The Book of Shadows of Earth
Spirit Lodge
1.
Notes on the Rituals
2. Circle Records
please
cudgel your brains and if anyone can fill me in with any memories would be glad
of it. Use the email function
please
Find
current Moon phase (updated every 2 mins)
find
date of next meeting
NEW!!
Picture - The Dream
- could use as cover
for Book of Shadows
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Lammas
Aug
1 2001
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Festival
of Light. Inauguration of New Circle. Initiates V, W, Miriam. New
initiates Kr and M. Made new robes for ceremony - white robes with
overtunic of green. Except me, I had overtunic in black. Wolf had plain
black robe. Was making another plain black robe for my grandson who was
supposed to be joining us, but robe kept going wrong and machine breaking
down. Concluded he wasnt coming and gave up. He never showed up and no
explanation given. Inaugurated the Circle and planted tokens into a pit in
the centre, covered by a circular paving stone. |
Esbat
4
Aug 2001
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Didn't meet
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Esbat
2
Sep 2001
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Met.
Initiates V, W, M, Kr. Kr had meetings and joined us in great hurry. I
rushed ahead with ritual for her benefit and we neglected to robe up - no
time. Regretted this as all robes prepared and hanging in greenhouse. Good
fine night. |
Autumn
Equinox
21
Sep 2001 |
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Didn't
meet |
Esbat
2
Oct 2001 |
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Didn't
meet. V and W in Germany |
THE
COMING OF THE TREE TO THE CIRCLE
Thursday
25
Oct 2001
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Some
days before I had seen the uprooted tree and wanted it for the circle. W
and I went to town and bought a big Axe! 36" handle, 6lb blade. W
hacked away at the trunk while I and the dog stood well clear - chips
flying everywhere. It proved to be very solid and durable, and took some
cutting. It is rowan - one of the sacred trees,
"associated
with Dragons, with the coming of new life out of dark winter,
with astral travel and vision, healing and empowerment. An old saying: Woe
to those with no Rowan tree near". When
it was cut and I knocked the soil off the roots it was very dense and
heavy. Wolf tied a rope he had brought around the roots and prepared to
drag it away. I hurried back to the allotment for more rope and the
wheelbarrow. Amazingly he got it into the barrow, though you could not
tell which was man, barrow or tree, so intertwined they were. It was a
difficult journey. At the edge of the circle W picked up the tree and
walked with it to the hole in the centre. I had opened up the pit in the
centre and removed the sacrifices put there at inauguration. He
lowered the stump in and the roots took their place in the air! He drove
in chocks and then we filled with sand and put the little packages down
into the spaces. I fetched water and W watered the sand to settle it, then
we stood and looked at what we had created. We were facing south, it was a
beautiful warm, still day. He poured the rest of the water in a libation
over the airborne roots, and as he did so, a fierce little wind came from
the south, rattling the big trees overlooking the plot, they made quite a
noise, then I said, "Look, they are sending their leaves as a
blessing." The biggest one was a rowan, and it scattered rowan leaves
all over the circle. I am sure it was saying 'thankyou for honouring us
tree people' and I said to Wolf that I wondered how many hundred years it
was since anyone honoured a tree in the old way. Later, we had to go to
town, and walking up the road, it was as if the trees had been told the
news, and were excited too, as a wind sprang up in the branches of each
one we passed. It was a most beautiful and uplifting experience. |
Samhain
31
Oct 2001
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Initiates
V, W, M, Kr. S was initiated tonight. The
Moon blazing bright overhead, an amazing clear sky and just a few bright
stars. 28 tealights in glass jars marked the circumference of the circle,
and around the upturned tree in the centre, I marked a pentagram, sinking
five candles into the soil, then winding strings around to make the five
pointed star. A fire burned in the South in its fire basket, and in the
North, outside the circle, between it and the polyhouse where we gathered,
another fire blazed in our barbecue pit. Inside the 20 x 10 polyhouse,
tealights burned on every ledge, five and three branched candlesticks held
light, and the camping stove was busy grilling meat I had marinated the
night before. Tables were spread, the huge loving cup that holds a litre
and half was full of red wine. The company was great. M and S travelled
thirty miles to be here. M was initiated at Lammas, S tonight. W was with
us. Last night he dreamed he was lying in his bed with M & S, one each
side, heads on his shoulder. Just being together, the transference of
sacred energy from the male to the female, in Wiccan tradition. Although
we are thinking towards an all-female coven, Wolfram should be present at
intiations. Next morning . . .
I
went down to clean up after the ceremony. First I opened the doors of the
polyhouse - what a wonderful scent of copal and frankincense, mixed with
the spices of the food we cooked. Then I turned to look at the tree,
and saw, still burning, one small light from the five candles of the
pentagram I had traced round the base of the tree. (I put candles straight
into the ground first place, but later, when we began the ceremony,
carried out fresh lights inside glass jars, putting them next to the
original ones, so that they should continue to keep the pentagram shape.
It was one of these that was still burning, the one in the West. An
American mystic, Glitter, had promised to be with us in spirit, and had
walked a labyrinth at the time we met. Perhaps it was her light shining in
the west. It was still burning at 4 in the afternoon, when I paid my
last visit.
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Esbat
1
Nov 2001 |
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Met
with K 22 Nov |
Esbat
30
Nov 2001 |
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Initiates
V, M, S. K joined us - she is self-initiated. Guest Wy joined us. W
went out as we were going to be all female tonight. Since everywhere was
so soggy and clouds obscuring the Moon, I thought we might stay in the
house, but left it to discussion to decide - we went to allotment, robing
up in the house first and going there in drag!
