Happy New Year!
Honoring the Goddess!!!
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Holy Mother!
Help me to view and conduct myself in a manner of respect,
dignity and honor to all creation.
Let me see You in all things.
So Mote It Be!
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Ring out the old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lusts of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old;
Ring in the thousand years of peace.
~Alfred, Lord Tennyson, English poet~
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Of all sounds of all bells, most solemn and touching is the peal which rings out the old year.
I never hear it without a gathering up of my mind to a concentration of all the images that have been
diffused over the past twelvemonth; all that I have done or suffered , performed or neglected, in that
regretted time.
~Charles Lamb, English poet~
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2015
A personalized guide to help you understand the opportunities and issues facing you in 2015!
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original articles, drawings and prose from our GoddessSchool Priestesses and even special guests!
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Blessed be my little witch. To those who came before and those who will come after, know that the Goddess is with you always”
Thank you all my dear readers…be blessed.~GrannyMoon
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Each And Every Day A Feast Day!
Embrace It!!!
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The Goddess School Grimoire
By SOTBB Goddess School
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The Goddess School Grimoire is a collection of recipes, artwork, poetry, prose, prayers, rituals, spells, and practical Goddess wisdom put together by the teachers, students, alumni, and friends of The Sisters of the Burning Branch Goddess School. The sisterhood is dedicated to restoring spiritual balance by returning the Divine Feminine to her rightful place and by assisting women in their personal and spiritual development. Since being founded by Head and High Mother Priestess Grandmother Moon in 2000, The Goddess School (www.Goddessschool.com) has grown into a large and beautiful global community of women.
*Receive a free Grimoire (eBook) when you join Sisters of the Burning Branch (GoddessSchool.com) 12/21 – 1/1/15
We learn from Our Mother…the Earth, the Moon, the weather, from the elements, the animals, the stones, the seasons, the trees and all manner of living and breathing things, as well as the inanimate. They have much to tell us, much to share. We learn the language of the Earth and her inhabitants, but we must resonate with them to understand. This is a fun 13 week E-Course, with hands-on projects that you will love!
Click here for more info:
The Healing Arts!
All Courses Are On-Line
Welcome to a journey to learn about the hidden powers of herbs and our Mother Earth. Wise women and men have existed for thousands of years and still exist throughout the world. They know Mother Earth as the ultimate healer, and have learned to utilize the gifts of of nature. Inside each person is a being of wisdom, deeply connected to the Earth, to the phases of the moon and the tides of the sea. All we need to do is trust our innate wisdom.
In Herbalism 101, we cover 21 herbs, and start our Materia Medica, that we will build throughout the next two levels. We will cover the basic aspects of herbs. From culinary to magickal, medicinal to ornamental. As well as the many modalities of herbs!
Herbalism 202 – We focus on herbs and terminology having to do with health and health care, making herbal medicines, classifying herbs, the Doctrine of Signatures, and much much more!
Herbalism 303 – This last series of classes teaches about the entire body, one system at a time. You’ll learn about how the body functions and what health problems are related to which body system. You’ll also learn about natural health remedies for many health problems.
Free with purchase of Herbalism 1,2,and 3. I am attuned to Usui Ryoho, but I also ask that my students read the Diane Stein book, Essential Reiki. We cover the three levels and you will receive a Master’s attunement and certificate.
Each course is ten weeks in length.
Each course is 50.00 taken separately and earns a certificate in Healing Arts.
Earn a Priest or Priestess certification in Healing Arts by taking these four courses.
Buy three at once, get Reiki Master certification free.
The Healing Arts certificate four part series will earn a Priest or Priestess Certification from The Order of the Burning Branch
No text books required unless otherwise noted.
Herbalism 101 (The Universe of Herbs, begin your own Materia Medica)
Herbalism 202 (My Herbalism 101 is required)
Herbalism 303 (My Herbalism 101 and 202 is required)
Reiki I, II, and III – Text book required
GrannyMoon Says Today Is: Woden’s Day
Energy: Male Ruler: Mercury – Rules healings, the mind – Use for magick involving mental issues, learning, higher education, addictions, communications, travel, young people, messages, perception, self-expression, artists, poets, and writers
Today’s Magickal Influences: Conjurations, Predictions, Knowledge, Writing, Eloquence
Today’s Goddesses: Aset [Isis], Demeter, Ceres, Spider Woman, Bona Dea, Oya, Devi-Kali, Hella, Rhiannon, Coatlique, Maman Brigette, Sekhmet, Het Heret [Hathor]
Incense: Cinnamon, Cinquefoil
Perfumes: Sweetpea, Lavender, Mastic, Frankincense, Cloves
Color of The Day: Yellow, Grey
Colors for Tomorrow: Purple, Indigo, Blue
Lucky Sign: Wednesday Is The Lucky Day For Gemini And Virgo
Candle: Purple
Lunabar Moon Almanack for Wednesday, 31 December, 2014
Waxing, Gibbous Moon Age: days.
