Beautiful Goddess of many faces...
Bless this book that it may enhance
All who choose to read it pages.
Bless this book as my relationship
with you may continue to grow.
I pray to you that you will grace me
with your love and your blessing.
Book of Shadows Blessing
by Jaenyse (web page)
You will need a white candle and a nice pen and, of course, your Book of Shadows. This is best done at night. Light the white candle and place your book below it so you are writting by the light of the candle. Take your nice pen and on the first page write the following:
"Goddess, she who gives life, she who knows love; through your heart I was birthed. Bless me with your divine inspiration as I write upon these pages. She who guides me through life and all it's trials; bless me with the knowledge and wisdom to practice in your love. Goddess, guide me through challenges and teach me the lessons of life and love and light."
If you want a blessing from the god, simply re-write the whole thing replace Goddess with God and she with he.
House Blessing
Assemble:
1. Salt & Water
2. Incense (fire and air)
3. Milk & Honey
4. Oil (for anointing)
5. Wine (for offering)
6. Bells, Pots, Pans, Whistles, etc.
Cast a circle in the main room (livingroom) and after casting, visualize the circle expanding to include the entire house. Call upon the spirits and energies living in the house (or apartment). Invite those who will be harmonious with the new household and its energies to remain. Invite/ask those who will be happier elsewhere to depart. Release all "energies" not compatible with the new household. (This may be expressed as a "release" in order to unbind anything that may be stuck.)
Then call upon, greet, and invite ancestors, patron deities, and all harmonious spirits and energies to dwell in the house as they please.
Gather up the pots, pans, and all the noise-makers. Go to each door and window, not forgetting the fire-place and dog-door, making as much racket as humanly possible-to shoo out anything unwanted. (This is hysterical fun, and also raises lots of energy for the next important step.) Go again throughout the house and at each portal (door, window, etc.) sprinkle salt-water and cense, saying: "By the Elements I purify and charge this portal." Then anoint the portal with milk and honey, saying: "By Milk and Honey I ensure prosperity and peace within this place." Finally, anoint the portal with oil, saying: "With Oil I seal this portal and protect all within." At the front door a special prayer is said, asking the guardian deities (God & Goddess) to freely grant entry to all friends and loved ones, and to prevent passage (turn aside) to any who would do harm." Then, if it's a house-pour wine across the width of the threshold; if it's an apartment anoint the threshold with light touches of wine.
The house-holders then each take a sip of wine, leaving some as an offering to the Gods, and the Circle should be closed. The remaining wine, milk, and honey should be offered to the Gods. (In our case to the fruit tree and the oak tree in our yard.)
Addenda: This is very effective if done as part of a house-warming party, followed by much feasting. It has also been done very effectively by two people. It only takes about 30 minutes to do a large house. You can take the time.
Do make certain to "ground" afterward, by closing the circle and by eating. This ritual can "stir" up everybody and make the house feel full of "buzzy" energy.
House Blessing Notes
In the spirit of house blessings, and because I'm basically a kitchen witch at heart, and like little projects over serious ritual, I offer some selections gleaned from Cunningham's The Magical Household. I'm typing these without permission but with the hope that they'll inspire you to pick up the Cunningham book, because it's wonderful stuff...
For the doorway:
Suspend over the door a fresh sprig of dill, tied with a blue cord (or red, if you prefer), to prevent those who mean you harm from entering
Cross two needles, and stick into or tie onto a corner of your doormat, to prevent evil from entering.
Grind Dragon's Blood herb into a powder and sprinkle it on door and window sills, to protect your house from harm.
BANISH ILLNESS
Burn a black candle annointed with banishing and burn banishing incense. Concentrate on removing whatever the health problem may be by saying:
"As this candle burns,
so the illness turns,
melted like this wax,
cut like with an ax,
remove and banished,
all disabilities vanished,
as my word you see,
radiant health blessed be."
let the candle burn until done. Then bury ashes from incense and leftover wax.
To Bring Love Closer:
You need two red flowers with long stems with a piece of red string Tie the two flowers together as you chant:
Now the hour
To be at one
the darkness the light
the moon and the sun
what I wish now
I pray it be so
happiness for happiness
and woe for woe
I pray us together
I pray it be so
I pray it be
mote it be so
grant me my wish
when I wish it times 3
Mote it be so
Mote it be
Do this spell over three
nights. When I say over three
nights I mean do it one night
then the next then the night
after that as well.
To Call for Inspiration:
Make a ring of small lit candles as your protective circle. Sit in the middle. Have 3 candles (Yellow and same height), one in front of you to the left, one in front to the right and one behind you (should be already lit with the other two unlit) Like a triangle. Then a bowl in front of you filled with distilled water, one box to your left with a red rose in it. one box to your right with sand or dirt in it. The boxes and bowl should also make a triangular shape. Chant this as you hold the bowl:
Brigid,
Hear me this hour.
