Thor's Hammer

Thor’s Hammer

This spell should be cast on Thors day (Thursday). You will need a Thors hammer pendant and 2 red candles. In the hour after sunrise light the candles and place the pendant between them. In a strong and commanding voice say

In your hour on your day
Hear me as I stand and pray
God of thunder
God of might
Lend your power
With this light
In your symbol
Store your strength
Pour it out to me at length.

Wear this pendant whenever you need a power or strength boost.

Pagan Magic

The Four Rules and The Law of White Witchcraft

The Four Rules and The Law of White Witchcraft

 

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In order to live a full and successful life as a ‘White Witch’, one must first understand what the rules of the game are. The principles which are put forth below are intended to be a very simple, basic way to remember the way of the White Craft.

The total idea may be visualized as a four legged stool. Each of the Rules can be seen as a leg and The Law may be seen as the seat. The Rules without The Law are uncomfortable and nigh on to useless in their function. The Law without the Rules gives you a comfortable place to be, but it is rather impractical and again, nearly useless. However, when all of these are brought together they make a highly stable, functional, and enjoyable life.

The Four Rules

Live – Live each day as if it were your last, for one day you will be right.

Love – Love yourself first and foremost. For when you truly love yourself, loving those around you will come as easily as breathing – and we all must breathe.

Learn – Learn your life’s lessons – each as it comes – for that is the reason we are here.

Enjoy – Enjoy your life, because if you do not most likely someone else will enjoy it for you… and then your time here will have been wasted.

The Law: Harm None.

Explanations

Live

The first Rule put forth sounds pretty straight forward at first. Then you actually try to live it! 🙂 Living each day as if it were your last means maximizing your potential for every moment that you have been given.

If you are let go from your job… that is an opportunity to face truth and see what you can do to make yourself more marketable and go get a BETTER job. Or, if you are highly motivated, dedicated, and a risk taker you can take that chance to start your own company.

When I first began to follow these principles, my business was not very successful, my marriage was only tolerable, and I often felt depressed about my situation as a whole. Then I began to live each moment.’Carpe Diem’ (Seize the day) became my motto. I began to maximize every moment and live in the moment, not for the moment.

This does not mean that in order to be a good witch that you have to work like a rabid squirrel on ‘speed’… but it does mean that you have to be honest with yourself to see what your situation really is and to make the most of it. I believe that if I can go to bed at night and think to myself that I had done the very best I could that day with the information I had at each moment of opportunity, then the day was a success. But if I go to bed thinking that I had let an opportunity slip away I do not beat myself up over it. I simply say to myself, “Gee Torin, that was one you missed. I’ll get it the next time it comes along.”

Love

What is life without love? Honestly, I can’t imagine what that would be like. Yet many people live their lives without the most important form of love there is – the love of the self. If you truly understand yourself and are willing to take responsibility for your own actions you will suddenly find a great love for yourself.

In order to give free and unconditional love to another person you must first have that kind of feeling for yourself. This is all this means.

Learn

One of the cornerstones of The Craft is the belief that our souls are here on this plane of existence at this point in time to learn lessons. Your lessons are different from (although probably quite similar to) my own. Learn what life teaches you. It is no more difficult than this.

Enjoy

The life of the witch does not require you to live your life in suffering nor poverty. There are no mandates for pain, unhappiness, or unpleasantness. We do not see suffering as the ‘key’ to getting into Heaven (or the Summerlands as some of us call it). Indeed, we see such things as exactly what they are… unpleasant! This does not mean that we never have unpleasant things happen to us, nor that we walk around in a constant state of denial.

We see suffering as either the result of an action we took (i.e. going to jail for robbing a bank) or the way that The Unknown (see “The Deities of Witches” by Torin W.) has chosen to teach us a lesson which we need to learn but have not done anything consciously to bring about the circumstances (i.e. the totally unexpected death of a close friend).

Witch Craft allows you to reap all of the happiness and prosperity from your life that you can muster… so long as you stay within the accepted boundaries. For instance, if you work hard at an honest job you like to do then there is nothing which says you should feel badly for being more successful than others. But if you rob a bank, you may be happy with the things that the money can buy for a short period of time, but eventually you will suffer far greater than if you had simply worked for it. (I know this may sound somewhat like a contradiction to what I said earlier, but I do not believe in keeping a job which does not give me enough pleasure, satisfaction, and money to make up for the difficulties I endure.)