When we got down there it was so light, even though the Moon not visible.
We lit the fire basket inside the greenhouse but it smoked so much and we
were afraid the blaze was going to melt the polythene roof! It didnt. Rain
stopped and we did ritual in the circle, hoping by the time we were
finished the fire would have burnt down and it would be warm inside and
safe to go in. So it turned out to be. M did the officiating with me.
First we did the meditation from 'Jaguar Wisdom' We whirled, but although
we had five, some of us are small and we didn’t have enough span. Some
kept falling in the tree! After the ceremonial bit was over, we sat in the
greenhouse and had a feast of dips and corn chips and Italian panettone,
with the huge cup which holds a litre and a half of wine, and everyone
talked, we shared experiences and gave support to each other, it felt
wonderful. We mentioned the idea of field trips in the summer months.
Perhaps Glastonbury and Long Meg. When I got home there was an email from
C who said she would like to meet us. That night I
dreamed of the goddess, and she told me that I would become pregnant that
night, she must mean pregnant with a big enterprise. I also heard the tree
saying we should address the prayers directly to her, and not project them
into the ether. This seems right. We must make the tree more a focus of
our energies. |
Feast
of the Virgin of Guadalupe
12
Dec |
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V, W.
Went down half eleven and performed vigil through midnight for the Virgin.
Cold, clear night. Looking up into the heavens above the tree, all the
stars seemed gathered into the space directly overhead, with hardly any
anywhere else. Curious. Meditation for the Virgin and for Diana. |
Winter
Solstice
21
Dec 2001 |
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Open
Meeting. Initiates V, W, M, S, K. Guests Kath and Paddy. Weather very
cold. Native American meditation round tree with guests. Big log fire on
spare allotment. Candles on tree blew out. Wind made it seem colder. Good
reaction from guests, asked when next one is? Will invite for Imbolc. |
Esbat
Eclipse
28
Dec 2001 |
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V, W.
Very still clear night. Circle of Candles burned with clear light without
wavering |
New
Year's Eve
31
Jan 2001 |
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V, W.
Personal celebration. Fantastically cold and still. Kept bottle of
bubbly chilling in tree for week. Like drinking iced bubbles! Candles
burned still and clear. Snow on ground, or was it thick frost? It sparkled
blue and white like diamonds were strewn everywhere. |
Esbat
28
Jan 2002 |
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Mad
stormy rainy night. Initiates V, M (S ill) K. C (self-initiated) joined
us. Guests Wy and My. New gas bottle struggle to understand. Called up W
to do it. Went out later into the gale and rain as it seemed to be easing
off. Ritual conducted in slashing rain with Wy wiping the pages of the
book like a windscreen wiper. M said how nice to feel the rain on her face
- how much nicer on whole body! M performed magic for E. S rang up from
sickbed just as we were about to start. |
Imbolc
Sat
2
Feb 2002 |
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Made
The Bride from French stick, dressed in bridal gown and veil with tiara -
looked sweet! Bought pink apple blossom in plastic to trim her. Another
simply dreadful night weather-wise. Kl got up from sickbed to be with us.
Sh not able to get out of hers. M, V, K, C. One male, W. Very dark,
no Moon, not able to see much at all. Finished evening at house. |
Esbat
Tues/Wed 26/27 Feb 2002 |
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Snowy.
cold, roads bad. M, Sh and I made it to Waggon not fancying another cold
night on the allotment. Kl phoned slid off road into field. Unable to
continue so C unable to be picked up. |
Wed
20 March |
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Arranged
to meet at Cross Gaits for quiz night - social get together. Please come
if you can |
Spring
Equinox Thu 21 Mar |
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No celebrations
held |
Esbat
Thu 28 Mar 2002 |
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Met at the
Circle. Val, Wendy, Michelle, Sharron, Cathy, K + Freddie (new member).
Wonderful still evening with huge Moon. Candles stuck in ground burning
brightly did not go out. Some kids on motorbikes up and down lane but did
not prove to be a problem. Mediation, ritual, moon-water, cleansing with
candles, spells. Val fell right on top of fire and blistered bum, though
nothing burnt! |
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Wed
10 Apr |
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Cross Gaits quiz
night - come if you can |
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Esbat
Sat 27 Apr 2002 |
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Beltane
Tue
30
Apr 2002 |
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Esbat
Sat/Sun 25/26 May 2002 |
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Summer
Solstice Fri 21 Jun 2002 |
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All
Night Vigil to greet Summer Sunrise. Location to be discussed. |
Esbat
Mon/Tue 24/25 Jun 2002 |
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Esbat
Tue/Wed 23/24 Jul |
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Lammas
Thu
1
Aug 2002 |
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Esbat
Thu/Fri
22/23
Aug 2002 |
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Autumn
Equinox Sat 21 Sep &
Esbat
Sat/Sun 21/22 Sep 2002 |
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Will
combine and hold on 21 Sep |
Esbat
Sun/Mon 20/21 Oct 2002 |
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Samhain
Thu
31
Oct 2002 |
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Esbat
Wed/Thu
20/21
Nov 2002 |
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Esbat
Thu/Fri
19/20
Dec 2002 &
Winter
Solstice Sat 21 Dec 2002 |
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Will
combine and hold on 21 Dec |
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