Thursday 30 April 2009

TIP OF THE DAY - KEEP A MOON JOURNAL


We are all affected by the moon... the question is how are you affected? There is a very simple way of finding out - persistent observation. Actually, this is the only way.

Try observing three full lunar cycles, writing (at a minimum) a paragraph a day in your Book of Shadows or a special diary/notebook about your observations. You can look up the lunar phase and moon sign online for each day (http://www.moonsigncalendar.net/ is a good resource), but you also need to establish a personal relationship with the moon in nature. On clear nights or early mornings, try locating the moon and gaze at it in silence for a few minutes. Make notes on how you are feeling, as well as what is going on in the sky.

On the Moonsigncalendar.net website you can also find out your Moon sign and the phase/angle of the moon at the time of birth. This will tell you a lot about your emotional make-up and also help you understand why you feel better at certain times of the lunar cycle. You might for instance find that you have more energy than usual at the time of your lunar birth phase.

Once you start making these daily observations it will become obvious why the Moon plays such a vital role in all sorts of magick.

For those of you interested in astrology, you can also try researching the 12 Moon signs. This information is helpful if you plan on using a moon sign calendar for magickal workings or if you just want to know which weekend is best suited for a romantic getaway. The moon stays in each sign approximately 2½ days before moving on to the next sign and covers the whole zodiac in one cycle.

Extend your observations to a whole year and you will soon understand why certain magickal workings are much better suited to a spring-time full moon in Aries than a Capricorn waning moon in the middle of August. Never take anyone's word for what is appropriate in connection with spell work. A true witch knows what she is doing. Hence the old term cunning man/woman. This term refers to deep experiental knowledge about the cycles and correspondences of Nature and the Heavens.

Don't be shy to express your creativity in your Moon Journal. Feel free to write a poem rather than using prose for your observations if you feel moved by the tides to do so.

Here are a few questions to keep in mind as you write in your journal:

How do I feel physically/mentally/emotionally today?
How is my energy affected? Am I centred or is my energy scattered?
Were my dreams more vivid than usual?
Am I more or less psychically sensitive than usual?
(For women only:) Where in my cycle am I?

Don't forget to note down any lunar eclipses or other celestial anomalies that might affect the Moon.

And to round off I'd like to share a little-known medical fact: women are more likely to conceive during their lunar birth phase regardless of where in their menstrual cycle they are... It pays to be in the know for oh so many reasons, so get observing!

Bright Beltane Blessing!
Lisa
http://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com/

Wednesday 29 April 2009

TIP OF THE DAY - FLORALIA AND WALBURGIS







Merry Meet to all of You!

If you read the blog about Beltaine, you might have noticed that I mentioned Floralia and Walburgisnacht as two names for the festival, and I would like to explain their origins a bit further.

While Beltaine is the May festival based on Celtic origins, Floralia and Walburgis are rooted in Roman, respectively German traditions.

Floralia

Floralia was the festival of the Roman goddess Flora (Flora was indigenous to the Roman region, although her origins most likely herald from the Sabines or Oscans. Flora is the spirit of flowers and springtime, embodying the flowering and fruition of everything in nature, including us humans. All flowers are sacred to her, and often she is pictured with a cornucopia. Flora embodies both the pleasure of the moment as well as the promise of a fruitful future (with flowers leading to fruit and sexual intercourse resulting in babies).

The Floralia was celebrated annually from April 28th to the beginning of May and honoured the female body (Flora is sometimes understood as the original Queen of May). With its strong ties to fruition and sexuality, the Floralia were originally celebrated nude, until clothing was insisted on by the Roman authorities in the third century AD. They stopped being celebrated in the 4th century AD, when all pagan festivals were banned.

Walburgisnacht

Walburgisnacht, or Walburgis Night, is the German celebration of May Eve.

Walburgis (or Walburga) was a popular German women’s name in former times, but the original Walburgis (Walpurgis) was a spirit or goddess, who manifests as a beautiful lady with long flowing hair, a crown and fiery shoes. Her attributes are a spindle and a three cornered mirror, which reveals the future. Walburgis was involved in rituals to banish the winter and allow the emergence of summer.

