Passover

Today is the first day of Passover, a Jewish religious celebration of the book of Exodus. In the Hebrew book of Exodus, the Jewish were slaves to an Egyptian Pharaoh. Led by Moses, the Jewish attempted to gain freedom, with an assist from God. God unleashed 10 horrible plagues upon the Pharaoh, persuading him to let the Jewish people go.

First, God changed the water of the Nile to blood. So the Egyptians would have no water. But it didn’t bother the Jews.

Next, God sent frogs. That again, left the Jews alone.

Third, it was lice. But not on Jews.

Fourth, it was a swarm of flies or wild animals. But the Jewish farms remained untouched.

Next, God sent diseased livestock to the Egyptians only.

For the next bit of persuasion, God sent boils. Ow.

Then it was a thunder storm or hail and fire which somehow missed all the Jewish people.

For the eighth plague, God sent locusts.

And for the ninth, God made it night for three whole days.

Now, let me just say, these Egyptians were a stubborn bunch. I would have given up already. But the Egyptians, who worshiped a nature based pantheon of gods, were sure that their gods could kick the Jewish God’s butt. In Islam, The Qur’an, which tells a very similar story of Moses, says that despite all of these, the Egyptians “were seeped in arrogance, a people given to sin.” (The Holy Qur’an- Surah 7: Al A’raf Section 16, Verses 132 through 136.)

So for the 10th and final plague, God decided to kill all the first born sons. The Jewish were instructed to put the blood of a slaughtered lamb over their door so that God would know not to kill those first born.

And so we have Passover. As in, God passed over the Jewish homes when He was on a killing rampage.

The Pharaoh decided that killing people was too far and told Moses to take his people and go. Then he changed his mind later, but that is a different story.

And so the Jewish were freed.

Except…

People of that area were celebrating a Spring Festival long before the Exodus, which would have been roughly 1300 BCE. Complete with lambs blood on the door to ward off evil spirits, as soon as the barley was ripe.

And who says the Jewish God was more powerful that the Egyptian pantheon? Perhaps the Pharaoh was being a jerk, which he clearly was, and Ra, the sun god, was not happy with the way this Pharaoh was treating people and let these things happen to teach him a lesson. Maybe they were working together.

We are all at the will of the Gods and Goddesses. Only by respecting them, shall they respect us. Lesson learned. Thank you, Moses. You have shown us that those who serve the Gods are helped by them. And thank you Pharaoh, for this lesson in how not to act. Be kind to all who walk the path of the Spirit. While their path may not be yours, it is also not your path to judge.

Happy Passover to all of my Jewish friends.

Blessed be.

The Winds Of Change

A blessed full moon to all of my witches this evening. It is beautiful out there. This moon goes by a lot of names. Wind Moon, Seed moon, Pink Moon…

Wind Moon because of the winds outside; the change of seasons and the change of times.

Seed Moon because now is a good time to plant seeds.

Pink Moon because now is the time of Pink moss, or wild ground phlox, one of the first Spring Flowers.

I like Pink Moon because I like pink. And while the moon is not actually pink, I still like the idea.

Today is Earth Day, and so, for today, we are discussing the element of Earth. Everything starts with it. Earth is one of the five elements invoked during ritual to balance the energies of either the sacred space or the individual or both. (With the other four elements being wind, fire, water and Spirit.)

The Earth is stable. It is the foundation of all. It is feminine, Mother Earth, giver of life. It is the North, the top, the beginning. It has a grounding affect. Earth is used in stone, crystal, and knot magick as well as garden magick and runes. It is often used in spells relating to hearth and home as well as the gaining of material things including money, employment, general security and family matters. It is useful in spells related to health, fertility and prosperity. It is a winter and night element and can be represented by drums.

Earth is represented in many ways. On an altar, it can be represented by stone or crystals, specifically onyx, jade, halite, amethyst, and fluorite. It can be represented by salt or a bowl of soil. It is represented by the colors brown, black, green, and yellow. It is represented by plants, particularly grains, ivy, red poppy, mushrooms and potatoes. Bulls, stags, dragons, wolves, owls, cats and Sphinx are animal representative of Earth. Gnomes, fauns, goblins, satyrs, dryads, sylvesters, dwarves and trolls are all mythical beings of the Earth element.

The goddesses Demeter, Ceres and Persephone are strong in the Earth element as are the Horae and Prosperpina. The gods Hades and Pluto are also gods of Earth. The Horned God is also a representative of the Earth element.

Earth is felt strongly in caves, forests, valleys and fields. It is in the practical areas of your home; the bathroom, the kitchen, the dining room.

People with earth based personalities like to work with their hands. They are also very family-oriented. On the other hand, too much can cause inability to dare or branch out in any way.

Earth is the first and last. The giver of life. And where we return at the end.

On my alter I generally use a bamboo bowl of salt as well as a rock I got from Yosemite on a trip there and a pine cone my daughter collected in Big Bear.

What do you use? What represents Earth to you?

Blessed be!

What's That Smell?

It's a fabulous new moon tonight. Who is ready for a great new month? I know I am.

Lavender is my favorite incense. The calming effect is amazing. It’s also a great herb to grow in the garden. I grow it in my garden. Lavender is a member of the mint family. I actually grow it next to mint. It smells really good.

Lavender is an antiseptic and it is anti-inflammatory. Use it with chamomile to help you sleep.

Lavender is relaxing and uplifting. It sharpens minds and encourages and strengthens true love. It can also encourage fertility.

Lavender is associated with the element of air. It is masculine in action. It is also associated with the zodiac sign Virgo and the planet Mercury.

And if you are looking for something to deter moths and fleas, look no further.

Like I said, it is my favorite. I light it so often it really is my signature scent. My house always smells like lavender.

It is also a really great color.

Purples, like lavender, can speak to the soul, invoke the divine and create mystery. They bring about serenity and faith. Lighter shades can bring equilibrium and awakening. It is great for spiritual healing.

Combine the color with the scent to relieve stress and anxiety.

Relax.

Blessed be.

For The Jesters

Happy April Fool’s Day!

Today is the official day of hoaxes, pranks, and jokes.

This is not really a holiday. Not really…

The first recorded mention of anything April Fool related was in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales from 1392. On April 1, the proud rooster is tricked by the sly fox however he escapes when the fox attempts to chide his pursuers and accidentally let go of the rooster.

Whatever it is, you go out and enjoy it. No reason for witches not to have a little fun.

Here are a few to get you started…