Cold Moon Tonight

Tonight's full moon is known as the Cold Moon or the full nights long moon. Some cultures give this moon name to Decembers moon. The Native Americans referred to January's full moon as Wolf Moon because this was the time of year when the wolves were howling and hungry.

During a full moon , the type of magic that works best relates to healing, finishing projects and protection. Although I personally feel that the full moon is a great time for many different types of magic. The energies surrounding the full moon are so vast and powerful, I usually conduct most of my spells on the full moon. It's really up to the individual to determine which phase of the moon is most powerful for them.

If you are not comfortable doing a spell on the full moon, you can just simply meditate on the healing energies of the full moon.

Full Moon Purification Meditation
If you wish, light a white candle, burn some sandalwood incense (sandalwood is associated with the full moons energies) and meditate on the energies of the moon. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and imagine that the full moon is shining down on you, bright beautiful white light. Now imagine that the healing white light is filling your entire body from your feet to your head. Hold this image for a little while, really try to absorb the white light. Take a few deep breaths, and on your exhaling breath, imagine that you are blowing out black smoke, this is the negative energies you've accumulated over the past month. As you blow out the black smoke, the white light from the moon is purifying your body and ridding you of any negative energies. Breath in and out a few more times, feeling the purifying energy of the full moon throughout your body. Once you feel sufficiently purified, open your eyes and snuff out your candle (you may reuse this candle for your next full moon meditation) or if you prefer, let it burn out completely. Now you are attuned to the energies of the full moon!

Remember at any full moon to put your crystals, wands, cauldrons etc outside under the full moon to recharge their energies or the purify them.

Enjoy your Cold Moon tonight!

Blessings )O(

Candle Magic

Candle magic is one of the simplest forms of magic you can do, and it happens to be my favorite. As with all magic, your intent is the most important thing, but it can help to have some of the right materials. Some of the materials needed for candle magic are mini spell candles, oil of your choice, something to carve into the candle with (a safety pin works fine) and optionally you can add incense, herbs and crystals to add to the power of the spell.

Different candle colors represent different energies as with herbs, oils, crystal etc. Although if you dont have the candle color you need for your spell, a white candle will always do. You can empower a white candle with any intent. I always keep a large supply of white candles just for that reason.

Candle Magic Color Correspondences:
Red: confidence, passion, to energize if feeling weak
Orange: motivation, strength, attraction, encouragement
Yellow: communication, friendship, loneliness
Blue: peace, healing, courage
Lavender: spirituality, meditation, intuition
Green: money, prosperity, luck, fertility
White: protection, peace, can be used to substitute for any other color

Before you use your candles, you need to purify them and empower them with your intent. You can smudge them with sage or use a little rubbing alcohol. Now you need to carve a symbol or a word into your candle that represents your goal. It can be a money sign if your goal is more money it can be a pentagram for protection or simply a word describing what it is you want. Next you need to dress the candle with the oil of your choice. You can buy many different types of oils with many different magical properties, or you can make and empower your own. We wont go into that now, but I will give you some suppliers at the end where you can buy some prepared oils.

Dressing your candle:
After you've purified and carved your candle, now its time to dress your candle. Take some of your oil and put a few drops of oil onto your hands and fingers. Now put your fingers in the middle of the candle and starting from the middle rub up towards the top of the candle a few times. While your doing this you should be thinking about your intent and empowering that candle with your intent. Now you start again at the center of the candle and rub down towards the bottom a few times, again visualizing your intent.

Once you've gone through these steps you are finally ready to use your candle! You can have the candle on your altar with some corresponding crystals and incense, or you can have the elements represented, or you can just have your candle with nothing else. Whatever you feel would make it more personal and comfortable for you.

After your spell, let your candle burn down completely, and then make sure and bury any remaining wax, incense etc outside, to give it back to the earth and set your spell in motion.

For more info on candle magic, check out this great book: Candle Magic for Beginners

To purchase the magically empowered oils for dressing your candles, check out: Isis Books

To purchase your candles, herbs, crystals and incense check out : Sacred Mists

Have fun working with candle magic!

Blessings )O(

Celtic Tree Month of Rowan Begins Today

Like all cultures around the world since the beginning of time, the Celts had a calendar of their year. It was a lunar calendar with 13 months with each month representing a sacred tree. Each tree for each month corresponds to a letter of the ancient Celtic alphabet.

