I am reposting this from an email I received earlier today. This is a cause that is quite important to me, and *hopefully* to many of you, as well. Even if you don't agree with the country's selection for our new President, you should still agree that our country needs every bit of help it can get, if we are to move out of this recession/rut/pothole/whatever, and become prosperous once again.
NOTE: If you are not in the Detroit area, you can still participate! There are blood donation and food donation locations throughout the country - find one near you, and contribute whatever you can!
Pagan Pride Detroit (PPD) has joined with representatives from our 2008 PPD Sponsors once again to offer you a National Service Day/Inauguration Ritual. Practickal Magick, Crystal Pathways, FOCAS, Pagan Center, Motorcitypagans.net, OakMoon Coven & the Circle of the Sacred Grove are joining together to Embrace the Flames of Change in 2009. Starting with this Inauguration event, PPD will join up with groups all over the Metro Detroit Area to highlight the network of our pagan community. More info on that to come in February so be on the lookout for updates to the 2009 Embracing the Flames of Change events.
Martin Luther King Day, over the past few years, has become a National Day of Service. In honor of that, President elect Obama, in conjunction with 1,000’s of organizations across the country, has put out a call for everyone do one act of community service on the 19th of January. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/17/obamas-call-for-national_n_151750.html
The 20th of January is Inauguration day; in honor of this moment in history, and in a unifying statement of self, please perform the Inauguration Candle Magick Ritual (or something similar), between noon on the 19th and noon on the 20th of January, before the swearing-in ceremony.
1. Food donations are being accepted at the following locations (or start your own and drop it off at a local church or organization that has a food pantry – some of our families are in crisis they need our help!) Please bring your donations in a bag or box that is ready to travel! Drop off any time between now and the 22nd.
a. East ---Practical Magick – 18943 John R., Hazel Park, MI 248-548-8076
b. East ----Crystal Pathways – 48117 Van Dyke Ave, Shelby Twp., MI 48317 586-997-3114
c. Downriver ------drop off at upcoming Federation of Circles and Solitaires events – http://focasmi.org/calendar.htm
d. Erie Michigan area contact Lady Bona Dea via http://www.circleofthesacredgrove.org
Updates and changes to this list will be posted on Motorcitypagans.net – if you would like to host your own event, add it to http://www.motorcitypagans.net/
2. For those who have the 19th off, call now and make an appointment to donate some blood to your local Red Cross or find another event to donate your time, that’s why you have the day off!!!!
a. https://www.givelife.org/
b. To find another event, Google “national Service Day 2009”
Candle Magick Ritual
1. Things to gather – a. 1 white candle with holder b. 1 lighter or matches c. Oil for blessing (if you do not have something in mind for this, you can use household kitchen oil, baby oil, mineral oil or lotion/motor oil in a pinch) d. One teaspoon of dirt (from your yard, some place special or from a local park) e. all other items per your own magickal path- google a standard ritual set up if you so desire but it is totally unnecessary) f. review this ritual completely before starting – you can do a practice run if you would like just so you feel more comfortable, just read from the paper and go through the motions without doing the workings.
2. Set up your sacred space per your own path or using your generic Inauguration Ritual below (this is a generic super easy beginner ritual geared for people with no experience and less, so feel free to modify) 3. Talking parts are Italic and Bold 4. Find location for small ritual (4 ft circle is room enough. Yes, the bathroom will work)
---START---
Clear the space Grab a broom, most everyone has one, if not use a towel, or just sweep with your hands. Stand at the front of your circle (East is the generic front for this ritual) Draw energy: Imagine (will, push or pull) divine light (color is your choice if you are unsure white is a great generic) from both above (heavenly, God energy, divine universal etc.) and below (earth, Goddess energy, Gaia etc.) through your head (above energy) and your feet (below energy) to meet inside you and go down your arms through the broom, stopping at the fat part of the bristles not spilling out the end– now sweep your space clear of all negative and positive energy while saying: I clear this space in preparation of a sacred rite. This space is balanced and open for my workings this nite.
Cast the Circle Using the divine energy/light pulling technique from the previous section, pull energy from above and below into you and out through your hand (only one hand – right for righties, left for lefties) this time the energy is going to come out of your hand like a beam that you will use to outline your circle. See this beam of light (still generic white is fine) shine down to the ground and building a wall as you walk around your circle clockwise. This circular wall goes up in the sky forever and down into the core of the Earth – like a drinking straw going from the heavens above to the core of the planet.
