Magick & Northern Lights

[North Star]

Aurora Borealis (or the northern lights), named after the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek name for the north wind, Boreas, by Pierre Gassendi in 1621. Auroras seen near the magnetic pole may be high overhead, but from farther away, they illuminate the northern horizon as a greenish glow or sometimes a faint red, as if the Sun were rising from an unusual direction. Discrete aurorae often display magnetic field lines or curtain-like structures, and can change within seconds or glow unchanging for hours, most often in fluorescent green. The aurora borealis most often occurs near the equinoctes. The northern lights have had a number of names throughout history. The Cree call this phenomenon the "Dance of the Spirits". In Medieval Europe, the auroras were commonly believed to be a sign from God.
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_(astronomy)

(photo sources from Aurora Borealis Notifications https://www.facebook.com/ABNFNSB

The Northern Lights...when I see this, I see magick. I feel intense magick in the air (and in myself) when the lights come out to play. It can be 20 below and I do not feel the cold, I am so blown away and into the moment, it almost feels like an instant meditation for me, an instant release of anything on my mind and just completely into what is going on above me. I am hoping to write a few different spells, chants, rituals... anything that I can do to incorporate this beauty into my practice.

They aurora's are unpredictable, one minute a quiet sky and the next the sky is dancing with color. I would have to be ready to practice at a moments notice. They do not happen much in Anchorage (where we can see well against the city lights) and I am still kicking myself for not working under an amazing show we had here in March. This winter I want to be prepared for a night like that if it happens again. Even smaller 'shows' are powerful to me...

I would love to hear ideas from others on how you would use this for spirituality. I am thinking of any and all possibilities, wish spells, rituals for the Goddess, cleansing rituals, even divination could be possible. So many ideas in my head. With the color being a vibrant green (almost always), I am also drawn to some heart chakra ideas.

My family is hoping there is something else I can do as well, since what I do now is try to wake everyone up to see it also, and they do not share my enthusiasm lol.

I am sharing an incredible video from last March (I will never forget this night!) if anyone would like to watch, it is truly breathtaking. Would love to hear any thoughts. If nothing else, just enjoy the video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsMW7zbzsUs

[Kassandra]

...when I see this, I see magick. I feel intense magick in the air (and in myself) when the lights come out to play. It can be 20 below and I do not feel the cold, I am so blown away and into the moment, it almost feels like an instant meditation for me...I would love to hear ideas from others on how you would use this for spirituality.... I am thinking of any and all possibilities, wish spells, rituals for the Goddess, cleansing rituals, even divination could be possible... With the color being a vibrant green (almost always), I am also drawn to some heart chakra ideas.

What a lovely, inspired post, North. Sounds like your spirit really connects to this phenomena on a deep level. I am guessing that as beautiful as these pics and video are, they do not do justice to the awesome presence of the real thing! I also think of the chakras when I see these vibrant colors, and the green did put me in mind of the heart chakra, even before reading your comment. As far as spiritual practices to do during their occurrence, I will give it some thought...perhaps someone else is quicker on the draw on this, than I am. lol

What did occur to me is the way you describe it, it sounds like you enter somewhat of an altered state during these times (i.e., "I do not feel the cold," etc., indicative of a light hypnotic state). Maybe for now just have your notebook (or better yet, Book of Shadows) at hand when this occurs, and as you soak it all in write what you "channel." Later, when you see what you wrote/drew in your journal or BOS, it might be as though someone else did it, you might not even remember writing (or drawing? etc.). Later, in your normal state, you could expand on and refine those "inspired" writings, translating them into actual rituals, spells, etc., to apply in a practical way.


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[Firebird]

That is sooooo cool North. I imagine with the sun being so weird, you will be having lots of this.
I would be in a trance all day! So do you think you can use it as a scrying source? Seems like it would be similar to staring at flames. And to expand on Kassandra and her mentioning the chakras, perhaps you could do a sort of cleansing/charging meditation on the chakras as this phenomenon flows in the sky.
BB, Firebird

[Starwitch]

It's hard to imagine how your family wouldn't share your enthusiasm. I'd so love to see the Northern Lights. They seem very magical. I like to believe that they are the spirits coming into new babies and leaving the dead.

[North Star]

Thanks for the replies, ladies. I do like the chakra ideas, I really like that.

Not sure how often I would get the opportunity to scry, rarely do I get to see them with as much activity like that night last winter. That was just too amazing for words.

Now I just wait... lol. And hope for an active season! I will be sure to share this experience with you guys or any other ideas I can think of in the meantime. ♥

[Echo_of_shadows]

I've always thought the Northern Lights were so beautiful but I have never seen them in person. I know that the lights can be seen here in Michigan, but only in the Upper Peninsula and I, sadly, live in the middle portion of the Lower Peninsula.
I imagine that you could do almost any type of spell or ritual since the Aurora Borealis usually has so many colors. It seems to me that this inspires peace and passion within you, North Star, so maybe your spells and rituals performed during the light show can be used to help you get more in touch with those inner aspects.
Maybe a picture of the Northern Lights can be during your Magickal workings when you can't get outside to view this beautiful event. Photos of the the lights would be awesome in a sacred space.

So do you think you can use it as a scrying source? Seems like it would be similar to staring at flames.

I like firebird's idea. I think that the Aurora Borealis would make a lovely scrying source.

[North Star]

I love the divination idea. Definitely will try that if I have the opportunity. Mostly we have green color (purple further out, I have yet to see other colors in the city) and rarely do we see them move like in the video, but it does happen. If I get one or 2 chances like that in one year it would be great! I do have something that I could use some advanced scrying to figure out.

Love the idea of the pictures also! I think that could help me in a lot of ways. Thanks for that idea, Echo I really like it! Right outside my bedroom I have a beautiful print of a winter scene with a purple color scheme... purple and green are my decor colors so adding some Aurora photography to that wall is just too perfect! I can see it from my altar also. I also have a crystal called 'aurora borealis' it's just a pretty crystal with that name lol, but I was very drawn to it, I found it right after the night I saw those lights so I had to get it!

I find it all incredibly powerful, I can't pinpoint what it was, but something came over me the night of those lights in March. It was the morning of St Patrick's day, which is a day I do not like (the day I found out my best friend had bone cancer a few years back, another year it was another horrible memory). I just felt miserable all weekend, lots of bad memories, feeling homesick, sad...

After experiencing this I felt so much more at ease, cleansed, I don't know how to explain it, but I felt good. I remember thinking about my friend who is gone while watching the sky, and I got a lot out of it, maybe some peace with the past. I felt him there, and I never feel my loved ones who have passed before (besides dreams, and this friend I still have never felt until this time). So I think it was extremely powerful for me in ways I did not expect when I stepped outside that night. I think that experience sparked the passion in me to use this source of energy. I lived here for 8 years growing up and have seen some great shows in the skies, but it affected me more this time. I always felt it as magickal, but this experience was awesome for me.

Interesting what Starwitch said about the spirits, now that I think about it more and the experience I had with my friend, that is very interesting.

All these ideas are extremely helpful, loving it! ♥

[Firebird]

Wow, I was thinking these would be fun to scry upon. The second picture of course reminded me of a Firebird

[L.J.Hex]

Norhtern lights sure are magic. Last time I was at our summerhouse we had quite a show, first time in ages so far south some decent auroras and at the same time the ice in the lake was moaning and banging as it was freezing fast. Lucky cold weather met the mild winter, so no snow on the ice. It was fantastic. Unfortunately I didn't have a good camera to capture it.