Fifth Lunation: Waning Moon Cycle
Days 17–28
Sun Incense and Oil
Magical Purpose: Creating herbal aids to solar energies.
Sun Incense
What you’ll need:
• ½ teaspoon frankincense
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon copal
• A clean, dry container with a tight-fitting lid
Mix the dry ingredients and store in a clean, dry container with a tight-fitting lid.
Sun Oil
What you’ll need:
• 4 drops frankincense essential oil
• 4 drops copal essential oil
• 2 drops bay leaf essential oil
• 1 ounce vegetable glycerin or other carrier oil
• A clean glass container with a tight-fitting lid
• 1 drop yellow food coloring (optional)
As a note, cinnamon essential oil can be a skin irritant. Bay leaf essential oil can be a good sun-energy replacement for cinnamon.
Mix the essential oils into the glycerin or carrier oil. Add yellow food coloring if you’d like. Store the oil in a clean glass container with a tight-fitting lid.
Make Your Own Sun Incense or Oil
Witches associate the sun with the following traditional herbs and essential oils. Use these lists to create your own solar incense or oil.
Sun Herbs:
|
Angelica |
Ash |
Bay |
|
Burnet |
Butterbur |
Celandine |
|
Centaury |
Chamomile |
Chicory |
|
Cinnamon |
Copal |
Eyebright |
|
Frankincense |
Gum arabic |
Gum benzoin |
|
Heart trefoil |
Heliotrope |
Honeywort |
|
Lovage |
Marigold |
Mastic resin |
|
Mistletoe |
Oak |
Olive |
|
Orange |
Peony |
Pimpernel |
|
Rosa solis |
Rosemary |
Rowan |
|
Rue |
Saffron |
Sandalwood |
|
Sesame |
Sunflower |
St. John’s wort |
|
St. Peter’s wort |
Tangerine |
Tormentil |
|
Walnut tree |
Witch hazel |
|
Sun Oils:
|
Angelica |
Bay |
Butterbur |
|
Chamomile |
Celandine |
Centaury |
|
Cinnamon |
Copal |
Eyebright |
|
Frankincense |
Gum arabic |
Gum benzoin |
|
Heliotrope |
Lovage |
Marigold |
|
Oak tree |
Olive |
Orange |
|
Peony |
Pineapple |
Rosemary |
|
Rue |
Saffron |
Sandalwood |
|
Sunflower |
St. John’s wort |
Tangerine |
|
Walnut oil |
Witch hazel |
Fourth Pentacle of the Sun
Magical Purpose: Spirit contact/make spirits visible.
What you’ll need:
• A printed copy of the Fourth Pentacle of the Sun (see illustration). It would be convenient to print this pentacle from your color printer (if you own one) in yellow ink. Try converting the image of the Fourth Pentacle of the Sun from the black-and-white one found online to yellow in your image editing program (if you have one). Print a sample of the image. If it seems too difficult to see the images, then print it in black and white and retrace the image in yellow ink when the time comes in your ceremony.
Fourth Pentacle of the Sun
• Yellow ink (you have either already made this or purchased it)
• A feather quill pen
• Sun Incense and Oil
• 1 yellow votive candle
• Your circle-casting tools
Information about the Fourth Pentacle of the Sun:
• The four-letter Tetragrammaton (which is Greek for “four letters”) is the “true” name of deity, according to Cabalistic teachings. As per magical custom, the four letters of the name (either the Hebrew YHVH or the Latin IHVH) appear in several of the pentacles in the Key of Solomon. One example is here in the Fourth Pentacle of the Sun. The four letters also represent the four magical tools, which are wand, athame, chalice, and pentacle. IHVH are the letters that mean “Yahweh” or “Jehovah.”
• The names IHVH and Adonai are written in the center.
• At the end of each of the eight radii from the center of the circle we find characters from Agrippa’s magical alphabet called “Passing of the River.” Finally, the inscription around the outside of the pentacle reads, “Lighten mine eyes that I sleep not in death, lest mine enemy say I have prevailed against him.”
