Go placidly amid the noise and haste and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others;
even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their stories.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself to others you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career …
however humble, it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in business affairs; for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is:
many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly to the council of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune;
but do not distress yourself with these imaginings;
many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars
You have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore, be at peace with your Gods, whatever you perceive them to be,
and whatever your aspirations in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace with your soul.
With all of it’s sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
Be careful. Strive to be happy.

–-Max Ehrmann

Song of the Witch

Will you be of Wicca, tonight?
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Tyme.
Then come with me to the Circle of Light.
Bend the Will; the Wish you shall find.

Take up these herbs and brew up a tea.
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Tyme.
And drink it all down; the gods you shall see.
Bend the Will; the Wish you shall find.

Take up the glass, and look at your face.
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Tyme.
Go into yourself and find a new place.
Bend the Will; the Wish you shall find.

Go to the Woods, and find an Oak tree.
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Tyme.
And cling to it tight, and strong you shall be.
Bend the Will; the Wish you shall find.

Go to the Mountains and call to the Wind.
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Tyme.
And fly through the Air with the Thoughts that you send.
Bend the Will; the Wish you shall find.

Fly to the Sun, and touch its bright Flame.
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Tyme.
Open your Mind; now choose a new Name.
Bend the Will; the Wish you shall find.

Go to the Sea, and call to the Moon.
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Tyme.
Raise up your arms, then sing out Her tune.
Bend the Will; the Wish you shall find.

Now join your hands with Those who surround.
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Tyme.
Now share the Power that we send around.
Bend the Will; the Wish you shall find.

We shall part, but meet again soon.
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Tyme.
To dance, and sing, and Call Down the Moon.
Bend the Will, the Wish you shall find.

–Selena Fox
Published on Pagan Library

We will get back to posting Witchcraft information, just as soon as I figure out which end is up. Till then, please bear with us….

The Cauldron Chant

We form the Circle,
The Circle most round.
We form the Chalice,
The Chalice now found.

We call the Goddess,
to meet the great need.
We call the God,
To plant His fertile seed.

We call the quarters,
which we call four.
We summon the powers,
that contain the force.

We stir the Cauldron,
from which we were born.
We call the Gods,
from whom we were torn.

We say the words,
which lead us round.
We pass the kiss,
with our lovers found.

We face our dreams,
in nights psychic flight.
We face our hopes,
in bright moon of the night.

We face our fears,
on the Dark Lords Horn.
We face our failure,
in the Mothers new planted corn.

We live our lives,
drumming and dancing on the meadow.
We confront our Death,
in the dancing moon light shadow.

Our paths run quickly,
on fleet foot and wing.
Our Circle is joyous,
with our Queens and our Kings.

Let our little Circle be happy,
with Bell, Bowl or Bow.
And form now this Circle,
with gracious Love, Joy and Hope.

–Ammond ShadowCraft,
Published on Pagan Library

The Awakening

Let me sing you a tale of magics of old,
of powers that slumbered through long years untold.
Let me weave you a song of a memory revived,
calling the Old Ones, their time has arrived.

Bale fires are lighting through all of the land,
the fey folk are dancing, their hour is at hand.
Their music is heard in the chattering stream,
their call echoes out on the wings of a dream.

Beyond the townships, where common folk sleep,
in moors and in meadows, in forests so deep,
Witches are gathering at the dark of the night,
to dance and to worship, bathe in moonlight.

They’ve winded the horn, they have opened the door,
the magics returning to slumber no more.
By the spells they have woven, the runes the have told,
they’ve awakened the Goddess, and the Horned One of old.

And those who have gathered now join hand in hand,
their voices are chanting, throughout all the land.
The God and the Goddess, at last will be heard,
their children, the witches, are spreading the word.

They sing songs of power when the moon, she is high,
They chant songs of joy when the sunrise is nigh,
They dance through the meadows, and through darkened streets,
join their ancient rhythm, when your circle meets,

Come dance to their rhythm, when your circle meets.

Andrew Daws, Author
Originally Published On Pagan Library
Republished on Witches of the Craft

Reminded that we are still feared,
Reminded that we are still associated with all
the old myths and stereotypes
Reminded that we still have a long way to go
to change our stigma and remove the fear people
associate with us.
Most of all calm the fire that burns in my spirit
when I think back to 1950 before I was born,
before I ever got to meet one of my dear family
members because of fear and hatred that ran
through the people’s heart and veins, hatred for witches.

