 WORDS TO THE WISE ....

     O daughters and sons of the Earth, adore the Goddess and God and be
     blessed with the fullness of life. Know that They have brought you
     to these writings, for herein lie our ways of the Craft, to serve
     and fulfill the keepers of wisdom, the tenders of the sacred flame
     of knowledge.  Run the rites with love and joy, and the Goddess and
     God will bless you with all thet you need.  But those who practise
     dark magicks shall know Their greatest wrath. Remember that you are
     of the Craft.  No more do you trod the ways of doubt.  You walk the
     path of light, ever climbing from shadow to shadow to the highest
     realm of existence.  But though we're the bearers of truths, others
     do not wish to share our knowledge, so we run our rites beneath
     moon filled skies enwrapped in shadows.  But we are happy. Live
     fully, for that is the purpose of life.  Refrain not from earthly
     existence.  From it we grow to learn and understand, until such
     time that we are reborn to learn more, repeating this cycle 'till
     we have spiralled up the path of perfection and can finally call
     the Goddess and God our kin. Walk the fields and forests; be
     refreshed by the cool winds and the touch of a nodding flower.  The
     Moon and Sun sing in the ancient wild places:  The deserted
     seashore, the stark desert, the roaring waterfall.  We are of the
     Earth and should revere Her, so do Her honor. Celebrate the rites
     on the appropriate days and seasons, and call upon the Goddess and
     God when the time is meet, but use the Power only when necessary,
     never for frivolous ends.  Know that using the Power for harm is a
     Perversion of Life itself. But for those who love and magnify love,
     the richness of life shall be your reward.  Nature will celebrate.
     So love the Goddess and God, and harm none!



 THE NATURE OF OUR WAY

     * As often as possible, hold the rites in forests, by the seashore,
       on deserted mountaintops or near tranquil lakes.  If this is
       impossible, a garden or some chamber shall suffice, if it is
       readied with fumes of flowers.

     * Seek out wisdom in books, rare manuscripts and cryptic poems if
       you will, but seek it out also in simple stones and fragile herbs
       and in the cries of wild birds.  Listen to the wisperings of the
       wind and the roar of water if you would discover magick, for it is
       here that the old secrets are preserved.

     * Books contain words; trees contain energies and wisdom books
       ne'er dreamt of.

     * Ever remember that the Old Ways are constantly revealing
       themselves.  Therefore be as the river willow that bends and sways
       with the wind.  That which remains changeless shall outlive its
       spirit, but that which evolves and grows will shine for centuries.

     * There can be no monopoly on wisdom.  Therefore share what you
       will of our ways with others who seek them, but hide mystic lore
       from the eyes of those who would destroy, for to do otherwise
       increases their destruction.

     * Mock not the rituals or spells of another, for who can say yours
       are greater in power or wisdom?

     * Ensure that your actions are honorable, for all that you do shall
       return to you three-fold, good or bane.

     * Be wary of one who would dominate you, who would control and
       manipulate your workings and reverences.  True reverence for the
       Goddess and God occurs within.  Look with suspicion on any who
       would twist worship from you for their own gain and glory, but
       welcome those priestesses and priests who are suffused with love.

     * Honor all living things, for we are of the bird, the fish, the
       bee.  Destroy not life save it be to preserve your own.

     * And this is the nature of our way.



 BEFORE TIME WAS

 Before time was, there was The One; The One was all, and all was The
 One.

    And the vast expanse known as the universe was The One, all-wise,
 all-pervading, all-powerful, eternally changing.

    And space moved.  The One molded energy into twin forms, equal but
 opposite, fashioning the Goddess and God from The One and of The One.

    The Goddess and God stretched and gave thanks to The One, but
 darkness surrounded them. They were alone, solitary save for The One.

    So They formed energy into gasses and gasses into suns and planets
 and moons; They sprinkled the universe with whirling globes and so all
 was given shape by the hands of the Goddess and God.

