THANKSGIVING---WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO A WITCH.

Dear Ms. Q,

Although The Thanksgiving celebration is secular in design it was created by a spiritual need.

Before the Pilgrims had their Thanksgiving celebration, there were different harvest festivals celebrated in Europe as a way of giving Thanks and they usually occurred before the first snow fall, when it was easier to get around.

It is believed that the first thanksgiving feast was done by Spanish explorers in Florida in the late 1500's but it wasn't until the Thanksgiving celebration by the Pilgrims with the local native Americans did it become more mythologized, granted they did have a harvest celebration because the Native Americans taught the pilgrims what they could do to prevent starvation. and it is said that they consecrated it to God to preserve them from want.

The exact date is unknown but it most likely occurred in the Fall after most of the harvest was done.

Later on George Washington issued a proclamation to celebrate Thanksgiving under God as the first Thursday in November very soon after All Hallows, again before the first Snow Fall, and it continued sporadically in Early November until 1863.

President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation that the 4th Thursday in November but not the last Thursday in November be recognized as a Day of Thanks and that all be consecrated to Christ this was do to the terrible battle of Gettysburg, and the thousands of Deaths. Lincoln was not an overly religious man, but he did have spiritual beliefs, he was going through difficult times, his son had died, he had doubts about the war, but it wasn't until he walked among the graves at Gettysburg that he asked the people there to pray not only for the Dead but to pray to consecrate Lincoln to Christ.

What he saw at Gettysburg moved him profoundly, and he then wrote the Proclamation. People there after traditionally celebrated a Day of Thanks both secular and spiritual on the 4th Thursday.

But it was not made into a National Holiday until 1941 when President Roosevelt signed a bill Making the 4th Thursday in November (but not the last Thursday in November) as Thanksgiving. Many people liked the idea at having a National Day of Thanks and retailers liked it too as it began to define retail wise the start of putting together the Christmas shopping season. By doing this it gave exactly 1 month for people to prepare for Christmas.

That is why the Macy's parade starts with a Turkey Float and ends with Santa Claus arriving at Macy's.

But for a witch to set aside a Day of Thanks is a good thing, to have it separated from any other religious connotation except to be glad and grateful for what blessings one has received, for having survived the trials and tribulations of the year and hopefully be renewed with a new spirit to face the year to come, this is a good thing.

It is always best to celebrate with a pot luck dinner, with each person bringing a dish, and it is best for each person to let the hostess know what dish they are thinking of bringing or what would the hostess assign them---that way you avoid 100 desserts or 100 salads.

It's like the story of "Stone Soup" in which a town was starving, but with each person putting what they had into the big soup pot it made a delicious soup that everyone could eat and no one starved.

Again the candles should be yellow, orange, warm brown, and gold as well as the decorations, dried corn, gourds, a basket woven cornucopia (you can used fake fruit such as grapes, apples, pears or the real thing).

For many going to church to give thanks is a good way of starting the day, then returning to make sure the Turkey is baking just right, it sets the mind frame, then enjoy not only the food but the good company. Having Candles lit safely around the place also makes for a sense of warmth. I also recommend a potpourri simmering smelling of cinnamon and vanilla.

But most importantly once all the food is set out, to say a prayer of Thanks.

The most common is:

Bless us Oh Lord
For these thy Gifts
Which we have received
from your Bounty,
Through Christ your Son.

Bless us Oh Lord
For protecting us and our loved ones
from harm, and want
Through Christ your Son

Protect Oh Lord,
our Loved Ones who cannot
be with us on this Day of Thanks.
And are watched over by Christ Your Son.

And remember Oh Lord
Those who have gone before us
into your kingdom and your love,
that we may remember them and give Thanks
for the good they have done and
the sacrifice that they have done for Family and Friends.

We ask this and pray for this through your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.

EDITORIAL # 3~~~~WHAT IS A "BLUE MOON??"

