August 2013 isssue 13

August 2013 Issue # 13

Graveyard Dirt In Magickal Workings

The Changing Face of Magic; Thinking Big Thoughts

50 Simple Charms Who says magick has to complex?

KEEPING A DISTANCE; When NOT to Help Others

CREATING ANIMAL FAMILARS The Crone’s Cupboard Hints and Ideas from an Old Crone's Home

Have Athame will Travel; Making a Traveling Witch Kit

Follow us on f Call now ~ M-F 9AM-5PM PST 1-509-720-6249 Say Hello by e-mail SALES@VALHALLASOAP.COM

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Gensha Publishing Maxine Byers Lazy Witch Patricia Cota-Robles Ingrid Jeffries Kaerwyn Silverwood CraftyWitch Sia Laurie Brown Patti Wigington Karen Charboneau-Harrison Evylyn Rose Lady Ti-Eagle Alena Orrison Gwynalda Shadowalker Brandy Williams Richard Harvey Gertrude Moon Crafty Witch Maxine Byers Janie Bass http://elementalmagick.wetpaint.com/

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HONORING THE MOON’S CYCLE

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GRAVEYARD DIRT IN MAGICKAL WORKINGS

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THE MAGICK OF CORN

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QABALISTIC MAGIC

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THE CHANGING FACE OF MAGICK

24 50 SIMPLE CHARMS

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THE HUNGER FOR REALITY

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CREATING ANIMAL FAMILARS

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NEO-PAGAN TRAVEL AND RETREATS

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THE FULL CORN MOON

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MAKING A TRAVELING WITCH KIT

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CORN MOON

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KEEPING A DISTANCE;

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LUGHNASADH FESTIVAL

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WHAT WILL RAISING CONSCUSNESS MEAN FOR HUMANITY?

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THROWING DOWN THE GAUNTLET;

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Questions? Comments? Ideas?

If you have something to say, we want to hear it!

Letters to the editor can be sent to elementalmagick@hotmail.com

Corrections

Our March 2013 issue featured an article by author Doreen Shababy, “ My 10 Favorite Things About Spring”.

This article was a re-print from the Llewellyn Journal and can be found at http://www.llewellyn.com/journal/article/2102 Doreen Shababy (Idaho) spends her days gardening, writing, cooking, and crafting. Her writing has appeared in several publications, and she self-published a quarterly called Wild &

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FROM THE EDITOR

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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LEO ~ ABOUT YOUR SIGN

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AUGUST MOON CALENDAR

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VIRGO ~ ABOUT YOUR SIGN

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GOD/DESS OF THE MONTH

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CRAFTY WITCH’S BOOK REVIEW

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CORN DOLLY STORIES

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DEAR GERTRUDE

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IXIMCHE’

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AUGUST QUICK REFERANCE GUIDE

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GEM OF THE MONTH

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LUGHNASADH YRIVIA

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FIRST HARVEST MOON FOR FAMLIES

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EYE OF NEWT

Weedy: A Journal of Herbology.

http://www.thewildnweedykitchen.blogspot.com

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~ by Maxine Byers

On August 1, it’s time to celebrate Lammas, or Lughnasadh, depending on which one you prefer, if you live in the Northern Hemisphere. This summer Sabbat marks the season of the grain harvest, and is a time when many people are gathering their crops so they can start preparing for later on. In some traditions, it’s a time to honor the Celtic craftsman god, Lugh, by celebrating your skills and talents.

If you’re one of our Southern Hemisphere readers that means you’re gearing up for Imbolc, the season of Brighid, and a celebration of light and fire.

No matter which of these you may be observing may you and your family have a beautiful and blessed Sabbat!

In our modern world, it’s often easy to forget the trials and tribulations our ancestors had to endure.

For us, if we need a loaf of bread, we simply drive over to the local grocery store and buy a few bags of prepackaged bread. If we run out, it’s no big deal; we just go and get more. When our ancestors lived, hundreds and thousands of years ago, the harvesting and processing of grain was crucial. If crops were left in the fields too long, or the bread not baked in time, families could starve. Taking care of one’s crops meant the difference between life and death.

By celebrating Lammas as a harvest holiday, we honor our ancestors and the hard work they must have had to do in order to survive. This makes Lughnasaa a good time to give thanks for the abundance we have in our lives, and to be grateful for the food on our tables.

Lammas is a time of transformation, of rebirth and new beginnings.

August is a great month (and as a precursor to the coming Fall Season; a time for deep spiritual work) to begin our process of self-reflection. Where do we find ourselves? What is our daily reality look like?

What experiences have we created for ourselves? It’s an important time to take stock of what we’ve accomplished to date, our goals and aspirations to best determine the next steps needed and actions to take in order to best nurture the life we’ve created.

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It’s a spiritual time of year that gives us the opportunity to integrate our physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental self into one holistic state of being for authentic living.

Is there one aspect out of synch? Is there opportunity for us to deeper align our inner self with the outer self and world? Take some time to relax, breathe deeply, and close your eyes this month. What is missing; what changes can we make; what is working perfectly in alignment with our highest self, vision, and life purpose? How can we bring more joy, happiness, love, and abundance into our lives? How can we best embody these qualities with our friends, family, career, and the world at large?

Live with gentle grace and gratitude. Live and act with positive intention. Take responsibility for your happiness. Take charge of your life and move forward embracing seasonal changes. Live with Purpose. Choose Life. Choose this moment. Choose to live your life from Love.

Bright Lammas Blessings to You & Best Wishes for living a life full of intention and unique purpose.

~ Maxine Byers

Calendar of Events August 2013 AUG 1st ~ Lammas or Lughnasadh, Imbolc (Southern Hemisphere) AUG 1st ~ Going Away Luncheon for Carol Cowles at Top of China Restaurant on West Appleway across from Lowes. We'll begin gathering around 12:30pm. Carol is moving from the area and will be greatly missed! Come see her off!

AUG 1st ~ Birthday of medium Edward Kelley, 1555 AUG 2nd, 4th ~ "Art on the Green" Festival, "A Taste of CdA" Food Festival, and the Annual "CdA Street Fair", Downtown Coeur d'Alene Id, City Park and Fort Sherman Grounds at CdA Jr. College, Coeur d'Alene Id. AUG 2nd, 4th ~ Dublin Irish Festival (Dublin, OH) AUG 4th ~ Celtic Tree Month of Holly ends AUG 5th ~ Dark of the Moon AUG 5th ~ Celtic Tree Month of Hazel begins AUG 6th ~ New Moon AUG 15th ~ Birthday of Charles Leland, folklorist and author, 1824 AUG 20th ~ Full Moon -- Corn Moon at 9:45 pm AUG 20th ~ Full Moon Celebrations, Spirit Lake Id AUG 20th ~ Birthday of author Ann Moura in 1947 AUG 20th, 24th ~ Bonner County Fair, just north of Sandpoint, Id. A real County Style Fair with animals, exhibits and homemade food stalls. A wonderful day in a beautiful location!

AUG 21st, 25th ~ North Idaho Fair and Rodeo, Kootenia County Fair Grounds, Coeur d'Alene, Id. Rides, exhibits, music, games and animals! And don't forget the Rodeo!!!

AUG 31st ~ Birthday of author Raymond Buckland

We have 3 Field Trips planned for August. PLEASE watch our FaceBook Wall for dates, places and times. https://www.facebook.com/pages/ElementalMagick/212031815482406

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~ By Brandy Williams When we make magic, magic makes us.

All of us are shaped by many factors: genetic heritage, family structure, our generation, the culture in which we are raised, and how that culture views gender. As we move through the years our experiences also go into making us who we are. Magic gives us tools to cope with the challenges life presents. For example, many of us learned to ground and center as our first magical lesson, establishing a mental, emotional, and energetic foundation from which to act.

Some magical techniques address our human needs— attracting love, caring for a family, and engaging in meaningful work. The western magical tradition calls this kind of magic thaumaturgy, or low magic. I’ve heard this described dismissively, "That’s just thaumaturgy!" Donald Michael Kraig points out that the term "low" describes magic developed in the lowlands, in farming communities where healing ailments and managing a bit of prosperity are vitally important. Thaumaturgy is contrasted with theurgy, magic involving the gods or divine powers. Theurgy is also called high magic, which Kraig notes developed in the cities, literally higher than the countryside.

Don’t let anyone tell you high magic is superior to low magic!

Every human being needs to eat, to have a place to live, to be healthy, and to be loved. It’s much harder to invoke your Holy Guardian Angel if you are couch-surfing with family. Thaumaturgy provides the essential foundation of our magical lives, helping us to provide for ourselves and contribute to the families and communities which support us. My book Practical Magic for Beginners describes this kind of magic at length, detailing the knowledge that forms the western occult heritage, and applying that knowledge to aid us in our everyday lives.

Magic also offers us a path of personal development, a way to explore our relationship with the divine and our own divine natures.

Theurgy is sometimes translated "god-work," the work we do to bring ourselves closer to the gods. High magic (or ceremonial magic) tends to be formal, involving established ritual, and includes the study of esoteric magical systems, particularly Qabbalah. In the Magical Philosophy series, Melita Denning and Osborne Phillips note that engaging in esoteric study is a form of initiation in itself. Many ceremonial systems and groups also include a staged series of initiations that are designed to take the student on a spiritual journey to magical adepthood.

High magic evolved over millennia to fit the needs of past generations. The formal magical systems draw on the western occult heritage—the workings of the elements and planets, energies and

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tides—to build transformative rituals. Many ceremonial orders exist today that preserve the rituals of the last century, providing an opportunity for men and women of all ages to experience their power.

Just as we are shaped by our times and culture, magical systems are shaped by the needs of the people who create and use them. The last century offered a different set of challenges than the ones we face today.

One hundred years ago the industrial age promised an ever brighter future, brightening the night, greening the desert, and extending the human lifespan, while at the same time conflicts exploded into destructive world wars, tearing families and countries apart. In this century we are struggling to cope with the destructive legacy of industrialism itself while learning to tolerate cultural and religious differences and support the right of all people to govern themselves.

We think and act differently than our forebears did in the last millennium. This is especially true of how we think about gender and how our culture treats gender differences. In the last century women worked for the right to vote, to wear trousers, to move into the workforce. Today women work for equal representation in leadership, to earn the same salary as men for the same work, to be taken seriously as agents of our own destiny.

High magic has not yet incorporated the cultural shift in gender roles. Rituals created to help men to experience the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel don’t work in the same way for women.

My book The Woman Magician examines the ways in which Western Traditional Magic has thought about women and creates an initiatory system for women to explore their highest spiritual potential.

High magic similarly fails to include diversity of race, sexual orientation, and ability; to cope with the equation of magic with superstition and the academic framing of magic as opposite to science; and to explore spirituality in the context of competing world religions. It is the challenge of today’s magicians to synthesize a cohesive view of the world that takes contemporary diversity, religion, and scientific discovery into account in a way that includes and validates magical-spiritual endeavor.

Re-making High Magick how do we go about remaking magic? What even gives us the right to think such a big thought? Doesn’t that kind of work come from geniuses or people who speak the words of the gods?

Geniuses may absorb information more quickly, but anyone who can read and is willing to persevere can acquire knowledge. We can overcome our personal limitations by working in groups, encouraging each other, and supporting our individual development in a communal context. For example, we know now that any group is smarter than its smartest member, even if that smartest member is a genius. Also, any one of us can establish a relationship with deity, and every one of us can come to a realization of the divinity within us.

Suppose we give ourselves permission to tackle this idea.

Where do we begin?  List Sources a good place to start is to consider the sources of our magic.

It’s important not to censor this list and to be willing to include all the roots of our systems, however unlikely or embarrassing.

Fans of the Harry Potter series will remember Luna Lovegood, whose willingness to consider unorthodox sources of information earned her scorn but permitted her to notice things that others did not see.

We have inherited high magic from people who assembled magical knowledge for thousands of years. Astrologers studied the skies, alchemists studied metals, herbalists pondered plants. Some of those herbalists must have contacted the spirits of those plants just as Eileen Caddy did at Findhorn in Scotland. Many spirits have communicated to humans. People routinely see and hear the spirits of loved ones who have died, an experience that blossomed into the popular religion of Spiritualism in the last century. Angels spoke to Edward Kelly and John Dee, and gods have appeared in dreams and visions to magicians many times throughout the ages.  Study Religion High Magic encompasses the Abrahamic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, as well as the folk religions and ancient Paganism that underlies them all. Since the Parliament of the Worlds Religions brought east and west together in 1893, western magic has incorporated Buddhism, Hinduism, and Tantra, while in modern times techniques from indigenous religions, particularly involving chant, trance, and possession, have been incorporated (some say appropriated) into the systems.  Study Philosophy Some of the great thinkers of past ages seem like geniuses to us because their education was different than ours. We no longer study Latin and Greek in school as the turn-of-thecentury magicians did. It is a rare person today who has any knowledge of philosophy, the history of how humans have come to think the way we think.

I came to philosophy as an outsider, reading on my own rather than in an academic environment. Even women who study inside the academy report feeling like outsiders, as the practice of philosophy has been held to be a man’s domain for several millennia. So I was surprised to discover how fascinating the study of ideas can be. If religion is the history of magic, philosophy is its operating system. Studying philosophy teaches us how to think about thinking, the meta-level that is precisely the place we need

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to reach to be able to rethink a magical system.

Experience Ritual Since the philosopher-magician Apollonius of Tyana visited India in the first century of the common era, the magicians who have contributed to the high magic systems have often been great travelers and experimenters. In the last century the men who crafted the rituals and study systems we use today were often Freemasons, trading and collecting fraternal initiations and religious ordinations, while the women who created the rituals and study systems also participated in Theosophy and Spiritualism. Today there are so many public events and open groups available that anyone can gain a wealth of experience that would have been the envy of any Victorian magician. We are the most cosmopolitan magicians in history.

Ask the Fundamental Questions Who are we? Why are we here? How does the universe work? What is the appropriate way for a twenty-first century magician to behave? The knowledge we gain from our studies, along with the experience we gain from our rituals, informs our answers to these questions. Our answers may change over time as we incorporate new experiences and knowledge.

As Denning and Phillips said, in the Hermetic tradition the study of knowledge itself changes us. To remake the systems of high magic we apply those changes to the body of traditional knowledge and ritual. We can then create new rituals that incorporate diversity, honor religion, partner with science, and shape us into the people we need to be to face the challenges of our age.

Not everyone is called to this work, but anyone who wills to do so can participate in it. The Woman Magician is one contribution to this effort, joining that of many others who are rethinking ceremonial magic for the twenty-first century. Together we will shape the form of high magic that will shape us into the people we envision we can be.

Brandy Williams Brandy Williams (Washington) is a Wiccan high priestess and ceremonial magician who has been practicing and teaching magic for over 25 years.

In 1997, Williams founded the Seattle Pagan Scholars, and she has served as director ever since. She also is involved with numerous organizations including Ordo Templi Orientis, and the Temple of Light and Darkness, a Ceremonial group based on the Open Source Order of the Golden Dawn. She served as President of Covenant of the Goddess in 1990 and 1991.

Williams has conducted many lectures and workshops on the subject of practical magic, including the School of Night, an intensive non-denominational course with six other teachers.

She also gave a presentation entitled “Wiccan Devotionals” to the Parliament of World Religions in 1993. Williams has made numerous festival appearances and continues to present lectures and workshops about her work.

This article is a re-print from the Llewellyn Journal and can be found at; http://www.llewellyn.com/journal/article/2237

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Honoring the Moon's Cycle

THE NEW MOON

The new moon, also called the dark of the moon, is when the Sun and the Moon conjunct each other in the same sign. This period each month is considered a powerful moment when there is the possibility for an opening and a directing of the energy to a higher purpose. Ancient peoples had many rituals during the new moon. It was a frightening time when the moon seemed to disappear and rituals were developed to encourage the moon to return as the light in the night sky. It is now considered a wonderful time to set an intention for something you want to create in your life.

When the Moon is new, the Sun and Moon are aligned in the same sign, and a powerful energy portal is opened.

New Moons are a great time to set intentions for things you'd like to create, develop, cultivate, make manifest.

There are many ways to initiate this communion with the Universe from lighting a candle to elaborate rituals. What matters is that you're committing yourself to your vision, and open to receiving guidance, healing, and support from Spirit.

Why Follow the Moon?

When you tune into the Moon's phases, it's reassuring to know that there are many chances during the year to tap into lunar energy. Like the tides, the Moon ebbs and flows, a rhythm that women understand intimately. New Moons are a blank page on which to speak your dreams out loud, and Full Moons are for taking action and celebrating and releasing the fruit of your efforts. In the chaotic and temporal world, looking to something larger that is also part of yourself can fill you with awe and make you feel connected. For whatever path you're on, opening to working with planetary energies links you to the power of the divine.

Preparing for the New Moon: It's a good idea to spend some time reflecting in the days leading up to the new Moon. Knowing exactly what you want to draw into your life is not always easy. Part of preparing for the new Moon is making sure you are clear about your intentions. Sometimes it's a quality you'd like to cultivate like forgiveness, or courage -- other times it's a more specific request like a promotion at work or new place to live.

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What is a new Moon Ritual?

This depends on your personal tastes, the pace of your life and the time you have to devote to it. Some simply light a candle, while others gather objects and pictures for an altar. With a candle, you can return to it and relight it while meditating on your intentions. Ritual helps focus your entire being on the quest at hand.

What does it mean in each different sign?

Every new Moon is different, and this gives you the chance to claim the energies of each different sign. Even if you don't have planets in the sign for a given month, it falls somewhere in your birth chart. We each have elements of the entire Zodiac in our make-up, with some more emphasized than others. Find out where the new Moon falls in your chart for clues as to what to "call in" that month.

How is it different from the Full Moon?

The New Moon has a more inward feel than the Full Moon.

The New Moon has a void or empty quality, and therefore can be frightening to those not comfortable with uncertainty. Can you learn to trust the dark? It's the moment when the old passes away and the new is not yet here. That's why it's a powerful time for sending out your prayer, wishes, and desires to the Universe.

New Moon Manifestation Ceremony The new moon is the birthing cycle of the moon's various phases. The new moon phase is an optimal time for planning and seeding your intentions. Seedlings need a period of gestation before they break through the soil and reach for the sunlight. This is also true for our ideas and our desires. The dark side of the moon, with its mysterious unseen forces, offers a nurturing environment where our intentions can establish roots before their miraculous manifestations begin to sprout and reach out to the stars.

