7.eps

New Moon Meditations

“If you can change a thought, you can change the universe.”

—John Wolf

The absolute bonus of this chapter is that you don’t have to use astrology at all to implement the suggested meditations in your life. You can page through and choose a meditation that fits your current circumstances and be done with it. Or you can be so excited that I have a new way of working with the planets in meditation to show you that you’ll just gobble up all the information and start meditating with planetary power! Either way, all the meditations are designed for your life enhancement in the way you choose.

Just remember:

Astrology is often claimed to be the oldest science, as astronomy and astrology were once wed as a single entity. This science (the two aspects together as well as separate) have had an incredible impact on humankind. The study of natal astrology is the contemplation of patterns of energy brought into this dimension by your birth. It can teach you how to manipulate energy as well as indicate why you behave in the manner in which you do. When we view astrology in this manner, we realize that nothing is fixed or fated, save what we bring to ourselves through our own choices. There are various types of astrological studies today, of which reviewing one’s natal chart and how it currently interacts with what is happening presently in the heavens is only one venue. In this book we are going to learn to work with the planets on a personal basis in meditation sequences. These meditations are good for students who are learning astrology, those who wish to work with astrological/heavenly energies in magick, and those who wish to learn to pull in the various positive advantages that the planetary energies can bring. In the Pagan world the dialogue between planets (where they are in the heavens in relationship to each other) dictates our eight major holidays.

If you have access to your own astrological program, such as WinStar or SolarFire, you may wish to cast a chart for each holiday (or any day) when planning your ritual or meditation, and use that information to tailor a completely unique activity. This can also be done for just about any situation in your life. WinStar, in particular, has an inexpensive computer program that will serve you well in your magickal work. They also have a full-scale program that is excellent for any type of astrological work you can think of. If you do not have chart capabilities readily available, but are on the Internet, there are many sites that provide free chart casting services. Almanacs are also a treasure trove of information. My personal favorite is Llewellyn’s Daily Planetary Guide; however, there are many fine and suitable publications on the market. I’m sure one will appeal to your personal taste.

The body (but not all) of modern astrological study focuses on eight of the known heavenly bodies—the planets—Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto; our moon (which is a satellite); and our sun (which is the only star in our solar system). Although astrologers speak of the ten planets (as listed above, including the sun and the moon) astronomers obviously do not make this categorization. The sun and moon are sometimes called the Greater and Lesser Lights (the sun being the greater and the moon being the lesser). Many times students back away from using more detailed astrology in their work because the body of information on the subject is so vast that it can confound the mind. I’ve heard the comment, “I just want to cast a quick spell. I don’t have time to study all that.” However, once that same student has a dire and personal need, he or she is forced to realize the gold mine of information that abounds on issues of timing as well as reasoning and development of a particular situation. When that hits home, serious study often begins. As a magickal teacher, I’ve found it important to at least ensure that the student has a firm and working idea of the nature of the energy of the planets. With this information their spells, meditations, and rituals can blossom at their own pace to meet the needs in that particular student’s life. Because astrology is active (the dialogue between the planets and the placement of the planets in the heavens is constantly dynamic) the student begins to learn that there is always information available to assist in a particular situation. You just have to look at it. With all this teacher-type prose, all I’m trying to say is: Take what is given here and make it as simple, or as complicated as you like. Here are the building blocks—run with it. Be creative!

To begin, I’ve listed the planets with several of their traditional correspondences, including my own oil, powder, ink, and loose incense recipes. These formulas are meant merely to enhance the meditations and are not necessary to prepare; however, they are extremely helpful should you wish to turn the meditations into simple spells or full rituals. Before practicing each meditation I recommend that you take the time to read over the preliminary information that describes each planetary energy. Take your time and relax with the information. The only test you will encounter is that of your own life. If you like to study with vim and vigor—fine. If you prefer a more relaxed, use-it-as-you-need-it scenario—that’s fine, too.

If you find these meditations interesting and wish to know more about astrology, you will find a recommended reading list at the back of this book to help you in your further study. You will also find a basic astrological glossary at the end of this book. One of the best ways to work with astrological meditations is to make them somewhat active, using body movement, dance, drumming, or the lighting of candles. Gems are also particularly helpful in concentrating on particular energies. Please note that any candle colors recommended are of my own choice, usually based on standard accepted correspondences. Do feel free to use your own color, hue, and tint selections when working in this realm.

Remember this—meditation is the moment you take a thought and make it into magick.

The Moon

Speed and Orbit: The moon circles the earth in 27 days and 7 hours and spends 2.3 to 2.5 days in each astrological sign. This means that you can work with the moon in every sign in a one-month period.

Retrograde: The moon never retrogrades (appears to go backward) but it does go “void-of-course” often. When the moon is void-of-course she simply isn’t speaking to the other planets and is not paying any attention to her answering machine. Things often begun in a void do not come to conclusion (keep that in mind for your workings and meditations). Moon voids are good rest times, and excellent periods for introspection.

The Moon Moves: Approximately 0.5 degrees per hour, or 12 degrees per day.

The Moon Rules: The astrological sign of Cancer, a cardinal sign (starter). The moon is strongest when she is in her ruling sign.

Moon’s Element: Water

The Moon’s Day: Monday

Basic Energy: Emotion and reflection

Colors: White, blue, silver, ivory, clear

Keywords for the Moon: Creativity, domestic, feeling, roots, flexible, family, growth, imagination, impressionable, intuition, kindness, magnetism, masculine, maternal, matter, mother, peace, void, plasticity, womb, protection, psychism, receptive, sensitive, sympathy, visionary.

Gems: Moonstone, crystal, blue agate, bloodstone, opal, pearls, fancy jasper, mother-of-pearl, moss agate, pietersite, rainbow fluorite, any creek or river stone.

Aromatic Herbal Packet: Sandalwood, eucalyptus, bladderwrack and willow. Also an excellent Ostara herb recipe for conjuring bags.

