Truth In Tarot

We- being Fand, Titania, Keeley, and myself- have been sensing something coming, seeing things in our dreams, feeling the presence of magick in all we do. The pieces were there, but we need help putting them all together. We turned to tarot. Normally, the readings are so vague it's completely hit-or-miss. Not this time... Each card has made a freaky amount of sense, and been very specific to what we were asking.
When I asked what we were to do about what we're being faced with, the cards were very clear- the outcome is not in our hands, and we have no need to be afraid.
When asked about my role in what is to come, three cards came up- The Poetical Justice, The Mother Goddess, and The Sun Child... My child is the point, not me. Fate is in control, not me.
It's been that way for a month now. Clear answers to clear questions... Almost frighteningly so.

The Fae Queens Part 1- Queen Mab

Mab, Mabh, Medb, Medhbh, Maeve

In the Celtic tradition, Queen Mab was also known as Queen Maeve. "Maeve" means mead and it was said that Mab gave this blood red wine to all of her consorts. Mead wine represented menstrual blood which was considered "the wine of women's wisdom". In Warwickshire, the word "Mabled" came to mean "led astray by the faeries or elves". In Cymric (the Welsh language) Mab was defined as meaning "small child". Additionally, Mab meant "Drunk Woman" and "Queen Wolf".

Mythologically, Mab was the Queen of Connact; the warrior queen of the Ulster Cycle. She was the combined mother/warrior aspect of the Triple Goddess. The Pagan festival of Mabon was celebrated in her honor each year at the Autumnal Equinox. During the festival, those wishing to be King were not endorsed unless Mab invited them to drink of her mead wine. This ensured that the male king would be well versed in feminism and women's mysteries.

Queen Mab was the earliest known ruler of the Fair Folk, who were known in that period as the Children of Mab. She was the mother of Oberon by an unknown father. It has also been suggested that she may have had more than one husband, although this is not certain.

Queen Mab is the most powerful of the Third Race, even stronger in magic than her son Oberon. Her favored physical form is uncertain, although rumor has it that she looks basically humanoid, but with more than one pair of arms, and is quite small in stature (approximately three inches tall). Queen Mab still appears in works of fantasy even today, her most recent appearance of note being in the NBC mini-series Merlin (1998), where she is the Queen of the Old Ways, and first the creator.

Medb, also known as Mab or Maeve, is the magnificent Warrior Queen of Faeries. According to Irish legend, as in the stories of Gwenhwyfar, no King could reign in this world unless he was married to this Queen of the Otherworld. In other words the King must have one foot in this world and one in the other.
Medb or Mave is credited with Queenly rule among the Sidhe ( Fairies ) and is held by some to be the original "Queen Mab".

"I am the Fairy Mab:
to me 'tis given the wonders of the human world to keep;
the secrets of the immeasurable past..."
from Queen Mab by P.B. Shelley

Throughout a long period of history, Queen Mab has appeared in a numerous selection of differing guises, names and manifestations.
She has been known as Mab, Mabh, Medb, (meev) Medhbh, Maeve (maive or mayv) and sometimes linked with the Morrigan, mainly through Celtic Mythology and Legend.
She is also associated with the Tuatha De Danaan, who were described as being 'a godlike race' that came into Erin from the northern islands of Greece around 4000 years ago.
The Warrior Queen Medb of Connaught appears in the Ulster Cycles which date from around 2000 years ago, and although these stories may tend to appear somewhat fanciful, it is also considered by many eminent scholars that the characters in the legends were in fact, real people.
The Tuatha De Danaan (the people of the god whose mother is Dana) were also recorded to possess great gifts of magic and druidism and after being defeated by the Milesians were forced to establish an underground kingdom known as Otherworld or Sidh'e, meaning Hollow Hills and became known as The Lords of the Sidh'e (pronounced 'Shee') and maybe it is from this that the stories of Faerie Folk originated. (Fairy being a derivative of fey, relating especially to fate)
The transcendant intellect of the Sidh'e later became known amongst Druids as the
Web of the Wise or Web of Wyrd.
Mab appears as the Queen of the Fairies, Titania in Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and Titania stems from the Greek pre-Olympian god race of the Titans and is also associated with Diana the Moon Goddess.
It is also worthwhile to note that around the time Shakespeare wrote this play, Queen Elizabeth 1's Court Poetry and Magic Syndicate (which included Francis Bacon and the enigmatic seer and occultist John Dee) was founded by Edward de Vere, the Lord Chancellor of England and Queen Elizabeth 1 herself was very much a part of this particular 'underground stream of knowledge', which is considered to have Rosicrucian origins and she underwent a mystical ceremony conducted in the depths of Windsor Forest to be crowned as Queen of the Greenwood.

Queen Mab known also in Celtic folklore as 'Queen Wolf; whose name means mead'
is widely considered to relate to the Mother aspect of The Triple Goddess expressing love, protection, physical sexuality and fertility but also including the more darker sides such as fierceness, revenge and war against her enemies.