    Light arose and the sky was illuminated by a billion suns.  And the
 Goddess and God, satisfied by their works, rejoiced and loved, and were
 one.

    From their union sprang the seeds of all life, and of the human
 race, so that we might achieve incarnation upon the Earth.

    The Goddess chose the Moon as Her symbol, and the God the Sun as His
 symbol, to remind the inhabitants of Earth of their fashioners.

    All are born, live, die and are reborn beneath the Sun and Moon; all
 things come to pass thereunder, and all occurs with the blessings of
 The One, as has been the way of existence before time was.



 SONG OF THE GODDESS

     I am the Great Mother, worshipped by all creation and existent
     prior to their consciousness.  I am the primal female force,
     boundless and eternal.

     I am the chaste Goddess of the Moon, the Lady of all magick.  The
     winds and moving leaves sing my name.  I wear the cresent Moon upon
     my brow and my feet rest among the starry heavens.  I am mysteries
     yet unsolved, a path newly set upon.  I am a field untouched by the
     plow.  Rejoice in me and know the fullness of youth.

     I am the blessed Mother, the gracious Lady of the harvest.  I am
     clothed with the deep, cool wonder of the Earth and the gold of the
     fields heavy with grain.  By me the tides of the Earth are ruled;
     all things come to fruition according to my reason.  I am refuge
     and healing.  I am the life-giving Mother, wondrously fertile.

     Worship me as the Crone, tender of the unbroken cycle of death and
     rebirth.  I am the wheel, the shadow of the Moon.  I rule the tides
     of women and mem and give release and renewal to weary souls.
     Though the darkness of death is my domain, the joy of birth is my
     gift.

     I am the Goddess of the Moon, the Earth, the Seas.  My names and
     strengths are manifold.  I pour forth magick and power, peace and
     wisdom.  I am the eternal Maiden, Mother of all, and Crone of
     darkness, and I send you blessings of limitless love.



 CALL OF THE GOD

     I am the radiant King of the Heavens, flooding the Earth with
     warmth and encouraging the hidden seed of creation to burst forth
     into manifestation.  I lift my shining spear to light the lives of
     all beings and daily pour forth my gold upon the Earth, putting to
     flight the powers of darkness.

     I am the master of the beasts wild and free.  I run with the swift
     stag and soar as a sacred falcon against the shimmering sky.  The
     ancient woods and wild places emanate my powers, and the birds of
     the air sing of my sanctity.

     I am also the last harvest, offering up grain and fruits beneath
     the sickle of time so that all may be nourished.  For without
     planting there can be no harvest; without winter, no spring.

     Worship me as the thousand-named Sun of creation, the spirit of the
     horned stag in the wild, the endless harvest.  See in the yearly
     cycle of festivals my birth, death and rebirth - and know that such
     is the destiny of all creation.

     I am the spark of life, the radiant Sun, the giver of peace and
     rest, and I send my rays of blessings to warm the hearts and
     strengthen the minds of all.



THE DAYS OF POWER


     In the past, when people lived with Nature, the turning of the
     seasons and the monthly cycle of the Moon had a profound impact on
     religious ceremonies.  Because the Moon was seen as a symbol of the
     Goddess, ceremonies as adoration and magick took place in its
     light.  The coming of Winter, the first stirrings of Spring, the
     warm Summer and the advent of Fall were also marked with rituals.

     The Witches, heirs of the pre-Christian folk religions of Europe,
     still celebrate the Full Moon and observe the changing of the
     seasons. The Pagan religious calandar contains 13 Full Moon
     celebrations and eight Sabbats or days of power.

     Four of these days (or, more properly, nights) are determined by
     the Solstices and Equinoxes, the astronomical beginnings of the
     seasons.  The other four ritual occations are based on old folk
     festivals.  The rituals give structure and order to the Pagan year,
     and also remind us of the endless cycle that will continue long
     after we're gone.

