Category: The Witch

The Four Rules and The Law of White Witchcraft.

The Four Rules and The Law of White Witchcraft.
by Torin W. (e-mail: athame@flash.net)

copywrite 1996 White Circle Enterprises
All rights reserved.

 

 

**Notice**
This document may be distributed freely so long as it is not altered, edited, or changed in any way from its original form. A copy of this document in its true original form may be gotten from our home page.

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

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

The Four Rules:

1) Live – Live each day as if it were your last, for one day you will be right.

2) Love – Love yourself first and foremost. For when you truly love yourself, loving those around you will come as easily as breathing – and we all must breathe.

3) Learn – Learn your life’s lessons – each as it comes – for that is the reason we are here.

4) Enjoy – Enjoy your life, because if you do not most likely someone else will enjoy it for you… and then your time here will have been wasted.

The Law:

Harm None.

Explanations

**Live

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

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

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

This does not mean that in order to be a good witch that you have to work like a rabid squirrel on ‘speed’… but it does mean that you have to be honest with yourself to see what your situation really is and to make the most of it.

I believe that if I can go to bed at night and think to myselfthat I had done the very best I could that day with the information I had at each moment of opportunity, then the day was a success. But if I go to bed thinking that I had let an opportunity slip away I do not beat myself up over it. I simply say to myself, “Gee Torin, that was one you missed. I’ll get it the next time it comes along.”

**Love

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

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

**Learn

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

**Enjoy

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

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

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

**The Law: Harm None.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

White Witchcraft Magic: What It Is and Isn’t

White Witchcraft Magic: What It Is and Isn’t
by Torin W.

 

copywrite (c) 1996 White Circle Enterprises
All rights reserved.

**Notice**
This document may be distributed freely so long as it is not altered, edited, or changed in any way from its original form. A copy of this document in its true original form may be gotten from our home page.

Please e-mail any critique or questions to me if you cannot find me on the IRC at #Witchcraft_102… flames will be ignored.

It should be noted at the outset that Magic, like all forms energy, is morally neutral in its nature, i.e. neither good nor bad. The descriptive terms ‘White’ and ‘Black’ are used to decribe actions which work toward good or bad ends respectively. An example of White Magickal action is helping a sick person to become well again so that he may continue to provide love and sustenance to his family. An example of a Black Magickal action is helping a sick person so that he may continue to steal items for you to have. Magical power, regardless of what is done with it, all comes from the same source. The source of Magical power is Divinity – in its many forms. My hope is for everyone who reads this information to learn and to follow a life path of White Magic. If this is you, I want to say Merry Meet, congratulations, and I love you. For those who decide to go the route of Black Magic I want to say that I love you dearly. Without those who walk the path of Black Magic it would be far more difficult for me to see where I don’t want to be with my life.

Blessed Be!
T.W.

I. White Magic

I can best describe White magic like this:

-It is not a conduit for power over others, but rather a way to focus power for the benefit of all;

-It is not parlor tricks with which to amuse yourself or others, it does many amazing things every day – we merely have to become aware of them by not taking the ‘small’ miracles for granted;

-It is not necessarily full of pomp and ceremony with rhyming incantations, dancing, cauldrons, and bonfires but it can be if the time, people and place are right;

-It is a circular path of never-ending learning, teaching, and re-learning;

-It is not infinite power, but it is a way of tapping into that power;

-It requires a clear mind to learn the lessons;

-It requires a light heart to love those who do not seem to love themselves;

-Most of all, it requires an awakened developed soul which wants to strive forward.

The path of the White magician is extremely narrow, often tediously slow and painstaking. However the reward for taking the White path is always worth the effort.

Magic is a means of tapping into the infinite of The Deities and making a direct effect upon the physical and metaphysical worlds to make a change in one or both in accordance with The Way. When it comes right down to it, magic is nothing more than prayer. The differences between pagan prayer and non-pagan prayer are:

1) the prayer ritual is usually done outside in a natural setting rather than a building;
2) the worshipper uses many tools, often of his/her own making, to help concentrate the power of the prayer;
3) whle praying to pagan deities, the worshipper often has the physical presence of those deities with him/her as opposed to praying to a god in some far away place.

The solitary practioner (a.k.a. hedge witch) is often equally if not more ‘powerful’ than the practioner who looks to another for spiritual guidance (i.e. a coven). This is because no other person knows what you find to be true better than you. This means that in order to work the highest of magics one must look inward.

The Price of the White Path vs. the Black Path

Like all things worth while in life, there is a price to be paid for living the White magic path. However instead of paying with money, we pay with time, care, loving, and hard work. The greater the personal gain, the greater the price we pay. The difference between the White path and the Black path is when the debt is paid. The debts of White magic are paid up front… C.O.D. if you will. We may labor for months or even years to develop our talents to their maximum potential in those areas where we as individuals desire to excel. The White magician may work hard to achieve great monetary wealth, happiness and tranquility at home, advanced scholastic degrees, etc. So long as The Law is not broken, there can be nearly boundless prosperity. The White magic way to these things is through fair play, honesty, and hard work. The Black path offers pretty much the same benefits, the difference is that the karmic price may be put off until a later date. As with any other installment plan – there is interest to be paid in addition to the principle. One of my closest friends is now a traveler of the White path who spent a full 10 years paying the karmic debts he had accumulated during his sojourn down the Black path. At one point my friend had wealth, women, and all the drugs he could pump into his system. He also had more magical power than anyone else he knew. All of this had been gained through a voluntary participation in Black magic. After years of living this way his eyes were opened to what he had done. He finally realized all of the harm which he had brought into his life and the lives of those around him through lying, cheating, and hurting whenever possible. Fortunately for my friend (and me!) he took responsibility for his debt and labored a full decade to return to the White path. He is now honest, clean, and much wiser for his mistake.

Merry Part and Blessed Be!

Torin W. athame@flash.net
What you do today may come back to haunt you many many years from now.Merry Part and Blessed Be!

SOLITARY WITCHES

  SOLITARY WITCHES

 Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft  – Ray Buckland

In the majority of Witchcraft traditions there is no way that an ‘individual’
can operate – membership in a coven is mandatory. Most traditions have a system
of degrees of advancement not unlike those found is Freemasonry and other secret
societies. With such a system it is necessary for a Witch to advance, within the
coven, to a particular degree before being able to even cast a Circle. In order
to initiate others it is necessary to attain the highest degree. As a First
Degree Witch they can join with the rest of the coven in worship and in the
working of magick but can do nothing alone.

Such a system is all very well, and those involved seem quite content with it.
But it seems to me that an important point is being overlooked. Back in the ‘old
days’ of the Craft, there were many Witches who lived at a far distance from any
village or even from any other people at all. Yet these ‘were’ still Witches.
They still worshiped the old gods and still worked their own magick. That, I
feel, was as it should have been…and as it still should be. There are one or two
traditions, today, that do subscribe more directly to the old ways. In the Seax-
Wica, for example, there is not the dependence on the coven situation; there is
the reality of the Witch alone.

