ROOT CHAKRA MEDITATION

Merry Meet to All of You!

I have just found this lovely meditation concerning the root chakra on you tube.
Watch, learn and simply enjoy!



Bright Blessings,

Ilona

BEAUTIFUL MEDITATION

Merry Meet to All of You!

Just watched this meditation video and found it beautifully relaxing and at the same time thought provoking.

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Hope you all enjoy watching it!

Golden Autumn Blessings,

Ilona

HEIRACHY OF ANGELS

Merry Meet to All of You!

Following on from the last blog about our chalice meeting about angels, I found this video on you tube, which explains the nine orders of angels in a bit more detail.

Hope you enjoy watching it!

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Bright Blessings,

Ilona

ANGELS - THE LAST MEETING, A SUMMARY

Merry Meet to All of You!

We had our latest Chalice meeting recently and the theme was Angels. It was a good meeting with an avid exchange of personal stories, beliefs...and yes, problems the attending members had with the subject.

Here's a short summary of the subject matter we touched, I hope you enjoy the material.

Angels

Orders of Angelic Beings

The First Sphere - angels who serve as heavenly counsellors:

1. Seraphim

2. Cherubim

3. Thrones

The Second Sphere - angels who work as heavenly governors:
4. Dominions

5. Virtues

6. Powers

The Third Sphere - angels who function as heavenly messengers:
7. Principalities

8. Archangels

9. Angels

ANGELS:
Closest to humanity, the ones most concerned with human affairs. Within the angels, there are many different kinds, with
different functions. Best known are probably Guardian Angels.

ARCHANGELS:
beyond the angels, tend the larger arenas of human endeavour. Most familiar ones: Gabriel, Michael, Raphael and Uriel.

PRINCIPALITIES
Beyond the archangels, guardian angels of all large groups, from cities to nations to recent human creations, such as multinational co-operations.

POWERS
First order in the second sphere, bearers of the conscience of all humanity, keepers of the collective human history. The angels of birth and death are in this category. They are able to draw down and hold the energy of the divine plan. In this way, powers can send visions to each of us of a global spiritual network.

VIRTUES
Beyond the powers, these are able to beam out massive levels of divine energy. As more people learn to work with the virtues, there will be a greater infusion of spiritual energy for the planet.

DOMINIONS
These govern the activities of all angelic groups below them. They also serve to integrate the spiritual and material worlds. Their work is still connected to our reality, although they rarely contact individuals.

THRONES
First order of the third sphere, they are the companion angels of planets.

CHERUBIM
Beyond the thrones, guardian angels of light and of stars.

SERAPHIM
Highest angelic order, said to surround the throne of God, singing the music of the spheres and regulating the movement of the heavens.

CORRESPONDENCES OF THE TEACHING ANGELS

Michael : Sunday; gold and orange, 7 days for omens; orbit of 1 year

Gabriel: Monday, New and Full Moon; silver, dark blue and pale green; 28 days omen; 3, 9 12 months orbit

Samael: Tuesday; scarlet, red and orange; 7 days omen; works quickly in orbit

Raphael: Wednesday; yellow and black; 7 days omen; very fast in orbit

Sachiel: Thursday; purple and lavender; 7 days omen; anytime orbit

Asariel: Thursday; greens; not invoked directly; not invoked directly

Haniel: Friday; pink and pale blue; 28 days omen; 6 months orbit

Cassiel: Saturday; dark blues and dark greens; 3 months omen; 4 years orbit

Uriel: Saturday; electric blue and rainbow; 14 days omen; suddenly

omen values mean the approx time for sign after invocation, orbit means the time frame an angel might use to work on the invoked subject.

As we briefly touched the subject of spirit guides, we decided to make this the subject of our November meeting.

Autumn Blessings,

Ilona

MAGICK'S ALL AROUND

Merry Meet to All of You!

On my holidays in Germany I came across proof that you can find magickal places even in the most unexpected settings.

Check out my Herbal Chalice blog for details:

http://theherbalchalice.blogspot.com/2009/09/magicks-all-around.html

Magickal Blessings,

Ilona

THE POWER OF LETTING GO

Merry Meet to All of You!

Lisa and me have been looking into tapping and EFT recently (Lisa's attending a course shortly, so excited!)and I have just watched this clip of Robert Smith, who is one of the experts in the field.

While I was watching it, it dawned on me that the message he tries to bring over really holds great truth and wisdom, it is all about the power of letting go, in order to create something new and better and be happy in yourself. Due to some personal stuff going on for me at the moment, it was exactly what I needed to hear, and i think it holds relevant insight for everyone, even if your not interested in or practising EFT. So, have a look and think about it, and most of all:

START CREATING YOUR OWN HAPPINESS!

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Autumn Blessings & Happiness

Ilona

MABON - AUTUMN EQUINOX

Merry Meet to All of You!

The Autumn Equinox and hence the Sabbat of Mabon is here, the end of summer and heralding of the autumn. The following video captures the spirit of Mabon in a great way, so I thought I share it with you.

Enjoy Mabon!




Autumn Blessings,

Ilona

THE NEXT HEAVENLY MOOT

Interested in:

* TAROT

* ASTROLOGY

* PAGANISM

* WICCA

* SPIRITUAL HEALING & DEVELOPMENT

* SACRED DANCE

* ANGELS & FAIRIES

Come and meet like-minded people for discussions, learning and fun!

