Deity: Coventina, Morrigan, Rhiannon, Manannan Mac Lir, Poseidon, Pwyll
Folk Names: Sweet flag, myrtle grass, norfolk reed
Reed has served as a floor covering, roofing, and room deodorizer. The powdered root was used as an insecticide against fleas. Soaked in fat the stalks made a cheap alternative to candles. Other uses include arrow shafts and writing pens. Reed flutes were a subject of legend; it is rumored that the Pied Piper’s magical flute was made of reed, and Pan’s flute may also have been made from reed. Today reed is used in wood-wind instruments. Medicinally the plant was used to treat eye problems.
Dreaming of Reed means not all your friends are true. Handling them in dreams mean that you may be deceived in business.
Use reed with your favorite spell for balance and harmony. Reed is used to make flutes, and a small piece from the reed can be used symbolically to invite sweet harmony into your life. Sing your incantation to it and then place it where you will see it often.
The reed represents adaptability and the ability to bend with circumstances rather than break. While this may seem like giving in or surrendering, biding time with determination enables us to reach our goals. Be aware of and proactive to changing situations.
While reed does not seem like a prestigious enough plant to be ranked with trees, to the early people of the British Isles it was an extremely important component for warm, dry homes. Reed and its cousin and cattails have provided material for roof thatching, arrow shafts, musical instruments, and many other domestic items. These plants are associated with health and healing, knowledge and learning as well as one’s unfolding destiny.
Place several long stalks of reed or cattails in a tall vase in your bedroom to enhance passion and sex especially if there are issues in a relationship. For protection in ritual or spell work, cut six equal lengths of reed to lay out in two triangles to form a pentagram on your altar. Stalks of reed or cattails on your altar will help you to connect with ancestors. Burn a piece of reed to honor any household spirit as well as to bring unity and loyalty to your family. Pull apart a cattail flower spike to make a protection sachet/amulet that you wear during journeys to other realms.
In October, we see the Blood Moon travel through the sky. This moon is also called the Shedding Moon or the Falling Leaf Moon, depending on where you live. In many places, it’s the Hunter’s Moon, and it’s no coincidence that hunting season is in the late fall. Coming right before Samhain, this is a time when the nights are crisp and clear, and you can sense a change in the energy around you.
October Full Moon Correspondences
Colors: use colors like dark blue, black, and various purples in your altar decor or candle magic, to symbolize the darkening of the skies this time of year.
Gemstones: Obsidian, amethyst, and tourmaline are all associated with Samhain and the October full moon; these are stones often connected to magic that protects us from evil or negative energies.
Trees and flowers: Apples and yew are two of the many trees tied into the Samhain season. You can also incorporate sacred flowers such as marigolds and chrysanthemums, which come in handy when working with the spirit world. In some traditions, they’re a centerpiece for funeral decorations or grave memorials.
Gods: Herne, Apollo, Cernunnos, and Mercury are representative of the late harvest season.
Herbs: Use apple blossom, pennyroyal, mint family, catnip, and Sweet Annie in your magic this time of year.
Element: Air is often tied to October’s full moon, so focus on magic related to communication, wisdom or the powers of the mind. Air carries away your troubles, blows away strife, and carries positive thoughts to those who are far away.
How to Celebrate the October Full Moon
This is the time of year for hunting and gathering, stocking up on provisions, and making plans for the coming winter. The dark and cold nights are a reminder that for our ancestors, this was a time to consider mortality – those who failed to plan accordingly in late fall could freeze or starve to death before winter ended. Set aside a few hours to can your garden vegetables, hang the last of your herbs to dry someplace indoors, and begin figuring out what sorts of things you can do over the winter to help keep yourself warm and well fed. If you knit, sew, or crochet, stock up on yarns and fabrics so you can begin working on new projects when it’s too chilly and dark to do anything outside.
You may also want to use this moon phase to do a ritual honoring your ancestors. Work on your genealogy, dust off the family heirlooms, and hang some photos of your clan and kin around the house. Decorate your altar with symbols of the Samhain season, as well as with items that help you connect to all of those in your bloodline.
Keep in mind that this is the season when the veil between our world and the spirit world are at its thinnest. Use this time for spiritual growth; if there’s a deceased ancestor you wish to contact, this is a great month to do it. Hold a séance, work on your divination, and pay attention to messages you get in your dreams. Remember to be safe if you do this!