The main point here is that you should not be ‘excluded’ from the Wicca for such
a reason. Just because you don’t live anywhere near a coven; just because you
don’t know of anyone else with similar interests; just because you are an
individualist who doesn’t care to join with others… these are no reasons why you
should not be a Witch. So lets look at Solitary Wicca.

What are the main differences between a coven Witch and being a Solitary?

1. With a covener, the rituals are performed by a group of people; several 
   (principally the Priest and/or Priestess) playing the parts.
   As a Solitary, you do everything yourself.

2. The Coven meets in a large (usually nine ft. diameter) circle.
   The Solitary has a small “compact” circle.

3. The Coven use a “full complement” of tools, depending on the tradition.
   The Solitary uses only what s/he feels s/he needs.

4. Coven meetings must, to an extent, be held when most convenient for the
   majority.
   The Solitary can hold a ritual whenever s/he feels like it.

5. A Coven draws on all its members to build a Cone of Power.
   A Solitary has only her/his own power to draw on.

6. A Coven has a wide variety of knowledge and specialties.
   A Solitary has only her/his own knowledge and specialty.

7. A Coven is usually fairly set in its ways.
   A Solitary can change with her/his moods.

8. A Coven ritual can become almost a ‘production’ or pageant.
   A Solitary ritual can be the barest minimum of words and actions.

9. A Coven must attune itself as one.
   A Solitary IS one.

There are many other differences, of course, but these are enough to illustrate
the point that there are both advantages and disadvantages to being a Solitary.
Generally speaking, there is much more flexibility to being a Solitary, but
there is also a more limited store of knowledge and magickal power on which to
draw. Let me elaborate on the above points.

1. As a Solitary, you do everything yourself.

You can write your own rituals, just for you. But you can also adopt and adapt
coven ones. As an example of what can be done, here are some of the rituals from
this book (Erecting the Temple; Esbat; Cakes and Ale; Clearing the Temple),
suitably modified. You can do the same sort of thing with most of the others.
Compare these with the originals as you go.

ERECTING THE TEMPLE

Wiccan rings the bell three times, facing east. She then takes the Altar Candle
and lights the East Candle from it, saying:

“Here do I bring light and air in at the East, to illuminate my temple and bring
it the breath of life.”

She moves around to the south to light that candle.

“Here do I bring light and fire in at the South, to illuminate my temple and
bring it warmth.”

To the west:

“Here do I bring light and water in at the West, to illuminate my temple and
wash it clean.”

To the north:

“Here do I bring light and earth in at the North, to illuminate my temple and
build it in strength.”

She moves on round to the east and then back to the altar. Replacing the Altar
Candle, she takes up her athame and goes again to the east. With point of athame
down, she traces the Circle, directing her power into it. Returning to the
altar, she rings the bell three times then places the point of her athame into
the Salt, saying:

“As Salt is Life, let it purify me in all ways I may use it. Let it cleanse my
body and spirit as I dedicate myself in this rite, to the glory of the God and
the Goddess.”

She drops three portions of Salt into the Water, saying:

“Let the Sacred Salt drive out any impurities in the Water, that I may use it
throughout these rites.”

She takes up the Salted Water and, starting and finishing at the east, walks
around sprinkling the Circle. She then goes around again with the thurible,
censing the Circle.

Back at the altar, she drops a pinch of salt into the oil and stirs it with her
finger. She then anoints herself with it, saying:

“I consecrate myself in the names of the God and of the Goddess, bidding them
welcome to this, my Temple.”

The Witch now moves to the east and, with her athame, draws an invoking
pentagram.

“All hail to the element of Air, Watchtower of the East. May it stand in
strength, ever watching over this Circle.”

She kisses the blade of the athame, then moves to the south, where she draws an
invoking pentagram.

“All hail to the element of Fire; Watchtower of the South. May it stand in
strength ever watching over my Circle.”

She kisses the blade and moves to the west and draws an invoking pentagram.

“All hail to the element of Water, Watchtower of the West. May it stand in
strength, ever watching over my Circle.”

She kisses the blade and moves to the north, where she draws an invoking
pentagram.

“All hail to the element of Earth, Watchtower of the North. May it stand in
strength, ever watching over my Circle.”

Kissing the blade, she returns to the altar, where she raises her athame high.

“All hail the four Quarters and all hail the Gods! I bid the Lord and Lady
welcome and invite that they join with me, witnessing these rites I hold in
their honor. All hail!”

She takes the goblet and pours a little wine onto the ground (or into the
libation dish), then drinks, saying the names of the gods.

“Now is the Temple erected. So Mote It Be!”

ESBAT

Witch: “Once more do I come to show my joy of life and re-affirm my feelings for
the gods. The Lord and the Lady have been good to me. It is meet that I give
thanks for all that I have. They know that I have needs and they listen to me
when I call upon them. So do I thank the God and the Goddess for those favors
they have bestowed upon me.”

Then, in her own way, she gives her thanks and/or requests help. She then rings
the bell three times and says:

“An it harm none, do what thou wilt. Thus runs the Wiccan Rede. Whatever I
desire; whatever I would ask of the gods; whatever I would do; I must be assured
that it will harm no one – not even myself. And as I give, so shall it return
threefold. I give of myself – my life; my love – and it will be thrice rewarded.
But should I send forth harm, then that too will return thrice over.”

Here the Witch may sing a favorite song or chant, or play an instrument.

Witch: “Beauty and Strength are in the Lord and the Lady both. Patience and
Love; Wisdom and Knowledge.”

(If the Esbat is taking place at either the Full or the New Moon, then the
appropriate segment is inserted at this point. Otherwise go directly into the
Cakes and Ale ceremony.”

CAKES AND ALE

Witch: “Now is it time for me to give thanks to the gods for that which sustains
me. May I ever be aware of all that I owe to the gods.”

She takes the goblet in her left hand and her athame in her right and slowly
lowers the point of the knife into the wine, saying:

“In like fashion may male join with female, for the happiness of both. Let the
fruits of union promote life. Let all be fruitful and let wealth be spread
throughout all lands.”

She lays down the athame and drinks from the goblet. Replacing it on the altar,
she then touches the cake with the point of the athame, saying:

“This food is the blessing of the gods to my body. I partake of it freely. Let
me remember always to see to it that aught that I have I share with those who
have nothing.”

She eats the cake, pausing to say:

“As I enjoy these gifts of the gods, let me remember that without the gods I
would have nothing. So Mote It Be!”

CLEARING THE TEMPLE

Witch: “As I came into my Temple in love and friendship, let me leave it the
same way. Let me spread the love outward to all; sharing it with those I meet.”