The current cycle we are in starts today with the Rowan tree (also known as mountain ash). The Rowan tree was believed to be a magical tree which grew red berries that were said to be food for the Gods. It is associated with Brighid , a Celtic fire Goddess of hearth and home. Known by the Celts as Luis, the Rowan tree is associated with healing, personal power, divination and success. A spell carved into a bit of a Rowan twig will protect the wearer from harm. The Norse culture was known to have used Rowan branches as rune staves of protection. In some countries, Rowan is planted in graveyards to prevent the dead from lingering around too long.

To celebrate the Rowan in its sacred month, pray to the Goddess Brighid on her sabbat Imbolc on Feb 1.

Blessings )O(

Product Review: Goddess Healing Cd's by Mary Marzo

I recently purchased one of Mary Marzo's Goddess Healing cd's and fell in love with it! She has a collection of three different guided meditation cd's, and she herself walks you through each meditation. Her voice is very comforting and soothing. The first cd I've tried is her Goddess Relaxation and Meditations. The first 40 minutes she guides you through a deep body relaxation , surely to relax any individual! With deep breathing techniques and slowly relaxing each part of your body starting with your feet up to your neck and face. After trying this out I felt completely and totally relaxed! More than I ever have been. I highly recommend this part of the cd for anyone who has a hard time relaxing after a long day.

The next two tracks are guided meditations. First she walks you through a grounding meditation to connect with mother earth. Her soothing voice can illustrate a beautiful picture and heal your soul. The next and last track is about fifteen minutes of an inner sanctuary meditation. Here she helps you find your personal sacred inner sanctuary, where you can connect with your wise woman or simply heal and rest.

Guided meditation cd's are a great tool for you to use for practicing meditation. They help you with visualization and they also help you to relax. Its much easier to listen to a nice soothing voice guide you through a meditation, than it is to try and read a meditation while trying to meditate! I recommend this wonderful Goddess meditation cd to anyone looking to connect with their inner Goddess, or someone who just needs help relaxing. Mary Marzo also offers two other cds titled: Goddess Blessings and Goddess and Child.

Be sure to check out her website and if you can try out one of her wonderful Goddess meditation cd's!

Blessings )O(

New Moon, Ritual for New Beginnings

Tonight is a new moon or dark moon, the time for new beginnings. After tonight the moon will be in its waxing phase until it becomes full again. This is the perfect time for starting new ventures, new studies, new interests, new projects, new beginnings or just to recharge your current goals.

Before your ritual you need to determine the element for the new moon. This way you can have the correct candle color correspondences. This new moon element we are currently in is earth and the color is yellow. Now you should think about what new beginning it is that you desire, or goal you want to recharge. Write down your wishes. Make sure your altar is all set up with the elements represented, earth, air, fire and water.

Now that everything is all set up and you know what your intentions are, you can take a ritual bath with sea salts to cleanse and purify yourself. Prepare to present yourself to the Goddess. After your bath, sitting in front of your altar, you should smudge everything with sage, this will further cleanse you and your altar tools. Now you are ready to start your ritual!

Your ritual should be something that's personal and meaningful to you. After your done, ground yourself and close your circle. Some people choose to snuff out their candles and reuse them. I personally feel better letting the candle burn out completely, as I do not want any energies from this ritual to be used in another ritual. Never blow out your candles, simply snuff them out instead.

Good luck to you in your new beginnings! May the Goddesses light shine on you )O(

Crystal Healing and Magic

Crystals have been used for centuries to heal and to aid with magical workings. There are many things you can do with crystals, from simply placing one next to you while you sleep, to using their magical energies to heal yourself. I'm going to go over some very basic and simple ways to incorporate crystals into your lives.

Start by asking yourself if there are any crystals you are drawn to. If your unsure, go into any local new age shop, and play with their crystal collection. If you dont have any shops like this in your area, then I would look online. You might be drawn to a specific color, or feel of the crystal. Simply pick up the crystals, feel them, notice how they make you feel. Which ever crystal you feel drawn to, purchase that one. Start out with just one, to get used to working with them, and then you are welcome to expand your collection.

Once you've got your chosen crystal, at home, put it under some running water, this will help to cleanse the crystal of any other negative energies it might have picked up from someone else touching it. You want to make sure that you attune your crystal with your energies before doing any magical workings. If you have sage at hand, go ahead and sage your crystal as well. This can also be picked up at any new age store.

You might want to look up the crystal and see what it's magical correspondences are. You might be surprised to find that the crystal you chose, has exactly the energies you needed at that particular time. Our intuition will always lead us to what we need. Once you have cleansed you crystal, now you may start to use it.

You may meditate with it and feel its energies running through you, feel the healing power of the crystal. Or you can do any number of things if you are not comfortable meditating with it yet.

