Author: ladyoftheabyss

Short List of Wednesday’s Witchcraft/Magickal Correspondences

Protecting Yourself and Your Home: A Basic Warding Ritual

Protecting Yourself and Your Home: A Basic Warding Ritual

Author: Blondechilde

Have you ever moved into a new home and thought to yourself, “Gosh this place feels so empty and sterile! I wonder how to make it feel more like home quickly?” Worse yet, have you ever thought to yourself, “Eww, this place feels chaotic! It makes me feel like a nervous wreck! How can I cleanse it and make it feel calm again?” Conversely, have you ever walked into someone else’s home and thought, “Wow, their home feels so safe, protected, and relaxing. I wonder how I can make my home feel that way?”

All three questions can be answered with one word: Warding. Mirriam-Webster identifies the etymology of the transitive verb “ward” as Middle English. It means to guard or watch over, or to turn aside (as in the phrase “trying to ward off a cold”) . A warding ritual puts up a kind of permanent circle that protects you and your home from unwanted outside influences. It can also help your home feel safe, inviting, and relaxing.

The following warding ritual is based on one my high priest teaches our coven. I have used it for several years with excellent results.

Determine the extent of your wards

This particular ritual requires walking the perimeter of the space to be warded. If you are a homeowner and you’d like to ward your entire lot, you will need to walk the borders of your property line outside your home. If you are warding an entire house, you may choose to walk the exterior perimeter as opposed to the interior. If you live in a condominium or an apartment like myself, the interior perimeter of your home probably works best.

Walking the interior perimeter of a dwelling can be tricky when dealing with interior walls. You may choose to ward them as well or work around them. I prefer to work around them; I usually walk the perimeter as far as I can, then pause my chanting a bit while I walk around to the other side of the interior wall and find the next available space on the perimeter, then I recommence my casting and continue onward.

In addition to warding your entire home, you may wish to place additional wards on specific rooms within your home. Doing so strengthens the protection. I prefer to ward my home first, and then ward my bedroom as well.

Before performing this ritual, please read the important discussion of ethics on warding shared spaces and rental property that follows later in this article.

Gather your materials

I use salt water to represent earth and water together, and burning incense to represent air and fire together. You may combine elements like this or represent them singly using different materials. I have occasionally represented earth with sand, air with a large feather, fire with a candle, and water with ice. Decide if you want to represent the four elements in pairs or singly, and then choose elemental representations that work best for you.

Clear your space

Much the same way you clear a space before casting a circle, you will want to clear your home of negative and chaotic energies before you put up a protective ward. I prefer to walk every room in my home while ringing a bell loudly. Other sound-based cleansings include the usage of singing bowls and clapping hands.

Cleansing may be also done with smoke or scent, as in smudging with sage smoke or heating essential oils like sandalwood or peppermint. Even something as simple as opening windows to allow in sunshine and fresh air can accomplish the goal of cleansing. The idea is to chase away any negative or disruptive energy so that your home is fresh, clean, and calm before the ritual. Remember, you want your wards to keep the good stuff inside and the bad stuff outside!

Perform your ritual

Choose which elemental representation to use first, and carry it with you while you walk the entire perimeter of the space to be warded in a deosil (clockwise) direction. As you walk, visualize the element (s) forming a great barrier going up all around the space. I visualize the four elemental barriers as mountains, waterfalls, leaping flames, and gusty winds full of leaves and sand. Pass the elements over all portals (windows, doors, fireplaces, gates, etc) twice, for extra strength and protection.

As you pass each of the elements over your home in turn, repeat this chant while you walk:

By (element) , I ward thee:
Guard this space from all ill will
and all those who wish me/us harm.

If you are representing the four elements singly, you will circumambulate your space four times, each time chanting the above incantation for the specific element you carry. If you are representing the elements combined in pairs, you will circumambulate your space twice, alternating your chant back and forth between the two elements you carry.

Maintain your wards

With this ritual, you will create living wards that need regular maintenance to stay strong and effective. In a sense, you will need to feed and care for your ward as you would a pet. When I am healthy and my energy levels are up, I strengthen and repair my wards with my own energy.

I will sit in the center of my home with my eyes closed and my palms up, and I visualize pouring my own energy from my palms into the wards around me. A friend of mine touches the front door to her apartment briefly and pours a little energy into her wards that way every time she leaves the house.

Another way to strengthen your wards without depleting yourself is to draw energy from an outside source and channel it into your wards. I have accomplished this by channeling energy drawn from a candle into my wards, and also from warm sunbeams streaming through my windows. How you choose to maintain your wards is up to you, but you must understand that regular maintenance is important to keep your wards strong and effective.

Ethical considerations

What if you share your home with a roommate? What if you rent your home and you’ll be moving out in another eight months? What about common walls shared with other dwellings? As practitioners, we must remain sensitive to the ethical implications of using magic to protect ourselves.

If your home is a shared space with family, significant others, roommates or other housemates, it is important to discuss your intentions with them before performing a warding ritual. It is entirely possible that housemates may feel uncomfortable with the idea of having the home warded. If this is your situation, it is important to respect their point of view. You may present your reasons why you believe warding the space would be beneficial, but I urge you against coercion or secretly warding the home anyway.

If you are unable to reach compromise with your housemates on warding the entire home, you may wish to ward your private space. I once warded my private bedroom in a college dormitory. If your bedroom is shared, you can also simply ward your own bed. This ritual can be made as large or as small as the practitioner requires.

If your home is rented and you plan to move out in the future, it is important to dispel and dismiss all wards and energies before you leave. The same is true if you are selling your house to new homeowners. Just as you wouldn’t ward a shared space without informed consent from other housemates, you also don’t want to leave behind any magical residue to pollute the environment for unsuspecting new residents. Information on how to dispel your wards follows in the next section.

Regardless of how you choose to bring your wards down, it is ethically imperative that you ground or dismiss any remaining energy residue so as to leave the space clean and fresh for the next residents. To help you accomplish this goal, you may wish to follow dismissal with a cleansing of the space like those mentioned previously in this article.

