Category: Our History

Happy and Blessed be as You Celebrate Litha/Summer Solstice Sisters and Brothers in the Southern Hemisphere

A very short explanation of the Holly or Oak Kings Ruling as the Goddess Consort’

For More Information on the Oak King

For More Information on Litha

Scroll Down For More Information on the Summer Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere

I hope these links help you learn more about the different topics.

The Oak has will be born at Sunrise on the Summer Solstice after…

Litha Baby Red roses

Here the young Oak King fights the tired out Holly King to rule from the Litha until Yule until…

oak-king-battling-holly-king

The Holly King is reborn. Now the Oak King is an old man but still fights the Holly king.

pagan-child-of-promise-yule-greeting-card-117-p

The Holly King wins and grows to maturity from the Yule until Litha when the cycle of the battle between the young and older Kings battles repeat themselves for the honor to rule as the Goddesses Consort. The Oak Kings is also in some traditions is known as The Green Man or The Horn God or the God of the Hunt.

Reminder for Lady Abyss’ Remembrance Ceremony

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Just a reminder the Remembrance Ceremony for our beloved sister, friend, and mentor is tonight Friday, November 15th. In Coven Life’s chat room starting at 6:00 PM CST with ceremony starting at 7:00 PM CST.

What You Need for Remembrance Ceremony

1 – 4 inch White chime candle With Lady of the Abyss craved in to it (you can use a large candle if you want but any size candle needs to safely burn down completely)

1 Candle Holder

1 Piece of Paper size is up to you

Something to write with

Matches or a lighter

A container to put paper in to finish burning safely

Something to put under container so the surface it is sitting on is not damaged.

A laptop, tablet, computer to follow the ceremony on and to talk in the chat room.

A full piece of paper towel

Chat room is closed for general talking while we do the ceremony

A Place to Talk About Whatever You Need or Want to and a Remembrance Ceremony for Lady Abyss

we do not die

We will be doing a Remembrance Ceremony at 7:00 PM CST lasting approximately 10 to 15 minutes to honor Lady Abyss. Chat room will open at 6:00 PM CST

What You Need for Remembrance Ceremony

1 – 4 inch White chime candle With Lady of the Abyss craved in to it (you can use a large candle if you want but any size candle needs to safely burn down completely)

1 Candle Holder

1 Piece of Paper size is up to you

Something to write with

Matches or a lighter

A container to put paper in to finish burning safely

Something to put under container so the surface it is sitting on is not damaged.

A laptop, tablet, computer to follow the ceremony on and to talk in the chat room.

Chat room is closed for general talking while we do the ceremony

Remembrance Ceremony

Lady Beltane: I walk this circle with the Lord and Lady to keep our messages to Lady Abyss on a true path to her.

Everyone:  We asked the Goddess to  let Lady Abyss receive our messages of love, honor, and missing her.

We honor Lady Abyss as we light a candle so she knows she brighten each of our lives in some way. We honor her for all she has taught us. We thank Lady Abyss for being friend or mentor or sister or all of these things to each of us.

Take 5 minutes to write whatever you want to, to our beloved Lady.

Everyone: Start burning your paper when you feel heat of the burning paper put it in the container to finish burning. When it is completely burned type in Sol mote it be.

Lady Beltane: Dear sisters and brothers we have honored the end of this life time for Lady Abyss. May we find some peace in knowing she will not feel anymore pain. We also are celebrating her life by sharing our memories of her.

I walk this circle with the Lord and Lady to close this circle. We happily give the energy we raise to Mother Earth to use as she needs it.

This circle is done but through the Goddess we will stay connected. Go in peace and love.

The ceremony is done but the chat room is available for as long as anyone wants to talk.

Searching for the Witches’ Tower

Archaeologists hunt for evidence of a 17th-century English family accused of witchcraft

By MARLEY BROWN November/December 2019 From Archaeology – A publication of the Archaeological Institute of America

In the fields belonging to Malkin Tower Farm, outside the village of Blacko, in Lancashire’s borough of Pendle, stands a solitary tree where small charms, fruit, and even the odd dream catcher are known to appear. These offerings are left behind by amblers on countryside strolls who are aware of the farm’s association with the notorious Pendle witch trials. In 1612, nearly a dozen people from this scenic region of hilly pastureland were accused of witchcraft, convicted, and hanged in the nearby city of Lancaster. Though they took place more than 400 years ago—nearly a century before the better-known witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts—the trials continue to captivate an eclectic mix of scholars, tourists, and neo-pagans. Researchers now conducting excavations at Malkin Tower Farm are hoping to find archaeological evidence of the witches themselves. The task is a daunting one, since material remains of magical practice are often ephemeral and difficult to distinguish from everyday objects. It also requires an understanding of the Lancashire in which the condemned lived, which was beset by religious and social upheaval, as well as substantial changes in traditional modes of rural life.

