Llewellyn's 2012 Witches' Companion

by Llewellyn

  Volun-Tourism International. “Supply Chain: Brilliant Voices, Brilliant Volun-Tourism!” http://www.voluntourism.org/news-supplychain23.htm.

  Rev. Denise Dumars, M. A., is a college English instructor and writer who lives in L.A.’s beautiful South Bay. She holds seasonal rituals with her Fellowship of Isis group, the Iseum of Isis Paedusis, and participates in many Southern California Pagan events. She is currently working on a new nonfiction book and a novel.

  Illustrator: Christa Marquez

  Making Space Sacred

  Jhenah Telyndru

  In the ancient past, our ancestors may have looked with reverent awe out over the primeval landscape and saw the essence of divinity in all things. From the gentle murmur of a life-sustaining spring to the awful destructive energies at work in a hurricane gale, the often-capricious nature of Otherworldly forces revealed themselves in the very fabric of the world. Perhaps these ancestors began leaving offerings of food or intentionally created items in places where these energies were felt to be most powerful—especially beautiful vistas, strangely shaped stones, or deep foreboding cave mouths that filled them with an unnamable dread. These offerings may have been tokens of thanks for a bounty of food, a successful childbirth, or for surviving another winter. Or perhaps gifts were presented in hopes of keeping malevolent forces at bay, to ensure a positive outcome in the hunt, or to secure rest for the spirits of the departed.

  In time, as civilization developed and humanity settled in cities and forged grand empires, people’s reverence for the gods and ancestors grew as well. Our forbearers erected megalithic monuments, constructed elaborate temple complexes, and dedicated shrines so sacred that only those who had been ritually prepared could set foot within their boundaries. As before, these places of veneration were built at sites deemed somehow sacred or set apart from the mundane world. Something about them was connected to the realms of the spirit, making it easier for our ancestors to communicate with the Otherworld, both to send their requests and supplications, as well as to receive the will and guidance of the Divine. In many societies, the rites of worship and the need for Divine intervention were so central that nothing could be done without first consulting the oracle of the gods or making a sacrificial offering in hopes that they could win the gods’ favor.

  These same beliefs and practices played out on a smaller scale as well, where individual households and groups of homesteads dedicated their own sacred spaces, whether at central clan places where seasonal gatherings and regional celebrations could be held, or at an individual’s hearthside where tribal and personal ancestors could be supplicated and local gods honored. Over space and time, the divinities and spirits being honored at these large communal centers or personal household shrines have changed name and form, often birthing multi-layered traditions whose ancient roots have become completely absorbed into new belief systems. What remains the same, however, is the continued human need to set aside a special place for prayer, contemplation, and worship.

  While the grand cathedrals, temples, and mosques of the world speak volumes about the devotion and collective histories of millions of people across the planet, it is the elegant simplicity of the garden temple and the fireside shrine that is the powerful practice of many Pagans today. As varied in form and purpose as the people who built them, these personal altars and reflections on what makes a space sacred are powerful to contemplate. Is it the bringing together of beautiful and meaningful objects to create an energetic mood? Is it the reverent adornment of an already special outdoor space, acknowledging its spiritual essence and connection to the Divine? Or is it the reflection of what each person does in the space that imbues it with a sense of the sacred—an external manifestation of the seeker’s process of unfolding, of discovering their own sacred nature, their own inherent holiness, their own sovereign connection to the Divine?

  What follows are some ideas and practices I have found useful in creating sacred space for use in ritual, to support clarity and growth in my own home, and to sanctify the very temple of my body. It is my hope that these will serve as inspiration for your own creative expression of the Divine in your own life, and that these will be powerful companions that bless and sustain you as you journey through your own process of transformation, serving as reminder of your own sacred center and the Old Ones who light the altar fire within us all.

  It is the elegant simplicity of the garden temple and the fireside shrine that is the powerful practice of many Pagans today.

  Flowing with Holy Waters

  From the grand European matrons made of stone and marble found in piazzas and formal estates to their simple and elegant bamboo sisters burbling in Zen gardens, fountains have engaged the imaginations of people across time and around the world. I have always been enchanted by the magic of fountains. How wonderful it was for me when they started producing tabletop fountains for the home!

  Aside from their visual beauty and calming sounds of running water, I have found fountains to be a powerful tool for setting the energy of my home. Chosen for their specific properties, I love to position stones and crystals under the flow of the water; this cleanses and charges the stones while also releasing their vibrational signatures into the area. Similarly, adding a few drops of Chalice Well water or one of my homemade Goddess Elixirs to the fountain circulates those energies around the home, supporting my personal work and adding a sacred influence to my living space.

  One important elemental characteristic of water is its ability to hold and magnify whatever intention you bring to it. This makes water a potent ally in your spiritual work, especially when it comes to setting an energetic tone where you live and work. Instead of a fountain, you can charge a bowl of water with a quality you want to bring into your space—perhaps supporting this intention with similarly toned stone, elixir, or essential oil placed in the bowl—and allow it to gently diffuse into the area as the water evaporates. This is a simple way to bring a touch of the sacred to your surroundings, to reinforce your spiritual work, and to empower yourself to be surrounded by positive energies of your own choosing.

