Sunday Intentional: Creating a Ritual

Today is a fun day in that I get to play with the 'big witches'.  Sometimes it feels like I got invited to the grown-up's table :)  But not only do I get to hang with the Witches today, I'm actually running ritual so why not share the process on here with my lovely readers?  I believe that creating ritual is like any other creative process and each person will do it a little differently but that we can all gain insight by seeing how others do it.  Here's me.  Please remember all of these steps are simply how things are done today in the world according to Kat.

The first step of any ritual is intention.  I was chatting with the High Priestess I borrow on a semi monthly basis and expressed my new Sacred Space epiphany, that I'm doing all of this backwards.  The more I thought about how disjointed my magical training is the more I'd like other young people to be able to avoid it.  So the intention for today's working is: Allow the younger seekers to find guidance.  Intention crafting is almost as difficult a process as ritual craft; it should be short and sweet but directed and to the point but making sure to include all the important elements.  The seven words of my intention went through many incarnations, changing even as I write this.

The next part of ritual is purification but that's not the difficult part.  Now that I have the intention I want to discover what the main magic of the ritual will be.  This is typically the part where energy is raised within the sacred space, built up and then released with the intention.  There are various ways of raising energy, like movement, song, intoning, circling, etc.  I think today I'm feeling the noise makers.  We will raise the energy by using hand-held percussive instruments, starting at a very love volume and slow pulse.  As the energy gets added we will increase the speed and volume of the percussive noise until it feels wild and ecstatic and then we will released in intention.  I think when I get there I will crowd source a bit and see what everyone's comfortable with.

Now that the intention and main magic are decided I can work on the other parts or the structure.  Basics include purification, which I think we will most likely do with burning incense and salt water.  I like using these two methods because they bring together all four elements.  If we're feeling cheeky I may just run a quick purification by fire visual, but that may be dangerous, depending on who's house one is in.

Next up is grounding, which I have no desire to lead and don't feel I should need to at the grown-ups play-date, but sometimes a lead grounding exercise is really good for getting all the participant's minds in the same ritual and sacred place.  If we do feel like grounding together I will probably run a quick and dirty water cycle visualization, as I dislike the tree method a lot and the water cycle has the connections to above and below that is so necessary to good grounding.  I believe that all elements can be used to purify and all can be used to ground in, I just haven't figured them all out yet; this will be it's own SI post some other day.

So the participants and space are ready for the ritual to begin, now what?  Set up the sacred space.  This is one of those things that every tradition and sometimes every witch does just a little bit differently.  The three elements of setting up sacred space include casting a circle, inviting the elemental energies and inviting divine presence but not necessarily all of those steps and not necessarily in that order.  Today I will probably cast the circle then invite the elemental energies and then the divine presence.

The point of this stage of the ritual is to separate the space we are in from the mundane world physically and fairly temporally, hence the line "a space out of time and a time out of space"; a circle takes the space between the worlds.  They also serve to filter the energies.  For instance, I always envision my circle as a giant semi-permeable membrane that allows in the energy that is necessary and not detrimental to the working and also allows our energy to flow out as necessary.  I will probably bring my 'travel wand' to cast this circle, teehee.  I've decided to use song to call in the elements called 'I Am' © 1997 by Christian Williamson and you can listen to it here.  I think I will ask Hermes to join us as a God of travel and communication and Athena to be welcome as a Goddess of wisdom.

Once all the magic is done it's very important to say thanks you and good bye.  As I once told my five year old, Gods are kinda like grown-ups and you have to be polite.  I will thank the divine for their time and hail and farewell them, then do the same for the elemental energies, then I will (probably not use the wand to) open the circle and hugs will ensue.

Now that this is all written out, I feel better.  Have a lovely Sunday everyone!

13 Goddess WK05: Native American Goddess Grandmother Spider

My offering this week is a spell to Grandmother Spider, a Native American goddess of creation:

Shaman Spider Woman by Susan Seddon Boulet, 1986.  You can find out more about the artists and her work at The Turning Point Gallery

Web Weaving Candle Spell

ReadingsByKat.etsy.com

This spell is performed during the last quarter of the waxing moon or during the full moon.

Use a pin to carve into a black or white spell candle; start with four lines to represent the directions and then connect them as you feel moves. Let the creativity flow through your hand into the designs, runes or letters that you place on the candle. As you light your candle, visualize the web of the world that Grandmother Spider helped to create.  Concentrate on being receptive to seeing the connections between all things, especially your connections. Say this incantation (out loud or in your mind):

Grandmother, weaver of the world,

Grandmother, teacher of the people,

Grandmother Spider, wise one,

Help me learn to see the webs that you weave,

so I can marvel at their beauty

and learn from their patterns.