Common walls with other dwellings frequently occur in rental housing (apartments, duplexes, etc.) as well as in condominiums. It is mainly for this reason that I suggest walking the interior perimeter of apartments and condominiums. Unless you have your neighbors’ permission to perform rituals on their space, it is important that any ritual energies you work with remain contained inside your own dwelling.

In this case, it is important that your ward barriers stop where your walls do. Please take care that your ward barriers do not extrude into the living room or bedroom of your neighbors on the other side of your dining room wall. Similarly, be cautious that your wards do not spill outside your exterior walls into walkways or common areas around your dwelling.

Dismissing your wards

Whether you are leaving a rented dwelling, selling your house, or if you just need a fresh start, there are almost as many ways to tear down and dismiss your wards as there are ways to bring down a ritual circle. You may choose to circumambulate the space in a widdershins (counterclockwise) direction and dismiss the energies as you go. You can also sit stationary in the space and draw all the energies through you and ground them into the earth, leaving nothing behind.

A friend of mine dismisses his wards by element, much as many dismiss quarters after a ritual. Working in a widdershins fashion, he faces each of the cardinal directions in turn. He humbly thanks each element for its protection and dismisses it gratefully.

I prefer to stand somewhere in the center of the warded space and picture the energy barriers around me. I hold my arms straight up and reach with my hands as though I could touch the ceiling of the ward. I visualize ripping a small hole in the ward, and then gripping the edges of the hole, I bring my arms down to my sides, tearing the ward down around me and grounding the energies at my feet. You may also wish to follow dismissal with any of the cleansing rituals mentioned previously.

Make your wards your own

This ritual is fairly simple and straightforward. Try using it as a base upon which to build and create your own personal warding ritual. Remember to determine the extent of your ward ahead of time, and always consider the ethics of your particular situation. When gathering your materials, do not be afraid to use your favorite elemental representations, even if they are different from examples listed here.

Clearing your space can be as simple as smudging with sage, or as complex as performing the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, it’s up to you to decide which cleansing works best for you.

The incantation must serve its intended purpose, but it need not be as bare and simple as the one suggested here. Try expounding upon it, adding to it, making it rhyme, singing it, and even dancing if you wish.

Finally, it is imperative that your wards receive proper maintenance. I’ve offered examples of different ways to make certain your wards have adequate energy to perform their intended task. You may expound upon these examples in any manner that you find works well. The most important points of warding are covered here. How exactly you choose to carry them out and make them your own are entirely up to you.

Footnotes:
I am a member of the coven Goethe’s Garden, which has a listing here at WitchVox. My High Priest has used this ritual for many years, and he passed it on to me during my year-and-a-day dedication. I share it with you with his permission.

Blessings of Abundance

List of predicted dates of the end of the world

List of predicted dates of the end of the world

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This page details dates when the world was, or is, forecast to end.

Date Author Event Article
400 Martin of Tours Stated that the world would end before 400.
April 6, 793 Beatus of Liébana The Spanish monk Beatus of Liébana prophesied the second coming of Christ and the end of the world that day to a crowd of people. The crowd thinking that the world would end, fasted through the night. The following morning, Hordonius, one of the fasters, said, “Let’s eat and drink, so that if we die at least we’ll be fed.”
1284 Pope Innocent III Pope Innocent III predicted that the world would end following 666 years of the rise of Islam.
1689 Benjamin Keach
October 16, 1736 William Whiston Comet colliding with the earth.
1792 The Shakers
1806 The Prophet Hen of Leeds In Leeds, England in 1806 a hen began laying eggs on which the phrase “Christ is coming” written on the eggs. Eventually it was discovered to be a hoax. The hoaxster had written on the eggs in a corrosive ink so to etch the eggs, and reinserted the eggs back into the hen.[4] The Prophet Hen of Leeds
1843-1844 William Miller Miller predicted Christ would return between March 21, 1843 and March 21, 1844, then revised his prediction, claiming to have miscalculated Scripture, to October 22, 1844. The realization that the predictions were incorrect resulted in a Great Disappointment. Miller’s theology gave rise to the Advent movement. The Baha’is believe that Christ did return as Miller predicted in 1844, with the advent of The Báb, and numerous Miller-like prophetic predictions from many religions are given in William Sears book, Thief in The Night.
1867-1875 Rev. Michael Baxter Forty ‘Wonders’ occurring in the following seven years and seventy-five days including wars, famine, pestilence and earthquakes culminating in the return of Christ in 1875.
1919 Albert Porta Alignment of planets causing the sun to explode.
December 21, 1954 Dorothy Martin Martin, a housewife from Chicago claimed to have received messages from aliens via automatic writing which stated that the world would end in a great flood before dawn on December 21, 1954. When Prophecy Fails
Summer of 1969 Charles Manson Manson predicted that an apocalyptic race war would occur in 1969 and ordered the Tate-LaBianca murders in an attempt to bring it about. Helter Skelter (Manson scenario)
1980 Leland Jensen In 1978 Jensen predicted that there would be a nuclear disaster in 1980, followed by two decades of conflict, culminating in God’s Kingdom being established on earth.
1980s,2000 Hal Lindsey Lindsey has been continually predicting the end of the world since his 1970 book The Late, Great Planet Earth. His later books including The 1980s: Countdown to Armageddon and Planet Earth 2000 A.D.: Will Mankind Survive? gave revised dates.
1982, 2000s Pat Robertson In late 1976, Robertson predicted that the end of the world was coming in October or November 1982. He also predicted various cataclysmic events for the first decade of the current century such as a Pacific Northwest tsunami ” and a Middle East war involving Russia that did not come to pass. Pat Robertson
April 23, 1990 Elizabeth Clare Prophet Prophet predicted an impending nuclear holocaust, leading her followers to stockpile a shelter with supplies and weapons. Later, after Prophet’s prediction did not come to pass and she was diagnosed with epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease, the group’s leadership attempted to draw the focus of its work away from doomsday predictions. The Summit Lighthouse
June 9, 1994 Pastor John Hinkle Hinkle of Christ Church in Los Angeles predicted the return of Christ this day.
September 6, 1994 Harold Camping Camping predicted the Rapture would occur on this date.
January 1, 2000 Various “Y2K” Computers predicted to stop working, leading to failures of the electrical grid, dams, nuclear warheads, and everything else with a computer in it. Year 2000 problem
January 1, 2000 Credonia Mwerinde, Joseph Kibweteere An estimated 778 followers of this Ugandan religious movement perished in a devastating fire and a series of poisonings and killings that were either a group suicide or an orchestrated mass murder by group leaders after their predictions of the apocalypse failed to come about. Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God
May 5, 2000 Richard Noone In his book 5/5/2000 – Ice:The Ultimate Disaster, Noone predicts that the planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn would align for the first time in 6000 years. This would cause a catastrophic build up of ice at the South pole leading to devastation across the planet. Cataclysmic pole shift hypothesis
August 2007 Thomas Chase
October 21, 2011 Harold Camping Camping predicted that the Rapture will occur on May 21, 2011 with God taking approximately 3% of the world’s populations (200 million people) into Heaven. The actual end of the world is predicted to occur five months later. 2011 end times prediction
December 21, 2012 Various Several scenarios for the end of the world including galactic alignment, a geomagnetic reversal, a collision with Planet Nibiru or some other interplanetary object, alien invasion, earth being destroyed by a giant supernova. 2012 theories
2060 Sir Isaac Newton Newton proposed, based upon his calculations using figures from the book of Daniel, that the Apocalypse could happen no earlier than 2060.