The purpose of the Fourth Pentacle of the Sun is to make any spirit visible to you. Witches also use this pentacle for general spirit contact.
Spirit contact is an important working in any magical practice. In previous works, I’ve referred to Wicca as a contemporary “shamanic tradition” that comes to us from northern and western Europe. One of the key shamanic practices is that of interpreting the messages of the spirits—hearing what they have to say and conveying the messages for others who cannot “see” or “hear” these presences.
For this working, start by finding the Fourth Pentacle of the Sun online and printing it out in yellow ink (if that is available for you). Before you print out the pentacle, be sure to match the one you find online with the one printed in this book. Again, if yellow is too subtle or difficult to see (especially if you are working in the dark), print the image of the pentacle in black ink. You may also photocopy the image from this book and cut it out.
Cast a circle in the hour of the Sun (refer to the planetary hours charts in days 11–12 of the second lunation). Light the yellow votive candle and place it on your altar pentacle for later use.
Light the Sun Incense and retrace the perimeter of the magic circle with its burning smoke. Anoint yourself at the center of the chest with Sun Oil, tracing (as best you can) the magical letters of the Sun:
Magical Letters of the Sun
Take the Fourth Pentacle of the Sun and bless it (lightly) with water and earth (salt/water). As you do so, say:
Great Mother and Horned One, (you may also use the names of the Goddess and the God with whom you are working)
Deign to bless and consecrate this seal of Art,
That it may obtain necessary virtue through thee,
To heal the wounds and bind what is ill.
Then pass the pentacle through your fire candle’s flame quickly, so as not to ignite it. Pass it through the smoke of the Sun Incense smoldering in the incense burner. As you bless the pentacle with fire and air, say:
Great Mother and Horned One, (or use your Goddess and God names)
Deign to bless and consecrate this seal of Art,
That it may obtain necessary virtue through thee,
To heal the wounds and bind what is ill.
Using the yellow ink and the feather quill, retrace the images of the Fourth Pentacle of the Sun on your computer-printout (black-ink) pentacle. While you do this, concentrate, imagining that your activity is imbuing the pentacle with spiritual power and your intention to cause spirits to appear.
When you are finished, place the yellow votive candle on the Fourth Pentacle of the Sun and intone the following ( based on Agrippa’s formulation of forms aligned with the Sun and the Orphic hymns). Also, it is important to know you that will intone the names Vau and Eloh, which align numerologically with the Sun’s influences. You will also intone the names Nachiel, which represents the Sun’s intelligence and is responsible for the planet’s beneficial influences, and Sorath, who is the spirit of the Sun. Slowly intone each name, one syllable at a time:
Eko, Eko, Vau! (pronounced Vow)
Eko, Eko, Eloh! (pronounced Eh-low)
Eko, Eko, Nachiel! (pronounced Nah-key-el)
Eko, Eko, Sorath! (pronounced So-wrath)
With your wand, draw three sunwise circles above your head, imagining that you are collecting solar energy in the wand as you do this. Then point the wand quickly over the pentacle image, imagining the solar energy entering it as you say:
Ye golden Titan, whose eternal shine
With broad survey, you illumine the divine,
Self-born, unwearied in your golden light,
Behold he comes, he who vanquishes the night:
Lord of the Seasons, with your fiery car,
Your shimmering light dances, beaming afar:
All who see your golden might,
Know you also as Father of the Night.
Agile and hearty, honored Sun,
Fiery and bright, O Horned One.
Foe to wicked, and good man’s guide,
Over all you shall preside:
Immortal flames you set and rise,
Great eye of nature and starry skies,
The world’s great Father, over all you rule,
As Lord of Justice, Lover, and Fool,
We ask that on our rites you shine,
And bless thy suppliants with magic divine!