The Law: Harm None

I have been asked to explain this statement more than all of the previous ideas combined. I often describe ‘Harm None’ as “the Law which must remain unbroken, but cannot remain whole at all times.” Think about it, you can’t do it as a human being.

In order to actually harm none you would have to be in total and complete harmony with all things int he Universe at exactly the same time. Your immune system would not kill bacteria and other infections (because that would be harming them). Nor would you allow the bacteria to infect you because that would cause harm to yourself. You would not eat meat, nor vegetables because it would cause the destruction of either. Neither would you not eat because that would harm you. Do you see how this is simply an impossibility?

What I teach my students is to take great pains to Harm None and to think out the results of any act as far as possible ahead of time. I also stress that whenever magics are being worked that the free will of any individual or group should never be infringed.

I have been asked specifically about the use of various types of drugs in witchcraft and their relationship to the ‘Harm None’ principle. I believe that The Bright Ones gave us a sober state of mind for a reason. They also gave our brains some of the most potent chemicals known to man for achieving altered states of consciousness. Therefore i see no reason to alter the chemistry of the brain in order to ‘gain enlightenment’. Ask any recovering drug addict… he/she will tell you that the drugs lie to you.

Because of part of the training I give, I require that no illegal drugs are used while under my tutelage. In fact, if a student becomes sick during training and requires a prescription strength pain reliever, the training schedule is reworked to allow for the purging of the body before training resumes.

One of my students used to do a good deal of psychotropic drugs (i.e. LSD, mushrooms, etc.). Then he and I began to work together. After a few months of training, we worked a circle to allow him to develope his psychic senses (i.e. clairaudience, clairvoyance, etc.) When he left the circle he related to me a feeling such as none he had ever known. His words were, “It was a hundred thousand times better then the best acid trip I had ever taken.”

In short, I personally feel that drugs can be a great hinderance and only cause damage to your soul. But I also recognize the free will of the individual. I can only tell you that in my own perception, drugs do cause harm to you.

Merry Part and Blessed Be

Torin W.

You Are Being Guided

You Are Being Guided

We human beings are instinctively being guided to evolve. As with all creatures, we must adapt to changes in our environment to survive and flourish. We can see evidence of this evolutionary trend in our physiology, our society, and in our technology. Our brains continue to develop, an increasingly large percentage of humanity is becoming literate and educated, and technology has provided immediate access to billions of people’s minds through phone cells and chip sets. Satellite and Internet infrastructure is providing a “global mind” where we see and think the same thing at the same time, as one consciousness. The critical mass of what we think shifts the consciousness of individuals on a global scale. How we think affects the quality of our life, and even our survival.

Each day of your life you are provided experiences where you have to make choices in how you think and behave. The more conscious you are the more those choices bring greater happiness and peace into your life. You have learned from your life experiences what brings greater pleasure or pain into your existence, and have adapted your ways of thinking, feeling and behaving to increase the pleasure in your life and reduce the pain. The more conscious you have become, the greater clarity, happiness and peace you have gained by evolving your conscious awareness.

Your instinct has guided you to learn, and grow, and evolve to your highest potential, and it still is. You have been guided to these words to reflect on them. The more conscious you become of how you are being guided, the more you will see how you are being guided. The more conscious you become of the consciousness that is guiding you, the more conscious you become. Your consciousness evolves the more conscious you become of your consciousness. As you become more conscious you gain greater clarity, happiness and peace. It is only when we become unconscious that we think, say or do things that hurt ourselves or others. Only unconscious people hurt others, lie, cheat, steel, abuse or hate. Only an unconscious society disrespect others rights, destroy its natural resources, overpopulates or wages war.

