Month: August 2011

Censing and Smudging

Censing and Smudging

 
When a circle is cast, it is generally cast then purified and then filled. The process of filling the circle is called Censing or Smudging. This is also the time to invite the Ancestors to come to the circle to be with us. Before the circle is cast, light a small brick of charcoal and place it into a censer or insulated bowl to let it get hot.
 
After the circle is purified, place a small amount of incense onto the charcoal and bless it saying “Blessed be, Child of Fire and Air, that you may make this space sacred.” Carry the censer around the circle slowly, letting the smoke drift around the edges. As you walk, invite the Ancestors to be present in the circle. After people have been brought into the circle, cense each of them as well.
 
Smudging is the same process but uses a bundle of herbs that are burnt slowly rather than loose herbs.

Elemental Banishing

Elemental Banishing

 
Elemental banishing is a little more complex way to clean an area of the negative influences that reside there. It should only be done within a cast circle. This is an ideal way to prepare a new living space before you move in. It will take away any remnants of the old tenants that were there before you and let you move into a fresh, new space.
 
Cast a circle as you normally would. Before you call the elements to attend, take your athame to the west side of the circle and face outwards. Draw a banishing pentagram (point downward towards the earth) and then re-center the athame into the middle of it. Push the athame slowly outward while pushing outward with your own energy, ordering, “Go, or be cast into the depths of the flood!”
 
Move to the south and repeat your actions, saying, “Go, or be cast into the flames!”

Move to the east and pause to gather yourself and close the circle before drawing the final pentagram and saying, “Go, or be rent by the grinding earthquakes!”

Move to the north and repeat your actions, saying, “Go, or be torn apart by the whirlwind!”

Turn back into the center and yell, “I (we) banish you! I banish you! I banish you! BEGONE!” while clapping and clattering and making a great deal of noise.

At this point, you can proceed with the rest of the ritual that has been planned, starting with invoking the elements to bless the circle

 

Cakes and Wine

Cakes and Wine

 
A pair of people generally does this. Any two people that work well together, regardless of gender or sexual orientation can do it. It can also be done by one person if they work solitary. The example that follows is done by a man and a woman simply because that is the way that I am most familiar with and feel the most empathy with. I encourage you to play with different combinations to see what works best for you. Each one will feel different.
 
The people that are blessing the cakes and wine should go to the altar and kneel there. The woman picks up her athame and hands the cup to the man. He places it between them as the woman raises the blade above the cup, held in both hands. Then both center themselves and connect with each other before proceeding.
 
Woman: Let my worship be in the heart that rejoices.
Man: And let my worship be in the heart that brings bounty to the earth.
Woman: Let there be Honor and Humility within you.
Man: Let there be Beauty and Strength within you.
Woman: Let there be Power and Compassion within you.
Man: Let there be Mirth and Reverence within you.
 
Woman: As the Lance is to Man,
Man: And the Grail is to Woman,
Woman: Let each find themselves whole in the other.
Man: For there is nothing greater in this world
Together: (As priestess lowers the athame into the cup) Than when the two are made one in Truth and their bounty is poured out upon the earth. (Priest and Priestess kiss to bless the union.)
 
If there is more than one cup to be passed, and this is recommended with large groups, split the blessed wine into all of them, leaving a bit as an offering and add more wine to fill the other cups. Leave a small amount of extra wine to bless the bread. The priest takes one of the cups and holds it for the priestess to drink, and then she returns the blessing by holding the cup for him. He should then go the south and begin his cup passing moonwise (N, W, S, E, N). The priestess will stay in the north and start her cup around as well, in order to let people take in the blessings of the gods. The cup should be passed with a hug or a kiss and a “Blessed be.”
 
The priest should then come back to the north and pick up the bread, kneeling again by the priestess. They should wait for the cups to go halfway around so that everyone has had a chance to share the cup. When it has, she should pick up the original cup and dip her fingers into the wine, sprinkling some over the bread that the priest is holding. He tears the bread in half, handing her one half, then tears off a smaller piece and gives her a kiss saying “Blessed be” before placing the bread into her mouth. She does the same, and then moves to the south to start her half going around sunwise. She tears off a piece and gives a kiss and “Blessed Be” before giving the bread to the next person and them placing the smaller piece in their mouth. In the north, the priest does the same.
 
