Field Report: Seven Celestial Spheres

This weekend, I had my first ritual with my new working partnership.  It went very well.  I thought I'd offer a field report here.  The complete ritual, as best I can recall, is below.   I played the Aleph role, so those parts I remember a little better. This is just what we did; you could adapt it however you want.  It's not intended to be a script.

Summary:

Three magicians open the gates of the seven planetary spheres.  In each sphere, certain guardians of the powers of the planet are called, and offerings are traded for blessings.  Via the medium (mem) instructions are given to the magicians for further work, either individually or as a group.

The three magicians have specific roles.  In my experience, the most important tricks to group ritual are (1)making sure that, an any given point, one person is clearly in charge, and (2)making sure there's sufficient narration to keep everyone on the same page. When I work by myself, it's mostly just sitting quietly with my eyes closed, thinking and perceiving stuff. But, when people work together, you need the "showmanship" to keep intentions clearly aligned. Also, the props and fancy talk n'at are half the fun! :)

Although the ritual is written for three, it could be adapted to do singly or as a pair.  The three roles are as follows.

Aleph: The priest of the air.  The narrator/summoner/spirit-wrangler.

Mem: The priest of the water. The medium.

Shin: The priest of the fire. The opener/closer.

Timing:

We preformed the ritual for the first time on the evening of Sunday, January the 18th, 2015 beginning in the hour of the Sun and finishing in the hour of Venus. I'm not sure the timing is very important, however I think it would be better when the moon wasn't new. (I'll discuss this more in the moon section.)

Materials:

• large pillar candle, ideally white with three wicks.
• cauldron (or large pot) with a lid (The lid is in case of fire.)
• salt, sand, or dirt to fill cauldron. This is important for fire safety! We used road salt.
• (faux) gold dust (I use this)
• holy oil (we used Shin's oil, which seemed to be myrrh, frankincense, and gold flakes in almond oil. When I make it, it's cinnamon, myrrh, cassia, and cannabis in olive oil. I'll write a recipe soon, if you ask.)
• colored paper in purple, orange, green, yellow, red, blue, and black.  one of each per person. I like origami paper for this. you could also do all white paper (if you're lame)
• Safe space where you won’t be interrupted large enough for the three magicians to sit comfortably in a triangle.
• ideally, a low table or such to put the cauldron on. side table of offerings
• seven candles (we used tea lights, but I would have used 7day jars in appropriate colors if I was by myself)
• offerings (we offered polenta with browned butter, eggs, cherries, and honey whiskey)
• Seals of each planet for scrying (our medium doesn't use a mirror, but I would have used a dark mirror rather than the seals if I was mem'ing

Preparations:

These can be done anytime in advance of the ritual, and should be done individually by each person.

Spend some time and decide on intentions for each of the seven planetary spheres.  You can make more than one wish per sphere.  Here are some suggestions:

Moon: increased psychism, sex, powerful/insightful dreams, healthy menstruation, childbirth, and nursing, fertility, fecundity, a good harvest

Mercury: communication, artistic/intellectual inspiration, academic success, professional success for anyone in the “information trade”, travel, luck

Venus: love, community, friendship, influence, status

Sun: beauty, grace, charisma, health, purpose, faith

Mars: victory, power, purpose, resolve, endurance, lust, force

Jupiter: wealth, power, dominion, parenthood, leadership, blessings/protection those whom you are set over (children, students, employees, etc)

Saturn: protection, connection to ancestors, binding, depth, quietude, banishing, connection to the land, access to the underworld

Write your wishes on the appropriate colored paper.  You can write petitions or sigilize the intentions. Personally, I made sigils, and then painted them on in Abramelin oil. Mem & Shin wrote petitions.

Fill the caldron with dirt halfway.  Put the candle in the middle of the cauldron.  Add another several inches of dirt, so the candle is quite stable.  Ready the lid in case flames need smothering.

Arrange a circle with the cauldron in the middle.  The three magicians should be able to comfortably hold hands around the cauldron, and all should be able to read the cauldron.  A low table or milk crate beneath the cauldron facilitates this.

Mix the gold dust into the holy oil to make a sort of paint.

Each magician should individually wash, cleanse, banish, and ground herself before beginning.   