Ceremony for Birthing Your Wishes and Desires Setting aside a few minutes each month during the new moon phase to focus on yours wishes and desires will help give you clarity of mind and fill your heart with promise. When it comes to setting goals or planning ahead for your future there is no better time to get started than during the new moon. Any intentions stated or written down carry power, so please take care in considering the things that you really want. The saying "Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it" is fair warning whenever setting your new moon intentions into motion. But, no worries. The moon has its phases and so do our individual wants and needs. This is why it is a good practice to rededicate your list of intentions each month when another new moon visits.

General Preparations for Upcoming New Moon Manifestation 1. Check a moon phase calendar for the next upcoming new moon.

2. Set aside 20-30 minutes to do the ritual itself.

3. Supply suggestions:  notebooks  pen and colored markers  scissors  scotch tape  candle  matches  incense  smudge sticks  meditation CDs 4. Prepare a sacred space for yourself where you will perform the ceremony when the new moon arrives.

Setting your New Moon Intentions in Motion 1. Cleanse your sacred area with an opening prayer, a sage smudging, and/or a burning of incense.

2. Light one or more candles.

3. Open your notebook, and date the first page. Write down these words "I accept these things into my life now or something better for my highest good and for the highest good of all concerned" or something similar. Below your affirmation statement begin writing down your desires. Your list may consist of only one item or you may have several pages written down. Try not to limit yourself. If having many things in your life helps to fulfill you then don't deny yourself wanting these things.

4. Center your being and calm yourself in whatever way is appropriate for you. Take some deep cleansing breaths, slip in a meditation CD to listen to, and/or leisurely sip on a cup of relaxing herbal tea.

5. During the month when an item on your new moon list comes to you, don't merely cross it off of your list. Take the time to rewrite the list in its entirety eliminating the manifested item from the listing. This is highly recommended.

At the same time you may add whatever else you would like.

Feel free to reword any of the original phrases if they better fit your life now. It is natural that your desires will change as time advances.

6. A second notebook can be used as a manifestation scrapbook where you paste in pictures or catalog clippings of items that you want to manifest. This is a fun project, so enjoy yourself. You will soon be amazed how these things begin to find their way into your life once you start this process.

Rededicating your New Moon Intentions Each month at the new moon rededicate your intentions by renewing your list at a repeated ritual. This is accomplished by rewriting your list out using a fresh sheet of paper. Don't get in the habit of simply scratching out the items you no longer desire and adding the new stuff to the bottom of your old list.

You don't want clutter and sloppiness energies messing up your new stuff do you? Disregard any items that no longer feed your soul and add new things that do.

Retrieved and adapted from http://healing.about.com/cs/spirituality/a/moonrituals.htm

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Leo! About Your Sign...

Leo is the fifth Sign of the Zodiac. Moving past the exploration of the world and the need to nurture of the first four Signs, Leo's great need is to create. Creativity is one of Leo's keywords, and people born under this Sign have the vitality and ambition to be successful in their creative endeavors. Leos are especially prominent on stage and in Hollywood, as their natural ability to act and their flamboyance and love of attention make them naturals at fame. Additionally, Leos love romance, and take pride in their warm hospitality. As the fifth Sign, Leo also rules the fifth House: the House of Pleasure.

The Astrological Symbol of Leo is the Lion. The Lion is the King of Beasts, and Leos enjoy being treated as the kings and queens of the Zodiac. Like the Lion, Leos have great physical strength and stamina. They tend to be opinionated, but they have a strong ability to see their projects through to the end. In this way, Leo exemplifies the Fixed Quality assigned to it. Leos may be arrogant or egotistical, but they are good organizers and tend to be popular and even inspiring. Within the Zodiac, Leo is opposite Aquarius, the Sign of Friends. Leo tends to be about self and personal popularity rather than group goals and sharing of ideas. Despite their tendency to patronizingly interfere in others' plans, they are leaders, confident and dignified.

Leo is ruled by the Sun. In ancient times, the Sun was believed to be the center of the Universe, the core of existence, the Father. Today, the Sun is important because it generates warmth and keeps life on Earth moving. Leos, too, sometimes feel they are the center of the universe, and sometimes they are! They are gregarious and social, fun-loving, and live life with enthusiasm. Despite their tendency toward bossiness and pretention, the natural leadership of people born under Leo and their administrative prowess helps ensure that their projects are successful. As leaders, Leos are decisive and direct, optimistic that they will succeed. Sometimes they exaggerate problems and overreact to stumbling blocks, but generally they are positive and their natural pride and stubborn streak keep them from giving up. They can be demanding leaders, but they are also generous.

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The Element associated with Leo is Fire. Fire Signs are physical: they tend to respond to the world through action, rather than practicality, intellect, or emotion. Leos jump headfirst into life, without worrying whether their latest goal is realistic or practical.

For them, everything about life is Big with a capital B, and if drama and courage is required to do what they want to do, they have both in abundance. Like Fire, Leos are always moving and quick, and their warm-hearted and outgoing personalities are similarly fiery. They tend to seek power more than other Signs, and because of this people sometimes feel they are obnoxious, boastful, self-centered, or rude. But despite their sometimes hotheaded or cutting response, Leos are cheerful and self-assured, sometimes to the point of living in a fantasy world. They are always happy as long as someone is paying attention to them!

Leo rules the fifth House, which besides romance and children also involves gambling. Many Leos love to gamble, and may be brash and extravagant at the gaming table.

They see it as their natural due when casinos treat them as royalty! Pleasure is important to people born under Leo, and they like to spend money to feel good. At their extreme, some Leos can be vain and childish or overbearing in their reactions, but generally they're happy so long as they are comfortable.

In their leisure time, Leos prefer to play in groups rather than solo. They are too gregarious to enjoy solitary running or weight lifting, and they much prefer team sports or group exercise. In love relationships, Leo tops the charts in almost every area, from devotion to romance.

Leo rules the back, spine, and heart. People born under Leo may suffer from heart problems or back pain more often than people born under other Signs. Leo's colors are gold and purple: gold is the color of the Sun and lions, and purple is associated with royalty.

The great strength of the Leo-born is in their creativity and generosity with others. Sometimes these two can combine, resulting in thoughtful gifts or unique solutions to problems. Their creative and theatrical natures make them among the most flamboyant characters of the Zodiac.

Leo the Lion July 23 to August 22

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Virgo!

About Your Sign...

Virgo is the only zodiacal sign represented by a female.

It is sometimes thought of as a potentially creative girl, delicately lovely; sometimes as a somewhat older woman, intelligent but rather pedantic and spinsterish. The latter impression is sometimes confirmed by the Virgoan preciseness, refinement, fastidious love of cleanliness, hygiene and good order, conventionality and aristocratic attitude of reserve. They are usually observant, shrewd, critically inclined, judicious, patient, practical supporters of the status quo, and tend toward conservatism in all departments of life. On the surface they are emotionally cold, and sometimes this goes deeper, for their habit of suppressing their natural kindness may in the end cause it to atrophy, with the result that they shrink from committing themselves to friendship, make few relationships, and those they do make they are careful to keep superficial.

But the outward lack of feeling may, in some individuals born under this sign, conceal too much emotion, to which they are afraid of giving way because they do not trust others, nor do they have confidence in themselves and their judgments. This is because they are conscious of certain shortcomings in themselves of worldliness, of practicality, of sophistication and of outgoingness. So they bring the art of self concealment to a high pitch, hiding their apprehensiveness about themselves and their often considerable sympathy with other people under a mantle of matter-of-factness and undemonstrative, quiet reserve. They are still waters that run deep. Yet in their unassuming, outwardly cheerful and agreeable fashion, they can be sensible, discreet, well spoken, wise and witty, with a good understanding of other people's problems which they can tackle with a practicality not always evident in their own personal relationships.

Both sexes have considerable charm and dignity, which make some male Virgoans appear effeminate when they are not. In marriage they can be genuinely affectionate, making good spouses and parents, but their love making is a perfection of technique rather than the expression of desire, and they must be careful not to mate with a partner whose sex drive requires a passion they cannot match.

They are intellectually enquiring, methodical and logical, studious and teachable. They combine mental ingenuity with the ability to produce a clear analysis of the most complicated problems. They have an excellent eye for detail but they may be so meticulous that they neglect larger issues. Also, although they are realists, they may slow down projects by being too exact.

They are practical with their hands, good technicians and have genuine inventive talents, Thoroughness, hard work and conscientiousness are their hallmarks, and they are such perfectionists that, if things go wrong, they are easily discouraged. Because of their ability to see every angle of a

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a many-sided question, they are unhappy with abstract theorizing. Appreciating the many different points of view as they do, they find philosophical concepts difficult, and they vacillate and have no confidence in any conclusions at which they arrive.

With these qualities, they are better as subordinates than leaders. Responsibility irks them and they often lack the breadth of strategic vision that a leader needs Virgoans are essentially tacticians, admirable in the attainment of limited objectives. Their self distrust is something they project on to other people and tends to make them exacting employers, though in the demands they make on those under them they temper this attitude with justice. Language especially they use correctly, clearly, consciously and formally, as grammarians and etymologists rather than for literary interests, yet they are likely to have a good memory for apt quotations. Although they are well suited for careers in machine drawing, surveying and similar occupations, they are better fitted for a job in a library or office than a workshop.

Their minds are such that they need the stimulus of practical problems to be solved rather than the mere routine or working to set specifications that need no thought. They are careful with money and their interest in statistics makes them excellent bookkeepers and accountants. They also make good editors, physicists and analytical chemists. They may also find success as welfare workers, ministering to those less fortunate than themselves. They can be doctors, nurses, psychologists, teachers, confidential secretaries, technologists, inspectors, musicians, critics, public speakers and writers especially of reference works such as dictionaries and encyclopedias. Both sexes have a deep interest in history, a feature recognized by astrological authorities for at least two hundred years. If they go in for a business career their shrewdness and analytical ingenuity could tempt them into dishonesty, though they usually have enough moral sense to resist temptation. Female Virgoans may find a career in fashion, for they have a flair for dress, in which they can be trend setters. In any profession they choose the natives of this sign readily assimilate new ideas, but always with caution, conserving what they consider worth keeping from the past. They love country life but are unlikely to make good farmers, unless they can contrive to carry out their work without outraging their sense of hygiene and cleanliness.

Their faults, are the extremes of their virtues.

Fastidious and modesty become old-maidishness and persnicketiness; balanced criticism becomes carping and nagging; and concern for detail becomes overspecialization.

Virgoans are liable to indecision in wider issues and this can become chronic. Their prudence can become guile and their carefulness, turned in on themselves, can produce worriers and hypochondriacs.

Graveyard Dirt in Magical Workings

By Patti Wigington, About.com Guide Mention graveyard dirt in a magical context, and chances are good you'll get a lot of strange looks or questions. After all, it sounds a bit creepy, right? Who in their right mind goes around scooping up soil out of cemeteries?

How does one obtain graveyard dirt?

It would be easy to just meander into the local cemetery with a trowel and a bag and start scooping, but it's better to be more respectful than this. First and foremost, it's important to choose a gravesite correctly. The best choice is to use dirt from the grave of someone you knew in life -- a family member or friend who has passed. If the person is someone you cared very much about, and who had a positive impact on your life, dirt from this grave could be used in any number of positive magical workings.

Well, believe it or not, a lot of people. The use of graveyard dirt isn't all that odd in many magical traditions. In some forms of folk magic, for example, the magical connection of the dirt is more significant than just being from a grave. What's more important is the person who's inside the grave. Dirt from the grave of someone you loved could be used in love magic, while dirt from the burial site of a very wicked person might be incorporated into malevolent workings or curses. In other words, the dirt from the grave is a physical object that corresponds with the traits of the person buried beneath it.

The second option would be to use dirt from the grave of

someone who you may not have known personally, but who is known to you. For example, soil from a famous writer's grave could be used to inspire a creative spark. Earth from the grave of a wealthy person might be incorporated into a working for prosperity.

No matter whose grave you choose to collect dirt from,

it's important that you do so in a respectful and honorable manner. Ask permission first -- and if you begin to feel uneasy, as thought the person buried beneath you is unhappy with what you're doing, then stop. It's also a good idea to leave an offering or small token of appreciation. Only take a small amount of dirt -- no more than a handful. Finally, be sure to say thank you when you're finished.

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Goddess of the Month DEMETER LADY OF THE HARVEST

By Lazy Witch

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P D

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     

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In the last few years, Qabala has become popular in the world at large as various celebrities such as Madonna and Elizabeth Taylor have begun their studies in a very public way. Qabala, Qabalah, Kabalah, QBL and Cabalah are all variations on the spelling of the same word. But just exactly what is it? The word Qabala literally means "From mouth to ear". It was originally an oral tradition and its first origins remain unknown. It is a 'wisdom' teaching and is seen as an essential means and framework for accelerating spiritual growth as a tool and a map of the Universe, the Macrocosm, and the Human Microcosm.

Qabala is a vital part of Western Mystery Tradition and has been called the Yoga of the West. It is especially suited to the mind of westerners as a means of understanding and accessing the Divine. Qabala is a map, a chart, a philosophy and a way of understanding our inner and psychological, spiritual selves.

The main symbol or glyph of the Qabala is called The Tree of Life. It's a Mandala, an archetypal symbol of wholeness common to many cultures. The eminent psychologist Carl Jung talked of mandalas and their spontaneous emergence in healing patients. The Tree of Life is a magical symbol like the diagram of a wiring circuit, only instead of electricity we are working with spiritual power and energy. We still don't understand exactly how electricity works but we are able to harness and make use of its power in the same way we seek to harness the spiritual force within us through the use of Qabala.

The Tree of Life is made up of 10 Spheres or Sephiroth (singular for Sepiroth is sephira) and one hidden Sephira, Daath, along with the pathways that link each Sephira to one another, allowing the current of Divine energy to flow up and down the Tree, manifesting both on the physical plane and the spiritual plane. In this series, we'll begin at the root of the Tree with the Sephira, MALKUTH. Malkuth symbolizes the entire physical world and the 4 elements. The Yetziratic text calls Malkuth the "Resplendent Intelligience because it is exalted above every head and sits upon the Throne of Binah" meaning that Malkuth is the supreme manifestation of the form that was first conceived as a potential in the Supernal or archetypalWorld. According to Gareth Knight it is exalted above every head because it is the end result of the divine impulse into manifestation, the

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spiritual pattern made manifest in the physical world. This is why one of its titles is the Inferior Mother, in other words, it is the physical manifestation of the potential of the Great Mother, Binah. The word inferior has connotations of not as good as and this is not what is meant by the word. Read it as lesser, as in the daughter of Binah. This is another example of the necessity of looking beyond semantics when studying QBL. The magickal image of Malkuth is that of a woman crowned & throned, this is the final Heh in the Divine name of God Yod Heh Vav Heh and this image is considered the Daughter of the Divine Mother. The God name is Adonai Malekh or Adonai ha Aretz meaning Lord of the Earth. The Planet of Malkuth is Earth and some of the titles of Malkuth are The Gate; The Gate of Death; The Gate of the Shadow of Death; Gate of Justice; Inferior Mother; Malkah the Queen and the Bride. The experience of Malkuth is the Knowledge of and Conversation with the Holy Guardian Angel sometimes thought of as the Higher Self. Symbols are the Double cubed altar; the Equal Armed Cross; the Circle and the Triangle. Gods & Goddesses associated with Malkuth are all Earth deities such as Ceres, Demeter, Attis and Cernunnos.

The various titles calling Malkuth the Gate refer to the fact that the experiences of the physical world are things that we 'go through' - birth into this world; death which is a birth into another world; justice - karma that we incur and that we act upon on the physical plane.

The English translation of Malkuth is "The Kingdom" as in the kingdom of the body & the senses as well as the kingdom of Kether (the Sephiroth at the top of the Tree of Life) or physical manifestation of Kether, for Malkuth and Kether are reflections of each other. In Hebrew Mal means royal and Kuth means vulva, so the Royal Vulva is the Gateway of Manifestation of spirit into the physical, figuratively as well as literally.

The experience of Malkuth of the Holy Guardian Angel is the uniting of our true, higher, inner selves with our ego self.

That moment of bliss when we know deep within that we are all creatures of spirit and united with all things - this is the "Resplendent" consciousness we strive to achieve in the manifest, mundane world of Malkuth.

The altar is a symbol of the transmission of pure energy into matter; the Equal Armed Cross shows the 4 elements which make up the balance of Earth, the 4 worlds, the 4 directions, etc; the Circle contains energy and represents the cycles of physical manifestation upon the Earth; the Triangle is the triangle of manifestation that magicians use to draw into physical form the energies which they contact.

Suggested Exercises to understand and experience Malkuth: 1. Sit quietly and begin rhythmic breathing. Concentrate on each of your senses one at a time: See, really SEE the objects in the room, not only their physical form, but the energy which make them up; Feel the material on the chair or on your clothes; Listen to the everyday sounds around you or the magic of the music you have on; Taste some tea or fruit or whatever and concentrate on the experience; Smell the tea or fruit or concentrate on the smell of incense that you may be using. Be totally mindful of each of these experiences as you do them.

Now close your eyes and remembering your experiences of your senses, extend your Sense of being into the room, encompassing all that is there, now outdoors, expanding further and further until you are extended out to the stars themselves. Breathe and begin to contract again bringing yourself again totally into your body.

2. Play with the energy currents of your body. Create and play with a ball of energy between your hands. Concentrate on different parts of your body and feel them fill with heat. Become aware of your breath as energy - fill yourself with energy and let it cleanse and balance each cell of your body.

3. Study the stories and lessons of an Earth deity, write an invocation to them, meditate on their symbols.

4. Meditate on the Earth as sacred.

RITUAL WORKING FOR MALKUTH: This working helps you to make contact with Elemental forces. Before the working choose a crystal or stone to represent Malkuth that you will charge with energy: Air, sylphs - rhythmic breathing, enlarge the aura with each breath, become lighter and more expansive, allow subtle body to float comfortably on the vibrations of the bell. Commit to opening your awareness and being conscious of the interconnection of all life. Note any resistance you may have.

Fire, salamanders - concentrate on the heart, feel its beating, its rhythm. Become aware of the blood rushing thru your body, warming and feeding each cell. Let the head, feet, hands and spinal column heat up, imagining fire in each of these locations. Vow to use your energies actively to create the life you wish to lead. Now note any resistance you may have.