Ascending Node is at 14° Libra.
Moon in 10th degree of the Sign Taurus, the Bull;
also in 12th deg. of the Constellation Aries, the Ram.
Moonset: 2:52 morn. Moonrise: 1:38 eve. Souths: 8:45 eve.
Spells and Rituals Involving The Earth Element ~ should be performed when the Moon is in an Earth sign: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn.
Aspect of the Sign of Taurus, the Bull: Yang, Masculine, Solar, Positive, Diurnal, Fiery, Cardinal, Barren, Horary Eastern, Vernal, Boreal, Commanding, Equinoctial, Feral, Bestial, Animal, Four-footed, Dry, Bitter, Hoarse, Hot.
Waxing Gibbous — When the Moon is more than one-half but not fully illuminated by direct sunlight while the illuminated part is increasing
Goddess Aspect: Maiden
Associated Goddesses: Artemis, Branwen, Eriu, Nymph, Epona
Magickal Attributes: Invoking Beginnings, New Projects, Ideas, Inspiriation, Energy, Vitality, Freedom.
Workings On This Day Are For “Constructive” Magick (Love, Wealth, Success, Courage, Friendship, Luck Or Health.) Symbolic of growth, manifestation, attainment,
gravidity (heavy with child – both philosophical and literal).
• • • •
It’s In the Stars! Tonight’s Sky
12/30~Find the bright Dog Stars on December evenings
12/31~Sirius midnight culmination New Year’s Eve
01/01~Mercury below Venus after sunset in early January
01/02~Latest sunrises for mid-northern latitudes in early January
01/03~Earth closest to sun for the year on January 4, 2015
• • • •
Lunar Lore
The Moon in Scorpio or Pisces, having Latitude South
and descending, begin no Building, for if you do,
it will quickly fall. ~ J. Partridge, “Mikropanastron”.
• • • •
… it happens that the moon appears
More swiftly to return to any sign
Along the Zodiac, than doth the sun …
~Lucretius, De rerum natura (On the Nature of Things).
• • • •
The Lunar Mansion
Alsharatan, The Two Signs,
also known as Cornua Arietis, The Horns of the Ram.
Marked by the fix’d Stars: Sharatan & Mesarthim, in Aries
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The Ram having pass’d the Sea serenely shines,
And leads the Year, the Prince of all the Signs.
~ Manilius, “Poeticon Astronomicon.”
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Lunabar Sun Almanack for Wednesday, 31 December, 2014
Sunrise: 7:26 morn. Sunset: 4:55 eve.
Length of Day: 9h. 28m.
Dawn: 6:56 morn. Dusk: 5:25 eve.
Length of Twilight: 0h. 29m.
Sun in 9th degree of the Sign Capricorn, the Goat;
also in 13th degree of the Constellation Sagittarius, the Archer;
• • • •
Solar Lore
• • • •
The sun is noted to be hotter when it shineth forth between
clouds than when the sky is open and serene.
~Bacon.
Aspects of the Sign of Capricorn, the Goat: Yin, Feminine, Lunar, Negative, Nocturnal, Earthy, Cardinal, Semi-fruitful, Horary Southern, Wintery, Austral, Obeying, Solsitial, Tropical, Dry, Cold, Changeable, Hoarse.
• • • •
At GoddessSchool ~ The High Priestess knows the key to psychic self-defense lies in knowing how to strengthen your life force to withstand the daily barrage of negative energy hitting you. With exercises that strengthen your “psychic” muscles, and techniques that bolster your energy, fear from the reality of outside aggression and manipulation diminishes
We use song and chants to raise power, using drums, tambourines or just humming along works too! We celebrate the Mother – the Full Moon – Mother Earth – Mother Nature – she is in us all – we are in her – we are one! We will learn some songs, beat the drums, howl at the Moon! We are ever changing as does the Moon – Feel the Moon – let her fill you up! Join us! Feel free to contact me: GrannyMoonsMail@yahoo.com http://GoddessSchool.com
Seasons of the Witch – Ancient Holidays
Remember The Ancient Ways and Keep Them Holy!
