Song for Autumn

Whispering trees and chilly winds,

This is the song that Autumn sings,

Warm sun and dark mornings,

Welcome us to the time of falling.

Blessing Moon - 15/07/2011

Happy full moon everyone, Blessing Moon tonight. The full moon of July is known to represent work, tolerance and learning. The spells to do during this time, may relate to your work life, personal relationships or concentration.

There are many activities to do, to fully appreciate Blessing Moon. For each Wiccan it is different, I have listed some possible activities below.

• Set up a Summer altar, you can simply decorate it with Summer colours/fruits or pictures.
• Perform a ritual, thanking your chosen Divine for the fortune that has recently come your way, whether it be a new job, a good harvest or a successful cooking experiment.
• Be creative, choose now to create your own potions, spells or add to your Book of Shadows. As now is the perfect time for any magic!

Blessings to you all!

Sun Blessing

Here is a simple Sun Blessing, which can be used in many ways. Before using the spell, think about how you want to convey the spell. You can do this by sitting in a ritual with your chosen candles, or simply by walking outside amongst nature and the Divine.

Bless you Sun, for all you bring

To me, life and everything

I hope you bless us with your light

Forever more and with delight.

As the moon is currently waning, now is a good time to learn spells. 

Creating your Sacred Space

Many Witches have an altar, where they practice their Spell-craft and rituals. The first thing to consider before any rite or ritual is preparation, so selecting a special place to practice is important. You need to consider whether you will be disturbed and for some Witches, they prefer to practice within nature, perhaps in the garden or a field. But I would advise on safety, before you consider venturing out by yourself into a quiet countryside area.

For Covens, they use specific tools to represent the Element and the Divine. These are listed below:

• Altar and Altar cloth
• Pentacle
• Symbols of Earth, Air, Fire and Water
• Symbols of the God and Goddess
• The Chalice
• The Athame

But for Solitary Witches, some of these tools can be unattainable or you may simply have a reaction to an incense. So I have listed a few substitutions:

• Altar and Altar cloth - You do not need to have both, some Witches just have a cloth. This does make it easier to practice the Craft whenever and wherever you want.
• Pentacle - This symbol is usually placed at the centre of your Altar, you do not need to have it as some fancy ornament. But you can draw it on a stone or trace it with salt.
• Earth - Generally represented by salt or dirt, but I recommend a small stone because it is less mess.
• Air- It is common to use a incense, but as I said some people may have a reaction to it. So I would suggest a feather or flower.
• Water- As simple as a cup of water, but if you want to be creative use a Sea shell.
• Fire - Generally a candle is used but you can use a gemstone which may have a similar colour.
• Symbols of God - Both of the Divine can be represented by a simple tea light, but if you want specific symbols. The God can be a piece of wood, your Athame, sprig of holly, simple leaf, a painting or a special statue.
• Symbols for the Goddess - A statue, painting, stone with a hole in it, a fruit, flower or your Chalice.
• The Chalice - This is a special cup set aside only for spell-making, giving rites and rituals. This can be as grand or simple a cup as you wish. It might even be a good idea to get a simple plan coloured cup, then draw your own symbols on it. As you know, your own personal touch has the most influence on your magic. Also don't forget, you do not need to have wine when drinking from your chalice, you can also have fruit juice.
• The Athame- Generally in the form of a black or white handled knife, however, some Witches will not bring metal into the circle, and being in possession of a knife can raise issues with your family if they were to happen upon it. So, a very logical substitution can be your wand which can be made from wood, bone or stone. Your wand can simply be a straight stick which you have selected from nature, but don't just start taking from nature and changing the natural order. Just pick something that has already fallen. It can be decorated by yourself or you could simply buy a special made wand from the shop. But I would suggest making it yourself.

Those are just a few substitutions, but your own personal and creative touch is by far more effective. So explore your options when deciding the tools to use on your Altar.

Candle magic

Candle magic is a simple and traditional technique. It has been around for many years, an early example of it would be in the Lascaux caves when the caves would go in so deep that carrying a flame was necessary, it was thought that the flames would create a liminal boundary between the living and the dead. Candle magic is a very powerful form of Sympathetic magic (For a list of different types of magic click here).

Candle magic is good for drawing positive energy and focussing your inner mind. You can request for something or ask the God/Goddess a question. However, like any other form of magic, whatever you do will return to you three fold, always keep to the Wiccan Rede. Be very careful with the words you use, as your request may come true in a very unconventional way. Some Candle magic is performed over a couple of days, while others can be performed during a specific moon phase. It is a good idea to place your candle on an alter, to keep it safe and out of the way.

A candle can be blessed and consecrated. It is also important, that you pick the colour of your candle wisely. As each colour has a specific meaning. Below is a list of different colours and their meanings:

Green - Growth, health, fertility and love

Yellow - Intellect, inspiration, creativity and confidence

Red - Strength, fertility, passion, attraction and power

White - Balance, cleansing, purity, healing and truth

Black - Protection, new beginnings, hex-breaking and healing

Pink - Devotion, faith, friendship, peace and the purest form of love

Gold - Protection, wealth, masculinity and luck

Lavender - Mother spirit, selflessness, understanding and calming

Blue - Truth, peace, wisdom and protection

Purple - Power, wisdom, psychic powers, confidence and divination

Brown - Balance, home, prosperity, learning and concentration.

I find that the white candle is the most effective during any ritual, I generally use that colour all the time because it is untainted and pure. Note: If you can avoid it, don't use a scented candle, because I find it distracts your senses when meditating.

Phases of the Moon

In Wicca, the phases of the moon represent a different aspect of the Goddess, Witches use these phases to time their rituals and magic as they will be most attuned at this time. As you all know, the moon has a large role to play in the nature of our Earth. It influences the tides and even us, as we are mostly made up of water. For that reason, there will be monthly fluctuations in energies and concentration. Below I have listed different phases of the moon and the Goddess they relate to.

New Moon - The first moon of the cycle relates to the Goddess in her maiden aspect, this is the time for her to learn new skills. So for us we should start fresh and rejuvenate. You can cast any spells related to health, self-improvement, beauty and luck.


Waxing Moon - This is the period of time between the New Moon and Full Moon. Some believe it symbolizes the Goddess in the form of lover, this is the time for her to be assertive and adventurous. The spells you can cast should are centred around growth, whether it relates to fertility, healing, friendship or courage.


Full Moon - Magic and nature is at its most powerful during a Full Moon, the Goddess is in the form of Mother at this time, so the Goddess is at her most compassionate, nurturing and creative. The spells to cast should be related to fertility, love, romance, psychic abilities and artistic projects.


Waning Moon - As the moon is disappearing in the sky, this is the time for removing things from your life. The Goddess is in the form of Grandmother, this is the time for her to retreat and collect up her knowledge. The spells to cast during this time can relate to banishing bad relationships, bad habits and addictions.


Dark Moon - When the Moon is invisible in the sky, the Goddess is in the aspect of Wise Woman, at this time she is all wise and presides over death. It is thought that no magic should be performed during a Dark Moon, as the energies that you require to be attuned are not there. This doesn't have to be true, but I do believe that feeling the Moon's power does influence the workings of your magic.