November 2008

A Note from Gentle Rains

Just a few updates on the site. First, I just wish to take a moment to welcome all our new members to our community. As our family continues to grow, I ask that all members to please take the time to welcome our newest additions.

~~ New Groups!

• Our Members Networks - Have a network on NING?? Here's a place just for you to promote it!

• The Single's Realm - A place for the single to mingle!

• Bewitched with Creativity - A place for expression, be it words, sound or visual. A place to share your art. Remember, this is a family site so keep it clean. :-)

• Everything Yule - A group dedicated to everything Yule!

~~ MG Members Business Directory (Where are your wares) & The Boutique at Magickal Gatherings

Just a friendly reminder that if you have a service or product that you'd like to promote, we have 2 options available to you under the MG Wares Tab at the top of the page. The directory which is completely free and the Boutique that costs $10.00/Month to advertise on. The Boutique is much more comprehensive and allows for more traffic. Also, check out some of our new vendors!

If you have a service or product that you'd like to promote, please see Gentle Rains or Christine for instructions and other pertinent information to get you listed!

~~ We would love to bring you more new items and go premium with ning so we can advertise on our own, but the creators are flat broke. You can help us by chipping in whatever you can, if you can. Please don’t worry if you can’t, believe me we do understand. To help out…at the bottom of the page you will find the Chip-In widget, just click on that and away you go.

~~ We are growing on Myspace! Come and add yourself as a friend if you haven’t already, we would love to see you there!

Each month the administration will award one member the title of Member of the Month. This award is based on participation, contributions and helpfulness to the site and members.

Please remember to stop by the page of November’s Member of the Month, Cat and congratulate her if you haven’t done so already.

The Birthday Club- A club for everyone to list their birthday, if you haven‘t already joined the group, please stop by and join us. We would love to wish you a “Happy Birthday”.

November birthdays that are listed in the group are:

Christi - 8th

Naya - 8th

Bandia - 11th

Marsh EverEvolvingSoul - 29th

A Note From Christine

Cornucopia

squashes, apples, and pears. Set on a sideboard or chest, it's a natural Thanksgiving decoration that radiates good fortune: In Greek mythology, the cornucopia -- Latin for "horn of plenty" -- was a magical goat's horn that filled itself with whatever food and drink its owner requested. It has become a universal symbol of bounty, and in America is closely tied to Thanksgiving.

Total Steps: 8

Tools and Materials

2-foot-long wicker cornucopia (available at crafts stores or floral shops)
2 yards of burlap
Scissors
Hot-glue gun
Three 200-gram packages of raffia
Spool of jute string
Large binder clip

Step 1
Pull the burlap around the wicker cornucopia frame, and tuck it inside. Trim any extra burlap with scissors, leaving enough to fold under at edges for a finished look.

Step 2
Hot-glue the burlap to the frame, lifting the fabric in several areas to apply glue. Press firmly for several seconds so the burlap sticks. Inside the frame, fold the burlap edges under to make a clean hem, and glue to the frame.

Step 3
Assemble a hank of raffia about 3/4 inch thick; using string, tie a knot around one end of the hank, and clip it to the table. Then wind the string around the raffia at 2-inch intervals to make a yard-long rope.

Step 4
When you get to the other end, tie a knot. Make another raffia rope. Then, using a short piece of jute string, tie the two ropes together end to end to create one double-length rope.

Step 5
Make a total of 9 double-length ropes to cover a cornucopia of this size. For the lip of the cornucopia, make a double-length raffia rope, about 2 1/4 inches thick, tying the string around it at 4-inch intervals so the result is looser.

Step 6
Tie the end of a raffia rope to the tip of the frame with string. Wind the raffia around, and apply glue as you go. At the end of the rope, tie it to another with string, and continue. When all but the lip is covered, tie a long piece of string to the end of the last raffia rope and wrap it around the frame; knot it.

Step 7
At the basket lip, attach the thicker raffia rope to the last thin rope with string, tying at 4-inch intervals. (Note: If your cornucopia has a protruding, tray like base, as this one does, you can cover it with more raffia; but if you line it with wheat, the base won't show.)

Step 8
Apply more hot glue where needed to secure the raffia ropes to the frame. To display, line the opening with stalks of dried wheat, and add long-lasting fruits and vegetables.


A Note From Skye

Feast Day Has Roots in European and Native American Paganism

It is taught that the Pilgrims established Thanksgiving, to share their abundant harvest with local Wampanoag Tribe, “People of the Dawn.” They were gatherers, hunters, farmers and fishermen. The colonists arrived in December and endured hard times, barely surviving. Colonists recorded Indians were robbed and their fields were plundered, most likely because of this.

The Pilgrims were English Separatists who broke away from the Church of England because they felt that it had not completed the Reformation’s work. One of the groups from Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, England went to Amsterdam and lived there for about 12 years before sailing to America.

