Magickal Gatherings Newsletter

July 2009

2009-07-28T22:49:00.007-04:00

Happy 1st Anniversary Magickal Gatherings!

Magickal Gatherings was formed on July 2, 2008 with our first member joining on the 3rd. Since that day we've continued to grow with new members.

We want to take this time to say thank you to our wonderful members who have been so supportive and for inviting others to join our family.

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.

~ ~Groups!

Magickal Montages Group Is Back! It is now located at a new and separate site. There is no need to join the new site unless you plan to offer graphics for everyone to use freely. Any graphics left in the group comments section will be transferred over to the new site. Absolutely NO porn will be allowed!! Please be aware this is still a work in progress. I'm getting there slowly but surely.

Visit Magickal Montaqes

Magickal Library has had quite a few new additions and many more to come. Come check out the library, maybe you’ll find the e-book or writing you have been looking for or find one that is new interesting. There are many different categories in the library…pagan, spiritual, animals, dreams, paranormal, adult fiction, kids section and more.

~ ~ Events!

New events have added to the site, check them out, maybe there is one located by you! If your town/city/state is having an event, please post it in the events or send me the details and I'll be sure to get it up for you.

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

~ ~ 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!

~ ~ Be sure to vote for Magickal Gatherings, once every 24 hours. You can find the voting buttons on the right side of every page. We appreciate your continuing support!

Awards we have won to date can be found at the very bottom of the newsletter.

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 July’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”.

A Note from Christine

Upcoming New MG Workshop Exclusive!

Hello to the family!

Coming in early August we will be offering a workshop on Candle Magick! Your Instructors for the workshop will be myself and Marie Mitchell. I would like to take this time to thank Marie for all the hard work and research she's done in helping to get this workshop off the ground. Did I mention Fun! This will be a very interesting and rewarding course for anyone interested in learning all about Candle Magick. Some of the things we will be studying are; history, color, herb and crystal correspondences, anointing and so on. Before you ask, yes there is homework involved! So as not to make ourselves crazy we will be limiting the course to 30 people. First come first served. If we find that this course is popular we will add an additional one after the first one is over. I will mass email the family a few days before we open for sign up, so be on the lookout for that message!

I also want to thank Gentle Rains for doing such an awesome job on the Magickal Montages site. She put in many long hours to transfer all the images that were collected over the past months. Thank you Gentle Rains!

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer and for those who celebrate Lughnasadh have a happy and safe Sabbat!

Many blessings,
Christine

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)

June 2009

2009-06-07T18:09:00.006-04:00

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.

Oops I forgot to do May’s newsletter…bad GR But here are the highlights for this month.

~ ~ WARNING.....the newest scam/spam

DO NOT click on any links to ringtones, cams, etc. Ning has been trying to stop the recent flood of scam/spam that has been and/or trying to join the networks. Just be careful if you see a profile with no information or receive comments like those above, report it to us and we will take care of it.

~ ~New Groups!

HIDDEN TRUTH - A group where you can come to discuss any and all conspiracy theories!

~ ~ 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.

~ ~ 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!

~ ~ Be sure to vote for Magickal Gatherings, once every 24 hours. You can find the voting buttons on the right side of every page. We appreciate your continuing support!

Awards we have won to date can be found at the very bottom of the newsletter.

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”.

A Note from Christine

Litha/Midsummer and Correspondences

Summer Solstice - Midsummer - Litha (Celtic/Wiccan) - Alban Hefin (Druidic) - Inti Raymi (Incan) - Feast of the Sun (Aztec) - Celtic New Year, according to some - St. John's Day/Festival of Saint John the Baptist (Christian)

As the wheel turns again we find ourselves at Summer Solstice. Litha/Midsummer is one of the Lesser Sabbats and is usually celebrated on June 21st, but varies somewhat from the 20th to the 23rd, dependant upon the Earth's rotation around the Sun. The sun is at the height of it power before beginning its slide into darkness and we experience the longest day and shortest night of the year. It is important to note that the separation of the light and dark halves of the year have nothing to do with good and evil. Light signifies growth and expansion; dark means withdrawal and rest. Both are necessary. While steamy Midsummer marks the beginning of the Sun's dying strength the season itself is very lush, erotic and sexy. The Sun, flowers and Earth are in full bloom. Hot Midsummer creates a fiery, mature, breathless passion. The God is at the very height of his power as we hit midsummer, at this point of the year the crops are coming along nicely (literally and figuritivly). We have done all of the planting associated with spring and life gets a little easier as we sit back and tend what we've created. Its a time of great celebration before we meet the work ahead as the harvest comes in. We honor the God and Goddess whose union has blessed us with the fertility to create the projects we began way back at Imbolc. On Midsummer the veil between the worlds is said to be very thin making this a great time for divination, historically many maidens would divine a husband at this time. Midsummers Eve is said to be a time when fairies abound in great numbers this is a great time to commune with them and leave gifts of sweets outdoors. Litha celebrates abundance, fertility, virility, the beauty and bounty of Nature. Harnessing the Suns great power makes all types of magick appropriate now. We can also harvest the first of our magickal herbs at this time since they are drenched with the great power of the sun on this longest day of the year. It is a good time for empowerment, for strong magick and male rituals, for handfastings and communing with Nature Spirits, for workings of culmination.The journey into the harvest season has begun.

Symbolism: Nurturing and love are key actions related to Midsummer. If you haven't yet done so, Litha is a good time to perform your Self-Dedication Ceremony... Or - if you have been practicing for a while - you may choose to perform a simple Re-dedication/Affirmation as a part of your Sabbat celebration.The powers of nature are at their highest point. Great time for herb gathering. Longest day of the year, marks the time when days begin to get shorter again.

Symbols: fire to celebrate the power of the sun, sun wheels, god eyes, mother godess, ripening fruits, sun dials, feathers, and swords/blades.

Deities: Father Gods and Mother Goddesses, Pregnant Goddesses and Sun Deities. Particular emphasis might be placed on the Goddesses Aphrodite, Astarte, Freya, Hathor, Ishtar, Venus and other Goddesses who preside over love, passion and beauty. Other Litha deities include Athena, Artemis, Dana, Kali, Isis, Juno, Apollo, Dagda, Gwydion, Helios, Llew, Oak/Holly King, Lugh, Ra, Sol, Zeus, Prometheus, Ares, and Thor.

