Moon Garden

After planning, laying out, lifting sod, building an arbor, laying stones, and turning dirt last summer, my moon garden sat dormant for the winter. We giggled all throughout winter because it looked like we had a grave in our backyard. I'm sure the neighbors were beginning to wonder about us!

I've been working hard this week to get the garden ready for it's final staging. I pulled out all the weeds (no small undertaking), turned the soil and leveled it out (no more grave!) and was all set to paint the arbor today, but alas, it's raining. Hopefully the weather will cooperate either later on today or tomorrow so that the painting can commence.

I did spend part of the afternoon yesterday planting some of the new plants for the garden. I bought two different white roses, artemesia, 'Alba' bleeding heart, variegated snake grass, hosta, astilbe, sedum, Goat's Beard, a new variety of tiger lily that is gorgeous (it has a deep burgandy face with white outer petals I couldn't resist), and a climbing hydrangea for the arbor. It's a good start to what I hope will be a lush white and silver 'Moon Garden'.

This week we'll be laying in the pea gravel and I've got my eye on a gorgeous statue of the goddess 'Flora', the patroness of gardener's. The final touch will be a white bench to lay upon and daydream the day away . . .

An Answer to a Question

In regards to my previous post, Diandra asked a very good question - Why add salt to Holy Water?

Salt has preservative and antiseptic properties, and while these qualities do somewhat reduce the spread of illness where holy water may be shared by a coven, the use of salt is more symbolic than practical.

Salt has been employed liturgically since pre-Christian times. All of the Old Testament offerings of first-fruits had to be seasoned with salt. Paradoxically, the Prophet Eliseus used salt to sweeten the water of the spring at Jericho. It serves as a symbol of preservation from the corruption of sin, of the savor for holy things. In the rite of Baptism it is a token of wisdom.

In making Holy Water, the salt is banished of all negativity and then blessed as a symbol of exorcism:

"I banish thee, O element of the Earth,
of all negativity both seen and unseen
and bless thee in the name of the Great One.”

After both the water and salt are exorcised and blessed a mixture of the two is made “in the name of the Great One”. The final prayer speaks to the use of the blessed water:

"I cleanse and consecrate this water in the name of the Great One.
May it enhance and purify all that it touches.
With the water so blessed, may this harm none,
With these final words, let it be done.
As I will it, so mote it be.
Blessed Be!”

So basically, salt is used symbolically to represent purification. Keep in mind that you’re only adding ‘three pinches’ of salt (to about two cups of spring water depending on the vessel you want to store your Holy Water in), not a whole boatload so the effect the salt could have on the Earth or on plants is quite minimal. I personally don’t pour my salt water on plants (and I use a lot because I also cleanse my crystals and stones this way) but rather have found a nice patch of dirt in the back corner of my property for this use.

Do you need to use salt? Of course not! Do what resonates and rings true for you. If adding another mineral or stones resonates and rings true for you, then do that.

As far as the salted water harming ritual objects and such, again, the amount of salt is so minimal that this is unlikely. And remember, you’re only sprinkling the water, not dousing the object. If you are concerned you can always wipe the object down gently with a clean cloth afterwards.

Thanks for asking the question, Diandra. It got me to thinking! And if anyone else has an explanation for using salt, I’d love to hear it!

Blessing Water

At times during our rituals Blessing Water is called upon to cleanse, consecrate or bless the objects we use in our Sabbats or Esbats, especially those items placed on the altar. So with that in mind, I went searching for a way to make Blessing Water. Some ways seemed to simple, like not enough effort was put into them, and others were so elaborate that I'd be up half the night. So what I did was incorporate a little of both and come up with a way to make Blessing Water that called upon some effort by me and that was also simple to do.

Since Tuesday night was a full moon, I planned and set about making my blessing water . . .

Blessing Water Ceremony

You'll need: Spring Water and Sea Salt

On the evening of a full moon and before the full moon rises, set out your container of water.

At midnight, under the full moon, do the following ritual.

While performing the Three-Fold cross say:

"Oh, Great One, Lord and Lady of all that can be surveyed and not,
I call upon you and need your assistance in this moment.
I bring forth this water in which I request your blessings."