In the New Country, the Pilgrims lived in hovels made from sticks and logs plastered together with straw, clay, sand and water. The wheat they brought to plant didn’t fare well in the rocky soil. Many died and were buried at night so the Indians wouldn’t know their numbers.

Wampanoagan Samoset came to help the colonists, but his command of the English language was limited, so he later brought Squanto, who knew English well, to teach the Pilgrims survival skills. He taught the immigrants how to grow beans, corn, squash and other crops, using fish as a fertilizer. Squanto showed them which plants were poisonous and those used for healing. He taught the people how to obtain sap from maple trees, dig for clams and other skills.

The Pilgrims celebrated the first New World harvest. Leader Captain Miles Standish invited Chief Massasoit and 90 braves, including Squanto and Samoset, to join them in 1621.

Thanksgiving was not the first feast celebrating harvest. Pagans had festivals giving thanks for bounty.

Native American and Pagan European Roots

The Wampanoag had their own harvest celebration in which they gave thanks for abundant crops to Kiehtan, the Creator. They believed corn, the most valued crop, was a gift from him. The tribe expressed gratitude to the spirits of the game for the animals they killed for food.

By the time Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863, other Europeans had settled in America and brought their traditions, some Pagan, with them.

Harvest festivals were celebrated by Europeans. Romans celebrated Cerelia by giving thanks to Ceres, Goddess of Harvest. Celtic and Anglo/Saxon Pagans celebrated Lughnasadh and Mabon, the first and second harvests. The Greeks gave honor to Demeter during the Thesmophoria. The New Englanders’ Pagan ancestors celebrated Harvest Home, the first reaping of crops, in August. There was a silent time for gratitude and reflection, followed by singing and dancing after which a joyous feast was held.

First New World Thanksgiving Feast

There are only two brief contemporary accounts written by Edward Winslow and William Bradford of the menu. According to these, celebrants ate venison, fowl, corn, fish and wheat breads. It is likely that rabbit, eggs, shellfish, barley, beans, squash, carrots, onions, peas, cabbage, cheese, pumpkin and Indian puddings, nuts and cornbread were on the table because these foods were available in 1621.

There were no pies because the colonists didn’t have ovens. Potatoes weren’t served.

It’s been written that Quadequina, Massasoit’s brother, treated the celebrants to popcorn. This has been refuted because Indian corn doesn’t pop well. It’s possible that popcorn, although poorly made, was served.

© Jill Stefko

We can’t keep an eye on everything that goes on within the site, so if you have any problems or feel you were spammed by a member please use the “Report an Issue” link at the bottom of every page or contact us at….

magickalgatherings@gmail.com

And we will get back to you as soon as we can. We want everyone to feel safe and at home here with us at Magickal Gatherings.

Until next month…..

Gentle Rains & Christine (co-creators)
Skye (group administrator)

October 2008

A Note from Gentle Rains

Just a few updates on the site. First, I just wish to take a moment to welcome all our new members to our community. As our family continues to grow, I ask that all members to please take the time to welcome our newest additions.

~~ October is breast cancer awareness month. Ladies, if you haven’t gotten your mammogram please schedule one today! And of course I can’t leave out the men….it has been proven that men can be diagnosed with breast cancer as much as a woman can, so the next time you are at the Doctor, please don’t be afraid to discuss it with them.

~~ New Groups!

• The BOS Swap …. Love to craft? We thought this would be a neat way to exchange BOS pages on any subject that you want to make a page from. The idea is to sign up under the thread October 1st opting in and you'll receive a partner in which to send out a BOS page for them and you will receive one in return. Look under group guidelines for more information. You can get as creative as you want, It doesn't have to be handwritten as you can always use your trusty computer to crank one out then all you need to do is find embellishments for the page to personalize it. All this info and some ideas are listed in the groups so sign up now! So come on everyone and have a little fun!

• The Celtic Knot … Discussions on the Celtic tradition. Come on over and join us!

• Musical Enchantment …Music To Soothe the Savage Beast! Come join us, and add your favorite music.
  

• Lightworkers Unite …A place for lightworkers to go and share or exchange information and for anyone interested in the subject. All are welcome!

• Runes Study Group …Want to learn the Runes? Do you know about Runes? Here we will study all aspects of the Runes. Come, Share & Join Us!!
  

• The Vampire's Vault …A place for Vampires/Pagan Vampires to exchange information and make friends.

~~ We had a few problems with members leaving abusive/vulgar comments to others. They have now been banned and will not be allowed back onto the site. We are always striving to make sure all our members have a safe environment to come to. If you have an issue with a member, please use the “Report an Issue” link found on the bottom of every page.

~~ We’ve had a few changes with the tabs at the top of your page. The tabs are now in this order….