Magick: Healings, growth spells, empowerment spells, and love magick are all incredibly potent at this time

Tools: drums, rattles, bonfire, mirrors for reflecting the sun or bonfire, Earth circles of stone energy

Colors: white, red, maize yellow or golden yellow, green, blue and tan.

Stones: all green gemstones, especially emerald and jade. Other appropriate gemstones are tiger's eye, lapus lazuli, ruby,and diamonds.

Animals: include robins, wrens, all Summer birds, horses and cattle. Mythical creatures include satyrs, faeries, firebirds, dragons, thunderbirds and manticores.

Herbs: chamomile, cinquefoil, elder, fennel, hemp, larkspur, lavender, male fern, mugwort, pine, roses, Saint John's wort, honesty, wild thyme, wisteria, oak, mistletoe, frankincense, lemon, sandalwood, heliotrope, copal, saffron, galangal, laurel ylang-ylang, and verbena. Traditionally, herbs gathered on this day are extremely powerful.

Incense: a combination of any of the following or simply one of them by itself... Frankincense, myrrh, sandalwood, lemon, pine, jasmine, rose, lotus, or wisteria.

Foods: for Litha include fresh vegetables of all kinds and fresh fruits such as lemons and oranges, pumpernickel bread as well as Summer squash and any yellow or orange colored foods. Flaming foods are also appropriate,barbecued anything, (barbecues represent the bonfires....) but especially chicken or pork. Midsummer is also the time for making mead, since honey is now plentiful. Traditional drinks are ale, mead, sweet wines, fresh fruit juice of any kind and herb teas.

Element: fire

This is a good time for clearing away non-useful energies, and establishing a stable base. Cleansing may include leaping a fire (a low one, please), or putting herbs symbolizing (or charged with) the non-useful energies into a fire. You may leap a fire not only for purification, but to re-energize yourself.

Litha is a time for healing of all kinds, and protection rituals. Some work can and should be done alone, but there is room for more social gatherings.

Get all your friends together with some drums and rattles, and dance the whole night through. A Spiral Dance would be nice, too. "Sing, Dance, make Music and Love, all in my Presence..."

Have children make their own "Green Man" mask. Cut eye-holes in a paper plate. Let them glue on real or construction paper leaves.

Go berry picking. Have the children chose their best berry and throw it back into the berry bushes as they thank the Goddess and the bushes for the fruit.

Make a Wicker Man and burn him in your Litha bon fire

Burn a Wreath in the bon fire or try using Wreaths of Vervain and Mugwort which were burned in ancient times at the end of the festivals to burn away bad luck.

Many families placed roses on the altar, as this is the Goddess flower for this time of the year. Try this yourself for a beautiful and fragrant decoration.

Leave out milk and honey as an offering to the Fae folk

Have a mock battle between the Oak and Holly King. Remember that this is part of the cycle and as the wheel turns the Holly King will rise again at Winter Solstice

Put a ring of flowers around your cauldron or around a bowl full of mugwort

Hang a bundle of fresh herbs out to dry and use them to spice up a Litha feast of cooked summer vegetables

Light a white candle and place it in front of a mirror. Say your own Litha prayer over it, and then let it burn out

Make a charm to hang around your neck with a seashell

Have an outdoor breakfast picnic to welcome the Solstice

Stay up and watch the sun come up on the longest day of the year!

Draw a picture of the sun at sunrise and sunset

Try a fire divination, stare into the coals of your bonfire as it settles or look for forms in the leaping flames.

Create a ritual to bring healing and love to Mother Earth

Make a Catherine Wheel, or frame of sticks and withies (slender, flexible branches) with flammable material among the spokes. At the climax of your ritual, ignite the wheel and send it rolling down a hillside into a pond or lake. (obviously the hillside should be stone, bare earth, or covered with moist vegetation--no dry grass or underbrush!)

Make protection amulets for friends and family dispose of last years in the Litha bonfire

Couples who handfasted the year before at Beltane, tend to marry in a more formal handfasting at Midsummer or Lughnasadh.

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)

April - 2009

2009-04-15T19:20:00.006-04:00

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.

~ ~ Ning Privacy Issue

With the "New Ning" your profiles are now visible to anyone who has a ning account. To help cut down on spam sent to you, you need to do the following....

On all networks you belong to either set your profile to "Members" or "Just Me", this can be done by clicking settings then privacy.

Next and very important... go to www.ning.com, and set your profile to "Just Me", do this the same way as above...this will/should according to ning, stop others from seeing your profile.

~ ~ WARNING.....the newest scam/spam

DO NOT click on any links to ringtones, etc. Ning has been trying to stop the recent flood of scam/spam that has been and/or trying to join the networks.

If you receive any comments on other sites...MG is ok since we approve all members....with the ringtones delete the comment and notify the creator so they can ban that person from their site.

**1st UPDATE** -It's no longer the ring tones, now their coming in as "take this dumb test" and "someone has a crush on you". Be careful who you add as a friend, check their profile out before befriending them and if you see any of those comments delete delete delete! Do not click on any of the links!!!

**2nd UPDATE** -It seems that ning has taken care of the spam bots....so far. Just be careful if you see a profile with no information or receive comments like those above, report it to us and we will take care of it.

~ ~ Chat Room

Ning's chat has been removed from the site in hopes it speeds up the loading time. I've added a new tab at the top "Chat Room" that now houses our new chat from WebChatter.

The tab will open in a new window so you can continue doing what you were and still have the chat open. You still need to sign in to use the chat as it can only be seen by members of Magickal Gatherings.

If you find any problems, please let me know.

~ ~ New Groups!

Mental Wellness - Welcome to Mental Wellness, our latest group and a big thank you to Nightbird for coming up with it. This group will be a safe and loving place for you to go to with any mental health issues. Be it Bipolar, ADD, ADHD, OCD, SAD, Panic/Anxiety, Autism, and the list goes on. Please feel free to post articles, personal stories, or just what's on your mind and know that you will not be judged.

Not to Beg but to Barter - Have something you make or would like to trade for other items? See group for details!

