The Magickal Pen

Opening to Divination

Circle round thriceAs the witch’s pouchIs held tight.

The cauldron is filledWith water and moonlight.

Gaze up towards Lady MoonAnd call forth your desire.

The herbs in the bag of artThrow now into the heatOf the blazing fire.

Gaze into thatWhich holds the keyReflecting back theTreasure of answer to me.

Herb and waterIron and flameThe truth revealedThe heart’s desire thusly named.

No Samhain celebration would be complete without some curiosity and action taken to peer into what “may be”. To that end, divination is the space of opening to being receptive enough to ask the query and receive the answer. Today’s post sets the stage for that work…

When we hear the word “Divination” it usually conjures up a picture of the gypsy fortune-teller who will predict your future love interest, dream job or soon…

The Ancestor’s Cauldron
A Pathworking of Communion

I would like to invite you to join me on a journey of seeking wisdom from the ancestors. The pathworking may be used anytime to deepen your connection, but it is particularly useful as a tool at Samhain and during the time between that flows into the Winter Solstice.

You will want to find a comfortable space where you will not be disturbed for approx. 20-30 minutes. I would suggest that you have a small object that belonged to or represents your beloved ancestor to hold while experiencing the pathworking. This will set up the intention of reaching out. You may also light a candle if you wish.

When you are ready, you may either read through the transcript below or click on the link to access an audio recording. Blessings on your journey…

audio –The Ancestor’s Cauldron
(you will be redirected…

Preparing for the Journey of the Shadow

Today’s post is a reminder that the work of Samhain is not only about connecting with the Ancestors, but also one of entering into the darker spaces we hold within. This is the work of the Shadow and the way in which this work is achieved varies from tradition to tradition, psychoanalytical practice, beliefs and philosophies and everything that makes us human and spiritual in nature. When we become aware of this aspect of ourself, we are claiming the mantle of walking in both light and dark and recognizing the polarized state of Being that we are. I’ve posted below Part One of a three-part article exploring the shadow I wrote several years ago. We’ll revisit this work later in the month…. Enjoy!

Down the Rabbit Hole– Part One

The Dark Side of the Light

At some point in the journey on our…

New Moon in Cancer
July 9.2021
9:16 (EDT)

Sun in CancerRetrogrades Jupiter and Neptune in Pisces Saturn in Aquarius Pluto in Capricorn

Mother Moon waxes New in astrological Cancer on Friday, July 8.2021 at 9:16 (EDT). Cancer is an elemental sign of water, ruled by the Moon and as such emotions, who we call family and the spaces of sanctuary we have created may feel as though they are surrounding us in deep waters of healing-or of overload. A New Moon is an opportunity for a fresh start, bolstering what has been put into place through previous cycles or just simply a time to allow to arise what needs to be actuated. This particular New Moon gains the support of astrological Cancer and the tides of its waters of foundational home and support from those you have chosen as family. The…

A Simple Contemplative Ritual

Today the offering is a simple ritual you may wish to use on day after the Winter Solstice. We have been seeking the light within; we have called forth that light and as we stand in the first day towards the increase of Light, all comes to this sweet point of hope and promise.

What you will need:

• A quiet space where you will not be disturbed and is or can be darkened;
• Something comfortable to sit on;
• Any color candle and holder;
• Matches (preferably the long ones)-not a lighter;
• A warm cup of cider, hot chocolate or tea.

Establish your space in whatever way aligns with your practice, calling it forth as a sacred, safe and quiet space for your working.

Settle in to whatever chair or other bodily support you have chosen. Make note of the strength of it as it supports the contours…

All Hail the Winter Solstice!
December 21.2019

Sun in Capricorn

Today is the final countdown and we welcome the longest night, now knowing that we carry the flame of newborn light within. This day is marked astronomically by the moment the Sun  reaches its southern most point in the sky, its orbit aligning with the earth’s horizon at the astrological demarcation of Capricorn. Mercury and Pluto also share the Capricornian energy of this day and the energy of earth is more pronounced.

Mercury in astrological Capricorn brings deliberate and rooted style of communication that cals us to become more anchored in our beliefs and ideologies.   And, if we are resistant, Pluto reminds us of the necessary endings so that what lay in the future may be birthed from what has past before. In fact, Pluto has been working on this agenda at the level of our earthy perceptions for…

A Tarot Spread for the Winter Solstice

Today’s post is a call to opening to your intuitive nature and standing in the power of what this Solstice can bring into your life and being moving forward. This tarot spread was create specifically for the energies and circumstances we find ourselves surrounded in this year-2020.

No worries if you don’t have or use Tarot cards. This spread can also use runes, crystals or any other divination tool you may have. And, in keeping with the power of the magickal worker, sitting in contemplative opening and simply posing the questions of focus aligned within this spread and listening to what the Higher Self and the Divine will share with you is all that is needed. You are the instrument of divination, wisdom, and all that is needed for any inquiry.

Blessinsg of this spread and the bounty of gifts that the light…

Waking Up

Breathe deeply. The time is almost here. We stayed out in the sun’s full light and knew that the days would shorten and the time for quiet and rest would be ticking down to the day that soon will be.

We’ve waited through the first harvest, as wheat and grain were cut and the grain lord nourished and filed our bellies. We’ve waited through the second harvest and the last of the root and sacrifice of the animal gave promise that we would survive the increasing darkness ahead.

We called to the ancestors and stood at death’s gate seeking the way and offering up plates of food and drink to those beloveds long past. The veils parted and their gossamer form billowed out in the chill of purposeful winds. And, the cry of the banshee cut sharp and strong like shards of ice.

We settled in deeply to…

Image: Ellen Vaman

The Light Within the Shadow of the Solstice
The Work of Self
This is Part 1 of a 2-Part Post

For most of us the turning of the Greater Wheel to the Winter Solstice is one of welcoming the return of the Light of renewal and strength, the promise of increasingly longer hours of daylight and anticipation of warmer weather and a more outer world focused time. This change is subtle in physical form as this is also when the cold of the Winter will remain for a few months more prompting us to retreat indoors as the early arrival of evening’s darkness envelopes and calls us into the warmth and light of home.

Each year, I do my work of Self, both within my Tradition (The Assembly of the Sacred Wheel) and personally to call forth this return of Light. And, I also find myself retreating…