In tradition, for nine nights before May Day, Walburgis, as the Lady of the summer, is chased by the Wild Hunt, so she seeks refuge among the people, who leave their doors and windows open for her to find safety from the hunt and the frost. Houses and barns were decorated with special May Eve plants, which carried the blessings of witch deities. Elder wood, Alder branches and Ground Ivy were among these. The lighting of fires, to keep the forces of the hunt at bay, was also part of the celebrations.

Under the influence of Christendom, Walburgisnacht transformed into a celebration to drive out pagan forces rather than the forces of winter, finally, in the 8th century AD, becoming a festival of a Christian saint, rather than that of a goddess of summer. (St Walburga was the niece of St Bonifaz and an English abbess, born around 710 AD in Wessex, who founded several religious houses in Germany during the 8th century AD. She was canonized after her death in 779 AD.)
The traditional rituals and decorations, like fires and plants, were now used to ward away witches and forces of evil, who were said to be out in force on the night of May Eve. Mass conversions (Hexentänze) were allegedly taking place on mountain peaks, of which the most famous is the ‘Brocken’ in the Harz region of Germany.

Enjoy May Eve,

May Blessings

Ilona

Friday 24 April 2009

THE WHEEL OF THE YEAR - BELTAINE



Merry Meet to All of You!

Moving on swiftly through the Wheel of the Year, the next Greater Sabbat is just round the corner!

Modern May Day co-insides with the pagan Sabbat of Beltaine (Beltane, Bealltaine, Beltene, Beltine, Floralia, in German: Walburgisnacht), a celebration of summer and fertility and generally a time of merry-making and pleasure, which, in the form that it is most widely known as, is mainly based on ancient Celtic traditions.

Beltaine celebrations begin with the Moon rising on the evening before the 1st of May. In metaphysical context it is understood as the moment when the Earth’s generative, reproductive and sexual energies are at their highest.
Beltaine also initialises the ‘bright half of the year’, with fires traditionally being lit to symbolise the sun’s power on Earth.
These fires were called ‘bel-fires’ or ‘bale fires’ and they convey the force of fire in its magical, energising and healing capacities.
People used to dance around these fires or jump over them to gain from these positive and radiant energies, traditionally, livestock, e.g. cattle was also driven through them to heighten their fertility and productiveness in the future months.
The main goal of these fire ceremonies, for humans and animals, were the prevention of disease, to ban bad luck and to increase fertility and creativity.
Beltaine was celebrated as a happy and raucous feast, with sexuality playing an important role (who hasn’t heard of ‘fornicating in the fields’?).

The joyous aspects of Beltaine have been integrated into modern Wicca, with the devotion to the sun, human sexuality and the regeneration of life being emphasised. Some Wiccans celebrate ‘High Beltaine’ by enacting a ritual union of the May Lord and Lady.

If you would like to celebrate Beltaine, why not go out into nature on May Eve, with some food and drink and find a spot to light your own bale fire (a portable barbeque is the best base for your fire, so that it doesn’t spread beyond your control!). Take some musical instruments, if you have some, or just upload your I-Player with invigorating ‘fire’ music*, and dance and be merry, celebrating happiness and the coming summer (I let you decide on the fornicating bit)!

There are organized celebrations of Beltaine you can go to, one not far from Richmond (North Yorkshire), at Thornborough Henge near Masham. If you would like to find out more about this, click here:


Here's a link which gives you details of other Beltaine festivals:


For more information about the Sabbats and Beltaine, click here:

http://www.twpt.com/celebrations.htm
http://www.proteuscoven.org/proteus/sabbats.htm

So, enjoy the upcoming Sabbat and the summer which follows and have fun celebrating Beltaine!

Warm Blessings Ilona
* Music tip: Loreena McKennitt, ‘Huron Beltane Fire Dance’, for CD details see:

Wednesday 22 April 2009

TIP OF THE DAY - PAST LIVES


Merry Meet to All!


For anyone of you, who is interested in exploring past lives and their influence they might have on our current existence, here’s a really good book I recently came about.

It is called ‘Past Lives, Future Healing’ by Sylvia Browne, published in 2001, and is one of the most positive books I have read in a while.


In it, Browne gives vivid examples of past life experiences/memories of people she has encountered in her long work as a psychic and how, by regression, they were able to overcome health and/or psychological problems which plagued them in this lifetime.

