Navratri Durga Puja

Durga Puja

Items Needed:

• picture/statue/idol of Durga
• lamp or candle
• incense
• a bell
• water (preferably holy water or blessed water)
• jasmine flowers
• sweets or fruits (coconut, banana, other dried fruits) as offerings
• sandal paste or sandalwood oil
• optional offering of cooked rice or sweet milk

1. Make sure your house and sacred space is cleansed.
2. Take a ritual, cleansing bath before performing Puja
3. Sit in your sacred space with all the needed items before you
4. Set up an altar space to Durga if you do not already have one.
5. Sit at your Durga altar and contemplate the Durga statue
6. Chant “Om” three times
7. Light the lamp or candle and say “I light this lamp/candle to honor Ma Durga, the one who is
8. Light the incense and say “I light this incense as an offering to Ma Durga”,  as you waft it over the altar, the statue of Durga and yourself cleansing the space and yourself.
9. Ring the bell three times as you say “I ring this bell to invoke Ma Durga, may she enter my home and my heart”
10. Invoke and invite Ganesh (this is done in every puja to any deity) by chanting 9 times “Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha”

10. Now chant 9 times “Om hreem doom Durgaye namaha” to invoke Durga. Then and chant the following: Ya Devi sarva bhuteshu Matri rupena samsthita Ya Devi Sarva bhuteshu Shakti rupena samsthita. Ya Devi sarva rupena samsthita. Namestasyai Namestasyai Namestasyai Namoh. Which translates as "The goddess who is omnipresent as the personification of universal mother. The goddess who is omnipresent as the embodiment of power. The goddess who is omnipresent as the symbol of peace. I bow to her, I bow to her, I bow to her."
11. Dip your hands in the water, as if you are washing your hands. This is symbolic of being cleansed and forgiven of sins. Then make a gesture of offering of the water to Durga for bath. You can sprinkle a little on the idol you have, especially on the head, hands and feet.
12. Annoint your forehead and the forehead of Durga with the sandal paste or sandalwood oil
13. Make the offering of sweets, dried fruits and flowers.
14. At this time sit in mediation to Durga. Reflect on her attributes, and how you can bring them into your life. You can chant her mantra 108 times using a mala to keep count. You can meditate on yantra, sing songs, or read scriptures on Durga.
15. After meditation bring your hands in prayer (anjali mudra) at the heart and say “Thank you Ma Durga for your blessings of strength, courage and protection. Please return to your abode. Be merciful and return to me again.”
16. Bow three times in prostration as you chant “Namaste”
17. Leave the candles and incense to burn as long as you can.
18. Each morning and evening light just the candle. You can perform the whole puja everyday, on the third day or at the end of Navratri on the 9th day. As this is a pagan practice of performing Puja you don't need to feel bound by the way it is celebrated in Hinduism. Do what feels right for you, and make it your own, as long as you feel connected to Durga and honor her.

Because Ma Durga is seen as the great mother, you should honor and respect the women in your life. Do something nice for them during Navratri, as well as any women that you come across. Find ways in your life to bring the attributes of Durga into yourself, such as courage, strength, and justice. Go through your day with the Shakti energy of Durga within you.

You can also celebrate by wearing red to symbolize the colors of Durga. It is also tradition to burn a diya or lamp for the full 9 days. I dont do this, because the thought of leaving a fire burning for nine days straight terrifies me. I do light the candle and let it burn whenever I'm home to watch and attend to it. Each time I light the candle I chant Ma Durga's mantra 108 times in meditation.

This is in no way meant to be a full Puja as practiced in Hinduism, this is my pagan version.

History of the Yule Log

A Yule log is hard piece of wood, usually from an oak, birch or elm tree, that would be burned in the fireplace to celebrate Yule, the Winter Solstice, and Christmas Day.

This was originally a pagan tradition found in Northern Europe in places such as Germany, France and Great Britain. The tree was chopped down, and often the whole tree was brought into the house with some ceremony. Later it became just a piece of wood from the tree. The Yule log was representative of bringing the light into the house as part of celebrating the Winter Solstice. The Yule log was a symbol of light, representating that we are moving into a period of light and sun, as the days grow longer.

A piece of the log was always kept to be used to light next year's Yule log. The piece that was kept was also said to bless the household with protection and prosperity in the new year. The ashes from the fire were often used in plants and crops to bless them in hopes of producing great crops.

The Yule log later became an adorned piece of wood that often served as a table centerpiece (as seen above) or for people who did not have an hearth or fireplace in the house. A piece of wood is decorated with greenery, pinecones, etc and holes are drilled into the wood to hold three candles that are lit throughout Yule celebrations.

Winter Solstice and Yule

Winter Solstice: The Return of the Oak King


The Winter Solstice is marked as the day beginning Winter, and has the shortest period of daylight, and the longest night of the year. We celebrate that the sun will rise again tomorrow, and eventually we go back to longer periods of sunlight and daytime. The Winter Solstice usually falls on December 21st in the Northern Hemisphere. We also celebrate Yule at this time during the Solstice.