Water, undines - Take a drink of water. Water is Life. Feel it flowing down into your stomach, cooling you and soothing you. Feel it flowing out to each cell and beyond into your energy field, calming and cool. Intuit that you have access to the ageless wisdom, you are its heir, you have only to calm yourself, quiet down and allow the silence within you to speak. Listen to it now. Promise to use this quiet voice to aid in your decisions and actions. Note any resistance you may have.

Earth; gnomes - hold object brought in hands, close eyes and begin to breath energy into object while warming it in the hands. Fill with energy and offer this object to Gheb, the king of gnomes, to ground the intention of manifesting spirit into matter thru your work. Note any resistance you may have.

Stand, then walking slowly clockwise, drawing up energy from the earth, bring the energy up through your body and out your hands, filling your crystal with power, stamina, endurance and commitment. When the crystal is full, bring it up to your heart. When you are ready, begin intoning the word Malkuth and hold the crystal up to the sky then place it closely in front of you on the floor. Relax and allow any excess energy in your body to drain down into the earth. Leave the crystal on the floor over night to absorb additional energy directly with the earth.

QABALISTIC MAGIC is a 12 part series that will introduce you to the wonder and mystery that is Qabalistic Magic.

Next Month; YESOD This article was re-printed from the Isis Books and Gifts web site; http://www.isisbooks.com/free_metaphysical_wicca_articles.asp Karen Charboneau-Harrison has been a renowned teacher of herbalism, tarot, palmistry and psychic development for over 25 years. Her articles provide an excellent introduction into the subjects and feature recommended reading lists for further study.

For a complete list of articles please visit Isis at the above address.

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The Hunger for Reality: Our Search for Essence

By Richard Harvey We have a great hunger. I don't mean obvious hunger—hunger for love, food, nourishment, a warm bed, a partner, a creative happy life. All these are valid hungers, and it is hard to be a human being without experiencing them. But, the hunger to which I am referring is not only greater, but also deeper than any of these. It is the hunger for what is real, for what is true—a hunger for the essence of life.

When you think about it, reality is the only feasible foundation for your life; it underpins absolutely everything. Take the hungers above—just a cursory list—you could have any one of them, but if it is not real, then what good is it?

Real or Not? Take love. You meet someone who you like. You stay together for a while and the relationship deepens into love. But, a little way down the line, you or your partner becomes attracted to someone else.

What has happened to the love? Is it real? Was it ever real? When you are cheated on, betrayed, or jilted, was the love real or not?

Then take food and nourishment. The reality of this today is surely without doubt. Only the most credulous of us are ignorant of real, organic, unprocessed, natural foods and their superiority in all ways over junk food, confectionery, candy, and convenience foods. Real nourishment is healthy, tastes good, and strengthens our immune system.

The Inner Experience of Reality "Real" is what we want and what we need; instinctively and intuitively we know it. Now, would it surprise you if I said that reality as you experience it (mainly outer reality) relies on your inner experience of reality? When you are real within, the rest will follow.

Stay with me if you are not sure.

You and I are born into a world that is not of our own making. It is a challenging world, possibly a hostile one, and one where our needs are almost certain to be ignored or sidelined. There may be many individual reasons for this: incompetence, ignorance, insensitivity, selfishness, busy-ness, but one universal reason is that all children have unrealistic expectations. From the cradle to puberty you expect all sorts of incredible things, perfect things, ideals of perfection. And naturally you are disappointed. How could you not be? You are disappointed, and according to your reaction to this disappointment you begin a lengthy and complex process of building defenses, ways to resist the pain of disappointment, the sadness and cruelty of a world that does not respond to what you need.

Your Essence is Spiritual You could say that as children we are too close to heaven. Yet, the first seven years of life, at least, are characterized by the the ordeal of corporal identity or incarnation.

You are in essence a spiritual being. I know that for some of you this will not be a surprise. But whether it is or not, take it in for a moment. You are a spiritual being in essence. You were born, and you found yourself with this appendage, this gross dependent: a

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body. You are spirit walking around in a temple that is attached to you, as surely as a crab is joined to its shell. This body defines you and your relationship to the physical, just as your spirit defines and occupies your body. Hence, we say that the eyes are the windows of the soul or we detect physical grace, ease, and flowing movement in the aware or awakened human being.

But before that is possible, we have to grapple with a truth: we have been hindered with a gross duty and responsibility to a body that, far sooner than we think or desire, is in an inevitable process of deterioration that ends in physical death. A human being has every reason to fear, worry, plan, and seek security in such a predicament! One thing is for sure: we are bound to die.

But wait! This physical death is only your own death if you are absolutely sure that you and the physical body are one and the same; that is, if you identify yourself with your physical body.

Identifying with the physical body is very close to defining yourself as a separate self, a defended character, a mass of stories, experiences, judgments, and prejudices that comprise your character, what you are like, both hidden and apparent.

Fear of Death/Fear of Life Now, fear of death is projected into your present existence as fear of life. In fact, the fear of death comprises all your fears, so it is the only one you really need to focus on and heal. Healing your fear of death is not as difficult as you may think; the key is to locate your identification. What are you? Who are you? Don't falter over this question or deal with it too hastily. Plenty of spiritual adepts in the East have spent their entire lives working with the discipline that's inherent in this question: Who am I? It is, in fact, the question— without some semblance of an answer what are you going to do, think, or feel that's of any consequence? What is the foundation of your life? What are you building on?

You may answer, "I am me" (fill in the gaps with experiences, stories, prejudices, thoughts, opinions, and so on) "in a world of others" (things, people, the earth, and so on; fill in the gap with everything that is not me). This may be how it looks, but it is patently untrue! You cannot possibly exist in a world separate from everything else, divided from the others. You are like everyone else—continually in context. Look at any photograph of yourself and what do you see? Other people, trees, a dog, sidewalk, beach, sky, clouds, sunlight, nature, a street. See what I mean? In fact, you do not exist without these things (and arguably they may not exist without you).

Identity, Separation, and Division Yet, by means of a threefold process of identifying yourself, separating yourself, and dividing yourself, you have created the basis for a consensus reality that everyone more or less subscribes to. In other words, you are not alone; you have supporters—in your delusion.

Having supporters is a comfort and a consolation, and it tends to be fine until one of two things happen: dissatisfaction or crisis.

Some dissatisfaction or crisis is necessary to propel you into inner work. Something provokes the conviction that this is not enough and you want more! (And this "more" will lead you to reality.) Inner reality demands an archaeological dig to skillfully clear the layers of emotional-behavioral patterns, restrictive life-statements, repressed emotions, and deeply-held protective beliefs that cover your essence. Your essence is intact beneath these many veils and waiting for you. It is as I have written in my book Your Essential Self: you awaken to a most welcome stranger, your true self.

The Gifts of Life What people most want today falls into four broad categories: •Love and partnership •Money and pleasure •Attractiveness and popularity •Health and long life Once you are living from your essence, these and other treasures come to you and you are showered with the gifts of life— attractiveness, confidence, authenticity, genuine heartfelt-ness, compassion, feeling, kindness, soulfulness, charisma, creativity, and purpose.

This journey of self-discovery is enormously challenging, but the curious thing is you get everything you want. When you survey the desires of people today, the way they go about getting what they want seems transparently misguided. It is there within you for the taking!

Connect with Your Essence But, if you don't have yourself in reality, then you don't have anything, because no one is here to possess it. Thus, when you are rejected in a love relationship, for example, doesn't it really hurt because it re-stimulates your inner rejection of yourself? When you are ambitious for more money, could it be because you don't have access to your inner treasures? When you are seeking to improve your outward appearance at the gym or through dieting, what difference could it make if you learned instead to love yourself?

So, look inside first and then look outside. Connect with your core, your essential self inside, before you start superficial manipulations, alterations, and interferences that don't actually work in the long run.

Gillian's story Gillian was a young woman in her late twenties who came to see me for psychotherapy. Her problem was her grief at the end of her relationship of some two years. As we explored her sadness, her regrets, and her resentments, we stumbled on an entirely new subject. It was her relationship with her father. For some weeks she had maintained that her daughter-father relationship was positive, close to ideal. This made me suspicious. As her trust in therapy and me deepened, she revealed that her father had loved her as a small child but around the age of ten he had taken her off his knee, where she remembered she used to sit and chat with him, announcing that she was now, "too old to cuddle." This hurt the child Gillian enormously. She was bereft, and although she couldn't share it with anyone she expressed her grief alone in her bedroom at night.

Through her soul-searching she tried to make sense of her father's rejection. Eventually she arrived at one inescapable conclusion, the only one that made any sense and which of course exonerated her beloved and later idealized father from blame: she was unlovable.

When we make discoveries like this in early life they form guiding dictums for our lives. They become inner law. We unconsciously become guided by these formative experiences and seminal beliefs.

Thus, Gillian believed she was unlovable simply because her father

rejected her.

Unconsciously, for the next almost twenty years, she had followed the implications of this life-statement (that she was unlovable), which brought us to the present and the demise of her latest relationship.

Looking back, she realized that sometimes she had been rejected and at other times she had rejected her partners, since she had absorbed the full experience from both sides of the relationship dynamic between herself and her father. We had to return more than once to this poignant memory of her father taking her off of his knee. But, eventually she understood clearly that she didn't have to live according to the emotional conclusions she had drawn from this early experience.

A Return to Reality Gillian returned to reality—or really arrived in it for the first time. Without this archaeological dig she may never have realized that she harbored a deep belief in her own unlovableness, and her relationships would have failed as a result.

Setting Up an Inner Practice to Discover your Essence To set up an inner practice through which you can develop your essence by feeding your hunger for reality, follow these steps: •First, out of respect for your decision to delve deeply into your inner world, allot a certain amount of time each week to inner work. But please don't overreach! If fifteen minutes is possible for you, that's good. If thirty minutes, that's good, too. Don't aim for some length of time you will find difficult to stick to.

•Second, create a special place or a corner of your room where you can have a notebook and some thoughtful, precious, meaningful objects. Now you can begin.

•Third, recall important episodes from your early life. Write them down if it helps you to connect with them. Draw pictures, too. You should have an inner work notebook specifically for this purpose, and it is your private workbook.

•Examine your work for what life-statements can you glean from these episodes. You read how Gillian made sense of her father's rejection by taking the responsibility on herself and exonerating him. What did you learn from your early memories about life, relationships, time, money, love, sharing emotions, men and women, giving and taking, teaching and learning, self worth, and values?

•Finally, progress your contemplations throughout your life right up to now. Ask yourself where and how these life-statements have acted on your journey through life and affected you.

Richard Harvey (Granada, Spain) is a psychotherapist, author, and spiritual teacher with thirty-five years of experience. He is the founder-director of Therapy and Spirituality, a personal and spiritual growth center in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Spain. He has helped thousands of people find greater peace and fulfillment in their lives through workshops, courses, training, and private therapy practice.

This article is a re-print from the Llewellyn Journal and can be found at; http://www.llewellyn.com/journal/article/2378

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Crafty Witch’s book revieW

Invoking the Egyptian Gods

By Judith Page & Ken Biles Call upon Isis for boundless love, invoke Sekhmet for protection, summon the jackal god Anubis when seeking to end one thing and begin another. By combining elegant rites with an evocative description of each deity's myths, Invoking the Egyptian Gods invites you to begin a soul-level transformation and awaken to your own strength, power, and divinity.

Invoking The Egyptian Gods is both spiritual and practical. Not only will it be an aid to the advanced practitioner, it will also be a valuable learning tool for those who are just beginning to practice invoking.

Throughout the book, you will be calling on many gods and goddesses based on ritual invocational rites. There are very few times in ritual when you do not invoke gods. But, before you can invoke a god, you must first know just what it is that you are invoking. Each chapter is accompanied by a brief outline explaining the meaning and purpose behind each invocation. Our invocations and meditations are not empty verbalism; they greatly enhance and enrich our lives as we enter into the realm of the gods.

Working with the energies of different Egyptian gods can be powerful and enlightening. They can also restore a sense of calm, balance, and harmony within. There are many ways you can work with these ancient gods, and many reasons for doing so. For example, you may be faced with an upcoming event in your life for which you could use some support and encouragement, and connecting with a powerful god can help bring these elements to aid your situation.

The goddess Bastet and the god Khonsu both possess healing qualities, and depending on your circumstances, invoking them will help channel the healing process. Whatever connection you make, you may find that the association is in itself very healing and empowering.

Sometimes there are situations where you have lost or given away your power to someone or something. Invoking particular gods can help connect you with inner forces, thereby establishing boundaries and restoring assertiveness.

By the act of invoking, you are communicating with the god using words, thoughts, and feelings, and you are open to receiving any messages.

We are also attempting to reveal through invocation how an ancient Egyptian would interact with a god. Using the ancient Egyptian language, you will “summon” or “call up” the god

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through the use of speech.

Why in Egyptian, you ask?

The Egyptians claimed the gods, or Neteru, gave their language to them directly from the Spiritual World. Like all languages, ancient Egyptian has similarities and roots shared with some other ancient languages. However, it was believed that the very sounds that make up the language are themselves “powers,” and that claim should not be dismissed lightly.

We already know sound has the power to break glass and pulverize rock. Sound is used to break up kidney stones within the body, without the need for surgery, and sound can make us feel happy or sad, well or ill. The power of sound is undeniable.

We know that the very matter of the universe resonates with vibration.

Why then wouldn’t it be possible that the universe we know is created by sound, which, in its most basic definition, is just a vibration? It is our hope that future generations of scientists may yet discover that sounds are powers in their own right.

According to Jerry Clifford Welch, author of Hebet En Ba: The Egyptian Mystical Rites, “Egyptian ‘divinity’ may very well still ‘speak’ the Egyptian tongue,” and may very well be listening to our utterances! It is through these utterances that we will connect with the gods.

The Word Neter and Its Meaning When the term “gods” is used regarding the ancient Egyptian religion, it is a misrepresentation of their term Neteru. The Egyptians gave the name Neter to the great and supreme power, the “One God,” that which made the earth, the heavens, the sea, the sky, men and women, animals, birds, and creeping things, all that is and all that shall be. They felt that to know this One God was to know the many faces and qualities of this entity, and the more they learned of these faces, the closer they got to the divine origin.

This One God was self-produced, independent, invisible, eternal, omniscient, almighty, and immortal. Although this One God was never represented, the functions and attributes of his domain were represented in the many forms of the Neteru. The difference between the conceptions of Neter, the one supreme God, and the Neteru, the gods, is best shown by an appeal to Egyptian texts in the pyramid of Unas it is said to the deceased: 'Thou existest at the side of God' (un-k ar kes Neter).

Stories and gods were essential to explain events and situations that could not otherwise be explained, or to give divine right to someone or something.

New gods were encountered as the Egyptians traded with new cultures, and by combining two or more Neteru together, they found a better match for their needs at that time.

This is not unusual. One only has to look at the changes Christianity has gone through in two-thirds of that time. It is a normal part of history that people change, and so do their spiritual needs.

The Egyptians simply adapted their Neteru to best fit the needs as they saw them. Understanding this will help you to retain your focus on the Neter, and not on the name used.

Invocational Rites. In ancient Egypt, the priests of the temples performed daily invocational rites to the statues of the Neteru.

These rituals were elaborate, and were held in the morning, at noon, and at night. In the morning, the ritual was designed to awaken the Neter, feed it, bathe it, and clothe it, while the evening ritual was designed to put the Neter to bed. Clothes, food, drink, and incense were all essential parts of the invocational rite, and each rite was several hours long with lengthy litanies read. In these modern times we do not have the time to complete such exhaustive daily rituals. We would never leave the temple or shrine, if we tried! Thus, we have developed invocational rites, which distill the essence of the rituals of the temple, so that we can honour the gods in a similar way to the ancient Egyptians, and experience and develop a relationship with the Neter while still maintaining our daily routines.

Practically all invocational rites use a few basic principles that are, in fact, truths in themselves— principles that work upon their intended subjects, even though you may not yourself be able to hear or see the “sense” of it all! Many traditions of “magick” today still use such rites— for example Kabbalah, which means “receiving”— most having been arrived at independently by cultures from different continents and ages in history.

These principles should be accepted as simply working methodologies, rather than anything to “believe” or “believe in.” All Invocations occur within a sacred space that can be metaphysically drawn or created by the practitioner for the occasion, invocational rites and erased or banished to “release” the powers to go on with performing the work the rite requested of them. The ancient Egyptians were known to have employed a sacred space within their rites, where the gods were invoked— called upon and asked to manifest themselves.

This was done via ritual through the invocation of the First Time (Zep Tepi), which, according to Jung, was seen as an existence outside of this reality.

It was known as Hebet En Ba, The Egyptian Book of Rites. In later times, the four deities, or Neteru, that represented the equivalent of the four quarters— Tuameutev (east), Amset (south), Qebsenuv (west), and Hapi (north)— were invoked to guard a sacred space.

Aleister Crowley, an influential English occultist, mystic, and ceremonial magickian and member of the esoteric Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, states that “To ‘invoke’ is to ‘call in’ just as to ‘evoke’ is to ‘call forth.’” This is the essential difference between the two branches of magick. In invocation, the macrocosm floods the consciousness. In evocation, the magickian, having become the macrocosm, creates a microcosm.

As already discussed, the universe is the “macrocosm” and the body is the “microcosm.” Hence, the top of the head corresponded to the top of the universe, the North Star.

Ascension macrocosmically through the heavens (often numbered as seven) to the highest heaven corresponded to ascension microcosmically of the fire-snake (Kundalini), the primal source or power that usually lies dormant in the noninitiate.

According to the philosopher Iamblichus in his treatise, Theurgia or On the Mysteries of Egypt: It is through evoking higher spiritual powers by means of rites of Supernatural Magick that humans come to true realization of what they are in essence: eternal spiritual entities.

There are two primary methods of invocation, the first being the traditional Western method that is devotional, and the second being the Egyptian method whereby the personality of the godform is awakened from the beginning by the invoker.

Learn to recognize the connection don’t create it. The connection is always there; you are just unaware of it most of the time. Day-to-day issues and concerns distract you from feeling the connection.

Don’t worry if nothing seems to happen. Mastering invocation takes time and practice, but everyone has the ability. Once you get to the point where you do recognize the connection to Deity, make your mind perfectly still and open to the divine, call out to the god or goddess you wish to invoke, and feel a shift in the connection when he or she answers.

