October 2008
1. Wednesday- Color Brown- Waning Moon- Birthdays of Isaac Bonewits, Druid and Witch- St. Therese of Lisieux patroness of Missons, Florists and the country of France.
2. Thursday- Color Green- Waning Moon- End of Ramadan- Feast of the Guardian Angels, patrons of Spanish Police officers.
3. Friday- Color Purple- Waning Moon
4. Saturday- Color Gray- Waning Moon- St. Francis of Assisi, patron of Italy, Merchants, Ecologists and Ecology.
5. Sunday- Color Gold- Waning Moon
6. Monday- Color Lavender- Waning Moon
7. Tuesday- Color Maroon- Waning Moon- St. Mary (BV) of the Holy Rosary, patroness of the Philippine Navy.
8. Wednesday- Color White- Waxing Moon
9. Thursday- Color Purple- Waxing Moon- Yom Kippur- Sts. Andronious/ Athanasia, patrons of silversmiths and St. Denis of Paris, patron of headaches and St. Louis Bertrand, patron of Colombia.
10. Friday- Color Pink- Waxing Moon- St. Francis Borgia, patron of Earthquakes and Portugal.
11. Saturday- Color Brown- Waxing Moon
12. Sunday- Color Amber- Waxing Moon- Mary, Our Lady of the Pillar, patroness of Spanish Police Officers
13. Monday- Color Ivory- Waxing Moon- Columbus Day- Jacques DeMolay and the French Templars are arrested 1306- St. Coloman, patron of Austria
14. Tuesday- Color Black- Full Moon- Sukkot begins
15. Wednesday- Color Topaz- Full Moon- St. Teresa of Avila, patroness of Writers and the Spanish Army.
16. Thursday- Color White- Full Moon- St. Gall, patron of Birds and St. Gerard Majella, patron of Mothers
17. Friday- Color Rose- Waning Moon
18. Saturday- Color Black- Waning Moon- St. Luke patron of Physicians, Painters, Craftspeople, Lacemakers, and butchers.
19. Sunday- Color Orange- Waning Moon- North American Martyrs, patrons of Canada
20. Monday-Color Silver- Waning Moon- Selena Fox birthday- Sukkot ends.
21. Tuesday- Color White- Waning Moon
22. Wednesday- Color Yellow- Waning Moon
23. Thursday- Color Crimson- Waning Moon- St. John of Capistrano- Military Chaplains
24. Friday- Color White- Waning Moon- St. Anthony- Weavers and Savings Banks
25. Saturday- Color Blue- Waning Moon- Sts Crispian and Crispin- Shoemakers, cobblers and Leather workers
26. Sunday- Color Yellow- Waning Moon-Sybil Leek dies 1982
27. Monday- Color Grey- Waning Moon- Circle Sanctuary established 1974
28. Tuesday- Color Red- Waning Moon- St. Jude- Hopeless Cases
29. Wednesday- Color Brown- Waning Moon- MacGregor Mathers names himself supreme leader of the Golden Dawn 1896
30. Thursday- Color Turquoise- Waning Moon
31. Friday- Color Coral- Waning Moon- Samhain- Martin Luther nails his 95 thesis to the church door, 1517
Saint of the Month
St. Jude, Apostle 1st Century
Jude Thaddeus was the brother of James the Lesser. He was one of the disciples and little is said of him scripture. It is believed he was martyred with St. Simon in Persia. He is the patron saint of lost causes because Jude is sometimes confused with Judas the betrayer and is the last saint one usually calls upon. His feast day is October 28
Herb of the Month
Red Clover
Used for cleansing and restoring health. It can be used to dissolve faerie spells, to find a lost love and consecration of magikal tools made of copper and the altar pentacle.
Zodiac signs
Libra (23 September-23 October) The adjuster, the reconciler, needs peace and harmony and enjoys beauty.
Scorpio (24 October- 21 November) The Transformer, death and rebirth, emotionally intense, interested in the occult and the mysteries
Spell of the Month
Blood on the Moon
To honor the deceased, excellent to perform as a part of your Samhain ceremonies. Also good for Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, or days that loved ones are passing over.