*Carry the crystal in a pouch or wear it as jewelry to infuse your body with its healing energies.
*Sleep with the crystal under your pillow
*Add the crystal to your bath water
*Hold your crystal in your hands and gently breathe in its healing light through your nose. Exhale while visualizing dark light through your mouth

These are just some of the many things you can do with you crystals. Make sure and on every full moon to put your crystals outside in the moonlight to recharge its energies.

For more information about the healing power of crystals, check out this great book called The Illustrated Directory of Healing Crystals.

Goddess Meditation, Divine Mother

I found this great Goddess meditation online, and I thought I would share it here. As always with any meditation on the Goddess, you may set up your altar as you wish, with a candle, incense or small offering. Whatever you feel will most help you with your mediation.

Begin by gently breathing in and out a few times, relaxing your body slowly. Make sure it is quiet where you are. Do this for a few minutes until you fell totally relaxed and at peace.


Next, imagine that you find yourself walking along a pathway that leads you further and further away from civilization, and deep into the heart of a primeval forest. As you follow this trail, imagine that you are winding around and among trees that are hundreds of years old. Flowers carpet the ground and birds sing. In the distance you hear the muffled roar of the ocean waves, rising and falling, rising and falling, like music. Your heartbeat, your breath, and the ocean waves keep time with the rhythm of nature.

Soon the path you are on brings you to a tiny, crumbling, stone sanctuary. A place so old and hidden it had been forgotten by time. Thickly covered with vines and gnarled branches, it is clear that no one entered this chapel in centuries, perhaps even thousands of years. Intuitively you sense that something mysterious yet deeply familiar lies within this ruin of a forgotten shrine. Slowly you push open the door and enter. As you open the door, something old and timeless opens within your soul as well.

Once across the threshold, you find yourself immersed in an atmosphere that is sacred and holy. Vaulted ceilings arch over a rough, stone altar at the front. Candles are burning, there is a smell of fragrant incense. On an altar stands a statue of the female deity, the Goddess. Her face is so old and dark with time, the lines on her body so worn from the touch of praying hands that you cannot even tell what religion she belongs to. She is simply the Mother, god as a woman, the one to whom the world turns in all its grief and suffering. She is Sofia, Kwan Yin, Mary, Sarah, Fatima, White Buffalo Woman, Isis, Sita, Innanna, and Demeter.

Kneeling before her in reverence, you bow your head in prayer. Immediately you are embraced by her being, and the cares and worries of the world fall away, soothed in her loving acceptance of all your human faults and frailties. Entering even more deeply into your meditation the statue you are praying before suddenly comes alive as a real being and now you find yourself before the mystery of the living mother of all creation.

As she comes to life, the chapel fills with a warm and golden light. Now the face of the ancient mother becomes animated with feeling. Seated before her you gaze into each other's eyes. She penetrates your soul with a glance that loves you to the core of your very being. Emotions of sweetness, mercy, and loving forgiveness emanate from her, sweeping over you in waves of bliss, healing all the parts of your that are hurt, broken, and wounded. Held within her arms, taken onto her lap, you become like a little child with its mother. You touch her hair, her face in loving affection, and feel her loving affection for you in return.

Going more deeply into this experience you begin to feel as if the body of the ancient mother is the gateway to the body of creation itself. Going beyond her form, you enter into a communion with the body of the earth -- all her creatures, trees, oceans, rivers, mountains, cities, and people. Going even beyond the earth, feel the body of the ancient mother expand into space, becoming the bodies of the stars and the planets and the whirling galaxies that are spread over the universe like a mantle of bright jewels.

Held in the womb of this mystery you feel a powerful force, a holy energy and the breath of life, the soul of the cosmos. Feel your heart beat in rhythm with the rhythm of life itself. Slowly begin to return your awareness to your body, still seated before the ancient mother in prayer. Inhale deeply, taking into every cell of your body, every thought in your mind her cherishing nourishing life-sustaining love. Exhale, letting this energy flow out of you like a river of grace watering your life and all those you know and care for, with a stream of blessings, happiness, and well-being.

Now close your meditation bowing once more before the ancient mother. Rise and exit from her humble little sanctuary, closing the door behind you. As you make your way along the path back to the life you left behind, remember that you carry within your heart a precious secret: faith in the goodness of life, the gift of love of the divine mother of the world.

The link to this original meditation can be found here: Beliefnet.com

Artwork can be found here : Goddess Art by Pamela Matthews

Book Review: The Path of the Priestess

This excellent book, is a journey of one woman's path to the Goddess. Author Sharron Rose, at the start of her story was a dancer in the US. She had many great teachers who taught her many different dance forms. She really took a particular interest in a type of ritual Indian dance called Kathak. Before she knew it, she was on a plane to India to study this sacred dance with her new mentor and famous Kathak dancer, Sitara Devi.

