Friday, June 27, 2008

July 2008






July 2008

1. Color- Scarlet- Death of Nostradamus- Waning moon
2. Color- Yellow- Trial of Joan Prentice 1549. Waning Moon- Sts Processus and Martinian Patrons of Prison Officers
3. Color- Turquoise- Waning Moon- St Thomas the Apostle Patron of Builders and the Blind
4. Color-Coral- New Moon- American Independence- Great for freedom spells
5. Color- Blue- Conviction of Witches in Chelmsford, England 1589- Waxing moon
6. Color-Orange Scott Cunningham initiated into the Ancient Pictish Gaelic Way 1981. Waxing Moon. Blessed Maria Theresa Ledochowska Patroness of Polish Missions and St. Maria Goretta Patroness of the Children of Mary and Teen Girls.
7. Color- Gray- Waxing Moon
8. Color- White- Waxing Moon
9. Color-Brown- Waxing Moon- Birthday of Amber K, Wiccan author. - Blessed Virgin of Chevremont patroness of Peace and Sports People and Victims of War.
10. Color- Green- Waxing Moon
11. Color- Pink- Waxing Moon- Abbot Benedict Patron of Farm Workers, Engineers, Architects and the dying
12. Color- Black- Waxing Moon- St. John Gualbert patron of foresters and park keepers.
13. Color- Gold- Waxing Moon- Birthday of John Dee 1527. - St. Henry the Emperor patron of Finland
14. Color- Silver- Waxing Moon- First recorded appearance of Crop Circles 1988- St Camillus de Lillis patroness of Nurses and LPNs
15. Color- Black- Waxing Moon
16. Color- White- Waxing Moon- Our Lady of Mt. Carmel patroness of Spain and the Spanish Navy
17. Color- Purple- Waxing Moon
18. Color – Rose- Full Moon (the Blessing Moon)
19. Color- Brown- Full Moon- Rebecca Nurse hanged in Salem Ma 1691.
20. Color- Yellow Full Moon- Full Moon- Pope Adrian re-emphasizes the law to purge witches by fire 1523. St. Elijah patron of flying and St. Margaret patroness of childbirth and pregnant women.
21. Color- Lavender- Waning Moon
22. Color- Grey- Waning Moon- North Hamptonshire Witches condemned 1612- 1st Sighting of the Loch Ness Monster 1930
23. Color- Topaz- Waning Moon- St Bridget patroness of Sweden
24. Color- White- Waning Moon
25. Color- Purple- Waning Moon- Death of Pope Innocent who wrote the original Bull concerning Witches and Witchcraft 1492- St. Christopher patron of travelers and St. James the Greater patron of Guatemala
26. Color- Indigo- Waning Moon- Confession of the Chelmsford at 1st of 4 trials the last presided over by Matthew Hopkins, witch finder general- St. Anne patroness of childless women
27. Color- Amber- Waning Moon- Jennet Preston first Malkin Tower witch hanged 1612- St Pantaleon patron of doctors
28. Color- Ivory- Waning Moon
29. Color-Red- Waning Moon- Agnes Waterhouse Chelmsford witch hanged 1566- St Martha patroness of Housewives and St. Olaf of Norway
30. Color-Yellow- Waning Moon- St Abdon patron of barrel makers and St Sennen patron of coopers
31. Color- Crimson- Waning Moon- Birthday of HP Blavatsky 1831- Date of British gathering of witches to raise energy to protect Britain from an invasion by Germany 1940- St Ignatius Loyola patron of retreats and spiritual exercises or scruples


Saint of the Month
St John Gualbert

St John Gualbert founded the monastery of Vallambrosa in a deforested region, which he replanted and dedicated to the Lord. His devotion to recovering the forestlands was well known through Medieval Times. On January 12, 1951 Pope Pius declared him a saint. His feast day is July 12.