A Simple House Blessing

A Simple House Blessing

 

Items You Will Need:
Pentagram
Compass
Rosemary
Lavender
Snap lock bag

Glue the Pentagram to the compass, “Spirit” point north. Place everything into bag, and bury in center of building or middle of door.

Pentagram pointing north. Cast a circle, Chant the spell.

Goddess and God bless this house,
Keep it free from bug or mouse.
For good or bad, dark or light,
Those unwelcome will feel thy might.
Protect me as I do thy will,
here you are master for good or ill
Goddess and God hear my prayer.
So Mote it Be.

Concentrate on the Spell until you feel the power flowing, Then break the circle and finish.

Winter Solstice Spell

The Winter Solstice

 

 

The Winter Solstice

The darkest day makes way for the return of light

 

Tarotcom Staff on the topics of winter solstice, videos, capricorn, astrology

December 21, 2015 marks the Winter Solstice, which is the official beginning of winter, and the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. But there’s a light at the end of this tunnel — literally! As the temperatures fall throughout the winter, the light grows, representing new hope during a time of darkness.

Ancient solstice festivals were the last big feasts before food became scarce during the harsh winter months. This magical day was celebrated from ancient Rome to China, and by the builders of Stonehenge to the Mayans. In fact, we all remember the Winter Solstice on December 21, 2012, which was the apparent end of the Mayan calendar, causing many to believe the end of the world is coming. Obviously, we’re still here!

Many modern holiday traditions, such as Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year’s, have their roots in the Winter Solstice celebrations of yesterday. Winter festivals continue today, complete with lights, feasts, dancing and singing, and spending quality time with those we love.

Astrologically, the Winter Solstice marks the moment the Sun — the ruler of the zodiac — moves from adventurous Fire sign Sagittarius to the steady Earth sign of Capricorn. This is the dark night of the year, a day when the Sun appears to stand still. It’s a time for light and laughter, but also deep reflection.

The Sun’s move into steady Capricorn urges us to take some time to look back on 2015 before we make those New Year’s resolutions. What did we do right? What do we wish we’d done differently? Don’t fight the seriousness it brings to the festive holiday season — use it to start 2016 on the right foot! Just make sure to keep some of the Goat’s ambitious energy alive when the Sun makes its next move.

Source:
Tarot.com is a Daily Insight Group Site

Life As The Witch – Recognizing Our Goddess, HEKATE (Hecate)


Hekate: A Modern Implications

These days, Hekate is often still seen as the Goddess of Witchcraft and Dark Magick, a Dark Crone, because of her connection to the line between life and death. Her chthonic roots are attributed to her aspects as a Death Goddess, but in truth she is not solely death aspected. Her nature is one of transformation, and though change can be terrifying and damaging, it can also be beatific. To think of Her only as a chthonic, Underworld Goddess is to ignore part of her nature.

These days we too often see things in terms of diametric, opposites (light/dark, masculine, feminine, God/Goddess, as if the vast universe is written in binary, nothing more than ones and zeros. While these dichotomies play a role in the nature of the universe, they are also simplified depictions. Deity cannot be contained in the use of dichotomy, because deity transcends those terms.

Hekate is neither light nor dark; she is the very scale of graduation, present at the exact point at which one type of gray becomes another, between every gradient and at either end of the spectrum. Each change is her territory, and there are billions of transformations every day.

Hekate’s connection to magic is another aspect of her nature. Through magic we take what is only potential and pull it into reality, imprinting the mundane world with what could be. And this is one of the biggest changes of all, the transformation for which Hekate has always been particularly revered. Magick is transformation, and it’s from this that Hekate’s association with it is.

In invoking Heckate we can learn to accept changes in our lives, both positive and negative, and we can also create change in our own worlds. She aids the completion and manifestation of spells and when called for divinatory purposes she can help to reveal the truth more readily. She can part the Veil, to allow clearer vision or communion with the dead. Hekate is a protector of children, especially when they walk hard paths, but also in the journey into adulthood.

Hekate guards the crossroads, both those that line our physical reality and those that mark our passage through life, through our spirituality, and through the journey that is existence.