Joe Rao a space scientist gives a very interesting explanation as to what is a "Blue Moon" I have reprinted the article in full here and suggest that you add it to your Book of Shadows under "Moon Lore"

~~~~

The full moon of November arrives on Sunday and will bring with it a cosmic addition: It will also be a so-called "blue moon."

"But wait a minute," you might ask. "Isn't a 'blue moon' defined as the second full moon that occurs during a calendar month? Sunday's full moon falls on Nov. 21 and it will be the only full moon in November 2010. So how can it be a 'blue' moon?"

Indeed, November's full moon is blue moon – but only if we follow a rule that's now somewhat obscure.

In fact, the current "two- full moons in one month" rule has superseded an older rule that would allow us to call Sunday's moon "blue." To be clear, the moon does not actually appear a blue color during a blue moon, it has to do with lunar mechanics.

Confused yet?

Well, as the late Paul Harvey used to say — here now, is the rest of the story:
The blue moon rule

Back in the July 1943 issue of Sky & Telescope magazine, in a question and answer column written by Lawrence J. Lafleur, there was a reference made to the term "blue moon." [Gallery - Full Moon Fever]

Lafleur cited the unusual term from a copy of the 1937 edition of the now-defunct Maine Farmers' Almanac (NOT to be confused with The Farmers' Almanac of Lewiston, Maine, which is still in business).

On the almanac page for August 1937, the calendrical meaning for the term "blue moon" was given.

That explanation said that the moon "... usually comes full twelve times in a year, three times for each season."

Occasionally, however, there will come a year when there are 13 full moons during a year, not the usual 12. The almanac explanation continued:

"This was considered a very unfortunate circumstance, especially by the monks who had charge of the calendar of thirteen months for that year, and it upset the regular arrangement of church festivals. For this reason thirteen came to be considered an unlucky number."

And with that extra full moon, it also meant that one of the four seasons would contain four full moons instead of the usual three.

"There are seven Blue Moons in a Lunar Cycle of nineteen years," continued the almanac, ending on the comment that, "In olden times the almanac makers had much difficulty calculating the occurrence of the Blue Moon and this uncertainty gave rise to the expression 'Once in a Blue Moon.'"

But while LaFleur quoted the almanac's account, he made one very important omission: He never specified the date for this particular blue moon.

As it turned out, in 1937, it occurred on Aug. 21. That was the third full moon in the summer of 1937, a summer season that would see a total of four full moons.

Names were assigned to each moon in a season: For example, the first moon of summer was called the early summer moon, the second was the midsummer moon, and the last was called the late summer moon.

But when a particular season has four moons, the third was apparently called a blue moon so that the fourth and final one can continue to be called the late moon.

So where did we get the "two full moons in a month rule" that is so popular today?

Once again, we must turn to the pages of Sky & Telescope.

This time, on page 3 of the March 1946 issue, James Hugh Pruett wrote an article, "Once in a Blue Moon," in which he made a reference to the term "blue moon" and referenced LaFleur's article from 1943.

But because Pruett had no specific full moon date for 1937 to fall back on, his interpretation of the ruling given by the Maine Farmers' Almanac was highly subjective.

Pruett ultimately came to this conclusion: "Seven times in 19 years there were – and still are – 13 full moons in a year. This gives 11 months with one full moon each and one with two. This second in a month, so I interpret it, was called Blue Moon."

How unfortunate that Pruett did not have a copy of that 1937 almanac at hand, or else he would have almost certainly noticed that his "two full moons in a single month assumption" would have been totally wrong.

For the blue moon date of Aug. 21 was most definitely not the second full moon that month!

Pruett's 1946 explanation was, of course, the wrong interpretation and it might have been completely forgotten were it not for Deborah Byrd who used it on her popular National Public Radio program, "StarDate" on Jan. 31, 1980. We could almost say that in the aftermath of her radio show, the incorrect blue moon rule "went viral" — or at least the '80s equivalent of it.

Over the next decade, this new blue moon definition started appearing in diverse places, such as the World Almanac for Kids and the board game Trivial Pursuit.

I must confess here, that even I was involved in helping to perpetuate the new version of the blue moon phenomenon. Nearly 30 years ago, in the Dec. 1, 1982 edition of The New York Times, I made reference to it in that newspaper's "New York Day by Day" column.
And by 1988, the new definition started receiving international press coverage.

Today, Pruett's misinterpreted "two full moons in a month rule" is recognized worldwide. Indeed, Sky & Telescope turned a literary lemon into lemonade, proclaiming later that – however unintentional – it changed pop culture and the English language in unexpected ways.

Meanwhile, the original Maine Farmers' Almanac rule had been all but forgotten.
Playing by the (old) rules

Now, let's come back to this Sunday's full moon.

Under the old Almanac rule, this would technically be a blue moon. In the autumn season of 2010, there are four full moons:
Sept. 23
Oct. 22
Nov. 21
Dec. 21
"

But wait," you might say. "Dec. 21 is the first day of winter."

And you would be correct, but only if you live north of the equator in the Northern Hemisphere. South of the equator it's the first day of summer.

In 2010, the solstice comes at 6:38 p.m. EST (2338 UT).

But the moon turns full at 3:13 a.m. EST (0813 UT). That's 15 hours and 25 minutes before the solstice occurs. So the Dec. 21 full moon occurs during the waning hours of fall and qualifies as the fourth full moon of the season.

This means that under the original Maine Almanac rule – the one promoted by Lafleur and later misinterpreted by Pruett – the third full moon of the 2010 fall season on Nov. 21 would be a blue moon.

So what Blue Moon definition tickles your fancy? Is it the second full moon in a calendar month, or (as is the case on Sunday) the third full moon in a season with four?

Maybe it's both. The final decision is solely up to you.

Sunday's full moon (Nov. 21, 2010 will look no different than any other full moon. But the moon
can change color in certain conditions.

After forest fires or volcanic eruptions, the moon can appear to take on a bluish or even lavender hue. Soot and ash particles, deposited high in the Earth's atmosphere, can sometimes make the moon appear bluish.

In the aftermath of the massive eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in June 1991, there were reports of blue moons (and even blue suns) worldwide. We could even call the next full moon (on Dec. 21) a "red moon," but for a different reason: On that day there will be a total eclipse of the moon and, for a short while, the moon will actually glow with a ruddy reddish hue.
More on that special event in the days to come here at SPACE.com, so stay tuned!

~~~~~

Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for The New York Times and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for News 12 Westchester, N.Y.

Now what the dear person doesn't say is this and I have noticed it, it seems that a Blue Moon will occur every two years, but at different times of the year.

Wiccans have given each moon a different name such as Wolf Moon, Harvest Moon etc. and that is fine for each Moon within a solar calendar year, but when you have that extra moon in the Month, you are stuck with naming it so the easiest way is to call it a "Blue Moon" or even better a "Wishing Moon" and in doing full moon work this is a powerful moon to do "Wishes" to bring something good into your life.

What ever the reason behind this lable, it doesn't make any difference, call it a "Wishing Moon" for good things to come to you and do your most powerful spell work---Today, use a Green candle draw a Dollar sign on it for more money or the caduesus (which is two snakes entwined on a stick) for good health, light it and focus your energy on it and the flame, bring down your white light to surround you, and focus your wish, hold that for a good 3 minutes, then release the energy out into the world. Let the candle burn down in a safe place until its gone.