Once the bread has gone around, the cups and bread are continually passed, after breaking off a small piece of the bread for the Gods for an offering, until they are gone. Discussion of the ritual so far, past rituals, struggles of the past months and general conversation takes place. If there is to be an actual feast, it is brought out now and people can go get their own plates of food, making sure to place a small offering on the offering plate.
 
The offering plate and cup should be dumped out onto the earth somewhere out of the way after the ritual. Never dump one onto concrete. Running river water, if available is also a good choice for returning the offering to the earth. Many covens take up a collection at this time for food drives and charities by leaving out a collection plate and letting people donate as they can.

Altars

Altars

 
Set up and maintain at least one small ritual altar, an altar for a particular deity, or an elemental altar in addition to the Ancestor shrine you are maintaining. Play with various combinations, organizations, and contents in order to find what is most suitable to your way of working. Do you need a different kind of altar for religious celebrations that you do when you are working a spell? What are the differences? What are the similarities? Are there objects that you must have on any kind of altar that you work with? Create, play with, and maintain this altar for at least 3 months. If you are not satisfied with it in that time, keep trying to achieve what you think is the perfect altar for you.

Offerings

Offerings

Once a week, create an offering ritual to a variety of beings and spirits that you work with. These can be offerings to the Gods, the land spirits around you, devas, river spirits, etc. These do not have to be expensive or complex. The goal is to begin to form relationships with the powers around you, not bankrupt yourself. Maintain this practice for a minimum of three months.

Sacred Clothing

Sacred Clothing

 
Many practitioners will not enter or use their sacred space unless they are cloaked in a special garment created by their own hands and consecrated for spiritual use. This robe is unique and special to each person who desires to honor their beliefs in this fashion. A cloak can be consecrated for specific purposes. So you can have more than one cloak, depending on what type of ritual you will be conducting in your sacred space.
Self clothing isn’t the only garments you want to consider for your space. An altar cloth is also called for. You can use more than one cloth in varying colors and patterns, depending on the work at hand. But consider the use of the cloth before you cover the altar. If you are going to be mixing herbs, or creating spiritual objects such as handmade candles, smudge sticks or spiritual tools, then you want the cloth to be inexpensive and practical. If however, you are conducting a ritual to celebrate a holiday, then you might use a more formal cloth, anything from crushed velvet to black satin.
The cloth should reflect your personality, your beliefs and one that you feel comfortable with using. A male Witch for instance, may not use Victorian lace when casting spells for compassion, healing or love. Rather he might use something that strikes an essence of romance in his heart such as red silk. Whatever you chose to use, the cloth should be large enough to cover the entire altar and fit the work at hand.

Creating A Magickal Circle

Creating A Magickal Circle

 

Your Spiritual Space


A magik circle is a space where a Witch will conduct rituals and ceremonies. It is the gateway between worlds, spirutal and physical realms come together and allow you to communicate with spirit, conduct spiritual work, rituals, ceremonies and castings.

As with everything in the spiritual essence of the world, even a circle has a few guidelines that need to be followed. The circle is not to be broken by someone stepping into this space unless a gateway has been prepared for them to enter. Nor should a Witch step outside the cirlce during a ritual unless a door way has been prepared.

A circle is used to draw a visionary broundry that protects a Witch from outside forces while conducting spiritual work. Many witches use visions of blue flames or divine white protection to create this boundry.

Others choose to create this circle in the physical sense as well. Either by drawing a circle on the floor in a permanent means, or by using a nine-foot cord made from natural fibers that can be easily placed and removed as needed. Sand, salt or herbs can also be used to draw the circle.

When you have selected the area to place your circle, you should Clear and Cleanse the energies before you draw the circle. Many Witches will place a broom at the doorway of the circle as a tool that designates the entry point of the witch or someone else who will be called into this space for work. The broom is also a symbol of a spiritual barrier to keep out unwanted energies from entering your sacred space.

To draw a doorway, a Witch should use a wand or athame to cut a “hole” in the energy field. Many Witches will use incense to close the doorway, using the smoke to symbolize the divine energy field.

Once your work is complete, you must close the circle and ensure the energy has been properly shut down. Leaving an open gate is not only disrespectful to the forces that assisted you, but also dangerous for you and your home. Closing the circle is as simple as 1-2-3.