For the more adventurous among you there is a part at the end of the book where the author shows you ways and techniques of how to gain access to your own past life memories.

So, if you just want to reaffirm your believes in past lives or look for a positive and easy to read introduction to the subject, this should be the book for you!

For more information on Sylvia Browne and the book, just click on the links below.







Warm Blessings,

Ilona

Thursday 16 April 2009

NEXT CHALICE MEETING!

Merry Meet to all,
here is the information 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!

Talking Tarot.
Anyone with an interest in the Tarot is welcome. Just come along and feel free to bring your own deck. No previous knowledge necessary.


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


EVERYONE WELCOME!!!
Hope to see you there,

Warm Blessings,
Ilona & Lisa

Wednesday 15 April 2009

TIP OF THE DAY - A GOOD CUPPA

Merry Meet to All!

As nice as spring is, it can be a pesky time for colds and such, can't it?

I for one have a quite nasty cold, which did me the honour to turn into a horrible ear infection.
Being a good girl, I went to the doctor for a course of antibiotics (as you should), but this hasn't stopped me from complementing them with some herbal remedies from ... my kitchen cupboard.

If you suffer from ear ache or discharge, one of the easiest complementary herbal medicines you can turn to is a good cuppa to help you fight the infection and reduce inflammation - in this case rosemary tea.


Simply put 2-4g of dried rosemary in a cup of boiling water and let it infuse for about 10 minutes. Drink three cups a day after your meals.


Rosemary is a very powerful herb with many medicinal properties. It contains flavanoids which stimulate the blood flow and as such can be used to improve memory and concentration as well as easing headaches. Rosemary is also beneficial to digestion, on which is has a calming effect, and can be taken if you suffer from stomach cramps, bloating or constipation. It also acts as a detoxing agent to help clean the liver.
In the above mentioned case of ear infection, as well as bronchial, nose and throat infections, it acts as an effective anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial agent.
In external use, you can dilute rosemary oil with a neutral oil (eg sunflower) and use it as a rub to help with muscular and rheumatic pain and inflammation. An infusion into the bathwater also eases rheumatism.

Because of the powerful properties of rosemary, it should not be used on children and if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, make sure the amount taken does not exceed the one normally found in your diet.
For further information on rosemary and recipes for aspects of it in magick got to:
So, next time you suffer from ear, nose or chest infections, why not try a good cup of rosemary tea to help you on your way (don't forget though, if symptoms persist, always go to your doctor!).

Spring Blessings and Good Health



Ilona






Monday 13 April 2009

TIP OF THE DAY - ELEMENTAL MAGICK




Are you curious about witchcraft? Do you want to learn how to do real magick? Or would you just like to know how to achieve a state of perfect harmony within? The place to start is to getting to know the four elements.

The elements of creation are Fire, Water, Air and Earth. There is also a fifth element, Aether, which binds all the other elements together and is represented by the top point of the Pentagram.

The primary correspondences for the four elements are the four main directions of the compass. These are also the four quarter points from which the Elements are called during magickal workings.

East - Air
South - Fire
West - Water
North - Earth

One way to get to know the elements is to stand in the middle of a circle which you mark with a rope, candles, pine cones or crystals. It's also perfectly fine to use an energy perimeter that you creat in your mind. The circle can be as small or large as you choose. You might need to keep it small if you are working in your living room, but feel free to spread out if you are working in a garden or field.

Take a step toward the eastern quarter and try to sense the element Air with all your being. Just observe what comes to you; don't conjure anything. Once you start receiving impressions of colour, temperature, touch etc, see if you can translate these into a movement that expresses the quality of the element Air.

Once you've completed the movement sequence, commit it to memory and step back into the middle of the circle. Turning clockwise to the South, step forward and see what you can sense/express for the Fire element.

By the end of this exercise you will have four movements which you'll be able to use to call and greet the Guardians of the Elements.

If you have an affinity for angels you might like to read up on the four archangels who have the following correspondences with the four elements/quarters:

East - Air - Raphael
South - Fire - Michael
West - Water - Gabriel
North - Earth - Uriel (or Auriel)

An excellent book on Angel Magick is Angels: Companions in Magick by Silver RavenWolf.