The theme for this month’s gathering is

ANGELS

So if you like to share or listen to stories & experiences about angels or simply are fascinated by these higher beings & would like to learn more, please join us.

On: Tuesday 6th October,

At: 7.30 PM

In: The Ralph Fitz Randall (Weatherspoons), RICHMOND

Everyone welcome!

For more Information contact Lisa or Ilona

Start of Term for the Tarot Study Group

The Tarot Study Group reconvenes on Thursday 3 September at 9.30 AM. We will meet at Wetherspoons as usual. We look forward to seeing you all again. New members welcome!

A Healing Star Meditation

The synchronicity from the previous post continues HERE. Learn how to connect with your own Healing Star and how to do a quick but effective Healing Star Meditation.

Bright blessings,
Lisa

The Star That Never Walks Around

Right, so this isn't a Tarot deck review... It's a story about synchronicity.

I recently won the round deck Star That Never Walks Around: A Native American Tarot Package on eBay. I guess I thought my other round deck, Circle of Life Tarot/Tarot del Circulo de La Vida, needed a friend to play with. I basically bid on it because it was cheap and round.

The artwork isn't great. In fact, it does nothing for me but I like the Native American theme and the correspondences Stella Bennett (who is both the artist and the writer of the companion book) has chosen for the four tarot suits. Reading about her choice adds another dimension to my understanding of the tarot suits, and that's always nice. In fact, the 200 page companion book isn't bad at all. It would serve as a nice introduction on the Tarot to the beginner, and there is also information worth mulling over for the more experienced reader.

Did I say this was a story about synchronicity? The thing in the little companion book that really grabbed my attention was the background story on how the deck got its name. I had never heard about the Star That Never Walks Around before, but had recently begun to focus on a star that transmits healing rays in my meditations.

"The star I have chosen to represent this deck, and also incorporated in some of the cards of the deck, is the star known as the North Star, or Polaris. This is the bright star that appears in the handle of the Little Dipper, known as Little Bear to Native Americans. The Plain Indians call this star the Star That Never Walks Around because it is fixed in the sky and doesn't move around it, making it one of the most important stars in the sky, able to watch the other stars and humankind from its fixed position. They believe it to be the healer and guide of all the stars and of humans. The Star That Never Walks Around is thus chief among all the stars."

Receiving this information because I decided to place a bid on a whim proves to me that synchronicity is firmly in place in my life. As I started my 'healing star meditations' a few weeks ago, I began asking myself why I was doing them and what this healing star might be. Was it just 'my star'? Or was it something more universal? Well... I think I know the answer now - thanks to Stella, which just happens to mean 'star' in Italian.

I'll keep meditating on Polaris... It's ever so nice to be able to put a name to that 'face'!

Learn the basics of EFT

EFT - Emotional Freedom Technique - is a very useful tool for self-healing in terms of clearing blocks, pain and negative emotions. You will be able to try it out for yourself after watching this demonstration by Aila Accad, RN.

NEXT MOOT

Interested in:

* TAROT
* ASTROLOGY
* PAGANISM
* WICCA
* SPIRITUAL HEALING & DEVELOPMENT
* SACRED DANCE
* ANGELS & FAIRIES

Come and meet like-minded people for discussions, learning and fun!

The theme for this month’s gathering will be energy healing. We will share healing stories and there will be opportunity to ask questions about healing if this is new to you.

On: Tuesday 1st September,
At: 7.30 PM

In: The Ralph Fitz Randall (Weatherspoons), RICHMOND

Everyone welcome!

For more Information contact Lisa or Ilona

Happy Lammas!

Aine Minogue - Return of the Dove

Buy the CD Mysts of Time HERE

Life on Life's terms with Intuitive Colette Baron-Reid

Colette is one of my favourite intuitives. Her books are food for the soul. Her teaching style is fun and her writing is easy to understand and apply to your own life. There are plenty of samples of her work on YouTube - check it out!

Learn to interpret the signs!

Also, check out Colette's oracle cards!


Have a great day!

Lisa

http://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com

Goddess Chant

Manifestation experiment

Here's a little experiment you might like to try for yourself. When it comes to the Law of Attraction and manifesting abundance, it might be easier to start with something small, like feathers or pennies.

First you align yourself with Source. I like to use the following affirmation found in Stop the Excuses: How to Change Lifelong Thoughts by Wayne W. Dyer:

'The creative and intelligent power manifests perfectly as the universe. I am a result of this power. I feel connected to it, and I know it will work with me in creating the life I desire.'

Make sure you truly feel connected to the Source before you proceed.

Then just picture what you want to manifest flowing towards you effortlessly. If you like, you can imagine a funnel of abundance above your head. See pennies or feathers, or whatever it is you desire, flowing towards you from all corners of the universe and going into the funnel above you.

Accept, acknowledge and give thanks for the abundance of pennies or feathers (or whatever you decided to experiment with) that is already yours, then go about your day with a sense of wonder - open to the endless possibilities of ways that the object you desired might manifest.

Lastly, bring yourself to be completely present in the now. Just as you know that the sun rises every morning, you can know and trust that the Law of Attraction is working without any effort on your behalf when you are aligned with Source.

Personally, I chose to try this experiment with feathers the other day, and the result can be seen in the picture above. Within a minute after activating the manifestation of more feathers, a large owl feather landed in front of my feet.

