Happy full moon dearest moonbeams! May's full moon goes by a few different names - the flower moon, the hare moon, the corn planting moon and the milk moon. We are connecting to it as the Hare Moon as we're still bathing in the energy of Beltane and the celebration of spring at it's fullest. The hare is a sacred symbol in celtic mythology with strong links to shapeshifting lunar goddesses and the Otherworld which is perfect for this Scorpio full moon. So, grab yourself a cuppa and snuggle up as we take you into the Wild Magic of this Super Full Moon. First of all, let's look at the astrology: Key words/themes associated with Scorpio are: transformation, passion, death, karma, emotions, intuition, magic, regeneration, rebirth, sovereignty, the witch, the dark goddess, the liminal. The sun is in the sign of Taurus and the moon is in it's opposite sign of Scorpio, as with every full moon, we use these seemingly opposing forces to help us shine the light of the full moon on our inner darkness and move forward with clarity and balance. Taurus is associated with the season of Beltane and Scorpio is associated with the season of Samhain both of these times of year are associated with magic and the otherworld but they have very different energies. Beltane is about Spring, fertility, joy and celebration and Samhain is about death, journeying to the underworld and Autumn. Taurus as an earth sign invites us to be present, grounded and sensual, Scorpio as a water sign invites us to dive down into the shadows of our psyche and 'do the work'. Scorpios have an almost disdain for the mundane, the shallow and the ordinary and like to spend a lot of their time in quiet, deep contemplation on the how's and why's of the world and are also unafraid to confront topics such as death and dying. Scorpio has two ruling planets, Mars and Pluto. Mars brings the energies of sexuality, action and primal passions and Pluto has this connection to the underworld and therefore the cycles of death and rebirth and the parts of ourself that are unseen, hidden and secret. Scorpio is very much about making the unconscious, conscious. We have Scorpio, a water sign associated with the underworld and Taurus an earth sign associated with the earthly and material world. These signs appear to contradict each other but they actually invite us to establish balance between these two aspects of ourselves. We can check-in with where we dwell most often. Are we always off exploring the dark mysteries of the world, brooding, deep in thought but perhaps a little aloof? Or are we distracted by the trappings of the material world and do we shy away from thinking about the darker concepts of life? Balance between the Scorpio and Taurean energy would be this idea of being in the world but not of this world, the ability to stay connected to the truth of life the cycles of life, death and rebirth whilst being grounded and present with our self and the people around us. There would be this peaceful, contented energy of enjoying the things of this life whilst having the ability to let them go when the time is right.
"He who binds to himself a joy, Does the winged life destroy, But he who kisses the joy as it flies Lives in eternity's sun rise." - William Blake One of the best ways to harmonize these two energies is to look to nature! Being in constant communication with nature teaches us how to both enjoy the sensuality of flowers in full bloom whilst also not shy away from death and decay. Tuning into the cyclical nature of life teaches us to see the beauty in each moment.
The archetype of the Witch is often associated with the sign of Scorpio, Scorpio season takes place later in the year at Samhain (Halloween), a time of year for connecting to death, rebirth and magic! The archetype of the Witch still remains so misunderstood and misrepresented, so this Scorpio full moon, we invite you to explore this archetype in your own heart. Is your inner Witch waking up? Many people believe that the disconnection to nature's healing rhythms was severed with the persecution of the Witch. So much wisdom and common sense was lost when we lost the Witches of this world or forced them into hiding. The persecution of women as witches is a deep collective wound that we as sisters need to heal together. It's really important to unpack the word witch, it is often associated with the stereotypical image of a hag with warts who is bitter and throws curses on her enemies. Witches are often the bad guy in stories and in the time of the witch trials were to blame for failing crops, death and illnesses in the villages and even for things like bad dreams. When we delve into history and look beyond the patriarchal manipulation of this caricature we find that a witch would have been the woman in the village who held the knowledge of the seasons and wisdom of the moon, her magic would have been the blending of herb and root to heal ailments, she would have been the midwife, the storyteller and the oracle and she would have held people's love and respect. Witches were feared because they were women that knew they had everything they needed within themselves to be well and to be happy, they could commune with the divine with no need of a medium and could help others to do the same, because of this they were a threat and one that needed to be dealt with. During the witch-hunts of early modern Europe, tens of thousands of people were put on trial, tortured and executed as witches, three quarters of whom were women. The word Witch carries pain, misunderstanding and fear and requires a lot of healing in the collective psyche of both men and women. Excitingly, we now find ourselves in a time of people reclaiming their wild magic! Men and women throughout the world are reclaiming their wildish natures and re-learning how to honour and live with the cycles of the seasons and the rhythms of the moon. The wild is rising!