Prologue:

Shin casts a circle.  My shin did the Adamantine Temple (which is a technique you learn in Jason Miller's sorcery classes along with a fire mantra. He also set an aleph-mem-shin triangle. Because we worked in my apartment, which is already "well tended" the circle is just to hold the energy in, and prevent "leakage". In a "unowned" space, you might want more.

Mem consecrated the time. Honestly, I'm not really sure how he did that. I couldn't feel whatever he did.

Aleph should consecrate the participants by drawing the appropriate letter on their forehead in the gold oil, just at the third eye.  Additionally, Mem's ears get consecrated, Shin's hands, and Aleph's lips (note: tastes gross)

Aleph: Lights cauldron candle. (If outside, make a bigger fire.)

Eternal, unique, first, everlasting, holy and ineffable ONE, we call on you!  

ARARITA, opener of gates, we call on You!  

You, whom all gods worship!  El Elyon, God of Gods, we call on you!

You, who moment by moment breathe What Will Be into That Which Is!  

Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh, we call on you!  

ARARITA, our call pierces through the veil!  

El Elyon, our call shakes loose the aethyrs!  

Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh, our call was, is, and ever will be.

As we speak it, so it comes to pass, so it has always been.

Kadosh, kadosh, kadosh.

Gate of Saturn:

Shin: Traces the seal of the planet (the usual one, not the lovely Matthew Brownlee ones used here; they are hard to trace) over the cauldron. He vibrates omega (awe) and opens the gate while Aleph says (something like):

Aleph:

In the dark of the moon, in deepest winter, in the hour of the midnight Sun we begin our journey through the spheres here, at Sha’are Olam ha Olam, The Gates of Eternity, Sha’are Olam ha Ba, the Gates of the World to Come.  

Atika Kadisha, Holy and Ancient ONE, Grandfather of Time, Antediluvian Spirits of the Depths of the Universe!  Open for us the seven gates, luminous and eternal, and let us tread the celestial paths.

Past death, past darkness, past void, past fear we walk, until we come to the Outer Gate.  Guardian of every Gateway, Keeper of every Key, Defender of every Door, Warden of the Sphere of Saturn, we pour out offerings to you!  

Shin makes offering. imaginary clouds of awesomeness. and food. and light. and heat. and smoke. and liquor. so much offering!

Aleph: Make way!  Make way!  Open to those who call on you!  Guardian of the Powers Saturn, open your portals of power!  Awake to us!  Attend to us!  Zaphkiel, Cassiel, Orifiel, Aratron, every angel of the sphere of Saturn, we call to you to make our path smooth!  

Saturn, Lord of Time, Lord of Bindings, shower us in blessings, awaken within us your gifts; gifts of peace and rest, gifts of eternity and stability, gifts of clarity, connection, and depth.  Grant us life everlasting and ennobling purpose.  Every blessing of the powers of Saturn bring forth for us!  Grant now our wishes, each in the best possible, every wish a blessing, threefold and abundant.

Each throw black wish paper into fire.

Aleph: Before the medium lies open your seal.  Awaken it!  Inhabit it!  Enliven it!  The mother of water lies ready to interpret your word.  Open his mouth to speak your teaching!  Come, come, come!  Speak, speak, speak!

Mem: gets a little possessed and says some Saturn stuff. I'm not comfortable giving the details of our communications here, but Cassiel is who did the talking here. I have a pre-existing relationship with Cassiel; he appeared quickly and easily,

Shin asks for a “speed dial” word to recall the spirit.  Give license to depart.  Seals the gate.

Gate of Jupiter

Shin: Traces the seal of the planet over the cauldron. He vibrates upsilon (eww) and opens the gate while Aleph says (something like):

Aleph:

The gates of Kingship we make our way, pulsing cobalt galaxy gate.  Jupiter!  Our Father, Our King!  Lord of the Thundering Cloud!  Grandfather of the Vast Blue Sky!  Emperor, Father, beloved King,  hear our cry. We pour out offerings to you!

Shin makes offering as he thinks best.
See Saturn for method of opening and offering

Aleph: Zadkiel, Barakiel, angels of the Most High, make ready our path, lie open the way!  Open the Gates of Jupiter to those who call on you!  Guardian of the Powers of Jupiter, hear our cry!  Awake to us!  Attend to us!  Shower us in blessings, awaken within us your gifts; gifts of wealth and power, gifts of majesty and sovereignty, gifts of success and honor.  Grant us dominion over all we encounter, and make us a great blessing to those entrusted to our care.  Every blessing of the powers of Jupiter the King bring forth for us!  Grant now our wishes, threefold and abundant.  