She raises her athame high, in salute, and says:

“Lord and Lady, my thanks to you for sharing this time with me. My thanks for
watching over me; guarding and guiding my in all things. Love is the Law and
Love is the Bond. Merry did I come here and Merry do I part, to merry come
again. The Temple is now cleared. So Mote It Be!”

She kisses the blade of her athame.

2. The Solitary has a small, “compact” Circle.

There is no need for the large, coven-size Circle when you are working alone.
One just large enough for you and the altar is all you need…probably five feet
in diameter would be sufficient. When ‘Erecting the Temple’, you would still
walk all around this Circle to ‘draw’ it with your athame, and to sprinkle and
cense it, but for addressing the four Quarters you need only turn and face the
directions from your place behind the altar. When working magick, it is easier
to build up power in a smaller Circle and it is generally a “cozier” feeling.

3. The Solitary uses only what s/he feel s/he needs.

You probably won’t need as many tools as a coven uses. You may decide to use no
more than you athame and censer. It is up to you; you have only yourself to
please. Don’t forget that you don’t HAVE to follow all the rituals exactly.

Examine as many traditions as you are able. See what tools they use and ‘why’
(it seems some groups use some items without really knowing why they do!), then
decide on which ones you need. You will find traditions that use broomsticks,
ankhs, wands, tridents, etc. You may even decide to add something that no one
else uses – the Pecti-Wita, for example (a Solitary tradition, as it happens)
use a ritual Staff which is not found elsewhere. Don’t add something just for
the sake of having it, or just to be different. Use something because you need
to use it, because you feel more comfortable with that particular tool then with
another or then without it at all.

4. The Solitary can hold a ritual whenever s/he feels like it.

A coven meets for the Sabbats and Esbats. The dates for the Esbats are fixed at
the most convenient times for the majority of members. As a Solitary, you can
have an Esbat whenever you feel like it. You can have Esbats three or four days
in a row, or go from New Moon to Full Moon without one at all. It’s up to you
and how you feel. If there is a sudden emergency – perhaps a healing that needs
to be done – you can get into it right away. You don’t have to desperately try
to contact others before you can get to work.

5. A Solitary has only her/his own power to draw on.

When working magick, a coven generates a lot of power. Working together, the
total power of the whole far exceeds the sum of the parts. The Solitary can do
no more then use the power s/he has. This is a fact and should be accepted. It
is one of the few drawbacks to being a Solitary. But this does not mean that
‘nothing’ can be done! Far from it. Many Solitaries do a great deal of excellent
work, drawing only on their own resources. A good parallel night be seen in
boat-racing or sculling, where you have teams of eight oarsmen, four, two or
single rowers. All propel their craft equally well. The only difference is the
greater speeds attained by the boats with the increased numbers of oarsmen.

6. A Solitary has only her/his own knowledge and specialty.

In a coven there is an accumulation of talents. One Witch might specialize in
healing, another in astrology, one in Herbalism, another in tarot reading. Once
might be an excellent tool-maker, another a great calligraphist; one a winemaker
and/or seamstress and another a psychic and psychometrist.

As stated, the Solitary has only her/his own knowledge available. This, then, is
another disadvantage but again, one that must be accepted. There is certainly no
reason why, as a Solitary, you should not be in touch with others (Wiccans and
non-Wiccans) who are astrologers, tarot readers, herbalists, etc. and to call
upon them for help and advice when needed. It is just that you don’t have them
readily to hand there in the Circle with you, available at all times.

7. A Solitary can change with her/his moods.

A Gardnerian coven rigidly follows the Gardnerian rites. A Welsh-Kelic coven
rigidly follows the Welsh-Keltic rites. A Dianic coven rigidly follows the
Dianic rites. This all goes without saying. Even an eclectic coven will
generally settle into rites, from whatever sources, with which it feels
comfortable and will stay with them. But the Solitary is free (freer even than
most eclectics, if only by virtue of having only her/himself to please) to do
whatever s/he likes… to experiment, to change, to adopt and adapt. S/he can do
elaborate, ceremonial rites on day and simple, plain, ingenuous rites the next.
S/he can do Gardnerian oriented rituals one time, Welsh-Kelic the next and
Dianic the next. There is tremendous freedom for the Solitary, which I urge you
to enjoy to the utmost. Experiment. Try different types and styles of rituals.
Find those that are exactly right for you.

8. A Solitary ritual can be the barest minimum of words and actions.

This follows on from (7) above. You can enjoy a true economy of ritual if you so
desire. Let me give you an example:

Erecting The Temple (Alternate)

The Witch lights the four Circle Candles from the Altar Candle and, with the
athame, “draws” the Circle, directing power into it. She then sits, or kneels,
before the altar and proceeds with a meditation on the elements:

(This should be familiarized – not necessarily word for word – so that it can be
followed through without effort)

