aka Eostara
The Earth has warmed and new life abounds! Day and night are equal, but the Sun continues to grow in power and quickly overtakes the night. This is the height of Spring and a time of new beginnings, fresh starts, and life returned. Common Ostara Traditions These are a few traditions that many Wiccans and Pagans enjoy as part of their Ostara celebrations. Though some may seem like nothing more than Christian Easter traditions, when one considers just how little an egg has to do with the resurrection of a Divine Savior, the Pagan origins become obvious.
The height of Spring is upon us! Granted, in many places, there is still several feet of snow blanketing the Earth, but the signs of returning life are there none-the-less and Ostara, the Vernal Equinox, is just around the corner.
This is a great holiday for children and the possibilities of things to do with them to celebrate are endless! So, here are a few great ideas for the holiday, suitable for children of all ages. Nature Walk It’s finally warm! Get your kids outside and in the woods. Keep your eyes open for the Greenman, who is sure to be out, and faeries. See how many flowers you can find (but no picking!) Try to identify them as a family. Small children can try to find as many different colored flowers as they can or spot which kinds of trees have the most leaves. Family Meal Cooking and eating together are great things to do as a family! Even very young children can help pour and mix ingredients. Make cupcakes and decorate them with edible flowers like carnations or seeds. Depending on how warm it is where you are, you could gather greens for a salad and make a Springtime salad dressing to go with it. Simply place equal parts of vinegar, oil, and sugar into a jar; add some dill, onion, a bit of salt, and pepper; then, hand it to your kid to shake to mix (hand it to the most impatient or antsy child.) For a main meal, quiche is a great choice. Add a couple of handfuls of fresh spinach, some spring onions, and garnish with Dandelion blossoms (sure to amuse your kids, but they’re edible, too.) Crafts Decorate eggs the night before and hide them before your kids wake up. After they’ve found all of the eggs, have an easy breakfast outside of hardboiled eggs! Make a prosperity charm by layering different kinds of seeds in a jar and cork it. Choose the seeds based upon magickal correspondences. Or, use flower seeds and give the jar to a friend or loved one as a gift. They can then plant the seeds and have your well wishes bloom around them! Ritual Ideas Cast the Circle together by sprinkling seeds or flowers. Mark the Quarters with an egg dyed the appropriate color. Make shakers by placing seeds in between two paper plates. Punch holes along the edges of the plates and thread them together with ribbons or yarn; use these shakers to call the Quarters. Despite the huge array of magickal and ritual tools available in every metaphysical shop, the best tools available for any Witch are those they make themselves. The entire process of creating a tool, from choosing the right materials for construction to the final consecration and first use, is a ritual act, fraught with magick and intent.
This process begins, like all magickal acts, when the idea first occurs to make the tool. The energy behind the idea then builds and grows, with further thoughts and inspiration occurring often in dreams and waking visions. Materials for the creation of the tool may appear surprisingly, such as the perfect branch for a wand being blown off of a tree during the night only to land in your yard, or a friend stops by because they felt compelled to give you some of the river stones they’d just collected. As you craft your tool, you impart your energy upon it, thus creating a link between it and you. This increases the potency of all workings utilizing that tool as the tool is thus an extension of yourself, amplifying the energy sent forth and bettering your aim. This is why tools that one makes themselves are almost always superior to those that are made by another (although a tool made specifically for you by a dear friend can be quite the powerful instrument.) And this is also why it is so often suggested to not let others touch your tools (and why you should never touch the tools of another without their expressed permission.) Doing so can disrupt the energies stored within that tool, making it necessary for the item to be cleansed or purified, and possibly even reconsecrated.* However, often we have neither the talent nor the know-how to make our desired tool (do you know how to forge a good blade or cast an iron cauldron? Yeah, me too…) so it becomes necessary to procure an item made by someone else, or possibly even one that was mass produced. There is nothing wrong with this, however, it is highly suggested to personalize the item in some way, to create that link and truly make the tool yours. Metal items can be engraved at home with etching kits (available at most craft stores: they utilize an acid to make the desired effect,) wooden items can easily be carved into or, in the case of wands, crystals can be added to the ends with a sturdy craft glue (I like E6000, it’s suitable for metal, glass, wood, fabric, ceramic, everything,) and fabric items, such as robes, can be personalized by simply stitching a design somewhere, such as a bind rune or your sigil, or small crystal beads can be sewn on, or herbs sewn up in a hem, for example. Regardless of whether you choose to make your own tools or to purchase them, you should never feel as if your tools are inferior to anyone else’s. It’s not about how pretty the tool is, or what strange and exotic materials it’s made of, what matters is how youfeel with it, how well you and your tool work together. Simplicity can be a powerful ally when it comes to magick and you just may find that that dried Dandelion Root makes a far better wand than that sterling silver wand encrusted with Moonstone and Amethyst. Or you may not. Either way, do what is right for you because it’s your tool and your magickal practice. *This should only be necessary in the case of desecration, i.e. the tool has been damaged or used disrespectfully (perhaps ill-meaning fingers have broken your wand or turned your favorite cauldron into an ashtray…) Contrary to common belief, we’re all psychic. Granted, this may not mean that we’re all beset by visions of disaster and doom, or are frequently visited by the spirit of our deceased Grandmother, but psychic abilities are talents that are open to us all, and always have been, we just closed ourselves off to them somewhere along the way.