As Ken Biles rightly says, “When you invoke a god or goddess, you are invoking part of yourself. You are communicating with that part of you that is divine.”

The book is only the tip of the pyramid, as so much more has yet to surface. A lot of rituals and invocations are purely ceremonial with no intent of reaching out to the god. Our work is an elegant way to approach an Egyptian god. It is also to the point, and truthfully written. We have held nothing back.

Many invocations that have been written are so cosmetically perfect, offering you only a façade and never really getting in touch with the chosen god.

We have attempted to understand the spiritual and aesthetic aims of the ancient Egyptians. In short, we have endeavoured to reconstruct their creative process. Clearly, it is possible only partially to succeed in doing so. We may have an idea of what it may have been to perform invocations to the ancient gods, but as much as we try, we must accept that these were people working against a background very different from ours. We cannot put ourselves in their place, even with the help of the knowledge we have collected about their civilization.

As you utter the names of the Neteru, invoking them into your space, be mindful that you will be contributing to the everrippling waters that will serve as a free-flowing river for others to immerse themselves into. Let us leap directly into the powerful undercurrents of Egyptian magick and be changed forever.

Let us venture into a hidden realm where true gnosis and healing can be found. By invoking the deities of ancient Egypt, you create a "stargate" whereby you can enter into other dimensions, receive messages from the Neteru, and become one with the gods once again.

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50 Simple Charms

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"When I was very young and the urge to be someplace was on me, I was assured by mature people that maturity would cure this itch. When years described me as mature, the remedy prescribed was middle age. In middle age I was assured that greater age would calm my fever and now that I am fifty-eight perhaps senility will do the job. Nothing has worked... In other words, I don't improve, in further words, once a bum always a bum. I fear the disease is incurable." (from the book Travels With Charlie by John Steinbeck).

Like Steinbeck, I find that age has not cured me of the travel bug, I still feel the need to see new places, to go beyond what it is I think I know. Sometimes I travel with a destination in mind and sometimes the journey is all the matters. On days like today, when it's dark and cold outside, I sit and dream of warmer days to come and of roads not yet taken.

Like all Pagans I mean to step lightly on the earth.

Before I go anywhere I search for "green" hotels and tours. One place I like to start my search is a website sponsored by EarthWise Journeys: http://www.teleport.com/~earthwyz.

EarthWise Journeys is an independent resource and clearing house for eco-travel worldwide. They promote the travel programs of responsible tour operators and non-profit organizations that focus on local cultures, wilderness programs, learning adventures, personal growth and environmental awareness. They list all sorts of travel options including retreats and/or vacations with a spiritual focus, travel/study plans, world culture tours and women's travel.

Some Pagans I know love to take what are called "volunteering vacations". Here is what EarthWise says about these trips: "They involve some form of service, giving of one's time and talents for scientific research, community development, or education projects... . Volunteers become part of a team, led by on-site scientists,

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researchers, or service staff. It is not necessary to have research experience, but teamwork is essential.

Volunteer vacations are perhaps the best examples of Socially Responsible Travel. Service program fees, lodging, meals, and even airfare, may be tax deductible".

Many footloose Pagans love to travel but they don't want to spend a lot of money doing it. If you're a gypsy and you have a flexible schedule but you don't have a lot of money to spend then consider traveling as an Air Courier.

As such, you trade part of your luggage space for a discount that ranges from 30% to 85% off the price of your ticket. You can book flights up to three months in advance, but last minute fares are the best. Courier runs are from major USA and international cities. Check out the EarthWise website for more information about becoming a Courier.

My perfect vacation combines the experience of natural beauty, a look at the local wildlife and a bit of education on the side. I can get all that from Footloose Forays, a company which specializes in natural history trips. These excursions are lead by the Owner, Michael Ellis.

Michael has degrees in botany and marine biology and is an outstanding Field Naturalist and teacher. Every year he leads natural history tours to the Serengeti, Zimbabwe, Machu Picchu, the Galapagos Islands, Turkey, Antarctica, and the wilder parts of California. Want to get in touch with nature and learn something at the same time? Then check out his website at footlooseforays.com Some travel companies specialize in trips by and for women. One such company is called Sacred Journeys.

It is owned and run by a lovely woman named Aloura O'Dell. Sacred Journeys offers spiritual tours for women to sacred sites in England, Ireland, Crete and Hawaii. You can see their planned itineraries if you visit their website: sacredjourneys.com

Sacred Journeys also offers a 3-day Spring Retreat for women at The Mother Tree in Sonoma County, CA. I attended last year's retreat, which was co-run by the author Vicki Nobel and Jennifer Berezen, a talented singer/songwriter based in the Bay Area. I came away from my weekend at MotherTree feeling spiritually renewed and refreshed. I owe much of that to the powerful women's rituals that took place that weekend. I also credit the chocolate cake they serve there...and that hot tub ...and all the laughing we did. Oh, and that shower. I could write a poem to that shower. Here me, oh Pagan folk, if you have ever had a hot shower on a misty morning in a redwood grove then you have truly had a spiritual experience.

Jennifer Berezen also leads a woman's sacred pilgrimage to Malta for a ritual during the Fall Equinox.

Jennifer's latest CD, titled "Returning", was recorded in the Hypogeum in Malta. The Hypogeum is a three story underground chamber that was carved with bone tools over 6, 000 years ago. For information on her music, her concert dates and her travel tours, visit her Edge of Wonder website at: edgeofwonder.com..

In my tradition, this is the time of year when we pay homage to the Goddess Brigid. The great Triple Goddess of the Celts, she appears as Brigantia in England, Bride in Scotland, and Brigandy in Celtic France. She is also the Catholic St. Brigid. She is the Goddess of smithcraft, poetry, inspiration, medicine and healing. You can read about Brigid and the rituals that take place in her honor in an on-line publication called "The Goddess at Glastonbury". This can be found at the Isle of Avalon website: isleofavalon.co.uk.

The Isle of Avalon website contains a wealth of information on the rich history of Glastonbury, England.

The same site has pages about the Glastonbury Goddess Conference, which takes place every summer, and offers links to the Goddess tours that are available there all year long.

Brigid's influence is felt throughout Ireland. Many of the holy wells and sacred springs located there are sacred to her. The most famous is called Brigid's Well. It is located in Kildare. If you visit a website called Celtic Crossroads:

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Troy/7080/w ellstext.html. you will find an article on the sacred wells of Ireland which discusses the importance of water in Celtic mythology. The picture gallery at this site includes photos of Brigid's Well and the place where her sacred fire was kept lit.

Here are two final websites to dream on. One is

by Robert Scheer, a travel writer and a photographer who specializes in articles about spiritual travel to sacred places around the world: paganpilgrim.com. The other is called The Stones of England. It has wonderful pictures of sacred sites with standing stones throughout England: http://www.stonepages.com/england/england.html This is by no means a comprehensive list of sites that pertain to Pagan Travel. For more information on sacred sites around the world, I recommend you visit The Witches Voice Search Engine and do keyword searches under terms such as: "retreats", "pagan travel", "sacred sites", "sacred tours" and "goddess tours".

I will leave you with a verse by J.R.R. Tolkien: "The Road goes ever on and on Down from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone, And I must follow, if I can, Pursuing it with eager feet, Until it joins some larger way Where many paths and errands meet.

And whither then? I cannot say."

Blessings on your Road...

Sia Article re-printed from Witches Voice and can be found at; http://www.witchvox.com/merchants/dt_merchants.html?a=usca& c=merchants&id=3289 Author's Bio: Sia Council Leader: Full Circle Events (FullCircleEvents.org) Sia recently completed a two year term on the Board of Directors of the Wildlife Rescue Effort. Overall, she has worked with a total of 5 different non-profit groups on a variety of social & educational issues. She has over 15 years of experience working behind the scenes at a variety of conventions and gatherings; mostly in the Neo-Pagan, Science Fiction and Feminist communities. Her academic background is in English Literature, with an emphasis on Women's Studies and Art History.

She practices in a Green Tradition and is active in several Ritual Circles in Silicon Valley and in Santa Cruz. For the last 6 years she has presented lectures and led workshops on such topics as wildlife preservation, conflict resolution and Neo-Paganism.

Sia is the Owner of Snapdragon Gifts (snapdragongifts.com). She lives with her husband and 4 cats in Santa Clara, California. In her spare time, she gardens and works as a volunteer Rehabilitator for various wildlife and cat rescue groups. She is currently writing a 27 book on the use of humor in Ritual.

Have Athame, Will Travel Making a Traveling Witch Kit Most pagans have a set of ritual tools and articles they keep in their home, whether under their altar, in a closet or in a special room dedicated for magickal/religious use. But sometimes we are witches on the move. There’s something beautiful about finding yourself in a secluded patch of woods and being inspired to commune with the Gods. It’s not unusual for a few pagans to get together, and a ritual breaks out – wouldn’t it be nice to have a secondary, portable set on hand to augment your impromptu ritual or spellwork?

Now, I am the first person to say that the most important

you put into it is up to you – you can make it as

tool a pagan has is located between his/her ears. Your

comprehensive or as minimalistic as you wish. The most

mind is all you need to connect to Spirit and have a

important thing is that it is portable; some people have

positive and strong ritual. In fact, I teach my own students

Witch Kits which can fit in a purse, and some are a little

that they should be able to conduct a ritual without their

larger. You can use a basket, tote, wooden box, a plastic

tools first, and then they can bring in their fancy shmancy

bin, or even use an extra ritual robe to wrap the whole

stuff. A pagan should be comfortable with casting Circle

caboodle up in. Think about when you will use this kit

with their mind and finger to direct the energy…tools are

and that should determine how large or small you need to

helpful, but they’re not necessary. But…we are human,

make it. Remember that all the tools you put in this

and as humans we have a tendency to want things to make

Traveling Witch Kit will be used in sacred space –

our sacred rituals that much more special to us.

therefore your tools should be consecrated and treated

Many pagans have a Traveling Witch Kit, a portable set

with the same amount of honor and dignity as you give

of magickal tools they keep in their car or in a separate

any of your other magickal tools. When I talk about

tote/suitcase. Pagans use these Traveling Witch Kits

consecration, what that means is to formally make an item

when they go camping or hiking, attend pagan festivals or

sacred to be used the presence of the Gods. Some

simply as an impromptu set if Spirit moves them. This can

people do this through smudging the items with incense

also be your main supply kit if you’re concerned about

(traditionally sage), or with oils (though you have to be

space (such as a dorm or apartment environment). It also

careful about what you’re anointing with oil so you don’t

makes a beautiful Yule, Birthday or Wiccaning gift for

muss it up). You can also consecrate your items with

your pagan friends!

energy work or through a formal ritual.

What is a Traveling Witch Kit? Well, it obviously consists of items which you use in sacred space and/or in Circle.

What

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It’s not hard to find small versions of what needs to be in your kit – thrift stores, small items in your home, yard sales are all good resources to find items. Certainly you can put whatever you want into your own Traveling Witch Kit, but some of the most common items you will want in your kit are: 

Athame (this can be a letter opener or small knife)



Boline (penknife, or other small blade)



Pentacle



Four small quarter candles – tealights or votives are best (blue, green, red and yellow for each of the

Divination tools (small Tarot decks, pendulums, runes, crystal balls, Ogham, etc.)



Special sacred items like feathers, stones, crystals, decorations



Herbs that you might use in Circle



Small bottle of wine and crackers for cakes & ale.

That’s it! You really can put in anything you feel is important to you in ritual, but those are just a few

if you can find them, but whatever colors you associate with

appropriate tools while you’re there, making an ad hoc ritual. It’s all up to you!

Cone incense & holder



Lighter (I always forget this one)



Small bowls for salt & water – don’t forget a small jar of sea

I would like to note that Athames can be a tricky

salt!

Altar cloth (a nice sarong or silk bandana works great)

Of course you can also put in some optional items if you feel the need: Sash for yourself (instead of a robe, put it over your clothes to denote your sacred persona) 



make your own tools and add them, or find the





handy, or in case chanting makes you thirsty!

God & Goddess candles – tealights or votives (silver & gold the God and Goddess are appropriate)



Bottled water – in case you might not have water

ideas for making your own Witch Kit. You can always

elements/directions) 



thing, especially if you are traveling along checkpoints, attending pagan gatherings with strict prohibitions or have checked luggage. I’d suggest finding a suitable substitute for an Athame (a wand, perhaps). As benign as our Athames are, it’s a big pain in the keister to have to explain our ritual tools to Joe LawEnforcement.

Jewelry

Sitting at the beach on a rock, watching and listening to the ocean. It is very tranquil.

Coming out of the waves, a huge turtle; there was a connection with it.

I felt for this wonderful creature.

A few feet from me, it morphed into a handsome Indian; long silky black hair, dark skin and commanding eyes, He stood in front of me, putting out his hand.

I got off the rock took his hand and we walked into the forest behind the beach.

As we walked deeper into the woods, we communicated mentally, he was making sure I was ok with what I was about to see & feel.

He was so interesting. I don't know how far we walked but I felt a calm come over me.

We came upon a black bear sitting on the mossy ground at the base of a fragrant old cedar; He held out his arms and I sat down in the circle of his paws. He rocked me until I fell asleep.

He told me about the animals that lived there, what the wind was saying, and so many other things.

I woke up to the sound of a red tailed hawk talking to me, telling me to wake up and write down what I learned from the forest.

As I felt more awake, I saw that I was still sitting by the big rock on the beach, feeling more alive and Mentally clear about myself. It was a great experience.

By the way I had been hypnotized by a shaman and this is what I felt.

I am still wearing my silver turtle (the symbol of mother earth). ~ by Silver Wolf

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Grain Dolly Stories

By Alena Orrison

There are traditions of grain dolls being made from all over the world. All the stories and customs vary but the theme is similar. Grain from the first harvesting is set aside and made into a doll that then spends the winter inside the home of the farmer. It is believed that the spirit of the grain became homeless at harvest time so the doll was made to give the spirit a place to live and rest during winter. In the spring, the farmer takes the doll to the field and then releases the spirit by burying her in the earth before plowing. In this way, the ancient ones ensured a successful crop. Some cultures fed and watered the spirit doll until spring when it was burned in the Beltane Fires to release the spirit and ensure good growth of the crops.

In modern pagan practices, it is common to make a grain doll at Lughnasadh and leave on the altar until Imbolc or Beltane.

Some prefer to make a new doll for Spring. Either way is right, as it is determined by what feels right to each person. The easiest grain dolls to make are from corn husks. Wheat can be difficult to work with but makes some beautiful dolls. Some pagans prefer wheat, others corn, and still others declare that whatever grain is most readily available in your area is what you should use. The choice, again, is yours and based on what is right for you. Children will have an easier time with corn husks, however.

Celtic Grain Doll Origins http://www.movilleinishowen.com/history/folklore/eight_sabbats/lammas.htm According to Celtic legend, Lugh decreed that a commemorative feast be held each year at the beginning of the harvest season to honor his foster mother, Tailtiu. Tailtiu was the royal Lady of the Fir Bolg. After the defeat of her people by the Tuatha De Dannan, she was obliged by them to clear a vast forest for the purpose of planting grain. She died of exhaustion in the attempt. The legend states that she was buried beneath a great mound named for her, at the spot where the first feast of Lughnasadh was held in Ireland, the hill of Tailte. When the men of Ireland gathered at her deathbed, she told them to hold funeral games in her honor. As long as they were held, she prophesied Ireland would not be without song. Tailtiu’s name is from Old Celtic Talantiu, "The Great One of the Earth," suggesting she may originally have been a personification of the land itself, like so many Irish goddesses. In fact, Lughnasadh has an older name, Brón Trogain, which refers to the painful labor of childbirth. For at this time of year, the earth gives birth to her first fruits so that her children might live. At this gathering were held games and contests of skill as well as a great feast made up of the first fruits of the summer harvest. As years passed, traditions surrounding the feast at Tailte began to solidify into events and ceremonial activities designed to celebrate not only Tailtiu and the bounty of the harvest that her original sacrifice provided but also to honor the work and sacrifice of human beings as they strove to provide sustenance for their families and community.

Lugh is also 'John Barleycorn', whose energy has gone into the grain and is cut down as a sacrifice to the fertility of the land.

The god or spirit of the grain lived in the grain until the grain was harvested and then was released. However, once the god was released, there was no guarantee that it would return. So people may have begun the earliest corn dollies as a form of trapping the god so that it would not be freed, but would continue to grow good crops thus ensuring the survival of the community.

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Iroquois Legend of the Corn Husk Doll http://www.iroquoiscorn.info The Iroquois people have what they call the three sisters, the "sustainers of life". These sisters are called corn, beans, and squash.

The corn Spirit was so thrilled at being one of the sustainers of life that she asked the Creator what more she could do for her people. The Creator said that a beautiful doll could be formed from the husks. The Creator set to work to form the doll. When finished he gave the doll a beautiful face, and sent it to the children of the Iroquois people to play with, and to make them happy.

The doll went from village to village playing with the children and doing whatever she could for the children.

Everywhere she went everyone would tell her how beautiful she was, so after a while she became vain.

The Creator spoke to her and explained that this was not the right kind of behavior, and she agreed not to be this way anymore.

The Creator told her that if she continued with this behavior he would punish her, but he would not tell her how he would do it.

She agreed not to act that way again, and things went on as before.

One afternoon she was walking by a creek and she glanced into the water. As she admired herself, she couldn't help thinking how beautiful she was, because indeed she was beautiful.

At this time Creator sent a giant screech owl out of the sky and it snatched her reflection from the water. When she looked again, she had no reflection. This was the punishment the Creator put upon her.

When an Iroquois Mother makes a doll for her child, she tells them this legend.

This is to remind the child that it is wrong to think they are better than anyone else, and they must know that the Creator has given a special gift to everyone.

Seneca Story of the Corn Husk Doll This legend is told by Mrs. Snow, a talented Seneca craftswoman. http://www.nativetech.org/cornhusk/dollstry.html

Many, many years ago, the corn, one of the Three Sisters, wanted to make something different.

She made the moccasin and the salt boxes, the mats, and the face. She wanted to do something different so the Great Spirit gave her permission.

So she made the little people out of corn husk and they were to roam the earth so that they would bring brotherhood and contentment to the Iroquois tribe.

But she made one that was very, very beautiful. This beautiful corn person, you might call her, went into the woods and saw herself in a pool. She saw how beautiful she was and she became very vain and naughty.

That began to make the people very unhappy and so the Great Spirit decided that wasn't what she was to do.