Goddess Month of Hestia begins 12/26 – 1/22
Celtic Tree Calendar: Birch Moon December 24 – January 20:
January ~ Moon Phases
Full “Wolf” Moon falls on Sunday, 04 January, 2015 at 11:54 PM
Last Quarter falls on Tuesday, 13 January, 2015 at 4:48 AM
New Moon falls on Tuesday, 20 January, 2015 at 8:14 AM
First Quarter falls on Monday, 26 January, 2015 at 11:49 PM
The Seasons, 2014
Winter Solstice (Winter began) December 21st at 6:01 evening.
Sun Rides Low, at Southern tropic (turn), entered the sign of Capricorn
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The Year Is Divided Into Four Seasons:
The first season is of a frigid complexion, and this is “Winter”;
The second is of the complexion of Air, and this is “Spring”;
Then follows the third, which is “Summer”, and is of the complexion of Fire;
Lastly, there is the fourth, wherein fruits are matured, which is “Autumn”.
~The Turba Philosophorum, ca. 12 century
• • • •
Our Weekly Affirmation
If you repeat an affirmation three times a day three times each time you do it for 28 days it will
become a part of your being and whenever you feel like life is going out of control you will be able
to just find that safe place.
Affirmation Of The Week!
Weave your web!
• • • •
Tasha’s Day by Day Astro Planner for December 2014
Wed 12/31. Sensual Taurus Moon enhances New year’s Eve fun.
Contact tashahal@gmail.com
As The Wheel Turns ~ Legends and Lore
Today Is …
New Year’s Eve
Hogmanay Day (Scotland)
Annual World Peace Meditation Day
Make Up Your Mind Day
Noche de Pedimento (Wishing Night)
Omisoka Day (Japan)
Congo Republic Day
St. Sylvester’s Day
Watch Night
Namahge (Japan)
Comoros Independence Day
Unlucky Day (Astronomy)
National Champagne Day
Kwanzaa, Day 6: Kuumba (Creativity)
Fairy Eve’s Year News (Fairy)
Check the Smoke Alarms Day
Revolution Day (Ghana)
Cowbellion de Rakin Revel (Alabama)
No Resolution Day
Samoan Fire Dance (Western Samoa)
You’re All Done Day
Allendale Baal Fire Festival
Aztec Malinalli Day. A day for persevering against all odds & for creating alliances that will survive the test of time.
Day of Meditations for Peace. Join others in working for peace at this turning of the Gregorian year.
New Year’s Eve. The modern custom of ringing bells and blowing horns to usher in the new year at midnight is actually derived from the old Pagan custom of noisemaking to scare away the evils of the old year.
In certain parts of Japan, young men put on grotesque demon masks and costumes made of straw and go door to door collecting donations of money, rice cakes, and sake. This traditional New Year’s Eve custom serves to drive out the demons of misfortune and ensure an abundant harvest for the new year.
Kemet/Egypt: Lucky Day of Sekhmet, the lion-headed Goddess whose worship center was Memphis. Nursing mothers would pray to her to let down their milk.
Scotland: Hogmanay – the Scottish New Year. It was traditional for men to dress in animal skins ,wear horns or antlers, and smoke sticks called Hogmanays to ward off evil spirits. At the moment of the new year, people opened all doors and windows to let out the old and let in the new. Pots and pans were rattled to drive off the last vestiges of the old year and welcome the new.
Zoroasterianism: Maidyarem – the mid year or midwinter feast.
Remember the ancient ways and keep them sacred!
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Live each Season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.
~Henry David Thoreau (1817 – 1862)
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NOTE: Because of the large number of ancient calendars, many in simultaneous use, as well as different ways of computing holy days (marked by the annual inundation, the solar year, the lunar month, the rising of key stars, and other celestial and terrestrial events), you may find these holy days celebrated a few days earlier or later at your local temple.
GrannyMoon’s Reading for Today ~ Justice
Karmic balance, everything is happening as it should. You have put this in motion,usually some change has taken place to bring about this balance. It is almost always good and right, even if it doesn’t feel that way. Don’t feel overwhelmed, you will have success and you will pass that test. This card is all about cause and effect, actions and consequences. A symbol of how the natural law works, the web of life. What you do affects everything that happens, what happens to others, affects you. This is going to be a time for success, for making important moves and changes, a time when you may gain power, and certainly one when your talents are going to be recognized.
Keyword: Truth, Balance, Justice, Equality, Congruence, Admission, Examination, Accountability
2015
A personalized guide to help you understand the opportunities and issues facing you in the coming year!
