The Coming Beltane Sabbat * Beltane Fires of Passion

A wonderful article I think will summerize the coming Beltane Sabbat!: Beltane Fires * Wicca-Spirituality.com/Silver Chalice E-Zine

 I will be posting the Outline of the Beltane Ritual the day before on the 29th, that I will be performing April 30th at sundown (the traditional start of Beltane) . It will be simple, but powerful and hopefully passionate like the coming Sabbat. To me Beltane is like Wiccan Valentine's Day, it's a time (if you are so blessed) to pay special attention to your lover or mate, if you are solo at this time then pay special attention to your close friends and family or even pay special attention to yourself, give yourself something nice; give it to your Higher-self during ritual. There is lots to be not only be passionate about but thankful for and these I feel are the key celebration points for Beltane; passion, pleasure and being thankful. This being the case, not only should we celebrate the Union of the Goddess and the God but we should be thankful for all that we are blessed with because of that Union. We should also be thankful for the Unions we have here on the physical plane Unions with: friends, family, lovers, animals, plants, places, Self, and careers. Whatever brings you pleasure take joy in it and be thankful for it, for doing so is a holy act:

"ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music and love, all in Her praise. For Hers is the ecstasy of the spirit, and Hers also is joy on earth; for Her law is love unto all beings. Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever towards it; let naught stop you or turn you aside. For Hers is the secret door which opens upon the land of youth and Hers is the cup of wine of life, and the cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Grail of immortality. She is the gracious goddess, who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man. Upon earth, She gave the knowledge of the spirit eternal; and beyond death, She gives peace and freedom, and reunion with those who have gone before. Nor does She demand sacrifice, for behold, She is the mother of all living, and Her love is poured out upon the earth." ---- Charge of The Goddess

The Charge of the Goddess by D. Valiente

The Charge of the Goddess

By: D. Valiente

"Whenever ye have need of any thing, once in the month, and better it be when the moon is full, then shall ye assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of She, who is Queen of all witches. There shall ye assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery, yet have not won its deepest secrets; to these will She teach things that are yet unknown. And ye shall be free from slavery; and as a sign that ye be really free, ye shall be naked in your rites; and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music and love, all in Her praise. For Hers is the ecstasy of the spirit, and Hers also is joy on earth; for Her law is love unto all beings. Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever towards it; let naught stop you or turn you aside. For Hers is the secret door which opens upon the land of youth and Hers is the cup of wine of life, and the cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Grail of immortality. She is the gracious goddess, who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man. Upon earth, She gave the knowledge of the spirit eternal; and beyond death, She gives peace and freedom, and reunion with those who have gone before. Nor does She demand sacrifice, for behold, She is the mother of all living, and Her love is poured out upon the earth.

She who is the beauty of the green earth, and the white moon among the stars, and the mystery of the waters, and the desire of the heart of man, calls unto thy soul. Arise, and come unto Her. For She is the soul of nature, who gives life to the universe. from Her all things proceed, and unto Her all things must return; and before Her face, beloved of gods and men, let thine innermost divine self be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite. Let Her worship be within the heart that rejoiceth; for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are Her rituals. And therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you. And thou who thinkest to seek Her, know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not unless thou knowest the mystery; that if that which thou seekest thou findest not within thee, then thou wilt never find it without thee. For behold, She has been with thee from the beginning; and She is that which is attained at the end of desire."

T.LH: The Charge of the Goddess is a sacred text of the Wiccan religion and is a central part to many of our sacred points as a Mystery Tradition. Perhaps the most quoted of the Wiccan Texts the Charge of the Goddess contains some famous ideas in the Wiccan Religion including acts of love and pleasure as a form of worship for the Goddess, for all acts of love are Hers. Also there is a warning that those who seek the Goddess (and therefore the Occult mysteries) not within themselves then they will not find Her (or the power) with out. It is a warning against just being whats called an "armchair wiccan" or a Wiccan that claims the to the path but does not actually have experiance in its practices. Wicca is an experiential religion meaning that one has to participate in it's teachings in order to gain the understanding and insight that Wicca offers. The Charge of the Goddess has been rewritten many times and has many different authors, this I feel is the best edition because it covers all the points I find important to our Tradition and Religion as a whole.

