do so with caution and respect.

I plan to do ritual at midnight, the mundane activities will all be over and the power is stronger.

Enjoy the night, everyone.

Samhain is approaching

In my personal practice I tend to focus primarily on the major Sabbats. There is a primal response and at the same time a mystical quality to the shifts of the balance of this planet at time of the equinox and solstice.

But the cross quarter celebrations are also important. They are known as the Fire Festivals and are intended to be just that...festivals.

So I suggest that you think of this approaching Samhein in that way...a Fire Festival. Plan accordingly. Contrary to some things that you will read...try NOT sitting around in meditation and attempting to commune with the ancestors. Instead, invite them to a party. Cast a strong circle, call the Elements for protection, call dark goddesses to open the veil, sing, dance, turn the music up loud, light candles, burn a fire if possible, dance and dance some more. Call the ancestors to join you and celebrate the last of the three harvest festivals.

New Moon Ritual

If you are doing the repeating New Moon ritual...here is the link.
http://apagantapestry.blogspot.com/2009/08/new-moon-ritual-for-new-beginnings.html

Daily Practice

There is always talk on the pagan blogs and podcasts about daily practice. Do you or don't you, why or why not, how to if you want....

Do I have a daily practice? Well, yes and no.
I spend time each day offering time or myself to deity. I spend time each day acknowledging the presence and importance of the elements. I offer casual conversation and my beliefs are part of my life, 24/7.
However, do I perform ritual everyday, no matter how long or short, how complex or how simple?
The answer to this is no, in spite of my very best intentions, plans and the energies that pull at me.

I hear and read many people in similar circumstances who chide themselves for being too busy or a little lazy or not dedicated enough.

I have always felt that this was not the answer. Maybe those answers apply to some, some of the time. But there is more to it for some of us, for many of us.

T.Thorn Coyle wrote about this recently and her words helped me put into words the feelings that I have about this.

Fear.
Fear of the unknown. Fear that those powers are really real. Fear that taking that last step, that moving from 99.9% dedication to the goddess to 100% commitment will set in motion unstoppable changes in our lives. So we dither on the edge of the precipice.
I think there is a special, individual, unique time that we are each invited to step off that ledge.

'when you have come to the edge of all light that you know
and are about to drop off into the darkness of the unknown
faith is knowing one of two things will happen:

there will be something solid to stand on
or you will be taught to fly'

Patrick Overton