Book of Witchery (9 page)

“Do you not have many different kinds of friends yourself?” Her question makes you smile, and you nod your head. As you stand before them, they regard you with gently smiling faces and begin to speak to you. Take a moment to listen to what they have to say. Use your heart and listen carefully, for things are not always as they seem under the light of the moon.

As they finish communicating with you, you bow your head in thanks for the wisdom they have shared with you. Meness touches a fingertip to the center of your forehead and then takes your hand and presses something there. “Watch for our sign in the night sky,” he tells you and then pats your head as if you were a small child. And you realize that, to him, you
are
a child, for the deities of the moon are ageless and timeless.

He steps back and holds out his other hand for the goddess. She brushes a hand over your cheek as she leaves and smiles as she whispers farewell. Selene accepts Meness's arm, and together they move farther into the dark of the garden. A cloud passes over the moon and then, as the light peeps through again, they are gone.

You look down at the palm of your hand and discover a small moonstone. Laughing, you run your hands across your face in wonder and realize there is a moonflower tucked behind your ear. You smile and thank Selene and Meness. Deciding it's time to return home, you begin to make your way out of the garden. As you reach the garden gate, you look up to regard the moon and see that there is a rainbow effect around it in multicolored rings. Well, they did tell you to watch for a sign . . . You blow a kiss to the moon and, smiling, you begin the journey home.

Magickal Plants & Flowers

Bluebell

Bluebells are linked to the moon because of the tale of Selene and her handsome lover Endymion. The botanical name for the bluebell is
Endymion nonscriptus
. Selene could not bear the thought of losing Endymion to old age and death, so she cast a spell on her lover, thereby keeping him eternally handsome and youthful. Her lover sleeps away eternity with a smile, while Selene visits him in his dreams. As she visits Endymion, the moon wanes to dark. When Selene returns to her duties once again, the moon waxes to full. Mythology states that Selene bore Endymion fifty beautiful but sleepy daughters. Is it any wonder that he is always smiling? On an interesting final note, in the language of flowers, the bluebell means “constancy.” Adding bluebells to a love or romance spell will gain special attention from Selene.

Jasmine

Jasmine (
Jasmine officinale
) is a flowering vine that has an extraordinary scent. In magickal herbalism, the delicate jasmine bloom is associated with the moon. Night blooming jasmine is a natural for lunar enchantments and charms. The jasmine flowers were thought to promote prophetic dreams and to help encourage a spiritual love. In aromatherapy, jasmine is used to lift your spirits and help you relax.

Gardenia

Another scented lunar flower, the gardenia (
Gardenia jasminoides
) is a blooming shrub bearing incredibly scented flowers. The essential oil from gardenias is often used in perfumes. Gardenias are popular as a bridal flowers due to their creamy white color and romantic, old-fashioned scent. In the language of flowers, the gardenia symbolizes feminine charm and a secret love. Magickally, the gardenia encourages love and mysticism.

White Rose

The white rose (
Rosa
spp.) traditionally symbolized purity and love, which explains its popularity in the bridal flower trade. The white rose is a sacred symbol to many goddesses. A full-blown, or opened, white rose is a symbol of Selene, the full moon goddess. The different phases of a rose blossom may also be used to symbolize the different phases of the moon: a tight bud to represent the new moon, a partially opened bud for the waxing moon, a fully opened rose for the full moon, a rose just beginning to fade but still lovely for the waning moon, and rose hips for the dark of the moon.

White Poppy

The white poppy (
Papaver
spp.), another of Selene's sacred plants, is also an enchanting flower. The poppy comes in many colors: red, orange, purple, and white. The nectar of the poppy flower makes the bees in the garden giddy. There are many varieties of poppies available today; consider adding some of them to your garden at home. On an amusing note, in the language of flowers, it symbolizes “drifting in a peaceful sleep.” (No wonder Selene claimed it!)

