Winter Magick Day 7

 

May the circle be unbroken 

Through the season of rebirth.

May Her love join us together, 

All the children of the earth.

And the Lady in the winter 

Wears a robe of silver white

And She warms us with Her fire

With Her spirit and Her light.

Blessings dark and deep!

Winter Solstice Blessings

 

A Merry Solstice and many blessings to all!

Winter Mother, 

help us grow as you need us to.

Winter Mother, 

Show us the way through the dark,

show us what we are here to do.

We are growing, 

We are changing, 

on this darkest night,

We are growing, 

We are changing, 

in our darkest place.

Blessings dark and deep!

Mother Night

 

December 20, Mother Night, Yule Eve

The Winter Solstice, 2023 is December 21, at 10:27 PM. On the night before Yule (approximately) a Germanic/Scandinavian Midwinter festival known as The Mother Night (or Modresnach) was observed. It was believed that dreams on this night foretold events in the upcoming year. Many of its traditions live on modern Christmas celebrations. The decorated evergreen tree was a symbol of the Tree of Life, or World Tree. The star atop the tree represented the pole star of the Star Goddess. The dinners and gifts were in honor of the food and prosperity given by the Mother Goddesses to their human children. The elves connected with our current Santa Claus are remnants of the supernatural Nature folk of the Old Religion. The reindeer are symbols of old shamanic abilities used by the people. The mistletoe is said to have first been picked and used to collect kisses by the Goddess Frigg, before it became a weapon to kill her son.

So that is the Germanic/Scandinavian mythology. I have no note as to the source of the above, other than I found it a while ago on line. 

For myself, I like to include and honor all the mother goddesses, my own mother, friends and family mothers, grandmothers. I light candles, quite a lot of them, make hot cocoa, eat cookies as well as offering them, and reminisce. I say prayers to the Mother goddesses and honor women and how our bodies are made to give birth. I also honor the maternal in us all, whether or not we have children. So many of us who chose not to be mothers have come through our lives as very strong nurtures. That was our calling and an important one it is. So after honoring all the mothers, goddesses and humans, I honor myself as well.

May the Mother Goddesses bless you all and encompass you and yours with love and blessings!

Blessings dark and deep!

Settling Into Winter

 We will be celebrating the Winter Solstice in a few days, also known as Midwinter. For me, it always feels as if this is just the beginning of winter. Yes, the solstice is the longest night and the days begins to  increase in length, but long nights are still with us and Mama Earth is still holding all in rest.

Many people I speak to wish the days were longer, and seasonal depression is a real issue for many. I use to suffer from it myself. Now however, I relish this time of year, I settle into this time, especially once the holidays are over. Winter comes to me as a time of rest, restoration, and renewal.

I read the term “wintering” a few days ago and thought, ah yes, that is the perfect term for me when I think of how to describe what I feel. I have begun my wintering! 

This is my hibernation time. A time of allowing seeds of thoughts, feelings, healing to come into being. Those seeds incubate and deepen so they can be developed or discarded. My personal spiritual practices deepen and I allow myself to journey and meditate, and connect with the goddesses and spirits as much as I need to. 

Creative work, journaling, cogitating, and oracle work, these are what I do more freely and with greater appreciation for the processes. I just let myself restore and renew. By doing this, settling into and appreciating my wintering, I find great peace. Perhaps part of it is aging and understanding. I don’t know. I also realize this isn’t so for everyone, but for me I have found it to be so healing. 

I wish you a wintering of healing and peace.

Blessings dark and deep!

Stones for Winter

Clear Quartz, Citrine, & Selenite 

Photo by Linda Raphael 

 Magical Stones For Winter

We've turned back the clocks and Hallows Eve has passed, now we welcome the holidays and the winter of the year. Winter is a time of introspection, journeying within and remembering. While all the preparations for the holidays begin, take time for yourself, not only to rest and restore on a physical level, but especially on a spiritual and emotional level. The energies of this season, Winter, help us journey down deep into ourselves to remember and find answers.

When journeying, I like to either hold stones in my hands or enclose myself in a stone grid. Pocket or palm sized stones work very well for this. Stones can be held in the hands while sitting in a comfortable, cozy chair or lying down in soothing surroundings. Placing stones in a circle, at four points (head, feet, right hand and left) or even in a triangular pattern  (head, side of left foot and side of right foot) around you, works very well for making an energetic boundary that focuses energies, intention and also protects. There are many ways to surround yourself with stones, use your imagination.

Here is a bit of information about three of my favorite stones that I like to use for this work. 