• My page is now My Abode
  
• Members is now Our Family
  
• Forums is now Expressions
  
• Groups is now Circles
  
• Notes is now Memos
  
• Where are your Wares is now MG Wares
  
• And a new tab - MG Top Sites
  

Sub Tabs - If you notice there are a few tabs missing from the line up, they are now listed under another tab as a sub tab…

• Under the Main tab you will find…Photos, Videos, Events, MG Myspace, MG Newsletter
• Under the My Abode tab you will find…My Blog, All Blogs, My Friends, My Profile, My Settings, My Networks
• Under the MG Wares tab you will find…MG Directory, MG Boutique (more on that next month)
• Under the MG Top Sites tab you will find our voting link.

~~ MG Wares (aka Where Are Your Wares) has been totally re-worked and moved to it's own site. This is a much cleaner system and it's visible to the public so you can get more traffic for your business. It's still a members only directory, meaning non members of MG will not be permitted to advertise on the site.

Please remember that we DO NOT allow promoting of products or services on your profile pages. If you wish to promote your business, please contact us with your information and we will be glad to add it to the directory.

~~ Ning has removed gadgets from all networks and in it’s place ning provided us with OpenSocial.

~~ We would love to bring you more new items and go premium with ning so we can advertise on our own, but the creators are flat broke. You can help us by chipping in whatever you can, if you can. Please don’t worry if you can’t, believe me we do understand. To help out…at the bottom of the page you will find the Chip-In widget, just click on that and away you go.

~~ We are growing on Myspace! Come and add yourself as a friend if you haven’t already, we would love to see you there!

Each month the administration will award one member the title of Member of the Month. This award is based on participation, contributions and helpfulness to the site and members.

Please remember to stop by the page of October’s Member of the Month, Ander "Scott" Drake and congratulate him if you haven’t done so already.

The Birthday Club- A club for everyone to list their birthday, if you haven‘t already joined the group, please stop by and join us. We would love to wish you a “Happy Birthday”.

October birthdays that are listed in the group are

Dread the Knight - October 19
Herminia Haydes Suarez - October 25

A Note from Christine

The History Of Samhain

Samhain's History

Samhain (pronounced Sow-en), dates back to the ancient Celts who lived 2,000 years ago. Contrary to what some believe, is not a celebration of a Celtic god of the dead. Instead, it is a Celtic word meaning "summer's end." The Celts, like many other cultures, saw the dark of the day or year as the beginning and not the end of the seasonal cycle. Thus their days began at sunset, not sun rise and the wheel of the year begins at summers end; Samhain. The Celts were a pastoral people as opposed to an agricultural people. The end of summer was significant to them because it meant the time of year when the structure of their lives changed radically. The cattle were brought down from the summer pastures in the hills and the people were gathered into the houses for the long winter nights of story-telling and handicrafts.

Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. Fires were lit to honor the descending sun god. On the eve of Samhain, the gates of the Abyss were unlocked and spirits from below flew free. Human souls that had been trapped in the bodies of animals were released by the Lord of the Dead and sent to their new incarnations.

In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.

To commemorate the event, early Celts built massive bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities. These sacred fires were a big part of the cleansing of the old year and a method to prepare for the coming new year. During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other's fortunes. When the celebration was over, they re-lit the fires in their homes with torches from the sacred bonfire. These home fires were to help protect them during the coming winter.

The Romans began to conquer the Celtic territories. By A.D. 43 they had succeeded in claiming the majority of the Celtic lands. They ruled for approximately four hundred years combining or influencing many Celtic traditional celebrations with their own. Two Roman holidays were merged with Samhain.

1. Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead.

2. Pomona's Day of Honoring, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.

Samhain to Halloween

With the coming of Christianity in the 800s AD, the early Church in England tried to Christianize the old Celtic festivals. Pope Boniface IV designated the 1st of November as "All Saints Day," honoring saints and martyrs. He also decreed October 31 as "All Hallows Eve" and eventually Hallow'een. Scholars today widely accept that the Pope was attempting to replace the earlier Celtic pagan festival with a church-sanctioned holiday. As this Christian holiday spread, the name evolved as well. Also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day). 200 years later, in 1000 AD, the church made November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It is celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls' day, are called Hallowmas.

Halloween Traditions

"Trick-or-treating" is a modern American tradition that probably finds it's roots in the early All Souls' Day parades in England. During the festivities, poor citizens would beg for food and families would give them pastries called "soul cakes" in return for their promise to pray for the family's dead relatives. The distribution of soul cakes was encouraged by the church as a way to replace the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for roaming spirits. The practice, which was referred to as "going a-souling" was eventually taken up by children who would visit the houses in their neighborhood and be given ale, food, and money.

"Dressing up" for Halloween gets it roots from dressing up around the sacred bonfire during the original Celtic festival. Some suggest, this practice originates from England, when it was believed that ghosts came back to the earthly world on Halloween. People thought that they would encounter ghosts if they left their homes, so to avoid being recognized people would wear masks after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits. In addition, these early English people, would place bowls of food outside their homes to appease the ghosts and prevent them from attempting to enter or cause harm to their homes.