  1. Thank the guides, teachers, God/Goddess that you called or who came into the circle to offer assistance during your work.
  2. Imagine the energy around the circle lowering around you, toning down and fading so to speak.
  3. Finally, clear the space with a blessing and ask the energies to close the gate. If the circle was a temporary fixture, then remove it and store it appropriately.

Experimenting with Circles

Experimenting with Circles

When you feel comfortable in your ability to cast a circle, it is time to start finding new ways to do it. There is no limit to what you can do to create sacred space. It can be as simple as sitting and drumming the circle into existence or chanting something to create the energy to draw your circle. Movement is something used in lieu of everything else. It is possible to use a piece of recorded music to cast it, or to dance to the music to cast the circle. You can create a circle by telling stories or sharing your day with others.

Some of the techniques that can be used will be very difficult at first, and that is why you should learn to cast in one of the first two ways before you begin experimenting. If you do, you know what the end result should be and will know when you reach it. As you develop a new way to cast a circle, you will find certain things that work and certain ones that don’t. Don’t be afraid to change elements around or substitute things in or out to make it work. This is one of the first totally creative things that you will do as a witch.

Copyright © 2000, Jet Blackthorn

Casting a Formal Circle for a Group or Solitary

Casting a Formal Circle for a Group or Solitary

If there is a limited amount of space within the circle, it is often easier to cast the circle and admit the participants after creating the space. There are pros and cons of doing it this way, mainly having to do with making the participants feel excluded from part of the ritual. In order to avoid this, it is important to have them focus on the people or person casting the circle and adding their energy to what is going on. If you choose to have them within the circle, it is best to have them kneel at the boundary and cast the circle just behind them and over their heads, having them focus on the casting.

With this particular method, you can have one, two, or three people cast the circle, splitting the parts up as you desire. In a large group, splitting up the jobs in this manner helps everyone to participate when there are a limited number of things to do. Any of the parts of the ritual can be split up this way, but some will work better than others. Having more than one person cast the circle is a nice way for a group to maintain the bonds of working together.

When everyone is prepared and quiet, the person casting the circle should move to the altar and touch the pentacle with his or her athame. If the altar is set in the north, all that they need to do now is to visualize energy coming from the pentacle and walk the edge of the circle until they return to the starting point again. Once the caster is there, they should touch the pentacle with the athame again to seal the circle and then visualize pulling the edges of the boundary around to form a sphere above and below. This can also be done by actually using the athame to cast by starting at the pentacle and pushing the energy up over the heads of everyone, around, down through the floor, and back to the pentacle.

If the altar is elsewhere in the circle, the person touches the athame to the pentacle to perform a connection to it and then walks to the east to begin casting. They proceed to the south and then the west and then finally to the north before returning to the east. At that point, they can return to the altar and finish sealing the circle.

NOTE: Circles may be cast in either direction, depending on the work being done. Clockwise (N, E, S, W) tends to be the most common. This sunwise direction is used to invoke and bless. It is useful when the ritual has an outward focus. Moonwise circles (N, W, S, and E) tend to be used for banishing or rituals that focus inward or on the self.

Once the circle is cast, the next person should bless the salt and water to use for purification. Tip three pinches of salt into the water and stir it three times moonwise saying, “By the powers of Life, Death, and Rebirth.” Take this water and go to the east, sprinkling it around the edges of the circle, walking in the opposite direction of the circle caster. Once you have moved all the way around the circle, and if the people are within the circle, sprinkle each of them saying “Be washed clean.” (Make certain that you have someone do this for you, as well.) If they are not in the circle, place the salt water on the altar for later use.

The third person (Or the first, if you are only having two perform this) will bless the incense to consecrate and fill the circle. Place some of the loose powder incense on the hot coal (or light a stick incense) and draw a pentagram over the burning saying, “Blessed be the union of fire and air, the breath of the Gods.” Walk around the edge of the circle with the incense in the direction that it was cast in, slowly, and call the Ancestors to come and witness your circle.

Finally, the fourth person (or number two) moves to the center of the circle and declares that this is sacred time and sacred space. The circle exists outside of our normal time and reality. The shift from mundane to sacred should now be complete and should be a tangible feeling for everyone. The air may look or feel different, or the people may experience a shift in consciousness.