All parts of the ivy plant are poisonous if ingested…Ivy should never be used for self medication or given to others. Medicinally ivy was used for toothaches, as an astringent, and as an aid to bring on menstruation.
Magickal properties:
Ivy is carried by women (and brides) for good luck. Wherever it is grown or strewn, it guards against negativity and disaster. Use ivy in fidelity and love charms. Ivy is magickally paired with Holly.
Ivy represents the embracing and confining female principles of life.
Ivy is a symbol of the Goddess because it grows in a spiral, one of the Goddess’ symbols.
Place some ivy on your altar to symbolize your spiritual journey through the Wheel of the Year: in winter we follow the spiral energy down and within, and in the spring we follow it up into the light for our own symbolic rebirth.
Dreaming of ivy can foretell of a broken engagement.
If ivy grows on a tree in your dream, you may have grief.
If it grows on a house you may have wealth.
If it is growing on a friends house in your dream, then they may have good health.
If you dream of a potted ivy plant you will have happiness.
NOTE: Food retrieved from the harvest and especially from under ground deserves a significant reverence during this equinox. This dish is best made on the New Moon, the symbol of darkness before creation.
The New moon is a good time to draw out a new/ dormant ability. Before beginning a new skill, or, for my fellow kitchen witches, a never before prepared meal, try this:
Begin by Grounding. Envision yourself as a tree. Let your roots extend downwards into Mother Earth and let your branches stretch upwards towards Father Sun. Draw in the warm energy from the sun and allow it to travel to your roots and into the soil of the ground. Continue this until you feel centered. When you are done, light a red candle and hold a clear crystal between your hands. Repeat the following:
Goddess, grant me the strength to see the wisdom of sharing the gift you have given me.
Open my eyes to the confidence already within me to fulfill my destiny.
Help me to erect a shield to protect my fragile self from words of doubt and ridicule.
Remind me of the joy I found as a child and help me to live it every day.
I have a gift to bring to this world.
I have a unique talent no one else has.
I have the power to create the perfect space for my authentic self to shine through.
I am empowering my dream to (fill in dream here).
Seal the Spell by Saying:
Do good unto all and no harm come to me,
By the will of my highest power,
This spell I cast three times three times three.
So mote it be.
Parsley and Potato Soup
Serves 6
You will Need:
2 tbsps butter
1 onion, coarsely chopped
Chopped stems from 1 bunch watercress
⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
4 russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
Chicken broth
Salt and pepper
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Directions:
In a large saucepan, melt 1 tbsp of butter over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender.Add watercress stems and parsley and cook until tender. Add potatoes and enough broth to cover the concoction.
Cook for 45 minutes, until potatoes are soft
Pour the mixture into a blender and puree.
Return it to the pan and boil briskly for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Add the remaining butter and whipping cream and simmer for 3 minutes.
Remove from heat and check for desired consistency. If it is too thick, add more broth in ¼ cup increments until preferred consistency. If it is too thin, remove about ½ cup of the soup and mix in ¼ cup flour with a wire whisk. Mix until smooth.
Allow to cook for 5-10 more minutes.
Serve in soup bowls.
Luminous Crescents
Makes 32 Crescents
You will Need:
6 tbsps butter, softened
1 pt small-curd cottage cheese
⅛ teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup grated romano cheese
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
Cream the butter, cottage cheese and salt in a bowl. Add flour, mixing until well blended.
Divide dough into 4 flat balls. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate until cold enough to roll (approx. 1 hour).
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Lightly grease 3 baking sheets.
On a floured sheet of wax paper, rool one ball at a time into a 9 or 10 inch round. Sprinkle each round with 1 ½ tbsps of the parmesan and 1 ½ tbsps of the romano cheese.
Cut each round into 8 pie shaped wedges. Beginning with the wide end of each edge, roll toward the point. Place the wedges point side down on the baking sheets. Shape into crescants and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Immediately loosen from baking sheets after removing from oven and place on wire racks to cool.