Also contrary to popular belief, psychic abilities don’t always manifest themselves in blatant ways (i.e. being visited by ghosts and spirits, being able to “guess” the lucky lotto numbers, etc.) Rather, one’s psychic abilities may manifest themselves as a strong “gut feeling” about something or someone, this is intuition, also known as “clairsentience.” Another example may be a strong connection you have with someone, perhaps a friend or relative, that allows the two of you to know when the other one is having a rough time or is just thinking about calling on the phone. This connection, a psychic connection, allows for various psychic senses to manifest as needed in order to provide you both with the information you need (i.e. clairsentience, “psychic knowing,” lets you know when something’s wrong, clairaudience, “psychic hearing,” means you may “hear” the phone ring all afternoon, with that person’s specific ringtone, until they finally do call.) Within the practice of magick and Witchcraft, as well as the religion of Wicca, there is a strong emphasis on cultivating psychic talents. The reasons for this, though not readily apparent, come down to one fundamental point: the ability to recognize and manipulate energy. This one thing is the entire basis of magick and Wiccan ritual: if you cannot recognize energy or work with it, then you have no chance at being successful at either. The ability to work magick comes down to recognizing that everything is made up of energy, including us, and as such, we have the ability to influence this energy, to redirect the flow, and thus create changes (i.e. “make magick.”) Wicca is a religion that is strongly grounded in the ability to work magick, the entire process of ritual, without any formal spell casting or such, demands the ability to work magick. How can one cast a Circle if they are unable to feel and project energy? How can one call the Elements to their Circle if they don’t know how the varying Elemental energies feel, what makes Them different from each other, and how to go about channeling that energy? And what of calling the Gods? Sure, They may come of Their own accord, but if one is working with more generic forms (such as “the Goddess” and “the God”) rather than specific Deities, how can one “call” anything/anyone if they don’t know what they’re calling (i.e. how that energy feels) and how to do so (i.e. how to channel and direct that energy)? This is why the need for honing one’s innate psychic abilities becomes so crucial. The ways of increasing one’s abilities are many, and can be found in any basic books on magick/Witchcraft or Wicca. But two factors are a requirement, regardless of what exercises you choose to do: 1) you must be open to the idea of psychic abilities and that you are fully capable of possessing them, and 2) you must pay attention, so that when your abilities do begin to make themselves known (and they will!) you can recognize them as such, for doing so only makes them stronger. Candles flicker, their light glinting off of ceremonial knives and offering bowls, casting strange shadows on solemn statues. The heavy scent of smoldering incense fills the air. The altar is set and at the ready.
