The Blessing of the Waters 2019

The Blessing of the Waters is a Public Community Ritual held annually by the Weavers of the Moonfire, with the assistance of many members of our Tradition, the Assembly of the Sacred Wheel.  This year the Ritual was to take place on Saturday August 17^th with the Moon in Pisces.  But a few weeks before, a flash flood damaged the Park where the Ritual is held, and it will be closed for repair work until sometime next year.  We were unable to secure another location and so, we have had to cancel the Public Ritual until next year. 

The Water of our Planet is a Closed System, the Water we have is all the Water we will ever have, and All Water is One Water.  When we do work to Heal the Waters, we work to Heal All the Water.  The Waters in Flint MI, the Water at the Standing Rock Reservation, the Waters in Nebraska, the Waters of the Gulph of Mexico, the Water in my town, the Water in your city, and the Land that Water gives Life to.

I feel very deeply that this work is necessary and critically important, especially because the Waters and the Land are so much out of Balance.  Water is Sacred, It gives Life to the Land and to all who dwell upon It. It needs to be Honored, Respected and Protected, now more than ever.

Please join us in the following work on Friday September 13^th or Saturday September 14^th with the Full Moon in Pisces., to help carry the energy of the Blessing of the Waters forward until we can once again come together as a Community and do this work in the mundane world.  What follows is a simple Rite to be done either as solitary work or together in a small group.  It can be altered as needed by each person who chooses to engage in it. It can be done once, or as often as you choose.  The combined Blessing and Healing by everyone who is willing to do this Work, will come together on the Astral and will help to Heal the Waters of the Earth we all share. 

Water is Sacred, Water is Life.

The Blessing of the Waters

Draw Water from whatever source you can safely access into a vessel of your choosing.  (You may choose a small stream, or a lake somewhere near your home, or you may choose the tap in your kitchen.)   Set the vessel filled with Water on the ground or floor in front of you.

Breath deep, Ground and Center yourself, burn sweetgrass or sage or incense, do whatever you would to prepare yourself for Sacred Work.

(I am including the chants that we use in the Ritual, it is easy to find recordings of them on the web. Of course, you may sing whatever you like, Also, you may use the words provided here, or you may use your own.)

Sing as you prepare yourself to begin the Work.

“Born of Water, Cleansing, Powerful, Healing, Changing, I am.”

Cast a Circle if that is a part of your usual practice.

(when we Cast the Circle for the Public Ritual, everyone sings as the Circle is Cast,)

“Air moves us, Fire Transforms us, Water Shapes us, Earth Heals us,

and the Balance of the Wheel goes ‘round and ‘round,

and the Balance of the Wheel goes ‘round.”

Call the Waters of the North, East, South, West, Sky, Land, and Body.

As you call to each of the Waters, see them in your mind’s eye, know to Whom you call.

“I call to the Waters of the North, to the Lakes, Fjords and the Artic Seas.

Waters of the North, I call to you, Waters of the North, Flow to me.

I call to the Waters of the East, to the Ocean, Bays, and Marshes,

Waters of the East, I call to you, Waters of the East, Flow to me.

I call to the Waters of the South, to the Swamps, Bayous and Deltas,

Waters of the South, I call to you, Waters of the South, Flow to me.

I call to the Waters of the West, to the Rivers and Reservoirs,

Waters of the West, I call to you, Waters of the West, Flow to me.

I call to the Waters of the Sky, to Rain, Mist and Snow,

Waters of the Sky, I call to you, Waters of the Sky, Flow to me.

I call to the Waters of the Land, to the Aquifer, Spring and Watershed,

Waters of the Land I call to you, Waters of the Land, Flow to me.

I call to the Waters of my Body, to Blood, Sweat and Tears,

Waters within, I call to you, Waters within, Flow through me.”

Call to he Spirit of the Waters and to the Spirits of the Land

“I call to the Spirit of the Waters, to the Sacred Water that gives Life to the Land and to all who dwell upon it, Come and join me in this Work of Healing. 