Roasted Carrots
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 lb carrots
2 ½ tbsps olive oil
2 tsps white wine vinegar
2 tsps chardonnay or other white wine
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 tbs minced fresh tarragon
½ tsp minced fresh marjoram
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Peel carrots and place in baking dish. Brush the carrots lightly with oil. Roast for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Slice carrots and place on serving dish. Drizzle vinegar and wine over the carrots. SPrinkle on fresh herbs.Season with salt and pepper.
Note: Dill or thyme may be substituted for parsley, tarragon and marjoram according to taste.
Farls (Potato Scones)
Serves 8
Ingredients:
2 cups dry oats
3 cups warm water
3 cups mashed potatoes
2 tbsps room temperature butter
½ tsp cornstarch
½ tsp baking powder
Salt and pepper
Pinch of fresh minced thyme
Directions:
In a saucepan, soak oats in warm water for 15-20 minutes until soft and slightly swollen. Drain excess water and transfer to large mixing bowl.
Add potatoes, butter, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, pepper and thyme and mix well.
Knead until the mixture is like a thick dough.
Form 8 round patties.
Pour ½ inch of oil into a small skillet. Fry the patties until lightly browned.
Serve Immediately.
Banana Bread
Makes 20 loaves, 20 slices each
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
½ cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 ¾ cups mashed, ripe bananas
½ cup milk
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
DIrections:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease the bottoms of 2 loaf pans with shortening and butter. They should measure 8 ½” x 4 ½” x 2 ½”.
In a large bowl, cream the sugar and butter. Add the eggs and mix well. Add the bananas, milk and vanilla, beating until smooth.
In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
Add the dry mixture to the large bowl in increments and mix well.
Pour into the 2 greased loaf pans and bake for 1 hour. Insert a toothpick into the center; if it emerges clean, the bread is done.
Cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack (still in the loaf pans).
Soothing Juniper and Mulled Pears
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 firm bartlett or anjou pears
⅔ cup merlot or other red wine
⅔ cup pineapple juice
⅓ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
4 juniper berries, crushed
DIrections:
Peel, core and quarter the pears.
In a saucepan, add the red wine, pineapple juice, brown sugar, and juniper berries.
Simmer for 3 minutes then add the pears.
Simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring and basting occasionally.
Serve in small decorative bowls or red wine glasses.
Pomegranate Granita
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh pomegranate juice
⅓ cup freshly squeezed orange or tangelo juice (save rind)
½ tsp lemon juice (save rind)
1 tbsp freshly squeezed ginger juice
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 orange, sliced for garnish (mandarin orange, blood orange, or tangelo orange)
Mint leaves, for garnish
⅓ cup fresh pomegranate seeds, for garnish
Directions:
Combine liquid ingredients and sugar into a glass container with an airtight cover.
Place in the freezer until mixture begins to set; roughly 45 minutes to an hour.
Remove from the freezer and scrape with a fork to break up ice crystals. Return to the freezer and repeat every 20-30 minutes as it continues to set and until it achieves a grainy texture.
Make long, curly citrus rind strands with a lemon zester or grater.
Spoon portions of the sorbet into pretty, chilled glasses (martini glasses work well).
Garnish with citrus slices, 1-2 mint leaves per glass, and pomegranate seeds.
Serve immediately as the granita will melt quickly.
Notes:
For pomegranate juice: run seeds through the blender on medium high speed, then use a strainer to filter out the liquid into a container. Start with a large fruit as juice amount vary.
For ginger juice, use a garlic press to extract the juice
A spell to fill your foods with strength and power and to enable a person to be who they want to be:
Visualize yourself surrounded in white, pure light that encases and protects you from all harm. Say:
Mabon pronunciation: MAY-bun, MAH-bun, MAY-vhon, or MAH-bawn
Themes: harvest, gratitude, abundance, balance, preparation, welcoming the dark
Also known as: Autumnal Equinox, Fall Equinox, September Equinox, Harvest Tide, Harvest Home, Harvest Festival, Wine Harvest, Feast of Avalon, Alben Elfed, Meán Fómhair, Gwyl canol Hydref
Mabon falls on the Autumn Equinox and is the second of the three harvest festivals (Lammas, Mabon, and Samhain). Just like Ostara on the opposite side of the Wheel of the Year, at Mabon the days and nights are of equal length. Though it’s typically celebrated on Sept 22 , the exact moment of the Equinox varies from year to year. This is due to a slight misalignment between the Gregorian calendar and the actual rate of the Earth’s rotation around the Sun. The Equinox also occurs at differing local times, so that depending on where you live, it may fall the day before or after the date listed on any given calendar. For this reason, a date range of September 21-24 is often cited in sources on the Wheel of the Year.