But what is the true point of the altar. More than just a place to store tools, books, and magickal paraphernalia, an altar is meant as the focal point within a ritual or working. Set at the center of a Circle, it embodies the element of Spirit and its use is dedicated to the reverence and worship of that element, most often in the form of one’s God(s.) Though not crucial to the practice of Magick and Witchcraft, the use of an Altar can prove beneficial to one’s spiritual practice as the altar becomes a trigger point, aiding in slipping into the proper mindset, both for magick and for proper worship of the Gods. Many things may or may not be present upon an altar. Common through numerous religions is the presence of an effigy (symbol) of that which is being worshipped, such as statues, pictures/paintings, or even a simple candle. Also common, are containers for libation and offerings, such as shallow bowls, cups, and plates (allowing worshippers to partake in the offering as well.) The burning of herbs, often in the form of incense, and other items, such as food and oil, is another common component of worship and so a container for such or even a full fire pit may also be present. Within the practice of Wicca, there are a few standbys for how an altar is setup, and although what is present varies from Tradition to Tradition, there are few, if any, constraints for the solitary practitioner. The altar itself may be placed so that it faces any direction, though common placement is facing the North (the realm of all that is physical, where we are at the start of a ritual, for a cast Circle is seen as being “between-the-worlds,”) or the East (as the place where the Sun rises, it is seen as the direction from which all things come, it is also the realm of travel: a necessary component of ritual, be it for magick or worship.) NOTE: As you stand/sit before your altar, the direction you are facing is the direction your altar is facing, so technically it is the back of the altar, not the front, which is closest to the direction it is “facing.” Generally, altar space is divided into three sections: the left being dedicated to a female form of the Divine (i.e. a Goddess) and the right to a male form (i.e. a God,) with the center space being reserved for the Divine in its true state: as the One-Unknowable-All, genderless and encompassing everything. In each section, then, are placed items for that form of the Divine, such as a candle or statue, an offering bowl, and various tools. Exact placement may also vary depending upon elemental association of the items (e.g. incense may be placed at center so that it is offered to the Divine in its pure form, or it may be placed to the right side of the altar, as it is masculine and this would also be the direction of East if the altar is facing North.) However, the creation of an altar is in no way a requirement spiritual or magickal practice. All that is truly needed to work magick is focus and will; all that is truly needed to honor one’s Gods is focus and sincerity. These are things that you carry with you always and can access at any time. Other Articles You May Like: Setting Up an Altar Sacred Space The Tools of Wicca and Witchcraft A subtle switch, barely percievable, but something changes. Winter loosens its icy grip on the land and the snows begin to melt. A few brave animals awaken and begin to move about. The sounds of rushing water are heard. Sometimes, one can even smell fresh earth. This energy continues to the Equinox where we find all awakened, but still a bit sluggish. Signs of life have returned to the land, green buds and tiny, fresh leaves on the trees, young animals take their tenative first steps away from mom and explore the warming land. At Beltaine, all are awakened, activity has returned. How good it is to be alive! To live! To love! So, as the Goddess and God intertwine and celebrate Their love for all creation, we do the same. A pull at the loins, we celebrate creation in the most suitable way possible, by creating more.
This is a time of new beginnings, of planting, starting new ventures, fertility, and hope. This is the middle of the Waxing Year (the beginning is at Winter Solstice and the end is at Summer Solstice,) and corresponds to the New and Waxing Moon Phases. This time also corresponds to infancy and childhood. aka Brigid's Day, Lady Day, Candlemas, & Purification Day
Winter finally eases its grip upon the land and the ice and snow begin to melt. The Lady awakens from Her slumber and so, too, do some animals. The start of the Spring, this is a time of initiations. Common Imbolc Traditions These are a few practices that many Wiccans and Pagans enjoy as part of their Imbolc celebrations.
Within Wicca and Paganism, there is a strong emphasis upon reverencing Nature and paying attention to the seasonal shift and changes that take place, and for many good reasons. One of which is the profound impact that doing so can have on our daily lives.
