The Morrigan, the Goddess of Battle, Strife, and Fertility
By Alana

The Morrígan also called the morrigu is a goddess of battle, strife, and fertility. She was also the goddess of divination and prophecy. Her name translates as Phantom Queen. The Morrígan appears as both a single goddess and a trio of goddesses. She is many times pictured as the crow. Éire, a goddess connected to the land in a way that resembles of the Mothers, could appear as a beautiful woman or a crow, and so could the Morrígan. In addition to being battle goddesses, they are also associated with fate as well as birth in many cases, along with appearing before a death.

Some of her other titles are: Cathubodva ("Battle Raven," a goddess of the Gaulish (French) Celts), The Washer at the Ford (a woman who "washes the clothes" of men about to die in battle, as foreshadowing), Murigen (a minor lake goddess of Ireland), Macha (she feeds on the slain enemies' heads), Badb (carrion-crow "Badb Catha;" confuses men in battle with magic). Morgan le Fay of Arthurian Legend may have originated with Morrígan.
She is married to Dagda [translation: "The Good God"] (also called: Daghda, Dagde, Dagodevas, Cian), who is the Irish-Celt god of the Earth and Treaties. He also ruled over life and death.
For modern Celtic Pagans, the role of the Morrígan in our religion is different than what it was for our ancestors. Most of us are not involved in life-or-death struggles on a daily basis. The Morrígan is an appropriate deity for strong, independent people, particularly those on a warrior path.

 

Mugwort (Artemisia Vulgaris)
By Magical Panther

Gender: Feminine
Planet: Venus
Element: Earth
Deities: Artemis, Diana
Tarot Card: Five of Pentacle

Powers: Strength, Psychic powers, Protection, Prophetic Dreams,
Healing, Astral, Projection

Spiritual Properties:
This herb has been used for smudging by Native Americans
It has been called a visionary herb, it seems to five one a clearer view of life, and it imparts a deeper sense of peace. Dreams pillow are made from mugwort.

Magickal Uses:
Place mugwort in the shoes to gain strength during long walks or runs. A pillow stuffed with mugwort will produce prophetic dreams. Mugwort is also burned with sandalwood and or wormwood during scrying rituals. The infusion is used to wash crystal balls and magic mirrors. The leaves are place around or underneath crystal balls to aid in psychic workings. In some country Mugwort is hung above doors and windows to keep evil spirits away.

Affirmation:
I see the riches in my spirit and acknowledge my inner values

Warnings:
Do not take mugwort internally when pregnant.
The path of the herbalist is to open ourselves to nature in an innocent and pure way. She in turn will open her bounty and reward us with many valuable secrets. May the earth bless you.


Mugwort (Artemisia Vulgaris)

Mugwor

How to Celebrate Samhain
By MoonRaven

There are many ways to celebrate Samhain whether you are a solitary practitioner or are part of a group.

Samhain is a great time to communicate with the dead because the veils between the worlds are thinner making it much easier. One way of communication is to write down a message you wish to send to a loved one and put it into an envelope with the deceased ones name on it. Then burn the message on Samhain night. By burning the message you are sending it to your loved one by way of the element of air.

If you are celebrating with a group you might want to have a Dumb Supper or a Mute Supper. A Dumb Supper is where the meal is eaten in silence so the spirits are not frightened away. Eat dinner by candlelight, setting a place at the table for your beloved dead. Also put pictures of your passed love ones on the table and anything that reminds you of them. This is a great way to honor your loved ones.

During Samhain it is also fun and easy to do divination. Many people use wood runes or tarot cards to tell their future. Others do different types of scrying. Scrying is the art of gazing into an object while focusing your mind on one particular question or issue. The objects used usually have reflective surfaces, such as mirrors, water, or crystals. To scry, focus your mind on one issue or question and soften your focus or gaze - but do not stare into the surface of the object. After some time, visions should form. These may come either as entire scenarios played out with all the detail of a high-tech movie, or they may be only symbols that you will have to interpret for yourself. In Silver Ravenwolf’s book, Halloween, she tells ways of making a black scrying mirror which works the same way as a crystal ball.

There are many ways to do divination. The easiest way I have found is to use Yes and No stones. Yes and No stones are very simple to use. All you need is a black and a white stone of about equal size and a bag to put them in. Put the stones into the bag, ask the stones a question, shake the bag, and pull out one stone. If the stone is black, the answer to the question is no. If it is white, the answer is yes. Yes and No stones can be used by anyone and are much easier to master than scrying.

Another way of celebrating Samhain is to share food or treats with trick-or-treaters. You can make soul cakes or remembrance cookies for your visitors, alive or dead.

Have a safe and happy Halloween, All Hallows Eve, Hallowmas, All Saints Day, All Souls Day or Samhain!

MoonRaven

Samhain
By MoonRaven

Samhain (Scots Gaelic: Samhuinn) literally means “summer's end”. The standard Irish pronunciation is "sow-in" with the "ow" like in "cow." Other pronunciations that follow with the many Gaelic dialects include "sow-een" "shahvin" "sowin" (with "ow" like in "glow"). The Scots Gaelic spelling is "Samhuin" or "Samhuinn." There is no linguistic basis for saying this word "samhane" the way it might look if it were English. When in doubt, just say "Hallows" or even "Hallowe'en."

In Scotland and Ireland, Halloween is known as Oíche Shamhna, while in Wales it is Nos Calan Gaeaf, the eve of the winter's calend, or first. With the rise of Christianity, Samhain was changed to Hallowmas, or All Saints' Day, to commemorate the souls of the blessed dead who had been canonized that year, so the night before became popularly known as Halloween, All Hallows Eve, or Hollantide. November 2nd became All Souls Day, when prayers were to be offered to the souls of all who had departed and those who were waiting in Purgatory for entry into Heaven. Throughout the centuries, pagan and Christian beliefs intertwine in celebrations from Oct 31st through November 5th, all of which appear both to challenge the ascendancy of the dark and to revel in its mystery.