~ ~ Broom-riders.dw (Witch) School

Scarlett (Becca) has opened her arms and the Broom-riders.dw school to the members of Magickal Gatherings. I have know Scarlett for many years, when her old Disorderly Witches school was open. We lost touch after the school closed to do hectic schedules and a much needed hiatus on their part, recently re-connecting (although we were never really apart in corresponding). I will be teaching at Broom-riders.dw along with other familiar faces to some. Come and join us, there is a wealth of information waiting to be taught to you! Just click on the banner below, I look forward to seeing you there!

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”.

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)

March - 2009

2009-03-01T18:43:00.005-05:00

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 Chat

Ning has implemented their new chat. If you look at the tabs you'll find the "Chat" tab is missing, that's because ning moved it to the bottom of your screen.

Look at the very bottom bar of your computer screen there are two arrows, the diagonal one is for the pop up chat and the other one opens the chat box straight up off of the bar. It now has a sound alert and as before you have the ability to show on or off line.

If you have any problems, please let us know.

~ ~New Groups!

Crystal Workshop-Member Only Exclusive! - Sign up for a free course in all about crystals. Details in group!

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

~ ~ Be sure to vote for Magickal Gatherings, once every 24 hours. You can find the voting buttons on the right side of every page. We appreciate your continuing support!

Awards we have won to date can be found at the very bottom of the newsletter.

~ ~ Contest for April’s Member of the Month

Once again we are running the contest for April's Member of the Month and all members are invited to play along (excluding administration of course). In order to keep this fair for all, we would love to see those who have not been our Member of the Month win this.

How to play....

During the month of March, all NEW posts in the forum or groups will be counted. Posts in "The Wellness Co-op" and "The Birthday Club" will not be counted and for the "Bewitched with Creativity" group only one (1) post per member will be eligible. Please do not add a reply to an existing discussion as a new post, it will not be counted.

The member with the most points at the end of the month will be April's Member of the Month....It's that easy!

Come and join the fun!!

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.

March's Member of the Month is.... Dominique ! Please remember to stop by the page of February’s Member of the Month 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”.

A Note from Christine

Ostara

Pronounced: Oh-stare-ah Oh-STAR-a

From the name of the Goddess Eostre and her celebration Eostara that takes place the first full moon after the Equinox

Also called: Lady Day, Alban Eiler (Druidic), Eostara (Teutonic), Oestara, Eostra, Eos (Greek), Alban Eilir (Druidic), Spring Equinox, Vernal Equinox, Summer Finding (Asatru), Naw Ruz (Persian New Year), Alban Elfed, Festival of Trees, No Ruz, Ostra, Rites of Spring

Ostara History Lore Traditions and Customs

Date: On or around March 21

Once again, night and day stand in perfect balance, with the powers of light on the ascendancy. The God of Light now wins a victory over his twin, the god of darkness.

Ostara is a fertility festival celebrating the birth of Spring and the reawakening of life from the Earth. At the moment of the Vernal Equinox night and day stand in perfect balance, with light on the increase The energies of Nature subtly shift from the sluggishness of Winter to the exuberant expansion of Spring. It is a time of great fertility, new growth, and newborn animals. The Goddess blankets the Earth with fertility as she bursts forth from Her Winter's sleep. The young God stretches and grows to maturity as he walks the greening fields and delights in the abundance of nature. In some traditions this is the time that the young Sun God now celebrates a hierogamy (sacred marriage) with the young Maiden Goddess, who conceives. In nine months, she will again become the Great Mother. I other traditions the sacred marriage is celebrated at Beltane.

Traditionally, Ostara is a time for collecting wildflowers, walking in nature's beauty and cultivating herb gardens. This is the time to free yourself from anything in the past that is holding you back. At this time we think of renewing ourselves. We renew our thoughts, our dreams, and our aspirations. We think of renewing our relationships. This is an excellent time of year to begin anything new or to completely revitalize something. This is also an excellent month for prosperity rituals or rituals that have anything to do with growth.

