The Imbolc Vow

The Wheel turns again and Spring returns.
Warmer's the rain; Sun brighter burns.
The daring sprout its thrusts does make;
And I, devout, so undertake.
From the belly, from the mind,
Imbolc's spell as a vow shall bind.
What once I sought I now shall bring,
And make, from thought, a certain thing.

A little about me... briefly!

I've been studying Wicca for almost 10 years now! (I got into it at the age of 16). I'm an Eclectic Witch.... I collect rocks and gemstones.... study faeries... I've just started reading about the Chakras... Hecate and Cerridwen are my favourite Goddesses... My favourite Wiccan authors are Scott Cunningham, Christopher Penczak and D. J. Conway... I'm fascinated by Irish and Norse folklore... I can read and write fluently in the Runic language... And Samhain is my favourite Sabbat! :)

A Yule Ritual

Light a red candle in your cauldron and recite:

“I light this fire in Your honour, Mother Goddess.
You have created life from death;
Warmth from cold;
The Sun lives once again;
The time of light is waxing.
Welcome, ever-returning God of the Sun!
Hail Mother of all!”

Circle the altar and cauldron slowly, clockwise, watching the flame. Say the following for some time:

“The Wheel turns,
The power burns”.

Meditate upon the Sun, on the hidden energies lying dormant in Winter, not only in the earth, but within ourselves. Think of birth not as the start of life, but as its continuance. Welcome the return of the God.

After a time, cease and stand once again before the altar and flaming cauldron. Recite:

“Great God of the Sun,
I welcome Your return.
May You shine brightly upon the Goddess;
May You shine brightly upon the Earth,
Scattering seeds and fertilizing the land.
All blessings upon You,
Reborn One of the Sun.”

Yule Information

* December 21, the Winter Solstice
* Ginger cookies and milk are a favourite of the Faeries, especially the gnomes, on this eve.
* It marks the beginning of the Cycle of Life and offers a time for reflection on the past and present, and into the future.
* It marks the rebirth of the Sun God. (The boyhood and training of the once and future King.)
* Celebration of the rebirth of the Sun - the God’s solar aspect. This Sabbat is ruled by the Oak King.
* Fasting can be done as an offering to the deities.
* Adorn your altar with evergreens such as pine, rosemary, bay, juniper, and cedar. Dried leaves are also appropriate.
* The word Yule is from the Norse “Iul” and actually means “wheel”.
* It is often referred to as the longest night of the year.
* The tree, always an evergreen to represent the God who dies and is ever reborn, with all of its lights and ornaments, reflects the faith of the people in the gods to bring back abundance. The lights celebrate the return of the Sun. The red and white striped candy canes are the colours of the Maiden and of the Mother. The wreath reminds us of the constant turning of the Great Wheel, the seasons, and that death precedes birth - life - death. Mistletoe is a fertility symbol and the berries represent semen.
* The gift giving customs was started in ancient Rome during a festival called Saturnalia. It was the celebration of the blessings of Saturn and Ops.

A Declaration of Rebirth

I have been into the darkness,
and now return to light.
I relied on inner vision
when I had no mortal sight.
I returned unto the Mother
and did not feel forlorn.
I have braved the womb of Death,
and now I am reborn.

The Beginning of Faeries (a poem)

When the first baby laughed
for the very first time
the laugh broke into a thousand pieces
and they all went skipping about
and that was the beginning
of faeries.

A Bedtime Blessing

In the still of the night
While the world around me sleeps
May the angels smile upon me
And the Lady bring me peace.

A Goddess Meditation

I am you.
You are me.
Wherever you go,
there I am.
I am strewn everywhere.
Everywhere you collect me.
And as you do,
you recollect yourself.

A Guiding Charm

Great Spirit, show me the way
to walk with the light, to dance the stones
to receive visions at night, and know I'm never alone
to reach for the stars, with a wish in one hand
to reach for the Earth, and help heal our land
to follow my bliss, to live happy and free,
Great Spirit show me that the magick is me
so mote it be.

The Yule Vow

Mid-Winter is come on the Wheel of the Year;
With chill we are numb, and the short days are drear.
But the Sun is reborn; through the sky He ascends,
And my faith I adorn as my soul comprehends.
I vow love and trust that this longest of nights
Shall yet dawn robust and return the Sun’s light.
Honouring, confidence, I hoard not, nor conceal:
In the turning is renaissance, all hail the Wheel!

