Author: ladyoftheabyss

St. Patrick’s Day: Why He Slaughtered the Druids c. 2017

 

St. Patrick’s Day: Why He Slaughtered the Druids

St. Patrick was born around 450 AD on the Scottish border. His father was a Christian Roman soldier and his mother was a native British woman. Only two of his letters survive telling details about his life. When he was fourteen to sixteen years old, he was taken into captivity in Ireland by the Irish raiders in Britain; he tended cattle for more than six years. In this time of captivity, he drew closer to God before finally escaping on a trading ship. He returned years later to spread Catholicism throughout Ireland while destroying the Druids who resisted Roman and British rule in Ireland. Because he believed so strongly in the Catholic Church, he thought that anyone who was not Christian had to become one in order to be ³saved´. Those who resisted were slaughtered in the Christian holy wars of Gaul

 

The Irish people at that time were happy and doing quite well. However, St.Patrick was insistent that the Pagan Celts convert to Christianity. He noticed that the Druids were the most powerful people of the Celts, so he figured that if he could convert them, then the rest of the people would follow. When the Druids refused to be bribed by the Romans, this angered the rulers of the Catholic Church.St. Patrick declared that he would drive all of the snakes out of Ireland. ³Snakes´was a metaphor for the Druids.
Since the Druids did not write their teachings down, all we know about them is was handed down to us by the Romans. It was often said that the Celts were heathens who could not read or write, but they did know how to read and write in Greek. While they didn¶t write down the secret teachings of the Druids, they were expected to memorize the knowledge. Julius Caesar had this to say about the Druids:
The Druids usually hold aloof from war, and do not pay war-taxes with the rest; they are excused from military service and exempt from all liabilities. Tempted by these great rewards, many young men assemble of their own motion to receive their training; many are sent by parents and relatives. Report says that in the schools of the Druids. They learn by heart a great number of verses, and therefore some persons remain twenty years in training. And they do not think it proper to commit these utterances to writing,although in almost all other matters, and in their private and public accounts, they make use of Greek letters. I believe that they have adopted the practice for two reasons ± that they do not wish the rule to become common property, nor those who learn the rule to rely on writing and so neglect the cultivation of the memory;and, in fact, it does usually happen that the assistance of writing tends to relax the diligence of the student and the action of the memory. The cardinal doctrine which they seek to teach is that souls do not die, but after death pass from one to another; and this belief, as the fear of death is thereby cast aside, they hold to be the greatest incentive to valour. (Caesar The Gallic War VI.13-14)

 

We do know that Druidism was a science and not a religion. It was the study of the relationships between opposites: summer and winter, men and women,consciousness and unconsciousness, force and matter. Some of the main tenets:

*Every action has a consequence that must be observed and you must be prepared to compensate for your actions if required.
* Life is sacred and all are responsible for seeing that this standard is upheld.

*You do still live in society and are bound by its rules.

*Work with high standards.

*Make an honest living.

*Be a good host as well as a good guest.

*Take care of yourself. (Health was held in high esteemamongst the Celts, so much that a person could be finedfor being grossly overweight due to lack of care.)

*Serve your community.

*Maintain a healthy balance of the spiritual and mundane.(Nihtscad writes: Ethical and self respecting Druids did nothing without being properly schooled or aware of the consequences ahead of time. They knew when it was appropriate to visit the Otherworld and immerse themselves in the spiritual as well as when it was appropriate to be fully in this world.

*Uphold the Truth, starting with yourself.

*Be sure in your convictions, particularly when judging or accusing someone, but also when debating. Ask yourself:are you really sure? Do you really know that this the case?

 

One part of the Druid class were the ³Bards´, whose job it was to remember all of the history of the people. The Celts did not rely on a written language because they memorized the songs and poetry of the Bards. The Irish believed that history was very important, for if you didn¶t remember what had happened in the past, you couldn¶t safely plan for the future.Druid priests were the keepers of the knowledge of
Earth and Spirits. It was their responsibility to learn the spirit world in order to keep people in harmony with nature. Priests performed marriages, baptisms, and acted as psychiatrists and doctors.The Romans considered the Celts to be good fighters. In 300 BC, Alexander the Great considered it prudent to treat the Celts as equals. In the fourth century,Ammianus Marcellinus, a Byzantine writer, wrote of the Celts:
Nearly all the Gaels are of a lofty stature, fair and of ruddy complexion:terrible from the sternness of their eyes, and of great pride and insolence. A whole troop of foreigners would not be able to withstand a single Gaul if he called his wife to his assistance, which is usually very strong and with blue eyes.

 

Ancient Celtic women could be warriors. Legend says that Scathach, a female warrior from Isle of Skye in Scotland, trained a great Irish hero, Cuchilainn. Boudicca, a red-haired queen of the British Iceni tribe, led a revolt against the Romans following her husband¶s death.During large battles, the Celts had a strategy to terrify their opponents: they blew war horns, they roared, they rumbled chariots, they banged their swords on their shields, and then they attacked the enemy. These tactics did not work against the well-trained Romans who were trained to resist the attacks of their enemies. The Celts became disheartened by their inability to break the Romans quickly. The main reason why the Celts lost the war was due to the fact that they were not united. Clans attacked farms and stole cattle and other goods during the battles.This caused many Celts to view their own clans as enemies and kept them from uniting as a people. They did not understand how important it was to fight together as an army against the Romans.St. Patrick destroyed the influence of the Druids by destroying the sacred sites of the people and building churches and monasteries where the Druids used to live and teach. Instead of hearing the teachings and advice of the Druids, the people began to hear the teachings of Rome. Because the Druids were the only ones who were taught to remember the history, with the Druids dead and their influence broken, the history was forgot

 

By killing off the teachers and the wise ones, Catholicism could be spread. For this mass conversion of a culture to Christianity, and for the killing of thousands of innocent people, Patrick was made a Saint by his church.