I never knew my aunt but I have been told the stories,
stories that will always burn in my heart and my soul.
How the mob came for her one night in 1950,
her and two other women they took behind the floodwall.
There the mob played judge and juror and passed
sentence on my aunt and the other two women.
“Guilty” was the cry, Guilty of witchcraft they declared.
With that they put the noose around my aunt’s neck
and in a matter of moments, she would be no more.

I never knew my aunt only through stories do I know
her now.
It burns deep within my soul and my heart what happened
back in May of 1950.
My blood boils and vengeance I want to seek
Anger at the ignorance, intolerance and hysteria that took
my aunt from me.
Seek vengeance, oh, yes indeed
But what good would it do,
I can accomplish more by remembering her and
telling her story so others will know her and her plight.
A woman I never got to know but took from me by
an angry mob.

Fight fire with fire, no!
Fight fire with the truth.
Letting the ignorant know our true story and history.
Our persecution throughout the centuries.
Let them know, we have suffered and some have
paid the ultimate price.
We are the survivors, descendants of great ancestors,
We are the ones they couldn’t burn or hang and
We say enough is enough.

Now is our time
Our ancestors paved the way for us,
Now we proudly walk that Path.
Never resting till no brother or sister
has to fear being a witch.
Never again fear being a witch,
How wonderful and glorious that sound
Never again, be afraid to call yourself a witch
Instead proudly proclaim it,
I AM A WITCH
this is my goal
this is my purpose.

My heart burns and my heart aches when
I think back to 1950 for the woman I never
knew.

Vengeance I do not seek, truth I do.

–-Lady of the Abyss

The Power of Circle

And so they gathered
and within the circle
became more than
when they were apart.
The sharing of laughter,
of wailing, of joy.
The rising together
to dance upon the earth.
Women laughing, weeping
shouting to the skies
one in strength and power
open and vulnerable together.
And here, right here was known
the Divine Feminine.
Together, apart, we are
She Who Loves, Who Nurtures,
Who Guards and Guides.
Sisters, let us join hearts together.
Join hands around the earth.
Singing, laughing, dancing,
weeping, shouting, stomping.
Each in our place, together in our hearts.
May our love and power
be set free and may
we usher in the Light.

~ Joss Burnel ~
Poetry Inspired By Three Wise Women
Joss Burnel, Priestess Mystic, Wild Woman

My Circle

The women in my life
sing my song
on days when I
have forgotten
who I am
they remind me
of the love and glory
that flows steadfast
through my veins

I neglect
to reach out to them
at times
when anxiety
overwhelms and I’m not
sure who I truly am

They hear me
even when I am not
calling out to them
somehow
they know
get out the rose quartz
hold it at your side
bathe yourself in the
river’s energy
go and lean on the
old gnarled tree

And just like that
I am back
fully present to my self
Where would I be?
Who would I be
if not for the glory
of belonging
to the circle of women?

Beautiful
Glorious
Powerful
Awake
Vulnerable
beyond measure
They are who I am.

~ Joss Burnel ~
From the Book, Wild Woman: Poetry Inspired By Three Wise Women
Joss Burnel, Priestess Mystic

By the Earth that is Her Body

Earth holds and supports us like the arms of the great Goddess. It’s the
ground we stand on. Trees take root in it. Meadows rise from it. Crystals
grow within it. It grows our grain and gives us our green herbs. No other
element captures the Mystery of the Mother as well as the element that composes
Her body.

All the elements, earth, air, fire and water, have correspondences: magickal
tools and qualities that are associated with them, which can vary from
tradition to tradition. (Women’s traditions tend to be pretty flexible, so
don’t think of these as graven in stone.) The correspondences are part of the
symbolic richness of women’s rituals. What we know about Goddess can’t be
expressed in words, and rituals rife with symbolism lead us to that
inexpressible knowledge better than any speech could ever do. When we invoke
the qualities of the elements, we surround ourselves with the images of
Mystery.

The element of Earth corresponds to the direction North. Its season is winter,
and with winter comes quiet, thoughtfulness, and awareness without distraction.
Moving waters freeze. The riot of summer growth is dormant. With quiet comes
the ability to keep silent, to hold secrets, to listen, and to speak mindfully
and purposefully. Its magickal tool is the pentacle, the five-pointed star
inscribed in the circle, an ancient symbol of magick. Earth corresponds to
midnight, the witching hour, a time when truth is laid bare. Earth’s
corresponding colors are black, like night, and the colors of what it supports,
green and brown. It is also the element of metals, ores, crystals and
minerals. For this reason, the element of Earth corresponds to wealth and
material comfort, from gold and jewels to career and home. Earth and its
correspondences are heavily used in spellwork because material lack is a
problem for many women, maybe most of us. And, Earth is the final return of
energy when we ground. Earth is something we can readily touch and feel and
smell. It’s so prevalent that it only takes a little opening up to become
aware of the Mystery that continually surrounds us.

