With the arrival of winter close by, and the full moon rising Wednesday morning, it’s not too late to conduct a ritual (or two) to welcome the arrival of the seasons. Over time we tend to lose track of one of the most important aspects of life —we depend on others, and must accept the guidance from our ancestors. Here are two of our favorite spells for doing so:
IVY MOON RITUAL
The Ivy Moon can be a catalyst for accessing messages from our ancestors. Call up their support, and ask any question that comes to mind. Set aside an hour of your day. Grab a pen + paper, a fireproof bowl, two old books, a trinket from your past (that you can part with), and a bottle of water. Head to a spot where you can view the moon and think of the obstacles you require assistance with. Make sure your phone is out of reach and silenced. Perhaps leave your phone at home. Your body will feel lighter without the toxic RF radiation.
As soon as you find your spot, stand up straight and inhale deeply. Exhale slowly as you bend forward while your arms hang loose. Watch for grasshoppers or vibrant colored Lepidoptera as they flutter next to your toes or get stuck in your eyelashes. Laugh with them. Inhale. Piss your pants a little. Exhale. Pretend like you’re going to sneeze, then shake your arms around gently for a few seconds. Begin to inhale and stand up with your back straight and chin + palms tilted up toward the moon. Stretch until you feel your shoulders crack.
Open your mouth and pretend you’re eating the rays of the moonlight. Take note of what that tastes like; styrofoam? Pine? Friedrich Nietzsche’s final bowel movement? Sit down next, close your mouth, throw your childhood trinket out into the nothingness, and push the dirt around you with both hands —left and right, left and right, as if you are a bull clearing the way for a charge. Or, a mutt covering up it’s excrement? Get out your pen and paper, and that old book to rest your bum on, and another to serve as a surface to write onto.
Now, write out a letter to your ancestors, be honest, let go. Maybe you have a message for them? But do ask questions, most importantly. Accept their guidance. Stop making excuses. Send the letter through the esoteric process of burning the letter in your fireproof bowl, and wait for the flames to go completely out. Safely put out remaining cinders with the water, then drink the rest yourself. When you arrive back home, light a candle on your porch and sing a song from your youth. Be sure to return to that same spot on your next birthday and perform the same ritual.
SAMHAIN RITUAL
Perform a spell for a restful winter —it’s time to look ahead and let go of the past; your fears, disappointments, a lost love or a close friend’s departure. Whatever the elements may be, we have the ingredients for healing that dwelling period. This is not the same ritual as the Ivy Moon act above, as with the Samhain ritual you are letting go of something, not asking for advice. You’ll need an hour of your day with no disruptions. Be sure to bring the following: Iron alloy nails, 1 ripe apple, soapy water and a bowl, a warm blanket, and 1 cup of hot apple cider. If you don’t care for cider, brew up a ginger tea by boiling partially mashed ginger root on the stove for fifteen minutes. If you like extra potency, leave the mashed ginger when transferring from stove to mug.
Pack up your ingredients and head out to an area where you can sit beneath one of your favorite trees. Maybe it’s a tree you’ve never seen before, or one from your youth. It could be a tree that represents a sacred time in your life —where you obtained your first french kiss? Why not. Maybe this tree is in your backyard, or behind a fence that says KEEP OUT.
We hope that you’ll choose a tree that takes some time (at least 10 minutes away) for you to journey off to. Set up your spot and get comfortable. Look out around you, and let out three short yelps. Lean up against your tree, rest your face on the trunk. Don’t lick it. But think about licking it. Turn around spit into your hands and think about the approaching winter, and how very restful it will be. Take your soap and water and wash your hands. Now wash your face. Sit down and lean back against your tree. Once you truly feel that energy of what’s to come, drive your nail into the apple, as close to the stem as possible. This is you anchoring that feeling. Set the apple down next to you, slowly wrap yourself up in your blanket, and sip on your hot apple cider. Upon returning home, find a spot as close to your bedroom as possible, and bury the apple.