We happened to be at a fair ground where there was a large European Eagle Owl on display. I did not see him when I decided to manifest feathers, but he appeared almost immediately thereafter. Time seemed to stop as I beheld the large owl feather float to the ground only seconds after starting the manifestation experiment. Chance? In my universe there is no such thing as chance!

Not only did I manifest a feather for myself this way, but when my youngest daughter saw that I had been given a beautiful large owl feather, she decided to ask the owl keeper if she too could have one. Of course she could. The keeper had one tucked away that she handed to my daughter without hesitation.

Please let us know how you get on if you try this experiment!

Love & Light

Lisa

http://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com

Stop the excuses! - Book Tip

"If you contemplate with thoughts that match originating Spirit, you have the same power as originating Spirit" - Wayne Dyer

I'm reading this wonderful book right now, called 'Stop the excuses!' by Wayne W. Dyer. It's a book that helps the reader change old, outdated thought patterns and start living creatively in the now.

In the first part of the book, Dyer teaches us why it is possible to change patterns in our 'unconscious' mind. Anyone who doubts that it's possible to teach an old dog new tricks will be helped by Dyer's excellent summary of recent research about human thought processes and neurology. He relabels the unconscious (which makes it sounds inaccessible) habitual mind and shows us how it has been infected by mind viruses, or memes. Both the habitual mind and our normal waking awareness, or creative consciousness, can be brought under the control of our higher mind. The last section of part one covers the whole catalogue of excuses that we as humans are likely to use in order to resist growth/change.

In the second part of the book, Dyer outlines 7 Stop the excuses! principles:

• Awareness - Become aware of your potential for greatness and the power of your mind.


• Alignment - Align yourself by thinking like God thinks.


• Contemplation - Contemplate what you are, rather than what you want to become.


• Willingness - Be willing to allow health, happiness, and success to flo into your life.


• Passion - Be passionate about everyone and everything that enters your life.


• Compassion - Want more for others than you do for yourself; that is, be compassionate.

The third and final part of the book (which I'm just about to begin reading) helps the reader implement the Stop the excuses! paradigm by posing questions that can be used as reminders for staying aware and aligned with Source.

If you are ready to stop the excuses and fully embrace life, this is a must read! Free your spirit!!!

Lisa

http://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com/

Tarot Study Group Moved

Hi everyone,

Just to let you know that this week's Tarot Study Group has been moved to Friday. Same time and place though: 9.30 AM at Wetherspoon's. Hope everyone can make as this will be our last meeting before the summer holidays!

I have really enjoyed facilitating the study group so far - everyone has so much to contribute... and how much more fun is learning together?!


Bright blessings,
Lisa
http://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com

Book Tip - Cosmic Energy by Anne Jirsch

Do you feel like you would like to be more connected with your life's purpose? Are you not sure exactly how to attract all the right, happy, positive and helpful people into your life (including romantic partners)?

Could your home do with an energy make-over? Would you like to experience more abundance? Would you like to feel healthier and more energised?

Cosmic Energy teaches you to sense and manipulate your own etheric energy. It helps you truly understand that we are all beings of energy and that we are all connected.

The book is full of fun and simple exercises that anyone can begin using to enhance their lives and the lives of their loved ones.

I borrowed this book at the library but enjoyed some of the exercises so much that I've decided to buy a copy for myself. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in bringing more positivity into their life!

Love & Light
Lisa
http://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com/

PS. If you click on the link below you'll notice that all the Amazon reviews for this book give it 5 stars - it really IS that good!

Tarot Study Group - First Meeting

Merry Meet!

During our first meeting we discussed the history and background of the tarot, tarot myths, and how to calculate your soul, personality and shadow cards.

It was a lovely morning and I'm already looking forward to next Thursday.

Here are some Tarot weblinks you might like to check out in the meantime:

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/ - the world's largest tarot community + hundreds of deck reviews, interviews with authors and tarot artists, competitions, forums, learning resources etc etc

The Gaian Oracle - try a free online 3 card Tarot reading with the beautiful Gaian Tarot!

Tarot and Personality Types - for those of you who enjoyed the brief Soul Card readings we did and who would like to know more about how the Tarot relates to personality types, the Enneagram and MBTI

Taroteca - Photo albums containing complete decks

Supertarot - A website dedicated mostly to Thoth studies but there is also loads of useful general information

Learning the Tarot - The perfect site for the Tarot novice to get started with free online Tarot lessons based on the classical Rider Waite Tarot

The World of Tarot Studies - Another useful tarot website with loads of free lessons

Tarot Journaling - How to use the Tarot to tell the story of your life

Hope you enjoy exploring these resources. See you soon!

Lisa

http://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com/

PS. The picture above is the Star card from the Circle of Life deck, a quirky and beautiful round deck - I might bring it along to our next session ;)

LITHA - A REFLECTION

Merry Meet to All of You!

Here's a lovely video from You Tube as a reflection on Litha.

Hope you all had a great Midsummer's Eve/Day!!!




Summer Blessings,

Ilona

P.S. Foir another great clip click here

MAGICKAL LITHA

Merry Meet to All of You!

Midsummer is here!

Wishing you all a happy and magickal Litha and a great summer to come!

Midsummer Blessings,

Lisa & Ilona

Women of Witchcraft

CRYSTAL OF THE MONTH - AQUAMARINE

One of the main gemstones for Gemini is Aquamarine. This is a crystal that aids communication and alleviates medical problems relating to speech or breathing. It can also be used environmenally to purify the air.