Just be careful that it will not fall over or catch anything on fire.

Next Month we'll have a full moon on the Winter Solistice with a total eclipse, another powerful event for magic, mark your Calendars.

Brightest of Blessings to you.

EDITORIAL #2, the difference between Ghosts, Spirits and Residual Hauntings

EDITORIAL #2

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GHOSTS, SPIRITS, RESIDUAL HAUNTINGS

Dear Ms. Q,

Because I know you've been coming to different events lately that talk about ghosts I know that this is one question that has been on your mind, permit me to do my best to answer it.

Many Ghost Hunters and even the common layperson will use the words ghosts and spirits interchangeably without regard as to what they are really focusing on. They will use the term ‘ghost’ to describe any type of spirit being or activity, but there is a difference between ghosts and those spirits that are earth bound and I have been asked what is the difference --- the difference is really quiet simple:

Ghosts are not really people or an individual person. It is the psychic imprint left behind in a particular place or location by someone who lived or existed there or traumatically died there. Their spirit or soul if you prefer, which is their real essence will have passed on to a higher dimension. Ghosts will not interact with a living person, but instead will repeat what they were doing over and over again and again, because of the trauma they’ve experience, or their focused intense energy, until finally the energy that created that trauma or intensity has faded away, this could take years or centuries.

In the case of the “Brown Lady of Radham Hall” for nearly 400 years like clockwork her ghost would always descend the grand stair case at a certain time, when one day she didn’t---why?? The energy finally faded away.

In some cases a person might see a ghost doing something mundane, like carrying a tray, or putting something away, what has happened is at that moment for some reason a burst of energy created an imprint because of whatever emotion caused it.

Case in point, I was asked to sense why there was always a sense or fear of falling upon a particular set of stairs, I immediately saw a woman carrying a load of laundry down the stairs and being tripped by the pet cat, the woman fell and broke her neck killing her, her spirit or conscious essence was Not there, she had passed over into the spirit world, but the emotional burst of energy of the fear of falling, the trauma of it remain imprinted upon that area, by using a house cleansing ritual we were able to dissipate the energy into the ether and that sensation of fear of falling ceased.

Ghosts can be removed if need be, but if they are not frightening or disturbing the current residents, they can be left alone because they do no harm, eventually they will fade away over time as the energy dissipates.

A spirit however is a conscious entity that is trapped upon the earthy plane and can, even in a confused mental state, will communicate or inter act with a living person.

In the case of an interacting spirit they are usually two types, one is earthbound for whatever reason, while the other is just visiting and can leave anytime they want.

In the case of the former it is best to refer to them as an Earthbound Spirit and they are usually a man or woman who has died but who has not moved on or crossed over to the higher dimension after death as they should have done, they become stuck on the earthly plane.

These earthbound spirits will still retain the same personalities that they had when they were alive and will continue to feel human emotions the most dominant is pain, anger, fear, and frustration or a sense of not completing something important to them, whatever it was that was important to them.

In the case of the visiting spirits they too are deceased persons, but their spirit has crossed over into the higher realms, but they do come back to visit, especially on important occasions such as a wedding, an engagement, when a baby is born, or a family celebration or holiday gatherings and they come in Love and with Love to see and enjoy all that is happening.

They will come too to offer support and love when a person is sad or feeling depressed, and in some cases inspire within a living person an idea that can help them. In this case we have to relax and be open to their love and inspiration, they never abandon us and are with us in spirit, but we must be quiet and relaxed to sense them. These spirits can come and go from the higher realms or heaven if you wish, at will and will sometimes make their presence known by a touch, a scent or sending an object to us, like a bird or butterfly, or the action of the kindness of a stranger. When that happens, thank them and send to them your love.

Getting back to earthbound spirits---why do they become earthbound?

First you have to realize that of all the millions of death that occur everyday world-wide, many, many do make the transition and cross over, the passing is smooth and effortless, the dying or dead person lifts or rises out of their body and is met by loved ones who have passed over who will take them to the higher realms which is a place of light, love, healing and learning.

But there is a small percentage that do not make this change successfully, and they remain behind for whatever reason, trapped or tied to the physical world and the reasons are endless---for example they were attacked and died from a violent death, a sense of justice not fulfilled, too attached to physical possessions they are unwilling to leave behind, guilt, or unfinished business or fear.

Most of these are easy to understand, but in the case of fear that is a little harder.

Case in point: I had to deal with the ghost of a child who died of smoke inhalation because he played with a bic lighter when told not too, he had fallen unconscious and died from the smoke, but he didn’t know he died and because he knew he’d done wrong he was afraid of being punished. I tried to reason with this child spirit but it was hard, I informed another sensitive about this situation since I did not live in the area to return to work with this spirit, the other sensitive was able to make contact and unite the child with its Grandmother who was in spirit, who took the child into the spirit world.

In areas such as hospitals, battlefields, or the scene of an accident the earthbound spirits are in a confused mental state, they do not realize they are dead, because of this they cannot help themselves and will continue to haunt a place because they are afraid to leave it, thinking, in their confused state, that a living family member will come to get them.

Because of this it is best to have a psychic sensitive or medium come and do ‘spirit rescue’. This needs to be done with love and patience, not drive them away or exorcise them, which is not the case.

A wise ghost hunter will realize that a spirit rescue will be the best thing to do and will have a list of dependable, reliable mediums to do that work, in some cases a ghost hunter might at least inform the spirit that they have passed on and go into the light.

