Coping with change

  Our lives follow cycles that are continually changing, evolving and shifting from moment to moment, and nothing in the physical realm remains the same forever. In modern society, we have come to fear or abhor most endings, seeing them as associate with failure or as the loss of something we value or want to keep. However, natural magic teaches us that change is good, and when we are able to let go of things that do not really serve us, or of an experience that has run its course, our lives can open up in very positive ways.

  ENDINGS

To attract a new beginning, we must first close the door on that which is ending. This could be a long term relationship, a work contract, a house move or perhaps grown-up children leaving home; whatever the situation it is important to create an ending that honours the change, while remaining positive about it. The simplest way to honour and ending is to voice the fact, and give thanks for what you have experienced as you indicate your intention to let it go and move on to a new beginning.  The ceremony can be a simple or as elaborate as you wish. For instance, you could light a candle on y our altar and say a prayer, or give some other offering as a thanksgiving for what is ending. Water is the element associated with letting go, so you could also include this on your altar.

  A TALISMAN FOR CHANGE

Endings and beginnings may be accompanied by feelings of insecurity, fear, and sadness, and you can use this talisman to help you come to terms with your feelings. Make it during a waxing moon if you are more concerned with beginnings, during a waning moon for endings and letting go.

  You will need.

2 silver or white candles

Silver pen

23cm (9in) square of natural paper

Moonstone.

1.       Light the candles, saying these words as you do so;

2.       Hail to you Levanah, I light these candles in your honour and ask for your help with the endings/beginnings (whichever you are working on) in my life at this time.

3.       Draw the symbol for Alpha (beginnings) or Omega (endings) in the middle of the paper, depending on whether you are working with endings or beginnings. If you want to work with both, then draw both symbols.

4.       Fold the four corners of the paper into the centre to make a diamond shape, then fold in the same way twice more.

5.       Pinch out the candles, place the moonstone on your talisman and leave it in moonlight for several hours. Afterwards, put it in a safe place or carry it with you.

 

SYMBOLS OF NEW BEGINNINGS.

  There are many ways in which you can call for a new beginning, once you have recognised and acknowledged an ending in your life.

·         A pair of lodestones placed together in a central area of a room will call for the attraction of a lover.

·         If you see shooting stars and comets together in the sky wishing upon them calls the Sky Father’s protection and blessing fro any wishes you make.

·         The cowrie shell is sacred to the Goddess and empowers wishes for love, friendship and family. Decorate a small pouch with cowrie’s shells and drop your written wish inside.

·         A bowl of seeds (such as sesame, sunflower or pumpkin) with a wish tucked into them, placed on an altar or on the kitchen windowsill, will encourage the growth of whatever you have called for.

·         A birch broom propped up beside a doorway will encourage the old to depart and the new to arrive, and will also provide protection for your home.

·         When you are seeking new work or prosperity opportunities, turn silver coins in your pocket on the first night of a new moon to invite growth in your finances.

·         Write a wish on a piece of paper, fold or roll it and place the paper within the cone of a white lily flower, this bloom is sacred to Ostara, the goddess of birth and new life. ·         Written symbols, such as Beth from the Druidic tree alphabet, or the Greek letter Alpha, will encourage new beginnings. Write them in places of significance such as over a written wish, or trace them in the air in a space where new beginnings are being called for. You could also include them on a talisman.

I keep meeting Mr / Ms Wrong

 

Here’s a spell to attract suitable men/women who are willing to settle down with you.

 

Get some body glitter. At dusk in the evening –

Friday is best draw a heart with a red pen on a piece of paper,

and carefully sprinkle the glitter into the heart shape.

 

Say the following chant three (3) times:

  ‘Love goddess Venus, I think of you in all that I do.

   I ask you, please bring me a love who is true!’

 

Put the glitter back in its jar, and wear a little bit of it every day (it’s fine to do so under clothing),

as well as sprinkling some near your front door.

 

 

 

If you can ride out the initial storm of chemicals and emotions, things should get calmer - neuroscientists have said the period of romantic love rarely lasts beyond 18 months. And after that? Well, if it doesn't all fizzle out, welcome in attachments, the next phase of love. 'The mad passion, the ecstasy, the longing, the obsessive thinking and the heightened energy all dissolve.' 'Instead, you have new feelings of security, comfort, calm and union.' That's all down to big doses of oxytocin, which fosters closeness once the intial sparks have gone.

  So you might not be on an emotional roller coaster anymore, but instead you'll have a rewarding, cosy, settled relationship.

Lost Love

Falling in love can be like an addiction for many people and when the relationship fails, they can experience withdrawal symptoms.

‘When neuroscientists compared the brain scans of love-stricken subjects with those of mean and women who had injected cocaine, they found many of the same brain regions became active,’ and those who are obsessed displayed classic symptoms of addiction: tolerance; withdrawal and relapse. ‘At first, the lover is content to see their beloved now and then, but as the addiction escalates, they need more and more of the “drug”,’ ‘when the lover is out of touch, even for a few hours, he or she longs for contact. If the relationship breaks down, the lover shows all the common signs of drug withdrawal – depression, crying, anxiety, insomnia, loss of appetite or bingeing, irritability and loneliness. And lovers relapse the way drug addicts do, long after the relationship is over.

 Simple things like hearing a song or revisiting, an old haunt can trigger cravings and the calling to get another “high”.

 

How to Handle IT:

It’s natural to feel blue when a relationship ends, but if you’re finding it ough to cope, take these steps to overcoming your addiction:

Remove all Evidence;  

Throw out any cards and letters he’s/she sent you or at least stuff them in a box and keep it well out of reach. Don’t call or write to them under any circumstances. Perhaps you could enlist a friend who you can phone instead when ever you feel tempted. If you see them out and about, turn around and head the other way. Even the briefest contact with him could fire up your brain circuits in order to prepare you for romance.

Hit the Gym;

‘Exercise is great for rejected lovers’. ‘Every time you slump in a chair, sit by the phone or stare out the window, you give your ex time to stoke the fire of an aching heart.’ Any kind of physical exertion, such as jogging, biking and aerobics, will elevate your mood by driving up levels of dopamine, serotonin and endorphins.

Remember his/her failings;

If you can’t stop thinking about them, try to dwell on there negative traits rather than the things you really miss. ‘Love causes us to enhance and elevate our beloved.’

‘Separating truth from reality is therefore key to treating love sickness.’

Get a piece of paper and write down every last negative thing – from the hairy mole on ther bottom to there rubbish jokes. Carry the list in your purse or pocket.