March Full Moon Correspondences

Most common name is the Worm Moon

(one Person’s View) Candle Colors and Their Correspondences c 2012

Color Meanings

Red: Stength, Energy, Passion, Love, Courage, Career Goals,Healing,Power,Willpower
Blue: Peace,Truth, Sleep, Healing, Hope, Friendship,Protection,Calm,Creativity,Patience,Wisdom
Yellow: Mental Powers, New Home,Charm, Confidence,Visions, Attraction,Mental Powers
Orange: Success,Sitmulate energy, Justice, Attraction,Seal a Spell
Green: Healing, Succes, Good Luck, Beauty, Money,
Pink: Love, Fidelity, Friendship, Honor,Harmony
Gold: Solar Deities,Attraction
Brown: Animal Magic, Locate Lost Objects, Home,Herb Magic,Friendship
Gray: Neutral,Glamories
Purple: Psychic Ability, Success, Wisdom,Power, Spiritualy Growth,Independence
White: Truth,Peace, Purity, Lunar Magic,Proetection,Happiness, Masculine Divine
Silver: Encourage,Remove Negativity,Quick Money,Gambling,Monn magic
Black: Binding, Repelling,Protection

The Ethics of Love Spells by Mike Nichols c 2013

The Ethics of Love Spells    
      
   by Mike Nichols
by Mike Nichols

To gain the love of someone: On a night of the full moon, walk to a spot beneath your beloved’s bedroom window, and whisper his/her name three times to the nightwind. –Ozark love spell

It seems to be an immutable law of nature. You are interviewed by a local radio or TV station, or in some local newspaper. The topic of the interview is Witchcraft or Paganism, and you spend the better part of an hour brilliantly articulating your beliefs, your devotion to Goddess and nature, the difference between Witchcraft and Satanism, and generally enlightening the public at large. The next day, you are flooded with calls. Is it people complimenting you on such a splendid interview? No. People wanting to find out more about the religion of Wicca? Huh-uh. People who are even vaguely interested in what you had to say??? Nope. Who is it? It’s people asking you to do a love spell for them!

This used to drive me nuts. I’d take a deep breath and patiently explain (for the thousandth time) why I won’t even do love spells for myself, let alone anyone else. This generally resulted in my caller becoming either angry or defensive, but seldom more enlightened. ‘But don’t you DO magic?’, they ask. ‘Only occasionally,’ I answer. ‘And aren’t most magic spells love spells?’, they persist. That was the line I really hated, because I knew they were right! At least, if you look at the table of contents of most books on magic, you’ll find more love spells than any other kind. This seems as true for the medieval grimoire as for the modern drugstore paperback.

Why? Why so many books containing so many love spells? Why such an emphasis on a kind of magic that I, personally, have always considered very negative? And to make matters even more confusing, the books that do take the trouble of dividing spells between ‘positve’ and ‘negative’ magic invariably list love spells under the first heading. After all, they would argue, love is a good thing. There can never be too much of it. Therefore, any spell that brings about love must be a GOOD spell. Never mind that the spell puts a straightjacket on another’s free will, and then drops it in cement for good measure

And that is why I had always assumed love magic to be negative magic. Years ago, one of the first things I learned as a novice Witch was something called the Witch’s Rede, a kind of ‘golden rule’ in traditional Witchcraft. It states, ‘An it harm none, do what thou will.’ One uses this rede as a kind of ethical litmus test for a spell. If the spell brings harm to someone — anyone (including yourself!) — then don’t do it! Unfortunately, this rule contains a loophole big enough to fly a broom through. It’s commonly expressed, ‘Oh, this won’t HARM them; it’s really for their own good.’ When you hear someone say that, take cover, because something especially nasty is about to happen.

That’s why I had to develop my own version of the Witch’s Rede. Mine says that if a spell harms anyone, OR LIMITS THEIR FREEDOM OF THOUGHT OR ACTION IN ANY WAY, then consider it negative, and don’t do it. Pretty strict, you say? Perhaps. But there’s another law in Witchcraft called the Law of Threefold Return. This says that whatever power you send out, eventually comes back to you three times more powerful. So I take no chances. And love spells, of the typical make-Bobby-love-me type, definitely have an impact on another’s free will.

So why are they so common? It’s taken me years to make peace with this, but I think I finally understand. The plain truth is that most of us NEED love. Without it, our lives are empty and miserable. After our basic survival needs have been met, we must have affection and companionship for a full life. And if it will not come of its own accord, some of us may be tempted to FORCE it to come. And nothing can be as painful as loving someone who doesn’t love you back. Consequently, the most common, garden-variety spell in the world is the love spell.

Is there ever a way to do a love spell and yet stay within the parameters of the Witch’s Rede? Possibly. Some teachers have argued that if a spell doesn’t attempt to attract a SPECIFIC person into your life, but rather attempts to attract the RIGHT person, whomever that may be, then it is not negative magic. Even so, one should make sure that the spell finds people who are ‘right’ for each other — so that neither is harmed, and both are made happy.

Is there ever an excuse for the make-Bobby-love-me type of spell? Without endorsing this viewpoint, I must admit that the most cogent argument in its favor is the following: Whenever you fall in love with someone, you do everything in your power to impress them. You dress nicer, are more attentive, witty, and charming. And at the same time, you unconsciously set in motion some very powerful psychic forces. If you’ve ever walked into a room where someone has a crush on you, you know what I mean. You can FEEL it. Proponents of this school say that a love spell only takes the forces that are ALREADY there — MUST be there if you’re in love — and channels them more efficiently.

But the energy would be there just the same, whether or not you use a spell to focus it.

I won’t attempt to decide this one for you. People must arrive at their own set of ethics through their own considerations. However, I would call to your attention all the cautionary tales in folk magic about love spells gone awry. Also, if a love spell has been employed to join two people who are not naturally compatible, then one must keep pumping energy into the spell. And when one finally tires of this (and one will, because it is hard work!) then the spell will unravel amidst an emotional and psychic hurricane that will make the stormiest divorces seem calm by comparison. Not a pretty picture.