In locations where there was an accident or in such areas of gang activity, if it can be safely done, a gathering of loving people meet and do prayers asking for the angels to come and gather up the spirit/soul of the person who has died to take them to heaven so that their soul can be healed and to be in a safe and loving place and to let them know that they will not be forgotten---(this is where doing an “ancestor altar” a week before then on Oct 31, Nov 1 & 2 and saying prayers is a good yearly ritual and doing good works or making a donation in their name to a helping charity will send positive energy to that persons spirit)

But there are also spirits that choose to remain in one spot because they are happy with what they see around them, case in point.

The U.S.S. Hornet (also known as “The Grey Ghost”) and is currently docked in Alameda, California, is haunted by many spirits of which many of them enjoy hanging around and enjoy the positive activity that is happening on the ship, for many of these spirits this is ‘heaven’ to them, where they felt they were doing the most good in their lives, that is not to say they don’t go and visit family, they do as if they were on shore leave, and then they return to their “duty station”.

In other cases, there are spirits that remain in one location because they feel they have a duty to remain there, case in point Shanksville, Pennsylvania, there are spirits there, from the 9/11 cash of Flight 93 that out of duty, are keeping the spirits of the 4 highjackers from going to their supposed spiritual reward and thus keeping those highjackers in spiritual torment. To the spirits of those passengers who are doing this, this is their heaven, they are committed until the spirits of the highjackers repent the action of their destructive deeds.

What can we do for those spirits?? Send to them prayers of positive energy to those who are doing their duty, and send prayers to those who did an evil act so that their spirits be awakened to the harm they tried to do and they ask forgiveness for their karmic acts.

(I will get into Karma later)

So what is a Residual haunting?

Residual hauntings are really re-enactments of an event that can leave behind a ghostly impression in the place there the event occurred, not only in a building but also in a landscape.

Primary spots are battlefields, prisons, a mass grave, people may see or hear the sounds of the event taking place.

The residual hauntings are unpredictable but can be triggered when someone of has psychic energy visits the site of a dramatic event, without realize it they can activate the residual energy as if they had clicked an on switch and like a tape the event is being replayed, they are all ghosts as described above and eventually will fade away.

Case in point---there is a roadway here in California called Pacheco Pass, it’s on Highway 152 near Gilroy, it was the location of a stage stop near the area of Los Banos.

The area surrounding the Pacheco Pass has a tragic history. The native Indians who originally carved the pass were forced into servitude when the Spanish arrived in the area. When they revolted, a bloody massacre of the Indians was the result. From 1860 - 1880 two highwaymen murdered, raped and robbed travelers along the pass. It is said that at the location of the old stage stop a woman lost her child and is still looking for it.

The Pass begins a couple of miles west of Los Banos on Highway 152, at approximately the junction with Interstate 5. Follow 152 west past the San Luis Reservoir, and a few miles beyond. The byway does not terminate in a town or at any other definite stopping point

Because Pacheco Pass has had so many accidents, many of them fatal that its earned the nick-name of “Blood Alley” it is because many drivers claim that along this stretch of highway 152 they are said to become "possessed", overcome with terrible visions and emotions, and overwhelming feelings of impending doom.

Because of the high intensities of imprinted emotions here and it seems to be continually augmented, it may be many centuries before this energy is finally dissipated.

Can ghosts or residual hauntings and earthbound spirits reside in the same local?

The answer is yes, in high intensity places such as ships, battlefield, hospitals, prisons, large castles, even some fancy resorts, you can have a combination of such energy, but it can take an effort to separate one from the other.

In another Editorial I’ll explain how to separate them.

Until the next time,

My Blessings on you Ms. Q.

Chapter 7--- All Hallow's Part 1

ALL HALLOW’S EVE, HALLOWEEN, SAMHAIN, DAYS OF THE DEAD Part 1

Dear Ms. Q,

No matter what it’s called it really is the end of the year, the true end of the cycle of quietude, rebirth, growth, and harvesting back to quietude and to give thanks. That is what a real witch’s year is all about.

Unfortunately with the type of work that people do now a days it’s hard to follow that type of year. Many jobs are now so go-go-go, but if you do not stop to listen and feel the witches year, you will lose contact with all of nature and all that is natural.

Now my Granny was of Portuguese decent, and when she grew up kids did not go around in costumes at night---back then there was no street lighting, but because of the Christian influence in Portugal some things changed and in the major cities of Portugal there appears to be some sort of celebration with the children for Halloween, a celebration that “immigrated” to Portugal.

Originally the idea of honoring the dead was done on the eve of April 30, what they would call Dia Das Bruxas or Day of the Witches, with May 1 being All Saints day, which was to celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of summer. It in the Old Catholic Calendar it was the original All Saints Day, but the Catholic Church in the 6^th century transferred it to co-inside with the Celtic Samhain.

Back in my Granny’s day, the celebration focused on Nov 1 All Saints day, and both Portugal and Kauai being warmish countries, it would not be uncomfortable to go to the cemeteries and spend the day “visiting” those family members who were buried there, usually after going to Mass, then there would a Festa or Celebration as this was a Holiday that would stand on it’s own. In small villages during the day little children not in costume would go door to door and ask “Doce ou Travessura” (Sweets or Tricks), some parts of Portugal would call it getting "God's Bread" and what the children would get would be small little cakes, nuts, apples, candy was not heard of and if it did exist was the property of the very rich.