We evolve through the tests and trials of daily living, both individually and collectively as a society. Lessons learned help to evolve us, but when we are not conscious of what we are being tested in we fail the test and get tested again and again until we learn and either further evolve, or perish. You have been guided to this moment of introspection in order to reflect upon your own place in the evolution of your own consciousness, and the role you might play in awakening the collective consciousness of humanity so that we might all live together in happiness and peace. You are part of a rapidly growing segment of the population that is awakening to full consciousness. Your individual awakening is contributing to the critical mass that is shifting the consciousness of the planet; you are preparing the way for an evolutionary leap in human consciousness. You are building the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth.

From the heart, Steven S. Sadleir

A Pledge to Pagan Spirituality

 

A Pledge to Pagan Spirituality

I am a Pagan and I dedicate myself to channeling the Spiritual Energy of my Inner Self to help and to heal myself and others. I know that I am part of the Whole of Nature. May I grow in understanding of the Unity of all Nature. May I always walk in Balance.

May I always be mindful of the diversity of Nature as well as its Unity and may I always be tolerant of those whose race, appearance, sex, sexual preference, culture, and other ways differ from my own.

May I use the Force (psychic power) wisely and never use it for aggression nor for malevolent purposes. May I never direct it to curtail the free will of another.

May I always be mindful that I create my own reality and that I have the power within me to create positively in my life.

May I always act in honorable ways: being honest with myself and others, keeping my word whenever I have given it, fulfilling all responsibilities and commitments I have taken on to the best of my ability.

May I always remember that whatever is sent out always returns magnified to the sender. May the Forces of Karma move swiftly to remind me of my spiritual commitments when I have begun to falter from them, and may I use this Karmic feedback to help myself grow and be more attuned to my Inner Pagan Spirit.

May I always remain strong and committed to my Spiritual ideals in the face of adversity and negativity. May the Force of my Inner Spirit ground out all malevolence directed my way and transform it into positively. May my Inner Light shine so strongly that malevolent forces cannot even approach my sphere of existence.

May I always grow in Inner Wisdom and Understanding. May I see every problem that I face as an opportunity to develop myself spiritually in solving it.

May I always act out of Love to all other beings on this Planet – to other humans, to plants, to animals, to minerals, to elementals, to spirits, and to other entities.

May I always be mindful that the Goddess and God in all their forms dwell within me and that this divinity is reflected through my own Inner self, my Pagan Spirit.

May I always channel Love and Light from my being. May my Inner Spirit, rather than my ego self, guide all my thoughts, feelings, and actions.

SO MOTE IT BE!

Your Year & A Day Studies Should Include….

Your Year & A Day Studies Should Include….

  • Know what magick is.

  • Know different ways to raise, direct and ground energy.

  • Know how to cast a magick circle.

  • Know how to open a circle.

  • Know the basic outline of a spell.

  • Know the Intent or Purpose

  • What is it you are trying to do? Heal an illness? Increase your concentration? Bring love into your life? Sell a house? Celebrate a Sabbat? Before you begin any magickal working, you should have a firm grasp on what outcome you are seeking.

  • Know the Best Time to Work the Spell

  • Do you know what type of magick should be worked during the waning moon and what type during the waxing moon?

  • What type of magick is best worked on the full moon? The new moon?

  • What days of the week are best for what types of magick?

  • Learn how the moon phases and days of the week affect magickal workings so you will know when to work your spell.

  • Know Correspondences

  • Learn which colors will bring what results.

  • Learn a little about herbalism, which herbs can be used for what magickal purposes.

  • Learn about image magick and how it works.

  • Learn about elemental magick, which elements can be used for what types of magick.

A Little Humor for Your Day – 'Any Gators?'

Any Gators?

While sports fishing off the Florida coast, a tourist’s boat capsized. Although he could swim, his fear of alligators kept him clinging to the capsized craft. Finally spotting a beachcomber on the shore, he shouted out to him, “Hey, are there any ‘gators around here?”

“Nope,” the man yelled back. “Ain’t been any ‘gators ’round these parts for years!”

Feeling more at ease, the tourist commenced swimming leisurely towards shore.

When he was about halfway there, he shouted out to the beachcomber again, “How’d you get rid of the ‘gators?”

“Oh, we didn’t do nothin’,” the beachcomber yelled back. “The sharks got every last one of ‘em!”