The Christian religion adopted many Pagan symbols for their celebration, called Easter. Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox. It must be remembered that the early Christians initially did not celebrate Christ's resurrection or rebirth but made the Jewish Passover their chief festival. The concept of Easter was not introduced until later when the early missionaries tried to convert the German pagans. These Pagans resisted and so instead of the church abolishing their spring festival they merely "adopted" it. The theme of the conception of the Goddess was adapted as the Feast of the Annunciation by the church, as well. It occurs on the alternative fixed calendar date of March 25 which was also, at one time, Lady Day when the equinox was originally celebrated by many.

~~~~Traditions and customs~~~~

Name of the holiday(s):

According to Zolar's Encyclopedia of Signs, Omens & Superstitions, the word "Easter" can be traced back to an ancient German or Saxon goddess called "Oestera".

Easter gets its name from the Teutonic goddess of spring and the dawn, whose name is spelled Oestre or Eastre (the origin of the word "east" comes from various Germanic, Austro-Hungarian words for dawn that share the root for the word "aurora" which means " to shine").

Lady Day may also refer to other goddesses (such as Venus and Aphrodite) who have festivals of their own that are celebrated at this time.

The next full moon (a time of increased births) is called the Eostara and is sacred to Eostre the Saxon Lunar Goddess of fertility. Her name is also the origin of the word estrogen.

New Year

In many traditions, this is the start of the New Year.

Persian New Year called Nawruz is celebrated on the Equinox. To the ancient Persians, March 21 marked the time when the sun crossed the equator and marked the beginning of the year for them.

The Roman year began on the ides of March (15th).

The astrological year begins on the equinox when the moon moves into the first sign of the Zodiac, Aries, the Ram.

The Greek God Ares is equivalent to the Roman Mars for whom the month of March is named.

Between the 12th century and 1752, March 25th was the day the year changed in England and Ireland. (March 25, 1212 was the day after March 24, 1211.)

Resurrection

We celebrate the renewal of life as seen by the newly emerging life in many forms all around us. A resurrection from all that looks dead is seen as the Earth regenerates and renews herself. This is symbolized in resurrection myths in many cultures and traditions.

There are many myths of the "Year Gods" ( Attis, Adonis, Osiris and Dionysus) - who like Christ die and are reborn each year. These gods are always the son of a God and a mortal woman. The son is a savior who saves his people in some way, sometimes through sacrifice. He is the vegetation, dying each year (at harvest) to be reborn in the spring.

In ancient Rome, the 10-day rite in honor of Attis, son of the great goddess Cybele, began on March 15th. A pine tree, which represented Attis, was chopped down, wrapped in a linen shroud, decorated with violets and placed in a sepulchre in the temple. On the Day of Blood or Black Friday, the priests of the cult gashed themselves with knives as they danced ecstatically, sympathizing with Cybele in her grief and helping to restore Attis to life. Two days later, a priest opened the sepulchre at dawn, revealing that it was empty and announcing that the god was saved. This day was known as Hilaria or the Day of Joy, a time of feasting and merriment.

Beginning with his death on the cross on Good Friday, it is said that Jesus 'descended into hell' for the three days that his body lay entombed. But on the third day (that is, Easter Sunday), his body and soul rejoined, he arose from the dead and ascended into heaven. By a strange 'coincidence', most ancient Pagan religions speak of the Goddess descending into the Underworld, also for a period of three days. Why three days? If we remember that we are here dealing with the lunar aspect of the Goddess, the reason should be obvious. As the text of one Book of Shadows gives it, '...as the moon waxes and wanes, and walks three nights in darkness, so the Goddess once spent three nights in the Kingdom of Death.' In our modern world, alienated as it is from nature, we tend to mark the time of the New Moon (when no moon is visible) as a single date on a calendar. We tend to forget that the moon is also hidden from our view on the day before and the day after our calendar date. But this did not go unnoticed by our ancestors, who always speak of the Goddess's sojourn into the land of Death as lasting for three days. Is it any wonder then, that we celebrate the next Full Moon (the Eostara) as the return of the Goddess from chthonic regions? (from http://pagans.foolmoon.com)

Eggs

Many of the myths hold that the egg is sacred to life on earth. It represents life just as a circle can represent eternal life. The golden orb of its yolk represents the Sun God, its white shell is seen as the White Goddess, and the whole is a symbol of rebirth.

Germanic lore states that the rabbit so loved and revered the Goddess that he laid eggs, decorated them beautifully, and presented the eggs to the Goddess as a gift. Eostre was so
delighted with the gift that she wished all people could experience her joy. In order to further please his beloved Lady, the rabbit roamed the world delivering the sacred eggs to humanity.

One of the Goddess Eostre's chief symbols was the egg (representing the cosmic egg of creation).

Each year, on March 21, the ancient Persians celebrated the festival of the solar New Year by presenting each other with colored eggs.

The ancient Egyptians also celebrated the solar New Year by dyeing eggs and
offering them up to their gods.

The Jews used eggs as a symbol of rebirth at the Passover.

During the Middle Ages people not only gave up meat for Lent but also eggs. It was a very precious gift to be given an egg for Easter because of harsh winters making food scarce. Children would often go from house to house to beg for Easter Eggs.
In ancient days, eggs were gathered and used for the creation of talismans and also ritually eaten. The gathering of different colored eggs from the nests of a variety of birds is thought to have given rise to two traditions still observed today - the Easter egg hunt, and coloring eggs in imitation of the various pastel colors of wild birds

The beautifully decorated eggs from the Ukraine (pysanky) are covered with magical symbols for protection, fertility, wisdom, strength and other qualities. They are given as gifts and used as charms.

Gardens/Seeds/ Planting

The Spring Equinox is a time of new beginnings, of action, of planting seeds for future grains, and of tending gardens. Spring is a time of the Earth's renewal, a rousing of nature after the cold sleep of winter.Seeds are like eggs. While eggs contain the promise of new animal life, seeds hold the potential of a new plant.

In ancient Italy in the spring, women planted gardens of Adonis. They filled urns with grain seeds, kept the in the dark and watered them every two days. This custom persists in Sicily. Women plant seeds of grains--lentils, fennel, lettuce or flowers--in baskets and pots. When they sprout, the stalks are tied with red ribbons and the gardens are placed along roads on Good Friday. They symbolize the triumph of life over death.

Fires

Fires were one of the ways pagans celebrated the coming of spring. They called these fires Spring fires. Until 752 A.D these fires were forbidden by the Christian laws. It was St. Patrick who gave rebirth to these fires as Easter Fires. The people would gather outside the church on Easter Eve and light a fire.

Before they returned home each person would light a stick from the fire and take it home with them. All the flames in the house would come from that fire.

The meaning behind these fires is "Life and light triumph over death and darkness
Cakes or Hot cross buns

A wheaten cake marked with a cross was found in Herculaneum, preserved since 79, and may have been used in the spring rites.

It is believed that Hot Cross Buns came from the Anglo-Saxons to honor the goddess of springtime, Eostre. After the Anglo-Saxons were converted to Christians the continued to make these pastries

Baskets and goodies