When Granny came here to the United States she saw what the focus was for Halloween, still being a witch in the Catholic tradition she and her mother felt comfortable expanding the ritual, since going to the Cemetery here would be a very cold and chilly experience.

She saw how on Oct 31 it was a night for children, the church still celebrated All Saints and All Souls day (Nov 1 and 2 respectively) so she saw how a ritual could encompass everything.

She knew it was important to remember the dead, the ancestors if you will, so since many times it might rain on All Souls Day and there was always the fear of coming down with a cold paying a visit to clean the headstones and graves at the cemetery, she created an Altar, much like the Hispanic population create a Day of the Dead altar, she didn’t realize that she was duplicating a Hispanic tradition but it felt right,

On Halloween night just before midnight she would place a row of candles at the bottom of the steps of the front of the house one on each step, leading right up to the front door, she’d have the door open and the lights on and then she would light the candles starting at the bottom and invite first all the children who had passed away into spirit, then the adults, and then the angles and Saints to partake of the food offerings that were on the ancestor Altar, she at first used white candles with a dark or black ribbon tied around them, sometimes she would buy some ribbon and dye it black, later when they started making black ribbon and black candles she would use these.

At dinner and at the All Souls Day feast she would have a plate set aside and filled with the foods for the spirits of the departed to partake of and a small bowl of candies, M and M’s always worked well.

On All Souls day, at midnight between Nov 2 and 3, Granny then would put out candles but this time they would be white, from the front door to the bottom of the steps to lead down to the side walk, and they would be lit, Granny then would walk through the entire house with a lit white candle, and all the house lights would be out, and ask all the spirits of the family members visiting that it was time to leave and to follow her, she then went to the first candle at the front door and lit it, then down the steps lighting each successive candle and at each candle she would thank the spirits for visiting and for them to follow the light back to Heaven.

Now this could be hard if it was raining but usually the candles at the front door and on the porch leading to the top two steps were usually dry and it would be just enough to do the ritual. This had to be done by midnight so that by the 12 chiming of the clock all the spirits needed to leave, Prayers were then said for the repose of those spirits, and then the candles were snuffed out starting at the door and going down the steps,

Granny also made sure that the lights inside the house were out so that the only light would be from the candles. So the spirits had to follow the light out. So it would be black candles to invite them in and white candles to have them leave.

Now this is what Granny would do, there is much more that I will have in another part of this Chapter.

Your Assignment…. for Halloween….Have Fun! Be safe. Then on All Souls Day, say prayers for those family members and Friends who have passed on into spirit, give something to Charity. Study the weather see what the season around you is like, and see that it is the end of the Harvest season and now is a season of Thanks.

Blessings, Ms. Q.

Chapter 6 A ~~~ an addendum to Sacred circle

Dear Ms. Q,

You will notice that I did not have you use incense, or color candles or any special equipment or ritual items for your first circle.

That is because you are introducing your self to the invisible energies that are out there and calling upon them to aid you, they need to know that you are just starting out and because you are being presented with nothing (in essence), they will know that you are starting down your path.

Over time you will start to use items to build up your mind energies especially when doing spell and ritual work but we are taking it slow.

It's like a person getting into photography and buying a real fancy camera with all kinds of gadgets yet not knowing the basics of photography.

We are starting with the basics. First your witch bottle, then the sage water and making the bowl to catch rain water, now your first circle.

With the major holidays I will not ask you to do ritual work, but I will explain what was done within those holidays---you can celebrate them, but we will not do ritual work within them during this first year, baby steps first.

Your Assignment.....

Get a flu shot to protect your health, and buy cold/cough medicine, aspirin or Tylenol, nasal spray, and a couple of boxes of Kleenex, and soup, chicken, pumpkin, veggie beef and any that sounds good.

Chapter 6~~~Your First Sacred Circle~~~Introducing yourself to the Guardians

YOUR FIRST SACRED CIRCLE.

Dear Ms. Q,

Since you will be just starting out, your first sacred circle is going to be very simple and easy to do. Before you do this you first must make your witches bottle and place it in a safe place, because you will now be beginning to open your energies.

My Granny told me that when she did her first sacred circle she had to do it very simply as instructed by her mother as she was first starting down the path. Only as one learns more does the spiritual and physical construction of the sacred circle become more complex.

Because at that time she lived in Kauai it was easier for her to create her first circle outdoors, but now a days unless you can afford land or have a house with a good size back yard it’s hard to do. So for most people starting out the first circle will be created indoors---and this is especially fine in cold weather.

Select a spot in your home to do it, clear the space of any extraneous stuff, and push the chairs, tables against the wall. Clean the area physically, that’s vacuuming, picking up stuff and putting it away, the energy should be calm, there should be no visual distractions.

Next turn off the phone, don’t even have your cell phone on, not even on vibrate---as a matter of fact your cell shouldn’t be in the same room with you. No T.V., pets put in another room, kiddies sent to grandma’s house or to a friends house for an overnighter, significant other/husband/boyfriend sent them on a overnight fishing/hunting trip or send them to the World Series anything to get them out of there overnight. Or tell them you want some very serious personal “Me Time” for over night. Make sure you will not be interrupted or disturbed.

Now what you will need to start is just 4 white glass enclosed candles, a cheap child’s compass you can get these from your drug or grocery store (you will need it if you should move or do your circle in an area you are not familiar with). Next one long necked bic lighter the type for fireplaces or bar-b-ques, so you won’t burn yourself. A metal pot that you no longer need (make sure it’s all metal and does not have any of that Teflon or silicon surface) and put it on a heat resistant surface---an old trivet usually works, a black ink pen or sharpie, a brown paper bag in which the paper has been torn into slips to write on (torn not cut). A candle snuffer or metal plate, and a glass of water.