Moonflower

The moonflower (
Ipomoea
), which is mildly toxic, is an annual flowering vine that blooms in late summer–early fall. Part of the morning glory and the sweet potato family, moonflowers have an intoxicating scent. And, just as you would imagine, they only bloom at night. On cloudy, cool morning in the early fall, the trumpet-shaped flowers may stay open for a while. Moonflowers are a natural when it comes to working a little Monday night moon magick. Try gathering a bloom and floating it in a bowl of water. I often float a bloom in my small garden fountain in the backyard. Or leave the blooms on the vine and work your moon magick spell while you sit nearby and enjoy the fragrance.

A Moonflower Dream Spell

Traditionally the moonflower carries the message of “I am sustained by your affections,” just like Endymion was sustained by Selene's love. Try this moonflower-inspired spell and send your lover a sweet dream of you.

Gather from the garden a white rose, a single moonflower blossom, or any of the lunar-associated flowers that were mentioned above. Float the bloom in a fountain or a birdbath, or use a clear glass bowl. If you use a bowl, hold the bowl in your hands and concentrate on the lunar symbolism both of the round, moon-shaped, circular bowl and the white flower floating within. If you use a fountain, then adapt this accordingly. Close your eyes and gently concentrate on your partner. Picture in your mind a happy time or future event that you are both looking forward to. Open your eyes and repeat the following spell three times:

My love, while you sleep I will send you a sweet dream

By the light of the moon, things are not as they seem
I cast upon the water petals from a white flower

May Selene now bless my spell in this enchanted hour.

Close the spell by saying:

For the good of all, with harm to none

By moonlight and dreams, this spell is done.

Note:
Be sure to leave the theme of the dream up to the dreamer. You are suggesting only, not manipulating the outcome or coercing their private thoughts. This spell also works well when your partner is having trouble sleeping and you want to encourage a restful night's sleep. Brew up a cup of chamomile tea and set it next to the candles. When you are finished with the spell, give the tea to your partner and wish them a good night. It should work like a charm.

Colors, Candles, Metals & Crystals

Colors

Colors for this lunar day may include white, silver, and pale blue or gray. If you want to feel a little more witchy on Mondays, then try adding a little color magick to your outfit by adding these lunar colors. Any soft, shimmery fabrics in delicate lunar colors would work out nicely as well. Add a silver pin shaped like a moon, and you're all set and ready to go!

Lunar Illusion Color Magick Spell

Feel the need to blend in or to go about your business quietly, without drawing attention to yourself? There are times when we all need to be, well, a little subtle. Now, before you get in a huff at what I am suggesting, think about it for a moment. Sometimes even those of us who are naturally outgoing need to tone things down a bit—like when you have had an argument with your mother or are approaching your boss about an issue at work or are taking on one of your kid's teachers at school. There are times when it is simply inappropriate to swagger into situations with your six guns a-blazing.

For those times when discretion, tact, and a little magickal strategy is called for, this lunar illusion spell will help to keep you centered and calm. If you need to work magick discreetly, or for those times when being subtly witchy is the way to go, this sort of quietly clever magickal control goes a long way in situations when tempers are frayed and emotions are high. This glamoury-type of enchantment is particularly useful when you want to win people over to your side or for when you are quietly working magick to smooth over sticky situations.

Choose your outfit with care. Think of quiet, lunar types of colors with silver jewelry. No matter what your personal style is, whether you slip on a gray business suit, tug on a white sweater, or pull on a comfortable denim shirt in a soft blue, this lunar illusion will work. Take a moment and imagine yourself standing on the quiet moonlit shores of a lake. Feel yourself becoming serene and filled with the power and magick of the moon. Now, wrap a little of the moon's light and glamour around you. Do you feel more centered and focused? Good. Now believe that you can calmly and quietly handle this situation. Repeat the spell below three times:

The lunar shades of magick are white, silver, and blue

Charm, mystique, and illusion they grant softly to you

Peace and serenity are the order of the day

May this spell smooth all obstacles that are in my way.

Close the spell by saying:

For the good of all, with harm to none

With color and light, this spell is done!

