Winner of Winter Solstice Greeting Cards!

Thank you to everyone who entered. And the winner is............Carmen! Congratulations Carmen I hope you enjoy your Winter Solstice cards as well as your friends and family. Thank you to Montserrat for her generous donation. Thank you all for playing!

Giveaway, Winter Solstice Greeting Cards!

This months giveaway comes to us from Montserrat at The Sacred Feminine. She has generously donated six of her Winter Solstice greeting cards made with her beautiful art! These are great to send to family or friends at Yule. I've featured Montserrat and her sacred art and candles here before and I love her work. Here's a little background on Montserrat and her divine creations:

My name is Montserrat and I was born in Barcelona. I have lived in many places and countries, and now I am in the United States.

I have always been interested in art, but it was after a series of spiritual experiences that I started to paint with oils.

My first paintings were of Cosmic Devas and Angels, but later on the Divine Feminine was awaken within me, and I began painting the female manifestation of Divinity.

Although I practice the middle path of the Buddha, I don't associate with any specific religion, having found that all religions hold beautiful teachings.

You will probably notice that some of my paintings have a religious air to them, while others are more symbolic.

I strive to find and paint the Divine, whatever shape or form it might take. 

The cards being given away celebrate the Mother in her most divine form. As the earth and the universe, as all. The cards are blank inside so you can write any Winter Solstice greeting you like. To enter the giveaway, visit Montserrat's shop and comment about some of the products you like. Also be sure to check out her Facebook Page! The giveaway will last for one week at which time the winner will be announced. Please be sure to leave your contact information in case you win! Thank you to Montserrat for donating her wonderful greeting cards! Good luck to everyone who enters!

Circe, Ancient Greek Sorceress

Circe was said by Homer to have been a Goddess. Other sources say she was a minor Goddess, closer to a nymph or a witch. Daughter to Helios, the Sun God and Perseis, a water nymph. Her brother was Aeetes, the keeper of the Golden Fleece. Some accounts make her the daughter of Hekate and sister to Medea. Others think she may have been just a priestess of Hekate.

Being known as a powerful sorceress and enchantress, her most well known myth is in the Odyssey. She is said to have invited the crew of Odysseus into her abode for a feast after their travels. Unbeknownst to the crew, Circe mixed one of her magical potions in the food, and after they ate she used her wand to turn them all into pigs. After turning Odysseus men into pigs, Circe tried to keep Odysseus for herself by tricking him into sleeping with her. She bore him three sons, Argios, Latinos and Telegonos. Odysseus stayed on the island with Circe drinking wine and indulging. This was the promise he made so that his men could be freed.

Circe lived on the mythical island of Aiaia where she resided with nymphs who were her attendants. She was quite skilled in the power of illusion, creating magical brews and was also experienced in the art of necromancy. She was said to be quite beautiful with dark braided hair. In a Homeric hymn, she is invoked almost as though she is a daimon, or spirit:

"Daughter of Helios, Kirke the witch,
Come cast cruel spells; 
Hurt both these men and their handiwork."

Circe's sacred herbs are said to be Enchanted Nightshade which is in the Circaea genus, so befittingly named. As well as Mandrake and Primrose. She is skilled in the art of illusion, metamorphosis, and mind altering. Circe is a powerful sorceress gifted with many cunning arts and prowess. Some of her sacred stones are said to be green jade and peridot, which is the color of her eyes. Her symbols are the wand and the cauldron. When creating a magical brew, call on Circe, when looking to create a metamorphosis in your own life, call on Circe. She can give much power to any magical working.

I hope you enjoyed learning about Circe, minor Goddess of ancient Greece!




Photo courtesy of JWWaterhouse.com

Hathor, Egyptian Cow Goddess of Love

Hathor is the Egyptian Goddess of love, childbirth, joy, music and motherhood. She was a cow Goddess and often depicted as either a woman with the head of a cow, or a woman with the ears of a cow and the horned uraeus crown on her head. Hathor is said to be a much older Goddess, her worship dates back to the Pre-dynastic period. She was a midwife Goddess and attended to all women's needs, as well a protectress to women who were pregnant. At her sacred festivals, and in her rituals of worship, dancing and music was always a big part of the celebration. Dancing was a primary component to her worship, as was music. Women would dance freely shaking their sistrums, a type of rattle, in honor of the Goddess of love and joy.

Her primary cult was located in Dendera, where there is a temple dedicated to the ancient cow Goddess. This temple has large columns that have the face of Hathor with her cow ears at the top of each one. In Hathors myth, there are many different scenarios. Some say that she is the daughter of Ra, the Sun God, and some say that she is the mother of Ra. Others say that she is the mother of Horus, which connected her with the Goddess Isis. She is also connected to the Goddess Sekhmet, as she was also seen as the The Eye of Ra. This connects her to the story of Ra sending Sekhmet to destroy mankind.

Hathor should be called upon on matters of childbirth, women's needs, love, and happiness. She can be called upon by pregnant women for protection, and she can be called on for matters of learning to love yourself and those around you. Or to help bring more happiness and joy into your life. In any ritual you decide to do for Hathor, dancing and music should be a part of it, since this was such an essential part of worship in her ancient cults. Just flow freely with your body wherever it takes you to the sounds of Egyptian music. Connection to deity through dance and song is an ancient act, and really helps you to feel the energy of that deity.

