Book of Witchery (12 page)

Most importantly, get outside tonight and watch the moon for a while. What phase is she in? What color was the moon as she rose? Why not start a journal and write down at what location the moon rises and sets for a few seasons? This is a great way to teach you to tune in and to become more aware of the moon and the influence that she pulls into our lives. Try calling on Selene for her magickal assistance, and call Thoth for wisdom and strength. Get to know the Norse Mani and the Latvian Meness. These gods of the moon have plenty to teach, and if you allow their influence to cycle through your life, you'll receive many blessings. Be imaginative, and create your own personal lunar magick and witchery. Go on . . . the moonlight becomes you.

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Tuesday

At-a-Glance Correspondences

Daily Magickal Applications

Tuesday is the day associated with the planet Mars. In mythology, Mars was the Roman god of war. If you're wondering how this day came to be named, it's because to the Norse, Anglo-Saxon, and Germanic people, this day was Tiw's day (Tuesday). Tuesday actually got its name from the Norse deity Tyr, Tiw, or Tiu, who was also a god of battles and courage. This deity was very similar to the Roman Mars, and the names of the days of the week became switched and substituted as the Germanic peoples replaced the older deities with their own gods. So the name was changed from the Latin
Dies Martis
(“Mars' day”) to the Old English
Tiwesdaeg
.

The Norse god Tiw, or Tyr, was known for his sense of justice, discipline, and integrity. This day's planetary influence brings with it the aggression, bravery, and honor of soldiers, as well as the passion and strength of those of us who must fight for what we believe in.

Deities

Mars

Mars may have been originally a god of vegetation, but as time went on he became more closely linked to Ares, the Greek god of war. Mars was one of the major deities of the Roman pantheon. He was a patron god of soldiers and was often portrayed as wearing a cape, a suit of armor, and a plumed helmet. Mars' symbols include a shield and a spear. It is believed that the month of March got its name from the Roman god Mars, in part due to the violent swings in the weather, not unlike Mars' temperament.

Tyr/Tiw

Tyr, or Tiw, is the Norse god who lends his name to Tuesday. He was best known for the binding of the Fenris, a big, bad, and ravenous wolf. Tyr managed to bind Fenris but lost his sword hand in the process. Tyr is known for his courage in defense of his clan. He was the deity of warriors, and his devotees were said to have marked Tyr's rune onto their swords for protection and to ensure that they would win their battles. (The rune is tiewaz—it looks like an arrow that points to the sky.) There is more to Tyr than just fighting, however; he is also a god of justice and law. In addition to the rune tiewaz, Tyr's symbol is the sword. This Norse god brings a fair resolution to any conflict, as he is a god of courage, strength, wisdom, meditation, and (of course) fighting skills.

Lilith

Lilith is the divine lady owl and the original bad-ass chick. She is often portrayed as a dark, winged, beguiling sorceress. Our most familiar image of Lilith comes from a terra-cotta relief from Sumer, dating back to about 2000
bce
. She is shown as an attractive winged woman with clawed feet. In modern times, she is popularly imagined as the beautiful vampire and the ultimate femme fatale. It is easy to envision Lilith as a raven-haired seductress draped in flowing black, her ebony wings swirling around her. She is thought to be ethereally beautiful, with pale skin, dark red lips, and perhaps a small flash of elongated teeth. Seductive, aggressive, and dangerous—Lilith is all of these things.

According to the Zohar, a Kabalistic work from the thirteenth century, Lilith is described as a seductive redhead draped in crimson, wearing many “ornaments.” Oh, and there are also some passages about her having white skin, rosy cheeks, and a seductive mouth, which seems to me like they are describing makeup and jewelry. While this makes us roll our eyes and giggle today, that was very scandalous—downright provocative and, dare we say, titillating—back in the thirteenth century. This version of Lilith illustrates her as a woman standing at the crossroads, waiting for some hapless male to wander into her trap so she can then pounce on him. (Gee, sounds like somebody in the old days was absolutely terrified of a woman's sexuality and power, doesn't it?)

To modern practitioners, Lilith is a patroness of Witches and a goddess of sexuality, wisdom, female equality, power, and independence. While Lilith is not traditionally linked to a Tuesday, I don't see why we couldn't work with her on this day. Perhaps it's time to make some new traditions. Sometimes you gotta go with your gut—personalize your witchery and magick! Go with what you think will work best for you. After all, Lilith's feisty and fiery qualities are perfect for a Tuesday. Today is the ideal day for a big dose of in-your-face female empowerment! These aggressive and strong characteristics are just what is called for.