“You are sitting in the middle of a field. There is lush green grass all about
you, with a generous scattering of bright yellow buttercups. Some distance
behind you, and continuing way off to your left, a wooded rail fence, with other
fields beyond it, stretches off to another distant fence, beyond which are more
fields leading to the foothills of the mountains which you can see in the far
distance.
A very light breeze ruffles the top of the grass and you can feel the
wind’s gentleness as it brushes your face. Crickets chirrup in the grass and,
from the trees beyond the hedgerow, you can hear the occasional song of a bird,
You feel contented, you feel at peace.
A swallow swoops down and soars low across the field not twenty feet in
front of you. He wings up and away over the trees towards the distant mountains.
A grasshopper lands on your knee, then almost immediately is gone again.
You get to your feet and stroll leisurely through the grass, parallel to
the hedgerow. Your feet are bare and the grass lightly tickles them as you move
along. You walk over to your right till you are close beside the hedge, then
advance along it. Reaching out your hand as you walk, you gently brush the
leaves; just catching them with your fingertips as you move along. There is a
slight rise in the ground ahead of you and off to the left. You leave the
hedgerow and move lightly up the hillock to stand where you can gaze about you
at all the beauty that surrounds you.
Seemingly coming all the way from the distant mountains, the breeze you
felt earlier is now more steady and you feel it on your face and arms. It gently
ruffles the tops of the grass and causes buttercups to nod their golden heads.
You stand on the hillock with your legs spread wide and slowly raise up your
arms towards the sky. As you raise them, you breathe in deeply. You hold the
breath for a moment, then gradually release it, bringing your arms back down to
shoulder level. As you release the breath you sing out the sound “Ah”……”A-a-a-a-
a-a-a-h!”
A second time the wind returns, this time blowing strongly; bending the
grass and stirring the hedgerow off to your side. It blows back your hair and
feels warm against your cheeks. For the third time you raise your arms to the
sky and cry out to the air. “A-a-a-a-a-a-a=h!” And for the third time the air
replies by sending the strong, rushing wind across the fields, bending the grass
before it and swirling up and around your body; tugging your hair back from your
face and fluttering the robes that you wear.
As the wind dies you allow your arms to fall to you sides and stand, with
head bowed, in the warmth of the sun. Breathing regularly, but deeply, you feel
the strength of the sun as it shines down upon you from out of the cloudless
blue sky. Slowly you life your face, with eyes closed, and bask in the radiance
that encompasses you. You breathe in deeply, sensing the cleansing and
purifying. AS you breathe, you feel the vitality building within you, fed by
those timeless flames.
You bring your hands up, together, to your chest, cupping them as though
holding the very orb of the sun. You continue raising them, up to your face then
on up high above your head. With palms open and upward, you spread your arms and
reach up, absorbing the sun’s rays into your body, this time through your hands
and down through your arms. Feel the energies rippling down through your body,
down through your legs, all the way to your toes. Feel the fire within you. Feel
the fire.
Now you lower your arms and, turning back towards the hedgerow, you leave
the hillock and continue on along the side of the field. As you walk you become
aware of a new sound – the sound of a running stream a tinkling of the waters
rushing over and around pebbles and small stones reaches your ears and draws you
forward. You reach the end of the hedgerow and see a small wood set back behind
it. From out between the trees runs the stream, bubbling and bustling on its way
to it knows not where. It curves out and around, to rush off and disappear from
view on the far side of the hedgerow you followed.
You drop down to your knees and reach forward a hand to feel the water. It
is cold, yet not so cold as to turn you away. The rushing water murmurs protest
at the new obstacle and bubbles around and between your fingers, eager to be on
its way. You smile and slip the other hand in beside the first. You wriggle your
fingers and rejoice in the invigorating coolness of the water. You splash your
face and feel the cold droplets trickle down your neck. It is refreshing and
energizing. You cup your hands and raise a human grail of divine essence from
the stream you bend and plunge your face into it, to celebrate a catharsis of
the flesh of the spirit. The water refreshes, cleanses and purifies. It is a
gift; a freely given pleasure. You sigh a long sigh of contentment.
Rising to your feet again, you move on along the edge of the trees until
you reach the corner of a large, ploughed field that opens out to the left. The
soil is newly turned and the scent of it heavy in the air. You walk out towards
the center of the field, breathing deeply and feeling the good clean dirt of the
earth between your toes as you walk.
When you finally reach the middle of the ploughed field, you stoop down
and sweep up two handfuls of the rich, dark brown earth. It feels good; in
communicates a kinship of nature. You feel a ‘grounding and centering’ of your
body, through your feet, into the earth. It is a sense of coming home, or
reaching that which you have long sought.
You lie down on the earth, between the furrows, eyes closed and face
towards the sky. You feel the gentle breeze blowing over you and luxuriate in
the warmth of the sun. away in the distance you can just make out the tinkling
of the stream as you absorb the energies of the earth. Your spirit soars and
rejoices. And, in so doing, you have touched all of the elements.”

You can see that the “things said” and “things done” are all in the mind. You
may well feel comfortable doing all your rites in this way, though I do urge you
to ‘at least’ cast your Circle physically.

As a preliminary to the meditation above, you might want to read up on
meditations. Also, I would suggest incorporating the breathing exercises given
in most lessons, including the imagery of the white light.

For such a guided meditation, you might like to record it on tape, ahead of
time, and then play it back to yourself in the Circle.

9. The Solitary IS one.

This can be both an advantage (chiefly so, I feel) and a disadvantage. An
example of the latter: if a Witch happens to have a very short temper and has
been badly used by someone, s/he might possibly be driven by thoughts of
revenge. S/he might be tempted to overlook the Wiccan Rede, rationalizing
her/his thoughts and feelings in some way. However, unless s/he can get all of
the other coven members, including the Priest/ess to feel the same way that s/he
does, s/he can do nothing s/he might later regret. Far more likely is that the
coven would calm her/him an bring the problem into perspective. The Solitary, on
the other hand, does not have this “safety catch”. S/he must, therefore, be
constantly on guard and always carefully and closely examine the situation
before working any magick, giving special thought to the Wiccan Rede.

But on the other side of the coin, the Solitary does not have to make any
compromises in anything s/he does. The Solitary is one with her/himself and is
automatically attuned, with no disharmony or distraction.

So the Solitary Witch is indeed a reality. Don’t let anyone tell you that,
because you don’t belong to a coven and because you were not initiated by
someone (who was initiated by someone who was in turn, initiated by someone… and
so on, ad nauseum), you are not a true Witch. Tell them to read their history
(and ask them who initiated the very first Witch?). you ARE a Witch and you are
so in the fine tradition of Witchcraft. May the Gods be with you.

THE DO’s AND DON’Ts OF WITCHES

 THE DO’s AND DON’Ts OF WITCHES

WITCHES DO NOT DO EVIL…
They believe that doing evil and harm is against all ethical and moral laws.
Witches simply do not do harm (even to themselves).

WITCHES DO NOT WORSHIP SATAN…
Simply put: He’s THEIR boy…NOT Ours. Witches do not have a Satan/Devil or any
all-evil deity in their religious structure. Witchcraft is a religion that
underscores polarity and views the God and the Goddess as equal entities.

A MALE Witch IS NOT A WARLOCK…
The word Warlock is a Scottish word meaning “oath breaker”, and became a term
designating a male Witch during the ‘burning times’. A Male Witch is simply
that.

WITCHES WEAR CLOTHING OF EVERY COLOR AND EVERY STYLE…
Many Witches do choose to wear black clothing or ritual robes. The color black
is the culmination of all vibrational rates of light on the material plane.
Black absorbs light information and helps Witches be more receptive to psychic
impressions and energies.

WITCHES COME FROM EVERY SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND ETHNIC BACKGROUND…
Many Witches are professional people holding positions of responsibility such as
Doctors, Nurses, Police Officers, Teachers, etc. Witchcraft does not
discriminate against color or ethnic origin and does view everything as equal in
the eye of the Goddess and the God.

WITCHES DO USE SPELLS…
A spell is a thought, a projection, or a prayer. Other religions use prayer,
meditation, projection and ritual to produce an intended result. The word
‘spell’ does not imply doing evil or harm.

WITCHES DO USE MAGIC WANDS…
Often you see the use of magic wands in children’s cartoons and movies making
the idea seem frivolous. In actuality, they are used in healing for directing
energy.

WITCHES DO USE WITCHCRAFT AS A SCIENCE, AN ART AND A RELIGION…
They use their knowledge and magic in harmony with the Universe and Nature
around them.

THE WORD “WITCH” HAS A DEEP AND RICH HISTORY…
As defined by the English Oxford dictionary, “Witchcraft” is a Celtic
(pronounced Kell-tick) word meaning the wise, good people. “Wicce” (wick-kay)
designates a female Witch whereas “Wicca” (wick-kah) designates a male Witch.