It should be noted that many spells that pass themselves off as love spells are, in reality, sex spells. Not that there’s anything surprising in that, since our most basic needs usually include sex. But I think we should be clear from the outset what kind of spell it is. And the same ethical standards used for love spells can often be applied to sex spells. Last year, the very quotable Isaac Bonewits, author of ‘Real Magic’, taught a sex magic class here at the Magick Lantern, and he tossed out the following rule of thumb: Decide what the mundane equivalent of your spell would be, and ask yourself if you could be arrested for it. For example, some spells are like sending a letter to your beloved in the mail, whereas other spells are tantamount to abduction. The former is perfectly legal and normal, whereas the latter is felonious.

One mitigating factor in your decisions may be the particular tradition of magic you follow. For example, I’ve often noticed that practitioners of Voudoun (Voodoo) and Santeria seem much more focused on the wants and needs of day-to-day living than on the abstruse ethical considerations we’ve been examining here. That’s not a value judgement — just an observation. For example, most followers of Wicca STILL don’t know how to react when a Santerian priest spills the blood of a chicken during a ritual — other than to feel pretty queasy. The ethics of one culture is not always the same as another.

And speaking of cultural traditions, another consideration is how a culture views love and sex. It has often been pointed out that in our predominant culture, love and sex are seen in very possessive terms, where the beloved is regarded as one’s personal property. If the spell uses this approach, treating a person as an object, jealously attempting to cut off all other relationships, then the ethics are seriously in doubt. However, if the spell takes a more open approach to love and sex, not attempting to limit a person’s other relationships in any way, then perhaps it is more defensible. Perhaps. Still, it might be wise to ask, Is this the kind of spell I’d want someone to cast on me?

Love spells. Whether to do them or not. If you are a practitioner of magic, I dare say you will one day be faced with the choice. If you haven’t yet, it is only a matter of time. And if the answer is yes, then which spells are ethical and which aren’t? Then you, and only you, will have to decide whether ‘All’s fair in love and war’, or whether there are other, higher, metaphysical considerations.

Document Copyright © 1988, 1998 by Mike Nichols

Love Spells – Before you can fulfill your goals through spells, you first need to take inventory of your love life. c. 2013

Love Spells

Before you can fulfill your goals through spells, you first need to take inventory of your love life. The following questions should give you a fairly clear idea about the patterns that run throughout your intimate relationships. Once you identify your patterns, it’s easier to change them.

*Describe your ideal intimate relationship.

*Describe the worst intimate relationship you ever had.

*How would you rate your present sex life If you’re involved, is your significant other romantic

*Are you romantic

*If you’re involved, is your relationship emotionally satisfying

*What, if anything, would you change about this relationship

*If you’re not involved, jot down five important

*List five things that make you feel good.

 

Loving yourself is a definite prerequisite for casting any love spell. It sounds simple enough, but so many of us have grown up believing that we aren’t worthy, aren’t attractive or intelligent enough, aren’t this or that. Before you try any love spell, spend a little time uncovering your beliefs about yourself.

If you’re holding on to negative beliefs about your worth as an individual, take a tip from author Louise Hay and adopt this simple yet powerful affirmation: “I love and approve of myself.” Say it out loud, write it out, and post it on your mirrors, your fridge, and wherever else you will see it frequently. Yes, you probably will feel a bit foolish at first, but that just means the affirmation is working. When you repeat something often enough and back it with positive, uplifting emotion, your unconscious mind gets the message.

 

Source: The Only Book of Wiccan Spells You’ll Ever Need (The Only Book You’ll Ever Need)
Singer, Marian; MacGregor, Trish (2012-08-18).

Is it OK to Perform Love Spells? c. 2017

Is it OK to Perform Love Spells?

 

Love spells. They’re one of the things that often draws new folks to Wicca and Pagan religions. However, there’s a lot of question within the Pagan community about the ethics of casting a love spell on someone else. After all, if you’re performing magic on someone without their knowledge, aren’t you messing with their free will?

Most Wiccans will tell you that the best way to approach love magic is to avoid focusing on a specific individual as a target. Instead, use your energy and skills to focus on yourself — to draw love your way, or to help you present yourself as a person worthy of love. You could use your magical abilities to feel more confident and attractive, much like a magical makeover. In other words, fix yourself, not someone else.

Bear in mind that many Pagan traditions have no restrictions on the use of magic to change someone else. If you’re part of such a tradition, the use of love magic may well be within the boundaries of your ethical guidelines. In some traditions of folk magic, love magic is perfectly acceptable. It’s something that’s done as a matter of course, and is no more unethical than wearing a sexy perfume or a cute push-up bra. Magic is viewed as a tool, and can be used in tandem with the mundane to bring you what you want — after all, if you didn’t want to change things, you wouldn’t be doing magic in the first place, right?

Before casting any sort of working that affects another person, though, be sure to think about consequences. How will your actions affect not only you, but other people? Will it ultimately cause harm? Will it cause someone to be hurt, either directly or indirectly? These are all things that should be evaluated before performing any working at all, whether it’s a love spell or some other type of magic. If your tradition or belief system prohibits you from performing magic on someone without their consent or knowledge, then you’d be better of skipping the love magic, and focusing instead on self-improvement and self-empowerment.

Rather than aiming a love spell at someone and expecting them to become your devoted servant and doormat, consider looking at love spells as a method of (a) getting someone to notice you AND (b) getting the person to, once they’ve noticed you, find all the things about you that they like. If you maintain this perspective, you should be able to work love magic and still keep within your ethical boundaries.

Source: Patti Wigington Published on ThoughtCo

Herbal Magickal Correspondences c 2013

Disclaimer: No herb should be used for medicinal purpose until you have checked with your health care professional to ask if it is safe for you to use it for any reason. The content provided on this website is for informational purposes only and DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PROVIDING OF MEDICAL ADVICE and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health. WitchesofTheCraft.com, any staff member of WitchesofTheCraft.com and/or Lady Carla Beltane are not responsible for any type of negative reaction when using this herb for any reason.