For Only $15.00! http://goddessschool.com/donations.html
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Readings by GrannyMoon ~ In-Depth Tarot – $25.00 – Personal Numerology Work $15.00
Give An eGift to a Friend or Loved One for Yule! http://Goddessschool.com/tarot.html
Today’s Goddess: Hekate
Hekate’s Day (Greece/Rome)
Themes: Moon; Beginnings; Magick
Symbols: Serpent, Horse or Dog (her sacred animals); Light (specifically a torch); Myrrh; Silver; Moonstone
About Hekate: This Greco-Roman goddess rules the moon and opportunities. Tonight she opens the path through which the old year departs and the new one enters. People customarily worship Hekate at crossroads, where the worlds meet, which may by why she became a witch’s goddess. On this, her festival day, she bears a torch, lighting the way to the future.
To Do Today: At the eve of a new year, take a moment and pat yourself on the back for a full year of goddess-centered thinking and action. Note your achievements, and thank Hekate for helping you find the way when your vision seemed clouded. An additional benefit here is that speaking this goddess’s name today banishes unwanted ghosts, including those figurative ghosts of past negative experiences. Let Hekate take those burdens so your new year will begin without anything holding you back.
To accent this goddess’s power in your life throughout your celebrations today, wear white or silver items, and light a white candle in her honor. For a token that will emphasize Hekate’s magick and lunar energies whenever you need them, bless a moonstone, saying :
Hekate, fill this silver stone;
keep your magick with me where’er I roam.
Carry this, keeping the goddess close to your heart and spirit. Happy New Year!!
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From “365 Goddess” by Patricia Telesco and GrannyMoon’s Morning Feast Archives
Healing Arts and Pagan Studies ~ Dec 31, New Year’s Eve
Out with the old and in with the new. Before midnight, sweep and clean your house and take out all the trash because you don’t want to sweep tomorrow (you will sweep the good luck away) or take anything out of the house (you only want to bring new things in to insure abundance during the coming year). Be sure you finish any work you have in hand for a task carried over will never prosper.
Everything you do on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day is freighted with significance. The American custom of spending the night with the one you love and kissing them at midnight insures that the relationship will flourish during the coming year. In Vienna, the pig is the symbol of good luck. Pigs are let loose in restaurants and everyone tries to touch it as it runs by for luck. In private homes, a marzipan pig, with a gold piece in its mouth, is suspended from a ribbon and touched instead. In Sarasota Springs, New York, it’s a peppermint pig that brings good luck and good health for the coming year. The pig is cracked with a hammer after a holiday meal and shared among the guests.
The first person to cross your threshold after midnight brings luck into the house. In medieval Britain, the best possible first-footer was a tall dark-haired handsome man, who brought gifts of whisky, bread, a piece of coal or firewood and a silver coin. He entered in silence and no one spoke to him until he put the coal on the fire, poured a glass for the head of the house and wished everyone a Happy New Year. If this concept doesn’t work for you, figure out what would and make sure it happens.
One popular method of divination, used to determine your future in the new year, is to prick a newly-laid egg at the smaller end with a pin, and let three drops of the egg white fall into a bowl of water. Interpret the designs it makes to get a glimpse of what will happen to you in the new year. Another traditional method of divination is to open a Bible at midnight and interpret the passage beneath your finger.
Source:
Kightly, Charles, The Perpetual Almanack of Folklore, Thames & Hudson 1987
Spicer, Dorothy Gladys, The Book of Festivals, The Womans Press 1937
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From: GrannyMoon’s Morning Feast Archives
Healing Arts and Pagan Studies ~ Let’s celebrate!
In Denmark the New Year is brought in with even more noise than in most countries.
Young people go around pounding on their friends’ front doors. To raise the New Year spirit even more, they throw
shards of pottery, collected throughout the previous year, against the sides of houses. And we thought we had it loud!
Greece: On New Year’s Eve [St Basil’s Eve] children sing kalanda, from door to door; they carry an apple, an orange,
a paper ship, a paper star and a green rod cut from a cornel-tree. They tap the family members on the back with the
rod for luck. The householders give them treats. On New Year’s day this continues, sometimes with customary acts
such as stoking the fire and sprinkling wheat in the yard.
In many parts of the world the New Year is greeted with a lot of noise, sometimes made by church bells. Originally this was to frighten away evil spirits that might try to sneak into the New Year and try to spoil it. People in the Northern Hemisphere sometimes lit bonfires for the same reason.
New Year is celebrated at different times according to various calendars, eg Jewish, Chinese, Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu.
We have records from 4,000 years ago in Babylon of resolutions, as part of their New Year festivities. Often these were made publicly. To make good any outstanding debts and return anything borrowed were the most common. Today to lose weight and give up smoking are the most common, followed by – making good any outstanding debts and returning borrowed goods.
The ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all had the tradition of parading the first babies born in the year. In the 14th century the custom of showing a baby with a banner of the New Year around it began, in Germany.
In Germany prowling demons & spirits of darkness must be routed this night by mummery & lots of noise. People used to dress in straw clothing with deerskin masks of animals & run through the streets, clanging & dragging chains (Birt?).
Mobile, Alabama: COWBELLION HERD ESCAPADE & REVEL honors Michael Krafft, who founded mystic society, “Cowbellion de Rakin” in 1830, first of all the mystic societies & crewes which stage the Mardigra’s extravaganza in Mobile & New Orleans.
Japan: NAMAHAGE. Men dressed as devils go door-to-door screaming,
Dec 31 St Silvester’s Eve
Austrians consider this a rauchnacht or smoke-night when all rooms and animals must be purified with the smoke of incense and holy water, a purification ritual.
In The Winter Solstice, Matthews describes another Austrian custom, involving a masked figure called the Sylvester (from the Latin sylvan, meaning “from the woods”), a sort of Green Man who hides in the corner at inns throughout Austria and leaps out when a young man or woman passes to give them a kiss. The Sylvester wears a wreath of mistletoe, perhaps an emblem of fertility which he bestows with the kisses. When midnight comes, he is driven out of the room as a representative of the old year.
Source: Matthews, John, The Winter Solstice, Quest 1998
Dec 31 Yemaya
Yemaya-Olokun, the Mother of the Sea, is honored on New Year’s Eve. In Brazil, people dress in white, go down to the ocean, light candles in the sand and throw white flowers into the waves for Yemaya. Alma Guillermoprieto, the author of Samba, asked an older woman how she should pray and the woman suggested she say something like this:
Yemanja, our Mother, please make [this year] a better year than [last year]. Not that [last year] was a bad year; don’t get me wrong; I received many benefits, many good things happened to me and I’m not complaining. But now, thinking over everything that’s happened, I would like to ask you for something from the bottom of my heart:: please bring me twice the amount of good things and take away half the number of bad. [p. 123]
Luisah Teish provides suggestions for a beautiful Yemaya ritual in her book Carnival of the Spirit, along with good ideas for a New Year’s ritual.
Guillermoprieto, Alma, Samba, Vintage 1990
Source: Teish, Luisah, Carnival of the Spirit:Seasonal Celebrations and Rites of Passage, Harper San Francisco 1994
Dec 31 Vesta
This day is set aside for honoring the Roman goddess of the hearth (see Hertha, Dec 21). As Hestia, the Greek goddess of the hearth, she was credited with the art of building houses (since every home was built around the sacred central fire).
Robert Graves speculates that the archaic white aniconic image of the Great Goddess found throughout the Eastern Mediterranean represents a heap of glowing charcoal, kept alive by a covering of white ash. It was tended by the woman of the house and was the center of family life and clan gatherings. He also mentions the Pythoness who induced trance by burning hemp, laurel and barley over an oil lamp in an enclosed space, and suggests that burning the same herbs over hot ashes would be just as effective for producing visions because of their narcotic fumes.
Source:Graves, Robert, The Greek Myths, Penguin 1955
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From: GrannyMoon’s Morning Feast Archives
Healing Arts and Pagan Studies ~ Candies Made For A Goddess
This recipe was written down in ancient Egypt, 1600 BC, and is one of the first recipes ever made!
INGREDIENTS:
Cup of fresh dates, teaspoon full of cinnamon, half teaspoon with cardamom
seed, half a cup of fresh walnuts, little bit of warm honey, dish full of fine ground almonds.
DIRECTIONS:
Mix the dates with some water to paste. Mix cinnamon and cardamom seed
through the paste. Knead the grinded walnuts through it. Roll these into
candy-sized balls. Spread the candies with honey and then dip these into
ground almonds. These candies are fit for a Goddess!
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From: GrannyMoon’s Morning Feast Archives
Healing Arts and Pagan Studies ~ For Luck In The New Year
Traditionally, it was thought that one could affect the luck they would
have throughout the coming year by what they did or ate on the first day
of the year. For that reason, it has become common for folks to
celebrate the first few minutes of a brand new year in the company of
family and friends. Parties often last into the middle of the night
after the ringing in of a new year. It was once believed that the first
visitor on New Year’s Day would bring either good luck or bad luck the
rest of the year. It was particularly lucky if that visitor happened to
be a tall dark-haired man.