I call to the Spirits of the Land, to Soil, Rock, and Tree, to all who grow, fly, walk, crawl or swim.  To all who live upon the Land and all who draw Life from the Water. Come and join me in this Work of Healing.”

(If you desire to Call upon the Lady and the Lord do so by what Names you know Them, I would Call upon Danu as Lady of the Waters and Cernunnos as Lord of the Wilds.)

Make a Statement of Intention, that you are working to Bless the Waters to bring Healing to the Waters and to the Land and to restore Balance between Them. 

Make a Statement of Commitment if you choose to do so, to Honor, Respect and Protect the Waters.

State out Loud “Water is Sacred, Water is Life!”

Now focus your attention upon the Water in the vessel.  Raise energy through drumming, rattling, dancing, chanting, singing or toning.  Through sound, send the energy into the Water, see it transform, see it sparkle with Light and Healing.  Continue to send Healing into the Water until you have transformed It as much as you are able.

Seal the working by singing the Cherokee Water Blessing to the Water in the vessel.

“Witchita du ya, du ya, du ya, Witchita du ya, du ya hey,

Witchita du ya, du ya, du ya, Witchita du ya, du ya hey,

Atcha ta ney ya, ney ya, ney ya, Atcha ta ney ya, ney ya hey.

Atcha ta ney ya, ney ya, ney ya, Atcha ta ney ya, ney ya hey.”

(We acknowledge that we are not Cherokee, we sing the Cherokee Water Blessing in the spirit and purpose for which it has been shared. We do so with respect, honor, and gratitude to the Cherokee People for their generosity in sharing it with the world.)

Give Thanks to All who joined you in this Work.

“I give Thanks to the Waters of the North, East, South, West, Sky, Land and Body.

I give Thanks to the Spirit of the Waters and to the Spirits of the Land,

I give Thanks to the Lady and the Lord, for joining me in this Work of Healing,

Ho now in Peace and in Grace,I Give Thanks!”

(If you Cast a Circle, release it now in the way that is usual for you.)

Now, carry the vessel to the source from which you drew the Water, (or if you used the tap in your home, to a patch of open soil) pour the Water into the Source or into the Earth.

Sing as you carry the Water to that place,

“The River is Flowing, Flowing and Growing, the River is Flowing, down to the Sea,

Mother carry me, your child I will always be, Mother carry me, down to the Sea.”

It is Done, So Mote It Be.

(If you have included Water from a non-local source in your working, do not pour that Water into a local source.  Water can contain microbes that are invisible to the naked eye and you could inadvertently introduce a non-indigenous organism into the local ecology, which is potentially dangerous in unforeseeable ways.)

Freyja-Vanadis; a new relationship...

Twenty-one years ago, when I began this journey and began meeting the Gods and building relationships with them, I learned the story of Freyja-Vanadis, the Vanir Goddess of love, sex, beauty, war, death and magick who lived with the Aesir and learned the Runes from Odin and in return taught Seidr to the All-Father.  At that time, and for years after, I made petition to Her to work with me, but the Lady was silent. 

I have always believed that She heard me and that Her silence was Her answer…I was not ready.  It was not that I was unsuitable, or that I was unworthy…I was simply not ready to learn the lessons that she would teach me.  I had work to do, other lessons to learn, skills to develop, before I could understand or effectively practice the magick that she had to teach me.

I attended the Conjure Dance at Sacred Space/Between the Worlds Conference a couple of weeks ago and, this year I was successful in opening enough to enter trance and converse with the Gods.

I spoke with and heard the voices of Beloved Deities with whom I have had relationships for years.  It was profoundly moving and I am grateful that the work that I have done in this past year was successful.  It was something that I have spent a great deal of energy and focus on and it meant a great deal to me to discover that I am indeed capable of opening enough, and to do so in the presence of other human beings.

But the most surprising voice was that  of the Lady.   Freyja-Vanadis spoke to me.  And what She said to me was this,

“Now, you are ready”.

