New Moon Old Magick

Wow, what a great moon in the sky tonight.  Huge, hanging low on the horizon when I last looked.  LEO is not such a comfortable place for the moon to be, astrologically.  It is fiery and burning hot according to the ancients.  A high energy, turbo powered ego of a sign.  The eye (“I”) at the top of the pyramid.  So how well does the cold and damp moon live here?

Well, Leo as the most self-aware (or self-centered) of all the signs, is very much about power.  Moon in Leo is a time to do spells of power.  Full Moon in Leo is a great time to do spells involving your personal power.  As in growing some.

So much of our culture is about dis-empowering ourselves.  Our educational system, and Madison Avenue, train us to distrust our own perceptions.  We have been benumbed intentionally by years of conditioning.  And a being who walks without their instincts on this earth, is walking blind.  Powerless.  Heck, think of all those politicians and CEO’s who depend upon us remaining blind and unaware!

So what is the first thing we, the dis-empowered masses, must cultivate?  Trust.  If we cannot trust ourselves, we will never regain our instincts.  Therefor, Full Moon in Leo is a wonderful time to do spell working about being the King (or Queen) of your own Life.  Royalty is often symbolized by lions.  Lion is considered the ‘king of the jungle’.  Why do you think?  This is nothing modern or new.  Have you seen the strength card in a traditional Tarot deck?  Strength.  A woman riding a Lion, or subduing same.  Controlled Power = Strength.  The woman is the mothering, nurturing, and controlling force that contains and tames the powerful lion.  Yes, the female image is physically weaker than the mighty lion, but that is the point.  What is the first energy between a mother and her child?  Attachment, love, and nurturing, the ultimate Yin energy.  The classic example of this harnessing of Power, is that of the Mother who picks the car up off her crushed child to save his life.  This is a flash of great and awesome energy, coming directly from the interaction of the Love of the Mother, with the adrenal fight instinct of the maternal protector.  She fights the very fabric of gravity to save her child, but the energy is not stable and long-lasting.  Stability comes thru the other qualities of the Mother.  Discipline and constraint.  These are the qualities that bring Form to this Formless energy, as this hypothetical mother would seek to provide boundaries and lessons to help form her child’s character.

So does the female symbol, the Wisdom of the human heart, bring order to the Vast Power that is the human soul.  Without this order, nothing can be accomplished.  Power is reduced and weakened by it’s own chaos.  But it is truly said that with Love, all things are possible.  And with Love, indeed, comes the enlightenment that we are all One with Creation, and with each other.

A belief in oneself, in one’s instincts, a trust in one’s own perceptions, is a big part of the self love necessary to harness the Vast Power of the underlying subconscious.  A perception that as humans, we are all related, helps to stabilize that self-love in the awareness of our own underlying Divinity.  Once you can harness that energy with love, stabilize it by moving in harmony with the Flow of the Great Creator (let Thy Will be my will) you truly CAN move mountains.

Some may feel that my emphasis on love is a bit fluffy.  Personally, I think it is merely common sense.  There are many magickal folks who believe that self-love means good ol’ fashioned “looking out for number one”.   But think for a moment.  If you are seeking power so as to have ‘power over’ another person or situation, it is as if the good mother in our visualization has become the Tiger Mother.  The dominating force who is all about boundaries and limits, and has forgotten the Love and Nurture bit.  If you are seeking “power over”, then you are by your very premise disconnected from that which you are seeking power over.  You’ve never gotten the bit about all of us being One, missing the Love part of the equation.  In this example, the Chaotic Power of the human Unconscious (Younger Self or the Inner Child) is broken in, it’s spirit crushed, rather than nurtured.  It’s individual perception is stamped out, so as to make it a carbon copy of some idea that the example parent holds.  In this instance, the result is never good.  Yes there will be results, but without the nurturing of Love, the power is elusive, unstable.  The resulting adult will be lucky if they can actually FIND the mountain, let alone move one.

Would you like more inner strength in your own life?  Here is a Full Moon in LEO ritual in honor of the night.  Feel free as always to substitute incenses and candles as dictated by whatever you have on hand.   A white tea candle is just as good as anything else if that is what you have.  Even no candle at all, although if you are absent candles and sanctifying incense, make sure you see yourself, in your mind’s eye, lighting the tall white candle of Purity of Purpose.

STRENGTH RITUAL

OPENING:  In your temple space

• Place an upright wooden chair or bench
• Light a red candle
• Light some amber incense or another sanctifying scent like sandalwood
• Walk around the perimeter of the circle/temple three times.  You may sing, chant, carry the incense, spritz water, or do anything else (within reason) that symbolizes to you the sealing of the circle.

• Take a moment standing at the center of the circle or temple, facing the East.  Greet the power of the Divine Energy, the Inspiration of the East.  Take a deep breath and allow the Light of the Divine energy (god form of your choice), fill you and flow from you out into the circle.  In your mind’s eye, see the circle filling with Light, and know that everything you do here, you do as someone who moves in accordance with the Wisdom of Divine Love.
• In your own time, turn to face the South, feeling the heat energy of the fire element, the dwelling place of LEO, the life-force;
• then the West, feeling the cool dampness of water and the place of your own intuition;
• and lastly, the North.  Here you can smell the earthy scents of leaves on the forest floor, the mosses on the rocks, and the cool cave of Woman, the House of Wisdom.
• Then finally come back full circle to the East.