Purple Candle
Frankincense
Myrrh
Lavender
Evergreen (or other tree oil)
Simmer Cauldron
Pictures of loved ones (or list)
Wand
Athame
Salt
Anise Star herb
Incense (your choice)
Mix the oils and a crushed anise star in the simmer cauldron and begin warming. Take some of the oil and anoint the candle Light the incense and candle and with wand intone:
The Circle round the pearly moon
Pulls the spirits from their tomb
We invite you to our circle of live
From here on earth to heaven above.
Grands and parents, sisters and brothers
Gone before, we invite you to hover
Be our guardians and our guides
As we honor you tonight.
With Athame, intone:
Warriors, knights, soldiers and braves
For our freedom your lives you gave
We honor you for your sacrifice
And pray you have found your paradise
We honor you and hold you near
Join us now, the veil is sheer
Open your heart and receive us well
Blood on the moon, we cast this spell.
Welcome loved ones, friends and guests
Touch our hearts as you do best
Blessings and prayers we offer you
And thank you for these moments few
Blessed be and Merry Meet
So Mote it Be
Tarot of the Month
Eight of Swords
Though negative, if problems are taken care of as they arise, the difficulty will be resolved. Pay attention to your responsibilities and surroundings and the people you confide in. Losses will occur but this is a hard lesson for not paying attention.
What is Necromancy and why Christian Witches ( and any other witch) Shouldn’t Do It
By Bodicea Rain Fox
We are told that the dead go to the spirit realm, another plane of existence. It doesn’t matter if you call that place Heaven, the Summerland, Nirvana, the Green World or Valhalla or the Happy Hunting Grounds. Some spirits decide to stay in this plane for various reasons. Sometimes, the spirit seeks justice, sometimes it is meant to comfort those who are left behind, and sometimes they simply refuse to accept that they have died. This is what we call a haunting or spirit visitation and this is not necromancy. These beings are reaching beyond the veil of their own volition to communicate with you. This is natural and talking to these spirit people is simply interaction.
There are those who are especially aware of the spirits that walk around with us all of the time, most of the time without us even knowing. These folks are clairvoyant or sensitive. They see the dead without any special tools or rituals. These people are not necromancers.
Necromancy is the purposeful conjuration of the dead using a tool or ritual. By this I mean using a Ouija board or holding a séance. The use of the Ouija or séance is rooted in Victorian era European Spiritualism. The board becomes something of a doorway for spirit people to come through. So is a séance circle. The séance or Ouija session is the equivalent of spiritually kidnapping a spirit from their realm and forcing it to speak to us. It is also the equivalent of opening your door to a stranger and allowing them in your house. You simply never know who you are inviting into your home.
Demons and evil or unhappy spirits look for these openings to take advantage of our fears and weaknesses. We in essence give them permission to wreak havoc in our lives, our minds and our souls. Spirits left alone speak to us in their own time. Loved ones who have journeyed into the land of the dead come to us and comfort us, tell us their secrets, explain their lives and protect and guide us, but only in their own time.
But what if you have a spirit harassing you through no fault of your own? Then, an exorcism is definitely in order. This is accomplished by calling in a priest or pastor or an experienced witch to perform the ceremony to help them go on into the spirit realm. And whatever you do, stay away from séances and Ouija boards, the spirits will thank you.
Bodicea Rain Fox is a priestess with her husband Cerrunos of the Wand in Leeds, England. She is a Christo- Pagan and writes articles and papers about the occult and the Craft and the age of Spiritualism. She is also a psychic seer and clairvoyant.
Honoring Your Ancestors
By Sabrina Dawnangel
Samhain is the time to remember all of those who have gone before us. It is easy as we go along in our day to day world to remember the people who contributed to our being. We forget the strong people, the weak people, the sane people and the insane, the young people and the old people who came into our family lines and made us who we are and indeed what we might be. Ancestors become faded photographs, names in family Bibles and written in family trees. We have forgotten to honor them and thank them for being the beginning of who we are.
But, there are other people who are not our blood ancestors who influence us as well. There are historical people, races and tribes of people, nations of people who contribute to your innate sense of self, though you may not know where this comes from. These fragments of you both living and dead make up part of who you are.
At Samhain, we are called upon to honor those who have gone on to the next life. We celebrate their lives and they love and wisdom they have shared with us. The secular elements of Halloween comes to us from these ancient practices of hospitality and the gifts or treats we give are symbols of the plenty we have after the harvest and the generosity we return to those spirit people who still remain with us.
