Invocation to Neith

Today, August 7, we are celebrating the Egyptian Goddess Neith and the Breaking of the Nile. A time of fertility and thanksgiving for the Ancient Egyptians who relied on the yearly floods of the great river Nile to provide the necessary water and fertile silt for fields and gardens.

Colors: Blue and green
Elements: Water and earth
Altar: Upon cloth of earth-green and river-blue place an animal skin with two crossed arrows and a bow upon it, burning frankincense, a weaver's shuttle, and a bowl of wet earth.
Offering: Work in the earth, or make things.
Daily Meal: Fresh vegetables and greens. Meat is also acceptable.

Invocation to Neith

Hail Neith, Lady of the Arrow!

Huntress of the desert, your sight

Is keen and your aim fine,

And on this day the Nile's rise

Breaks with your first shot,

And begins its fall to the shore.

Your Word turns the waters

And reveals the fertile black earth.

Hail Neith, Lady of the Loom!

You weave the tapestry of Life,

Crafting joy with your skilled hands.

Sister of Selket, Guide of the Dead,

All warriors are your province,

You take the ones fallen bravely in battle

As well as those who fought reluctantly.

No warrior is judged by his skill,

Only by his circumstance,

In the light of your generous eyes.

Hail, huntress and weaver,

Lady skilled in both inner and outer worlds,

Who sees no contradictions therein.

Push back the oncoming waters

And lay bare the rich black earth,

The boundary between the elements,

Where your footsteps leave a trail

That only a hunter could follow.

Chant: Arrow flies, water falls,

Horizon turns and sunset calls.

From: Pagan Book of Hours
Note: The Breaking of the Nile is also strongly associated with the Goddess Hathor.

Corn Fertility Spell

If you want to get pregnant, eat corn on the cob while saying:

“Bless my womb,
this seed of earth,
grant to me,
a healthy birth.”

Found at: Magickal Winds

Corn Woman's Magical Mush

• 1 cup corn meal
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups boiling water

Combine the corn meal, cold water, and salt. Pour the mixture into the boiling water. Cover and cook on low for 15 minutes, stirring when needed.

This mush turns solid when cold. It may then be sliced into blocks about 1/2 inch thick and fried in hot oil. Serve with honey on the side if desired. You may also dust the slices with a mixture of cinnamon and powdered sugar.

Found in: Elemental Witch

Corn Magicks

Latin name: Zea Mays.
Common names: Indian Corn, Maize, Squaw Corn.
Parts used: Seeds, silk, husks

Herbal uses:

Corn silk is a mild stimulant, diuretic and demulcent, useful in the treatment of bladder irritation and has also been employed in gonorrhea treatments. The seeds are also diuretic and mild stimulants. A poultice can be made from the seeds to treat ulcers, swellings, and rheumatic pains. An infusion of the parched Corn can help control nausea and vomiting in many diseases. Cornmeal makes a palatable and nutritious gruel and is an excellent diet for convalescents. Corn oil is used in treating arteriosclerosis and high cholesterol. Mexicans of today are very skilful in making fermented liquors from Corn – ‘Chicka’ resembles beer and cider, and a spirituous liquor called ‘Pulque de Mahis,’ is made from the juice of the stalk.

Magickal Associations:

Corn is a sacred Druidic herb of Mean Fomhair (also called Mabon) and of Samhain. Corn is associated with the element of earth and the planets Venus and Saturn. Because Corn was such an important part of the food supply of many early cultures, almost every ancient religion had a Corn God or Goddess.

Some of these Corn deities are: Annonaria, Roman Goddess protector of the Corn supplies; Cerklicing, the Latvian god of fields and Corn; Kurke, the Prussian God of Corn; Nepit, an Egyptian Corn Goddess and Neper an Egyptian Corn-God; Nodutus, the Roman god who was held responsible for making the knots in the stalks of Corn; Nzeanzo, the Sudan god of rain, medicine, Corn, fertility and metal-working; Robigo, a Roman Goddess of Corn; Iyatiku, the Pueblo Corn Goddess; and Gabjauja, the Lithuanian Goddess of Corn (with the advent of Christianity She was, as were so many other Pagan deities, reduced to a demon).

Magickal Uses:

Corn can be used for spells protection, luck, and in divination. Corn on the altar represents the power of the Corn Mother, She who blesses and nourishes all Her earthly children. Often Corn husks and Wheat straw are used to create what are called ‘Corn Dollies’. These are usually in the shape of a doll or are woven into various other shapes and are carried as charms or put on an altar. Corn dollies can be hung from the rafters of a house to offer protection for the house and all those who dwell within. Corn can also be used in many forms of fertility magic.

Corn can be worn as jewelry or in amulets to make the wearer closer to the spirit of the earth. Corn can be used to divine the future. An old folk spell said that if a damsel found a blood-red ear of maize, she would have a suitor before the year was out.

Remember that when harvesting Corn for magickal uses it is important to say thanks you to the grain spirits:

“Mother of Corn

I harvest thee.

In spring thou wilt

A maiden be.”

Found at: Magickal Winds