Category: Our History

New Moon Spells and Rituals

The New Moon means that no matter where you’ve been, today you get to start again! Have an auspicious start to this new cycle with a New Moon spell for a fresh beginning. Watch this video to learn about New Moon rituals: see the video for information.

The New Moon is a lunar phase that happens when the Moon is located exactly between the Earth and the Sun. Because its bright side cannot be seen from our planet, some people also call it a “Dark Moon“.

Looking for rituals? Visit Tonight’s Moon Spell Generator for a simple ritual AND a guided meditation based on today’s lunar phase, moon transit, and day of the week!

Or keep scrolling down and you’ll find a collection of spells for the new moon, including an easy spell that you can cast right now.

In this article, you’ll find:

New Moon Magic! ✨

Before we begin, make sure you know everything about Lunar Magic and what each moon phase represents.

  • There are 8 lunar phases and we can group them into 4 stages: New Moon, Waxing Moon, Full Moon, and Waning Moon.

Spiritually, the New Moon is associated with rebirth and new beginnings so it’s an ideal time to plant the seeds of what you would like to see grow in your life.

Instead of casting a manifestation spell, set an intention for the cycle that begins: Cleanse yourself and …

 

Click here for more New Moon Spells and Rituals from Spells8.com

Before We Get Into The Spells, We Are Going To Talk About Getting Rid of the Magickal Leftover from our Workings c. 2018

The First Way to Rid Your Home of Magickal Residue

Reaving

 

There are lots of unwanted and random energies and entities floating around one’s environment. The following techniques which we are getting ready to discuss are required understandings for any Witch. You will need to keep you own environment clear of these unwanted wraiths, and you may also, over time, be called on by others to clear these things from their houses or their lives.

 

Nothing ever goes away, you must understand. Things that are made of matter are not made only of matter, and can just as easily be energetic. Matter does not imply intelligence, soul does (and that’s a rather ineffable concept). So why is it considered that intelligence inhabits only things of a material nature ( like biological species)?

 

Entities can be either material or non-material. They can be left over from extreme emotional discharges. They can be other and therefore, not of a recognizable origin.

 

Reaving – Clearing a Place

To psychically clear unwanted entities is also called Reaving. Banishing often accompanies Reaving, but Reaving can also be performed to tranquilize a house or an environment that has been cluttered by a previous occupants.

You will require a container of consecrated water, your athame, incense, and censer, a candle for each room, and a vacuum cleaner. It’s often preferable to work with another person, but not strictly necessary. You are better to get rid of any occupants of the property. You are to work privately whenever possible. The energies of Cowans can be unpredictable.

Every psychic knows that accumulated psychic grunge is heavier than air and will fall to the floor (and sometimes stick to windows). So the first thing that you should do is vacuum the floors with intent. A vacuum cleaner is one’s contemporary besom (broom stick), and much quicker than the manual tool; There’s no point having the house occupants do it, it just never feels as clean. Then you should set up a candle in each room, light it, and close off whatever doors there are. Then get the charcoal burning, and then take a shower with intent of purificaton.

Each room, from one end of the house to the other, is to be lightly encircled with your dagger ( these encirclements are meant to be embracing rather than encapsulating), encircled with the smoke of the incense, and encircled with the consecrated water. With each action you perform, you will raise aloft each implement to the four directions, calling on their powers of protection and harmony. As you exit each room, you will extinguish the candle with your fingers ( don’t blow it out, pinch it or snuff it out with a candle snuffer), and leave the door open.

When you are done, you are to pack up all your things and leave without entering into conversation with anyone.

Part 2 – Banishng (Getting Rid Of A Thing)

Some of the Witchcraft/Magickal Correspondence Conjuring By Colors and The Serenity Spectrum and Spell c. 2018

 

Witchcraft 101: Conjuring By Colors & The Serenity Spectrum

Color Magick is a basic tenet for working spells. The properties of each color determine how it impacts your mood, frame of mind, and the potency of your spell casting.

Be mindful of the color of the candle, gemstone, and flower you choose; carefully pick the hues of your clothing, furniture, and even the paint on the walls.

For example, if you are given to moodiness or anger, remove all RED from your home décor. If you are predisposed to melancholia, a VIOLET scheme may depress you.

The Serenity Spectrum

For a Peaceful Home
Burn blue candles on Thursday

To Overcome Fear
Burn red candles on Sunday

For Inner Peace
Burn silver candles on Monday

For Self-Confidence
Burn red candles on Sunday

For Physical Wellbeing
Burn green candles on Friday

To Overcome Regret or Guilt
Burn white candles on Wednesday

For Mental Clarity
Burn yellow candles on Wednesday

To Let Go of Anger
Burn orange candles on Monday

For Success at Work
Burn green candles on Friday

This part was originally posted by Lady Abyss in June of 2016.

Click on the hyperlinks to get all the information about Find Inner Peace and Renewal

Inner Peace is a state of mind that is free from worry, anxiety, fear, anger, frustration, envy, jealousy, hatred, resentment, greed, lust, pride, vanity, gluttony, sloth, envy, avarice, arrogance, conceit, self-pity, malice, revenge, and all other forms of evil. This spell is perfect for anyone that needs to remove negativity from their life.

Whether that’s negative thoughts, people, or actions, this spell will help you to do just that.

Table Of Contents

Inner Peace Spell

Peace and renewal spell

What Is Dragon’s Blood Incense?

Choosing Calming Music For Inner Peace

The Meaning Of Black And Red Candles

 

The Symbols and Substance of Magick c. 2019

Symbols Of Magick

Although you can carry out rituals using absolutely anything, you may like to create a special set of
symbols for a variety of rituals. These you can keep in a separate box within your main store of magick
artefacts so they do not get scattered or broken.

You may include a thimble to symbolise domestic affairs, a tiny padlock for security at home, a
wooden toy boat for travel, a silver locket for fidelity, a key charm for a house, tiny painted wooden
eggs for fertility in any venture – just to suggest a few. You can also use small fabric dolls to represent
people, for example in a love spell.

Tarot cards also provide excellent symbols for magick: the Emperor for power, the Empress for
fertility, the Ten of Pentacles for prosperity, the Lovers for romance, the World or the Eight of Wands
for travel, Temperance for harmony, Justice for matters of law, etc. Even if you do not use Tarot cards
for divination, a brilliantly illustrated pack, such as the Rider Waite or the Morgan Greer, will by their
pictures suggest all kinds of images for your work. My book Tarot Talks to the Woman Within
(Quantum, 2000) contains many examples of Tarot spells and in spite of its title, the book is very male-
friendly. The Tarot is also very portable.

You may also find a supply of white clay useful for creating impromptu symbols and if the clay is soft
you can empower it with written words or symbols. I am not suggesting you create waxen images of
the kind you see in B-movies, and I certainly don’t want you to collect nail clippings or hair in an
attempt to harm anyone in any way; this is merely a representation of a person or desired object. It may
be possible to find a natural source of clay.

A beach near my home provides me with an abundant supply. You can also buy the natural, untreated
potters’ material. After using the clay in a ritual, you can return it to the soil. Clay is especially good in
binding spells or banishing spells when the actions to be bound or the destructive habit are to be reabsorbed by the Earth. It is also excellent in group rituals as a number of people can mould into it their collective energies.

The Substances Of Magick

The substances of magick for formal rituals are the same as those used in informal magick. I have
already described their magical associations in informal spells and in ritual magick the correspondences in colour and fragrance are exactly the same. Each is set in its own quarter of the circle and used to charge the focus of the ritual with power. They can also be used for empowering and cleansing your ritual tools.

If you make your own candles or incense for your rituals, you can endow energies by chanting the
purpose for which they are being made. Some practitioners prepare their ritual substances the day or
the evening before the ceremony, at the right planetary or angelic hour for its purpose. But you do not
need to do this – the days of apprentices and long hours devoted to a single ritual are gone and even the
most complex ceremony need take no more than an hour, many much less.

Salt
Salt rituals are among the oldest forms of magick and salt can form the focus of magick for health and
prosperity ceremonies as well as for psychic protection. The kind used is most usually sea salt and
represents the Earth element. It should be kept covered and separate from domestic salt and it must be
empowered before use.

The salt should be placed on the altar to the left of your Earth ritual tools, in a small ceramic dish with
a silver spoon. Use new salt for each ritual and tip any remaining into flowing water, watching it
carrying away your wishes to fruition.

A very simple crescent moon ritual for attracting money involves piling magically charged salt in a
central cone, surrounding this with coins and filling them all with power. Then take the empowered
coins and leave them in an open jar in the moonlight until the full moon. On the day after the full
moon, spend them on giving happiness to others.

After the ritual, dissolve the salt in sacred water and tip it into a flowing source of water to get the
money energies moving.

In a formal ritual for the same purpose, focus the energies by casting a formal circle, inviting the
guardians of the elements (see page 200) to lend their power to the endeavour. Pass the elemental
tools, incense, candles and water over the salt and money, thus concentrating the energies. Dissolve
and tip the salt away in a tub of water that has been swirled nine times to get the power flowing as the
climax of the ritual. The difference is one of degree of intensity.

Incense
Incense is placed in the East of the altar to the left of the ritual tools.

Incense is, as well as an elemental substance, an easy but powerful way of marking the boundaries
between the everyday world and the magick. Frankincense, myrrh or sandalwood is sometimes burned
on the altar before a ceremony to purify the area, especially if the room is used for other purposes, and
to raise the vibrations from the mundane to the more spiritual. If you are using the granular kind you
burn on charcoal, you will need a censer, but a bowl containing sand will serve for incense sticks or
cones.

As the incense is burned, so the energies are released.

Candles
All rituals and spells use a number of candles but they are particularly significant in formal magick. I
will repeat very briefly the basic information you need for a formal ritual, but you might like to read
through again Chapter 5, as candles are such an important part of magic.

You will need one or two altar candles in white, cream or natural beeswax. From the altar candle(s),
you will light all the other candles used in your rituals. If you have only one, it will stand in the centre.
If two, they are usually placed symmetrically to the right and left of the altar, the god candle on the left
and the goddess candle on the right.

You will also need four elemental candles, to represent Fire, Air, Water and Earth, in appropriate
colours, though if you are carrying out a ceremony in which the power of one element predominates,
you could use four candles of this same element. If you are working entirely on the altar, these can be
small candles, placed in a line nearer to the perimeter. More usually, however, the candles mark the
outer perimeter of the circle at the four compass points. You can, place these on small tables or plinths,
or have floor-standing candle-holders.

Green is for Earth, midnight, winter and the North. Place the candle at the 12 o’clock position on a
clock, aligned with magnetic North (use a compass if necessary).

Yellow is for Air, dawn, spring and the East. Place the candle at the three o’clock position.

Red, orange or gold is for Fire, noon, summer and the South. Place the candle in the six o’clock
position.

Blue is for Water, dusk, autumn and the West. Place the candle in the nine o’clock position.

Light elemental candles after the altar candles if they are within the circle, but before any wish or
astrological candles, and begin in the North. If you wish, you can light each candle as its Guardian of
the Quarter is invoked (see page 200) and thus called in the ascending flame.

You may also use a candle to represent the petitioner in the ritual. This may be yourself or the person
for whom you are performing a ritual. The candle should be in the appropriate zodiacal colour
according to the petitioner’s birth date and one the colour of the need.

In love rituals, light two candles, one for each lover, and place them slightly in front of the altar
candle(s): the male lover’s candle should be placed next to the goddess candle and the female’s by the
god candle, if applicable.

If you have a central cauldron, you can stand any candles of need or petitioners’ candles in it.

Empowering Candles
Usually candles are so powerful that they are already full of magical energies, However, in more
formal and elaborate magical ceremonies, you may wish to inscribe or anoint those candles
representing a need or person with either olive oil or a ready-prepared, fragrant, anointing.

Inscribing Candles
Carving your wishes and intentions into a candle endows the candle with your special energies and as
you etch each letter or symbol, these energies become concentrated.

