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July 26 through August 1, 2021

We can take things easy the first few days of the week, as the Pisces Moon calls us to reflect, remember and relax. Mercury will enter Leo on Tuesday, urging our hearts and minds to forge ahead into new enterprises over the next few weeks as it energizes and inspires us! Things heat up Wednesday through Thursday as the Moon marches through Aries and Jupiter (which has been retrograde since June 20) backtracks into Aquarius. This can generate a sense of rebellion or frustration, and we'll need to be careful when anger or aggressiveness rises up. Whether they come from within us or are directed at us by others, maintaining composure is of utmost importance until this energy passes. Luckily, Mars will move into Virgo late Thursday and restore a sense of grounding and decorum to our words, thoughts and actions. Once Mars, the planet of action, gets settled in Virgo, we'll have two months of focused, organized, and detailed focus, which will give us the power to manifest on an amazing level! With the Moon moving through Taurus over the weekend, we'll fill our weekend with productive movement as well as fun-filled activities! Just keep in mind, that to maintain a good balance, getting our chores done before running out to play is always a good idea!

Eight Tides of Elemental Witchcraft for a Magickal Life, by Heron Michelle

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

The "Wheel of the Year" is what Modern Witches call our cycle of yearly celebrations, both religious and magickal. Our solar sabbat rituals are timed by the turning of the seasons, marked by the sun's movement through the zodiac of outer stars as we perceive them from earth. The Wheel resets anew with the sabbat of Yule celebrated on the winter solstice as the Sun enters the earthy sign of Capricorn. Lunar esbats flow with the tides of the moon as she sails her 12-13 revolutions around the earth during that same solar year. Unique to "The Pentacle Path of Modern Witchcraft" that I practice is an additional mapping of the eight elemental mysteries to the Wheel of the Year framework. These elemental mysteries include four projective lessons, and four receptive lessons taught by the powers of earth, air, fire, and water.¹ This framework becomes the energetic map of ebbing and flowing energies on multiple levels of reality. From these tides of power, a Witch's Great Work of Magick is actualized throughout each turning of the Wheel.

As with all occult mysteries, the truth begins in the darkness, during the transmuting pause just before the dawning of a new cycle. So, while the solar year may reset at Yule, The Great Work actually concludes at the Samhain beforehand, in the dark dusk felt at the peak of Autumn and 15 degrees of watery Scorpio. Following is a brief exploration of how the eight tides of elemental witchcraft flow through the seasons, and practical ideas about how we can engage with those mysteries to live a magickal life upon The Pentacle Path of Modern Witchcraft.

Samhain Until Yule: Earth's Silence
Along the Witch's Wheel of the Year, from Samhain to Yule is a time of rest and reflection. During this time, check in with the earth's projective mysteries of silence, when we hold open space for the incoming bounty we've been cultivating all year. This period of waning into the darkness is when the lessons of the previous harvest are integrated and concluded. Read your old journals and reflect on what you've learned. Nurture your body with plenty of rest, sit quietly by a fireside and dream into the deeps, dine on delicious foods, and pamper yourself. Practice active silence by listening carefully to what people around you have to say without interruption or judgment. Pray in open dialogue with your guides, then pay attention to signs and synchronicities in your daily life, following the intuitive breadcrumbs as they land.

Yule Until Imbolc: Earth's Resonance
From Yule until Imbolc, switch into elemental earth's receptive lessons of resonance. Look to the birth of the new cycle and ask the cosmos, "What's next?" Seek guidance with tarot or another form of divination, seeking which Great Work intention you should dedicate to achieving during the new Wheel of the Year. Then strike that cosmic gong of possibility and tune yourself to the new frequency of your choosing. Prepare the magickal goodies you'll need for the coming dedications to that goal at Imbolc: write intention statements, dress the candles, blend the incense, etc. Physically clean and then spiritually purify your house with a thorough hallowing. (You can read more about this process here. Clean all the altar tools, wash the altar cloth, and polish the furniture. Set a fresh tableau for the new magick to come.

Imbolc to Ostara: Air's Knowing
From Imbolc to Ostara, shift into the airy mental investigation of your dedication for this Great Work. Explore the intellectual world and air's projective mysteries of knowing. This is a good time to dive deeply into existing texts on the subject of your dedication. As the winter season wanes, curl up with a hot cup of your favorite brew and enjoy reading. Research to discover what is already known, or assumed to be true, about the subject. This would be a good time to take a class from a reputable source. Ask a lot of questions and seek out established answers from experts in that subject.

Ostara to Beltane: Air's Wonderment
From Ostara until Beltane, throw open the mental windows and let in the receptive breeze of airy wonderment. All those facts and opinions you just researched? Don't accept everything at face value! The very definition of "occult" is that there are hidden meanings beneath the surface of the obvious. Question the way things have always been—your beliefs, practices, and life in general. Seek a fresh perspective based on all that you've learned so far. This is the time for experimentation.