 

The team, led by archaeologist Charles Orser of Ontario’s Western University, chose to investigate Malkin Tower Farm because it shares the name of a property where the family most closely associated with the trials, the Devices, are known to have lived. The location Orser selected is only one of the possible locations for their home. No standing buildings from the seventeenth century—and no tower—survive at the site, and the exact location of the Device family home was never recorded. But in this part of the world, where farms are handed down over generations, place-names persist. “The names of individual fields, in particular, can be very ancient in this area,” says Malkin Tower Farm owner Andrew Turner, who, with his wife Rachel, operates holiday accommodations at the property. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the name ‘Malkin’ is actually quite a bit older than the 1612 trials.”

 

The farm’s current cottages, which sit on the lower slopes of a hill and look out over a vista of pastures, stone walls, and small lakes, date to the eighteenth century. Orser chose to investigate a field directly behind them, hoping to find evidence of earlier buildings. A 2018 field season based on geophysical surveys didn’t turn up much, but the team has now encountered what Orser says are the remnants of a demolished residence. “Clearly where we’re excavating now is a tumbled house, there’s no question about it,” he says. “And I can imagine that the local authorities would have wanted to demolish a house that they believed was associated with evil.”

Click on the next page number to be taken to the entire article:

Pagan Calendar of Observation for September

SEPTEMBER
AUG. 29 – SEPT. 11: Return of Isis & Osiris (star Sirius, rising Nile waters)

SEP. 2: Grape Vine Festival honoring Ariadne & Dionysus

SEP. 9 – 11: Feast of Mother Earth (Greek, etc)

SEP. 9 – 18: Greater Eleusinian Mysteries (Greek): rites of Demeter/Persephone/Hades done every five years. (prepare on the 2nd, initiates on the 11th, purifying sea bath or sea salt bath on the 12th, offerings of barley and grain on the 13th, ‘holy basket of Demeter’/Persephone’s adduction by Hades on the 14th, torch procession for Demeter’s search on the 15th, Holy Night/Initiations/Dedications show mystery/promise of renewed life on the 16th, games/sports/Feast of Divine Life dedicated to Triple Goddess of Kore-Demeter-Persephone on the 18th, return with earthen jars representing the womb of Demeter on the 19th).

SEP. 13: Egyptian Lighting the Fire Ceremony for all departed souls —honoring with candlelight the spirits of the dead.

SEP. 19: Feast of Thoth, Egyptian scribe god

SEP. 21 – 23: MABON SABBAT: Autumn Equinox; Second Harvest—Vine Harvest; Harvest Home/Thanksgiving Feast/Winter-finding for the Norse. The Fall Equinox always begins the forty day
– Birthday of Athena, Greek Goddess of Wisdom also known as Sophia
– Babylonian Ishtar’s Day: Great Goddess
Sep or sometimes Oct (day varies) Rosh Hashanah, Jewish New Year, always followed ten days later by

SEP. 26 – Oct 5: Navaratri, Hindu Festival of the Great Goddess – Huge holiday in India when Goddess destroys evil and restores cosmic order
Mesopotamian Day of the Sheepfolds: sacrifice to Goat God Azazel.

SEP. 27: Mesopotamian Day of the Willows: Festival of Astarte/Asherah

SEP. 29: Greek Festival Of Nemesis: Goddess of Fate

For Pagan Calendar

Good Wednesday Sisters, Brothers, and Guests

I am off to a very late start today so I will wait to do divination until tomorrow when I can get it posted early in the morning for you.

So I offer you a video to watch some of you may like it and some of you may not. I believe though it is good to be aware of the information that is available out in cyberland about Witchcraft.

Modern Witchcraft and Pagan Spirituality

Can We Help You to Teach Your Children and/or Your Descendants About The Craft?

One of Coven Life’s Elders thought, and I agree, that we should post a survey to help us help you to teach your children about The Craft. If you do not want to put your answers in a comment below please email them to covenlifescoven@gmail.com, please include your child’s age so we can post information by age groups. This whole idea of helping you to help your children learn is in the planning stages any ideas and/or suggestions to make it how you think will help our descendants to learn are very welcomed.