Each throw blue wish paper into fire. (our papers flared up all blue-green. lovely!)

Aleph:  Before the medium lies open your seal.  Awaken it!  Inhabit it!  Enliven it!  The mother of water lies ready to interpret your word.  Open his mouth to speak your teaching!  Come, come, come!  Speak, speak, speak!

Mem: Mem and I both have relationships with Barakiel, and he came through very strong. We got an extremely good sigil for "quick action" and much good advice.

Gate of Mars

Shin: Traces the seal of the planet over the cauldron. He vibrates omicron (oh) and opens the gate while Aleph says (something like):

Aleph:

Mars!  Victorious Warrior!  Lord of rushing blood and pounding drums!  Battle-born sword that breaks the line. Tempered shield that holds the pass. You who walk fearless the field of combat! We pour out offerings to you!

Shin makes offerings

Aleph: Angels of Mars, Gevorial, Camael!  Open to those who call on you!  Guardians of the Powers of Mars, hear our cry!  Awake to us!  Attend to us!  Shower us in blessings, awaken within us your gifts; gifts of victory and strength, gifts of defense and protection, gifts of resolve and endurance.  Let us walk the ways courageous and strong.  Let us endure and prevail in every conflict.  Every blessing of the powers of Mars bring forth for us!  Grant now our wishes, threefold and abundant.  

Each throw red wish paper into fire.

Aleph:  Before the medium lies open your seal.  Awaken it!  Inhabit it!  Enliven it!  The mother of water lies ready to interpret your word.  Open his mouth to speak your teaching!  Come, come, come!  Speak, speak, speak!

I am deeply conflicted in Mars (astrologically, but also just as a matter of temperament) I had a lot of trouble holding the Mars energy; it overflowed all over everyone. Shin nearly got possessed. I had to drum it back down, and at one point it required solomonic compulsion to behave itself. It was very powerful, and very possessive, and very wyld, and super sexy. It spoke to my wish and Shin's wish explicitly (which, recall, Mem didn't know). Whatever it told Mem, he didn't vocalize that part. There was growling and chanting. Good times. It left me exhausted. I should have made us take a break before moving onto the sun, but I didn't.

Mem: Talks Mars.

Shin sealed the gate.

Gate of the Sun:

Shin: Traces the seal of the planet. He vibrates iota (ee) and opens the gate while Aleph says (something like):

Aleph:

Sol Invictus!  Shining Sun!  Light of the Day and Fire of Goodness!  From you all goodness pours forth!  From you all life finds strength!  You, who stand at the center of things, we pour out offerings for you!

Shin makes offerings

...

Aleph: Michael, Dardiel, Auriel! Sorath, Sorath, Sorath! Shamash! Shamash! Shamash!  Open to those who call on you!  Guardian of the Powers of Sun, hear our cry!  Awake to us!  Attend to us!  Shower us in blessings, awaken within us your gifts; gifts of grace and healing, gifts of power and spirit, gifts of growth and warmth and shine.  Let us too stand at the center of things, the great powers of the world in orbit around our sphere.  Every blessing of the powers of the Sun bring forth for us!  Grant now our wishes, threefold and abundant.  

Each throw yellow wish paper into fire.

Aleph:  Before the medium lies open your seal.  Awaken it!  Inhabit it!  Enliven it!  The mother of water lies ready to interpret your word.  Open his mouth to speak your teaching!  Come, come, come!  Speak, speak, speak!

The Sun energy that came through was very giggly and almost juvenile, fat and happy and pregnant with the Sun. It was all "love everyone! I love everyone!" We got a "secret name". I requested blessings. Then I demanded more. Then more and more and more until it looked like Mem was going to pass out, and then we gave license to depart.

The Gate of Venus

Shin: Traces the seal of the planet (the usual one, not the lovely Matthew Brownlee ones used here; they are hard to trace) over the cauldron. He vibrates eta (ay) and opens the gate while Aleph says (something like):

Aleph:

Descending now to the greenest forest, the gate of the heart, the gate of light and life and love!  Venus! Evening Star!  Helal, son of Shahar!  Lightbringer!  Beloved! Peacock Queen, beloved shining star, IO, IO Evoke, IO IO Astarte....