Samhain, popularly known as Halloween, occurs in late October and early November. For most Wiccans, this is the New Year, and a time for letting go of the old and looking ahead to the new. It marks the end of the harvest season and a time to prepare for the coming of winter. Since ancient times, Pagans have paid their respects to departed loved ones, ancestors, and guides in the Spirit World at Samhain. The Goddess manifests as the Crone and the God as the Horned Hunter and Lord of Death. It is the festival of endings and transformation.

Samhain is the time when the veil between the physical world and the spiritual world is the weakest and/or thinnest. This is a celebration of the last harvest and a time to honor our ancestors who have passed on into the spiritual world.

In the ancient days peoples from all different cultures would celebrate Samhain or Halloween. Samhain marks the transition from the light half of the year to the dark. The fruitful mother has been delivered of her child, the fruits of the earth, and steps aside as the Horned one steps forward. It is the night when we who are pagan ritually ask the understanding of our animal sisters and brothers, bless them, and bid them merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again.

This is a good time for tarot, scrying, meditation and other forms of divination. Traditional Samhain festivities include baking cookies and treats, carving Jack-o-Lanterns, feasting with past loved ones, bobbing for apples, and of course trick or treating for children.

The custom of dressing in costume and 'trick-or-treating' is of Celtic origin and is particularly strong in Scotland. However, there are some important differences from the modern version and the ancient. In the first place, the custom was not relegated to children, but was actively indulged in by adults as well. Also, the ‘treat’, which was required, was often one of spirits (the liquid variety). This has recently been revived by college students who go “trick-or-drinking”. And in ancient times, the roving bands would sing seasonal carols from house to house, making the tradition very similar to Yuletide wassailing. In fact, the custom known as 'caroling', now connected exclusively with mid-winter, was once practiced at all the major holidays. Finally, in Scotland at least, the tradition of dressing in costume consisted almost exclusively of cross-dressing (i.e., men dressing as women, and women as men). It seems as though ancient societies provided an opportunity for people to 'try on' the role of the opposite gender for one night of the year. (Although in Scotland, this is admittedly less dramatic - but more confusing - since men were in the habit of wearing skirts.

Today many pagans often hold two distinct celebrations. First, a large Halloween party for non-Craft friends, often held on the previous weekend. And second, a Coven ritual held on Halloween night itself, late enough so as not to be interrupted by trick-or-treaters. If the rituals are performed properly, there is often the feeling of invisible friends taking part in the rites. Another date, which may be utilized in planning celebrations, is the actual cross-quarter day, or Old Halloween, or Halloween O.S. (Old Style). This occurs when the sun has reached 15 degrees Scorpio, an astrological 'power point' symbolized by the Eagle. The celebration would begin at sunset.

How to Make Apple Lights
By MoonRaven

What you need:
Fresh Apples
An Apple corer
Taper candles

What you do:
Wash apples first then take your apple corer and remove the core of the apple. Next, slip your taper candle into the center of the apple. These apple candleholders are ideal for your Samhain alter and are especially appropriate because apples are sacred to Pagans for the
pentacle shaped arrangement of the seeds inside. To see this for yourself, slice an apple in half from side to side rather than from top to bottom and see the pentacle shape inside. To make Apple Lights with votive candles, use larger apples and cut a circular opening around the stem area and insert the votive candle inside.


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How to Make Spirit Candles
By MoonRaven

What you need:
White Candles
Patchouli oil
A Jack-O-Lantern

What you do:
Anoint a white candle with patchouli oil.

Then say: “With this candle and by its light, I welcome you spirits this Samhain night.”

Then place the candle inside your jack-o-lantern. Put the jack-o-lantern outside or sit it by a window. These candles will help guide the spirits.

Magickal Signs and Messages
By Demna Gwynvyd

Signs and messages about what's to come and answers to our problems come to us all the time. Most of us fail to recognize them, not because we're unintelligent, but because we're too distracted by school, television, and many other mundane things. There is no such thing as purely mundane. Everything around you has a spiritual counterpart. There are no such things as coincidences, there is always a reason for everything. While the reasons for some things may be more apparent than others, the message is still there. You only have to learn to read it.

Stop for a moment and think about a problem you are having or about something you need advice on. Close your eyes and think about it really hard. Focus on it and then let it go. Now observe your surroundings, see what stands out. Maybe a thought pops into your head as you cast your gaze toward your bed. What could that thought and your bed have in common? Maybe the bed standing out to you means you need to sleep on the problem or even just relax for a while and the answer will come to you. Maybe after you let the problem go and you begin to observe your surroundings, a thought pops into your head about one of your friends or a place you like to go. Ask yourself, "What does that thought have to do with my problem?" It may mean you should call or go see your friend or go to the place you saw.

If you keep your eyes peeled and ears open you might just find your answer. If you have trouble just letting the thoughts pop into your head, you can always use TV scrying. All you have to do is focus on your problem, then turn on the TV and pay close attention to what is said and the first things you see, then ask yourself how it relates to your problem.

We all have problems in our daily life, but if you take the time (even just a minute or two) to quiet your mind, you'll realize the answers are all around you awaiting the question.
Until next time-

Blessed be,
Demna Gwynvyd

New: Pure Potions Herbal Soap
Created by MoonRaven

Check out the Supplies section of the Magick Moon. MoonRaven has created a new herbal soap that is handcrafted and scented with essential oils and fragrances. There are many styles, colors, scents, and herbal additives to choose from. Pick the combination that meets your body's needs. Treat your body like the goddess... you deserve it.