1. As pagan parents, would you like to see children’s activities posted on WOTC?
2. What age groups would you recommend activities for?
3 – 4 years old (mostly coloring pages of the different Sabbats with a small paragraph on what the Sabbat is for)
5 – 6 years old (Coloring pages of the Sabbats and Moon Phases with a small paragraph in wording they can read themselves to bring about a dialogue about what they are learning)
7-10 years old (Printable Information delving deeper into Moon phases. Brief introduction to Sabbat and Esbat rituals)
11-14 years old (Information for considering following a Pagan path building on what they would learned above)
15 – 18 years old (Introductory information on what it means to follow the Old Ways of The Craft including an introduction to Gods, Goddesses, Spellwork, Rituals. The spell work and.or rituals would be geared for the young adult to help their parent, grandparent, or care taker to prepare a spell and how to set up an altar if wanted and what preparation goes into writing and doing a ritual.)
This is a way that a child or young adult can build an understanding of the magickal and spiritual sides of witchcraft/ It will also help prepare them to become a novice in our coven or just to have the knowledge to work better with the adults that are solitary practitioner.
3. What topics would you like to see addressed?
4. What type of activities?
5. What other suggestions would you have for children’s and young adult’s activities ?
Remember you can answer the questions in the comments or email your answers to covenlifescoven@gmail.com. If you have any questions or ideas about this project please ask or share your idea. We are willing to start any child or young adult of any age so please do not think your child would have to start as a preschooler. There is no charge as you will be able to use what we post to teach your child the way you follow The Craft. We are here just to answer questions or help in anyway we can. We will be posting things for the Northern and Southern Hemispheres at the appropriate times for Sabbats.

Female Druids, the Forgotten Priestesses of the Celts

In all my studies I have never heard of Female Druid Priestess. But after reading this article and thinking back over what I have learn about the ancient Celtics spiritual path and the duality of it I than wondered was this information did not come out until now. I am going to look for at least two other article  confirming what this on days and I will post the links to them. I did a thank you ritual to Bridget for pushing to get this information to us. I would like to hear what you think of this especially if you follow a Druid path.

 

In medieval Irish legends they were called Banduri or Bandorai. Their existence was confirmed by ancient Greek and Roman writers. But who were the legendary female Druids?

The Druids were the ancient religious leaders, scientists and researchers of the Celtic society. For centuries, there was a common misconception that Druids were only male. However, numerous historical records attest to the fact that there were in fact women among their ranks.

The Wise Ones of Celtic society

The term ”Druid” comes from the Indo-European word ”deru”, which means ”the truth” or ”true”. This word has evolved into the Greek term ”drus”, meaning ”oak”.

The Druids were the intellectual elite. Being a Druid was a tribal function, but they were also poets, astronomers, magicians, and astrologers. It took them 19 years to gain the necessary knowledge and skills in alchemy, medicine, law, the sciences, and more. They organized intellectual life, judicial processes, had skills to heal people, and were involved in developing strategies for war. They were an oasis of wisdom and highly respected in their society.

Roman Accounts of the Druidesses

Gaius Julius Caesar was fascinated with the Druids. He wrote that they were scientists, theologians, and philosophers, and acquired knowledge that was extraordinary. According to experts in Caesar’s writings, the great Roman leader was well aware of the female Druids. Unfortunately, most of the Roman writers ignored women in general, so it is not easy to find reference to them in historical texts. However, Strabo wrote about a group of religious women who lived on an island near the Loir River. In ‘Historia’, Augusta is a description of Diocletian, Alexander Severus and Aurelian, who discussed their problems with the female Druids.

To read the rest of this interesting article copy and paste this link into your browser:

https://www.ancient-origins.net/history/female-druids-forgotten-priestesses-celts-005910

Goddess Knowledge – Bast

Bast (or Bastet, or Pasht) was the Egyptian goddess who appeared in cat form, The Egyptians highly revered cats; the word for cat, mau, also denotes light and was cognate with the word for mother. The cat is a lunar animal and also a solar animal representing the power of the sun as reflected in nature. Since the cat is an earth animal, BAst is also an earth mother goddess, a giver of life and abundance. In touch with her wild, instinctual nature, she is also a protector of women during childbirth. Like a cat, she is fiercely independent and belongs to no one but herself. Bast is one of the more joyful goddesses; her elaborate festivals in the town of Babustis were renowned for their joyful dancing. Embodying a cat’s gentler aspects, Bast is a personification of life and fruitfulness. The quintessential life-affirming mother, she reminds us to be playful and relaxed like a cat and to find occasions to celebrate life.

Some of the USA’s History and Somthings to Possibly Think About

Today in United States of America we are celebrating the 243rd year of declaring this land free and seperate from whoever is currently sitting on the United Kingdoms of Great Britain throne each year July 4th comes along. Since Queen Elizabeth II has been their ruling monarch for 67 years, which longer than many of us started living this lifetime.

But questions about what rights individual people would be allowed to have in the USA was and is hotly debated both privately and publicy. As is where did the first people come from as hunter, gathers to this chunck of land. Also what rationality were the people who discovered this land mass that was alreaddy inhabited for thousands of years

The by-laws this country used and, with many admendments to it, still uses are The Bill of Rights and the Constitution of the United States of America. Which was men only most of whom owned human beings as slaves to do with whatever they pleased. Their daughters and wives were barely a step above the slaves. Unless you were a white European male you has no rights as a human at all.

