RULES FOR A FULL MOON
BY LINDA LUKE
I understand some of you have been inquiring as to the title “Celtic Magician,” which has been assigned to me by this publication. Well, the truth is I love Celtic music and I do believe in Magic. The Celts are commonly thought of as the ancient Irish. In fact the Celts first appeared in history coming out of the East in waves of migrants in the 9th century BC. They spread into Gaul, the Iberian Peninsula, northern Italy, the Balkans. Asia Minor, Britain, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Now some of us have been born again and have migrated to Woody Creek, to live the Woody Creek lifestyle and practice our magic once again.
Celebrating just before or during a full moon is a gift you might choose to give yourself. Now I have heard from the little people that Woody Creek and the surrounding hills are full of secret places of power and magic. One could be guided to one of these places and find answers to questions you have and some answers to questions you have yet to ask.
You may see flying dogs and other unusual entities, but only if your heart is open. It is never too late to begin your magical journey: it is just a choice. Your life is yours to create what you want.
I learned a lot of this from a seminar on Magic given by Evan Hodgkins many years ago, and from a book called Celtic Magic by D.J. Conway (if my memory serves me well, the quotes below are from the book: get it, you will love it).
For your Celtic Magic circle you will need candles of the four Elements: red, east; white, south; gray, west; black, north. blacl.black. In Wiccan and magical tradition, the color’s are yellow, east: red, south: blue, west: dark green, north. You will also need an altar (it can be a special cloth, small low table, box or stone), incense, cauldron, pentacle, dagger, water (chalice of), wine (chalice of), salt. wand. and sword.
Play soft instrumental music, relax, and breathe deeply. With your magical dagger in your power hand begin in the east visualizing a powereful, protective silver-blue flame shooting from the tip of the dagger. Aim the flame at the floor moving in a clockwise direction (be sure to overlap the flame in the east where you began). While drawing the circle, say “I consecrate this circle to the Ancient Gods. Here may they manifest and bless their child.” Move back to the alter, facing east. Raise your wand and say: “This is a time that is not a time, in a place that is not a place, on a day that is not a day. I stand at the threshold between the worlds, before the veil of the Mysteries. May the Ancient Ones protect me on my magical journey.” Set the water chalice on the pentacle disk. Hold your dagger over it, saying: “Great Mother, bless this creature of Water to your service. May I always remember the cauldron waters of rebirth.” Hold your dagger over the salt, saying: “Great Mother, bless this creature of Earth to your service. May I always remember the blessed Earth, its many forms and beings.” Sprinkle salt into the water and hold the chalice up, saying: “Great Mother, I give you honor.”
Begin in the east, walking clockwise: sprinkle the water-salt mixture lightly around the edges of the circle. Return the chalice to the altar. Hold the dagger over the lighted incense burner, saying “Great Father: bless this creature of Fire to your service. May I always remember that the sacred Fire that dances within the form of every creation.” Hold your dagger over the lighted incense, saying: “Great Father, bless this creature of Air to your service. May I always listen to the spirit winds that bring me the voice of the Ancient Ones.” Put a little inscene in the burner, touch the burner briefly to the pentacle disk, then hold the incense up, saying: “Great Father, I give you honor.” Carry the incense burner clockwise beginning in the east and return it to the altar.
Go to the east, light the red (or yellow) candle, and with hand up in greeting say: “I call upon you. Powers of Air, to witness this rite and guard this circle.” Repeat greetin in the south; call upon the Powers of Fire. Repeat greeting in the west; call upon the powers of water. Repeat greeting in the north; call upon the Powers of Earth. Move back into the altra, face east, raise your arms in greeting, and say. “This circle is bound, with power all around, between the worlds I stand with protection at hand.“
When you are finished, hold your hand over the altar, saying: “By the powers of the ancient Gods, I bind all power within this circle into this spell so mote it be.” Stay in the circle as long as you want, sing, dance, mediate, have fun. . . when you are ready to end the ritual, go to the east and extinguish the candle, saying: “Depart in peace, O Powers of Air, my thanks and blessings.” Repeat in the south, saying “Depart in peace, O Powers of Earth, my thanks and blessings.” Cut the circle back with a backward movement of the dagger to release power and say: The circle is open, yet ever reamains a circle. Around and through me always flows its magical power.” Leave me an offering outside for my little people.
Celebrate and enjoy life, and till next time we meet, peace be with you.