As European came to America, they brought their varied Halloween traditions with them. Celebration of Halloween in colonial times was much more common in Maryland and the southern colonies. As the beliefs and customs of different European ethnic groups, as well as the American Indians, meshed, a distinctly American version of Halloween began to emerge. The first celebrations included "play parties," public events held to celebrate the harvest, where neighbors would share stories of the dead, tell each other's fortunes, dance, and sing. Colonial Halloween festivities also featured the telling of ghost stories and mischief-making of all kinds. By the middle of the nineteenth century, annual autumn festivities were common, but Halloween was not yet celebrated everywhere in the country.

In the second half of the nineteenth century, America entered an age of mysticism. What was more often termed spiritualism. Metaphysical groups and clubs began to spring up throughout the Golden Age and the wealthier set of Americans. At the same time, America was welcoming a new group of immigrants, especially the millions of Irish fleeing Ireland's potato famine of 1846. This new cultural influence brought with it a melding of Irish and English traditions, and a new Americans culture was born. People began to dress up in costumes and go house to house asking for food or money, a practice that eventually became today's "trick-or-treat" tradition. Young women believed that, on Halloween, they could divine the name or appearance of their future husband by doing tricks with yarn, apple parings, or mirrors.

In the late 1800s, there was a move in America to mold Halloween into a holiday more about community and neighborly get-togethers, than about ghosts, pranks, and witchcraft. At the turn of the century, Halloween parties for both children and adults became the most common way to celebrate the day. Parties focused on games, foods of the season, and festive costumes. Parents were encouraged by newspapers and community leaders to take anything "frightening" or "grotesque" out of Halloween celebrations. Because of their efforts, Halloween lost most of its superstitious and religious overtones by the beginning of the twentieth century.

By the 1920s and 1930s, Halloween had become a secular, but community-centered holiday, with parades and town-wide parties as the featured entertainment. Despite the best efforts of many schools and communities, vandalism began to plague Halloween celebrations in many communities during this time. By the 1950s, town leaders had successfully limited vandalism and Halloween had evolved into a holiday directed mainly at the young. Due to the high numbers of young children during the fifties baby boom, parties moved from town civic centers into the classroom or home, where they could be more easily accommodated.

Between 1920 and 1950, the centuries-old practice of trick-or-treating was also revived. Trick-or-treating was a relatively inexpensive way for an entire community to share the Halloween celebration. In theory, families could also prevent tricks being played on them by providing the neighborhood children with small treats. A new American tradition was born, and it has continued to grow. Today, Americans spend an estimated $6.9 billion annually on Halloween, making it the country's second largest commercial holiday.

Samhain Traditions

To pagans the world over, November 1st, still marks the beginning of the New Year. To Witches and Pagans, Samhain is the Festival of the Dead, and for many, it is the most important Sabbat (Holiday) of the year. Although the Feast of the Dead forms a major part of most Pagan celebrations on this eve, and at Samhain voluntary communications are expected and hoped for. The departed are never harassed, and their presence is never commanded. The spirits of the dead are, however, ritually invited to attend the Sabbat and to be present within the Circle.

The colors of this Sabbat are black and orange. Black to represent the time of darkness after the death of the God (who is represented by fire and the sun) during an earlier sabbat, and the waning of light during the day. Orange represents the awaiting of the dawn during Yule (Dec. 21st to Jan. 1st) when the God is reborn.

Jack-o-lanterns originated from the custom of lighting candles for the dead to follow as they walk the earth. Treats also originated from an old custom of leaving cookies and other foods out for those relatives to enjoy as they shared this one night of feasting. The 'trick' portion of "Trick or Treat" was an invention of the Christians. The tricks were supposedly caused by the dead who didn't receive a treat of food left for them when they arrived.

Some ideas for a Samhain Celebration:

* Bob for apples. There were many divination practices associated with Samhain, many of which dealt with marriage, health, and the weather. Ducking for apples was a marriage divination based on the belief that the first to bite into an apple would be the first to marry in the coming year. This is similar to the wedding tradition of the throwing of the bride's bouquet for women and her garter for men.

* Apple peeling was another type of divination to determine how long one's life would be. The longer the unbroken peel, the longer the life of the one peeling it the rind

* Carve jack-o-lanterns to light the way for the spirits who walk during this night.

* Finish any incomplete projects and pay off lingering bills (if possible) to close out the old year and begin the new year afresh.

* Set aside some time for scrying or other form of divination. Or if you don't divine yourself, get a reading.

* Leave food out for the birds and other wild animals.

* Put pictures of ancestors who have passed on your altar or festival table. Light a special candle for them, to show them the way to return and celebrate with you.

* Visit the graves of your ancestors or, if this isn't possible, the nearest cemetery. Be still there, and listen for the voices of those who have passed.

* Leave offerings of food and drink for them, and for the animals.

