Llewellyn's 2012 Witches' Companion

by Llewellyn

  Jenett Silver is priestess of a small coven in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A librarian and general geek, she’s also deeply familiar with the challenges of competing demands, chronic health issues that can’t be ignored, and all the other things that go into a complex life. You can find more of her writing on the web on her blog at http://gleewood.org/threshold.

  Illustrator: Bri Hermanson

  Starting a New Moon Group

  Gail Wood

  In ancient times, the Hebrew tribes waited patiently on hilltops for darkness to change. Once the new moon showed her first tiny sliver of light, they lit signal fires, sounded trumpets and ran to the villages telling all that the light of the moon had returned. In observance of this new moon, women were exempted from work and household responsibilities. This is a minor Jewish holiday called Rosh Chodesh, meaning “head of the month.”

  The velvety dark sky shimmers

  And opens its arms

  To welcome Her

  A tiny sliver of light.

  Sharp, silver crescent

  Herald of beginnings

  Emerging from darkness.

  New moon, bright moon.

  Inspire, renew, and delight.

  Hail and welcome!

  Today, Judaism follows a lunar calendar and the beginning of the month is announced in observances and synagogues. Women formed Rosh Chodesh groups and gathered together during the Rosh Chodesh. These groups had many purposes, including to study and learn. Many of these groups focus on Shekinah (the feminine force of God) and the role of womanhood in religious and contemporary life. These groups had a great resurgence in the 1970s and many still exist today. Each group is different and individual. One group’s older women may guide the younger women in discovery on various topics such as sexuality, body issues, and spiritual topics. Other groups may gather to share their lives and pursue topics of interest and projects.

  From ancient times to the present, from ancient Hebrew tradition to modern Pagan womanhood, the new moon is celebrated as a time to start new things, learn new things, and begin the cycle of life anew. In a busy world, a new moon group can provide women with a space of time to share their lives and explore new things. It’s a wonderful time to bring old issues to a close and to open the door to new opportunities.

  Starting a group and maintaining its momentum takes some planning and a time commitment; with that commitment come great rewards in sisterhood, community, and a deep understanding of Spirit. Every good, sustainable plan starts with an idea, a spark of inspiration, followed by ongoing commitment and adaptability. What follows are some ideas and advice on starting and sustaining a new moon group. There is only one unchanging rule: it should be fun and it should matter to you.

  The Idea

  Inspired by the new moon, you begin with a fresh idea to start a group, to gather together when the moon is new. Begin by thinking about your purpose. Is it to learn, to create sisterhood, or to deepen your understanding of spiritual things? It could be all of these or some other reason. Having a clear, mutual understanding of your purpose helps keep the group centered and focused when the weather gets bad, when life intervenes, and when the group goes through its growing pains. My advice is to stay clear and focused, to start small, and to be practical and flexible.

  You might want to establish a name for your group. A name can be very simple such as The New Moon Group or another name rooted in your mutual vision or idea. A name helps to develop the group mind. A local group in my area is named the Merry Elementals. Their commitment is to learn together, honor the elemental energy, and not take themselves too seriously. Their gatherings and their group mind reflect their deep understanding of air, water, earth, fire, and spirit and they are, indeed, merry. They laugh a lot and through their commitment, they are present for each other in good times and in bad times.

  Making the Commitment and Establishing a Calendar

  Once your idea and vision burn clear and bright, make a commitment to keep the group going for an established time period. It can be a quarter, a year-and-a-day in the tradition of the witches of old, or some other time period. As part of your commitment, you will want to establish meeting times and develop a calendar of meetings dates. New moon dates can be a challenge since the calendar of dates in our daily lives is a solar calendar. The new moon moves to different days of the week. I was in a new moon group that wanted to meet exactly on the night of the new moon each month. The date became sort of a floating holiday decided by the hostess. It became too great a challenge for five busy women to be available every new moon. The group finally faded away because there was never enough notice and the date floated too freely. It wasn’t practical. A more successful group has been one that chose a specific day of the week and then gathered on that day closest to the moon phase. It’s easier to count on having a meeting on the Friday nearest the new moon than on the actual new moon date.

  Attendance and Rules

  For most of us, rules remind us of our work-a-day world, and one of the things we want to do in our group is be set apart from those kinds of details. Often, rules and guidelines can involve punishment and reward. But it doesn’t have to be like that. We can shift our attitude to look at taking care of this kind of detail as establishing a framework for all the wonderful discoveries our group is going to make. Once in place, the framework can take care of itself with some maintenance from time to time. This kind of framework can give the group member a safe harbor to explore who they are and discover more about themselves and the magical world of the moon.

  As part of the commitment to the group, you may wish to establish guidelines for attendance. This is all a matter of personal choice and part of the vision. For instance, if you want some consistency, you may need to have a core number of people who attend all or most of the time. As the leader of a group, I made a commitment to establish the calendar and attend every meeting. I did begin to develop a back-up plan in case I ever needed to be elsewhere and could not attend. One of my proudest moments occurred when I had to be out of town for a family illness and a major ritual was to happen at the same time. Our back-up plans went into place and the ritual and meeting occurred; it was fabulous. I was able to be there in spirit while I was physically where I most needed to be.