Herb of the Month
Oakmoss

A lichen used in many perfumes, it is very useful in prosperity and money spells. It may be burned on a briquette and used as an herbal wash or placed in mojo bag.

Signs of the Month

Cancer- (June 22-July 22) Nurturer, empathetic, sensitive to others, imaginative, the comforts of home.

Leo- (July 23- August 22) Loves to be the center of attention, dramatic, warm and generous, enjoys the good life, romance and play.

Tarot of the Month
XVIII The Moon

The moon represents the world we desire, the fantasy world we wish to achieve. Beware that you do not deceive yourself. Look before you leap.

Spell of the Month
In Honor of Nostradamus’ Death Day

Nostradamus Divination Spell
December 14- Nostradamus’ Birthday

Tarot cards
Two white candles
Bowl and water

Light the candles. Washing your fingers in the scrying bowl intone:

I wash myself of all confusion and distractions
I cleanse myself from selfishness
I come with pure intent

Hold your cards in your hand

Grant me clear vision
Let me see clearly through the veil
Give me strength to accept truth
Wisdom to make choices based on my vision

Perform the readings and record

May I gain wisdom from what I have seen
To serve others and help those in need.
So Mote it Be


Celtic Christianity: The Link between Christ and Craft
Stephen MacClaine

Christianity may be identified by the symbol of the Cross, but like a flower of a thousand petals, it is rich with variation and style. Even now Christianity is evolving, in ritual, in philosophy and in doctrine. From its primitive beginnings as a Jewish fringe cult to the Christianity we see today, its struggles, troubles, and triumphs prove its power to grow and reflect the diversities of its believers.

As a person of both Irish and French heritage, I have studied Celtic culture. Folks are tempted to identify Celtic culture as early British and Irish identity. The fact is, the Celtic people stretched throughout the European landscape.

The spread of Christianity was slow and steady and often Christian communities were established and then left to explore its Christian faith in isolation. Celtic Christianity creates a dimension of Christian practice that reflects earlier beliefs in creator and connects the Sacred with nature.
Though some would say this is simply a co-mingling of late Paganism with its mixture of Celtic Mythology and Roman Mythology, but the truth is, Celtic Christianity is far subtler. By the time Christianity comes to the Celtic people, the ancient Druid religion has been supplanted to the Roman Pagan religion. Druidry is a faint memory, as even the smallest bits of written history about the Druid religion are destroyed and practices are largely forgotten.

These later Romano- Celtic people remember small bits of the Celtic religion and practice it as well as they can with the Roman Pagan religion. As Christianity grows, under the guidance of the Pagan Constantine, the early Christians simply do what they have always done; blend the new religion with the old.

Nasty accusations about the ancient Christian Church being the church of domination simply are not true. Christians seeking friendly conversions used a form of syncretism, explaining dogma by using parallels from their own religion. The best-known example of this is the story of St. Patrick explaining the Holy Trinity by using the shamrock clover, a symbol of the Triple Goddess. These early Christians understood the Christian Gospel in the simplest terms and created their special brand of devotion to a church whose religious rituals were not well developed. There was no real regularization of ritual yet and each region of the new Christian world had its own cultural mixture to the worship and practice of the Christian faith. In Ireland, this Celtic Christianity is intact and offers a great contrast to the Catholicism practiced in other parts of the world.

This uniqueness leads its followers to seek God in the trees and forests, in the myths of the wee folk or faery people and the lingering Paganism contributes to the wonder and beauty of such tales as of King Arthur, the Mabigon and the tales of Gerald of Cambriesius and exists even today in the strong Marian devotion seen throughout Celtic countries.

This special brand of Christianity shows not a destruction of Pagan/Celtic pantheons but something of an evolution. Cerrunos and Cerwiden become Jesus and his Mother and the Fay into the angels and saints who serve them. What this shows us is the universality of images, of mythos and of faith and confirms a connection as religions evolve and take on new shapes and roles.

Stephen MacClaine is a practicing Druid and Bard and studies and teaches comparative religion in New York.