     Four of the Sabbats - perhaps those that have been observed for the
     longest time - were probably associated with the agriculture and
     the bearing cycles of animals.  These are Imbolc (February 2),
     Beltane (April 30), Lughnasadh (August 1) and Samhain (October 31).
     These names are Celtic and are quite common among Witches, though
     many others exist.

     When careful observation of the skies led to common knowledge of
     the astronomical year, the Solstices and Equinoxes (circa March 21,
     June 21, September 21 and December 21; the actual dates vary from
     year to year) were brought into this religious structure.

     Who first began worshipping and raising energy at these times?
     That question cannot be answered.  However, these sacred days and
     nights are the origins of the 21 Craft ritual occasions.

     Many of these survive today in both secular and religious forms.
     May Day celebrations, Hallowe'en, Ground-hog Day and even
     Thanksgiving, to name some popular North American holidays, are all
     connected with ancient Pagan worship.  Heavily Christianized
     versions of the Sabbats have also been preserved within the
     Catholic Church.

     The Sabbats are Solar rituals, marking the points of the Sun's
     yearly cycle, and are but half of the Pagan ritual year.  The
     Esbats are the Pagan Full Moon celebrations.  At this time we
     gather to worship She Who Is.  Not that Witches omit the God at
     Esbats - both are usually revered on all ritual occations.

     There are 13 Full Moons yearly, or one every 28 1/4 days.  The Moon
     is a symbol of the Goddess as well as a sourse of energy.  Thus,
     after the religious aspects of the Esbats, Witches often practice
     magick, tapping into the larger amounts of energy which are thought
     to exist at these times.

     Some of the old Craft festivals, stripped of their once sacred
     qualities by the dominance of Christianity, have degenerated.
     Samhain seems to have been taken over by candy manufacturers in
     North America, while Yule has been transformed from one of the most
     holy Pagan days to a time of gross commercialism.  Even the later
     echoes of a Christian savior's birth are hardly audible above the
     electronic hum of cash registers.

     But the old magick remains on these days and nights, and the Craft
     celebrate them.  Rituals vary greatly, but all relate to the
     Goddess and God and to our home, the Earth.  Most rites are held at
     night for practical purposes as well as to lend a sence of mystery.
     The Sabbats, being Solar-oriented, are more naturally celebrated at
     noon or at dawn, but this is rare today.

THE SABBATS

     The Sabbats tell us one of the stories of the Goddess and God, of
     their relationship and the effects this has on the fruitfulness of
     the Earth.  There are many variations on these myths, but here's a
     faily common one, woven into the basic descriptions of the Sabbats.


YULE

     The Goddess gives birth to a son, the God, at Yule (circa December
     21).  This is in no way an adaptation of Christianity.  The Winter
     Solstice has long been viewed as a time of divine births.  Mithras
     was said to have been born at this time.  The Christians simply
     adopted it for their use in 273 C.E. (Common Era).

     Yule is a time of the greatest darkness and is the shortest day of
     the year.  Earlier peoples noticed such phenomena and supplicated
     the forces of nature to lengthen the days and shorten the nights.
     Witches sometimes celebrate Yule just before dawn, then watch the
     Sun rise as a fitting finale to their efforts.

     Since the God is also the Sun, this marks the point of the year
     when the Sun is reborn as well.  Thus, the Witches light fires or
     candles to welcome the Sun's returning light.  The Goddess,
     slumbering through the Winter of Her labour, rests after Her
     delivery.

     Yule is remnant of early rituals celebrated to hurry the end of
     Winter and the bounty of Spring, when food was once again readily
     available.  To contemporary Witches it is a reminder that the
     ultimate product of death is rebirth, a comforting thought in these
     days of unrest


IMBOLC

     Imbolc (February 2) marks the recovery of the Goddess after giving
     birth to the God.  The lengthening periods of light awaken Her. The
     God is a young, lusty boy, but His power is felt in the longer
     days.  The warmth fertilizes the Earth (the Goddess), and causes
     seeds to germinate and sprout.  And so the earliest beginnings of
     Spring occur.