IN THE RELIGION OF WITCHCRAFT WE VIEW THE PENTACLE AS AN AMULET AND
A SYMBOL FOR PROTECTION…
The five-pointed star represents the human body and the earth. In combination,
the star surrounded by the circle represents the human body encompassed by the
protection of the Goddess/God force. The pentacle is the symbol for Universal
Wisdom.

WITCHES DO CONCERN THEMSELVES WITH ECOLOGY…
They have never forgotten the basic fact: the world is not our enemy. Neither is
it inert, dumb matter. The earth and all living things share the same life-
force. They are composed of patterns of intelligence, of knowledge, and of
divinity. All life is a web. We are woven into it as sisters and brothers off
All. Witches need to be grounded in both worlds and awake to their
responsibilities for both worlds. It is only by being responsible human beings
that we can be responsible Witches and only responsible Witches will survive.*

*Except from “Power of the Witch” by Laurie Cabot.

“Witch”

“Witch”

 

The Random House College Dictionary derived “witch” from medieval English wicche, formerly Anglo-Saxon wicca (masculine), or wicce (feminine): a corruption of witga, short form of witega, a seer or diviner; from Anglo-Saxon witan, to see, to know. Similarly, Icelandic vitki, a witch, came from vita, to know; or vizkr, clever or knowing one. Wizard came from Norman French wischard. Old French guiscart, sagacious one. The surname Whittaker came from Witakarlege, a Wizard or a Witch. The words “wit” and “wisdom” came from the same roots.

There were many other words for witches, such as Incantatrix, Lamia, Saga, Maga, Malefica, Sortilega, Strix, Venefica. In Italy a witch was a strega or Janara, an old title of a priestess of Jana (Juno). English writers called witches both “hags” and “fairies,” words which were once synonymous. Witches had metaphoric titles: bacularia, “stick-rider”; fascinatrix, “one with the evil eye”; herberia, “one who gathers herbs”; strix, “screech-owl”; pixidria, “keeper of an ointment-box”; femina saga, “wise-woman”; lamia, “night-monster”; incantator, “worker of charms”; magus, “wise-man”; sortiariae mulier, “seeress”; veneficia, “poisoner”; maliarda, “evil-doer.” Latin treatises called Witches anispex, auguris, divinator, januatica, ligator, mascara, phitonissa, stregula.

Dalmatian witches were krstaca, “crossed ones,” a derivative of the Greek Christos In Holland a witch was wijsseggher, “wise-sayer,” from which came the English “wiseacre.” The biblical passage that supported centuries of persecution, “Thou shall not suffer a witch to live” (Exodus 22:18), used the Hebrew word kasaph, translated “witch” although it means a seer or diviner.

Early medieval England had female clan-leaders who exercised matriarchal rights in lawgiving and law enforcement; the Magna Carta of Chester called them iudices de wich (judges who were witches). Female elders once had political power among the clans, but patriarchal religion and law gradually took it away from them and called them witches in order to dispose of them. In 1711. Addison observed that “When an old woman begins to doat and grow chargeable to a Parish, she is generally turned into a witch.”

Reginald Scot remarked that the fate of a witch might be directly proportional to her fortune. The pope made saints out of rich witches, but poor witches were burned. Among many examples tending to support this opinion was the famous French Chambre Ardente affair, which involved many members of the aristocracy and the upper-class clergy in a witch cult. Numerous male and female servants were tortured and burned for assisting their masters in working witchcraft; but in all the four years the affair dragged on, no noble person was tortured or executed.

Illogically enough, the authorities persecuted poor, outcast folk as witches, yet professed to believe witches could provide themselves with all the wealth anyone could want. Reginald Scot, a disbeliever, scornfully observed that witches were said to “transfer their neighbors’ corn into their own ground, and yet are perpetual beggars, and cannot enrich themselves, either with money or otherwise: who is so foolish as to remain longer in doubt of their supernatural powers?” Witchcraft brought so little profit to Helen Jenkenson of Northants, hanged in 1612 for bewitching a child, that the record of her execution said: “Thus ended this woman her miserable life, after she had lived many years poor, wretched, scorned and forsaken of the world.”

“Women which be commonly old, lame, blear-eyed, pale, foul, and full of wrinkles; poor, sullen, superstitious, and papists; or such as know no religion; in whose drowsy minds the devil hath gotten a fine seat; so as, what mischief, mischance, calamity, or slaughter is brought to pass, they are easily persuaded the same is done by themselves . . . They are lean and deformed, showing melancholy in their faces, to the horror of all that see them. They are doting, scolds, mad, devilish; and not much differing from them that are thought to be possessed with spirits.”

Persecutors said it was heretical to consider witches harmless. Even in England, where witches were not burned but hanged, some authorities fearfully cited the “received opinion” that a witch’s body should be burned to ashes to prevent ill effects arising from her blood. Churchmen assured the arresting officers that a witch’s power was lost the instant she was touched by an employee of the Inquisition; but the employees themselves were not so sure.

Numerous stories depict the persecutors’ fear of their victims. It was said in the Black Forest that a witch blew in her executioner’s face, promising him his reward; the next day he was afflicted with a fatal leprosy. Inquisitors’ handbooks directed them to wear at all times a bag of salt consecrated on Palm Sunday; to avoid looking in a witch’s eyes; and to cross themselves constantly in the witches’ prison. Peter of Berne forgot this precaution, and a captive witch by enchantment made him fall down a flight of stairs – which he proved later by torturing her until she confirmed it.

Numerous stories depict the persecutors’ fear of their victims. It was said in the Black Forest that a witch blew in her executioner’s face, promising him his reward; the next day he was afflicted with a fatal leprosy. Inquisitors’ handbooks directed them to wear at all times a bag of salt consecrated on Palm Sunday; to avoid looking in a witch’s eyes; and to cross themselves constantly in the witches’ prison. Peter of Berne forgot this precaution, and a captive witch by enchantment made him fall down a flight of stairs – which he proved later by torturing her until she confirmed it.

Numerous stories depict the persecutors’ fear of their victims. It was said in the Black Forest that a witch blew in her executioner’s face, promising him his reward; the next day he was afflicted with a fatal leprosy. Inquisitors’ handbooks directed them to wear at all times a bag of salt consecrated on Palm Sunday; to avoid looking in a witch’s eyes; and to cross themselves constantly in the witches’ prison. Peter of Berne forgot this precaution, and a captive witch by enchantment made him fall down a flight of stairs – which he proved later by torturing her until she confirmed it.

Any unusual ability in a woman instantly raised a charge of witchcraft. The so-called Witch of Newbury was murdered by a group of soldiers because she knew how to go “surfing” on the river. Soldiers of the Earl of Essex saw her doing it, and were “as much astonished as they could be,” seeing that “to and fro she fleeted on the board standing firm bolt upright . . . turning and winding it which way she pleased, making it pastime to her, as little thinking who perceived her tricks, or that she did imagine that they were the last she ever should show.” Most of the soldiers were afraid to touch her, but a few brave souls ambushed the board-rider as she came to shore, slashed her head, beat her, and shot her, leaving her “detested carcass to the worms.”