  There are other rules you may wish to establish. The most effective ones are those that are made together, a sort of agreement developed around your core purpose. Guidelines for confidentiality, inviting guests, communication, various courtesies, tardiness, time, and expenses are all issues groups end up grappling with. How is leadership handled and how are decisions made? Are there areas that are considered “no trespassing?” Are those kinds of taboos acceptable? Be sure to allow time for chatter, follow-up, and check-in, and allow for people to slough off the cares of their day.

  It’s human nature to establish some rules and guidelines and then forget to update them as things evolve. Pick a time, perhaps at the beginning of the year or the birthday of your group, to go over your guidelines. That keeps your understanding and awareness of the process fresh and clear. This also builds in an ongoing and healthy attitude of adaptation and informal evaluation.

  To make gatherings meaningful so that you and others look forward to meetings requires a little bit of thought. Keep what you explore simple and personal. There’s no need to create a book-sized handout for each meeting and deliver a lecture worthy of Sister Mary Margaret from your schooldays. Something interesting that is well presented, explored, discussed, and learned will keep people coming back and will keep you engaged and empowered.

  Gatherings: Ritual Aspects

  Now comes the fun part—planning and having your new moon group meet. Some of the nicest groups I’ve attended were friendly and casual with very little ritual formalities. That doesn’t mean that rituals are absent, it means the ritual elements are less ceremonial. Attention to spirit in whatever form is chosen becomes part o
f the heartbeat of the group. In one group, the women had a very nice large candle in a beautiful holder. They lit it, chanting the same words every time. At the end of their gathering, they extinguished it while chanting a parting sentiment. The candle and its holder traveled home with the hostess of the next gathering. Their meetings consisted of a lesson or a craft, a lot of laughter, and really good food.

  Keep what you explore simple and personal. There’s no need to create a book-sized handout for each meeting and deliver a lecture.

  Food is an important part of spiritual gatherings. I have wonderful memories of some incredible church suppers. Covered dish, dish-to-pass, and potluck are regional terms for a gathering where people bring food! It’s an amazing way to establish community, share stories and history, and make new stories—all created through our food and unique recipes!

  Food is important to women and women’s groups. Most of us in this media-saturated world have grown up with a complex relationship with both our body and food. I think men look at food in a completely different way than women; for the most part, they see it as a pleasure and as a necessity. For women, food is much more complicated. Food can be both positive and negative. In its negative form, food can be a weapon or a punishment; in the positive state, the food we prepare is our way of nurturing—it’s a gift and expression of love and healing to those we love. Food can be a comfort and a friend when times are sad and difficult. Food is communion, a way to establish and maintain community, a way to communicate, and sometimes an avenue to the difficult stories and confessions about body and family issues. Food is nurturing, food is communication, and food can be an expression of love. Still, food can also be extremely negative. So in spiritual groups, we walk a fine line with food. Be sensitive to the needs of your members when it comes to food and drink.

  However, many times, food is just food. With your group, make a commitment to regard food as a delight and a gift. As the Charge of the Goddess tells us, “all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals.” Seek to make food for your sisters as a generous portion of delicious, delightful tastes and satisfaction of appetites. Make a promise to yourself to enjoy the food at your gatherings. Food is also symbolic of the bounty of the green earth, the generosity of Mother Earth.

  What to Explore?

  It’s always a challenge to find and implement ideas for a group meeting. Having a cache of ideas to delve into can help keep the inspiration fresh and the ideas flowing. When I was teaching, other teachers and I used to joke that we only needed to keep “one chapter ahead.” While that seems ill-prepared, it isn’t really. Being prepared and ready ahead of time alleviates the stress of last-minute preparation and the fear that your muse of inspiration might desert you. I always keep a handy list of topics and themes I want to explore. As leader, I feel I learn as much as (or more than) anyone else in the group.

  Since this is a new moon group and the moon is sacred to so many goddesses, consider having a Goddess of the Month to learn about or to be a “sponsor.” For one year, I had a Divine Sponsor for our meeting each month. I wrote a charge of the goddess or god as part of what I called, “and now a word from our sponsors.” You can approach this in a variety of ways, including a lesson, having each member reflect on what that goddess means to them, or sharing objects and food sacred to her. Every culture in the world has moon goddesses. Diana was the maiden goddess of the crescent moon to the Romans, as was Artemis to the Greeks. In Egypt, Bast, Isis, Hagar, and Nephtys were all goddesses of the moon. There’s seven right there!

  The moon in all phases is a celestial body prominent in astrological thinking. Each month, you can learn more about the zodiac signs and your relationship to them. Strive to go deeper than the just the facts of dates, elements, associations, and qualities to make the understanding personal. You might want to key the topic to what sign the new moon is in. Here are some possible themes for the astrological year of new moon groups:

  Aries is a cardinal fire sign. It is action-oriented and responds quickly and with determination. Aries is the spark of inspiration.

  Taurus is a fixed earth sign. It is loyal, steadfast, and practical. Taurus can endure much and manifests dreams and desires.

