IN THE GUILD
So much has been going on over the last few months and will likely continue for a little bit longer. I am sure that you have noticed that we are in the middle of a massive overhaul of the guild. We ask that you please hang in there, the finished product will be well worth the wait. As we continue, you will see that somethings are being moved around and/or renamed - so if you can't find something you are looking for just PM us and we'll let you know where we've moved it to. Something important that I'd like to remind everyone of...this is your guild - so if anyone has suggestions, comments, complaints - PLEASE let us know. This month we will be having our St. Patricks Day Event, as well as our Ostara/Mabon Sabbat Celebration - please be sure to check them out. There will be lots of fun and games, so please join us!
So much has been going on over the last few months and will likely continue for a little bit longer. I am sure that you have noticed that we are in the middle of a massive overhaul of the guild. We ask that you please hang in there, the finished product will be well worth the wait. As we continue, you will see that somethings are being moved around and/or renamed - so if you can't find something you are looking for just PM us and we'll let you know where we've moved it to. Something important that I'd like to remind everyone of...this is your guild - so if anyone has suggestions, comments, complaints - PLEASE let us know. This month we will be having our St. Patricks Day Event, as well as our Ostara/Mabon Sabbat Celebration - please be sure to check them out. There will be lots of fun and games, so please join us!
CALENDAR
March
7: New moon at 12:14 pm
17: St. Patrick's Day
20: Ostara
20: Mabon (Southern Hemisphere)
21: Full moon (Storm Moon) at 2:40 pm
28: Death of author Scott Cunningham in 1993
March
7: New moon at 12:14 pm
17: St. Patrick's Day
20: Ostara
20: Mabon (Southern Hemisphere)
21: Full moon (Storm Moon) at 2:40 pm
28: Death of author Scott Cunningham in 1993
SABBATS
This month on March 20th we are celebrating Ostara, in the Northern Hemisphere and Mabon, in the Southern Hemisphere. Below you will find some additional information on these 2 Sabbats and some suggestions on how to celebrate.
OSTARA
Also known as the Spring Equinox - the time when days and nights are of equal length. Ostara marks the beginning of spring and is a time of renewal and rebirth. Now is the time for sowing seeds, and in the past this meant literally going out and planting, but in modern times it can mean a time of preparing the way for new growth in some aspect of our lives. Starting on the path that will allow us to reach the goals we have set for ourselves, putting plans in motion that will allow us to complete our projects or attain that which we desire. Some things that we can do to celebrate Ostara are: Prepare egg dishes and share them with friends. Organize egg games, such as egg hunts. Decorate your home with spring flowers and sprouting greens. Wear green clothing as an affirmation of new growth within yourself and Nature. Bless any seeds you plan to plant in your garden. Begin a new project. Make a growth charm out of a hard-boiled egg -- decorate it with symbols, write on it the quality you would like to manifest more fully within yourself, energize it, and then eat it.
Resources:
http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/ostarathespringequinox/p/Ostara_History.htm
http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/ostarathespringequinox/a/AllAboutOstara.htm
Assemble Materials
You need to have an undecorated, unpeeled hardboiled egg and at least one waterproof coloring tool such as a crayon or permanent marker.
New Growth Choices
Pick four things you might choose to do this Spring that have the potential of enriching your life. These things can be options that you already have been considering doing. They also may be things that occur to you as you do this part of the exercise. If more than four things occur to you, pick the four most intriguing to you. Write these four possible actions on the back of this paper or on a separate sheet. Choose a symbol or word to signify each action. Mark it next to the fuller description of the four possible actions.
Egg Decorating
Hold the egg in your hands a few moments and silently focus on it being a spiritual helper on your life's journey. Silently thank the bird species that produced it (such as chicken, duck, goose). Acknowledge it as the synthesis of the Elements of Nature -- the Earth which is its physical form, plus the Water, Fire, and Air that hardboiled it, and Spirit, its connection with you as your spiritual helper. When you feel complete with the meditation, begin decorating the egg. Throughout the egg decorating process, keep your attention focused on it being a spiritual helper. Decorate the egg with symbols as follows: At one end of the egg make a circle and inside it put your name or initials, plus a symbol that represents the Spring season to you. At the other end of the egg, make a circle and inside it put a symbol or word that represents Divinity to you (such as a deity name or a sacred color or shape). Now draw four vertical lines dividing the remainder of the egg into roughly four segments. In each of the four segments put the symbol and/or word of each of the new growth options you are considering. When you are done decorating the egg, hold the egg a few moments in your hands and imagine it glowing with a spiritual light. Connect again with it as a spiritual helper in this decorated form. When you are complete with this, place the egg on the altar in the divination egg basket for use later.
Divination
After the indoor ritual is completed, get your egg and, weather permitting, journey outdoors to take part in the egg rolling divination part of the ritual. As part of group ritual, present yourself and your egg to the directions and focus on your connection with the Divine within and in all of Nature around you. After this is done, begin your personal divination. Find a sloped area to serve as the place for your egg rolling. If necessary, clear a way for the rolling by removing by hand sticks, leaves, and other debris. Once this is done, center yourself and holding the egg in your hands, request guidance by repeatedly saying something like: "Guidance for New Growth, come to me." (whatever phrase works for you)
Roll the egg. Keep your eyes on it as it rolls. Notice where it lands. Go to the egg after it stops rolling and then examine what side and symbol is facing the sky. Focus on the segment that is most predominantly facing upward. Call to mind what this symbol represents. Spend some time meditating on what has shown itself to you. Reflect on yourself putting this option into action in your daily life. When done, give thanks for the guidance received and take up your egg. What you do with the egg is up to you -- for example, you can eat it as a sacred food, or you can take it home and place it on an altar or other special place, or you can bury it in the Earth, as an offering. Whatever you choose, keep in mind its sacredness.
