The Blood Moon
O wild ones, now comes the time of the final, bloody harvest. It is time to call on these energies, the ending that brings a new beginning, the death that nourishes. What must you slaughter to live through the coming Winter? I call you to look at your lives and see what must be done. What will you sacrifice to ensure you sleep warm through the long dark nights?
Blood Moon, Hunter’s Moon, sanguine, still,
fallen leaves, leaves turning, once time to kill.
Who is awake?
The edge is what we have.
Step forward, O magic one, hold out your sacrifice and taste its end.
Throw the bones to the fire and take your shadow’s hand.
Now – journey into the dark.
If I were you, O human child, I would want a light to lead me through the dark. What better than a Hag’s Taper? A witch’s torch or, perhaps, the light of the hedge. There will be some who choose the dark moon energy for this ritual, but I see the power of endings held in this full moon. I would prepare my sacrifice in whichever way made sense. Perhaps it is scribed upon parchment, perhaps it is to be spoken, perhaps you carve it into an apple and dig it deep in mud or maybe it is to be acted out until the next moon – a giving up? Whatever the sacrifice, whatever now must come to an end, ready it.
Bathe in the leaves of Rosemary – she who knows death and can carry one through it – and ask her protection for this night and the darkness ahead. It is crucial, as no doubt you know, never to use soaps or other such things within a ritual bath such as this. Use no towel after, but stay in a warm room and allow the air to breathe you dry.
Prepare your space, a compass, a circle, the way you usually prepare. Call in your spirits. Take your hag’s taper and let a flame take it. Speak the spell above. Name your sacrifice. Commit to its end. Feel yourself upon the edges of this time, this world. As the nights grow long, know that you have given in order to find a new way through.
How do you make your Hag’s Taper? I shall tell you…
You shall need:
ª Dry mullein stalks, collected when the end of the season brings browning
ª Wax – beeswax or recycled candle wax
ª Double boiler or metal bowl
ª Parchment paper
1. You must collect one or more dry, brown mullein stalks. Shake or tap the seed heads with purpose over a bowl and save them to give back to the earth.
2. Now, listen closely. Heat water in a saucepan and balance the metal bowl in the water, as if you were melting chocolate – or set up your double boiler on medium heat. You must melt your wax completely.
3. Here, you have a few options, you could pour the wax into a tall candle holder and dip each mullein stalk in. (With this method, you may wish to cut the stalks to fit the dipping container). Or, perhaps, you would rather use another receptable, such as another small metal pot, a ladle or a brush to pour the wax over the stalk, rotating it and covering it evenly.
4. Ah, now is the time to allow the wax to cool and harden for a moment between layers. Dip the stalk or coat the taper around 4 to 6 times to build up a thick layer of wax that will burn longer.
5. You may wish to add herbs in the final layer, perhaps rosemary or a herb specific to your sacrifice or your tradition.
6. Let the finished tapers cool completely and harden on a protected surface or hanging rack. If you, O magic one, are new to this, note that a simple hanging rack can be made by using a hanger for trousers and pegs.
7. Hag’s Tapers can burn with a large flame and spark or sputter, so know this as you burn it. You could drive it straight into the dark earth to light your ritual, or you may place it into a bottle or carry it as a torch – but the last only with care and forethought.
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Should the days have passed since the esbat, all you need do is to consider planetary hours, if you use them, to find an alternative time to perform such a ritual as this.