Aromatic Oil Blend for Moon Energies: One drop camphor, three drops sandalwood, two drops gardenia, and one drop cucumber.

Moon Loose Meditation Incense: Mix equal parts of lemon balm, myrrh, and eucalyptus. Add one drop sandalwood essential oil. Mix with ground wood base for outdoor rituals. Throw on ritual fire or burn on incense charcoal tab. Colored powders can be added for visual effect.

Moon Ink: Add one drop of moon oil to one four-dram bottle of silver ink. Swirl. Add one link of a silver chain. Swirl. Grind sandalwood to a fine powder and add a minute amount. Swirl. Empower under the full or new moon as suits your purpose.

The moon, in astrological terms, is considered a planet (although we know it really isn’t). In the world of the occult you will find a compendium of information about moon workings with many books singularly devoted to this topic. Many occultists and astrologers believe that the moon’s greatest power lies in the astrological sign it is visiting, with its phases (full, new, waxing, waning, etc.) considered secondary. However, there are others who feel the phase is more important than the sign. Only you can determine for yourself which you feel is most powerful through your own experimentation and magickal work.

The moon’s power, fueled by the light of the sun, changes as it moves from sign to sign, like your own feelings that change when you hear different types of music. From foot-stomping country and western to an incredible piece rendered by an Italian violinist that leaves you breathless and awed, to a memorable jingle from a television commercial, the moon can provide a vast array of power to any meditation or magickal working. You simply have to pull this power in—which is what the Wiccan theme of Drawing Down the Moon is all about.

Succinctly, the moon stands for our emotions, our needs, and, in magick, any powerful female figure as well as the needs of children (such as the protection a mother affords to her offspring) and pets. Naturally, the moon rules the fourth house, which includes the family environment, our heritage, our roots, and “endings.” Although not often mentioned, the moon rules money in general (although Venus is often equated to money as in value, and Jupiter as in expansion and good fortune). The base of financial energy, however, lies in the moon.

Personal Moon Meditation Formula

Many people know their astrological sign, but when you inquire as to their moon, they sort of look at you funny. Your personality, say the astrological experts, is made up of three dynamic energies: your sun sign, your moon sign, and your rising sign. For this formula you will need to know what sign the moon was visiting at the exact time of your birth as well as the address at the time. Now, if you are one of those people who doesn’t have an exact time of birth, don’t fret—you can still use the formula.

Each month the moon spends approximately two days (give or take) in each astrological sign, which provides us with a vast network of energy to work with in meditation and life enhancement techniques. Your BEST time for performing extremely incisive work is when the current moon conjuncts your natal moon. This will occur for you once every month at different times of the month depending on the cycle of movement of the heavens, and you will have the opportunity of growing energy (first and second quarter), harvest energy (full moon), and banishing energy (third and fourth quarter moons) throughout the year. To best explain the formula, here’s an example:

Rochelle was born with a Scorpio moon. The “address” of her natal moon is 10 degrees 4 minutes Scorpio. Rochelle can use a computer program like WinStar to keep track of when this golden time pops up for her, or she can use a daily planner with an ephemeris. Each month, Rochelle will have a “hot” time—that moment when the transiting moon conjuncts her natal moon. This month when the moon moves into Scorpio, she is in her building phase (first quarter), so Rochelle will want to concentrate her energies on positive growth.

Now, before you throw up your hands and say: “I’m at work a lot. I don’t have time to set up an altar or pull out a mojo bag . . . and I certainly can’t light a candle! My boss would think I’m nuts!”

Stop!

This formula is just too easy.

You don’t need all that stuff.

Let’s also say that Rochelle is working on a website design. This particular task is very important to her career. We know that Scorpio energy is intense, so we already have an idea about how Rochelle feels about this work. Rochelle checked her dates (in fact, she took a calendar and marked out a year in advance all the times that the moon will conjunct her natal moon, just so she wouldn’t forget), so she knows that today at 4:15 p.m. this important conjunction occurs. She’s at work at that time. Not to worry. The ladies’ bathroom is a very magickal place. If she finds that she has to be in a meeting, she can work in the hour before (but never after—after is when you’ve lost the wave). There are two ways Rochelle can proceed—she can add hand movements to the formula or if she can’t get away anywhere to do this, she can simply stare at a point on the wall.

The formula is already familiar to you. First, we are going to make a MindLight just like you’ve been doing every morning since you first picked up this book (Right? You’ve been doing that?). If not, go back to the book’s beginning and review how to make your MindLight.

For Rochelle, this MindLight is all about creating a dynamic and successful website design. Doesn’t matter where she actually is on the project. This energy is to carry it through to successful completion, which means where end-users find the work productive and create a high number of hits for the owner.

At 4:00 p.m. (which is when Rochelle can get away for a break), she slips into the ladies’ bathroom and into a stall. There, she forms the MindLight between her hands. She holds the MindLight at the root chakra, and she says: “I physically agree that this website design I am working on right now will be incredibly successful for myself, the company, and the owner and that it will bring great joy into my life as well as into the lives of the users.” As she breathes in she imagines drawing energy up from the ground and into the MindLight. As she breathes out, she imagines the MindLight expanding in pretty colors, as if it is becoming a living thing.

She now moves the MindLight up to her heart chakra, and repeats the statement.

Then up to the third eye chakra, repeating the statement.

And finally up to the crown chakra, saying the statement one more time.

She brings the MindLight back to her heart chakra and pulls the energy in, saying to herself “I agree!” Then, quickly, with a rush of energy, she flings her hands outward, palms up (as if offering this gift to the universe) and says: “Sa!” with an outward rush of breath.

If you don’t know the exact time of the conjunction energy, then pick a time when the moon first enters the sign to create your success. The most important point of this formula is NOT to rush the thoughts. Your breathing and the statement you have chosen should be done in a relaxed, easy, gentle flow—as if you are relishing every bit of word-energy in an enjoyable way.

