Author: A Solitary Pagan

On an altar let there be a phial of anointing oil, a chalice of water, a salver of salt, burning incense, three lighted candles, a rock or crystal, some flowers, a wand and or athame, a sistrum, bread and wine/fruit juice and a container of herbs. Participants may be in black, white or dark or pastel robes Opening Ceremony Celebrant: (Takes wand in the air, going round in a circle) I conjure thee ...

Prepare Your Altar ● Candles may be blue-white-orange or green-white-red● Incense may be bay, sandalwood, or frankincense● Have spellwork materials ready on altar Rite ● Sweep circle area, say “I sweep clean the circle, sweeping negative and chaoticenergies away from my sacred space.”● lay out circle and altar items.● Bathe & robe. Light incense and altar candles. Ring bell three times and say...

Use this ritual to bring specific lunar energies into your life. It should be carried out on the evening ofthe full moon or as close as you can.I choose Cantios, my favourite full moon of the year, when calling for help to finish things I have leftundone, but you can use the same method and much of the ritual for any of the full moons. You canalso use this ritual without focusing on a specific ful...

As well as the months, the phases of the Moon offer scope for different kinds of magick during the individual monthly moon cycles. However, problems in interpretation of these energies can arise because astronomy and astrology are no longer regarded as the same thing. For example, to our ancestors, the astrological Dark of the Moon was the same as the astronomical dark – the first two and a half d...

The cycle from new moon to new moon lasts 29.5 days but because the Moon has an irregular orbit, the time of its rising and setting will vary each day. For this reason, phases can vary in length by a day or so each month. The best way to understand the Moon is as our ancestors did, by studying in the sky. Use an almanac or a diary that contains Moon phases or consult your daily paper to identify t...

There are eight astronomical phases of the Moon, but magick generally focuses on three that are considered to be particularly significant. The waxing moon: As the Moon is increasing in size, it is said to be waxing. The light increases, appearing to spread from right to left, and this phase lasts right until the moment that the Moon becomes completely visible – the full moon. The waxing phase is t...

This is the time for new beginnings and long-term goals and you can repeat the same spell during each waxing moon period for projects that will take months or even a year or more to bring to fruition. The closer to the full moon, the more intense the energies will be, and a spell lasting over three days, up to and including the full moon, is excellent for an urgent project or one with a necessaril...

Like the Moon, you and everything around you – children, pets, plants and, of course, crystals – will become more dynamic and charged as the Moon increases. This is especially noticeable with moonstones and topaz. Then, as the Moon wanes, everything loses energy and enthusiasm. It’s the spirit and body’s way of telling you to slow down and regenerate. I am convinced that a great deal of the stress...