Category: Articles

English Witchcraft Laws c.2015

English Witchcraft Laws

Definition:

Until 1951, England had laws strictly prohibiting the practice of witchcraft. When the last act was repealed, Gerald Gardner began to publish his work, and brought witchcraft back into the public eye without threat of prosecution. Put into effect on June 1, 1653, the Witchcraft Laws mandated the outlawing of any kind of witchcraft-related activities. The 1951 repeal made it easier for modern Wiccans — Gardner was able to go public just a few years later, when he published Witchcraft Today in 1954.

It’s important to note that the 1653 Witchcraft Laws were not the first to appear in the English judicial system. In 1541, King Henry VIII passed a piece of legislation that made witchcraft a felony, punishable by death. In 1562, Henry’s daughter, Queen Elizabeth I, passed a new law that said witchcraft would only be punished with death if harm had been caused – if no physical harm was done to the alleged victim, then the accused only faced imprisonment.

Examples: Prior to the repeal of the English Witchcraft Laws, British pagans had to practice in secret to avoid prosecution.

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A Thread in the Tapestry of Witchcraft c. 2016

A Thread in the Tapestry of Witchcraft

Author: Crick

Whenever I hear the urban legend that witchcraft died out and then was recently re-discovered… well, I have to shake my head in disbelief. Such a mindset digresses from the expansion of witchcraft, which has been in existence since the dawn of humankind. And which continues to flourish to this very day. There are many threads that lend themselves to the tapestry of witchcraft. And for one thread to claim to be the weaver is very naïve.

In many instances, a witch is simply a healer. Witches employ knowledge of herbs and folk magic to assist those who seek out such help. In spite of all of the negative hype, not all witches engage in seeking out malevolent spirits or seek to engage in grand acts of esoteric knowledge. Unlike religions, witchcraft is not defined by a particular dogma, but rather is a mystical spiritual path with an ever-expanding body of knowledge. It is up to the individual as to how to harness and utilize that knowledge.

In keeping with this thought, back in the mid 1980’s I was married to a wonderful Hispanic woman. And by way of her family, I became aware of the practice of curanderismo. In fact, I recently completed a short course in curanderismo, which was offered through the University of New Mexico.

What is a curandero, you may ask? The word “curandero” is Spanish for “healer”. These healers are found throughout South America and, in recent years, through parts of North America as well. These healers are sometimes known as Shamans. Curandero, as a form of healing, has been around for over a thousand years or so. These folks are healers who manipulate the supernatural world as well as the physical world in an effort to heal. One of the earliest depictions of curanderos is found in the ceramic artwork of the Moche people. Theirs was a civilization that flourished in northern Peru from about 100 C.E to circa 800 C.E. And though Curanderos do not call themselves witches, they employ identical elements in order to heal others in their community. I have no problem as seeing them as yet another thread in the tapestry of witchcraft. For at the end of the day, labels are for those who create them and are often narrow in interpretation.

Within the Hispanic community, if one were to refer to a curandero as a Bruja (female witch) or Brujo (male witch) , this would be seen as an insult, as these terms for “witch” are used to identify folks who engage in sorcery. And the practice of sorcery is considered to be negative as compared to the practices of the curandero. Due to religious persecution and as a matter of survival, curandero became intertwined with Catholicism, much like the Vodou belief system did in order to survive and prosper. As a result of this, Curanderos tend to be very religious and very spiritual and believe that you have to have the Christian God in your heart to be a true healer. Curanderos (male healers) or Curanderas (female healers) believe that illnesses are caused by malevolent spirits, a life lesson from Deity, or from someone placing a curse.

As with any practice, there are specialties that one may engage in, in order to relieve the afflictions that are present in their patients. For instance, “Yerberos” are primarily herbalists. These folks are generally well trained in hundreds of different herbs and their medicinal values. As a witch who lives a homeopathic life, I can certainly relate to such folks. And like many traditional witches, they gather their herbs from the surrounding fields and woods of their locale.