Can you use this formula anytime? Absolutely! Let’s say you are having a really crappy day. The kid just wrecked your car. Your mother-in-law is whining about your responsibilities to her. You received an unexpected bill in the mail and you simply don’t have the money to pay it—you know, Friday night fight stuff.

Try this formula.

You’ll feel like a winner!

New Moon Meditations for You

With a new moon meditation the moon and the sun hold the same zodiac “address,” and therefore the planets empower each other. Because the Moon is the faster moving heavenly body, the sun (the slower object) modifies the moon’s energy. To hone in on the energies, we need to take a quick look at how the sun in each of the twelve zodiac signs affects the moon, which will affect the theme of your meditation. Since the moon is all about addressing our needs, I’ve chosen one specific need that you may have and tailored the meditation to that theme. Feel free to create your own meditations based on the keywords given, or use your own intuition. Please feel free to improve upon the meditations given to suit your own desires and lifestyle.

New Moon in Aries

Color: Red

Element: Fire

Available Energies: Power, energy, force, expression, self-reliance, assertive, spontaneous, fearless, enthusiasm, pioneering.

Aromatic Herbal Mixture Suggestions: Basil, black snakeroot, bloodroot, cactus, carrot, damiana (note: damiana is considered poisonous), deerstongue, dragon’s blood, galangal, garlic, ginger, hawthorne, holly, pennyroyal, pepper, peppermint, thistle, toadflax, tobacco, woodruff, wormwood (note: wormwood is considered poisonous).

Application: Rituals and meditations for gaining confidence, learning new things, sports, controlling your fear or anger, winning, starting a project, being a pioneer, make announcements, boosting your reading level, taking calculated risks.

Avoid: Skipping over ritual or meditation steps, or hurrying through the working process.

Be Careful: Of your own temper

Note: Remember that Aries energy is not long-haul. Follow up with another spell later on to keep this energy rolling. It is a possibility you will be interrupted, so keep this meditation or ritual quick and to the point.

Aries Moon Aromatic Oil: Five drops dragon’s blood scent (with one pinch of dragon’s blood resin), one drop essential ginger, two drops essential peppermint, one drop cinnamon.

Aries Moon Meditation

how to create your own
amazing meditation magnum

Three years ago I created a very unique meditation focus using copper, herbs, resins, gem chips, and aromatic oils for the purpose of boosting my focus in meditation and enhancing my mental work. You can hold it, wear it, or put it on your keychain, purse, or magick bag. You can even use it in a gris-gris bag, and the wonderful thing about this type of charm is you can cleanse and use the magnum repeatedly. Inexpensive to construct, once you make one, you’ll want to design several for your friends!

You will need:

Instructions

Whenever making enchanted items such as tools, charms, amulets, etc., you will find that how you make them is just as important as the finished product. An Aries spell magnum should be constructed when the moon is in Aries, preferably the new moon. If this isn’t possible, you could also make the magnum on an Aries day (Tuesday) or in an Aries planetary hour (see appendix 2 for instructions on calculating planetary hours).

Light a red candle dotted with Aries moon aromatic oil. Bless all tools with a simple prayer of your own making. Measure and mark the copper pipe. Cut the pipe with the easy-to-use hand tool. Glue one copper end cap over one opening of your 1½-inch pipe piece. Allow to dry.

Mix together the dragon’s blood, ginger, frankincense, crystal chips (or point), and moonstone. Add one to three drops of Aries moon aromatic oil. Empower using the Mars invocation beginning on page 210. Draw your sigil onto the parchment paper and allow to dry. Again, empower using the Mars invocation. Roll parchment and insert in copper magnum. Add the herb/gem mixture. You might need a toothpick to firmly pack the magnum. Glue the remaining end onto the magnum. Allow to dry.

Using wire art techniques, wrap the copper magnum with the sterling silver wire. You can even create a decent bail for hanging the magnum on a chain, a cord, or a ribbon using the silver wire. Sterling silver (a combination of pure silver and copper) assists in the magickal flow of the piece.

Empower the entire piece with the same Mars invocation. Attach to a red cord or sterling silver chain.

How to Activate Your Magnum in Meditation

Light a red candle and sit in a quiet place at a quiet time holding the magnum in both hands. Breathe deeply, in through the nose and out through the mouth until you feel that you are relaxed and comfortable. Allow the sterling silver chain or red cord to drape easily over both hands.

In your mind create an outdoor temple as ornate or as simple as you desire. Take your time. In the center of the temple is a stunning, shining copper and silver cauldron filled with dancing, mesmerizing flames. In the background you hear someone say: “Behold the infinite power of Mars!” The fire bursts to the ceiling, sending a kaleidoscope of sparks showering around the gleaming cauldron.

A woman or a man (only you will know) dressed in red and gold steps up to the cauldron and says in a booming voice, “Who will accept the divine power of focus and manifestation?” then whirls and points at you. “Do you agree?” this person shouts.

It is now your turn to answer in the affirmative. “I agree!” The moment you agree, the magnum in your hands begins to glow with incredible power. Slowly, bring the magnum to your heart chakra with both hands. Breathe in the power, feel your incredible mind honing to razor-edge focus. Continue filling yourself with power until you feel strong and motivated, then lower your hands and breathe deeply several times. Open your eyes. The meditation is finished.

New Moon in Taurus

Color: Red-orange

Element: Earth

Available Energies: Stability, peace, affection, responsiveness, saving, artistic, devotion, harmony, value.

Aromatic Herbal Mixture Suggestions: Alfalfa, allspice, corn, grains of paradise, henna, lovage, magnolia, motherwort, mugwort, red clover, red sandalwood, saw palmetto, yohimbe.