Once you have started to get to know the elements, you might be interested to check out the elemental balance in your own birth chart. This is completely free and relatively easy to do for yourself on http://www.astro.com/

The astrological correspondences for the elements are:

Aries/Leo/Sagittarius - Fire
Taurus/Virgo/Capricorn - Earth
Gemini/Libra/Aquarius - Air
Cancer/Scorpio/Pisces - Water

It's rare for a chart to show perfect balance betwen the elements. Learning to balance the elements within is part not only of our magickal learning but necessary in order to achieve physical health and harmonious relationships. Read more about balancing the elements HERE.

Bright Easter Monday Blessings,
Lisa

Wednesday 8 April 2009

TIP OF THE DAY - EVERYTING WITCHCRAFT

Are you curious about witchcraft or do you already know a bit but would like to find a non-dogmatic book that gives you an overview about all that witchcraft entails?

The Everything Witchcraft book by Marion Singer is an excellent beginner's course in witchcraft for the novice witch or wannabe Wiccan. It helps you understand the difference between the religion Wicca and the magickal methodology of witchcraft. The language is succinct and easy to understand.

Everything Witchcraft provides a historical background to modern Wicca and witchcraft, and touches on all areas of learning that a witch might encounter on her journey.

This is not an indepth study of any particular subject, but does provide you with a very good understanding of the basics. It also gives you ideas, correspondences and tools to start practising.

I give this book 4 out 5 because it has the fun factor, which is very important. I would have given it 5 out 5 if it weren't for the fact that I felt a bit let down by the history section which felt a bit flimsy. Anyone who makes historical claims needs to be able to back them up.

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

PS. For those of you interested in history, I recommend The Triumph of the Moon by Ronald Hutton.

Monday 6 April 2009

CRYSTAL OF THE MONTH - FIRE AGATE




We're now in the month of fiery Aries the Ram, so the crystal I've chosen to take a closer look this month is fire agate.

Fire agate acts a bit like a general tonic to its wearer. It strengthens the root/base chakra and increases both vitality and libido.

Fire agate acts as a protective talisman, especially against curses, ill-wishes and malicious thoughts. Any negative energy directed towards the person carrying/wearing a piece of fire agate is deflected back to its source, where the person sending the malicious energy is made aware of the consequences.

Psychologically, visionary skills are strengthened and deep-rooted fears cleared. It's a great crystal to carry at the start of a new project.

On the physical level, fire agate improves eyesight and heals stomach complaints, as well as circulatory and nervous disorders.

Numerologically, fire agate resonates to the vibration of number 9.

Bright blessings,
Lisa

Saturday 4 April 2009

TIP OF THE DAY - FOR THE PICKING

Merry Meet to all!

Adding to the Tip of the Day about wild garlic foraging, this is the time of the year to start foraging for stinging nettles as well.

The traditional time for harvesting is May/June, before the flowering, but the very young and tender nettle shoots coming through right now are lovely and subtle in flavour.

The leaves of the nettles contain both iron and vitamin C, as well as calcium, potassium and silicic acids. You can also harvest the roots of the nettle plant, also I would recommend this later in the year, when they are stronger, so I will concentrate on the benefits you get from the leaves.

The easiest way to use nettle leaves is to just make a fresh nettle tea, by simply infusing the leaves (which are best slightly bruised in a mortar and pestle) in some hot water for 7-10 minutes. Nettle tea is great for stimulating the appetite, providing iron and fighting fatigue (why not swap your normal cuppa in the morning for some 'nettle zing'?).

The components of the leaves can also help against arthritic and rheumatic pain - my grandmother used to wrap nettle plants round her ankles for this purpose, but don't worry, it needn't be this painful, as nettle tea is also a natural diuretic, helping with the elimination of sodium and urea from the body, which eases the above conditions. Nettle leaves also act as a powerful anti-inflammatory agent.

If you are not a fan of the taste of nettle tea, you can also add nettles to homemade veg juices, just put them through your juicer with everything else you normally use for juicing.

As well as for all these health benefits, nettles just make a lovely ingredient in cooking, for salads or soups, even for flavoured wine.

Look out for tasty nettle recipes coming up!