“Hueseros and Sobaderos” are bone/muscle therapists who emphasize physical ailments. They are trained in healing methods that use rub and massage techniques. These healers look for abdominal tenderness, feeling knots in the calves, and/or rolling a fresh chicken egg over the abdomen. Empacho (impact of the stomach) is confirmed if the egg appears to stick to a particular area.

“Parteras” are the midwives and for decades have been the only source of such aid in many Hispanic communities. The Parteras will often employ a method called “manteadas”. This is a form of body rocking on a blanket or shawl, with precise rhythmic movements in an effort to facilitate delivery, promote conception in infertile women and to relax the body by removing stress. It is also used to rearrange the whole body and/or bone dislocation and so forth. Often a rebozo is utilized for this type of healing. The rebozo is a type of long shawl.

Then there are the “Oracionistas” who work primarily through the power of prayer. This type of Curanderas healing is heavily influenced by the Roman Catholic views that have been intertwined with the Curandero path. They are viewed as a type of faith healer. Among these primary specialties there are a number of sub categories. For instance, Yerberos who work primarily with tobacco to heal patients are known as “tabaqueros” (Tobacco-using shaman) . As part of their healing process they employ the use of Nicotiana rustica, (Amazonian wild Tobacco) .

There are Curanderos who employ limpias energeticas (clean energy) , which is a form of ritual for spiritual cleansing. There are those who utilize Jugo terapia (juice therapy) , which as the name indicates is a method of mixing various fruits and herbs as a means of healing.

There are Curanderos who work primarily with ayahuasca and are known as ayahuasqueros. These shamans utilize the spirit of ayahuasca as a means of physical and spiritual healing.
By the same token, Curanderos who work with peyote are known as peyoteros. And akin to the ayahuasqueros, these shamans utilize the spirit of the peyote for spiritual healing. As an interesting side note, as of this writing, there are only three peyoteros in the United States who are licensed to harvest peyote, which is classified as a Schedule I Controlled Substance by the U.S. government.

In closing, I have barely covered the healing techniques, which fall under the description of curanderismo. The whole point of this article is to shed a bit of light on one of the many pools of knowledge that are available to the aspiring witch.

As I stated earlier on, witchcraft is not a single body of knowledge encased in some form of dogma, but rather an esoteric path that is constantly being expanded upon by applying both old and new knowledge. By opening one’s mind and horizons, one is able to continue to grow both mentally and spiritually. A witch is one who is constantly seeking the path to wisdom…

The Trials Of The Pendle Witches (Witchcraft Documentary) | Timeline Video

While the witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts, are well known to us in the USA we need to remember the started long before that all across Europe. This is just one example of what was happening in the 17th century before the witch trials here in the USA.

The Trials Of The Pendle Witches (Witchcraft Documentary) | Timeline Video

Here is a general search to read more about the Pendle witch trials in England in 1612

A Look At The Various Path of the Craft – Faery Witchcraft c. 2018

 

What is a Faery Witch?

Galadriel in Lord of the Rings is a typical Faery Witch. The swan is a common totem for us as well. Here Galadriel is like the Lady of the Lake in the Arthurian Mythos.

 

Characteristics of the Fledgling Faery Witch

*A Faery witch is one who has a special affinity to the Faeries, especially those who are the spectres of the ancestors and the Old Gods.

*Unlike Witches initiated into Wiccan traditions such as the Gardnerian and Alexandrian paths, the Faery Witch is one whose talent comes from deep communion with nature alone. There is no necessity to connect to a line of initiates to become a channel for power. The connection is through the Fay who work through the land and the imagination.

*I believe the Faery Witch is one who has traveled between the Faery and Mortal realms for many lifetimes. Therefore, she or he has a natural ability to ‘see’ spirits in the wilds, is drawn trees, rocks, hills, the turning of the seasons, the moon, and the waters. One such as this will have an innate desire to return ‘home’ in dreams and waking reveries, and maybe even to try to bridge the worlds so that the Faeries can access the Mortal Plane.

Do you want to train your Second Sight?