The first is quartz crystal, either points or smooth polished pocket stones. The points are great for directing energy, but the polished stones, especially when used in a circle or four points grid, make a gently swirling, encompassing energy vortex. Crystal quartz is an energy amplifier and willingly will assist us. It is also a stone of memory, helping us to "remember" on a spiritual level. In meditation it can enhance one's journeying experience by bringing back to us details and information long forgotten from other lives, dreams and spiritual encounters. One can also gaze into the crystal for divination.

Citrine can assist in opening the third eye and clearing heavy, burdensome energies, making it a perfect helper stone for journeying work. It works to open the way to clearly seeing and accepting information in a positive light, as a mother energy gently guiding. The beautiful citrine is also a stone of manifestation, helping us bring thoughts and desires to fruition. It surrounds one with a golden, healing, positive energy.

Selenite is another stone helper that assists in opening the third eye. It also opens the crown and soul chakras as well making it a good companion for journey and meditative work. Selenite is a perfect ally for reinforcing energy grids, so it is an amazing stone to be surrounded by. It can assist in clearing the blockages that keep us from "remembering" and moving forward with the information received from spiritual realms. It enhances our inner vision allowing us access to past lives and assisting during divination. I keep pieces of selenite with each of my divination tools.  Placing two selenite points at one's front door re-enforces protective energies in the home.

These are just three of the many stones that can assist us, on all levels and in many ways. Each stone has a spirit within, just as we do, as plants, animals, all beings. They are waiting for you to make contact and connection.

Blessings dark and deep!

  

 

A Simple Yule Ritual

This Yule Ritual is simple, Goddess-centered/Dianic, and can be adjusted for solitary or group gatherings. The original version is by Geraldine Andrew, who included it in a Dianic Wheel of the Year series.

The ritual space should be decorated for the season, as you like. Place four white candles at the quarters and another white candle on the altar. Other candles may be placed on the altar, your preferred colors to represent any goddesses you choose to honor.

Purify and bless the space, altar, and each other, then cast your circle and call the quarters in your preferred manner. Call the Goddesses while holding hands and chanting this three times, then lighting the Goddess candles:

Old Wise One, Shining Silver Hag, Dark Mother, 

Take us in.

Old Wise One, Shining Silverq Hag, Dark Mother,

Let us be reborn.

(By Patricia Witt, adapted)

Everyone now sits down to prepare their “giveaways” - words, sachets of herbs, or objects that symbolize what each woman wants or needs to release, let go of. Paper and pens should be available. Each woman should have prepared any other item she would wish to include in advance as her giveaway and brought with her. Alternatively, with herbs available, something may be made, again focusing on what needs to be released. Herbs for releasing, a cauldron with prepared charcoal, should also be available.

Focus energy on the letting go while tapping, clapping, drumming, or using rattles or sistrums in the background as each woman prefers. When ready you may chant the following as many times as needed or wanted:

To die and be reborn,

Cleansed and purified,

During the longest night 

As the Wheel of the Year turns,

We now release what no longer serves us.

(Reclaiming Community, amended)

Women now may speak out words or sentences of

that which they need to release. They will also light the papers that they have written on on fire and toss into a cauldron at the center of the altar. 

The Hag, Dark Mother, Old One is now invoked into one woman to finish the releasing by cutting all ties to 

what has been released. The Hag will go to each woman to receive the giveaway item. In turn the Hag gives the woman a boline to hold, feel, to connect with the Hag. She then returns the boline to the Hag who then draws three Xs over the woman’s head.

The Hag then embraces each woman.

Meditation 

Divination- we generally have everyone draw one oracle card and give interpretations, discussion.

Farewell to the Goddesses

Farewell to the Elements 

Open the Circle & Feast

Blessings dark and deep!

Welcome December

21 Days of the Winter Solstice 21

Solstice Blessings

Upon you and yours.

May the Goddess, who is our light,

guide you in all you do!

Blessings bright and golden!

21 Days of the Winter Solstice 20

Solstice Spirits in the cauldron sing,

Dance your magick and to us bring,

Abundant blessings from your fire bright

We gather the magick in the burning light!

copyright 2016 E A Kaufman 

The spirits showed themselves in the cauldron's fire during our Winter Solstice rite.

Blessings dark and deep!

all photo copyright Michelle Price 2016

21 Days of the Winter Solstice 19

Edmund Dulac

On aching limbs,
She stumbles out upon the snow,
And in the east,
She sees the first
Faint gleamings
Of the new born sun,
Balanced on the world edge.
Which tells the end
Of winters hold

from "Winter Journey" by Martin Pallot

Second night of the Nine Nights ritual last night, lit my bayberry candle and made my devotions to the Winter goddesses.

Blessings dark and deep!

21 Days of the Winter Solstice 18

Last night my coven celebrated the Winter Solstice, honoring and making offerings to the Winter goddesses and the Golden Maiden. The bayberry candle spell, beautiful invocations, some interesting divination, feasting and gift giving, all made a lovely night.