We have come far since the early decades of the forming of this nation or at least that is what we would like to believe. Yes woman and a citizen from anywhere in the world can now own land, property, even a business. Plus no matter where you or your parents are from if you are a legal citizen of the US you can vote for people who want to hold the different levels of power from the town to the federal level to decide what laws we as citizens have to live by which supposedly fulfills one of the privilages given to us by the Constitution. But and this is a big but it wasn’t until the 19th admendment was passed in 1919 and then ratified in every state, Tennessee being the last state of the 36 states, in August 1920 that women were given the privilage to vote. Yet a big leap forward was in 1870 after the end of the Cival War (this war was fought over humans being kept as slaves who were widely considered less important than a horse or a cow. The Northern states were against slavery and the Southern states were for it) that all males over a certain age could vote in elections. Sound pretty good? It wasn’t and most men of colored were denied their voting privilages until President Lynden B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Law in 1965 that both men and women of color could excerise their voting privilages.

The people who are decendants from the original hunter, gathers were not allowed to be citizens in their own country until 1924. Affter they had been herded like cattle onto land the European men picked for them to live. Which was usually land that was in hard if not impossible to farm and/or raise livestock on. Their children were taken away and taught to deny their heritage that the only way not to be thought as a savage was to learn European customs and language. This happened with more than one or two generations of children born to people whos land, including their sacred lands used for burial and/or spiritual ceremonies, and their languages and costoms was stolen from them. Most Indian Reservations cover many of the largest poverty areas and limited educated people in the USA.

If you have read this far I thank you for doing so. What is taught in our schools here as this nations history leave many things out that could make politicians back through many hundreds of years look bad. As the regular everyday, working class people in other words us start rasing questions on the slanted history we were and most of our children or grandchildren are being taught, the more we can learn to honor different nationalities and their cultures rather than hold preconceived and prejudicial thoughts about people and countries that have a different way of doing things then we do. Today I  ask you as well as myself not to judge people by the color of their skin, or accent they speak with, or the spirital path they follow but instead try saying hello with a smile and maybe one day start a coversation with someone to learn who that person is as an individual not who you may think they are because of ideas that our parents, teachers, and other adults taught us when we were growing up as how to think of a person different from ourself, family, and close friends. Who knows this could take humans back to a time when we live in harmony with Mother Earth and all living things upon her and in her vast oceans and other water ways and polluting the air we breathe. The time is now for tolerance,  harmony and to start cleaning up land, air, and water for future generations.

I hope I have given you someethings to think about for positive changes. I also hope I did not anger anyone who read this post. It is up to each of us as to how we live each of our lifetimes and the karmic balance or unbalance we chose for ourselves. Blessed be, A’ho and Namaste my dear sisters, brothers, and guests.

 

Goddess Knowledge – Triple Goddess

Before I share what is on the Goddess Knowledge Card I wanted to share my favorite image of the Triple Goddess. In most witchcraft traditions there is some representation of this goddess.

Triple Goddess

The Triple Goddess, the original trinity, symbolizes the three faces of the Great Goddess and its earliest representation of her division into multiplicity. The goddess with three faces is a universal motif, found worldwide.The Triple Goddess is intimately associated with changing phases of the moon; just as the moon transforms from one phase to another, the Great Goddess moves among her many rolls. Her three faces usually virgin, mother, and crone: virgin representing the strong, well-defined goddess; mother representing the nurturing goddess as source of all nourishment; and crone representing the goddess of death and transformation. This symbolism embraces the roll of the goddess in all phases of existence from birth through death to rebirth. The Triple Goddess reminds us of our sacredness regardless of our age or function in life. She reminds us that despite her many forms there is one goddess, always present and always sacred.

For More Information About Triple Godess

Images of Triple Goddess

 

July 2019 – Pagan Calendar of Observances

I thought since I did not see this website in the long list that was passed on to me to get June’s dates up, I would get July’s up early to give you a chance to print the list or mark the dates on your calendar if you wanted to.

JULY. 1: Crone Day – Kronia —honoring Kronos -Father Time and Rhea – Old Mother Nature.

JUL. 2: Roman Feast of Expectant Mothers.

JUL. 8 Celtic Month of Holly – Honoring the Holly tree.

JUL. 12-14: Feast of the Moon – Honoring Goddess as Selene (Old Greek), Ixchel (Maya), and Manat (Old Arabic-Sufi).

JUL. 13: Birth of Osiris – Egyptian God of Divine Youth, annually resurrected by Isis.

JUL. 17: Celtic Feast of Tailtiu – Mother Nature Goddess who fostered Lugh.

JUL. 21: Witch’s Day—Celebrating the Craft as life, practice and religion.

JUL. 19: Egyptian Opet Festival – Celebrating the marriage of Isis and Osiris.