*Wiccans use many branches of Magic to forge their consciousness and work their enchantments. They often begin with woodland pantheons and expand into other occult traditions and ceremonial magic . As I am not initiated into the Wiccan traditions, I cannot say more. The Faery Witch more often defaults back into communing with the Fay.

*The Faery Witch may be content to walk across the land with intent and heightened consciousness to feel the workings of magic. The relationship between the Witch and the Fay is the magic.

* Animals trust Faery Witches and will communicate with us telepathically.

*Faery Witches are usually drawn to the Arthurian and Holy Grail Mythos. This is because one of main branches of Faery, the Tuathaa de Danaan are Grail Keepers. Many of the stories and myths that came to comprise Arthurian Romance were drawn from the visions of Faery Seers, or Bardic Poets.

*Faery Witches often have poetic talents. Visionary language comes naturally to them.

* Faery Witches do not like iron! Therefore swords are not part of our Magical Regalia.

* Young Faery Witches love Faeries. They also understand what Faeries are at deeper levels than those who may like Faeries but are not Faery Witches.

*Faery Witches are not afraid of disturbing psychic images and undercurrents. We are drawn to the mystery.

 

Faery Glamour

I like to think that Faery Witches have a special glamor of beauty and youth, a quality of stillness and mystery.

*This comes from reading Grimm’s Fairy tales about beautiful Enchantresses and Princesses, the ethereal Faery Queens of Arthurian Romance, legends and folk lore. We must never let ourselves go, or the glamor will be lost. Once the glamor is lost, our power can go with it. For what is glamor but the creation and maintenance of our Magical Self?

* Even as she ages, the Faery Witch exudes the quality of beauty, sexuality, and charm.

* Sometimes alliance with the Faery can take over one’s life. This may cause isolation and loneliness as most others are put off for some reason.It is difficult to inhabit many worlds at the same time.

*We must always guard against psychic attack, for we seem fragile even when we are very strong. This quality disrupts the assumptions of those who would overpower us, inciting their drive to engage in battle.

*The ability of the Faery Witch to see  and communicate with the Unseen endows him or her with the ability to heal others. Alliances with the Fay increase the effectiveness of Faery Healing.

 

Can Faery Witchcraft be Learned?

Joanne Sanow

Can studying Faery Witchcraft cause any harm?

*No. The mind will absorb the lessons in its own measure. Even if one does not develope psychic powers, exposure to the Faery Realm inspires the heart and is a well of creativity that anyone can drawn upon. You can be as you were meant to be and still wear the Glamor of a Faery Witch.

*Psychic Protection is part of the training. Harmless Psychic Self Defense is valuable to everyone.

How old do you have to be to become a Faery Witch?

Old enough to read and carry out exercises. Young people are much closer to Faery than jaded, stressed out adults. Early tuition in Faery Magic can help one cope with life as one ages with a constant sense of curiosity and wonder. There are endless subjects to explore. For this reason, the Faeryland is called the Summer Land, or Land of Eternal Youth.

Source:

Winterspells

Faery Wicca

 

Faery Wicca is also known as Fairy Wicca and it is basically a broad term that consists of all the Wiccan traditions that stresses importance on the Fey (such as sprites, faeries, elves, gnomes, etc), the relation of the Fey with the natural world and also their teachings. Originally written about by the author, Kisma Stepanich. Believers of this tradition are of the opinion that this type of Wicca has originated from the Tuatha De Danaan traditions. </ahref=”view_category.asp?cat=30″>

The Tuatha De Danaan is considered to be the mythological predecessor of the Celts to many although, there are some who are not of the same opinion.

Faery Wicca is a belief that has taken some elements from the Irish mythology, from different non-Celtic sources and also from the interpretation of the history of the Celts by Kisma Stepanich. This belief has also been influenced by the author’s imagination of the Celts as well as the Celtic legend and pseudo history. There are some people who often confuse this with Feri Wicca, a tradition started by Victor Anderson.