The numerological correspondence for Aquamarine is 1.

Aquamarine used to be carried by sailors as talismans against drowning.

It's a stone of courage, clarity, and self-knowledge.

Aquamarine can be used in the treatment of glandular and autoimmune diseases.

Intolerance is counteracted by aquamarine.

Aquamarine is an excellent anti-stress crystal when things get on top of us - it helps us prioritise and do things logically.

It's a wonderful stone for increasing awareness of our responsibility to serve humanity with our gifts, and it can help clear confusion regarding our life purpose.

Zsuszanna Budapest - Dianic Wicca

NEXT MOOT

Image from the Herbal Tarot

Interested in:

* TAROT
* ASTROLOGY
* PAGANISM
* WICCA
* SPIRITUAL HEALING & DEVELOPMENT
* SACRED DANCE
* ANGELS & FAIRIES

Come and meet like-minded people for discussions, learning and fun!

No theme for this month’s gathering, just come along and enjoy the company!

On: 7th July,
At: 7.30pm

In: The Ralph Fitz Randall (Weatherspoons), RICHMOND

For more Information contact Lisa or Ilona

Tarot Study Group

TAROT STUDY GROUP

Thursday mornings at Wetherspoons, 9.30 - 10.30 AM

Start: 25 July 2009

Join us on a journey through the archetypal spaces of the Tarot - the most complete tool for self-discovery and spiritual development ever created. Methods of using the Tarot for group pathworking and divination will also be explored.

No previous knowledge necessary. Contact Lisa for more info.

Bring a tarot deck and a notebook, and come along for learning and fun!

THE WHEEL OF THE YEAR - LITHA

Merry Meet to All of You!

Nearly Midsummer, where is the year gone?!

With the Summer Solstice and corresponding Litha celebrations (21st June) coming up fast, Lisa and me are mapping out ideas what we could do for Litha, something meaningful but also fun, so our kids will enjoy it too.

Litha (Summer Solstice, St John's Eve, Alban Hefin) is one of the lesser Sabbats in the Wheel of the Year and marks the shortest night of the year, after which the hours of darkness will slowly start to increase again and the convergence of the Sun and the Moon, with the Sun being at its zenith but the Zodiac entering the water-sign of Cancer, the only sign ruled by the Moon.

Midsummer is a Fire and Water festival, traditionally marked by bonfires and ritual baths.

Midsummer's Eve is also known as the most magickal night of the year, again traditionally used for divination and to gather magickal and /or healing herbs and plants (fern seeds, for example, to be used in invisibility spells/potions, were gathered on this night and this night only). It is believed that plants are to be ideally picked at midnight or when the first dew forms.

The greeting of the sunrise is a major part on Midsummer's Day, so with Midsummer's Eve conveniently falling on a Saturday this year, why not stay out all night to celebrate, greet the sun in the morning and then roll into bed?!

This is certainly something Lisa and me have in mind (we're sure the kids will love it!) so we will be going out for a picnic or barbecue on the evening and then make merry through the night with games, music and magickal/divination activities.

As the colours of Litha are golden yellows and oranges, together with gold for the God and red for the Goddess, you could theme any food and drink you bring along these lines, for example colourful salads with carrots, oranges or sweet potatoes, washed down with a nice glass of golden Mead. For the kids you could make your own home-made lemonade or ice creams, which are really easy to make and so much nicer than shop-bought ones (for lovely recipes see: http://theherbalchalice.blogspot.com/2009/06/recipe-of-week-midsummer-goodies.html ).

Fun activities could include a tug-of-war game (symbolising the battle of the Oak and Holly Kings). You could get everybody involved to find natural materials, like twigs or pebbles and flowers) to build a face of the Sun, or make their own Midsummer flower-wreaths to wear.

Midsummer is also the perfect time to open the doors to the Faerie realm, so go out and find yourselves an elder tree (see: http://theherbalchalice.blogspot.com/2009/06/tip-of-week-magick-elder.html )!

If you want to do divination work on Midsummer Nights Eve, why not try a love-oracle:

1. On Midsummer's Eve, place a piece of wax in an unwashed sock and sleep with it under your pillow.

2. In the morning, remove and melt the wax.

3. Pour into a dish of cold water - the shape the wax takes as it cools will reveal something about your future love life.

(from: The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells, Judika Illes, 2004, p.319)

Whatever you plan to do to celebrate Midsummer, have fun and enjoy yourselves as this really is one of the most joyous, happy festivals about!

For official midsummer celebrations go to the bottom of:http://theherbalchalice.blogspot.com/2009/06/midsummer-nights-dream.html

Summer Blessings,

Ilona

Charge of the Goddess

Now listen to the words of the Great Mother,

who was of old also called among men Artemis, Astarte, Athene, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Dana, Arianrhod, Isis, Bride, and by many other names. At her altars, the youth of Lacedaemon in Sparta made due sacrifice.

Whenever ye have need of any thing,

once in the month,

and better it be when the moon is full,

then shall ye assemble in some secret place,

and adore the spirit of me,who am Queen of all witches.

There shall ye assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery,

yet have not won its deepest secrets;

to these will I teach things that are as yet unknown.

And ye shall be free from slavery;

and as a sign that ye be really free,

ye shall be naked in your rites;

and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music and love, all in my praise.

For mine is the ecstasy of the spirit,

and mine also is joy on earth;

for my law is love unto all beings.