* Tell ancestral stories and tales around the fire, or at the dinner table.

* Have a mask-making ceremony in which you create masks to represent your ancestry.


A Note From Skye

Salt Crystal Lamps & Candles

Salt crystal lamps and candles improve air qualities by enriching air with negative ions, and they are natural air ionizers.

Many of us live and work in surroundings dominated by technology; computers, televisions, copy machines, printers, microwave ovens, air conditioners and heaters, just to name a few. These so called "conveniences" emit an excessive amounts of positive ions into the air we breath, which can result in mental and physical exhaustion and effect overall wellness. The most dangerous levels of positive ions occur in polluted cities. Exhaust fumes from cars, trucks, and buses; factory smoke, cigarette smoke, dust and soot, and electromagnetic pollution all combines to create a potent mixture of positive ions and ozone that gradually destroys our lungs and ruins our health.

Perhaps you have noticed that your feeling of well being is intensified in pure mountain air, or at the seashore, or after a thunderstorm. This is due to the higher concentration of negative ions in these surroundings. It is no coincidence that healing spas are, as a rule, located in areas with foaming salt water or roaring mountain springs which generate plentiful negative ions which causes air particles to achieve electrical or ionic balance.

Salt crystal lamps are highly suitable for daily use in the whole house - in bed rooms, in living rooms, in dining rooms, in the hall way, in meditation rooms, near televisions, computers and around smokers. Use these beautiful lamps in offices to reduce fatigue, the lamp will minimize the effect of all that radiation and beautifies surroundings of your work area, it improves your concentration and refreshes you by neutralizing the effects of an artificial environment. Use the lamp in waiting rooms to create a relaxing atmosphere, during massage therapy, and anywhere else you want to restore or maintain the natural air quality. The benefit of ionizers is well known. While most ionizers on the market are man made machines, the salt crystal lamp is a beautiful alternative of mother nature, without any noise and no harmful ozone.

Europeans have been aware of the health benefits of salt for generations, and people suffering from chronic congestive problems go to clinics located in salt mines for treatment. It is called SPELEOTHERAPY. The very dry, negative ion-rich environment of these salt mines helps to clear out the patients’ bronchial tubes and sinuses, and to kill bacteria and other microbes.

We can’t keep an eye on everything that goes on within the site, so if you have any problems or feel you were spammed by a member please use the “Report an Issue” link at the bottom of every page or contact us at….

magickalgatherings@gmail.com

And we will get back to you as soon as we can. We want everyone to feel safe and at home here with us at Magickal Gatherings.

Until next month…..

Gentle Rains & Christine (co-creators)
Skye (group administrator)

September 2008 - Monthly Newsletter

A Note From Gentle Rains

Welcome to the 2nd edition of Magickal Gatherings Monthly Newsletter!

Just a few updates on the site. First, I just wish to take a moment to welcome all our new members to our community.

This month Magickal Gatherings officially reached over the 300 member milestone! That is a great accomplishment and compliment for our 2 month old community!

~~ As you can see, we finally got the updates and releases that we have been missing. The new chat room is one of those updates along with some hidden ones that are for me to play with (smile) and as soon as I master them I will then be able to add them to the site (i.e. drop down tab menus).

~~ New Group! Everything Samhain! - Yes folks we thought it would be fun to start a group on what an awful lot of us consider to be their favorite holiday. Topics will range from lore to recipes and other fun and fascinating topics. So come join us!

~~ Upcoming feature release Tuesday, Sep. 16 — 6 p.m. Pacific Time - There should be no downtime during this release. This release will include…..New Message Center & Friend Request Interface: The Network Inbox and Friend Requests are moving out of the Ningbar…..Simplified Main & Profile Pages: Changes include more space between columns, standardized text size across modules, and the introduction of a blog tab…..A New iPhone Interface: A supported mobile version of your network, accessible at the domain http://yourdomain.ning.com/m/

~~ We’re always striving to make sure all our members have a safe environment to come to. We have added a few additions to our Code of Conduct, such as profiles, creating groups, protecting your own privacy, personal issues, posting/comments, and opinions. Please read the new sections to the Code of Conduct at the site.

~~ Guidelines have been posted regarding creating a new group, you can read them under the Notes tab at the top of every page. All groups will now be approved before allowing members to join. Please do not allow this to stop anyone from creating a group, we want you to create them, this is just another way we are protecting our members.

~~ Photos and Videos - Please keep your photo uploading to 15 photos per day, per member and check to see that you are not duplicating any. We are asking every member to please use embedded videos (such as google, youtube, etc) and not upload from your computer. We have quite a bit of bandwich available to us and would like to keep it on the low side so the site doesn’t start to lag.

