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Summer is a fond memory and aurumn' s splendor has rurned dull brown and gray. The hardest part of winter lies ahead even though the days are lengthening with the promise of spring and renewal.

But now it is winter. This is the time of year when many animals hiber­

nate. For us, winter is the time for rurning inward to take stock of our spiri­

rual journey during the previous twelve months and to prepare for the year ahead so that we wil emerge with spring's lifeforce knowing where we have been and where we intend to travel.

Now is the time to deepen your winter journey, your self-work. This night is the time to seek the place within you that is pure being, where you are both srudent and teacher. Learn to listen to your inner voice however it may reveal itself to you. It becomes easier to hear that voice as snow covers the ground and our world becomes a little quieter. Winter brings the power of silence. The light in our homes becomes a little softer as we may favor candles over electric bulbs on some evenings.

The fields are empry and the earth seems dead, but the magic of this sea­

son can be seen in the evergreens. These magnificent trees are vital and strong while everything around them seems to fade. The dark needles of the yew symbolize the death of the year that has just ended and of the things in ourselves that it is time to leave behind. The bright green needles of the fir tree represent the birth of this New Year and the parts of ourselves that we want to bring out or renew. The sacred holly with glorious shiny leaves that protect clusters of red berries is fashioned into wreaths-a circle-the Wheel of the Year. We each live this wheel in our own way and in our own journey.

During winter, this time of darkness, the days are still short and the nighrs long. Moonlight glitters on the frosry ground, but the air tingles with energy. The brisk air catches your breath. Think of the crystale night sky.

It may be filled with rushing snow or a few drifting flakes, or it may be sharp and clear with pinpoints of starlight. The bracing air tingles. It moves and stirs something within you.

JANUARY: MOON OF THE FIRST CIRCLE 97

You can feel this sky energy above your head. Reach out with your own energy, out to the beautiful night sky above. Feel its energy vibrating against your scalp. As you reach out to it, you can feel your own energy vibrate with the rhythm of the universe.

Let this energy come inside you. Let it enter your head and move down your neck to your shoulders. Feel your skin and muscles come alive. The clear, crisp winter sky is part of you. Let it move down through your chest and arms, through your stomach and abdomen. As it continues to move through your hips, legs, and feet, you can feel the lighmess of the energy as it now moves with your own fow of energy. There is a continuous wave of movement from the sky. Feel it circulate through you in an endless stream.

Your entire body may feel light and free as though it could float like a snowflake. Sky energy is buoyant and can help you remain above the poten­

tial trials and tribulations of the winter months. Let it help you prepare your winter's journey With it you wil know that you can travel on whatever path you see for yourself.

As you take this time to seek the way ahead, you may encounter guides who wil assist you. They may speak to you or they may take you places and show you things. They will help you learn about yourself, and perhaps tell you what you need to do in the forthcoming year or what you need to do to solve a problem.

Alternatively, you may feel yourself in a familiar place without any guides.

What you see or do there wil also teach or show you something that may help you in your winter's self work. Or you may simply experience a feeling or have an image enter your mind that wil aid you in self-discovery. These are only some of the ways that your own true spirit may reach out to your conscious mind. Now, follow the flow of the energy. Let it show you the way.

If you are using music or a drumming tape

begin it

Allow at least fifteen or twenty minutes before saying:

Slowly bring your awareness back to this room, back to the everyday world.

Thank any guides for their help in assisting you, and bid them farewell. As the energy winds down, you may still feel light and buoyant. Become aware of your feet on the floor. Send energy through the floor into the ground. Connect

98 THE ESBATS

with Mother Earth by giving her your sky energy. When you feel comfortable and grounded, stop sending energy. Breathe consciously as you move back to this realm. When you are ready. open your eyes.

What you may have learned or encountered may not be clear to you immediately, and it may take a day or two or maybe longer to understand.

Be patient, this is part of your journey.

Themes

• Accept the fierce side of winter and connect with sky energy.

• Take time to assess your path with an inward journey.

Preparation

Items needed for this ritual include the following:

. Six candles for the altar . White altar cloth

. Stars: Christmas ornaments in the shape of stars, star-shaped glitter, etc .

• Other symbols of winter that hold meaning for you

. Mats, pillows, or blankets for participants who may want to lie or sit on the foor during the meditation

• Meditative music or drumming tape/CO (optional) FOR SOLO RITUAL

• Tape recorder I player . Athame or wand

Priestess

Group Ritual

This is the Moon of the First Circle. The world seems still and silent, but under the snow-covered fields seeds rest in darkness and wait for the com­

ing of spring. We meet in the deep night of the year to further our inward journey.

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Casting the Circle