Faery Wicca has been inspired by the customs and practices of the modern Celts as well as the ancient Celts. This tradition has more similarities with other modern Wiccan traditions and non-Wiccan traditions. It does not share that many similarities with ‘Fairy Faith’ that it is commonly referred to as in the conventional Gaelic cultures. The followers of the Faery Wicca worship a number of deities and the chief Goddess is none other than the androgynous Star Goddess. The other deities that are worshiped are the various aspects of the primary Goddess and these deities are:

  • The Crone.
  • The Winter King.
  • The Blue God.
  • The Great Mother.
  • The Harvest Lord.
  • The Corn Maiden.

This belief is said to have seven guardians and they are generally called upon at the time of casting the circle. The guardians of the North and West are believed to be female where as the guardians of the South and East are believed to be male. Nobody knows their real names but each of them have a public name which are as follows:

  • Guardian of the Gates.
  • Star Finder.
  • Fire in the Earth.
  • Shining Flame.
  • Heaven Shiner.
  • Black Mother.
  • Water Maker.

There is no doubt that there are few similarities between the Faery Wicca and other Wiccan traditions like appreciation of creativeness, love for beauty and respect for nature. While it maintains some similarities, there a number of customs that differ from the traditional Wiccan Spellcastings.

One of the many differences between this tradition and others is that with Faery Wicca it encourages risking to a greater extent as compared to the other Wiccan customs. It is often said that they follow a different set of rules, then other followers of traditional Wicca. The practitioners of this form of Wicca view themselves as Fey and this means that they are neither black nor white.

You may not know this but possession is practiced in this form of Wicca. The followers believe that Gods are real and the morality system that the Gods have are quite dissimilar from the one that human beings have. Faery tradition can be considered as the mystery tradition that has direct contact with the heavenly and it is also a tradition of ecstasy, power and danger.

Last but not the least, I would like to say that while this tradition is exciting and beautiful, not everyone can be what it takes to be a practitioner of this Wicca and it most certainly is not for the faint-hearted.

Reference

Tatianna Pereslavl-Svyatoslavich
Collaborator, 7Witches Coven

Faery Wicca

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Faery Wicca, or Fairy Wicca, is any tradition of modern Wicca that places an emphasis on the Fey (goblins, elves, faeries, sprites, etc.), their lore, and their relation to the natural world.

“Faery Wicca” may also refer to a specific tradition of Wicca, recently founded by author Kisma Stepanich. Adherents of Stepanich’s Faery Wicca claim that it recovers the traditions of the Tuatha De Danaan, the mythological precursors to the Celtic people; however, this is disputed by those familiar with ancient Celtic polytheism and mythology. Stepanich’s Faery Wicca draws liberally on some degree of Irish mythology, from the author’s interpretation of Celtic history, legend, pseudohistory, imagination, and a variety of non-Celtic sources.

Faery Wicca is not related to the late Victor Anderson’s Feri Tradition of witchcraft, which is sometimes also spelled Faery or Fairy, nor is it directly related to the gay men’s group, the Radical Faeries. Though Faery Wicca may draw inspiration from some of the customs practiced among the ancient and modern Celts, it shares more with other modern Wiccan traditions than with the “Fairy Faith” as it is known in traditional Gaelic culture

Kitchen Witchcraft c. 2016

Eclectic/Faery Witchcraft c. 2016

The Nature of White Witchcraft c.2016

Fracking, or Hydraulic Fracturing, has Several Dangers to the Planet

Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, has several dangers to the planet12345:

  • Loss of plant and animal species due to greenhouse gases, toxic air pollutants, water waste, and noise.
  • Environmental impact related to land use, water consumption, air emissions, brine and fracturing fluid leakage, water contamination, and noise pollution.
  • Health risks from water and air pollution.
  • Distracting governments and the energy industry from investing in clean energy.
  • Prolonging reliance on fossil fuels, which are harmful to the planet.
  • Adverse health effects in populations living near hydraulic fracturing sites, including chemical, physical, and psychosocial hazards.