We may also wish to thank teachers and guides who have gone as well. These people taught us knowledge whether it be the teacher in the classroom who patiently taught us our numbers and letters to the first witch to ever teach you a spell or a potion. They too become our ancestors in knowledge and learning. They too deserve our remembrance.
To remember your ancestors, set up an altar or table and put pictures and symbols of who they were on the table. Before them, burn a purple or black candle and tell them that you honor their goodness and their love and their presence. Stand before it and let them speak to you in your heart and soul and thank them for all that you are because of them. Pray for their peaceful rest in the next world and commend them to the care of God and the angels. You will find yourself being blessed.
Sabrina Dawnangel is a priestess in the Holy Grail Christian Witch Grove in Portland, Oregon. She is a painter and maker of medieval costumes and accessories.
The Witches New Year
By Aslinn Dhan Dragonhawk
I always loved secular Halloween and I loved going trick or treating. I had sort of a vague understanding of what Halloween was all about but came to understand it better when I began to study for the Catholic Church. That is something I have always appreciated about the Church, before you can join, you have to be educated, you simply cannot declare yourself a Catholic. Sort of like being a witch, you have to have that all important education.
But back to Halloween. I learned more about All Hallowed Eve from my adult ed class when I became a Catholic and the following All Saints Day. The notion of praying for and remembering the dead struck me as a wonderful thing to do. It was a way of recognizing them for the good they have done for us, making us the people we are.
Then when I became a witch, I learned that Samhain wasn’t just for remembering the dead, but it was the Witches New Year, a time to renew yourself, set goals, let go of regrets and look to and into the future. Gaelyn and I and my circle sisters always practiced divinations on Samhain so we can find out what the future may hold for us in the coming year. We crystal gaze, we do Tarot readings, we do dream walking and interpretations. We then have a fire ritual of sending forth. What we do, if we are outside, is take a cauldron out and spend a few minutes writing down our old regrets and we drop these in the fire we light inside the cauldron. Then we write down all of our hopes and goals and send them through the smoke and flame to the heavens. We let go of regrets and send our hopes and wishes to heaven, the most ancient of practices known to man.
So, remember, Samhain is about remembering those who have gone before us, but it is also about celebrating a time of renewal and letting go of the past.
Brightest Blessings Be
1. Wednesday- Color Brown- Waning Moon- Birthdays of Isaac Bonewits, Druid and Witch- St. Therese of Lisieux patroness of Missons, Florists and the country of France.
2. Thursday- Color Green- Waning Moon- End of Ramadan- Feast of the Guardian Angels, patrons of Spanish Police officers.
3. Friday- Color Purple- Waning Moon
4. Saturday- Color Gray- Waning Moon- St. Francis of Assisi, patron of Italy, Merchants, Ecologists and Ecology.
5. Sunday- Color Gold- Waning Moon
6. Monday- Color Lavender- Waning Moon
7. Tuesday- Color Maroon- Waning Moon- St. Mary (BV) of the Holy Rosary, patroness of the Philippine Navy.
8. Wednesday- Color White- Waxing Moon
9. Thursday- Color Purple- Waxing Moon- Yom Kippur- Sts. Andronious/ Athanasia, patrons of silversmiths and St. Denis of Paris, patron of headaches and St. Louis Bertrand, patron of Colombia.
10. Friday- Color Pink- Waxing Moon- St. Francis Borgia, patron of Earthquakes and Portugal.
11. Saturday- Color Brown- Waxing Moon
12. Sunday- Color Amber- Waxing Moon- Mary, Our Lady of the Pillar, patroness of Spanish Police Officers
13. Monday- Color Ivory- Waxing Moon- Columbus Day- Jacques DeMolay and the French Templars are arrested 1306- St. Coloman, patron of Austria
