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Charge of the Goddess

By Doreen Valiente



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 me they 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.

2008 Wiccan Calendar





Pagans and Wiccans love to celebrate, and as the Wheel of the Year turns, a number of milestones are reached. Each is a time for gathering together with friends and family, working on our spiritual development, and feasting and merrymaking! The following is a list of dates for 2008, as well as resources for celebration in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.



Also, before you go to an event, make sure you read about proper Pagan and Wiccan Festival Etiquette. It'll make your experience even more enjoyable.



January



8: New moon at 6:37 am

22: Full moon (Cold Moon) at 8:35 am

30: Birthday of Z Budapest, founder of Dianic Wicca



February



2: Imbolc

2: Lammas or Lughnasadh (Southern Hemisphere)

4: New moon at 10:44 pm

7: Annular solar eclipse

12: Death of Gerald Gardner in 1964

15 - 18: PantheaCon (San Jose, CA)

20: Full moon (Quickening Moon) at 10:30 pm

21: Total lunar eclipse



March



7: New moon at 12:14 pm

20: Ostara

20: Mabon (Southern Hemisphere)

21: Full moon (Storm Moon) at 2:40 pm

28: Death of author Scott Cunningham in 1993



April



5: New moon at 11:55 pm

20: Full moon (Wind Moon) at 6:25 am

22: Earth Day

25 - 27: Beltane Festival (Tampa/St. Pete, FL)



May



1: Beltane

1: Samhain (Southern Hemisphere)

2 - 4: May Moon Beltaine Festival (Newport News, VA)

5: New moon at 8:18 am

19: Full moon (Flower Moon)at 10:11 pm



June



1: England's Witchcraft Act of 1563 goes into effect

3: New moon at 3:22

13: Birthday of Gerald Gardner in 1884

15: Father's Day

15 - 22: Pagan Spirit Gathering (Southeastern OH)

18: Full moon (Strong Sun Moon) at 1:30 pm

20: Litha

20: Yule (Southern Hemisphere)

22: England's last Witchcraft Law is repealed in 1951

27: Birthday of author Scott Cunningham in 1956



July



2: New moon at 10:18 pm

4: Independence Day

18: Full moon (Blessing Moon) at 3:59 am

19: Rebecca Nurse is hanged in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692

30 - Aug. 3: Wisteria Cornstalk Festival (Southeastern OH)



August



1: Lammas or Lughnasadh

1: Imbolc (Southern Hemisphere)

1: New moon at 6:12 am

1: Total solar eclipse

1 - 2: Shreveport Pagan Pride Day (Shreveport, LA)

16: Full Moon (Corn Moon) at 5:16 pm

16: Partial lunar eclipse

30: New moon at 3:58 pm

31: Birthday of author Raymond Buckland



September



13: Arkansas Pagan Pride Day (Little Rock, AR)

14: Birthday of Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa in 1486

15: Full Moon (Harvest Moon) at 5:13 am

21: Mid-Missouri Pagan Pride Day (Columbia, MO)

22: Fall Equinox or Mabon

22: Ostara (Southern Hemisphere)

29: New moon at 4:12 am



October



1: Birthday of Isaac Bonewits, founder of Ár nDraíocht Féin

14: Full moon (Blood Moon) at 4:02 pm

16 - 19: Wisteria Autumn Fires Festival (Southeastern OH)

28: New moon at 7:14 pm

31: Samhain

31: Beltane (Southern Hemisphere)



November



2: Birthday of Wiccan author Sirona Knight

14: Full moon (Mourning Moon) at 1:17 am)

27: New moon at 11:54 am



December



12: Full moon (Long Nights Moon) at 11:37

21: Winter Solstice or Yule

21: Litha (Southern Hemisphere)

27: New moon at 7:22 am

Full Moon Water Scrying



The next full moon is on February 20th.



The full moon has long been considered a symbol of wisdom and intuition. We feel its connection every month, when it lights the night sky. Many of us feel more energetic and alert during the full phase of the moon. This is partly because our bodies and mind are intricately connected to the lunar cycles. Like our selves, water is also linked to the changing face of the moon -- just ask anyone who lives on the coast about the phenomenon of "lunar tide"!





Using a reflective surface as a tool for scrying is hardly new -- the ancient Romans did it in their religious rituals, and the Egyptian "Book of the Dead" contains references to Hathor's magic mirror, used to see the future. Pre-Christian Celtic seers were believed to have visions when they looked upon dark stones such as beryl or other crystals, according to Pliny.



Even in the 1500s, Nostradamus made notes about staring into a bowl of water by candlelight to gain inspiration.



This divination is one of the simplest. It's best to do it outside if at all possible, because, after all, you are relying on the moon to illuminate the water for you! If you can't perform this ritual on the night of the full moon, the night immediately before or immediately after is just as acceptable.



In addition to a clear sky and a full moon, you'll need the following items:



A table or some sort of flat work space

A dark bowl

A pitcher containing enough water to fill the bowl

A journal or notepad to write in, as well as a pen

Optional: your favorite meditative music

If your tradition normally requires you to cast a circle, do so now. If you'd like to play some music, go ahead and start your cd player. Sit or stand comfortably at your workspace. Begin by closing your eyes, and attuning your mind to the energy around you. Feel the soft earth under your feet. Hear the rustling of the wind in the trees. Breathe in the scent of grass and earth that lingers in the air. Raise your arms out to your sides, palms facing up, and feel the energy of the moon above you.



Take some time to gather that energy. It's a pull, a palpable sensation that we can feel, if we just take the time to look for it. Feel that silvery power above you, and recognize your connection to it, and to the Divine.



