Spyrit Dancers' Musings On All Things Wiccan

While I was setting up for my full moon ritual last night, I took some pictures of my ritual space and altar.  Of course, as I state on my one picture, it is always at that time I remember that I still don’t have an altar cloth that will cover my table to the ground.  My altar currently consists of a sheet of scrap plywood that is atop a stack of cinderblocks that are stacked on top of each other.  I’m a firm believer in not spending a ton of money on things, so I use what I have on hand.  Eventually, I want to put some wooden 2×4 legs on my table so it is a bit more stable, and burn some images into it.  But for now it works.

This is a side view of my altar looking east.  For my directional candles, I use candles you can pick up in a grocery store usually in the Hispanic section.  I got mine at Albertsons.  They come in the correct colors too, and are inexpensive.  I ended up during the ritual taking the rocks they are on, putting them on end, to create a windblock.  It wasn’t too windy, but enough that they blew out initially.

My circle is big ,12′ across, for a solitary.  I do this as in the winter I wear heavier clothing, and have no desire to catch myself on fire from the directional candles when dancing around the circle.   This is one area of our yard we still have not put the weed cloth then gravel down.  I like too that I can see it out my office window, and I have a very clear view of the moon, even when low in the sky, from my circle.

This is a picture of my Altar.  I don’t have all my candles on it yet.  I put 3 white candles that are in jars for light, and my Goddess and God candles on the top of it by my “cock rock” and my Witchy Goddess.  I also had my mistletoe, and mint that I brought out to empower during the ritual.

You don’t need expensive tools and trappings.  My first athame that I used for years was a wooden letter opener.  I made the wand, the bell, the incense burner, and the salt holder.  I found my “cock” rock. The vace is a $1 vase from WalMart we spray painted copper.  I use bottled spring water for my water, and organic rock salt for my salt.  My book of shadows (not shown) is a 3 ring binder, because I find it easier to keep it organized.

Intent is the main thing.

My goal for next month is to have a cloth that drapes to the ground on all 4 sides.  If I don’t it doesn’t matter. The material works fine for me. Blessed Be everyone.

Isn’t it amazing sometimes how the Goddess works in our lives?  Last month, I took a stick and a string and scribed a circle in my back yard to have my full moon ritual in.  Yesterday, I realized we had rocks from a neighbor who moved away in a pile and I decided they would be great to put around the outside of the circle for the ritual.  These rocks were lovingly found by my neighbors over many years and since they were unable to take them when they left, they wanted us to have them.

So we took the wheel barrow, and hauled the rocks over yesterday.  I had just enough rocks to put them end for end touching, around a circle I drew, without thinking that some day, I’d put these rocks around the edge.  And 4 of the rocks were larger than the rest, and flat on top that I used a compass and set my 4 cardinal points.

Now that the weather is cooler, I’ll be working this next month to further improve my outdoor ritual space.  After having conducted full moon rituals indoors for years, it feels wonderful to do them outdoors.  I want to level the ground and eventually get broken flagstone to put on the floor of the circle.  We have a local rock yard that sells us broken chunks for very cheap, and they make great flagstone tiles.  We used a lot of them around our little pond we have in the back yard.  Eventually, I’ll have my circle set so my small mesquite tree is in my north point just outside my circle, and my pond is at my west point, just outside my circle, so I’ll have physical representations of the elements at those points.  I want to get a fire pit for the south too some day which would be great.  East, well there is always wind and wind chimes.   (which were quite loud outside our window last night, as it was pretty windy).

I’ve asked my husband to take a picture of me in my ritual circle after I construct it.  I’ve always been curious, would you catch anything on film of the circle we construct in the world between the worlds?  Wouldn’t that be cool?  I can feel it, and the energy I put into it, rather strongly.  Even sitting where I had my ritual last month, I can still feel postive energy there that has soaked into the ground.  I know over time, it will get even more apparent.  Although he is not Wiccan, he supports me in my endevors, which I appreciate.  I know others have to practice in secret because they have family members that just wouldn’t understand or approve.  He might not understand all the aspects, but he feels anything positive for my life I do is all good.  For a Christian, that is a wonderfully open attitude, and I appreciate it.

So how about everyone else, what are you doing for your full moon ritual?  Do you construct a circle, hold it outdoors, or indoors? (I used to construct the circle in my office, which over the past years is the happiest place for me to be in the house).  Do you have family that you have to practice in secret, or are they ok with your choice? I have always wished I had a partner that was also a Wiccan, but that hasn’t manifested in this lifetime.  I’d love to hear from you.