2023 Ostara Public Ritual
PUBLIC OSTARA/SPRING EQUINOX RITUAL
The Sun is growing stronger and the ice is fighting back. We’re so ready to see green leaves, and the Earth isn’t ready to show them. Be a part of the epic struggle as we join forces with the Sun to send the ice away!
The ritual will be facilitated by Karen and Suki. There will be an opportunity for participation and a potluck feast afterwards. We will not have access to a full kitchen, but this venue does have counter space and a sink. It’s OK to bring a crock-pot (and possibly an extension cord). Snack foods and things that can be dipped in chocolate are encouraged!
Please bring your own cup and silverware, if that’s practical for you. We would like to move away from using disposables.
| Where: | Crystal Community Center, Valley Room 4800 Douglas Drive, Crystal MN 55429 Google Map |
| When: | Saturday, March 11, 2023 Social time starts 6:00 Gather in, ritual intent and meditation 6:40 Ritual 7:00 |
We have not held a celebration in this venue before, so we’ll be evaluating it. Please let us know how it feels for you.
We hope to see you there!
Dressing Kabalistically
You can tie yourself into the energies of each day by dressing according to the color and planet (kabalistic) of each day.
This is a subtle but real influence and after six months or more, you might notice your psychic abilities are stronger. I have been doing it since 1992 and it helps me a lot. It also gives you something you consciously think about, and gives you a magickal perspective every day.
- Sunday – Sun – yellow/gold
- Monday – Moon – purple
- Tuesday – Mars – red
- Wednesday – Mercury – orange
- Thursday – Jupiter – blue
- Friday – Venus – green/pink
- Saturday – Saturn – black/navy blue/brown
I wear shirts of the appropriate color, but also underwear and socks. Sometimes only the underwear is in the color of the day, and one person used hair ties of an appropriate color because a uniform didn’t allow color choices. A scarf, tie or pocket handkerchief would be appropriate also. Be creative. Just choose something that ties into the color of the day and know that’s why you are wearing it.
These colors are according to the King’s list of correspondences. There are others, and you may want to use another, but be consistent to what you choose. Good luck and enjoy this practice.
— Estelle Daniels
Oh No, More Snow
“And if the groundhog sees his shadow, we get six more weeks of winter.”
It’s a cruel joke. The groundhog comes out at Imbolc, and doesn’t care about his shadow. Ostara is still… wait, how long after Imbolc? But we want the groundhog to promise us a shortcut.
Late winter is the season of impatience. Stop and go. Block and flow. Sun, clouds. Thaw, freeze. Fleece vest, big coat. Do you find yourself impatiently picking up projects and then putting them aside? Thaw, freeze. Flow, stop. What’s going on when you thaw and flow and start something new? What’s going on when you freeze and stop? It’s that time of the year. Maybe it’s that season of the self. Pay attention to what flows and what freezes.
Be gentle with yourself. It’s still winter. Settle in with a mug of hot chocolate or whatever makes you feel warm and happy. Sip, savor, breathe. Close your eyes. Ground, and send your roots deep. Be a tree for a few breaths. Let the snow remind you that it’s not quite time to put out new leaves yet. Come back into your humanity. Enjoy your hot chocolate.
RSS has come to WiCoM!
RSS has come to WiCoM! Check out our new Wiccan RSS Feed page for an aggregation of the latest posts from a number of different Wiccan websites!
And also, if you check the side bar on our website, you will see that WiCoM is also offering its contents for RSS syndication!
What is RSS you may ask? Wikipedia offers the following description:
RSS (RDF Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication) is a web feed that allows users and applications to access updates to websites in a standardized, computer-readable format. Subscribing to RSS feeds can allow a user to keep track of many different websites in a single news aggregator, which constantly monitor sites for new content, removing the need for the user to manually check them. News aggregators (or “RSS readers”) can be built into a browser, installed on a desktop computer, or installed on a mobile device.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS
Websites usually use RSS feeds to publish frequently updated information, such as blog entries, news headlines, episodes of audio and video series, or for distributing podcasts. An RSS document (called “feed”, “web feed”, or “channel”) includes full or summarized text, and metadata, like publishing date and author’s name. RSS formats are specified using a generic XML file.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS
Simply put, RSS is a great tool for helping you find the most recent content posted to the web on various topics. If you know of another wiccan web whose RSS feed you would like to see added, please email the webmaster.
If you know of a website that shares RSS feeds, please feel free to suggest ours!
Why do we do what we do?
How do you do ritual? How do you walk your path?
There’s a lot of variation among traditions. There’s no single right way to be a witch. There are some less-than-totally-advisable ways, and what many of them have in common is incomplete mindfulness. My original teachers didn’t explain things and saw questions as challenges to their authority, so we learned to simply do as we were taught, with no questions.
I had the teachers and the experiences that the Goddess intended me to have.