If you anoint a candle, you should engrave it afterwards, although you may feel that inscribing it is
sufficient. Engraving candles is not difficult, but you must use a very light touch and choose good quality candles. Beeswax is not so easy to inscribe, but because it is very malleable, you can push tiny
symbols, such as coins, etc., into the wax or you can buy sheets of beeswax and even if you do not
fashion your own candles, you can add tiny beeswax symbols. You can also buy beeswax candles – and
some ordinary ones – in different shapes, for example entwined lovers for a love ritual, or a beehive for
abundance.

Anointing Candles With Oil
You can anoint, or dress, candles with scented oil or use candles that have fragrance already added.
When you anoint candles with oils, they become more flammable, so you need to be extra cautious
about sparks. For safety, stand your candlesticks on a fireproof tray.

Generally, the anointing is performed in silence. You can use virgin olive oil for dressing candles for
any need. Some people add a pinch of salt for purification and life-giving properties.

Before beginning, pour a small quantity of the oil into a clear glass or ceramic dish and gently swirl it
nine times deosil with a ceramic or glass spoon, visualising light pouring into it and endowing it with
healing and magical energies. You need use only a small quantity as the anointing action is symbolic.

Rub the oil into the candle in an upward motion, starting in the middle of your candle. Use a
previously unlit candle as this will not have absorbed any energies apart from those with which you
endow it. Rub in only one direction, concentrating on the purpose of your ritual. See the qualities of
your oil and your need entering the candle.

Then, starting in the middle again, rub the candle downwards, again concentrating on your goal. A few
practitioners will rub from base to top for attracting magick and from top to bottom for banishing
magick; it is also usual to use a white candle for attracting energies and a black for banishing.

By physically touching the candle with the oil, it is said that you are charging the candle with your
personal vibrations so that when it is lit, it becomes an extension of your mental power and life energy.

If the candle represents another person and they are present, ask them to anoint their own candle.
If you light a candle for a formal ritual on successive days, you should re-anoint the candle each time,
visualising the partial completion of the goal.

Water
Water represents its own element and stands in the West in a dish to the left of the chalice. See page
163 for instructions on how to make and empower sacred water. You can also use water to which rose
petals have been added or you can float lavender or rose essential oil on top (this water should not be
consumed internally).

 

—Practical Guide to Witchcraft and Magic Spells By Cassandra Eason

Magick Symbols – SPIRAL c. 2018

SPIRAL

Linked to the “circle”. Ancient symbol of the goddess, the womb, fertility, feminine serpent force, continual change, and the evolution of the universe.

Happy Witchy Wednesday WOTC Family and Friends – Charge of the Goddess – Part 2

(I am trying something new today to see if you like it or not. Instead of a short thing for “A Thought for Today” I decided to bring you something with a little more background on a piece of poetry and how it came about. Let me know in the comments if you like to see more of this type of post please. Thank you for your help!)

The Sources of the Charge of the Goddess

(Warning this a very informative but long article. You will find a link at the bottom of this post to read the entire thing if you wish to)

The Charge of the Goddess is the closest thing to scripture that Wicca possesses. Like scripture, it is used in rituals and to support beliefs. And like scripture, its origins are obscure.

The Charge itself claims to be the words of the Goddess, beginning “Listen to the words of the Great Mother.” When Gerald Gardner first published an excerpt from it in Witchcraft Today (1954, p. 42), he claimed it came from the Roman era . He also speculated that “a similar charge was a feature of the ancient mysteries.”

Fairly early, however, the age and origin of the Charge was questioned. Stewart Farrar, in 1971 (p. 34), pointed out that a large part of it was quoted from Charles Godfrey Leland’s Aradia. Since then more work has been done in ferreting out the Charge’s sources, especially in Farrar and Farrar (1981, p. 42) and Kelly (1991, pp. 52 – 4, 114 – 5). The purpose of this essay will be to gather this work together, add more sources to it, and then analyze the relative contributions of the authors of the Charge.

The earliest form of the Charge (given by Kelly, 1991, p. 53), was a prose version put together by Gerald Gardner, called “Leviter Veslis” (“The Lifting of the Veil”). It consists mainly of the Leland material with large quotations from Aleister Crowley added, along with very small amount of original material. Kelly dates this version to before 1948. According to Doreen Valiente’s own account (1989, 60 – 62), some time after her initiation in 1953 she wrote first a rhyming version, and then the prose version used by most Wiccans. The first prose and the rhyming versions may be found in Kelly (p. 53) and Valiente (pp. 61-2), respectively. The first prose version reads:

Listen to the words of the Great mother, who of old was also called among men Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, and by many other names.

“At mine Altars the youth of Lacedaemon in Sparta made due sacrifice.

[Whenever ye have need of anything, once in the month, and better it be when the moon is full, then ye shall assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of Me who am Queen of all Witcheries.]

[“There ye shall assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery, yet have not won its deepest secrets. To these will I teach things that are yet unknown.]

[“And ye shall be free from slavery, and as a sign that ye be really free, ye shall be naked in your rites, both men and women, and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music, and love, all in my praise.]

For ecstasy is mine, and joy on earth. For ‘love is my law.’ Keep pure your highest ideal: strive ever toward it. Let naught stop you or turn you aside.

{There is a Secret Door that I have made to establish the way} to taste even on earth the elixir of immortality.}

Say {‘let ecstasy be mine, and joy on earth even to me, To Me} For I am a gracious Goddess. {I give unimaginable joys on earth, certainty, not faith, while in life! And upon death, peace unutterable, rest, and ecstacy, nor do I demand aught in sacrifice.”}

Hear ye the words of the {Star Goddesss}.

{“I love you: I yearn for you: pale or purple, veiled or voluptuous.}

{“I who am all pleasure, and purple and drunkenness of the innermost senses, desire you, put on the wings, arouse the coiled splendor within you, ‘Come unto me.’}

{“For I am the flame that burns in the heart of every man, and the core of every Star.}

“Let it be your inmost divine self who art lost in the constant rapture of infinite joy.

{“Let the rituals be rightly performed with joy and beauty.} Remember that all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. So let there be {beauty and strength, leaping laughter, force and fire} within you.

(“And if thou sayest, I have journeyed unto thee, and it availed me not, Rather shalt thou say, ‘I called upon thee, and I waited patiently, and Lo, Thou wast with me from the beginning,’

For they that ever desired me, shall ever attain me, even to the end of desire.)

(The text is as published in Kelly, with corrections from Kelly, unpublished manuscript.)

The words within square brackets ([ ]) are from Leland, those within brackets ({ }) are from Aleister Crowley’s Book of the Law, and those within parentheses (( )) are from Crowley’s Liber LXV,. The passages in italics are found in Crowley’s essay “The Law of Liberty.”

The line “Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess” is not exactly the same as the line from The Law of Liberty, which reads “We have heard the voice of the Star Goddess.” However, the line in The Law of Liberty is followed by the same material as is found here, so we can be confident that that is its source. The first thing that should be noticed is how little of this version cannot be traced to published sources. Except for the introduction, this version is essentially quotations linked with a small number of connecting phrases.

The large number of quotations from “The Law of Liberty” illustrates Gardner’s method of composition especially well. He must have had that essay in front of him as he wrote, since his quotations from it are in the same order as they appear in the essay. This is especially striking in the case of the sections of the Charge wherein quotations from the essay are followed by excerpts from The Book of the Law. In all cases, these quotations are also found together in the essay.

Further, all but one of the quotations from The Book of the Law are also found in “The Law of Liberty.” In fact, except for that one phrase, all of this prose version of the Charge (except for the introduction and the short connectors) can be traced to three sources: Leland, “The Law of Liberty,” and Liber LXV. The significance of these Crowley sources will be discussed later.

In my earlier version of this article (Serith, 1996), I suggested that the only line from The Book of the Law which is found in the Charge but is not in “The Law of Liberty” (“There is a Secret Door that I have made to establish the way) would be found quoted in another of Crowley’s works. I have indeed found that work, Khabs Am Pekht. At the time that Gardner was composing the first prose version, it was to be found in The Equinox Vol. III:1, commonly called The Blue Equinox because of the color of its binding. Also published in The Blue Equinox were “The Law of Liberty” and Liber LXV.

There has been a fair amount of speculation on the connection between Crowley and Gardner. Some have gone so far as to suggest that Crowley wrote the Gardnerian rituals (Adler, 1979, 1986, p. 64, gives some examples).

Those wishing to see a strong Crowley influence have often pointed to the Charge. As I have shown, there is at this early point a fair amount of Crowley in it. Words from Crowley’s works are also found in the Great Rite and the Drawing Down the Moon rituals, as published by Stewart Farrar (1971, pp. 93-94 and 68 respectively). These are taken from the Gnostic Mass. It should come as no suprise at this point that the Gnostic Mass was published by Crowley in The Blue Equinox.

All of this material comes from the first, the earliest, layer of the Book of Shadows (Kelly’s 1949 version, and Farrar and Farrar’s (1984) Text A). There is one other identifiable quotation from Crowley in this layer, taken from “Two Fragments of Ritual” (Equinox I:10, Kelly, p. 56). The next layer (Kelly’s 1953 and Farrar and Farrar Text B) is that used by Gardner at the time of Valiente’s initiation. It contains one more piece by Crowley, the Amalthean Horn prayer (given in Kelly, p. 81, and Farrar and Farrar, 1981, p. 41), which is a slightly altered version of the poem “La Fortune,” from his Collected Works, Vol. III (p. 120). More Crowley was to enter later, under the editing of Valiente, as will be seen later. To be blunt: with one exception, all of the material taken from Crowley that has been attributed in print to the Book of Shadows in the phase during which Gardnerian Wicca was first taking shape (the 1949/Text A version) comes from one book – The Blue Equinox. Rather than there having been a strong connection between the Gardner and Crowley, then, their contact is likely to have been extremely limited.

The first entry into print of the Charge was an excerpt published In Witchcraft Today (p. 42), which reads:

Listen to the words of the Great Mother, who of old was also called among men Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite and many other names. At mine altars the youth Lacedaemon made due sacrifice. Once in the month, and better it be when the moon is full, meet in some secret place and adore me, who am queen of all the magics….For I am a gracious goddess, I give joy on earth, certainty, not faith, while in life; and upon death, peace unutterable, rest and the ecstasy of the goddess. Nor do I demand aught in sacrifice…. (The ellipses are in the original.)

This is the version that Gardner says he thinks “came from the time when Romans or sirangers came in.” It should be noted that since it was published in 1954 it dates from after Valiente’s inititiation in 1953. In light of that it seems a bit odd that, as seen below in the textual comparison, it deviates quite significantly from the first prose version, and that the second prose version follows the first prose rather than the published excerpt. It is likely from this that Gardner did not consider this published version authoritative, and may have been working from memory, resulting in the differences.

Most interesting is the phase with which Gardner introduces this fragment: “Before an initiation a charge is read beginning:”That he mentions this document specifically in the context of an initiation ritual is clear evidence that the idea of a “charge” and, of course, the term itself, originated in Gardner’s Masonic roots, where such charges are part of inititiation rituals.

The sources of the final version of the Charge, as edited by Valiente, are more complex. In the following analysis, I give the exact quotations from her sources, along with the Charge itself, so that Valiente’s editing may be seen more clearly. I have included as well those sections of Gardner’s Charge (both the first prose and the Witchcraft Today versions) which survived into the final form.

I have used these abbreviations for the sources:

AL: The Book of the Law (Liber AL vel Legis).
AP: Alipilli
AR: Aradia: Gospel of the Witches.
GD: The Golden Dawn (ed. Israel Regardie, III, p. 245). (The second half of this passage, “From me … return,” is also found in Milton’s “Paradise Lost,” Book V, but since the first part is not, it is unlikely that Valiente took it from Milton.)
KJV: King James Version of the Bible KP: “Khabs Am Pekht.”
LL: “The Law of Liberty” (including quotations ultimately from The Book of the Law.)
P1: Gardner’s prose version.
P2: Valiente’s prose version
65: Liber LXV II: 59-60 (Crowley).
V: This is material that could have been drawn from any number of sources. VV: The Vision and the Voice, chapters 19 and 5 (Crowley).
WT: The Witchcraft Today version.