     This is a Sabbat of purification after the shut-in life of Winter,
     through the renewing power of the Sun.  It is also a festival of
     light and of fertility, once marked in Europe with huge blazes,
     torches and fire in every form.  Fire here represents our own
     illumination and ispiration as much as light and warmth.

     Imbolc is also known as Feast of Torches, Oimelc, Lupercalia, Feast
     of Pan, Snowdrop Festival, Feast of the Waxing Light, Brighid's
     Day, and probably by many other names.  Some female Witches follow
     the old Scandinavian custom of wearing crowns of lit candles, but
     many more carry tapers during their invocations.

     This is one of the traditional times for initiations into covens,
     and so self-dedication rituals, such as the one outlined in this
     Book of Shadows, can be performed or renewed at this time.


OSTARA

     Ostara (circa March 21), the Spring Equinox, also known as Spring,
     Rites of Spring and Eostra's Day, marks the first day of true
     Spring.  The energies of Nature subtly shift from the sluggishness
     of Winter to the exhuberant expansion of Spring.  The Goddess
     blankets the Earth with fertility, bursting forth from Her sleep,
     as the God stretches and grows to maturity.  He walkes the greening
     fields and delights in the abundance of nature.

     On Ostara the hours of day and night are equal.  Light is
     overtaking darkness; the Goddess and God impel the wild creatures
     of the Earth to reproduce.

     This is a time of beginnings, of action, of planting spells for
     future gains, and of tending the ritual gardens.

BELTANE

     Beltane (April 30) marks the emergence of the young God into
     manhood.  Stirred by the energies at work in Nature, He desires the
     Goddess.  They fall in love, lie among the grasses and blossoms,
     and unite.  The Goddess becomes pregnant of the God.  Witches
     celebrate the symbol of Her fertility in ritual.

     Beltane (also known as May Day) has long been marked with feasts
     and rituals.  May poles, supremely phallic symbols, were the focal
     point of Old English village rituals.  Many persons rose at dawn to
     gather flowers and green branches from the fields and gardens,
     using them to decorate the May pole, their homes and themselves.

     The flowers and greenery symbolize the Goddess; the May pole the
     God.  Beltane marks the return of vitality, of passion and hopes
     consummated.

     May poles are sometimes used by Witches today during Beltane
     rituals, but the cauldron is a more common focal point of ceremony.
     It represents, of course, the Goddess - the essence of womanhood,
     the end of all desire, the equal but opposite of the May pole,
     symbolic of the God.


MIDSUMMER

     Midsummer, the Summer Solstice (circa June 21), also known as
     Litha, arrives when the powers of Nature reach their highest point.
     The Earth is awash in the fertility of the Goddess and God.

     In the past, bonfires were leapt to encourage fertility,
     purification, health and love.  The fire once again represents the
     Sun, feted on this time of the longest daylight hours.

     Midsummer is a classic time for magick of all kinds.


LUGHNASADH

     Lughnasadh (August 1) is the time of the first harvest, when the
     plants of Spring wither and drop their fruits or seeds for our use
     as well as to ensure future crops.  Mystically, so too does the God
     lose His strength as the Sun rises farther in the South each day
     and the nights grow longer.  The Goddess watches in sorrow and joy
     as She realizes that the God is dying, and yet lives on inside Her
     as Her child.

     Lughnasadh, also known as August Eve, Feast of Bread, Harvest Home
     and Lammas, wasn't necessarily observed on this day.  It originally
     coinsided with the first reapings.

     As Summer passes, Witches remember its warmth and bounty in the
     food we eat.  Every meal is an act of attunement with Nature, and
     we are reminded that nothing in the universe is constant.


MABON

     Mabon (circa September 21), the Autumn Equinox, is the completion
     of the harvest begun as Lughnasadh.  Once again day and night are
     equal, poised as the God prepares to leave His physical body and
     begin the great adventure into the unseen, toward renewal and
     rebirth of the Goddess.