Stand while imagining the pentacle blazing with a golden power. When you sense that you have empowered the pentacle sufficiently, say the following consecration:
Gracious Goddess, Mighty Horned One,
You who rule the world,
Who guide the tides of change,
Bless this magic I set before thee;
Let your power in this act of enchantment unfurl,
Let the task be worthy of your countenance,
Let its aims be joy and peace,
Let it bring forth thy harmony;
May it come to full fruition in thy names.
So mote it be!
Close your circle after this, saying no further words at all. Disassemble the circle, starting by extinguishing the yellow votive candle.
Abramelin Holy Oil
Magical Purpose: Creating a powerful consecration oil.
What you’ll need:
• Myrrh essential oil
• Calamus essential oil
• Cassia essential oil
• Cinnamon essential oil
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• An amber bottle for storage
From yet another of the ancient grimoires comes the formulation for Abramelin Holy Oil. Mathers referred to the grimoire as The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage. Scholars say the textual sources of the grimoire date back to circa 1365–1427. The grimoire’s text concerns an Egyptian mage who shares his secrets with an aspirant. The formulations within the grimoire are reputedly those taught directly by Abramelin.
The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage and other grimoires were influential to Mathers, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and Aleister Crowley’s Thelema.
Here then is the formula that Witches use to consecrate and protect themselves before working with spirits or with other powerful energetic tides. Witches also use the oil to consecrate their magical tools and to empower any magical working. Thus, it is a good all-purpose blend.
Mix together:
• 1 part myrrh essential oil
• 1 part calamus essential oil
• 1 part cassia essential oil
• ½ part cinnamon essential oil
• 7 times the total weight of the above in olive oil
• An amber bottle with a tight-fitting lid
High magic author and authority Aaron Leitch notes that weight is the correct basis for the oil’s formulation. However, Witches are practical about such matters. Most of us don’t carry scientific weight-measurement sets with us. We’re more concerned with the spiritual and energetic components of our practice than getting mired in strict measurements. That being said, since we are not using this oil to command and compel, as was the original intention of the formulation, we can estimate the amount of olive oil we’re infusing into the essential oil droplets.
Once you’ve finished your bottle of the oil, store it in a clean, dry amber bottle with a tight-fitting lid.
Spirit Contact Meditation and Reflection
Magical Purpose: Understanding our fears and concerns about spirit contact.
What you’ll need:
• Abramelin Holy Oil
• Sun Incense
Working to contact spirits of the dead is a common Wiccan magical working, not only during the waning Moon cycle but also at Samhain. Witches contact the departed for several reasons, including gaining spiritual information, understanding the future, and communicating with loved ones who have died, thereby gaining wisdom and perspective, as a reminder of our own limited time being alive.
Regarding gaining spiritual knowledge, it is important to keep in mind that just because someone has died does not mean that he or she is smart, or that the intentions behind communication from the spirit to you are honorable (or even useful). People who have died may be hanging around the living because they cannot or do not wish to move on. Perhaps the departed individual is afraid of what may come next, or maybe he or she is so attracted to some aspect of living that it feels impossible to let go.
Some of the departed who have moved “beyond the light”—that is, they have fully transitioned into death—are higher functioning and have knowledge of things that lie beyond our immediate knowing. These spirits are the ones we seek for communication.
I’ve occasionally found that some Wiccan practitioners, especially those who are embarking on their Second Degree year and a day of study, are apprehensive about engaging in spirit contact. It is crucial never to engage in a practice that feels uncomfortable or that causes a fear response.
Remember that during this working, you’ll be stepping into the magic circle. The circle is a platform for magical power that only serves to amplify your intentions and your feelings behind them. When you enter the circle with fear, you may inadvertently amplify that energy in yourself, and you may amplify that energy in your life, once your magical workings are done and the circle is banished.
Therefore, it is wise to use the next couple of days to reflect on your feelings about spirit contact. Take time to unearth any hidden (or overt) fear and reflect on the origins of your concerns. Frequently, fear of spirit contact comes from family and cultural influences, which likely include things you learned as a child. Sometimes a fear is rooted in your own unresolved feelings about death.