Full bibliographical information will be found at the end of this article.

For the text itself I have relied on Kelly,1991, pp. 114-5 (correcting what appears to be an error by changing “ideals” to “ideal”). The few differences between this and other published versions do not affect my results in any substantial manner. (Other versions may be found in Farrar, 1971, pp. 197-198; Lady Sheba, 1971, pp. 65-67; and Leek, 1971, pp. 189-191. Excerpts from it are found in Holzer, 1971, pp. 16-17; Huson, 1970, p. 221; and Johns, 1969, p. 143. Starhawk, 1979, pp. 76-77, gives an awkardly edited version in which she has removed every phrase that has the word “man” in it.) I have used the abbreviation “P2” for this version.

P2: Listen to the words of the Great mother,
P1: Listen to the words of the Great mother,
WT: Listen to the words of the Great Mother,

P2: who was of old also called among men,
P1: who … of old was also called among men
WT: who … of old was also called among men

P2: Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine,
P1: Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine,
LL: Melusine
WT: Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine,

P2: Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Diana, Arianrhod, Bride,
P1: Aphrodite,
WT: Aphrodite

P2: and by many other names. “At mine Altars the youth
P1: and by many other names. “At mine Altars the youth
WT: and many other names. At mine altars the youth

P2: of Lacedaemon in Sparta made due sacrifice.
P1: of Lacedaemon in Sparta made due sacrifice.
WT: of Lacedaemon made due sacrifice.

P2: “Whenever ye have need of anything, once in the month, and
P1: Whenever ye have need of anything, once in the month, and
WT: Once in the month, and
AR: Whenever ye have need of anything, Once in the month, and

P2: better it be when the moon is full. Then ye shall assemble
P1: better it be when the moon is full, ye shall assemble
WT: better it be when the moon is full, meet
AR: when the moon is full, Ye shall assemble

P2: in some secret place
P1: in some secret place
WT: in some secret place
AR: in some desert place, Or in a forest all together join,

P2: and adore the spirit of Me
P1: and adore the spirit of Me
WT: and adore me,
AR: To adore the potent spirit of your

P2: who am Queen of all Witcheries.
P1: who am Queen of all Witcheries.
WT: who am queen of all the magics
AR: queen, My mother, great Diana.

P2: “There ye shall assemble, ye who are fain to learn all
P1: There ye shall assemble, ye who are fain to learn all
AR: ye shall assemble She who fain would learn all

P2: sorcery, yet who have not won its deepest secrets. To
P1: sorcery, yet have not won its deepest secrets. To
AR: sorcery yet has not won Its deepest secrets,

P2: these will I teach things
P1: these will I teach things
AR: them my mother will teach all things

P2: that are yet unknown.
P1: that are yet unknown.
AR: as yet unknown.

P2: “And ye shall be free from slavery,
P1: “And ye shall be free from slavery,
AR: And ye shall all be freed from slavery, And so ye

P2: and as a sign that ye
P1: and as a sign that ye
AR: be free in everything; And as a sign that ye

P2: be really free, ye shall be naked in your rites,
P1: be really free, ye shall be naked in your rites, both
AR: are truly free, Ye shall be naked in your rites, both

P2: and ye shall dance, sing, feast,
P1: men and women, and ye shall dance, sing, feast,
AR: men And women also they shall dance, sing

P2: make music, and love, all in my praise.
P1: make music, and love, all in my praise.
AR: make music and then love in her praise

P2: “For mine is the ecstasy of the Spirit, and mine is also joy
P1: Let ecstasy be mine, and joy
LL: But ecstasy be thine and joy
AL: ecstasy be thine and joy

P2: on earth. For my Law is Love unto all beings.
P1: on earth. For “love is my law.”
LL: of earth Love is the Law
AL: of earth Love is the Law

P2: “Keep pure your highest ideal. Strive ever towards it.
LL: Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever toward it

P2: Let naught stop you or turn you aside.
LL: without allowing aught to stop you or turn you aside,

P2: “For mine is the secret which opens upon the door of
P1: There is a Secret Door which I have made…
KP: There is a Secret door that I shall make
AL: There is a Secret door that I shall make

P2: youth and mine is the cup of the Wine of Life:

P2: and the Cauldron of Cerridwen,

P2: which is the Holy Grail of Immortality.

P1: to establish the way to taste even on earth the elixir of immortality.

P1: Say, “Let ecstacy be mine, and joy on earth even to me, To Me.

P2: “I am the Gracious Goddess who gives the gift of Joy
P1: For I am a gracious Goddess. I give unimaginable joys,
WT: For I am a gracious Goddess, I give joy
LL: Gracious Goddess I give unimaginable joys
AL: I give unimaginable joys

P2: unto the heart of Man.

P2: “Upon Earth I give the knowledge of the Spirit Eternal,
P1: on earth, certainty
WT: on earth
LL: on earth:
AL: on earth:

P2: and beyond death I give peace and freedom, and reunion
P1: And upon death, peace unutterable, rest and ecstacy,
WT: and upon death, peace
LL: upon death; peace
AL: upon death; peace

P2: with those who have gone before.

P2: Nor do I demand aught in sacrifice, for behold, I am the Mother of
P1: nor do I demand aught in sacrifice.”
WT: nor do I demand aught in sacrifice
LL: Nor do I demand aught in sacrifice.
AL: nor do I demand aught in sacrifice.

P2: all things, and my love is poured out upon earth.”

P2: Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess,
P1: Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess.
LL: We have heard the voice of the Star Goddess

P2: She in the dust of whose feet are

KJV:           dust of      feet

P2: the hosts of Heaven, whose body encircleth the universe.

KJV: host of heaven

P2: “I who am

P2: the beauty of the green earth; and the White Moon

V: the beauty of the green earth P2: amongst the Stars; and the mystery of the Waters;

P2: and the desire of the heart of man. I call unto thy soul:
VV: the blind ache within the heart of man
LL: the heart of every man
AL: the heart of every man

P2: arise and come unto me.
P1: arouse … “come unto me.”
LL: arouse … come unto me!
AL: arouse … come unto me!

P2: “For I am the Soul of nature who giveth life to the
P1: ‘For I am the
GD: O Soul of Nature giving life and energy to the

P2: Universe; 詮rom me all things proceed; and unto me, all
GD: Universe. From thee all things do proceed. Unto Thee all

P2: things must return.’
GD: must return.

P2: Beloved of the Gods and men
P2: thine inmost divine self shall
P1: Let it be your inmost divine self…
LL: He is then your inmost divine self…

P2: be enfolded in the raptures of the infinite
P1: in the constant rapture of the infinite
LL: in the constant rapture of the embraces of Infinite Beauty

P2: “Let my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth, for
VV: the heart that rejoiceth,

P2: behold: all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals;
P1: Remember that all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals.
LL: Remember that all acts of love and pleasure are rituals,

P2: and therefore let there be Beauty and Strength, Power
P1: So let there be beauty and strength,…
AL: beauty and strength

P2: and Compassion, Honour and Humility, Mirth and reverence within you.

P2: “And thou who thinkest to seek me, know that thy seeking and yearning
P1: “And if thou sayest, I have journeyed unto thee,
65: I have journeyed unto Thee,

P2: shall avail thee not
P1: and it availed me not…
65: and it availed me not.

P2:unless thou know the mystery,

P2: ‘That if that which thou seekest
AP: If that which thous seekest

P2: thou findest not within thee, thou wilt never find it without thee,
AP: thou findest not within thee, thou wilt never find it without thee,

P2: for behold; I have been with thee from the beginning,
P1: Thou wast with me from the beginning,’…
65: and Thou wast with me from the beginning.

P2: and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.”
P1: shall ever attain me the end of desire.”

The line attributed here to Alipilli, “That if that which thou seekest thou findest not within thee thou wilt never find it without thee” most likely was taken from L. A. Cahagnet’s Magnetic Magic, where it appears on the title page. It is found in other sources, such as Madame Blavatsky’s , vol. II, p. 617, where she credits it to “Abipili.” (It is more correctly Ali Puli.) However, it is Cahagnet which is found in Gardner’s library, and is therefore almost certainly Gardner’s source.

The material attributed to “Various sources” is that which is found in a number of works with which Gardner and/or Valiente could have been familiar with, and could therefore be thought of as “being in the air.” “The beauty of the green earth” is itself found in various sources. d’Este and Rankine (2008, 155) give two late 19th century examples. It is interesting that in both of their examples the phrase is used to complement “starry heavens,” and here it complements “White Moon amongst the Stars.” The opposition of earth and heaven is an obvious one, but the fact that in both cases the opposition mentions the stars makes me wonder.

“Dust of whose feet” is probably based on the King James Version of the Bible, where variations on it are found certainly four times: “dust of thy feet” (Isaiah 49:23), “dust of his feet” (Nahum 1:3), “dust of your feet” (Matthew 10:14) and “dust of their feet” (Acts 13:51). “Hosts of heaven” is easily formed from “host of heaven,” which is found 19 times in the KJV (Deut 4:19, 17:3; 1 Kings 22:19; 2 Kings 17:16, 21:3, 21:5, 23:4, 23:5; 2 Chron 18:18, 33:3, 3:5; Nehemiah 9:6; Isaiah 34:4; Jeremiah 8:2, 19:13, 33:22; Daniel 8:10; Zephaniah 1:5; Acts 7:42). “Whose body encircleth the universe” is a description of the Egyptian star/night sky goddess Nut, who, as Nuit, formed an important part of Crowley’s system, whose nature is described and name used in “The Law of Liberty.” She is depicted in the “Stele of Revealing,” upon which Crowley based his “Book of the Law.” A depiction of the stele may be found here. There are a total of 498 words in the version given by Kelly. The following table shows how many came from each source:

Valiente: 168 – (33.7%)
Leland: 93 – (18.7%)
Crowley: 83 – (16.7%)
Gardner: 66 – (13.3%)
Crowley
(edited by either Gardner or Valiente): 40 – (8.0%)
Alipilli: 18 – (3.6%)
Gardner (edited by Valiente): 12 – (2.4%)
Golden Dawn: 12 – (2.4%)
King James Version: 6 – (1.2%)

Before going on to discuss the sources further, there is a non-source that I need to address, Apuleius’s The Golden Ass. In this Roman novel the main character is turned into an ass as a punishment for spying on Click here to read the rest of this article from ceisiwrserith.com

Happy Witchy Wednesday WOTC Family and Friends – Charge of the Goddess – Part 1

(I am trying something new today to see if you like it or not. Instead of a short thing for “A Thought for Today” I decided to bring you something with a little more background on a piece of poetry and how it came about. Let me know in the comments if you like to see more of this type of post please. Thank you for your help!)

Charge of the Goddess History and Variations

From learnreligions.com

Charge of the Goddess is perhaps one of the best-known pieces of ritual poetry in today’s magical community, and is often credited to author and priestess Doreen Valiente. The charge itself is a promise, made by the Goddess to her followers, that she will guide them, teach them, and lead them when they need her the most.

However, before Valiente, there were earlier variants, dating back at least as far as Charles Leland’s Aradia: Gospel of the Witches. Because, like so many other writings in today’s Pagan world, Charge of the Goddess has evolved over time, it’s almost impossible to attribute it to one single author. Instead, what we have is a constantly changing and fluid piece of ritual poetry, that each contributor has changed, modified, and rearranged to suit their own tradition.

Did You Know?

The Charge of the Goddess first appeared in an early form during the late nineteenth century.

Doreen Valiente’s version, released in the late 1950s, is the most commonly referenced variation today.

Today, several traditions use unique versions that pay tribute to their own deities of a number of different pantheons.

