Category: Our History

Mastering the Element Fire

Mastering the element Fire…

1- Make a list of things which have the combined qualities of having heat and
dryness. Be sure to record the results each day in your magickal diary. Do at
least daily for one week.

2- Find a place that is extremely hot, such as a desert or a dry sauna (not a
steam bath). If those are not possible, find a place where a roaring fire is going. Such a fire could be in a fireplace or a barbecue pit or grill. Remove all of your clothes, or as much as you can, and get as close to the heat source as possible without risking a burn. Once you are in a position where it is uncomfortably hot, but not painful or unbearable, do the relaxation ritual. Focus on your breathing. Again imagine that you are a huge breathing apparatus. Do this for a short while, usually ten minutes. Do not spend any time longer then that. Do this exercise at different times of the day or night for one week.

3- Spend a period of up to three minutes (no more), once a day, imagining that
you are the element Fire. Feel the heat and your ability to transmit the heat.
Know what Fire feels like, what Fire is. Do this for one week.

4- Once you have learned to “be Fire”, the next step is to control the element
Fire. Take a moment and imagine yourself to be Fire. Bring the feeling from the
previous exercise into your consciousness. Next, hold your hands 9-12 inches apart, palms facing each other. Imagine a bottle or box between your hands. Now, as you exhale, visualize all of the Fire element which is in you going out with your breath and into the container between your hands. Three to five breaths should be enough to fill it. Then, with three breaths, inhale it back into you and go back to normal consciousness.

THE TEST
The next time you feel listless or have a total lack of energy, do this exercise. If you feel energized and revitalized, you have succeeded with the test AND mastering the element Fire.

Mastering the Element Earth

Mastering The Element Earth….

1- Make a list of things which have the combined qualities of dryness and coolness. However, don’t to this just out of your head. Rather, make a list of
Earth things that you see each day. Practice this for one week. Be sure to record the results each day in your magickal diary.

2- Find a place filled with nature, such as a field or park. Wear as little clothing as you can (if possible, nudity is best), and sit or lie on the ground so that as much of your skin as possible is touching the ground. This is especially easy for women, as they can simply wear a flowing skirt with no underwear and sit on the ground with the skirt spread out. Spend some time contemplating, feeling the coolness and dryness of the Earth. You should do this at least three times within a week.

3- Spend a period of up to three minutes (no more), once a day, imagining that
you are the element Earth. Feel the heaviness, the slowness, the coolness and
dryness of Earth. Feel the way you can absorb the pains and problems of the world (however, do not actually do so). Become Earth. Do this exercise for at
least a week before moving to the next exercise.

4- Once you have leaned to “be Earth”, the next step is to control the element
Earth. Bring the feeling from the previous exercise into your consciousness.
Next, hold your hands 9-12 inches apart, palms facing each other. Imagine a
bottle or box between your hands. Now, as you exhale, visualize all of the Earth
element which is in you going out with your breath and into the container
between your hands. Three to five breaths should be enough to fill it. Then,
with three breaths, inhale it back into you and go back to normal consciousness.

THE TEST
The next time you feel lightheaded, overweight, just heavy and lethargic, do
this exercise. If you feel lighter and better, you have succeeded, with the test
AND with mastering the element Earth.

Mastering the Element Air

Mastering the element Air…

1- Make a list of the things which have the combined qualities of warmth and
moistness. Practice this for one week. Be sure to record the results each day in
your magickal diary.

2- Find a place where you can be alone, take a lounge chair along with you. Wear
as little clothing as you can (if possible, nudity is best), and sit or lie in the chair. Begin pore breathing. This is started by doing the relaxation ritual. Next, become very aware of your breath. Become aware of the slow in and out motion of the physical air. Notice the way the air feels as it enters your body. Now imagine that your body is nothing more then a huge breathing apparatus. Imagine that every part of your body only has the function of breathing. You should do this exercise daily for one week.

3- Spend a period of up to three minutes (no more), once a day, imagining that
you are the element Air. Feel the lightness, the giddiness, the warmth and moisture of Air. Feel how physical things don’t seem to matter. Do this exercise
for only one week, NO MORE. If you wish to do it again, only do it once a month.

4- Once you have learned to “be Air”, the next step is to control the element Air. Take a moment and imagine yourself to be Air. Bring the feeling from the previous exercise into your consciousness. Next, hold your hands 9-12 inches apart, palms facing each other. Imagine a bottle or box between your hands. Now, as you exhale, visualize all of the Air element which is in you going out with
your breath and into the container between your hands. Three to five breaths should be enough to fill it. Then, with three breaths, inhale it back into you and go back to normal consciousness.

THE TEST
The next time you feel heavy, slow or lazy, do this exercise. If you feel relaxed and refreshed, you have succeeded with the test AND with mastering the element Air.

