Marian Green - A Witch Alone - Thirteen Moons To Master Natural Magic

Call upon the powers of those stars to inspire and awaken your inner wisdom. Feel the entire energy of the universe slowly turning about you, and write star-spangled words of longing for your galactic home, your Cosmic Mother and Sky Father. See the blackness and brightness, live in that sky.

Next, look to your right, and in the imagined darkness of night, see the pale crescent of the new moon rising. Call her sister, lover or friend and ask that her light will shine on your dreams and awaken your mystical powers. See her rise up among the singing stars, and write words to speak of that experience. Next look to your left and there see the old moon setting, again a pale crescent, mirror image of the new moon. See faintly against the dark night sky the starlit filament of curving light which traces the new moon in the old moon’s arms, as they sink silently into the West.

Ask for inner strength when things are difficult, patience, endurance and persistence so that no matter how dark events may look, you will always know that a light will shine upon you, and a new and brighter day will dawn. Next look up, and there at the zenith of heaven is the round face of the full moon, high and poised above you. She can offer you words of illumination, of wine-bright inspiration and cold logic, even when this is least expected. Her words may sound hard in your ears for what is seen by moonlight is never the same as things seen in the light of the sun.

Next, look down. Here there seems to be no light, just utter blackness of the deep and fertile Earth. Yet here is foundation, security, the springboard from which your wildest dreams can be launched, the home to which you will eventually return at the end of all your wanderings, through this world and many others. See darkness as solid, firm and strong, feel its support. Then when light has seeped away entirely, perceive with inner sight a minute point of light, a tiny star concealed like a diamond hidden in an ebon velvet mantle. Discover the relief of that inner spark, and see all other lights of Earth being lit from such a tiny flame until they blaze and twinkle all round. Write words of blessing and thanksgiving for the all-embracing Earth.

Lastly, look within your own heart. See there too is a flame of light, the divine, eternal spark which has been part of your own essence since you came into being, and learn how that is part of the Creator, and through this all your magical power can be extended. If you become aware that you are connected to the source of energy which powers the entire universe you will see that you can do anything your true will requires. It is by this slender link that whatever powers of magic you learn to control flow into the realm of Earth and take effect, making cures, moving mountains or aiding humanity on its long road of evolution.

If that link is clear and well-established you will never be tired by your magic, for you cannot exhaust the power of the universe! You should always draw from that divine spark within, to refresh yourself and be full of joy and peace at the end of any working. Write a final line praising this hidden light within that it may come to shine as a beacon of love and truth and honour among living beings of Earth.

You will see, if you draw a diagram of what has been described above, that you have created a circle about you, marking the horizon, and then a circle from your right hand, over your head and down under the ground, and within this is that divine spark at your heart centre. This is a most ancient and potent symbol, a sphere delineated in white flame, the Inner Light, the Fire of Creation, the Illuminator, the Enlightening Wisdom.

The ancient Egyptians had a whole set of prayers following the cycle of Ra, their Sun God, right through his circular progress from sunrise through the heavens to sunset, and finally through the lower regions of darkness, and all the while he was perceived to change from flying solar hawk to dark scarab-headed Lord of the Otherworld. Meditate well on each part of this progress, and you will be inspired to create your own prayers or invocations for ‘Calling the Light’, and it will bring a great deal of power to all the work you do.

Outwardly you should be trying to work with the monthly lunar cycles and finding ways of celebrating the actual interactions of the Sun and the Earth, the first flowers, the harvests, the time of clearing out, the tide of growth and expansion in the world. Our seasons may be changing because of the perilous effects humanity’s activities have had on the ozone layer, the gases in the upper atmosphere, and pollution of earth, water and the air about us, but we must learn to keep step with Mother Nature, changing with her if necessary.

We must watch carefully for the first signs of spring, be they early or late, for the harvests in the fields or the gardens and orchards, and in our urban way, probably, celebrate the life force of Nature. And by our prayers, our rituals and celebrations, perhaps we can begin the heavy task of reversing some of the harm that has been done to our planet, from which we are born and to which we are kindred.

Become aware of how you live, what you use, what you buy and what you throw away.

Every single effort at recycling, tree planting, care of the environment, the wildlife, the birds, butterflies and beetles could be the single event which reverses the worldwide trend, rebalances the planet to healing and growth. Think hard and act gently.

Throughout each week begin to align yourself to the power of the planets, those wandering stars long ago noticed by our mystical ancestors. Every Sunday give a thought to the nuclear fusions which power the sun in the sky, and the green environment below. See how the sun is a force for healing of the body, of the earth and of enlightenment of the spirit.

Light one gold or yellow candle and work for a specific healing of a friend or loved one, if they have asked for help, or for the world and all its sick children. Ask that the light of knowledge may fall upon those who can change things at national and international levels, that harvests may be adequate, that they may be fairly distributed, that sufficient rain falls to restore the rivers.

On Monday, light two silver or white candles and work on the psychic aspect of yourself, or on the feminine aspect of any male practitioner. Try to accept intuition and hunches, those subtle hints of action or inaction, which can make so much magic work. It is the moonled certainty which encourages your abilities to divine, to read the Tarot, to find hidden water or the seat of illness. Learn to trust the inner senses and welcome their intervention in any situation. Use Mondays as a time to enhance your dreams and align yourself with inner visions.

Tuesday is governed by the red planet, Mars, god of war and conflict, yet also ruler of energy, enthusiasm and strength. His number is five, and his sword can be protective as well as aggressive. Learn to draw on his courage, his power to seek the right in any quarrel. Be willing to find that you are wrong, that you have misused information or misjudged a situation, and then become Mars-brave and apologise, often much harder than defending a wrong point of view.

Wednesday is flighty Mercury’s day for all forms of travel and communication. He may be invoked with eight orange candles, to help you write well, compose music or love letters, speak clearly before a vast audience or to impress a potential new boss at a job interview. He can help you reconnect with lost friends or strangers on your wavelength and, by most mysterious ways, find out-of-print books or rare videos, and the phone numbers of long-lost uncles! He is also the pagan saint of thieves so watch out, his services might cost you something which goes missing or, in a playful mood, he could restore to you something you mislaid ages ago.