Leland’s Aradia

Charles Godfrey Leland was a folklorist who roamed about the Italian countryside collecting legends during the final decade of the nineteenth century. According to Leland, he met a young Italian woman called Maddalena, who provided him with a manuscript about ancient Italian witchcraft and then promptly vanished, never to be heard from again. This, obviously, led some scholars to question the existence of Maddalena, but regardless, Leland took the information he claimed to have obtained from her and published it as Aradia: Gospel of the Witches in 1899.

Leland’s text, which reads as follows, is a speech that Aradia, daughter of Diana, delivers to her pupils:

When I shall have departed from this world,
Whenever ye have need of anything,
Once in the month, and when the moon is full,
Ye shall assemble in some desert place,
Or in a forest all together join
To adore the potent spirit of your queen,
My mother, great Diana.She who fain
Would learn all sorcery yet has not won
Its deepest secrets, them my mother will
Teach her, in truth all things as yet unknown.
And ye shall all be freed from slavery,
And so ye shall be free in everything;
And as the sign that ye are truly free,
Ye shall be naked in your rites, both men
And women also: this shall last until
The last of your oppressors shall be dead;
And ye shall make the game of Benevento,
Extinguishing the lights, and after that
Shall hold your supper thus…

Gardner’s Book of Shadows and the Valiente Version

Doreen Valiente played an instrumental part in twentieth-century Pagan practice, and her deeply evocative version of Charge of the Goddess may be the best known. In 1953, Valiente was initiated into Gerald Gardner’s New Forest coven of witches. Over the next several years, they worked together in expanding and developing Gardner’s Book of Shadows, which he claimed was based on ancient documents passed down through the ages.

Unfortunately, much of what Gardner had at the time was fragmented and disorganized. Valiente took on the task of re-organizing Gardner’s work, and more importantly, putting into a practical and usable form. In addition to finishing things up, she added her poetic gifts to the process, and the end result was a collection of rituals and ceremonies that are both beautiful and workable – and the foundation for much of modern Wicca, some sixty years later.

Although Valiente’s version, released in the late 1950s, is the most commonly referenced version today, there was an incarnation that appeared a decade or so earlier in Gardner’s original Book of Shadows. This variant, from around 1949, is a blend of Leland’s earlier work and a portion of Aleister Crowley’s Gnostic Mass. Jason Mankey at Patheos says,

“This version of the Charge was originally known as Lift Up the Veil, though I’ve heard it referred to as “Gardner’s Charge” on a number of occasions… Doreen Valiente’s version of The Charge of the Goddess dates back to sometime around 1957 and was inspired by Valiente’s desire for a less Crowley influenced charge.”

Some time after writing the Charge poem that has become well known to today’s Pagans, Valiente also crafted a prose variant, at the request of some members of her coven. This prose version has also become immensely popular, and you can read it over at the official Doreen Valiente website.

Newer Adaptations

As the Pagan community grows and evolves, so do the various forms of ritual texts. A number of contemporary authors have created their own versions of the Charge that reflect their own magical beliefs and traditions.

Starhawk included her own form of the work in The Spiral Dance, first published in 1979, which reads in part:

Listen to the words of the Great Mother,
Who of old was called Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Diana, Arionrhod, Brigid, and by many other names:
Whenever you have need of anything, once a month, and better it be when the moon is full,
you shall assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of Me Who is Queen of all the Wise.
You shall be free from slavery,
and as a sign that you be free you shall be naked in your rites.
Sing, feast, dance, make music and love, all in My Presence,
for Mine is the ecstasy of the spirit and Mine also is joy on earth.

The Starhawk version, which forms one of the cornerstones of her Reclaiming tradition, may be the one that newer Pagans are the most familiar with, but – as with any other piece of poetry or ritual – it is one that many have continuously adapted to suit their own needs. Today, several traditions use unique versions that pay tribute to their own deities of a number of different pantheons.

For a complete and in-depth breakdown of the various influences upon the different versions of the Charge, author Ceisiwr Serith has a great piece on his website*, comparing Aradia, Valiente’s work, and the Crowleyan variants.

(*Appears in a post for northern hemisphere’s Wednesday morning.)

Let’s Talk Witch – Sigils and Symbols Used In Magick c. 2014

Let’s Talk Witch – Sigils and Symbols Used In Magick

Sigils, symbols and names are often carved into candles to add to the intent, power and purpose of the spell.

To draw something to you carve your symbol or sigil into the candle by starting from the bottom and make your sigil ‘grow’ moving it upwards. To banish something start your carving from the top of the candle moving downwards.

If you are drawing letters you can stack them, by drawing each letter one over the top of another. Again if you are drawing something to you start to carve at the bottom of the candle and if you are banishing something start at the top.

The spiral method means you start your carving at the bottom of the candle and move to the right, spiralling the letters of your carving upwards to bring something towards you, or start at the top and spiral downwards to banish something.

For a straightforward carving just draw your design in the middle of the candle, it could be a heart for a love spell or a pound/ dollar sign to draw money.

To reverse a spell or when banishing negativity, you could try writing a word backwards on the candle.

If you don’t want anyone to see what you have carved into the candle use a needle as this makes a very fine line and even you probably won’t be able to make out the end result, but the important thing is that spirit will.

Another way of hiding what you are doing is by carving your intent on the base of the candle so that no one can see it.

Source:

Pagan Portals – Hoodoo: Folk Magic
Patterson, Rachel

16 Common Witchcraft Spell Casting Essentials c. 2018

These common witchcraft spell casting essentials are not listed in any particular order. They are listed in the order in which they came to me for the purpose of writing this article.

These are not the only common witchcraft spell casting essentials, however, they are some of the ones that I feel are the main ones.

THE most important witchcraft spell casting essential is intent. Without intent, you have nothing but words and actions, and not really a spell cast at all.

In no particular order, a list of Common Witchcraft Spell Casting Essentials

1. Salt
Used for cleansing and banishing. It is also used for protection during cleansing and banishing spells. Salt is a natural antiseptic. Salt is commonly used for circles for standing or sitting in while casting. It also ensures a clean spell.

2. Broom
Brooms are highly symbolic. Brooms symbolize the sweeping away of anything unwanted. They are used physically, as well as symbolically. You would use a broom to physically sweep away in a cleansing spell, banishing spell, also in some protection spells (ones that would rid unwanted energy from your home to keep it out).

3. Candles
Candles are used for focus and mood. Candles should be readily available in as many colors as you can get a hold of. Different colored candles hold symbolism for a variety of spells. Colors are chosen based on the nature of the spell and what feels right. White can be substituted for any color in the absence of the chosen color.

For example, some people like to use the color Red for love spells, or the colors Green or Gold for money spells, or Blue for healing spells, etc.

You can choose what colors feel right for you for any spell of your choosing. You do not have to go with the commonly used color associations if you feel another color will work better for you in a certain spell or ritual.

4. Crystals and Stones
You should have a variety of stones and crystals for different purposes. Crystals and stones contain a charge for various things so you will want to choose wisely based on your spell. In the absence of the proper crystal, Quartz can be charged with the necessary properties. I find Quartz to be quite powerful and quite generic because of its nature.

Important: You do not want to use crystals or stones of any kind (even wedding rings or other jewelry) when doing banishing spells. When you are working to banish (especially with entities), crystals and stones can absorb the energy of the entity, keeping the entity attached to that stone forever.

Be selective in what spells you use crystals and stones in.

5. Incense
Incense comes in a wide variety of scents /odors. You will always want to choose what suits the spell best and what feels right for you at the time of casting.

Incense can be used to trigger certain emotions or invoke a mindset. Different smells for different purposes.

I prefer vanilla for most spells, as it is very soothing and calming, and helps to set the mood for casting.

6. Anointing Oils and Essential Oils
Oils are used for various purposes. Some are for scent and feeling, and others are for cleansing or blessing. The different oils are chosen based on items they are needed for and for the spell they are being used in.

7. Silence

Silence is optimal for casting any spell. You need to be able to focus on your spell without distraction. If you have children, especially young ones, you need to choose your timing wisely.

8. Isolation

Unless you are with a coven, isolation is a preferable. (If you are with a coven, then the coven should be isolated.) Being alone goes hand-in-hand with silence.

9. Book of Shadows (Spell Book)

A book with your spells written inside it. It is important to always write down your spells that you cast in the event that you want to perform a certain spell again. This is something that you will always have and should keep protected. A notebook can be used, but you should transfer your spells into something more permanent. Spells, although written down in this book can be altered at any time.

10. Intent

THE most important thing you need when casting any spell. Witchcraft is based on intent. Make sure that your intentions are known before you even begin casting your spell. Know what you want to achieve and focus on it.

11. Focus

Focus works alongside intent. You want to focus on your intentions and on what it is that you are doing throughout the spell to make those intentions be your outcome.

12. Confidence

You must have confidence in order for your spells to take effect. The more confident you are, the stronger your casting will be. Know in your heart and in your mind that what you are doing within the spell has worked, is working, and will work. Believe it and so shall it be.

13. Altar

A place where you have all of your essentials gathered together to perform your rituals and castings. Usually a table or desk dedicated to your collection of Witchcraft items. This is also where you would perform offerings to the Gods or Goddesses that you are calling upon to help you. For lack of a table or desk, you can use the top of a dresser or a shelving unit, a shelf, or even a window sill.

14. Herbs and Flowers

You will want to have various herbs and flowers on hand at all times for various spells. Herbs and flowers can be used fresh or dried. If burning the herbs or flowers, you will of course want to use dried. Fragrance from fresh herbs and flowers may be needed depending on the spell to be cast and the ritual to be performed. Also, if being used for symbolism, you would choose fresh or dried accordingly. (eg. dried to symbolize old, and fresh to symbolize new)

15. Cauldron

A fireproof container for burning various objects, incense, images, herbs, etc. When a spell calls for it, you will need to burn certain things, so a cauldron will make the perfect venue for this. A cauldron is not used only for burning; it is also used for mixing. In your cauldron, you can mix any of your “ingredients” that you need to bring together for your spell or ritual. You may want to heat some mixtures in your cauldron, so this is another reason it should be fireproof. It should also be food-safe if you are mixing potions
Go with your instinct no matter what kind of spell you are casting or ritual you are performing. Use your instincts when choosing every element and every word to a spell or ritual. Only you know what is right for your spell or ritual, no one can tell you what should be used and what shouldn’t. Go with your instinct every time, even if you have a spell previously written. If that spell feels like it should be changed, then change it. Instincts will get you very far with witchcraft.

This is not a complete list of everything that you will ever need or that you will ever use in your spells and rituals, and it is not meant to be. It is simply a list of some of the most common witchcraft spell casting essentials that are important to ensure a great spell.

You don’t need all of these things for each spell. You want to use any combination of the essentials (and anything else that you feel is necessary) in each individual spell.
Source
Unhypnotize.com Wicca/Witchcraft

Magick Symbols – SUN GOD FACE c. 2018

SUN GOD FACE

The sun face is a symbol that has been central to most major spiritual systems throughout history. Since the sun god usually reigned over a pantheon of lesser gods. His symbol played a vital part in pagan worship (and in the rituals of occult secret societies) around the world. In Inca myths, the sun was worshipped as the divine ancestor of the nation. The sun was worshipped as a personified, life-giving deity in Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and other major civilizations of history. The more common symbol is the familiar face in the center of the sun’s rays. A dot or point in the center of a circle symbolizes the blending of male and female forces. Hindus call the midpoint in a circle the bindu – the spark of masculine life within the cosmic womb.

WHICH WITCH ARE YOU? FIVE WAYS TO HARNESS THE CRAFT c. 2019

WHICH WITCH ARE YOU? FIVE WAYS TO HARNESS THE CRAFT

  • ELLEN RICKS

 

Witchcraft seems like a particularly buzzy topic these days, with books, blogs, and more delivering ancient magic to a modern audience. But while stylized Tarot cards and light-catching crystals have their place, the shift from intrigued observer to practicing pagan can be a daunting one. So why not start the process by determining which brand of witchery resonates with you?