     Nature declines, draws back its bounty, readying for Winter and its
     time of rest.  The Goddess nods in the weakening Sun, though fire
     burns within Her womb.  She feels the presence of the God even as
     He wanes.


SAMHAIN

     At Samhain (October 31), the Craft say farewell to the God.  This
     is a temporary farewell.  He isn't wrapped in eternal darkness, but
     readies to be reborn of the Goddess at Yule.

     Samhain, also known as November Eve, Feast of the Dead, Feast of
     Apples, Hallows, All Hallows and Hallowe'en, once marked the time
     of sacrifice.  In some places this was the time when animals were
     slaughtered to ensure food throughout the depths of Winter.  The
     God - identified with the animals - fell as well to ensure our
     continuing existence.

     Samhain is a time of reflection, of looking back over the last
     year, of coming to terms with the one phenomenon of life over which
     we have no control - death.

     The Craft feel that on this night the separation between the
     physical and spiritual realities is thin.  Witches remember their
     ancestors and all those who have gone before.

     After Samhain, Witches celebrate Yule, and so the Wheel of the Year
     is complete.



     Surely there are mysteries buried here.  Why is the God the son and
     then the lover of the Goddess?  This isn't incest, this is
     symbolism.  In this agricultural story (one of many Craft myths)
     the everchanging fertility of the Earth is represented by the
     Goddess and God.  This myth speaks of the mysteries of birth, death
     and rebirth.  It celebrates the wondrous aspects and beautiful
     effects of love, and honours women who perpetuate our species.  It
     also points out the very real dependence that humans ha ve on the
     Earth, the Sun and the Moon and of the effects of the seasons on
     our daily lives.

     To agricultural peoples, the major thrust of this myth cycle is the
     production of food through the interplay between the Goddess and
     God.  Food - without which we would all die - is intimately
     connected with the deities.  Indeed, Witches see food as yet
     another manifestation of divine energy.

     And so, by observing the Sabbats, Witches attune themselves to the
     Earth and to the deities.  They reaffirm their Earth roots.
     Performing rituals on the nights of the Full Moon also strengthens
     their connections with the Goddess in particular.

     It is the wise Witch who celebrates on the Sabbats and Esbats, for
     these are times of real as well as symbolic power.  Honouring them
     in some fashion is an integral part of Witchcraft.

THE ESBATS

     When our earliest ancestors first painted images of their religious
     rituals on the walls of sacred caves and understood all of Nature
     to be inhabited by Spirit, there can be little doubt that they
     first reconed time by the waxing and waning of the Moon.  The
     primary reason for this is that the monthly cycles of the Moon are
     far more visible than the slow and subtle changes in the position
     of the Sun, even to someone who is not especially looking for
     repeated cycles.  One of the earliest calandars known (although its
     use is still a controversy that may never be settled) is a 30,000
     year-old piece of bone from Europe.  It is pierced with variously
     shaped holes in a series of sevens, suggesting the quarters of the
     Moon, in a loop design, which represents the Lunar cycle from New
     Moon to Full and back to the New or Dark of the Moon.  The
     artifact, just a few inches across, desribes three such Lunar
     cycles - three months or one season.

     Because there are 13 Lunar months in a year, and because the first
     New Moon does not necessarily coincide with the first day of the
     first Solar month, the Full Moon, midpoint of the lunar month, may
     not always fall in the Solar month that is given here.  And because
     there are 13 Full Moons in a Solar year, one month will have two.
     The second Full Moon to occur in a Solar month is popularly called
     the Blue Moon.


JANUARY

     To each Lunar month the ancients assigned a name in accordance with
     the nature of the activity that took place at that time.  The Moon
     of deepest Winter is the Wolf Moon, and its name recalls a time
     when our ancestors gathered close around the hearth fire as the
     silence of the falling snow was pierced by the howling of wolves.
     Driven by hunger, wolves came closer to villages than at any other
     time of the year, and may have occasionally killed a human being in
     order to survive.

