Black Moon Month

Image From Google Image Search.

So, since there are TWO, count 'em, TWO New Moons this month, the internet is all a buzz with the words "Black Moon".  This has many people asking the question, "What in the world is a Black Moon?"  Well, to put it simply, it's the opposite of a Blue Moon.

Now, if you have absolutely NO IDEA what a Blue Moon is, I'll help you, it's when two Full Moons happen in one month.  So, a Black Moon is when two New Moons happen in one month, and this January is no exception.  Tonight, the moon will, once again, be dark.  Honestly, I think the whole subject is fascinating, however, there is very little to find on such a subject, if anything at all.

Some people speculate that it is a prime time to use magick, others say that it's a bunch of hogwash, so really, it is what you make of it.  Use it to your advantage and find out, or let it go, there is, after all, another chance to try it in March of this year. 

If you want more information about New Moons, Full Moons, and the like, check out Moon Giant, they have all sorts of cool information on all the moon phases, as well as calendars that tell when the phases were and when they will come.

That's all for this entry, unfortunately, as I have never heard the term before this year, I still know very little on Black Moons.  Hopefully my next entry on them will be more informative.

Thank you for joining me!  Hope to see you again next time!

Many blessings!

☽⚝☾

Coded Messages - A Witch's Secret Keeper

Image from TCDC Resource Center.

The first thing I learned as a child witch was to keep my messages between fellow witches in code.  It was always important to my teachers to keep our witchly secrets safe, so, whenever my fellow young witches-in-training and I needed to get in contact, we would use coded messages to pass to one another in the "muggle" school hallways.

The very first code we used was the Mage's Sigillum Mysteriorum from the book Wizardology.  We had this code memorized like it was nobody's business, quite literally.  Every day, we would pass notes back and forth, all unreadable unless the person looking at the notes knew this code.  I barely remember it now, but then, it's been 8 or so years since I used it last.  I found it very useful as a child.

In the Tabs section of this blog, you'll come across a Tab labeled "Alphabets".  Inside that tab, there are two of the most known Code Alphabets used between witches, Elder Futhark and Theban.  Of the two, the most used one is Theban, however, there are many who choose to use the Futhark Runes for their actual meanings in messages, instead of spelling each thing out individually.

Now, I, personally, have never used Theban for messages, however, I have tried to at least memorize it... With no prevail.  Runes, on the other hand, come easier.  I almost have their meanings memorized, actually.

Runes

Image from Google Image Search.

Each rune both stands for a letter and has its own meaning.  The letters correspond to the written in Anglo-Roman script.  The meanings of each rune are used for divination, however, that's a whole other journal entry.  Please notice:  Not all runes match a letter, however, so runes that are sufficient replacements via the sound are used twice or put in parenthesis.

Below, you can find the 2 page worksheet I made to practice Runes:

Just click each to enlarge and then print on standard 8.5in x 11in printer paper.

Theban

Image from Google Image Search.

For Theban, each symbol represents only a letter, and some symbols can be used as other, similar sounding letters as well.  Please notice:  There is no 'X', nor did I present an 'X' on the Alphabets page of the journal.  Any added letters, as above, are in parenthesis.

Below, you can find the 2 page worksheet I made to practice Theban:

Just click each to enlarge and then print on standard 8.5in x 11in printer paper.

Please feel free to use the sheets, but remember, they are for home-use only.  I don't want to see anyone re-uploading my worksheets as their own for money.  In my teachings, the sale of services is against my Path, and I would hope anyone who shares this would do as such to keep them free for everyone.

Well, as always, thank you for joining me once again!

I hope you found something useful in this journal entry, and if not, I hope you stick around until you find something that is!

Many blessings to you!

☽⚝☾

The Cold Moon

Image from Google Image Search.

Did anyone see the moon last night?  Was it perfectly full for you?  Was it almost there?  Well, tonight, it is the first full moon of the year for where I live.  The Cold Moon.

Now, everyone has a different name for this moon.  Some call it the "Winter Moon" or the "Old Moon," some even call it the "Wolf Moon."  According to the Celtic Myth Moon site, every moon has at least nine different groups of people calling it different things each month.  Some repeat, while others find their way to a different month than most.

As it is the first full moon of the year, I was hoping to perform a small ritual, however, as it is a Thursday, I may need to wait until this weekend.  Mine and my coven's rituals usually follow the examples left to us by Patti Wigington on Pagan/Wiccan About.com.  Despite the different name for the moon in this ritual, I plan on following this one with my fellow witches.