Though temperatures may still be warm during the day, summer has truly come to an end. The leaves on deciduous trees have begun to turn colors and fall to the ground, and there is a chill in the evening air. The days were longer than the nights until this moment, and after this the nights will begin their reign. The God is making his exit from the stage of the seasons, heading toward his symbolic death at Samhain in just a few short weeks. As with Ostara, the theme of balance is highlighted here, reminding us that everything is temporary, that no season lasts forever, and that neither dark nor light ever overpowers the other for long.
All Sabbats are occasions to express gratitude to the God and Goddess for the blessings in our lives, but Mabon is particularly so, coming at the height of the harvest season. Traditionally, this was a very busy and physically exhausting time. This holiday provided a brief rest from toiling in the fields—a day to sit back and enjoy the fruits of the labor thus far. In these modern times, most of us are not involved in agriculture, but we can still take a moment to rest from our labor and relax, appreciating all that we have. It is a time to recognize the need for balance between work and play.
But how should you celebrate Mabon? For starters, Mabon rituals can include decorating your altar with acorns, pine cones, seasonal fruits and nuts, and/or a few of the first colored leaves that drop from the trees. As with Lamas, harvest imagery like scythes and baskets can be used. Candles and altar cloths in autumn colors like rusty red, orange, brown, and gold are appropriate. If you have a feast, whether solo or with others, include seasonal vegetables like onions, potatoes, carrots and other root vegetables. Spellwork related to protection and security is appropriate now, as are workings for self-confidence, prosperity, harmony and balance. If you are one who struggles with seasonal depression during the fall and winter months, use this time to set an intention for inner peace and strength. You might make and charge a talisman for this purpose, to accompany you through the next two seasons.
Other names for this day include Harvest Tide, Harvest Home, Second Harvest and Wine Harvest. Some Pagans simply refer to it as the Autumn (or Fall) Equinox. The name “Mabon” is a rather recent name for the Sabbat, coming into usage in the late 20th century. Mabon was a Welsh mythological figure whose origins are connected to a divine “mother and son” pair, echoing the dual nature of the relationship between the Goddess and the God. Whichever name you choose, enjoy your celebration and give thanks for the bounty of the Earth.
Setting Up Your Mabon Altar: Celebrate the Mabon Sabbat by decorating your altar with the colors and symbols of the late harvest season.
Create a Mabon Food Altar: Mabon is a celebration of the second harvest season. It’s a time when we’re gathering the bounty of the fields, the orchards, and the gardens, and bringing it in for storage.
Ten Ways to Celebrate the Autumn Equinox: This is a time of balance and reflection, following the theme of equal hours light and dark. Here are some ways you and your family can celebrate this day of bounty and abundance.
Honor the Dark Mother at Mabon: This ritual welcomes the archetype of the Dark Mother and celebrates that aspect of the Goddess which we may not always find comforting or appealing, but which we must always be willing to acknowledge.
Mabon Apple Harvest Rite: This apple ritual will allow you time to thank the gods for their bounty and blessings, and to enjoy the magic of the earth before the winds of winter blow through.
Hearth & Home Protection Ritual: This ritual is a simple one designed to place a barrier of harmony and security around your property.
Hold a Gratitude Ritual: You might want to consider doing a short gratitude ritual as a way of expressing thankfulness at Mabon.
Autumn Full Moon — Group Ceremony: This rite is written for a group of four people or more to celebrate the full moon phases of the fall.
Mabon Balance Meditation: If you’re feeling a bit spiritually lopsided, with this simple meditation you can restore a little balance into your life.
Mabon Magic
Mabon is a time rich in magic, all connected to the changing seasons of the earth. Why not take advantage of nature’s bounty, and work a little magic of your own? Use apples and grapevines to bring magic into your life at this time of year.
Mabon Prayers: Try one of these simple, practical Mabon prayers to mark the autumn equinox in your celebrations.
Apple Magic: Because of its associations with the harvest, the apple is perfect for Mabon magic.
