Volume 21 Issue 1
Samhain 2023

Seasons of the Moon is a quarterly online magazine published by students and members of The Order of The White Moon, an eclectic international order of women dedicated to The Goddess. The Order provides personal empowerment and priestess training, and operates local groups. All contributions are original material submitted by our students and members. (We do not accept outside contributions.) Please direct comments and questions to the Ezine Editor.

Samhain 2023

Contents

• Holy Days
  The Dark Time of the Year, M)0(rrigan
  
• Goddess Work
  Visualizing Your Perfect Sacred Space, HP Moonwater Chalcedony Ashwood
  The Visionary Mind, Ajna DreamsAwake
  Yule, M)0(rrigan
  
• Ritual Work
  Samhain Ritual: Journey to the Ancestors, M)0(rrigan
  Pathworking ‐ Cave of Truth, M)0(rrigan
  Ritual to Welcome in The Morrigan, Mystic Amazon
  
• Witchy Writings
  The Crystal Ball, Peace Whitehorse
• Sacred Sites
  Oweynagat ~ Cave of the Cats, Ajna DreamsAwake
• OWM Awareness
  OWM Happenings, Ajna DreamsAwake
• The Bardic Soul: Poetry and Song for the Spirit
  A Call to Morrigan, Mystic Amazon
  Medusa, Mystic Amazon
  Samhain's Calling, Moonwater Ashwood
  These Hands, Peace Whitehorse
  The Wiccan Rede, Peace Whitehorse
  The Walk, Lady Zephyr
  So Mote it Be, Lady Zephyr
  
• Recipes Fit for a Goddess
  Spiced Pumpkin Cake, Sage Moonmaiden
  Pumpkin Fettuccine Alfredo, River
  Yule Lebkuchen, M)0(rrigan
  

  

Holy Days

  

The Dark Time of the Year

  

As we have to become silent in order to hear, to become open to receive, so we achieve in order to experience letting go of things in life. We will rest in darkness to welcome the light again. We need this time of calmness to recreate so we can cope with the demanding spring energies. Now with the dark times we are not so busy and dragged outside. Instead of spending all day outside at the lake, we stay indoors. Some of us have trouble getting used to this time, after the long loud summer, this stillness feels strange, this being alone with ourselves. It can lead to feeling moody, even depressive. When there is nothing to distract us from looking at us, this confrontation with our thoughts and feelings can be like a shock. We need to understand that the stillness helps us to feel ourselves, and, through this introspection, that we are connected with everything. This allows us to step out of the ego, the artificial pattern. We can experience ourselves in connection with the universe and feel the unconditional love within. This gives us the enthusiasm that makes us do whatever we do with passion. When we find that, we are in connection with our essence, and we can live our life, share our love with passion, and do the right things for the right reasons.

It might take time, but finally we will relish and enjoy it, let it be silent without feeling the urge to fill it with action and noise. A ritual, a celebration of the beginning of this time with Samhain, will help us in welcoming this time as a gift, a chance and great opportunity for spiritual growth. By this ritual, an action on the outside, we make it visible to ourselves.

Over the years, I have come to see that our society, our modern structure, is often working against us. How can we use this time from Samhain to Yule to become still, when we have to function in this world, our jobs… We can hardly stay at home or spend the day at work in meditation or dreaming. Nevertheless, we can reduce the distraction on the outside, and do everything with more awareness. We can take a bit more time for everything so that we avoid stress from the beginning. We can consequently use our lunchbreak for a walk in nature, seek the stillness to feel the connection… Just be in a more frequent and direct connection with yourself.

  

© M)0(rrigan

M)0(rrigan is a Priestess of Morrigan, and a practitioner of Shamanism, Runes, Tarot and Usui Reiki. She is a Level III Adept in the Sacred Three Goddess School

  

  

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Goddess Work

  

  

Visualizing Your Perfect Sacred Space

  

The Goddess is everywhere; all space that welcomes and honours Her is inherently sacred. I try to remind myself of that thought as often as possible.

We usually think of sacred space as those areas that are occupied by an altar of our cherished objects and tools. Yet this is not always the case. Take your kitchen, for example. The hearth has always been associated with the Goddess, used to warm the home and prepare your food, which may be created while saying prayers to Her, or a portion may be set aside for the Goddess as an offering.

Many of us think of a space as being sacred only if it is ritual space, yet any place you cast a circle is sacred and that can be done absolutely anywhere!

What spaces in your life do you see as sacred? Perhaps your living room, filled with the love and laughter of your family. Or maybe it's a corner of your backyard where you sit and watch the birds at the feeders. Is it your bathtub where you purposefully cleanse yourself before ritual, or a garden where you grow herbs for your spells?

I remember when I was just starting on my path with the Goddess, I wanted the perfect sacred space to worship Her within. My husband and I were living in a very small apartment at the time, and I had just begun to come out of the broom closet with him. I sat down in the middle of the bed one day and began to meditate on my ideal space. What did I want it to look like? How did I want it to feel energetically? What scents did I want to permeate the space? Which colours would be present, which tools, symbols, etc?