Friday The 13th: Origins and Witchcraft Associations

For spooky people everywhere, Friday the 13th has taken on the life of a holiday. Parties, tattoo specials, horror movies, and mostly around the belief that Friday is either lucky or unlucky. There’s no 13th floor in buildings, 13th aisle on airplanes. It’s Taylor Swift’s famously lucky number, yet there’s still a phobia, triskaidekaphobia, named for people who are afraid of the number 13. So which is it? And why is it associated with witches??

Friday the 13th’s exact unlucky origins are unclear.

In modern times, Friday the 13th is often associated with the movie, Friday the 13th. And honestly, it has nothing to do with the number, the day or witches and more so to do with frisky teens who aren’t attending to their summer camp jobs.

Modern witchcraft has really reclaimed the number 13 from its unlucky origins and associations with witches. In the 50s and 60s with the rise of Wicca and paganism up to now, many believe that 13 was the ideal number of coven members, likely because of the sort of 13 (its like 12 and some fractions or something) lunar phases in a year.

The association with witchcraft and Friday the 13th is also sort of unclear. Some believe it has to do with the witch trials when some were forced to “confess” that they met with their covens on Good Friday as like an insult to the puritans or … Click here to read the rest of this article – Source: xristiwitch.com

Embracing Friday the 13th: A Sacred Day for the Practicing Witch and the Divine Feminine

Friday the 13th has long been associated with superstition and fear, often regarded as a day of bad luck in popular culture. However, for the practicing witch, Friday the 13th holds a deep and sacred significance, especially for those who work with the energies of the Divine Feminine. Far from being a day of misfortune, Friday the 13th is a powerful time to honor feminine energy, connect with goddesses, and embrace the transformative magic of the number 13 in witchcraft.

The Power of Friday: A Day Dedicated to the Goddess

Friday is named after Freyja, the Norse goddess of love, fertility, beauty, and magic. Freyja embodies the archetype of the empowered woman, and Friday is her day—a time to honor the sacred feminine energies that reside in all beings. In many spiritual traditions, Friday is also connected to Venus, the Roman goddess of love, beauty, and harmony. This day encourages witches to honor their feminine essence, practice self-love rituals, and dive deep into the mysteries of creation and fertility.

For the practicing witch, Friday is an ideal day for rituals related to love, beauty, fertility, and personal power. It is a time to align with the goddess energy, which is nurturing, creative, and deeply intuitive. When this day aligns with the number 13, its significance is amplified.

The Sacred Number 13 in Witchcraft

In modern times, the number 13 is often seen as unlucky, but its roots in spirituality tell a different story. For the practicing witch, 13 is a number of profound spiritual significance. There are 13 lunar cycles in a calendar year, and many witches celebrate the moon as a symbol of the Divine Feminine. Each moon cycle represents a different phase of life, death, and rebirth, which is central to the understanding of magic and witchcraft.

In ancient pagan traditions, 13 was revered as a number of balance and connection to nature. The moon itself, the ruler of tides and emotions, completes 13 cycles every year, making it a powerful number for those who work with lunar energies. In witchcraft, the number 13 symbolizes transformation, renewal, and feminine power. Covens often have 13 members, symbolizing unity and collective strength.

The Feminine Mystique and Friday the 13th… Click here to read the rest of this article – Source: spiritualeclecticwitch.blogspot.com

Wicca and Neo-Paganism

Neopaganism covers a wide range of belief systems which have emerged in the past 50 years, primarily in the UK, Europe, and the United States. This includes the better known Wicca, which is a synthesis of traditions from the British Isles, as well as many less visible groups which draw inspiration from other parts of the world. Based on folk-lore, traditional spiritual practices, anthropology, and a synthesis of esoteric systems, Neopaganism does not have any sacred texts of the same vintage as other religions, although unverifiable claims have been made in a couple of cases (e.g. Aradia, and The Gardnerian Book of Shadows).

