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The New Year is upon us yet again. Usually many of us take this time to reflect on the things that happened (or didn't happen) over the past year and prepare ourselves for a fresh start and new beginning in the new year. Many of us will also have resolutions of all kinds. I have created something that can help you with any spiritual resolutions that you may have.
In order to truly connect with our deities and spiritual selves we need to achieve consistency in our ritual practices. So I created these pretty monthly ritual sheets to help you organize your spiritual rites each month. Let's begin by clicking this link to download and print out your monthly ritual sheet. Now grab a cup of coffee, some pretty pens and get comfy. First take a look at a calendar and find the dates for the full moon, new moon and dark moon of the coming up month. Fill those out in the sections on the sheet. Then jot down the seasonal sabbats (if any) of that month. Also if you know of any other religious festivals that were honored that month such as the Vestalia or Thesmophoria, jot those down as well. A quick google search can give you that info.
Now go down to the section where it lists the moon phases and what you would like to achieve for each one. Take some time with this one. Think about what it is that you want to let go of during the waning moon. Imagine what new thing you would like to begin at the new moon and what you would like to come to completion at the full moon. If you feel the need, meditate on each question until you get an answer that speaks to you. The last section is titled "Spiritual goal for the month". This can be anything from vowing to meditate more often, creating a daily prayer ritual or anything else you'd like to accomplish. Take some time with this one as well and try to be realistic with yourself. If you'd like to meditate daily but don't really think you'll be able to achieve that yet, then be honest about that. Try to pick something you know you can accomplish.
Feel free to print these out at the start of each month and use them as a way to plan and reflect over the coming month. We are more likely to stick to a plan or goal if we organize ourselves in a way which makes that possible. Feel free to comment and share with me your spiritual goals for the month! I'd love to hear from you!
Ixchel (pronounced ee-shell) is Mayan goddess of the moon, water and the
earth. Her name is said to translate to mean "Lady Rainbow". She is a Mother Goddess associated with
fertility and procreation and was one of the most important deities on
the Mayan pantheon. Ixchel is the consort of Itzamna who is
the sky God and together they had thirteen boys.
Ixchel has been portrayed in two different aspects,
one of an aged woman and one as a young girl. In her aged aspect as a midwife she is called "Red Rainbow". This refers to a time when she brought
about a great flood to bring in the New Year. Ixchel carried a jug of water and poured it over the earth which caused it to rain. This spurred a great flood which caused much destuction. This flood brought in a new age. In this aspect she
is shown as an elderly woman with the headdress of a snake and the claws
of a jaguar.
Ixchel is also a goddess of the moon and was called "She
of the Pale Face" relating it to the pale color of the moon. In
this aspect she is shown seated with a rabbit. When the Mayans gazed upon the moon they saw the shape of a rabbit. They viewed rabbits as good luck and connected
to fertility. So naturally they also connected them to Ixchel their moon goddess. Historians still aren't sure if these two goddesses were in fact separate from each other or aspects of Ixhel.
Ixchel had a sanctuary at Cozumel and in the 16th century women were said to visit her there to
pray for a fulfilling marriage. Evidence of her worship was also found on Isla Mujeres or "The Island of Women". As well as on the province of Acalan where Ixchel was venerated as the main deity.
Painting courtesy of David Nathan Allen
As followers of the goddess we inadvertently support women and woman in all her aspects. So it's good to know some history, or herstory rather, of some of our ancient powerful women forebears who took the world by storm. The following list was comprised of the five most popular posts from this blog which I've written about powerful ancient women. Click on each title to read the full post.
Zenobia, Warrior Queen of Palmyra: Zenobia was born Around 240 CE in the Palmyrene Empire, which was known
as Roman Syria. She was thought to be of Arab descent and claimed to be
related to Queen Cleopatra and Queen Dido of Carthage. She became wife
to Septimius, the King of Palmyra, in 258 CE. Septimius had a son from
his first wife when he married Zenobia, and then he and her had a son of
their own, Vaballathus. This name is said to have come from an Aramaic
term meaning "The Gift of the Goddess"....
Hypatia of Alexandria: Hypatia lived in Roman Egypt around 370 CE to about 415 CE, and was a
noted mathematician and philosopher. She was daughter to the
mathematician Theon Alexandricus, who was also a librarian at the
library of Alexandria. Hypatia was educated in Athens and Italy, and was
a Neoplatonist. Which means that she took her teachings from the
mystical philosophy of Plato, she was also schooled by Plotinus who was a
Neoplatonist philosopher as well. In around 400 CE, she became head of
the Platonist school......
Hatshepsut, Great Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt: Hatshepsut was the fifth Pharaoh of the eighteenth Egyptian dynasty.
Born in 1508 BCE, she was daughter to Thutmose I, and wife to Thutmose II.
It is said by Egyptologist's that her reign was longer than any
other woman in Egypt, lasting for twenty two years, and that she was
quite successful. She was said to have been favored over her two
brothers, and when they both died it became possible for her to ascend
the throne upon the death of her father. Although Thutmose I already had
his stepson, Thutmose II was in line to marry Hatshepsut and become
Pharaoh. Hatshepsut became Queen alongside.......
Jezebel, Princess of Phoenicia, Queen of Israel: Jezebel was a Phoenician princess around 900 BCE. Daughter to Ethbaal,
king of Tyre in Phoenicia, and wife to Ahab, king of northern Israel. It
is said by many archaeologists and scholars that Jezebel was really the
one in charge, not her husband and king. She still honored her ancient
religion and did not covert to Judaism. She convinced her husband to
worship her Phoenician God Baal, who was seen as a God of fertility,
rain and the seasons. They had temples erected in his honor which was
seen as sinful by the other Israelite's......
Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt: I
recently came to the realization that in all the years I've had my
blog and written about powerful women, I've never written about my own
personal idol, Queen Cleopatra VII. Cleopatra
was born in Alexandria in 69 B.C.E. Daughter to Ptolemy XII, her family
came from a long line of royalty stretching all the way back to
Alexander the Great. The identity of her mother is somewhat unknown.
Some speculate that it was Cleopatra V but others say it was an Egyptian
concubine which would make Cleopatra part Egyptian. Her family was
Greek in
origin and came to Egypt from Macedonia many years earlier......
