Although Wiccan supplies and magickal items may not
always be easy to obtain, depending on your budget and geological
location, here are some tips to help you find the Wiccan supplies that
you are looking for, or are being drawn to, and at the best price:

On-Line Shopping:
Using catalogs or online resources can sometimes be tricky, as there
can be very different prices for the same item in different stores.
There is also the temptation to buy items that you think you need,
rather than the one or two things you actually require for that spell
or ritual you are planning. Then there are those pesky shipping charges
to consider as well. When shopping online, try to minimize your time on
any one site, and if one of the Wiccan supplies you are looking for is
an athame, for instance, leave with only
an athame in your online ’shopping cart’. One factor that is second
only to price is customer service, and it is a good idea, if for this
reason alone, to keep your first Wiccan supplies order to only one or
two items until you are sure the website you are dealing with truly
lives up to their customer service promises.

Ask A Friend
If you know other Pagans or Wiccans, ask them where they get their own
Wiccan supplies. They most likely will use a variety of locations.
Especially if they have been practicing the craft for awhile, they will
know where the best deals are. If you are a solitary Witch or Pagan,
join an online Wiccan or Pagan community and find out what people have
to say about where they shop. There may be a great place for herbs, and
another for bottles and similar supplies that may not even be Wiccan or
Pagan oriented, but have excellent prices. Don’t be afraid to ask for
what you want and need, that is what online communities of like-minded
individuals are all about.

Local Second Hand Stores
Things you just find can have marvellous magickal uses. When looking
for a particular item (or just looking), why not go to your local
thrift store or perhaps take in a flea market. These are always fun to
attend, and you never really know what little treasures you will find.
As a bonus, this is the one time that coming home with a couple of
extra items that you were not expecting to purchase will mean not only
have the gotten a great deal, but that extra energy of excitement this
generates will be passed on to the item in question, and also be a
reminder each time you use it. Before going out you may want to take a
moment to request assistance from your favourite deity, or the Universe
in general, to be present with you and direct you to the items you
need. You may be surprised to find exactly the ’something’ that is
synchronistic to the situation you have in mind.

Take In The Local Historical Sites or Local Museum
If you live near an historical site, do yourself a favor and check it
out, along with your city’s museum. Both of these are excellent
locations to get ideas for Wiccan supplies. What you will see here are
the ways that people who came before us did things and this alone
should inspire you to think in different ways. Remember, we did not
always shop online, or jump in cars and get our food or supplies from
grocery or department stores. Different times (and technology) called
for people to think in different ways, and these locations will allow
that history to flow over you, generating new ideas and uses for the
old methods of doing things and using items.

Make Your Own Wiccan Supplies
Creating your own Pagan and Wiccan supplies is always fun. And with the
act of creation comes that extra energy that will be added to your
items, making them even more powerful, not to mention the sense of
pride that will go along with each item you create. The best part is
that you don’t even have to be particularly creative to do this. Some
items you will want to purchase, but when looking at the Wiccan
supplies you need or want, always keep in the back of your mind ways of
making the item yourself. You will be astonished at what great craft
ideas just pop into your head.

Storing Your Wiccan Supplies
Once you begin to acquire your Wiccan supplies you will need a place to
store them, so keep this in mind when you are out and about looking for
your Wiccan supplies. Wooden boxes, glass jars and ceramic containers
are good for herbs, incense and oils. Leather pouches, as well as
natural fibre cloth bags, are excellent for safeguarding all types of
items, including crystals, wands, jewelry, amulets, divination tools,
and any other items you wish to keep protected from outside energies,
or perhaps even prying eyes. Larger wooden boxes are not only good for
storage, but depending on the size, can make an interesting and
excellent altar.

These are just a few suggestions to get you started in finding your
Wiccan supplies at practical prices. Always be on the look out for what
you know you need, and being open to what you ‘feel’ you need or are
drawn to, will enhance your practice of the craft and add energy to
your ritual and spellwork. And anyways, who doesn’t like just getting a
good deal?

Blessed be.

When celebrating the Sabbats and Esbats, the concept of timing is usually a given, as these events are on a specific day of the year, and begin and end at specific times. When working a Wiccan spell or engaging in other Wiccan rituals, however, it can be confusing as to which timing is appropriate for what activity.

For many Wiccans and Pagans, the Moon is the most important determining factor in magickal timing. The basic timing information that should be taken into account when planning your Wiccan spell or Wiccan rituals are: the phases of the moon, the astrological sign the moon is in, and the time of day associated with the task you wish to do.

Here are a few basic timing guidelines to aid you in your endeavours:

Moon Phases:

Full Moon – used for banishing unwanted influences in your life, protection magick, divination, planning, releasing and working backwards.

New Moon – is used for personal growth, healing and the blessing of new projects or ventures.

Waxing Moon – good for attraction magick of all kinds.

Waning Moon – this is a time for banishing and rejecting, including negative emotions, bad habits, diseases and ailments.

Moon Signs:

Moon is Aries: Energy – the time is right for new beginnings. The Aries Moon promotes energy and ideas, and is great for leadership, willpower, spiritual conversions and general energy boosts.