Application: Meditations, rituals and workings for prosperity, saving money, holding onto something you already have (like a grade point average), building and keeping harmony in the home, investing time and money in a project, long-term goal planning, prayers for people you love, workings for long-term healing, meditations for peace and tranquility.

Avoid: Missing a good opportunity

Be Careful: Of your own stubbornness

Note: Taurus energy has a slow, plodding effect. Be prepared to be late getting your meditation or ritual going, or if you are working with a group—some of the participants showing up late.

Taurus Moon Aromatic Oil: One drop allspice, three drops clover fragrance, one drop sandalwood.

Taurus Treasure Candle Meditation

Mix ¼ cup gemstone chips with ¼ cup coins. Put a candle (your color choice) into a personal cauldron. Surround the very bottom of this candle with your treasure mix. If your cauldron is too small, place the mix outside of the cauldron. Dot candle with Taurus moon aromatic oil. Light candle.

Close your eyes and imagine yourself walking along a lovely beach. The sky is azure blue, the seas calm and serene. Suddenly, a golden ship appears on the horizon. As you breathe, deeply inhaling and exhaling, let the ship come toward you. See it gently rocking on the waves. Feel yourself filled with delight and excitement. When the ship is very close, physically smile, and in your mind, as you look down you will see that your arms are filled with golden treasure. As you look up and around you see yourself surrounded by all the things you need—new clothes, plenty of food, money to pay your bills and live happily without pain or need. In your mind, take this positive energy of abundance into yourself. Take three deep breaths and open your eyes. Slowly move forward and hold your hands over your treasure mix. Say: “Gems of earth and coins of metal, candle flame and abundant kettle! Fill my life with treasure fine, I declare good fortune mine! I agree!”

You can allow the candle to burn or you can do this same meditation (if money is particularly tight right now) every night for seven nights, lighting the candle for seven minutes each night. On the eighth night, the eve of mastery, allow the candle to burn completely. Carry a bit of your empowered treasure mix with you whereever you go during that week. To make your conjuring bag more powerful, add a lock of your own hair and dot the bag with Taurus moon aromatic oil.

New Moon in Gemini

Color: Orange

Element: Air

Available Energies: Intellect, awareness, agility, adaptability, multi-tasking.

Aromatic Herbal Mixture Suggestions: Aspen, bean, bergamot, clover, fenugreek, fennel, maple, mint, parsley, pecan, rue.

Application: Meditations, rituals and workings for any type of learning, or research. Focused thoughts to finish the old and move on to the new, or to help you juggle the many projects you are working on at once without failing, finding a new car, or new job. Meditations for any of the mental arts, including meditation itself, learning a divination tool, pathworking, and telepathy. Meditaitons for learning to understand and deal with siblings.

Avoid: Trying to pack too many magickal operations into one ritual

Be Careful: Of self-denial

Gemini Moon Aromatic Oil: Two drops essential bergamot, one drop essential spearmint, three drops maple fragrance, one drop essential cinnamon.

Gemini Meditation to Increase
Your Mental Awareness

This meditation should be performed for at least seven days.

Light a mint-scented candle or a candle dressed with Gemini moon aromatic oil. Sit in a comfortable position in a safe and familiar indoor place at a quiet time. Breathe deeply in through the nose and out through the mouth until you are feeling relaxed and comfortable. With your mind, begin reconstructing the room you are currently sitting in. Investigate the pictures on the walls, walk around the room in your mind, pick up items such as books, papers, little statues, etc. Take your time and create the entire room as you left it when you closed your eyes. Take another three deep breaths and relax, just letting yourself feel comfortable and safe. Open your eyes. What items did you miss in your mental exploration?

Although this meditation seems pointless on the surface, it is really an aid in increasing your mental visualization capabilities. Always start with something familiar, and then very soon you will be amazed at your power of concentration and increased perception in daily life. For those who are truly hard-working souls, practice this visualization exercise for a full thirty days.

New Moon in Cancer

Color: Amber

Element: Water

Available Energies: Emotions, maturity, psychism, peace, protection, being magnetic, sympathy, maternal.

Aromatic Herbal Mixture Suggestions: Aloe, calamus, camphor, coconut, gardenia, gourd, Irish moss, jasmine, hyssop, lemon, lemon balm, lily, lotus, mallow, mesquite, moonwort, moonflower, myrrh, oak moss, poppy, purslane, yellow sandalwood, willow.

Application: Meditations, rituals and workings for women, for maturing without losing your mind in the process, for peace in the home, for protection of yourself or loved ones, for your mother, for psychism, transforming negative emotions into positive ones, dream spells, divination and telepathy. Thoughts and affirmations to draw positive things toward you or protect a friend or family member through pregnancy.

Avoid: Thinking that Spirit owes you

Be Careful: Of being too emotional

Cancer Moon Aromatic Oil: One drop camphor, two drops gardenia fragrance, one drop lemon, one drop sandalwood, one drop coconut fragrance, two drops lily fragrance.

Cancer Scrying Meditation

Dot a white candle with Cancer moon aromatic oil and light it. Place a fresh glass of drinking water beside the candle.

Sit in a quiet place at a quiet time. Take three deep breaths and relax, allowing yourself to feel safe and comfortable. Imagine that you are walking in a beautiful forest, down a path lined by beautiful, colorful, exotic flowers. Count from ten down to one as you walk. If you are having trouble relaxing, count from twenty-five down to one. When you reach the number one you will find yourself in a dreamy, mystical clearing filled with singing birds, the chatter of small animals, and the most beautiful butterflies you have ever seen. In the center of the clearing is a crystal clear pool, reflecting the soft, vibrant blue of a summer sky. Sit by the pool and relax, allowing your being to drink in the captivating scenery of total harmony. Take another deep breath, and relax. Say to yourself: “I agree that which I need to know will reveal itself in the reflective surface of this magick pool.” Then lean over in your mind and gaze into the watery mystery. Do not concentrate on remembering the images. Allow them to flow easily and serenely across the face of the pool. Now say, “I agree that I will remember the most important images necessary for my personal growth when I drink three sips of water.” Take several deep breaths and relax. Open your eyes. When you are oriented, take three sips of the water beside your burning candle. The images that were most important for you to remember will come back to mind. Those that were not necessary for your inner growth will not resurface.