It is believed that humankind first got the idea of weaving baskets from watching birds weave nests. This is perhaps the origin of the association between colored Easter eggs and Easter baskets.

The Easter basket filled with its myriad of goodies originates from the ancient Catholic custom of taking the food for Easter dinner to mass to be blessed. This, too, mirrored the even more ancient ritual of bringing the first crops and seedlings to the temple to insure a good growing season.

It is customary to leave food and drink out for the fairies on the nights of festivals, and it is believed that if the fairies are not honored with gifts at these times, they will work mischief in our lives. At Ostara, it is customary to leave something sweet (honey, or mead, or candy)and this could be connected to the Easter basket tradition. Perhaps a gift of sweets corresponds to the sweet nectar gathering in new spring flowers.

Lambs

The astrological sign of Aries (denoted by a lamb or sheep symbol) begins at this time

Sheep who have given birth around Imbolc have lambs that are large enough for slaughter. This was important to ancient herders since it was a time of year when the larders were basically empty.

To the Jew the Lamb was used to honor those who followed Moses out of Egypt. The bible tells a story of how a lamb was sacrificed and the blood was sprinkled over the entrances to the Jewish peoples homes. Then they ate the lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. This was to protect them from the angel of God when it came to visit and take the first born of each Egyptian household.

Chicks and Ducklings

Left under natural light and allowed sunshine, the laying pattern of hens and ducks will follow the yearly day length. This means it will slack off in the fall, stopping entirely at Yule when the days are darkest. The laying will again starting in late February or early March. This means by the equinox the egg production is in full swing and many tiny new lives have hatched out.

Rabbits

One of the Goddess Eostre's symbols was the bunny which symbolized for fertility and because the Ancient Ones who worshipped her often saw the image of a rabbit in the full moon.

The rabbit is an enduring symbol of fertility and desire, or "spring fever" and worldwide, rabbits or hares co-exist with the moon as sacred symbols of vitality, fertility and the life-force. A rabbit's gestation period is approximately one month, and it tends to be the first animal to give birth in the springtime

Some of rabbit lore springs from incorrect superstition. But underneath the superstition lies a deeper core of pagan sacral belief in which symbols of sex, fertility, the moon, re-birth and renewal are intertwined.

The saying, "mad as a March (or marsh) hare" is attributed to 15th Century Erasmus, who was referring to either the animals' vigorous mating displays, or their bouts of wild bounding over wetlands in the springtime.

During the Renaissance, rabbits were even considered to be able to conceive without the male, and so they became a symbol of the Madonna's virgin birth. A 16th Century painting by Titian shows Mary clutching a white rabbit, illustrating purity and a control of sexuality. The rabbit had become an important symbol of docility, gentleness and submission: qualities the church particularly wished to encourage in its followers.

Less evident today is the ancient symbolism connecting rabbits to women, blood cycles and the moon, although contemporary Asian images often depict rabbits with a traditional sense of womanly grace and stillness. Nevertheless, rabbits have become an enduring symbol for the beginning of springtime at Easter, and are worth considering for their deeper symbolism when we celebrate Ostara.

Skye has taken an extended leave of absence, but you will see her pop in from time to time. She has been working way to much overtime but for a good reason….they are trying to save up some money to buy the house of their dreams.

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)

February - 2009

2009-02-15T15:54:00.004-05:00

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.

~ ~ Message From Ning....

On Feb. 23, we're releasing new video, photo and music players and a redesigned chat feature to your social network.

New Media Players

The video, photo and music players on your social network are getting a new design and a few more features. The video and photo players will sport an updated look, with icons that match the theme and colors of your social network. Better yet, the buttons will only show while your mouse hovers over the player, gracefully sliding away when your mouse moves elsewhere.

Your social network's music player will have a new design, taking on your theme and colors. It will also become even easier to move between songs with sortable, clean playlists.

New Chat

Your social network will soon have a completely redesigned Chat feature.

Chat, if enabled, will become a persistent bar across the bottom of your social network. It will also include optional audio notifications, the ability to pop Chat out into a new window and a few other enhancements you've been asking for.

A Few More Improvements

If you have not uploaded a custom default avatar for your members, your social network will gain a new default avatar to replace the previous "gray man." Your new default avatar will take on the colors of your social network.

Members will no longer have to add an image when creating events and groups. Instead, your social network will have new default event and group images, which you can replace with default images of your own.

Finally, we're updating the Ningbar at the top of your social network with a few minor link adjustments and new button styles to make actions more obvious.

For more information or to see screenshots, check out the Ning Blog: http://blog.ning.com/2009/02/new-media-players-chat-february-23rd.html

Thanks!
The Ning Team

~ ~ Comment Smilies

We now have comment smilies! You can leave the smilies with a comment or just the smilie itself to others.

~ ~New Groups!

Here's To Your Health - A group to discuss various health issues from diseases to disorders.

Magickal Montages - Unique graphics for your use! All graphics posted will be transferred to our new Magickal Montages site (located at: http://www.dezla.com/mggraphics) so we are not taking up the bandwidth. Please add your graphics to the group so everyone can benefit from their use.

Valentine's Day More than Just Valentines

When you open your Valentine's Day card on February 14th, or delight in that heart-shaped box of chocolates, you will be participating in a ritual that goes back to early Roman times. The Ides of Spring, which occurred around the 15th of February, was celebrated with the Lupercalia festival. This time was considered to be a time of cleaning and ritual purification. Houses were swept and then sprinkled with salt and spelt, a type of wheat.

Lupercalia was also a fertility celebration dedicated to the god of agriculture, Faunus, as well as the legendary founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. Priests, known as Luperci, would gather at a sacred cave where tradition stated that Romulus and Remus had been raised by a she-wolf. The priests would sacrifice a goat for fertility and a dog for purification.

The sacrifices were not the end of the matter, however. The hide of the sacrificed goats would be cut into strips and dipped in blood. Young men would then gently strike unmarried women with these strips, as well as the new crops, in the belief that the hide would bring fertility. (http://www.history.com/conten t/valentine/history-of-valenti NE-s-day) At the end of the day, young women would place their names in a large urn, and unmarried men would draw the names of prospective brides.

In 496 AD Lupercalia was abolished throughout the Christian world when Pope Gelaslius initiated the festival of St. Valentine on February 14th. (A similar procedure had taken place in 336 AD when the celebration of Saturnalia, held in December, was folded into the Christian observance of Christmas with December 25th becoming the official observance of Christ's birth.) Actually, there were three martyrs by the name of Valentine, but Gelaslius' choice for the Saint's Day fell upon a Roman priest who lived during the time of Claudius ll, or Claudius the Gaul. This Roman emperor had a spectacularly bloody reign, forcing all eligible males to part in military campaigns far from home. Dissent was especially vocal from those men who were married and so Claudius banned all marriages and engagements. In response, Valentine married young couples in secret. Valentine's defiance of Claudius was discovered and he was put into prison, stoned, beaten, and finally beheaded on February 14, 270 A.D.