Feng Shui News for July 17th – 'Yellow Pig Day'

It’s ‘Yellow Pig Day’ and although it doesn’t really matter what color they are, pigs play a big role in symbolic Feng Shui. The pig signifies sufficient food, material joy, prosperity, fertility and success in all affairs. In some cultures, having some symbol of a mother pig in the home assures wealth and abundance for the entire family. Place an image of the Feng Shui Fortune Pig in the ‘Wealth’ area of your living space in order to activate fat stacks and lots of money luck.

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

13: Fellowship

Wednesday, Jul 17th, 2013

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Fellowship. When communal bonds unite people, great success is possible. But such bonds can develop only when personal interests are subordinated to goals that serve the greater good of all. The broader the basis for action, the greater the benefits that can be achieved. And conversely, the greater the potential good, the more powerful the support behind it. A spirit of cooperation steadies the boat, but it helps to have a beautiful island to row towards.

Learn to respect the strength in diversity, for a community’s true power lies not in its numbers, but in the diverse skills and resources of its members. Just as the stoutest walls are reinforced with many different materials, so the strongest groups allow differences to co-exist inside the whole.

With a unified group solidly behind you, even difficult enterprises can be attempted without great risk.

Your Tarot Card for July 17th is The Moon

The Moon

Wednesday, Jul 17th, 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What has traditionally been known as the Moon card refers to a deep state of sensitivity and imaginative impressionability, developed within a womb of deep relaxation. Here we dream and go into trance, have visions and receive insights, wash in and out with the psychic tides, and experience deep mystical and/or terrifying realities beyond our ordinary senses. The full moon and/or eclipse cycle charted by the Magi (as in some of the earliest Moon card images) exemplify this as a mechanism that Nature uses to expand consciousness.

The variants of the courtly lovers (representing skillful use of the sex force) or the man sleeping it off under the tree (use of drugs to alter consciousness) are also traditional avenues for tapping this primal force. Human interest in higher states propels us to the frontiers of consciousness, where we cannot always control what happens. The Moon card represents the ultimate test of a soul’s integrity, where the membrane between self and the Unknown is removed, and the drop of individuality reenters the Ocean of Being. What transpires next is between a soul and its Maker.

Your Horoscopes for Wednesday, July 17th

Wishing upon a star can actually make our dreams come true now that lucky Jupiter forms an emotionally stable Grand Trine with visionary Neptune and ambitious Saturn. This rare planetary pattern sheds its grace upon us for the next few days, empowering us to reach our goals as long as we’re willing to work hard. Meanwhile, the magnetic Scorpio Moon polarizes our feelings and urges us to take an extreme position on a delicate emotional matter.

Aries Horoscope

(Mar 21 – Apr 19)

Your mental sharpness is strong today, but you may grow impatient if everything doesn’t go your way. You might expect others to respond quickly to your requests, but you’re probably moving too fast. Your overconfidence can land you in trouble if you don’t give someone plenty of time to catch up to you. A more mature approach will pay off now, making it smarter to let the waves of anticipation settle down prior to initiating action. Another day or two of fine-tuning your plans can’t hurt.

Taurus Horoscope

(Apr 20 – May 20)

Naturally, you want to say yes rather than no with overindulgent Jupiter in the spotlight today. One scoop of ice cream isn’t enough now; if something tastes good, you want more. Unfortunately, your responsibilities will come second if you’re distracted by the pursuit of happiness. Remember, true joy comes from appreciating what you have and not from experiencing sensory overload. However, keeping things in perspective allows you to have your cake and eat it too.

Gemini Horoscope

(May 21 – Jun 20)

You might talk yourself into the craziest things today because your vivid imagination is speeding around, running on overdrive. You could underestimate the complexity of a job while convincing yourself that it will be a piece of cake. However, it’s better to be realistic than to commit to a deadline you won’t be able to keep. Being a bit more cautious in your assessment enables you to reach your goals on schedule and keep your integrity intact.

Cancer Horoscope

(Jun 21 – Jul 22)

You seem more outgoing to others today than you actually feel, but perhaps your friendliness distracts people from asking probing questions. Although you may be quite content these days, it’s not easy to share the real reason for your enthusiasm because you’re afraid of being misunderstood. Fortunately, it’s not necessary to push yourself outside of your comfort zone now. Enjoy your daydreams and mental meandering without explaining yourself until you’re good and ready.