~~ Where Are Your Wares is a business directory for members to advertise their products and services. If you wish to advertise your wares in the Magickal Gatherings Business Directory, please contact either Gentle Rains or Christine with a brief description of your wares along with a link to your website. Categories are as follows with more to come as the directory builds....Pagan Freebies - Handmade Pagan Products - Classes / Courses Pagan Services - Home Based Businesses…Please remember this is for member products and services only.

~~ We would love to bring you more new items and go premium with ning but the creators are flat broke. You can help us by chipping in whatever you can, if you can. Please don't worry if you can't, believe me we do understand. To help out, at the bottom of the page you will find the Chip-In widget, just click on that and away you go.

~~ We are growing on Myspace! Come and add yourself as friend if you haven‘t already, we would love to see you there!

We have created a short survey for the site asking your opinions on a few subjects. It will be up on the site until September 30th and would love for everyone to join in.

You can click on the link below and it will be posted on the main page as well.

Click here to take our Online Survey

Each month the administration will award one member the title of Member of the Month. This award is based on participation, contributions, and helpfulness to the site and members.

Please remember to stop by the page of September's Members of the Month and congratulate them if you haven't done so already.

The Birthday Club - A club for everyone to list their birthday. We would love to wish you a "Happy Birthday". There is no need to post your year of birth. If you haven’t already joined the group, please stop by and join up.

September Birthdays that are listed in the group, please be sure to stop by and wish them a very Happy Birthday…..

Anne-Marie - 16th

A Note From Christine

September Full Moon Esbat

Background

Summer is over, yet many afternoons are still warm. And while the nights become chilly, winter's threat is not yet real. Our ancestors would be busy with the harvest, but for better or worse, we are removed from it. Most of us do not have to engage in the heavy labor of harvest, but the trade-off is that most of us no longer live close to the land. We should consider the time and conveniences of our modern lives a gift. This time we share together and our time in ritual are also gifts. Each of us has something to offer, and so tonight we will offer our gifts.

September Full Moon Ritual

Moon of the Harvest

Setup:

Items needed for this ritual include: Six candles for the altar; A bowl of acorns; Vines, real or artificial, to decorate the altar (optional); Tape or CD to play during the core part of the ritual. You may want to select something with which people can sing or drum (optional); Drum or other percussion instrument (optional).

The Ritual:

As you walk the perimeter of your circle, say:
Harvest moon, gather in,
I draw abundance to me.
Family, friends, those in need,
I share it all with thee.
Sacred is this space decreed in this harvest time.

Walk to the edge of the circle in the respective direction as you call each. After speaking, light a candle on the altar. Stand in front of the altar to evoke the Goddess and God.

I call to the North, to Earth, and invite you to my circle with your gifts of endurance, everyday existence and foundation. Be with me as the roots that connect me to sacred places. Spirits of Earth be with me this night.

I call to the East, to Air and invite you to my circle with your gifts of awareness, communication and inspiration. Be with me as the soft voice of nature. Spirits of Air be with me this night.

I call to the South, to Fire and invite you to my circle with your gifts of strength, sensation and courage. Be with me as the catalyst for transformation. Spirits of Fire be with me this night.

I call to the West, to Water and invite you to my circle with your gifts of emotion, intuition and receptivity. Be with me as the guide for my dreams and self-discovery. Spirits of Water be with me this night.

I call to the Lord, God of All, and invite you to my circle with your gifts of everlasting vitality and the spark of life that brings the world into being. Lord of All, be with me this night.

I call to the Lady, Goddess of All and invite you to my circle with your gifts of the powers of earth and the mystery of sister Luna. Lady of All, be with me this night.

Nature also has many gifts to offer and tonight we combine these with ours. The acorn is a tiny thing that holds great promise for the future. From something so small comes something great. It offers strength and endurance. Tonight these acorns will be symbolic of the gifts we offer the world.

Cup the acorns between your palms. Let your thoughts and energy flow into them as you think of what you wish for others. You may wish someone the gift of good health, you may offer the gift of your friendship, or you may wish that a person receive the strength to deal with a challenge in his or her life.

Walk around your altar three times, and then one by one place an acorn on it. As you place each one, say aloud to whom you are offering a gift and what that gift is. When you are finished, and to give power to the intention of your gifts, raise energy with the vine dance.

If you are using recorded music, begin it now, and then begin your dance. Your left leg advances your step. Your right leg will move first, behind then in front of the left to simulate the winding growth of a vine. To begin, place your right foot behind the left, then step sideways with your left foot. Cross your right foot in front of the left, and then take another step with your left foot. Keep alternating the movement of your right foot behind, then in front of your left as you step with your left. Yes, you may fall down, lol.

After the energy has reached its peak and you have released it, bring your dancing to an end. Stop the tape or CD. Take a few minutes to ground your energy.

Walk to the edge of the circle in the respective direction as you dismiss each. After speaking, extinguish a candle on the altar. Stand in front of the altar when addressing the Goddess and God.

Lady, Goddess of All, thank you for the gifts you bestow on me and for joining my circle this night. I ask for your blessing as you depart, and bid you farewell.