Using what I had on hand, I then began to manifest my space. I used a cedar‐lined, handmade pine chest that my grandparents had decorated with a dragon as my altar, dragon being my Chinese zodiac sign. I carefully arranged candles, crystals, and little symbols until satisfied. It sat in our bedroom, off to one corner, and had such a peaceful energy that my cat would curl up in a ball in the centre of the altar every day.

I've been on this path now for over 20 years. Over those years I've created a lot of different spaces and altars for different purposes. The one I'm focusing on now, however, is for my career. The ideal space to work, create, worship, and grow. I know the first step of this part of my journey will be working from home, so that's what I'm visualizing at the moment. What do I need the space to look like to succeed? How do I need the house to feel energetically? What scents, colours, crystals, etc will aid me? I'm visualizing both the practical aspects and the more spiritual ones. At the same time, I'm visualizing the ideal retail space for myself, which is what I would like in the end.

This visualization process can be done simply with your mind's eye, or you can illustrate it in a journal, on a vision board, etc. Do whatever makes you the most comfortable, and gives you the clearest picture to focus your energy towards. Then, when it's finished and you know it's perfect, let it go! Surrender it to the Goddess, knowing it will come to you when the time is right.

May you manifest your perfect space, and enjoy every part of the journey!

  

© Moonwater Ashwood
HP Moonwater passed away in February, 2020. She was a prolific writer and we are honoured to share her work What is remembered lives on

  

  

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The Visionary Mind

  

Who needs to journey far and wide when there is something quite spectacular and mystical within us, the Visionary Mind. The most amazing thing about it is that it's bigger on the inside.

There are no limitations with the Visionary Mind, nothing is too outlandish and everything is possible. The Visionary Mind can take us to hidden realms far beyond mundane reality. Not only is there uncharted territory for you to explore, there is territory that hasn't even been created yet. You are both the designer of your inner world and the map maker. You create the landscape, you design the pathways, and you determine where the danger zones are (although in my opinion, some of those places we want to avoid can provide the juiciest experiences). You are in complete control over your hidden realms and that is incredibly empowering.

Take a mental trip inward and explore the vast unknown of your own consciousness.

 

Creating a Personal Guided Journey Within

Most inner journeys have a set pattern to them.

The Journey Begins: visualize a staircase leading up or down, a path or road. It is designed to slowly bring your focus within, each step taking you deeper and deeper into a meditative state. The rational mind sets out in complete control, but with each step, you move further away from control.

The Gateway: this can be an actual gate, a door, a mirror, a body of water etc… it is a threshold, a demarcation between the mundane reality of the imagination and the visionary reality of the subconscious.

The Inner Realms: this is where the Visionary Mind takes over. It may be filled with symbolism, non‐rational or unexpected events. The visionary mind is similar to the world of dreams, but you are always, always in control.

The Encounter: this could be with Deity, Angels, Guides, your own Higher Self… It is an opportunity for dialogue, to ask questions, seek guidance, problem‐solve…

The Integration: the path back out allows you to integrate the information you've received and to slowly bring you back into your body.

Keep a journal nearby to take notes of symbols, images, questions or answers. Don't try to understand or process the experience immediately, insights may rise up in coming days.

Ground yourself fully by drinking water or eating.

  

© Ajna DreamsAwake 2018

Ajna DreamsAwake is a High Priestess and founder of Dark Moon's Heart School. Her personal journey of self‐discovery continues as she supports and guides women along their own healing paths.

  

  

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Yule

  

The winter solstice is the first step into the light, from the darkest night of the year. The difference may not be recognizable to us immediately but from this day on light and life are growing.

Yule Altar

• Altar Cloth: white
• Goddess Statue or picture: Sunna, the Norse/Teutonic Solar Goddess. In this tradition, the sun is female (Sunna) and moon is male (Mani).
• Candles: 6 red candles and 1 golden (sunny‐yellow if there is no gold available)
• Incense: 1 tsp Sandarac, 1 tsp Mastic, 1 tsp Frankincense, 1 tsp benzoin Siam, 3 juniper berries, 4 raisins, red wine, honey (forest), 1 knife‐point cinnamon
  *Put the raisins in some red wine and let them soak for 7 days. Grind sandarac, mastic, frankincense (Oman first choice if possible), benzoin Siam, and the juniper berries, then grind the raisins separately (press them before so they are not too wet from the wine). Now add the cinnamon and mix well ‐ the consistency is right when you can form tiny cookies to put on the charcoal.
• Decoration: If you collected the cherry tree branches on the 4^th then the white‐rose blossoms will make a perfect accessory 😊, ilex/holly branches, pomegranate fruits, a golden Sun‐Mirror (to place behind the golden candle).