Here are a few of our favourite books for connecting to and reclaiming the Witch: THE FAMILIARS by STACEY HALLS THE GREEN WITCH by Arin Murphy-Hiscock THE RULES OF MAGIC by ALICE HOFFMAN THE WILD FOLK by SYLVIA V LINSTEADT WAKING THE WITCH by PAM GROSSMAN THE WITCH by RONALD HUTTON
One thing many of these Goddesses share in common is that they are misunderstood and misrepresented their herstories have been changed and manipulated to perpetuate a Patriarchal narrative. You could associate most of these Goddesses with the archetype of the Enchantress which is the archetype between the Mother and the Crone that so often gets missed out - it's also associated with the Witch and the Medicine woman. The Enchantress phase in a woman's life is often referred to as her second maidenhood, it's a woman who is fully stepping into her power through the culmination of all her life experience after her time of being a mother (that might be a mother to actual children or a mother to her work, her projects etc) - and she is once again sovereign. It is the pre-menstruation part of our female cycle, that part where we are so deeply connected to our intuition and magic and it's so interesting to look at the narratives surrounding these parts of our both our life cycle and monthly cycle. What does society teach us about the enchantress? She's either a crazy witch who meddles in the happiness of others and is ruled by her bitterness and anger or she's not there at all and we skip from Mother straight to Crone. There are so many women in their Enchantress phase who are locked out of their power because they are viewing themselves as a crone before their time. Women during the premenstrual phase of their cycle and during Menopause are deeply shamed for their 'unstable' emotions and many women are taught to distrust their feelings during both of these times. Another way of looking at this is that the Dark Goddess is revealing all that is not true, all that needs to die, all that needs to be stripped away in order for the fullest most potent version of to step forward. Moon in Scorpio teaches us to embrace our Enchantress. The part of our self that uses our emotions as a tool for divination, the part of us that won't stand for falsehoods and mistruths and would rather be in the company of herself rather than the company of the fake. It's time to embrace your too much woman! It's time to tell a different story about these Goddesses and about our self!
LILITH Is there a Goddess more Vilified than Lilith? - Adam's first wife who refused to submit to his will and was therefore cast out. Even to this day Lilith is depicted in many stories and TV shows as en evil temptress who brings nothing but destruction. Lilith helps us reclaim our wild and call back all the parts of ourselves that we have buried or hidden out of shame. She teaches us that NO is a complete sentence.
"Like the screech owl for whom Lilith is named, Her screech cannot be silenced. She is all women who have been subjugated, humiliated, and cast out from male-defined society. Her rage is the rage of women who have realized that our natural women’s sexuality has been made dirty by men who fear the power of it and the power of free women." - Motherhouse of the Goddess HEKATE Hekate is an ancient Goddess associated with the Dark Moon, the liminal, witchcraft and magic and is often called The Queen of Witches. She guides Persephone on her journey through the underworld and so we can turn to her on our own journey of transformation. KALI Kali is the hindu goddess of death, karma and transformation. If you're having trouble breaking free from certain Karmic patterns and habits, want to move forward but keep clinging on to the past then Kali can help you with her powerful fire of transformation. She has a wrathful appearance showing that she helps us to conquer our inner demons and fears. Beware when calling upon Kali, she is the great mother and will give us what we need in order to transcend but it won't necessarily be what we want. CERIDWEN Ceridwen is another goddess of transformation, her name comes from the celtic word 'Cerru', meaning cauldron. She is a shapeshifting Welsh Goddess associated with creativity, power, the moon and magic. You can read the story of Ceridwen here. MORGAN LE FAYE What do we think of when we think of Morgan Le Faye? Dark witch who tried to kill King Arthur? Evil temptress? Bitter woman? Look closer and we once again find that her story was changed. Morgan Le Faye was a Druid Priestess, a healer and Medicine Woman who was more than likely protecting her people and her land. There are some wonderful books written about Morgan Le Faye in this different light such as The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradle. MARY MAGDALENE Again, one of the most misrepresented women in history! Mary Magdalene was a High Priestess and teacher who taught at the side of Jesus. Her story has been changed from a woman who was the most trusted of Jesus' disciples to being a prostitute who he took pity on. Many women today are drawn to Mary Magdalene's energy and discovering her truth for themselves. She teaches us the power of enduring love and being committed to your path no matter what other people think about you.