You will also need a handful of sea salt and a simple robe or plain slip or better yet an oversize cotton t-shirt without any writing or logo on it, the latter is usually best as you can buy one real cheap.

First, after you physically clear the area you are going to be working in, place the items listed above except the sea salt and clothing (t-shirt) the last two put into the bath room.

When I rededicated myself to the path, I found that IZ’s (Israel Kamakawiwoo) soft chant “Hawai’I” was perfect for the mood that I wanted to capture, so I put it on a tape loop to repeat over and over again until I was ready to turn it off, considering that my Portuguese Grandmother was born in Kauai, it seemed right for me. It’s not so much the words as it was the soft chant which set up a proper mind/body frame.

So if you can find really soft music that can put you into a higher state of mind find something and see if you can “Loop it” so it will repeat over and over. I’ve found that the music of Gregorian chant such as “A feather on the breath of God” to be very good. But listen to Iz’s “Hawai’I” to get an idea of what I mean.

Now first because you will need some strength, have a very light meal usually soup is good, chicken noodle or Chinese won ton soup or even pumpkin soup. After you have eaten, clean your dishes, and rest a little while to allow the food to settle.

When you are ready to start, start playing the music over and over for you will ritually need to cleanse yourself.

Have the music play when you first take a quick shower with just warm water and the handful of sea salt washing over you, hold the salt in your right hand over your head so it can dissolve as the water is running over you, while you are doing this say over and over “I am a new born infant learning from the beginning, I am re-born to follow the path to learn and open my eyes to a new world”.

The shower does not have to be long, be sure to include your hair as well, no shower caps, after your shower, towel dry with a freshly laundered towel that you have not used during the day, include towel drying your hair so it doesn’t drip, then put on the new clean white t-shirt, take the music as it’s playing with you to the area where you are going to create your first circle. (that is why a cassett tape loop is good)

Keep playing the music, then as you stand in the center of your room look at the child’s compass to see where North is pointing, from there place your candles one in each direction starting with North, go East, then South, finish with West do not light them yet.

Dim the lights in the room where you are going to do your first circle have just enough light on to see what you are doing (the electrical energy needs to be low enough to not distrub the ‘ether’.).

Now sit or kneel down in the center of your space, close your eyes, take a few deep breathes and slowly let them out, center yourself and begin to envision a white light of protection surrounding the entire area.

Once the vision of the white light is firm in your mind, stand up and starting at the North and going in a clockwise direction, take your index finger of your dominant hand (which ever is the one that your write with) and point at the ground or floor, envision a stream of golden fire coming from that finger and charging a line in the ground continue walking towards the East, then to the South then to the West and finish back at North.

You have now created the circle----

The next step is to evoke the guardians and protections to be introducted to them…

Take the bic lighter and starting at the North light the candle in the North first, raise you hands and say: “I call upon the elementals, spirits of Earth, the winds of the North, the season of Winter, the guardians of the North, the angel Uriel to introduce myself to you, I am (insert your name here) and I call upon you to protect, guide and advise me upon the path that I take, I call upon you to protect me within this circle as I invoke and evoke upon your help, see me your child and be always with me, to always protect me.”

Now go to the candle in the East light it then raise your hand and say the same thing except change it to Air, winds of the East, season of Spring, guardians of the East and the angel is now Raphael.

Next go to the South do the same and change it to Fire, winds of the South, season of Summer, guardians of the South and the angel is Michael

Go to the West, do the same but change it to Water, winds of the West, season of Fall, guardians of the West and the angel to Gabriel.

At this point all four white candles are lit.

Now stand in the center of the circle facing North raise both your hands high above you and say “I call upon the elements of the Sky, the guardians of the sky, the creator above, the Seraphim to protect, guide and advise me……” continue with the rest of the original invocation.

Then still in the center of your circle knee down and place both your hands on the floor or ground and say “I call upon the elements underground, the guardians beneath my feet, the Mother below, the Cherubim to protect, guide and advise me…..” continue with the rest of the original invocation.

Now sit in the center of your circle, as you read this say out loud:

“You who are the

Source of all Life,

Center of the Universe,

Hear one who loves you.

I call You to be with me now!

Be with me, Wise Mother and Father

Teach me Your secret wisdom, your compassion,

I call You to be with me now!

Protectors and warriors, keep me safe from all harm,

send prosperity and health to me.

I call You to be with me now!

Hold me in Your arms

Fill me with Your spirit

I call You to be with me now!

Join me in this Circle.

Guide my heart and mind to be one with You

I call You to be with me now!

Infuse me with the power of Your spirit so I am

Fulfilled and one with you.

Guard me in this Circle.

I call You to be with me now!”

Now sit quietly, close your eyes, let your mind be empty, after a bit you will begin to feel elevated, you will sense something as if you were being gently embraced.

When you feel that sensation say:

“I am your child learning the path, I am your new daughter/son asking you to welcome me into your eternal heart, to recognize me when I call upon you, to protect me at all times, when I seek you, when I ask for your help and knowledge, I ask you to teach me and point the way, knowing that I too will need to help others, whether by thought, word, deed, or action . Guide me to know when it is right and when it is wrong.

As you will it so shall it be.”

After a period of time you will feel the energy withdraw, when that happens open your eyes and say “Thank you for coming, thank you for acknowledging me, As you go to work your wonders remember me your child.”

Now drink the glass of water, then lay down on your back, breathe deep several times to release the energy into the ground and into the universe, (if you were doing this out doors you would need to be on a blanket or straw mat).