And so I am once again building  a new relationship with the Goddess.  She has already brought many new experiences and insights, new friendships and new perspectives, a new understanding of my Self and of my work in the world, and of my service to others, and of the nature of love.  And I see more clearly what I have now that I did not have then.  

I am both honored and filled with hope to begin the work that She and I will do together…to begin the work that She would teach me.  I am also filled with the joy I find in knowing Her.

Hail Freyja-Vanadis, Lady of Light, Beauty, Fire, Passion, Joy, Magick and Love! Hail and Welcome!

Visions

I have been "head-blind" most of my life.  I was not always so, but I made the visions go away when I was a small child.  And I do not mean visual messages only.  My most effective talent is auditory, in the form of language.  I have never really been able to silence "the voices"  completely.   But my strongest talent is neither of these, nor is it the tactile or kinesthetic sense of knowing that I sometimes feel.  

I have recently unlocked one of the boxes in my heart that was covered in cobwebs and dust.  It had been locked up tight for so long that I had indeed almost forgotten that it ever existed.  This is the task that my Patrons have been pushing me so hard  to accomplish.  I opened the box and discovered...empathy.

I have been working to unlock the boxes for months now and, as each one has been opened, more and more of my senses have returned to me.  I am becoming less and less head-blind with each box.  I have visions, I remember dreams, I can identify and engage with the various voices that I have heard my entire life.  I am more aware of the "feelings" and the information that they convey,   But most of all, my heart has become open and I can feel.  

It has been awkward and painful.  It has been frightening and has caused me to revisit many old demons and self-destructive behaviors to be sure that they will not serve but, I see again, I remember, I feel.  I am no longer living the half-life of someone blind, deaf, and dumb.  I am no longer one of the living dead.  

May my Gods be pleased with what they have wrought.

Unlocking the boxes...

For the past six months or so one of my specific and stated intentions has been to unlock the boxes within myself, to discover what lies within them, and to master whatever I might find there. 

The boxes and my intention to unlock them are not constantly in my waking consciousness.  Sometimes I forget for moments or days at a time, I become distracted by daily life, by the normal everyday of living.  And then something draws my attention back to the boxes and I am reminded that even when I am not paying attention, even when I am not actively pursuing this intent, words said in sacred space have power and the magick is continuing.

My Patron has been insistent that this is necessary if I am to take on the responsibility of completing my third degree initiation.  That it is required in order to find and use my power.  That it is non-negotiable if I am to truly know myself. I am not arguing this point but, it has been difficult and painful. 

I have been on a journey of self-discovery regarding my own identity, specifically my sexual identity.  This has resulted in many of the boxes being unlocked and the shamanic healing that I sought has also had a similar effect. The result has been particularly extreme in this past week.

I have been dreaming and remembering and it has robbed me of sleep and of peace in my waking life.  The lack of sleep and the images and emotions in my dreams have robbed me of my ability to shut down my emotions and of my shields against feeling too much.  I have even resorted to old behaviors out of desperation in an attempt to escape the return of feelings and thoughts that I have not had in decades.

Old ways of thinking have reared their heads.  The argument that it would be safer not to love, that it would be easier to remain strong and cold and hard, that allowing my heart to feel again is a mistake.  There is a very strong urging to walk away from anyone who threatens to touch me, to make me feel.  That trusting anyone who could abandon me, or take something from me, is a foolish risk not to be considered.  The desire to hurt those I do love in order to drive them away from me is incredibly intense as well.

My heart feels like it has been frozen and the thaw and return of feeling are as painful as frostbitten limbs being flushed with blood again.  It has also been violent in its awakening.  And the fact that others have witnessed my convulsions has been humiliating. 

The pain in my heart remains and I do not know for certain that it will ever really go away now.  Perhaps this is what it feels like to be alive.  I do not really know but, I will not abandon my intent.  I will do whatever is necessary to live, and to love, and to feel.  I will not turn back, no matter what may come.  So Mote It Be.