Magick & Wicca

MAGICK & WICCA
The Wicca Handbook by Eileen Holland

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Magick is love. All magick should be performed out of love. The moment anger or hatred tinges your magick you have crossed the border into a dangerous world, one that will ultimately consume you.
– Scott Cunningham
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Magick itself is neutral, a tool: like a hammer, it can be used to smash or to
build. Intent is what colors it. White magick is a term to describe that which
is positive, constructive or helpful; black magick that which is negative,
destructive or harmful. If you have a business and you work spells to make it
prosper, that’s white magick. Doing spells to destroy your competition would be
black magick. These are not racial terms: good and evil, dark and light, are
other words which can be used to express this same concept.

Why black and white, not some other colors? To answer this you have to go back
into prehistory and imagine how terrifying the night was for humans before we
learned to use fire. The black of night was full of unseen threats, a dangerous
time you might not survive. The white light of day brought illumination and
safety, welcome relief.

White magick is the right-hand path, black magick the left-hand one. The
symbolism of right and left is also very ancient: the right hand was used for
eating, the left hand for bathroom functions. Imagine life without toilet paper
and you’ll understand why it’s customary to shake right hands. This has nothing
to do with being right- or left- handed, but it does explain why left handed
people were often forced in the past to learn to write with their right hands.

There are several theories of gray magick, but I think gray magick is what
Hindus call maya – illusion.

One theory holds that since good and evil both exist, some people need to do
black magick in order to balance the white magick. I don’t buy that for a
minute. Do murderers balance nice people, or child abusers balance loving
parents? If they create balance, does this excuse their crimes? Try telling that
one to a judge! “Well your honor, I only stole that car to create balance in the
universe.” There is another polarity theory, where if you do two hexes and two
healings they balance one another or cancel each other out. There is some logic
to this one but its still just a self-serving excuse, a way to delude yourself
you are a white witch when you practice black magick. Some traditions hold that
which you cast on yourself as white magick, that which you cast on others gray
magick. The wordsmith in me quibbles with this one on semantic grounds. I think a spell that harms yourself or anyone else is black magick; one that helps or heals anyone, including yourself, is white magick. Being of service to people in
need or distress is one of the things witches do best, so I see nothing “wrong”
in casting spells that help others – with their permission, of course.

Some witches argue there are evils too great, situations too grave for white
magick to deal with; that the end justifies the means, makes black magick
necessary for the greater good. That is the best argument of the lot, but I have
never encountered a situation I couldn’t handle with white magick. Binding,
banishing and transformation are the powerful tools of a white witch. The term
green witchcraft is sometimes used to describe Celtic magick, fairy magick,
earth magick or any combination of those.

Seekers and novices sometimes ask me how they can avoid being seduced by the
dark side of magick, avoid the temptation to hex or harm others. The answer is
to have an ethical framework in which you practice magick. Seduction by the dark side is not a concern for Wiccans. We have our Goddess and our Law to guide us:

an it harm none, do as ye will.

Every Wiccan is a witch, and every one of us voluntarily agrees to do no harm.
We walk in the Light and serve the Goddess. Magick is just one part of our
religion.

There are excellent moral and ethical arguments against practicing black magick,
but if you don’t buy those here is a practical one:

what goes around comes around

Everything we put forth is eventually returned to us. Wicca recognizes the Law
of Three, believes this return is triple. Black magick might provide instant
gratification, but it ultimately does more harm to you than to anyone else. Many
white witches learned this lesson the hard way.

Principles of Wiccan Beliefs

Principles of Wiccan Beliefs

1.   We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life
forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross
Quarter.

2.   We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward
our environment. We seek to live in harmony with Nature, in ecological balance
offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.

3.  We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that apparent to the
average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary it is sometimes called
supernatural, but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to
all.

4.  We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through
polarity — as masculine and feminine  — and that this same Creative Power lies
in all people, and  functions through the interaction of  the masculine and
feminine. We value neither above the other, knowing each to be supportive to the other. We value sex as pleasure, as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energies used in magickal practice and religious worship.

5.   We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological, worlds
sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconscious, Inner
Planes, etc. — and we see in the inter-action of these two dimensions the basis
for paranormal phenomena and magickal exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.

6. We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who
teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.

7.  We see religion, magick and wisdom in living as being united in the way one
views the world and lives within it — a world view and philosophy of life which
we identify as Witchcraft — the Wiccan Way.

8.   Calling oneself  “Witch” does not make a Witch  — but neither does
heredity itself, not the collecting of titles, degrees and initiations. A Witch
seeks to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order
to live wisely and well without harm to others and in harmony with Nature.

9.  We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of
evolution and development of consciousness giving meaning to the Universe we
know and our personal roll within it.