Shin makes offerings

...

Aleph: Haniel, Astariel, Ishtar!  Open to those who call on you!  Guardian of the Powers of Venus, hear our cry!  Awake to us!  Attend to us!  Shower us in blessings, awaken within us your gifts; gifts of love and beauty, gifts of friendship and community, gifts of influence and enchantment.  Make all our movements through the worlds graceful, and our dances with others a constant delight.  Every blessing of the powers of Venus bring forth for us!  Grant now our wishes, threefold and abundant.  

Aleph:

Each throw green wish paper into fire.

Mem speaks for Venus.

I was pretty wiped by this point, so my summoning might not have been as clear and precise as it should have been, and I don't think Mem was properly banished after the bam-bam Mars-Sun combo, so the communication was kind of muddled. I had to physically blow her in a couple of times, and keep chanting to hold the connection. The Venus we got was very lush and very girly, but surprisingly nonsexual. [UPDATE: I think that the surprising sexiness of Mars and non-sexiness of Venus was about our medium being male, so it seemed backwards to me, but probably not to him] I didn't recognize the spirit, who was neither Anael nor Ishtar nor any Venus I know [UPDATE: Certainly of the "pandaemos" and not the "ouranos" variety, however]. Mem was a little punch drunk at this point. She was very syrupy and voluptuous. She was all "love me! celebrate me! aren't I a special snowflake!" The boys ate that shit up, but I did not really care for her. She kept telling me to not be so serious. Which is probably valid advice. :) I had trouble holding the conjuration. We almost lost her, but Shin got a secret name, and that helped us hold her. She made a request of me, which I declined, but then she recommended the Babalon Working I've been pondering, so I guess I'm doing Babalon at the Vernal Equinox. (I would LOVE to hear from women who've done that work (playing Jack Parsons's part, not Marjorie Cameron's) If there were specific messages for Mem or Shin, I didn't understand them.

The Gate of Mercury:

Shin: Traces the seal of the plane over the cauldron. He vibrates epsilon (eh) and opens the gate while Aleph says (something like):

Aleph:

Mercury!  Quicksilver Star!  Fleet-footed messenger, beloved teacher!  Keeper of the Celestial Crossroads!  My love, my god, my first and last and every, Hermes, Thrice Great, Silver Tongued, artificer, liar, thief, mischievous twinkle-eyed boy, Kriophorus, Initiator, Oneiropomp...

Shin makes offering

Aleph: Open to those who call on you!  Guardian of the Powers of Mercury, hear our cry!  Ophiel, Hermes, Thoth! Awake to us!  Attend to us!  Shower us in blessings, awaken within us your gifts; gifts of magic and eloquence, gifts of intellect and inspiration, gifts of and wit and charm and luck.  Speed our machinations in the worlds and carry our wishes to the edges of the universe .  Every blessing of the powers of the mercury bring forth for us!  Grant now our wishes, threefold and abundant.  Come, Come, Come! Speak, Speak, Speak!

Aleph:

Each throw orange wish paper into fire.

Mercury wanted me to talk for him (I'm his girl), but I declined, and he was a little petulant. Also, he did not care for his offering. He gave me very specific instruction (VERY specific and mundane, about my job) and then told some stories and instructed the others a bit. We were all pretty burnt out by this point, and Mem was definitely still somewhat Venus-touched. Next time, we're going to need to explicit clean him out in between I think. (He is the member of our triad with the least experience).

Shin seals gate.

The Gate of the Moon:

Shin: Traces the seal of the planet over the cauldron. He vibrates alpha (ah) and opens the gate while Aleph says (something like):

Aleph:

Luna!  Levanah!  Shining Moon!  Doorway to the other worlds, first of the celestial spheres!  Whiteness in Night!  We pour out offerings to you!

Shin makes offering.

Aleph: Open to those who call on you!  Guardian of the Powers of the Moon, hear our cry!  Awake to us!  Attend to us!  Shower us in blessings, awaken within us your gifts; gifts of vision and prophecy, gifts of sex and wonder, gifts of blessed rest and moving dreams.  Harmonize our movements through time and our paths through the aethers.  Every blessing of the powers of the moon bring forth for us!  Grant now our wishes, threefold and abundant.  