Image from Google Image Search.

Rituals have this wonderful ability to be performed by yourself or in a group.  I know some witches who take these and alter them to fit their needs, or who completely write their own using the same guidelines, as well as witches who get together in a gaggle of giggles and try their best to not "mess up" as they follow the lines given to them.

I remember the first time my coven and I did a ritual.  It was Yule, and it was a giggling disaster.  It was just before most of us turned 21, and we had all the supplies and things we needed to complete the ritual, even the cloths for our hair to represent the three aspects of the goddess, but we kept messing up the words that none of us had time to memorize.

At the time, we were horrified, thinking that we had messed up so badly we would need to do it again, but then, our coven Druid spoke up, saying the goddess would appreciate laughter returning in the dark times, despite our words being "the wrong ones", and that she would still hear our prayers to her.  We agreed, and it was then that we truly realized we had not "messed up", we had just simply found a different way to go about the same thing many Pagans near and far were doing that very night.

When we began to practice more openly, I learned more about the other Paths people take, and we infused more of that acceptance into our rituals and meetings.  Even within our own coven we have many different Paths with the same main ideas.

But!  Back to the moon!

Do you plan on holding a ritual?  Did you already have one or are you postponing it until you can?  What are you up to tonight?  Leave a comment and let us know!

Thank you for joining me!

☽⚝☾ 

Planetary Personology

The planets are involved in many things when it comes to Traditional and New Age Paganism, as well as many well-known religions of the past.

They are said to tell us ourselves, helping define our persona depending on what day we were born, what sign we were born with, and what planet we were born under.  If you look up your birth date, you could find your planets and cross check them with the information below to see if there are any similarities.

The Planets

Image from Google Search.

"The Sun - Represents yourself, ego, structure, and personality." (If anyone ever told you your "Sun Sign," they are probably explaining this.)

"The Moon - Represents your feelings, unconscious, and dreams." (What moon were you born under?  Did you know it makes a difference via the time of day?)

"Mercury - Represents logic and communication.

Venus - Represents love, romance, social interactions, and the feminine side.

Mars - Represents aggression and forcefulness, the masculine side.

Jupiter - Represents optimism, expansive attitudes, luck, and the "big picture."

Saturn - Represents responsibility, limitation, and realism.

Uranus - Represents psychic powers, unpredictability, and higher thought.

Neptune - Represents spirituality, religion, and fantasy.

Pluto - Represents money, sexuality, and the dark side."
(Goldschneider)

Example Time

So, if you take my birthday and time, for example, you would find that I was born on a Saturday and I am a Taurus.  This would make my ruling planets Saturn and Venus.  Now, does this make me a logical romantic?  Not at all, really, however, I am a hopeless romantic, who happens to be practical in most parts of life, so I guess it works in its own little way.

How do you know what day you are born on?  Ask your parents!  Look at your birth certificate!  Find a calendar from the year you were born! (Or, you know, Google it.) 

Well, that's all for now!  Thank you for joining me Inside My Journal!

☽⚝☾

Inside My Journal

A new journal.  A muted-colored red leather, stitched in soft red threads, with a white silk ribbon as a bookmark.  It's quite a beautiful sight, and a far cry more beautiful than the old composition notebook I used to use for this very same subject.

It came to me on December the 21st, 2013, Yule of 2013, and I have been writing away in it every day since.  Copying down old notes, correcting those my child-self did not know any better to write correctly, and scribing new ones to sit along-side all those things I've learned in the past eight years has been more than enlightening for my now older, Pagan self.

That was a book that I never let anyone touch, and one I've certainly never lent it out to my fellow witches and wizards.  Now, its successor sits atop my blog, open for all to see.  Inside, every bit of knowledge I have acquired, and those I am acquiring still, pouring themselves out and onto these web pages for all to read.

Page 1.  My simple table of contents.  Well, the first half of it, really, but still, there it is, the first page of my journal.  Some of those things there are things I will cover in these online pages.  I don't know if everyone would find the same Latin words and phrases useful as I do, nor is it good to share your spells with anyone other than your coven, in my intuitive feelings.  However, many of the subjects listed here I do hope to cover in the coming year, and the years following.  This journal is a cover with replaceable inserts, the perfect thing for a note-taking, High Priestess such as myself, so I'm sure this wont be my last table of contents photo.

So, here's to a wonderful 2014, and many blessings to us all.

Thank you for reading.

  

☽⚝☾