Little did she know that this talented teacher of hers was a follower of the ancient Hindu Goddess. Once her lessons of dance began, so did her lessons of the Goddess. Sharron was taught all the ancient sacred arts of Hindu Goddess worhsip in India. She even had to wear a sari the whole time she lived there, which was five years. She completely transformed from a member of western society, to a goddess worshiping sacred dancer of India. Her story is truly remarkable and inspiring to all goddess worshipers today. She took a risk in a country she had not been and with a woman she had not met, and turned her life into something that's extremely admirable in my opinion. She did what she wanted to do, regardless of what society or her family said or thought.

Upon her return to the US, she continued her quest to learn more about the Goddess. She then started to learn about the Egyptian Goddesses, particularly Isis. The life experiences this woman had on her journey to the Goddess is one people only dream of having.

At the end of this book she gives various Goddess meditations for you to try. I highly recommend this book to anyone who finds inspiration through the Goddess and the story of her followers. If for nothing else, its a great story. This book is great for beginners on the Goddess path, or for advanced worshipers as well.

You can find it here on Amazon : The Path of the Priestess

Comfort Goddess Gemstones

I found these great little Goddesses carved out of gemstones the other day, and I thought I would share. The fit comfortably in your hand and are perfect for meditation. I guess that is why they are called "Comfort Goddesses"! They come in different types of stones and crystals like rose quartz, tiger's eye and lepidolite. These little Goddess figures can be used in many different meditations, or you can just hold onto one for the comforting energy of the Goddess. I absolutely love mine! As always make sure before you use any crystal, you attune it with your energies and clear it of any negativties. This can be done by saging the crystal, or by running it under water.

Here is the link if you want to purchase one: Comfort Goddess

Enjoy!

Meditation for meeting your Goddess

I was reading my latest issue of Sage Woman magazine and I came across this great meditation for meeting the Goddess. You can choose which Goddess you want to meet with. I chose Isis, I've always felt a strong connection with her, but this would be my first time meeting her in meditation.
I am going to share with you here the mediation so you can try it yourself.

On your altar:
It doesnt need to be anything fancy, maybe burn some sandalwood incense, have a small offering to her, burn a white candle or whatever you think will help you feel her presence and also help you to meditate easier. I find that burning incense and a candle always help me to meditate easier.

Meditation:
Once your all set up you could take a small cleansing bath with sea salts to purify, or if you dont have time, just smudge yourself and your area. I always do both, it just helps me get into "ritual mode", but you can do whatever works for you. One way is not better than the other, it's personal.

Get comfortable in front of your altar, breathe in and out slowly a few times and clear your mind. Now starting with your feet and calves, tense your body with each inhaling breath and exhale with your release. Do this all the way up to your throat and head. Feel yourself becoming light and filled with peace.

In your mind envision that you are sitting at the bank of a flowing stream, at the base of a tree in an autumn wood. The leaves are dropping from the tree one by one. As each one gently drifts downward, you notice that there is a word inscribed on each one. Each leaf is a problem you need to let go of in order to enter a mentally quiet and open space. As they fall, they land in the stream and are carried away.

When you feel ready , begin to call on your Goddess of choice. Chant:
(Goddess name, Goddess name) come to me.
(name, name) be with me.
(name,name) show me thee.

Repeat this chant over and over and let it establish a rhythm of its own. Sooner or later you'll begin to see a vision of her as though you were there and looking out through your own eyes. Look around and remember what you see!

During the vision the Goddess may speak with you, or she may simply smile and embrace you with her loving energy. Speak to her, tell her you love her and how much you want her presence in your life. Listen to what she says.

After your encounter is complete, thank her for coming and for her help. Now when you come back to reality make sure you ground yourself. You can do this by eating something, or just turning on a light somewhere in your house (that will definitely awake you from your trance!) . After make sure you write down your whole experience from start to finish so you dont forget.

Continue your relationship with her. The more you do this exercise the easier it will be to "get there". Good luck on your Goddess meditation!

You can find the meditation I just showed you as well as other great Goddess stories and goods in the latest edition of Sage Woman Magazine.

Bast : Cat Goddess of Egypt

Bast, also known as Bastet, is a feline Goddess of ancient Egpyt. She has been worshiped since 3200 BC in northern Egypt and in her sacred city of Bubastis . She is said to be the daughter of Ra, the sun God. Bast represented the moon in its process of making a woman fruitful with a swelling womb. She was also Goddess of music, pleasure, perfume and dancing.

