Book of Witchery (34 page)

Remember, we are working to make you in sync with the daily planetary energies for your magick. That has been the theme of the entire book! There is always a way to work things out, no matter what phase the moon is in. It's up to you to use your witchery in a creative way and to work your magick successfully with what you have, and with what energies are currently in play.

Gather the following supplies:

• One each of the four crystals associated with Saturn: hematite, black tourmaline, jet, and obsidian
  
• A plain white tealight candle
  
• A coordinating fireproof candle holder (a tiny metal cauldron would be a nice touch)
  
• A current photo of yourself
  
• A lighter or matches
  
• A safe, flat surface on which to set up the spell
  

First things first: take a shower or a bath, and imagine that all of the negativity you've been carrying around is being washed away by the age-old cure of running water. Step out of the shower, dry off, and slip on a favorite comfy outfit or robe.

Find a good spot on which to set up this ritual—try a shelf or a fireplace mantle. Maybe you'll want to use your nightstand. Just make sure you are setting the candle in a safe place, away from small children or pets.

Situate the photo of yourself off to the side of the candle and holder. Surround the photo with the four protective stones.

Cast a circle in the way that you prefer or use this elemental circlecasting verse; if you speak this deliberately and with magickal intention, it works wonderfully:

The elements four, I call you here

Earth, air, fire, and water so dear

Now circle around and create a ring

Your energies and strength to me please bring.

Now visualize yourself surrounded by a dazzling white light and a strong, protective energy. Repeat the following verse three times:

Crystals and stones of protection and power

Lend your strength to me in this magick hour

Tealight candle that is burning so clear and bright

Lend your magick to mine on this Saturday night

Safety and security this ritual now yields

As I increase my energy and boost my own shields.

Close the spell by saying:

For the good of all, bringing harm to no one

By flame and crystal, this witchery is done!

You should know the drill by now—open your ritual circle. I personally like the following classic line:

The circle is open but unbroken
Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again.

Allow the candle to burn out. Keep an eye on it while it does so. Once the candle is out, pocket the four protective crystals and keep them with you, on your person, for a week.

Well, we have just about wrapped things up with this chapter and the individual days of the week. Before we move on to the final chapter, here are a few more quick and practical ideas for magick on a Saturday. Feel the need for a psychic cleansing in the house? Light up some patchouli- or myrrh-scented incense, and wave the smoke around your house or apartment. It will help to break up any lingering negativity or bad feelings. Crumble up a few dried mullein leaves and create a circle around your home, or scatter it across the thresholds, to keep prowlers away.

Burn a few black candles to repel manipulative intentions or unwanted advances. Add a few protective herbs to your dinner such as thyme or basil. Try growing a blooming cyclamen plant in your kitchen to ward the family and to encourage Hecate's blessings. Grow deep purple and black pansies in window boxes to encourage the planetary vibrations of Saturn. Let ivy grow up the walls of your home for even more bewitching security.

Saturdays are the particular day of the week for protection and for dealing with more serious magickal matters. Go back over the at-a-glance list and see what components you can add to your spells for today for a little more
oomph
.

Don't forget to check out the daily spell worksheet on page 301. Write down some ideas for your own individual and custom-made magick. For example, what other plants, crystals, and stones do you enjoy working with that were not listed in these chapters? How do you imagine you could creatively integrate them? Try creating even more tarot spells just for you. Craft your own quick candle spells, and write your own colorful charms and daily incantations.

Meditate on Hecate to learn her lessons and include some dark goddess wisdom into your Craft. As a Witch, you already know that you have power—the power to effect real change in your life. Working with Hecate can teach you how and when to best use this power for the greater good.

If you want to expand your magickal skills, then start learning how to incorporate all of this information on the days of witchery in a whole new way. This includes the knowledge you already have and the new day-by-day correspondences and witchcraft that were presented in this Book of Shadows. Put your own unique spin on things. Decide what your enchanting specialties are, then apply them to your Craft each and every day with wisdom and style.

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Full Moon Witchery

N
ow that you understand the daily energies that are in play for each of the days of the week, what do you suppose happens, witchery wise, when full moon energy gets added into the mix? Short answer: the full moon magick actually becomes influenced and intensified by the theme of the particular day. After working your way through the last seven chapters, I imagine your brain is buzzing with fresh magickal correspondence information and you are all ready to blurt out what you know.

Oh, and I could not be prouder. So now I am going to ask you to stop for a moment and think about the next full moon. Check what day of the week it will fall on in your time zone. Okay, now that you have that information, what magickal possibilities pop into your brain?

What have you learned, Grasshopper? No, I won't go into a “When you can snatch the pebbles from my hand…” riff, though I admit I am very tempted. At this point, think of me like a sort of witchy cheerleader, but without the megaphone. I know you can do this. I am only trying to fire you up and encourage you to enthusiastically dive in there and see what else you can accomplish.

Magick is all about possibilities. There is something thrilling about knowing down in your very soul that you have the opportunity to create positive change at any time. However, we don't want to turn up our witchy noses at the other days of power that cycle through the bewitching year that will add depth to the days of witchery—for example, the full moons.