Earth is both a comfort and a source of disquiet, even fear. You can break
open a newly baked loaf and smell the Earth in its intoxicating scent. You can
also seek the unseen and find yourself in the dark. The Dark Goddess is
symbolized by Earth. The Old One knows and loves the Light. She has been a
Maiden and a Mother, and She knows what passion is. But She is also the
Destroyer, not just cleaning up after the party’s over, but a necessary part of
the Wheel of Life. In the end, the Dark Goddess will cradle us when the Crone
beckons us from across the Veil, kind and loving, but also inexorable.

Dark and Light are parts of the same weave. The element of Earth can teach us
to embrace them both.

– Silverskye

SONG OF THE GODDESS

I am the Great Mother, worshipped by all creation and existent prior to their
conscious-ness. I am the primal female force, boundless and eternal.

I am the chaste Goddess of the Moon, the Lady of all magick. The winds and
moving leaves sing my name. I wear the crescent Moon upon my brow and my feet
rest among the starry heavens. I am mysteries yet unsolved, a path newly set
upon. I am a field untouched by the plow. Rejoice in me and know the fullness of
youth.

I am the blessed Mother, the gracious Lady of the harvest. I am clothed with the
deep, cool wonder of the Earth and the gold of the fields heavy with grain. By
me the tides of the Earth are ruled; all things come to fruition according to my
reason. I am refuge and healing. I am the life-giving Mother, wondrously
fertile.

Worship me as the Crone, tender of the unbroken cycle of death and rebirth. I am
the wheel, the shadow of the Moon. I rule the tides of women and men and give
release and renewal to weary souls. Though the darkness of death is my domain,
the joy of birth is my gift.

I am the Goddess of the Moon, the Earth, the Seas. My names and strengths are
manifold. I pour forth magick and power, peace and wisdom. I am the eternal
Maiden, Mother of all, and Crone of darkness, and I send you blessings of
limitless love.

Charge of the God

Listen the the words of the Great Father, who of old was called Osiris, Adonis, Zeus, Thor, Pan, Cernunnos, Herne, Lugh and by may other names:

“My Law is Harmony with all things. Mine is the secret that opens the gates of life and mine is the dish of salt of the earth that is the body of Cernunnos that is the eternal circle of rebirth. I give the knowledge of life everlasting, and beyond death I give the promise of regeneration and renewal. I am the sacrifice, the father of all things, and my protection blankets the earth.”

Hear the words of the dancing God, the music of whose laughter stirs the winds, whose voice calls the seasons:

“I who am the Lord of the Hunt and the Power of the Light, sun among the clouds and the secret of the flame, I call upon your bodies to arise and come unto me. For I am the flesh of the earth and all it’s beings. Thru me all things must die and with me are reborn. Let my worship be in the body that sings, for behold all acts of willing sacrifice are my rituals. Let there be desire and fear, anger and weakness, joy and peace, awe and longing within you. For these too are part of the mysteries found within yourself, within me, all beginnings have endings, and all endings have beginnings.”

So Mote It BE!

Credit: Siobhan

The Charge of the Goddess

I am the quickening of the seed in Springtime, the glory of ripe fields in Summer, and the peace of the quiet woods as the snow calms the Earth in Winter. I am the lilt of the maidens’ melody in the morning, the patient hand of the Mother and the deep river of the mysteries taught by moonlight.

I give the creatures of the earth the gifts of song rising from the heart, the joy of autumn sunset, the cool touch of the renewing waters, and the compelling call of the drum in the dance. To you I give the joy of creation and the companion of beauty to light your days.

By the powers of the steadfast Earth and the wheeling stars I charge thee; by the darkness of death and the white light of birth I charge thee; and by the terrible strength of your human spirits, I charge thee:

Strive always for the growth of your eternal soul, never intentionally diminish your strength, your compassion, your ties to the earth or your knowledge.

Challenge your mind, never accept complacently that which has been the standard merely for the reason that it is the standard by which the majority judges itself.

Thirdly, I charge thee, act always for the betterment of your brothers and sisters. To strengthen them is to forge the true chain of humanity, and a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

You are my children, my brothers and sisters and my companions. You are known in great part by the company you keep, and you are strong and wise and full of the powers of life. It is yours to use them in my service, and I also, am known by the company I keep.

