THIS IS TRULY THE SEASON OF THE WITCH! AS CRONE WE TAKE THE CHARGE OF THE DARK GODDESS TO CELEBRATE MABON AND SAMHAIN AS SABBATS OF AGE, WISDOM, COUNSEL AND RE-BIRTH.
WITH THE WANING MOONS OF THE AUTUMN EQUINOX AND SAMHAIN, WE ARE REMINDED THAT THESE ARE NOT ONLY THE TIMES OF HARVEST AND THANKSGIVING FOR PAGANS AND WICCAE, BUT ALSO THE HEIGHT OF OUR OWN PERSONAL MAGIKAL STRENGTH. FOR IT IS WITHIN THESE SEASONAL CELEBRATIONS THAT THE CRONE REIGNS SUPREME. WE ARE THE THIRD ASPECT OF THE GODDESS AND THAT INCLUDES PROPHECY.
THIS BECOMES AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF BOTH CELEBRATIONS. AS WE WELCOME THE FINAL HARVEST OF THE YEAR AND MOVE AHEAD TO THE DEATH OF THE LONG DAYS OF SUMMER, WE FIND COMMON TOOLS AND RITUALS USED FOR BOTH SABBATS.
BOTH UTILIZE THE COLOR RED, AND SO IT WOULD SEEM FITTING THAT AS CRONE, WE USE THIS COLOR ABOVE ALL OTHERS TO SYMBOLIZE OUR STATUS AMONG WOMEN, UNLIKE THE OFFICIAL BLACK GARB MOST WILL CHOOSE FOR THIS TIME OF THE WHEEL. MABON RITUALS INCLUDE THE TOSSING OF LEAVES, WHILE SAMHAIN RITES CALL FOR SCRYING WITH SMOKE. WE MAY COMBINE THESE TWO BY BURNING DRIED LEAVES AND USING THEIR SMOKE FOR PROPHECY. THE POWER OF THE TWO ASPECTS COMBINED SHOULD MAKE US SEE MORE CLEARLY AND ENABLE US TO ENVOKE EVEN MORE WISDOM FROM OUR GODDESS.
BOTH ARE DAYS OF THE DARK GODDESS WITH THE WHEEL TURNING AND THE LIGHT GROWING DIM. THEREFORE IT IS ALSO FITTING THAT WE FOCUS ON THE NIGHT, THE SLEEP PERIOD OF OUR OWN LIVES AND THE DREAMS AND VISIONS THAT WE INTERPERT INTO THE WISDOM OF THE CRONE.
AS A SOLITARY, WE CAN ASK THE GODDESS AND THE UNIVERSE TO GUARD OUR NIGHTS AND BLESS US EVEN AS WE SLIP AWAY INTO THE DARKENED REALM. I AM SURE THAT MOST OF US HAVE HEARD THE .."now I lay me down to sleep"....PRAYER OF CHILDREN. HERE IS A BEDTIME CASTING FOR ALL SOLITARIES THAT IS SIMPLE AND SHOULD BE ESPECIALLY MEANINGFUL AT THIS TIME OF THE WHEEL:
MOTHER EARTH, MOTHER SEA,
AS I REST WATCH OVER ME.
HOLD MY SPIRIT IN YOUR KEEP,
AND GUARD MY CIRCLE AS I SLEEP.
SO MOTE IT BE
.
PLEASE MAKE NOTE THAT THIS CASTING DOES NOT SPECIFY NIGHT AS A SLEEP PERIOD. IT IS USED FOR YOUR TIME OF REST NO MATTER WHAT THE HOUR. REMEMBER ALWAYS, THAT THIS CYCLE OF THE CELBRATION OF DEATH AND LIFE, OF ENDINGS AND REBIRTH, IS OUR CYCLE AND OUR CELEBRATION. BURN LEAVES, WEAR RED, SHARE YOUR WISDOM AND BLESSED BE TO ALL THE CRONES AND ALL THEIR MAGIK.
WHEN I WAS A MAIDEN WITCH, I CAST A LITTLE SPELL.
MADE IN SECRET, KEPT AS SECRET, PROMISED NOT TO TELL.
THEN I GREW TO MOTHER PHASE AND FELT THAT I COULD SPEAK,
COVEN LIFE, WITH ATHAME KNIFE, NO LONGER FEELING WEAK.
AND NOW I AM A CRONE ALONE, WITH MANY TALES TO TELL,
SHARING WISDOM, INNER PEACE AND CASTING LITTLE SPELLS.
THE WHEEL TURNS....