Reference:

Excerpt from:”The Transformative Nature of Hekate”

by Marion Sipe

Llewellyn’s 2012 Magical Living Companion

Thoughts on Black Magick

Lady of the Abyss is has a way to teach us new things from the Spirit Plane by me reposting a post of hers done on October 2, 2111.

Thoughts on Black Magick by Sylvana SilverWitch

article

Glendower: I can call spirits from the vasty deep.
Hotspur: Why, so can I, or so can any man; But will they come when you do call for them?
Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part 2

Black magick, the black arts, the left hand path_ the words conjure a reaction, a chill, raise the hair on the nape of your neck. I invariably imagine zombies, the voodoo walking undead or secret virgin sacrifices. I think, too, of dolls with needles stuck in them for malicious revenge spells, of death, injury and illness.

First, let’s examine magick; what is it precisely? There are numerous interpretations, and each person you ask will have their own. My favorite definition of magick is that of S.L. MacGregor Mathers, one of the founding members of the Golden Dawn. He characterizes magick as: “The Science of the Control of the Secret Forces of Nature.” I do like to commune with those secret forces, and to fancy I might have some influence, however small, over them. Ha, ha, ha!

Another explication is from the famous old grimoire, The Lemegeton, or The Lessor Key of Solomon. It states: “Magick is the Highest, most Absolute, and Most Divine Knowledge of Natural Philosophy, advanced in its works and wonderful operations by a right understanding of the inward and occult virtue of things; so that true Agents being applied to proper Patients, strange and admirable effects will therefore be produced. Whence magicians are profound and diligent searchers into Nature; they, because of their skill, know how to anticipate an effect, the which to the vulgar shall seem to be a miracle.”

Old Uncle Al (Aleister Crowley, pronounced Cro-lee) had another one of the finest: “The Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will.” This leaves a lot of room for doing what you please, but Uncle Al was especially big on free will anyway. I believe he would, even now, approve of black magick.

Another one of my favorites is that of a fellow, described by Doreen Valiente, who said in her book An ABC of Witchcraft: “Black magick can be defined as what the other fellow does!” Isn’t that the truth!? I have listened to this from a lot of people, who really can’t tell you what black magick would be – except a spell to kill someone – and I asked lots of people this question! They can’t describe it themselves, but it’s what “So and so” does! They know it when they see it!

When I sat down to compose this article I speculated, what would people want to apprehend about black magick? I would want to understand – what is it specifically? This is not always simple to define, the edges are blurred in some cases.

So, what actually is black magick? Is it all of these, or any of them? According to the Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft: “Magic is variously described as white, black and gray, but actually it has no color. Magic is neutral and amoral. It can be bent to good, evil or ambiguous purposes, depending on the intent of the practitioner.” “The distinction between white and black magic is fairly modern,” according to occultist A.E. Waite, “and depends upon sharp contrast between good and evil spirits.”

According to certain people, there is apparently no such thing as “black” magick. Other people have differing opinions, like The Modern Witch’s Spellbookby Sarah Lyddon Morrison has a whole section, along with the charms and talismans, love spells and potions, that describes black magick and its applications. It is complete with specific spells: “to torment, but not permanently injure,” or like “punishing a faithless lover,” or “to cause a lot of agony,” and “how to make a marriage unhappy.”

Wait, there’s more: “To maim and kill,” and detailed instructions on “how to dig up a coffin” to get your hands on some coffin nails (presumably for other weird spells). To Sarah’s credit, the chapter on black magick includes a segment about ethics and contains plenty of admonitions about what not to do, and how you should never render black magick in haste. It goes on to caution you about what happens if you’re not positively certain about your victim or whether they actually did what you think they did, or deserve the results your efforts.

So, I guess it’s okay with her, as long as you heed the instructions – this seems to be the theory of quite a few people outside the Northwest. Speaking of the Northwest, I have discovered that people here are inclined to be a bit more conservative (or politically correct), than they are ordinarily.

When I began in the Craft, it was much more permissible to use your art for advantage or protection or even for retribution: the sort of things that are, today, considered by many to be black magick. This whole thing about the politically correct manner in which to do magick, or whether it’s okay to work magick at all – positively annoys me! I say, “What variety of witch doesn’t practice magick?” I have known a number of them here in the Seattle area. Hmmmmmmm. Maybe that’s one of the distinctions between “Wiccans” and “Witches” – I am a Witch, with a capital “W.” I am not, however, a Wiccan, and that’s okay.

I remember when the domain of the witches was just that, the dark side. We were outside the edges of society anyway, and we knew we had power and we weren’t afraid to use it. People came frequently to implore me to work a spell for them: to bring back an errant lover, to get a particular job, to get back at a person who had harmed them. I usually sent them away with instructions on how to resolve the situation themselves, though in certain circumstances it was acceptable to do the spell for them. What happened? Why is it not okay anymore to exercise your power? Why has the Craft become so boringly P.C.?

“The driving force behind black magic is hunger for power.” So says Richard Cavendish in The Black Arts,one of the first books about magick that I bought when I was about sixteen, thinking that “this must be what it is.” Cavendish also says, “The magician sets out to conquer the universe. To succeed he must make himself master of everything in it – evil as well as good, cruelty as well as mercy, pain as well as pleasure.” This makes sense, right? According to almost everyone that I have talked to, those who have been in the Craft for over 10 years, they all started out in search of power. Or at least that’s what they thought at the time. Many began by practicing black magick and proceeded logically, after getting their butts kicked (proverbially or not), to the Craft as we now know it and what they ended up finding is their own power.

When I was younger, and did not know any better – I, too, believed any magick that would work was great. If you could get someone to do what you wanted or to fall in love with you, or whatever, you were a clever witch. It is much easier to do what is now referred to as black magick when you’re young; you frequently have a lot of emotion invested in it, so there’s no wonder a neophyte might be successful with it.

