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Peace and Harmony Spell - Yule

Yule - December 21st (actual time of the solstice is 7:04 am EST) - the Winter Solstice and Longest Night of the year, is a great time to perform this spell. It is a time when family and friends gather together to celebrate the re-birth of the light. Though there is still more darkness than light and the coldest days are yet to come, it is from this day forth that the light begins to overtake the dark and the nights become shorter. With everyone gathered, it is a great time for working a bit of magical blessings of peace and harmony. There are two parts to this spell, so be sure to read though the whole thing to make sure you have everything you need -and enough time to do it in. The first part can probably be done up to a day or so in advance if needs be. Also, while it is primarily meant to be done as part of your Yule feast (or other family/friends gathering), it is also good to note that this spell can also be done even if you are the only guest at your feast. biggrin

PART ONE

Items Needed:

3 olives
½ cup of olive oil
Container to hold the olive oil

Spell:

- Cast your circle in your usual way, call the Guardians (corners, elements - whatever you normally do) and invoke the God and Goddess.

- Soak the olives in the olive oil for a few minutes. Allow them to soak up the energy from your circle.

- When you are ready to do your spell working…take a quick moment to ground and center.

- Place both hands around the container, visualize peace, love and harmony spreading from you into the olives and the olive oil, visualize it permeating the oil and visualize those feelings of peace, love and harmony transferring to anyone who consumes the oil.

- Chant (silently or aloud) three times:



Now the olive oil is ready for Part Two.

If you have no other ritual activities, you can banish your circle. Be sure to thank the God/ess and the Guardians for their assistance. If you have done this part in advance leave the olive oil on your altar until you are ready to use it (if you don't normally leave your altar out after ritual then you can store it in your kitchen)

PART TWO

Items Needed:

Your blessed olive oil
Ingredients for the meal you will be cooking (your choice - though it should be something that goes well with the use of olive oil)
If you want to, you can decorate your table with candles or other symbols of your choice, that you feel represent Peace, Love and Harmony.

Cooking:

- If you are cooking before you guests arrive, you may cast a quick circle around your kitchen area (if you feel called to do so). Sacred Space is always nice and adds to the specialness of the meal. Obviously if you will have other people running in and out of the kitchen (or you are going to be going in and out), then this won’t really be appropriate.

- Cook your meal with the olive oil. Visualize that the food that is immersed in the olive oil is taking on the blessings that you have charged it with. See the peace, love and harmony permeating your meal.

Serving:

- As you serve your meal (or as a way of saying "Grace") chant the following, aloud if you are comfortable doing so, or silently if you are not:



Now it’s time to eat!!!

What To Do With The Olives:

- The olives may be eaten to help manifest the spell: one by you, one by a family member, and one by a friend.

- Alternatively, the olives may be buried in the earth. Ask the earth to ground this energy into you and your loved ones that this peace, love and harmony might spread through you and into the rest of the wider world.

The following was used as a general reference.


Fire Purification Spell - Litha

Litha - December 21st/22nd if you are in the Southern Hemisphere) - the Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year. While the days are still warm and sunny, and it’s true that the hottest part of summer has yet to arrive, it is the time when the darkness begins to overtake the light and we know that the harvest time is on its way and winter not far behind. Litha is a Fire Festival and fire transforms us, making it an excellent tool for making much needed change in our lives. I don’t know about you, but there is always something about myself (or in my life) that I need to change or let go of. So this is a great time to do it.

This is a fairly simple spell, but I have always found that short, sweet and to the point works best, as it can be easy to lose focus trying to keep track of all the details in spells that are longer and more involved. This spell can be worked in one of two ways, depending on your source of fire (notes below as source A or B), however no matter what your fire source - this spell should be done outside for safety reasons.

Items Needed:
Piece of paper (for making your list)
Small piece of paper (preferably unlined - for your spell work)
Pen to write with (or if you have special ink that you use for ritual work you can use that as well)
Offerings (a thank you gift for the fire and earth for their assistance)

Fire Source A:
Bonfire (can be as large or small as you like…the one I had last year was only about the size of a small campfire)

Fire Source B:
A candle in a color of your choice, though red, orange or yellow may be most appropriate.
A pair of tweezers or small tongs so that you don’t burn yourself while holding the paper over the flame.


Spell:

If you choose, you may do this as part of whatever Litha activities you have planned, otherwise start by casting your circle in your usual manner, call the Guardians (corners, elements, etc…whatever you normally do) and invoke the God and Goddess.

- Take a few moments to meditate on yourself and your life. Pay particular attention to those things that you need to let go of in order to allow positive change to take place (bad habits, thoughts, emotional baggage, etc…that is no longer needed, and even worse may be holding you back from achieving your dreams/goals). Take some time as well to think about the positive things you could be doing if these changes were made.

- When you are done meditating, make a list of those things that you are truly ready to let go of. Seriously consider each item as you write it. Obviously on the surface we’d want to let go of it all, but if we are not truly ready to do so, then no amount of spell work is going to allow us to make those changes. If you find that there are some things that you still feel a need to keep hold of, that is fine - there will always be other chances to do this spell again. Keep in mind too that, if there are a lot of things that need changing, it may be better to start out writing the most critical ones first (personally I wouldn‘t do more than 3 at a time), and then planning on doing this spell on a regular basis (like once a month or quarterly) to help clear out the rest. This way we don’t overwhelm ourselves and negate the spell, by trying to do too much at once.

- When you have your list ready…write in the center of your ritual paper those things that you want to let go of. As you write, visualize those things leaving you and becoming part of the paper (I see them going though my hand, into the pen, and through the ink…transferring to the paper).

- When you are done writing, Fold the paper…top to bottom, then left to right, so that it is folded into fourths. As you fold the paper, visualize your habits/thoughts are being trapped inside the paper.

- When you have folded your paper, take a moment to stand in front of your bonfire (or candle), feel the warmth of the flames and meditate on the element of fire…how it transforms us, burning away the old, so that the new can rise from the ashes.

- When you are ready toss your folded paper into the flames (if you are using a candle use your tweezers/tongs to hold the paper over the flame - taking care not to burn yourself). Be purposeful in your movements, and do not hesitate. Say the following as you do:



- Watch as the flames consume your paper, knowing that the path is clear for you to make the changes you need to achieve your dreams/goals. Take a moment to again visualize yourself meeting those goals.

- Before you end, take a moment to thank the Fire for it’s assistance and throw your offering into the fire. (if you are using a candle a simple heart-felt thank you will do)

If you have no other ritual activities, you can banish your circle. Be sure to thank the God/ess and the Guardians for their assistance.

The main part of the spell is done. However, once your fire (or candle) has burned down and the ashes have cooled, be sure to bury the ashes in the earth, so that they may be absorbed and grounded. Be sure to leave an offering to the Earth in thanks.

The following was used as a general reference.

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