© M)0(rrigan

M)0(rrigan is a Priestess of Morrigan, and a practitioner of Shamanism, Runes, Tarot and Usui Reiki. She is a Level III Adept in the Sacred Three Goddess School

  

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Ritual Work

  

Samhain Ritual: Journey to the Ancestors

  

Accessories for the journey ‐ place these in the center of the room

• A small altar table
  
• A large bowl to represent a cauldron
  
• A jug of water
  
• Black taper candle
  
• Red tea lights (one for each participant)
  
• Candle snuffer
The Altar:

• Altar cloth green and/or black
  
• Black taper candle to represent the Dark Goddess
  
• Mandrake and/or Belladonna
• Tarot Deck of your choice
• Statue or Images of the Dark Goddess
• Incense: Juniper, Saffron, Musk

 

Preparation Work

Should you feel the need to cast a circle, feel free to do so. You can alter this ritual according to your own needs and wishes.

Light the Dark Goddess candle.
Fill the bowl with water.
Each woman will place an unlit red tea light around the bowl.

 

The Journey

Let the Women gather around the bowl, forming a circle. Explain briefly what this journey is about, that they will walk down to the Dark Mother, connect to Her and to an ancestor of their choice.
Hold hands with each other and begin your journey walking widdershins. Tell the women to visualize their descent into the underworld, the Dark Mother's realm.

Then start chanting

Hecate, Kerritwyn, Dark Mother take us in.
Hecate, Kerritwyn, let us be reborn.

When you feel that all have 'arrived' in the underworld, lower your voices, more and more, until all are silently walking.
Now slow down the pace until you are all standing still around the bowl.
Tell each woman to think about an ancestor she wants to connect with, to seek their advice or company; an ancestor who would connect to her in dreams, in the time when the veils between the worlds are thinner and communication easier…

Light the second taper with the Goddess candle and bring it to the center of the circle. Let each woman go, one by one, to the cauldron and light a candle while thinking of the ancestor she wants to connect with. When lighting the candle, she will focus on her wish to communicate with the ancestor and then place the candle on the water. This ancestor could be her grandmother, a friend, or a character from a book or movie. Our Ancestors are not necessarily our biological family in this life. It should be someone the woman feels strong bonds with and wants to be connected with or wants to meet with.

After a short moment of contemplation, the woman goes back to the circle and the next person goes to the cauldron. When all are finished, stay there together in the circle and let the ancestors be with you.

When the time feels right, let each woman go back and extinguish a candle.

Stand all in a circle again, holding hands. Thank the spirits of the ancestors for being with you and start walking the circle again, silent, but this time you walk deasil.

When you feel all have returned, thank all participants and spend some time together drinking, eating and talking. If you want you can also do some Tarot Readings together.

Each participant may take a candle from the bowl. The candles are there for the women to keep, as a souvenir, to light and reconnect to the ancestor, or use as a focal point on their own altar.

* Sometimes the impact of the experience is so intense that some women prefer to be on their own and in silence. If some of the women want to leave early, make sure they have grounded well enough and that all is fine. Eating, drinking and talking are very helpful and important here.

 

Wishing you an enchanted and lovely Samhain
M)0(rrigan

  

© M)0(rrigan Samhain 2014

M)0(rrigan is a Priestess of Morrigan, and a practitioner of Shamanism, Runes, Tarot and Usui Reiki. She is a Level III Adept in the Sacred Three Goddess School

  

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Pathworking ‐ Cave of Truth

  

Some notes beforehand:
If you like, you can record the meditation for yourself and play it if that is easier for you.
Use a place where you feel secure and switch off or mute all that could interrupt you during the work. If you have family, you may put a note on the door of the room you are going to stay for the time, asking for not being disturbed.
If you have a scent you like very much ‐ incense of any kind, oil, sticks… ‐ use it to make yourself as comfortable as possible.
If you are experienced in journeying with the drum, I encourage you to use this technique in this working.
There are things that are visualised but also things that are not defined and left open ‐ so you may have messages coming to you. For example, the runes are not predefined. I experienced the Mannaz rune as very powerful in helping to face fear. I felt the Mannaz rune on my back behind my shoulders ‐ supportive.

The meditation we are going to do is to strengthen us and to help us to become and stay pure and strong. We will face our fears and our self and what of all this is real and what is illusion. This work is not a one‐time meeting; it is something I would recommend incorporating into our regular praxis.

  

The Cave of Strength

Find a comfortable position. You may sit on a chair or lay down ‐ as you feel comfortable. Close your eyes and breathe calmly in and out. You now leave the room and the house you are in and step outside. You are standing on a meadow and as you look around you see the distant trees of a forest. You enjoy being here and want to explore this place especially the forest is interesting you. As you come closer, you can see how huge these trees are. Beauty and strength emanate from them and it is as if they guard you as you approach the forest.