Each throw purple wish paper into fire.

We didn't get a very good lunar connection. Basically, she just said "go away, I'm sleeping. I'll talk to you in your dreams. Leave me in peace." Which, really, is to be expected

After that, Shin just sealed the work, and we decompressed.

Overall, it was a very successful first working, and I expect it to get much better as we have more practice working together.  I've got to get right with Mars.

Ask a Witch: Shalom Bayit

A friend writes: "Sara, the other day you said that you think of altars as a sort of permanent gateway to a certain spirit; a charm that gets more and more charged every time you work with it. With that said, what if its a personal temple that is being used as bedroom? But without housemates issue taken into consideration. Would you still banish?"

I once had a friend who had learned just enough magic to banish, but she was REALLY good at it.  Her bedroom in college was filled with silver and white lights and mirror shards and she banished it VERY hard almost every day.  It was so squeaky clean, so empty, and so blindingly, brilliantly astrally light that many of our more sensitive friends couldn't stand to be in it for very long (which she liked).  We now refer to it as "the room of happiness and light".  

What Jason Miller calls "zone rites" -- stuff like banishing, circles, and infusing spaces with specific "flavors" -- is kind of a specialty of mine. I just happen to really like it. For me, the guiding principle in this kind of work, is that of hakhnasat orchim.  Hakhnasat orchim is a Hebrew phrase that literally means "bringing in the stranger", but is generally used to mean the sacred duty of hospitality. 

For me, I want my home to have a "spiritual ecosystem" that's friendly and welcoming to all, but well-protected against anyone (or anything) that might wish me (or anyone I live with) harm.  The trick to that, in my opinion is to summon frequently, banish rarely, and ward heavily.

I banished once when we moved in, because there was a sort of unpleasant vibe to the place.  After that, I immediately filled it back up.  In my opinion, that's the thing about banishing.  If you banish, and then stop, everything you banished will just fall back in once you stop paying attention.  "nature abhors a vacuum" as they say.  So, as soon as I banished, I filled it back up with the sorts of thing I want it to be full of, which is (for me) anything that plays well with others.

I wove some wards around the place, which I'm not going to explain here, because telling the internet how my security system works seems like a bad idea.  However, anyone who reads this knows that I work with a lot of crossroads and gateway guardians, so you can probably guess that's a big piece of it.  However, there's a perimeter ward as well as charms on the doors and windows.  I like to think of the wards as "semi-permeable".  They're designed to keep out "anyone or anything which wishes me ill".  Now, this does allow in things like hungry ghosts, who don't necessarily wish me ill, but bring it with them anyway.  For me, I feel like part of my calling is to try to help them out, so I let them in, but that's just me.  Because I keep a pretty "full house" spirit-wise, the "ecosystem" here is robust enough to support that kind of thing.

Once the wards were up.  I put out a call to "my" spirits, the spirits of this place, and to any spirit that could hear me, that this place was under my control, but that I stood ready to make welcome any and every spirit that wished to partake of my hospitality, as long as they too would stand by the ancient compacts of guest and host.  I made clear that none were welcome who wished me ill, but I would try to succor those in need.  Etc, etc.  I made offerings to every spirit who could hear my cry; those who wished to stay in peace and live with us are welcome to stay, so long as they will compact to work for our good.  Those who do not wish to stay in peace can take their offering and go.  There's a couple of less "friendly" spirits I work with, who don't want to "slum it" with the "teeming masses" that live here, and so when I work with them, I clear and hold a space for them while we're working, and then I "give license to depart" when we're done.  Honestly, though, I find that they are usually more hassle than they're worth, and so I almost never call them.  

We have a tiny permanent altar in the kitchen (which happens to also be next to the door; you enter through the kitchen).  It's just a plate with the seal of a god of gateways and crossroads painted on it that sits on the bar.  On the plate is an egg, surrounded by coins, flowers, spices, frankincense, and the sticky residue of months of poured libations.  On the egg is written in permanent marker "NAME, please distribute our offerings among all the spirits."  Every time we pour oil or honey or liquor or such in the house, a bit gets dripped out over the egg.  I leave it up to him to decide how to distribute those offerings.  When it gets too gross and sticky, I wash everything, throw out the egg and flower bits, make a new egg,  replace the coins, gems, and other permanent bits, and pour out some oil, honey, and rum (or whatever we have on hand) to get it started.  