Lord, God of All, thank you for the gifts you bestow on me and for joining my circle this night. I ask for your blessing as you depart, and bid you farewell.

Spirits of West, of Water, thank you for the gift of dreams and self-discovery. I ask for your blessing as you depart, and bid you farewell.

Spirits of South, of Fire, thank you for the gift of transformation. I ask for your blessing as you depart, and bid you farewell.

Spirits of East, of Air, thank you for the gift of nature's voice. I ask for your blessing as you depart, and bid you farewell.

Spirits of North, of Earth, thank you for the gift of connection with sacred places. I ask for your blessing as you depart, and bid you farewell.

Standing in front of your altar, say:

In sacred circle's fading light,
Through the stillness of this night.
Intended gifts, fly from me,
To those I named, so mote it be.
In faith and unity, blessed be.


A Note From Joanie

Hi, I'm Joanie, one of the group administrators here. Since healing work is a passion of mine, and we have so many healers of various modalities on Magickal Gatherings, this month I would like to highlight all of our healing groups.

Our Healing Circle - The Beginning is our first and original healing group here. It's a group for everyone who has ever had an interest in healing work of any kind. Whether you're just curious, or an experienced master. You'll find lots of information here on many different types of healing methods such as Chakra Healing, Crystal Therapy, Reiki and much, much more.

The Healers Corner - A group for those who are already doing healing work. A place for healers to meet and talk about their practices, gain information on new modalities and generally put their own healing first for a while. We have many wonderful healers on board and have just started doing a weekly healing share with each other.

The Reiki Path - Reiki is probably one of the most recognized forms of energy healing, but did you know that there are many different types of Reiki? This group is all about Reiki and it's various forms. If you are interested in learning or already practicing it, you're sure to find something interesting here. You can also arrange to do an attunement exchange for other types of Reiki with those on the group.

The Wellness Co-op - Created to put together those in need of healing and those who can help. Anyone can post a general healing request here, or you can look at the list of healing helpers and ask for individual help from those listed. Additionally, you can arrange to do any type of healing exchange with each other. This is pretty much a self help group in that members can post and interact with each other to arrange exchanges.

Brighid's Well - Feeling blue? Need advice? Looking for someone to listen to you? Brighid's Healing well offers her waters to sooth you and your troubled soul. Come sit by the well and sip the water.

I hope you will check out our healing groups and if you're so inclined, join one that fits you best. As with all of our groups here, we would love to get more member participation. Feel free to ask questions or post new information on any of our groups!


A Note From Skye


How to Heal Yourself Energetically

I have been working with energy healing for a long time. I am always learning new things, and it never fails to amaze me. This is a gift to humanity from Spirit, an ability we were born with. We give up our power to people who tell us what is going on inside our bodies as if we have no control over it, but we do! I know "energy medicine" is going to be normal for us in the future. When we look back at this time in our linear history, our current medicinal practices will seem intrusive and barbaric.

We are made up of vibrating energy. Your physical manifestation began with a blueprint in a higher frequency plane. That is the way illnesses begin, too. Even genetic illnesses have an energetic pattern that can be changed. The trick is to become aware of how to do this. The first thing to realize is that you have all the power within you to do this. When I do a healing on someone, I cannot change anything no matter what I do unless he/she is willing to let his/her own divine healing take place. If I am trying to heal someone's arm or leg, for example, the energy will not move until the person relaxes and lets go. When he/she does let go, something takes over. It is based on what I call the body's natural organizational principle. The energy flows, and I see the person do something like laugh, or offer her hands in prayer to me, or walk away in a beautiful scene that is special to that person. I know then that the person accepted the healing and that it is finished. I have no control over that flowing process, or healing. I just watch it happen. The person does not have any conscious control over this flowing process either, but he/she feels the difference, and knows something just happened. My job is to stimulate that process. What this means is that you have a divine blueprint for health. If you have some kind of illness, it is because you have a block in your awareness of something, and need to manifest it in the physical in order to become aware of it. Think of the word "disease". It suggests that we are out of ease with ourselves. When you become aware of the block, the disease goes away. This is another way of defining the process of healing.

Many people never become aware of what it is they are healing, but the body goes through a process of "eating the energy" by getting sick, acting out whatever it is the person needs to experience, and then if the person "gets the message", even if subconsciously, the body is free to heal. It is a way of doing energy housework in the body. If we do not release the tension through our breath, our conscious awareness, or other ways of releasing, we accumulate garbage. The body finally takes over and gives the person a warning...the warning could be a headache, sore knee, or an aching back. If nothing happens, the body will manifest it more completely depending on what the issue is. The way illness will manifest often is associated with the functioning of chakras and the spiritual symbolism behind body parts. For example, indigestion or stomach cramps may be related to tension about solving some problem for which there seems to be no solution (3rd chakra is problem solving and action). A problem may be symbolic such as stiff legs for someone who is afraid to move forward in life. Louise Hay has written a book called Heal Your Body which tells many possible interpretations of what is behind various illnesses, but she says that they are only suggestions, which is true. Each person's dreams may have common symbols with other dreamers, but each person is unique in many ways, also.