Implementation
Make a note about the guidance you received. Write about your experiences. Manifest the action in your life and notice in what ways you grow as a result of doing this. Give thanks for this growth and change.
MABON
Also know as the Fall or Autumn equinox, this is the second time of the year when days and nights are of equal lengths. It is the time of harvest - the time when the plans and choices that we have made over the last several months bear fruit. Now it is the time to enjoy that success, but remember also to give thanksgiving for the gifts that you have received. It is also a time for preparing for the darkness (winter) that is to come. Select the best of each vegetable, herb, fruit, nut, and other food you have harvested or purchased and give it back to Mother Earth with prayers of thanksgiving. Hang dried ears of corn around your home in appreciation of the harvest season. Do meditations and chanting as you store away food for the Winter. Do a thanksgiving circle, offering thanks as you face each direction -- for home, finances, and physical health (North); for gifts of knowledge (East); for accomplishments in career and hobbies (South); for relationships (West); and for spiritual insights and messages (Center).
RESOURCES:
http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/holidaysandcelebrations/p/Mabon_History.htm
http://www.circlesanctuary.org/pholidays/fallequinox.htm
Apple Harvest Ritual:
Decorate your altar with symbols of the season -- a basket of gourds or small pumpkins, colorful fall leaves, acorns, vines, grapes or blackberries. You'll also need a pair of orange candles to symbolize the harvest, a cup of cider or wine, and an apple. If your tradition requires you to cast a circle, do so now. Light your harvest candles. Face the altar and hold the apple in both hands. If you can do this rite outside, raise the apple up to the sky, and feel the wisdom and energy of the gods coming to you.
Say:
Quote:
The apple is sacred, a symbol of the gods,
and holds the knowledge of the ancients inside.
Tonight I ask the gods to bless me with their wisdom.
and holds the knowledge of the ancients inside.
Tonight I ask the gods to bless me with their wisdom.
Slice the apple in half across the middle. Where the seeds are, you will see a five-pointed star. Place the two halves in the center of your altar.
Say:
Quote:
Five points in a star, hidden inside.
One for earth, one for air, one for fire,
one for water, and the last for spirit.
One for earth, one for air, one for fire,
one for water, and the last for spirit.
Turn to the north, arms raised to the heavens, and say:
Quote:
The world passes from light into darkness,
and the golden fields of the earth bring the promise
of food and nourishment through the winter.
and the golden fields of the earth bring the promise
of food and nourishment through the winter.
Face east, and say:
Quote:
I stand on the threshold of the darkness,
and know that the summer breezes give way to autumn chill,
which bring forth the blazes of color in the trees.
and know that the summer breezes give way to autumn chill,
which bring forth the blazes of color in the trees.
Next, turn to the south and say:
Quote:
I call upon the wise ones, the ancient gods,
as the sun moves away and fire fades,
to be replaced with the chill of the night.
as the sun moves away and fire fades,
to be replaced with the chill of the night.
Finally, face west, and say:
Quote:
I will reflect on the guidance of the gods,
and let the cool autumn rains wash over me,
cleansing my heart and soul.
and let the cool autumn rains wash over me,
cleansing my heart and soul.
Raise the cup of wine or cider to the sky, and toast the gods. Say:
Quote:
The wild god returns this night to the belly of the Mother.
The mother goddess tonight becomes the Crone.
As the Wheel of the Year turns, the earth dies a bit each day.
I willingly follow the old gods into the darkness,
where they will watch over me, protect me, and keep me safe.
The mother goddess tonight becomes the Crone.
As the Wheel of the Year turns, the earth dies a bit each day.
I willingly follow the old gods into the darkness,
where they will watch over me, protect me, and keep me safe.
Sip from the cup, and as you drink your wine or cider, think about the power and energy of the Divine, in whatever aspect you choose to honor.
Extinguish one of the candles, and say:
Quote:
The wild god has gone to rest in the Underworld.
I look to the darkness for renewal and rebirth.
I look to the darkness for renewal and rebirth.
Extinguish the other candle, and say:
Quote:
The mother goddess has entered her most powerful stage.
She is the Crone, the wise one, and I ask for her blessing.
She is the Crone, the wise one, and I ask for her blessing.
Stand in the darkness for a moment. Reflect upon all the changes that are to come, and those things that will stay constant. Feel the energy of the gods as you connect to them, and understand that even though winter is coming, the light will return again.
When you are ready, end the ritual.
Tips:
Leave the apples on your altar overnight, and the next morning, put them in your garden as an offering to the earth. Feel free to replace the wild god and mother goddess with the names of deities from your own tradition.
What You Need:
A pair of orange candles.
A cup of cider or wine.
An apple and something to cut it with.
SOURCE
MERRY PART
Well...this is it for this month. Once we get the guild in order we will be able to focus on making a better newsletter. Again if there are any suggestions, or if you have art, articles, stories or anything else you would like to submit for the newsletter just let us know. Well...that's it for now. Blessed Be!
Well...this is it for this month. Once we get the guild in order we will be able to focus on making a better newsletter. Again if there are any suggestions, or if you have art, articles, stories or anything else you would like to submit for the newsletter just let us know. Well...that's it for now. Blessed Be!