  Gemini is a mutable air sign. It is intellect and thinking, and it craves variety. Gemini is communication and mental effort.

  Cancer is a cardinal water sign. It is nurturing, home-making, and nest-building. Cancer is sensitive, caring, and intuitive.

  Leo is a fixed fire sign. It is romantic, affectionate, and confident. Leo is entertaining, in-charge, and ambitious.

  Virgo is a mutable earth sign. It is analytical, organized, and craves perfection. Virgo is thorough, reliable, and cautious.

  Libra is a cardinal air sign. It is companionable, with a strong sense of fair play. Libra seeks justice, sees both sides, and is social.

  Scorpio is a fixed water sign. It seeks to unravel mysteries and has strong will and intense drives. Scorpio is intense and resourceful.

  Sagittarius is a mutable fire sign. It is optimistic and easygoing and loves freedom. Sagittarius is humorous, philosophical, and spiritual.

  Capricorn is a cardinal earth sign. It is organized, practical, and hard working. Capricorn is methodical, loyal, and self-disciplined.

  Aquarius is a fixed air sign. It is independent, eccentric, and helpful. Aquarius sees the big picture.

  Pisces is a mutable water sign. It is imaginative, dreamy, and artistic. Pisces is sensitive and psychic.

  Our Western astrological system is based on a solar calendar, but it is also not the only astrological system out there. The thirteen-month Celtic Lunar calendar is based on trees and has animals and qualities assigned to them. The months are Birch, Rowan, Ash, Alder, Willow, Hawthorn, Oak, Holly, Hazel, Vine, Ivy, Reed, and Elder. The Chinese zodiac is based on animals and provides a number of qualities to explore each month. The twelve animals are rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and boar (pig).

  Divination systems also provide a rich resource of learning and exploration. Tarot, runes, I-Ching, pendulums, and divination of ordinary objects are all resources for your group. The possibilities are endless!

  All of these systems have many ancient and contemporary ideas associated with them. They can provide you and your group with a rich well of ideas. You can take these themes as a springboard for your gathering. Remember that these are just suggestions, part of your tool kit for creating a great monthly group meeting.

  How to Explore Your Themes

  Once you have a sense of the topic or topics you want to pursue, how do you pursue it? How do you make it meaningful and helpful to everyone in the group? Be sure to take in your sisters’ thoughts and find out what they are yearning for. Draw on their expertise. Perhaps one is a wonderful singer; another might be a healer, a dancer, or writer. Or perhaps they need to be encouraged to think of themselves as knowledgeable women of power and talent. Sometimes it’s all in feeling comfortable or safe in exploring a new side of yourself.

  There are a number of ways to explore topics, and sometimes your themes might even help you find a way to explore. In one group, we all created our own individual rune system using symbols from our respective lives and our mutual group mind. To me, that was a much more effective way of understanding runes than using a manufactured set of runes. Another time, we meditated on what we knew of the Tarot and created a card that would represent ourselves.

  Another approach is to explore different meditation techniques in relationship to the theme. Perhaps breath meditation during a meeting exploring air or an air sign, shamanic drumming and power allies during a meeting exploring the Chinese zodiac, or time spent creating chants, writing, or dancing. There are lots of possibilities.

  While all of this is fun and meant to be fun, many of the revelations can be intense, sad, or even heart-breaking. By building in soli
d techniques for grounding, checking in, and releasing these energies, you can make sure that the intensity doesn’t become disastrous. Sometimes it’s as simple as providing a tissue; other times, it’s being there with a listening ear, a grounding meditation, or a shoulder to cry on.

  A long time ago, I was part of a religious study group. After each lesson, we each came up with an application, something the lesson brought to the foreground that we would carry with us and use in the world. It could be very simple. One of mine was based on the preciousness of water, and my application was to turn off the water as I brushed my teeth. It honored the earth, the gods, and me. Developing an application from the lesson became a transformative way to make sure we didn’t just forget information from meeting to meeting—a way to remember that the lessons we learned were meaningful and would change our lives. Encouraging people to think in this way can be as simple as asking what their application of the lesson might be. During the next meeting’s check-in session, follow up on those applications.

  A new moon group will ebb and flow just as the moon herself does. At some time you may need to end the group or change its form. Remember: the moon calls the waves to rise and fall in rhythm with her wisdom. Seek the joy of her love and reflect it in your own sense of fun and belonging.

  Gail Wood has been sewing and embroidering since the second grade. She comes from a long line of practical women who sewed, quilted, and knitted as an expression of love and a way to stretch the budget. She has been a priestess of Wicca for more than 25 years. She can be reached at darkmoonwitch@earthlink.net or through her website at www.rowdygoddess.com.

  Illustrator: Kathleen Edwards

  The Art of Magickal

  Care Packages

  Blake Octavian Blair

  We live in a time when we have the ability to send communication at the touch of a finger through technology such as email and text message. But sometimes a bit more personal and tangible touch is called for. We like to know that others are thinking of us not only in times of need, but also just because they care. This is why sending magickal care packages can be such a joy and a great form of reaching out to foster and strengthen a sense of community, both locally and beyond.