How do you find out what is behind an illness? You ask Spirit. This is why I think it is so good for people to develop their psychic skills, because you can pinpoint what more exactly is going on and why. Instead of going to a reference book of symptoms and cures that generalizes and assumes everyone fits the same blueprint, you are going to the Source and unraveling the energy that led to that particular manifestation of "disease".

How do you do this for yourself? Since we are not always able to be objective about our own issues, we often turn to someone else for help. When we are not objective, we are "inside the block", or stuck. One way you can get outside the block or get unstuck enough to see your issue and become aware, is to laugh at it. Humor is the most underrated quality of human expression. Many indigenous people have the Lakota equivalent of a Heyoka, sacred clown or divine fool. This person does crazy things that are outside what is expected of a person, that makes no sense. He/she gives the others permission to let go of whatever they are stuck with without becoming fools themselves. They are often painted black and white because they unify opposites. In our world of polarities, we have good or bad, right or wrong, etc. It is easy to get stuck if that is all we see! If we allow ourselves to let go of expectations and see that everything is good AND bad, or NOT good OR bad, we see that it just IS, and we cannot hold onto stuck-ness anymore. In other words, stuck-ness is judgment about something. Judgment is resistance. When you are resisting, you are holding yourself tight, refusing to give in, being stubborn. If you laugh, you cannot resist, or judge. When you laugh, feel how the energy flows through you and fills your being. You breathe deeply and do not resist anything! Some of you may be saying "but, but, what if....". Just imagine that truly our life here is a divine joke and everyone is laughing and standing in the light. No one is lost, no one is hurt, no one is forgotten, no one is evil or bad. When you begin to see life this way, you begin to see into the Higher Realms.

OK, you are laughing. What next? You can get into a quiet, relaxed state and close your eyes. Mentally scan your body and see it as energy. You do not need to know about the chakras or anything in order to do this. For any energy that appears stuck, dense, opaque or standing out, imagine it dissolving and flowing away. I often do this meditation in a sea salt bath and imagine the bath water dissolving all the stuck-ness from me. Then ask your Spirit to bring you new energy that is appropriate for you at the time and imagine it filling your body and aura with a beautiful light. The light can be gold or any other color that feels uplifting, flowing and healing to you. Remember to fill up with some good energy any time you release so that you don't pull back the heavy energy again.

Just the act of turning within and asking for your spiritual connection once a week begins an alchemical process of spiritual growth and healing on all levels. The time to start is now!

We can't keep an eye on everything that goes on within the network, so if you have any problems or if you feel you were spammed by a member, please contact us at:

magickalgatherings@gmail.com

and we will get back to you as soon as we can. We want everyone to feel safe and at home with us here at Magickal Gatherings!

Until next month....

Gentle Rains & Christine (co-creators)
Joanie & Skye (group administrators)

August 2008 - Monthly Newsletter

Welcome to the first edition of Magickal Gatherings Newsletter. Each month we will be releasing a new edition to the newsletter to keep you informed as to where and what we would like to do with the network.

We will keep this one brief with just a few new items and announcements regarding the site.

Magickal Gatherings - Chip IN

We would love to bring you more new items and go premium with ning but the creators are flat broke. You can help us by chipping in whatever you can, if you can. Please don't worry if you can't, believe me we do understand. To help out, at the bottom of the page you will find the chip-in widget, just click on that and away you go. Or you can click on the above link and that will take you to our page at chip-in.

I'm sure everyone has noticed that our network is missing a few new features. Due to a bug that was found, we had to decentralize the network in order to fix it. All updates will be applied to Magickal Gatherings on August 28, 2008 and our network will then be centralized in order to receive all future updates.

Magickal Gatherings - Myspace

We are now on Myspace! Come and add yourself as friend, we would love to see you there!

Hi Christine here. I’d like to announce the creation of a new group, Wee Witchlings! We have some youngsters on the site so we thought something fun that they could relate to and learn from at the same time was fitting. I’ve also incorporated the Pagan Parenting information into the group as the forum is too active and I know a lot of you were missing some info.

Each month the administration will award one member the title of Member of the Month. This award is based on participation, contributions, and helpfulness to the site and members.

Please remember to stop by the page of August's Member of the Month and congratulate him if you haven't done so already.

We can't keep an eye on everything that goes on within the network, so if you have any problems or if you feel you were spammed by a member, please contact us at:

magickalgatherings@gmail.com

and we will get back to you as soon as we can. We want everyone to feel safe and at home with us here at Magickal Gatherings!


Until next month....

Gentle Rains & Christine (co-creators)

Joanie & Skye (group administrators)