10.  Our only animosity towards Christianity, or towards any other religion or
philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be
“the only way” and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other
ways of religious practice and belief.

11.  As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of
the Craft,  the origins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of
different traditions. We are concerned with our present and our future.

12.  We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity
known as “Satan” or “the Devil”, as defined by the Christian traditions. We do
not seek power through the suffering of others, nor accept that personal benefit
can be derived only by denial to another.

13.  We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to
our health and well being.

An Introduction to Traditional Wicca

AN INTRODUCTION TO TRADITIONAL WICCA
c. 1987, Keepers of the Ancient Mysteries   ( K.A.M. )

Often Traditional Wiccans are asked to describe our religion and beliefs for
interested people, who may or may not have confused us with other Pagan
religions, with inversions of Christian/Islamic religions like Satanism, or with
purely magical traditions with no religious base. There is a lot of flexibility
in the ways that we describe ourselves, and one characteristic of Wicca is a
large degree of personal liberty to practice as we please. Still, there is an
outline that can be described in general terms. Many traditions will depart from
one particular or another, but groups departing from all or most of these
features are probably non-Wiccan Traditions attempting to stretch or distort the
Wiccan name to cover what they want to do.

Mysteries and Initiation

Wicca is an Initiatory religion descended from the Ancient Mystery Religions. A
mystery religion is not like Catholicism where a Priest is the contact point
between the worshiper and the Deity, nor like Protestantism where a sacred Book provides the contact and guidelines for being with the divine. Rather a Mystery Religion is a religion of personal experience and responsibility, in which each worshiper is encouraged, taught and expected to develop an ongoing and positive direct relationship with the Gods. The religion is called a “Mystery” because such experiences are very hard to communicate in words, and are usually distorted in the telling. You have to have been there in person to appreciate what is meant. Near and far-Eastern religions like Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism and Shinto are probably Mystery traditions, but Wicca is very western in cultural flavor and quite different than eastern religions in many ways.

A Blend of Pagan Roots

Most Wiccan Traditions, K.A.M. included, have particular roots in the British
Mystery Traditions. This includes traditions of the Picts who lived before the
rise of Celtic consciousness, the early Celts, and some selected aspects of
Celtic Druidism. American Wicca is directly descended from British Wicca,
brought in the late 1950’s by English and American Initiates of Gardnerian,
Alexandrian and Celtic Wicca. These traditions are a little like the
denominations in Christianity, but hopefully far more harmonious.

While British Traditions are very strong in Wicca, or the Craft as it is
sometimes called, other Western Mystery traditions feature prominently,
including the ancient Greek Mysteries of Eleusis, Italian Mysteries of Rome,
Etruria and the general countryside, Mysteries of Egypt and Persia before Islam,
and various Babylonian, Assyrian and other mid-eastern Mysteries that flourished before the political rise of the advocates of “one god”.

What’s In a Name?

Wicca, Witchcraft, and “The Craft” are used interchangeably at times by many
kinds of people. It is fair to say that all Wiccans are Witches, and many of us
believe we are the only people entitled to the name. It is important to know
that many people call themselves witches who are not in the least Wiccan, and
that Masons also refer to themselves as “Craft”, with good historical precedent.
Carefully question people on the particular things they do and believe as part
of their religion rather than relying on labels. Any real Wiccan would welcome
such honest inquiry.

Traditions and Flavor

There are specific Wiccan beliefs and traditions, including worship of an equal
and mated Goddess and God who take many forms and have many Names. Groups who worship only a Goddess or only a God are not traditional Wicca however they may protest, although they may be perfectly good Pagans of another sort. The Wiccan Goddess and God are linked to nature, ordinary love and children — Wicca is very life affirming in flavor.

Because we have and love our own Gods, Wiccans have nothing to do with other
people’s deities or devils, like the Christian God or Satan, the Muslim Allah or
the Jewish Jehovah (reputedly not his real name). Christians often deny this
fact because they think that their particular god is the only God, and everybody
else in the whole world must be worshipping their devil. How arrogant. They’re
wrong on both counts.

Traditional Wicca is a religion of personal responsibility and growth. Initiates
take on a particular obligation to personal development throughout their lives,
and work hard to achieve what we call our “True Will”, which is the best
possibility that we can conceive for ourselves. Finding your Will isn’t easy,
and requires a lot of honesty, courage and hard work. It is also very rewarding.

Wicca is generally a cheerful religion, and has many holidays and festivals. In
fact, most of the more pleasant holidays now on our calendar are descended from the roots Wicca draws on, including Christmas, May Day, Easter and Summer Vacation. Wicca is definitely not always serious. Dancing, feasting and general merriment are a central part of the celebrations.

