Honoring Persephone – October 18

Color of the day: Black 
Incense of the day: Sandalwood 

As the year turns to the darkest nights, we honor Persephone as she returns to her underworld kingdom. Forget images of a shy maiden tripping among the flowers: Persephone is both a strong and beautiful queen and a goddess. This is a woman in her sexual prime. Picture a young woman with long brown hair, who holds up a torch to help light your path in the darkest of times. Persephone can help you learn to mature with grace, to move forward, and to walk your own unique path in life. 

Persephone, 
Bringer of the seasons of life, 
Help me to move onward Without pain or strife. 
Hold up your torch, 
Help illuminate my path, 
Bring me courage 
And wisdom that lasts. 

By: Ellen Dugan

A Harvest Spell

Set an orange candle on either side of the caldron. On a piece of
paper (small) write the things you have harvested over the past year,
light the paper from one of the candles and let it burn in the
cauldron. After it is done put some corn (or squash) seeds in the
cauldron. “Stir” the seeds with your wand visualizing white light
coming from the tip of the wand, filling the cauldron and entering the
seeds. When you feel the seeds have absorbed their fill stop, put the
seeds into another container to be kept on the altar until next year’s
planting.

author unknown

Lammas Bread Protection Spell

A book of Anglo-Saxon charms advised the crumbling of the Lammas
loaf into four pieces and the burying of them in the four corners of
the barn to make it safe for all the grain that would be stored
there. You can use this old spellcraft in a protection spell for
your home.

Bake a Lammas loaf, and when it is cool break it into four
piecesdon’t cut it with a knifeand take one to each corner of your
property with the words:

I call on the spirits
Of north, and south, east and west
Protect this place
Now, at the time of the Blessing.

Leave the bread for the birds to eat or bury the pieces.

From Lammas: Celebrating The Fruits Of The First Harvest
by Anna Franklin and Paul Mason

Giving-to-Receive Spell

Lammas is the first harvest festival and a traditional time to offer
thanks to the deities for their gift of abundance. It is by giving that
we receive, so this is both a ritual of thanks and a spell for more
prosperity in the future. Place offerings representing the four
elements on a plate on your altar, and say after each:

Earth Element: Offer bread in thanks for the earth’s bounty.
Water Element: Offer wine in thanks for the fruit of the vine.
Air Element: Offer a tree-grown fruit.
Fire Element: Offer a gold coin or stone.

You can also bury your offerings at the base of an old tree.

By: Edain McCoy

Longest Day Spell

Since the Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year, this magical day
may be observed with activities throughout the day. In the morning, before
sunrise, light a tall orange candle, and from its flame light four smaller white
candles to represent the four seasons, saying: “Father Sun, you illuminate
the year.” Then, fashion a small hoop from a thin branch. Ignite the hoop and
let it burn out in a heat-proof dish. As the Sun rises, snuff out the
candles. At noon, the solar hour, go into a garden or wooded area and select a tree
to honor. Trees are living beings who, although connected to Mother Earth,
reach toward Father Sun to complete their growth cycle. Honor your chosen tree
with a gift of compost or water. At sunset, light your candles again, and
thank the Sun for returning. You may seek visions by sprinkling the area with
larkspur, or you can simply meditate. When done, snuff out the candles. After
dark, near midnight if possible, harvest any herbs for future magical use. As
a final gesture on this longest day, sprinkle the ashes from the hoop you
burned near your front door.

By: James Kambos

A Fairy Spell for Beltane

In a woodland clearing, spread a clean green cloth. On it place
small cakes and flowers, especially primroses, in a circle. Imagine
the magic around you and say:

“O Fairy Queen,
Upon your white steed,
Within me plant
A magic seed.
From you may spring
Many new beginnings.
Great Queen,
Accept these offerings.”