Call Quarters (use ‘em if you got’em) Face East and say: I call forth the element of Air from the Eastern Quarter; carry my thoughts that they might be heard. Let my mind be clear and let my heart hear. Hail and Welcome. Face South and say: I call forth the element of Fire from the Southern Quarter; fill my soul with a passion for life. Let my mind be clear and let my heart hear. Hail and Welcome. Face West and say: I call forth the element of Water from the Western Quarter; let my emotions ring true with compassion & tolerance. Let my mind be clear and let my heart hear. Hail and Welcome. Face North and say: I call forth the element of Earth from the Northern Quarter; keep me flexible yet strong for the road is long. Let my mind be clear and let my heart hear. Hail and Welcome.
Call the God & Goddess Say: I call upon the young Sun King, bring forth the stamina and courage to endure the trials ahead. Hail and welcome. (when you are doing this, visualize a young man who is fit, in the prime of his life, has great strength, courage and is standing ready to take on the problems of the world) Say: I call upon our Mother Earth, grant blessings of abundance, health and compassion to endure the trails ahead. Hail and welcome (when you do this, visualize a loving Mother Nature like woman, who is pregnant with new life, so alive and caring, flowers bloom from her every step)
State your Intent Take a few deep breathes, relax in the energy for a moment, take your time, everything is perfect. Think about what you are going to do next. Change these words if they don’t seem right. It’s just a suggestion. You know why you are here - write it down and read it out loud, or speak it from memory. Here’s a generic one: I am here tonight in a personal display of strength and support for myself and for my country. I understand that I am not alone, and that together great things can and do happen. I am here to continue forward on a path for change. I find it is time for a major change in my life and my country, and I am offering my support to this great work.
Get the candle, the oil and dirt. Mix your oil with small amounts of your home dirt. As you are mixing, think about your home, your country and the world you want to live in, changes you want to see happen, create a imagine in your head of your great life as a citizen of the United States of America. Using your fingers, coat the candle in your oil/dirt mixture (index finger and thumb) – do half the candle pulling fingers towards you to bring support to you and do the other half pulling outward away from you giving it to the rest of us. While coating your candle repeat: We have great problems to overcome, but together anything is possible. I’ll do my part: I am counting on you to do yours. Give our leaders the wisdom to decide what is best, and the courage to see it done.
Place the candle in its holder, light the candle and as you light the candle, bring back the visualization of a better country/world and say So mote it be. (this candle must burn out. But you can continue finishing the ritual and leave the candle burning (just NEVER unattended) if your candle happens to be a vanilla jar candle, a 7 day, 3 wick or some other large long burning candle, please feel free to blow it out after the ritual when you have to and start it up again later, but it is best to burn the candle as quickly as possible to get the spell out into the universe but remember NEVER burn a candle unattended)
Release the God & Goddess Say: To our Sun King and our Mother Earth, I thank you and release you from this rite, stay if you will, go if you must. Hail and fair well. To our Four Quarters always standing strong and true, I thank you and release you from this rite, stay if you will, go if you must. Hail and fair well.
Stand at the East again, hold out your hand into that wall of light we used to create our circle, as you walk the circle counter clockwise, imagine the wall going back up into your hand, back into your body and then back up and down again to its place.
Now let me explain so we are all on the same page, when you light that candle in your circle (the drinking straw space you created from the core of our planet to the heavens) the thoughts, images and feelings you use, have or experience while you are putting that oil mixture onto that candle will be released up and down into the earth and heavens. So with so many of us doing similar types of rituals within the same 24 hour period prior to the inauguration, we can create an “air” of change that will ripple into our lives. There will be energy that is charged with our hopes and dreams for the next four years. And if you participated in the service day on the 19th and did one act of community service, you will have acted upon this change and helped start us all on a path for some great works!
And a quick note about burning the candle (NEVER unattended) after the ritual, again just so we are on the same page – it is my thought that since the candle was lit in the sacred space and sacred space was closed with the candle still lit, relighting the candle will continue the working as if still in the circle. If you don’t agree or think that’s crap– use a candle that will burn out while you wait in circle meditating on the change you want to see happen, your part in that change, your hopes and dreams for the next 4 years etc, do some energy raising, drumming or dancing while you wait.
Again, this is a generic, below beginner level ritual to be completed simply and easily. Modify as you will!
Thank you for joining us in this historic event.
Namaste from your Pagan Pride Detroit Team
Crystal Pathways, FOCAS, Pagan Center, Practickal Magick, Motorcitypagans.net, OakMoon Coven & the Circle of the Sacred Grove
There can be no community without you!
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