Grapevine Magic: Here are some simple ways you can incorporate the bounty of the grapevine into your fall harvest celebrations.
The Magic of the Kitchen Witch: There’s a growing movement within modern Paganism known as kitchen witchery. The kitchen is, after all, the heart and hearth of many modern households.
Raise Energy with a Drum Circle: Drum circles are a lot of fun, and if you’ve ever attended a public Pagan or Wiccan event, chances are good that somewhere, someone is drumming. Here’s how to host one!
Crafts and Creations
As the autumnal equinox approaches, decorate your home (and keep your kids entertained) with a number of easy craft projects. Start celebrating a bit early with these fun and simple ideas. Bring the season indoors with harvest potpourri and magical pokeberry ink, or celebrate the season of abundance with prosperity candles and cleansing wash!
Mabon Feasting and Food
No Pagan celebration is really complete without a meal to go along with it. For Mabon, celebrate with foods that honor the hearth and harvest—breads and grains, autumn veggies like squash and onions, fruits, and wine. It’s a great time of year to take advantage of the bounty of the season
Colors: Use browns and greens, earth tones, to represent the changing colors of the fields and lands around you.
Gemstones: Citrine, chrysolite, peridot, bloodstone, and other reds, oranges, and yellows can symbolize the colorful leaves on the trees in your area.
Trees: Bay, larch, hawthorn, and oak are all associated with this time of year.
Gods: Demeter, Brighid, Freyja, and Vesta, as well as other deities of the harvest, are appropriate to honor in September. You can also work with gods connected to vegetation and vines.
Herbs: Do magic involving wheat, valerian, witch hazel, and skullcap, along with other sacred plants of the season.
Element: Earth is typically associated with this time of year.
This is a month of hearth and home. Spend some time preparing your environment for the upcoming chilly months. If you don’t already have one, set up a hearth or kitchen altar for those times when you’re cooking, baking and canning. Use this time to clear out clutter—both physical and emotional—before you have to spend the long winter days inside.
In China, the harvest moon holds a special significance. This is the season of the Moon Festival, which is held every year on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month. In Chinese mythology, Chang’e was married to a tyrannical king, who starved his people starved and treated them brutally. The king was very afraid of death, so a healer gave him a potion that would allow him to live forever. Chang’e knew that for her husband to live forever would be a terrible thing, so one night while he slept, Chang’e stole the potion. The king figured out what she had done and ordered her to return it, but she immediately drank the elixir and flew up into the sky as the moon, where she remains to this day. In some Chinese stories, this is the perfect example of someone making a sacrifice to save others.
The Chinese Moon Festival is considered a family event, and entire extended families will sit up to watch the moon rise together on this night, and eat Moon Cakes in celebration. HuffPo’s Zester Daley has some great ideas on making your own moon cakes.
Harvest Moon Magic
Finally, remember that the harvest moon is a season about reaping what you have sown. Remember those seeds you planted in the spring—not just the physical seeds, but the spiritual and emotional ones? This is the season where they are bearing fruit; take advantage of all of your hard work, and collect the bounty you deserve. Here are a few ways to benefit from this month’s full moon energy.
Jessica at MoonKissed has a great suggestion for increasing your personal harvest, and says, “Increasing harvest is a two part process: first we give gratitude for the harvest we’ve already received, the abundant friends, lovers, passions, and support from the Universe. Then Ask for our cup to be full or re-filled, in balance. Anything you’d like to increase, desire more of, would like illumination about, put into this spell.”
Use the harvest season to plan ahead for the coming winter months – stockpile magical supplies and ingredients so that you’ll have them on hand when it’s too cold or snowy to get them fresh.
Consider the abundance you have in your own life, and start thinking about ways you can share it with others. Can you donate things to organizations that help the needy? What about setting up a food drive, or volunteering your time at a homeless shelter? Use this time of year to pay things forward, both materially and magically.
The Celtic Tree Zodiac is an ancient wisdom tradition based upon the essential nature or qualities of different trees, as they are related to months of the year. The druidic priests based their understanding of trees upon observation, and an intimacy with the natural world that is almost unimaginable today. By understanding that everything is alive, and has the right to exist as much as we do, the Celts were able to study how each tree has a particular energy that can ultimately be a profound alliance.