Come to the Freak Show
What to say to those who just want to watch
Sparrow Woodwitch

You have a circle of friends and you trust them with everything, including the fact that you are a witch. For the most part, you have their respect. They ask you curious questions and some even come to you for advice. Then you have one friend. You know the one. This is the friend who is a tad obnoxious, who blurts out: “Man, I would just love to watch one of your witch things, you know, one of your rituals.” Their eyes are all lit up and they are excited about the idea.

It is the same look when they know they are going to see something weird and little scary perhaps. It is the excited look of someone who likes to watch those really gruesome death movies that show gruesome car accidents, crime scenes and disasters. They are the first in line to freak shows and the tent exhibition of pickled punks, instruments of torture and deformed animals or people.

Suddenly you know. This person thinks you are a freak. Perhaps you are asking yourself if your other friends think the same way. You are the weird friend, the one who will entertain them and spook them a little. It hurts deep down.

Chin up fellow witch. First of all, you are not a freak. Friends who say these sorts of things say it because they have little or no knowledge about the craft except what they have heard from others and what they have seen on TV or in movies.

Ask the person what they expect to see in a ritual or gathering. It is usually some stereotype involving nudity or sex, blood letting or some extreme magik they have seen on The Craft or Charmed.

This is your chance to educate. Explain to them that it is very true witches sometimes do rituals in the nude and that yes there is a sexual ritual but these rituals are performed in private, out of view and hearing of the group. Most times, witch rituals do not look very different from an ordinary prayer meeting with readings, discussions and prayer and songs. Demystify, defreakyfy the practice of the Craft. You will see the light go out of their eyes and disappointment on their faces.

If they persist, ask them about their religion. Then ask if you can attend because you hear (insert stereotype here). They may not appreciate it but they will feel what it feels like for you. They will likely wander away angry and you may have lost their friendship, but that is okay. It is their loss.

Sparrow Woodwitch is a Christian witch, freelance photographer and Craft educator. The interviews for local newspapers and TV programs about the Craft all year long except in October. Witches, after all, are not freaks.

Wand Work
Is it all just swish and flick?
Daphne Moonowl

I remember the first time I used a wand. I was six and I was a fairy princess and my wand was a thin plastic stick with iridescent streamers and a star. Long after my costume died a death at the foot of my closet, my wand hung on my mirror. Believe it or not, I still have it, pack rat that I am, hanging on my wall in my home office.

When I became a witch some twenty years ago, I made the wand I still use today. It is an oak wand, taken from a tree that had been struck by lightening and was chopped down. I peeled off the bark and lightly sanded it and stained it and affixed a rose crystal. But once I made it, it took me a long time to use it.

I didn’t use it because I really didn’t know how. The Wiccan books spoke of “directing energy” and casting, but none told you how to use it. How does one use a wand? I felt sheepish handling it, more than a little foolish and then I met a sister witch and confided in her.

Wands are an extension of the hand. Think of the conductor of a symphony leading with his baton. Think of the professor with his telescoping pointer. As a Christian Witch, I was reminded of Moses and how this rod was elevated to bring the power of God upon the earth.

“Play with it,” I was told “Reach back into a time when you were the witch or the fairy at Halloween. How did you do it then?” So I went home and took out my wand and played with it. I pointed it, made circles with it, even thrust and parry with it. I resolved to work with my wand more.

A few years ago, my grandson and I were watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Hermione was encouraging Ron to “swish and flick” as Professor Flitwick had taught them. My grandson said, “See grandma, even Ron can do it…. just swish and flick”

Now I use my wand during all my spells, even if it is not absolutely necessary. I have fallen in love with this simple tool and though I am sure that Professor Flitwick would recommend that I go for remedial wand work, I feel closer to my wand than ever before.

Daphne Moonowl is a professional artist and book illustrator. She has been a witch in 20 years. She lives with her family in South Carolina.