JUL. 23: Roman Neptunalia: honoring Neptune, God of the Sea

JUL. 27: Belgium Procession of the Witches: Festival of Witches

JUL. 28: Archangel Auriel (Uriel) Day. His/Her name means “Fire or Light of God,” and titles include, Regent of the Sun, Angel of Music, Patron of Prophecy, Archangel of Salvation, Angel of the Presence. See Uriel.org for more about him/her, the crystal egg association, and paintings.

JUL. 29: Festival of Thor – Celebration of Norse God Thor

JUL. 31: thru Aug 2 – Lughnasadh – Old Celtic / Irish Feast of Goddess Tailtiu and God Lugh (Deities of Life and Light), celebrating the grain harvest. Aug. Eve; Sun God, Harvest God, Horned God willing to become the grain of life.
– Lammas, harvest festival coming 40 days after Summer Solstice, offer 1st fruits to the Divine (See Aug. 1)
– Festival of Loki – Day to honor Norse trickster god Loki and his consort Sigyn
– Feast of the Grain Harvest – Honoring Goddess Demeter & Kore (Old Greek), and God as Osiris (Egyptian).

From Pagan Calendar

S. H. A Yule Story for Children ~ The Tiniest Fairy ~ Plus a Coloring Page of the Tiniest Fairy

r CTT4 Coloring Babay Fairy.jpg

Alicia was a small and tiny earthen spirit with sparkling blue eyes and a pinched up nose; even in the fairy world, where all things are small, she was the smallest of them all.

Her home was deep inside the strong and twisting roots of a big Oak. It was safe and none of the winter cold snows could find their way in.

She loved playing around her cozy and warm home with her mom and dad. They would play hide and seek and she could easily hide in the corners or under the furniture. They would read books by the firelight and sing songs that only the fairies knew.

Alicia was frightened of the other earthen creatures, as well as of what might be outside her cozy home under the big Oak. She had never been out before and saw no reason to go into the “outside.”

When company came over Alicia would not come out of her tiny seedpod bed. When the Bunny family who lived next door came to visit, she was frightened that being so small, one of the many bunny babies might accidentally hop on her. She would only peek over the beds edge with her tiny pinched nose when the Gloends, a family of glowworms came to visit, because she wanted to see where the warm yellow glow was coming from.

At dinner one evening, Alicia’s mom and dad told her that soon winter’s hold would be ending. That frightened Alicia since she only knew the winter and could not imagine what might happen if it was to end.

They explained to her that in the entire magickal world, it was her magick that would call in the changing of seasons and the turning of the great wheel. On the eve of the next night Alicia, her mom and her dad would go on a journey into the forest. Here, there would be a great gathering and all the mystical creatures of Earth would see her gift of magick.

But Alicia shivered with fear — what was this wheel and how can she stop this magick and changing? She liked things just as they were and didn’t want anything to change at all. She didn’t want to go to a gathering where so many would be. She didn’t know what this gift was that she was to give. What if she got lost and no one could find her? Or maybe the others would see her. Maybe they would not like her or make fun of her or laugh at her being so small.

Her greatest fear was that maybe she had no magick. She had not seen it. She couldn’t fly like her mom and dad; she kept falling on her elbows. She couldn’t make things like flowers or snowflakes like her mom and dad; all she ended up with some ice that melted. She couldn’t even make light with her wand. How would her parents feel when they found out, what would she do?

Even as frightened as Alicia was of going into the “outside, ” she was more frightened of what others might think of her. She didn’t want to disappoint her mom and dad, so she decided it would be best if she hid. She would go into the “outside;” no one would look for her there. She would not go very far. Just far enough away where she could hide until the gathering was over, and then the change would not happen.

Alicia’s mom was roasting acorns for the great gathering’s feast and her dad was busy polishing up his ice wand. Alicia knew no one would see her leave, or think she would go into the “outside” alone, since she never had before.

With her wand in a small bag tied to her waist, Alicia carefully opened the door of her house and stepped into the “outside.” She closed the door quickly and quietly so her mom and dad would not hear it creak. Then, she turned to see what was here in this “outdoors.” It was white everywhere. She walked along for a little while when all of a sudden “crunch” she sunk into the snow up to her wing tips. It took a bit of work but she wriggled her way up and out of the snow. Now she was really cold and she could see it was getting darker. The bright bluish color of the sky was now turning a purple hue with streaks of red and yellow.

She wasn’t sure, but if night was coming she had to hide quickly. If she could fly just to the edge of the forest she would find a place to stay until the gathering was over and then she could go home again. Then it would be safe because nothing would change. That is what she wanted.

Alicia was frighten and getting colder, but she had made up her mind. She had to do this, or everything she knew was going to change forever. She shook herself off and looked toward the forest edge. With all her will and might she jumped up and began flying forward. Then back a little, then up, then down, then around in some circles and then slower and then faster and then it happened. Bang! She flew right into a tree branch hanging low weighted heavy by the snow.