Herbal Magickal Correspondences

The power behind herb magic is formless, shapeless, eternal. It doesn’t care whether you call on it in the name of a Witch Goddess or the Virgin Mary – or tap it within no religious framework at all. It is always there, present in abundance no matter where we are or where we travel in the universe.
Though the power is formless, some materials contain higher concentrations of power than others; these include plants, gems, and metals. Each substance also contain different types of power, or vibrational rates. The vibrations of a piece of pine wood, for example, are far different from those of a perfect, faceted diamond.
This vibratory rate is determined by several factors: chemical make-up, form, density, and so on. The powers resident in herbs are determined by the plant’s habitat, scent, color, form, etc. Similar substances usually possess similar vibrations.
Herb magic, then, is the use of herbs to cause needed changes. These plants contain energies – each as distinct as human faces. For maximum effect, the herbs chosen for a spell should possess vibrations that match your need. Cedar is fine for attracting money, but wouldn’t be of help in a fertility spell.
How does herbal magic work? First, there must be a need. A desire often masquerades as a need, but in magic a “desire” is not enough; there must exist an all-encompassing need.
The nature of the need determines which plants are used. Attracting love, for example, is a common magical need and several dozen plants do the job. (A comprehensive list of plants and their corresponding magical needs is coming up…)
Next, a spell or ritual may need to be devised; much herb magic doesn’t need a complete spell, but some of it does. This spell may be as simple as tying up the herbs in a piece of cloth, or placing them around the base of a candle, lighting the wick, and visualizing your need.
If you wish, your spell can be complex, involving boiling water in a cauldron over a mesquite-wood fire at the edge of the desert while waiting for the Moon to rise, before throwing roots and leaves into the pot.
Third, the herbs can be enchanted to ensure that their vibrations are attuned to the need. To do this, you can simply hold the plant material in your hands and visualize aligning the vibrations of the plant(s) with your magical need.
For example: “I gather you, rosemary, herb of the sun, to increase my mental powers and concentration.”
Fourth, the spell is worked, if you choose to perform this step.
Fifth, once the spell has been worked, or the herbs enchanted and the need visualized, it should be forgotten. This allows it to “cook” and bring your need into manifestation.
When baking a cake, if you look into the oven every few minutes the cake will be spoiled. In magic, as in cooking, keep the oven door shut!
And there you have it. This is how herb magic is worked. Does it sound basic? It is. These are the first steps. As with any art, the student may take herb magic further, exploring new territories. For instance, you may wish to incorporate planetary and days-of-the-week correspondences into your herbal magic workings as well.

Agrimony Protection, banishes negative energy,        sleep(air)
Allspice Prosperity, courage, energy, strength (fire)
Almond Money, wisdom (air)
Angelica Protection, exorcism, health, meditation, divination         (fire)
Anise Protection, psychic awareness, repels evil spirits         (air)
Basil Mend        quarrels, sympathy, happiness (fire)
Benzoin resin Prosperity, astral projection, purification         (air)
Betony Protects against nightmares and despair         (fire)
Borage Psychic abilities, financial gain
Broom Used        to bless weddings (air)
Carnation Feminine energy, healing, strength (water)
Cedar Home        purification, good fortune, luck (fire)
Chamomile Love, meditation, peace (water)
Cinnamon Energy, creativity, financial matters (fire)
Clove Banishing, love (fire)
Copal resin Purification, cleansing (fire)
Damiana Love, lust (fire)
Dill Money, luck, protection (fire)
Fennel Protection, healing (fire)
Frankincense resin Exorcism, purification, spirituality (fire)
Galangal Psychic abilities, luck, money (fire)
Gardenia Love, peace, healing (water)
Ginger Success, courage, strength (fire)
Hazel Divination, psychic abilities, dreams (air)
Holly Protection, luck (fire)
Honeysuckle Healing, love, creativity (earth)
Horehound Protection, exorcism, mental clarity (air)
Hyssop Purification, repel negativity (fire)
Jasmine Dreams, sexuality (water)
Lavender Love, sleep, dreams, meditation, protection         (air)
Lemongrass Psychic abilities (air)
Lilac Protection, divination (water)
Marigold Legal matters, dreams, divination (fire)
Meadowsweet Love, peace (air)
Mint Healing, prosperity, creativity (air)
Mistletoe Protection, fertility, exorcism (fire)
Mugwort Psychic abilities, divination, protection         (earth)
Myrrh resin Purification, healing, spirituality (water)
Orris Root Love         (water)
Patchouli Money, lust, fertility (earth)
Pine Prosperity, fertility, healing (air)
Rose Love, healing, friendship (water)
Rosemary Cleansing, purification, exorcism (fire)
Rue Banishing, protection (fire)
Sage Purification, repels negativity, wisdom (air)
Sandalwood Spirituality, exorcism, healing (water)
Thyme Sleep, protection, courage (water)
Valerian Love, sleep, protection (water)
Vanilla Lust, love, courage (water)
Vervain Love, prosperity, sleep, healing, creativity         (earth)
Wormwood Scrying, divination, exorcism (fire)
Yarrow Love, psychic abilitities, banishing (water)

Herbal Teas and Their Magickal Correspondences c2015

Disclaimer: No herb should be used for medicinal purpose until you have checked with your health care professional to ask if it is safe for you to use it for any reason. The content provided on this website is for informational purposes only and DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PROVIDING OF MEDICAL ADVICE and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health. WitchesofTheCraft.com, any staff member of WitchesofTheCraft.com and/or Lady Carla Beltane are not responsible for any type of negative reaction when using this herb for any reason.