Think about trees for a moment. They are rooted in the earth and reaching toward the stars, connecting the light and density of matter. Their natural response to sunlight and changes of season are model for ease in transformation. Trees are slow, and long lived, and have their own viewpoints, a kind of medicine that can teach us something important about how we might live in the world. Imagine you are sitting in an oak grove and then move to a pine forest.
You’ll find Oak has an energy unique to its own, just as Pine has its unique energy. Connecting personality qualities to times of the year is common in many cultures. Astrological traditions have been widely used for insight into particular challenges and gifts. What the druids did was to connect plants to these cycles. Instead of using gods and goddesses as the center of stories, the Celtic zodiac used the mythology and stories of trees to help provide a new perspective.
September, called Muin by the Celts, is the time of the vine. The vine itself is like a green fuse, rising up from the Mother with intensity. Fast growing, prolific, intimately connected to whatever it touches; each type of vine has a certain energetic perspective. Poison ivy, for example, is not the same as a grape vine. Yet they both have in common a certain virility and fertility.
The vine was extremely important in ancient lore because of the grape. Wine has been made for thousands of years and it was considered a highly sacred substance to be used in a ritual context, as it still is today, in the Catholic mass. In ancient times, wine was tied to theater, a transformational rite ruled by the god, Dionysus, who, like Christ, was twice born. Dionysus represents deep, chthonic (subterranean) transformation.
The Maenads, the women who worshipped him, would tear people apart. This dismembering represents spirit coming into the density of matter, the shedding of old patterns that reside in our bones, cells and mind that hold us back from being who are in our divine beauty and power.
September is the time of the autumn equinox, when light and darkness are in perfect balance. The vine represents the bounty of the harvest, which is also moving toward the completion of a yearly cycle. What we harvest was started in the dreamtime, the dark days of winter when the roots were easing through the cold dense earth. We experience first the green shoots of spring efforts, and then the explosive growth of summer.
The contemplation then becomes, what has been the fruit of your life over the past year? What have all your efforts yielded for you to taste and digest? It is a good time to find balance, just as the light is balancing on the equinox. The fruit from the vine may be bitter or sweet, or both. Do you have the courage to consider all of it, all as blessings? As the days grow shorter, we hope you can celebrate what you have gleaned over the past year. Savor the harvest of your life with gratitude and wonder at the mystery and miracle of the very breath that flows through you now.
The Vine month is the time of harvest, including the grapes of the Mediterranean to the fruits of the northern regions, the Vine produces fruit used to make wine.
The Celts called this month Muin.
The Vine is seen as a symbol of both happiness and wrath, that of passionate emotions.
Do magical work and focus on that connected to the Fall Equinox, or Mabon.Also a time to celebrate garden magic.
This is a time both of joy and exhilaration, wrath and rage, and the darker aspects of the goddess.
Use the leaves of the Vines to enhance your own ambition and goals during this month.
This is also a good month to find the balance of darkness and light in self, as there are equal hours of darkness and light at this time.
A brief note on the next couple months of lessons:
First of all, I apologize for posting the bare minimum when there is so so much else I could be posting. As a mother working three jobs, one of which is at a hospital, during the pandemic, things have been a wee bit insane. But, as they say, life happens. Know that I am working on several specialty posts outside of basic monthly lessons that I am very excited to share with you when they are completed. I am open to suggestions in the comments 🙂
Next, I wanted to let you know that your monthly lessons for September and October will be combined. This is because I am working hard on a special set of lessons for the Month of October. I will be covering the persecution of Witchcraft. This will cover many aspects of the subject and will be an entire series. The number of parts is currently unknown as I have finally finished compiling my notes and I am still sorting it all out.
I hope you are all learning and enjoying my content. As I said, I am always open to suggestions because I want to cover the things that interest you in addition to the things you need to know.
Topaz is a natural magnifier of psychic abilities, a mood and confidence builder, can help fight depression, inspires creativity, and brings positive energy to your life.
Pearl is known to have been historically used to treat issues with the digestive tract, muscular systems, and skin. Asian royalty used pearl powder for centuries to prevent the build up of melanin and to preserve beauty through aging and sun exposure as well as for many other beauty reasons.Pearl is also associated with strengthening your inner wisdom and nurturing the growth of pure love. It is a mood booster, enhancing feelings of good will and self-love. It can also be used to calm emotions and heal the negative inner voice.