  Igniting the Sacred Center

  Whether it’s the central fire pits of the wattle and daub roundhouses of the British Celts or the Eternal Flame that burned in the marble columned austerity of the circular Temple of Vesta in ancient Rome, the power of the hearth has always been at the heart of the human experience. More than a place of warmth, light, and sustenance, the flicker of the hearth fire is a place for families to gather, for stories to be shared, and for collective traditions and memories to be perpetuated.

  When purchasing our first house, a fireplace was on my list of must-haves, and it quickly became central to our family life. My spinning wheel sits on the extra-large hearth, which my children have used as a stage for their impromptu performances and as a platform for their drumming sessions. A two-foot-high statue of the Goddess graces the wooden mantle, a comforting reminder of Her overseeing presence. An offering plate and a bowl where I place my healing requests sit on either side of the statue, which at night is illuminated by pure white pillar candles. I enjoy decorating the mantle with seasonal symbols collected from nature, creating a dynamic and ever-evolving representation of the cycle of the year.

  Even if you do not have a fireplace, it can be empowering to choose a place in your home that will hold the energies of the Sacred Center. Perhaps you can use a small side table as a house altar, or set aside a book shelf for symbols and objects that remind you of your life’s big picture or that hold the energy of the whole and holy you. The flicker of a consciously chosen candle flame can serve as a proxy for a central hearth fire, while still reflecting the illumination of your spirit’s core—bright and warm in its constant connection with the loving energies of the Divine.

  Honoring the Great Cycle

  Leaving offerings in sacred places is a tradition rooted in the practice of ritual sacrifice. Where o
nce our ancestors made sacrifices to the gods and spirits to ensure a good harvest or to gain Otherworldly protection, today we seek assistance in reaping the bounty of our soul’s potential. Taking time to express gratitude to those who support us in our work and witness us in our process—both in this world and in the Otherworld—is an acknowledgement of the greater tapestry of our lives. This balances the give and take of spiritual energies and is a powerful reflection of our soul’s growth.

  Over the years, I have had the honor and privilege to stand with sisters in sacred space in many different settings—in ancient landscapes, on moonlit beaches, in backyard pavilions, and in lovingly prepared living rooms. One of my favorite ritual sites was a wild apple grove in the middle of a nature preserve. The trees formed a natural circle, and it was incredible to celebrate the Cycle of the Year surrounded by the arms of their changing branches. We left a small ceramic bowl in a niche formed by their wonderfully gnarled roots; each month we would offer the grove the contents of the bowl as thanks for their support in our work.

  It was beautiful to see what the elements would offer up: rainwater, most months, sometimes festooned with delicate white and pink blossoms; other times a brown leaf or two would float on its surface. In the drier summer months, the bowl became hidden in the overgrowth of the forest floor, and in the fall, we often had to clear the fallen apples away in order to even find the bowl. It was lovely to pass the bowl around and bless its contents, adding our energy to what nature had already provided. Although we brought libations of wine and cider to share with the area each month, there was something especially fitting in reflecting the blessings of nature back upon itself.

  Harnessing the Blessings of Air

  I love the sound of chimes playing in the wind, and (much to my neighbors’ chagrin at times) I have a small orchestra’s worth pealing their song into the night. These chimes make more than beautiful music, however. There is an ancient Celtic tradition of tying prayer ribbons to trees in sacred groves or around holy wells. People would infuse the scraps of cloth with their hopes and needs, and leave them for the wind to carry their intentions to the gods and Spirits of the Land.

  Inspired by this, I charge my wind chimes twice a year—at the portal times of Calan Gaeaf/Samhain and Calan Mai/Beltane—with the vision of what I hope to manifest during the Dark and Light Halves of the year. The tubular metal bells of the chimes hold the energy nicely, and when they ring I feel the vibration of each note sending out my intentions into the Universe. Also, their music serves as a constant reminder of my work, and each time I hear them I am reminded of the sacred nature of the daily journey and the ways in which creation conspires to help us.

  These energies of transformation call us to rise to the challenge of our personal unfolding and release our intentions for change into the world. As we look within our souls seeking self-understanding during the Dark Half, so now we must initiate action to achieve self-fulfillment during the Light Half of the cycle. Setting up our personal space in support of these changes serves to remind us daily that every time we act, the Universe responds in kind. Every ripple we initiate in the pond of our lives expands ever-outward, challenging the boundaries of who we are and opening new spaces for who we can become.

  Sanctifying the Temple of the Body

  Of all the spaces that surround us, of all the blessings we send out into the world, of all the things we honor and consider sacred, it is often our own bodies that are most in need of honor and celebration. Considered by many to be the vehicle through which our soul experiences the physical world, our bodies are indeed worthy of recognition as the spiritual temples they are. Too frequently we focus on our perceived physical imperfections, forget the miracle of the body’s ability to heal itself when we are ailing, or take for granted the fragile balance our bodies need to sustain us, instead choosing to abuse ourselves with excess, deprive ourselves of adequate sleep or nourishing food, and engage in other physically and psychologically damaging behaviors.

