Your Deck of Ancient Symbols Card for 4/9

Your Deck of Ancient Symbols Card for Today
 
 

The Believer

The Believer represents Faith and the realization that you have an important place in the workings of the Universe. Although The Believer may not always understand why things are the way they are, they none-the-less feel an underlying cosmic rhythm which is moving events in a direction that is good. The Believer rejoices in their celestial role, because they realize their life has purpose on a grand scale.

As a daily card, The Believer denotes a time when you will benefit by embracing and exploring your place in the Universe. The Believer confirms that you have inherent value far beyond our secular existence; that you are an important part of the both the grandeur and the mystery of our Cosmos.

The Secret of the Witch

The Secret of the Witch

Author: Lady Lira

Keeping something a secret is sometimes one of the hardest things a person might have to do, especially if it’s a really big, juicy, important secret.

Like being a witch.

It’s tough to hide part of who you are, but the fact is large sums of pagans out there have to do it every day. Perhaps your co-worker is a Druid, or your classmate is a Wiccan. Maybe your Aunt Marge is a Hedge Witch, or that stranger walking down the street is a Shaman. You may never know it, even when they’re staring you right in the face…all because they keep it a secret.

I, like most pagans, have to live with the secret that I am studying the Magickal Arts. My mom is aware that I’ve dabbled in a bit of Wicca, and goddess bless her open-minded soul, but it’s not a topic that I’m too eager to bring up at dinner-time, since she’s not too fond of religious discussions. But except for her, I keep my secret hidden from the rest of the world, afraid that I’ll be beaten down for my ‘offbeat’ interests.

I was raised Christian, since the majority of the family followed that faith though it wasn’t long before I (and my mother) began to fade away from the church (I was probably about eleven at the time) . Eventually we became agnostic, though it took a while before the guilt of not believing in the Bible eased up. I found myself feeling lost and confused with no solid beliefs, and often wondered about those heavy universal questions: “How?” and “Why?”

I was so frustrated with the world, and I couldn’t seem to sort out what was truth and what was just a bunch of woven lies.

Growing up, even in a Christian family, I had always adored magic (k) and fantasy. I was always the kid who wanted to believe in something a little longer than she should, like Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy. I was the avid Harry Potter Fan, even though my grandma looked down begrudgingly on its witchly contents. In my heart, I knew it was all real to some degree. It HAD to be real…the magic (k) , the wonder, the dreams of a young child. Because if it wasn’t…then I would have lost a part of my soul.

It wasn’t until a year and a half ago that I came across the workings of real Witchcraft. A good online friend admitted to me the experiences she went through as a young teen Wiccan- the fun and wonder it brought her, but also the terrible mockery and discrimination she faced.

That night I decided to Google ‘Wicca’ and ‘Witchcraft’ and I found pages and pages of beliefs and a wealth of information. Wicca and all its forms (from Fae and Draconic to Gardnerian and Alexandrian and all the versions in between) , Druidry, Shamanism, Dianic, Minoan, Eclectic… the list went on forever! I couldn’t believe it! All these different religions, and they all practice magick? Real, actual magick? Plus they tied in with my growing love of ancient mythology!

I was enthralled, intrigued, and deliriously delighted beyond my wildest and craziest dreams. I had stumbled upon the secret, the part of myself that I would mask from my friends and classmates. I’d discovered the occult arts, “The knowledge of the hidden, ” as it translates. I was back on the path to spiritual enlightenment, and very excited (Well, it was more like I was wandering through the woods, edging clumsily toward the path) . I looked into Wicca more closely, and found was one of the closest religions I had found yet that complimented my personality. I’ve been on and off then on again in my study, learning what I can, when I can, always tempted by the oh-so-fascinating and mysterious subject.

My Wondrous Path So Far: I keep a tiny composition notebook wrapped in rustic brown paper that serves as an inconspicuous Book of Shadows, and any form of an altar is yet to be set up. I’m still trying to discover what Gods and Goddesses I will follow, but that is all part of my journey in finding my path and myself. As far as any books involving Wicca or Witchcraft… they are allowed to rest freely on my rickety wooden shelf, except when company stops by for an over-night visit. Sometimes I feel more comfortable hiding them away under the bed or a crummy sofa cushion just to avoid any awkward questions.