It was also the first night of the Nine Nights of the Winter Solstice, so the bayberry candles were blessed and lit in circle, then we all took our candles home to finish burning with a coin beneath. We will continue the ritual each night for nine nights, making invocations, offering prayers and other things, as well as trance and meditation, and divination. A wonderful start to this sabbath.

Blessings dark and deep!

21 Days of the Winter Solstice 17

Wassail! Wassail all over the town!
Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown;
Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree;
With the wassailing-bowl, we'll drink to thee!

And here is to Dobbin and to his right eye!
Pray God send our master a good Christmas pie,
And a good Christmas pie that we may all see;
With our wassailing-bowl, we'll drink to thee!

So here is to Broad May and to her broad horn!
May God send our master a good crop of corn,
And a good crop of corn that we may all see;
With the wassailing-bowl we'll drink to thee!

Then here's to the maid in the lily-white smock
Who tripped to the door and slipped back the lock;
Who tripped to the door and pulled back the pin,
For to let these jolly wassailers in.

from the Gloucestershire Wassail

For many years I have made our own version of wassail. It is a non-alcoholic version, but one can add rum, whiskey, or whatever. 

Sleighride Punch 

1 quart of apple cider

1 quart of Constant Comment tea

2 cups of orange juice

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup real maple syrup

3 cinnamon sticks

1 sliced orange studded with whole cloves

1 sliced apple, core removed, studied with cloves

freshly ground nutmeg to taste

3 slices of buttered, toasted cinnamon bread,

cut into triangles.

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a large pot, remove from heat

and add 6 Constant Comment tea bags. Let brew 6 minutes.

Remove the tea bags and return to medium heat. Add the orange

juice, brown sugar, and maple syrup.  Stir well. Bring to a simmer.

Slice an apple, removing core, and  an orange, stud edges with 

whole cloves. Add the fruit to the pot along with the cinnamon sticks

and nutmeg. Allow to simmer for about an hour. 

Keep the pot on the stove, on warm, or transfer to a crock pot.

Just before serving, place the triangles of toast on top.

If you use the crock pot, you can keep the brew warm constantly

to be ready anytime guests appear.

Blessings dark and deep!

21 Days of the Winter Solstice 16

For your Winter Solstice ritual place a large red candle in your cauldron, better it have three wicks if you can find one. During the ritual, in darkness with the exception of the altar candles, sit or stand at the cauldron. Peer into its dark depths while contemplating the past year and your dedication to your Arte and the goddesses. When you have finished your contemplations, say these words:

I sorrow not, though the world is wrapped in sleep.

I sorrow not, though the icy winds blast.

I sorrow not, though the snow falls hard and deep.

I sorrow not, this too shall soon be past.

Now light the candle and some Winter Pine or Pinon incense. Gaze briefly into the flames and then above at the night sky. Say these words:

I light this fire in Your honor, Great Crone,

You who watch over all who rest in the Winter's depths.

You welcome the dead and then

You fill the Mother's womb with life.

Warmth to cold to warmth again,

Around and round the cycle of life flows.

We welcome now life and light,

The gifts of the Goddesses.

Hail the Maiden, born this night.

Hail the Mother, who births the light.

Hail to the Great Crone, 

She who guides all through the cycles of life. 

So mote it be!

Now dance, drum, shake rattles, and sing as you circle the cauldron and pay homage to all of the

Goddesses. Chant this while circling until exhausted:

The wheel turns, power burns!

Continue your ritual, feast and make merry!

Adapted from a Yule ritual by Scott Cunningham,

in Wicca, A Guide For the Solitary Practitioner

Blessings dark and deep!

21 Days of the Winter Solstice 15

Winter Blues Spell

To help melt away the blues of winter that come 

after the holidays and just from being cold. 

Put a black candle in a small candle holder and place 

it in a bowl. Put ice, snow or crushed ice in a bowl 

around the candle, just to cover the candle holder. 

Sprinkle a small amount of white sage and sea salt 

over the ice. Light the candle and say: 

Be gone, be gone, be gone away. 

Let all darkness melt away. 

Return the light as my spirit burns, 

For in this flame my spirit returns.

Allow the candle to burn out. 

Before burying the remains of the spell, 

try foreseeing, read the shapes and designs 

formed within the melted candle wax.

Lady Abigail

Copyright © 02062012

Blessings dark and deep!

21 Days of the Winter Solstice 14

from elephantjournal.com

Blessings dark and deep!

21 Days of the Winter Solstice 13

Pine - hope, loyalty, and warm friendship.

Mistletoe - peace, love, and joy.

Ivy - friendship, fidelity, and marriage.

Holly - foresight, domestic happiness.

Poinsettia - success, celebration, good cheer, and mirth.  