Alicia did not know what exactly had happened as she rubbed her head, but when she rose up again out of the snow it had gotten very dark. She could see tiny lights twinkling above her now. She looked around trying to figure out what direction to go. By now the gathering must be over and she could go home. Everything would stay the same. But which way was home?

Alicia couldn’t see where to go, so she didn’t want to try to fly. What if she hit another tree, it was dark now and she couldn’t make anything out, plus her head still hurt from before. She had to be very careful deciding what way to go now.

All of a sudden, she heard someone calling her. “Alicia, Alicia.” She felt her body begin to shake so hard that the tiny ice cycles that had formed on the tips of her wings, tinkled like little bells. As she turned around to look behind her, she saw a woman lying on a big pile of fur blankets. She was not a fairy, but she was beautiful, dressed in a green, red and white gown. Hundreds of earthen creatures stood all around her, many Alicia had never seen before, but none were scared or frightened at all. Although Alicia didn’t understand it, she wasn’t frightened either.

There seemed to peace about this woman, it was something calming. “Alicia, I have been waiting for you. I need your help.” the Lady said.
“Waiting for me?” Alicia asked.
“Yes, Alicia, ” she said. “Its dark now and we need your light to light the way, so that we can see what lies before us.”
“My light?” Alicia asked, remembering she had not been able to make her wand light before.
“It’s your magick Alicia, your magick that will call the light from within me.” the Lady said.
Alicia slowly began to walk toward the woman. That’s when she saw that this quiet lady was going to have a baby, and she was going to have it any moment.

All the fears and worries Alicia carried with her were beginning to melt away, just like the ice on her wing tips. As she looked into the meadow green eyes of this lady she wanted more than anything else in her small life to make a light for her.

Alicia, still trembling, took her wand from its little bag, and raised it up. With every magickal hope she had ever had, she put her energy into lighting her wand.

The lady smiled gently at her and in that instance there was a great flash of light, which came from the tip of that tiny wand. It was a brilliant luminous light, which filled every corner of the night.

As Alicia held her wand high she looked over to see that now the lady was holding in her arms a baby; a wonderful little baby boy. Suddenly, she understood it all, everything her mom and dad had been telling her.

This was the magick; this was her special gift. Alicia, the tiniest of all fairies, she was the one who carried the spark, the spark which released the light of the world and the turning of the wheel of life.

In her tiny being she had carried that magick, the magick to unlock the power of love and understanding for the world to share. Standing in that brilliant light, Alicia understood who the Lady was and the importance of this baby. She was a part of the rebirth of the Light. This baby was the Light again reborn of the Goddess. The beautiful Lady was the Goddess of life, and Alicia was that spark of magick which survives all time and through which we find boundless possibilities.

Soon the edge of the forest was filled with earthen creatures and spirits from all over the mystical world. Alicia’s mom and dad watched their fairy child as she beamed with joy. The Lady holding her baby boy blessed all those who shared in this time of magick as the feast was served and great happiness was shared by all.

Alicia didn’t even notice that she was floating on the air. She was no longer weighted down by all her silly worries or fears. She knew that even though she was tiny she had the power to light the world. Now she understood, magick is all around you if you only believe, and trust in yourself.

So each year as you light a candle to call the light, remember the tiniest fairy, for it only takes one tiny spark to give light unto the whole world.

Blessed be our Lady the Mother of Light.

Lady Abigail
High Priestess Ravensgrove Coven
Copyright: Copyright © 11012005

To you and your family from Witches of the Craft and Coven Life’s families we bid you a joyous and blessed Yule.

I apologize to our Sisters and Brothers that live in the Southern Hemisphere for not posting this early yesterday. My wish for you and yours is you make it through your clod months with plenty to eat, a home to shelter you, and the clothing you need to keep you warm especially when you are outdoors. With love and bountiful blessings

                                                                                                                                                    — Lady Beltane

Table of Correspondences Part 1

Table of Elements

I will be posting from D. J. Conway’s book Celtic Magic the different tables of correspondences she has listed as used in the Celtic/Druid traditions of the Old Ways/The Craft.

Today’s information about the elements comes from pages 184-185

AIR: 

Rulers: Sylphs, Zephyrs and Fairies who inhabit the world of trees, flowers, winds, breezes, mountains.

King: Paralda

Attracted By: oils and incenses

Color & Direction: red or yellow; East

Magical Tools: symbols: sky, wind, breezes, clouds, breath, vibrations, plants, herbs, flowers, trees.and, incense, creative visualization.

Ritual Work: dawn, sunrise, SPring, knowledge, plant growth, intellect, thought, ideas, travel, freedom, revealing the truth, finding lost things, movement, psychic abilities.