Seasonal Moons of the Lunar Calendar

January * Wolf Moon

* also known as the Cold, Snow or Winter Moon
* a time of protection and strength
* a time of beginnings and endings

February * Storm Moon

* also known as the Death or Quickening Moon
* time to do magick for fertility and strength
* magick to help you face life’s challenges
* time of internal and external cleansing

March * Chaste Moon

* also known as the Seed or Worm Moon
* time to plant mental seeds, thoughts of success and hope
* time of purity and newness

April * Seed Moon

* also known as the Egg, Grass or Wind Moon
* sow the seeds of magick
* move from the planning phase into action
* fertility is in the air
* good time to get pregnant

May * Hare Moon

* also known as the Flower or Planting Moon
* tome of health, love, romance, wisdom
* rekindle the romance spark and passion in a relationship

June * Lover’s Moon

* also known as the Strawberry or Rose Moon
* energy for love, marriage and success

July * Mead Moon

* also known as the Blessing, Lightning, or Thunder Moon
* time of enchantment, health, rebirth, success and strength
* first harvest; enjoy the fruits of your labour

August * Wyrt Moon

* also known as the Wort, Barley, Corn or Red Moon
* abundance, agriculture, marriage magick

September * Harvest Moon

* also known as the Hunter’s Moon
* protection, prosperity, abundance magick

October * Blood Moon

* also known as the Falling Leaf Moon
* new goals, protection, resolution, spirituality
* divination of any kind
* reflect on what you’ve done during the year and evaluate your accomplishments

November * Snow Moon

* also known as the Mourning or Tree Moon
* use divination to tell what the future brings

December * Oak Moon

* also known as the Cold or Long Night Moon
* hope, healing, completion of a project
* the Moon has reign over the Earth

The Wheel of the Year

At Yule, which occurs at the time of the Winter Solstice in December, the Lady gives birth to the Lord and rests from Her labour.
At Imbolc, in February, the Lord is seen as a small boy, and the Lady recovers from giving birth.
Ostara marks the first day of Spring and the awakening of the Earth. At this time, the Lord is seen as a growing youth.
At Beltaine, the Lord has grown to manhood. He falls in love with the Lady, and They unite, producing the bounty of Nature. The Lady becomes pregnant by the Lord.
The Summer Solstice is the point in Midsummer when everything in Nature is at its peak, growing and lush. The Lord and Lady are both at the height of Their powers.
Lughnassadh is the day in August of the first harvest. The first grains are cut, and the Lord begins to weaken.
At Mabon, the second harvest, the Lord is coming to His end. The days grow shorter, and Earth readies for the slumber of Winter.
At Samhain, in October, the Lord dies only to be reborn of the Lady again at Yule.

The Witches' Pyramid

1) Know who you are and what you are. You have to know the rules. You must know the magical rites you are going to be doing. And you must know your intention.
2) Dare to do what you are planning. Do you dare to follow through?
3) Will the magick to happen. Do you have the ability and the will to follow through? Can you will your energy to make it happen?
4) Keep silent and not brag or boast about what you have done. You don’t take your magick for granted, but you sit back quietly, watch, and know that you are growing.

A Blessing for Familiars

O Cat Familiar
Companion and friend
To thee a Witch’s blessing I send
By rhyme of enchantment
And love’s potent power
By candle anointed
And magical hair,
By Moon’s silver charm
And night’s dark desire,
By elements ancient
And cauldron of fire.
Be blessed by the Goddess
And Horned One so old,
Be blessed by the forces
Of Nature so bold,
By wind and by water,
By earth and by flame,
By every deity’s unspoken name.
Blessings abundant
Be now upon thee
Harming none, this is done
So mote it be!

To Be a Witch

To be a witch is to:
Love and be loved,
Know everything and nothing at all,
Move among the stars while staying on Earth,
Change the world around you, and yourself,
Share and give, while receiving all the while,
Dance and sing, and hold hands with the Universe,
Honour the Gods, and yourself,
Be magick, not just perform it,
Be honourable, or nothing at all,
Accept others who are not,
Know what you feel is right and good,
Harm none,
Know the ways of Old,
See beyond the barriers,
Follow the Moon,
Be one with the Gods,
Study and learn,
Be the teacher and the student,
Acknowledge the truth,
Live with the Earth, not just on it,
Be truly free.