After a bit sit up slowly you might feel a bit dizzy, then kneel to touch the ground with both hands and say “I thank thee elementals and spirits of the underground, Mother Earth and the Cherubim for coming to my circle, I thank thee and release thee to do thy work, I ask that you remember me and protect me always.”

Then Stand up raising your hands and repeat the same thing but calling upon those elements that you invoked, you now opening the circle and releasing those energies so you need to do it in reverse, last called first released, first called are the last to be released.

Then starting in the West say:

“I thank thee elementals and spirits of Air, the winds of the West, the season of Fall, the guardians of the West, the Angel Gabriel for coming to my circle, I thank thee……” finish as before then snuff out the candle do not blow it out, you can use the bottom of the metal plate and place it over the top of the glass enclosed candle to burn out the oxygen, this will take a little time so should not be hurried, as you do this to each candle pay special note to which candle takes the longest to go out, that is the angel whose energy will be protecting you the most.

Repeat the same thing in reverse going south, east finishing in the North.

Then say “I now release the release the energy, the elements, the spirits, the guardians and angles within this circle and send you out to the universe to do your work.”

Pointing your index finger to the ground in the starting in the North, go counter clock wise and envision the golden fire of the circle returning back into your finger in a reverse motion, then keep the white light of protection in the room so that it will always remain in place.

After deconstructing the circle say “I thank you all for coming, I thank you all for accepting me, go now in Love and Light, the circle is open but not broken.”

Even though you may have not used the paper, sharpie or pot within the circle this first time by having it there it will be ready for the next time you create your circle to do work.

Pick up everything that you had in the circle and place these items in a safe, accessible place because you will be using them again until you slowly upgrade your items. Waste not want not is what my Granny use to say, so use those 4 candles until they are gone then you can replace them with color candles that will mark the four directions or what they say in Wicca the four quarters.

The white t-shirt can be your ritual item until you eventually replace it with something more ceremonial, remove it, hang it up and get into your pajama’s.

I remember for years my Granny had a simple purple house coat with buttons that she sewed herself that she used as a ceremonial robe, it hung on its own hanger and was never used except for craft work. It was always washed separately from everything else.

But it hung in her closet and didn’t look out of place so that any stranger who saw it would think it was just a simple robe. It was always best to hide in place sight.

You are now going to feel a bit light headed at this point, so have a cup of hot chocolate and some bisquets to eat, you can turn off the music that you had playing and now play something different like classical music, soft and gentle, I’ve found that piano music by Debussy is always good. Wrap yourself including your feet in a nice blanket.

I want you to remain calm and relaxed, read something, I’ve found that reading an Agatha Christie or a Dorothy Sayers murder mystery fit the bill or even A. Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes short stories very good because the time frame they use is not of the 21^st century. When you feel tired go to bed and wake the next day as a different person.

Now we can start further on your path…

Your assignment…..

There are many books and web sites out there that take about becoming a witch or really a Wiccan. So much so that it seems to be repeating itself.

Find the commonality of each web site and make note of it.

Start first with what they do to invoke a sacred space or circle, make note of what is pretty much the same, then see how you can simplify it so that it is not noticeable to an average person. This will be especially true so that people will not guess what path you are following and for your privacy’s sake.

My next article will be about Samhain or Halloween.

Bright Blessings, Ms. Q.

Chapter 4 Seasonal times~~~and Rain Water

Dear Ms. Q,

I may have mentioned this before, as I've said to everything there is a season.

Right now it is the end of October and we've been having rain---one thing my Granny told me as part of having a household and also in being prepared in the craft is to look out for your mundane things in this life.

If you own a home or an apartment with a patio, Granny would say that it is best to make sure that anything that can be damaged by rain or made soggy should be indoors by no later than October 15th.

Now why that date, well it seems that here in this area (S.F. Bay Area) the winds change and shift bringing the rains---sometimes we get caught "flat-footed" and the rains can come early.

But for sure after Labor Day and by the Fall Equinox, the easily damaged goods should be stored safely away and the rest of one's house and patio or garden should be prepared for the rains.

Another thing----prepare a bowl to capture rain water---rain water for Blessing water, floor washes etc, it the "purest" water as it comes from above---of course with all the poluntants in the air I would say it's not the purest to drink, but for magical workings it is the best, because it has not flowed through metal pipes.

Now this bowl should be as large as possible, and set away from the roof line of the house, using duct tape, seal the mouth of the bowl with several layers of cheese cloth or thin muslin, this will keep out bugs, and debrie. Keep this rain water (after you have filtered it again through more cheese cloth) in glass bottles---like the bottles that we get for bottled water---I like to use the blue Tynan bottles---if you can lay in a good supply if possible, if you can't then when you are making any blessing water or floor washes or sage water, you can add a bit of tap water or purchased bottled water to build it up.

But really it is best to lay in (that means store) a lot of bottled rain water. So when the bowl is full, empty it out into a bottle and set the bowl out again to catch the next batch of rain.

Then by May 15 or Memorial weekend you should be able to put out those summer things in the Garden or patio, such as your summer Umbrella that would shade your table or cushions.

We are fortunate in this modern age to be able to check on the internet and through Television what the weather reports are going to be, it helps us prepare things a lot better.

Now I have found that I have not properly "chaptered" my articles---so I will be going back to re-edit things so you can follow along in a logical way.

Bright Blessings Ms. Qu

Blessings,
Ms. A.