It’s not something I want to hide, the fact that I started studying witchcraft, but I feel its necessary in my time and place, at least for now. I’m dominated by a school world ruled by the concept of Bully vs. Victim, a hub where even the slightly weird, unique, or unordinary are picked on and laughed at.

It can be like that even in the adult world, which leads to the main reason why so many prefer to study in secret rather than express themselves out in the open: It’s the fear of not being accepted, or being “disowned” by your extra faithful Christian family. It’s the the worry that maybe your friends will give you a funny look or your boyfriend will call you crazy. No one wants to feel ashamed or un-liked, so in many cases, it is easer to simply keep silent.

I congratulate those who are brave enough to proclaim their faith, and I remind those of you who have open-minded and accepting friends, family, or coven members that you are very fortunate. I end here by saying that though it may be a secret now, it is also one of the greatest gifts. Perhaps one day soon I will able to feel more comfortable and open about discussing my ambitious pursuit of magickal knowledge.

As I continue to learn and explore the Craft, I continue to grow as a person…

And I continue to hold the secret of the witch.

Weekend Lunar Love Horoscope for 4/8 – 4/10

Weekend Love: Lunar Love

by Jeff Jawer

Fun, First and Foremost

April 8 – 10

Friday is easy and breezy, a chatty time that’s perfect for freelancing and flirting. The Moon is in bouncy Gemini where we want to do more than one thing at a time. Prepare for plans to change quickly as we desire diversity and crave variety in our social lives. The playful spirit starts early with lunar connections to magnetic Venus, optimistic Jupiter, the confident Sun and talkative Mercury, spicing the day with curiosity and coquettish behavior. We tend to take things lightly with the Moon in this airy sign, preferring light chats to serious conversations.

If there are important topics to discuss, it’s better to wait until Saturday when the Moon enters emotionally aware Cancer. Normally a Cancer Moon provides an atmosphere that is reflective and comfortable for addressing complex feelings. Yet a stressful lunar square (90-degree angle of tension) to electrifying Uranus charges up Saturday evening with unpredictability and uncertainty. Insecurities can suddenly surface to upset peace and alter plans. It’s best not to over-react to irrational behavior since this is a highly charged force that can’t be stopped; it simply needs to be expressed and then allowed to blow over. Tough lunar aspects continue to create waves throughout the rest of the weekend.

Patience and a willingness to work through difficult issues can make Sunday a productive time for partnerships. However, it’s tempting to allow discontent to undermine trust. A solid foundation needs to be in place before some of these matters can be handled in a constructive manner.

Magickal Goody for 4/6 is Sleep Brew

Sleepy Brew

1 part Rose petals

1 part Myrtle leaves

1 part Vervain

Soak rose petals in a pot of water for three days. Add more rose petals each day. On the third day, add myrtle and vervain at sunrise and let soak all day. That night, just before going to bed, bathe your forehead with three handfuls of the brew. Your sleep should be free from nightmares. Use this brew until gone, then make another batch if needed.

Your Daily Number for 4/4: 2

Your Daily Number: 2

You may find yourself more sensitive to the world around you today. Your intuition is heightened, and you may find yourself longing for knowledge. You’re feeling somewhat emotionally exposed to the world, so be careful to guard against insecurity and keep your feet firmly planted on the ground.

Fast Facts

About the Number 2

Theme: Adaptable, Tactful, Gentle, Cautious
Astro Association: Moon
Tarot Association: High Priestess

EXCHANGING KLUTZINESS FOR GRACEFULNESS SPELL

EXCHANGING KLUTZINESS FOR GRACEFULNESS SPELL

Ingredients

Exchanging Klutziness for Gracefulness Spell

November 29th, 2003


Whenyou’re feeling klutzy, think of an animal that represents gracefulness to you, such as a butterfly or a gazelle. Sit quietly in a dark room, breathing deeply for a few minutes, then ask the spirit of that animal to join you and to give you some of its gracefulness. Envision the animal spirit entering your aura and remaining with you, and in you, for several minutes. Then thank the spirit for sharing its energy with you and know that your klutziness has vanished.

