Harvest Moon

This is the last moon of the mother, before we enter the time of the Crone. It is the harvest moon, the time of plenty and feasting before the time of strife, cold and inner learning.

The Harvest Moon is the full moon aclosest to the Autumn Equinox. it is always in September and it was with the light from this moon that farmers would be able to bring in the last harvest.

This is a time of enjoying the last bounties of the autumn before winter sets in and we have fewer fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables available.

At this time of year we start to want to learn new crafts and try new spells/meditations/divinations. It is a time of devling inward and learning more about ourselves.

If you have never tried scrying, now is a good time to start. It is about losing focus while focussing on an object. A candle or a silver coin in a dark bowl of water, or a crystal or incense. Focus on it and then let that focus pause, so you are almost looking at the space between the object and your nose (and I don't mean looking at the floor - it's like taking a step out of yourself). There's a good chance you won't see or feel anything initially - it can be a little uncomfortable and frustrating at first but do persist. This unlocks a door within your mind that holds magic and meditations, akashic records and spirit guides.

We are an ever evolving species and it is through working with other levels of our mind that we will continue to evolve.

BB

On another note, I have written 3 books. 2 are part of a series set in Scoltand about the Sidhe, fairy folk. Available on kindle and in paperback:

The Island of the Mist is book 2

The Stone in the Sword is book 1

The 3rd book is an adult, sexy witchy werewolf/vampire story set in New York and featuring a strong female lead character, again available in kindle and paperback formats:

The Wolf, the Witch and the Coffin

Fertility Goddesses

I’ve always thought it odd that some sites state appealing to Spring Goddesses for fertility when it is the mother goddesses you should really be leaning towards. After all, they are mothers.

Many people feel that the Spring time is the best time to do these kinds of spells and while I would agree that Spring is the best time of year, any time can be just as viable.

I feel that, before I go any further, I should make a couple of points. If you have actively been trying for a baby for more than a year, go to the doctor. If you have had at least 2 miscarriages (both with confirmed pregnancies before), go to the doctor. There are many reasons people cannot conceive and in many cases, it’s the stress of trying to have a baby. People will say, just relax, it’ll happen. I always found this to be the least helpful thing someone could say, because trying to relax can be one of the most stressful things you can do!

Another more mundane issue – if you are trying for a baby – cut out non-prescription drugs, alcohol, undercooked meat and undercooked eggs (no runny yolk alas). If you happen to like an occasional spliff, stop taking this as it will affect your chances of conceiving.

Finally, regular exercise before pregnancy is a good idea. Yoga is excellent but remember to switch to yoga for pregnancy exercises when you know you are pregnant, as there are many yoga poses you cannot do when pregnant.

So, onto the mother Goddesses:
Demeter – Greek mother goddess of fecundity, the harvest and abundance. Many prayed to her for babies, given how protective she was with her own daughter.

Ceres – Demeter counterpart in Rome, she is the mother of grain, fertility and agriculture.

Isis – perhaps the most famous Goddess around, her image was taken by Christianity and swapped for Mary and the baby Jesus. She is a mother Goddess, deity of the heavens and waters and much, much more.

Epona – Gaul/Briton or Celtic mother Goddess. Famous for running and winning a race while heavily pregnant.

Hera – given a bad rep due to Xena Warrior princess (:D), she is the penultimate Greek mother goddess.

Gaia – ultimate Greek mother goddess.

Rhea – a titan Goddess, mother of Zeus.

Frigg – wife of Odin, a Norse mother Goddess.

Durga – perhaps THE Hindu mother Goddess.

Akka – Finnish mother Goddess – her daughter, Sarakka, was especially beneficial to pregnant women.

There are many other out there. This is just a few. If there is a particular pantheon that you prefer to work with then use that pantheon. I have no particular pantheon, although I do work with a patron deity. I tend to ‘borrow’ others when I need to.

A small prayer to this deity that you choose to work with is usually a good place to start. A lot of pagans/witches think of praying as purely a Christian thing but this is very much not the case.

You can draw the energy of this mother deity in to you as the moon grows, asking her to help you conceive, or if you have conceived, to keep the baby, that both you and the baby remain healthy and well throughout the pregnancy.

Bride/Brigid is a midwifery deity. If you are successful and do not have a particular pantheon, or use the Celtic pantheon, she may be a good deity to ask for assistance from during labour.

Wishing you all the best. xxx

On another note, I have written 3 books. 2 are part of a series set in Scoltand about the Sidhe, fairy folk. Available on kindle and in paperback:

The Island of the Mist is book 2

The Stone in the Sword is book 1

The 3rd book is an adult, sexy witchy werewolf/vampire story set in New York and featuring a strong female lead character, again available in kindle and paperback formats:

The Wolf, the Witch and the Coffin

Hexing

OK, probably going to get a lot of flack for this but this is me stating opinion and not telling people how to live.

Hexing is a form of cursing and is something you do not take on lightly. Indeed, many, if not most pagans would say it is something you should never touch. I don't agree but I have a big, big rule about this (and I'd like to stress that I have never cursed or hexed anyone and I hope to never do it).

That big, big rule is JUSTICE. You do not hex or curse someone who bullies you, as much as you'd like to, or someone who stole your boyfriend/girlfriend. Now if someone stabbed said partner and got away with it, then hexing may be in order.