New Moon in Leo

Color: Yellow

Element: Fire

Available Energies: Strength, being positive, leadership, confidence, generosity, kindness, success, personal validation, charisma.

Aromatic Herbal Mixture Suggestions: Angelica, ash, bay, carnation, celandine, cinnamon, chamomile, copal, frankincense, ginseng, goldenseal, gum arabic, marigold, oak, olive, orange, rosemary, safflower, sunflower, tangerine, tea, witch hazel.

Application: Meditations, rituals and activities for courage, strength, thinking in a positive way, winning, success, learning to be a good leader, to be kind, loyal, and generous. Affirmations for stage drama and acting, fun at the beach or on vacation, wealth in the home, making your talents shine. Workings to find the perfect pet for you, or to help you realize your talents.

Avoid: Overspending on ritual and spell supplies

Be Careful: Don’t brag about your magick. Remember the Witches’ Pyramid—to know, to dare, to will, and to be silent.

Note: There probably will be some sort of drama going on in your life this day. If you are having a group meditation, be prepared for people to bring their dramas into sacred space. Everyone will want to shine, lead, and be noticed.

Leo Moon Aromatic Oil: One drop chamomile, two drops tangerine, one drop rosemary, three drops frankincense fragrance (with a bit of ground frankincense).

Leo Self-Esteem Power Booster Meditation

You will need a golden cord fifty-four inches long. Anoint the cord with just a bit of Leo moon aromatic oil. You may also wish to burn a gold candle while practicing this meditation.

Take three deep breaths in a quiet place at a quiet time. If you are unusually stressed, continue deep breathing until you feel calm and relaxed. Pick up the cord. Tie a knot at the top of the cord, and say: “I am absorbing!” Create a MindLight ball of energy and let it sink into the knot. Remember to stay in the moment!

Continue tying the knots as you repeat the following statements:

“I am adorable!”

“I am alluring!”

“I am amazing!”

“I am amusing!”

“I am astonishing!”

“I am astounding!”

“I am attractive!”

“I am awesome!”

“I am bewitching!”

“I am breathtaking!”

“I am captivating!”

“I am colorful!”

“I am compelling!”

“I am dynamic!”

“I am electrifying!”

“I am enchanting!”

“I am enthralling!”

“I am exciting!”

“I am fantastic!”

“I am fascinating!”

“I am imaginative!”

“I am incredible!”

“I am intriguing!”

“I am lively!”

“I am magick!”

“I am mesmerizing!”

“I am phenomenal!”

“I am powerful!”

“I am sizzling!”

“I am smart!”

“I am spectacular!”

“I am spellbinding!”

“I am terrific!”

“I am me!”

Take three deep breaths, and say: “I agree!”

Carry the cord with you throughout the month. Practice this meditation every night, touching each one of the knots in succession for seven days—thirty if you feel you really need a boost!

At the end of thirty days, put the cord in a safe place to use again when you feel you need a boost, or bury on your property to hold these marvelous qualities close to you.

New Moon in Virgo

Color: Yellow-green

Element: Earth

Available Energies: Examination, analytical, brilliance, making choices with head, not heart; precision, finding solutions

Aromatic Herbal Mixture Suggestions: Bayberry, cinquefoil, civit, clary sage, ceremonial sage, crabgrass, dill, elecampane, grains and grasses of all kinds, mandrake, nuts, St. John’s wort, seedless plants, storax, trees of the forest, valerian, vervain, vetiver, wintergreen.

Application: Rituals and workings for solutions to problems, for finding information, things, or people. Situations where you must make a difficult choice, accuracy in research, getting good grades on tests, eliminating mistakes, analyzing yourself so that you can be a better person, or to uncover any elusive medical problem that has the doctors stumped. Methods for improving your ritual or meditation techniques. Understanding the meaning of service to others or find a person who can help you with a particular task.

Avoid: Getting lost in ritual detail

Be Careful: Of being overly critical

Virgo Moon Aromatic Oil: Three drops bayberry fragrance, one drop essential sage, one drop vetiver. You can add wintergreen, but be careful, as this essential is thought to be harmful, especially to pregnant women.

Virgo Solution Meditation

Empower a bag of unpopped popcorn with the Mercury empowerment invocation on page 201.

Close your eyes and take three deep breaths. Continue to breathe easily and fully until you are totally relaxed. See before you a beautiful harvest field filled with golden wheat, bursting ears of corn, bright orange pumpkins, and shining red apples. An attractive person (only you know the gender) stands in the center of the field holding an armful of fresh-picked corn.

Walk toward this person, enjoying the full-bodied aroma of the rich harvest field. When you reach the person, they smile and hand you several ears of corn. “Do you agree to accept this gift? For within these precious ears of corn lies the positive solution you seek,” they say pleasantly. And you respond, “I agree!” and draw the corn to yourself. When you hear this corn popping the solution you seek will gather in your mind. When you taste the popped corn, the answer you require will solidify.

Thank this person and take three deep, even breaths, allowing the field to softly vaporize around you. Open your eyes and orient yourself. If your conversation was longer than this (it can be), write down anything you remember. Pop the popcorn and eat some of it, allowing your mind to draw forth a successful plan of future action. If nothing comes to you right away, don’t worry. Sometimes the wisest solutions need time to manifest. Be patient and confident that your needs will be met.

To enhance this meditation you may wish to set an entire harvest altar, singing or chanting softly while you do so, and then move into the meditation.

