The Dark Moon is one of my favorite times for reflection.

I'm not particularly gifted in augury, but some methods work to find a meditation focus or settling exercise.

When I can, usually two or three times a year, I like to do a more formal ritual.

I know that the tools aren't strictly necessary, but I find it reassuring to use them when I can.

I start at twilight, when the sun has slipped below the horizon and there is a deep violet at the edge of the horizon. That is when I start cleaning the ritual space. Can't use a circle in this one.

By the time full dark has set in, I am ready. I have a small candle on a small stand at about eye level at about chest height.

My scrying bowl is black with a slightly reflective interior. It sits beside me at first. I put the dry ingredients in a mortar, moon blessed sea salt, cinnamon, a few other things. I grind it into a very small powder. Not much. When the dry has been thoroughly crushed, I put the mortar and pestle down and take up the scyring bowl. Very carefully I hold it up to the stars, letting their light fill it. Then I close my eyes and pour the light into my face.

Very carefully I take a small amount of oil on my finger and draw a quick sign in the bottom of the bowl. I sprinkle the dry ingredients over the sign. Then I breathe on the sign.

Then I light the candle.

Holding the bowl in my lap, I very slowly add water. I crouch over it and look through the candle reflection in the water.

Of course, this description is incomplete. But you can see where it is going.

More and more I'm convinced that I was smart to (mostly) separate my political blogging from my pagan blogging.

Anyway you slice it, politics is about controlling other people. What that has to do with the dawn or the coyote's howl drifting through the night is anyone's guess.

When pagans jump up to recite approved scripts to this week's Officially Designated Outrage, they make paganism look silly.

I think it grew out of when paganism was part of the American counterculture. Pagans had to rebel against established mores. Existing culture wasn't good enough, it had to be replaced even if the replacement didn't work. In the 80s it got worse. Pagans became moralistic busybodies when it came to the Earth, and of course when it came to minorities.

But what does that have to do with the Dark Moon or the chill of the night air? What does that have to do with a winter rain or the clouds as they stretch to cover the sky? What does that have to do with a vigil kept in front of the fire all night?

That's paganism.

It's almost sunrise. I'm going to share some oranges with my friend the raven.