My personal definition of black magick, if there is such a thing, about which I am still ambiguous, is: working magick that is meant to hurt, harm or to cause the loss of free will or to hinder someone else or a situation. Further, it can be just pulling on someone’s energy without his or her permission, and knowledge. Sometimes this is not done maliciously or mean-spiritedly, for instance working love magick to get a specific person, or healing a person who maybe needs the rest that illness provides. So in my opinion, you should be very careful. It works – it works well so you better be very sure! There is so much negativity floating around in the atmosphere that it’s easy to gather that up and direct it without much effort or skill. Should you do it? I can’t tell you that, but I don’t recommend doing anything questionable unless you really know what you’re doing and are absolutely willing to suffer the consequences of the threefold law of return. Because the problem is, it will come back to you, and you should be ready to have your butt kicked by it.

In my class, I teach that there’s no color to magick, that it all just is and it’s a matter of the intent that creates the Karma. I do my best now to avoid situations that might get me into a position where I’d be inclined to have to use my magick in such a way. I also teach my students personal responsibility, and I practice it myself. I would hope that all grown-up witches would do the same. That is the secret, in my opinion. There are not many people willing to take responsibility for themselves and their actions. I have heard many people complain about this and that, and how they wish it would be different to accommodate them. I say stop complaining and do something for yourself! Use magick if you will and remember to be mindful of your intent!

A Witches Spell – Spell To Assist In Readings and Divination

Lady of the Abyss is has a way to teach us new things from the Spirit Plane by me reposting this post of hers done on November 10, 2013

Spell To Assist In Readings and Divination

Items You Will Need:

White candle

Whatever tools you use for divination, such as tarot cards, runes, crystal ball, etc.

Not every form of divination works for every Witch. Sometimes it take trial and error to discover which one work the best for you. If you are having a hard time seeing clearly, try doing this before attempting a reading. It is also a good one to do if the issue at hand is very important.

If you still have a hard time seeing the answers you seek, you can try having your familiar help by giving them a choice of tarot cards or runes stones, and seeing which one they pick.

You can call on any God or Goddess for this spell. Apollo is used here because he was the patron God of the Oracle at Delphi, probably the most famous center of divination in the ancient world.

Great Apollo
Farseeing and wise
Help me see clearly
As if through your eyes
 
Bless now these tools
And the one who will see
And send me your vision
Of what is to be
 
Help me set aside feelings
That get in the way
So I might see true
In my reading today.

So Mote It Be

Daily Tarot Card for May 12 is Three of Coins

Tarot Card of the Day

Three of Coins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This suit, most often named “Coins” or “Pentacles”, is a symbol for a magical talisman that represented wealth or potential. This suit represents something supportive that is available to you — whether it be health, some kind of talent, a material or financial resource.

The Three is traditionally the card of genius. Here we usually see a master craftsman conferring with his masons on the installation of a beautiful stained-glass window in the cathedral. This designer is often likened to Leonardo da Vinci or Michelangelo, a multi-talented visionary who has no peers in talent or productivity.

The masterwork is being proudly showcased for future generations, as an object of personal and collective pride. On some cards, the genius is portrayed at his studio, alone and burning the midnight oil, in a creative ferment — driven to draw, paint, invent, or whatever work genius wants to bring into creation. As a subtext to the rewards of genius are the days and weeks of intense concentration it takes to solve the problems that great works entail.

 

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Daily Witches Runes for Wednesday, October 17th is The Rings

Daily Witches Rune

October 17th, 2018

The Rings

Keywords: Love, relationships.

Meanings: The Rings is the rune of love and when it is the leading stone, it is a positive answer to your question. It is very much a rune of relationship and can indicate engagement, marriage or a new/renewed relationship. It can also indicate the need for a fresh approach to an existing relationship.

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Good Early Monday Morning Brothers & Sisters of the Craft!

I hope everyone is doing fine and enjoying their Monday so far. I know several of you have asked about my health and since it is no longer a secret, I decided I might as well be the one to tell you. As most of you know I went back to work, HA! funny, funny! I started out liking the job, then after a few weeks, I grew to absolutely hate it. I prayed and prayed for a graceful way out of leaving the job. Well, all I can say is be careful, very careful what you wish for, I was bitten by a water moccasin(in case you don’t know, they are a very deadly snake) while goofing off on a riding lawn mower. I really wasn’t goofing off, I was trying to mow the marsh. We have had so much rain the grass was up to my knees in parts, seriously. I went through a patch of it and the next thing I knew, I saw a brown flash up on the lawnmower deck and this sudden pain in my ankle. It dawned on me what had happened and by the time I got back to the cabin, I could hardly move that leg. Lord M picked me up and took me to the hospital. By the time we got to the hospital, I couldn’t feel both legs and I could feel my stomach going numb as well. Funny, the first thing they do when you go in the hospital for a snake bite is to take a magic marker and draw around the bite. They say they want to know what shape it is (preferably what state it is in the shape of).  It doesn’t matter that you can’t breathe and gasping for air, oh no, let’s get that shape drawn. Anyway, after spending a few days in the hospital I was released and sent home. I was given snake venom, antibiotics and a saline drip and that was it.

After I returned home, I was to see my regular doctor. We went and Lord M got pissed. My ankle was black as the ace of spades and gushing greenish pus from it. Lord M demanded the doctor do something and she said just to stay on the antibiotics and it would get better. Well, I guess I have Lord M for saving my life and my foot. Since I am a diabetic, I could have lost my foot over the bite. He called someone in Nashville and got me in to a doctor down there. We went down there and the doctor threw a fit. He immediately admitted me into the hospital and they scraped all the dead and poisonous tissue from the area. I got to stay a day down there. I now have a hole in my ankle as big as your fist and I kid you not. You can see the bone, tendons and the whole nine yards. They are going to give it a chance to heal on its own but there is a good chance I will have to have skin graphs done on my ankle.