MAGIC HERBAL TEA CORRESPONDENCES



Anise- Calling Spirits
Bergamont- Success
Burdock Root- Purity, Protection
Chamomile- Mediation
Elder Flower- Divination
Eyebright- Mental and Psychic Power
Hyssop- Purification
Lemon (Leaves)- Lust
Lemon Balm- Health, Success
Mugwort- Divination
Mullien- Divination
Rose Hips- Psychic Power and Divination

Correspondences Every Witch Should Know – Candle Colors c.2017

Candle Colors

A basic white candle is good and covers pretty much every intent. However, if you want to add power to your intent pick a coloured candle that mirrors your objective.

Here is a basic colour guide, but it is your choice – if a colour shouts at you to be used, go with your instinct.

Abundance – green, copper, gold

Astral travel – silver, black, purple, blue

Balance – white, silver, green, rainbow

Banishing negativity – black, white, purple

Binding – red, black

Blessing or consecrating – white, lilac, light blue

Cleansing – white

Changes – dark blue, yellow, white

Closure – black

Communication – yellow, white

Confidence – brown, orange, red, yellow

Creativity – orange, yellow

Defence – black, purple, white, dark blue

Divination – gold, lilac, yellow, black

Dreams – silver, purple, dark blue

Employment – orange, brown

Energy – gold, red

Exorcism – black, purple

Fertility – green, brown

Friendship – gold, pink, brown

Gossip, to stop – black, purple, white

Happiness – yellow, pink

Healing – light blue, yellow, pink, pale green

Love – pink, red, white

Luck – green, orange, gold

Money – green, gold

Meditation – purple, white, silver

Mental clarity – yellow, orange, white

Peace – white, black, pink, light blue

Protection – black, white, blue

Psychic powers – purple, black, white, lilac

Transformation – white, orange

Spirit contact – black, purple, lilac

Strength – red, gold, orange

Success – orange, green, gold

Truth seeking – black

Wisdom – purple, black, white


Source: Pagan Portals – Kitchen Witchcraft: Crafts of a Kitchen Witch by Rachel Patterson

In Celebration of Lammas – Using Crystals for Abundance

Disclaimer: No crystal, or gem or stone should be used for medicinal purposes in place of what your health care professional has prescribed for you for any reason. The content provided on this website is for informational purposes only and DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PROVIDING OF MEDICAL ADVICE and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health. WitchesofTheCraft.com, any staff member of WitchesofTheCraft.com and/or Lady Carla Beltane are not responsible for any type of negative reaction when using a crystal or gem or stone for any reason.

In Celebration of Lammas – Using Crystals for Abundance

by Spiralotus

Abundance is the connection to the source of all that is; manifesting a constant flow to support, nourish and expand life as well as creativity. In Chinese Feng Shui the wealth corner is the corner farthest away and to the far left of the front door or the southeast corner, depending on what system you use. If you like to use this system you can set up crystals to attract various forms of abundance there.

Some crystals that are associated with abundance are usually green, yellow, gold or orange. However there are other stones that do not have those colors and work just as well. Yellow Sapphire is associated with Ganesh, Hindu god of prosperity. This stone attracts wealth to the home. An Abundance Crystal is a Quartz crystal with one long part and many tiny crystals at the base to encourage dreams, well-being, and love. Tiger’s Eye helps people with material things and assists by showing the best way to do something. It stimulates wealth and helps create stability to maintain wealth. Citrine should be placed in your wealth corner to attract abundance. Carnelian improves motivation and getting out of a rut. Peridot brings wealth quickly and is best for someone who already has things under control. Topaz helps you appreciate life and makes room for abundance. It taps into your own natural resources and because its facets carry both negative as well as positive charges, it helps manifest desires.

When you decide on a crystal to use cleanse it first by running it under water, charging it in the sun or moon, putting it in a pyramid, or if you are a Reiki practitioner, simply Reiki your crystal. Some people put their crystals in sea salt. This is a great way to cleanse them, just make sure the crystal that you are working with will not be damaged by the salt. Always throw away your salt when you are done.

You can program your crystal to attract a specific form of abundance by holding it in your hands and picturing what you want to manifest in your life. Make sure you keep your area for your crystal clean and charged. Periodically smudging the area will help you with this. In your abundance area you may wish to include something that represents Deity to you and perhaps the type of abundance you want to bring into your life. Being as specific as possible helps to create the energy you wish to attract. As your wealth increases in material, spiritual, and emotional areas be sure to give thanks for what has manifested in your life.

Spiralotus is High Priestess with the Order of the White Moon. As a Reiki Master and Herbalist, she trains women in the healing arts.

Deities of Imbolc c. 2019

The Witches Guide to Lammas c. 2018

 

The Witches Guide to Lammas

A guide to the Sabbat’s symbolism

 

by Arwynn MacFeylynnd

Date: August 1 or 2.

Alternative names: Lughnassadh, Lammastide, August Eve, Harvest Home, Ceresalia (Roman, in honor of the grain goddess Ceres), First Fruits, Festival of Green Corn (Native American), Feast of Cardenas, Cornucopia (Strega), Thingtide and Elembiuos. Lammas, an Anglo-Saxon word, means “loaf mass.” Lughnassadh is named for the Irish sun god Lugh (pronounced Loo), and variant spellings are Lughnasadh, Lughnasad, Lughnassad, Lughnasa and Lunasa.

Primary meanings: This festival has two aspects. First, it is one of the Celtic fire festivals, honoring the Celtic culture-bringer Lugh (Lleu to the Welsh, Lugus to the Gauls). In Ireland, races and games were held in his name and that of his mother, Tailtiu (these may have been funeral games). Second, the holiday is the Saxon Feast of Bread, at which the first of the grain harvest is consumed in ritual loaves. These aspects are not too dissimilar, as the shamanic death and transformation of Lleu can be compared to that of the Barley God, known from the folksong “John Barleycorn.”

Lammas celebrates the first of three harvest celebrations in the Craft. It marks the beginning of autumn, the start of the harvest cycle, and relies on the early crops of ripening grain and any fruits and vegetables ready to be harvested. It is associated with bread because grain is one of the first crops harvested. Those in the Craft often give thanks and honor now to gods and goddesses of the harvest, as well as those who represent death and resurrection.

