Imbolc, the Promise

I hope everyone had a wonderful Sabbat, and that this first period of Mercury Retrograde did not treat you too badly.

Shadow Grove hosted an Imbolc ritual last night at the Grove House. While the weather was beautiful, the sun went down and took his heat with him. This being a fire ritual, we lit the bonfire with a sacred flame. This flame was guarded and carried by the teachers of the Grove ministers from Brigit's sacred, eternal flame in Kildare. The site, sometimes known as Brigit's Forge, had an eternal flame sacred to the goddess burning and carefully tended for centuries. It was extinguished and reignited several times, until the Order of BrigidineNuns relit the flame in 1993. Imbolc is the feast day of the goddess, and this goddess is sacred to me.

This flame was passed to the members of the Grove, and we each took a piece of it home with us. Mine is burning on my altar at this very moment. In the interest of being safe, this fire will burn by contiguity. All fires lit in that candle (and thus, all fires lit from that candle) originated with Brigit's fire. It was an honor indeed to receive this gift.

Yule was the wish of warmth and the return of the sun. Imboc is the promise that we will see that wish come to pass. Ostara will be the fulfillment of that promise. And how perfectly matched everything was. Mercury has left retrograde, it is a time for new beginnings. The moon is waxing, it is a time for new beginnings. The world slowly wakens from its winter slumber, it is a time for new beginnings. May they bring you warmth and light in the days to come.

The Cold Moon

Another method of naming moons is based on the energy of the Esbat in question. These names may or may not repeat from year to year. It is by this system, which I take from the guidelines of 7th House, that I will name the moons this year.

I had an opportunity to join the Shadow Grove community for an Esbat on this day. I have only been to their Sabbat rituals, but I must admit that I did not plan to attend this Esbat. That ended up working well, as the hostess had to cancel.

I wear a protection amulet around my ankle. Every now and then, it will break and fall off. When a protection amulet breaks, it is said that it served its purpose, successfully protected you in some way, and needs to be replaced for the protection to continue. My amulet broke just last week. This was a perfect time for me to recast.

I gathered my materials and cast my circle. I make the amulet out of a single piece of white cotton cord, white being a color of purity and protection. Using only my fingers, I made a chain with the cord (it's just like a chain in crocheting, without the use of a hook). I then summoned my energy, filled it with images of shields and walls and strength and, one by one, tied nine knots in the cord. Nine, having always been a magickal number, is special and significant to me personally. When that was done, I charged my amulet with Reiki, and tied it about my ankle where it will remain until it breaks and a new one needs to be made.

I rarely need to recharge these, and one tends to last for years before I need to make another. I feel fortunate that I did not have to wait long for the next full moon to replace it.


In other news, Mercury went retrograde today, and will remain so until February first. Mercury is tied to communication and things moving forward smoothly. During the retrograde, you can expect to see miscommunications and interruptions. It is a good time to finish projects that you have already started, but not to start new ones. I hope you all fare well!

The Full Strawberry Moon

I hope everyone had a wonderful Esbat. This moon was so named by the Algonquin tribes because June is the time for harvesting strawberries. Some further research shows this was called the Rose Moon in Europe, and roses sure are in bloom around now.

Spring is winding down and the official start of summer is almost upon us (meteorologically, we're nearly halfway through summer). The days are still long, the nights are still short, and the temperature climes daily in many places (unless you're in the Southern Hemisphere). It's a great time to feel the life of the planet in abundance.

I was going to do something completely different for this Esbat. I was going to recharge the charm bag I made at the Snow Moon so it fits my new dwelling, but something else came up suddenly. One of my dear cats has developed diabetes in her near-old age. I'm convinced it was a side effect of some medication she was on at the start of the year for a knee injury (and it is a common side effect) and so am feeling entirely guilty for giving her those pills in the first place. I also feel guilty that I could not take her with me when I moved and had to leave her with my parents, who may or may not be up for the challenge of caring for a diabetic cat.

In my new home, my altar is out and ready to be used whenever the need strikes me. Before moonrise, I gathered my materials and set everything up. I used a powdered rose incense for love, a blue candle for tranquility and healing, and set a rose quartz, again for love, and a bloodstone on my altar pentacle. The incense and quartz are to help my cat know I love her even if I can't have her with me. The candle is to help bring her peace and healing, as I'm sure she doesn't understand why she always feels hungry, and in anticipation of insulin shots which may make her nervous. The bloodstone is the best at healing matters of the blood (while diabetes is not a blood disease, it is blood-related as a metabolism issue). (For some reason, the picture came out very green!)