Grant me, your child,
my one choice of power.
I pray to thou
I pray of thee
Grant me my wish
Of creativity
With water and fire
I call With earth and air
I speak (Light the candle to the left)
Hear me. Fire my link,
(Light the candle to the right)
Hear me. Fire our bond.
Fire for inspiration
as it surrounds me
Fill me with your blessing. (Drip some wax in the bowl)
My centre is your centre
Fill me core to outer layers.
Bless me
Brigid, I call
Brigid, I pray
Goddess let your magicks
work unto me.
So mote it be.
Drawing Down the Moon - Athame Method #1 (By Spirit Journey)
Sit in the moonlight with your athame. Meditate for a few mintues, calming yourself inside. When you are ready, stand up. Place your feet a little more than a shoulder width apart. Raise your arms to shoulder height, your athame in your left hand. Your body should now be in a pentagram shape. Chant these words a few times:
"I am the Cup, The Moon is the Water; Flow into Me, The Goddess's Daughter"
(edit the above words if you are a male)
Now, slowly raise your arms in an arched movement, until they are above your head. Clasp your hands together, right over left, so that the blade of the athame in pointed towards the sky. Feel the power of the Moon filling the blade, then overflowing into your body.
Feel it travelling down your whole body, coursing through your veins. See yourself glowing with this new energy. Breathe in the moon's light.
See your chakra points shining brightly with the power from the moon. See any black spots or negativity transformed into a brilliant pure white, that then blends itself with your chakras.
Chant the following:
"I drink of the Moon, The Soul of the Night. I drink of the Moon, Heaven's Sweet Light"
See yourself pulsating with the power that is running through your veins. When you feel that you are finished, slowly lower your arms to your sides.
Meditate for a few mintues, opening your mind and self to the words and wisdom of the Mother Goddess.
Thank the Goddess and the Moon for their gift to you. Trace a pentacle in the dirt with your fingers, and leave a small offering.
You may need to ground yourself for a few mintues after this, so that any energy your body does not need can flow back into Mother Earth. Too much energy can actually make you irritable, and/or unwell.
If desired, you can use a feather or a wand instead of the athame, or, if you have a Shaman's staff, use that. It will not only empower you, but the staff as well, so that on your journey's to the Otherworlds, you are better protected
Mother Moon Meditation (By Spirit Journey)
Sit or lie down, in view of the full moon if possible. You may surround yourself with crystals and candles if you wish. Concentrate on the image of the full moon.
The full moon can be anywhere you like - it can be rising over snow-capped mountain peaks, over a serene night ocean, above the trees in an Elvin Forest Glade - it's all up to you.
See a beautiful white horse stand before you. It has wings, and eyes that reflect an endless night sky. You climb on it's back, and the winged horse takes you high above the earth, up and up into the embrace of the night. As you fly, you feel that you are close enough to the moon to touch it. Suddenly you find yourself being taken down, and to the place that you first imagined the full moon to be.
Be creative. If you imagined the moon rising over the ocean a million miles from land, a group of mer-people appear with a large shell for you to sit in. If you imagined it in the sky, you can sit on a cloud.
As you bask in the light of the full moon, drinking in it's energy and power, a beautiful woman appears infront of you. She is clothed in pure white robes, and holds a child in her arms. She sits down with you, and you talk to her. She answers all your questions if She feels you are ready for the answers.
You notice the child never cries - it just lies there, seeming to listen and concentrate on the conversation you two are having. You ask the Goddess about this.
She says that the Child is the future - and that knowledge is the key to peace. She asks you if you understand. If you do, say yes, and she will give you a gift then leave you. If you don't, ask her to explain. She will tell you that lack of knowledge is what creates fear.
Fear, she says, is what is wrong with this world. The only way to get rid of fear is to learn, to become knowledgeable. Listening, she says, is the only way to learn. But it's not listening with your ears that will work. To truly listen, you must listen with your whole being.
She gives you a gift, then departs from you. Stay as long as you want in this place, and think over everything she has told you.
When you are ready to go, an animal will appear to take you home. You arrive in front of your physical body, and thank the animal before sliding into your body.
Open your eyes after a few minutes. Write down everything you experienced.
Full Moon Oil (By Spirit Journey)
Put the following essential oils into a base or carrier oil:
1 drop Jasmine
1 drop Sandalwood
1 drop Rose (if you have Rose)
Goddess of the Full Moon Oil (By Spirit Journey)
Put the following essential oils into an oil burner:
1 drop Jasmine
1 drop Sandalwood
1 drop Rose
2 drops Geranium
1 drop lavender
1 drop lemon
1 drop orange
You can place the above oils in a base or carrier oil to use for anointing the body and candles.