Leo Horoscope

(Jul 23 – Aug 22)

You may be certain that pleasure is just around the corner, but you could have a slightly distorted perspective of the future now. On the upside, your innate self-confidence improves your life through the power of positive thinking. Having faith in the impact of your actions can be an important key to your current happiness, assuming that you don’t lose touch with reality. Visualizing your ideal outcome is more effective if you apply some common sense along the way.

Virgo Horoscope

(Aug 23 – Sep 22)

You’re tempted to throw all caution to the wind today, risking your current security in the hopes of creating a memorable experience. Unfortunately, your eagerness can lead to an awkward moment when you realize that the immediate fulfillment of your desires probably won’t bring you long-term satisfaction. Rather than taking a chance on a fleeting taste of pleasure, concentrate on doing something special that will last.

Libra Horoscope

(Sep 23 – Oct 22)

You might lose track of your responsibilities today if you get caught up in a social whirlwind. Although there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy your friends and partake in pleasurable activities, don’t forget about your previous promises. If you avoid your obligations, it will certainly be more difficult to reach your goals. However, if you finish your work quickly, you can relax and enjoy floating off into a fantasy-land of fun and games.

Scorpio Horoscope

(Oct 23 – Nov 21)

It’s complicated to know exactly what is acceptable and what isn’t when asking for something that you want today. Although your requests aren’t really off the wall, your friends may not share the same intensity for your passions. Nevertheless, staying connected with your feelings is empowering, even if you think you need to keep your desires hidden. Ultimately, toning down your style just a bit gives others enough emotional distance to support you without feeling overwhelmed.

Sagittarius Horoscope

(Nov 22 – Dec 21)

You may think that indulgent behavior should bring you more joy, but following this strategy now only leads to frustration down the road. Unrestrained partying and other kinds of escapist activities can be a great deal of fun in moderation for a short amount of time. Meanwhile, getting serious about seeking your own personal vision requires a real commitment to hard work with the potential rewards to follow sometime in the future. Ultimately, the choice is yours

Capricorn Horoscope

(Dec 22 – Jan 19)

You have been performing your job duties under pressure recently, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise if you’re anxious to escape your heavy work responsibilities. Luckily, taking a long lunch or socializing on the clock may not be a problem as long as you don’t stretch the limits too far. A reasonable approach enables you to easily fit in some fun today without negatively impacting your reputation or your productivity. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying yourself, even if it doesn’t contribute to your progress.

Aquarius Horoscope

(Jan 20 – Feb 18)

You might be more interested in encouraging your coworkers today than you are in reaching your own goals. Thankfully, your magnanimity may prove to be lots of fun for you, even if you don’t get much done. Instead of putting all your eggs in someone else’s basket, reserve a few for yourself. Fortunately, balancing your dreams with other people’s agendas creates a situation where everyone can be a winner.

Pisces Horoscope

(Feb 19 – Mar 20)

You have the gift of being able to touch others profoundly today, healing past hurts and mending old wounds. Paradoxically, your current magic cannot be bottled or saved, however hard you try. Although acting with compassion is your specialty, you still may end up feeling like a victim if you go to extreme measures. Luckily, you don’t need to make major sacrifices to do your best work. Instead of holding back, open your heart and let your love light shine.

Calendar of the Moon for July 17th

Calendar of the Moon

Holly Tree Month

Colors: Iron-grey, red, and dark green.
Element: Fire
Altar: Upon cloth of dark grey set many sprigs of holly, real or created, four red candles, a spear and a sword.
Offerings: Honor your inner warrior, including examining the areas where s/he overreacts.
Daily Meal: Red food. Meat of any kind.

