January 2011 Volume 2, Issue 1

Inside this issue:

We
Calendar 2
lcom
Wheel of the Year 3

201 e
1!!!
January Full Moon 4

Craft Corner 5

At Home 6

Time for Self

Wow, here we are beginning a new year yet
7

Stone of the Month 8 again. 2010 found many of us lost and wondering
Herb of the Month 9 what was to happen to us a group and circle. We decided in
Sister of the Month 10
August to regroup, however, with this re grouping we have had
some growing pains, some miscommunications and I am sure
many are still wondering if we are going to make it as a group.
January 9th is New Moon. Traditionally in CoG we gathered to
talk about the upcoming year, make necessary changes to how
we do things and just gather and chat. This Meeting I hope we
Hope never can do the same thing.
abandons The Matron Priestesses and myself have finalized a calendar for
you, you 2011 and have come up with some ideas and basic outline of
abandon it. how we would like to see things work. So if you can please
~George attend this New Moon and lets start 2011 off on the same page.
Weinberg Silver
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2 3 New 4 5 6 7 8
Moon

4:03 am

New 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Moon
Class

2:00 pm
16 17 18 Full Moon19 20 21 22
4:21 pm

Ritual

7:00 pm
23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30 31
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Wheel of the Year by Silver

As we come into January we are renewed with hope of the longer days, yet we are still in
the beginning of the winter season. As witches and women working on a journey of self
evolution, this is the time of the year to begin to finish up the shadow work started at
Samhain. It is time to put plans into physical actions vs the mental action of planning that
seems to happen during that dark period of the year.
As the wheel turns we have really just entered the time of Earth and it is time to begin the
grounding, centering and preparing for the upcoming year. This is a time of getting things in
order and to take stock of what is important to keep and important to get rid of. This is
important work so that when Imbolc approaches in February, one has a focus for their
desires.
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Many people of the Algonquian people referred to this Full Moon as the Wolf Moon, because
wolf packs would gather outside of the tribal encampments and howl as they looked for food.
While in our modern age we think of the howling wolf as a majestic and beautiful sound, to the
people of the North Eastern tribes, it was a harsh reminder of hunger and the cold elements of
the winter. Other names for the January Full Moon are: Old Moon, Moon after Yule and Ice
Moon.
This year the Full Moon falls on January 19 at 29 degrees Cancer while we are in the sign of
Capricorn. Without taking into consideration all of the other planetary aspects of this day, we
know that Cancer is about emotions and relationships and Capricorn is about making things
work even when it seems impossible. In OTGS if all goes as planned Mythica will be drawing
down the Goddess and the sisters who have never experienced talking to the Goddess face to
face will get a chance to see what it is like.
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The Tibetan Buddhists, Australian Aborigines, and Southwestern Native Americans are all known
collectively for the often intricate sand paintings that they use in their daily lives and in spiritual
workings. I have always admired these and have wanted to try it out. But where would I be able
to get my hands on all those different colors of sand without paying a mint, begging a monk, or
grinding up sandstone and crystals myself? How about try using a crystal that everyone has in their
house, salt.

To make your ‘sand’ use typical table salt or you could use the special salt we use for ritual. Puur
some in a small bowl to the quantity you anticipate needing for your magick, in this case it is better
to estimate over as you could still use the salt for ritual or even for cooking, but you may not be
able to recreate the color once you run out. Add a drop or two of food coloring and mix until the
color spreads to all the salt crystals. If you need to make the color darker add another drop or two.
If you need to combine colors to make a new color such as purple from red and blue combine the
drops in a spoon BEFORE adding them to your salt and you will get a more consistent color. There
are the typical Red/Yellow/Blue/Green food colorings at any grocery store as well as neon colors
now. They are not expensive and neither is salt.

Once all of your colors of salt are prepared, draw out a diagram of what you want to manifest for
instance if it is a safe home draw a home with a circle around it for protection or whatever you feel
will work for your purpose. Then add the salts in the colors you want until your ‘picture’ is finished.
Then seal your work with a ritual or with a blessing of some sort, whatever you feel like doing for
your magick. When you are done you can sweep up the colors and spread it around the outside of
your home if it is for home protection.

If the working is for protecting a love one give them a bag of the salts. Yet another idea is to fill
clear class jars with the colors like what you see at carnivals but fill them with a purpose.

If you want to have a more permanent blessing in your home you can use the glue and sprinkle
method like what is typically done with glitter. If you want feel free to add glitter to the salt as
well. Whatever you like make the magick yours and you are sure to manifest what you seek.

Be sure to research your colors that you want to use for most effective use of color magick as well
as pay attention to the astrological significance of your timing. Blessings to you and may you find
what you seek in your magick.