14. Tuesday- Color Black- Full Moon- Sukkot begins
15. Wednesday- Color Topaz- Full Moon- St. Teresa of Avila, patroness of Writers and the Spanish Army.
16. Thursday- Color White- Full Moon- St. Gall, patron of Birds and St. Gerard Majella, patron of Mothers
17. Friday- Color Rose- Waning Moon
18. Saturday- Color Black- Waning Moon- St. Luke patron of Physicians, Painters, Craftspeople, Lacemakers, and butchers.
19. Sunday- Color Orange- Waning Moon- North American Martyrs, patrons of Canada
20. Monday-Color Silver- Waning Moon- Selena Fox birthday- Sukkot ends.
21. Tuesday- Color White- Waning Moon
22. Wednesday- Color Yellow- Waning Moon
23. Thursday- Color Crimson- Waning Moon- St. John of Capistrano- Military Chaplains
24. Friday- Color White- Waning Moon- St. Anthony- Weavers and Savings Banks
25. Saturday- Color Blue- Waning Moon- Sts Crispian and Crispin- Shoemakers, cobblers and Leather workers
26. Sunday- Color Yellow- Waning Moon-Sybil Leek dies 1982
27. Monday- Color Grey- Waning Moon- Circle Sanctuary established 1974
28. Tuesday- Color Red- Waning Moon- St. Jude- Hopeless Cases
29. Wednesday- Color Brown- Waning Moon- MacGregor Mathers names himself supreme leader of the Golden Dawn 1896
30. Thursday- Color Turquoise- Waning Moon
31. Friday- Color Coral- Waning Moon- Samhain- Martin Luther nails his 95 thesis to the church door, 1517
Saint of the Month
St. Jude, Apostle 1st Century
Jude Thaddeus was the brother of James the Lesser. He was one of the disciples and little is said of him scripture. It is believed he was martyred with St. Simon in Persia. He is the patron saint of lost causes because Jude is sometimes confused with Judas the betrayer and is the last saint one usually calls upon. His feast day is October 28
Herb of the Month
Red Clover
Used for cleansing and restoring health. It can be used to dissolve faerie spells, to find a lost love and consecration of magikal tools made of copper and the altar pentacle.
Zodiac signs
Libra (23 September-23 October) The adjuster, the reconciler, needs peace and harmony and enjoys beauty.
Scorpio (24 October- 21 November) The Transformer, death and rebirth, emotionally intense, interested in the occult and the mysteries
Spell of the Month
Blood on the Moon
To honor the deceased, excellent to perform as a part of your Samhain ceremonies. Also good for Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, or days that loved ones are passing over.
Purple Candle
Frankincense
Myrrh
Lavender
Evergreen (or other tree oil)
Simmer Cauldron
Pictures of loved ones (or list)
Wand
Athame
Salt
Anise Star herb
Incense (your choice)
Mix the oils and a crushed anise star in the simmer cauldron and begin warming. Take some of the oil and anoint the candle Light the incense and candle and with wand intone:
The Circle round the pearly moon
Pulls the spirits from their tomb
We invite you to our circle of live
From here on earth to heaven above.
Grands and parents, sisters and brothers
Gone before, we invite you to hover
Be our guardians and our guides
As we honor you tonight.
With Athame, intone:
Warriors, knights, soldiers and braves
For our freedom your lives you gave
We honor you for your sacrifice
And pray you have found your paradise
We honor you and hold you near
Join us now, the veil is sheer
Open your heart and receive us well
Blood on the moon, we cast this spell.
Welcome loved ones, friends and guests
Touch our hearts as you do best
Blessings and prayers we offer you
And thank you for these moments few
Blessed be and Merry Meet
So Mote it Be
Tarot of the Month
Eight of Swords
Though negative, if problems are taken care of as they arise, the difficulty will be resolved. Pay attention to your responsibilities and surroundings and the people you confide in. Losses will occur but this is a hard lesson for not paying attention.
What is Necromancy and why Christian Witches ( and any other witch) Shouldn’t Do It
By Bodicea Rain Fox
We are told that the dead go to the spirit realm, another plane of existence. It doesn’t matter if you call that place Heaven, the Summerland, Nirvana, the Green World or Valhalla or the Happy Hunting Grounds. Some spirits decide to stay in this plane for various reasons. Sometimes, the spirit seeks justice, sometimes it is meant to comfort those who are left behind, and sometimes they simply refuse to accept that they have died. This is what we call a haunting or spirit visitation and this is not necromancy. These beings are reaching beyond the veil of their own volition to communicate with you. This is natural and talking to these spirit people is simply interaction.
There are those who are especially aware of the spirits that walk around with us all of the time, most of the time without us even knowing. These folks are clairvoyant or sensitive. They see the dead without any special tools or rituals. These people are not necromancers.