Rather, the books presented here are source texts of Neopaganism, and other books which deal with related topics. Many of these books contain outdated or speculative material, and some of the texts here are the product of the Renaissance witch hunters. As a whole, the books here are of historical importance rather than a roadmap to modern pagan practice, and shouldn’t be construed as such. As always, we encourage readers to think critically.

Descriptions of contemporary Neopagan practice and beliefs can be found in the Internet Book of Shadows section of this site.

Twentieth Century

The Books of Gerald Gardner

The Gardnerian Book of Shadows
The Book of Shadows is a Wiccan text which is maintained by the initiated in manuscript form. A Book of Shadows contains description of rituals, spells, and other knowledge. This tradition was carried on by Gerald Gardner, who (depending on the account) either synthesized Wicca, or took it public, during the 1950s.

The White Goddess
Robert Graves’ primary contribution to modern Neopaganism.

The works of Margaret Murray
An essay by J.B. Hare.

The Witch-Cult in Western Europe
by Margaret Murray [1921]
Were there ever REAL witches? If not, what were all the witch trials about? And how about those fairies? Murray tries to answer these and other questions objectively with plenty of documentary evidence. She is often cited as a primary source for Gerald Gardners’ ideology.

The Golden Bough
by Sir James Frazer [1922]
A massive study of the mythological cycle of the Godesses’ lover, the solar God who dies and is reborn. The Golden Bough had a huge influence on Margaret Murray, Robert Graves and Gardner.

Victorian

Aradia, Gospel of the Witches
by Charles G. Leland [1899]
Evidence of a surviving underground Italian pagan religion?
Etruscan Roman Remains in Popular Tradition
by Charles G. Leland [1893]
Stregheria is Italian traditional witchcraft. These are considered historical source documents of the Wicca movement. Some contemporary scholars have questioned the authenticity of Lelands’ scholarship. Recent publications by Raven Grimassi have also added a great deal of depth to the subject of Italian witchcraft. See www.stregheria.com [external site] for more information.
 Gypsy Sorcery and Fortune Telling
by Charles G. Leland [1891]
Leland investigates another traditional system of magic, that of the Rom, or Gypsies.

Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft
by Sir Walter Scott [1885].
Scott covers much of the same evidence for the Witch cult as Murry (albeit in a more popular style). Scott draws few conclusions other than that our ancestors were extremely superstitous.

The Sorceress
by Jules Michelet, tr. by Alfred Richard Allinson [1939]
The story of witchcraft from the medieval to the 17th century, as a covert women’s rebellion which led to modern science and medicine.

The Burning Times

From the 14th to the 17th Century a hysteria spread across Europe which involved torturing and executing people based on accusations that they were witches. Whether any actual practicioners of a pre-Christian pagan tradition were persecuted as the result of a witch trial is up for debate. These books and texts are period documents which illustrate the methods, rationale (such as it was) and history of this persecution. They shouldn’t be taken as illustrative of Neopaganism, but as a warning about religious tolerance and the fragile nature of justice.

The Malleus Maleficarum
[1486], translated by Montague Summers [1928]
The best known witch-hunt manual, a primary source of information on this chilling subject.

Dæmonology
by King James the First. [1597] With Newes from Scotland [1591]
Two texts, one an essay on demons and other denizens of the night, the second a broadside with an account of a famous witch trial from the same period.

The Witch-Persecutions
Edited by George L. Burr [1896].
A short collection of translations of historical documents of the witch craze.

Druids

Although little is actually known about the Druids, that didn’t stop 18th and 19th century intellectuals from building a romantic mythology around them. This was closely associated with the rebirth of Celtic nationalism, as well as the Romantic and Gothic movements. This body of fact and speculation later became a central source of modern Wicca and Neo-Pagan belief and practice.

Irish Druids and Old Irish Religions
by James Bonwick [1894].
A scholarly perspective on the Druids in Ireland, weaving together strands of mythology and anthropology to build a picture of ancient Irish paganism.

The Veil of Isis or Mysteries of the Druids
By W. Winwood Reade [1861]. 277,613 bytes
A typical example of the romantic and misconcieved mid-19th Century literature about Druidry. We now know that the construction of Stonehenge preceded the historical Celts by many centuries.