At this point, if you have cast the circle with the people outside, it is time to let them into the circle. The person who cast the circle will take their athame and cut a doorway into the boundary. This is done by inserting the tip of the athame into the circle at the level of the floor and cutting along it to make a wide enough entry for people to pass through. Then they cut upwards to the height of the people outside the circle. They should arch the top and then cut down the other side and across to meet the original point on the floor.

The person who blessed the salt water will switch places with the caster and stand in the doorway before each person as they enter, sprinkling to cleanse them. The caster will hug the person and pull or spin them over the threshold of the circle, bringing them in as a part of the company that will perform the ritual.

Once everyone is inside the circle, the caster will “erase” the doorway by placing the tip of the knife to the floor again and move it upwards, “sealing” the circle again. The “door” should be removed exactly opposite of how it was placed. When you are finished, there should be no trace of a break left in the circle wall. If you can see one, mend it with your own energy and close the break.

Copyright © 2000, Jet Blackthorn

Grounding Energy and Releasing What Was Called

Grounding Energy and Releasing What Was Called

 
Before you end a circle, it is important to leave everyone feeling refreshed and the space in its original state. When rituals are long and complex or there is a great deal of energy raised, quite often there will be energy left that wasn’t used, both in the participants and the circle itself. Grounding this extra energy prevents it from escaping to run into an unsuspecting person when they visit the space next and allows the participants to center themselves again and prevent having jittery nerves or suffering from an inability to rest or sleep.
 
Take time to have everyone sit in a circle with his or her palms pressed to the floor. Visualize the extra energy passing into the hands and out into the earth, only keeping enough to be balanced and centered. The leaders of the ritual should then gather up all the excess energy free in the room and send it down into the earth as well. Everyone present should, at the end of the ritual, have a sense of wholeness within themselves.
 
Once this is accomplished, releasing the Gods and elements with the participant’s thanks can begin. Usually, proceeding in reverse order of calling is appropriate. When the Gods and elements are release, they should be thanked and told that they may stay as long as they are needed and they will be welcomed by all present again.

What are Gods?

 
Many a hotly debated discussions have taken place over the years about what Gods are and whether it is important to believe in them as actual beings or if it is only necessary to understand that they represent psychopomps in our psyche that describe a part of ourselves or the world around us. There may never be a definitive answer found to this question, since each and every witch approaches the idea of the divine from a different point. To make one grand decision for everyone would be the height of hubris. Be that as it may, the Gods do hold power over and around us through both of these paths.
 
They can unlock the power that we hold within ourselves so that we can use it readily and easily by letting that aspect of ourselves be free. Additionally, they can exist in nature and the world around us to add more power to our own. What matters is that we ally ourselves wisely with those deities or archetypes that work best for us. If you are uncomfortable with a particular deity, trying to work with that one will most likely thwart what you are trying to accomplish.
 
Sometimes it is necessary to work through that discomfort, however. For example, many pagans and witches have difficulty working with the Christian God. There is great power, though, in being able to do so. When you learn how to deal with this discomfort, you have learned to stop letting it control you.
 
In the Craft, the state of mind that you do something in can have a large impact on the results of what you are attempting to do. A spell can be given a completely opposite direction to take if you do not focus on exactly what it is that you want and let yourself become distracted by other random thoughts. This is why clarity of mind and purpose is so necessary to witchcraft.

In a nutshell, Gods are whatever you believe them to be. Before you scream in frustration, take a deep breath and read on. Looking across the world’s religions, there are a whole host of beliefs about what Gods are. Christianity believes that there is one God, and only one God, all others being false idols, and that God is removed from the world, existing on high and watching us all.

Buddhism does not believe in Gods. Instead, they believe that a person can achieve enlightenment and cease their earthly existence and move on to something better. Many tribal religions revere more than one God, choosing instead to put the divine into the natural world and unexplained things and naming them Gods.

In my studies, I have found that there are five main beliefs that religions, or most of them, fall into; Atheism, Monotheism, Duothesim, Polythiesm, and Pantheism. Starting with the easiest, atheism is the belief that there is no God or that man himself is God. Some branches of Satanism fall into this category, as well as many pagans of varied “religious” beliefs, including some types of Wicca, that see the human as the pinnacle of existence, and most people who believe that there is no God, including man.