From ruthlessly organized persecutions on the continent, witch-hunts in England became largely cases of village feuds and petty spite. If crops failed, horses ran away, cattle sickened, wagons broke, women miscarried, or butter wouldn’t come in the churn, a witch was always found to blame. Marion Cumlaquoy of Orkney was burned in 1643 for turning herself three times widdershins, to make her neighbor’s barley crop rot. A tailor’s wife was executed for quarrelling with her neighbor, who afterward saw a snake on his property, and his children fell sick. One witch was condemned for arguing with a drunkard in an alehouse. After drinking himself into paroxysms of vomiting, he accused her of bewitching him, and he was believed.

A woman was convicted of witchcraft for having caused a neighbor’s lameness – by pulling off her stockings. Another was executed for having admired a neighbor’s baby, which afterward fell out of its cradle and died. Two Glasglow witches were hanged for treating a sick child, even though the treatment succeeded and the child was cured. Joan Cason of Kent went to the gallows in 1586 for having dry thatch on her roof. Her neighbor, whose child was sick, was told by an unidentified traveler that the child was bewitched, and it could be proved by stealing a bit of thatch from the witch’s roof and throwing it on the fire. If it crackled and sparked, witchcraft was assured. The test came out positive, and the court was satisfied enough to convict poor Joan.

Witches were convenient scapegoats for doctors who failed to cure their patients, for it was the “received” belief that witch-caused illnesses were incurable. Weyer said, “Ignorant and clumsy physicians blame all sicknesses which they are unable to cure or which they have treated wrongly, on witchery.” There were also priests and monks who “claim to understand the healing art and they lie to those who seek help that their sicknesses are derived from witchery.” Most real witch persecutions reflect “no erotic orgies, no Sabbats or elaborate rituals; merely the hatreds and spites of narrow peasant life assisted by vicious laws.”

Witches provided a focus for sexist hatred in male-dominated society, as one writer pointed out:

“The spirit of the Church in its contempt for women, as shown in the Scriptures, in Paul’s epistles and the Pentateuch, the hatred of the fathers, manifested in their ecclesiastical canons, and in the doctrines of asceticism, celibacy, and witchcraft, destroyed man’s respect for woman and legalized the burning, drowning, and torturing of women . . . “Women and their duties became objects of hatred to the Christian missionaries and of alternate scorn and fear to pious ascetics and monks. The priestess mother became something impure, associated with the devil, and her lore an infernal incantation, her very cooking a brewing of poison, nay, her very existence a source of sin to man. Thus, woman, as mother and priestess, became woman as witch. . . . Here is the reason why in all the Biblical researches and higher criticism, the scholars never touch the position of women.”

Men displayed a lively interest in the physical appearance of witches, seeking to know how to recognize them-as men also craved rules for recognizing other types of women from their physical appearance. It was generally agreed that any woman with dissimilar eyes was a witch. Where most people had dark eyes and swarthy complexions, as in Spain and Italy, pale blue eyes were associated with witchcraft. Many claimed any woman with red hair was a witch.

This may have been because red-haired people are usually freckled, and freckles were often identified as “witch marks,” as were moles, warts, birthmarks, pimples, pockmarks, cysts, liver spots, wens, or any other blemish. Some witch-finders said the mark could resemble an insect bite or an ulcer.

No one ever explained how the witch mark differed from an ordinary blemish. Since few bodies were unblemished, the search for the mark seldom failed. Thomas Ady, one of the few 17th-century English debunkers of the witchcraft craze, author of A Perfect Discovery of Witches (1661), recognized this, and wrote: “Very few people in the world are without privy marks upon their bodies, as moles or stains, even such as witchmongers call the devil’s privy marks.” But no one paid attention to this.

Trials were conducted with as much injustice as possible. In 1629 Isobel Young was accused of crippling by magic a man who had quarreled with her, and causing a water mill to break down. She protested that the man was lame before their quarrel, and water mills can break down through neglect. The prosecutor. Sir Thomas Hope, threw out her defense on the ground that it was “contrary to the libel,” that is, it contradicted the charge. When a witch is on trial, Reginald Scot said, any “equivocal or doubtful answer is taken for a confession.”

On the other hand, no answer at all was a confession too. Witches who refused to speak were condemned: “Witchcraft proved by silence of the accused.” Sometimes mere playfulness “proved” witchcraft, as in the case of Mary Spencer, accused in 1634 because she merrily set her bucket rolling downhill and ran before it, calling it to follow her. Sometimes women were stigmatized as witches when they were in fact victims of unfair laws, such as the law that accepted any man’s word in court ahead of any number of women’s. A butcher in Germany stole some silver vessels from women, then had them prosecuted for witchcraft by claiming that he found the vessels in the woods where the women were attending a witches’ Sabbat.

Sometimes the accusation of witchcraft was a form of punishment for women who were too vocal about their disillusionment with men and their preference for living alone. Historical literature has many references to “the joy with which women after widowhood set up their own households, and to the vigor with which they resisted being courted by amorous widowers.” The solitary life, however, left a woman even more vulnerable to accusations of witchcraft, since men usually thought she must be somehow controlled.

Those who tortured the unfortunate defendant into admitting witchcraft used a euphemistic language that showed the victim was condemned a priori. One Anne Marie de Georgel denied making a devil’s pact, until by torture she was “justly forced to give an account of herself,” the record said. Catherine Delort was “forced to confess by the means we have power to use to make people speak the truth,” and she was “convicted of all the crimes we suspected her of committing, although she protested her innocence for a long time.” The inquisitor Nicholas Rémy professed a pious astonishment at the great number of witches who expressed a “positive desire for death,” pretending not to notice that they had been brought to this desire by innumerable savage tortures.

The extent to which pagan religion, as such, actually survived among the witches of the 16th and 17th centuries has been much discussed but never decided. Dean Church said, “Society was a long time unlearning heathenism; it has not done so yet; but it had hardly begun, at any rate it was only just beginning, to imagine the possibility of such a thing in the eleventh century.” In 15th-century Bohemia it was still common practice at Christmas and other holidays to make offerings to “the gods,” rather than to God. European villages still had many “wise-women” who acted as priestesses officially or unofficially. Since church fathers declared Christian priestesses unthinkable, all functions of the priestess were associated with paganism. Bishops described pagan gatherings in their dioceses, attended by “devils . . . in the form of men and women.” Pagan ceremonies were allowed to survive in weddings, folk festivals, seasonal rites, feasts of the dead, and so on. But when women or Goddesses played the leading role in such ceremonies, there was more determined suppression. John of Salisbury wrote that it was the devil, “with God’s permission,” who sent people to gatherings in honor of the Queen of the Night, a priestess impersonating the Moon-goddess under the name of Noctiluca or Herodiade.