Birds: Crane
Crane is commonly associated with resurrection, renewal, and physical and spiritual rejuvenation. It is also a symbol of healing and peacefulness. Yet another symbolic representation of crane is that of creation through deep focus. Seeing it could be taken to mean that the person is eager to take charge of the situation and get matters into his/her hands. In Asia, cranes symbolize long life and happiness.
To clear a stubborn cough, finely powder the nuts and mix with water and honey.
The leaves can be used in teas to treat such ailments as varicose veins, circulatory problems, fevers, diarrhea and excessive menstrual flow.
Hazelnuts are a good source of protein, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
Magickal properties:
Forked sticks are used to find water or buried treasure.
If outside and in need of magickal protection quickly draw a circle around yourself with a hazel branch.
To enlist the aid of plant fairies, string hazelnuts on a cord and hang up in your house or ritual room.
Hazel wood is used to gain knowledge, wisdom and poetic inspiration.
Hazel wood is excellent for making all purpose magickal wands.
Wands made of this wood symbolize white magic and healing.
Weave hazel twigs into a crown. Put this on your head and wish very hard. Your wish may come true!
Twigs of Hazel are placed in window frames to protect the house against lightning, and three pins of hazel wood driven into your house will protect it from fire.
The Hazel encourages us to seek out information and inspiration in all things and emphasizes the value of the enquiring mind and of learning of all kinds. Just as the hazel concentrates all its goodness and its continued existence in the kernel of its fruit, so we attain wisdom by reducing knowledge down to its purest form and passing it on down the ages. Through meditating on the essence of wisdom, we gain creative inspiration. Like the limbs of the hazel, we must remain pliant in our approach to learning. Concentrated thought in an open mind can, like the hazel, become a connection with the divine source of all things. The hazel teaches us the noble arts of learning, teaching, communication, and healing.
The hazel produces its nuts in fall, after having spent the year building the inner strength to protect them. The shell of this nut is so hard, in fact, and contains its treasure so well, that is was the inspiration for the phrase “in a nutshell.” Born under the sign of the hazel tree, you also have an inner treasure to offer – the fruits of your knowledge. Your wisdom and ability to communicate ideas make you capable of transforming the thoughts and opinions of others. Be careful how you wield your word-wizardry. (Credit to Kim Rogers-Gallagher, and Llewellyn’s Witches’ Datebook 2000)
Born under this sign, you are wise and have the ability to communicate ideas, making you capable of transforming the thoughts and opinions of others. This is the best time of year to focus on gaining wisdom and absorbing knowledge. Cast spells to heighten your senses and concentration.
In Irish mythology, the Aes Sidhe (Fairy) spirit lived in the hazel tree. They even named one of their gods after the hazel – Mac Coll or “son of the Hazel” – and he became one of the three earliest rulers of Ireland. The hazel tree was so important that anyone who cut it down could be sentenced to death. I highly recommend visiting this website to learn more about the celtic lore behind hazel.
When placing Hazel on your altar, you may honor it with your own words of thanks, or the one below:
I honor the energy of hazel, the tree of wisdom.
I will heed my own inner intuitions, and will be wise and informed in my choices.
This would be a good month to do something creative such as writing poetry, painting, crafting, etc. You may also wish to play around with science experiments.
Here are a few spells you may wish to try during the tree month of hazel:
Red Candle Healing Spell:
Ingredients:
Red Candle
2 pieces of paper
Cauldron or fire-safe dish
Instructions:
Cast your circle.
Draw a picture or write the name of the person with an illness, disease, wound, or health issue on a piece of paper.
Make sure the problem is clearly outlined or write the exact area affected by the problem and what the problem is.
Meditate, concentrating on filling your red candle with healing energy. You may wish to hold it during the meditation.
Light the candle.
Light the paper you’ve written on with the fire of the red candle and drop it into the cauldron/dish. Picture the flame destroying the concern you are spelling to heal. Imagine the fire removing all traces of illness and disease from that person.
On the other paper, draw or write the person’s name without the affliction they have. Imagine that the places where that person is affected are being filled with light and health.
Place the paper under the red candle and allow the candle to burn out on it’s own.