Hold up the container of water to show it and say:

"Bless this water with your wisdom, guidance, love, healing, purification and power."

Place the container on your altar. Hold your hands over it and say:

"I banish thee, O element of water,
of all negativity both seen and unseen,
and bless thee in the name of the Great One."

Imagine a brilliant blue-white light filling the water.

Hold up the container of salt to show it and say:

“Bless this salt with your wisdom, guidance, love, healing, purification and power.”

Place the container on your altar. Hold your hands over it and say:

"I banish thee, O element of the Earth,
of all negativity both seen and unseen
and bless thee in the name of the Great One.”

Envision the same brilliant blue-white light entering the salt.

Add three pinches of salt to the water and stir it three times in a deosil direction. Perform the Three-Fold cross over it and then with both hands, hold the container at eye level and say:

"I cleanse and consecrate this water in the name of the Great One.
May it enhance and purify all that it touches.
With the water so blessed, may this harm none,
With these final words, let it be done.
As I will it, so mote it be.
Blessed Be!”

When done let the water sit out under the full moon and collect it in the morning before sun rise.

Your Blessing Water is now ready to be poured into a pretty container for use in your rituals.

Mary Devotional

Yesterday I decided to take some time out and spend time in devotion to Mary. I visited the garden and cut a hosta leaf and a branch from my Bleeding Heart plant, wrapped them in some ribbon and placed it at Mary's feet on the altar as an offering. I lit all the candles and some incense and then spent time with Mary in quiet devotion.

I enjoy these quiet times spent with the Goddess. I always feel refreshed, realigned, at peace, and spiritually full, knowing that the Goddess has heard my every single word. I take comfort in knowing that she is there for me in times of need, but also when I just want to spend time with her, communing and reconnecting.

To quote the song by Kellianna, "I walk with the Goddess, the Goddess, She walks with me . . ." and I know that all is right in my world.

YouTube

If you've been wondering where I've been lately, I've been bitten by the YouTube bug. I like this format for sharing because you can really get the idea of what I'm trying to convey. Not that I'd ever give up my blog . . . I love it here . . . but it's another way for me to share with you!

Come on over and visit my channel 'IHearttheGoddess' . . . I'll be looking for you!

My Pendulums

Some time ago I purchased a Moonstone pendulum (unfortunately I can't remember where from), and not really knowing what to do with it, I set it on the shelf and forgot about it. Recently though, I found a wonderful website called 'Ask Your Pendulum'. Eva, the owner and artist of the pendulums found on the site, is a talented and intuitive woman. I emailed her and asked her to create a custom pendulum for me. She came back with several suggestions, one of them being that the fob (the piece at the end of the pendulum that you hold onto) should be a silver piece of the Green Man. Now, how did she know that I'd been thinking about the Green Man of late and how I was feeling the need to incorporate him more into my rituals? Amazing, I thought to myself.

Eva also incorporated several stones into the pendulum for each of the descriptions of myself I had sent her. There is Mookaite - to honor my love of animals; Amber - representing Earth, sunlight, ancient wisdom, nature; Citrine - faceted to grab the light and help the SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder); Peridot – an excellent heart chakra stone for connections with family and friends; Aquamarine – a harmonizer; Iolite – a third eye activator; Rainbow Moonstone - clearing and bringing in uplifting energies. Each of these stones was selected especially for me, to suit my needs and help with healing.

The pendant itself is made of Clear Quartz . . . a universal healer and one Eva picked out for me which I thought was appropriate for the use I had in mind for it . . . incorporating it into my Reiki practice along with crystals and stones.

Now, here's where it gets interesting . . . I was cleansing my pendulums on Friday night and just on a whim I thought I'd ask them a few questions. I started with my Moonstone pendulum . . . the answers came back sure and swift . . . yes, from left to right and no from top to bottom. I was incredulous! I was not prepared for my Moonstone pendulum to be so decisive and so quick in answering. And then I became mesmerized . . . as soon as the answer came, the pendulum stopped swinging and was ready for the next question. I started with simple questions like, is my name Teresa? Yes! Am I a man? No! Am I happy with my life? Yes!