She didn't pay attention to his warning, so the last time the messenger came and told her that she was going to have her punishment.

Her punishment would be that she'd have no face, she would not converse with the Senecas or the birds or the animals. She'd roam the earth forever, looking for something to do to gain her face back again. So that's why we don't put any faces on the husk dolls.

To make your own corn dolly for Lughnasadh, check out http://www.snowwowl.com/naartcornhuskdolls2.html http://www.earthwitchery.com/cornhusk.html For wheat weaving, check out http://craftbits.com/project/mordiford-wheat-weaving/ http://www.edenproject.com/blog/index.php/2011/09/how-to-make-a-corndolly/ There are also some good YouTube videos with demonstrations on how to make different corn and wheat dollies.

Above: Corn dolly making at group campout

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Keeping a Distance: When Not to Help Others

By Evylyn Rose While we normally consider the witch’s role as one that provides service to others, we can get so wrapped up in trying to help others that we forget how to say no.

Learning when to say no—or simply that we have done enough—can be tricky. If we let a sense of obligation or guilt nag at us, we find ourselves giving too much, even after we have reached a point of knowing better. On the other side of the scale, we may grow so comfortable in saying no that we turn away those who really do need and deserve our aid and get trapped in the ego that prevents us from reaching our spiritual potential. To get you started in recognizing those who you can and should help, here are some guidelines of when to say no.

When You Are Not in a Position to Help Sometimes we are asked or feel an urge to help others when we simply are incapable of doing so at the time. For example, a friend may come to you asking that you heal or cast a healing spell for one of their loved ones, but you have not learned any healing techniques or are just starting out in learning about magick and spell casting.

You take on the request because you want them to be helped; however, the end result is that the one in need does not receive any true healing or the spell was not effective. Because you accepted the request, the friend assures their loved one they do not need to seek out any additional aid. Instead of providing assistance, you actually blocked your friend’s loved one from receiving the help they needed.

Other problems in this category include being under the weather, going through high levels of stress in your personal life, having too many projects going on at once, or any number of other circumstances that could leave your energy scattered, thoughts unfocused, and body weakened. No matter how good we are at keeping ourselves together and staying healthy, sometimes life gives a

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good rattle to our foundations we thought were strong. Remain honest with yourself about where you are in the moment and what you can and cannot do.

Another key point here is to avoid rushing to help when the help needed is a specialized one and you do not have the training and experience to fulfill it. We see this when accidents, crimes, and natural disasters occur or even something as simple as a wild animal in a neighborhood. Some of us see a need for help and want to dive right in and save the day. We may not do it for the glory; rather, we have a sense of obligation to do whatever necessary to protect and help others. When we do not possess the training, skills, and experience to help however, we are serving more as hindrances than saviors. Trying to take down the man robbing the store when you do not have any training, skills, or tools to do so will only turn you and possibly others into casualties that could have been avoided. Let the professionals do what they are trained to do and stand ready to offer your services after the commotion settles.

A way to help when you cannot help is to refer those who are in need of assistance to those who are able to help them when they need it. This is where networking becomes important for the witch. We cannot be expected to know it all and we certainly cannot be expected to know everyone in the world. However, as we learn and grow we become more aware of what our strong points are. Knowing Others who are stronger in our weak areas is vital when it comes to referring others. For example, you may be excellent at reading tarot cards, but struggle with channeling spirit guides. Knowing someone with good values and ethics who is an excellent channel will help when someone comes to you and the information they need is simply not coming through for you.

Those Who Do Not Need Help This is perhaps the trickiest of all categories.

We are all raised to hold certain values and norms above all others. We are taught a sense of right and wrong by our parents, families, society, and the media. Although this is not bad in and of itself, the problem is that the one value and norm rarely taught in any culture is that all cultures are different and what is abnormal in one is perfectly acceptable in others. For example, in American society, dogs are our beloved pets and animal companions. In other cultures, they are a delicacy and no different than cattle. They may be loved, but they will be on the dinner plate in time. This is not wrong. It is simply abnormal from our perspective.

Be conscious of your beliefs and whether or not you are imposing them on others. This is not to say that you should allow innocent people to be murdered or molested. If you can prevent such actions through magick or calling the proper authorities, do so.

However, if someone is perfectly content and not causing harm to others but you simply think they are not living their lives as they should, do not tell them how to live.

We get so caught up in claiming that other faiths and belief systems (or lack thereof) are bigots that we fail to recognize when we are the ones refusing to accept and tolerate other perspectives and beliefs.

Do not waste your energy on those who do not need help. Wasted energy is energy spent not taking care of you and helping others who do need it. You will get further and help more individuals in life if you focus your energy and resources in appropriate directions. In time, you will find that you are able to help others better than before because you are taking care of yourself first and not wasting any energy where problems simply do not exist.

Directions to the Shop 313 W Davidson is located in a residential area between Lincoln and Government Way just south the Kootenai Medical Center.

Davidson is the second left turn off Lincoln after you cross Ironwood. Then a left turn on Pansy.

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Hello Readers, Here's something a little different for you this month. The following was the outcome of a conversation I had with a dear friend about a month ago. I'm not doing quotes as such, but I will, to the best of my meager ability do my best to convey the essence of the conversation and the conclusion we came to.

Happy Reading and Many Blessings!

Troubled Friend: I had the most unusual dream the other night. I dreamed/envisioned that "Mr. X" was there. It was a very, very long time ago and I was totally, head over heels in love with him BUT he wanted no part of me because he was already in love with someone else. He was of a much higher social rank than I and wouldn't pay any attention to me.

Over time I became very, very angry. He got married to his "Lady Love" and refused to even acknowledge me. I was so angered that I put a Sickness Spell on her which worked. She became very, very ill but "Mr. X" still wouldn't come to me for help even though I offered it.

Finally, she died. He was devastated, I was thrilled. I tried to comfort him but he pushed me away and wouldn't see me. I became so very angry that I cursed him and all his family and all his future lives!! I wanted him dead. If I couldn't have him, then no one could! I know now this was very, very wrong.

At the end of the dream/vision that Mr. X faced me straight on and said that it was all my fault that his lives have been so bad, that he can never have any peace or loving relationships! What should I do? I know this was a dream but it felt so very, very real and I felt so totally guilty. I really like Mr. X but all he wants from me is a platonic friendship which hurts but I'm willing to accept.

My Response: I've often wondered about your past-lives relationships with Mr. X and I think you may have finally gotten an answer to why your current relationship with him is what it is.

I've found that when individuals have an extremely vivid dream/vision that often it indicates some problem, usually found in the past, that needs some work on that person's/your part.

First, let me say that to have guilty feelings about anything that happened in a past life is energy wasted. Learn from your vision BUT don't dwell upon the wrong you perceive you may have done. Think it through objectively and work at figuring out what you could or should have done better to handle the situation. Sometimes it's best to write a dream down as important information becomes lost over days and weeks as one works on the solution.

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Don't add info to the dream/vision, just what was in it.

Next, if you honestly feel that you did something wrong or in some way meddled in someone's life in a way that brought him or her purposeful harm (a spell or hex), acknowledge it and work on a way to rectify the situation. This may be easier said than done but showing the Great Goddess and the Universe that you understand that you have done something wrong, hurtful or something that needs to be corrected is the first step in cleansing both your life and his.

I've found is using a long piece of medium thickness string or yarn (of a color that seems to fit whatever action you are wishing to correct) and tying knots in it to be a really good way to break a spell/hex. I suggest knots of medium tightness as you will be cutting through them eventually. You should tie a prime number of knots (3, 7, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, etc.) (REFRESHER NOTE: Prime numbers are those which cannot be evenly divided by any number. These are usually looked at as magickal numbers and are best used for any magickal practice.) I prefer adding a few extra knots to my "Corrective" Spell Strings because there are usually other things I've done within the situation that I've forgotten about and I need to correct these "errors" or lapses in judgment as well. With each knot I ask that any curse or ill-will I've placed upon the person or a situation be withdrawn. If I remember what I've said or done to cause the problem, I state that action. Sometimes this is not possible, particularly if it was done in a past life or if I was "crazed" at the time (and, yes, I've done "crazed" magick!!!). After tying knots for all the actions I know or suspect I have done/said/thought and wished, I always tie a few extra asking that any other hexes/spells, etc., done by others that are effecting the individual be lifted as this person should have a new beginning (call it a little "Karmic Insurance"). Even if you still feel the individual doesn't deserve a new beginning, YOU DO! The only way to accomplish a new beginning for yourself is to ask for it on behalf of the other individual you've wronged.

Finally, light one white and one black candle (if you have only white candles, mark one as positive and one as negative at the black/negative is to absorb all the bad energy released when you cut the knots). Ask your Deity for assistance, speak the individual's name and ask for forgiveness.

With a pair of scissors cut each knot, asking for the individual's release from your hex/spell. Repeat this request for each knot.

When all the knots have been cut in half (which will leave you a stringy mess) allow the candles to burn completely out. Put the remaining candle wax and stringy mess together and either burn it in a fire (outdoors, if possible), take it to a faraway place and dig a hole and bury it or flush it down a toilet that is far, far away from your home. If any of these are not possible, find a dumpster that is far from your home and toss it in. It will then be processed and disposed of.

Think on this matter no more except to know that you have learned the lesson intended and vow to your Deity AND to YOURSELF you will never, ever do anything like this again in this lifetime or any other. You are now done with this. Allow Mr. X to go on his way. You have done all you can. To thrust yourself at him any more would be recasting your harmful spell. If all he wants is a platonic friendship, so be it! If he wants nothing to do with you, so be it! Bless him and let him go on his way.

I hope this helps my friend as well as others of my readers who find themselves in a similar situation. Breaking hexes/spells we've cast in the past is a major step in accepting our humanness. It can be very difficult. In breaking a spell previously cast, your life should feel lighter. The individual is now on his/her own to improve their own path. You no longer hold any responsibility for their life and you should no longer feel any guilt.

Blessings upon you all, Gertrude Moon, CC

LAMMAS She, who is the Grain Mother, She who is the seed, She, who is the womb, the soil, The provider of life indeed.

She is the regenerative power, With the elements, she works with intent, The miracles within this cosmic plain, Throughout the wheel of ascent.

And now the Sun-God has reached his height, In celebration of our Goddess, A reminder, of that which we have to reap, A time, again, for re-dress.

We have abundance: an explosion, Of everything we and the earth did sow, And nurtured from all four corners, Which helped it all to grow.

An extravaganza of colour bursts forth, Of flowers, grass and corn, First fruits and berries appear once more, Nature's law; forever sworn.

We hold the tribal gatherings and markets, Hand-fasting and ritual games, The appointment of new chiefs and leaders, And choosing of babies names.

There is also horse-racing and horse fairs, To honour Goddess Rhiannon, Wakes to mourn Sun's waning power, The jollities go on and on.

We combine merry-making with last year's yields, Whiskey, cider, wine, fruit-cups and beer, And ritually drink the transformative power, Given by our fire and water seer.

And the bread is made from new-grain, 'Tis broken with thanks and tradition, Is shared to each and everyone, We have worked for this fruition.

But as we near the end of this fraction, Ashes near spent on Silbury Hill, Face upwards to darkening, dreamy skies, And underlying still ……………………

Processions completed by sacred well, Waterway and fountain, We've climbed Craogh Patrick by a full Celtic moon, Luasa's sacred mountain.

And Lugh turns us within the spiral of death, And open door-way to the inner realm, We begin to give way to darkness and sleep, The Goddess; gently at the helm.

Now, we wait for the final harvest, Closing quickly on the horizon of light, A time for reflective gaze and inner thought, To take into the night ……………..

She, who is the present, She, who is the past, She, who is the future, Another circle will be cast. ~ by Andrea Gibbons 200635

Iximche' Iximche' is as archaeological site about 2 hours from Guatemala City. It was one of the last Mayan holdouts and in some history books it is considered the first capital of Guatemala.

I went to Iximche' on a day trip out of Antigua, Guatemala. Compared to Tikal, the buildings are a lot smaller and it covers a lot less area, but still it's an important site. I was enjoying myself, exploring the area and taking photos. I was descending one of the temples, thinking "watch your step, you don't want to fall. Don't break the camera". Silly me! I was about four steps from the bottom and the next thing I realized, I was laying on the ground. There was a small area of concrete at the base of the steps, to prevent erosion. I had done a face-plant on that section of concrete, but the camera had flown beyond and landed in the dirt and grass. I SAVED the camera but my face, knee and pride were a different story. My Guatemalan friend and a couple more Guatemalans that I didn't know cleaned up all the blood while I tried to calm down. Once I felt I could walk, I rose and walked to the side of the hill at the edge of the site, overlooking the surrounding countryside. I just wanted to calm down and process what had just happened. Suddenly I had an insight of what had actually happened. I had been PUSHED! I was crushed. No, it wasn't a "local", not a tourist; it was one of the guards of the site. One of the guards that the Mayan’s, which had lived there until around 1525, had left in charge of guarding the area. Why did they push me? What had I done? Sitting on the side of the hill and being comforted by my friend, I silently cried. I cried because of my injuries but also cried because my feelings were hurt. I loved Guatemala and the history. I felt I had a real bond with the country, and wondered why was I attacked?

Various years later my questions were answered. I was traveling with Chris, Bonnie and John, but this time we were in Canada. On this trip, Bonnie's two kids were also along, ages approx. 6 and 8. We were in a cabin in the mountains of British Columbia, doing ceremony for the Summer Solstice. Well, WE weren't doing ceremony.

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They were doing ceremony, and I was just there. Bonnie's son (the younger of the two kids) was sitting on the bed with me, and seemed a bit bored. He sat up straight, looked at me, and started moving his mouth like he was chewing a huge wad of bubble gum while trying to talk. He was acting quite animated and said "Hi, what's your name?" I introduced myself, and asked his name. "Galaxy", he replied. Ok, that sounds like a 6 year old boy. He continued his awkward mouth movement and being very animated. I was willing to play as he was bored, and at least I was doing something constructive. Then he started to explain that we actually knew each other, we used to fly space ships together. Ok, I thought, still a fun game. Then things got a bit more serious. He said something to me that there was NO WAY he could have been privy to. He said "I'm really sorry you got hurt in Iximche' when the guard pushed you off the temple. I saw it happening and was only able to break your fall. He was trying to kill you as he misunderstood what you were doing there. He understands now and says he's sorry."

Needless to say, since that experience I'm more careful to identify myself to the spirits of the area, and explain my purpose of being in their space. We so often forget that they're there even though we can't see them. We wouldn't walk into someone's house unannounced, and I try to have the same respect for going into sacred areas.

Blessings, Lady Ti-Eagle I'd love to hear any comments or feedback, so please write to me at ladyti_eagle@aol.com.sc

CREATING ANIMAL FAMILARS For millennia people have sought to connect with and share the abilities and senses of our animal brothers and sisters through shamanic journeying and creating links with familiars and animal totems. This is a 'give and take' relationship wherein one makes the connection to an animal in order to partake of the animal's strengths and powers while pledging to protect and honor the animal thereafter.

A familiar can be either a physical, living animal such as a cat or a wolf or a legendary animal such as a phoenix or dragon. What we are connecting with is the energy essence of the animal to create a circuit whereby we can draw upon the energies/talents of the creature and so that we can feed energy and our own senses back to the animal as well. Here's how to do it: Prepare yourself by spending the day in quiet contemplation of the animal you have chosen, gazing at pictures of it, eating lightly but specifically of something that the animal itself likes to eat if it is a physical animal, communing with it physically by petting it and talking to it if it is a pet in the home, listening to recordings of it (such as wolf howls or whale singing) if it is not an animal in your home, in other words, making an associative and emotional connection with it throughout the day.

During this time decide on the physical link between yourself and your familiar. What will be the signal for the connection between the two of you later? Will it be a word or a name; a position that you hold your fingers in that triggers the connection; a piece of jewelry that you don or a stone that you hold? It can be any kind of signal you want to use that signals your subconscious which tells it that it is time to open the connection - you just want

to decide on the signal or link prior to this working so that you key it during the ritual. When it is time for your ritual, unplug the phone, take care of any physical plane needs you may have (go to the bathroom, put on warmer clothes), then cast your circle in your usual way. On your altar, place a picture of the animal (or if it is a pet in the home, allow it to be in the room with you), light 3 purple candles and ignite some incense of a God or Goddess who has a connection with the animal you are connecting with. For example, if you are connecting with a cat, you could burn some incense of Bast; if you are connecting with a stag or wolf, some incense of Cernunnos, if you are connecting with a sea creature, some incense of Neptune, if you are connecting with a winged creature some incense of Rhiannon. If you are linking with a legendary creature burn some incense of the element associated with it, for example, Fire incense when connecting with a dragon.

Make yourself comfortable in a chair or lie down on a pallet on the floor and begin focusing on your heart-rate and breathing - slowing and synchronizing them. Begin to build the image of the animal in your mind's eye with as much detail as possible, thinking about the habits of the animal, its strengths, talents, powers and the way that it interacts and moves in the world. Now, in your mind's eye, fill in its habitat or favorite place outdoors and see it moving through its world with all of its senses fully engaged and feeling invigorated and excited by its environment. Become aware of your solar plexus (abdomen/diaphragm) and, as you breathe, begin filling your solar plexus with hot energy.

Once your solar plexus is full of this energy, imagine a cord extending from your solar plexus reaching out and connecting with the heart of your familiar. Begin gently pumping this hot energy from your solar plexus through the cord to your familiar, filling the animal with healthy, loving, powerful energy. Become comfortable with this sensation, then begin sending your awareness, your consciousness through the cord to the animal as well. Feel its heart beating, feel the wind through its fur or feathers, the cool water on its skin if it is in the sea or a river/creek, see through its eyes, smell through its nose and begin to comprehend the world through its unique way of interpreting these sensations. Open your mouth and sing out the triumph of this experience of two becoming one in the voice of your animal.

Now is the time to key the signal that you will always use in the future when you are going to connect this way with your familiar. If it is a name or a word, repeat it in your mind over and over now. If it is a way that you hold your hand or fingers that you touch in a certain way, do this now and hold the position. If it is the wearing or holding of a specific piece of jewelry or stone, hold that piece now and charge it with this connection. Thereafter, at least once a month, make this connection with your familiar/totem and receive energy from it and feed energy to it.

As a way of honoring your animal familiar, always treat it with respect and affection if it is a pet in your home. If it is a wild animal, think about donating time or money to an organization which cares for or works on the behalf of the species with which you have your connection.