Tuesday's Witchery

Today's guided meditation takes you on a journey to meet the god of war. This guided meditation challenges you to draw your own conclusions and to decide for yourself what you consider to be the ultimate soldier. Keep your mind open about what you think he will be like; I imagine you are in for a surprise. Also, it is a quest of sorts to go and gather your spiritual weapons, and it is a test to see if you will wield these weapons wisely. Have a good journey.

Meditation

Imagine that you are walking along an old dirt road in the middle of a summer afternoon. The temperatures are warm but not uncomfortable, and as you walk along the road, you work up a light sweat and enjoy the sensation of stretching your legs and soaking up the sunshine. To one side of the road, a woodland is green and luxurious. On the other side, a field is planted with crops that appear to be thriving. You come to a crossroads and wonder which way to turn. Do you go straight ahead or turn left or right? You decide to go straight ahead, and you follow the curve of the road as the woods come closer to the path you are traveling along. You are so busy admiring the trees in the woods that you don't see the stranger approaching until he is fairly close to you. Your heart gives an unpleasant thump as you realize that you did not hear this person or get any inkling that you were no longer alone on your walk until the last possible second.

You look over to check out the other traveler and notice that he appears to be wearing a long red jacket, which you realize is a bit warm to be wearing on a day like today. Curious, you walk closer and realize that the man has stopped in the center of the road and is regarding you just as curiously. He stands as if ready for action, and you wonder what in the world he expects to have to be ready for.

As you walk closer to the person, you realize that the jacket is not a jacket at all, it is in fact a cloak. Oh, boy. The other traveler appears to be fairly brawny and he looks to be in excellent shape. You shift to the far side of the road to politely pass him, and the man shifts to block you. There is nothing threatening about him, he just seems to be making it clear that you are not going past him.

You smile politely, and then stop and back up a few paces. “I'm sorry,” you begin in a friendly tone, “is this a private road?” As an answer, he just glowers at you.
Well, then,
you think to yourself and begin to turn around and go the other way. No point in having your walk interrupted by this guy. Confidently, you turn around and go back to the crossroads and start back for home. A short time later, the same man is once again standing in the middle of the road in front of you, with a neutral expression. Apparently, he is waiting for you.

This time, you realize there was no way he could have appeared in front of you that quickly without you seeing him travel around. Now that you are aware that something is afoot, you stop and plant your hands on your hips. You take a careful look at this man and think to yourself that he is much more than he appears.

Is that a jacket or is it, in fact, a cloak? Is it merely decorative, or is it well worn and battle stained? Are those boots or sandals on his feet? What is that tucked under his arm—a fur-covered, horned helmet or a bronze battle helm? Now that you think about it, you are having a hard time focusing on his overall appearance. Every time you think you make out what he has on, it subtly shifts. Blinking your eyes, you see that now he is wearing a tartan and has flowing, long hair and a blue-painted body like a Pict warrior of old. Then that image shifts as well, kaleidoscoping from one image to the next. Look at him carefully, and let him show you what he wishes you to see.

What is your idea of the perfect warrior? Does he appear as a samurai, graceful, disciplined and silent, or does he seem to embody a Native American warrior, one who is resourceful, instinctual, and in tune with the land? Is this deity appearing to you in modern battle gear, the fatigues of a twenty-first-century soldier in a flak jacket and camouflage, or is it an old-style Norse leather tunic with a fur vest and pants? Is he appearing to you as a Spartan soldier with a plumed bronze helmet, or do you see more of a medieval knight in well-used chain mail and metal armor? What do you envision? What does this god have to teach you?

His hair appears light, then dark; short and martial, then long and untamed. He is both clean shaven and bearded, and his features and coloring shift constantly from ebony to bronze complexions, to golden and then to pale skin tones. His eyes are round and blue, then almond shaped and black, next a warm brown, then a striking hazel. Those eyes change to stormcloud gray and then a brilliant green. He appears elegant, tall, and lean one moment, and the next he is rough, stocky, and brawny. He is all of these images of a male warrior in his prime, and dozens more. Your mind races to keep up with the various types of soldiers in different cultures and times that he presents to you. Feeling a little overwhelmed, you shake your head to clear it. Then you take a deep breath, lift your chin, and in a challenge, you meet his gaze square-on.