There is a path leading into the forest and you follow it. After a while, you see the path is leading to a small hill in the middle of the forest. You go up and are curious what you may find up there. When you reach the top, you see the beautiful forest from a different perspective but when you take a closer look to the hilltop, you see that there is a sort of an entrance. Stairs leading into the ground, broad stairs leading down in form of a spiral and they invite you to explore what is down there. Stones surround the circle and you feel the power of this place as you take the first step. It is a positive power, it is strengthening you and encouraging.

Confident, you are going down, slowly, step by step. You touch the walls and feel the cool and soft ground, almost like velvet. You can smell the forest ground, it is so calming and you take a deep breath. When you reach the end of the stairs a hall opens up, a cave. You enter it and suddenly you understand that this is the cave of strength and truth.

You know what to do… You stand now you feel ready to call your deepest fears. One after the other you visualise them, give them a shape so you can face them, look at them as they try to scare and threaten you, see how they change shape the closer you look at them until you see that they are mere illusions, trying to scare you. You see how they cannot escape the power of the exposing light that emanates from you ‐ and dissolve as what they are, illusions. Now you visualise your ego, and do the same. Make the light coming from you shine on your ego and see how the illusions fall apart and how only the truth remains and you feel clear and free. The darkness of the room now no longer feels threatening. You like the calming dark and sit down. As your eyes become used to the darkness you can see that you are in the middle of the cave. It is round and there are runes on the walls. As you stand up you are feeling the clarity, the power of the runes how they strengthen your spine and your solar plexus, how the clear energy permeates you and fills you with strength.

You thank the power of this place and return to the stairs. You know that you will come back here and that you are welcome any time you feel like. When you reach the threshold, you straighten your spine, take a deep breath and soak the air filling up your lungs with the energy of this place. Then you slowly step up and ascend towards the stone circle. You feel changed, strong, refreshed. Caressing the earth of the walls, and the roots of the trees and plants in it, you feel how much you love all that surrounds you how you are one with all. As you reach the last step and stand on the hill, you look down at the beautiful forest. You no longer feel like a stranger or visitor, you feel part of this place and all that surrounds you. With this feeling, you go back to the clearing. As you walk, you notice some plants that you have not seen in a long time and now, here they are. Animals come close and walk with you until you come to the meadow. You know that they are with you wherever you are, just like the power of the runes and the place you had been to.

With this feeling your turn away from the meadow and see your house, your room, and become aware of yourself. You feel the climate of the room you are in, with its smell, its noise… when you are ready you open your eyes and feel the clarity and peace that is within you, the strength that comes with it.

  

© M)0(rrigan

M)0(rrigan is a Priestess of Morrigan, and a practitioner of Shamanism, Runes, Tarot and Usui Reiki. She is a Level III Adept in the Sacred Three Goddess School

  

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Ritual to Welcome in The Morrigan

  

You will need:


• 1 Red candle to represent the Morrigan
• 1 White candle for Spirit
• 1 Candle to represent yourself in a color you like
• 1 Black candle to represent power, protection, and letting go of negativity
• Something to carve candles with
• Oils for the candles
• A statue, stones, pictures, totems, or anything to represent the Morrigan

 

Morrigan Ritual

Cast your Circle.

Dress your candles, if there is something you want to carve on them, do so before you use the oils. This may be a name, an intent, a symbol …

Say the following prayer three times.

Morrigan, Oh Mighteous One
Brighter, Redder, than the sun;
Hold me in your strong, fierce arms
And teach me to sing your battle charms.

Blood‐Red Queen of the live and dead
Annoint your sigils on my forehead;
Help me protect the innocent ones
Calling ahead, "Lo! The Goddess comes!"

Your Ravens and wolves on the battle field,
Skulls carved on your mighty shield;
Nude but for tattoos, you're a fearsome sight…
Morrigan, Badb, and Macha rule the Night!

 

After saying or chanting the prayer three times, just relax and talk to the Morrigan. Welcome Her and ask if you can work with Her and if She will be in your life, and anything else that you feel that you want to talk over with Her.

When you feel ready, thank Her and say, "The Circle is open, but not broken."


Then open a door and say, "SO MOTE IT BE!", and visualize what you have asked for and the wonderful energy going out into the world to manifest your wishes and prayers.

Ground by clapping loudly.

Once the ritual is over, you may want to use the residual energy in healing work or divination.

Blessed Be!

© Beth Clare Johnson February 28, 2008
(Mystic Amazon)

Late beloved OWM Sister, HP Mystic Amazon, died February 18, 2021. Mystic Amazon's poetry and rituals keep her memory alive in our hearts.

  

  

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Witchy Writings

  

The Crystal Ball

  



 

Also called an orbuculum, the crystal ball is a sphere often used in divination. Usually made of clear quartz, some are actually a ball of glass. They can be clear, or be crackled, or have inclusions.

They can also be made of other gemstones as well, such as smokey quartz or even obsidian. Basically, any larger gemstone sphere can be used as a divining tool.