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Are you seeking some clarity about what in the world is going on in your life? Well, you certainly are not alone. These are very confusing times. The Earth and ALL Life evolving upon her experienced unprecedented shifts of energy, vibration, and consciousness on December 21-22, 2012. People around the world who were consciously aware of what was actually taking place during the Shift of the Ages thought that they would be able to tangibly experience positive changes in their lives immediately. Some people have experienced these changes, but many have not. Other people who were reading the hype but not really understanding what was happening, anticipated everything from the end of the world to the instant manifestation of Heaven on Earth. When neither of those things occurred, people erroneously determined that the Shift of the Ages was a hoax and that nothing happened. Actually, nothing could be further from the Truth. In fact, Humanity is now in the midst of a shift of consciousness beyond anything that has ever been attempted in any system of worlds. This is pushing everything from the old Earth that conflicts with the patterns of perfection for the New Earth to the surface to be completed and transmuted into Light once and for all. The accelerated challenges you may be experiencing in your personal life and the chaos you are witnessing around the world are evidence of this purging process.

Contrary to outer appearances, many people are experiencing amazing positive changes in their lives, but there are many people who believe that things have gotten worse in 2013. This phenomenon has inspired heartfelt pleas from the masses of Humanity asking our Father-Mother God and the Company of Heaven for answers and for Divine Intervention. In response, the Company of Heaven is projecting greater clarity and understanding into the mental and emotional strata of Earth. This is being done with the Divine Intent that awakening Humanity will raise our heads above the mud puddle of the surfacing negativity from the old Earth effectively enough to tap into these Celestial Sharings and Divine Guidance. This information from On High contains the answers we are seeking, and the clarity that will help us through this confusing phase of our Ascension process.

I would like to share with you some of the information being given to Humanity by the Beings of Light in the Realms of Truth. Of course, the ideal is for you to reach up in consciousness and tap into the information that is being

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projected into the mental and emotional strata of Earth yourself. Only your own I AM Presence can interpret this information for you in perfect alignment with your Divine Plan. However, until you feel you are able to do that, ask your I AM Presence to help you perceive this Celestial Sharing through the eyes of Illumined Truth.

Nothing is happening by accident. This sacred knowledge is being brought into your sphere of awareness by your I AM Presence. Know that assisting in raising the consciousness of the masses of Humanity is an important facet of your Divine Plan. Take this information into the Divinity of your Heart Flame and ask your I AM Presence to reveal to you how this information is destined to help you fulfill your purpose and reason for being during this momentous time on Earth.

It seems as though every awakened person on the planet is talking about a global shift of consciousness that will affect every man, woman, and child on Earth. This information is coming through every Open Door. Lightworkers around the world are indicating that when this shift of consciousness is victoriously accomplished, Humanity en masse will be in the full embrace of our I AM Presence. We will then express every thought, feeling, word, action, and belief through the Heart of Christ Consciousness. As amazing as the concept of this shift of consciousness may seem, it is absolutely true.

The problem is that when we contemplate what would have to transpire in the hearts and minds of the masses of Humanity in order to move us from the consciousness we see when we turn on the nightly news to the consciousness of a literal Heaven on Earth, our finite minds seem to short circuit and we cannot comprehend the possibility of such a transformation. To many that idea even seems irrational or delusional, but it is not.

We have been told by the Company of Heaven that with the Shift of the Ages the Earth and ALL her Life Ascended up the Spiral of Evolution into the initial frequencies of the 5th-Dimensional Realms of Light. With the victory of that phase of Earth’s Ascension process, this blessed planet reclaimed her rightful place in our Solar System. This event allowed the Birth of the 5th-Dimensional Crystalline-based New Earth in the Realms of Cause.

As the Company of Heaven said previously, in order for us to grasp the magnitude of what the Birth of the New

Earth in the 5th-Dimensional Realms of Cause means, we must understand that the 5th Dimension is a frequency of Light that transcends separation and duality. Within this higher frequency of vibration the gross mutations of disease, poverty, hunger, war, greed, hatred, or pain and suffering of any kind cannot be sustained. The 5th Dimension is a timeless, spaceless frequency of God’s Infinite Light and Perfection. It is the frequency that we have always known as the Heavenly Realms. Now with the Shift of the Ages God Victoriously accomplished, the Heavenly Realms have Ascended up the Spiral of Evolution into the more rarefied frequencies in the 6th-Dimensional Realms of Light.

The Beings of Light want to give us a glimpse of what it will be like when every person on Earth completes the shift of consciousness from separation and duality to Transfiguring Divine Love, Oneness, and Reverence for ALL Life. They said that the wondrous things people describe when they have a near death experience reflect a minuscule fraction of what life will be like once we complete our shift of consciousness and the transformation from the old Earth into the New Earth. That is difficult for us to comprehend because at the present time we are literally walking with our feet in both worlds. It is practically impossible to imagine how we are going to get there from here, BUT WE WILL! This shift of consciousness involving the masses of Humanity will not happen through the intervention of some outside source, it will be victoriously accomplished through the unified efforts of you and me and the rest of awakening Humanity. We are One with our sisters and brothers in the Family of Humanity. Therefore, we have the ability to serve as surrogates on their behalf. Through our own I AM Presence, we have the ability to invoke the I AM Presence of every man, woman, and child on Earth. We can then ask that aspect of their Divinity to utilize the unprecedented influx of Transfiguring Divine Love from our Father-Mother God to raise their consciousness the maximum that Cosmic Law will allow. With the intervention of the I AM Presence of every person on Earth, this shift of consciousness will occur in perfect alignment with each person’s Divine Plan and the highest good of all concerned.

KNOW that within the 5th Dimension, Divine Love and the consciousness of Oneness and Reverence for Life are the ONLY reality. The Sons and Daughters of God abiding in the 5th Dimension are destined to cocreate experiences that enhance life with every thought, word, action, feeling, and belief we express. We will cocreate win-win situations for everybody as we perpetually focus on Love, Light, and the highest good for ALL concerned. This may sound too good to be true, but actually it does not even begin to describe the wonders and joyous things we will be cocreating once we accept that the New Earth has been Birthed, and we daily and hourly live out of that profound Truth.

In order for the patterns of perfection for the New Earth to manifest in the physical plane, we must first tackle the CAUSE of the maladies existing on Earth. Unfortunately, most people are focused on trying to change outer appearances which are the EFFECT of the problem not the CAUSE of the problem. When we deal with just the outer appearance of a situation instead of what is CAUSING the problem, it is like trying to change the reflection in a mirror without changing the object that is causing

the reflection. This is a futile effort, and we will fail every time.

Outer appearances will only change if we address what is CAUSING the problem in the first place.

So what is the CAUSE of the unbearable pain Humanity is currently experiencing and has experienced for so very long?

The CAUSE of ALL of the maladies existing on Earth is Humanity’s distorted and fragmented consciousness based in separation and duality.

This consciousness is the antithesis of Christ Consciousness. It is the opposite of the patterns of Transfiguring Divine Love, Oneness, and Reverence for Life that are encoded within the patterns of perfection for the New Earth.

When every person on Earth has completed his or her Awakening to Christ Consciousness, we will all know that it is impossible to harm any part of Life without harming ourselves and every other facet of Life. With that realization, we will consciously and deliberately operate from the heart space of Oneness and Love. We will open our hearts and minds to the patterns of perfection for the New Earth, and we will find viable, win-win solutions for every situation or challenge.

For example when EVERY PERSON ON EARTH is functioning from a consciousness of Transfiguring Divine Love, Oneness, and Reverence for ALL Life... * The debate over guns will be a moot point. Guns will not exist on the New Earth because there will never be a desire or a need to harm anyone or anything. War and crime will be nonexistent because the Oneness of all Life and the Infinite flow of God’s Abundance will be reclaimed through Christ Consciousness. * The debate over abortions will also be a moot point.

On the New Earth rape and incest will not exist. Men and women will be fully connected to their I AM Presence and they will live, move, breathe, and have their being within their 5thDimensional Crystalline Solar Light Bodies of infinite perfection. Within these Light Bodies, and with Christ Consciousness, perspective fathers and mothers will understand that no soul is given permission to embody on Earth without the agreement of the I AM Presence of both the father and the mother. Being born on Earth is a major event for any soul and it never happens by accident. On the New Earth no one will be getting pregnant without the conscious desire and decision to do so. * The Infinite Abundance of God will be the order of the day on the New Earth. This will occur because with Christ Consciousness Humanity will remember that we are cocreators with our Father-Mother God. We will know that all that our Father-Mother God have is ours. We will understand that everything in the Universe is comprised of limitless, unformed, primal Light substance. There is no such thing as lack or limitation of any kind. We will clearly see that poverty as we know it is a human miscreation. It was never part of God’s Divine Plan. With Christ Consciousness we will realize that as we give so shall we receive, and that by using our gift of Life to add to the Light of the world we will open to the Infinite flow of Abundance from our Father-Mother God. Continued on page 56 39

THE CORN MOON In late August, we celebrate the beginning of the Corn Moon. This moon phase is also known as the Barley Moon, and carries on the associations of grain and rebirth that we saw back at Lammastide.

August was originally known as Sextilis by the ancient Romans, but was later renamed for Augustus (Octavian) Caesar.

   

Harness some of the Corn Moon's fiery energy for your ritual and spell work. This is a good time to focus on your spiritual and physical health. It's the time to harvest what you can now to put aside for later use. What sacrifices can you make today that will benefit you further down the road?

 

Correspondences: Colors: Yellow, red, orange Gemstones: Tigers eye, carnelian, garnet, red agate Trees: Cedar and hazel Gods: Vulcan, Mars, Nemesis, Hecate, Hathor, Thoth Herbs: Rosemary, basil, rue, chamomile Element: Fire

As the summer begins winding down it's time to think about bringing in the next phase of crops. Grain is ready to be threshed and baked into bread. If you have a garden, pick your herbs and veggies, so you can preserve or dry them before the cooler days set in. Gather your herbs and hang them in a dark place to dry, so you can use them all winter, either for magical needs or culinary ones.

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August Alter

Harvest Incense      

2 parts sandalwood 2 parts pine 1 part rosemary 1 part cinnamon 1 part dried apple 1 part dried oak leaf

What You Need

Use a combination of summer and fall colors -- the yellows and oranges and reds of the sun can also represent the turning leaves to come. Add some browns and greens to celebrate the fertility of the earth and the crops being harvested. Cover your altar with cloths that symbolize the changing of the season from summer to harvest time, and use candles in deep, rich colors -- reds, burgundies, or other autumn shades are perfect this time of year.

The harvest is here, and that means it's time to include symbols of the fields on your altar. Sickles and scythes are appropriate, as are baskets. Sheafs of grain, fresh picked fruits and vegetables, a jar of honey, or loaves of bread are perfect for the Lammastide altar.

If your celebrations focus more on the god Lugh, observe the Sabbat from an artisan's point of view.

Place symbols of your craft or skill on the altar -- a notebook, your special paints for artists, a pen for writers, other tools of your creativity.

Corn Moon Ritual

•Candles for each of the four quarters •A cup of wine, fruit juice or water •Symbols of summer to decorate your altar Light each of the Quarter candles and cast your circle.

Have everyone in the circle join hands and say:

We gather tonight by the light of the moon, to celebrate the season, and rejoice.

May the next turn of the Wheel bring us love and compassion, abundance and prosperity, fertility and life.

As the moon above, so the earth below.

Go around the circle, passing the wine, fruit juice or water. As each person takes a sip, they should share one thing they are looking forward to. Summer is a time of growth and development before the harvest arrives. What do you plan to manifest for yourself in the coming month? Now is the time to state your intent.

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THROWING DOWN THE GAUNTLET Conversations with Goddess— To Whom it MAY Concern:

OK, this is Weird. SINCE WHEN did I become a cardcarrying member of the Draconic League of Karmic Enforcers?

Oh. And WHY are You leaving it up to me to decide what the proper course of action should be???

I DIDN’T ASK for this assignment, damn it!

Piffle.

OK. So, FINE. I get it. Stepping up to the plate, now. Just as I promised that I would. {NOTE: This ROTS.} *** “The first step in solving any problem is recognizing that there is one”—Opening scene of the HBO series The Newsroom.

“The TRUTH will set you free, but first it will make you really ANGRY.”—Bumper sticker from a car parked at the Colfax Avenue Tattered Cover Bookstore garage, 08/05/12 All right. For all you gentle Witch Way readers out there, here’s the TRUTH: Our so-called “Pagan Community” isn’t just fractured; it’s shattered into a million-million pieces right now.

What. A. Mess.

So, what does that mean?

It means that many sincere Seekers are being hijacked and turned away from the Path of TRUE Pagan Spirituality by a failure in leadership, lack of standards and an inability to police our own or hold them accountable.

It means that many of those self-anointed “High Priests” and “High Priestesses” out there are nothing more than nit-picky, micro-managing, control freaks on psycho-dramatic power trips.

Secretly, they are more interested in enhancing their own prestige and/or raking in money than they are with welcoming and teaching newcomers, or the well-being of the Pagan Community as a whole.

It means that the Pagan Community is STILL plagued by the entire rogues’ gallery of the usual suspects: charlatans, con artists and sexual predators trolling for prey among the pools of potential Craft students.

And it means that there are far, Far, FAR TOO MANY prima donna BFW*-wannabes POSING as Pagan Spiritual Leaders and Craft Teachers who are completely unqualified and unsuited for those positions. (*And by “BFW” I mean “Big F*cking Witch”.)

To all those sincere Pagan Seekers reading this, YOU DESERVE BETTER! Yes, you do.

Back east in New York City, we referred to such egregious abuse and misuse of power and authority as “HPD” and “HPsD” (High Priest/ess Disease). Nowadays, modern psychology labels it “Bullying” and “Narcissism”.

HPS/HPsD is caused by a failure to successfully navigate the Second Portal. It results when a Witch refuses to do the relentless introspection and honest self-evaluation that’s necessary in order to understand their own Shadow self.

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Shadow work should begin right after 1st Degree in Wicca, if the Initiate expresses sincere interest in becoming a Craft teacher and healer and counselor and ritual facilitator and leader and one who serves as a High Priest/ess. Such work can take years. It must be self-directed and self-motivated; it’s not something that can really be taught—though it can be monitored.

Most cannot afford—nor do they have the time or inclination— to do something like that. The Pagan Priest/ess Path requires a whole-hearted devotion that few are willing or able to give.

Unless and until one fully understands the true nature of Humility and Compassion and what it means to Serve, all the “degrees” and “certificates” in the world won’t magickly turn someone into a REAL Priest or Priestess.

Unfortunately, there are a great many HPsD-afflicted posers running around nowadays who have just skipped this Shadow Work step entirely. It’s pretty clear who they are—and I seem to keep tripping all over them—and/or getting stabbed in the back by them. I must say that it’s been a rather “interesting”* 10 months back out in the Pagan Community. (*In the Chinese curse sense of that word.)

I believe that being targeted by a narcissistic bully who has HPsD is one of the major reasons that fellow Wiccan Priests and Priestesses and experienced Craft Teachers drop out of the “Community” and go underground for years at a time. We get fed up, burnt out and exhausted from dealing with all the abusive nonsense.

But now our Community needs us.

It’s time and past time to call out those posers with HPsD and PROCLAIM: This is NOT acceptable behavior! It is “Conduct Unbecoming” ANYONE claiming to be a neo-Pagan Witch or a Wiccan or a “Reverend” or a “High Priest/ess” or ANY sort of SPIRITUAL LEADER. The Fine Art of Shadowalking Sorry. I royally screwed up. I neglected to warn folks about my Craft Mentor, Joe Z.—the founding High Priest of Shadowfolk.

As a result, his opinions and commentary about the recent ChicFil-A controversy grievously offended a friend of mind on Facebook…. Oh, dear. My bad.

Joe worked at Enchantments—an NYC East Village Occult shop—where he also taught a Pagan Way/Grove class and was an iconic figure for many years. When I first met him and asked him if he was a Witch, his answer was, “Well, that’s what they told me 25 years ago!”

Joe is a self-described “Thelemic/Klingon/Viking/Jedi Troublemaker.” He’s also “a bit crazy.” He is an actor, has done clinical self-defense, has taught self-defense to women, and has “stood up to fundies and other Pagan elders.” According to Joe, “that’s his good side.”

Joe is passionate about his beliefs. His heart of gold shines through in all that he says and does. I love this man. He restored my faith in the Craft and what it truly means to be a “Wiccan High Priest” at a time when I’d completely lost faith in the meaning of that term.

When I went to him, hurting and in pain due to a horrific betrayal by one who’d been my first Craft teacher and High Priest, Joe whipped out this ginormous blade, took me out back to the garden, and proceeded to cut the subtle auric ties that had bound me to that degenerate. It was a truly liberating experience.

Joe once described being a leader in the Pagan Community as walking around with giant targets pasted on your forehead, heart, back, gonads, and butt. Makes sense, doesn’t it? And this was from a guy with black belts in several martial arts traditions.

I wish that every aspiring Witch could have their own personal Joe Z. as a friend and Craft mentor and teacher.

Rebuilding Our Pagan Community In the “Charge of the Goddess”—a piece of classical Wiccan liturgy that’s often recited by the Pagan Witch serving as High Priestess during Full Moon Esbats—the Goddess says, “…Let there be Beauty and Strength, Power and Compassion. Honor and Humility, Mirth and Reverence within YOU.” These are the eight “Virtues” that Witches are charged with manifesting both within and without. These Virtues are encompassed within the “Law” of the Goddess, which is “LOVE unto ALL beings.”

Unfortunately—over the last couple of decades—many Wiccans and (neo-)Pagan Witches in our Community have lost sight of these high-minded principles. As a result, many newcomers to the Craft aren’t even aware that we HAVE any such ethical principles at all. It’s time to correct that.

I therefore invite all Pagans, and Witches, and Priests and Priestesses to visualize what it would be like if those eight simple virtues under the Law of Love permeated throughout our entire Community.

When I took some time to imagine this, here is what came through— By the LAW that is “LOVE unto ALL Beings” In Service to the Gods and Goddesses of Old And in Fellowship with Spiritual Seekers of Good Will and Kind Heart I hereby PLEDGE myself to the Building and Nurturing of TRUE Pagan Community, With NO harm and NO alarm For the Greater Good of ALL Concerned.