Legend states that while Valentine was in jail, he fell in love with the jailor's daughter, often sending her notes signed "From your Valentine." History gives a
more likely version of Valentine's story, saying that he was arrested by the prefect of Rome, which was not yet a Christian state, asked to give up his beliefs and, when he refused, he was beheaded. Gelaslius, however, felt that the original story was more appealing, and so made it part of the St. Valentine's Day observance. (www.history.ca/content.Conten tDetail.aspx?ContentId=119)

During the Middle Ages, Valentine's Day became firmly associated with romance. In England and France, folklore held that February 14th was the beginning of the mating season for birds. It was not much of a leap to make the day one for human romance, as well. The idea of sending a valentine to one's beloved caught on quickly, too. The oldest known valentine in existence is a poem penned by Charles, the Duke of Orleans, to his wife in 1415. At the time the Duke was imprisoned in the Tower of London after his capture during the Battle of Agincourt between Britain and France. (www.history.com/content/valen tine/history-of-valentine-s-DA y)

Geoffrey Chaucer used Valentine's Day in his poetry. His poem "The Parliament of Fowls," written in the late 14th century, was the first documented time that the holiday appeared in print. The poem explored the theme of courtly love replacing people with birds. Chaucer's poetry was a major influence on Valentine's Day as we keep it today. (www.history.ca/content.Conten tDetail.aspx?ContentId=119)
Over the following three to four hundred years sweet hearts continued to exchange small gifts and tokens, and by end of the 18th century, printing technology enabled the giving of Valentine's Day cards. In the 1840's commercial cards began to appear, and by the beginning of the 20th century red candies, signifying the "passion" of love, and white candies symbolizing the "purity" of love had become common. At this time, also, red heart-shaped boxes in which to place the candy began to appear.

The Jane Ellen official website notes that in 1969 the Catholic Church removed the feast of St. Valentine from the Church Calendar on the grounds that there were too many pagan associations with the holiday leading to a lack of honour paid to the Saint.

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)

January - 2009

2009-01-24T16:04:00.003-05:00

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.

~~ Ning’s Upcoming Maintenance: Friday, Jan. 30 at 11pm Pacific

Ning will be performing a scheduled maintenance next Friday evening from 11pm-1:30am PST. During this time, the network will be offline and will display the branded maintenance page.

~~ Memos Tab (at the top of every page on the Magickal Gatherings network/site)

Just to refresh everyone's memory, here is a listing of what you can find under the Memo's tab at the top of every page. Those listed with an * beside it, are important to read and understand.....

1. Code of Conduct Information*
2. Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998*
3. Administration Contact Information
4. Site and Content Licensing*
5. Guidelines For Creating Groups
6. Uploading Photos
7. Uploading Videos
8. How to Add Images To Your Profile Page
9. How to Add Images to a Discussion
10. Basic html tags
11. Adding Music to Your Page
12. How to decorate/change theme on your page
13. How to Add Pre-Made Themes to Your Profile Page

~~ New Groups!

The Well Worn Witch - A group for the more experienced Witch!

ning network css layouts - these are actual css ning layouts that i have made for your profiles, you no longer have to tweak the theme page unless you have images in that section.

Hearth and Home - A place to find Witchy decor ideas as well as landscape architecture.

The Green Scene - A group to discuss the health of our planet and the ways in which we can help!

~~ 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.

~~ 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!

~~ Be sure to vote for Magickal Gatherings, once every 24 hours. You can find the voting buttons on the right side of every page. We appreciate your continuing support! Awards we have won to date can be found at the very bottom of the newsletter.

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”.

A Note from Christine

New Years' Resolutions for Witches

The Next Hundred Years

In many ways, I agree that this arbitrary date has little real significance for witches: we observe the passing of time as a cycle of endless renewal and change and growth, death and rebirth, connecting all living beings in the universal dance of existence. Besides, even for Christians, the date itself is not even accurate: centuries of calendar mutations have made it pretty much meaningless. But despite all this, many of us may feel swept up in all the hoopla: Y2K, people of all faiths pouring into Jerusalem, various religious groups the world over waiting for the Second Coming of Christ or some other momentous event. Because so many people are channeling so much energy into this date, whether excitement or panic or anticipation or dread, it is hard for those of us for whom the date has little significance to ignore all that energy. We are being swept up in the tide. This is not necessarily a negative thing; in fact, this can be a powerful window of opportunity, to ride upon the crest of this energy wave, to effect some positive magical change for ourselves and the planet.

Witches celebrate the return of the sun at Yule: the rebirth of light, rejuvenation, life and hope. Some witches observe Yule as the New Year: a time to forgive past wrongs of ourselves and others, a time to move forward and continue on the path of transformation that all seekers walk upon, a time to make changes, some subtle, some grand.

In the season of winter, we journey inward; the dormant fields and darkened skies are reflected in our hearts and minds. This time is for reflection and a renewal of our magical and mortal selves. This time calls for strength, a vow to work for change within and without: seeds of change which, once chosen, we will sow, plant, tend, and reap with the harvest season, as the Wheel of the Year revolves and we turn with it. As witches, we allow the change of the seasons to affect our bodies, hearts and minds: to let the changing colors and smells and growth in the landscape speak to a part of us that understands beyond words. The solstice shift, from the dark and cold of winter into the warmth and light of spring, is one of the more powerful points on the wheel. We feel this moment of the sun's movement profoundly, and make a silent oath to go forward on a brighter path than before.

Interestingly enough, many non-witches among us embark upon a similar oath: to better themselves and create change in their lives. New Years' resolutions are a time-honored tradition in the United States and many other countries, which allow everyone an opportunity for transformation. Most people opt for basic, no-nonsense resolutions: Get in Shape. Find a New Job (Apartment, Lover, What Have You). Some resolve to behave differently: to be more generous, perhaps, or more patient. To spend more time relaxing and less time, say, trading stocks online. To play outdoors with our children instead of watching TV with them. And of course, just as many of us still celebrate some of the more secular holidays like Thanksgiving, or Valentine’s Day, or exchange gifts at Christmas, witches and pagans often see January 1 as a day for new beginnings, a time to resolve to make changes.

The energy put forth by so many people embarking on the road to change is powerful. And choosing to be part of that is also a powerful act.