Keep pure your highest ideal;

strive ever towards it, let naught stop you or turn you aside;

for mine is the secret door which opens upon the land of youth,

and mine is the cup of wine of life,

and the cauldron of Cerridwen,

which is the Holy Grail of immortality.

I am the gracious Goddess,

who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man.

Upon earth, I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal;

and beyond death, I give peace, and freedom,

and reunion with those who have gone before.

Nor do I demand sacrifice;

for behold, I am the Mother of all living,

and my love is poured out upon the earth.

Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess;

she in the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven,

whose body encircles the universe.

I who am the beauty'

of the green earth and the white moon upon

the mysteries of the waters,

I call upon your soul to arise and come unto me.

For I am the soul of nature

that gives life to the universe.

From me all things proceed

and unto methey must return.

Let My worship be in the

heart that rejoices, for behold,

all acts of love and pleasure

are My rituals.

Let there be beauty and strength,

power and compassion,

honor and humility,

mirth and reverence within you.

And you who seek to know me,

know that the seeking and yearning

will avail you not,

unless you know the Mystery:

for if that which you seek,

you find not within yourself,

you will never find it without.

For behold,

I have been with you from the beginning,

and I am that which is attained

at the end of desire.

The Wiccan Rede

Bide the Wiccan Laws we must,

In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust.

Live and let live,

Fairly take and fairly give.

Cast the Circle thrice about,

To keep the evil spirits out.

To bind the spell every time,

Let the spell be spake in rhyme.

Soft of eye and light of touch,

Speak little, listen much.

Deosil go by the waxing moon,

Chanting out the Witches' Rune.

Widdershins go by the waning moon,'

Chanting out the baneful rune.

When the Lady's moon is new,

Kiss the hand to her, times two.

When the moon rides at her peak,

Then your heart's desire seek.

Heed the North wind's mighty gale,

Lock the door and drop the sail.

When the wind comes from the South,

Love will kiss thee on the mouth.

When the wind blows from the West,

Departed souls will have no rest.

When the wind blows from the East,

Expect the new and set the feast.

Nine woods in the cauldron go,

Burn them fast and burn them slow.

Elder be the Lady's tree,

Burn it not or cursed you'll be.

When the Wheel begins to turn,

Let the Beltane fires burn.

When the Wheel has turned to Yule,

Light the log and the Horned One rules.

Heed ye Flower, Bush and Tree,

By the Lady, blessed be.

Where the rippling waters go,

Cast a stone and truth you'll know.

When ye have a true need,

Hearken not to others' greed.

With a fool no season spend,

Lest ye be counted as his friend.

Merry meet and merry part,

Bright the cheeks and warm the heart.

Mind the Threefold Law you should,

Three times bad and three times good.

When misfortune is enow,

Wear the blue star on thy brow.

True in Love ever be,

Lest thy lover's false to thee.

Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill:

An ye harm none, do what ye will...

Click HERE for an explanation of the Wiccan Rede.

THE FULL MOON SPREAD

Merry Meet to All of You!

As the Full Moon is here, Lisa and me thought about what we could do to harness its power magickally (our first ever proper ritual - exiting!).

I also devised a new Tarot spread for the night of the full moon, hence 'The Full Moon Spread'.

The aim of this spread is to see what you would like to manifest in your life and how you can go about it physically and spiritually. It also pays attention to the long term effects of such manifestation.

This is a sixteen card spread, which goes as followed:

1. The current Inner You - where you are right now in yourself

2. The current Outer You - how you are perceived by and project yourself onto the world

3. Desired outcome - what you would like to manifest in your life

4. The South Node - roots in the past, how your current status came about

5. Inner Influences - your own contributions

6. Outer Influences - contributors/-ions from the outside world

7. Western Shores - physical manifestation

8. Outer Influences - what you can harness from the outside world in order to physically

manifest your desired outcome

9. Inner Influences - what you can do in yourself to achieve manifestation

10. Wisdom of the East - spiritual manifestation

11. Higher Pathways - positive steps toward manifestation

12. Lower Pathways - inner blocks to overcome

13. North Node - the projected outcome

14. Manifestation in yourself - how the outcome affects you on the inside

15. Manifestation in the world - how the outcome affects the world around you

16. The North Star - how this manifestation may affect your further life path / long term future

The layout goes as followed:

*****************************************************16*

************************************** *13*

***********************************14*******15*

******************************8******************11*

***************************7**********(1)3(2)********10*

******************************9******************12*

**********************************5**********6**

****************************************4*

Lisa and me tested the spread for each of us and it worked really well, both of us didn't even ask a specific question, so you may use it for general guidance as well as specific needs.

So if you like to celebrate the Full Moon, feel free to use this spread and have as much fun with it as we had (feedback on how you got on with it would be very welcome!)!!!

Full Moon Blessings,

Ilona

TIP OF THE DAY - GOLDEN GORSE

Merry Meet to All of You!

I don't know about you, but I am a big fan of the River Cottage programme on Channel 4.

When I watched it on Wednesday night, I picked up a great idea from it:

how to make your own gorse wine!

It sounded really delicious and relatively easy to make and with all the gorse in our region, I will definitely have a go!

To get the recipe, go to:

http://www.channel4.com/food/recipes/chefs/hugh-fearnley-whittingstall/gorseflower-wine-recipe_p_1.html

You will need to get some Demijohns for it, which are available at reasonable prices on the Internet, e.g. at:

http://www.art-of-brewing.co.uk/acatalog/AoB_OnLine_Catalogue_Fermentation_Equipment_________27.html

So, get out there, forage, brew and be merry!