EARTH:

Rulers: Gnomes, Dwarfs and Trolls who inhabit the interior of the Earth herself and are the consciousness of precious gems, minerals, and the Earth herself.

King: Ghob, Gob, Ghom

Attracted By: Salts and powers

Color & Direction: black or green; North

Magical Tools: pentagram, salt, images, stone, gems, trees, cord magic.

Symbols: rocks and gemstones, mountains, plains, fields, soil, caves and mines.

Ritual Work: night, midnight, Winter, riches, treasures, surrendering self-will, touch, empathing, incorporation, business, prosperity, employment, stability, success, fertility, money.

FIRE:

Rulers: Salamanders, Firedrakes (Fire breathing Dragons from Teutonic origins) the consciousness of flames.

King: Djin

Attracted By: candles, lamps, incense, fire

Color & Direction: white or red; South

Magical Tools: dagger, lamp or candles, censer, burned herbs or requests on paper

Symbols: lightening, volcanos, rainbow, Sun, stars.

Ritual Work: Summer, noon, freedom, change, sight, perception, vision, illumination, learning, love, will, passion, sexuality, energy, authority, healing, destruction, purification.

WATER:

Ruler: Nymphs, Undies, Mermaids and Mermen who live in the sea, lakes, streams, and springs, and Fairies of the lakes, ponds, streams.

King: Niksa or Necksa

Attracted By: water, washes, solutions

Color & DIrection: gray or blue; West

Magical Tools: cauldron, goblet, mirrors, the sea

Symbols: oceans, lakes, rivers, wells, springs, pools, rain, mist, fog

Ritual Work: Fall, sunset, planets, healing, emotions, taste, smell, absorbing, communion with the spiritual, purification, the subconscious mind, love, emotions, pleasure, friendships, marriage, fertility, happiness, sleep, dreams, the psychic

 

 

The Psychology of Magic

This comes from the book Witchcraft an Alternative Path by Ann Moura copyright 2003, pages 114-116.

The Psychology of Magic

“Because time is fluid in Witchcraft, seen as a spiral that may be accessed at any point, it is not difficult to work magic with the future results in mind. The subconscious mind is accessed for magical work, and it is also the place where all of the activities of daily life first take place. Because of how the neural transmitters function, and the distance run by nerve impulses, all things known by the conscious mind actually take place earlier and are only remembered consciously. In other words, there is a time lag between an event and a person’s cognitive awareness of that event. This is why a person may not realize the bath water is too hot until after being in it a few moments — it just takes a while to register on the conscious mind. Meanwhile, the subconscious mind is already aware of the temperature. Witches practice opening the communication channel with the subconscious mind, so that in the tub example, a Witch would be aware before stepping into the tub that it is too hot. Most people simply go through life without noticing discrepancy of time, except when something called deja vu (“already seen”) occurs, and then they wonder why a place or event seems so familiar or has happened before. This is a clue that time does indeed spiral and you dip into it at will.

Since in deja vu experience you seem to know in advance what will happen, if only a short time, you can alter the event. What may be somewhat amusing is the reaction of other people involved in the event. Since they are not connectively using the subconscious mind and not aware as quickly as yourself, you may find they want to react to something that has not happened, giving them a puzzled pause. As an example, I once averted a disastrous dinner argument by keeping silent during the experience when I knew that I was “supposed” to make an innocent remark, which led to a fight the first time around. When the time came for my remark, I did not make it and the conversation at the table stopped cold, everyone turning to look at me! But I had changed history and the table chat resumed without the argument.

When you start altering the future, you may have multiple deja vus of the same event or experience. The meaning of this is that you ran the course of the event, did not like things turned out, changed it, ran the course again, and still did not like the results, so you are giving it another try or realigning the events prior to the deja vu to make the results more satisfactory. Another aspect, which you will begin to recognize with experience, is that there is a variation in the deja vu from what you knew it once was. That means your prior change has worked, and you are given a second chance with the new arrangement. This facet of time manipulation is characteristic of the Witch’s development of subconscious awareness. Witches are people who have refined their ability to process precognitive stimuli and hold on to it so they are able to then alter events before these even register on the conscious minds of other people.

The fluidity of time makes it possible for you to manipulate it so that you can stretch it out, making certain you are never late to any destination. the raising of energy you are working magic, the conscious mind is silenced or relaxed so the subconscious mind may come forward as the active principle. Doing drumming, breath work, chanting, and dancing during the raising of energy when in the Circle is a way to move yourself into an altered state. Drugs and alcohol are not good for this since these inhibit your awareness. When working magic, the subconscious mind creates the reality, which will then be perceived by the conscious mind.