This article was an excerpt from the Sisters of the Moon Blog – read the ful thing here: https://sistersofthemoononline.weebly.com/blog
Full moon blessings to you all dear sisters! Don't forget you can join us for our live Moon Circles via Zoom when you sign up to either our $10 or $20 a month Patreon tier. Full details: www.patreon.com/sistersofthemoon
You can find them at https://www.facebook.com/sistersofthemooncommunity/
The cult of the Mistress of Serpents is the oldest cult known in human history, deeply linked to the feminine mysteries and the natural and spiritual forces of the Earth, it's been twisted, inverted and degraded more than any other symbol in the world. Firstly, as a symbol of the Goddess and feminine sexuality and attributes, such as prophecy. With the development of patriarchy around the world, we passed from the Mistress of Serpents and her motifs of snakes and voluptuous women with big and open vaginas, to “heroes” slaying serpentine monsters, like Apollo killing the serpent of prophecy Python (and taking her place at Delphi). Despite this first degradation of the snake, serpents remained a symbol of healing, wisdom and a personification of the vital force of the Earth that gives life to all living beings. However, as the grip of highly hierarchical and tyrannical patriarchal governments tightened, the first monotheistic cults appeared, finally, demonising the serpent. With the rise of Christianism the serpent became synonym of paganism and witchcraft, and an embodiment of the devil. Legends of Christian saints slaying or banishing serpents and dragons abound but probably the most illustrative is St Patrick who banished snakes from a country, Ireland, where they never had snakes. The snakes he “banished” were druids. Snakes, serpents and dragons have a prominent role in mythologies worldwide and the Celtic regions were no exception. Druids called themselves “serpents” and they valued the snake's egg, the “ovum anguinum”, above all amulets. By calling themselves snakes, the druids meant they were initiates of the old ways and keepers of arcane (megalithic) wisdom. This included knowledge and mastery of the mysteries of the Earth, the “dragon lines”, serpentine lines of flowing vital energy of the Earth. The physical manifestation of some of these lines are rivers and oceanic currents. Similar snaking lines of flowing energy are found in all living beings, within our bodies, sap and blood being their physical manifestations. This serpentine vital force exist within everything connecting all-that-is into a vibrating energetic web. We have seen the snake as a symbol and personification of chaotic and telluric forces our ancestors learnt to feel and work with. Snakes were connected to sexuality (creative potential) of both, male and female, but most often strongly connected with the feminine due to their cyclic nature, which they shared with women and the Earth. Women menstruate, snakes shed their skin and the Earth experiences multiple cycles, the cycles of water and of the earth. It's not surprising that both women/goddesses and snakes were seen as rulers and/or intermediaries between the natural and supernatural forces, bringing hidden (underground) knowledge to the surface, and overseeing the different stages of the cycle of birth-death-rebirth. Snakes and snake's eggs have been found in burial chambers, the bodies most often laid in fetal position inside it. Back to the mother, back to the source, a journey through water beyond the known world in order to be reborn in the Afterlife. The burial mound, the cave, the womb. The snake, the umbilical cordon. The cosmic egg, the cauldron, the well of souls, the amniotic bag. The Tree of Life, the placenta. Our cosmos, our mother. Before the Gods of cosmogonic order, we knew the Chaotic Mother. I invite you to reconnect with our Mother and her serpentine energy. You will need some quiet time when you won't interrupted. You can listen to relaxing music, shamanic drumming, singing bowls or anything you fancy. Find a comfortable posture and take some deep breaths. Close your eyes and scan your body starting by your feet, your toes, and work your way to your head, your scalp, relax every muscle. Now imagine you're in front of the entrance to a cave. Enter and walk through its long, serpentine tunnel until you find a chamber. Inside this chamber our Mother has lit a fire revealing paintings and carvings of spiralling snakes, deer, bears and other animals and plants. Mother greets you. You can ask her anything you want. You can ask for healing. Let her show you what you need to know at this moment. When you're ready, come back and write down your experience. You may find it useful to read it later in the future. Laura is a pretty eclectic witch based in London. You can find more content in her blog https://laura-ofsokkvabekk.tumblr.com/
November Mists Divination
Healing
Mindfulness
Therapy