In all this chaos, I believe good news did come out of it (or else the morphine was talking, lol!), I am now engaged to Lord Myst. Yes after all these years of him asking me to marry him, I finally broke down and said yes. We were to be married tomorrow but I told him I thought we ought to have an engagement period. So we have now set the date for Samhain. I am going to ask Lady Beltane to handfast us, if she has the time. He is throwing a hissy fit wanting to know why we have to wait till Samhain. I told him I wanted to be sure our ancestors could attend, really I want time for head to clear to make sure I am making the right decision but anyway…..if Lady B agrees I hopes she likes the hills of Kentucky, lol!

My dear thoughtful son, Jacob had to pop me with a surprise also. He decided since I was going to be laid up for six months, I might get bored, Bored, yeah right! But anyway, he is a thoughtful child and was thinking of me and didn’t want me to go stir crazy. So he started me another website. I hope you caught that he started it, guess who finished it, me. I guess I am a sucker but I believe all things happen for a reason, the snake bite, the marriage proposal and now the new site. We are having our grand opening today. Grand right, I haven’t even unpacked all the files yet. But anyway, it is set to open today so it will open. If any of you would like to hop over and say hello or just look around, I would be glad to see you. The name of the new site is “The Witchcraft Chronicles.” The name just popped in my head and I took that as a sight as well. Ain’t it great to be a superstitious witch, lol!

Since I had received so many emails wanting to know how I was doing I thought I would give you a quick up-date. Got snake bite, been in the hospital, got engaged, and now a new site. I think that is about it. I believe really that is enough. You will find our new banner below if you would like to visit. And, oh yeah, Lady B, how about that handfasting?

Got to run for now. Hope to see you soon. Till then…

Luv & Hugs,

Lady A

https://thewitcheschronicles.home.blog

Witches Of The Craft and Its Domain are now for Sale

After 18 years spent on the internet and due to expensive lawyer fees coming soon, I have decided it is time to move on to the next stage of our lives. Therefore, the WOTC is now up for sale. It has not been an easy decision to make but I believe it is time for us to move on, hopefully to bigger and better things for each of us.

The site is currently valued at $45,000. But that is not the asking price for it. The price I have set for the sale of the WOTC is $5,000. If you are a member or Pagan group that would be interested in purchasing the site, the price is negotiable. It is my hope that someone will purchase the site and love it and care for it as we have over the many years.

Witches of the Craft is one of the oldest and most respected Pagan websites on the internet today. You will be purchasing a site that is well known and also has name recognization. The domain will come due later on this year at which time it can be transferred over to you. We also have a Blogger site (Witches Rec Room) and a Pinterest site which I will include in this purchase, if you want them also. If you are not interested in the other two sites, they will be deleted immediately after the sale is complete. Included in the purchase of the site, I will stay on for three months as a consultant and help you learn WordPress if you need for me too. As far as the store goes, when this site is sold, the store will disappear. The store is not included because of the various wholesalers we deal with.

The site does produce some revenue from the ads that are placed on the site by WordPress. It is nothing that is going to make you rich but it does help pay the internet bill. You can also decide whether you wish to keep the ads or remove them, that will totally be up to you.

So what are you getting:

Basically three sites for the price of one, if you want the other two, I will gladly hand the keys over to you. You are also getting a well established site, one which you do not have to start out and build it up. Between the Pinterest site, the Blogger site, the Facebook pages(which by the way, the minute this site is sold will be deleted) and this site, there are more than 45 million followers. I will stay on for three months to help you, if you need for me too but I will not be in the public eye nor make any posts.

I have not put this site for sale on any of the websites that sells sites yet. The reason being is as I stated earlier, I hope some one or some group purchases it and loves it and cares for it as we have all these years. This site has huge potential and it is my hopes that the new owners can soar higher and further than we have ever done. I am willing to work with anyone who is interested in purchasing the site. As I mentioned, I wanted to offer it to you first before I did a total stranger.

If you are interested in purchasing the WOTC and the other sites I mentioned, you can contact me at:

witches_of_the_craft@outlook.com

 

Thank you,

Lady of the Abyss

MOTHER’S DAY 2019 | 10 WAYS TO CELEBRATE MOM

 

 

MOTHER’S DAY 2019 | 10 WAYS TO CELEBRATE MOM

MOTHER’S DAY HISTORY, RECIPES, AND MORE!
By The Editors

Whether it’s a simple phone call or family time, spend Mother’s Day thinking about mom. In honor of Mother’s Day, we’ve thought about 10 ways to celebrate moms and motherhood—from sharing a meal to giving flowers with symbolic meaning to making a card with special quotes and memories.

MOTHER’S DAY 2019

Mother’s Day is always celebrated on the second Sunday in May. It’s not a federal holiday, but Mother’s Day is widely celebrated as a special day to honor all mothers and motherhood. Together, let’s honor the women who raised us—and all the mothers who sacrificed for their children.

Year Mother’s Day
2019 Sunday, May 12
2020 Sunday, May 10
2021 Sunday, May 9

THE HISTORY OF MOTHER’S DAY

The greatest love is a mother’s; Then comes a dog’s, then comes a sweetheart’s. 
–Polish proverb

Although the custom of setting aside a day to honor mothers has ancient roots, our observance of Mother’s Day mainly came about through the efforts of a devoted daughter, Anna M. Jarvis.

After the death of her own mother in 1905, Jarvis wanted to recognize the sacrifices mothers made for their children. She organized the first official Mother’s Day celebration in May 1908 at a Methodist church in Grafton, West Virginia.

On May 8, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating the second Sunday in May Mother’s Day, and within a few years, the idea gained worldwide prominence.

10 WAYS TO CELEBRATE MOM

Behind every successful man stands a surprised mother-in-law. 
–Hubert Humphrey, American politician

1. Bring mom flowers! How about a bouquet with flowers that symbolize your relationship?

  • Mother’s Day founder, Anna Jarvis, envisioned all mothers wearing a white carnation on Mother’s Day.
  • Purple irises are also a special choice for mothers, symbolizing faith and hope.
  • Or, simply pick flowers that have meaning to your own mother!