MAIN:

• Move to the chair or bench you’ve put inside the circle and straddle it.  As you do so, you can feel the thing shudder, as if the Great Beast between your knees is waking.  Do not fear, this is your own ride, after all.
• Do you love dogs?  Visualize this as a big shaggy mastiff, or even a goofy great dane.  More of a cat person? See a lion, a panther, an enormous tabby kitty about to spring on a mouse.  How about a Dragon?  Whatever you see or feel, be aware of the vast strength it possesses.  Yes, this is a part of you, but it is that part of you seen thru a filter so that it can be worked with.  Spend a few moments feeling the emotive, intuitive nature of this powerful beast, and then feel your loving and affectionate reaction/interaction to it.  Love it as if this were your own best animal companion.  Scritch it’s head and belly.
• Spend as much time as you want with this until your Giant Companion is reduced to helpless purring… and then, keeping ahold of the Beast’s neck, ear, head or whatever, stand up and dismount your chair.
• Stand tall and in your mind’s eye, see the Best standing next to you at your direction, still purring.  Direct the Beast to sit calmly next to you.  If your Beast is a big dog, be prepared, they may decide to lean on you!  The point is, you are in control of the Beast’s movement.  You are in control of your own inner Beast, and it is happy and purring.  Stay in this part of the visualization as long as you are comfortable.
• Then allow the ‘Beast’ to merge back into your own body, at about the level of the Solar Plexis, or if you prefer, the Dan Tien of the belly chakra.  Allow yourself to feel the purring in your belly.  Allow yourself to smile!

CLOSING:

• When you are ready, stand facing the East quietly for a moment,
• and then turn North and express your gratitude for the Wisdom of Woman.
• Turn to the West and give thanks for your own Intuition.
• Then turn to the South, feeling the warmth of the Southern Fire on your face and Honor the Life Force that put you here.
• Finally turn back to the East and acknowledge the presence of the Light force in your working.  Express gratitude.  Take a large breathe and then exhale, releasing the Light force back into it’s own plane, knowing that it will never entirely leave you.
  Pace back around the circle in a counter clockwise direction, willing the energies back into the earth and unsealing the walls of your own inner temple.

Earth the ashes of your incense (as long as they no longer are burning!), pinch the flame and then go and eat something grounding, like a piece of good whole grain bread with honey.  Or have a cup of strong coffee or slow cup of tea.

Good work dears!
Honor yourselves as I honor you.  You are indeed the Lights of the World.

Blessed Be,
Marie Angeli

all text and images © 2012 Marie Angeli
portions of this blog may be reproduced physically or online for personal or educational purposes only, and only if credit is given.  No portion may be reproduced for profit, or resold in any form.

Waxing Moon in Cancer, a Hedge Witches Dream

Good morning, my lovelies!

What a fabulous day!!  Today is Saturday, the 9th of April, and this article is being written in the Southeastern United States.  At approximately 5:15pm this evening, Eastern Time, the moon will enter into Cancer.  She will now be in her first quarter waxing phase in Cancer.  There is no more fertile time in the entire cycle of moon phase than waxing (growing) moon in Cancer.  This is the absolutely best time for planting seeds, transplanting starts, planting trees, annuals, perennials, fruits, above ground veggies, below ground roots, herbs, you name it.  Plant it now.

Cottage Garden

Even if you have nothing to plant, and you are still in a cold climate and before your frost dates, go out into your garden and do SOMETHING to prepare for the time when you CAN plant.  Get the energy flowing.  If you are an apartment gardener, plant some pots of herbs for your window, or add a tiny rose or a new violet to your indoor garden.  Get your hands into some earth.  Now is the time to reconnect with the energy of growth and fertility.  Women, it is part of us biologically and energetically, and it is vitally important to spend time celebrating that Goddess energy in ourselves.  Men, you don’t need me to tell you, go wallow in some feminine energy!  Enjoy!

Correspondingly, it is also a fabulous time to do things in your life that will seed a new endeavor or put efforts into getting something going that you have been hoping for, WITH THE CAVEAT that Mercury is still Retrograde, and that one needs to avoid contracts, initiating new communications, purchasing real estate, and avoiding buying a new computer, car or airplane!  Otherwise, work those contacts you have already made.  Develop those products you have researched, do your homework on your business and take care of those things you have put off.  Come back to studies you have abandoned and wish to revisit, fix the car that has been sitting forlornly in your drive.  Revisit old friends, or an old flame.  In other words, now is the time to put effort into things you want to grow or to accomplish.

Cancer is the Cardinal sign of the Water triplicity.  Water is considered the most fertile of the elements, the source of life.  Cardinal is the most active of the Water signs, being the one who gets things going, the first and most INITIATING of the signs.  If it is possible for a Water sign to be Yang, this would be it.  So now is also an excellent time for ritual!!!