We’re certainly living in some strange and challenging times during the COVID19 pandemic. Our way of life has been turned upside down and our freedom has been taken away for the foreseeable future. I, like many people in the world, have had to work from home and a few weeks ago I was furloughed. I found my energy levels were decreasing and I’d started to lack the motivation to do things so change was needed! As a qualified colour therapist, I turned to the colour red and the corresponding chakra – the root (or base) chakra - for some help. The colour red is brilliant in helping with assertiveness, determination, energy levels, personal power and enthusiasm. It represents physical energy, passion, action, confidence and courage. Many of us may have felt that primitive need to survive over the past weeks and both red and the root chakra are associated with survival, our earthly instincts, strength, vitality, courage and will power. A balanced root chakra helps us to feel stable and secure. It’s connected to the element of Earth so what better than to combine these with a simple grounding meditation. Play music with a tribal beat (search for music on You Tube. Shamanic drumbeats are great for meditation) Sit or stand comfortably barefoot and close your eyes, preferably outside if it’s safe to do so Open your root chakra which is located at the base of your spine. You can visualise your chakra as a pinpoint of red light which pulsates and grows bigger, or as a red lotus flower opening its petals Feel your feet on the ground Visualise roots growing from the soles of your feet
Feel the roots growing downwards through the surface of the ground Feel the roots reaching into the soil, twisting around stones and other roots Feel yourself anchored to the Earth, you’re safe and supported Visualise the colour red flowing up from the Earth, up along the roots, up towards your feet Feel the warmth and energy of red filling the soles of your feet Feel this energy flowing up and over your feet The energy flows up your calves and shins, over your knees and thighs and into your root chakra, filling it with positive energy When you feel suitably energised, gently close your root chakra by visualising the lotus flower closing or the red light slowing down and reducing in size to a pinpoint of light. Give thanks to the Earth
To keep your root chakra balanced and connect to the colour red here are some tips; Exercise outdoors (if safe) Appreciate the nature that’s on your doorstep; watch the seasons change, plant flowers/herbs/trees, learn what’s growing in your garden, take photos, take note of what animals are close by Walk or dance barefoot Grow your own food, even if it’s just a few herbs or a tomato plant De-clutter your space, even if it’s just a shelf at a time Eat healthily and include foods from the red colour ray such as strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, kidney beans and chillies. A veggie chilli using red lentils can incorporate lots of red food, it’s easy to make and tastes great too. Carry a red crystal such as red jasper or carnelian When working with red please be mindful that it’s a very strong colour and if used too much it can cause feelings of anger and irritability so use it in moderation when you need a quick boost to your energy levels. Stay safe Blessed Be
COA Divine Moon Moot meeting monthly in the family room at The Towers Inn, Great Barr. Check out our page for event dates, during lockdown we're running virtual moots on Zoom.
As promised in the last issue, here is an update on Couch Camp, our weekend full of virtual activities. Take a look at some of the highlights. Chalice Owl setting up camp on Friday evening Saturday morning we shared photos representing the elements, to remind us of the beauty of the earth. We followed this with an opportunity to join Portland in a video session of tai chi. Colin shared a video discussing the tarot major arcana. John’s drumming video gave you the choice to play along or meditate to the rhythm – ‘very relaxing’, and ‘calming to listen to’ were comments made by campers. At 5pm, we had a guided meditation lead by Bobbi, story telling at 6. At 8pm we held a watch party, playing songs from a local band. And to finish off the night we had a chat and a chuckle. Debby started us off with some fairly serious questions for discussion: would you rather go to Stonehenge for the summer solstice with 15,000 other people there or have the stones to yourself and a few friends, but you have to take Katie Hopkins with you? But rapidly deteriorated…. Would you rather be trapped in a lift with an old lady with 3 wet dogs or 1 man with the farts? The scavenger hunt showed that we have geniuses amongst us. We asked people to improvise things they couldn’t get on lock down. This is Mandy’s pineapple.
And this is Beth’s parachute.
49 people took an active part over the weekend and we know there were lurkers keeping an eye on what we were up to. What a great turn out! Do we consider this a success? Comments from our campers make us believe it was. ‘This has been an inspired idea. Congratulations on making it work.’ ‘How lovely it has been to watch the videos and hear your voices. I didn’t even realise I missed the sounds of you.’ Would we do it again? OF COURSE! We are celebrating Beltane on Friday 1st May, with (videos of) Beorma Morris to dance up the sun, sharing photos of our May Day morning (or whatever time we surface), and bathing in the morning dew. The crafting challenge is to make a flower crown or green man mask to wear at our photo procession. And another challenge is to write flash fiction to share as we look at pictures of our Beltane fires – or candles – or whatever works for us during this lockdown. Look for South Birmingham Moot on FaceBook.
Tarot Talk is taking a break for this issue. Instead, please enjoy this simple shadow work spread for the Full Moon in Scorpio. The Full Moon in Scorpio, dark enchantress of the underworld. Signifier of change, transformation, secrets and sensuality and bringer of shadow. This is a simple four card spread to address the darker parts of ourselves, what we should let go, what we should embrace and what we need to move forward.
