It feels a bit strange to call it the “beginning” since once I’m done typing here, I’m going to go back through my private entries and decide which ones to publicize, thereby making this not at all the beginning. And yet here we are, at the beginning, which is not the beginning, because the beginning is never the beginning.
Less than an hour ago, at 12:03am (the moment of the new moon) I attempted to burn seven bay leaves at the altar in my office. I say “attempted” as though I didn’t succeed; I did burn all seven bay leaves but with great difficulty. It was frustrating, and now I have a headache. That is to say, the headache I woke up with (three hours ago, because Quarantine Schedule) has intensified. There are a few more things I want to do in honor of the new moon, but at the moment I’m slightly discouraged by the experience. I don’t believe it’s a bad omen, but I do believe it’s a sign that the next six months are going to be frustrating.
Update several hours later: – I found the source of my headache: dehydration. Meaning I’ll have to come up with a way to ritualize drinking water.
But! In the mean time, here’s what I did to honor the New Moon in Capricorn:
Publicized this blog. I still have yet to go back and publicize some of my previously private entries, but I’ll get to it soon.
Gave a proper introduction to my live prayer. Why wasn’t I doing that before? Who knows!
Smudged with the vanilla smudge stick. It’s actually rosemary, vanilla, and cinnamon. I had been keeping it for an occasion, and this was an occasion. It didn’t all burn up in one day, though, so I’ll burn some again tomorrow.
Lit two prayer candles, green and purple, at the altar in my living room. I managed to get them there about an hour before midnight (about an hour after waking up… because Quarantine Schedule). The green is for my personal gain, and the purple is for the spiritual and cultural revolution.
Lit the Jupiter-Saturn candle at the altar in my office. This will take a few days to burn, I’m sure. It looks like it’s burning pretty slowly. I also did some deep meditation on the trajectory of my Jupiter return year, and I’m pretty confident that I’m on the right path.
Burned seven bay leaves at exactly 12:03am. I don’t usually set rituals like this for the exact time of the astrological event, but this time it was convenient to do so.
Started on making vinegar. (I said I’d make vinegar last full moon, but I didn’t do it then; I’ve just done it now, during the 1/11 portal that was two days ago.) For some reason, this feels particularly significant, as though the time from the new moon in Capricorn to the full moon in Capricorn will be somehow defined by the fact that I’m right now making vinegar. But perhaps that’s one of those stories that’s best told in hindsight?
Black salt sweep (I did this a day late, but better late than never)
If this feels like a lot of extra stuff to honor the new moon, it definitely is. This new moon was not only the first of the calendar year, but it was also conjunct Pluto, which gives it much more weight with regards to beginnings and endings. Something significant is ending. Something significant is beginning. I am attempting to align with that energy and tap into that power.
This is a personal, spirit-led variation on the traditional Thieves Vinegar, made on the new moon (and solar eclipse) in Sagittarius. By the full moon (in Cancer) it should be ready to use.
Ingredients:
white vinegar
orange peel from 1 orange
rosemary (fresh, leftover from smudge making)
basil (some leftover from smudge making, some dried)
Put orange peel, rosemary, basil, sage, and bay leaves into a jar. Fill the jar up with vinegar.
I’m considering adding cinnamon, but for now I will not.
In fact, as I’m typing this, it occurs to me that I can add my sigil to absorb some of the more chaotic energy. I covered the mouth of the jar with parchment paper before putting the lid on, and I can slip a sigil between the parchment paper and the lid.