As the season of spring waxes, plant both your intellectual and physical gardens and generously fertilize them with the compost from last year's refuse—including the outmoded ideas or preconceived expectations that no longer aid your growth. As you weed the physical garden a practical bit of magick is to grasp the unwanted plant near the roots in your projective hand, center your mind, breathe in the power of nature around you, and visualize any unwelcomed thought or condition that hinders your spiritual progress. Name the weed that thing out loud, then yank it from the ground with vigor! Shake it off, and compost it with a hearty, "Be gone! So mote it be!"

Beltane to Litha: Fire's Will
As spring wanes, kindle your elemental fires of will by taking action upon your Great Work dedication. Apply what you've learned so far in some tangible spell work. As the season of spring wanes, and the days lengthen and heat up, this is the time to roll up your sleeves and dig into the "doing things" portion of life. Apply your fires to the practical projects around your home: tend your garden and finish that ever-lingering home repair project. Get into nature and enjoy some necessary physical exercise. Go and do magickal things that further your witching sovereignty (earth) and strive toward your highest ideals (air). See an issue that needs improvement at work, home, or out in the community? Take the lead, rally others to help, and work together to change it (fire).

Litha to Lammas: Fire's Surrender
As waxing summer tides heat up, shift into the fiery receptive mysteries of surrender by feeding the forge fires of your will. Let go of any old forms that are hindering your progress, like the snake shedding a skin that is too small. For some practical magick, each day clear out one area of congestion in your life. Take out the literal or metaphorical trash. Cull possessions for donation and unsubscribe from unwanted email lists. Prune back the excesses in your household budget. Prove to yourself that you're in charge of your life, not your addictions or obsessions. Give up an undesirable habit or overindulgence until Lammas just to exert your will to live the healthier lifestyle you choose. Unplug and go camping, take a social media vacation, or try a dietary cleanse of some kind (under the guidance of your physician) to balance your physical, mental, and emotional health.

Lammas to Mabon: Water's Daring
From Lammas to Mabon, apply the watery mysteries of daring and ask which emotional barriers need to be smashed in order to make way for the fulfillment of your Great Work. As the summer wanes, consider which impediments need to be overcome in order to regain emotional balance? Which societal impediments, taboos, or outmoded restrictions about love and relationships need to be redefined in order to advance your sacred mission in the world?

In regards to romantic love and sexual intimacy, know that however and whomever you love, so long as it is shared consensually, responsibly, and authentically among adults, that love is sacred worship to our God/dess. Be daring in your love and express your feelings to someone special without expectation of where that may lead. Make plans for a fun adventure and invite friends or potential lovers to come make some memories with you.

Mabon to Samhain: Water's Acceptance
As the autumn waxes, shift into water's receptive mysteries of acceptance. Take stock of all you've harvested so far this year and notice which new mold is coming into form around you. This mold will shape your improved self and the witching life you've been building. As you approach the third harvest of Samhain, cease striving and settle in. Consider the wounds of the heart and whatever you are grieving, then do spell work for emotional acceptance and healing. Drink plenty of pure water to stay hydrated, and enjoy a hot soaking bath with plenty of Epsom salts and yummy herbs of healing and purification as you envision all your heartbreaks dissolving into the bath and flowing away.

Conclusion
As the dusks of Samhain fall once more, the cycle of the Great Work of Magick conclude again with the lessons of earth's silence. The Wheel ends with Samhain, but does not truly begin again until Yule, after that necessary the pause of transmutation in-between. So, Earth's mysteries bookend the process. With each turning of the Wheel of the Year, Witches spiral into deeper understanding of themselves and their sacred place within the God/dess. With each turning we become healthier, more independent and authentic, more internally controlled and cooperative, and more emotionally balanced and trustworthy in our relationships. The ultimate goal of all this Witchery is a happy abundant life full of fun, fulfillment and adventure…and whatever other dreams you choose of your own free-will.

For an in-depth exploration of the history, thealogy and elemental mysteries of The Pentacle Path described above, check out my book, Elemental Witchcraft: A Guide to Living a Magickal Life Through the Elements. In those pages you'll find many illustrations and exercises, with complete instructions for the formulary craftings, Hermetic witchcraft rituals with guided journeys, and planetary magick spells for balancing each element and the Goddess and God within and without.

¹The four projective lessons are traditionally called The Four Powers of the Sphinx and originated with Levi, Eliphas. Transcendental Magic: Its Doctrine and Ritual. Translated by A. E. Waite. York, ME: RedWheel/Weiser, 1972. Page 30. The four receptive lessons were originally presented as "Widdershins Spirals" by Roderick, Timothy. Dark Moon Mysteries: Wisdom, Power, and Magic of the Shadow World. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 1996. Page 79.