The Catholic church applied the word “witch” to any woman who criticized church policies. Women allied with the 14th-century Reforming Franciscans, some of whom were burned for heresy, were described as witches, daughters of Judas, and instigated of the Devil. Writers of the Talmud similarly tended to view nearly all women as witches. They said things like, “Women are naturally inclined to witchcraft,” and “The more women there are, the more witchcraft there will be.”

Probably there were few sincere practitioners, compared with the multitudes who were railroaded into the ecclesiastical courts and legally murdered despite their innocence. Yet it was obvious to even the moderately intelligent that Christian society deliberately humiliated and discriminated against women. Some may have been resentful enough to become defiant. “Women have had no voice in the canon law, the catechisms, the church creeds and discipline, and why should they obey the behests of a strictly masculine religion, that places the sex at a disadvantage in all life’s emergencies? Possibilities for expressing their frustration and defiance were severely limited; but voluntary adoption of the witch’s reputation and behavior was surely among such possibilities.

MAGICK IS A CONTINUOUS PROCESS

MAGICK IS A CONTINUOUS PROCESS

What we have been calling ‘magick’ is actually a

continuous process. Since your subconscious never rests,

your environment is continually being shifted into line with

your model. This is true whether you study magick or not.

For most people, these effects are usually very subtle, and

they are probably not aware of them. However, as you work

with the occult, the flow of psychic energy and your

awareness of it increases. Your true will is more likely

to be strongly expressed. Your luck may be affected (either

in a positive or a negative way). Remember, our lives tend

to follow what we want down deep. That is why a positive

outlook is so very beneficial to us

MAGICK WHITE AND BLACK

MAGICK WHITE AND BLACK

‘Personal magick’ is that magick used to affect the

self; often involving affirmation, self-suggestion, and

self-hypnosis. ‘Active magick’ is outer directed magick (as

in PK) used to affect someone or thing, or to bring about

an event. ‘Passive magick’ is to be affected (as in ESP)

by an outside non-physical cause. Everyone possesses some

magical (and psychic) potential. Some are especially

gifted. Usually people are better at one kind of magick

(ie. active or passive) than they are at the other kind;

only rarely does an individual excell at both. Traning

and practice will, of course, improve ability somewhat.

Although the forces of magick are neutral, various

systems may take on the qualities of good and evil. There

is so-called white magick or good magick, black magick or

evil magick, and gray magick between them. When many people

refer to white magick they mean magick for unselfish

purposes, also healing and mental influence with specific

permission. By black magick they refer to magick for

self-interest and healing *without* specific permission.

Using magick to forcefully control another’s will is, in a

sense, black magick too. There are also some people on the

occult fringe who claim to be, possibly even think they are,

‘Satanists’, devil worshipers, or black magicians. These

people are most likely charlatans, hoaxters, dablers, or

merely misinformed. They may be attracted by the ‘art’ of

black magick, or even by the ‘glamor’ of doing something

against the ‘rules’. But a real black magician is very

dangerous. Because he has dedicated his life to evil. We

usually think of ‘white magick’ as having *unselfish

intent*, and (in the extreme case) of ‘black magick’ as

being actual Satan worship, human or animal sacrifice,

dangerous unconventional magical practices, and other

bizarre stuff as makes a nightmare. It is all a matter of

degree. Most mild self-interest magick (one of the most

common kinds) would be called ‘gray’. Better terms may be

*constructive magick* as being beneficial; and *aversive

magick* as magick intended to work against the natural

order, and to tear down. There is also the *high magick* of

spiritual alchemy (ie. spiritual growth), also known as ‘the

Great Work’; and conversely there is ‘low magick’ which is

concerned with materiality.

Any magick act is likely to produce side effects

regardless of whether or not the desired result is achieved.

Such side effects are no problem for constructive magick,

since they are benificial as well. However, aversive magick

can produce aversive side effects which may even harm the

magician — aversive magick is dangerous!

MICROCOSM AND MACROCOSM

MICROCOSM AND MACROCOSM

We have been describing ‘traditonal’ occult

philosophy here, and certainly an important part of the

tradition is the idea (and terms) microcosm and macrocosm.

The greater universe, known as the *macrocosm*, includes

everything that exists. It corresponds with the *microcosm*,

or tiny universe, ie. man — who is thought of as a

miniature replica of the macrocosm (whole universe).

This basic magical relationship is demonstrated in the

Bible (Genesis 1.27), where God is the macrocosm; and in

the writing of Trismegistus (“As above so below”). Since

man is in the image of God (universe) it follows that God

is in the image of man (in other words, man and the

God/universe match each other). The magician, as a microcosm

is thus connected with the macrocosm. There is an intimate

relationship of energies between you and everything else.

The universe is reflected within us and we are projected

into the universe. This is an important theory behind magick

and astrology.

MAGICK — THE FOUR WORLDS

MAGICK — THE FOUR WORLDS

The ancients described man as mind, body, and soul.

Psychologists of the twentieth century added the

subconscious to that deffinition. This produces a four-fold

classification. The universe is also divided into four

corresponding parts (‘worlds’), as shown below:

WORLD BODY QUALITY

===== ==== =======

spiritual world spiritual body (soul or kia) intuition

mental world mental body (conscious mind) rational

thought

astral world astral body (subconscious) emotions

physical world physical body physical senses

The astral body (subconscious) is the intermediary

for intuition, magical and psychic phenomena, and is the

‘psychic link’ to the physical world. Most occult and

magical phenomena originate in the invisible, non-sensate,

THE BASICS OF MAGICK

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10

non-physical realm (ie. without physical senses). Each of

the four worlds interacts with the other worlds. Psychic

energy flows from the spiritual to mental to astral to

physical. The physical world is a projection (manifestation,

reflection, or shadow) of the higher worlds. Our center of

consciousness is generally within these higher worlds.

“We are”, to quote the rock music group the Police, “spirits

in the material world”.

There are many similar terms used by other occult

groups. For example, ‘astral light’ is another name for

astral world, although it may sometimes also refer to the

entire non-physical realm, as may ‘inner planes’ or ‘the

invisible world’. Planes are essentially the same as worlds.

Vehicles or sheaths are the same as bodies. Some groups

include an etheric or vital body between physical and

astral: it is mostly ‘physical’ with a little of the

lower ‘astral’ besides. And sometimes astral and mental

are each divided into two parts (upper and lower). The

‘causal body’ is the upper ‘mental’.

MAGICK — THE SUBJECTIVITY OF EXPERIENCE

MAGICK — THE SUBJECTIVITY OF EXPERIENCE

Your awareness of the physical world and of your

place within it is mostly based upon the physical senses

(hearing, sight, smell, touch, taste). These five senses

continually send information to the mind, and it is up to

the mind to select and interpret them. If you could not do

so, your senses would overwhelm you and be meaningless.