2. Give your mother a live plant. If your mom is a green thumb, consider giving her a new plant for her collection.

  • Perhaps a new rose bush or a geranium?
  • Orchids symbolize “many children.”
  • Or, perhaps a dogwood or flowering shrub?

3. Design and plant a garden.

Give her the gift of a small garden. You can buy the plants and also plant them in the ground.

  • Perhaps your mother wished she had flowers in a shady border?
  • Or, maybe she’s admiring the spring blooms and would like some spring-blooming bulbs (plant in the fall) or summer-blooming bulbs (plant in the spring)?
  • Or, if your mother enjoys cooking, perhaps she’d love an herb garden outside her kitchen window.

4. Bring mom breakfast in bed! How about a chocolate croissant from your local bakery?

5. Cook mom a special dinner! Think about her favorite food. Here are some yummy recipes passed down through the generations—made by moms and grandmothers!

6. Bake a cake! Traditionally, children in England always baked a cake for their Mother’s Day—called Mothering Sunday.

7. Make a homemade gift. Mothers love gifts from the heart!

8. Give your mother a locket with your photos. Forget about a digital photo gift. Imagine your mother’s delight to have a beautiful locket with photos of her children. She’ll treasure it forever!

9. Give your mother jewelry with your birthstone. For example, if your birthday is in August, give your mother peridot stud earrings. She’ll always think of her dear child when she wears them.

10. Make your own card. In our home, it’s a tradition to make a homemade card every year.

Wondering what to write in the card? How about sharing a funny story or happy memory of you and your mom? It will make her smile.

FUNNY STORIES AND HAPPY MEMORIES WITH MOM

Here at the Almanac, we shared some of the happiest or funniest memories of our own mothers. We welcome your happy memories and stories, too! (Please share in the comments below.)

My mom sang a lot around the house and I thought she made up all of the songs. When I got older, I started to hear those same songs on the radio and was like “Hey …”
–Sarah P., Almanac editor

When I was a teenager my mother went back to college to get her Master of Library Science—studies that required she learn how to program computers. This put me in the unique position of being able to help my mother with her homework.
–Peter R., Almanac programmer

When I was young and all of my older siblings were in school, my Mom and I would have breakfast by the kitchen window and watch the hummingbirds. We loved watching the hummingbirds!
–Colleen Q., Almanac art director

We went to Ocean City, Maryland, every summer for a week on the beach. My mom went out on the beach every sunny day and sat there, under a big umbrella. She never got a tan (she had very fair skin and burned easily). No one can remember her ever going into the water. Not once.
–Tim C., Almanac editor

Some of my happiest memories are singing songs with Mom as she played the piano. She also encouraged me to play. Even though it was a struggle at times, I am glad to have had lessons, not only because I discovered how to play an instrument but also because I learned how to read music and how the notes worked together to make a melody.
–Heidi S., Almanac editor

My Mom and I have what we’ve always kind of called “our psychic connection” because it always seems like she will call me when I’ve been thinking of her a lot that day, or I’ll call her and she’ll say she’d been thinking of me. It seems like my daughter and I also have the “psychic connection”!
—Stacey K., Almanac staff

Before I started school, Mom took me to the library every week to take out 5 books, and return the 5 books from the prior week. We’d read together almost every day. 
–Colleen Q., Almanac art director

Of course, if YOU are a mother, we wish you a very Happy Mother’s Day!

Source

 

THE HISTORY OF MOTHER’S DAY

 

THE HISTORY OF MOTHER’S DAY

HOW MOTHER’S DAY STARTED
By Lucille J. Goodyear

While the Mother’s Day that we celebrate on the second Sunday in May is a fairly recent development, the basic idea goes back to ancient mythology—to the long ago civilizations of the Greeks and Romans.

The Greeks paid annual homage to Cybele, the mother figure of their gods, and the Romans dedicated an annual spring festival to the mother of their gods.

MOTHERING SUNDAY

In 16th century England a celebration called “Mothering Sunday” was inaugurated—a Sunday set aside for visiting one’s mother. The eldest son or daughter would bring a “mothering cake,” which would be cut and shared by the entire family. Family reunions were the order of the day, with sons and daughters assuming all household duties and preparing a special dinner in honor of their mother. Sometime during the day the mother would attend special church services with her family.

JULIA WARD HOWE

Here in America, in 1872, Julia Ward Howe, a famous poet and pacifist who fought for abolition and women’s rights, suggested that June 2 be set aside to honor mothers in the name of world peace. This happened not long after the bloody Franco-Prussian War after which Howe began to think of a global appeal to women.

The idea died a quick death. Nothing new happened in this department until 1907, when a Miss Anna M. Jarvis, of Philadelphia, took up the banner.

ANNA M. JARVIS

After her mother died in 1905, Miss Anna Jarvis wished to memorialize her life and started campaigning for a national day to honor all mothers.

Her mother, known as “Mother Jarvis,” was a young Appalachian homemaker and lifelong activist who had organized “Mother’s Work Days” to save the lives of those dying from polluted water. During the Civil War, Mother Jarvis had also organized women’s brigades, encouraging women to help without regard for which side their men had chosen.  At the time, there were many special days for men, but none for women.

On May 10, 1908, a Mother’s Day service was held at a church in Grafton, West Virginia, where Anna’s mother had taught. Thus was born the idea that the second Sunday in May be set aside to honor all mothers, dead or alive.

Anna Jarvis, bombarded public figures and various civic organizations with telegrams, letters, and in-person discussions. She addressed groups large and small. At her own expense, she wrote, printed, and distributed booklets extolling her idea.

Her efforts came to the attention of the mayor of Philadelphia, who proclaimed a local Mother’s Day. From the local level she went on to Washington, D.C. The politicians there knew a good thing when they saw it and were quick to lend verbal support.