Many people, Wiccans especially, believe in the rule of 3 - that which you give out comes back to you x3. Now, as a scientist I know this is physically impossible but what you give out DOES come back - that's the law of physics for you. So you must be very, very sure about what you are doing when it comes to hexing. Having justice on your side is, I feel, the only way you can avoid a lot of crap.

Hexing is something for serious injustices. A loved one is raped or murdered and the perpetrator gets away with it, somebody otherwise physically and emotionally scarred by an attack and the perpetrator gets away with it and so on. See the pattern here? If someone goes to jail for the crime, then you cannot on all consciousness hex them, as they are being punished. This is less about vengeance and more about balancing the scales.

Some people say that karma catches up with these people eventually. I don't agree, but again, that's a personal opinion.

The amount of energy and darkness you need to put into a hex to make it work means you need to have some serious but controlled anger. Injustice gives you that.

The other thing is that in this the punishment should not suit the crime - we are not christians of old, and an eye for an eye is simply petty. You want justice, so making your intended so uncomfortable that they need to confess is the key.

I'm not going to give out any spells. Any I know are dark and nasty and I don't think they should be made public. I'm sure there are spells on the internet that work fine. Obtaining something from the person - a hair or nail, or even an object is usually called for. This is not sympathetic magic, it's full on dark stuff and the only way to stay clear of that negative energy is to do this with love in your heart for the victim and anger for the injustice done.

I do ask that anyone thinking of hexing someone needs to take a long hard look at the reasons why they are doing it first, the possible repercussions and how they are going to go about it.

BB

On another note, I have written 3 books. 2 are part of a series set in Scoltand about the Sidhe, fairy folk. Available on kindle and in paperback:

The Island of the Mist is book 2

The Stone in the Sword is book 1

The 3rd book is an adult, sexy witchy werewolf/vampire story set in New York and featuring a strong female lead character, again available in kindle and paperback formats:

The Wolf, the Witch and the Coffin

The autumn equinox is almost upon us, being on the 22nd of September this year. As mentioned in the previous post, it is about contrasts, night and dark, light and dark, inner and outer. This is a time of balance and taking a long hard look at ourselves.

A very good ritual is to spend some time looking over the good and bad of the last year. Write them down. What would you change about any decisions you have made in this time? What do you wish to accomplish in the next year?

This is a highly psychological testing of ones self. In the old days, for those inclined, this would have been a time of vision questing, of looking ahead as well as behind.

This is also a highly practical time for looking at your home and lifestyle, preparing for the winter ahead. Do you have a back-up plan for when the inevitable power cuts happen? Candles, matches, an alternative sounrce of heat. Many older people die due to lack of heating in winter blackouts. It is a good time to make sure elderly neighbours are also prepared. Do you ha=ve a gas cooker, or a camping stove? It is a good time to stock up on tinned provisions and for making sure we have a reliable can opener :D

A check-up at the doctor is a good idea fi you have nopt had an annual MOT. Get a check-up, make sure you are up to date with your medications and you have some salt stored up for icy pathways.

It is a good time to go through your book stores and see what you wish to keep and wish to pass on, either selling or giving to charity.

A spiritual ritual for the equinox is to light a candle or lantern and set it onto water, which is moving away from a shore - so a river or the sea. However, many people complain about candlewax so lanterns may be a better option. This is a symbol of saying farewell to the light, and you can add a promise, wish or blessing with it.

BB

On another note, I have written 3 books. 2 are part of a series set in Scoltand about the Sidhe, fairy folk. Available on kindle and in paperback:

The Island of the Mist is book 2

The Stone in the Sword is book 1

The 3rd book is an adult, sexy witchy werewolf/vampire story set in New York and featuring a strong female lead character, again available in kindle and paperback formats:

The Wolf, the Witch and the Coffin

It’s my favourite time of the year and colour is bursting everywhere! Rowan berries weigh the trees down and leaves are turning reds, golds and oranges. Flowers are still in bloom and the sky is a myriad of unusual colours every day and evening. The earth breathes in before the long cold winter ahead.

It’s a bit chillier up here in the highlands of Scotland, so we have the wood burner on already, just to take the edge off the chill and keep the damp at bay. If the rain would stop long enough we would go foraging for mushrooms and any berries the birds may have left on the bushes.

It is the time of year to take stock of all that has happened of the last year, to weigh our pluses and minuses, to measure our adventure through life. What will we change about ourselves, our life, work and play over the next year?

The Equinox brings that time of looking hard at ourselves, out expectations and stopping anything that isn’t working. It is about the balance of light and dark, positive and negative, of night and day and the initiation process. Do we begin courses now, or look within?

This is one of the most challenging times of year because it requires us to be extremely honest with ourselves and with our lives. We need to know what measures up and to cut what doesn’t.

This is the time of study and that may be, as mentioned, a course, or study into our own psyche.

Good hunting :D

On another note, my second book, The Island of the Mist, is now available on both Kindle and paperback formats:

Kindle: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Island-Mist-Kingslayer-Series-ebook/dp/B0092TUS7U/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1346945410&sr=1-2

And paperback: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Island-Mist-N-Roy/dp/147921292X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1346506656&sr=1-2

and in the US: http://www.amazon.com/Island-Mist-N-Roy/dp/147921292X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1346946271&sr=1-2&keywords=the+island+of+the+mist

And you can still obtain the first book, The Stone in the Sword: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stone-Sword-ebook/dp/B006ZQIEPG/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1327179005&sr=1-3