On your altar to Hathor, have colors of yellow and white, a picture or statue of Hathor, representation of a cow or a cat, a mirror, sistrum or rattle, stones of lapis lazuli or turquoise, incense made with myrrh, frankincense, rose and sandalwood and offerings of wine or perfume.

Enjoy honoring this ancient Goddess of love and joy!




Photo courtesy of Floating World

Winner of Mabon Incense from Old World Witchery!

Thanks to everyone who entered! and the winner is......Arlene Fritz! Congratulations! Thank you to Melissa for donating her magical incense. Enjoy your Mabon incense Arlene!  I hope everyone had fun playing. Check back for the next giveaway!

Giveaway! Mabon Incense from Old World Witchery

This months giveaway comes to us from Melissa at Old World Witchery. She has graciously donated her Mabon incense in honor of the upcoming Sabbat. I had the chance to speak with Melissa, here's what she had to say:

1. Please tell us a little about your magical business. 
One of my favorite things to do is blending incense from fresh herbs,resins, and essential oils. It is such a magickal and spiritual act for me, and I decided to open an Etsy shop devoted to just that - handblended ritual incense and oils created with intent and only using certified organic ingredients. Most of my blends are created during corresponding lunar phases, depending on the purpose of the blend. Any blend for a specific deity is done in ritual, especially if it is a blend for Hekate.

Every ingredient I use is carefully selected due to it's magickal and/or healing qualities and planetary correspondences, again depending on the purpose of the blend. I don't always select ingredients that "smell pretty"; ritual incense, in my opinion, is used to lend power to your rites and using appropriate ingredients is very important to me.

All work is done in a section of my kitchen reserved just for this ~ the kitchen truly is the heart of the home, and it such a magickal place in my own home because of the time spent in there not only cooking, but working magick. We tend to move every few years due to my husband's job, and the kitchen is always the first room in the new house that is purified and blessed (and, of course, Hekate takes Her place at the threshold, as well!).
 
 2. Do you have a favorite product or products that you make?It's hard to pick one favorite product as I love them all, but I think my "Purification" incense blend is my most favorite to blend and burn. It has so much positive energies imbued in it, and I love the aroma.

3. Please explain the item you are giving away.
The Harvest Resins were created with natural tree resins and blended with a touch of honey and pumpkin pie scent, and colored in autumn colors using natural ingredients. Autumn is my most favorite time of the year; I love the golden colors of the trees and leaves and the scents of pumpkins and spice is very comforting to me. So much so that my home is scented like that pretty much year round! I enjoy making seasonal resins in this manner; it's fun to do and my younger children enjoy helping, too!


Now for the rules to enter. Go to Melissa's shop, find a few products that you like, and come back here to comment on them. Please be sure to leave your email address in your comment so I can contact you if you are the winner. The giveaway will last for one week, at which time I will announce the winner. Also, for extra credit, check out Melissa's Facebook Fan Page and become a fan! Good luck to everyone who enters! Thank you to Melissa for donating her lovely Mabon incense!
 

Waning Moon, Dark Goddess Incense

Now is the time of the waning moon, a time of letting go and banishing negativity from your life and yourself. A time to shed your old skin, and prepare for the new. A time to forgive lost expectations and to let go the negative people and things in your life. One of my favorite quotes, from William Shakespeare, reads "Expectation, is the root of all heartache." When we expect things, and certain actions from people, we become hurt when those expectations are not met. This a time for forgiveness to the people who have caused you pain, and to forgive yourself. A time to move on and a chance to start fresh again. The phases of the moon are similar to that of the sun. The sun rises each day with the promise of rebirth. As the waning and dark moon prepare you for renewal, at the new, waxing and full moon.

 As much as I love all of the moons phases, the waning and dark moon deeply resonate with me. Usually dark Goddesses are prayed to on these moon phases. Goddesses such as Hekate and The Morrigan. Each of these Goddesses can be called upon for matters of letting go, banishing and learning to fight our inner battles. I always like to make a special incense for the particular Goddess I'm working with when doing any kind of spellwork or specific rituals. It helps you to connect with the energies you want to incorporate into your ritual, as well as to connect more with the energy of your particular Goddess.

Here are two of my favorite waning moon incense recipes for the Goddesses I have listed above:

Hekate:
Myrrh resin, Black Nightshade, Rue, Bay leaf, one drop Cypress essential oil.

The Morrigan: 
Dragons blood, Angelica root, Basil leaf, Juniper berries, one drop Patchouli essential oil

Directions:
Ground up the resins and the herbs as much as you can, mix in a bowl, then add the drop of essential oil, mix again thoroughly, now your incense is ready to burn. Use a charcoal block to burn your incense, and if you have some left put it in a bottle or bag and label it for next time. If you don't have all of the herbs listed, you can always use substitutes.

Wishing you all a blessed waning and dark moon!





Photo courtesy of Goddessschool.com