By: Therese Francis

EYE COLOR

EYE COLOR

Ingredients

Sit comfortably where you won’t be distracted.
Clear your mind and start by thinking about what color you want your eyes to be.
I get an idea of what color I want and I think of my face like a mask I am holding up about 5 inches
from my eyes so I can see behind it. Then I think of a light (like a flashlight) shining through the
eyeholes of the mask. It starts dim but it gets really bright and he light is the color I want my
eyes to look I try to hold that idea for as long as I can I see the eyes of the mask fill up with
that color and then I visualize putting the mask on and absorb it under my skin so my eyes
become that color. I don’t chant or anything since I find it to take most of my concentration
to visualize it and make it stick. I do burn a little incense sometimes but it doesn’t really matter
what I burn it’s just to relax my mind.
Mine last about an hour and a half for most of them.
Which for the most part I’m only doing them for special occasions (like parties) so I don’t
need them for much longer if I do I can do a touch up in the bathroom (same Idea as
makeup touch up just visualize a quick zap)

EYE GLAMOUR SPELL

EYE GLAMOUR SPELL

Ingredients

You Will Need: One or more candle(s) of the color you want your eyes to be, a pentacle
Light the candle(s) and sit in front of it.
Clear your mind and chant three or more times
“1 2 3 change for me, 1 2 3 (current color)
to (color you want your eyes to be)”
Once again, clear your mind and chant three or more times
“By the power of three, Let it be seen”
The more candles you use the better the spell will work.

GLAMOUR AND BEAUTY

GLAMOUR AND BEAUTY

Ingredients

Mix a tea of roses, Damiana, Ginger, Dong quai, Coriander, & Primrose flowers
Place the dry herbs in a green glass jar and place on your altar.
On a night of Venus (Friday), take a bath in Lovage roots and Rose petals, dry yourself and rub
Musk oil into your skin. Go to your altar nude and light a pink candle anointed with Venus Oil or
Rose oil or perfume and burn some Aura of Enchantment Incense. Place a small mirror on thealtar,
gaze into it deeply and say,
“Soft, my skin as Diana’s
Smoldering eyes as Aradia,
Sensuous as a Goddess.
Figures of fire that shift and change,
Change me, now,
To a creature of beauty,
Blessed b the Goddess of Love.
Repeat each night for 7 nights, leaving the tea on the altar until the spell is finished,
then drink a cup daily and wash your face with rose water upon waking.

GLAMOUR AND BEAUTY SPELL

GLAMOUR AND BEAUTY SPELL

Ingredients

The best time to perform this spell is during the Full Moon, although, you can
also do it on a Friday during the Waxing Moon.
Ingredients/Tools:
-Bowl of spring water
-herbs for beauty, such as lavender and catnip,
-a white rose that has been separated from the stem, -mirror.
A ritual bath or purification ritual is recommended before performing this spell to
sort-of ‘clean the slate’ and allow magic to start anew.
Cast the circle and become calm and centered. Sit or stand facing the West.
Pour the spring water into the bowl and hold it up to the Western corner. Say:
I hail to the West and the forces of Water.
Hear and aid me in this magick tonight.
Grant me your beauty,
Shape and form this face and body
and let me radiate with self-love.
With harm towards none,
and for the free will of all, So mote it be.
Set afloat the rose on top of the water and stir it with your fingers three times round in a clockwise motion.
Take the flower out of the water and hold it in your hands. Say:
By the powers of the West,
The forces of Water,
I charge this flower with love.
Beauty is here,
It shines with the power.
Beauty is here,
Contained in this flower.
Keep the flower in a box along with catnip and/or lavender to remind you of your true beauty.
If a friend or loved one needs the power of love and beauty, tell them the story of the rose you
have blessed and give them the rose to continue it’s power. I hope you enjoyed this spell, and
I hope you see the true beauty with your hearts.