Symbols: All grains, especially corn and wheat, corn dollies, sun wheels, bread, harvesting and threshing tools and the harvest full moon. Altar decorations might include corn dollies or kirn babies (corncob dolls) to symbolize the Mother Goddess of the Harvest. Other appropriate decorations include summer flowers and grains. You might also wish to have a loaf of whole cracked wheat or multigrain bread upon the altar, baked in the shape of the sun.

Colors: Red, orange, gold, yellow, citrine, green, grey and light brown.

Gemstones: Yellow diamonds, aventurine, sardonyx, peridot and citrine.

Herbs: Acacia flowers, aloes, chamomile, cornstalks, cyclamen, fenugreek, frankincense, heather, hollyhock, myrtle, oak leaves, passionflower, rose, rose hips, rosemary, sandalwood, sunflowers and wheat.

Gods and goddesses: Lugh, Thor, John Barleycorn (the personification of malt liquor), Demeter, Danu, Ceres, sun gods, corn mothers, all grain and agriculture deities, mother goddesses and father gods.

Customs and myths: Spellwork for prosperity, abundance and good fortune are especially appropriate now, as well as spells for connectedness, career, health and financial gain. Sacrifice is often associated with this holiday. Visits to fields, orchards, lakes and wells are also traditional. It is considered taboo not to share your food with others now.

Activities appropriate for this time of the year are baking bread, wheat weaving and making corn dollies or other god and goddess symbols. You may want to string Indian corn on black thread to make a necklace, or bake cornbread sticks shaped like little ears of corn for your Sabbat cakes. The corn dolly may be used both as a fertility amulet and as an altar centerpiece.

Some pagans bake Lammas bread in the form of a god-figure or sun wheel — if you do this, be sure to use this bread in your Lammas ritual’s cakes and ale ceremony, if you have one. During the Lammas ritual, some consume bread or something from the first harvest. Some gather first fruits; others symbolically throw pieces of bread into a fire.

Stones of Imbolc c. 2019

Blessing Ritual for Lammas for Solitaries c. 2018

Blessing Ritual for Lammas for Solitaries

 

Material needed:

Incense
Chalice of water
Salt
Pentacle
Dagger
4 Elemental candles
Chalice of wine
Wand
Plate of bread
Cauldron with a orange candle in it
Fall flowers, ivy, and leaves for decorations

Cast the Circle

Light the cauldron candle and say:

” O Ancient Gods of the Celts, I do ask your presence here.
For this is a time that is not a time,
in a place that is not a place,
on a day that is not a day,
and I await you. ”

Set the plate of bread on the pentacle. Stand still and breathe deeply for a few moments.
Concentrate on the cleansing power of the breath of air, when you feel ready, say:

” I have purified myself by breathing in the life force
of the universe and expelling all evil from me. ”

Lift the plate of bread high and set it back on the altar and say:

” I know that every seed, every grain is a record of ancient time,
and a promise to all of what shall be.
This bread represents eternal life
through the cauldron of the Triple Goddess. ”

Eat a piece of bread, put the wine chalice on the pentacle , lift it high, and then set it on the altar, and say:

” As the grape undergoes change to become wine,
so by the sacred cauldron of life shall I undergo change.
And as this wine can give man enchantment of the divine
or sink him to the lower realms,
so do I realize that all humans rise or fall
according to their own strength and will. ”

Drink some wine and say:

” As in the bread and wine, so it is with me.
Within all forms is locked a record of the past
and a promise of the future.
I ask that you lay your blessings upon me, Ancient Ones,
that this season of waning light
and increasing darkness may not be heavy.
So Mote It Be! ”

The simple feast

Leave a libation for the nature spirits

Close the Circle

Goddess – Rhiannon, Horse Goddess of Wales

Rhiannon – Horse Goddess of Wales

In Welsh mythology, Rhiannon is a horse goddess depicted in the Mabinogion. She is similar in many aspects to the Gaulish Epona, and later evolved into a goddess of sovereignty who protected the king from treachery.

Rhiannon was married to Pwyll, the Lord of Dyfed. When Pwyll first saw her, she appeared as a golden goddess upon a magnificent white horse. Rhiannon managed to outrun Pwyll for three days, and then allowed him to catch up, at which point she told him she’d be happy to marry him, because it would keep her from marrying Gwawl, who had tricked her into an engagement. Rhiannon and Pwyll conspired together to fool Gwawl in return, and thus Pwyll won her as his bride. Most of the conspiring was likely Rhiannon’s, as Pwyll didn’t appear to be the cleverest of men. In the Mabinogion, Rhiannon says of her husband, “Never was there a man who made feebler use of his wits.” After Pwyll’s death, Rhiannon married Manawyden.

The goddess’ name, Rhiannon, derives from a Proto-Celtic root which means “great queen,” and by taking a man as her spouse, she grants him sovereignty as king of the land.

In addition, Rhiannon possesses a set of magical birds, who can soothe the living into a deep slumber, or wake the dead from their eternal sleep.

Her story features prominently in the Fleetwood Mac hit Rhiannon, although songwriter Stevie Nicks says she didn’t know it at the time. Later, Nicks said she “was struck by the story’s emotional resonance with that of her song: the goddess, or possibly witch, given her ability with spells, was impossible to catch by horse and was also closely identified with birds — especially significant since the song claims she “takes to the sky like a bird in flight,” “rules her life like a fine skylark,” and is ultimately “taken by the wind.”

Primarily, though, Rhiannon is associated with the horse, which appears prominently in much of Welsh and Irish mythology. Many parts of the Celtic world — Gaul in particular — used horses in warfare, and so it is no surprise that these animals turn up in the myths and legends or Ireland and Wales. Scholars have learned that horse racing was a popular sport, especially at fairs and gatherings, and for centuries Ireland has been known as the center of horse breeding and training.