I consider that Percy Shelley's epic political poem 'Queen Mab' (which he wrote when he was just eighteen !) which includes Mab's lengthy and fierce tirades against the injustices and cruelties inflicted upon the masses by many of those in positions of power, is indeed a true reflection of her persona and attitude and I firmly tend to believe that she inspired him to write it.
If she didn't inspire him, then for what reason did he choose her, to express these very anarchic sentiments ? - and she is also Queen of Poets.
I have come to believe, as a result of my own extremely unusual personal experiences (and also those of a few of my initiated friends) that Mab is more than just a myth or legend from the past, She is a powerful expression of the Goddess force which is now beginning manifest itself more strongly in this particular aspect each and everyday.

autumn

A Blessing For A Tarot Deck

preferably, you will have a sage-wand to use, but if you don't, a burnt offering of tobacco will work- yeah, i've used a cigarette before in a pinch.
hold your deck in your hands. shuffle them. play with them. feel their energy, and let them feel yours. spend some time with them. look at the pictures, think about the words. these are YOUR cards. you need to be familiar with them.

light your sage-wand (or cigarette). hold your deck in your dominant hand. with your other hand, circle the deck in the smoke. on both the front and back of your deck, trace a pentagram with your finger, letting the smoke trail behind. say a little prayer. often, i will kiss the deck before beginning a reading.

now go for it! and be sure to thank your cards after every use! :-)

Ritual Images- me and Fand, pictures by Springheel

Freedom Of Religion

Sleepless Nights Curse

CALL THE QUARTERS AND CAST CIRCLE
CALL THE LORD AND LADY
INVOKE THE DARK GODDESS
The Lady of Darkness and Death, The Crone Goddess, I invoke you now... Fill my heart with your power. Queen of Night, your daughter needs you. Come to me. I invoke thee.
[By the fire before me- the powers of anger- fill me with the energy I need to be a bearer of justice. A man has abused his power and strength against a sweet, innocent girl. He must see that whatever he sent out will come back around.
This night send him dreams, fashioned of my mind. Let him see what a witch will do to defend her sister, what a woman will do to protect her friend.]
Seven candles. Seven restless nights of horrid dreams. Seven times he will feel the pain he caused her. This is the spell I cast.
OPEN CIRCLE

Earth Mother Blessing

CALL QUARTERS & CAST CIRCLE
CALL MOTHER EARTH
Earth Mother, Queen of Summer, Womb of the World- your witch-daughter asks your blessing this day. I offer the leaf of your flesh, the fire that warms you, the air you breath, and the water that nourishes you. By the power of my spirit and the good in my heart, I pray for health and happiness- not only for myself, but for the child that may grow inside me, and the father who gave that child life.
Let these hands work only for what is best. Let these feet move ever forward. Let this mind think clearly and quickly. Let this womb be strong and safe. Let this heart grow always in love.
By the power of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, the power of the Lord and Lady, the power of the faeries whose blood runs through me, the powers of the spirits of mothers and lovers everywhere- look with kind eyes upon the daughter of your flesh. Teach me to love as you do, without question, without hesitation, without fear.
By the powers of three times three, as I will it, so may it be.
Blessed be!
OPEN CIRCLE

Celtic Runes

Litha Ritual

bread and honey
strawberry shortcakes
sparkling strawberry numminess


CAST CIRCLE AND CALL THE QUARTERS
"pagan born" soft
LAURA speaks
we call the east, the powers of air, to enliven this circle and attend this rite
JESSI speaks
we call the south, the powers of fire, to illuminate this circle and attend this rite
KENDRA speaks
we call the west, the powers of water, to cleanse this circle and attend this rite
LAURA speaks
we call the north, the powers of earth, to strengthen this circle and attend this rite
JESSI speaks
we call the lady- maiden, mother, and crone- to enter this circle and attend this rite, to bless and guide her daughters.
KENDRA speaks
we call the lord in all his forms to enter this circle and attend this rite, to bless and guide his daughters.
ALL speak
this is the circle we cast. love is the law, and love is the bond. may nothing but love enter or leave. blessed be.

1 warm-colored candle for each girl.
JESSI lights her candle-
today is the peak of the sun's power.
LAURA lights candle off of Jessi's-
from now till yule, darkness will grow.
KENDRA lights candle off of Laura's-
let us lend our power to the light.
"the witches' chant"- meditate over candles
KENDRA speaks
the harvest comes, and with it, plenty
LAURA speaks
we will feast on the fruits of summer
JESSI speaks
let us be grateful for our blessings

CAKES AND WINE

LAURA speaks
as the power of sun and light fade, let us keep them in our hearts
KENDRA speaks
we trust that warmth and light will come again
JESSI speaks
let the power within us keep us warm and guide us through the coming winter.

OPEN CIRCLE
"blessed be" softly
LAURA speaks
we thank the north, the powers of earth. merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again.
KENDRA speaks
we thank the west, the powers of water. merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again.
JESSI speaks
we thank the south, the powers of fire. merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again.
LAURA speaks
we thank the east, the powers of air. merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again.
KENDRA speaks
we thank the lord for all his blessings, and ask that he remains with us always.
JESSI speaks
we thank the lady for all her blessings, and ask that she remains with us always.
ALL speak
the circle is open yet unbroken. it's power and protection remain in us. blessed be.

THE WICCAN REDE