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A celebration like this only happens once in a blue moon!
On Friday (Aug. 31), spirits will be high as Northern Spirits Coven of Witches recognizes one of the most mysterious and celebrated pagan holidays – the blue moon.
A blue moon is a rather uncommon phenomenon that happens when the full moon occurs a second time within one month. In fact, a blue moon phenomenon is rare enough to produce its own cliché, “once in a blue moon,” indicating the rarity of the occurrence.
Northern Spirits Coven of Witches is a Gardnerian Tradition Wiccan group, co-founded and led by Lord Chadow, owner of the “Once in a Blue Moon” shop. A Wiccan and metaphysical shop, it is located at 1600 W. Sylvania Avenue in Toledo, next to the old Westwood Theater in West Toledo.
Lord Chadow is proud to see the group thrive and flourish and is excited about the upcoming event. “It will be an incredible time … lasting all night long,” Lord Chadow said.
Characterized by a sparkling degree of merriment, spirits as high as a broom can fly and an unquestionable air of magic and mystique, the blue moon esbat will elevate the mood and inspire the heart.
The blue moon esbat (esbat: a celebration of the moon, usually on full or new moons) will be taking place at the “Once in a Blue Moon Shop” featuring a ritual circle where formal invitations to the Goddess and the God are made, along with drumming, chanting, dancing and feasting.
Select Goddesses that could be invoked include Artemis, Diana and Selene; and the Gods could include Sin, Mani, Eletha or even Thoth.
A familiar rite of “cakes and ale” usually will include crescent cakes or cookies and some form of lunar-themed drink (sometimes with Moon Water, a lunar potion).
Lord Chadow also included a sale that happens only “once in a blue moon” where patrons to the shop will receive a 15 percent discount if they wear their robes to the store.
Cheri Holdridge | Aug 28, 2012 | 8:10pm
Grange, Thanks for educating me about the blue moon. Can you tell me what a Gardnearian Wiccan is? I will confess my ignorance and invite you to educate us all a bit more.
Grange Burnside | Aug 29, 2012 | 4:35pm
Hi, yes, but first it helps to understand that there is traditional versus untraditional types of Wicca, also there is solitary practice. Sticking to the point of the question, however, Wicca is painted with a variety of traditions, one of them being Gardnerian (so named from its founder Gerald Gardner). Garderian Wicca is rather fundamental, focussing on basic worship of the Goddess and the God and is simple. Other Traditions, utilize other aspects to color the tradition. Alexandrian tradition, for example, ties in many elements of Ceremonial Magick into its practice. Dianic tradition, capitalizes on the worship of the Goddess primarily and usually has women only in its practice. Seax tradition focusses its attention on Teutonic Deities, compared to Gardnerian, which tends to stay more Celtic and folk oriented. Many other traditions exist, but Gardnerian seems to be the one most borrow from, being as basic and fundamental that it is.
Though these descriptions are by no means wholly exhaustive, I think they shed some light on your question.
Michele Joseph | Jan 20, 2013 | 3:55pm
This is fascinating. I don’t know much about Wiccan, but now I’m very curious. What would be so e good basic beginner books & which one is the best, in your opinion?
Tyhmsayj | Feb 8, 2013 | 2:52pm
It is difficult to recommend literature when there is so much conflicting information out there. One of our challenges in the coven is to dispell misconceptions people have developed from reading conflicting ideas. I can tell you that we do use the Raymond Buckland “Complete Guide to Witchcraft,” however, many solitaries cannot use much in the book. I usually recommend Scott Cunningham’s “Wicca: a Guide for the Solitary Practitioner.” Keep in mind that any source is biased toward how they learned, and we all learn differently. Good luck out there!
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