May your 2019 be filled with more love laughter, positive everything in your life along with enough money to cover all your needs and even to get something you really just want.
From Coven Life Elders
Month: December 2018
Blessings and Happiness In 2019 to Our Southern Hemisphere Brothers Sisters and Friends
May your 2019 be filled with more love laughter, positive everything in your life along with enough money to cover all your needs and even to get something you really just want.
From Coven Life Elders
Drawing down the Moon
Drawing down the Moon (also known as drawing down the Goddess) is a central ritual in many contemporary Wiccan traditions. During the ritual, a coven’s High Priestess enters a trance and requests that the Goddess or Triple Goddess, symbolized by the Moon, enter her body and speak through her. The High Priestess may be aided by the High Priest, who invokes the spirit of the Goddess. During her trance, the Goddess speaks through the High Priestess.
The name most likely comes from a depiction of two women and the moon on an ancient Greek vase, believed to date from the second century BCE.
In classical times of ancient Greece, ancient Thessalian witches were believed to control the moon, according to the tract: “If I command the moon, it will come down; and if I wish to withhold the day, night will linger over my head; and again, if I wish to embark on the sea, I need no ship, and if I wish to fly through the air, I am free from my weight.”
The Orphic hymn to Selene (Moon)
One of these songs is the Orphic Hymn to the goddess Selene, namely the Moon. The text could be also considered as a spell one could address to the Blood Moon.
“Hear, Goddess queen, diffusing silver light, bull-horn’d and wand’ring thro’ the gloom of Night.
With stars surrounded, and with circuit wide Night’s torch extending, thro’ the heav’ns you ride:
Female and Male with borrow’d rays you shine, and now full-orb’d, now tending to decline.
Mother of ages, fruit-producing Moon [Mene], whose amber orb makes Night’s reflected noon:
Lover of horses, splendid, queen of Night, all-seeing pow’r bedeck’d with starry light.
Lover of vigilance, the foe of strife, in peace rejoicing, and a prudent life:
Fair lamp of Night, its ornament and friend, who giv’st to Nature’s works their destin’d end.
Queen of the stars, all-wife Diana hail! Deck’d with a graceful robe and shining veil;
Come, blessed Goddess, prudent, starry, bright, come moony-lamp with chaste and splendid light,
Shine on these sacred rites with prosp’rous rays, and pleas’d accept thy suppliant’s mystic praise.”
Hear, Goddess queen, diffusing silver light, bull-horn’d and wand’ring thro’ the gloom of Night.
With stars surrounded, and with circuit wide Night’s torch extending, thro’ the heav’ns you ride:
Female and Male with borrow’d rays you shine, and now full-orb’d, now tending to decline.
Mother of ages, fruit-producing Moon [Mene], whose amber orb makes Night’s reflected noon:
Lover of horses, splendid, queen of Night, all-seeing pow’r bedeck’d with starry light.
Lover of vigilance, the foe of strife, in peace rejoicing, and a prudent life:
Fair lamp of Night, its ornament and friend, who giv’st to Nature’s works their destin’d end.
Queen of the stars, all-wife Diana hail! Deck’d with a graceful robe and shining veil;
Come, blessed Goddess, prudent, starry, bright, come moony-lamp with chaste and splendid light,
Shine on these sacred rites with prosp’rous rays, and pleas’d accept thy suppliant’s mystic praise.
Tarot and Witchcraft
Tarot and witchcraft go together like cheese and pasta. Yet not all witches use tarot cards, and not all tarot readers are witches. When the two are put together, you get some powerful magick happening.
Many witches come to know tarot because during their training, they are encouraged to specialize in a usable skill. Some choose herbalism, or healing. Others might decide on removing curses or sewing witchy clothing. I chose tarot because I’d always been fascinated by the cards and longed to get to know more about them.
Blessed Be Used in Some Initations
Blessed Be
“Blessed be” is a traditional salutation in many contemporary magical traditions. Use of the phrase indicates that you wish good things upon the one to whom you are speaking. The phrase appears in some Pagan paths, but it’s most likely to be used in a Neo-Wiccan context.
The phrase is part of a longer ritual, which is included in some initiation ceremonies. During that particular rite, the High Priestess or High Priest delivers what is known as the Five Fold Kiss, and recites:
Blessed be thy feet,
which have brought thee in these ways,
Blessed be thy knees,
that shall kneel at the sacred altar,
Blessed be thy womb,
without which we would not be,
Blessed be thy breasts,
formed in beauty,
Blessed be thy lips,
that shall utter the Sacred Names of the gods.
Blessed Be
“Blessed be” is a traditional salutation in many contemporary magical traditions. Use of the phrase indicates that you wish good things upon the one to whom you are speaking. The phrase appears in some Pagan paths, but it’s most likely to be used in a Neo-Wiccan context.