Traditional New Year foods are also thought to bring luck. Many cultures
believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck, because it
symbolizes “coming full circle,” completing a year’s cycle. For that
reason, the Dutch believe that eating donuts on New Year’s Day will
bring good fortune. Many parts of the country celebrate the new year by
consuming black-eyed peas. These legumes are typically accompanied by
either hog jowls or ham. Cabbage is another “good luck” vegetable that
is consumed on New Year’s Day by many.
AULD LANG SYNE
The song, “Auld Lang Syne,” playing in the background, is sung at the
stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking country in the world
to bring in the new year. At least partially written by Robert Burns in
the 1700’s, it was first published in 1796 after Burns’ death. Early
variations of the song were sung prior to 1700 and inspired Burns to
produce the modern rendition. An old Scotch tune, “Auld Lang Syne”
literally means “old long ago,” or simply, “the good old days.”
Auld Lang Syne
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
And here’s a hand, my trusty friend
And gie’s a hand o’ thine
We’ll tak’ a cup o’ kindness yet
For auld lang syne
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From: GrannyMoon’s Morning Feast Archives
Healing Arts and Pagan Studies ~ Past-Life Spell for New Year’s Eve
Use the “in-between” time at midnight on New Year’s Eve to access images of your past lives.
You will need a small round mirror set up in a room of total darkness. Place a lighted blue-violet
candle behind the mirror.
Anoint your forehead (your third eye area) and your temples with a mixture of three drops lilac oil, one drop sandalwood oil,
and nine drops olive oil. Burn jasmine incense as you gaze into the mirror. Only the reflection of your candle-softened face should be visible.
Watch as the image changes to show who you were in a past life.
By: Edain McCoy
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From: GrannyMoon’s Morning Feast Archives
Healing Arts and Pagan Studies ~ Celebrating the New Year
The old year goes out – the new comes in. The days around New Year’s
Eve are a time for many to think back to the past year and to think
ahead what comes next year, and it is also the time to revive some
ancient traditions and superstitions that promise to bring good luck
in the New Year.
In many cultures fire (or fireworks) are an important part of the New
Year’s celebrations. “In the Iran, people are lighting bonfires to
signal to the angels (Forouhars) that they are ready to receive
them”, says Seyed. “Some people believe that jumping over the
bonfires will ‘clean’ them from the past – and bring good luck in the
new year”. Often spectacular display of fire – and loud sounds – are
supposed to drive out the bad spirits, who are said to be afraid of
these loud sounds. In other cultures, the flames and fire are symbols
of bringing light into the darkness. “The fire puts behind the
darkness, and you go with a light into the New Year”’ explains Ian,
from Scotland. “Others also think that the light symbolised a sacred
flame that will guide you in the new year”. In Scotland New Year
fires, torch light processions and fireball swinging are important
aspects of Hogomanay, the Scottish New Years celebrations.
But there is more to New Year than simply fire and flames: Many
cultures have traditional symbols and rituals that promise fortune
and prosperity for the New Year. In Spain, twelve “Uvas de la
Suerte” – or the Grapes of Luck – are eaten while the clock is
chiming in the New Year.
In Scotland the ancient tradition of “First Footing” is still very
much alive. It is believed, that when a “tall, dark stranger” comes
to your door at midnight, and brings you cake, coins or coal, then
the next year is going to be prosperous. “Today this is usually done
with friends, who come around to your house and bring little gifts –
and in return they are provided with a meal”, explains Ian.
Just as many church bells ring in the New Year in many Western
countries, Buddhist and Shinto temples traditionally ‘ring in’ the
New Year: With exactly 108 chimes – each symbolising one of the
108 evils that are believed to exist on Earth.
The Hindu New Year, Deepavali, (also known as Diwali) is another
celebration of the victory of light over darkness – with lamps being
lit in windows, ritual cleaning and colourful rice displays in front
of houses and doors.
The legendary Chinese New Year, lasting a full 15 days, is also
traditionally loaded with different customs, rituals and
superstitions. Traditionally the colour red is an important “lucky”
colour in Chinese, and if one sees something red first thing after
the new year has begun, then this is a sign of fortune and luck.
Also, many Chinese use red clothing as a symbol of fortune during
this time. “Red is regarded to bring luck all year round – it is a
vibrant and friendly colour. But of course it is especially important
during the New Year’s celebrations. Therefore we wrap small gifts,
symbolic coins and so forth in red paper and give them to our friends
and family members”, explains Catherine Wong.
A popular Chinese superstition is to open the windows and doors of
the house around midnight – so that the old year can leave the house –
and the new year can come in.