Leave the items and walk around the altar three times, then slowly
walk the path back to your home. Listen for the sound of laughter
and bells and know you are blessed. Beltane is the time when fairies
return from their winter rest, carefree and full of mischief and
delight. On the night before Beltane, in times past, folks would
place rowan branches at their windows and doors for protection. If
you do not wish the fairies to visit, do the same! This is also a
perfect time for night or predawn rituals to draw down power to
promote fertility in body and mind. At Beltane, the Pleiades star
cluster rises just before sunrise on the morning horizon. The
Pleiades is known as the seven sisters, and resembles a tiny dipper-
shaped pattern of six moderately bright stars in the constellation
of Taurus, near the shoulder. Watch for it low in the east-northeast
sky, just a few minutes before sunrise.

By: Nancy Bennett

Beltane Fertility Spell

As Beltane approaches, spells and enchantments to improve fertility are very
appropriate. A good and subtle talisman is to make a grapevine wreath and
decorate it with fertility symbols and colors—a small cinnamon broom, a bird’s
nest with three polished stones in it, some turkey feathers, a small stuffed
rabbit, or any other items that represent fertility to you. Use florist wire
to attach the items to your wreath. Add silk flowers, or fresh greens for
their beauty. Hang the wreath on your front door, and each time you enter or
leave touch the wreath and say: “Goddess of fertility, bring the spark of life
to me.” Remember, fertility is not just pregnancy, but also concerns new
ideas, a new business, or simple good fortune.

Paniteowl

Ostara Spell

Ostara, otherwise known as the Vernal Equinox, marks the date when
day overcomes night. Plants re-emerge from the earth, the air is
filled with birdsong, and animals mate and bear young. Humans feel
an overpowering urge to build now, to plant and to fall in love.
This powerful time is when winter dreams need to be acted upon. The
most potent talisman we have this time of the year is the egg,
symbol of rebirth, new beginnings, and growth. Here are some old and
new ways to use eggs in your spellwork. For a new love, take a raw
egg and dye it red. Poke holes on either end of the egg with a
needle or a small nail. Make the hole on the small end of the egg
large enough so that you can insert a crystal and herbs. Blow the
contents of the egg out the holes and thoroughly clean out the
inside. Insert into the egg a the small rose quartz crystal, rose
petals, and a sprinkle of catnip. Visualize a new love entering your
life. Glue over the hole with pink tissue paper. You can modify this
spell for abundance or any new venture with a change of color,
crystal, and herb. To keep a family together, the eldest member of
the clan divides a hard-boiled egg so that each member gets a piece
to eat. Throughout one’s life, if any member of the family gets lost
one must think about those he or she shared the egg with. This will
cause the others to think of him or her. The combined physic
energies will guide the lost one home. To ensure the safety and well-
being of your household, bury a magically charged egg in each of the
four directions. Charge an egg with visions of an abundant harvest
and bury it in your garden before you plant. Hang decorated eggs
from the trees around your property on Ostara to bring prosperity to
your family for the year.

Lily Gardner-Butts

Egg-Coloring Spell

As Ostara approaches, a bit of egg magic gains potency. T0 do some
egg-coloring magic, hard-boil some white eggs. Draw symbols on them
using a white crayon or wax pencil. These symbols—runes, hearts,
dollar signs, or words—should represent what you want to manifest in
your life. Mix food colors to dye the eggs, and add a bit of salt
and vinegar to some boiling water. Let the water cool slightly, and
add the food coloring to the water. Dip the eggs in the dye with a
spoon. If you wish, you may repeat the dipping in order to create
more vivid colors. The symbols you drew on the eggs in white crayon
will stand out against the vivid colors. Dry the eggs on paper
towels, then refrigerate them. Each day thereafter, peel and eat an
egg and reflect on the wishes that you hope to manifest. As you feed
yourself this nutritious, high-protein food, an ancient symbol of
sacred fertility, spend a few moments imagining its good and magical
qualities giving you the power and will to achieve your desired
goals.

Ruby Lavender