New Moon in Libra

Color: Emerald

Element: Air

Available Energies: Beauty, love, sociability, cooperation, originality, courtesy, responsiveness, self-education, neighbors.

Aromatic Herbal Mixture Suggestions: Aloe, apple, all fruits and berries, bachelor’s buttons, balm of gilead, birch, burdock, catnip, coltsfoot, elder, feverfew, heather, hibiscus, hyacinth, larkspur, lilac, marjoram, orchid, passion flower, primrose, rose, sage, tansy, thyme, tonka beans, trillium, violet, wisteria, willow.

Application: Meditations, rituals, and workings for sharing the arts (music, painting, dance, writing) where you seek the approval of others. Positive thoughts for love, friendship, and romance, and for mediation in conflict. Meditations to ensure you are treated fairly, to enjoy beauty, and to learn to cooperate with others. Workings to better communication between yourself and a teacher or parent. Partnerships of any kind.

Avoid: Making open enemies

Be Careful: Of indecisiveness

Libra Moon Aromatic Oil: One drop essential catnip, three drops lilac fragrance, one drop orchid fragrance, one drop rose fragrance, and one drop majoram essential.

Simple Libra Anti-Stress Active Meditation

This is a movement in meditation sequence. Above all, don’t overextend your body. Just move as much as you can, and repeat as often as you like. The trick is to do the movements very slowly as you breathe in and out with each, separate movement.

Take three deep breaths in a quiet place at a quiet time. Stand with your feet slightly apart. Remember to stay in the moment.

Reach your arms up over your head, palms toward the heavens, and say: “I am filled with the energy of bliss.”

Touch your toes and say: “I am filled with calm.”

Rise to a standing position, with your arms at your sides and palms facing forward and say: “I am filled with harmony.”

Reach both arms out on either side and say: “I accept peace.”

Pull your arms in and cross your chest with your hands, saying: “Serenity fills me.”

Raise your right arm over your head, palm toward the heavens, and drop your left arm down and slightly behind you, palm toward the ground. Look up and say: “I draw power from the heavens.”

Switch arms with your left up over your head, palm toward the sky, and right arm down, palm toward the ground. Look down and say: “I draw power from the earth.”

Place both hands in a prayer position at your heart chakra, and say: “I walk in balance. So be it.”

Close your eyes and take three deep, even breaths. Open your eyes and square your shoulders. Breathe again deeply and slowly three times. This active meditation is finished.

New Moon in Scorpio

Color: Green-blue

Element: Water/Fire

Available Energies: Intensity, rebirth, transformation, illumination, wisdom, karma, instinct, investigative.

Aromatic Herbal Mixture Suggestions: All plants in the sea or under fresh water. Asafoetida, bladderwrack, cypress, eucalyptus, lobelia, plantain—and as Mars co-rules this sign, any fire herbs as well.

Application: Rituals and meditations for a situation that needs ultimate power, must transform, or is karmically related. Workings to hone your instincts, or to get to the bottom of a messy situation. Meditations for wisdom, renew an old project, to stop aggressive action (cold), to bring down a criminal, stop gossip or other unhealthy emotional situations. Workings to sign documents where you will get the best deal. Meditations to end things (though a waning Scorpio moon is best for this). Understanding the cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth. Reincarnation and past-life regression.

Avoid: Creating a secret agenda

Be Careful: Of your resentment

Scorpio Moon Aromatic Oil: One drop essential cypress, one drop essential eucalyptus, one drop cinnamon, and four drops musk.

Scorpio Meditation to Heighten
Your Instinctive Abilities

A few years ago I attended a very interesting totem workshop conducted by one of my students. In this seminar he indicated that the animal you dislike the most is actually indicative of the power you hold within yourself—a power that you fear because it speaks of the untapped depths of your inner being. Now that made me think! Scorpio energy is all about the power down below, the volcano beneath the sea of yourself. Many of us don’t want to tap that energy because we are fearful that if it is not contained, we will lose sight of our spirituality. Yet it is this same power, operating below the surface of each of us, that provides the reservoir of energy when we need it most. It’s like having an uncle who is a hit-man. You never talk to anyone about it, but when you’ve been threatened—guess who you call?

This meditation requires a bit of research, but it is definitely worth it. What animal, reptile, or insect comes to mind that you absolutely, positively hate with a passion? First, consider on the surface why you dislike this creature so much. Why do you, on a gut level, feel it is so disgusting? Next, actually take an evening and research this beastie. If you love the Internet, use search engines and metacrawlers. If you have no desire to touch the World Wide Web, then off to the library you go! Or to your favorite large bookstore that provides a reading area. Spend at least one hour learning all you can about this particular beastie. Take notes if you like. What does it eat? Where does it live? How does it normally behave and why?

And no, I’m not going to force you to meet this creature in the dark alley of your meditation. A one-on-one is not what I had in mind.

When you are ready, and it may actually take a few days for you to feel you are up to it, sit down in a quiet place at a quiet time and light a single, white candle. Or sit in the sunlight. Take several deep, even breaths until you feel relaxed and calm. If you prefer, you can keep your eyes open and contemplate, rather than close your eyes (in case this being is super scary to you—and that’s okay). Think about the positive aspects of this creature which may be difficult at first, but you can do it. Every being on this planet has at least one positive attribute. If you can admit one, then you are on a roll! Then, think about the qualities that you don’t like. Why? What, within yourself, is like those yucky points? Here, you must be absolutely and totally honest with yourself. You can do this because no one is ever going to know—except you.

For example, one of my students hates sharks. Every since the movie Jaws, he has despised and feared these creatures. In his meditation sequence, he realized that when push comes to shove, even though he tries to be spiritual in every action he does, there can come a time when his anger reaches such a point that he will go into a feeding frenzy on the offending party. This only happens when a friend or one of his children is threatened, but he still fears the power of his own mindless anger.