Take a deep breath, and let it out slowly. Now, coolly go and deal with the crisis.

Note:
Remember, this spell works to smooth situations over, not to eliminate them. In other words, you can glide in, fix the situation, and then quietly ease back out. It also makes people see you in a different light, so be ethical and make sure you use this spell fairly.

Candles

Candle colors for today include white, silver, and pale blue. Keep your eyes open for celestial-themed candles with moons and stars on them. Try your hand at a little candle-magick aromatherapy. Look for the following scented votive candles to coordinate with your lunar enchantments: gardenia-scented candles promote spirituality and love; jasmine-scented candles encourage peace, sleep, and psychic dreams; sandalwood, a highly spiritual scent, may be used to support meditation and helps to set an excellent magickal mood. All of these enchanting fragrances correspond to Monday and the moon's gentle magick.

Metals & Crystals

The associated metal for Monday is silver. Silver is a receptive metal and is identified with the lunar energies of the Goddess. Silver is the metal of emotions, magick, psychic abilities, and peace. Charging or empowering silver jewelry works along the same lines as the directions that were given in Sunday's chapter for enchanting gold jewelry, the main difference being that you want to work in the moonlight as opposed to the sunlight. This time, hold the jewelry up to the light of the moon and ask either Selene to enchant it or Thoth to imbue it with wisdom and knowledge.

The crystals and stones that are linked to Monday and to the moon are the quartz crystal, moonstone, pearl, and sapphire. Moonstones and quartz crystals can easily be purchased at nature-theme stores or at most magick or metaphysical shops. These two tumbled stones are typically inexpensive, so pick up a couple of your favorites and keep them on hand for crystal magick and spells. If you own jewelry with pearls or sapphires in them, consider working with them for other lunar spells.

Quartz crystal:
The all-purpose quartz crystal makes yet another appearance in this book. Why? Because the quartz crystal is linked to both the moon and the sun. It also has associations to the fifth element in magick, that of Spirit. This crystal has both feminine and masculine—receptive and projective—properties. Quartz crystals set in silver evoke lunar and feminine energies, thanks to the silver. This jewelry combination is very popular with magick users and Witches today. Quartz crystal points may be used to tip wands, and the stones are also excellent for clearing the chakras, the energy centers of the body. Use your quartz crystal points for extra power for any ritual, spell, or charm.

Pearl:
Pearl has the elemental association of water and is the birthstone for the month of June. Pearls are created when a piece of grit such as sand gets inside the shell of certain species of a living clam, mussel, or oyster. The animal, in an effort to minimize the irritation, coats the grit with a material called nacre. Layers of this coating are deposited on the irritant until, after a few years, a pearl is formed. There is a debate on whether or not pearls are ethical to work with. Some magickal folks do not care to work with pearls, as the oyster has to be killed to retrieve the pearl. However, if you already own any pearls, this is an excellent opportunity to perform moon magick with them.

Natural pearls come in a range of colors, such as white, yellow, pink, and black. They are considered to be receptive and are a classic moon symbol. They are often worked into goddess magick, women's magick, and good fortune and fertility spells.

Sapphire:
The element associated with the blue sapphire is water, and it is the birthstone for the month of September. The sapphire is from a group of gems known as corundum. While blue is the main color of the sapphire, it does come in other colors as well. Technically, different-colored sapphires are called “fancies.” Sapphires may be pink, yellow, orange, purple, and green. Interestingly, there are no red sapphires, because a red sapphire is actually considered to be a ruby. (Rubies are also from the corundum group.) Actually, rubies and sapphires are often found together, with one of the colors more prevalent than the other.

This fabulous precious stone is incorporated into rituals and magick for protection, sorcery, and healing. Wearing sapphire jewelry will also increase your psychic abilities. Blue sapphires are also considered to be a love stone, which makes them a more romantic choice for wedding jewelry than a diamond. Sapphires also will increase your spirituality, and if worn while meditating, they can increase divine knowledge.