I learned that we deepen our spiritual practice by exploring the why of each thing we do. For example, why do we cast a circle and call the elements? You probably know the answer… or you might have had teachers like mine, and you might not have thought to ask the question. When we cast, we create a bubble of energy where we can do our workings, with the elements themselves witnessing and protecting us. (Yep, we Wiccans were using force fields before there was science fiction!) But… why do we create that bubble? Keep digging.
No matter how well you know the reasons for each thing you do in ritual – or in any other aspect of your life – you can still deepen your spiritual experience by considering each “because” and asking “Why?” over and over again.
From my teachers who discouraged questioning, I learned the magickal transmutation: With thought, you can transform data to information. Information to knowledge. Knowledge to wisdom. But it takes questioning and reflection at every step.
Stirring
The first rule of cauldrons is… keep on stirring.
It’s Imbolc, the coldest cross-quarter of the year. Tonight might be the coldest night this winter. And yet…life is stirring beneath the snow. In five or six weeks the tulips will start stabbing upward out of the soil, unstoppable in their quest to reach the light. Six or eight inches deep in the frozen ground, the bulbs are awakening and getting ready to start that mighty work.
Some people say that the word “Imbolc” means “in the belly.” It’s not yet spring, but new life is stirring in the belly of Mother Earth. Blessings of the quickening Earth to you in this cold time of Imbolc!
The Law of (Approximately) Three
“Know that whatsoever you do shall return unto you in threefold measure.”
Really?
A friend and I have a friendly disagreement about this.
If you give a kid a dollar, don’t expect three people to each give you a dollar. Or if you swear at the cat, it’s not like three cats will swear at you. (Except they’re cats, so they might.) But in both cases, you’ve created the conditions for the vibe to keep on going.
The Law of Three is just a variant on the Law of Attraction: Whatever you put out there, expect the Universe to hand you back the same stuff. How does it change your day if you flip somebody off in traffic? What happens if you help somebody do something they’re struggling with? Stuff has consequences. Or, to phrase it differently, “Know that whatsoever you do shall return unto you.”
The Law of Three bolts on a magical multiplier, which makes it sound like karma math. Is there some cosmic spreadsheet?
But consequences do multiply. Every action ripples out, like dropping a pebble in a pond. Maybe three times is an average. Call it whatever you want – Law of Three, karma, Law of Attraction. It’s always there. You can work with it, but you can’t work against it.
Welcome!
Welcome to the Wiccan Church of Minnesota!
The Wiccan Church of Minnesota is a Twin Cities based 501 (c) (3) religious organization that celebrates both Goddess and God. Our church was founded more than 35 years ago.
WiCoM sponsors group rituals for the Wiccan sabbats, as well as for other special occasions. Many of these rituals are open to the public or invited guests who are not members.
2022 Beltane
Public Beltane Ritual
Date: Saturday April 30st, 2022
Time: Gather at 6pm, Ritual at 7:00pm
Space: Richardson Nature Center Fire Pit
8737 E. Bush Lake Rd, Bloomington
Google Map
text directions below
The Ritual:
There will be a Maypole, feasting, and celebration of Spring!
Things are a bit different so we ask you read the announcement fully and abide by ALL the rules.
As usual, please bring some food to share after the celebration, if that’s practical for you. (If it’s not practical for you, don’t worry about it. There’s always plenty to share!) Paper plates and cups will be provided. PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN UTENSILS AND NAPKIN.
Park etiquette/rules:
- No weapons (this includes athames)
- No hard liquor (cider, ale, and wine are OK)
- Do not bring firewood
This is a public area. Other people in the park will be able to see us. Plan accordingly. There are benches around the fire pit. You might wish to bring a cushion or a lightweight folding chair.
Restrooms are inside the building, and are available until 10 pm.
This is also not on any public transit, so if you need a ride, communicate that and we will try to find a ride for you.
Accessibility and Amenities
The path from the parking area to the fire pit is paved and mostly flat. It’s 0.15 mile (a block and a half to two blocks). Restrooms are available.
Text Directions
- Take 494 to Bush Lake Road (it is west of Highway 100) and go south on Bush Lake Road.
- Enter from Bush Lake Road – there’s a sign for the Richardson Nature Center.
- The park road ends at the parking area.
- Take the trail on the right, beside the maps.
- When you reach the Richardson Nature Center, the fire pit will be to your right.
- There is a tricky part!
- When you exit 494, you go SOUTH on Bush Lake Road.
- HOWEVER, at the second light after you cross the highway, you need to TURN RIGHT to stay on Bush Lake Road.
- The driveway will be on your left, after about 3/4 mile. There’s a small sign for the nature center. It would be easy to miss.
———————
We look forward to seeing each other again after a long time sheltering in isolation. BLESSED BE!