There is something awe-inspiring about watching a full moon rise. Whether you watch it rise above a metropolitan skyline, through the trees in your neighborhood, over the desert canyons, or over shimmering waves of water, a rising full moon just stops us in our tracks and tugs on our witchy hearts. There is power there. Imagine what sort of fabulous things you could accomplish with that. We have explored the bewitching characteristics of the individual days of the week in our previous chapters. Now we are taking what we know and building on that with full moon magick.

There are, on average, twelve full moons per calendar year. Classically, many Witches will call the full moon date an esbat. Also, every few years we get thirteen full moons in one calendar year. (That second full moon falling within one calendar month is referred to as a blue moon.) If you are curious about working with blue moon magick, you might wish to check out my book
Natural Witchery
for a few blue moon spells and charms. A blue moon is a lot of fun to work with; it is a time for miracles.

For a general lunar cycle reference, please check the bibliography in this book for an excellent website that lists lunar calendars until the year 2025. But as a quick reference, I can tell you that the years 2009, 2012, and 2015 will each have thirteen full moons in the Eastern Standard Time Zone for the United States.

If you take a look at lunar calendars, you will see that throughout the year we hit each day of the week at least once for a full moon. Some days of the calendar week will get a full moon twice, so you will have the opportunity to try this unique witchery out for yourself over the course of the next year.

So, what do you say? Why don't we expand on what witcheries you have already learned from this Book of Shadows? Let's explore the concept of full moon magick to coordinate with the unique energies of the day of the week that the full moon takes place on.

Full Moon on a Sunday

Sundays are for success, fame, and wealth, so imagine all the extra
oomph
you can add to those spells if a full moon occurs on a Sunday. Success directly stems from your own creative drive and ambition. However much effort you are willing to devote to your own success directly influences the results that you will achieve. This includes both magickal measures, such as spells and charms, as well as following up those magickal actions with physical actions such as filling out job applications, sending out résumés, or doing an outstanding job so when promotion time comes up at work, you are noticeably the best candidate. You only get out of things what you put into them, whether that's a creative project like writing or drawing, or working in an office, a retail store, a factory, or doing construction work or landscaping.

If your idea of personal success is about getting in shape or losing weight, then the same basic principles apply. You can do all the magick you want for weight loss, but until you start physically doing something—such as changing your diet, exercising, and making healthier lifestyle choices—then nothing will happen. You are the fuel that makes the success spells go. Magick is a powerful boost to your success and an influence to the situation. It speeds things along and smoothes the way. But it will not do all the work for you. You really do hold the power to influence these positive changes in your life. So be prepared to work hard, put your heart into it, and then work your witchery for the best possible outcome.

Sunday Full Moon Spell for Success

• Golden candle
  
• White candle
  
• 2 coordinating candle holders
  
• A pin or nail to engrave the candles with
  
• A fresh yellow carnation in a bud vase
  
• Matches or a lighter
  
• A safe, flat surface on which to set up the spell
  
• Items of sympathy
  
• Yellow envelope or sachet bag
  

You may incorporate whatever size and style of candle you personally prefer: taper, votive, mini spell candle, whatever you like. Add the sun's astrological symbol (
) to the golden candle, and the carve the moon's astrological symbol (
) into the white. Arrange the candles in their holders. Place the bud vase holding the carnation in the center, back from the candle flames.

Now add an item of sympathy to this spell to help strengthen the spellwork. The item that you add should be in sympathy with what you are casting toward. For example, if you are going for a promotion or applying for a new job and you want to be successful at it, then add your company letterhead, the ad, your business card, résumé, or the description of the job.

If you are dieting and working toward being healthier, then work with a nice picture of yourself, with a realistic and healthy goal weight written on the back. These items of sympathy then supply the energy link between the spell and the goal. Take a few moments to ground and center.

Light the candles, and repeat the following spell verse three times:

I combine the full moon's magick with the day of the sun

For a winning combination, now this spell has begun

My goals will come to fruition beginning today

These two bright candle flames will illuminate the way

This Sunday night esbat brings rich power to spare

Success is mine as my words flow out on the air.

Close the spell with these lines:

May the full moon's light bless all the ways
I'll work my witchery on this day.

Allow the spell candles to burn out in a safe place. Keep an eye on them. When the candles are finished, gently take a few of the carnation's fragrant petals and gather up any remaining wax and the item of sympathy. Tuck the petals, wax fragments, and your item of sympathy inside of a yellow envelope or cloth bag, and keep them together and on your person, magickal working space, or altar until the next full moon. Allow the flower to stay in the vase until it begins to fade, then neatly return the flower to nature.

Full Moon on a Monday

Way back in the beginning of this book, I mentioned that if a full moon phase occurred on a Monday, then this would create a double dose of lunar energy, power, and magick. Here is where we are going to explore this idea with the following spell. For our full moon witchery that falls on the day of the week that is dedicated to the moon, we are going to work with the Egyptian god Thoth. Thoth's symbol is a crescent moon resting on its curved back, on top of a full lunar disc. Thoth is a god of wisdom, magick, and mystery, and he acts as a guide for those who are seeking wisdom.