Lots of spirits hang around more or less all the time, including "representatives" of  (1) the ancestors and beloved dead, (1.5) the Old Powers of the Earth, (2) the Sorcerer-Kings, and (3) the Peacock-Lion-Serpent, which are the main categories of spirits I've been working with lately.  Each of those "families" of spirits has their own permanent altar; a sort of "clubhouse" dedicated to them, and where I go to communicate with them.  For example, the Hekate pictures you saw are actually my "Old Powers of the Earth" altar; when I'm working with Hekate (who's my go-to in that realm), it's set up for her, but the other's (like Baphomet or Ereshkigal or "Womb of the Earth" for example) are always welcome too.  There's also some local spirits, and a sad cold thing that might be the old lady down the hall who died in October.

I've banished out specific spirits, usually because they were disturbing my sleep, but never a "broad-spectrum" banishing.  The only reason I would do a broad-spectrum banishing is because the ecosystem had become unpleasant to me (or someone else I lived with).  

My Wheel of The Year

Some kids and I were talking about holidays at school today, and how every person, and every family, and every community picks out those holidays that really resonate for them as sort of "way stations" in the wheel of the year.  This is how my year rolls out...

• Autumn
• I've really spent my entire life on an academic calendar.  Except for the "lost years" in my early twenties, I've spent almost my entire life in school, first as a student, then as a teacher.  For me, the year begins when I go back to work, which is usually the last week in August.
• High Holy Days (Mid Sept - Early October)
• The Jewish High Holy Days begin with Rosh Hashannah (New Year), to Yom Kippur (the day of atonement, which doesn't really resonate much for me, but is the last day I saw my parents alive).  It then runs through Sukkot (the harvest festival) and ends with Simchat Torah (the reception at Sinai).  I have off work for a great number of these holidays (because I teach in a Jewish school).
• Ancestors' Week (late October)
• Late October has always been a very unstable time of year for me.  Since my parents' death (Oct 21, 2012), late October is a pretty dark time for me.  It starts with the anniversary on the 21st, and runs through Halloween.  It's all about the ancestors, and coming to terms with past karma, and etc.
• Early Winter
• For me, the wheel of the year tips at Halloween;  the Unseelie court rules until Purim.  Halloween is the great "inaugural ball" of the Winter Court.  From here on, the Winter King is slowly gathering power, eating daylight, coming to its zenith at Christmas.  The Summer King dies at Halloween and rises up again at Spring.  It's also when we close the cottage.
• All Saints Day (Nov 1)
• Where I live, it's often quite cold by November 1st (sometimes its even snowing already) and daylight savings ensures that it gets dark quite early.  
• SunReturn
• When I can, I like to stay up al the way through the Longest Night of year, holding vigil for the Sun.  This is a very solitary, meditative thing for me that (in the last few years) often involves a lot of shamanic journeying and vision questing.
• The War on Christmas (Late December)
• The War on Christmas culminates with the Final Battle between The Winter King and the King of the Wild.  This is usually held the Friday after Christmas.  We collect old Christmas trees, and then wrap logs in festive paper.  Which we periodically throw onto a bonfire.  A ritual fight takes place between two martial artists, one dressed as Santa and one as the Horned God.  (spoilers: Santa looses).  To celebrate the victory of the Horned One, we throw whole christmas trees on the bonfire.  
• Deep Winter
• January is deeply, bitterly cold in the American North East where I live.  This is a month of no gods and no holidays.  If I had to assign a patron to this time, it would be Sedna.
• Tu B'Shevat (early Feb)
• The New Year of the Trees; when the world begins to wake up.    It's the first sign that the long, cold, dark winter might eventually end.  This is the festival of the first blossoms in Israel, but we're still under deep snow here.  Over the last 600 years or so, it's become a deeply kabbalistic holiday.  I encourage you to read more about it; it's pretty cool.
• My Birthday (February 21)
• I don't really have to explain why this is important, right?  If I have to pick sides, I'm left-hand-path (whatever the fuck that even means...I feel like the whole right hand path  / left hand path thing is ridiculous.  If you only use one hand, you're a cripple.)  Although, as many of my friends have noticed, I'm actually only UnSeelie in the winter. ;)  Note: because I help plan the calendar at school, our February break almost always contains my birthday, which means I have a week off work for my birthday.