I have a female student, a Sagittarius with a Sagittarian Super Chart (astrological chart wherein most planets are either in Sagittarius or are in the house that is naturally ruled by Sagittarius), who hates spiders—just abhors them. Spiders are all about “allure” and “capture.” A Sagittarian deplores being tied down, yet they love to be the center of attention. She realized that she loves to spin a web of acquaintances, but doesn’t want to be “captured” herself. A spider is a loner, independent, and a builder. She now looks at spiders with a whole new way of respect.

What did you learn from your research and your contemplation?

New Moon in Sagittarius

Color: Blue

Element: Fire

Available Energies: Expansion, generosity, faith, optimism, understanding, mercy, charity, hope.

Aromatic Herbal Mixture Suggestions: Agrimony, betony, cedar, clove, honeysuckle, hyssop, juniper, linden, nutmeg, sarsaparilla, sassafras, star anise.

Application: Meditations, rituals and workings to expand any project or talent, to find understanding in a difficult situation. Thoughts and actions to give yourself or friends hope. Affirmations to strengthen your personal faith, to expand your awareness, and to learn generosity when dealing with yourself and others. Workings to borrow money, make travel plans, or visit a foreign country. Learning and studying world religions.

Avoid: Sloppy ritual

Be Careful: Of running from commitment

Sagittarius Moon Aromatic Oil: One drop essential cedar, one drop essential clove, two drops honeysuckle fragrance, and one drop essential juniper.

Sagittarius Meditation for Positive Growth

You should never look at a picture just one time, because if you do, you will miss the mystery of the nuances and your conclusions will be based on only surface impressions. It is the same with a meditation. Visiting the sequence repeatedly assists in settling the changes desired in the mind. There are two parts to this activity. First, take your camera and explore a favorite area outside of your home or apartment looking for scenes that speak to you of positive growth while the new moon is in Sagittarius. Take a hike in the woods, a stroll downtown, a trip to the beach, a favorite garden spot, etc. Take as many pictures as you like. Have all the pictures developed, or with today’s digital capabilities, put them in a computer file. Go through the pictures and choose one that you feel exhibits the way in which you wish to grow. Print this picture. On the back of the picture, write the specific type of growth you desire and hang it in a prominent place where you will see it often. Meditate on the picture a few minutes each day, welcoming positive growth into your life. From time to time, check the other pictures that you took on that day. Did you miss something? Does a different one now appeal to you? When you tire of the picture, or have grown to the point of your desire, take the picture down and replace with a new one from your next Sagittarius moon outing.

New Moon in Capricorn

Color: Indigo

Element: Earth

Available Energies: Structure, patience, thrift, diplomacy, sincerity, restraint, endurance, justice/law, order, self-discipline.

Aromatic Herbal Mixture Suggestions: Beech, bindweed, boneset, buckthorn, comfrey, elm, hemlock, horsetail, horehound, ivy, kava-kava, morning glory, patchouli, pansy, parsley, potato, skullcap, slippery elm, Solomon’s seal, spikenard, spruce, yew.

Application: Meditations and rituals and workings to learn to work with authority figures, rules, business or school organizational structure. Activities to help you build your savings account, or to call for divine justice, or to work for a promotion on your job. Meditations to create order out of a chaotic situation, to learn self-discipline, and create the underlying structure of anything (even the video game you are creating). Perfect moon phase for political science majors.

Avoid: Depressing rituals

Be Careful: Of your own ruthless ambition

Capricorn Moon Aromatic Oil: Two drops essential patchouli, one drop essential pine, one drop myrrh, and one drop essential geranium.

Capricorn Meditation for Financial Success

Take several deep, even breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth until you feel calm and relaxed. In your mind, create a round, golden light. See before you a beautiful, fertile field. Watch the light drift down into the ground, and as this occurs, the ground itself turns warm and golden. From this area, a beautiful tree will begin to grow. It may be golden, or green, or multicolored—the choice of color is entirely up to you. See the tree mature in golden light from above. See it flower with strength and beauty. Soon, the tree will begin to grow golden coins and paper denominations of money. In your mind, step forward and stand under the tree. A lovely, warm breeze wafts through the field, rustling the leaves on the tree. Money begins to freely float down from the tree and into your hands. The breeze sings: “The world is an abundant field. All your needs and more are met.” You can repeat this mantra, if you like, in the first person: “My life is an abundant field, and all my needs and more are met.” Now, in your mind, imagine that there is a natural hollow spot in the tree in front of you. Within the hollow area is a lucky, money-drawing charm. Reach in and withdraw the charm. What do you see? Step back from the tree and say “Thank you,” to the universe. Breathe deeply and allow the scene to fade. Open your eyes.

What was the lucky charm?

Now go find a physical item that resembles that charm. Use that item on your prosperity altar and in your future money workings.

New Moon in Aquarius

Color: Violet

Element: Air

Available Energies: Independence, originality, progressive ideas, reformation, universal love, inventive, heightened perception, resourceful, individualism.

Aromatic Herbal Mixture Suggestions: Almond, benzoin, bodhi, broom, citron, dandelion, eyebright, hops, lavender, life everlasting, mastic, mistletoe, palm, pine, rice.

Application: Meditations, rituals, and workings for independence, finding new ways to look at the world, changing structures that you think are wrong (school dress code), finding universal love. Meditations to boost new ideas, or finding yourself and defining yourself as an individual. Rituals and affirmations to help you learn mathematics, science, or astrology. Meditations on strengthening your inner self in new and exciting ways.

Avoid: Ritual interruptions

Be Careful: Feeling too detached

Aquarius Moon Aromatic Oil: One drop almond, one drop lavender, one drop pine, one drop cinnamon, and four drops vanilla fragrance (steeped with a real vanilla bean).