Summer Blessings,

Ilona

LAST MEETING INFORMATION

Merry Meet to All of You!

If you would like to see the handout about kitchen herbs and their properties we gave out at the meeting on Tuesday, go to:

http://theherbalchalice.blogspot.com/2009/06/kitchencupboard-magick.html

Warm Blessings,

Ilona

THE WITCHES' CREED

The Witches’ Creed by Doreen Valiente

Here Now the words of the witches,

The secrets we hid in the night,

When dark was out destiny's pathway,

That now we bring forth into light.

Mysterious water and fire,

The earth and the wide-ranging air,

By hidden quintessence we know them,

And will and keep silent and dare.

The birth and rebirth of all nature,

The passing of winter and spring,

We share with the life universal,

Rejoice in the magickal ring.

Four times in the year the Great Sabbat

Returns, and the witches are seen,

At Lammas and Candlemas dancing,

On May Eve and old Hallowe'en.

When day-time and night-time are equal,

When Sun is at greatest and least,

The four Lesser Sabbats are summoned,

And Witches gather in feast.

Thirteen silver moons in a year are,

Thirteen in the coven's array.

Thirteen times at Esbat make merry,

For each golden year and a day.

The power that was passed down the ages,

Each time between woman and man,

Each century into the other,

Ere time and the ages began.

When drawn is the magickal circle,

By sword or athame of power,

Its compass between two worlds lies,

In land of the shades for that hour.

This world has no right then to know it,

And world of beyond will tell naught.

The oldest of Gods are invoked there,

The Great Work of magick is wrought.

For two are the mystical pillars,

That stand at the gate of the shrine,

And two are the powers of Nature,

The forms and the forces divine.

The dark and the light in succession,

The opposites each unto each,

Shown forth as a God and a Goddess:

Of this our ancestors teach.

By night he's the wild wind's rider,

The Horn'd One, the Lord of the Shades.

By day he's the King of the Woodland,

The dweller in green forest glades.

She is youthful or old as she pleases,

She sails the torn clouds in her Braque,

The bright silver Lady of midnight,

The Crone who weaves spells in the dark.

The master and mistress of magick,

That dwell in the deeps of the mind,

Immortal and ever-renewing,

With power to free or to bind.

So drink the good wine to the Old Gods,

And dance and make love in the praise,

Till Elphame's fair land shall receive us

In peace at the end of our days.

And "Do What You Will" be the challenge,

So be it Love that harms none,

For this is the only commandment.

By Magick of old, be it done!

Eight words the Witches’ Creed fulfill:
If it harms none, do what you will.

TIP OF THE DAY - ELDERFLOWER

Merry Meet to All of You!

It's the time of the year again, where the elder trees start to bloom, and there are some good reason to go foraging for them.

Apart from being of lovely taste, elder flowers, and later the fruits, are full of natural goodness.

The flowers contain tannins, potassium, phenols and flavanoids, while the fruits are packed with folic acid and vitamins A and C.

Elder is a good choice to treat colds and flu, because it promotes sweating in the body and so helping it getting rid of toxins (summer detox, anyone). Elderberry extract has been medically proven to inhibit certain strains of the flu virus and if taken in the onset of colds and flu, can noticeably speed up your recovery.

You can simply make an infusion from 5mg of dried elder flowers to one cup of water, leave it to infuse for 5-10 min and drink three cups a day.

Apart from being great flu fighters, elder flowers also make a good anti-inflammatory mouthwash to sooth painful gums and inflamed throats.

Simply put 50g of flowers to 1 litre of boiling water, boil for another 5 min and use 4-6 times a day, especially after meals.

On top of these health benefits, elder is also a plant steeped in magick, which I blogged about on the Herbal Chalice Blog:

http://theherbalchalice.blogspot.com/2009/06/tip-of-week-magick-elder.html

Go on, get out there, go mad for elder!

Summer Blessings,

Ilona

UP IN THE AIR

Merry Meet to All of You!

Isn't there a strange feeling in the air at the moment?!

When we met for our meeting last night (which was brilliant, a really good exchange of views and experiences), we all said that we felt really strange over the last couple of days, a mixture of being charged up to the brim and at the same time being close to tears.

It was actually quite reassuring that other people are experiencing the same mood, because, to be honest, Lisa and me both felt like we were loosing it slightly.

We reckon it has to do with what's going on in the heavens right now, being in the sign of Gemini, which is pure Air, in conjunction with certain planetary alignments, can give you a distinct feeling of not being grounded, like floating aimlessly, even more so if you are an Earth or Water sign.

If you are feeling overcharged and a little lost, you might want to try burning some incense mix of cedar, chamomile and lavender, which can all help you to calm and ground yourself.

Lisa published a blog on the subject aswell, see: http://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com/2009/06/just-deserts.html

So, lets all be reassured that this mad phase will not last forever and just try to keep our feet on the ground.

Warm Blessings,

Ilona

TIP OF THE DAY - FESTIVAL SPIRIT

Merry Meet to All of You!

Moving swiftly through the Wheel of the Year, Litha is coming up fast (21 June) and we will have a more detailed blog about it nearer the time.

In the meantime though, I would like to recommend two books to you, which give you background of all the eight Sabbats and more importantly, tips of what you can do to create a joyous, fun celebration!