The Jewish New Year , Rosh Hashanah, is celebrated with the daily
sounding of the ‘shofar’, a trumpet like instrument. Traditional food
includes apples dipped in honey. ” They are symbols of a sweet new
year”, says Tracey from New York. “We also dip bread in honey – all
symbolizing the same thing”. In fact the New Year celebrations last a
full 10 days, and conclude with Yom Kippur, ten days after Rosh
Hashanah. The first 10 days of the New Year, known as Days of Awe,
are devoted as a time of reflection upon the last year, and planning
for the year ahead.
Although the “New Year” is not the same everywhere – as different
religions use different calendars, the change of the year is
important almost everywhere. And in most cultures the days around the
change of the year are celebrated following many old customs and
traditions.
Superstitions
Whatever you do on New Years Day you will do all year!
The New Year is not celebrated in England to the extent that it is in
Scotland and countries on the Continent. At one time, in the
Highlands, it was customary on “Hogmanay,” or New Year’s Eve, for a
young man to dress himself in cow-hide and, attended by youths who
carried sticks to which a piece of cow-hide was attached, to visit
the houses of the neighbourhood. Upon reaching a dwelling place he
would run round it three times while the others ran after him, making
a great noise and beating against the walls of the house. When they
were invited in, the leader would say, ” May God bless the house and
all that belongs to it, cattle, stones and timber! In plenty of meat,
of bed and body clothes, and health of men may it ever abound!”
This strange old custom is now modified into what is known as first-
footing, when people visit houses just after the clocks have struck
midnight, to wish their friends a happy New Year and to hand them
gifts, among which are red-herrings and coins for bringing good luck.
If a dark-haired man is the first person to cross the threshold of a
house after midnight on New Year’s Eve, much good luck will enter
with him. In order to ensure such a fortunate visitation, it is not
unusual for a member of the household, if he is dark, to go out and
come in again just after the hour of midnight.
Squint-eyed, flat-footed, or red-haired men bring bad luck If they
are “first-footers,” and so does a woman. But a man with a high
instep, or one who comes on a horse, is considered particularly
lucky. Just as the clock strikes twelve the head of the house should
open the door in order to allow the Old Year to pass out and the New
Year to come in.
Clocks should be wound up immediately the New Year begins in order to
endow the house with good fortune, while all daily cleaning and
dusting should be completed early in the day of December 31 in order
to avoid the danger of sweeping good luck from the house.
On New Year’s Day if, on rising, a girl should look out of her
bedroom window and see a man passing by, she may reckon to be married
before the year is finished.
Children born on New Year’s Day bring great fortune and prosperity to
all the household.
To dance in the open air, especially round a tree, on New Year’s Day
is declared to ensure luck in love and prosperity and freedom from
ill health during the coming twelve months.
Eating ham or pork of any kind on New Years day…You’ll be living
off the fat of the land all year.
On New Years day, the gender of the visitors into the home would
determine whether the Spring chicken hatching was roosters or
pullets. Female visitors meant pullets and male visitors meant
roosters would be born. If the company was mixed, say 1 male and 2
females the greater percentage of chickens hatched would be pullets.
)0(
From: GrannyMoon’s Morning Feast Archives
Healing Arts and Pagan Studies ~ A Tip For New Year’s Eve.
Try diffusing Basil before going out in the evening. This is especially good when you’ve been
working all day and need to get up enough energy to go out. Basil’s energizing effects will give you the
boost you need. Enjoy!
From: GrannyMoon’s Morning Feast Archives
New Years Rituals
These rituals are to be performed on New Year’s Eve before the stroke of midnight….
*Place a dollar bill under a loaf of bread so you will have food all year long.
*Place a dollar bill under the New Year Calendar so you will have money all year long.
*Place coins in your pockets so you will have change for the New Year.
(some say this is to have money all year long.)
*At the stroke of midnight, open all doors, windows and cabinets to let out the
old and let in the new and allow good luck to flow through the home.
(You can use a window if you do not have a back door to open.)
*Wear polka dots on New Year Eve to draw money to yourself. Those
wearing polka dots will be entering the New Year wealthy since the dots
are taking place of the money that is to come.
*At the stroke of midnight, eat a grape for each stroke of the clock
(12- one for each month of the year) for good luck the whole year through.
These rituals are to be performed New Year’s Day….
Eating anything in the shape of a ring is good luck as it symbolizes coming
full circle. Eating a donut on New Year’s Day is considered good luck.
For dinner, prepare:
Black eyed peas for luck, place a dime in the pot as it cooks for good luck.
Collard greens or cabbage for money, bake a batch of corn bread and
place a penny in the batter for good luck. The person who gets the slice
with the penny will have extra good luck all year long.