2021 Yule Meditation
2021 Yule Meditation
The Yule season is upon us, and it is a time of gathering and good cheer. Normally, this is a time for Wiccans and Pagans to come together and celebrate the Winter Solstice. Unfortunately, the world is still gripped in COVID-19 concerns, with new COVID variants that are resistant to our current vaccines. The sad result is that, for many, it is still not the time for large group gatherings.
If we cannot gather in person, we can still gather in spirit. If we cannot celebrate in group ritual, we can still celebrate in our own private rituals. Here, I offer for you a Yule meditation that will allow all to celebrate in solitary, while still celebrating together on the ether.
But first, what is Yule that we celebrate? What is the significance of the Winter Solstice?
While taken over by the Christians, Yule is the original 12-day solstice festival celebrated thousands of years before Christmas and is considered one of the oldest celebrations of wintertime in the world.
In ancient times, winters were difficult times during which food would run scarce. The Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, marks the turning of the tides. As the days began to grow longer, once again, this marked the return of hope. Though still months away, the Winter Solstice was the mark that bounty and prosperity would once again return to the land.
In the Wiccan tradition there a number of different stories about the meaning of the eight Sabbats. In some, it is the battle of the Oak and the Holly Kings. In others, it is about the birth and death of the god. It is this latter tradition we will draw upon for our meditation.
In this latter tradition, the eight Sabbats, the Wheel of the Year, are a celebration of the birth, death, and return of the god; They are also a celebration of the constant presence and teachings of the goddess. At the Winter Solstice, the goddess gives birth to her son, and symbolically, the sun is reborn; this is a time of vulnerability for the mother and her child. But it is also a time of renewed hope and joy.
_____________________________________
For this meditation, find a quiet place where you can be alone. Banish your space and cast your circle as appropriate to your tradition. Purify your space, summon the quarters, and call the goddess and the god, all according to your particular craft.
As you sit in this sacred space, ground and center first. Feel yourself growing roots that sink deep into the ground and feel the strength and stability of the earth rising up in to you. Feel yourself growing branches that reach up into the sky and feel the energy of the eternal sun radiating down into your, filling you with love and healing. Sit for a while, experiencing the connection with the ground below and the sky above.
When you are ready, light your meditation candle. And, as you kindle the light in the candle, know that the light of the world is likewise being rekindled on this night. Think on the fact that the old year, both good and bad, is coming to a close. In its place, a new year is about to be born. Full of promise and unknowns, the new year brings renewal and new life.
Now visualize a mother with her newborn babe. Know that this is the goddess who has just given birth to the new god. It is cold and the two are threatened by the elements. But you know that the two are from the archetypal world and that they will survive. See the goddess suckle her infant son and protect him from the elements. But also look close at the infant god. See that the god’s skin is aglow with a golden light. Feel the young god radiate out the hope of the coming year. Know that this young god is small and weak now, but there is much potential inside of him and soon he will soon grow into a strong and mighty adult, and that he will bring much good for the coming year.
In your visualization, see yourself walk up to the goddess and her child and offer them a present. This gift can be whatever you feel is important. This is whatever you think the goddess and the god need most at this time, whatever your heart moves you to give to them. If you want, this can be a commitment you plan to make to them in the coming year – but it does not necessarily need to be so. See the goddess take your present and open it. She thanks you for this.
But, as you do this, the goddess reaches down and picks up a gift and gives it to you. This is the present from the goddess and the god for you and is what you need to help you get through the coming year. This is the special thing that you need for 2022. Take some time and examine the object. Think on its special meaning for you. What are the goddess and the god giving to you? Why did they pick this? Why is it what you need.
Sit in the presence of the goddess and the god for a while longer. Take this time to ask any questions, request help, or just listen to the advice of the goddess and the god.
When you are done, thank the goddess and the god for their gifts and return to the awareness of your body. Feel your branches growing back into you, feel any remaining energy flowing back up to the eternal sun. Feel your roots deep within the earth and feel all of the strength flowing back down the roots, back to the earth – Grounding and Centering – and feel the roots retract back up into your body.
Close your circle as you opened it – devoke the goddess and the god, dismiss the quarters, and open the circle, all as appropriate to your tradition.
Return now to this world. But do so knowing that you have given something to the goddess and the god; that you have given them something they need to bring prosperity and growth to the coming year. And also, know that they have given something to you. And this gift of yours will help you in the coming year, giving you whatever it is you will need to meet the challenges of the coming year.
Finally, to close the night, sit and journal about all that has happened. And be sure and journal about the presents you both gave and received. At your Yule celebration of 2022, reread this journal entry and see how both the gifts you gave and received made a difference in the year!
Happy Solstice and Merry Yule!
Welcome!
Welcome to the Wiccan Church of Minnesota!
The Wiccan Church of Minnesota is a Twin Cities based 501 (c) (3) religious organization that celebrates both Goddess and God. Our church was founded more than 35 years ago.
WiCoM sponsors group rituals for the Wiccan sabbats, as well as for other special occasions. Many of these rituals are open to the public or invited guests who are not members.
RSS - Posts