Sara Jean
Last month we spoke about cleansing our homes in preparation for company and creating a happy
environment for them. This month, we are going to take it a bit further. Everyone knows about Spring
cleaning but it shouldn’t be limited to Spring only. We all feel the need to decompress and relax when the
holidays are over and any household chores or putting away of our holiday gifts sometimes gets pushed
aside. The stress and anxiety of the holidays can get trapped within any clutter that we may have around
the home, this includes that pile of holiday gifts that is sitting on the table or stuffed in that corner that
you keep swearing you will get to later. The sooner you get to putting away your new gifts, the sooner
that you will begin to release any negative energy that has accumulated, clearing a pathway for the other
gifts that await you. What are you looking to bring into your life this next year? Are you looking for a
new job or a new love? If you have had some bad luck in the past and want to bring some new and
exciting things into your life this year, you must first physically clean and magically cleanse your home.
How can we really expect our magic to work when we have negative energy hiding within the clutter in
our homes? The negative energy can sometimes cloud our magic, making it ineffective, disappointing us,
further adding to the negative energy. Clearing that clutter clears a path for our magic to work and for
our gifts to find their way to us. Not only is cleaning necessary for our magic but its necessary for shadow
work as well. The negative energy hanging around clouds our minds and it is important to have clear
minds in order to help shed light on the shadow. In order to effectively clean and cleanse your home,
follow these steps:

Remove all clutter

Physically clean walls, counters, tables etc., throwing the dirty water outside as far away from the house as
possible
Cleanse house using your choice of cleansing agent, moving from top to bottom, back to front, seeing
negative energy going out the open windows and doors. Remember to move widdershins to remove
negative energy
Protect and bless your home, using your choice of blessing and protecting agent, to create a barrier
against further negativity and entities, remembering to move clockwise
Trace pentagrams on windows and doors for further protection
Enjoy your tranquil new space

Once completed, you have created a clear atmosphere to assist you in your inner work while also
creating a clear pathway for your magical workings and for those gifts to find their way to you.
January is the time when we as a society are compelled to make
resolutions of change that are seldom seen through. One reason
these resolutions fall short is because often times we make these
promises of change to make others happy or to conform into what
society wants us to do. This year I encourage you to NOT make any
type of resolution, instead, maybe a vision board of all you want to
accomplish for yourself in the upcoming year(s). When we can see
what we want to accomplish as opposed to just thinking about it, it
becomes easier to begin the changes necessary to achieve our
desires. We are still in a time of all about “me”, in this dark time of
the year. While the sun is shining longer everyday, we still have the
right to be a little selfish and do something for ourselves, taking the
lessons learned from the past few months to proactive in positive
change.
Since we are continuing our inner work of self, it is
important that our minds are as clear as possible so that
we can make heads or tails out of the information that
surfaces during our work. A great stone to help
facilitate with that task is Tiger’s Eye. This fabulous
looking stone changes its silky look with reflection of
light, illuminating its lustrous yellow or brown bands.
Those bands are similar to the eye of the tiger where it
derives its name, giving us another eye to help see things
more clearly. It also helps us make better judgments,
while also bringing us protection and good luck.
Physically, it helps to heal any eye ailments, eases pain
and helps to repair broken bones. Tiger’s Eye can also
be found in red and blue, having more specific attributes.
Red is fire-like, having stimulating qualities. It’s provides
motivation, helping to overcome lethargy, speeds up
metabolism and puts some va va voom into the sex
drive. Blue is calming, releasing stress. It slows the
metabolism, and cools the sex drive that has too much

Mystical Properties: clear thinking, accurate judgment,

protection, good luck, prosperity, willpower, courage,
grounding

Healing Properties: aids in healing the eyes,

throat, reproductive organs, releases toxins, eases
pain, helps repair broken bones, helps strengthen
and align spinal column
When we are preparing sacred space with our sisters, we use sage to cleanse the area but
Sage is not the only choice. There are numerous other herbs and woods that can be used
that are just as effective and aromatic. Cedar is a great alternative for cleansing as it is very
powerful in clearing negative energies, but it welcomes in positive energies as well. Dried
cedar can be burned as the Pacific Northwest tribes did, or, fresh branches of cedar can be
waved throughout the home or wherever you want the energy cleansed. The Pacific
Northwest tribes also made fabric with cedar not only as a protection from the elements
but for protection from anything that may wish to cause harm. The healing qualities of
cedar are equally as powerful as its cleansing properties and they include a myriad of
purposes including skin, circulation, respiratory illnesses, and skin conditions. Also, when a
person needed healing, they were placed on a bed of cedar boughs or it was used as a
ceremonial base for purification during a vision quest.

Mystical Properties – cleansing & purification, prosperity & wealth, protection, summon
spirits, preservation, grounding, increases courage, encourages meditation

Healing Properties – antiseptic, astringent, diuretic, expectorant, insect repellant, eczema,

dermatitis, fungal infections, promotes blood circulation, anxiety, stress
Name (Muggle name/Craft name)
Machelle Earley/Phoenix BlackFox
What do you do for a living?
Cashier and Education Coordinator at the Forney Museum of Transportation
How long have you been on your path?
All of my life but did not begin studying until almost 15 years ago
How did you get on your path?
Started reading about it a long time ago but then had a friend who was interested and she began teaching
me
Do you follow a particular path? ie Wicca, Shamanism, Eclectic
Eclectic with leanings toward Shamanism and Hedge
Do you use divination in your craft? If so what kind?
Tarot, Scrying, me
What kind of tools do you use (is herbs, oils, stones, etc)
Herbs, oils, candles, whatever else I need at the time and me
What is the most important part of your path to you?
Wisdom
What’s going on in your life right now?
Studying, preparing for the holidays and my grandson’s 1st birthday,
trying to survive the teenage years
What are your muggle interests?
Playing guitar, spending time with my family- 2 legged, feathered and furred, watching movies
Favorites
Animal - owl Childhood Toy—Hobby Lobby doll
Color - green Candle Scent—Dragon’s Blood
Food - Chinese Season—Spring & Fall
Drink – chocolate malt Sandwhich—Grilled Cheese accompanied with cream of tomato soup