Wiccan Ethics

Wiccans have ethics which are different in nature than most “one-god” religions,
which hand out a list of “do’s and don’ts”. We have a single extremely powerful
ethical principal which Initiates are responsible for applying in specific
situations according to their best judgment. That principle is called the Wiccan
Rede (Old-English for rule) and reads:

“An (if) it harm none, do as ye Will”

Based on the earlier mention of “True Will”, you will understand that the Rede
is far more complex than it sounds, and is quite different than saying “Do
whatever you want as long as nobody is hurt”. Finding out your Will is difficult
sometimes, and figuring out what is harmful, rather than just painful or
unpleasant is not much easier.

Initiation into Wicca

People become Wiccans only by Initiation, which is a process of contacting and
forming a good relationship with the Gods and Goddesses of Wicca. Initiation is
preceded by at least a year and a day of preparation and study, and must be
performed by a qualified Wiccan Priestess and Priest. The central event of
Initiation is between you and your Gods, but the Priestess is necessary to make
the Initiation a Wiccan one, to pass some of her power onto you as a new-made
Priestess or Priest and to connect you to the Tradition you’re joining.

Women hold the central place in Wicca. A Traditional Coven is always headed by a High Priestess, a Third Degree female Witch with at least three years and three
days of specific training. A Priest is optional, but the Priestess is essential.
Similarly, a Priest may not Initiate without a Priestess, but a Priestess alone
is sufficient. Women are primary in Wicca for many reasons, one of which is that
the Goddess is central to our religion.
One Religion at a Time

People often ask “Can I become a Wiccan and still remain a Christian, Muslim,
practicing Jew, etc. The answer is no. The “one god” religions reject other
paths besides their own, including each other’s. “One-god” religions also do not
exalt the Female as does Wicca, and mixing two such different traditions would
water them both down. Besides, you’d have to ask how serious a person who
practiced two religions was about either one. Being Jewish is an exception,
since it is a race and culture as well as a religion. There are many Wiccan
Jews, but they practice Wicca, not Judaism.

Magick and Science

People interested in Wicca are usually curious about the magick that Wiccans can do. While magick (spelled with a “k” to distinguish from stage conjuring) is not a religion in itself, it is related to our religious beliefs. Wiccans believe
that people have many more abilities than are generally realized, and that it is
a good idea to develop them. Our magick is a way of using natural forces to
change consciousness and material conditions as an expression of our “True
Wills”. Part of becoming a Wiccan is training in our methods of psychic and
magickal development.

Because we believe that everything a person does returns to them magnified, a
Wiccan will not work a magick for harm, since they would pay too high a price.
But a helpful magick is good for both the giver and receiver! Wicca is entirely
compatible with the scientific method, and we believe all the Gods and forces we
work with to be quite natural, not supernatural at all. We do not, however, hold
with the kind of scientific dogma or pseudo religion that sees everything as
dead matter and neglects its own method by trumpeting “facts” without honest
examination of evidence.

Priestesses at Large?

Long ago the spiritual (and sometimes physical) ancestors of Wiccans were
Priestesses and Priests to the Pagan culture as well as devotees of their
Mystery. Now that a Pagan culture is rising again, some ask if today’s Wiccans
could resume that role. This seems unlikely.

Today’s Pagan culture is very diverse and more interested in exploring and
creating new forms than in building on existing traditions. A public role would
either dilute our traditions or force them on an unwilling audience. The neo-
Pagan community generally prefers “media figures” and rapid membership and
growth. This is not compatible with our slow methods of training and Initiation,
the insistence that livelihood come from work outside the Craft, or our needs
for privacy. Our religion is not accepted in the American workplace or political
system, and may never be. The most powerful Priestesses are often unknown to all but their Coveners. While all Wiccans are Pagans, all Pagans are not Wiccan, and it is best that it remain so.

The Law of Return

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The Law of Return

 

The Law Of Return

The Law of Return means that what you do affects what happens to you. If you do good, good is going to happen to you; if you do evil, evil will happen. The Law of Return exists in every religion in one form or another. In some it’s given a multiplier. Good and bad are said to come back upon you three- or tenfold.

The Ethics of Self Responsibility

Simply put, We and only we, are responsible for our own actions. In Wicca, there is no “The devil made me do it.” We don’t believe in devils.

The Ethics of Self Improvement

The desire to improve the world around us, guided in part by the Law of Return. Ecology, teaching and preaching tolerance, racial harmony and reverence for the arts and history, and living one’s life toward peace are important examples. Only by being constant in our learning, and growth, do we help prevent intolerance.

The Ethics of Attunement

Divinity is within us and around us, and becoming in-tune with this power is a major facet of Wicca.