Blessings dark and deep!

21 Days of the Winter Solstice 12

A Visit From the Yule Spirits

'Twas the night before Yule, when all 'cross the hearth,

not a being was stirring; Pagan, faerie, or beast.

Wassail was left out and the altar adorned,

to rejoice that the Sun Child would soon be reborn.

The children lay sleeping by the warmth of the hearth,

their dreams filled with visions of belov'd Mother Earth.

My husband and I beneath blankets piled deep,

had just settled down to our own Solstice sleep.

Then a noise in the night that would leave us no peace,

Awakened us both to the honking of geese.

Eager to see such a boisterous flock,

When we raced to the window, our mouths dropped in shock!

Snow Goose ~ Frau Holda (c) Jackie Rae Hannigan

On the west wind flew a gaggle of geese white and gray,

With Frau Holda behind them in her gift-laden dray.

The figure on her broomstick in the north sky made it clear,

La Befana was approaching to bestow Yuletide cheer.

From the south came a comet more bright than the moon,

And we knew that Lucia would be with us soon.

As these spirits sailed earthward o'er hilltops & trees,

Frau Holda serenaded her feathery steeds:

"Fly Isolde! Fly Tristan! Fly Odin and Freya!

Fly Morgaine! Fly Merlin! Fly Uranus and Gaea!

May the God and the Goddess inside you soar,

From the clouds in the heavens to yon cottage door."

As soft and silent as snowflakes they fell:

Their arrival announced by a faint chiming bell.

They landed like angels, their bodies aglow.

Their feet left no marks in the new fallen snow.

Before we could ponder what next lay in store,

There came a slow creaking from our threshold door.

We crept from our bedroom and were spellbound to see...

There in our parlor stood the Yule Trinity!

Lucia, the Maiden, with her head wreathed in flame,

Shown with the radiance for which she was named.

The Lightbringer's eyes held the joy of a child,

And she spoke with a voice that was gentle, yet wild:

"May the warmth of this household ne'er fade away."

Then she lit our Yule log which still burns to this day.

Frau Holda in her down cloak stood regal and tall;

The Matron of Solstice, the Mother of all.

Under her gaze we felt safe and secure.

Her voice was commanding, yet almost demure:

"May the love of this family enrich young and old."

And from the folds of her cloak showered coins of pure gold.

Le Befana wore a kerchief on her silvery hair;

The veil of the Crone who has secrets to share.

In her eyes gleamed a wisdom only gained by spent youth.

Her voice was a whisper but her words rung with truth:

"May health, glad tidings, and peace fill these rooms."

And she banished misfortune with a sweep of her broom.

They then left a gift by each sleeping child's head,

Took a drink of our wassail, and away they sped.

While we watched them fly off through the night sky we laughed,

At the wondrous magick we had found in the Craft.

As they departed, the spirits decreed...

Merry Yule To You All and May All Blessed Be!

Copyright (c) by Richard De Angelis

Blessings dark and deep!

21 Days of the Winter Solstice 11

Invocation to the Old Woman of Winter

Ancient Mother of Midwinter,

Watcher over life and death,

the one who re-births the world,

be with us on this longest night!

See us through the dark hours

and stand with us

as dawn births promise of new life.

So mote it be!

Susan Pesznicker

Blessings dark and deep!

21 Days of the Winter Solstice 10

Solstice altar  c 2009 E A Kaufman

Silver Wheel At The Winter Solstice

At this cold low of the sun star

so deep in her circle of time

we fold the dark over ourselves,

keep warm in its sky black counterpane.

Zodiac sequins are sparks

of fire that delight us,

telling us stories of chimera and ice,

fire-drakes and wonders ---

this is do-nothing time, being-time

staying cocooned in Her mystery.

there was ending, there was death

beginning is soon, filling with life

Now, we press ourselves into the spaces

between every moment, feel the beauty

of tensions, paradox, unknowing,

Arianrhod's Silver Wheel floats like a cloak

around us, spinning us out to stars that shine

in our deepest selves. Hush now, trust this turn

to the mystery, let fear disappear in her crystal fire:

we come from the stars, stardust to bone,

we are the Universe, this is our home

Rose Flint, 2009

Blessings dark and deep!

21 Days of the Winter Solstice 9

Ron Byrum

Song of the Solstice

The Winter Solstice lingers near.

Come, merrymakers and spread your cheer.

Adorn your homes with evergreen.

So full of face, so fairly seen.

Go wassailing from door to door.

Sing soothing carols evermore.

Surround yourselves with friends akin.

Seek nourishment from well within.

Come, bang your drums and light the fires.

Return the light back to the shires.

May blessings be bestowed on you.

And always to thyself, be true.

 © 2015 Amelia Dashwood

Blessings dark and deep!