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2021. All rights reserved.

I have no kids and I'm not pregnant. Last night I had a very vivid dream that I was in labor. In the dream, I was clearing out a friend's house and got awful cramps, which later I discovered were labor pains. In the dream, I didn't know I was pregnant until I was told. I wanted to push but I had to get to the hospital by sitting in front of the ambulance; they wouldn't pull over. When I got to the hospital, there were no beds and I was anxious because I needed to push. A nurse pointed me into the emergency room, which was covered in blood with a bullet hole in one of the beds. My boyfriend looked for a better place and couldn't find one, but found a room off of that area that was filthy. The nurse reappeared and told me to be patient and rang the labor ward to let them know. It was an American hospital; I am from Ireland. I woke before I gave birth. It was a scary dream and it felt so real my stomach was sore when I woke up. What do you think it means?
Erin

Susyn:

It's not unusual to awaken with physical symptoms after having a very intense dream. Though this dream centered around the idea that you were pregnant and you awoke with soreness in your abdomen, I do not feel it was prophetic in nature.

The subconscious will try to communicate various concerns through our dreams, but it does so symbolically, so the events in our dreams should almost never be taken literally. By looking at each segment of this dream and its meaning from a metaphysical angle, you may be able to connect this experience to something else you are currently going through.

Let's begin with the fact that you were clearing out a friend's house when you went into labor. This transition often represents an ending in one area of your life and the beginning of a new phase you are about to enter. As you cleared out space in one area, a new life began to show itself. Are you in the midst of any transitions? This could include changing jobs, moving from one place to another, or reaching a turning point in your relationship. If you can relate this message to a transitional event currently taking place, the rest of the dream should begin to make sense.

It may be that you are unaware of the changes that are about to take place based on the fact that in the dream, you did not realize you were pregnant until you went into labor. In this case, the dream is revealing that change of some type is on the way. This dream is also a reminder that you can't hurry these changes, for you are not able to push (things forward) or find a proper place in which to make things happen.

In looking for a place to give birth, you came upon a bloody room. When we encounter blood in a dream, whether it's our own or belongs to others, it also suggests that new life is on the way. This theme is repeated when you discover you are in an American hospital, which suggests that the changes coming your way are foreign and unfamiliar you.

It's easy to see why this dream and the transition it portends might cause you worry or concern, for often when we are moving into a period of change, we feel rather powerless over what is going on around us. No matter how we try, we have to surrender to a higher plan and divine timing.

Though the baby in the dream never arrived, this dream is asking you to be prepared to experience a life-changing event. Babies are always blessings in dreams, so this event should prove positive. More is sure to be revealed, so take this dream as a hint of wonderful things to come.

*****

Oceania:

In your dream, the fact that you wanted and needed to push suggests that you need to push something old out of the way in order to make room for something new that is pushing its way into your world! This new baby has been gestating and taking shape for a while now, though you may not have noticed it. That you didn't know you were pregnant in the dream until you were told suggests self-neglect or denial about what's going on within you.

In the dream, you were helping a friend rather than attending to your own needs. You were in pain before your body got your attention. Close your eyes and perform your own ultrasound. Notice any feelings in your body and give them a voice. You might begin with I feel... and see what words come up.

That the hospital was foreign to you, one of the beds was covered with blood and a bullet hole, and neither the nurse nor your boyfriend could find a clean bed for the delivery all mean that you are skeptical about your support system - perhaps rightly so. Don't wait for someone else to do this for you. Be a fierce mama and take care of business. Name the baby by identifying your immediate goal! Don't let your agenda go by the wayside in order to serve someone else's needs or desires.

You were clearing a house in your dream. Similarly, you must make way for your child, whether she turns out to be a project, a change, intense feelings or an emerging aspect of yourself. You may have to let go of some actual stuff to clear space and eliminate distractions so that you can properly attend to this new life. You may have to let go of activities in an overcrowded schedule. You may need to step back from certain people - perhaps the friend in your dream or the boyfriend whose offering of a filthy room was not good enough. Perhaps you just need to assert yourself more with them.

The speeding ambulance heading for the emergency room suggests a sense of urgency with all of this. Part of you wants change right away while another part knows that rushing won't help because the ER won't be ready. Wisdom lies somewhere inbetween: We must patiently honor divine timing, yet be ready to take action when the time is right!

That the nurse finally rang the labor ward to let them know you'd arrived means things are falling into place. Make your final preparations! You are in labor now, so you're close to manifesting your creation. The process may be painful, but you can't stop now. Take some deep breaths and relax; it's time for the final push.

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.