Necromancy is the purposeful conjuration of the dead using a tool or ritual. By this I mean using a Ouija board or holding a séance. The use of the Ouija or séance is rooted in Victorian era European Spiritualism. The board becomes something of a doorway for spirit people to come through. So is a séance circle. The séance or Ouija session is the equivalent of spiritually kidnapping a spirit from their realm and forcing it to speak to us. It is also the equivalent of opening your door to a stranger and allowing them in your house. You simply never know who you are inviting into your home.
Demons and evil or unhappy spirits look for these openings to take advantage of our fears and weaknesses. We in essence give them permission to wreak havoc in our lives, our minds and our souls. Spirits left alone speak to us in their own time. Loved ones who have journeyed into the land of the dead come to us and comfort us, tell us their secrets, explain their lives and protect and guide us, but only in their own time.
But what if you have a spirit harassing you through no fault of your own? Then, an exorcism is definitely in order. This is accomplished by calling in a priest or pastor or an experienced witch to perform the ceremony to help them go on into the spirit realm. And whatever you do, stay away from séances and Ouija boards, the spirits will thank you.
Bodicea Rain Fox is a priestess with her husband Cerrunos of the Wand in Leeds, England. She is a Christo- Pagan and writes articles and papers about the occult and the Craft and the age of Spiritualism. She is also a psychic seer and clairvoyant.
Honoring Your Ancestors
By Sabrina Dawnangel
Samhain is the time to remember all of those who have gone before us. It is easy as we go along in our day to day world to remember the people who contributed to our being. We forget the strong people, the weak people, the sane people and the insane, the young people and the old people who came into our family lines and made us who we are and indeed what we might be. Ancestors become faded photographs, names in family Bibles and written in family trees. We have forgotten to honor them and thank them for being the beginning of who we are.
But, there are other people who are not our blood ancestors who influence us as well. There are historical people, races and tribes of people, nations of people who contribute to your innate sense of self, though you may not know where this comes from. These fragments of you both living and dead make up part of who you are.
At Samhain, we are called upon to honor those who have gone on to the next life. We celebrate their lives and they love and wisdom they have shared with us. The secular elements of Halloween comes to us from these ancient practices of hospitality and the gifts or treats we give are symbols of the plenty we have after the harvest and the generosity we return to those spirit people who still remain with us.
We may also wish to thank teachers and guides who have gone as well. These people taught us knowledge whether it be the teacher in the classroom who patiently taught us our numbers and letters to the first witch to ever teach you a spell or a potion. They too become our ancestors in knowledge and learning. They too deserve our remembrance.
To remember your ancestors, set up an altar or table and put pictures and symbols of who they were on the table. Before them, burn a purple or black candle and tell them that you honor their goodness and their love and their presence. Stand before it and let them speak to you in your heart and soul and thank them for all that you are because of them. Pray for their peaceful rest in the next world and commend them to the care of God and the angels. You will find yourself being blessed.
Sabrina Dawnangel is a priestess in the Holy Grail Christian Witch Grove in Portland, Oregon. She is a painter and maker of medieval costumes and accessories.
The Witches New Year
By Aslinn Dhan Dragonhawk
I always loved secular Halloween and I loved going trick or treating. I had sort of a vague understanding of what Halloween was all about but came to understand it better when I began to study for the Catholic Church. That is something I have always appreciated about the Church, before you can join, you have to be educated, you simply cannot declare yourself a Catholic. Sort of like being a witch, you have to have that all important education.
But back to Halloween. I learned more about All Hallowed Eve from my adult ed class when I became a Catholic and the following All Saints Day. The notion of praying for and remembering the dead struck me as a wonderful thing to do. It was a way of recognizing them for the good they have done for us, making us the people we are.
Then when I became a witch, I learned that Samhain wasn’t just for remembering the dead, but it was the Witches New Year, a time to renew yourself, set goals, let go of regrets and look to and into the future. Gaelyn and I and my circle sisters always practiced divinations on Samhain so we can find out what the future may hold for us in the coming year. We crystal gaze, we do Tarot readings, we do dream walking and interpretations. We then have a fire ritual of sending forth. What we do, if we are outside, is take a cauldron out and spend a few minutes writing down our old regrets and we drop these in the fire we light inside the cauldron. Then we write down all of our hopes and goals and send them through the smoke and flame to the heavens. We let go of regrets and send our hopes and wishes to heaven, the most ancient of practices known to man.
So, remember, Samhain is about remembering those who have gone before us, but it is also about celebrating a time of renewal and letting go of the past.
Brightest Blessings Be