Tinne Invocation

Call: Hail the month of the Holly King!
Response: Hail the King of the waning year!
Call: Hail, sharp leaves and sharper eye!
Response: Hail, white flowers that give way to blood-red berries!
Call: Hail the month of the starling’s flock!
Response: For the starlings move together as one!
Call: Like them, we defend what is dear to us!
Response: Like them, we do not let each other stand alone against opposition!
Call: Hail the color of cold iron!
Response: Hail the sword and the spear!
Call: For our sword is Reason….
Response: And our spear is the death of Illusion!
Call: Hail the color of cold iron!
Response: Hail the armor and the shield!
Call: For our armor is Hope….
Response: And our shield is Love.
Call: The Oak King gives way to the Holly King…
Response: For all things have a time of increase, and a time of decrease.
Call: For all things wax and wane.
Response: For all things rise and fall.
Call: This is the moment just beyond the year’s apex!
Response: This is the time of the beginning of the end!
Call: May we take courage with every passing morning!
Response: May courage fill us with every breath!

Chant:
Spear of truth, find me,
I open myself to you.
Chains of honor, bind me,
Bound, I am free to hold true.

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Calendar of the Sun for July 17th

Calendar of the Sun

Solstitium

Colors: Green and gold
Element: Earth
Altar: Upon cloth of green and gold set flowers and herbs in pots, a bowl of rainwater, a large pitcher of manure tea, and several empty baskets.
Offerings: Water and fertilizer, to be added to the garden.
Daily Meal: Vegetarian.

Solstitium Invocation

Earth, you begin to give forth your bounty!
Like the maiden blossoming into the mother,
Like the youth growing into the father,
You yield your children up to us
For our sustenance and health,
As we are also your children.
We will not waste your gifts!
We will nurture what you bring forth
With the labor of our hands,
That those gifts shall be sustained
Year after year, and that you shall
Never be exhausted.
We will not be ungrateful, O Earth whose life is ours,
But we will give back as much as we take,
For this is the way of balance.

Chant:
Life harnessed
Call the sun to us
Sacred harvest
You are one with us

(Two who have been chosen to do the work of the ritual take up the rainwater and the manure tea, and carry them out to the garden, where they are ceremonially poured around the roots of the herbs and vegetables. All others follow with the empty baskets, and harvest some thing from the garden, whether a token or a main part of the next meal. After this, each should do some part of the work of further watering, or fertilizing, or mulching, to give back to the earth as much as is taken away.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Current Moon Phase for July 17th – First Quarter Moon

First Quarter Moon

(waxing/90-135 degrees)

Emotions begin to stir coupled with recognizing that the new beginnings you are making must also increase personal security to be worthwhile over the long haul. This is a time when it’s appropriate to get in touch with your gut instincts and begin to guide your life more deliberately, with an awareness of using your “sixth sense” as well as your enthusiasm. Obstacles may emerge that require you to reevaluate how to better integrate yourself into your immediate environment.

Little Known Facts About Your Besom

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Little Known Facts About Your Besom

The besom is a long-handled tool with a bundle at one end that once made from the broom plant, which grows on European heaths and pastures. Broom is characterized by yellow flowers and angular branches ideal for bundling. Thus, the instrument made of this plant came to be known as a broom.

Since Roman times, the broom has been associated with feminine power and magick. Prior to childbirth, women used a broom to sweep the threshold of a house both for protection and to prepare the way for the new spirit to enter. Gypsy marriage rituals included jumping over a broomstick to ensure the couple’s fertility; this ritual neatly marked the line between single and married life. The broom appears in the folklore of various countries and cultures, such as these:

In some parts of the Western world, a broom propped up outside a house identified it as a house of prostitution.

*In Madagascar, women danced with brooms while their men were at war in order to sweep away the enemy.

*In China, the broom represents wisdom and insight because it brushes away worries.

*In Japan, brooms are used during spring rituals to purify the ceremonial space.

*In Victorian-age America, a new broom would never be bought in May, “lest you sweep the family away.”

No, witches don’t fly on brooms–that’s just a colorful misconception. Instead, they use them to sweep away unwanted energies from sacred space.

The Witches Spell for July 17th – Spell for Personal Change

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Spell for Personal Change

This spell utilizes the transformative powers of fire for personal change.

What you need: Candle, Fire Proof Container, Paper, Pencil.

What to do: Relax. Light the candle. Sit down and write down ALL the things you want to change about yourself. Make sure they are things you truly wish to change. When you are done catch the paper on fire and when it first lights say to the paper:

“I BANISH THIS!”