• Spring
• For me, the wheel tips back at Purim.  From this point on, the Seelie Court reigns again until Halloween, led by the fabulous May Queen, who comes in as Ishtar, and then slowly descends in the fall, going out as Ereshkigal.
• Purim (mid March)
• Purim is a Jewish holiday celebrating the events of the Book of Esther.  It's VERY OBVIOUSLY a thinly (very thinly!) veiled festival of Ishtar.  Seriously, the protagonists are named Marduk (oops, sorry, I mean Mordechai) and Ishtar (oops, I mean Esther).  There are jam-filled cookies shaped like vulvae.  Religious Jews are required to get so drunk they can't tell the difference between good and evil.  (for real, look it up).  In my circle, we celebrate with drunken debauchery, the ritual marriage of Solomon & Sheba, and belly dancing.  And also cookies shaped like vulvae.   I haven't been able to celebrate this holiday in a real way in several years, because I am so far from everyone.  Instead, there is a "carnival" at school, which is like a horrible, empty, soulless satire of my holiday.  #fuckCT  UPDATE:  Now I go to Sacred Space for Purim, which isn't Purim, but it's still awesome.
• Passover (April)
• The celebration of Liberation, when I am brought out of the House of Bondage.  Liberation is probably the central feature of my spiritual practice; my liberation and everyone else's.  How can we possibly be free when others are still enslaved.  Our Spring Break at school coincides with Passover, because Jew school.
• Early Summer
• This is when we open the cottage.
• Walpurgis Nacht and May Day (May 1)
• May Day is the beginning of summer for me.  By this time, it's reliably nice out.  May Day, for me, is all about the Fair Folk.  When we were younger, my bff and I used to always gather wild flowers for our (grand)mothers on May Day, but I haven't been able to bring myself to do it since my mother (and her grandmother, shortly thereafter) died.  I like to spend this day in the woods and fields.  When I have a partner, this is a day for heiros gamos.
• Graduation (Mid June)
• This day is all about a year's worth of work paying off.  It's a very liminal day, all about sending my Work out into the world.  It also happens to coincide (more or less) with my younger brother's birthday (the 11th) and my late parents' wedding anniversary (the 12th).  They don't always realize it, but it's also the day I bless and seal graduating students' initiations (the ones who take to my current).  A surprising number of them do notice.
• High Summer
• I'm a teacher, so I usually still have "school" (grading, meetings, etc) for about a week after graduation.  As soon as I finish, I set off for the woods.
• Midsummer (late June)
• Solstices aren't that big of a deal to me, but this is the day I kick off my summer magics (usually).
• Lazy Days (early July)
• Early July is a time for chilling, reconnecting with my body and spirit.  I spend a significant portion of this time at the beach.  A time for hedonism.
• Lammas (early August)
• Peak summer.  This is when summer magical work usually manifests.  The grain moves from growing to ripening; the tomatoes are red on the vine.  It's all denoument from here.

And then I'm back to the start of the year again.

A Dream

I am driving through whiteness, bright light.
I am a dragon flying.
I am an angel, rising.
rising.  up thought the clouds
up out of the atmosphere (a brief thought:  can I breathe?  should I turn back?  No.  That's stupid.  angels don't ned to breathe.  Or, possible, angels breathe starlight.)
up up up. bigger and bigger.  (how big? planet sized)
the Earth (but perhaps a metaphor for all creation?)
hangs in the center of space
a circle of shining beings (of whom I am one?), but one in particular.
they're are doing things to the earth; pouring a moat around it?  I think I do that.
fidgeting with in in subtle ways.
a circle of stars, a college of Elohim.  glowing beings made out of light?  but one in particular.
he's been waiting a long time.
I kiss him.  not a sexy kiss, but a loving kiss.
the sky fills with ravens
he dies.  falls?  incarnates?  I think I took his angelic nature.  he gave it to me.  he was done with it.  he wanted to be a person instead (which I get.  It's awesome.  sweet dreams!)
he fell.
i could have stayed, but it was enough for now.
I will go again, now that I know the way.
next time (soon, anway) I will learn to descend without falling.


also, maybe something about an elephant ring?