The Religion of the Ancient Celts
by J. A. MacCulloch [1911]
An authoritative and factual study of ancient Celtic religion, including extensive material on what is actually known about the Druids.

The Barddas of Iolo Morganwg, Vol. I [1862]
The Barddas of Iolo Morganwg, Vol. II [1874]
Iolo Morganwg was one of the first to revive Druidry in the 18th century; however, it is questionable whether these texts are as old as they claim to be. These are nevertheless considered primary source material for the modern Druid revivial.

Antiquity

The Syrian Goddess
translated by Herbert A. Strong [1913]
Lucian of Samosata’s late classical account of Goddess worship, referenced by Robert Graves and other writers as a primary source of information on worship of the Ancient Near Eastern Goddess.

Miscellaneous

The Book of Hallowe’en
by Ruth Edna Kelley [1919]
Learn about Halloween and its pagan roots.

Irish Witchcraft and Demonology
by St. John D. Seymour [1913].
This is a fascinating study of the witch-persecutions in Ireland, along with accounts of paranormal activity.

 Pagan Prayers
by Marah Ellis Ryan [1913]
Traditional spirituality from around the world.

Click on hyperlinks for more detailed information

Witches Answer to Witchcraft Questions

I have books about Witchcraft some I have had for years yet only getting around to reading them now. This is one of those books. “A Witch’s Book of Answers” is an outgrowth of the Open Sesame e-list hosted by Cerelia and me, along with Ororo since 1999. This book is based on actual questions asked on the list over the years — and our responses to them.” As I am reading it the Muse, Calliope, who inspires and guides me quite often on what to post on here she helps with spell wording, new rituals for Esbats and Sabbats, or basically anything I maybe writing, coloring, painting, etc in short she advises me or inspires me anytime I need or want to be creative Calliope whispered in my ear that she would let me know what gems I should pass along to you from A Witch’s Book of Answers.

A Witch’s Book of Answers

By Eileen Holland and Cerelia

Copyright 2003

Page 5 — “Who can be a Witch? Anyone who can find his or her way to the Goddess — and is willing to spend the necessary time reading, studying, learning, and practicing — can be a Witch. A Witch must have patience, imagination, compassion, focus, and willpower.”              by  Eileen

Page 6 —- “What type of attitude should a Witch have? To me, the most important thing that anyone can believe is, “I like myself.” You must like yourself and respect yourself in order to like and respect others. You must be able to do this first, and then take responsibility for your actions.” by Cerelia

“A big part of being a Witch is having respect for yourself. This includes never allowing anyone to mistreat you, physically or otherwise. No Witch should ever tolerate violence or abuse.

I recommend this book for any witch that has a question but cannot find the answer. While this book does not answer every question about Witchcraft, The Craft, The Old Ways or whatever label I any you choose for your path because thank the Great Mother and Great Father we do not follow a religion rather we walk a spiritual path that for the most part we forge a head they way we feel is right to us.

Printable Witchcraft Book for Charms, Spells and Herbs

Charms, Spells, and Herbs PDF from witchcraftsecretmanual.com

I found a few interesting things I want to try in this Witchcraft book that is free to save and/or print. I think it will be a nice addition to my Grimoire.

One Meaning for Blessed Be

From moonlitpriestess.com

Blessed be:

Phrase generally indicating blessings upon a person, object, etc. (example “blessed by thy feet’); frequently used at the end of prayers and the like similarly to “amen” from Christian-based practices. Some Wiccans and Pagans report using the phrase as a greeting or parting. (see also Merry Meet and Merry Part)