Place the paper in fire proof container and gaze into the burning flames. Say:

“Transformation I call to me,
Blessed Fire answer my plea.
Banish the old and bring in the new,
Clear the way for what’s healthy and true.”

Keep saying it until the flames die down to nothing. Make a concerted effort to change your ways/habits/thoughts and fire will help you achieve success.

Let’s Talk Witch – Shapeshifting

Gothic Comments

Let’s Talk Shapeshifting

Mythology, fairy tales, and legends contain many tales of humans and deities assuming the bodies of animals temporarily. Zeus, for instance, changed himself into a swan in order to seduce Leda. Merlin instructed the young King Arthur in the art of shapeshifting, teaching him to take on the forms of a badger, hawk and bird.

Shapeshifting means changing your form into something else–an animal or another human being–for a particular purpose. Shamans often shapeshifts in order to acquire the powers of an animal during a journey. Witches might choose to shapeshift in order to explore, gain knowledge, or see things from a different perspective, or for healing purposes, or to conceal their true identities.

When you shapeshift, you don’t actually turn into an animal; you experience its energy as strongly as you can so you become like the animal. If you wish to practice this art, begin by meeting your power animal or totem during meditation. Ask permission to enter it briefly, to learn what it can teach you. Envision yourself entering into the animal’s body and becoming one with it. Try to see the world through the animal’s eyes. Feel yourself existing within its form; sense the world as the animal does. You may wish to actually move about in a manner that’s characteristic of the animal. When you’ve learned what you sought to learn, thank the animal and return to your usual human form.

Some people like to don animal masks or costumes as part of their shapeshifting practices. Others enjoy observing animal in their wild habitat. As you watch birds and animals in nature, try to communicate with them and listen to what they “say” to you. If you keep your heart and mind open, you can learn a great deal from the animal kingdom that will help you–and them–in the practice of magick and the process of evolution.

Celebrating Spirituality 365 Days A Year – July 17th, Turtle Day

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July 17th

Turtle Day

Snapping turtles weigh about 10 to 12 pounds and are generally active during Midsummer. It was around this time of the year in Churubusco, Indiana, that Gale Harris, a farmer, heard that a turtle the size of a tabletop lived in the lake on his property. While Harris was patching his roof with the help of his minister, the turtle was spotted at a distance. Upon a closer look, it appeared that the turtle was four to five feet wide and about six feet long–in short a monster! With significant effort, and help from his neighbors, Harris sought to capture the turtle.

It seems that Harris tried nets, grapples, homemade nets and pens, professional divers, and even a female turtle as a decoy. After articles appeared in local papers, crowds began to gather to watch the various efforts. But, the turtle who came to be known as Oscar always managed to escape unscathed. In 1950, the town needed to raise funds build a new meeting hall and decided to exploit the fame of Oscar, the so-called Beast of Busco, as its main attraction. The festival was such a success that the Midsummer pattern for Turtle Day was set and continues today.

The Turtle

Because of its slow and deliberate movement, the turtle is regarded as intelligent and prudent. Its ability to reach very old age assures it great respect. In most African legends, the turtle always comes away victorious and is usually associated with the God of rain, because of its ability to live both on land and in the water.

The Witches Correspondence for Wednesday, July 17th

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The Witches Correspondence for Wednesday, July 17th

Magickal Intentions: Communication, Divination, Writing, Knowledge, Business Transactions, Debt, Fear, Loss, Travel and Money Matters
Incense: Jasmine, Lavender, Sweet Pea
Planet: Mercury and Chiron (though this is a moon of Pluto)
Sign: Virgo
Angel: Raphael
Colors: Orange, Light Blue, Grey, Yellow and Violet
Herbs/Plants: Fern, Lavender, Hazel, Cherry, Periwinkle
Stones: Aventurine, Bloodstone, Hematite, Moss Agate and Sodalite
Oil: (Mercury) Benzoin, Clary Sage, Eucalyptus, Lavender

This day is governed by Mercury. Wednesday’s vibration adds power to rituals involving inspiration, communications, writers, poets, the written and spoken word, and all matters of study, learning, and teaching. This day also provides a good time to begin efforts involving self-improvement or understanding