One of the books I have written about before, it's 'The Real Witches Kitchen' by Kate West and it is really good for recipes and "how to make merry", so click on the link to get the details of that.

The second book I would like to recommend is 'A Calendar of Festivals' by Marian Green (Element Books Ltd, 1991).

It guides you through the Wheel of the Year month by month, giving you background and ideas, including recipes and songs, for your celebrations. This book not only deals with the main Sabbats, but gives you information about 'in between' festivals, like Whitsuntide (Whit) and such.



Both of these books are good staples for your journey through the Wheel of the Year, so ... jump on the wagon and start celebrating!

Warm Blessings,

Ilona

TIP IF THE DAY - A MAGIC BREW

Merry Meet to All of You!

Hope you are all enjoying the sunshine as we are closing in on Misummer?!

I know, the lovely wheather makes you crave cold drinks more tham anything, but I found this tea recipe I want to share with you regardless.

It's called 'Magical Working Tea' and helps you with your preparation and mindset before undertaking, well, magickal work.

It is dead simple, just make an infusion out of:

2 teaspoons rosemary

1 teaspoon lavender

grated peel of 1 orange

let it infuse for 10 minutes and drink about an hour before your magickal workings.

Rosemary stimulates the brain while lavender relaxes you and orange is linked with solar energies, thus this tea can help putting yourself in the required mindset for your purposes.

(Recipe taken from: 'The Real Witches Kitchen' by Kate West, page 141; see: http://richmondchalice.blogspot.com/2009/05/tip-of-day-good-book.html)

So, even in this warm weather, the right cup of tea can still work wonders (my next tip will probably be a cold alcoholic bewerage, sunshine permitting)!

Enjoy this lovely summer weather and make the most of it outdoors,

Sunny Blessings,Ilona

TIP OF THE DAY - FIND YOUR DESTINY

North Node astrology deals with where you're heading - your 'future karmic pull' if you will.

Everyone can benefit from studying this aspect of their birth chart.

If you do not already have a birth chart, you can have one drawn up for free over at http://www.astro.com/

Once you've located your North Node, you can read about it in-depth over at http://northnodeastrology.blogspot.com/

You'll find that your North Node is read together with your South Node. Together they form a past-future axis across your birth chart. This axis deals with what you've learned in past incarnations, as well as what you're here to learn in this life.

Learning about the Nodes can be very liberating as it helps us understand why we're drawn to certain things, people and experiences even when this is problematic.

TIP OF THE DAY - GET UNSTUCK

Stuck in a rut? Need a good shake? Can't remember the last time your butt was in gear for anything?

The best way to get going again so that you can start realising your dreams is to do something, anything that is slightly to the left or the right of your comfort zone.

Are you afraid of heights? Go for a ride on a ferris wheel or go fell walking with that friend who's been nagging you about how you really must see the views from the mount Skiddaw summit since circa 1988.

Do you feel uncomfortable in the spotlight? Try Karaoke night at your local pub - not as audience!

Do you never ever wear anything red? Buy yourself a cherry red top and wear it for a day.

Does the thought of talking to strangers make you feel uncomfortable? Strike up a conversation with the person next to you at the bus stop.

It truly doesn't matter so much what you do. You've proven to yourself that you've got the guts to do something new and you've been instantaly rewarded with new experiences and memories. How good does that feel?

There's a lot of self-help literature out there that will tell you the same thing: to reach your goals and make your dreams come true you must learn to move about outside your comfort zone, so start practising today!

Pick ONE thing that you wouldn't normally do. Today really is the ideal day for it: agile and talkative Mercury is forming a sextile with erratic Uranus. The fieryAries Moon conjuncts Mars for extra oomph and the Sun is in Gemini. Go on - do something unexpected... and whatever you do, do it with a smile! Life is too short for anything else...

TIP OF THE DAY - A GOOD BOOK

Merry Meet to All!

You might have noticed that the main theme of our next chalice meeting is "Kitchen Cupboard Magick", e.g. using everyday kitchen ingredients for magic and/or healing purposes, so if you would like to find out more, pop along!

If you haven't got the time here is a good book for you to read, which shows you how to utilise your kitchen for magick purposes.

It's called:


and gives you plenty of ideas and inspiration, from candle and incense making, body care, feasting in tune with and cooking for the Wheel of the Year and its' Sabbats, potions and healing remedies. It also gives you tips on how to buy, store and use your herbs and what equipment you will need.

All in all, it's a great book, well written and easily accessible, even to the greenest novice.

So, if you have chance, take five, make a cuppa and bury your noses in some kitchen Magick!

Warm Blessings,

Ilona

TIP OF THE DAY - FRESH AS A DAISY

Merry Meet to All of You!

May is in full bloom and don't the meadows look just lovely with all the different wild flowers, like Dandelion and Bluebells?

In all this splendour, have you ever spared a thought for the humble Daisy?

As we are astrologically in Taurus at the moment, I would like to write about the Daisy, as it is linked to this star sign.

The Daisy is also a flower linked to the planet of Venus and therefore Aphrodite, the goddess of love. In magick, Daisies are a good-luck charm and are used with spells or in potions to bring purity, innocence and loyal love. You may prepare a balm from Daisies, to anoint the person for which you wish these things.