Read on to learn about five specialized takes on witchcraft—and where the variants came from.

 

COSMIC WITCH

A comic witch is a witch who uses planetary and celestial energy in their practice. They study and feel a personal and spiritual connection with not only the main planets in our solar system, but with asteroids, meteors, supernovas, stars, constellations, galaxies, and black holes. Cosmic witches pay particular attention to astrology, horoscopes, and zodiac signs—but that only gives us a picture of how the cosmic forces influence the individual. Cosmic witches are focused on how celestial energy influences the inner self, but also the world.

Cosmic witches have been around since the study of planets. According to the American Federation of Astrologers, the Babylonians are credited with the birth of astrology. They used their astrological charts to predict the “recurrence of seasons and certain celestial events.” Around 2000 B.C., Babylonian astrologers believed that the sun, moon, and the five known planets (Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto had yet to be discovered) all had distinct character traits (Mercury representing communication, Venus representing affection, and so on). Cosmic witches use these planetary traits to call upon their energy. For example, many witches choose to perform spells on a full moon because the full illumination can create an extra magical boost and enchantment—and the rock itself is said to align with emotions and the soul.

A present-day cosmic witch may not be using astrology to predict the weather, but rather to predict future events or influences. For example, it’s beneficial for a cosmic witch to know when Mercury is in retrograde, and in which sign, because it will allow them to determine where communication breakdowns will occur, and in what guise. If a cosmic which was planning to perform a love spell, their best chance of having it being successful during a new moon which corresponds with new beginnings and relationships.   

 

 

DIVINATION WITCH

A divination witch uses their magic to try to predict the future, often employing a variety of tools—or one that resonates. There are so many mediums with which to connect into the magic of the world: think Tarot, oracle cards, a pendulum, the I Ching, palmistry, and tasseography, and more.

Divination and divination witches have existed in just about every time period in history. In ancient Greece, divination witches were known as Oracles, and it was believed that deities spoke through them. A famous oracle was high priestess Pythia—known as the Oracle of Delphi—who was thought to be the mouthpiece of the god, Apollo. Every culture has its own form of divination. In ancient China, the diviner would carve out their question onto an ox bone until it cracked, and then the cracks were analyzed.

Today, divination witches don’t claim to be the mouthpiece of the gods, instead using divination predict likely answers to simple queries like, “Am I on the right career path?” or “Does this relationship stand a chance?” And in true modern fashion, divination methods like Tarot can even be found on our phones.

 

 

GREEN WITCH

A green witch works with magical properties found in the natural world. Their craft is based on respecting nature and all living things. Green witches focus on the magical correspondence of herbs, plants, and flowers. This incorporates herbalism, which is the study of botany and use of plants intended for medicinal purposes.

Herbalism is found in many cultures, but Chinese herbal medicine is one of the ancient variations still practiced today. Chinese herbology is based on the concepts of yin, yang, and Qi energy, where the herbs can either cool (yin) or stimulate (yang) certain parts of the body, the concept used for ritual and spiritual practices as well as medicinal. In parts of Africa, an herb known as purslane was used for purification during and after ritual ceremonies, while in some Scandinavian countries, clover was once used to ward off evils spirits and help develop psychic ability. In folk magic tradition, chamomile is said known to bring luck.

Today, green witches still take herbal magic very seriously, using essential oils and creating small physic gardens in their own apartment. Be aware that this is a learned art: it’s extremely important to know the health effects of the herbs you plan to use or ingest as well as the magical benefits.

 

 

KITCHEN WITCH

A kitchen witch practices magic within their own home. Their magic is not based on any divine power or spiritual guidance, but that magic that can be found in the everyday routine. Their craft comes out while cooking, baking, and nesting while tapping into the power of their own intention.

Witchcraft and cooking have always gone hand-in-hand. During the late 15th and mid-18th century many of the 200,000 witches (mostly women) were tortured, hanged, or burned at the stake were accused of poisoning food. Even now, our classic image of a witch persists as a woman stirring her cauldron. There has always been a magical and ritualistic nature surrounding food. Like green witchcraft, kitchen witches use herbalism in their food-based magic—but kitchen witchery isn’t just about food. It can also be making a homemade offering to a deity, cleansing and protection your home, and so on.

 

SEA WITCH

A sea witch, also known as a water witch, works with the element water in order to tap into their magic. They feel a deep, powerful connection to the water—whether it is the ocean, sea, or lake. This powerful pull leads them to be more aware of their own mystical energies.

Sea witches have been found in many cultures throughout history. From the sea nymph Calypso of The Odyssey; Sycorax of Shakespeare’s play The Tempest; even Ursula in Disney’s The Little Mermaid. However, sea witches have a deeper history in mythology. In Norse mythology, sea witches were magical, malevolent feminine spirits who often took the form of mermaids. These witches believed that their power and bond over the sea and tides was born of their worship for the moon. The triple goddess symbol holds particularly deep meaning for sea witches, as it represents the three phases of the monthly lunar cycle: waxing, full, and waning.

Along with praying to the moon, sea witches have had a long history with practicing dowsing, a method of divination for finding water, metals, even grave sites underground by using a Y-shaped stick made of hazel. Dowsing has been around since the Middle Ages, used frequently in Europe until its association with witchcraft caused the practice to be shunned; its legitimacy as a science is still up for debate. Contemporary sea witches may not be luring sailors to their deaths, but they are still incorporating water, weather, and the moon into their practices, finding their own magical connection with the sea.

 

Astrology.com

Crystals for Empaths

The True Legal Horror Story of the Salem Witch Trials

More than 300 years ago, twenty people were put to death for the “crime” of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials. The most horrific part? The Salem Witch Trials happened under the auspices of “the law.”

To understand and commemorate this dark period in our country’s legal history, we’re looking back at the court proceedings and laws during the Salem Witch Trials and their impact on the American legal system.

From Hocus Pocus to The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, it’s clear that people love witches. In fact, witches are the most popular adult Halloween costume year after year. But those frivolous and fanciful witches we know today—cackling in black garb and pointy hats with broomstick in hand—have evolved a great deal over the past several centuries.

More than 300 years ago, it was a felony to practice witchcraft in the American colonies, defined by English law as acting with magical powers bestowed by the Devil. But it wasn’t until legal failings, mass paranoia, and Puritan religious and societal rules converged against a backdrop of economic and political uncertainty that the most horrifying witch-hunt against innocent people occurred in Colonial Massachusetts.

During the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, more than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft. Twenty of those people were executed, most by hanging. One man was pressed to death under heavy stones, the only such state-sanctioned execution of its kind. Dozens suffered under inhumane conditions as they waited in jail for months without trials; many of the imprisoned were also tortured, and at least one died in jail before the hysteria abated in 1693.

So much of the tragedy of the Salem Witch Trials comes down to the failure of the court and the laws during that time: Laws that made such things as visions, dreams, and even the testimony of spirits permissible evidence. And a court that accepted accusations so flimsy they would seem laughable today if they weren’t so horrifyingly unjust…

Accusations Spread

The Salem Witch Trials occurred just as Europe’s “witchcraft craze’’ from the 14th to 17th centuries was winding down, where an estimated tens of thousands of European witches, mostly women, were executed.

The chilling mayhem unfolded during the winter of 1692 in Salem Village, now the town of Danvers, Massachusetts, when three girls allegedly having strange visions and fits were “diagnosed” with bewitchment by a doctor.

“Many modern theories suggest the girls were suffering from epilepsy, boredom, child abuse, mental illness, or even a disease brought on by eating rye infected with fungus,” according to The History of Massachusetts blog. Sheer vindictiveness is now considered a plausible explanation as well.

The girls blamed their odd behavior on three women considered social outcasts, including Tituba, a slave, whose confession may have been coerced. Soon a wave of witchcraft allegations throughout the year swept up more than 200 accused witches, including at least one child.

Local magistrates questioned the accused and determined whether any charges were to be brought against them. As paranoia spread, residents of Salem soon found themselves facing accusations from friends, neighbors, and families.

“Bearing false witness and committing perjury were considered felonies in Salem; under normal conditions, those convicted of such charges were prosecuted in public forums. During the witch trials, however, individuals convicted of perjury could save themselves from public humiliation by accusing their neighbors,” according to the First Amendment Encyclopedia.

The Puritans believed physical realities had spiritual causes. For example, if the crops failed, the Devil may have played a role. With this worldview, it was not a stretch for them to accept ‘spectral evidence’ of spirits and visions—which was the primary evidence used as proof of guilt during the Salem Witch Trials.

Evidence points to several factors that may have contributed to the mass hysteria: “An influx of refugees from King William’s War with French colonists, a recent smallpox epidemic, the threat of attack from Native Americans, a growing rivalry with the neighboring seaport of Salem Town, and the simmering tensions between leading families in the community created the perfect storm of suspicion and resentment.” Many historians believe the “witches” were also victims of scapegoating, personal vendettas, and social mores against outspoken, strong women.

Of course, underpinning it all was the Puritans’ deeply held and extraordinarily influential religious beliefs—which were also central to their legal system.

Early Witchcraft Laws

The so-called Witchcraft Act of 1604 served as the primary English law for witchcraft, deeming it a felony. A witch convicted of a minor offense could be imprisoned for a year; a witch found guilty twice was sentenced to death.

In 1641, the General Court, the legislative body of the colony of the Massachusetts Bay, wrote the Body of Liberties, the first legal code established in New England. This collection of civil and criminal laws and rights included witchcraft among its capital offenses. Citing Biblical sources for its authority, it stated: “If any man or woman be a witch that is, hath, or consulteth with a familiar spirit, they shall be put to death. Exod, 22. 188; Deut. 13.6, 10; Deut. 17. 2, 6.”

In practice, few witches were executed in Colonial America prior to the Salem Witch Trials. In the English tradition, clear and convincing proof of a crime was needed for a conviction. Confessions, especially with other evidence and testimony of at least two trustworthy people, constituted the best proof.

Though the Salem Witch Trials predated the U.S. Constitution and its Bill of Rights protections by almost a century, legal scholars say the accused witches were largely “deprived of the rights to which they should have been entitled under English common law.”

Changes in the American Legal System

During the epidemic of witchcraft accusations in Salem, the legal process changed. The trials followed the temporary suspension of the Colony Charter due to political and religious tension between the colony and England. A new governor and a new charter from England arrived in 1692, but the General Court did not have enough time to create any laws.

On May 27, 1692, Governor William Phips ordered the establishment of a Special Court known as the Court of Oyer and Terminer (which translate to “to hear” and “to determine,” respectively) to decide the cases. Without specific colony laws, the judges accepted “spectral evidence,” which included testimony about dreams and visions.

The Puritans believed that physical realities had spiritual causes. For example, if the crop failed, the Devil may have played a role—and Satan could not take the form of an unwilling person. So if anyone claimed to have seen a ghost or spirit in the form of the accused, that person must be a witch. With this worldview, it was not a stretch for Puritans to believe in spectral evidence, which was the primary evidence used as proof of guilt.

In October, Increase Mather, then president of Harvard, denounced the use of spectral evidence: “It were better that ten suspected witches should escape than one innocent person be condemned,” he said. Not long after, Governor Phips dissolved the Court of Oyer and Terminer.

In January 1693, the newly created Superior Court of Judicature began hearing the remaining witch trials. The judges could not accept spectral evidence and most of the remaining trials ended in acquittal. Phips pardoned the rest.

Enduring Lessons

In 1957, Massachusetts formally apologized for the events of 1692: “The General Court of Massachusetts declares its belief that such proceedings, even if lawful under the Province Charter and the law of Massachusetts as it then was, were and are shocking, and the result of a wave of popular hysterical fear of the Devil in the community…” The Massachusetts state legislature was still exonerating accused witches as recently as the early 2000s.