The phrase is part of a longer ritual, which is included in some initiation ceremonies. During that particular rite, the High Priestess or High Priest delivers what is known as the Five Fold Kiss, and recites:
Blessed be thy feet,
which have brought thee in these ways,
Blessed be thy knees,
that shall kneel at the sacred altar,
Blessed be thy womb,
without which we would not be,
Blessed be thy breasts,
formed in beauty,
Blessed be thy lips,
that shall utter the Sacred Names of the gods.
Magical Name
Sometimes a name will resonate with you. Often we read about characters that may have qualities that we aspire to. You may feel that you want to change your name when you are beginning a new page of your own personal story. That’s ok, too. You may become interested in a different path and want to choose a name that lends itself to a particular one.
My name is borrowed from the seven sisters. Maia was the oldest of the Pleiades, the group of seven stars in the constellation Taurus. The name has many different spellings and meanings depending on the tradition or subject. I chose this name because of the qualities Maia represents. She is fertility, mother, and known as the one who brings increase. At this time of my life I feel I am working on these qualities, and bearing the name reminds me to do my best.
A Pagan Solstice Carol
Tired of hearing the 12 Days of Crirstmas? I know I’ve heard it one to many times. So I figured Theresa to bea.pagan alternative so I went searching for it and to my joyful surprised that there is more than one version. I’m postings to my favorite and following that will be the link of the search I did on YouTube. Copy link and them paste links into your browser.
13 Days of Solstice https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1T85Fm2uYLE
Other versions https://m.youtube.com/results?search_query=Pagan+13+days+of.yulr
There are many other Pagan Yule/Solstit Carols to newfound on YouTube. Just put “Pagan” and the regular name of the Carol you like. Happy searching!?
The Witches’ Pyramid
The Witches’ Pyramid is a magickal philosophy that predates Modern Witchcraft and was first articulated by the French occultist and magician Eliphas Levi (1810–1875) in his two-volume Transcendental Magic: Its Doctrine and Ritual, released in 1854 and 1856. In Transcendental Magic Levi writes:
The Sphinx, drawing from 1886 by Frank S DeHas.
“To attain the SANCTUM REGNUM, in other words, the knowledge and power of the Magi, there are four indispensable conditions an intelligence illuminated by study, an intrepidity which nothing can check, a will which cannot be broken, and a prudence which nothing can corrupt and nothing intoxicate. TO KNOW, TO DARE, TO WILL, TO WILL, TO KEEP SILENCE such are the four words of the Magus, inscribed upon the four symbolical forms of the sphinx.” (1)
The Runes & The Elemental Links
This is the last posting Lady Abyss did about runes in one day of posting information about them one after the other. But I am pretty sure that on witchesofthecraft.com you may find other posts she or some one at WOTC did before these. There are also a couple of posts I did about runes here in Coven Life. As a reminder to find all the posts on runes on either side use the”Search Box” type in “Runes” and it should bring up the articles about them. When you reach the end of the Search page click on “Older Posts” to see more in the topic. Do not be surprised or get frustrated if posts not directly about Runes come up the reason they do is the article might have the word Runes in it somewhere. I am going to ask Lady Abyss’ permission to compile all of her informative posts about runes into a PDF style booklet. More on this idea when she gets back from spending time with her family.
The Runes & The Elemental Links
Most people with even a smattering of knowledge of astrology will be aware of the elements of earth,
air, fire and water, and that three zodiac signs fit into each element. It should come as no surprise,
therefore, to learn that a rune also corresponds to each element.
What follows here are the most widely accepted linkages between the elements and four of the runes.
Also given are other runes which are said to link in with the element being discussed.
Earth
The element of earth is concerned with solid foundations, and with keeping in touch with reality. It
may be interesting to learn that Eihwaz, an earth rune, is sometimes called ‘the Rune of Death’ because
of the poisonous qualities of the yew tree with which it is associated.
Also associated with the earth element are Uruz, Wunjo, Berkana, Othila, Isa (which can…
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The Blank Rune And Further Use
The Blank Rune And Further Use
We have now covered all the symbols on the runes, and have looked in detail at their meanings. It is
now necessary to consider the rune which has no symbol, but which has a strong meaning, and that
rune is the blank rune or wyrd. We will then progress to learn which runes to use to create new names,
and which runes should go before and after the name to symbolise the aspirations of the holder. We
shall also take a look at the runic Kabbala, before discussing ways of casting the runes.
Wyrd
This rune has no connections with any planet, zodiac sign, bird, plant or animal. It is the rune of
karma or fate, and concerns things which cannot be predestined, but which also cannot be avoided. As
it has no symbol, it has no place within the runic alphabetical system, and…
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Enchanted Circle of Witches® 