So Mote It Be. Blessed Be—Gwynalda Shadowalker )O(

August 2013 Quick Reference Full Moon: August 20th New Moon: August 6th Sabbat: Lammas or Lughnasadh on August 1st Meanings: First Harvest Symbols/Decorations: corn dollies, sun wheels, hay, gourds, cornucopia, sunflowers, garlic or onion braids, sheafs of grain, corn and corn stalks, the Sun Plants/Herbs: arnica, ash, camphor, caraway, fern, geranium, heather, hollyhock, juniper, mandrake, marjoram, myrtle, oak leaf, thyme, sunflowers, wheat Incense and Oils: allspice, chamomile, carnation, eucalyptus, frankincense, rosemary, vanilla, safflower, passionflower, sandalwood, aloe, rose hims, rose, wood aloes Colors: red, gold, green, yellow, orange, brown, grey Stones: aventurine, citrine, peridot, sardonyx, yellow diamonds Food/Beverages: breads, salads, apples, corn, grains, elderberry wine, blackberry pies and jellies, meadowsweet tea, potatoes, summer squash, cider, berries, roasted lamb Animals/Mythical Beasts: roosters, calves, the Phoenix, griffins, basilisk, centaurs Activities: games, country fairs, farmers’ markets, craft fairs, making corn dollies, baking bread, gathering fruits, visits to files, orchards, canning, harvesting herbs, making oils and vinegars Spell/Ritual Work: offering thanks, prosperity, abundance, continued success, achieving goals Deities: All grain, agriculture and mother/father Gods and Goddesses, Alphito, Ashnan, Bast, Bau, Ceres, Diana, Demeter, Gaia, Ishtar, Isis, Libera, Luna, Persephone, Riannon, Robigo, Tailtiu, Cernunnos, Dagon, Dionysus, John Barleycorn, Lahar, Liber, Llew, Lugh, Neper, Ningirsu/Ninurta, Odin, Osiris

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August is known as the Corn Moon. First domesticated some 5000 years ago, corn is the staple grain of the Americas. A note on the name ‘corn’- in the US ‘corn’ is used denote Zea mays, aka maize. Most of the rest of the world uses ‘corn’ to mean any kind of grain. This explains how you can find Demeter being called a corn goddess when maize didn’t arrive in Europe until the 1500s. Likewise, corn dollies made in the British Isles will likely be made of wheat or barely. In this article, I’ll be using ‘corn’ in its USA sense, for maize, whether it be sweet corn on the cob, field corn dried and ground for meal, the beautiful Indian corn, or popcorn.

While a few people’s corn deity was male, the vast majority saw corn as female. The Corn Mother or the Corn Maidens are found throughout central and north America. Corn Mother was basically the mother goddess, corresponding to the European Demeter, Persephone, Bridget, Cerridwen, the Oriental Kuan Yin with her many names, and many more grain/mother Goddesses. This is the Goddess who dies in autumn to be reborn in late spring, who is the symbol of life and abundance.

In every culture, she will be symbolized by the grain that the people rely on the most. This is the goddess of life and sustenance itself.

Corn can be a very easy crop to grow- if you have the right conditions. It needs a lot of sun and heat; in a lot of Europe, corn is not grown because it isn’t hot enough for a long enough period of time. Perhaps this need for heat is why, in some systems, corn is aligned with the Sun and Fire (in others, it takes more traditional aspect of Earth and Venus). Corn grows best in a well-drained, loamy soil; heavy clay soils (such as I am afflicted with) do not warm up early enough. If you have clay soil, loosen it by working compost into it. It does not do well in acid soils; if your soil is acid, use lime to sweeten it before planting.

In well-drained soil, it should be warm enough to plant corn seed on the last average frost date for your area. Do not try to hurry it; corn planted in cold soil may rot before it sprouts.

Plant the seeds about 2” deep unless your soil is very heavy; in that case, plant shallower but you may need to scare away digging birds more often! Because corn is wind pollinated – the pollen is on the tassels at the top of the plant and it falls down onto the silk below- it should be planted in a block formation rather than in long rows. A block of at least 5 x 5 plants will ensure pollination. The fact that it is wind pollinated means that you need to segregate different types of corn; if you plant sweet corn and Indian corn close together, you’ll end up with sweet corn that isn’t sweet and has multicolored kernels!

My mother used the Three Sister planting method- no, she wasn’t Native American but she’d learned it in the Ozarks during her time there. This was a traditional way of planting crops for many tribes:

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Corn seed was planted first, and when it was about 6” tall, pole beans were planted about an inch away from them.

Then squash seed was planted in between- but not too many of those! The corn gave support to the bean vines, the beans produced nitrogen in the soil to fertilize the corn, the squash covered the ground creating a kind of living mulch that kept many weeds from sprouting and prevented a lot of moisture loss. This method is not only holistic and sustainable but provides three kinds of food in the space that one normally takes up.

Corn is one of the hardest crops on the soil, using large amounts of nutrients. Be kind to Mama Gaia and replenish it.

Ideally, apply a one inch thick layer of fresh manure in fall; winter snows and spring rains will dissolve and carry nutrients down into the soil. If you can’t do this, apply compost heavily in spring and work into the soil before planting – if you want to really build up the soil fast, you can do both of these things.

After the seedlings are a few inches tall, apply a deep mulch of straw to conserve moister. Consistent moisture is essential for a good corn crop. A couple of times during the growing season give the corn plants a shot of a high nitrogen type of fertilizer, like fish emulsion. Remember the Native American method we all learned in elementary school of putting a fish in the planting hole with the seeds? Fish has what corn needs- but fish is pretty expensive these days to be putting into the ground.

Sweet corn should be harvested when the silk turns brown and dry and the end of the ear is filled out. Pull the husk back a little and push on the kernels with your fingernail; milk should come out if it’s at the right stage. If the kernels are hard and doughy already, it’s past its prime.

Sweet corn should be cooked and eaten as soon as possible after it is picked, as the sugars start converting to starch very quickly. The Sugar Enhanced (SE) corn varieties keep much longer before the sugar turns to starch; these are NOT the result of biotech manipulation but rather the result of natural mutations. They are perfectly safe and healthy to eat.

If you are going to save seeds to plant for next year, do NOT plant a hybrid as it will not breed true. Use open pollinated (AKA ‘standard’) seed and be sure to keep the plot a good distance from all other types of corn. Corn to be saved for seed must mature and dry on the plant; this can be hard to achieve in short season areas. Varieties other than sweet corn also need to dry on the stalk. Popcorn, flint (‘Indian’) and dent corn all need to do this to be useful –flint & dent corn being used to make corn meal & flour. Broom corn is not actually maize; it’s a variety of sorghum. While the corn stalks and shucks are good for magic and décor, do not allow them to overwinter in the garden as they can harbor diseases, pests, and mold. Use them for magick, use them for decoration, or compost them.

When planting corn, I like to ask either the Corn Mother or Demeter (or both) for their blessing for the crop ahead. At the end of the season, a portion (usually an ear of corn) should be buried back in the plot as a thank you and to insure a good crop next year.

Corn is the symbol of prosperity, fertility, abundance, protection, life and resurrection. Corn meal was an offering in many Native American religious rituals. Corn meal is great for marking your protective circle; inside, it’s easy to sweep or vacuum up; outside, hungry birds will gladly eat it up. Its use is especially appropriate at Mabon and Lughnasadh, the harvest festivals. On these special days, corn bread, ears of sweet corn, corn soup, and succotash are all good feast foods. Corn bread for these days can be scored on the top with a pentagram and blessed.

Ears of blue corn on the altar promote spirituality. Red corn protects the home. Dried corn stalks hung over a mirror brings good luck. Corn pollen was used in rain making ceremonies by the Meso-American people. Corn on the cob is good for a ritual for male fertility and virility. Corn silk is used for love spells, for luck and for protection. The most popular magickal use of corn, though, is for prosperity, growth and abundance. Think about how fast corn plants grow in hot weather; a ritual tying that fast growth to the growth of a business, say, is bound to work. Popcorn is a good one for prosperity spells; have the corn popping while you do the spell, and your luck & prosperity will explode like the corn kernels! The corn husks are great for making corn dollies for magical workings.

If you haven’t saved husks from your garden, dried corn husks can be found in the grocery store in the section with the Mexican foods- just because they are sold as tamale wrappers doesn’t mean they can’t be used for magick. Pretty much any Old World grain magick or ritual can be done with maize. Corn has healing uses, too. Corn meal is useful for poultices. Corn silk is used as a tea for urinary tract problems- use it fresh or dry it quickly (spread it thin on a cookie sheet) as it will mold if left damp even for a couple of days. But be careful with it: it acts as a diuretic and removes potassium from your system. If you already have a lowered potassium level, say from certain blood pressure medications, your potassium level can go too low and create big problems. Corn silk tea contains a good amount of vitamin K, which can make warfarin (coumadin) ineffective in preventing blood clots. Talk to your doctor before using it if you are on warfarin or blood pressure medications.

Of course your own home grown corn has more magickal energy than corn that was sown by machine, fertilized with chemicals instead of compost, sprayed with weed killer, and harvested by machine- the whole sacred aspect is missing in agribusiness corn and there is no thankfulness given to the plants or the earth. But, if you don’t have enough garden space and sun to grow your own corn, bought is better than nothing. My first place to try would be a farmer’s market where you can talk to the grower; next best is supermarket organic corn. But even if you have to buy a bag of frozen corn kernels or corn meal from Wal-Mart, it still can produce powerful magic. Bless it and remind it of its place in the web of life.

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REFERENCES: Emily Gems, http://crystal-cure.com/ Shimmerling Jewelry, http://shimmerlings.com/

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Welcome to Blackcats Jewellery.

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Visit me on Facebook @ Blackcats jewellery to see the collections I have "Albums" in my "photos" of all my goodies. (LINK PROVIDED BELOW) They are separated in categories: necklaces, silver toned earrings, bracelets etc. . . . Just click on the category and browse, if you see something you like, click on the picture. You can then comment "SOLD”. I will contact you with details (mailing and PayPal email).

It's that easy http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blackcats-jewellery/466309883386768?ref=hl&sk=photos_album

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Chain Bracelet (made to measure)

$15.00+ $3.50 airmail ($3 Aus)

$10.00+ $3.50 airmail ($3 Aus.)

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Welcome, welcome to my home. It's just a little place in a mountain valley in the Northwest. Nothing fancy but full of magickal items, thoughts and experiences I've acquired, made and grown over the years. I've learned a lot about what I need to do my magick, spell and ritual work on a shoestring budget and I've been most successful in my practice. Please come in and let me pass some of my knowledge on to you!

As a self-proclaimed penny-pincher, I've tried all kinds of things to save my money and, at the same time, be a fully functional Witch. I do believe in moving forward with the times but still have a strong and full respect for the traditional ways. Some of you who are more traditional may not appreciate my ideas.

That's okay. I know that these practices have served me well over the last 60 years and they may help others as well so let's get started and WELCOME to my kitchen!

Magick can be an expensive activity BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE!! One of the most expensive part of magick can be acquiring your herbs and spices, storing them, and knowing at a glance what they can be used for.

Just to let you know, I am not and never have been a Witch who loves to cook!!! I am very lucky to have a mate who is totally dedicated to the gastronomic art and so we usually have a well-stocked herb cabinet. For years I gathered herbs and spices from special shops, on-line stores and friends, spending big bucks on items that I may or may not use before the material loses its potency. Many Witches prefer to use fresh from the garden herbs but that's not always possible or practical (here in the Northwest mountains snow often comes early and stays late so fresh can only be found on a window sill or at the grocery store produce section!)

Finally, one evening when I decided I wanted some cinnamon on my peanut butter sandwich while working on a lesson for my Witches' group, it dawned on me. "WHY IN THE WORLD was I spending money on spices and herbs as well as the cost of shipping, when these items were right here in my kitchen???

Yes, it was an epiphany! A moment when I saw the light! I was so surprised that I had to just stand and look at my cupboard in marvel, realizing all the magick I had had at my fingertips all these years! I had bought into the "you must use only specially grown items for your magick" trap. Ok, if you are a total purist, fine. I just don't have that kind of money, time or weather to grow my own. I like using grocery store herbs and spices as these are produced for eating. I admit, if I don't or can't grow it in my garden, I worry about buying it on line or even from a farmer's market situation unless I personally know the grower!

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So here was my Herb Closet, containing herbs from all over the World that could be used for almost anything (incense, candles, poppets, smudging wands, anointing oils, tinctures and essences, etc.), all edible, dried in bottles and fresh!

Granted, I didn't grow them with my own hands and they were probably harvested by machine under the sun BUT they were in highly available and waiting for my hot little fingers to put them to use.

I've never been good at remembering information I don't use every day (I used to be really good with phone numbers but now my phone takes care of that!). I that memorizing all this necessary herbal information probably wouldn't happen in this lifetime (my stars, my cabinet was packed with these babies). I realize the Ancients knew ALL the powers of ALL the plants at their disposal but then they weren't dealing with the tricks and magick of how to manipulate a computer either!) What could I do to insure I knew quickly what these treasures could be used for?

I quickly cleared the bottles of herbs out of the cabinet and transferred them to my computer station (I am a modern Witch after all) and proceeded to open my favorite On-Line herbal site (The Extremely Large Herbal Grimoire)! I found that at least 90% of what I had tucked away in my kitchen had magickal energies and properties. I was so thrilled I woke up my mate so he too could share in my excitement! After a few words of admonishment from him, I crept back to the computer and continued my work by the light of the moon!

How could I transfer all this wonderful information from the computer and book text for handy and quick use? I first thought of printing out page after page of information and attached it to my cupboard door, not really practical. I next thought of writing or printing out all this info out on sticky labels to attach to the bottles, good idea but I found the labels were too large for the bottles and that using the labels took more time to transfer the information to a new bottle. In the end I used a black, fine point "Sharpie" and wrote on the bottle label. In as fine a hand as I could write, I checked each herb and spice bottle against my four different research materials (the computer Grimoire, Scott Cunningham's "Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs" and a couple of others).

Now when we purchase cooking herbs and spices, I do my best to get them in their most natural forms (bark cinnamon; full dried red peppers; pepper corns; rock sea salt; full leafed herbs.

One exception to this is "rubbed sage" which I like when I make oils, tinctures, etc. and it's excellent to use straight from the bottle to add to the fire!). I also look carefully at combinations and blends such as Italian blends, Cajun blends, Sea Food Blends as well as tea blends. I've found most of the "energy" contents in these blends work well together in magick as well as cooking. If you wish to increase certain herbal powers, mention that herb(s) in your spell. The organic "fresh" herbs that are in the produce section can be frozen in a baggie or placed in a shallow water bath and frozen then transferred to a baggie, just be sure to write on the bag what is stored in it!

Three days later I had completed my task. I didn't stop at my bottled herbs and spices. I moved on my coffees and teas (herbal and regular), my dried beans, my canned tomatoes, my refrigerator crisper drawers, pretty much EVERYTHING in my kitchen became fair game!! As I did this I began to remember my grandmother's trips through her cupboards just before she would mix something up for her magick work. Needless to say it was a heady experience for few hours.

I do have a few Herbs and Items that are my "go to" magick makers in my kitchen. For those of you who are new to "Witching" or are just experiencing the use of the kitchen for magickal materials, here are my top most choices: Choice #1 - SAGE - any form I can get my hands on!! Immortality, Longevity, Wisdom, Protection, Wishes. It does just about everything you could ask for all in one herb! I do grow some Sage which I mostly use to make my Smudging Wands for the year. If you don't grow it, you can purchase Sage leaves in bottles in the Herb section of the store OR you can get them FRESH in the produce/organic section of most grocery stores. Yes, I know, most Smudge Wands are made from Sagebrush but for many of us the cost of a Sagebrush Smudge Wand is prohibitive and can be difficult to find at times. Cooking Sage or Slavia officinalis works very well for Smudge Wands. Broken or "crushed" Sage can be used as incense straight from the bottle to the flame. As I've mentioned above, "rubbed" sage is great for the candle flame, just be sure to use a small amount and that embers don't fly around your room (can be a fire hazard if you aren't careful!).

Choice #2 - MINT (Peppermint and Spearmint primarily but just about any Mint you can find in bottles OR tea form.) I love Mint Teas in the summer and winter, hot or cold and to know they will bring me Money, Lust, Love, Healing, Travel, Protections and the ability to Exorcise Spirits if necessary, makes Mint a "MUST" for every Witch's Cupboard!! My family farm had a large bed of Mint around the windmill and horse trough where we swam as children. We always felt loved and protected in that water and knew that nothing would ever harm us while we were there!!

Today, just the merest whiff of Mint puts me in a magickal mood!

Choice #3 - CINNAMON (Sweet Wood or Ceylon Cinnamon I find is best for me) - I prefer the bark form as I can grind it down but ground cinnamon is also good, just not quite as easy to use directly in the flame. I find it essential if I'm needing to do Spirituality work, as well as being excellent in the realms of Success, Healing, raising Energy and Psychic Powers, Lust, Love and Protection. I won't make a Witch's Bottle without it and, whenever possible, I use the stick Cinnamon to tie my ritual requests around before tossing them into an out-door fire!

Whoever heard of a Yule Tree without Cinnamon Bark tied in its branches. I find it really increases and hastens my request to the Goddess! I caution of using Cinnamon Oils on your skin or orally as it CAN BURN! Choice #4 - ROSEMARY (fresh plant or dried) - It has many of the same uses as those herbs above BUT if I'm needing to cleanse a room where someone has been ill or wash bed linens from a sick person, dropping in some Rosemary into the water really dispels the sickness and leaves a nice fresh scent in the house, particularly in the winter! Remember this for cold and flu season. Drop a little in some simmering (not boiling) water and let it work its wonders. You'll feel better, the house energy will be cleaner and you'll be smiling in no time. Good for Protection, Love, Lust, Mental Powers, Exorcism, Purification, Healing, Sleep, and Youth. You can bath in it and feel totally refreshed and ready for any magickal work!

A NOTE OF CAUTION: If you decide to grow your own herbs in your garden, a container or on your window sill, BEWARE that herbs found at garden centers ARE NOT USUALLY planted in growing medium that is healthy for immediate consumption!!

The fertilizers and medium could be very dangerous to your health. Pot it on and let it grow for a year in non-toxic conditions before using the plant material in foods, tinctures, oils, etc.