     The wolf in northern countries was at one time so feared that it
     became the image of Fenris, the creature of destruction that
     supposedly will devour the world at the end of time.  The Christian
     version of the myth would leave it at that, but the myth continues.
     Like the wolf in the fairy tale of Little Red Ridinghood, which
     preserves the full idea of the myth but is used only to frighten
     children, the wolf is slain; and the grandmother, like the world,
     is brought forth once more.

     As the light of the new-born year slowly increases and the Wolf
     Moon waxes full, it is a good time to look back upon that which has
     just ended and learn from our experiences.  Bid the past farewell
     and let it go in order to receive the year that has just been born.
     Learning to let go of that which we would cling to is one of the
     greatest secrets of magick.

FEBRUARY

     The Moon following the Wolf Moon is the Storm Moon.  Whether you
     meet with a coven on the night of the Full Moon, salute Her in a
     solitary ritual, or simply blow Her a kiss, bear in mind the magick
     of this night and the nature of the storms of February.  Unlike the
     boisterous storms of the light half of the year, which are
     accompanied by the clashing of thunder and the flining of lightning
     bolts, the storms of February come in silence.  They blanket the
     world in coldness in keeping with the nature of t he dark half of
     the Wheel of the Year.  But beneath the blanket of cold and silent
     snow, Nature rests, as we do when in the realm of the Spirit that
     is called death; and like those in the world of Spirit, Nature
     prepares for life anew.

MARCH

     The Moon following the Storm Moon is the Chaste Moon.  Like Diana,
     chaste Goddess of the Moon, all of Nature at this moment is pure
     potential waiting to be fullfilled.  The Goddess has many forms:
     The maiden pure and lovely as the snow of February, the seductive
     enchantress of the night, or the Crone ancient and wise.  As the
     Goddess can change Her form according to the Moon or according to
     Her will, ever renewing Herself, ever beginning again, se can we,
     Her children, always begin again by discoverin g new potencial
     within ourselves.  When you cast the Circle of the Chaste Moon,
     when the candles have been lit and the incense burned, look deep
     within yourself to discover what potential lies there waiting, like
     the Maiden, to be fulfilled.

     As it is the time for the planting of seeds on the material plane,
     so may it be time to do so on the psychic planes as well.  On the
     night that the Seed Moon (another name for the Chaste Moon) of
     March is full, cast your magick Circle.  Then before the rite has
     ended, select the spiritual seeds you would like to plant.  They
     may be seeds of wisdom, seeds of understanding, or seeds of certain
     magickal skills.  Then by an act of will, plant these seeds in the
     fertile soil of your subconscious mind with the firm commitment
     that they will be nurtured and cultivated in the months that lie
     ahead, so that they will grow and flower and bear fruit.

APRIL

     As the Hare Moon of April waxes full, observe the rabbits leaping
     and playing, carefree in their mating and joyful in their games,
     and as you cast your Esbat Circle and joyfully dance the round,
     feel within your heart the carefree nature of the wild creatures
     that are also children of the Old Gods.

MAY

     This time of the Sacred Marriage of the God and Goddess is the Dyad
     Moon, the time when the two become one, when all things meet their
     opposites in perfect balance and in perfect harmony.  As you cast
     your Circle this night of the Dyad Moon, adorn it with apple
     blossoms, and light candles of white.  When the sacred round has
     been danced, sit a moment and reflect.  Seek harmony in all things.
     As the dark half of the Wheel of the Year balances the light, as
     heat balances cold, recall the words of the Goddess, "Let there be
     beauty and strength, power and compassion, honour and humility,
     mirth and reverence, within you."  And then before the rite is
     ended, if it is appropriate, become one with your working partner,
     physically as well as spiritually.