To strengthen yourself, take time to meditate today and tomorrow. Spend time working with many of the mindfulness activities in this book, such as counting the breath and observing thoughts. I recommend at least two sessions, each twenty minutes in length, one in the morning and one before bed. Write in a journal about any of your concerns.
Consecrate yourself at all seven chakras with the Abramelin Holy Oil just before and after each meditation. Light the Sun Incense as well, just before you start your meditation. The energies of the Sun Incense will work well energetically with the Abramelin Holy Oil. Together, these procedures may be helpful in stilling fear and fortifying inner strength. At a minimum, they will help you understand more about yourself, which has significant magical value.
Spirit Contact
Magical Purpose: Gaining knowledge of things unknown.
What you’ll need:
• Abramelin Holy Oil
• Sun Incense and Oil
• Your Fourth Pentacle of the Sun (covered by a cloth)
• A clear bowl of water
• A small quartz crystal
• A bunch of fresh bay leaves
• Your circle-casting tools
Spirit contact and mediumship stretch back as far as the first documentation of humankind. There are many effective ways to contact spirits, and these methods have earned a rightful place among Witch practices.
For example, some Witches go into a trance and “listen” to the words spirits tell them. Or, just as in Drawing Down the Moon, the Witch may choose to allow the spirit to take hold of his or her voice. Witches also use ouija boards, tarot, rituals, and crystals for spirit contact. All of these methods can produce meaningful effects.
There are several universally observed conditions for successful spirit contact. For example, it is easier to contact spirits at night because they are more visible, and in moon lore, the moon in her waning cycle exerts a powerful influence over issues governed by the Crone, including wisdom, insight, death, and the dead.
Moving water, such as a stream or even falling rain, can be helpful in attracting spirits of the departed. Someone present during the spirit contact should have a strong emotion, as this energy is also attractive to spirits. Finally, Witches have known from time immemorial that quartz crystals attract spirits. Make sure you have at least one small crystal on hand for the ceremony, and maybe wear one in a necklace for psychic conductivity.
Both Agrippa and other ancient magical sources warn against the presence of iron or steel during spirit contact, as you can reputedly repel spirits with these metals. Therefore, after you have drawn your circle, it would be advisable for you to carefully wrap your athame in silk, which can serve as a psychic insulator to the metal blade. You might also remove jewelry, as many Witches state that a variety of metals can interfere with spirit contact.
As strong emotions can attract spirit energies, it is advisable for you to skip this particular working today if the strong emotion you feel is fear. Fear will likely attract the wrong kind of spirit for communication and will not likely evoke wisdom or insight.
To begin, make a list of questions you would like the spirits to answer. I’ve found that I draw a blank once the ceremony begins and I’m in trance. Better to be prepared.
If you have another quartz crystal, place this in the bottom of a clear bowl and fill the bowl with unused distilled water. Set the bowl atop your altar pentacle. Set the Fourth Pentacle of the Sun beneath a cloth on the altar, so that its image cannot be seen just yet.
Cast your circle as usual, and when it is time to consecrate yourself in the names of the Goddess and the God, use both the Abramelin Oil and the Sun Oil you made.
Place four drops of Abramelin Oil in the bowl with the crystal and water. In your left hand, hold the bunch of bay leaves. In your right hand, hold the bowl of water. Stand in the east of the circle, facing outward. Dip the bay leaves in the water/oil mixture and then fling the liquid outward. Continue doing so around the entire circle until you reach the east again. While you do this, say aloud:
Lord of Living,
Lord of Dead,
Lord of hoof and horned head,
Call your children
From the light,
Bring them forth to walk this night.
Touch with hands
Of blood and bone,
See with eyes beyond the stone.
Come this night
By three times three,
I call thee forth, so mote it be!