West Virginia was the first state to officially adopt the holiday, and others followed suit. Proclamation of the day by the various states led Representative J. Thomas Heflin of Alabama and Senator Morris Sheppard of Texas to present a joint resolution to Congress that Mother’s Day be observed nation-wide. The resolution was passed by both houses.

 

MOTHER’S DAY TODAY

In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill designating the second Sunday in May as a legal holiday to be called “Mother’s Day”—dedicated “to the best mother in the world, your mother.”

For the first few years, the day was observed as a legal holiday, but in absolute simplicity and reverence—church services were held in honor of all mothers, living and dead.

In many ways family observance much resembled that of the British version of “Mothering Sunday.”

SOURCE:

The 1972 Old Farmer’s Almanac

 

 

Now In Honor Of Our Mothers: How the Zodiac Signs Are as Mothers

How the Zodiac Signs Are as Mothers

Discover each mom’s unique parenting style
By Tarot.com Staff
Astrology, Parenting, Zodiac

Content authored by Nancy Frederickson

Moms are people, too. To many, mothers are simply there, ready and more than willing to take care of the needs of other. But Astrology reveals that each zodiac sign has its own special traits, needs, and foibles.

Aries (March 21 to April 19)

The cuddly, sweet, apron-clad mom probably doesn’t belong to this Astrology sign! She’s busy and active and may spend an equal amount of time changing the oil in her motorcycle as snuggling the kiddies. That’s a good thing for children who seek independence rather than a hands-on level of involvement. Eventually an Aries mom seems cool, once her tots are adults who can look at all the adventures their mom has enjoyed and think, “Wow!”

Taurus (April 20 to May 20)

Taurus moms’ kids look back on a childhood filled with shopping trips and yummy food. No other mom is as involved in gustatory pleasures as this little lady. Whether she cooks or not — and usually she will — Taurus mom knows where to get the good treats, and every life crises can usually be solved with a nibble. A Taurus mother is also the one who offers her children a sense of security and stability by showing up to every sporting event, play, or school concert.

Gemini (May 21 to June 20)

Although a Gemini mom may seem too busy talking on the phone, reading a book, or watching television to pay a ton of attention to her kids, she is a super fun mother when it comes to play time. Board games bore this witty woman as it does most moms. She’ll happily play for hours. Need a Pictionary partner or someone to challenge at Scrabble? She’s your gal. And even as she gets on in years, a Gemini mother is willing to go on a bike ride with her adventurous adult children.

Cancer (June 21 to July 22)

Cancer signs all want to be mothers — even the men. No other zodiac sign is as cuddly and nurturing and as willing to focus on their kids (almost to the point of worship). Nothing is more important to this mom than the security and comfort of her offspring. She’s the sort of steel magnolia who will work three jobs, get up at dawn to make waffles, and immediately vanquish any minor dark cloud crossing the horizon of a beloved child.

Leo (July 23 to Aug. 22)

Children of Leo moms are always proud to have the snazziest mother in the room — until their friends want to date her. This glamour queen has such an imperative to always look wonderful. She may spend just as much time using her gold card at the most upscale stores as she does tending to a case of the sniffles. She does know how to make life fun, and kids of a Leo mom always remember the amazing birthday parties she threw for them.

Virgo (Aug. 23 to Sept. 22)

A Virgo mom always wants her kids to strive for perfection — even more perfect than she is, and that’s really shooting for the Moon. Organized, efficient, and precise, she should be running a country instead of a mere household. Her kids grow up not even knowing what a microwave dinner is because everything is done to perfection by this driven dynamo. Any problem is soon solved, every science project is done early, and life looks easy in her capable hands.

Libra (Sept. 23 to Oct. 22)

Social, outgoing, charming, and lovable to the max, Libra moms are like Mary Poppins, spreading cheer wherever they go. They live in velvet and silks and are happiest when planning a party or reading a romance novel. Children of these ladies adore them, even when Libras are occasionally too busy with their own social life to pay a ton of attention to the kiddos. Eventually those kids grow up and enjoy sharing a cocktail with their Libra mother.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 to Nov. 21)

Most mysterious of all moms, this lady may be quite inscrutable. What you know of her is what she wishes you to see. Few people are privy to the secrets below the surface. Yet Scorpio moms are very passionately loving, and if anyone crosses one of this mom’s kids … forget it. She will fight to the death to protect her loved ones. This is not the woman to try to deceive. She knows everyone’s secrets, so it’s better to share your intimacies than aim for privacy.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 to Dec. 21)

Everyone yearns for the mom who doesn’t care if the house is a mess, who will automatically say, “Yes!” when yet another stray animal comes looking for a home, and who is willing to pack up kids to trek across foreign lands. They should have had a Sag mom. Her values are as true as her sense of justice, and she raises her kids to have open minds and warm hearts.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 to Jan. 19)

Traditional, stern, and only occasionally quirky, this mom has a clear sense of what’s important and spends ample time imparting to her offspring the need for discipline and success. This is the mom who will tirelessly coach a child until that Olympic gold medal is achieved. She doesn’t feel that childhood is solely for fun, because to her, you must start working immediately to get ahead in life.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 to Feb. 18)

Nobody expects a mom to be a forward-thinking, techno-savvy iconoclast, but that’s what you get with Aquarius. She’s not shy, not dainty, and she can take apart a computer and put it back together. The Aquarius mother is all about her friendships and her causes, and a child can learn a lot from being dragged straight from a community meeting to a volunteer group. She’s not centered around emotions or personal attention, but she will help her kids face life from an interesting perspective.

Pisces (Feb. 19 to March 20)

Sensitive, sweet, tender-hearted, and artistic, Pisces moms seem to be asked for more mothering than they can give some days. There’s always such a long line of people waiting to talk to her and be snuggled that a child might get lost in the shuffle. The way to reach this dreamy doll of a mom is to crawl into her lap and connect subliminally. Those hours of doing creative projects together aren’t just silly — it’s how Pisces moms bond with their kids.

 

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