Judith Shaw, at Feminism and Religion, says, “Rhiannon, reminding us of our own divinity, helps us to identify with our sovereign wholeness. She enables us to cast out the role of victim from our lives forever. Her presence calls us to practice patience and forgiveness. She lights our way to the ability to transcend injustice and maintain compassion for our accusers.”

Symbols and items that are sacred to Rhiannon in modern Pagan practice include horses and horseshoes, the moon, birds, and the wind itself.

An Iowa Pagan named Callista says, “I raise horses, and have worked with them since I was a child. I first encountered Rhiannon when I was a teenager, and I keep an altar to her near my stables. It’s got horsey things on it, like a horseshoe, a horse figurine, and even braids from the manes of horses I’ve lost over the years. I make an offering to her before horse shows, and I invoke her when one of my mares is about to give birth. She seems to like offerings of sweetgrass and hay, milk, and even music – I sometimes sit by my altar and play my guitar, just singing a prayer to her, and the results are always good. I know she’s watching over me and my horses.”

Source: Paganism/Wicca Expert Article originally published on & owned by About.com 

A Little Humor for Your Day c.2016

I occasionally have to repeat this funny, it is one of my favorites, Enjoy!

Why keeping summoned beings as pets is a bad idea…

 

They may be cute and cuddly when they’re little, but they tend to grow. Fast. To something large.

You can’t flush your overgrown summoned pet down the toilet and no pound will take one. (Trust me on this one. )

Unless you spay or neuter them, they will breed, quickly.

Good luck trying to find a vet that will spay or neuter one…

The feeding costs are astronomical. New Age shops are very expensive. Oh, sorry, I meant “astrological”.

An exotic summoned pet is very difficult to feed. Museums start suspecting your interests in ancient cultures rather quickly.

Getting them used to gourmet food is a bad idea: there aren’t that many virgins around, you see!

Cats sitting on the chest of a sleeping child sucking their life-force out may be a myth. With summoned pets, it isn’t.

No insurance will cover it if your summoned pet bites your guests.

They may even eat your guests while you pop into the kitchen for tea.

When they nibble your toes on Sunday morning, it does NOT feel nice. Besides, you need those toes for proper balance.

Clipping their toenails to save your sofa from being torn into shreds is pretty damn hard.

You think a pet stealing your stuff is bad? Summoned pets steal your stuff and hide it to the astral plane!

Summoned pet dung is difficult to get rid of. They won’t accept it at the toxic waste plant anymore …

Cat’s hairballs are easy to clean away. Try dealing with astral slime puke.

They don’t stay in their cage unless you remember to seal it magickally properly. Every single time.

It also gets a bit tedious to keep that triangle of salt intact in the corner of the living room.

A summoned pet possessing your grandmother is NO fun, I can tell you!

A summoned pet possessing your stereo system may be painful.

Having them play with your altar tools is not cute.

Having them play with your Book of Shadows is even less cute.

Smell of sulfur wafting in the apartment tends to deter Jehovah’s Witnesses and other pests, though… But it does make breathing labored in the long run.

Landlords tend to dislike the “things that go bump in the night” routine you have going on in your flat.

Landlords will detest finding out that paying residents in your block are disappearing as if by magick.

On the other hand, the police may become a tad too interested in the very same phenomena.

It’s not fun to have your pet deciding to “hump” your neighbor’s dog in the middle of your daily walk.

It’s practically impossible to find new, caring homes for the resulting Cerberoses, too.

While it may be cute to have a pet that actually does talk back to you, it’s not nice when they start throwing curses.

It may be nice to have a pet that can retrieve your e-mail along with regular post, but it’s NOT fun having them actually posting replies…

Advanced summoned pets may summon pets of their own. That means BIG trouble.

Last but not least: If you’re not quite careful, you may one day wake up realizing that it is in fact YOU who are the pet in this deal.

 

Source: Author: Faerie K. Article Published On Ecauldron

Brigid, Celtic Goddess of Imbolc c. 2016

 

Brigid, Celtic Goddess of Imbolc

Brigit is the central Irish Goddess. She is known as Brigantia in England and Bride in Scotland. She rules metal work and smithy, fire, poetry, midwifery and martial arts–but is primarily known as a major Mother Goddess. Brigit is a face of the Triple Goddess, and able to see all–often represented by an ever watchful eye. The three heart-shaped leaves of the shamrock recall the magical Celtic number of three, as well as the number of Brigit’s faces. From nine to Nineteen priestesses once tended an undying fire in her name at Kildare. Brigid is so central to Ireland that the newly converted people would not give her up, so her name metamorphosed into St. Bridgid, who in Irish Christian myth acts as tender and supportive friend of Mary and as the midwife at Christ’s birth. Barbara G. Walker writes that to the Irish people, however, she continued to be a Queen of Heaven and the mother of all the deities of the new religion. As the Saint, she also matched wits with St. Patrick, who is as mythical as she. At times they seem to be consorts, at others, adversaries. It cannot have helped their relationship that Patrick is known for ridding Ireland of snakes, and since Bridgid the saint descended from a pagan goddess and priestess persona, whose sacred healing totem is the snake. So when St. Patrick says he is ridding the isle of snakes, what he means is he is ridding it of pagans. Nevertheless, Patricius and Bridgid were often considered the primal Mother and Father, and were supposedly buried together at Derry Down.

Lammas History: Welcoming the Harvest c2018

Lammas History: Welcoming the Harvest

 

THE BEGINNING OF THE HARVEST:
At Lammas, also called Lughnasadh, the hot days of August are upon us, much of the earth is dry and parched, but we still know that the bright reds and yellows of the harvest season are just around the corner. Apples are beginning to ripen in the trees, our summer vegetables have been picked, corn is tall and green, waiting for us to come gather the bounty of the crop fields.

Now is the time to begin reaping what we have sown, and gathering up the first harvests of grain, wheat, oats, and more.

This holiday can be celebrated either as a way to honor the god Lugh, or as a celebration of the harvest.