IRRESISTIBLE BEAUTY

IRRESISTIBLE BEAUTY

Ingredients

When: on a Tuesday night
Where: in your bathroom
Items needed:
– brand-new bath oil or body wash which ever scent you like: lavender, jasmine, musk, or ylang ylang
– a chopped-up carrot(to represent earthiness and tastiness)
– three small orange candles
Draw a super-hot bath–double the amount of bath stuff you usually use.
Let steam fog up the mirror. With your fingertip write “(your name) is the BOMB!” in the mirror.
Chop the carrot into 3 pieces and float it in the bathwater. Light the candles-don’t get in yet it’s too hot.
chant: “In this water so from the heat bathe me in water head to feet” (repeat three times)
When the bath as cooled a bit, hop in relax and breathe in the scented bath stuff, for at least 20 min.
Blow out the candles and bury the carrot outside afterwards, and continue using the scent in the
shower or bath every night.

MOONSHINE STARSHINE GLAMOUR

MOONSHINE STARSHINE GLAMOUR

Ingredients

On a full moon, take a mirror and go outside.
(if you can’t then open a window, make sure the moon is reflected on the mirror)
Take a piece of a picture (hair, lips, eyes, whatever you are interested in changing)
Place it on the mirror and concentrate on it and say:
“Moonshine, Starlight,
let the wind carry your light,
let your glow cover my body,
and let your shine cover every eye.”
Say it 3 times and concentrate on the part that you want to change, Then say…
“Moonshine, Starlight,
shape and mould my body,
as a rose is granted beauty,
let me blossom in your light,
the light that brings me beauty,
and grant me beauty three times three”
Say it 3 times and when you are finished light a candle (pink) or some flower scented incense.

Sugar Cane-Bamboo Leaf Cleansing Spell

This Brazilian formula utilizes dried pulverized bamboo leaves, which are common in Brazil but may be purchased from herb supply stores elsewhere.

  1. Place the bamboo leaves into a mortar together with some sugar cane and grind them together.
  2. Burn the herbs, wafting the fragrance as needed.

If necessary, substitute granulated brown sugar for the sugar cane, however, it’s not exactly the same. You may wish to add a few drops of dark rum in addition, but be aware that rum is extremely flammable and the flames may shoot up higher than is normally the case with incense.

Sacred Purification Incense

This cleansing formula incorporates the herbs most frequently be used in sacred rites. It removes the negative and the tainted, leaving an aura of holiness behind.

Benzoin
Dragon’s blood
Frankincense
Myrrh’Sandalwood
Sea Salt
  1. Blend and grind the ingredients into a fine powder.
  2. Sprinkle onto a lit charcoal and burn.

Daily Goddess Devotion for 3/23

DAILY GODDESS DEVOTION – MOTHER OF THE WHOLE UNIVERSE

I call to mind the Mother of the whole universe,
Who has created this world, both real and unreal, 
And who, by Her own power with its three guṇas, 
Protects it, and having destroyed it, She then plays, 
Commonly is it said that Brahmā creates the universe,
Yet the learned in Veda and Purāṇā
Speak of His birth from the navel lotus of Murāri,
Although it is said He creates, yet He is Himself dependent therein. 
Even Murāri in the blossom of whose navel lotus, Brahmā was born–
Deeply sleeps upon his serpent bed  at the time of dissolution.
Therefore Ananta with his thousand hoods is His support.
How can He who is Himself supported
Be called a leader  in the creation of the world?
Even the water of Ocean  which is a liquid substance
Cannot exist without a container; therefore 
I take refuge with Her, the Mother of all beings,
 Who exists in all things in the form of Power. 
Brahmā in the lotus,
Seeing that the eyes of Viṣṇu were closed in deep slumber, 
Prayed to that Devī with whom I take shelter. 
So Mote It Be