Most Common Witchcraft Traditions c.2016

Green Witchcraft c.2018

Hereditary/Solitary Witchcraft c. 2016

The Origins and Practice of Witchcraft c.2018

The Origins and Practice of Witchcraft

A History Of Witchcraft
Witchcraft probably originated about 25,000 years ago in the Palaeolithic era. At that time, humankind and nature were seen as inextricably linked. People acknowledged every rock, tree and stream as deities in the life force, and the Earth as mother, offering both womb and tomb.
Prehistoric Witchcraft
Early man used sympathetic, or attracting, magick – in the form of dances, chants and cave paintings of animals – to attract the herds of animals that provided for the needs of the group, and to bring fertility to humans and animals alike. Hunters would re-enact the successful outcome of a hunt and would carry these energies into the everyday world. Offerings were made to the Mistress of the Herds and later to the Horned God, who was depicted wearing horns or antlers to display his sovereignty over the herds. Animal bones would be buried so that they, like humankind, would enjoy rebirth from the Earth Mother’s womb.
Where hunter-gatherers today continue the unbroken tradition that stretches back thousands of years – for example, among the Lapps in the far North of Scandinavia and the Inuits – these rites continue, led by a shaman, or magick man, who negotiates with the Mistress of the Herds or Fish in a trance for the release of the animals.
One of the earliest recorded examples of shamanism is the Dancing Sorcerer. Painted in black on the cave walls of Les Trois Freres in the French Pyrenees, this shamanic figure, which portrays a man in animal skins, dates from about 14000 BC and stands high above the animals that are depicted on the lower walls. Only his feet are human and he possesses the large, round eyes of an owl, the antlers and ears of a stag, the front paws of a lion or bear, the genitals of a wild cat and the tail of a horse or wolf.
By the Neolithic period, which began around 7500 BC and lasted until about 5500 BC, the hunter-gatherer culture had given way to the development of agriculture, and the god evolved into the son-consort of the Earth Mother. He was the god of vegetation, corn, winter and death, who offered himself as a sacrifice each year with the cutting down of the corn, and was reborn at the mid-winter solstice, as the Sun God.
The Neolithic period also saw the development of shrines to the Triple Goddess who became associated with the three phases of the Moon: waxing, full and waning. The Moon provided one of the earliest ways by which people calculated time. Since its cycles coincided with the female menstrual cycle, which ceased for nine moons if a women was pregnant, the Moon became linked with the mysteries first of birth, then of death as it waned, and finally with new life on the crescent. Because the Moon was reborn each month or, as it was thought, gave birth to her daughter each month, it was assumed that human existence followed the same pattern and that the full moon mirrored the mother with her womb full with child.
The full moon was also associated in later ages with romance and passion, originally because this coincided with peak female fertility. Moon magick for the increase of love and fertility is still practised under the auspices of the waxing moon. It was not until about 3,000 years ago that the male role in conception was fully understood in the West, and only then were the Sky Father deities able to usurp the mysteries of the Divine Mother.
A trinity of huge, carved stone goddesses, representing the three main cycles of the Moon, and dating from between 13000 and 11000 BC, was found in France in a cave at the Abri du Roc aux Sorciers at Angles-sur-l’Anglin. This motif continued right through to the Triple Goddess of the Celts, reflecting the lunar cycles as maiden, mother and crone, an image that also appeared throughout the classical world.
Source: PRACTICAL GUIDE TO WITCHCRAFT AND MAGICK SPELLS
Cassandra Eason

The Four Rules and The Law of White Witchcraft c.2018

The Four Rules and The Law of White Witchcraft

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

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

The Four Rules

  1. Live – Live each day as if it were your last, for one day you will be right.
  2. Love – Love yourself first and foremost. For when you truly love yourself, loving those around you will come as easily as breathing – and we all must breathe.
  3. Learn – Learn your life’s lessons – each as it comes – for that is the reason we are here.
  4. Enjoy – Enjoy your life, because if you do not most likely someone else will enjoy it for you… and then your time here will have been wasted.

The Law: Harm None.

Explanations

Live

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

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

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

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

Love

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

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

Learn

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

Enjoy

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

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

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

The Law: Harm None

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Merry Part and Blessed Be
Torin W.
 
Torin Wathame  © 1996 White Circle Enterprises

Witchcraft Is A Way of Life c.2016