Sit back and watch the candle burn. If possible, focus and meditate on your desires until the candle is almost burned out. Combine the ashes and left over wax together and bury it in the earth near your home.

Pagan Blog Project WK12: F is for Festival!

So when you type 'pagan f' into google the first auto-fill is Pagan Festivals so I thought I share a few of them.  Unlike conferences such as Sacred Space, Changing Times Changing Worlds, Pantheacon, and Between the Worlds (just to name a few) pagan festivals tend to be outside over a long weekend and involve camping, fires, workshops, big ritual and fellowship (read drum circle).

Here are some festivals in the Mid-Atlantic area that may be of interest.  If you know of any I missed, please let me know in the comments!  Even one day festivals would be wonderful to know of.

Fertile Ground Gathering - Prince William Forest Park, Triangle, VA, May 3-6
Mountain Mysteries Beltane - Heavenly Acres Campground, Stanardsville, VA, May 4-6 
Pennsylvania Faerie Festival - Spoutwood Farm, Glen Rock, PA, May 4, 5, 6
Greenbelt Green Man Festival - Roosevelt Center, Greenbelt, MD, May 11-12
Maryland Faerie Festival - Camp Ramblewood, Darlington, MD May 11, 12, 13
Blue Ridge Beltane - Stoney Creek Resort, Greenville, VA, May 11-13
Fires Rising at Four Quarters - Four Quarters Farm, Artemas, PA, May 30 - June 3
Free Spirit Gathering - Camp Ramblewood, Darlington, MD, June 12-17
Shenandoah Midsummer Festival - The Land Celebration, Gore, VA, June 22+24
Drum and Splash - Four Quarters Farm, Artemas, PA, July 4-8

All these events offer a low key but high impact experience that combines fellowship and nature.

See you there!

Featured Favorites Friday: Spring is coming!!

Ladies and Gentlemen, spring is coming!  Part of me knows this because I see the clucking bunny that heralds the arrival of my favorite candy ever; part of me knows this because there are forsythias blooming here; part of me knows this because the energetic forces around my life are swinging closer and close to the balance of the equinox.  It's exciting!

It's also a time to consider focusing on bringing the fertile and abundant energy of the season into your life.  These cascarones from SandiEnchantedGarden are whimsical but powerful witch-crafted tools to help you do just that.

This Cauldron Spash from SpelledWithaW is just the thing to enhance the mood of your ritual space.  Her work is amazing, beautiful and aromatic and the witch-crafter her self is a joy to spend time with (had a blast a Sacred Space!)

What ritual space wouldn't be more complete with this beautiful quilt wall-hanging from EveryWitchWay.  The colors are amazing and the seller's craftsmanship is beautiful (I can attest to that personally).  She has patters for every Sabbat and I believe one could talk her into making you your very own (for a fair price).




Many thanks to all the fabulous witches who craft beautiful things!  Happy Ostara!

Pagan Blog Project WK07 - D is for Daily Ritual

Do you have a daily ritual?  I'm sure the answer is yes if you think about it; it probably involves brushing your teeth, combing your hair, possibly a caffeinated beverage of some sort.  Just google 'daily ritual' and you will be directed to an amazing number of sites that offer something to improve your life as long as you do it every day.  Unfortunately the top ten results have little, if nothing, to do with someone's spiritual practice.  I know I personally keep better balance in my world if I am checking in with the PTB* on a regular basis. 

Every time I get in my car I am reminded of the triple faced goddess to whom I owe allegiance because hanging off my rear-view mirror is an amazing piece of art crafted just for me by Anne from her shop Artisanne.

It's an amazing piece that reminds me of my goddess and the power of the sea all at once every day.  Even if I don't intentionally say hi when I step in the car, as the car moves around the first turn out of my development I automatically reach out, stop it from swinging and smile to remember the amazing divinity in my life.

As strange as this my sound, my daily afternoon cigarette is also a moment of divine contemplation for me on a daily basis.  In the hectic pace of the day I take that 5-7min out, install cancer and yet enjoy the divine within and without.

I plan on adding one more Daily Ritual to the routines, and this one with my Munchkin.  I would like to, after teeth are brushed but before story time, take a moment to teach her how to pray.  I want to teach her that praying is a way to have a conversation with your Gods/Goddesses thanking them and saying good night, after all Thor is kinda like a grown up.

-Kat


*PTB = Powers That Be, my slang and less that devout term for the divine.