Today, the Salem Witch Trials continue to capture popular imagination. Less than 20 miles from Boston, Salem has turned its dark history into a thriving tourism industry, with witchcraft-themed shops, eateries, tours, and several museums.

The town commemorates the tragedy of that era with the Salem Witch Trial Memorial and has preserved many buildings and other historic sites associated with the trials, so future generations—and jurists—can learn how mass hysteria can lead to mass injustice.

From nesl.edu

Smells like witch spirit: How the ancient world’s scented sorceresses influence ideas about magic today

Most perfume ads suggest that the right scent can make you sexy, alluring and successful. A blend by Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs, meanwhile, offers to make you smell like Hecate, the three-faced Greek goddess of witchcraft.

As a classics scholar who studies both magic and the senses in the ancient world, this idea of a witch-inspired perfume fascinates me – and “Hecate” is just one of many magic-inspired fragrances available today.

What does a witch smell like, and why would you deliberately perfume yourself like one?

Smells are impossible to see or touch, yet they affect us emotionally and even physically. That’s similar to how many people think of magic, and cultures around the world have connected the two. My current research is focused on how magic and scent were linked in ancient Rome and Greece, ideas that continue to shape views of witches in the West today.

Greeks and Romans of all walks of life believed in magic and used spells ranging from curses to healing magic and garden charms. Magical handbooks from the time show that Greco-Egyptian magicians used fragrance extensively in their rituals, even scented inks, and doctors believed strong-smelling plant species to be more medically effective than others. The gods themselves were thought to smell sweet, and places they touched retained a pleasant odor, making scent a sign of contact with the divine.

Witches wielding perfumes

Professional magicians in the ancient world claimed they could curse enemies, summon gods, heal the sick, raise ghosts, tell the future and accomplish various other miraculous feats. Surviving descriptions suggest that a majority of them were men, although certainly not all.

When it comes to Greek and Roman fiction, however, most magicians are women.

Witches in ancient literature use smells even more …

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Why Do Witches Ride Brooms? The History Behind the Legend

From pagan fertility rituals to hallucinogenic herbs, the story of witches and brooms is a wild ride.

The evil green-skinned witch flying on her magic broomstick may be a Halloween icon—and a well-worn stereotype. But the actual history behind how witches came to be associated with such an everyday household object is anything but dull.

It’s not clear exactly when the broom itself was first invented, but the act of sweeping goes back to ancient times, when people likely used bunches of thin sticks, reeds and other natural fibers to sweep aside dust or ash from a fire or hearth. As J. Bryan Lowder writes, this household task even shows up in the New Testament, which dates to the first and second centuries A.D.

The word broom comes from the actual plant, or shrub, that was used to make many early sweeping devices. It gradually replaced the Old English word besom, though both terms appear to have been used until at least the 18th century. From the beginning, brooms and besoms were associated primarily with women, and this ubiquitous household object became a powerful symbol of female domesticity.

Despite this, the first witch to confess to riding a broom or besom was a man: Guillaume Edelin. Edelin was a priest from Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris. He was arrested in 1453 and tried for witchcraft after publicly criticizing the church’s warnings about witches. His confession came under torture, and he eventually repented, but was still imprisoned for life.

By the time of Edelin’s “confession,” the idea of witches riding around on broomsticks was already well established. The earliest known image of witches on brooms dates to 1451, when … click here to read the rest of this article

Common Practice and Beliefs within Druidry

Introduction

Those who practise Druidry do so through a deep spiritual connection perceived and experienced within the land and its culture. Many, when they first find Druidry, describe the feeling as ‘coming home’; they have rediscovered a connection with the land, its people, history, heritage and culture. This is more than mere interest; imbued with wonder, gratitude, respect and a sense of the perpetual flow of time, it inspires a devotional commitment, an acknowledgement of the sacred and a recognition of deity (male, female and non-gendered gods) within these currents of nature. This is the foundation of Druid practice.

The issue as to whether modern Druidry has any clear link back to pre-Roman Britain is debated. Historically Druidry was essentially an oral tradition and no texts are available written by our pre-Roman ancestors. However, the religious and spiritual traditions survived in folklore, through poetry and mythologies, within the development of British/western philosophy and the bardic colleges. A good deal was incorporated into Christianity when it came to these lands, particularly surviving in rural churches where Paganism continued side by side with the new religion. In the eighteenth century a resurgence of Druidry led to academic scrutiny of Classical and Mediaeval texts and a good deal of today’s common Druidic practice is based on interpretation of that material. This scrutiny continues today and Druids use this as a link to their ancestral past. As a religion today, Druidry is ever evolving. So common practice is gained through Druids coming together and sharing their experiences, rituals and celebrations.

Diversity

Many come to Druidry because of its diversity. Freedom of expression and personal connection to deity is, for them, of paramount importance. Connection to the divine is gained through experience, neither through belief nor through reciting prayers that are essentially another’s understanding or vision. As a polytheistic religion, individuals devote themselves to and revere deities who express different aspects of nature and ancestry. For example, Cerridwen is a goddess of the dark, the waning moon, the cauldron of potential; Brighid is a goddess of fire, light and assertive action. The rituals and practice of Druids honouring one or other of these as their principal deity would differ accordingly.

Druids take their inspiration from Nature. Within the British Isles we have a huge diversity of landscape and this is reflected in the practice of individuals and local groups or Groves. If a Druid is inspired by their local north sea coast, his gods and religious focus would be different from a Druid inspired by the rolling hills and woodlands of the Cotswolds, or the open moors of Devon. Similarly a Druid grove celebrating the festival of midwinter in an urban garden in Kent will look and feel very different from a grove celebrating in the Highlands of Scotland, were most of its members are dependent on rural or agricultural livelihoods: winter means something very different to both groves. All these individuals and groves are equally honouring (and seeking relationship with) Nature.

Druids are inspired too by their ancestors. To a Druid, ancestry is not a vague concept, but a gathering of individuals, each with their strengths and weaknesses, their own stories of success and failure. Druidry’s diversity is further expressed through the fact that each person has a different line of ancestors, and a different relationship with those people: this may manifest through a religious practice that focuses on a certain temple or landscape, myth or poet, skill or occupation. Again, such practice may appear significantly distinct, say, if we were to observe a farmer, a blacksmith, a writer or healer. As Druids, all are honouring their ancestors, nonetheless, by using the skills inherited and so expressing the spiritual devotion, gratitude and reverence required of the Druid.

The reverence for nature that is integral to Druidry also provides a morality or ethical base that is common to all Druids. Like any moral code, whether religious or secular, it is interpreted with slight differences. However, honour, respect, truth and justice are of primary importance and constitute the basis of all Druid practice. This doesn’t dilute Druidry, but brings to it a richness that is welcomed and celebrated. Thus, paradoxically, diversity is both a strength and a cohesive element of Druid practice.

There are further elements of Druid practice and ritual that are common to all within the tradition and these we shall explore.

Major Festivals

Most adherents of modern Druidry celebrate eight major festivals and these can be further subdivided into the Solar Festivals and Celtic Fire Festivals, which may also be known as agricultural, pastoral, seasonal or cross quarter festivals. Some Groves and individuals only work with the Solar and some only with the Fire Festivals. Placed around the course of the year, they occur every 5-7 weeks, and generally Druids will at this time make ritual, giving offerings.

The purpose of the festivals is to ensure two things: …

Click here to read the rest of this article about Common Practice and Beliefs within Druidry Source: druidnetwork.org

Key Features Needed To Make A Ritual Work c. 2014

WOTC Extra  – Key Features Needed To Make A Ritual Work

Wiccan rituals fit together a variety of tried-and-true magickal methods to form a congruous whole, rather like a spiritual jigsaw puzzle. Dancing around a ritual fire, singing, chanting, meditating, communicating with deities, casting spells, crafting charms, making wishes, pouring libations, asperging the participants or the sacred space — every part of a ritual has purpose and meaning in relation to the whole.

In Wiccan rituals, great care is taken to make sure there are no meaningless words or actions. A ritual without meaning becomes a liturgy to which the participants have no connection, and therefore cannot effect magick.

Not every ritual you create or attend will contain all of the following elements. However, any of these features applied in meaningful combinations will help generate similarly meaningful results.

Location

Where a ritual transpires has a tremendous effect on the participants and the resulting magick. Many witches enjoy enacting rituals outdoors. This allows participants to connect with nature and to recognize their place in the universe. If you’re a solitary witch, you have more options than a group of thirty people might. If you live in a heavily populated city, you may not have as many sites to choose from as rural witches do.

Accept your limitations and plan with the goals of the ritual in mind. Make sure that your space, whether indoors or outside, can comfortably hold all the people participating in the ritual and allow for the process to take place. If you’re going to do a spiral dance, you need a lot of room. Sitting and meditating, by comparison, requires far less space.

Ambiance

The right environment for your ritual is essential. Ideally, the place where you perform ritual should be a sacred space dedicated to this purpose. You don’t want anything to distract, interrupt, or otherwise take you away from the ritual at an important juncture — it should go without saying that ritual space is a cell-phone-free zone. Set the right mood by using appropriate decorations, aromatics, altar configuration, and so on. All of these components should reflect the ritual’s purpose.

Seasonal rituals usually include decorative and symbolic touches that reflect the cycle being commemorated. Fresh blossoms might grace an Ostara ritual; evergreen boughs compliment a Yule celebration. Well-chosen music, incense, and thematic items can make a big difference in the ambiance of a ritual. These touches affect your senses, which in turn influence both the conscious and subconscious mind.

Personal Preparation

Everyone in attendance should be in the right frame of mind, for their combined thoughts and emotions generate the ritual’s energy. When you participate in a ritual, you set aside daily concerns and mundane thoughts to focus on the goal of the ritual.

Before beginning a ceremony, many witches take ritual baths to cleanse themselves in body and mind. Salt is usually added to the bathwater (symbolizing purification) and sometimes essential oils. Ideally, you should bathe in a stream, lake, or the ocean; however, most ritual baths take place in an ordinary indoor tub.

Witches gather in circles to demonstrate visually and spatially each participant’s equal responsibility and relevance in the ritual. Everyone who chooses to participate should feel wholly comfortable with the ritual and its components. They should understand the ritual’s significance, its goals, and the steps involved, and be ready to contribute mentally and physically to the ritual’s purpose.

For the good of all, anyone who cannot fulfill these conditions is better off not participating. One person’s lower energies or distractions become a weak link in the circle of the power of creation and the direction of magickal energy.

Tools and Components

Do you need a complete altar setup? Do you want to wear costumes? What about a special altar cloth? A ritual might require any of the following tools:

Asperger

Athame

Broom

Candles

Cauldron

Chalice

Circumference-marking material (such as chalk)

Crystals or stones

Drum or other musical instruments

Essential oils

Feather or fan

Foods or beverages

Incense

Incense burner

Masks (or other props)

Objects representing the four elements

Offerings

Pentagram

Plants or flowers

Salt

Smudge wand

Statuary

Sword

Wand

Everything that will be used in the ritual should be cleansed in advance. In addition, each ritual object should be charged for its task in the ritual. (Refer to the cleansing and charging methods described in Chapter 13.) Bring all the items you’ll need for the ritual into the area where you’ll be working before you cast a circle.

Progression

A ritual follows a logical progression, like a play. The ritual’s progression creates the pattern — the actions and words that become tradition.

Each ritual should have a defined beginning, such as creating sacred space. The beginning of a ritual sets the tone for everything to follow. In particular, it transports the participants to that place between the worlds and unifies their hearts and spirits, directing them toward the ritual’s goal. A typical beginning in a group setting might include breathing in unison, holding hands, and calling the Watchtowers. Practitioners of solitary rituals might take a moment for prayer or meditation, followed by invoking the circle.

After the ritual space reaches this juncture, what happens varies dramatically, depending on the ritual and its goals. As mentioned previously, this middle portion might involve weaving spells, dancing, singing, drumming, meditations, visualization, divination, enactments, and so on. Whatever takes place should be congruent with the beginning of the ritual.