JUNE

     After the spectacular flowers of May have passed and the bees have
     gathered their pollen and nectar, the hives are filled with honey
     that is waiting to be gathered.  In ancient times much of this
     honey was made into a drink called mead by a fermentation process
     similar to that of making wine.  The "Moon in June" is the Mead
     Moon.  Mead has been considered to have magickal and even
     life-restoring properties in many of the countries of ancient
     Europe, and it was the drink of many of the great heroes of
     legend.

     The legendary figure Robin Hood, who is accepted historically as
     being a composite of several peasant leaders during the reign of
     King Richard I, is also generally accepted by Pagans as being one
     of us.  One reason is that Robin was a popular Witch name, and also
     because he was always described as being dressed in green, symbolic
     of the Green Man of Sherwood Forest.  Lincoln green, which is made
     from woad, the dyestuff used by the Picts of ancient Britain and
     the Druid priestesses, is also a colour tha t symbolizes,
     historically, the Pagan peasantry.  Among the articles robbed from
     the rich by Robin Hood are "met and met."  This probably means
     "meat and mead."  In the myth of Odin, one of His quests is for the
     Poetic Mead of Inspiration, which He returns to the realm of the
     Gods where it belongs, but a few drops fall to Earth, and this may
     be had by anyone who can find them.

     On the night that the Mead Moon waxes full, after the Circle has
     been cast and dancing done, fill the cup with mead (if it is
     available), sweet wine, or an herb tea sweetened with honey.  Sip
     the sweet drink and sit quietly and make yourself a vessel ready to
     receive the inspiration of the higher realms.  Become a mead cup
     ready to be filled, not with the brew of everyday life but with the
     clear, bright liquid of illumination.  Every time this ritual is
     performed, even if there are no immediate results , you are
     becoming a more perfect vessel for divine inspiration.

     If the night of the Mead Moon is very close to the Summer Solstice,
     the results of this exercise can be very powerful.  If the Mead
     Moon is full on Midsummer Night, then the priestess into whom the
     Moon is Drawn should be prepared.

JULY

     As the Wort Moon of July waxes full, this is the time for gathering
     of herbs.  The word wort is old Anglo-Saxon for "herb."  When the
     magickal herbs have been gathered and hung to dry, the time of the
     Wort Moon is the time to give thanks to the spirits who dwell in
     the herb garden, and to leave them an offering.  Perhaps as you
     place an offering in the moonlit garden, they will whisper to you
     other secrets of herbal magick.

AUGUST

     One day at mid-month we realize that the robins and wrens that were
     nesting nearby have simply vanished.  Their lovely songs have been
     replaced by the shrill calls of the bluejays, who were so silent
     during the nesting season.

     As August progresses the days are still hot but nighttime
     temperatures are beginning to cool, and the late afternoon
     thunderstorms that bring the cooler air also bring about the
     ripening of tomatoes.

     In the fields and meadows and along roadsides now there are wild
     herbs to be gathered.  There are goldenrod, Queen Anne's lace, and
     milkweed - all awaiting the natuaral dyer who can extract from them
     tan, green, and bright yellow respectively, for dyes and for
     natural inks for talismans.  Among the medicinal herbs to be
     collected at this time is boneset, which does not help broken bones
     to heal but is a febrifuge that was used as a remedy for "Breakbone
     Fever" in the 1840s.  Milkweed pods with their silken fluff,
     goldenrod, and wild grasses and grains gathered now will be dried
     in time to adorn the altar at the Autumnal Equinox.

     As the aromic herbs begin to fill the rafters in the dry heat of
     the attic, and the braids of onions and garlic fill the cool
     darkness of the root cellar, the golden grain and yellow corn ripen
     in the fields under the waning August Sun.

     To the Ancients this was the Barley Moon, a time to contemplate the
     eternalness of life.  Just as we are descended from the first woman
     and the first man, who descended from the Gods, so is the grain of
     the bread that we eat descended from the first grain ever gathered.
     By ritually eating the Lammas bread we are participating in a chain
     of events that stretches back through time to the Gods themselves.
     And here before us in the ripening fields is the promise of the
     future.

     Everywhere there is abundance.