When you are ready to begin scrying, open your eyes. Notice the night all around you. You may feel an unusual sense of clarity and alertness - don't be alarmed, it's just that lunar energy at work. Raise the pitcher in one hand, holding it over the bowl. As you do, visualize wisdom and guidance within the water. As you pour the water into the bowl, from the pitcher, see the energy of the moon charging that water. Recognize that this water can show you the mysteries of the moon.



When the bowl is full, position yourself so that you can see the moon's light reflected directly into the water. Stare into the water, looking for patterns, symbols or pictures. You may see images moving, or perhaps even words forming. You may have thoughts pop spontaneously into your head, that seem to have nothing at all to do with anything. Use your journal, and write everything down. Spend as much time as you like gazing into the water -- it may be just a few minutes, or even an hour. Stop when you begin to feel restless, or if you're getting distracted by mundane things ("Hm, did I feed the cat?").



When you are finished gazing into the water, make sure you have recorded everything you saw, thought and felt during your scrying session. Messages often come to us from other realms and yet we frequently don't recognize them. If a bit of information doesn't make sense, don't worry -- sit on it for a few days and let your unconscious mind process it. Chances are, it will make sense eventually. It's also possible that you could recieve a message that's meant for someone else -- if something doesn't seem to apply to you, think about your circle of friends, and who it might be meant for.



Afterwards, you can leave your water out overnight to charge it even more, or you can pour it away into your garden as an offering.



** Note: If you live near a natural body of water such as a pond or lake, you can perform water scrying with these larger "bowls" instead!

PLANETARY CORRESPONDENCES



Moon- Goddess mysteries, women's health, the home, children, prophetic dreams, reincarnation, sleep, emotional healing.



Sun- God mysteries, physical health, employment, leadership, prosperity, money, the performing arts and celebrity, self confidence, and new ventures.



Mercury- The intellect, communications written or spoken, teaching and learning, travel, diplomacy, influencing others.



Venus- Inner and outer beauty, love, romance, family, the creative arts, friendship, gardening, peace, happiness, fertility and sexuality.



Mars- Passion, force, power, lust, courage, strength of will, the military, physical exertion, machinery, and competition.



Jupiter- Money, prosperity, success, legal judgements, luck, friendship, investments, social gatherings, ambition, the seeking and granting of favors.



Saturn- Land and real estate, past lives, overcoming self-sabotage, lies, and losses, learning life's lessons and protection from psychic attack.



Uranus- Unexpected changes, higher consciousness, metaphysics, new inventions, regathering scattered energies, clairvoyance, freedom, and independence.



Neptune- Inner vision and perception, intuition, dreams, divination, chaos, confusion and revolution.



Pluto- Death, transformations, astral travel, the otherworld, materializations, transfigurations, and metamorphosis.

Black -- usually associated with clergy and ministerial figures. Wearing black deters others from gossiping about you , meddling in your affairs and interferring in your life. Black is used for separation , wisdom and keeping things hidden from view . Also calling on the Crone .



Pale Blue -- wear when confused , need to clear your mind or feel out of control. Use for magical workings involving calmness , peace , tranquillity, healing , and pleasant dreams.



Dark Blue -- wear this color when you feel the need to get organized and add some structure to your life. Magically it can be used to invoke the Water Element ans femnine dieties.



Brown -- use for grounding and centering . Try it for spells involving common sense , bringing stability to life or diffusing a harmful situation.



Gold -- wear gold to make you feel prosperous and secure . Some use a Gold candle to represent the God.



Green -- use this color to increase ambition , better accept challenges and achieve a feeling of independence. Magically -- to deal with growth , fertility , and prosperity. Use for the Element Earth.



Lavender -- wear Lavendar to relax, especially in high stress situations. Use in magical workings involving the intellect , soothe erratic energy , and cause inner beauty to radiate.



Mauve -- this coloor will gain confidence from those around you . It also works in efforts that deal with intuition , self-trust and self-confidence.



Orange -- this color will ease the blahs and increase personal motivation. Use in attraction rituals and in efferts that involve achieving positive results on academic , tests , business projectsa and proposals.



Peach -- wearing Peach others will view you as being non-threatening in their lives. Magical efforts include kindness , gentleness , sympathy , empathy and well-being.



Pink -- pink brings out self love and helps you be your own best friend. Use spellworking dealing in romantic love , friendship and harmany.



Purple -- to gain respect from others. Good color for job interviews. Use in rituals involving spitituality , mental ability as well as psychic ability. Use to invoke Akasha Element.



Red -- wear red when you want to take charge os a difficult situation. Use magically in activity , passion , sexual desire , vitality , strength , and energy. Use to invoke the Fire Element or the Mother.



Silver -- wear silver to reduce inner turmil and attain a peaceful state of mind. A Silver candle is used to represent the Goddess.



Teal -- Teal balances the Human nature with the Spiritual self. Use it for workings dealing getting a handle on practical matters , making decisions , and achieving balance or achieving trust.



Turquoise --- this a color for workaholics. it helps you to step back and get things in perspective. Use in rituals involving stress relief , study , knowledge , retention and finding logic in situations where there seems none.



White -- white helps relieve tension and helps you focus on life goals. Use when requireing clarity and spiritual guidence or invokinf the Maiden . White may also be substituted for any color.



Yellow -- wear yellow if you feel your needs and opinions fall on deaf ears. Use in rituals involveing communications , creative endeavors , success and joy. Use to invoke Air and the God.