Acknowledging the ebb and flow of the energies of the Natural World harmonizes you with those energies, increasing your conscious awareness of your connection with it All (because you’re never truly not connected, it’s just that sometimes we become so distracted, so preoccupied with life that we forget the Here and Now and lose sight of our connection with everything around us.) This creates a sense of stability and balance within our lives; we walk our path with our feet planted a little more firmly. But a huge part of aligning yourself with Nature through Sabbat celebrations entails celebrating them in a way that is appropriate to where you live. It involves acknowledging the shift that takes place in your environment. This is not to say you shouldn’t acknowledge the traditions and customs that your ancestors and/or particular religious practice have associated with that Sabbat. Quite the contrary, for these acknowledgments strengthen our ties to family and community; they are vital to creating a sense of oneness with those around us and those who have come before us. It is these communal bonds and the shared experiences with Nature that were often the origination for these celebrations in the first place. A major focus of Yule celebrations may be on the return of the Sun and the lengthening days, but isn’t it possible that a major contributing factor in the creation of this holiday was that after being shut in for nearly two months, people were in need of a celebration or else they’d go crazy, that they needed to remind themselves that they were joined together by the bonds of family and community in this struggle to last the Winter, and that through those bonds and their shared sacrifices they would all survive. The returning Sun echoed this promise. Rather, just as our ancestors’ customs came about from their experiences with the Natural World, so too should our experiences with the Natural World form the basis of our holiday celebrations. For example, a common theme of Imbolc is to celebrate the melting snow. But, if you live somewhere that hasn’t been held hostage by ice and snow for the past few months, it doesn’t really make sense to focus your Sabbat celebration upon this theme. Another thing that should be a major contributing factor in how one celebrates the Sabbats is to keep in mind what is appropriate for you and your family. An obvious example is that if a Sabbat happens to fall on a Wednesday, but you won’t be able to celebrate until Saturday then by all means, celebrate on Saturday. It’s far better that you have a relaxed and thoughtful celebration than one that is rushed, a little stressful, and crammed into a few spare minutes before leaving for work. Remember, too, that oftentimes it is the simple gestures that are the most meaningful. An elaborate ritual involving dozens of candles, lasting well into the night followed by a grand feast of roast lamb may seem like a perfect way to celebrate Imbolc, but your young children and vegetarian spouse may better appreciate a simple meal followed by a short candle lit walk about the backyard. This more humble approach may prove better at impressing the meaning behind the Sabbat upon everyone involved, too, especially if we are truly basing our practices upon those of our ancestors. Supplies at this time would have been low with little (if anything) to be gathered outside to supplement. Any feasting would have been modest and consist primarily of what remained of the previous harvest. Keeping this in mind, the why behind how we celebrate the Sabbats can only ensure that our hearts and minds will be in the right place and that, regardless of how we do end up celebrating the Sabbats, it will be perfect for that holiday and for us. Within the realms of Wicca and Witchcraft, these are fairly common words. But, the ease of which they’re tossed around so lightly within the “intro” books makes me wonder if perhaps the true depth and intent isn’t being lost. From what I gather speaking with many people just starting off on this branch of their path, my suspicions are confirmed.
Somehow the sacred aspect has been lost and the term now implies nothing more than a space, either a space in which one has their altar or simply a space where they store their supplies and tools. This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise when the purpose of an altar seems to have become nothing more than a place to store tools rather than the sacred place dedicated to the worship of one’s God(s) that it is truly supposed to be. Somehow, and almost seemingly quite deliberate, the sacredness is being stripped out of our spirituality and the mystery is being forgotten. So, what is Sacred Space? Quite literally, it is any place that is considered sacred or has been made to be such. This is often maintained through repeated affirmations of the locations sacredness, i.e. frequent worship of local spirits or other Deities to which the space has been dedicated, or other such forms of spiritual expression and reverence. One of the unique aspects of Wicca and many expressions of Neo-Paganism that is truly of benefit to us is that because we view all the Earth as sacred (either due to a belief of a connection that we all share that includes the natural world or due to a belief that all the physical is an expression or manifestation of the Divine, i.e. pantheism,) our Sacred Space isn’t confined to any rules or delineation. There are no specifications for elaborate buildings, no requirements for directional alignment or internal allotment. Rather, our Sacred Space is wherever we create it, whenever we need it, with whatever we deem essential. It needn’t be in a set, permanent location and doesn’t have to include an altar. It is a place where you do your sacred work that you create as necessary As such, on one occasion, our Sacred Space may be found inside a basement, with an ornate altar setup including every magickal tool one could imagine and life size statuary of the Gods being honored, the next it may be a simple forest clearing with the only tools being one’s breath and intention. Another time, Sacred Space may be entirely internal, a “space” we create in our minds on the commute to work to give thanks for the gorgeous weather and prepare for the day ahead. However, there is something to be said about using the same physical location frequently as one’s Sacred Space, for truly, that place is rendered Sacred. There is a subtle change that occurs in the energy of the place. Often, this can even be felt by those of differing faiths and practices (after all, how many of us have entered a Church or Mosque and felt the power of that place, the sense of awe it inspires, the feeling of peace, even though we may believe differently than those who gather there to worship?) Often, too, the place may become attractive to various energetic beings. For example, a forest that is frequently used to host rituals may become truly enchanted, with heightened occurrences of faerie sightings and such. The place has a feeling of calm, of wonder, and lights within us a childlike sense of awe and amazement. These are the defining traits of Sacred Space, not the ornamental trappings, but the way in which that space is used and the way it makes us feel.
There almost always seems to be a little confusion as to these two terms. Often, too, they seem to be used interchangeably -which only adds to the confusion!
So, let's see if we can't set some things straight. |
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