Herb of the Week: Milkweed

Milkweed - Asclepias syriaca (A.tuberosa, A.speciosa)
Common name: Pleurisy Root
Folk Name: Butterfly Weed, Canada Root, Flux Root, Swallow-Wort, Tuber Root, White Root, Wind Root.
Parts Used: Flower, leaf, shoot/stem, root, fruit/nut, seed
Planet: Mars
Element: Fire
Gender: Masculine
Goddesses/Gods: Asclepius (the God of medicine and healing in ancient Greek mythology) which from whom this plant has taken its name.
Medicinal Uses: The root increases bronchial dilation and lymphatic drainage and is a specific treatment for pleurisy and bronchitis. It is given for some urinary problems. Large doses of the fresh leaf tea cause vomiting. The sap contains the enzyme asclepain which helps remove warts. The root has been used to cause temporary sterility. The seeds have a silky tuft to aid distribution which is used as pillow stuffing. All milkweeds (Asclepias tuberosa, A. syraca, A. speciosa) are potentially dangerous, use with caution.
Folklore: Pleurisy Root was widely used among Native Americans; it was on of the most important medicines of the Menomini tribe. Milkweed attracts Monarch Butterflies; it is the only plant that the monarch larvae eat.
Magickal Uses: Protection during surgery; health and healing in general. Used in sachets, mojo bags and gris-gris.

Read more about Milkweed at Luminearth.com

Herb of the Week: Pokeweed

Folk Name: Pigeon Berry
Parts Used: leaf, shoot/stem, root, fruit/nut
Planet: Uranus
Element: Air
Gender: Masculine
Medicinal Uses: Shoots are eaten after they are properly boiled for a long period. The anti-inflammatory root is given for swollen throat glands. It is purgative and narcotic, expels phlegm, soothes arthritis, kills sperm, and, with the leaf, treats fungal infections. Further research has shown that a component of Pokeweed is useful to the immune system and has proteins that inhibit flu, herpes, and leukemia. This herb must be used with care, respect and expertise because used wrongly it can be deadly.
Folklore: The Declaration of Independence was written in fermented pokeweed berry ink. The Native Americans introduced the herb to the European settlers who loved it and took it back to the old country where it now grows wild.
Magickal Uses: Used to break hexes and curses especially during the New Moon. To break a hex/ curse make an infusion of the herb and sprinkle around the victims home counter-clockwise. You can also add a bit to the bathwater but be sure not to drink any of it! The berries of pokeweed are crushed and used to make magickal ink for writing protection spells and hex-breaking spells. The juice of the berries can also be used in placed of blood in rituals that call for it.

See Luminearth's post on Pokeweed

Book of the Week: "Bucklands Complete Book of Witchcraft"

T.LH: “Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft” is a great text on the practices of Wicca and modern witchcraft. The book itself has been used as a text book for many traditions and covens. There are fifteen lessons within the book each followed with a handy study guide and tests afterwards to help retain each lessons teachings. The book is perfect for beginners, intermediates and advance students alike with in-depth teachings on Wiccan philosophy, rituals and rites, herbalism, Sabbats, Marriage/ birth and death rites, magick…etc. This is a great work book for all Wiccans and modern witchcraft practitioners; it can be a wonderful reference guide as well as a perfect training manual. The books level is Beginner- Intermediate- Expert. I give the text 5/5 stars for ease of use, its multilevel quality, its large source of information and its excellent use of study guides and testing.

Summary:  Level- Beginner- Intermediate- Expert      Topic- Wiccan Training Manual    Star- 5/5    Necessity- Work book