Take care when using a clear quartz or glass ball. Staring into one of those can produce a headache.

Used for scrying, the sphere is peered into to see images and to receive information. For best results, the sphere should be kept free of dirt and dust.

According to Wikipedia, in the 1^st century of the Common Era, Pliny the Elder describes use of crystal balls by soothsayers ("crystallum orbis", later written in Medieval Latin by scribes as orbuculum). By the 5^th century of the CE, scrying was widespread within the Roman Empire and was condemned by the early medieval Christian Church as heretical.

Scrying opens a portal for communication between the many planes of existence. Divination works on the principle that everything is connected to everything else in an interconnected energy/life grid.

Crystal balls are a way to access the store of Akashic records that are held as a complete library of all that is, has been and ever shall be. They are a record of what will happen, is happening, or has happened. Because they reside on a higher dimension, the rules of time don't apply. Time is a flat circle to the Akashic Records, so information from history is as accessible as what happened to you yesterday. And what happened to you yesterday is as available as what could happen to you ‐ if you stay on the same destiny trajectory ‐ in 10 years.

It takes some skill, but mostly an open mind, to successfully use a crystal ball.

 

Click on the link to follow Peace at Witchy Writings

  

© Peace Whitehorse October 7, 2020

Peace Whitehorse is the author of Witchy Writings. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and her Shetland sheepdogs, and is active in Sheltie Rescue.

  

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Sacred Sites

  

Oweynagat ~ Cave of the Cats

  

Oweynagat is located in West Ireland, near the village of Rathcroghan, the royal seat of the kingdom of Connacht, and home to the great warrior queen Medb (Maeve). The cave was said to be the birthplace of Medb. In the myth, the goddess Étain fled from her human husband with her fairy lover Midir and her handmaiden Crochan Crogderg. They arrived at the cave where Crochan gave birth to a daughter, Medb. Étain then gifted the cave to Crochan. Both Crochan and her daughter may have originally been local deities, possibly symbolic of the Mother Daughter dyad.

Oweynagat may have been named for the magical wildcats who emerged from the cave to attack Ulster warriors, and who were eventually tamed by Cúchulainn. It also served as a portal from which the Goddess Morrigan would emerge, riding a chariot pulled by a one‐legged horse. Other creatures who used the cave as a portal include the Ellen Trechen, a triple‐headed monster, as well as small red birds and herds of wild pigs that laid waste to the lands before being captured and killed. With the advent of Christianity, the cave came to be known as the entrance to the underworld where, at Hallows' Eve, it served as a portal to and from hell.

The cave is a part of a vast archaeological site known as the Rathcroghan complex which consists of more than 240 individual sites over 4² miles (10² km). The sites range in date from the Neolithic period (9000 BCE) right through the Medieval period (1300CE). Within the complex can be found burial mounds, ringforts, cairns, and, of course, caves.

Oweynagat is comprised of several caverns, both natural and human‐made. Originally, an earthen mound surrounded the entrance, but it was demolished to build a road in 1930. Two ogham stones were incorporated as lintel stones at the entrance to the cave. Ogham was a Medieval alphabet, used primarily to write the early Irish language. One lintel stone, at the entrance reads 'VRAICCI…MAQI MEDVVI' which translates to Fraech son of Medb.

Medb is a sovereignty goddess, that is, she represents the sovereignty of the land. It is believed Medb is derived from the proto‐Celtic medu (mead) or medwa (ruler). In Celtic tradition, the king was offered mead at his coronation. This suggests that it is Medb who holds supreme authority, and it is Medb who is empowered to choose her consort. As queen, Medb is ruthless, fiercely independent, and a force to be reckoned with. It is no wonder that Medb is also linked with the Morrigan, who figures prominently in her origin story.

The Morrigan is associated with war and divination ‐ specifically, foretelling death or victory in battle. The Morrigan acts as guardian of the territory and its people. In this role of protector, she may incite warriors to fight, and help them to win by striking fear in their enemies. In the Táin Bó Cúailnge, the Morrigan initially sides with Cúchulainn, but when he rejects her aid, Morrigan supports Medb and vows to defeat the warrior.

 

Táin Bó Cúailnge ~ Cattle Raid of Cooley

Medb saw that her husband was richer than she was, and being envious, she decided to launch an invasion of Ulster in order to steal the bull named Donn Cúailnge. The city of Ulster was defended by the young Cúchulainn, who insisted on meeting each member of Medb's army in single combat. In the guise of a young and beautiful woman, the Morrigan appeared to Cúchulainn, offering her assistance, but he refused her help. Angered by his rejection, the Morrigan transformed into different animals as a means to distract him so that he would lose. Not only does the great Cúchulainn wound her in each form she took, but he also prevailed over each of his opponents. The Morrigan then foretells of the bloodshed to come as the armies of Cúchulainn and Medb face each other in a final battle. Queen Medb was forced to retreat, but she still managed to steal the great bull. But in the end, it was all for naught. Donn Cúailnge fought her husband's bull, and both died of their wounds.