Spring Blessings,


Ilona



Friday 3 April 2009

FIRST MEETING - A BRIEF SUMMARY

Yesterday's meeting went well. Including Ilona and myself, there were five of us present - a wonderful start to a brand new fellowship of kindred spirits!

We had been forewarned that Wetherspoons is busy on a Thursday night, and this proved to be true. As the night progressed and people around us had more to drink (isn't it weird how people get really loud when they're a bit tipsy?), the noise levels made it difficult to hear what people were saying, but we managed to get to know each other quite well, and establish some common ground with regards to the reason and aims for the group.

Everyone seemed interested in learning more about 'green living' and being in harmony with nature, so this is definitely an area we'll explore in months to come.

Other ideas for future talks/information sharing were relaxation&meditation and psychic development.

We decided to explore meeting at the Black Lion on Finkle Street in Richmond for our next gathering on the 7th of May. The theme for May will be the Tarot as a tool for personal/spiritual development. More information will be posted her soon about the next meeting.



We rounded the evening off by doing the 'Crossing the River' tarot spread (see picture above).

Card 1 represents where we are now - Strength: As a group, we are ready to follow the calling of our higher selves and tame the ego with love so that unity consciousness can permeate all that we do.

Card 2 represents where we want to be - Ace of Pentacles: We long to plant a seed of something new that will manifest in physical reality. This seed will blossom into ways of living that do not harm our planet and that encourage complete embodiment of spirit in our physical bodies.

Card 3 represents the river we need to cross (the challenge) - Ace of Wands: The influx of spiritual energy that inspired us to get together can be difficult to channel into manifest reality.

Card 4 represents the bridge - The World: We cross the river by contributing with our talents in awareness of our own individual limitations, as well as a wholehearted appreciation for how each of us have a much needed gift that can be used to create unity, harmony and increased understanding.

The actual layout for the cards in this spread is:

******4****** (card 4 crosses card 3)

**1***3***2**


Bright blessings,
Lisa

Thursday 2 April 2009

TIP OF THE DAY- THE WISDOM OF GRASS


Merry Meet to all of you!

You probably wonder, what the title is about?


Well, it's just something I came up with, when life gets on top of me sometimes and everything seems a struggle.

In Taoism, one of the roots of unhappiness, ill-contentment and negative personal energy is our constant striving in the material world. In our society, it gets ingrained in most of us from a very early age, that it is the most important in life, to be successful - in both personal relationships as well as career wise. People tend to measure their self-worth in what they have been able to achieve and amass in material possessions. The pressure to keep up a 'successful, perfect' image puts a huge emphasis on constantly 'bettering yourself' and achieve more, and there are no excuses allowed, if you can't keep up.
This strive for socially accepted 'perfection' in your life can lead to rigidity and the inability to deal with changes, which might not fit into your 'personal achievement plan' and thus affect self-worth in a negative way.
Taoism teaches that you can reach happiness and contentment by detachment to the material world. Now, that sounds pretty profound and a bit scary, but the core of it means: you have to learn to bend with the flow of life, in good phases as well as bad, and stop denying yourself the right to regress and re-assess...and yes - to feel sad and awful.
Stop striving for societies blind prescription of 'happily ever after' at all costs!

That's why I call it 'the wisdom of grass', because why is grass one of the most successful species on Earth? It is flexible and bends with every direction the wind might blow from and so it survives!
It is an allegory of embracing change instead of fighting against it (the grass would break
standing up to the wind).
So the next time life puts you on a low ebb, visualize a great plain of grass swaying with the strong wind, and how it will not break, but stand upright again, once the storm is over.

Warm Blessings,
Ilona

Wednesday 1 April 2009

TIP OF THE DAY - YOUR MAGICKAL TREE



Do you sometimes feel drawn to certain trees? There is a reason for this. The spirit, aka deva, of the tree is trying to communicate with you.

Most magickal people tend to bond with a special tree. Make sure you get to know the tree you are drawn to by communicating silently with it through touch. Your tree can give you comfort, strength, inspiration and healing. It is polite to give something back when your tree has gifted you.

Never cut a branch or take bark from a tree without asking the tree for permission first.

It is also valuable to study tree-lore in order to find out more about the magickal properties of your tree.

Watch this space for future tree spells!

Bright blessings,
Lisa