GAIAS RISING CUUPS
UU Church, 2701 Heyward Street
Columbia, SC 29205
803-729-4319
Of Interest
ELEMENTS
Fire on Fire Light and Power, Warmth and Energy They did generate.
Earth joined them then To Life She gave Birth And solid Foundations built.
Along came Water Some Channels to carve Through which all Energies flow.
Around them All The Air did blow Winds of Thought and Deed intertwined. Power raised, Power spread Thus It Was
So Mote It Be.
Make a Budget
If you haven't done this already, you should make a budget. Figure out how much money comes into your home, and how much has to go out each month. Be sure to set some aside for savings, in the event that you find yourself unemployed or facing unexpected debts. If there are things you can cut back on, then do so. Once you've made your budget, take a look at what's left over. The amount left over is what you can spend on non-vital things. In some situations, there may not be much. Whether you have a lot of extra cash left over or just a little, the key here is to only spend within your means.
Stop Buying Things You Don't Need
Okay, so the big silver pendant with the dragon and the giant amethyst is really pretty. Do you have to have it? Is it something you can't live without? Chances are that if you step aside for a while, and take some time to think about your purchase, you'll realize that the money spent on that pendant might be better used somewhere else. Don't buy things that aren't essential -- and a good way to avoid buying stuff you don't need is to train yourself not to impulse buy. If you go into your favorite Witchy Shoppe to buy one book, don't come out with three just because some of them were on sale. Buy what you need, and no more. If you really need the other items, you can go back and get them later, once you've thought about it.
Make Your Own
There are a bazillion and one different Pagan and Wiccan shops out there, all catering to the notion that it's far easier to plunk down some money and buy something than it is to handcraft it. In tough economic times, you should make your own stuff whenever it's feasible. If it's more cost-effective to gather your own twigs and make a besom yourself than it is to go out and purchase one, then why not do it? The added bonus of making your own ritual and craft supplies is that with each piece you make, you infuse a bit of your personal energy into the item.
Charge of the God 1
Here's something I picked up recently. The writer felt that there should be a Charge of the God to go with The Charge of the Goddess.
***** Listen the the words of the Great Father, who of old was called Osiris, Adonis, Zeus, Thor, Pan, Cernunnos, Herne, Lugh and by may other names: "My Law is Harmony with all things. Mine is the secret that opens the gates of life and mine is the dish of salt of the earth that is the body of Cernunnos that is the eternal circle of rebirth. I give the knowledge of life everlasting, and beyond death I give the promise of regeneration and renewal. I am the sacrifice, the father of all things, and my protection blankets the earth." Hear the words of the dancing God, the music of whose laughter stirs the winds, whose voice calls the seasons: "I who am the Lord of the Hunt and the Power of the Light, sun among the clouds and the secret of the flame, I call upon your bodies to arise and come unto me. For I am the flesh of the earth and all it's beings. Thru me all things must die and with me are reborn. Let my worship be in the body that sings, for behold all acts of willing sacrifice are my rituals. Let there be desire and fear, anger and weakness, joy and peace, awe and longing within you. For these too are part of the mysteries found within yourself, within me, all beginnings have endings, and all endings have beginnings." So Mote It BE!
Charge of the God
This is the second Charge of the God I have.
**** THE CHARGE OF THE GOD Listen to the words of the God, who is the son, brother, lover, and consort of the Lady: I am the fleet deer in the forest, I am the beach which receives the waves, I am the sun which warms the earth. I am the Lord of the Spiral Dance of Life, Death and Rebirth, the gentle reaper, the Winter stag and the Spring fawn. All things are of me, for I am of the Goddess, opposite, yet not opposing. I bring birth forth from the womb that is a tomb, for I am the seed which fertilizes. I am abundant Life, for I am the grain that grows and I am death, the harvest in the Fall. And I am rebirth after darkness, for I am the seed that springs forth anew. I am fertility, the spreader of Life, and I am the Lord of Death, which adds value to life. I am the Guardian of the gate between Life and Death. I am King of the Underworld, where no living being may venture, but I am also the King of Rebirth, turning the tomb into a womb.
I bring love and strength, peace and passion, hope and joy, for I am the gentle lover in the night. All that I am comes from the Great Mother, the Divine Star Goddess, who is Mother of us all.
********** Feel free to use this one as is, or to adapt it in whatever way feels right to you. Blessed Be!