1. We, in our Self, are divine. No one is in control of us except us.

2. The Gods/other powers are divine. The gods/goddesses are more like parents, and less like the god of Christianity.

3. Earth is a living being. Each individual being, plant, animal or mineral on Earth is a part of that being. Everything has a spirit of its own.

taken from ” The Five Points of Wiccan Belief,” laid out by Universal Eclectic Wicca

About Our Familiars

I had several questions today in regards to the Witch’s familiar. I dug up some information up and added a few things of my own. I hope this helps answers your questions. If anyone has any questions about anything, please feel free to ask. After this I have to get ready to go to the doctor. I hope you have a fabulous Tuesday and here’s the info…….

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Many Witches choose to have a familiar— a spiritually attuned creature (who lives with or nearby the Witch) who offers the Witch insights into nature, and for help in magick. Today’s familiars include cats, dogs, birds, bunnies, and even the stereotypical frog, but, really, any living creature with whom the Witch can have an ongoing relationship or rapport can fulfill the role of the familiar! Actually, the Witch doesn’t necessarily choose this creature so much as the animal and the Witch seem to discover and bond with each other. No matter what kind of creature it might be, the familiar is no mere pet. The animal in question is the revealer of truths and a respected partner in every sense except being human!

If a Witch wishes to put out a call for a familiar, he usually does so through a spell or ritual. This ritual typically takes place outdoors, near the home. The Witch begins by creating sacred space, and then he meditates, prays, and places the request in the hands of nature. During the meditation the Witch visualizes the living space so the right creature can easily find its way to the door.

Below is a list of not so average animals we might not think of as being familiars:

Bees

According to many demonologists, if a witch or sorceress managed to eat a queen bee before she was arrested, she would be able to withstand torture and trial without confessing. This was one of many ready explanations offered by witch-hunters when their victims refused to confess. In this way, many witches were condemned to death despite the lack of a confession.

Chickens

A chicken named Nan was considered a familiar in the 17th-century Bury St. Edmonds trials of Suffolk, England. Three other chickens were also cited as imps in the same area.

Crows

Sooty-feathered and harsh of voice, the crow was a fit familiar to witches, prized for its ability to fly and spy. Villagers feared this carrion eater, for it was a messenger of mortality. A fluttering crow around the window or one that flew thrice over the roof, croaking each time, meant Death was on his way. Simply to see the bird flying alone could bring bad luck, and crows rising in a flock from a wood sometimes presaged famine.

Flies

Margaret Wyard, an accused witch of Bury St. Edmonds in Suffolk, England, confessed to having flies among her familiars.

Hares

In ways both physical and behavioral, the hare was a natural ally of witches: Hares are swift and agile, able to stand on their hind legs like a person, prone to gathering in parliament like groups,

orgiastically mad in the spring, wantonly destructive of crops and possessed of a most unbeast like cry. Some witches traveled in the shape of hares.

Given the association of hares with witchcraft and magic, it is not surprising that superstition surrounded them. It was said, for example, that the sight of a hare running down a village street presaged fire and that the appearance of a white hare in a mine would be followed by a fatal accident. A hare that crossed a person’s path would bring bad luck. And the very word ‘hare’ could not be mentioned at sea, so great was the fear of the animal’s power.

Curiously enough, possession of a hare’s-foot brought luck. This belief arose not from the hare’s traffic with witches but from much more ancient associations: The hare is a notably prolific creature, and its foot was long a sexual symbol.

Mice

Margaret Wyard, an accused witch of Bury St. Edmonds in Suffolk, England, confessed to having mice among her familiars. Other witches in the area admitted to having two “heavy and hairy” mice as familiars. In 1662, the nine- and eleven-year old daughters of Samuel Pacy somehow saw invisible mice, which they threw on a fire. One mouse “screeched like a Rat.” The other mouse “Flashed like to Gun-Powder.”  One 16th-century Essex woman confessed to having three mouse-shaped imps named Daynty, Prettyman, and Littleman. Another woman had four named Sparrow, Robyn, James, and Prickeare.

Snails

A victim of Matthew Hopkins and John Stearne, John Bysack confessed to having six familiars in the form of snails. These imps sustained themselves by sucking Bysack’s blood. “Each snail was an assassin with a particular assignment: Atleward killed cows, Jeffry pigs, Peter sheep, Pyman fowls, Sacar horses and Sydrake Christians.”

Snakes and Cats

Anciently inimical to each other, the serpent and the cat were favorites of witches. The serpent seems to have played the smaller role: While it could serve as a familiar, it was chiefly valued for its fearful aspect and its link to Satan – useful in repelling the curious, who might interfere with a witch’s business. To dream of a serpent signified that someone had a grudge against the dreamer.