After my ritual bath (I used a hand-made rose scented soap to keep with my theme), I cleared my space with my besom, cast my circle with my wand (made of a wood that happens to be healing-specific), and lit the altar candle, spell candle, and incense. Wand in hand, I sat before my altar and conjured up a vision of my cat. I drew energy from the elements into my wand, and then from my spell-specific tools: the blue candle, the rose quartz, and the bloodstone, spending the most time with the bloodstone. I pulled energy from these into the wand, and from myself, and from the divine source of Reiki, and I felt the presence of the cat I was able to take with me in my circle, sitting calmly and lending her energy (something she has never done before). When I felt the needed energy had been raised and my wand was thoroughly charged, I sent that energy to my cat. The visualization saw her sleeping soundly cradled within the petals of a soft rose: calm, safe, happy, and getting well again. I finished my ritual with a Reiki session, then opened my circle and let the incense burn out. I did snuff the candle, but I will light it again this evening so it can burn out in a safe manner.

Here is one other (rather dark) picture at the conclusion of my ritual spell with my cat, Miss Luna, patiently lying upon the bed, where she was for the duration.

This Esbat also saw an end to the second Mercury retrograde period of the year. Hopefully, you found yourself unaffected and were able to use that time for some likely needed quiet reflection.

Retrograde Again

Mercury went into retrograde in Gemini this past Sunday. Remember to be mindful of your communications during this time. It will be in retrograde through the middle of June. Now is a good time for inner contemplation and finishing projects that you have already begun rather than starting new ones.

In one coincidental act of timing, I signed a lease on a new place on Saturday, before the retrograde period (when they say is not a good time for signing contracts). I made a lot of compromises to get this far, and I'm not entirely happy about having to make them, but I am quite happy to be getting out of my current living situation. Moving in is scheduled for this weekend, but it's not exactly starting something new because the lease is already signed. How is that for timing luck?!

I hope you all fare well!

How Did You Fare?

I hope everyone got through this period of Mercury retrograde without a scratch (as it were). I hope you found time for some nice quiet reflection and got some things finished or worked on.

I will speak more on this month's full moon later; however, I wanted to make sure everyone is prepared. Tomorrow, February 20th, will see a total lunar eclipse. The entire eclipse will be visible to South America and most of North America (for you West coast folks, the moon will rise in eclipse), and even some of Europe and Africa.

Magickally, an eclipsed moon is a contradiction. At the time we should be celebrating the fullness of the Mother, we see her shrouded like the Crone. It is a powerful and sacred energy. Much like the time of Mercury in retrograde, it is a good time for inner reflection, or for spellwork that involves protection, calming, and guidance. Remember that the moon is full for three days. If you really need something, like prosperity or success, you can work that on the day following the eclipse.

Have a look at NASA's Eclipse Page for some more information and specific times. If you are in the right area, enjoy the view!

Keep Your Wits

Today began the first period of Mercury retrograde for this year.

The other planets of our solar system move around the sun like Earth does (we should all know this!). There are times when the planets appear to be moving in the opposite direction. This occurs when they are on the other side of the sun than we are; it's all about perspective, they're not actually moving backwards, it just looks like it from our point of view on Earth. Every planet has a period of retrograde, Mercury has several during the course of our calendar because that year is a lot shorter than ours. Mercury's retrograde also seems to affect us more than any other planet. Perhaps it is its nearness to us and its nearness to the sun (relatively speaking), or the fact that it happens so often during our year.

Whatever the reason, most people believe this three-week period of time has a direct effect on us. Mercury governs aspects of the mind, communication, business, travel. This is a good time for meditation and mental exploration of your inner self. The other areas seem to be stalled or halted during this time, so they say it's not a good time to sign a contract or start a new business venture. People tend to find it more difficult to communicate what they wish, or find information they are looking for.

With all that in mind, don't be afraid of this time. For one, you can use it for that self reflection that many of us don't seem to do very often, or to pick up a project you had started but never got around to finishing. While it is advised to not start new things, sometimes you have to. Add a little determination to your purpose and don't let the motion of the planets stop you.