One last item that no Witch's or Pagan's abode should be without is SALT!! Not the iodized stuff but just Regular Granulated Salt, Natural Rock or Sea Salts!!! I've never had luck with the iodized salt, not sure why and many manual say the same. I was raised over the Salt Mines of Kansas so Salt is a real necessity in my house and I keep a few open containers (bowl, decorator boxes, etc.) around the house to absorb negative energies and freshen the air. For a long time the only Rock Salt available was that used for Home Ice Cream Freezers.

Now there are wonderful Sea Salts from around the world as well as Kosher Rock Salt. I really like my Himalayan Pink Salt. It works wonderfully for my needs. Start off with regular table salt and then, as you can afford it, try some others. Usually a little salt goes a long way. Take care where you place it so pets and children won't get into it. If you feel you are needing extra protection around your home, place Salt on the inside of your windows on the sills and across your outside door thresholds (bad energy should not cross it). You can also place bowls of Salt in the corners of your home and/or next to your outside doors. If you are still having problems, dissolve Salt in water (preferable rain water but any will do in a pinch) and on the inside windows and doors draw your "sigil" or symbol. This is a symbol that "means" you and that you recognize as yours. You can use a traditional symbol or make one up BUT it MUST be yours in your heart. Mopping your floors with Salt water after a particularly bad visit from someone or a really bad experience in the home will also help protect the home and return its energy to a balanced level.

I hope you have enjoyed your trip through my kitchen. There is so much more I'd like to share with you so I hope you'll come back next month and join me as I dig through my Crone's Cupboards and see what else I can find to share!

Many Blessings Gertrude Moon, CC

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A solemn cutting of the first of the corn of which an offering would be made to the deity by bringing it up to a high place and burying it; a meal of the new food and of bilberries of which everyone must partake; a sacrifice of a sacred bull, a feast of its flesh, with some ceremony involving its hide, and its replacement by a young bull; a ritual dance-play perhaps telling of a struggle for a goddess and a ritual fight; an installation of a head on top of the hill and a triumphing over it by an actor impersonating Lugh; another play representing the confinement by Lugh of the monster blight or famine; a three-day celebration presided over by the brilliant young god or his human representative. Finally, a ceremony indicating that the interregnum was over, and the chief god in his right place again.

Lughnasadh celebrations were commonly held on hilltops. Traditionally, people would climb hills on Lughnasadh to gather bilberries, which were eaten on the spot or saved to make pies and wine. It is thought that Reek Sunday—the yearly pilgrimage to the top of Croagh Patrick in County Mayo in late July— was originally a Lughnasadh ritual. As with the other Gaelic seasonal festivals (Imbolc, Beltane and Samhain), the celebrations involved a great feast. In the Scottish Highlands, people made a special cake called the lunastain, which was also called luinean when given to a man and luineag when given to a woman. This may have originated as an offering to the gods.

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In Irish mythology, the Lughnasadh festival is said to have been begun by the god Lugh (modern spelling: Lú) as a funeral feast and sporting competition in commemoration of his fostermother, Tailtiu, who died of exhaustion after clearing the plains of Ireland for agriculture. The first location of the Áenach Tailteann gathering was at Tailtin, between Navan and Kells.

Historically, the Áenach Tailteann was a time for contests of strength and skill and a favoured time for contracting marriages and winter lodgings. A peace was declared at the festival, and religious celebrations were held. The festival survived as the Taillten Fair, and was revived for a period in the 20th century as the Telltown Games.

Another custom that Lughnasadh shared with the other Gaelic festivals was the lighting of bonfires and visiting of holy wells. The ashes from Lughnasadh bonfires would be used to bless fields, cattle and people. Visitors to holy wells would pray for health while walking sunwise around the well.

They would then leave offerings; typically coins or clooties.

In Gaelic Ireland, Lughnasadh was also a favored time for handfastings — trial marriages that would generally last a year and a day, with the option of ending the contract before the new year, or formalizing it as a lasting marriage.

Lughnasadh Trivia

By Alena Orrison

Here's a fun trivia game you can play with your friends, family, or circle. When we do it, I have little prizes to give out to the individual or team winners; things like chime candles, small packets of herbs or incense, stones or crystals and feathers.

Round 1: 1. What God is this holiday named after? (Lugh) 2. What nationality is this god?

(Irish) 3. What is the Christian name for this holiday? (Lammas) 4. What is celebrated? (Beginning of the harvest) Round 2: 1. What colors are associated with Lughnasadh? (Green, gold, yellow, orange, red, bronze) 2. What is sacrificed? (Bad habits, the Corn God) 3. What Sabbat coincides with Lughnasadh in the Southern Hemisphere? (Imbolc) 4. What traditionally took place on Lughnasadh? (Olympic type games, hand fasting) Round 3: 1. What are some traditional foods? Name 3. (apples, grains, breads, berries) 2. What are some traditional herbs and plants? Name 5. (yarrow, sunflower, heliotrope, boneset, poppy,

milkweed, goldenrod, nasturtium, clover blossom, vervain, Queen Anne’s lace, myrtle, rose, Irish moss, mushroom, wheat, corn, rye, oat, barley, rice, garlic, onion, basil, mint, aloe, acasia, meadowsweet, apple leaf, raspberry leaf, strawberry leaf, bilberry leaf, blueberry leaf, mugwort, hops, holly, comfrey, marigold, grape vine, ivy, hazelnut, blackthorn, elder, bee pollen.)

3. What are some traditional activities? Name 2. (harvesting, planting bulbs, making of corn dollies) 4. What form does the Goddess take at this time? (mother, warrior, getting ready to be crone) Final/Bonus Round: 1. Lughnasadh is the only cross-quarter sabbat that is totally related.

(agriculturally)

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First Harvest Moon for Families

By Alena Orrison The first harvest moon can sometimes arrive quicker than expected. Summer is in full swing, the beaches are full, children are enjoying time off from school... and then suddenly it’s Lughnasadh and the first harvest moon. Autumn is approaching and yet the sun is still warm and inviting. There are a lot of activities you can do as a family to celebrate the first harvest moon.

Visiting local “you pick” farms Even if you don’t preserve food by canning methods, you can still enjoy time with the children at a local farm. They get to learn where their food comes from and how it grows and even take home some yummy fresh foods to serve up for dinner. To find local farms, check out http://www.localharvest.org.

Visit your local farmers’ market Not only to farmers’ markets have fresh fruits and vegetables, they also carry a wide variety of other goods like honey, bread, salsa, flowers, homemade quilts, homemade clothes, and homemade jewelry. We like to go and browse just to see what is out there. If I have the money, I will give each child a certain amount to spend on whatever they like. Don’t forget to sample some of the honey, salsa and bread!

Country Fairs This is the time of year for fairs of all sizes and kinds to start. You can always have a good time at the fair whether you enjoy the carnival, the demonstrations, or country art.

Crafts Make a seed mosaic! Seeds, nut shells and beans make great art mediums. You can print a picture or draw one, thicker paper works best. Smaller children will just want to glue seeds on the paper while older children might want to plan placement. Allow them free reign with this activity as it’s art!

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Pasta Jewelry! Revel in the harvest by making pasta jewelry with your children. Choose pasta of various shapes and sizes such as macaroni, wagon wheels and penne. String it on and wear it for your ritual.

Whatever you choose to do, make sure you are celebrating summer, the sun and the harvest. This is the time when they all meet and the best time to be outside enjoying the last summer sunshine rays and the bounty of the earth.

I loved this simple ritual when I came across it years ago. I have tried to contact the owner of this post for permission to use it in Elemental Magazine, but there wasn’t any contact information on her page or email box or anything! I have found that this is a good ritual to involve all the children in; it’s quick and easy. I hope you enjoy! ~Alena Orrison A Simple Lammas Ritual for the Busy Domestic Witch

By Mrs. B from The Modern Pagan http://www.themodernpagan.net/?p=406 Supplies you’ll need: Bread (Home baked, store bought, heck, a cookie will do in a pinch) Wine (or beer, mead, fruit juice – you know you have a juice box in there somewhere!)

A candle (A summer color is appropriate: gold or yellow, though white always works. Also appropriate? Anything that smells like baked goods – cinnamon, sugar cookie, etc..)

Optional: anything season that you’d like to set out, such as summer flowers, things harvested from your garden, a corn dolly, etc.), an appropriate incense.

Find a quiet place to sit for a moment, or gather around your table if sharing the ritual with others. Have your bread, wine and candle in front of you (don’t forget something to light the candle with). Take a quick moment to think about what Lammas means to you, and what it has meant to those who have followed the season through times past. It’s the first harvest, time to offer bread in thanks for the prosperity of the crops.

(Alena’s suggestion: ask the kids what Lammas means to them and guide them in a quick discussion of the holiday.)

Light your candle (and incense if you are using it). Take a bite of the bread and a sip of the wine.

Say these words (or others, as you like): On this first day of August, I light a candle to celebrate the harvest.

As the wheel of the year turns and the days start to grow shorter, I honor the Lord and Lady (or the seasons, or your specific deity) and thank them for the blessings and prosperity they have brought to me this year.

I honor those who came before me, and all things living on this earth.

Eat more of the bread, drink more of the wine, being sure to save the last bits as a sacrifice to the earth. Later pour them outside, in your garden, under a tree or into a potted plant.

If you have the time, sit for a few minutes and meditate before snuffing the candle. As you go about your day, keep negative thoughts at bay and try to mentally tally all the wonderful things that have come into your life this year.

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EYE OF NEWT, TOE OF FROG . .

Disguising your Spell Ingredients

What

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I hope you find it interesting!! Should you have such a family listing, I would be very interested in hearing from you. Please contact me through this publication.

An Eagle ........................Garlic A Man's Bile...................Turnip Sap Bat's Wings.....................Holly Leaves Beggar's Buttons............Burdock Blood from a Head........Lupine Blood of Ares.................Purslane Blood of Kronos...........Cedar Blood of Hesta..............Camomile Bloody Finger................Foxglove Blood..............................Elder Sap Bloodwort......................Yarrow Calf's Snout....................Snapdragon Cat's Foot/Paw.............Ground Ivy Chocolate Flower..........Crane's Bill/Wild Geranium Crow's Foot...................Crane's Bill/Wild Geranium Devil's Plaything...........Yarrow Dew of the Sea..............Rosemary Dog's Mouth..................Snap Dragon Dove's Foot...................Crane's Bill/Wild Geranium

Erba Santa Maria...........Spearmint Eye of Newt...................Mustard Seed Eye of the Day...............Common Daisy Eyes..................................Daisy Fairies' Fingers................Foxglove Graveyard Dust/Dirt....Mullein Joy of the Mountain......Marjoram Jupiter's Staff..................Great Mullein Lady's Glove...................Foxglove Lion's Hairs.....................Turnip Leaves Maiden's Hair.................Maidenhair Fern Mother's Heart...............Shepherd's Purse Pig's Snout......................Dandelion Priest's Crown................Dandelion Rabbit's Foot..................Field Clover Serpent's Tongue...........Violets Toad.................................Toadflax

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What Will Raising Consciousness Mean for Humanity?

Continued from page 39…

by Patricia Cota-Robles

* In Christ Consciousness we will understand that as Sons and Daughters of God the Infinite Abundance of God is our Divine Birthright. With that inner knowing, greed, selfishness, the abuse of power, corruption, crime, and every other form of poverty consciousness will end. Self-serving Governments, the Military, Corporations, Financial Institutions, Religious Organizations, Doctors, Hospitals, Pharmaceutical and Insurance Companies, Energy, Agricultural, Environmental, and Judicial Conglomerates, all of which have contributed to the vast amount of pain and suffering Humanity has experienced since our fall into separation and duality, will no longer exist.

There will be no need for them. Their fragmented fear-based consciousness cannot and will not be sustained in the 5thDimensional frequencies of the New Earth. Can you imagine any of the corruption or abuse of power from the old Earth existing in what we have always known as the Heavenly Realms? Of course not! These gross mutations of separation and duality will not exist on the New Earth either. * In Christ Consciousness every person will clearly KNOW that anything he or she does to enhance life for any person, any living thing, or any particle of Life will enhance life for themselves, their loved ones, and every facet of Life throughout the whole of Creation. Just imagine, when EVERYONE is operating from a consciousness of Transfiguring Divine Love, Oneness, and Reverence for ALL Life, NONE of the problems associated with the old Earth will exist. We will have transmuted the CAUSE of those maladies and the outer world EFFECTS will naturally change.

With that knowing, it is crystal clear that... THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO THAT WILL ACCELERATE THE MANIFESTATION OF THE PATTERNS OF PERFECTION FOR THE NEW EARTH FASTER THAN HELPING OUR SISTERS AND BROTHERS IN THE FAMILY OF HUMANITY TO RAISE THEIR CONSCIOUSNESS FROM SEPARATION AND DUALITY INTO TRANSFIGURING DIVINE LOVE, ONENESS, AND REVERENCE FOR ALL LIFE. The Company of Heaven has affirmed that, indeed, this shift of consciousness is the greatest need of the hour. And it is the next facet of the unfolding Divine Plan for the New Earth and all Life evolving upon her.

Bringing this facet of the Divine Plan to fruition will take the collective efforts of you and me and the legions of embodied Lightworkers around the world. We are being called to serve as surrogates on behalf of the unawakened masses of Humanity.

In this facet of the Divine Plan, we will work in unison with the entire Company of Heaven. We will serve as The Open Door for the Light of God that will raise the consciousness of every man, woman, and child on Earth the maximum that Cosmic Law will allow. This will happen in alignment with each person’s Divine Plan and the highest good of all concerned. This shift of consciousness will be God Victoriously accomplished through each person’s I AM Presence. It will involve the assistance of

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several powerful Celestial alignments and the amplification of our collective efforts by the entire Company of Heaven.

If you are reading this Celestial Sharing know that you have been preparing for lifetimes to assist with this vitally important part of the Divine Plan. We will all be in our right and perfect place, participating in the right and perfect way. All we have to do is invoke our I AM Presence and listen to the inner promptings of our heart. Our I AM Presence knows exactly what our part of the plan is. So listen to your heart and respond accordingly. This is our moment. Our time is at hand.

Please read the following information carefully. Then take it into the deepest recesses of your heart and ask your I AM Presence how you can best serve as an Instrument of God on behalf of your sisters and brothers in the Family of Humanity during this phase of your Divine Plan.

The Divine Plan This will be a global event and every willing Lightworker will be in his or her right and perfect place. No facet of this Divine Plan is any more important than another. What IS important, is that we all listen to the inner guidance of our I AM Presence, and respond to whatever we are being guided to do.

Our Father-Mother God have sent forth a Clarion Call to all embodied ALL Lightworkers. We are being asked to gather within the portal of the most powerful forcefield of our FatherMother God’s Transfiguring Divine Love. This portal is in the foothills of Tucson, Arizona. We must Trust and KNOW that if we are being guided to be physically present within this Portal of Transfiguring Divine Love, to serve with Lightworkers from around the world, then our I AM Presence and the Company of Heaven will assist us in paving the way. This is true whether we need assistance with time, energy, or money to accomplish this facet of our Divine Mission.

To get a feeling for this Activity of Light please watch this 3minute video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di6SqC47-wY (If this link does not work please copy and paste it in your browser.)

Together we will form a mighty transformer through which the Light of God will flow to help raise the consciousness of the masses of Humanity. This will enable the masses of Humanity to detach from the oppressive frequencies of the old Earth in ways they have not previously experienced.

Know that it is critical that Lightworkers from around the world be physically present to form through their unified Heart Flames the transformer through which the Light of God will flow to fulfill this facet of the Divine Plan. Listen to your heart, and Trust your inner guidance. All of the Lightworkers who have been prepared to serve in this wondrous way on behalf of Humanity and all Life on this sweet Earth will know who they are through the inner promptings of their heart. Pay attention.

Your Light is needed now!

In addition to those who are inspired to be physically present, there will be Lightworkers who will join in consciousness from points of Light around the world. These Lightworkers will project the Light flowing through their Heart Flames into the Portal of Light where the Lightworkers are physically gathered in Tucson, Arizona.

Thus our unified efforts will expand a thousand times a thousandfold.

The vehicle that will be used for this gathering of Lightworkers is the 27th Annual World Congress on Illumination. This event will take place August 10-15, 2013. We will gather at the beautiful Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Arizona. This exquisite resort exists within the heart of the Portal of Transfiguring Divine Love. All of the information you will need to participate in this wondrous opportunity is available on our website through the link below. http://www.eraofpeace.org/important-information/worldcongress/world-congress-more-info/ (If this link does not work please copy and paste it in your browser.)

God Bless YOU, for your willingness to be the Open Door that will raise the consciousness of unawakened Humanity the maximum that Cosmic Law will allow and secure the patterns of perfection for the New Earth in the physical plane.

This sacred conclave will be a celestial experience for everyone involved. We have wonderful and inspired presenters, musicians, meditations, and various other activities of Light that will enlighten you and guide you through this profound experience. Each day, as we successfully fulfill one phase of the Divine Plan, the Company of Heaven will reveal the next phase of the plan to us. As we sojourn through the various activities of Light, under the Divine Guidance of our Father-Mother God and the Company of Heaven, this facet of the Divine Plan will be victoriously accomplished.

The World Congress On Illumination is truly a life-transforming event that will provide you with the opportunity to meet old friends from around the world with whom you have been serving for aeons of time. Fellow Lightworkers will join hearts with you and support you in your monumental service to the Light.

The entire Universe is supporting us in this wondrous endeavor.

The Beings of Light have been given permission to assist us in miraculous ways, but the Lightworkers on Earth are the predominant force bringing this Divine Plan into physical manifestation.

Our responsibility is enormous, but as we join our hearts together, we have the absolute ability to succeed God Victoriously.

Just for a moment, go within to the Divinity of your Heart Flame, and experience the overwhelming Gratitude and Love pouring forth from the Legions of Light in the Heavenly Realms.

Feel the deep appreciation they are sending to you for your willingness to serve Humanity during this critical moment in the evolution of this sweet Earth. We are truly blessed beyond measure to be able to assist all Life evolving on this New Earth in this wondrous way. http://www.eraofpeace.org/important-information/worldcongress/world-congress-more-info/ (If this link does not work please copy and paste it in your browser.)

Patricia Cota-Robles New Age Study of Humanity’s Purpose a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit educational organization www.eraofpeace.org FAX: 520-751-2981 Phone: 520-885-7909 New Age Study of Humanity’s Purpose PO Box 41883, Tucson, Arizona 85717

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