In some cultures, it is good luck to eat rice.
Eat ham or pork on New Year’s Day for prosperity.
Above all else, remember….. WHAT YOU DO NEW YEAR’S DAY…YOU WILL DO ALL YEAR LONG!
From Starrwalk
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From: GrannyMoon’s Morning Feast Archives
The Goddess Companion
In the world’s great market
sits a mother, flying a kite.
A hundred thousand kites
fly in the air above her.
She has covered her kite-string
with fine powdered glass.
It cuts the string of another kite.
Then, as that kite soars upwards
into free infinity, the mother laughs.
How she laughs! How she
claps her charmed hands!
~Indian Devotional Song To Kali
Everything must end. It should be possible to find as much joy in endings as there
is in beginnings. Yet we cling to the present, and resist acknowledging when it is time
to move on.
Each year we are given a small opportunity to learn to release the past. Each year ends,
moving into our memories. On New Year’s Eve, we think about starting the new year. But
we are also ending the old one. It is a good time to examine our lives, seeking to discover
what we cling to that needs to be released. That release can bring joy. We only have to open
our hands, and let it drift away – the relationship, the ambition, the craving, the addiction.
Whether it was once good or not, whether it was something we had held for a long time or a
short time, we need to let it go. And as we do so, we can laugh in the freedom that follows.
)0(
By Patricia Monaghan ~ From “The Goddess Companion” and GrannyMoon’s Morning Feast Archives
GrannyMoon is Founder and Mother High Priestess of GoddessSchool, Sisters of the Burning Branch, dedicated to the Feminine Divine, which is celebrating it’s 14th year! Former staff member and student of the Esoteric Theological Seminary, LDS Seminary and is an ordained Metaphysical Interfaith minister with doctoral degrees in Theology and Divinity. Doula, Reiki Master and Lifetime Member of Herbal Healer Academy, Inc. Former VA State Representative A.R.E.N. (Alternative Religions Educational Network.) We offer an on-line and off-line community for women, including workshops and retreats.
Offering High Priestess Training and Community, Healing Arts and Pagan Studies to all seekers.
Join our Order of the Black Hat, just for fun, we meet once a month!
Call on us, when you need a safe place, when you need caring and soothing from the world!
About The Morning Feast and Goddessschool.com – The teachings here are based on ordinary magick, the principle that the mundane and the Divine are not separate, but peacefully coexist in all things. Know Mother Earth as the ultimate healer, and learn to utilize her gifts of nature. Inside each woman is a being of wisdom, deeply connected to the phases of the moon and the tides of the sea. All we need to do is trust our innate wisdom.
————————————————————————————————————————
DISCLAIMER: Submitted In The Spirit of Fair Use! This is how we weave our web, what if witches had never shared their knowledge … where would we be? Right back where we started from…in the broom closet!!! Please do consider checking out the sources and products mentioned here and purchasing them. Either through the Morning Feast (that is really appreciated), through their website and/or directly from the author! I do not claim to have made any of the graphics or written the articles that I send to this list. They come from a wide variety of sources and submissions. Any infringement of said copyright is non-intentional and will be rectified upon notice and proof of ownership. Please feel free to share this work in it’s entirety…but please do give credit where credit is due and link back to the author (if available) and to GrannyMoon’s Morning Feast!
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Thank you!
A Warm Hug for You!
Hugging is good medicine. It transfers energy,
and gives the person hugged an emotional boost.
You need four hugs a day for survival, eight for maintenance, and twelve for growth.
A hug makes you feel good.
The skin is the largest organ we have and it needs a great deal of care.
A hug can cover a lot of skin and gives the message that you care.
It is also a form of communication.
It can say things you don’t have words for.
The nicest thing about a hug is that you usually can’t give one without getting one.
Need a hug? Or know someone that does? E-mail me at”
Put “Hugs” in the Subject line!
Every Day is Earth Day! Love Your Mother!
“We all come from the Goddess
And to Her we shall return
Like a drop of rain, going to the ocean”
If you receive the Feast under any other name please contact grannymoon@goddessschool.com immediately!
Thank You!
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“We all come from the Goddess
And to Her we shall return
Like a drop of rain, going to the ocean”
Goddess Blessings!
Live Well – Laugh Often – Love Much
/\__/\
(=’:’=)
»o«
(“)_(“)
Have a GREAT DAY!
GrannyMoon
High Priestess Training
Healing Arts and Pagan Studies
“May the circle be open, but unbroken,
May the love of the Goddess be ever in your heart.
Merry Meet and Merry Part
And Merry Meet Again!”
GrannyMoon's Morning Feast 