I offer then, some New Years' Resolutions for Witches, as we embark on what is sure to be a year full of excitement and unusual occurrences. If witches everywhere prepare themselves for change and upheaval, our magic may do wonders to help all beings of the planet make this transition. If we maintain steady focus in the light and remain open to our intuition and understanding of serendipity, perhaps this shift into the Millennium can become a time of positive power and enlightenment and peace. For as we each make choices in our individual lives, our actions and words and thoughts ripple outwards, like wind upon a lake, creating patterns of shining silver in the light of the moon, gold in the light of the sun. We are all connected: all beings, our plants and animal brothers, our Mother the Earth, our Father the Sky, and we, as sentient, conscious beings of Earth, have the capacity to do great things and strengthen the web of light and energy that joins us together.

1. Live in the moment.
Do not dwell on the past; do not worry about the future. Focus on what you are doing, as you are doing it. The more aware we are of our behavior, the less likely we are to have regrets, or to experience anxiety over what is to come. In this way, hindsight and foresight become more effective tools for us to live by.

2. Be fully aware of your surroundings.
Attune to the sounds and sights of the living world. This is one of the most potent sources of strength and peace for the witch. No matter where you live, the outdoors, the ground beneath your feet, the moon above you, the trees, allow yourself to learn their lessons.

3. Be compassionate.
Your patience and kindness in difficult moments can have a dramatic effect upon the lives of others, every moment of every day. Think how one hasty decision made out of selfishness can have lasting effects; how would things be different if we all thought of the welfare of others more often than we do now?

4. Be good to yourself.
Many world religions believe that the human body should be treated as a temple; others see it as a vessel of the gods. We should be honoring this singular, magical vessel with the best offerings we have available to us: fresh and healthy food, fresh air and water, pleasing surroundings, pleasing pastimes. Activities like walking in the woods, yoga, meditation, dancing, singing or laughing have very healing and rejuvenating effects upon our bodies. Witches are able to use ecstatic experience for great healing; we should remember our bodies are as much a part of our magical work as our minds.

5. Be good to the planet.
Our Mother is strong and forgiving; but her children have not treated her very well in recent years. Record population growth and consumption of resources are straining the Earth's ability to heal Herself. She needs our help and love more than ever. This can take many forms: environmental activism, reducing and recycling, organic gardening, conservation of species and lands. In this commerce-driven world, we have the power to vote with our dollars: we can say NO to poisonous industry and pesticides and factory farming and development of pristine wilderness. When one of the earth's species is killed off before its time, this has irrevocable effects on all living beings. But we can make a difference. This is one of the most magical acts a Witch can endeavor to take on, and although it is a difficult path because opposition to it is strong, we must choose to do what is right. We live on a beautiful vibrant planet: let us care for Her as She has cared for us.

6. Accept and love yourself.
Some believe we choose the family we are born into; others think it is important to choose one as we grow and learn. We often blame our upbringings for qualities in ourselves we would rather not have. But what is most important is to accept and love ourselves. No one is perfect; accepting our own limitations and those of others is the first step towards better relationships. Self-confidence allows us to grow and achieve and learn and share. No witch can move forward on his or her path while they doubt their own self-worth.

7. Work magic for the greater good.
Experienced witches will often say that one valuable lesson they have learned is that it is often better NOT to do magic when given the choice. In other words, there are more subtle ways to effect change in our lives than seeking energy from other planes to help us. In time we are all better able to see when we sometimes act out of self-interest. Recognizing this tendency allows us to utilize magic in ways that have a wider depth and reach outwards. This coming year (think of all this Millennial energy coming to a peak!) will be an important one to work for the healing of the planet and its creatures.

8. Be proud to be a witch.
Some witches live in fear of following this most fulfilling and difficult path. Persecution and prejudice is frightening. But as we grow in numbers and solidarity and strength, we have an opportunity to alter awareness. By being true to our path and not hiding who we are, we add power to the community of witches around the world. By standing up for our rights to worship as we choose, we honor the memories of our ancestors who suffered and died at the hands of tyrants.

9. Be open to other beliefs.
In the words of Merlin in The Mists of Avalon, "It is all one." All life-affirming paths to the divine are valid. Witches do not proselytize about our religion; neither do we criticize or judge the religious paths of others. Do yourself a favor this year: read up on the teachings of other world religions; attend another religion's services. Stop and have a conversation with that person on the street handing out tracts; you both may learn something valuable, even if it is only tolerance.

10. Reach out to others of like mind.
Sometimes, as practicing witches, we get so caught up in our own rituals and magical work, we forget there are many people just embarking upon the path who could use some help. Share your experience and knowledge with those "newbies" or teens out there; remember the earliest days of your seeking and how bewildering it was sometimes. Don't lecture or advise; listen and be supportive. And if there is a "witch war" in your community, don't feed its energy--offer healing magic to its participants.

11. Remember that life lived simply is beautiful.
Think of those regions of the world where people get by on very little. Don't worry so much about your possessions. Rejoice in simple pleasures: the scent of flowers, the taste of a favorite food, the company of loved ones, the devotion of our animal familiars. Once in a while, try working magic without all your tools and robes and jewelry. Attune to the elements, to your chosen pantheon, to the Earth. This path of simplicity is healing to the psyche and, ultimately, the planet.

12. Live the Witch's Rede. No, really.
This is difficult. Try it for a day, and gradually work up to a week. Attempt to make your every word and act one of positivity and for the good of all. It's tougher than you thought, isn't it? Think if we all made that extra effort each day. Every world religion has some tenet akin to the Law of Three, the Golden Rule, karma, you name it. Now live it.

13. Let it all go.
We are part of an endless cycle of life, death and rebirth. Western culture has a problematic relationship with death. The sooner we lose our denial and fear, the better we may enjoy the earthly pleasures and teachings upon our path. Life's difficulties balance its times of joy and ecstasy. Live each day as if all is right with the world--because it is.

Well perhaps that is enough for now. I invite any and all of you to share your own suggestions for resolutions and ways we as magical beings can be a force for positive change.

Blessings to you all as we celebrate the return of light

A Note From Skye

Native American Prayers for the New Year

Let us know peace.
For as long as the moon shall rise,
For as long as the rivers shall flow,
For as long as the sun will shine,
For as long as the grass shall grow,
Let us know peace.

O Great Spirit of our Ancestors, I raise my pipe to you, to your
messengers the four winds, and to Mother Earth who provides for your
children. Give us the wisdom to teach our children to love, to respect,
and to be kind to each other so that they may grow with peace in mind.
Let us learn to share all the good things that you provide for us on
this Earth.

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)

December 2008

2009-01-24T11:28:00.006-05:00