The cat, on the other hand, was surrounded by speculation. Its pupils – narrow slits in the daytime and luminous black globes at night – linked it to the moon and emphasized its power to see into the future. Cats were said to suck the breath from infants at night. And cats forecast the weather: When they scampered and cavorted, wind was on its way; when they washed their ears, rain was coming; when they sat with their backs to the fire, they awaited frost and storms.

Except in northern England, where it was thought lucky to own a black cat (but unlucky to meet a strange one), black cats were the most common embodiments of Satan. As for cats that served as familiars – rather than as transformations of the witches themselves – they were usually brindled.

Spiders

Spinner of webs, an archtrickster, and a silent and murderous trapper, the spider was tiny enough to hide in the hood of a witch’s cloak as a familiar and whisper instructions in her ear.

Ordinary folk said that to dream of a spider meant betrayal. To see one in the morning brought bad luck, and to kill one summoned rain. The sight of spiders terrified wedding parties because the creatures were omens of unhappy marriage. And in Switzerland it was said that the plague, with its black sores, was spread by malevolent spiders travelling in secret from house to house.

Toads

Ugly and venomous thought it was, the toad seems to have been among the most cherished of witch familiars: The creatures were dressed in velvet by their mistresses, ornamented with bells and encouraged to dance. Common folk both feared and valued them though. Toads were burned because the horns on their foreheads marked them as agents of Satan and because witches used toad spittle to concoct ointments that conferred invisibility. On the other hand, toads were admired for their ability to hear distant thunder long before the human ear could catch it; the sight of the little creatures making their way to safe water provided a reliable indicator for approaching storms. And very elderly toads – rarely glimpsed – carried precious jewels in their heads, effective antidotes to poison.

The Witches Magick for Sept. 7th – A Croning Ritual

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A Croning Ritual For The Coven

This ritual occurs when a woman has reached the point in her life when her Saturn has returned twice to her natal point.
This happens to everybody at the age of 56. Saturn is the teaching planet, slow and complete; We celebrate the effects of this celestial event on the woman’s life by the Croning ritual. Others perform the croning ritual once a woman no longer menstrates, after menopause.

Call a party for the young Crone, friends and relatives can cooperate with the invitations. Try to have some entertainment as well; Invite a woman who plays an instrument, or recites poetry. When all arrive, the group holds hands in a circle and sings a song to unify the group soul.

Lady listen to my hearts song
Lady Lady listen to my hearts song
I will never forget you,
I will never forsake you,
I will never forget you,
I will never forsake you!

After a couple of rounds of this, when the time is right, the priestess of the event steps out to address the rest.
This priestess can be anyone who loves the new Crone.

Priestess:(or chosen person)

We gathered together to celebrate (name) becoming (56) years old, and entering the Wise Age. Her proper title is from now on among women “Young Crone”. Who is the Crone you ask? A Crone is a woman who has reached wisdom in her heart, who is called on in disputes to arbitrate, who is called on in despair to sooth the wounds, a young Crone who is everybody’s older sister. Who else is the Crone you ask? a young Crone is the Goddess in her third aspect; she is Magera, she is Hecate, she is the Goddess of unbound power. Folklore has it that Crones bring good luck when you see them on the streets, if they smile on you, you will have a very good day. They appear in important times to show the grace of the goddess. Crones’ wishes must be respected for the Goddess
demands this from the younger generation. . Crones enjoy special favors, their magic is stronger, their spells are faster, their loves are stronger.

All:

Bless you (name) with good health, happiness, and long life!

Now the youngest of the group starts a circle of white candles, previously set out in the middle of the room; 56 of them, one for each year of the Crone’s life. Others can help after the Nymph starts. the woman priestess has a bell with which she will ring out 56 times again for each year that has passed. If the Crone would like to give a speech, here is a good place to do it. When the circle of light is done, the Young Crone steps into it and the bell tolls out 56 times, after which a round of applause from everyone is heard. Congratulations and good wishes are showered on the woman in the circle. As a special feature, the young Crone receives her Crone Jewel. This jewel can be a broach, a necklace, a ring; As long as it has a nice purple stone in it. The color of purple is that of synthesis. It is a royal color, a learning color, and a powerful color.

Priestess:

I present you with your Crone Jewel, to remind you that you are our teacher, our beloved sister, and Crone of the
Goddess.

Young Crone:

I traveled the road from my mothers breasts to Cronehood. I thank the Goddess for the good seasons that passed, and,I toast the good seasons to come! Blessed be!

All enjoy the party, dance, perform, enjoy1

Working With The Days of the Week – Saturday

Saturday Is Ruled By Saturn

Archangel: Cassiel

Candle colour: Purple or brown

Incenses: Patchouli or mimosa

Crystals: Jet or banded agate

Use Saturdays for spells to do with property, security and long-term financial matters, for closing doors on the past, for psychic protection and for locating lost objects (as well as animals and people).