CELEBRATING GRAIN IN ANCIENT CULTURES:
Grain has held a place of importance in civilization back nearly to the beginning of time. Grain became associated with the cycle of death and rebirth. The Sumerian god Tammuz was slain and his lover Ishtar grieved so heartily that nature stopped producing. Ishtar mourned Tammuz, and followed him to the Underworld to bring him back, similar to the story of Demeter and Persephone.

In Greek legend, the grain god was Adonis. Two goddesses, Aphrodite and Persephone, battled for his love. To end the fighting, Zeus ordered Adonis to spend six months with Persephone in the Underworld, and the rest with Aphrodite.

A FEAST OF BREAD:
In early Ireland, it was a bad idea to harvest your grain any time before Lammas — it meant that the previous year’s harvest had run out early, and that was a serious failing in agricultural communities.

However, on August 1, the first sheaves of grain were cut by the farmer, and by nightfall his wife had made the first loaves of bread of the season.

The word Lammas derives from the Old English phrase hlaf-maesse, which translates to loaf mass. In early Christian times, the first loaves of the season were blessed by the Church.

HONORING LUGH, THE SKILLFUL GOD:
In some Wiccan and modern Pagan traditions, Lammas is also a day of honoring Lugh, the Celtic craftsman god. He is a god of many skills, and was honored in various aspects by societies both in the British Isles and in Europe. Lughnasadh (pronounced Loo-NAS-ah) is still celebrated in many parts of the world today. Lugh’s influence appears in the names of several European towns.

HONORING THE PAST:
In our modern world, it’s often easy to forget the trials and tribulations our ancestors had to endure. For us, if we need a loaf of bread, we simply drive over to the local grocery store and buy a few bags of prepackaged bread. If we run out, it’s no big deal, we just go and get more. When our ancestors lived, hundreds and thousands of years ago, the harvesting and processing of grain was crucial. If crops were left in the fields too long, or the bread not baked in time, families could starve. Taking care of one’s crops meant the difference between life and death.

By celebrating Lammas as a harvest holiday, we honor our ancestors and the hard work they must have had to do in order to survive. This is a good time to give thanks for the abundance we have in our lives, and to be grateful for the food on our tables.

Lammas is a time of transformation, of rebirth and new beginnings.

SYMBOLS OF THE SEASON
The Wheel of the Year has turned once more, and you may feel like decorating your house accordingly. While you probably can’t find too many items marked as “Lammas decor” in your local discount store, there are a number of items you can use as decoration for this harvest holiday.

Sickles and scythes, as well as other symbols of harvesting
Grapes and vines
Dried grains — sheafs of wheat, bowls of oats, etc.
Corn dolls — you can make these easily using dried husks
Early fall vegetables, such as squashes and pumpkins
Late summer fruits, like apples, plums and peaches

CRAFTS, SONG AND CELEBRATION
Because of its association with Lugh, the skilled god, Lammas (Lughnasadh) is also a time to celebrate talents and craftsmanship.

It’s a traditional time of year for craft festivals, and for skilled artisans to peddle their wares. In medieval Europe, guilds would arrange for their members to set up booths around a village green, festooned with bright ribbons and fall colors. Perhaps this is why so many modern Renaissance Festivals begin around this time of year!

Lugh is also known in some traditions as the patron of bards and magicians. Now is a great time of year to work on honing your own talents. Learn a new craft, or get better at an old one. Put on a play, write a story or poem, take up a musical instrument, or sing a song. Whatever you choose to do, this is the right season for rebirth and renewal, so set August 1 as the day to share your new skill with your friends and family.

 

Source: Patti Wigington, Author Published on ThoughtCo

Imbolc Plants and Herbs c 2017

Disclaimer: No flower or plant or herb should be used for medicinal purposes until you have checked with your health care professional to ask if it is safe for you to use it for any reason. The content provided on this website is for informational purposes only and DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PROVIDING OF MEDICAL ADVICE and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health. WitchesofTheCraft.com and/or any staff member of WitchesofTheCraft.com and/or Lady Carla Beltane are not responsible for any type of negative reaction when using this flower or plant for any reason.

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The Witches Correspondences for Lammas c.2018

 

The Witches Correspondences for Lammas

Time of Day: Mid-Afternoon, Noon to 5 pm

 

Time of Life: 40-60’s, Middle Age, Height of Powers, Fatherhood

 

Decorations: Bread, Corn, Wheat, Fruits, Corn Dolly, Green Man

 

Foods: Plums, Peaches, Grapes, Wheat, Lamb, Berries, Barley Cakes, Breads

 

Herbs: Heather, Acacia, Hollyhock, Aloes, Sunflowers, Frankincense, Sandalwood, Rose

 

Tools: Baskets, Lugh’s Spear (Areadbhar), Sickles, Scythes

 

Goddesses: Ceres, Demeter, Corn Mother, Pomona, Mother Earth

 

Gods: Lugh, Mercury, Hermes, Adonis, John Barleycorn, Green Man
Lughnasadh is more of a Men’s Holiday

 

Themes
Harvest, Transformation, Fruitfulness, Change Abundance, Completion, Prosperity, Robustness, Achievement, Letting Go, Reaping, Sacrifice, Purification, Contentment, Bread of Life, Table of Plenty, Ever Flowing Cup, Chalice of Plenty

 

Farming Activities
Harvesting and preserving wheat, corn, vegetables

 

Animals: Crow, Salmon

 

Tarot, Divination: Wheel of Fortune, Justice

 

Colors: Golden Yellow, Light Brown, Purple, Orange, Red-Brown, Brown-Grey

 

Activities, Celebrations
Dancing, Singing, Playing Music, Poetry Reading, Bardic Competitions, Games, Competitions, Men’s Sports, Drinking beer, whiskey, mead, iced tea

 

Sacred Circle (Valley Spirit): South-West, Violet

 

Celebrations:
Lughnasadh – Druid, Neo-Pagan, Lammas – Wiccan, Mea’n Fo’mhair (Greenman) – Druid, Welsh