Aquarius Bling-Bling Meditation for Focus

For this meditation you will need a set of bells or a singing bowl and a shiny object that fits in your hand, preferably new without any mental attachments. Some individuals enjoy using Ben Wa balls—which range from ¾ to 1½ inches. Cleanse bells and object in spring water, bless them, and allow them to dry. Before we begin the actual meditation, pick one goal and write it down. Place that goal under a purple candle dotted with a bit of Aquarius moon aromatic oil. Light the candle.

Sit where you will be totally relaxed, holding the bell. The object can rest on a table in front of you or in your lap. Close your eyes. Take several deep, even breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth until you feel relaxed, calm, and comfortable. If an errant thought comes to mind, just say to yourself, “Stay in the moment,” and ring one of the bells gently. When your mind is clear and calm, you are ready to begin. Open your eyes. Ring the bell. Allow the sound to travel throughout your body from the tip of your toes to the bottom of your feet. Ring the bell again. Allow the sound to settle into and expand your heart chakra. Ring the bell. Allow the sound to settle into your throat chakra and expand the energy there. Ring the bell and allow the sound to travel into and expand your third eye chakra. Ring the bell and let the sound fill and expand the crown chakra. Ring the bell and feel your feet pull energy up from the heartbeat of the earth. Ring the bell and allow yourself to draw down positive energy from the heavens. Pick up the shiny object with your dominant hand. If you are using a singing bowl, you will have to make the sound and then pick up the object during that sound. If you are using bells, the other hand can ring the bell. As the sound reverberates, move the object in the palm of your hand from left to right tracking the object with your eyes. Ring the bell again and track the object from right to left. Now, make a MindLight focused on your goal—for example, “Harmony in my life in a positive way.” Ring the bell again and place the MindLight in the shiny object. Ring the bell and track the object again from right to left with your focus on the MindLight that now covers the object. Ring the bell and track the object from left to right, again envisioning the MindLight covering and in the object. Take a deep breath, ring the bell, and blow softly on the object. This is to seal your goal with sacred breath. Ring the bell. Hold the shiny object with both hands and bring to your heart chakra. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply several times until you reach a total calm place. Open your eyes.

Carry the object with you until the desire is met. Repeat the meditation as many times as you like. Allow the candle to burn completely, or put the candle out and burn every night for seven nights completing the same meditation.

Suggested Variation

Make a tape of ringing bells at sixteen- to twenty-second intervals. Use the tape during this meditation. If you feel you are hurried with the sounds you’ve made on the tape, use a stopwatch to remake the tape at a speed that is comfortable for you. The interval between the sounds should be one deep, complete, relaxing breath that is right for you.

New Moon in Pisces

Color: Crimson

Element: Water

Available Energies: Visionary, inspiration, psychism, compassion, creativity, devotion, universal peace.

Aromatic Herbal Mixture Suggestions: Acacia, bistort, celery, flax, gotu kola, orris, rowan, uva ursa, yarrow, yerba santa.

Application: Meditations, rituals and workings for improving your imagination, visualization techniques, dreaming, astral projection, telepathy, and divination. Prayers and rituals for the dead. Meditations for finding compassion within yourself or seeking compassion in others. Positive affirmations for creativity, using more music and art in your daily life, and celebrating the creativity of others. Workings and prayers for universal peace, or peace among friends and yourself. To see the big picture rather than getting lost in the details.

Avoid: Self-doubt when focusing

Be Careful: Of illogical reasoning

Pisces Moon Aromatic Oil: One drop essential or fragrance of yarrow (hard to get, but it can be found), two drops jasmine, one drop musk, one drop essential orange.

Pisces Inkblot Meditation for Creativity

For this meditation you will need a bottle of blue ink, an eye dropper, and vellum paper cut into three-inch squares. Choose as many squares as you like. You may also wish to do this sequence by candlelight and with soft, inspiring music of your choice.

On the back of each paper, with pencil, write down one aspect of creativity that applies to the type of inspiration you desire. For example, if you wished to compose a fictional story, you might write the names of the main characters on several pieces, the words “exciting subplots” on another, “incisive dialogue” on a different piece, etc. If you wished to design a piece of jewelry you might write “eye-catching design” on one piece of paper, “dynamic color flow,” on another, even a theme—funky, chic, classic, water, fire—any words that speak of the type of creativity you wish to work with. Before you begin the next step, take several deep breaths and allow yourself to touch the still point of calm. You are ready to begin.

Mix up the papers with blank side up. Begin with the first paper. In your mind, create a golden (or colored) ball of MindLight as mentioned in the first chapter. Let this MindLight sink directly into the paper. Now, pick up the ink dropper and place several drops in the center of the first paper, close the paper and crease it firmly (without reading what you have written on that paper). Open the paper and set aside, allowing it to dry. Go to the next paper and follow the same sequence. Continue marking the papers, creasing them, and setting them aside until you are finished. Sit back, close your eyes, and take three deep, even breaths until you feel relaxed and comfortable. You can continue on with this meditation, or you can stop here, and use the dried inkblots as triggers when specifically working on your creative venture. When you have completed the project to your satisfaction, burn the ink blots in a ceremony of personal accomplishment and thanksgiving.

If you continue with the meditation, place the papers, ink blot side up, in a circle on a flat surface. Place a candle in the center of the papers. Light the candle. Sit back and take several, deep, even breaths. Close your eyes and create a golden MindLight. See it bob in the air before you. Open your eyes and recreate the MindLight. Let it sink into the first ink blot. Imagine that the ink blot now glows. See the MindLight rise from the first ink blot and move to the second, into the second ink blot, making it glow. Have it rise from the second and move to the third. Continue this sequence until you have worked with all of the papers and the golden MindLight. Finally, after the last paper, bring the golden MindLight back to you, hold open your hands, and imagine the MindLight, now filled with amazing creativity, is nestled softly in your hands. Bring your hands to your heart chakra and allow the MindLight to enter your body. Take three deep, even breaths, and open your eyes. This meditation is concluded.