As is the case with spellcraft, the more sensual aspects you include, the more energy a ritual is likely to raise. As participants work their way through the ritual, everything perceived through their senses helps them maintain focus and direct energy. When the members of the circle are raising energy, drumming might get faster or chanting might grow louder, for example. Each cue communicates the goals of the ritual to the individual’s awareness and to the Divine, and therefore nourishes the magick.

“I think the highest purpose of ritual or magickal work is to seek our gods, to commune with the cosmic ‘mirror’ and the spirits of nature in order to learn more of the divinity within ourselves and reach evermore toward personal growth in its highest expression.”

— Maria Kay Simms, A Time for Magick

Human beings like closure; solid endings also bring the participants’ attention back to mundane matters. A ritual without a defined ending is like omitting the last chapter in a book; it leaves both the participants and the energy hanging. It’s also important to thank and release the Watchtowers who have been present during the ritual. Furthermore, participants need this time to gear down a bit (or ground out, as witches say). End the ritual by deconstructing the circle, saying a closing prayer, or stating a parting wish. Some circles end with a chant:

The circle is open, but unbroken May the peace of the Goddess be forever in your heart. Merry meet and merry part And merry meet again.

Author:
Sky Alexander
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Let’s Talk Witch – Warnings and Cautions For The New Wiccan or Witch c. 2014

 

Let’s Talk Witch – Warnings & Cautions For The New Wiccan or Witch

If you’ve looked at this site at all, you’ve seen the wonderful things that happen when you begin following a Wiccan path. I’ve been asked to discuss the not-so-nice things that can happen. I’m not trying to scare anyone off, just give you enough information so you can make an informed decision.

The Shadows are out there:

They exist, in the invisible world that parallels our own, living creatures. Unlike creatures from our world, they lack physical form, and feed on energy instead of matter. They are as varied as the animal life on our world. They range in size (power) from the equivalent of insects and rodents to the equivalent of magically trained humans, and beyond to the Great Old Ones. (My land is inhabited by one of these-it gives the psychic impression of a mountain with legs. It is not unfriendly, but an elephant is not unfriendly toward ants either. I stay out of our woods when it is about.) I mentioned that these creatures feed on energy. Most are content to graze on the random energy fields that leak from humans and other creatures in our world. Others, however, are a little more sinister. These, the ones you have to worry about, I call the Shadows.

Shadows come in three basic varieties. First are the little ones that feed off the energy in negative emotions. If you are emitting strong negativity, they will be drawn to you like flies to rotten meat. If you aren’t magically protected, they will happily latch onto your energy field (aura) and snack on it. They are usually not much more troublesome than leeches or mosquitoes; however, a thousand leeches could weaken a person severely.

Next come the more dangerous variety, more like rats or vultures than mosquitoes. These are attracted both by negative emotions and the energy of magical workings. They are stronger, and can push past weak or flawed defenses to get to you. And they are much harder to peel loose once they have their teeth into you.

Last are the intelligent variety. Their favorite meal is human life energy, the ‘heart-fire’ that burns in each of us. They are relatively rare even in their own realm, but they exist. The terms ‘Imp’ , ‘Evil Spirit’ and ‘Demon’ are fairly accurate. They are very strong. The more intelligent ones are capable of working their own Magic to breach your defenses. The most intelligent variety , being as lazy as humans, prefer to talk you into dropping your defenses and linking your energy field to theirs. (“Open yourself to me, and I will grant you power beyond your wildest dreams.” Yeah, right.) They also are capable (if someone is helpful enough to open a doorway for them) of entering our world. Once here, if they can get past all your defenses unless you are very strong at warding. They can enter your body and feast at will, even asserting a degree of control over you. Yes, this is exactly like the old stories of Demon possession.

You – yes, you can be a Vampire:

There exist in this world evil creatures. They are highly intelligent, capable of working magic, and extremely devious. They are capable of not only psychic magical attacks, but physical ones as well. As a species, they tend to be amoral, murderous animals. I call them ‘humans’. Humans are also capable of ‘feeding’ off the energies of other humans- Herne (owner of this website) calls them “Psychic Vampires”. They do this to gain more magical power, to control others, or to replace the energies they are losing by dealing with the Shadows. Some humans can even do this while traveling astrally. So that Evil Spirit that tried to get into your last circle may not have been from the other side; it could have been your next-door neighbor.

Oops! Did I just do that?

Magic is an art form. Despite the best efforts of Ritual Magicians and Technopagans, it remains as unpredictable and powerful as the weather unless you are highly skilled and focused. Scientists studying weather prediction in the 1970’s discovered something amazing. Weather, they found, is so unstable as to be impossible to predict more than a day or two in advance. In fact, computer models suggested something they called the Butterfly Theory. It seems that the air disturbed by a butterfly taking off from a cactus in Mexico, if it happened at the right time and place, could in theory cause devastating storms and tornadoes in the U.S. Midwest. Magic is very similar. Each action we take, magical or mundane, has consequences that spread out from it like the ripples in a pond.

They spread out, touching everything- and reflect back to converge on the source. Be very sure, then, before you work magic, exactly what the consequences may be. Ask yourself, “If this spell backfires on me, and affects me instead of the intended target, can I live with the result?” Thus, I tend to use magic “only in direst need, and then must the cause be just” (author unknown).

Some Wiccans counsel about how rain on your fields could cause drought elsewhere. This might be true, if you are trying with your own personal power to ‘squeeze’ the rain clouds as they pass over. But asking the Lady and Lord for the blessing of rain for everybody’s crops is a different thing entirely. Selfish magic has negative consequences: Loving, giving magic only positive ones. For Selfishness is the true root of all evil. “I want it! Destroy the world, let Chaos take the universe, as long as I get what I want!” Be careful of what you ask, you just may get it…

Power corrupts:

So, you’ve studied hard, learned all about Wiccan magic, and now you find you can really do things. All the power of the Elements is yours to command. Love, money, power, respect- all these are yours. You are special. You are powerful. You are a God! Now, you must convince others to worship you, to lend you their energy so that your power can grow. But that’s OK, because you are a loving God, and you want only what’s best for your worshipers. And you know what’s best for them, for you know all, and see all. For you alone are God of this world you have created.

Can’t happen? Do the names Jim Jones, Sun Myung Moon or David Koresh ring a bell? It is important to remember that the gift of magical power is just that- a gift from the Lady and Lord. It must never be abused. And glorifying yourself because of something lent to you is like showing up at your class reunion in a borrowed suit and a rented Jaguar. This reason and this reason alone is why you will not find the Council of this site posting or trading spells and rituals. We don’t hand out loaded guns here.

Basic Principles and Concepts of Wicca c. 2014

Basic Principles and Concepts of Wicca

By , About.com

Introduction:

There’s an old saying that if you ask any ten Wiccans about their religion, you’ll get at least fifteen different answers. That’s not far from the truth, because with nearly half a million Americans practicing Wicca today, there are dozens — perhaps even hundreds — of different Wiccan groups out there. There is no one governing body over Wicca, nor is there a “Bible” that lays down a universal set of guidelines. While specifics vary from one tradition to the next, there are actually a few ideals and beliefs common to nearly all modern Wiccan groups.

Do keep in mind that this article is primarily focused on Wiccan traditions, rather than on the principles of non-Wiccan Pagan belief systems. Not all Pagans are Wiccans, and not all Pagan traditions have the same set of principles as the core beliefs of modern Wicca.

Origins of Wicca:

Wicca as a religion was introduced by Gerald Gardner in the 1950s. Gardner’s tradition was oathbound, initiatory, and secret. However, after a few years splinter groups began forming, and new traditions were formed. Today, many Wiccan groups owe their basic foundation to the principles laid out by Gardner. Wicca is not an ancient religion, but Gardner did incorporate some old esoteric knowledge into his original tradition, including Eastern mysticism, Kabballah, and British legend.

Who Is a Wiccan, and How Do You Find Them?:

Wiccans come from all walks of life. They are doctors and nurses, teachers and soccer moms, writers and firefighters, waitresses and computer programmers. In other words, anyone can be Wiccan, and people become Wiccan for many reasons. In fact, there are nearly half a million Wiccans in the United States today. As to where to find them, that might take a bit of digging — as a mystery religion that doesn’t proselytize or actively recruit, it can sometimes be difficult to find a group in your area. Never fear, though — the Wiccans are out there, and if you ask around enough, you’ll bump into one eventually.

Calling Upon the Divine:

Wicca acknowledges the polarity of the Divine, which means that both the male and female deities are often honored. A Wiccan may honor simply a non-specific god and goddess, or they may choose to worship specific deities of their tradition, whether it be Isis and Osiris, Cerridwen and Herne, or Apollo and Athena. In Gardnerian Wicca, the true names of the gods are revealed only to initiated members, and are kept secret from anyone outside the tradition.

Initiation and Degree Systems:

In most Wiccan covens, there is some form of initiation and a degree system. Initiation is a symbolic rebirth, in which the initiant dedicates themselves to the gods of their tradition. Typically, only an individual who has attained the rank of Third Degree dedicant may act as a High Priest or High Priestess. Study is required before an individual may advance to the next degree level, and often this is the traditional “year and a day” period.

Someone who is not a member of a coven or formal group may choose to perform a self-dedication ritual to pledge themselves to the gods of their path.

Magic Happens:

The belief in and use of magic and spellwork is nearly universal within Wicca. This is because for most Wiccans, there’s nothing supernatural about magic at all — it’s the harnessing and redirection of natural energy to effect change in the world around us. In Wicca, magic is simply another skill set or tool. Most Wiccans do use specific tools in spellcrafting, such as an athame, wand, herbs, crystals, and candles. Magical workings are often performed within a sacred circle. The use of magic is not limited only to the priesthood — anyone can craft and perform a spell with a little bit of practice.

The Spirit World is Out There:

Because the concept of an afterlife of some sort is typical in most branches of Wicca, there is a general willingness to accept interaction with the spirit world. Seances and contact with the unknown are not uncommon among Wiccans, although not all Wiccans actively seek communication with the dead. Divination such as tarot, runes, and astrology are often used as well.

What Wicca Isn’t:

Wicca does not embrace the concepts of sin, heaven or hell, the evils of sex or nudity, confession, Satanism, animal sacrifice, or the inferiority of women. Wicca is not a fashion statement, and you do not have to dress a certain way to be a “real Wiccan.”

Basic Beliefs of Wicca:

While not exclusive to every single tradition, the following are some of the core tenets found in most Wiccan systems:

  • The Divine is present in nature, and so nature should be honored and respected. Everything from animals and plants to trees and rocks are elements of the sacred. You’ll find that many practicing Wiccans are passionate about the environment.
  • The idea of karma and an afterlife is a valid one. What we do in this lifetime will be revisited upon us in the next. Part of this idea of a cosmic payback system is echoed in the Law of Threefold Return.
  • Our ancestors should be spoken of with honor. Because it’s not considered out of the ordinary to commune with the spirit world, many Wiccans feel that their ancestors are watching over them at all times.
  • The Divine has polarity — both male and female. In most paths of Wicca, both a god and goddess are honored.
  • The Divine is present in all of us. We are all sacred beings, and interaction with the gods is not limited just to the priesthood or a select group of individuals.
  • Holidays are based on the turning of the earth and the cycle of the seasons. In Wicca, eight major Sabbats are celebrated, as well as monthly Esbats.
  • Everyone is responsible for their own actions. Personal responsiblity is the key. Whether magical or mundane, one must be willing to accept the consquences — either good or bad — of their behaviour.
  • Harm none, or something like it. While there are a few different interpretation of what actually constitutes harm, most Wiccans follow the concept that no harm should intentionally be done to another individual.
  • Respect the beliefs of others. There’s no Recruiting Club in Wicca, and the Wiccans are not out to preach at you, convert you, or prosetylize. Wiccan groups recognize that each individual must find their spiritual path on their own, without coercion. While a Wiccan may honor different gods than you do, they will always respect your right to believe differently.

