Beloved Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, passed through the veil on September 18th, 2020. Today, I joined mourners across the country as I watched the live video feed while she was brought to lie in state at the courthouse. The service was deeply moving to me, and as the Rabbi Lauren Holtzblatt beautifully sang the Hebrew prayers and scriptures, I lit the RBG candle I’d made on the new moon in Scorpio, and joined the nation with my own witchy prayers.
May our notorious RBG’s memory be a blessing to us all, and inspire the revolution for gender equality that she championed. May we carry on her legacy of justice, compassion and equality for all Americans.
Days before her death she said: “My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new President is installed.” To my mind, this is a magickal intention, and I will work with her spirit now to fulfill this wish.
Below you will find directions on how to make your own Ruth Bader Ginsburg sanctuary candle, and I invite you to join me in this magick as we mourn throughout the Samhain season.
Mourning my S/hero
In the days since her passing, I’ve mourned the loss of this phenomenal American s/hero. She was an intellectual warrior: tough, fair, and centered in humility. For decades, she courageously defended the line between true equality and justice for everyone, and the evangelical, misogynist, racist, homophobic onslaught who were hellbent to tip the legal scales in their favor. RBG worked until her dying breath to hold the darkness in check. With her death, that line is also broken. I’m acutely aware of all the women in my life who are gripped by sudden panic from what her open seat on the court may mean, less than two months before the next election.
Since Trump/Pence came to office in 2016, they’ve been promising to regress women’s reproductive rights back to the dark ages, eagerly awaiting RBG’s demise. She knew how important it was for her to survive until after the Trump threat was removed. She doggedly attended her court duties despite pancreatic cancer treatment for years. I am so grateful to her for her diligence and personal sacrifice.
Our Concern is Justified
As we bid farewell to our beloved Ruth Bader Ginsburg, we also mourn the loss of our sense of security. While our fear is justified, we cannot allow ourselves to remain paralyzed by that fear. We must mobilize that emotion into constructive action to create real changes. That is what RBG taught us to do.
I’ve channeled my grief into the real-world actions of signing petitions and emailing my elected officials. I’m making financial contributions to the progressive candidates poised to evict the despots from the White house, and any of the hypocritical Senators pushing for a fast-tracked Trump appointment to her seat. Mitch McConnell, and the rest of Trump’s amoral cronies must be ousted come November. Voting is more important now than ever!
I also got down to the witching business of magick… I honor Ruth Bader Ginsburg as an Ancestor of Spirit this Samhain season, and will work magick to manifest her dying wish.
Magickal Ruth Bader Ginsburg Sanctuary Candle
The magick of witchcraft keeps my hands busy, and gives constructive outlet to my thoughts, emotions and energies. So, I designed and charged thirteen RBG 7-day sanctuary candles, to be shared throughout my magickal community. This candle honors her memory during the witching period of mourning – a full moon cycle – like the Jewish Sheloshim, a 30 day mourning period following burial. I will continue this work throughout the rise of the autumn season until the Sabbat of Samhain, which roughly coincides with the November 2020 election.
I also designed my candles to inspire the continuation of her revolution for gender equality and protection under the law. It is also magickally charged to manifest her “fervent wish” to delay her replacement until after the presidential inauguration.
For this candle magick working, I called upon the powers of planetary Mars and elemental Fire to lend power, action and courage to the work. I called on planetary Venus and Libra for justice, compassion and humility, in the protection for women, LGBTQIA, BIPOC, and all humans at risk of discrimination by the encroaching theocracy.
Candle Preparations:
I began with a red (or white) 7-day sanctuary candle in glass. With my electric drill and a large drill bit, I burrowed out three holes in the top of the wax, about an inch deep. A flat head screwdriver and some elbow grease also do a great job. Dump out the wax shreds. See image above of finished loaded candle top.
#1: Fire
Into one hole, I packed my previously prepared Elemental Fire Incense. Directions and recipe can be found at this link, with a video on preparation included. Short of that, you can pick any one of those ingredients that you may have on hand. Cinnamon is an easy choice.
Awaken the elemental powers of fire to empower your work.
#2: Mars
Into the second hole, I packed my previously prepared Planetary Mars and Warrior God incense. Recipe below, or you may choose any one ingredient you may have on hand. Copal or a bit of long leaf pine needle are choices that are relatively easy to find.
Awaken the planetary power of Mars for courage and winning a just victory in this battle for protection of human rights.
Planetary Mars and Warrior God Incense Recipe
Effective for any spells where the planetary magick of Mars would help. Assertiveness, battle, courage, defense, desire, sexuality, virility, justice, lust, power, strength, willpower. There are also notes of earthiness in there, for the Wild God of Nature, which will bring growth and stability to the endeavor.
- 2 parts Base wood – Cinnamon Bark Powder (Fire, Mars)
- 2 parts Resin – Copal (Fire, Mars)
- 1 part Herb – Allspice Berries, ground (Fire, Mars)
- 1 part Herb – Long Leaf Pine Needle (or other evergreen) (Earth, Mars)
- Essential oils – 10 drops each of Honeysuckle and Pine (Earth, Mars)
- 2 parts vegetable glycerin to bind.
- Hematite, Pyrite or Red Jasper stone chips or Iron metal filings.
Grind all plant ingredients in your mortar and pestle, clockwise. Add the essential oil and glycerin, stir to combine and bind. Add stone chips or stone sand. Charge with the powers of fire, earth and Mars. Call Mars and the Wild Gods of nature to be present while burning.
#3: Venus
Into the third hole, I packed stone chips of Unakite Jasper, a stone of pink and green. Corresponds to planetary Venus, heart and third-eye chakra. Unakite resonates with the frequency of love and compassion, and balances the emotional body. Red Jasper, Green Feldspar and Epidote are bound beautifully together for strong, harmonious relationships, promoting patience and persistence. It is very earthy and grounding, and aids in both women’s reproductive health, and emotional health, bringing deeper insight.
Awaken the planetary power of Venus for compassionate manifestation of our emotions, into protection for women’s reproductive health rights, and equality for all people under the law.
Candle Wrap
Download and print the candle wrap image I’ve provided above, or create your own. Print to a scale of 7″ wide and 6.75″ tall, and trim the excess paper. Wrap around the jar and fix with a strip of clear tape. The image of my candle above is printed on transparency film, but white printer paper works just as well.
Charge the candle by tapping into the flow of nature’s power and imbuing that into the physical candle. Call upon the powers of Fire, Mars, and Venus to merge and anchor in the middle world through the vessel of this candle. Call upon the spirit of RBG and ask her aid and inspiration as you work to fulfill her dying wish, and carry on her legacy. Pray, cry, soak all your emotions and passions for this cause into the candle. Let it all flow…
Repeat her wish every time you light the candle and meditate on this intention throughout the next lunar cycle, and onto Samhain and the election. If the wax runs out before that time, add another red candle insert and reload, recharge, and keep going.
By Samhain night (whenever you celebrate), allow it to burn out completely. Chant it with me:
My most fervent wish is that Ruth Bader Ginsburg will not be replaced until a new President is installed. So mote it be!
Thank you for joining me in this magick!
Mabon Blessings,
~Heron Michelle
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