Go forth in joy and the light of my love, turning to me without fear when the darkness threatens to overcome you, and turning also to me to share your triumphs and your achievements, and know in your heart of hearts that we are together in blood and spirit ’til the last star darkens in the sky and winter comes to the universe.

—Kyri Comyn, Author

Spirituality

“What is `spirituality’? Does it matter much today?
And what is something `sacred’? Is it black and white…or grey?”
These were the queries of a youngster, and gave me pause for thought;
And as I rummaged through my mind, I found the words I sought.
“Spirituality is a relationship ‘twixt the Universe and you,
And how you behave will manifest, no matter what you do!

It’s a friendship with creation – with stones and plants and trees,
With birds and deer and butterflies…and even bumblebees;
It’s knowing that the life you have, is found in them, as well;
It’s awareness that creation is found in every realm,
And that all of it is sacred and all of it’s divine!
That means it’s very special – and will be for all time!

The answers to your questions are both black and white, and gray,
As spirituality and sacredness depends on you…each day!”
I pondered well his queries as he slipped out the door,
And wondered if I’d answered well – or if I should say more…
But looking out the window, I saw him smile at me,
And knew that I’d said plenty, as he reached out and hugged a tree!

—Kalioppe

Pagan’s Way

Not for my feet, the Mage’s High Golden Road.
My heart is set in silver,
Wind in the trees,
Green grass beneath my feet,
And the Moonlit grove.

Content with the power in the deep bones of the Earth Mother,
I would not command the heavens.
I have trod the Solitary Path, and shall again.
I have heard the Lady’s laughter at Moonrise,
And suffered Her tender scourge in my heart.

I have eaten with the Lord of Shadows
And been re-born
I have spied shy, horned faces
Peering golden-eyed from the rocks at the circle’s edge.

And I have called to the Watchers at the World’s four quarters.
And from their gates, They answered.
I have watched the Salamanders dance in the fire’s embers,
And the Undines in the chortling streams.

All this I know, and more
I have no need of the passionate cold of the Celestial vault.
Or the comet’s fire.
I will walk my quiet road in peace,
And conjure spiral wonders
For the morning’s Sun is gold enough for me.

—Gale Perrigo, Author

Green Leaves

The stars are shining, the Moon is clear
In the rustling leaves Nature’s voice is clear
The river murmur through Spring and Summer
The song of The Lord and The Lady

Green leaves in the evening breeze
Where the people gather beneath the trees
Priest and Priestess and people joining
To honour The Lord and The Lady

The Earth is singing down here below
While we join in the firelight glow
The chanting rise to the stormy skies
In the praise of The Lord and The Lady

Green leaves in the evening breeze
Where the people gather beneath the trees
Priest and Priestess and people joining
To honour The Lord and The Lady

All powers below and all powers above
Have joined together to bless and love
All Nature blending Their people sending
Their love to the Lord and The Lady

Green leaves in the evening breeze
Where the people gather beneath the trees
Priest and Priestess and people joining
To honour The Lord and The Lady

—-Author Unknown
Originally Published on Pagan Library

New Words & Old

In the autumn of the lightnings, in the mighty-voic’ed throng
In the twilight were the offerings, with both chants and full-throat song:
These the People, born to silence
These the Seekers, born to sight
These the Wanderers, born to roaming
These frail Humans, born to night…
In the winter’s swirling blizzard, in the quaking of great trees In the night-black child of charring, in the wavering, fitful breeze:
These the Wicca, seeking knowledge
These the Shamen, knowing care
These the Students, always reading
These the Hopeful, who despair…
In the spring-tide’s joyous growing, in the flower and the leaf In the summer’s dearth and plenty, saving up to stoke Belief:
Hear the Mother, gentle-voicings
Hear the Father, rumbled whisper
Hear the Children, gay and laughing
Hear the Many – sing your vesper…
Now the Bard and Druid gather
Now the Priestess calls afar
Now the Time to Watch and Listen
Now the Time to practice more!

–Kihe Blackeagle, Author
Originally published on Pagan Library

Song of the Seasons

Come and wake the sleepers
Rouse them with a song
Tell them winter’s over
Though it has been long

Sing awake the flowers
Bushes, grass, and trees
Tell them spring is here now
Sun and birds and breeze

Set the world to dancing
Soon will summer come
Pan is playing pipes and
Gaia beats her drum

Now the seeds of autumn
Set so long ago
Must awake and ready
For it’s time to grow

by Elizabeth Barrette
Published on Greenhaven: A Pagan Tradition