 

A Look at Today’s USA Army’s View on Wicca and Other Pagan Paths

(I thought it was important to follow the proceeding article with an update from the USA miltary views on Pagan paths)

Today’s Military Views on Wicca US Army Chaplain’s Manual from wicca.com

Excerpt from the U.S. Army’s Religious Requirements and Practices of Certain Selected Groups: A Handbook for Chaplains (pgs 231-236). Available from:

USAF Chaplain’s Service Institute
Resource Division
525 Chenault Circle
Maxwell AFB
Montgomery, AL 36112-6429

WICCA

OTHER NAMES BY WHICH KNOWN:
Witchcraft; Goddess worshippers; Neo-Paganism, Paganism, Norse (or any other ethnic designation) Earth Religion, Old Religion, Druidism, Shamanism.

Note: All of these groups have some basic similarities and many surface differences of expression with Wicca.

LEADERSHIP:
No central leadership. The Covenant of the Goddess annually elects a First Officer and there is a constitutional limit of two consecutive terms, but in practice officers have almost always served for one year only. In 1991, there are two Co-First Officers, Phoenix Whitebirch and Brandy Williams.

Note: This Covenant does not govern any Coven other than its’ own.

MEMBERSHIP:
Because of the complete autonomy of covens, this cannot be determined. There are an estimated of 50,000 Wiccans in the United States.

Hernes note: This number is now substantially higher and estimated at over 200,000 (now over 1.5 million in 2020). Wicca is currently the fastest growing spiritual path in the U.S.

HISTORICAL ORIGIN:
Wicca is a reconstruction of the Nature worship of tribal Europe, strongly influenced by the Living Nature worship traditions of tribal peoples in other parts of the world.

The works of such early twentieth century writers as Margaret Murray, Robert Graves and Gerald B. Gardner began the renewal of interest in the Old Religion. After the repeal of the anti-Witchcraft laws in Britain in 1951, Gardner publicly declared himself a Witch and began to gather a group of students and worshipers.

In 1962, two of his students, Raymond and Rosemary Buckland (religious names: Lady Rowen and Robat), emigrated to the United States and began teaching Gardnerian Witchcraft here. At the same time, other groups of people became interested through reading books by Gardner and others. Many covens were spontaneously formed, using rituals created from a combination of research and individual inspiration. These self-created covens are today regarded as just as valid as those who can trace a “lineage” of teaching back to England.

In 1975, a very diverse group of covens who wanted to secure the legal protections and benefits of church status formed Covenant of the Goddess (CoG), which is incorporated in the State of California and recognized by the Internal Revenue Service. CoG does not represent all, or even a majority of Wiccans. A coven or an individual need not be affiliated with CoG in order to validly practice the religion. But CoG is the largest single public Wiccan organization, and it is cross-Traditional (i.e. non-denominational).

BASIC BELIEFS:
Wiccans worship the sacred as immanent in Nature, often personified as Mother Earth and Father Sky. As polytheists, they may use many other names for Deity. Individuals will often choose Goddesses or Gods from any of the world’s pantheons whose stories are particularly inspiring and use those Deities as a focus for personal devotions.

Similarly, covens will use particular Deity names as a group focus, and these are often held secret by the groups. It is very important to be aware that Wiccans do not in any way worship or believe in “Satan,” “the Devil,” or any similar entities. They point out that “Satan” is a symbol of rebellion against and inversion of the Christian and Jewish traditions.

Wiccans do not revile the Bible. They simply regard it as one among many of the world’s mythic systems, less applicable than some to their core values, but still deserving just as much respect as any of the others. Most Wiccan groups also practice magic, by which they mean the direction and use of “psychic energy,” those natural but invisible forces which surround all living things. Some members spell the word “magick,” to distinguish it from sleight of hand entertainments.

Wiccans employ such means as dance, chant, creative visualization and hypnosis to focus and direct psychic energy for the purpose of healing, protecting and aiding members in various endeavors. Such assistance is also extended to non-members upon request.

Many, but not all, Wiccans believe in reincarnation. Some take this as a literal description of what happens to people when they die. For others, it is a symbolic model that helps them deal with the cycles and changes within this life. Neither Reincarnation nor any other literal belief can be used as a test of an individual’s validity as a member of the Old Religion.

Most groups have a handwritten collection of rituals and lore, known as a Book of Shadows. Part of the religious education of a new member will be to hand copy this book for him or herself. Over they years, as inspiration provides, new material will be added. Normally, access to these books is limited to initiated members of the religion.

PRACTICES AND BEHAVIORAL STANDARDS:
The core ethical statement of Wicca, called the “Wiccan Rede” states “an it harm none, do what you will.” The rede fulfills the same function as does the “Golden Rule” for Jews and Christians; all other ethical teachings are considered to be elaborations and applications of the Rede. It is a statement of situational ethics, emphasizing at once the individual’s responsibility to avoid harm to others and the widest range of personal autonomy in “victimless” activities. Wicca has been described as having a “high-choice” ethic.

Because of the basic Nature orientation of the religion, many Wiccans will regard all living things as Sacred, and show a special concern for ecological issues. For this reason, individual conscience will lead some to take a pacifist position. Some are vegetarians. Others will feel that, as Nature’s Way includes self-defense, they should participate in wars that they conscientiously consider to be just. The religion does not dictate either position, but requires each member to thoughtfully and meditatively examine her or his own conscience and to live by it. Social forces generally do not yet allow Witches to publicly declare their religious faith without fear of reprisals such as loss of job, child custody challenges, ridicule, etc. Prejudice against Wiccans is the result of public confusion between Witchcraft and Satanism. Wiccans in the military, especially those who may be posted in countries perceived to be particularly intolerant, will often have their dog tags read “No Religious Preference.” Concealment is a traditional Wiccan defense against persecution, so non-denominational dog tags should not contravene a member’s request for religious services.

Wiccans celebrate eight festivals, called “Sabbats,” as a means of attunement to the seasonal rhythms of Nature. These are January 31 (Called Oimelc, Brigit, or February Eve), March 21 (Ostara or Spring Equinox), April 30 (Beltane or May Eve), June 22 (Midsummer, Litha or Summer Solstice), July 31 (Lunasa or Lammas), September 21 (Harvest, Mabon or Autumn Equinox), October 31 (Samhain, Sowyn or Hallows), and December 21 (Yule or Winter Solstice.)

Some groups find meetings within a few days of those dates to be acceptable, others require the precise date. In addition, most groups will meet for worship at each Full Moon, and many will also meet on the New Moon.

Meetings for religious study will often be scheduled at any time convenient to the members, and rituals can be scheduled whenever there is a need (i.e. for a healing). Ritual jewelry is particularly important to many Wiccans. In addition to being a symbol of religious dedication, these talismans are often blessed by the coven back home and felt to carry the coven’s protective and healing energy.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE:
Most Wiccans meet with a coven, a small group of people. Each coven is autonomous. Most are headed by a High Priestess, often with the assistance of a High Priest. Some are headed by a High Priestess or High Priest without a partner, and some regard themselves as a gathering of equals. Covens can be of mixed gender, or all female or male, depending on the preferences of the members. Every initiate is considered to be a priestess or priest.

Most covens are small. Thirteen is the traditional maximum number of members, although not an absolute limit. At that size covens form a close bond, so Wiccans in the military are likely to maintain a strong affiliation with their covens back home. There are many distinct “Traditions” of Wicca, just as there are many denominations within Christianity.

The spectrum of Wiccan practice can be described as ranging from “traditional” to “eclectic,” with Traditions, covens and individuals fitting anywhere within that range. A typical difference would be that more traditional groups would tend to follow a set liturgy, whereas eclectic groups would emphasize immediate inspiration in worship.

These distinctions are not particularly important to the military chaplain, since it is unlikely that enough members of any one Tradition would be at the same base. Worship circles at military facilities are likely to be ad-hoc cross-Traditional groups, working out compromise styles of worship for themselves and constantly adapting them to a changing membership.

Therefore, the lack of strict adherence to the patterns of any one Tradition is not an indicator of invalidity. While many Wiccans meet in a coven, there are also a number of solitairies. These are individuals who choose to practice their faith alone. The may have been initiated in a coven or self initiated. They will join with other Wiccans to celebrate the festivals or to attend the various regional events organized by the larger community.

ROLE OF MINISTERS:
Within a traditional coven, the High Priestess, usually assisted by her High Priest, serves both as leader in the rituals and as teacher and counselor for coven members and unaffiliated Pagans. Eclectic covens tend to share leadership more equally.

WORSHIP:
Wiccans usually worship in groups. Individuals who are currently not affiliated with a coven, or are away from their home coven, may choose to worship privately or may form ad-hoc groups to mark religious occasions. Non-participating observers are not generally welcome at Wiccan rituals.

Some, but not all, Wiccan covens worship in the nude (skyclad) as a sign of attunement with Nature.

Most, but not all, Wiccan covens bless and share a cup of wine as part of the ritual. Almost all Wiccans use an individual ritual knife (an “athame”) to focus and direct personal energy. Covens often also have ritual swords to direct the energy of the group. These tools, like all other ritual tools, are highly personal and should never leave the possession of the owner.

Other commonly used ritual tools include a bowl of water, a bowl of salt, a censer with incense, a disk with symbols engraved on it (a “pentacle”), statues or artwork representing the Goddess and God, and candles. Most groups will bless and share bread or cookies along with the wine. All of these items are used in individual, private worship as well as in congregate rituals.

DIETARY LAWS OR RESTRICTIONS:
None.

FUNERAL AND BURIAL REQUIREMENTS:
None. Recognition of the death of a member takes place within the coven, apart from the body of the deceased. Ritual tools, materials, or writings found among the effects of the deceased should be returned to their home coven (typically a member will designate a person to whom ritual materials should be sent). It is desirable for a Wiccan priest or priestess to be present at the time of death, but not strictly necessary. If not possible, the best assistance would be to make the member as comfortable as possible, listen to whatever they have to say, honor any possible requests, and otherwise leave them as quiet and private as possible. (Sind Note Pagans can now have a pentagram on their headstone in any official USA military cemetary)

MEDICAL TREATMENT:
No medical restrictions. Wiccans generally believe in the efficacy of spiritual or psychic healing when done in tandem with standard medical treatment. Therefore, at the request of the patient, other Wiccan personnel should be allowed visiting privileges as though they were immediate family, including access to Intensive Care Units. Most Wiccans believe that healing energy can be sent from great distances, so, if possible, in the case of any serious medical condition, the member’s home coven should be notified.

OTHER:
With respect to attitude toward military service, Wiccans range from career military personnel to conscientious objectors. Wiccans do not proselytize and generally resent those who do. They believe that no one Path to the Sacred is right for all people, and see their own religious pattern as only one among many that are equally worthy. Wiccans respect all religions that foster honor and compassion in their adherents, and expect the same respect. Members are encouraged to learn about all faiths, and are permitted to attend the services of other religions, should they desire to do so.

GENERAL SOURCE BOOKS:

Note by Herne: Since this was written by the military, the list of books available has grown subtantially. For more topics and titles, see our Suggested Reading List.

The best general survey of the Wiccan and neo-Pagan movement is: Adler, Margot. Drawing Down the Moon. Boston: Beacon Press, 1986. 595pp

For more specific information about eclectic Wicca, see: Starhawk. The Spiral Dance. New York: Harper & Row, 1979.

For more specific information about traditional Wicca, see: Farrar, Janet, and Stewart Farrar. Eight Sabbats for Witches. London: Robert Hale, 1981. 192pp.

The Witches’ Way. London: Robert Hale, 1984. 394pp.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Pagan Military Newsletter c/o Terri Morgan, Editor, 829 Lynnhaven Parkway 114-198 Virginia Beach, VA 23452

Because of the autonomy of each coven and the wide variance of specific ritual practices, the best contact person would be the High Priestess or other leader of the member’s home coven.