To prepare a balm of Daisy flowers, simply put fresh, slightly crushed (or dried and powdered) Daisies in a pan, together with Vaseline (or lard/unsalted butter, if you like). Bring to the boil slowly, so the Vaseline has time to melt evenly. Once boiling, stir and take of the heat, sifting out the residue via a tea towel or muslin cloth, giving the leftover residue a good squeeze. Finally leave to cool and bottle the balm.

(Information of planetary and zodiacal correlations taken from:
'Herbs in Magic and Alchemy'; C.L. Zalwski; 1990 : http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1853270466?ie=UTF8&tag=therichchal-21&linkCode=xm2&camp=1634&creativeASIN=1853270466 )

As well as for magickal uses, the Daisy can also be a colourful ingredient in your kitchen, as young leaves and flowers can be used in salads (country folk in old Italy and Spain used to eat the roots as well) and the flower petals make lovely decorations for puddings, biscuits and cakes.
So, next time you want to bake for your other half, why not make some muffins decorated with one of the flowers of Venus?

(You find a lovely muffin recipe on: http://theherbalchalice.blogspot.com/2009/05/reciepe-of-week-daisy-muffins.html )

As you take your next walk, why not spare a little thought for the lovely little Daisy, and the innocence, love and good luck it stands for?

Spring Blessings,

Ilona

TIP OF THE DAY - PSYCHIC PARTY GAMES

Having a party? Not sure what theme to go with? Well here is the good news - you don't have to wait for Halloween to have a metaphysical theme or to do some psychic party games!

Here's a link to a website that has a few simple games that you might like to try: http://carrieanddanielle.com/improve-your-intuition-psychic-games-for-parties-and-groups/

If you're looking for more variation as well as games that go with specific types of celebration or the major sabbats of the year, you might want to check out Cassandra Eason's book Psychic Party Games.

You may also consider enlisting the help of one of your psychic friends to do mini readings for each of the guests, or hiring a professional psychic tarot reader (can be expensive!).

The bottom line is that we are all psychic and it's easier to bring this out in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. It's important that everyone is at ease with what is going on, so check and make sure that none of your guests have any hang-ups about psychic activities before you get started. Besides, being psychic yourself, you probably know which guests to invite and which ones to leave out until you have a more conventionally themed party ;)

TIP OF THE DAY - DOWN TO EARTH

Merry Meet to all of you!

I recently read Marian Green's book 'The Gentle Art of Aquarian Magic' and really enjoyed it.

Here is a little quote from the chapter about Earth Magic, which stood out for me, as it sums up my feelings perfectly.

"...you don't need artificial, modern written sources to lead you to the Goddess of Earth, Mother Nature [...] Any walk among trees, over wild countryside or along a wintry, deserted beach will bring you far closer to the roots of the oldest religion of all than muttered rites in a man-made house, or words read from a page by guttering candle light."

(Marion Green; The Gentle Art of Aquarian Magic; The Aquarian Press; London; 1987)

I feel this is so true, how can you be closer to the magick of the Earth than when you are surrounded by it?!

Next time you want to connect to Earth Magick, why not take a long walk, and open your eyes and soul to what is around you (you might want to read Lisa's Tip of the Day - Walk in Wonder again).

You could collect a stone, which you find while out, one which spoke to you through it's patterns or shape, and take it home with you. There you can take some quiet time, just holding the stone, reaching out to it, feeling it's energy. In time you will develop a relationship with your special stone, and in time of need, just holding it can give you a sense of comfort and peace. This is one very simple way of letting the magick of the Earth into your life.

So, next time you take a walk, open yourself to the beauty and spirit of Mother Nature around you!

Warm Blessings,

Ilona

CRYSTAL OF THE MONTH - CHRYSOCOLLA

We are now in the month of Taurus, and my choice of crystal for the taurean energies is chrysocolla - the most venusian of all gemstones. Not only do the colours of the stone reflect those associated with the goddess Venus, but the crystal also supports loving relationships.

The strength and determination innate in a true taurean can also be harnessed through working with the vibrations of this wonderfully soothing and strengthening stone.

Chrysocolla can help create a peaceful atmosphere and calm communication within the home. Place it strategically in places where people tend to congregate. The drusy chrysocolla (a quartz combination) is especially good for communication, helping people gain clarity and objectivity, as well as to realise when it is perhaps best to say nothing at all.

Chrysocolla is, besides rose quartz, the best crystal to use in love spells.

Health conditions that can be helped by chrysocolla include any diseases related to the lungs, diabetes, burns, muscle spams and indigestion.

The numerological correspondence for chrysocolla is 5, a number associated with Venus.

A simple affirmation to program your crystal with could be 'I give and receive love easily and joyfully.'

NEXT CHALICE MEETING

Merry Meet to All!

Here the details for our next meeting:

Interested in:

* TAROT
* ASTROLOGY
* PAGANISM
* WICCA
* SPIRITUAL HEALING & DEVELOPMENT
* SACRED DANCE
* ANGELS & FAIRIES

Come and meet like-minded people for discussion, learning and fun!

Kitchen Cupboard Magick.

Find out which ‘magickal’ ingredients lurk in your everyday kitchen supplies, how to use them and how to harness their healing properties.

On: Tuesday, 5th May,
AT: 7.30pm
In: The Ralph Fitz Randall
(Weatherspoons), RICHMOND

For more Information contact Lisa or Ilona on:
Email: richmondchalice@ymail.com

We hope to see you there!

Warm Blessings,

Ilona