Beltane Rite

Blessed Beltane.

As promised here is a breakdown of how I celebrated the holiday.
I had work all of May Day, so all of my ritual was performed on Beltane Eve.

Firstly I collected my supplies;

And I began to set my ritual space.
Due to not owning our own house yet, I could not have a full Beltane Bonfire! (One day...One day...)
So, I gathered a collection of candles in a circle, to represent the fires of Beltane.
Fire is a huge part of this rite, as is the Sun God.
The fires of Beltane are said to hold healing, magical properties. For thousands of years, people have jumped the bonfire flames, to rid themselves of illness, to receive mental clarity, or simply to make a wish.

Light all but one candles, and set your incense going.
Cast your circle.

Meditate a little, and ground yourself here.
A common tradition for those not living in towns with pagan traditions is to make their own mini maypole.
The maypole represents the union of the Lord and Lady of the Greenwood, and dancers take ribbons and dance around the pole intertwining them around the pole.

To make my own, I set out this morning with the sun beaming down on me, to the nearby woodland, and collected an appropriate size stick.
Then coming home I collected my ribbons.
Now in this sacred space I've made, I set about wrapping these ribbons around my chosen stick. My mind truly focused on the task, the braiding of the ribbons a therapeutic rhythm.

With this completed, I can set my maypole aside.
Now rise.
And dance in my circle. If you decide to do this ritual; Don't feel silly, or embarrassed, just dance freely. Put on music if you have to, or if you're outside, sense the rhythm of the earth.
Dance for as long as you feel comfortable, and smile while you do so.

Sitting back at my candles, I began to chant.

" I dance delight
On Beltanes Night.
All senses freeing,
I dance for being.
Sun, embrace the earth, Bright
I ask you with this Rite."

I light my one remaining candle in the name of the Sun God, and drink from a chalice of Wine in the name of the Goddess.

And to close my rite, I jumped my candle DIY bonfire, and made a wish!

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Something like this could easily be tailored to your own Beltane celebration.

Enjoy.
Much Love,
Jade

xx

My Spring Altar

Wow.
Over 2 months since my last blog update...
That's a long, unintentional break.

I'm hoping to start back up here, to reconnect spiritually to my cards and other magical working. And maybe one or two people will find something that helps them on their path here.

So I'll start with my altar re-design for spring.
Which is all about endings and new beginnings.

It's an altar focused on building and growing dreams. Featuring 3 (the magical number) photos of people who are currently inspiring me, and living dreams I want to live myself.
Everytime I do focused work at my altar, these guys are staring back at me, encouraging me.

This little pewter witch under my roe deer skull, was one of my first magical purposes. I got her when I was around 11, and with her little cone hat, she really grounds me.

The shells I collected from various beach trips over the years - they represent water, travel, and creativity.

                                                         ______________________________

So...
I've got a new spread to share with you all here soon. I've been trying hard to connect with my Brian Froud Faerie Oracle Deck, and yesterday I got a truly motivational, true reading with it for the first time.

If you would like to see my daily posts, and more of my witchy goings on, feel free to follow me over on my instagram;

http://instagram.com/razorlustjade/

Yuletide Altar

Altars are a very sacred space to any witch.
That is not to say that you can't practice witchcraft if you do not have an altar - but they are a wonderful place to ground and center yourself, as well as a great way to leave a dedication to your chosen faith, and to have as a thanks to the goddess.

Now, like most of my fellow sisters, my altar changes seasonally. It's very easy to alter your altar to bring some of nature indoors.

I thought today I would share with you my current autumn/winter altar.
Altars are private places where a witch can 'pray' if you will. It is a great space for meditation and any spellwork.

Over ten years ago, when I set up my first altar - I had been gifted and purchased so many wonderful artifacts, that I was cramming as much as I could fit onto my altar.

Over time I've learnt that less is more, and that I can utalise the space around my workspace for spare candles, my runes, my chi-gong balls, and to burn incense.

I've found working on a small table for an altar to be most useful.
Plenty of space below it for storage, and you can easily cover it all up with a large piece of pretty fabric.

Choose items that are personal to you!

This is very easy to do with small items like crystals, as you can change them routinely without changing your entire altar. Crystals that represent things you wish to achieve this month, or crystals for meditation work wonderfully.

(For those curious; quartz, eagles eye, tigers eye)

For the months of September and October, I had a pumpkin lantern on my altar, now that Samhain has passed, and we are moving into Yule - I have replaced the pumpkin with a festive wreath.  I placed it around an ever-present candle on my altar.

 At the base of this bowl, are rose petals worked in love magic months ago, that will stay on my altar for a long, long time. But depending on what my altar is meant to be expressing, I add different objects to the top of the bowl.

Now, it is red leaves of autumn, a pine cone, and a seagull skull.
There are two skulls on my altar at the moment. A bird and a fox. Both are real, and both were ethically obtained.
The skulls are really important throughout the course of winter. It reminds us of natures trials in these months, and of the impending death of flowers, and trees, and grass, and animals, with the presence of snow and frost, and biting cold.

Whilst Tarot and divination are a large part of my life, I don't usually have a tarot card on my altar. But recently 'The Moon' card has been calling to me. I've pulled it multiple times - it's moved from the bottom of my deck to the top at least twice. And the moon has been in my dreams.

The Moon represents your subconscious. Your hidden desires. It tells you to listen to your dreams and learn from them. The Moon represents a darker side to you emerging. 

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Bonus!!!

If you are lucky enough to have a familiar, set them up a little bed, near your altar. You'll find they love to sleep nearby when you are doing spell work.

Show me your altars in the comments.

I love seeing where you all work your magic.

Love and Light,

Jade

xoxo

The Witching Hour

Spur of the moment webcam recording of some artistic witchery.
Not sure what I make of it myself, but meh. Here it is.

Song is Candles by Daughter.

Crystals

Today I'm here to share the love for crystals!

As it was the full moon on the 14th, it was the perfect time to get out my crystal collection, and charge a few of them. I have a basket of them on my nightstand, I have them strung around my neck, I have them hidden throughout my house in charm bags, I have them under my pillow, and in my lovers pillow. They give us strength, and protection, they can help us in tasks, and aid us in our daily life. Nearly as well as the use of herbs and oils.

"Power Charms"

 My favourite stone is Lapis Lazuli - it is just insanley beautiful.
Did you know that the ancient egyptians used to bury lapis lazuli with their dead?? They believed it offered protection.
In early cultures it was valued more highly than gold! That's what a girl really wants!
For personal use, this crystal is great for opening up your chakras, and generally making you more acceptant to powers around you, makes things clearer for you. It is also thought to be a great crystal for friendship, so it makes a wonderful gift to close friends.

Rose Quartz is another key crystal to me. There are three on my altar at all times. One huge rough chunk, and two smaller cut crystals. Last Samhain they were used in my ritual to say goodbye to the pets I had lost that year. My two rats Bonnie, and Wolfey; and my old girl, Sheba. The dog I had from the age of 7 til I reached 20. I loved them all, and I felt a need to honour their memories. They all left me for the Summerlands at different times, but now those crystals on my altar are a daily reminder of my love for them, and bring forth happy memories. 

Rose Quartz is a crystal of unconditional love. And whilst it is often used to entice sensuality, it is also a calming and reassuring crystal; making it perfect for saying goodbye to loved ones, as well as blossoming romance. 

Do you have any special crystals?
Tell me your favourites?

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Coming next; A tutorial for a homemade shower scrub!