  For women especially, how we carry ourselves and think about our body is incredibly emotionally charged. We are constantly being bombarded with messages telling us how we are supposed to look and what we are supposed to wear. Women’s bodies have been objectified by a culture that has also programmed us to believe they are objects of sin and shame. Reclaiming the sacred nature of our physical form is a service both to our selves and to our sisters—it is a rejection of the old paradigm and a reframing of how women think about themselves on their own terms.

  There is a Hermetic Axiom that states: “As above, so below. As within, so without.” Our treatment and reverence for our body both reflects upon, and is a reflection of, the spirit that dwells within. How can you bring a sense of the sacred to your physical self? Perhaps you can incorporate a daily routine of self-anointing with oils you have blessed for this purpose and choose to consciously eat wholesome foods to power your body-temple. Indulge in sacred spa days and pamper yourself with a luxurious bath scented with herbs and flowers that stimulate the essence of the Divine within. Wear colors and styles that reflect your personality and make you feel beautiful, rather than feeling like a slave to the trends of fashion. Adorn yourself with stones and symbolic jewelry that serve as reminders of your holy nature. And, perhaps most importantly, support other women in cultivating a sense of the self as sacred: discourage self-deprecating remarks, do not engage in disempowering body behaviors, and praise your sisters and brothers as the beautiful and perfect beings they are.

  While it’s useful and beneficial to create a physical sacred space, such as a hearth or garden, creating sacred space within yourself may be the best thing you can do for your spirit.

  Jhenah Telyndru has been blessed to walk a Goddess path for more than two decades. She is the founder and Morgen of the Sisterhood of Avalon and serves as Director of the Avalonian Thealogical Seminary. Jhenah is the author of Avalon Within: A Sacred Journey of Myth, Mystery, and Inner Wisdom (Llewellyn) and creator of a unique Avalonian Posture System, demonstrated on the instructional DVD Trancing the Inner Landscape: Avalonian Landscape Postures. She presents Avalonian intensives and workshops across the United States and facilitates pilgrimages to sacred sites in the British Isles. Jhenah is a postgraduate student at the University of Wales, Lampeter, where she is earning a master’s degree in Celtic studies. Visit her online at www.ynysafallon.com.

  Illustrator: Bri Hermanson

  [contents]

  The Lunar Calendar

  September 2011 to December 2012

  august 22–september 22

  virgo

  This year’s Witches’ Companion calendar section focuses on activism: ways you can get involved in your community. Making a change in the world can seem like a daunting task, so here we focus on one topic each month, either in your home or in your community. We hope you’ll find the cause that resonates with you, so that you can be the change you want to see in the world! —Nicole Edman, editor

  This year marks the twentieth year of September being Organic Harvest Month, as announced by the Organic Trade Association (OTA). Organics are a hot topic in the food world today, especially with the growing popularity of writers like Michael Pollen and Barbara Kingsolver. While the actual nutritional value of organic food is yet to be decisively proved, the environmental advantage can’t be ignored: organic production systems replenish and maintain soil fertility, eliminate toxic and persistent chemical pesticides and fertilizers, and build biologically diverse agriculture.

  Some people are put off from buying organic produce by higher prices in the supermarket, but the growing farmers’ market trade may provide a cheaper source of organic goods: it’s estimated that 40–60 percent of farmers at such markets operate organically.

  How to get involved

  The easiest way is the simplest: buy organic produce. To ease the transition, replace just one item per shopping trip with its organic equiva
lent. You could also look into Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms in your area; eating organic produce is convenient when a boxful is delivered to you each week. Visit www.OTA.com/organic_and_ you/15ways.html for more ways to get involved in Organic Harvest Month. Happy eating!

  New and Full Moon dates are shown in Eastern Time. You must adjust the time (and date) for your time zone.

  september 22–october 22

  libra

  I remember diving into the world of Huckleberry Finn as a fourth grader (ambitious, yes), but it turns out I may owe those hours of enjoyment to a stubborn library staff: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was the fifth most frequently challenged book of the 1990s.

  Banned Books Week has been celebrated during this time of year since 1982. According to the American Library Association, Banned Books Week “highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of book across the United States.”

  Books are challenged or targeted for banning from parents or other groups for numerous reasons: sexually explicit content, offensive language, material unsuited to age group, violence, homosexuality, anti-family messages, and religious viewpoints are among the most popular. Nearly 70 percent of challenges take place in classrooms or school libraries, with another 24 percent in public libraries. Censorship is a scary slippery slope, and the Supreme Court has upheld the free expression of ideas time and time again. The Library Bill of Rights states that only parents have the right (and responsibility) to restrict a child’s access to library resources. To let the library staff do so would be a violation of the First Amendment.