Power of Three Healing Spell
You will need:
3 candles (1 each of purple, blue and white)
Myrrh oil
Mint oil
Sandalwood oil
3 pieces of quartz
3 small pieces of paper
Instructions:
Anoint each candle with the three oils and form a triangle with the candles on your altar. Anoint the stones as well, placing one in front of each candle.
Write the name of the person who is ill on each piece of paper and place them in the center of the triangle.
Light the candles and focus on the person whose name you’ve written. Think about them being healthy and free of their symptoms. Focus all your concentration on this person.
Repeat the following three times:
Magick mend and candle burn,
Illness leave and health return
Leave the candles to burn for three hours. Then you may snuff them out. Remember: never blow a candle out with candle magic.
You may do the ritual 3 nights in a row for best results even though there will be improvement after the first one.
In late August, we celebrate the beginning of the Corn Moon. This moon phase is also known as the Barley Moon, and carries on the associations of grain and rebirth that we saw a couple of weeks earlier, at Lammastide. August was originally known as Sextilis by the ancient Romans, but was later renamed for Augustus (Octavian) Caesar.
This is a season of the beginning harvest. It’s when corn and wheat are flourishing in the fields, and will soon be threshed. If you have a garden, it’s probably blooming with tomatoes, onions, and herbs just waiting to be picked. Focus on this harvest aspect of August’s full moon, and consider what things you have in your life, right now, that can be gathered, collected, and stored for later.
Colors associated with the corn moon include yellow, red, and orange—after all, these are the tones you see in the cobs of a freshly plucked ear of corn. For gemstones, look to use tigers eye, carnelian, garnet, or red agate in your magical workings.
Trees connected to the corn moon include cedar and hazel. Carry a bit of cedar in your pocket when you’re facing new challenges, to help boost your courage, and utilize hazel for magical workings related to good fortune. You can keep a hazelnut in your pocket to draw luck your way, or hang a bough of hazel branches above your door.
Some of the many deities of the corn moon season are Vulcan, whose festival, the Vulcanalia, falls each year on August 23. The Greek goddess Nemesis also had a festival held on this day. Mars was known as a god of war, but in some incarnations, is associated with the bounty of the grain harvest; offerings were made in his honor for a plentiful yield. Egyptian deities like Hathor and Thoth had a strong connection to this time of year, because they are so closely linked to the rich, fertile soil of the land surrounding the Nile delta.
For magical herbal correspondences this month, look at using rosemary, rue, basil, and chamomile in your workings. All of these should be flourishing in your garden right now, and you can harvest and dry them for future use.
Corn Moon magic:
Harness some of the Corn Moon’s fiery energy for your ritual and spell work. The nights are beginning to grow longer, but it’s still warm out, so get outside when you can, and take advantage of the darkness while the weather is comfortable. For many of us, this is a time of high, potent magical energy—it’s a time of gathering and preparation, allowing us to look ahead. We have harvested some of our crops, but many others are waiting to be collected.
This is a good month to focus on your spiritual and physical health. It’s the time to harvest what you can now to put aside for later use. What sacrifices can you make today that will benefit you further down the road?
Try one or more of these to welcome the magic of the Corn Moon into your life:
You need to start thinking ahead and focus on the future. Do a ritual to banish any excess baggage from your life—get rid of things you don’t need, relationships which are unfulfilling, and people who make you miserable.
Bake some bread—ideally, cornbread, but any grain product will do—and offer it up as a sacrifice to the spirits of your land and property.
As you gather plants from your garden, set aside the parts you might not be planning on eating, and use them for other purposes. Use stems and vegetable detritus as compost, save seeds for next year’s planting process, and hang up roots, leaves, and stems to dry for later use.
Hold a harvest ritual to celebrate the beginning of the harvest season and the cycle of rebirth.
This is a great time of year to do some protection magic, as you gear up for the colder half of the year. In many magical traditions, workings are done during the harvest season to ensure protection of home, property, and people.
Make a straw man out of corn husks and other garden debris. Allow him to dry out, and then when Samhain rolls around, ask him to work as a guardian of your home. Alternately, you can save him until spring, and burn him as part of your Beltane rituals when you’re planting new crops.
Learning Wicca and the Tradition of the Craft 