Moon in Taurus: Dependability – love, money, prosperity, and material things

Moon in Gemini: Communication – all forms of communication, travel and writing.

Moon in Cancer: Nurturing – this nurturing, feminine energy is a good time for working on issues regarding your home, domestic life, and emotional support.

Moon is Leo: Courage – showmanship, physical arts such as acting, fertility and having power over others.

Moon in Virgo: Self-Improvement – this energy is involved with matters of the intellect, employment, health and details.

Moon in Libra: Balance – areas to work on are emotional balance, artistic and spiritual work, karma, and justice.

Moon in Scorpio: Desire and Transformation – a good time to work on making real changes in your life, and is also concerned with both sexual fantasies and psychic growth.

Moon in Sagittarius: Exploration – a great time for ferreting out the truth, serious exploration, work that concerns legal matters, and publishing.

Moon in Capricorn: Achievement – associated with careers, political matters and recognition. This would also be a great time to get yourself organized.

Moon in Aquarius: Revolution – this Moon is for work that involves freedom, creative expression, or problem solving, as well as cultivating your extrasensory abilities.

Moon in Pisces: Compassion – this is a great time for healing, working with dreams, clairvoyance, telepathy, and music.

Note: As the Moon moves through the different signs of the zodiac, there is a period where the Moon is considered ‘void of course’. This is when the Moon is between the times it leaves one sign and enters the next one. The experience here can be likened to the way one looses the radio station your were listening to on your car radio when you drive through a tunnel, during this time the Moon’s energies will not do what they usually do. The Void of Course Moon is good for passive activities, such as yoga, prayer, meditation and sleep. It is not a good idea to start any Wiccan spell or Wiccan rituals , or to make decisions, start a business or make purchases.

Time of the Day:

Morning – this is a good time for beginnings, as the energy is fresher. This is a great time to get rid of any lingering negativity, work with addictive behaviours and bad habits. It is also associated with business, school and anything else that gears up in the morning such as employment issues – getting a job, a raise or a promotion.

Midday – good for overcoming a weakness you may have, resetting yourself, asking for guidance or inspiration, and to rethink anything that needs to be started over.

Evening – good for breaking up routines and banishing bad habits, as well as boosting willpower.

Nighttime – it is easier to feel the energy of the Moon once the Sun has set, and this is an excellent time for divination and working with psychic energies. Also work with love, lust or beauty.

As you can see, there are many factors that come in to play when planning a Wiccan spell or Wiccan ritual, especially surrounding the Moon. Using these correspondences will heighten the power of your magick, increasing the chances of your success.

Mabon (pronounced MAY-bawn) is one of the Lesser Wiccan Sabbats and is celebrated at the autumnal equinox, which is usually around September 21st – 23rd (this is the date of the actual astronomical event, so check your calendars, as the date will shift from year to year). Night and day are of equal duration on this day, and one begins to feel the approach of winter and darkness.

The Mabon Sabbat is considered a time of balance, of darkness overtaking light, and a celebration of the Second Harvest. It is a time to honour the ageing deities and the spirit world. The principle key action of Mabon Sabbat, however, is that of giving thanks.

The symbolism of Mabon is that of the Mysteries, and Equality and Balance. Mabon symbols include grapes, wine, vines, garland, gourds, pine cones, acorns, wheat, dried leaves, burial cairns, rattles, Indian corn, Sun wheels, and horns of plenty.

Activities for this Wiccan Sabbat may include making of wine and the adorning of grapes. A traditional practice is to take a walk in wild places and forests, gathering seed pods and dried plants for use during the upcoming winter. These can then be used to decorate the home and  altar, and can also be saved for use in herbal magick.

Mabon celebration time is a perfect time to stop, relax, and just be happy. While we may not have toiled the fields from sunrise to sunset every day as our ancestors would have, most of us still work hard at what we do, nonetheless. At this time of the year we should stop and survey our personal harvests that each of us has brought in over the season. For us, not unlike our ancestors, this becomes a time for giving thanks for the successes we have worked so hard to achieve.

Spellwork appropriate for the Mabon Sabbat are spells for protection, wealth and prosperity, security, and spells to bring a feeling of self-confidence. As this is a time for balance, you may like to include spells or rituals that bring into balance and harmony the energies in a room, home or situation you are currently involved in.

Appropriate Mabon Sabbat associations for use in your spellwork and rituals are:

As you celebrate the Wiccan Wheel of the Year with this Lesser Wiccan holiday, remember to don your festival celebration table with a centrepiece made from the fruits of the season, such as small pumpkins, gourds, cranberries, and Indian corn, with candles of yellow for health, orange for sharing the harvest, and purple for spiritual awareness.

Take time to be outdoors during the last of the golden rays of the Sun. Walk through falling leaves and observe the animals in your neighbourhood, readying their nests for winter. Most importantly, remember to reflect on the hard work you have done to achieve what you have, and to be thankful and grateful.

Have a happy Mabon celebration!