Where possible, work in woodland near rocks and stones or on animal or bird reserves.

Working With The Days of the Week – Friday

Friday Is Ruled by Venus

Archangel: Anael

Candle colour: Green or pink

Incenses: Rose or geranium

Crystals: Jade or rose quartz

Use Fridays for spells for love, fidelity, healing, for anything to do with beauty, the arts and crafts and for all spells concerning the environment.

Where possible, work in any enclosed beautiful place outdoors, for example a botanical garden, a field, park or your own garden – even in a circle of plants indoors.

Working With The Days of the Week – Wednesday

Wednesday Is Ruled By Mercury

Archangel: Raphael

Candle colour: Yellow

Incenses: Lavender or fennel

Crystals: Citrine or yellow calcite

Use Wednesdays for spells for money-making ventures, learning new things, passing examinations and tests, house moves and travels, overcoming debt and repelling envy, malice and deceit.

Where possible, work in a windy place or when the clouds are moving fast across the sky.

Working With The Days of the Week – Tuesday

Tuesday Is Ruled By Mars

Archangel: Samael

Candle colour: Red

Incenses: Dragon’s blood or cinnamon

Crystals: Jasper or garnet

Use Tuesdays for spells for courage, change, independence in home or business life, for overcoming seemingly impossible odds and for passion.

Where possible, work near a fire or a bonfire or with a huge red beeswax candle as a focus; alternatively work next to a flowerbed or large vase of red, orange and/or yellow flowers.

Working With The Days of the Week – Monday

Monday Is Ruled By The Moon

Archangel: Gabriel

Candle colour: Silver

Incenses: Jasmine or myrrh

Crystals: Moonstone or opal

Use Mondays for spells for fertility, protection especially while traveling, for home and family and to increase psychic and healing powers.

Where possible, work close to any water and, as a bonus, by moonlight.

Working With The Days of the Week – Sunday

Sunday Is Ruled By The Sun

Archangel: Michael

Candle colour: Gold

Incenses: Frankincense or orange

Crystals: Amber of clear quartz

Use Sundays for spells for new beginnings, for worldly success, to achieve ambitions and to reverse bad luck, especially financial and for health.

Where possible, use an open space in sunlight for sun spells, such as a sunny beach or shimmering plain.

Working by the Moon

Working by the Moon

Moon time is the oldest measurement of time used by humans and it accords with our natural rhythms in the lives of men as well as women. In magick we primarily look to the moon for timings.

The waxing or increasing moon from the crescent to the night before the full moon is potent for all forms of attracting magick, for the gradual increase of money, love, happiness or health and for fertility spells. These powers will grow daily as the physical moon size increase to reach their height on the full moon.

The full moon represents a surge of power that can be plugged into for fertility, the consummation of love or commitment, a major money gain or for launching a creative venture. Also, because the full moon is unstable, this day and night is good for initiating change.

The waning moon helps us to let go of what we no longer need or wish for in our lives an can banish pain, sorrow or a destructive influence, a perfect phase of starting diet spells. As the moon decreases in size so the pull that holds negative people or factors in your life likewise weakens.

Let's Talk Witch – Daily Protection Magick

magick89

Let’s Talk Witch – Daily Protection Magick

Begin each day with protection magick in the form of Words of Power accompanied with visualizations. This will help ground and center you. You may charge yourself and your living space with words such as: “There is one Power. The Power is perfect protection, and I am perfect manifestation of this Power.”

Visualize anyone you wish to be protected as you speak your intention. Raise your power hand and turn clockwise. In your mind’s eye see a white light radiating from you hand. See this light sealing your home within a protective aura.

Throughout the day, if you should encounter any negative situation or person, “see” that same light surrounding you. You’ll be surprised how it will neutralize any negativity near you. This invisible barrier will protect you at a busy mall or as you’re driving in a crowded parking lot. It will even keep you centered if the office gets out of hand after a celebration such as the upcoming Labor Day celebrations that will be going on.

Any positive magick must begin with you. These simple morning meditations will help you deal with holiday stress and provide a psychic shield. Let this be the basis for your magick.

Excerpt from:

“Jingle Bells & Witches’ Spells”
By James Kambos
Llewellyn’s 2013 Witches’ Companion

The Law of Return

The Law of Return

The Law of Return means that what you do affects what happens to you. If you do good, good is going to happen to you; if you do evil, evil will happen. The Law of Return exists in every religion in one form or another. In some it’s given a multiplier. Good and bad are said to come back upon you three- or tenfold.

The Ethic of Self-responsibility
Simply put, We and only we, are responsible for our own actions. In Wicca, there is no “The devil made me do it.” We don’t believe in devils.