I am very fortunate to have access to a garden during this period of staying home. If you have a garden space, do you know what treasures you have there that could aid your magickal workings? What flowers or plants hide their secrets in the earth beneath your feet, things you maybe never considered to use before? Here’s some of the beautiful plants I have in our little woodland glade garden, and their magickal properties. Take a look in your garden and see what you have to hand. Maybe you’d like to start a magickal garden, window box or plant pots in your kitchen window. Take a look at what you would like to grow – be it for their beauty, medicinal or magickal properties.
Lilac was believed by the celts to be magickal due to its intoxicating, heady scent. Traditionally, they were also planted near entries to repel evil and protect the home. Some believed its fragrance could carry us between worlds, to the land of the Fey. In English customs, bringing lilac flowers in to the house was thought to bring bad luck, as it was said they were a flower of the dead. However, other traditions claim that the flowers can cleanse your home and remove any unwanted spiritual presence. A flower of Venus, you could use lilac in love magick, placing the flowers upon your altar or including them with your chosen herbs. It is also associated with the element of air, and makes a lovely addition to home made incense when dried, or in a protection charm when travelling.
The dainty yellow flowers of broom can also be used in spells of protection and purification. It’s planet is the moon, so it may be nice to work with this vanilla scented plant during the full moon, be it upon your altar or by making a ritual hand broom after the flowers have dropped. To toss broom in to the air was said to raise the winds, and to burn it and bury the ashes would calm them. To hang it in your house will help protect your home from evil, and it was said to sprinkle it through your home will rid you of any poltergeist activity. This excerpt I found shared across the internet is from Whispers from the Woods by Sandra Kynes, describing a simple spell to release or banish things from your life using broom twigs.
Ferns are ruled by earth and the planet Saturn. Hiding place of the fey, be careful not to crush them beneath your feet, or reveal secrets to close to them. Can be used in magicks of love and luck, to bring the rain or for banishing unwanted spirits.
Another favourite of the Fey folk, Columbines are another Venus related plant good for love magick. Carrying the flower with you or rubbing your hands on it can bring courage, and you can use the flowers and the leaves to get rid of jealousy. For clarity on choices you need to make, add the flowers or seeds to a bath. To attract love, blend the crushed seeds with a simple oil to create a perfume.
This beautiful climbing vine has such pretty little flowers. A plant of Saturn, You may wish to use this in works of manifestation or intention. It can also be used in magickal works honouring the Crone, elders and ancestor work.
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If I may trace my finger along your rigidness I wonder where they could lead me all the bumps, turns and raises over and under and oh so round swirls and twirls turning with dull and bright every earthshattering astonishing, unimaginable form, every bit of astounding sublime piece of you and if my finger should slip and fall I wonder will I fall into my own arms?
The White Hare said: "I hold the heart of your lover in my chest. It flutters like sparrows when your name rings through the night - I feel it screaming in my throat. When you left her wailing in the field, I took her tears to my mother and turned them to fire. I pass under the moon's skirt and bring her to your lips." The Black Dog said: "Hearts are mortal; I am in the business of souls, and the soul you seek lies among the tangled branches and grasses of the mountain. I am the night that holds your moon still, I am the dark earth under the moor. Your eyes are blossoms that wilt in winter's grip. Your heart is soft between my pads, on my tongue."
On a cool bright morn, I sit and watch, Welcoming the dawn, Under the protection of a tree, I observe hill and lea, The hawk on the wing, The frog in the ditch, Nightingale calls out, With perfect pitch. Spring is here. In all its health, I am poor, but shown such wealth
Grimoire
May 2020
As the flowers are blooming abundantly, here are some correspondences for your spell work. Daisy Dandelion Dogwood Forget-Me-Not Foxglove Gardenia Geranium Heather Honeysuckle Jasmine Lavender Lilac Lily Magnolia Marigold Peony Poppy Primrose Rose
Love Divination and calling of spirits Wishes and Protection Love, memory Protection Love, healing Fertility, protection Love, luck and protection Money, love, psychic powers Prophetic dreams, love, money Protection, sleep, happiness, healing Love, protection, banishing Purity, protection Love and fidelity Dreams, psychic powers, legal or business Protection, banishing Fertility, money, love, luck and sleep Love and protection Love, healing, psychic powers, love divination
Do you have a favourite spell or ritual you would like to share? Email them to witchzine.submissions@gmail.com and we will feature them in future issues!