To be a Witch, you have to be ready to live in multiple layers of reality with multiple worlds (Physical, astral, psychic, spiritual, etc.) since these are what you access when practicing your Craft. These worlds exist and are approached with mediation, astral projection, out of body experience, visits to Otherworld or Underworld, pathworking and spell casting. IN the ritual of casting the Circle, you create a space not only to hold the energy you raise, but one that is apart from the rest of the physical world. When you draw the cosmic lemiscate (Smaller INFINITY 2) over the altar, and say that you are standing between worlds, you say you are “in a place that is not a place, and in a time that is not a time” as a reminder for the subconscious mind to be open. You stand at the nexus of other worlds, where the magic you conduct may travel to affect your physical world.

 

Goddess Knowledge – Venus

Venus is the Roman goddess of grace and love, called Aphrodite by the Greeks. She ever from an early Italian nature goddess, a bringer of spring blooms and vines, a goddess of growth and a beauty of nature. The goddess of desire, Venus was the irresistible personification of both physical and spiritual love. She gave her name to the second planet of dawn and dusk, as did her sister goddess, Inanna (Surmeria) and IsBear (Babylonia).

The story of Venus’s birth tells how she arosed, naked, from the sea, the source of all life (primarily creation) and a symbol of both the collective unconscious and eternity. It is a wonderful image for the emergence of a young woman into her full femininity. Venus is a striking affirmation of the Love of beauty and the pleasure of the senses. Risen from the sea, she is a guide through both the stormy and calm waters of it physical desires and emotions.

For more information about Venus please use this link: https://www.bing.com/search?q=roman+goddess+venus&FORM=HDRSC1

For more information on the Greek goddess Aphrodite please use this link: https://www.bing.com/search?q=greek+goddess+Aphrodite&qs=n&form=QBRE&sp=-1&pq=greek+goddess+&sc=8-14&sk=&cvid=9BD2AD87E86F4F83A36DFB41ED11BA4A

To see images of the Roman goddess Venus please use this link: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=roman+goddess+venus&qs=n&form=QBIR&sp=-1&pq=roman+goddess+venus&sc=8-19&sk=&cvid=C948CCC75BDF47DF88D2A202EE7D293B

To see images of Aphrodite please use this link: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=greek+goddess+Aphrodite&FORM=HDRSC2

Let’s Talk Witch – How to Cleanse Your Living Space

SPRING FANTASY

Let’s Talk Witch – How to Cleanse Your Living Space

Clear away any clutter that’s collected on floors or surfaces. Recycle those stacks of newspapers, throw away those old bills, and send out that dirty laundry.

Using an old cloth or your broom, dust the corners of your ceilings for cobwebs. Dust the tops of your curtains and windowsills as well.

Starting at the doorway of your house, sweep the floors in a generally clockwise direction. Sweeping is an excellent example of practical magic, cleansing on both a physical and spiritual level.

Be sure to take the dustcan with you as you sweep. As my mother used to say “bring the garbage to the dustpile, not the dustpile to the garbage.”

Once you’ve finished sweeping, fill the bucket about halfway with hot water and floor cleaner. I recommend Murphy’s wood oil soap, or a pine-scented cleaner.

Add a few drops of the pine oil and eucalyptus oil to the bucket of water. Crumble up a leaf or two of sage and add that as well. Drop the pennies in.

Say a little prayer over the water to the God of your own understanding. Ask that your house be blessed, peaceful, and harmonious.

Starting again at the door of your house, mop the floors in a generally clockwise direction. Envision the charmed water clearing away old, muddy energy and leaving your house sparkling and new.

When you discard the old mop water, be sure to save the pennies from the bottom of the bucket. Wash them under warm tap water and say a blessing over them.

Now, place the pennies in the outer four corners of your house, beginning in the north and moving clockwise. Ask the spirits of the four directions to make your home safe, secure, and prosperous.

Using the lemon-scented polish, lovingly polish any wooden furniture in your house. Once again, envision old vibrations being cleared away.

Light your sage or sweetgrass and smudge the outer corners of each room, moving once again in a clockwise direction.

If this feels comfortable, use either your athame or the index finger of the hand you write with to sketch a pentacle in the air over each door and window of your house, envisioning the opening sealed against unwanted energies.

Tips:

Pagans believe that moving clockwise (“deosil”) invokes and that moving counterclockwise (“widdershins”) banishes.

If you have wall-to-wall carpeting or are very allergic to dust, you can perform this ritual with a vaccuum cleaner instead of a broom. Simply sprinkle a small amount of the charmed water (minus floor cleaner!) on the carpet.

You may wish to chant softly to yourself while cleaning. Any simple, rhyming chant will do. Here’s one example: “Gunk away, good stuff stay.”

When I smudge, I like to chant the names of the Goddess to myself: “Isis Astarte Diana, Hecate Demeter Kali, Innaana.”

Feel free to experiment with what you place in your mop water. I also like to use rose oil (love) and patchouly oil (prosperity).

 

–Wicca Chat