The Ethic of Constant Improvement
The desire to improve the world around us, guided in part by the Law of Return.
Ecology, teaching and preaching tolerance, racial harmony and reverence for the arts and history, and living one’s life toward peace are important examples. Only by being constant in our learning, and growth, do we help prevent intolerance.

The Ethic of Attunement
Divinity is within us and around us, and becoming in-tune with this power is a major facet of Wicca.

1. We, in our Self, are divine. No one is in control of us except us.

2. The Gods/other powers are divine. The gods/goddesses are more like parents,
and less like the god of Christianity.

3. Earth is a living being. Each individual being, plant, animal or mineral on Earth is a part of that being. Everything has a spirit of its own.

What Is Magick?

pentacle58

What Is Magick?

Wiccans and other followers of modern religious Witchcraft use magic extensively. Wiccans and Witches define magic in many different ways and use it for a number of different purposes, but despite that diversity of opinion finds that the general result upon the practitioner is a positive one. Its power may come mainly by suggestion and the focusing of attention.

It can be characterized as assertion of the will. Working of magic is often dependent upon being part of a social group which supports the belief. We tap into the essence of the divine when we attempt to get closer to our gods, or when we work magic.

In “Power of the Witch”, Laurie Cabot writes:

Certain things are everlasting. Magic is one of them. It comes from the Persian and Greek roots Magus and Magos which means wise. The English word “magi” meaning wise men, comes from them. (1)

She also writes:

Magic is knowledge and power that come from the ability to shift consciousness at will into a nonordinary, visionary state of awareness. Traditionally certain tools, song, music, colors, cents, drumming, fasting, vigils, meditation breathing exercises, certain natural foods and drinks and forms of hypnosis. Dramatic, mystical environments, such as sacred groves, valleys, mountains, churches, or temples will also shift consciousness. In almost every culture some form of visionary trance is used for the sacred rituals that open doorways to the Higher Intelligence or for working magic. (2)

Wikapedia.com offers this explanation:

Natural forces that cannot be detected by science at present, and in fact may not be detectable at all. These magical forces are said to exist in addition to and alongside the four known forces of nature: gravity, electromagnetism, the strong nuclear force and the weak nuclear force.

Intervention of spirits similar to these hypothetic natural forces, but with their own consciousness and intelligence. Believers in spirits will often see a whole cosmos of beings of many different kinds, sometimes organized into a hierarchy.
A mystical power, such as mana, that exists in all things. This power is often said to be dangerous to people.

A mysterious interconnection in the cosmos that connects and binds all things, above and beyond the natural forces.

Manipulation of symbols. Adherents of magical thinking believe that symbols can be used for more than representation: they can magically take on a physical quality of the phenomenon or object that they represent. By manipulating symbols, one is said to be able to manipulate the reality that this symbol represents.

Like produces like, or that an effect resembles its cause; and, second, that things which have once been in contact with each other continue to act on each other at a distance after the physical contact has been severed. The former principle may be called the Law of Similarity, the latter the Law of Contact or Contagion. From the first of these principles, namely the Law of Similarity, the magician infers that he can produce any effect he desires merely by imitating it: from the second he infers that whatever he does to a material object will affect equally the person with whom the object was once in contact, whether it formed part of his body or not.

Concentration or meditation. A certain amount of restricting the mind to some imagined object (or will) produces mystical attainment or an occurrence in the brain characterized essentially by the uniting of subject and object. Magic, as defined previously, seeks to aid concentration by constantly recalling the attention to the chosen object (or Will), thereby producing said attainment. For example, if one wishes to concentrate on a God, one might memorize a system of correspondences (perhaps chosen arbitrarily, as this would not affect its usefulness for mystical purposes) and then make every object that one sees “correspond” to said God.

The magical power of the subconscious mind. To believers who think they need to convince their subconscious mind to make the changes they want, all spirits and energies are projections and symbols that make sense to the subconscious. A variant of this belief is that the subconscious is capable of contacting spirits, who in turn can work magic. (3)

However you define it magic requires dedication, concentration, and belief. Prayer, miracles, and magic are all pretty much the same thing. Whether you pray to God in a church or cast a circle and invoke the Goddess, you are still directing divine attention.

Reference:

Wicca’s One Universe

Thirteen Goals of a Witch

Witchy Comments


Thirteen Goals of a Witch

 

1. Know yourself.
2. Know your Craft.
3. Learn.
4. Apply knowledge with wisdom.
5. Achieve balance.
6. Keep your words in good order.
7. Keep your thoughts in good order.
8. Celebrate life.
9. Attune with the cycles of the Earth.
10. Breathe and eat correctly.
11. Exercise the body.
12. Meditate.
Honor The Goddess and God
　
(taken from the writings of Scott Cunningham,

Wicca for the Solitary Practitioner, 1988, pg 151)