Medb had several encounters with Cúchulainn, but he defeated her each time. In the Táin Bó Cúailnge, it is written that Cúchulainn "slung a stone and killed a pet stoat as it sat on Medb's shoulder by her neck, south of the ford. Hence the name Meithe Togmaill, Stoat Neck". In this manner, the battles between Medb and Cúchulainn provided the place names for many rivers and hills in Ireland.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medb


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Morr%C3%ADgan


https://cavesofireland.com/home/caves/oweynagat-cave-of-the-cats-co-roscommon/


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C3%A1in_B%C3%B3_C%C3%BAailnge


  

© Ajna DreamsAwake

Ajna DreamsAwake is a High Priestess and founder of Dark Moon's Heart School. Her personal journey of self‐discovery continues as she supports and guides women along their own healing paths.

  

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OWM Awareness

  

White Moon Happenings

  

OWM is thrilled to share that HP Sandi Santiago will be offering the White Moon studies through Moonflower Ministry. Moonflower Ministry is a temple of the Mother and Sister community designed to explore and grow.

River continues to excel in her Level IV High Priestess studies on the path to ordination. We are thrilled with her progress.

Once again, OWM Sisters will be participating in our Annual Yule Gift Exchange. This long‐standing tradition is a great opportunity to gift away those precious items that have been sitting unused on our shelves and passing them along to another Sister to cherish.

We are always delighted to welcome our new students in Sacred Three, Moonlit Path, Moonflower Ministry and Dark Moon's Heart from all over the world! We are always happy when sisters find their way to OWM!

 

More About OWM

If you're not an OWM student and you'd like to learn more about the Order of the White Moon, the schools offering Traditional White Moon Studies, or browse the Goddess Gallery, we welcome you to learn about us!

For those who are not currently Sisters of the Order but would like to feel supported, we encourage you to visit OWM's website and submit a Prayer Request. This Public Outreach program is one of the ways that OWM gives back to the community. We offer prayers, distance healing, and loving support to members of public.

You can connect with OWM on social media! Follow us on Twitter at @OrderWhiteMoon for regular updates on Seasons of the Moon, the Weekly Tarot Zodiac and other OWM public outreach programs. Our Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/orderwhitemoon.

Visit and like us! The Twitter feed and Facebook page are available to the public. Feel free to share these links. We appreciate your feedback so please let us know if you have any questions or suggestions.

  

May the Peaceful, Compassionate, and Healing Presence of the Goddess be with you now and always.
Blessed Be

HP Ajna DreamsAwake

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The Bardic Soul: Poetry and Song for the Spirit

  

A Call to Morrigan

  

Morrigan you Raven, you,
Loving and protective
But so fierce, too!

Morrigan and your aspects,
With our enemies
You'll 'clear the decks'!

Morrigan, come talk with me
Show me what I need
To know and 'see'.

Morrigan with your two spears,
Teach me the courage
To face my fears.

Morrigan with your tattoos,
Teach me all the Mysteries
That I can use.

Morrigan you Raven, you,
Loving and protective
But so fierce, too!

  

© Mystic Amazon (Beth Johnson) February 28, 2008


  

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Medusa

  

I thought about the woman whose hair
Was wreathed in snakes,
And I wondered…
Why punish her for having a lover,
When Apollo was unharmed?
Why didn't he stand up for her?
How was a mortal woman
Supposed to tell a God, "No"?

So her beauty was taken away
And she was given snakes for her hair.
Surely, she should have known better
Than to make love in a temple,
But then so did Apollo know better.
It wasn't fair.
True, she got powers from it…
They were dark powers that destroyed.

I can see her now, beautiful, naked
With snakes for hair,
Snakes writhing all around her feet,
Calm except when someone invaded
Her privacy and saw her serpent hair…
Then, fierce with glaring eyes and frown,
Turning them to ice within their veins
And then, to marble.

I read she had other Gorgon sisters
But she was the only beauty.
Surely her snakes talked to her,
Hissing in their own language;
Warning her of approaching
Heroes that would come to destroy.
Her anger at her metamorphosis
Would swell into a killing rage.

Serpent Queen,
You are losing your humanity…
Quell your rage, you were human once,
And a priestess.
Try to remember that
Before your serpent nature
Takes over again,
And leads to your final destruction.

  

© Mystic Amazon (Beth Johnson) August, 2005
Late beloved OWM Sister, HP Mystic Amazon, died February 18, 2021. Mystic Amazon's poetry and rituals keep her memory alive in our hearts.

  

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Samhain's Calling

  

Energies are rising,
The veil is falling.
Samhain's calling.
Can you hear it?
I can hear it!

The tide is shifting,
The temperature's falling.
Samhain's calling.
Can you feel it?
I can feel it!