Truth against the World

“Truth against the World” is an old Welsh proverb. When I read it for the first time, it jumped off the page and into my mind and began yelling, and it has been yelling at me ever since…

Its meaning to me is clear;

Truth, even if the whole world despises you for it. 

Truth, above all. 

Truth, no matter the consequences. 

Truth, no matter how painful. 

Truth, no matter how ugly.

Truth, no matter how uncomfortable.

Truth, no matter how frightening.

“the Truth will make you free.” 

“to thine own self be True.”

Truth is the greatest calling I can imagine.

Secrets

Secrets are powerful things.  Some are wonderful, like the ones we shared with our closest and dearest friends or our siblings in childhood.  Or the ones we share with lovers, about our hopes and our dreams. Some are filled with magick we share with the Spirits and the Gods.

But the ones we do not share with anyone, those are the most powerful secrets of all.  Those are the secrets that can empower our greatest magick, or destroy us.

If we can find the keys and the courage to see them, to know them, they can teach us to know who we are and how to live all that we are.  They can help us to find our power and to learn to use that power. 

The ones we refuse to see, the ones we hide from, will keep us imprisoned in tombs that we will never escape.  They will keep us from the life we are here to live.  They will keep us invisible until we eventually fade away, leaving no trace that we were ever even here.  They will destroy our ability to live, to love or to create any magick at all. 

That idea is terrifying.  The only thing more frightening is the idea of actually acknowledging those secrets.  The things we don’t ever talk about.  The voices in our head that we have heard all our lives, and the words that they scream in the long dark night.  The images that we see in our mind’s eye that we want so desperately to forget.  The memories of things we have done and the things we have wished for with all of our being.  The desires of our inner selves that we could never dare to live.  The things that we are absolutely sure if anyone knew, they would forsake us forever.

But no matter what the shadows tell us, those secrets are ours and if we can reclaim them, they will not destroy us.  If we can brave our deepest fears and embrace our secrets, they can unlock our power to live our lives with magick we have never imagined, and to be happy beyond our deepest hopes. 

Find the Secrets you keep, and listen to the whispers of your soul.  Live.

Survival

This summer has been an amazing season of growth, self-exploration, and self-discovery.  I have been learning a great deal about who I am and how to be All of who I am.  My forty-ninth birthday is just around the corner, my work on my third degree has moved from the first steps to the beginning of the path, and I have begun to See how my visions of my future might come to pass. 

But I have also had to look at the past, in this life and in others.  And I have come to see that I am a Survivor.  I am proud of that.  Survivor does not mean victim, it does not mean wounded, it does not mean damaged.  Survivor means Strong, it means ALIVE, it means Unconquerable and Unbreakable.

In this lifetime I have Survived;

Clinical depression,

Suicidal obsession and attempts,

Compulsive self-medication,

Self-destructive patterns of high-risk behavior,

Sexual assault,

My own Rage,

Compliance with the decisions of others,

The loss of my children,

Two years under the power of an extreme, militant, fundamentalist, baptist preacher and his followers.

Years of silencing my own self and hiding from my own power,

And the voices in my head that are, and that are not, my own.

I am ALIVE, I am Happy, and I am finally beginning to live my life the way I was meant to all of these years.  I have Survived because I am Stronger than any of those things. 

My Gods, my Ancestors, my Allies, and my Community have all had a hand in helping me to learn to live but, I am the one who Survived to learn. 

I share these things with you because, if you are reading this, you might be living in shadow, you might be looking for the candles. You might have experienced depression or assault; you might feel that you are weak, or damaged.  You might believe that dying is your only option to end the pain, or the fear, or the despair.  You might even think that you deserve nothing good, and that you are destined to be alone and in pain for the rest of your life. 

But I would point out that, you have Survived.  If you are reading this, you are Alive.  You are a Survivor!  You are Strong and Unconquerable, and Unbreakable. YOU are the Beauty to be found in the Darkness!  Nothing is stronger than that!