Sit before the altar in a comfortable position, and place the bowl of water in the center of the southern part of the altar. Put the fire candle just north of the bowl. Uncover the Fourth Pentacle of the Sun, sprinkle some of the Sun Incense in the incense burner, and intone the names of the Sun’s spirits and intelligences for protection:
Eko, Eko, Vau!
Eko, Eko, Eloh!
Eko, Eko, Nachiel!
Eko, Eko, Sorath!
Take several deep breaths, allowing your eyes to fall on the surface of the water in the bowl. Count your exhalations, clearing the mind and focusing solely on the count and the exhalations. After a few minutes, just follow the breath, and stop counting.
Use your perceptions to sense any movement, tingling, coldness, heat, or any other changes in the room. Usually you’ll sense these phenomena outside of the magic circle. Open and become receptive. Ask aloud if there are spirits in the room. Wait for any sign at all. Ask again after several minutes. Watch for flickers in the candles or changes in the patterns of the incense smoke.
If any words come forward, allow them to do so unhindered. Most Witches (and mediums) are fully aware when they are channeling spirit energies. Listen to whatever is communicated to you. Ask your questions and wait for the responses in silence. If you have an audio recorder, it would be beneficial to record the session for later listening.
After a while, the spirits lose their ability to sustain their manifestation, and you will likely sense them slipping away. At that point, end the spirit contact session by unwrapping your athame and covering the Fourth Pentacle of the Sun.
Stand in the east and draw an earth-banishing pentagram while saying:
O spirits who have come this night,
We thank thee for attending,
And ere ye depart for your lovely realms,
We say hail—
Now kiss the blade of the athame. Point it sharply outward to the east as though banishing the spirit, and say:
And farewell!
Repeat this at the south, west, and north, drawing the appropriate banishing pentagram at each direction. Finish in the east by pointing the athame in that direction.
Close the circle as usual. When you have finished, pour the water from the glass bowl onto soil, then turn and walk away, never looking behind you.
Ridding the Home of Residual Spirit Energy
Magical Purpose: To keep spirits from hanging around.
What you’ll need:
• 1 teaspoon dried mullein
• 1 teaspoon dried wild smallage
• 1 teaspoon sagapenum resin (in tears or powder)
• 1 teaspoon powdered sandalwood
• 2 tablespoons dried mugwort
• 6 ounces purified, boiling water
• Your First Pentacle of Saturn candle (the candle with the image transfer of the pentacle on it from the second lunation)
• Your athame
• Your circle-casting tools
Mix together the following herbs: mullein, smallage, sagapenum resin, and sandalwood.
Light your charcoal and sprinkle the herbal mixture onto the glowing coals. Start at the door in the room where you did yesterday’s spirit contact, and walk around the room clockwise with the smoldering fumes. Now expand from that room, going around the inside perimeter of your house and incensing the entire space.
Next make a tea of mugwort, infusing at least two tablespoons of dried herb into six ounces of purified, boiling water. Allow the herb to steep for at least five minutes. As you wait during the steeping process, light the First Pentacle of Saturn candle. Start again at the door in the room of yesterday’s ritual, and walk the perimeter of the room with the lit candle. Then walk the interior perimeter of the rest of the house, going clockwise as you exit the door of the room of your ritual. As you walk the perimeter of each room, say aloud:
Begone! Begone! To bane, begone!
Back ye go from whence ye came.
Once this is complete, pour the mugwort infusion into a ritual bowl. Bring this and your athame into the room of your spirit contact ritual. Dip the athame blade into the infusion and asperse (a term in magical practice that means “sprinkle around”) the mugwort infusion around the room. Again, start at the door of the room, walk clockwise, and end at the door of the room. Then continue around the rest of the house, sprinkling the infusion as you go.
These procedures are extremely effective in ridding the home of any unwanted or residual spirit energies in your dwelling. I recommend that you use this procedure not only following spirit contact sessions in the future, but also when friends, family, or community members complain to you of “spiritual energies” in their homes that are bothering them or creating discomfort.