The trees are crimson,
Nature's party has begun.
Samhain's calling.
Can you see it?
I can see it!

Fires smolder in hearths,
Beckoning travelers home.
Samhain's calling.
Can you smell it?
I can smell it!

Hearty soups to warm
The soul in the cauldron boil.
Samhain's calling.
Can you taste it?
I can taste it!

Soon the jack‐o'‐lanterns
Will glow in windows,
Porches and doorways,
Beckoning our ancestors home.
Samhain's calling.
Do you love it?
I'll always love it!

  

© Moonwater Ashwood September 29 2007
(Jennifer Runham‐Stark)
HP Moonwater passed away in February, 2020. She was a prolific writer and we are honoured to share her work What is remembered lives on

  

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These Hands

  

Not as young as they used to be,
In fact they look rather old.
But if these gnarled old paws would speak,
What a story would be told!

Playing hard building sandcastles.
Digging in the ground.
Holding hands with childhood friends,
And lost things that they found.

Held my Bible, went to prom,
Found my first true beau.
Then a ring upon my hand,
That day did they so glow!

Wrapped around a growing belly,
Then holding my child so dear.
So much that these hands have held,
Life and death, love and fear.

The years flew by, the hands worked hard.
They never let me down.
Then one day I really looked,
And this is what I found.

Crepy skin and painful thumbs
From years of brushing dogs,
And holding reins and leashes,
In sun and rain and fog.

I thought at first how ugly
These pained old hands did look.
Then I remembered all they'd done
And thought, they're like a book.

This book tells me and all the world
Of all the things we've done.
Of all the storms we've weathered,
Of good times in the sun.

All the life these hands have held!
It all at once appears.
No, they aren't ugly. No.
They're just showing their years.

  

© Peace Whitehorse, April 17, 2023

  

  

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The Wiccan Rede

  

Bide within the Law you must, in perfect Love and perfect Trust.
Live you must and let to live, fairly take and fairly give.
For tread the Circle thrice about to keep unwelcome spirits out.
To bind the spell well every time, let the spell be said in rhyme.

Light of eye and soft of touch, speak you little, listen much.
Honor the Old Ones in deed and name, let love and light be our guides again.
Deosil go by the waxing moon, chanting out the joyful tune.
Widdershins go when the moon doth wane, and the werewolf howls by the dread wolfsbane.

When the Lady's moon is new, kiss the hand to Her times two.
When the moon rides at Her peak then your heart's desire seek.
Heed the North winds mighty gale, lock the door and trim the sail.
When the Wind blows from the East, expect the new and set the feast.

When the wind comes from the South, love will kiss you on the mouth.
When the wind whispers from the West, all hearts will find peace and rest.
Nine woods in the Cauldron go, burn them fast and burn them slow.
Birch wood in the fire goes to represent what the Lady knows.

Oak in the forest, towers with might in the fire it brings the God's insight.
Rowan is a tree of power causing life and magick to flower.
Willows at the waterside stand ready to help us to the Summerland.
Hawthorn is burned to purify and to draw faerie to your eye.

Hazel ‐ the tree of wisdom and learning ‐ adds its strength to the bright fire burning.
White are the flowers of Apple tree that brings us fruits of fertility.
Grapes grow upon the vine giving us both joy and wine.
Fir does mark the evergreen to represent immortality seen.
But ‐ Elder is the Lady's tree burn it not or cursed you'll be.

Four times the Major Sabbats mark in the light and in the dark.
As the old year starts to wane the new begins, it's now Samhain.
When the time for Imbolc shows watch for flowers through the snows.
When the wheel begins to turn soon the Beltane fires will burn.
As the wheel turns to Lammas night power is brought to magick rite.


Four times the Minor Sabbats fall use the Sun to mark them all.
When the wheel has turned to Yule light the log the Horned One rules.
In the spring, when night equals day time for Ostara to come our way.
When the Sun has reached its height time for Oak and Holly to fight.
Harvesting comes to one and all when the Autumn Equinox does fall.

Heed the flower, bush, and tree By the Lady blessed you'll be.
Where the rippling waters go cast a stone, the truth you'll know.
When you have and hold a need, harken not to others greed.
With a fool no season spend Lest you be counted as his friend.


Merry Meet and Merry Part bright the cheeks and warm the heart.
Mind the Three‐fold Laws you should three times bad and three times good.
When misfortune is enow wear the star upon your brow.
True in love you must ever be unless your love is false to thee.
Eight words the Rede fulfil "An' ye harm none, do what ye will".

  

© Peace Whitehorse, December 22nd, 2011

Peace Whitehorse is the author of Witchy Writings. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and her Shetland sheepdogs, and is active in Sheltie Rescue.

  

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The Walk

  

Tired of television,
old reruns, silly sitcoms,
wasting my time
dulling my mind.

I decided to go for a walk.
Through the path into the forest
I would rather find a creature
To have a pleasant talk.