Chapter 5 Making Sage Water~~~

MAKING SAGE WATER

Dear Ms. Q,

"I'd like to smudge or sage my place but it will set off the fire alarms and upset my room mates.  What do I do?"

"I'd like to smudge my work cubicle but I can't burn any sage, can you suggest something?"

There are times when you want to “cleans” or “purify” a space but are unable to do so because it would be a violation of fire laws or it is impractical to use incense and candles..

Such places would include your work space at your place of employment, a Hotel or Motel room, a relative’s guest room or a space that you share such as a dorm room.

Dorm rooms are difficult because it is possible that your dorm room partner may not share the same beliefs that you have.

When that happens you can do this substitution by making sage water, and avoid those problems.

What you will need is:

a pot that is not made of metal or aluminum, an enamel pot or one of those corning ware pots, is very good.

A glass or plastic bottle with a sprayer on it like an atomizer bottle if you can’t find one then a regular bottle with a cap or lid, glass is preferable but plastic will do if you’re traveling.

Rain water, or river water that has been filtered to get out the debris (you can filter water by using a plain white cloth or several layers of muslin or cheese cloth that you can buy in a grocery store and carefully pouring the water through it into a glass or ceramic container), or Holy Water from a church or religious supply store.

A pinch of sea salt.

A small bundle of fresh sage.

A small wooden spoon if possible if not then use a plastic one.

You can add a bit of tap water to the rain/river/holy water, and then add the pinch of sea salt into your pot, stir to help disolve.

Hold both your hands (palms down) over the salted water and say this prayer: “I exorcise thee oh creature of water and salt from all evil and negativity, and call upon the arch angels to bless thee and be purified.”

Make the sign of the cross over the water saying “as I will it so shall it be”.

Next Holding both your hands (palms down) over the bundle of sage, repeat the same prayer substituting the words “oh creature sage of the earth” and finish making the sign of the cross with the final words.

Next pluck the leaves and put them into the water, put the pot of water and sage leaves on the burner and boil until the water takes on a slightly green tint.

If you only have a microwave, heat for 5 minutes, making sure the container is microwaveable---in that case DO NOT USE AN ENAMLE POT as it will short out and cause a fire in your microwave.

Turn off the burner or carefully take vessel out of the microwave, gently stir the sage leaves in the water to finish releasing the oils in the sage and to mix the salt properly.

Pour the water into your atomizer bottle or into a bottle that you can cap or seal, make sure that only 1 leaf of sage goes into the bottle---this will tell you what it is.

Allow the water to cool a bit so you can handle the bottle.

Then holding the bottle in both hands you say a blessing prayer and infuse the bottle with white light protection energy---the blessing prayer my Granny use to say went something like this:

“Bless this water oh Divine Creator, that it may create a shield to protect me and mine from all negativity, that it creates sacred and protected space where I live, sleep, work, where it’s energy calls upon the Angles and the Saints to protect me, where its power will send away all evils and banishes them far from me and creates a haven of light and protection around me. By its use I invoke your divine presence and protection, in your name. Amen”

Envision the power of the white light coming down and infusing the water.

To keep it preserved keep it in the refrigerator, it should be good for at least a month if not longer.

You can then use it to spritz or sprinkle or with a paper towel wipe down the area you are working, sleeping or staying in.

Now technically speaking this should be done within a full ritual circle of protection preferably in your kitchen so you would have to do the whole ritual in your kitchen.

But if you are unable to, then do a very simple warding circle can be created so the exorcism of the items can be done in the kitchen and then once it is prepared and the bottle is filled to do the blessing.

This can be a simple warding circle not necessarily a full ritual circle, this is if you live in a dorm or shared room.

A simple warding circle can be done by taking your right index finger and pointing it to the ground walking clock wise in a circle with you inside, envision a stream of white-gold light coming from your finger and burning the circle into the ground and that a white-gold light lights the circle. Then in the center of the circle do your blessing, afterwards, take your right hand, kneel down and touch the ground to ground your energy, then walk counter clock-wise again with your right index finger pointing to the ground envision the white-gold light being drawn back into yourself.

However sometimes a Kitchen must be shared, if that is the case, then create a circle of protection in the privacy of your sleeping area to exorcise the items, then with your index finger, imaging cutting a door way through the circle to walk though, then reseal the circle after you exit out of the circle, cover the pot of sage water with a white cloth or white paper towel. Remove it before putting it on the burner or microwave, continue to envision a white ball of light surrounding the pot while it’s heating up, continue that envisioning after you remove the pot and carefully pour the water into your bottle, continue envisioning the white light around the bottle or bottles while you take it back to your circle. Repeat cutting the door way in the circle and closing it and resealing the circle once you enter the circle and then proceed with your blessing.

After you have done the blessing and felt the energy go into the water, you can deconstruct your circle and put the bottled water away safely.

If you live in your own home or apartment, then you can do a full ritual for the sage water within your kitchen area---making sure you are not interrupted---send the kiddies on a over night at a friends house.

Since you are not yet fully on the path, I will, in a future post show you how to set up your first circle so that you will come to know the energies, even though you do not have all the “tools” you think you may need.

My Granny never did use a fancy athame or knife, or a fancy wand, even the candles didn’t have colors but she did it with things that could be bought in the old Five and Dime stores or Woolworths or your grocery store, sometimes it would just be found. These were things that were used and lots of times, some of those things were simply right there in front of everyone but no one thought they might have a significant purpose.

Now a days a lot of people would call that kitchen witchcraft----but it was witchcraft pure and simple and just as powerful as any of that so called “High Magic”.

Until later Ms Q.

Bright Blessings.