And any kind of ritual is worth doing now.  Not just the high holy qabbalistic Lodge ceremony, but the little hedge witch pick-a-leaf-and-blow-it-into-a-wish ceremony.  AND because it is the Water element, it is an excellent time to use that element in your ceremony.

If you live near a stream or an ocean, you are very lucky.  This is moving water, and you can definitely use this energy to carry your wish to the Powers that Be.  Even the flow of water into a storm drain is perfectly fine if there is none other available.  The point is to find flowing water, if you are using that element.

Here is a good and very simple personal ritual that uses either flowing water or earth.  You can do this at home, at work, or if you are travelling, really any place at all.

• As you are walking near a source of flowing water, a large fountain, a stream, the ocean, or the ladies room, find and pick up a leaf or blade of grass.  If you are indoors in an office building, and cannot find an indoor plant with small leaves, go outside the building for a moment and raid the landscaping near to a sprinkler!
• When you pick, remember that because this is a magical working, no matter how small, connect with the plant in your imagination and give it some respect and gratitude for the gift of the leaf.
• Take this leaf in your both your hands, and really look at it.  Look at the smoothness or roughness of the texture, at the veins of sap running thru, at the different colors of green and brown that mottle it.  There is no ‘perfect’ or leaf of ideal appearance, and to seek one would be to sterilize your ceremony.   Pick one at random and then really look at it.  This period of study will help take you out of your normal busy day mind.
• Take a few seconds to imagine the light coming on above your head and flowing down into you and around you, as we have been doing for the Divination 101 posts.  Let this light also flow into and fill the leaf in your hands.  Along with the light, let your wish flow into the leaf.  As you look at the leaf, really try to visualize the light of your own divinely connected energies filling it, carrying your wish.  Or if you are more kinetic, feel the warmth of that energy and your wish filling your leaf, as your hands warm it.
• You may hear a sound (sometimes I hear harmonics) or simply just know that the leaf is full.  It all depends on how you process information, but there will come a point when you will know or see, hear, or feel a signal that you are done.  If you don’t, don’t worry about it, just decide you are done and the leaf is full.  It’s your ceremony, after all.
• With a feeling of gratitude for a wish already granted, drop the leaf into the stream or the wave.  If your stream is the flow of water into a gutter, go for it!  If it is the ladies room in your place of work, fine!  Just flush.  Whatever works.
• Imagine that leaf flowing away from you and carrying your wish to the Universe, to the Powers that Be, to the Divine energies, whatever positive and fertile and active energy you wish to work with.

Here is a variation for those of you to whom flowing water is not convenient, if you prefer to work with the earth.

• You can also take the leaf and push it into the dirt near the plant, imagining in your mind that you are ‘planting’ your wish, and that it will grow with time.
• If it is a really big wish, obtain a small personal crystal and, using the method we just described, place your energy and your wish inside the crystal and ‘plant’ it.  Put it into the potted plant on your desk, as long as it is your plant and won’t migrate to someone else!  OR, simply push it into the ground somewhere outside in the landscaping and let the chips fall where they may!

Remember, as we’ve said before, casting a spell to harm or damage or manipulate another is not in our purview.  This is black magick, most especially if you do it in the name of prayer or religion, and it will backfire on you sooner or later.  Usually sooner.  That’s not shaking a finger, it’s just the way energy works.  As in life, you create the energy you will have to live with.

This type of hedgewitch ceremony is wonderful for real life problems.

• If you are forced by circumstances to work in a horrible environment where your finer qualities are not recognized, and bosses are taking the credit for your good work and blaming you for everything that goes wrong, even if it has nothing to do with you, this is a good way to work to change that energy.
• Since we do not want to initiate NEW communications, you can visualize that the truth of your good efforts and work abilities becomes known in your company. or among those you have contacted.
• You can imagine or visualize that your reputation for reliability and hard work, correspondingly along with your pay, grows and flourishes.

Then let the Powers the Be decide how that will look.  Try NOT to visualize your obnoxious boss getting the boot or being hit by something large on wheels, OK?

If you are searching for work, this is an excellent time to do ritual to obtain a job.  Plant your job in that leaf or crystal and let the Great Mother Earth grow one for you.  Remember to be as specific in your visualization or description of the qualities of your desired job as you can, WITHOUT GIVING A SPECIFIC COMPANY OR NAME OF AN INDIVIDUAL. Use positive language.  Do not say what you do not want.  Declare what you want.  Good pay.  Good co-workers.  Appreciative boss.  Recognition of your qualities.  Interesting and rewarding work.  To do some good in the world.  Whatever is of importance to you.  You can even write some of your requirements on a small slip of paper and bury it with the leaf, or wrap it around the crystal.  Plant your wish, or throw it into the stream or the ocean and walk away.

Alright lovies, there is another moon unit, with some little rituals thrown in.  Thank you again for your patience with the blog itself, and I promise that I will let you know when the RSS feed and the email subscription are fixed and all better.  Enjoy your weekend and get out and put your hands into the earth of the Great Mother if you can.

Blessed Be,
Marie Angeli

all text and images ©2011 Marie Angeli