Cats were especially revered in ancient Egypt, and were highly protected and sacred animals. Anyone who was caught harming a cat in anyway was punished by death. Cats were among the first animals in ancient Egypt to be domesticated. They were seen as justified predators and a defender of the innocent. Eventually the sacred animal became symbolically aligned with children and childbirth. The adoption of a cat into the household usually coincided with childbirth. The cats calm mothering instincts were symbolic of the balance in nature showing the tenderness of the predator. It was quite common in ancient Egypt to unite animalistic qualities to their Gods and Goddesses. Animals that were hunted or domesticated were given particular favor in Egyptian spiritualism.

The Egyptians viewed all cats as children of Bast and were given a revered position in culture. Cats were often gifted with luxurious jewelry as a sign of gratitude for their loyalty and protection of the family. Cats were given death rites and were greatly mourned. They were mummified and buried with offerings of perfume, gemstones and jewelry.

Bast had a great temple in her holy city of bubastis, filled with cats being carried around in baskets who were ritually fed. Once a year in this sacred city, there was a great festival to honor Bast, attracting devotees all over the country. One aspect of this festival, which took place at night, involved lighting a single candle in the Temple of Bast, and the devotees would carry that candle around town while chanting prayers and playing music.

Bast is truly a wonderful Goddess and is still worshiped widely today. Try a simple prayer to Bast, with offerings of perfume and incense on your altar, and if you can, a small statue of Bast, if not a picture of a cat will do.

Prayer to Bast:

Beloved Bast, mistress of happiness and bounty, twin of the sun God, slay the evil that afflicts our minds, as you slew the serpent Apep. With your graceful stealth anticipate the moves of all who perpetrate cruelties and stay their hands against the children of light. Grant us the joy of song and dance and ever watch over us in the lonely places in which we walk. So mote it be.

Esbat Crescent Moon Cookie Recipe

Make these crescent shaped cookies to celebrate after an esbat ritual. You can dip them in chocolate, put frosting on them or sprinkles! They are so delicious and perfect for a light snack after your full moon spell.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup butter softened
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Blend flour, baking soda, and baking powder together. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg to the butter and sugar and mix well. Add vanilla extract. One cup at a time, add the flour mix into the wet ingredients. Mix until it's nice and doughy.

Flour your hands, and roll dough into pieces about the size of a golf ball. Squash it down and shape it into a crescent, and then flatten it down. Another option is to roll the dough out and cut it with crescent cookie cutters, be sure to flour your cookie cutters before you use them, or the dough won't come out as well.

Bake on an ungreased baking sheet at 350 for about ten minutes, until the sides begin to brown.

Frosting Recipe:

1 - 8 oz block of cream cheese softened

1 stick butter softened

4 cups sifted powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp milk

Blend the cream cheese and butter together, and then gradually add in the powdered sugar. Add the vanilla and mix well. Blend in the milk (add a little more if your icing doesn't seem creamy enough). After your moon cookies have cooled, use this to frost them.

While making your cookies, visualize the goddess and your love for her. Feel her energy as you mix your ingredients. You are empowering these ingredients with the Goddess energy, and you will feel her love when you eat them! Enjoy making your cookies!

Recipe and photo taken from : PaganWicca.About.com

Book Review : The Goddess Path

This wonderfully written book by Patricia Monaghan is a great reference for some of the many goddesses. It would be the perfect book for someone just learning about the Goddess or someone who wants to add a Goddess guide to their collection.
The first section explains the meaning of Goddess and some history of her ancient worship. She then has chapters devoted to 20 different Goddesses. Each chapter is so well written and really explains each Goddess wonderfully! First she starts the chapter with a prayer or invocation to that particular Goddess from the ancient cultures they originated in. Then she beautifully details the myth and story of that Goddess, and then gives an interpretation in contemporary terms. She interprets each Goddesses story so that we can see how her story fits in at some point in our own lives.

In other parts of these chapters she gives ideas for the creation of personal altars, a list of the Goddesses major feasts and then gives you some information on how she was traditionally honored. At the end of each chapter she gives you some questions to answer on how things in your life relate to that Goddess, along with some activities and rituals to try.

This is a very well rounded book and would be more than enough information for someone starting out on the Goddess path. I highly recommend this book to beginners and experienced Goddess followers as well!

Check it out here on Amazon

Welcome

Welcome to Love of the Goddess! Here you will find everything Goddess from her ancient stories, to book and product reviews, giveaways, recipes and more. We want to share our love of the goddess with the world and partake in the ancient practice of Goddess worhsip. Please feel free to leave comments, we love feedback! Enjoy your stay.