The celebration of Yule is believed to have been started by German, Nordic, and Celtic pagans as a way to honor the transition of ruling from the Holly King to the Oak King. This was also a time to honor light and the sun, as light and dark struggled in battle, and this is a period where light wins out, so we honor that at Yule. It is often viewed that the Oak King and the Holly King battle each other for control, the Oak King wins and rules until Midsummer.

The Oak King and the Holly King are seen as dual aspects of the Horned God, and there for are two parts of a whole, often depicted in different ways as well. The Oak King is often seen as a god of fertility similar to the Green Man or Cerrunnos, while the Holly King is often depicted very similar to what we know as Santa Claus or Father Christmas.

One of the most popular ways to celebrate Yule is with the Yule log. The Yule log was usually a large wooden log, often from an ash tree, that was given as a gift to a neighbor or family member. The log was burned in the family hearth, having been lit from a piece of last year’s Yule log. The log symbolizes prosperity for the New Year and protection for the home from evil.

You can honor the passing of the Holly King by decorating the home in evergreens such as Holly, Rosemary, and Mistletoe, as well as red candles. Leave out a bowl of clove studded fruit such as oranges. Christmas or Yule trees are another way in which to honor the Holly King during Yule. Candles and sparkling ornaments adorning the mantle, trees, and windows help to bring as much light into the home as possible; this honors the light as we move into a time with longer days and the reign of the Oak King. Some people celebrate Yule or the Solstice by turning all off electric from Sundown to Sunset and just letting the Yule log, and candles burn over night. Again this representing bringing light into the home and your life.

Feasting is certainly a way we all love to celebrate any holiday and Yule is no different. Make a big breakfast including eggs (representing the sun with their yolks) and watch the sun rise with your family. The celebratory dinner can include ham, leg of lamb or other roasts, roasted veggies, stuffings and homemade breads and desserts. Eggnog, Ciders and Wassail are drank and used to toast family and friends at the feast. Don’t’ forget to set a place for the God and Goddess (or whatever deity you would like to represent) in their honor.

Yule is a time to celebrate the light of the world with family and friends. Have fun with decorating your home, bringing in the light, cooking a hearty meal to warm you up on the cold days, and give out gifts to honor and respect your loved ones. Everyone can gather around the Yule log, fireplace or a candle and give thanks for all they have received in the past year. This is a time to meditate and focus on what you want to bring to light in the upcoming year. Use this time of introspection and put your energy into welcoming the positive into your life. Focus on any goals or things you want to achieve in the next year.

Any spells done during this time should focus on abundance, peace, harmony and positivity.

Super Moon

Tomorrow's Full Moon will be one of the biggest and brightest we've seen in a few years, also known as a "Super Moon" due to the fact that the Earth will be closer to the Moon that it has been awhile. The Earth, Moon, and Sun will all be in alignment, and the Moon will be at it's nearest approach to Earth.

Some believe that the effects of a "Super Moon" are responsible for the effects of Earth and it's tides, etc. Some even believe that recent earthquake and Tsunami in Japan were a direct effect of the Moon being so close to Earth and how it's gravitational strengths effect our planet.

So what does this mean for Magick? Well nothing really. However, this "Super Moon" full moon is known as the Worm Moon or the Sap Moon. The name Worm Moon comes from the fact that has the days get warmer and the ground thaws that Earthworms begin to make their appearance. The name Sap Moon comes from the fact that this is the time that trees are tapped for Maple Syrup.

Not only do we have a "Super Moon" and a beautiful Worm Moon Esbat to celebrate, but Sunday is also Ostara. Ostara is the Spring Equinox Sabbat that is named after the German Goddess of the Spring. This is a time to focus on the Spring, the Sun and new beginnings. I will be doing a separate upcoming post on Ostara! It's going to be a very magickal weekend!

Imbolc Celebration

I know that when we are buried under as much snow as most of us seem to be, that it is hard to even think about Spring being right around the corner! But it is, only 50 something days!

Tuesday, February 1st marks the day of Imbolc. Imbolc is the perfect time to start thinking about the Spring that is ahead of us. Imbolc is often linked with the Celtic Goddess Brighid, who honors hearth and home. She is actually one of my patron deities, so this is a special holiday for me!

I find the perfect way to honor both Imbolc and Brighid is to do some Spring Cleaning! I deeply cleanse the house, casting out any negative energies that might have settled in for the Winter. Open up the windows and doors (if not too too cold) and let in some fresh air. Breathe new life into your home! Light candles and incense to not only freshen the air, but to help remove negative energies.

I decorate my home and altar with fresh white flowers! Corn dollies and Brighid's Cross are great things to add to your altar as well! I always have a Brighid's Cross on my altar in her honor throughout the year.

Typically, Imbolc is linked with lamb as well as Brighid. So most people will celebrate with a feast of lamb and other Celtic dishes. However, now that the husband and I are both Vegans, I'm not quite sure what kind of Imbolc feast we will come up with. We might just foucs on some traditional Celtic side dishes, with a Vegan twist!

I'll be sure to post pictures of my altar, feast etc on the actual day of Imbolc! How will you be celebrating?