What happened to the December newsletter is beyond me, it has to be floating around in cyberland somewhere, but here were the article highlights....

From Christine.....

Yule

Holly, some Yule time Lore- Evergreens were cherished at this time of year as a natural symbol of rebirth and life amid winter whiteness. But holly was particularly prized to decorate doors, windows and fireplaces because of its prickliness -- to either ward off or snag and capture evil spirits before they could enter and harm a household.

Sort of like flypaper for faeries.

Holly

The oak and holly are sacred to the druids. They represent the myth of the battle of the Oak and Holly Kings. The Oak King, representing rebirth, fights with the Holly King, representing death, and defeats him. The sun begins to get stronger. The Oak Kings rules till the Summer Solstice when the fight begins again, this time the Holly King wins. The sun gets weaker. We may find remnants of the Holly King in the character of Santa Clause. The sprig of holly in his cap and his red clothes are a dead giveaway.

The evergreen nature and red berries of holly are a symbol of enduring life. The red berries also are a symbol of the blood of the Goddess. In spells and rituals holly is used for attaining magickal goals, divination, spells for boosting male sexual prowess. Holly is cut in mid summer and is considered especially strong if found growing on the sacred oak.

Both holly and ivy are considered symbols of eternal life.

Ilex aquifolium

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 9m by 5m at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 6 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen from November to March. The scented flowers are dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required) and are pollinated by Bees. The plant not is self-fertile. It is noted for attracting wildlife. We rate it 3 out of 5 for usefulness.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay and nutritionally poor soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid soil. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure. It can tolerate atmospheric pollution.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Hedge, Woodland, Secondary, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Deep Shade, Ground Cover.

Edible Uses

Tea.

The leaves have been used as a tea substitute.

The roasted fruit has been used as a coffee substitute. Some caution is advised here, since the fruit can be purgative and emetic.

Medicinal Uses

Astringent; Bach; Diaphoretic; Diuretic; Emetic; Expectorant; Febrifuge; Purgative.

Holly is little used in modern herbalism. The leaves are diaphoretic, expectorant, febrifuge and tonic. They can be use fresh at almost any time of the year or can be harvested in late spring and dried for later use. They are used in the treatment of intermittent fevers, rheumatism, catarrh, pleurisy etc. The juice of the fresh leaves has been successfully used in the treatment of jaundice.

The berries are violently emetic and purgative. They have been used in the treatment of dropsy and as a powder they have been used as an astringent to check bleeding. The berries are toxic, especially to children, and should not be used medicinally except under professional supervision.

The root has been used as a diuretic, though there are more effective diuretics available.

The plant is used in Bach flower remedies - the keywords for prescribing it are 'Hatred', 'Envy', 'Jealousy' and 'Suspicion'.

Other Uses

Fuel; Ground cover; Hedge; Wood.

An excellent hedge plant, tolerating hard clipping and maritime exposure and forming a dense stock-proof shelter. Plants are fairly slow growing however.

The cultivar 'Pendula' makes a very good carpeting ground cover plant when grown as a cutting on its own roots. It can be planted up to 1.2 meters apart each way, but is fairly slow to cover the ground.

Wood - strong, hard and dense, it polishes well, though it must be well dried and seasoned or else it warps badly. It is beautifully white, except at the center of very old trees, and is highly regarded by cabinet makers though it must be well seasoned. The heartwood of mature trees is used for printing blocks, engravings, turnery etc. The wood makes a good fuel, burning well even when green.

From Skye....

American Indian Christmas Customs

Many of the AmerIndian peoples have been Christianised for several hundred years. Over this time customs which were introduced to them by the missionaries have become adapted and are an integral part of the traditions, especially around the Christian festivals of Easter and Christmas.

Many Tribes, including the Laguna Indians, who accepted Christianity some 400 years ago, have the custom of a dance on Christmas Eve, where gifts are offered at the Manger. There are many examples of representations of the Christmas Crib where the glad tidings are brought to braves in the fields by the great Thunderbird; or scenes with the wise men being replaced by the chiefs representing the great Nations.

Handsome Fellow

There is a mysterious fellow whom I have been told about on several occasions. He is a handsome brave who wears white buckskins, and brings gifts. His name, appropriately is 'Handsome Fellow'. I would love to tell you more about him, but so far no-one has come forward with that information! Other giftbringers come at different times of the year, often in the summertime, but the giftbringing element is definitely part of the American Indian culture.

The First Christmas Carol

According to Huron tradition, their first Christmas Carol was written by a Jesuit missionary priest, Fr Jean de Brebeuf, around 1640-41. The Hurons had a particular devotion to Christmas. Fr Brebeuf wrote about the devotions they had. He said that they built a small chapel of fir tree and bark in honour of the manger at Bethlehem. This became the 'stable' where Jesus was born. Some travelled as much as two days to be there for the Christmas celebration.

The Huron Carol has become a well known and much loved carol today. The original was written in the Huron tongue, with a symbol like a figure '8' to represent a vowel sound not common in the English tongue. This sound was 'ou' .

Estennialon de tson8e Jes8s ahatonhia
Onna8ate8a d'oki n'on8andask8aentak
Ennonchien sk8atrihotat n'on8andilonrachatha
Jes8s ahatonhia

The original words were written in French and Huronian. The carol we all sing today was an interpretation of the original, and not a translation. There were five verses. The first verse is as follows:

Chrétiens, prenez courage,
Jésus Sauveur est né!
Du malin les ouvrages
A jamais sont ruinés.
Quand il chant mervielle,
A ces troublants appas
No prâtez plus l'orielle:
Jésus est né, In excelsis gloria!

At the third verse, the chiefs would process solemnly towards the little chapel, bearing gifts for the christchild:

Voici que trois Rois Mages,
Perdus en Orient,
Déchiffrent ce message
Encrit au firmamente:
A'Astre nouveau les hante
Ils la suivront lá-bas,
Cette étoile marchante:
Jésus est né: In excelsis gloria!

Amerindian Christmas Cribs

Many lovely cribs have been made by American Indians. Keena Cribs from Canada are wonderfully handpainted clay crib with the chiefs of the Plains, Forest and Inuit Tribes bringing gifts. The animals at the manger are the Fox, the Buffalo and the Bear. The Hurons made a traditional tent of skins and their figures were all dressed as native Americans. I have in my own collection a colourful wool nativity made by the Hopi tribe, with the Thunderbird bringing the glad tidings, which I purchased from Wallys Christmas Wonderland in Michigan, some years ago. One of the loveliest scenes I have ever seen is a painting by Yellowman. It appeared in a copy of the Augsburg Christmas Annual some years ago.

© 1999-2003 by Maria Hubert. All rights reserved

November 2008

2008-11-18T15:10:00.007-05:00

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!

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

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

2008-10-18T12:37:00.018-04:00

~~ 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!

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.

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

2008-09-15T12:31:00.026-04:00

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

2008-08-19T21:58:00.034-04:00

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)