Happy with the results from my Moonstone pendulum, I moved on to cleansing my new Quartz pendulum. Again, I asked the questions. What I wasn't prepared for though was the connection that came between my new pendulum and myself. I felt a pulsing, almost throbbing, sensation coming down my arm, through my hand and into the pendulum. I was ecstatic! I formed a connection with my pendulum and my pendulum with me. Again I asked the questions and again I was answered with 'yes' from left to right and 'no' from top to bottom. I was hooked! What really surprised me was how quickly the answers came and how, after the question had been answered, quickly the pendulum stopped moving. It was awesome!

Now, I was left wondering why I'd waited so long to use my Moonstone pendulum . . . "all in good time", was the answer I received. I guess I was ready for the connections to be made.

Oh, and the question I asked about owning a Mercedes Benz? Sadly, the answer was no . . . bummer . . .

Chrysanthemum Stone

This lovely stone has so many attributes that you could call it a good 'all around' stone. Known as a stone of 'luck', it can bring good fortune, abundance, love and joy, allowing us to follow our dreams and attain our deepest desires. Chrysanthemum Stone also banishes jealousy and fear, enhancing trust and stability.

Because of its 'birth' by water and because the flower portion appears as white, it symbolizes the presence of Goddess energy, purity and spiritual growth. It enhances all feminine attributes of intuition, insight and psychic ability.

In healing, Chrysanthemum Stone helps with problems related to the skeletal system, skin, teeth, nails, and eyesight. It has been used to assist in dissolving abnormal growths (such as tumors) and in dispelling toxins from the body. Mentally, it helps to raise one's spirits and brings the joy back into one's life.

Chrysanthemum Stone resonates with the Crown Chakra, helping us discover and manifest our soul's purpose.

My Crystals and Stones

Here's my first video on youtube . . . hope you enjoy!

May ~ Mary's Month

May is traditionally the month set aside to honor the Blessed Mother 'Mary' as May is considered to be within the season of the beginning of new life. In Greek culture May was dedicated to Artemis, the goddess of fecundity. In Roman culture, May was dedicated to Flora, the goddess of bloom and of blossoms. The Romans celebrated ludi florales (floral games) at the end of April, asking the intercession of Flora for all that blooms.

At one time, the custom of having a Mary-month was independent from the month of May as such:

A very old tradition known as Tricesimum (Thirty-Day Devotion to Mary; also called Lady Month) was originally held from August 15th to September 14th. The exact dates or origin of this devotion are unknown, but the custom is still practiced here and there.

Mary Month, as yet unrelated to a specific period, has been known since baroque times (Sources: Johannes Nadasi; Theophilus Marianus, 1664; J. X. Jacolet, Mensis Marianus, 1724). This devotion was comprised of about thirty spiritual exercises in honor of Mary.

Since medieval times, we have had the combination between Mary and the month of May. Among the earliest witnesses are: Alphonsus X, "el sabio," King of Castille, Spain (1221-1284) with his "Cantigas de Santa Maria" ("Ben venna Mayo"). Here and elsewhere, both Mary and the month of May are greeted, welcomed and celebrated on specific days in May. Later, the whole month of May became the month of Mary. On each day of this month, special devotions to Mary were organized. This custom originated in Italy (Ferrara, 1784). It was spread widely during the nineteenth century, a century well-known for its monthly devotions (Heart of Jesus in June; Rosary in October).

Since Mary introduced herself to me several months ago and has since become my Patron Goddess, I have decided to honor her throughout the month of May. I have dedicated an altar to her and will periodically place and change out fresh flowers such as roses, Lily of the Valley and other spring flowering flowers. I have also written a ritual to honor Mary (my first ever and inspired by Mary herself) which I have posted on my 'Sabbats & Esbats Ritual Pages'. Feel free to change the ritual in any way that honors your path. I've also written a 'Rosary' that you can pray when the spirit moves you throughout the month and thought it would be a nice ending to the ritual I've written.

My hope is that you will use these as guides to honor the Goddess as you see her and your relationship with her. Blessings for a Happy May!

Plant in pretty blue pot is 'Lily of the Valley'.