Barren trees, crunchy leaves
Beneath my feet
I continued my quest
A furry friend to meet.

Squirrels sitting on limbs
Barking at me.
Disturbing their peace
Not happy at all I could see.

Continuing on with walk
Ran across a red tailed hawk
Perfectly still high up in a tree
Watching him watching me.

On I went down my path.
In all his majesty and glory
There stood a deer,
Head held high, eyes so clear.

With a tilt of his antlers
And a twitch of his tail
He motioned for me
To follow and see.

There in the midst of a thicket
Was his mate.
Foot caught in a trap
This was her fate.

Not at all sure
What I must endure
But to release her
I had to without a doubt.

With a soft gentle nudge
She nuzzled my face.
Then off to meet her male
She did race.

Out of the forest
Toward home I walked.
What a conversation I had
With nary a word being said.

  

© Lady Zephyr Lammas 2009

  

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So Mote it Be

  

I gathered my articles together
To prepare my Altar
Candles, incense, oils, pen and paper
Decorating with care.

Cast my Circle
Calling in all Elements
Meditated, said my prayers
Gave my thanks.

Grounded.
Opened my Circle
Feeling energized and happy,
I enjoyed my mooncake.

Something not quite right
I thought to myself,
Oh My Goddess
How could I have forgotten.

Opening the Kitchen door
Into the cold night's air
I yelled with all my might
"SO MOTE IT BE!"

Did I hear an echo?
Why yes I believe I did.
My Sisters yelling "SO MOTE IT BE"
Back to me!

  

© Lady Zephyr November 9, 2008

  

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Recipes Fit for a Goddess

  

Spiced Pumpkin Cake

  

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups all‐purpose flour
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 4 large eggs
• 1½ cup brown sugar
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp cloves |
• ½ tsp nutmeg
Frosting

• ¼ cup butter, softened
• 8 ounces soft cream cheese
• 2½ cups icing sugar
• ¼ cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp orange zest, finely grated
• ½ tsp all spice
• 1 tsp ground ginger

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F.
Lightly butter a 9" by 13" baking pan.

Beat together the butter, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beat well after each egg.

In a separate bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt and add to the butter mixture.
Add the pumpkin puree and lemon juice and mix well.

Spread the batter evenly in the baking pan and lightly tap the bottom of the pan to remove any air bubbles.

Bake for approximately 30 to 35 minutes.

Insert a toothpick into the center, when it comes out clean, the cake is done. Allow to cool.

Prepare the frosting.

Cream together butter, orange zest, and spices.
Add cream cheese and mix until well blended.
Add icing sugar and pumpkin puree and beat until smooth.
Spread over the cake.

  

© Sage Moonmaiden

HP Sage Moonmaiden is the founder of Moonflower Ministry and Liminal Soul Healing

  

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Pumpkin Fettuccine Alfredo

  

Ingredients

• 8 oz fettuccine
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
• 2 cups milk
• 3 ounces goat cheese, cut into big chunks
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Parmesan cheese

Directions

Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until bubbly and golden, about 3 minutes.
Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add in milk, rosemary and red pepper flakes. Stir constantly until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken, about 5-6 minutes.
Add in goat cheese, pumpkin, cinnamon, salt and pepper.
Continue whisking until smooth and thickened into a sauce.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Combine the sauce and fettucine.

Top each serving with Parmesan

  

© River

River is a Priestess of the Order. She is currently in the Level IV High Priestess Training Program.

  

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Yule Lebkuchen

  

  

Ingredients
• 350g honey
• 250g sugar
• 125g butter
• 5 eggs
• 1 teaspoon cloves and cinnamon
• 1 knife point of Cardamom
• 1 pinch of salt and pepper
• 500g flour
• 125g ground almonds
• 100g minced candied orange peel
• 200g minced candied lemon peel
• one table spoon water
• 15g potash

 

Directions

In a medium pot over low heat blend in the honey, sugar, butter. When mixing, make sure the sugar melts completely. You can heat the sugar a bit with the honey and the butter.
Once the mixture has cooled, add the eggs.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, potash and the spices. Blend in the butter mixture to form the dough.
Add the almonds and candied fruits and, last but not least, the water.

Put the dough in a muffin pan ‐ I have special muffin forms from my mother that were passed down to her from my grandma. They had been forged by my aunt's husband decades ago but regular muffin tins should work.

Bake them in a pre‐heated oven 180‐200°C (375°F) for 10‐15 minutes. Use a toothpick to see if the muffins are cooked through. If there is still dough stuck to the toothpick, leave them in a few more minutes. If it comes out clean, you can take them out. Allow to cool.

Enjoy!

  

© M)0(rrigan

M)0(rrigan is a Priestess of Morrigan, and a practitioner of Shamanism, Runes, Tarot and Usui Reiki. She is a Level III Adept in the Sacred Three Goddess School

  

  

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