Monotheism, then, is the belief that there is one God, or the worship of one God despite recognizing the existence of others. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all fall into this category, as do people who follow one particular God such as Gaia or Set. Closely related to Monotheism is the belief of Duotheism. A person who practices duothesim is a follower of two deities, most often a male-female pairing. Most Wiccans fall into this category or blend this with polytheism or pantheism.

Polytheism, as one might expect, is the worship of many Gods, each individual and separate. Tribal religions from around the world fall into this category as well as many pagans that are followers of the Norse paths. Finally, pantheism is the belief that all Gods are one God who has many faces so that man might understand the divine. Pantheism can also be expressed duotheistically by the belief that all Gods are one God and all Goddesses are one Goddess, both of whom wear many faces.

We still do not know, however, what Gods are. Within all of these categories, there are further subdivisions, most with no clear cut name, that allow a closer look at what gods are. The first group to look at is the people that believe that gods are literal entities. With this belief, worship is much more likely to be of an offertory nature, invoking the gods and asking them to intercede and help on the petitioner’s behalf. Most of the world’s dominant religions follow this belief, though they are scattered throughout the five types of theistic belief.

The second group believes that Gods may be literal entities, but they really aren’t sure and so they are not really going to worry about it, besides, who wants to offend a God if they’re wrong? For these people, worship is a little less offertory, though there are still offerings made. They tend to be more geared towards nature and the earth than any of the others, with the belief that the divine is in everything around them.

The second group believes that Gods may be literal entities, but they really aren’t sure and so they are not really going to worry about it, besides, who wants to offend a God if they’re wrong? For these people, worship is a little less offertory, though there are still offerings made. They tend to be more geared towards nature and the earth than any of the others, with the belief that the divine is in everything around them.

There are many other types of beliefs that are not covered here, as to what the Gods are or are not, but this give you, as a student, a place to start and discover for yourself what they mean to you and how you will interact with them. You may find, as you study and learn more, that your ideas of what the Gods are changes from time to time. This happens to almost everyone at one time or another, and is nothing to become distraught about. It is all a part of the riddle of the Gods, and they expect it.

 

Welcome To The WOTC’s Magickal Deprived Weekend

Welcome friends, fellow practitioners and the curious to our “Magickal Deprived” Weekend! We all get caught up in the daily grim of life. We want to rush to a blog to find our horoscopes and perhaps a daily tarot or rune. But we forget what we are really all about, that is the MAGICK! The magick that draws us to these blogs, the magick that makes us want to know what is going to happen today. Will we have the power to change the fates? In our busy lives, unless you are a seasoned practitioner, you can forget items and ingredients that go into a spell. In fact, you can even forget spells.

This weekend, I am going to take you by the hand and whisk you off into my magickal world. A world full of mystery, potions, tinctures, ointments, spells, the Ancient Ways of teaching and most of all MAGICK! Hopefully on your journey with me, you will pick up some new ideas and also become refreshed and ready to conquer the world. Witches are to help better mankind, nature and our environment. We all work together, we can make this one hell of a beautiful world for our children.

But first, this witch has to hop on her broom and fly to Illinois to see my daughter and grandchild. Look over the information that is already posted. When I get back we will take a journey into what makes a witch, some tincture and ointment recipes and some old Celtic spells that are very useful for today. Have a great day and enjoy! Till then…….

Love to all,

Lady A

FAST LUCK INCENSE

FAST LUCK INCENSE

Wood Base 32 Ounces
Olibanum 16 Ounces
Sandalwood 8 Ounces
Myrrh 4 Ounces
Cinnamon 8 Ounces
Orris Root 4 Ounces
Bouquet X 135 2 Ounces
Saltpeter 4 Ounces
Color Yellow 4 Ounces

VISION INCENSE

VISION INCENSE

Wood Base 40 Ounces
Olibanum 8 Ounces
Sandalwood 12 Ounces
Myrrh 4 Ounces
Cinnamon 8 Ounces
Orris Root 4 Ounces
Bouquet X 148 2 Ounces
Saltpeter 2 Ounces
Color Pink 2 Ounces

HEALING INCENSE

HEALING INCENSE

Wood Base 32 Ounces
Olibanum 6 Ounces
Sandalwood 8 Ounces
Myrrh 14 Ounces
Cinnamon 8 Ounces
Orris Root 4 Ounces
Bouquet X 138 2 Ounces
Saltpeter 2 Ounces
Color Red 2 Ounces