Selection and interpretation of your sensory inputs is

essentially an automatic, mostly subconscious function of

the mind. The program or map which the subconscious follows

as its reference point is called a _model_. The model is a

subconscious mental photograph of how you believe the world

looks (ie. worldview, mindset, egregore, or belief system).

It was built up from an early age by your religious and

cultural background through interaction with family and

others. It contains your experiences, attitudes, and

habits. And whether you realize it or not, most of your

behavior, thoughts, feelings, and habits are based upon and

conditioned by that model; even personality. The model is

one of the mind’s master programs. Change in behavior

generally requires a change in the model. These limitations

built into our way of thinking cause our perceptions to be

subjective. That is why Hindu philosophy looks upon the

world as illusory (maya); the world itself (object) is not

an illusion, however from our viewpoint through perception

(subject) it is.

Thus we are all conditioned by experience. Except

that our perceptions, hence our experiences, are first

conditioned and limited by the model. Our perceptions and

experiences tend to conform to what we expect. We tend to

misinterpret or ignore things which do not match our

preconcieved notions about them. This is automatic.

MAGICK AND WITCHCRAFT

MAGICK AND WITCHCRAFT

A number of other occult disciplines are prevalent

today besides magick. There are many cults and sects which

profess their own views, but there are really few differences

between them. One popular area in the occult today is

witchcraft. This is far removed from the cliche of devil

worship. Real witchcraft is a nature religion (pagan).

Witchcraft has much in common with magick.

Alchemy also has much in common with magick. It’s

heritage comes from the middle ages. Alchemy fathered

chemistry and the physical sciences. But the avowed purpose

of alchemy, turning lead into gold, is too limiting to be

called magick. Sometimes the goal of alchemy is interpreted

in another way, as the transformation of man into a spiritual

being.

Then there are the numerous modern day seers or

‘pychics’, as they like to be called, who operate within

their own somewhat unique systems. Although many of these

people are deluded frauds, some are very powerful occultists

indeed.

Of course, everything I have said here is a

generalization. Magick, witchcraft, alchemy, or any occult

field are complex subjects. Suffice it to say that magick

includes them all (it is eclectic). For magick is undoubtedly

a philosophy which has, as the late Aleister Crowley wrote,

“The method of science — the aim of religion.”

WHY DO MAGICK?

WHY DO MAGICK?

Magick encompasses many things — science and art,

philosophy and metaphysics, psychology and comparative

religion. Magick is an adventure at the borderlands of the

unknown. It can fit the pieces of the puzzel of life into a

meaningful whole.

_Magick is fun_ and interesting. Use magick to help

raise consciousness without drugs. Gain new experiences.

Fantacy can come alive through magick. Psychic phenomena can

be controlled and be fun and helpful.

_Magick is beneficial_. It can help you to have

excellent health, and bring you good luck. With magick life

runs smoothly; life is good. Also use magick for personality

improvement, to control bad habits and to develop new

motivations.

_Magick is powerful_. Never underestimate the

tremendous power of magick. Use magick to alter events and to

achieve your goals. Exert an influence over people and

phenomena. But power for its own sake is self defeating. The

power which magick can give you should not be your primary

reason for studying it.

WHY MAGICK

WHY MAGICK

The ability to think seems to set us apart from

other creatures. And although we are concerned with

living in the physical world, we are mental beings. The

fact is we are thinking all the time. We plan, we brood,

we get depressed or elated — all of it is thought. But

the universe is mental too, and if we could control our

thinking we would see magnificent results in the everyday

world.

Many systems have been developed over the ages to

help us control our thoughts. A great amound of dogma too

has been kicked around in an attempt to make us into better

people. Magick (the occult kind, spelled with a ‘k’) is one

of the oldest and most general of these systems. Magick is

the study and application of psychic forces. It uses mental

training, concentration, and a system of symbols to program

the mind. The purpose of magick is to alter the self and the

environment according to the will.

Most of the magick we see today comes to us from

ancient Egypt and Chaldea. The Chinese, Hindus, and Tibetans

developed their own unique types of magick. Western magick

was locked up by the Egyptian priests for thousands of years

and then supressed by the rise of Christianity. It was not

until medieval Europe that magical knowledge was rediscovered

by the alchemists and Cabalists. Only during the past hundred

years or so has western culture been open minded enough to

permit widespread investigation of the subject. Only since

the start of the twentieth century has science shown much

interest in it al all.

Ten Commandments of Witches

I know there is always an argument when it comes to Witches having Laws or Commandments.  When you get right down to it Witches don’t have anyone at all to answer too. They answer to theirselves and no one else. But there are little Guidelines, Laws, Commandment and so on, that give Witches the ideas how they are supposed to conduct theirselves. White witches follow these types of Commandments almost to the tee. Everyone occasionally strays that is just part of being human.

I would like to point out something. I don’t want anyone thinking that the witch that answers to no one but herself is a bad witch. That is the furthest from the true. A witch like this has been practicing magick a long time. She knows she contains the power within herself. She also know deep down right from wrong. She is very knowledgeable, very skilled, very sure of herself  and will always try to do right. 

If you are new to Witchcraft, you will soon learn  there are lines that we walk every day. There are three of them: First one is white, the middle one is gray, and the last one is black. These lines determine what kind of witch you will be. You decide to be a White Witch (which I do), you will walk the white line. Choose the black line, you will be a black witch.  Are you can do as my friends and I do walk the gray line. Gray witches are not bad witches at all. Being a gray witch I look at this way, I am ready for any magickal havoc that may arise. I can also slip for side to side if need be. I don’t like to slip to the black side but if a friend needs help or there is a problem I will. I think most witches become gray is because they can add any intent they would like to their spells and rituals. Remember intent makes the magick. Also remember a true Witch answers to no one but their self.

Well enough of that, I have intentions of personally going over the Gray, White, and Black issues in Witchcraft. But let’s get to those Commandments (oh if you have a printer you might want to print them out for your Journal or BOS)……..

Ten Commandment of Witchcraft

  1.  Always ensure that no other person will be harmed as a result of your magickTo call yourself a witch means that you will always endeavor to do the right thing and send out only love and kindness. Think about The Wizard of Oz and strive to be like the Good Witch of the North Glinda managed it, and so can you!

  2. Keep your thoughts free of negativity — remember the rebound effect. Keep in mind that every thought you send out can just as easily bounce off the receiver and be hurled back at you at the speed of light. You created the negative fog, so it belongs to you!

  3. Never cast a spell when you are upset or unhealthy. Funny as it may seem, our thoughts projections can go haywire if we are cross, unhappy or sick. Spells may fail to work or the results may be confusing. Therefore it’s imperative that we be in the right frame of mind and physically healing before we begin any magick.

  4. Think positively. If you smile, then you are more likely to be happy. Every time a miserable thought pops into your head, shake it away and try to think about something nice. Your aura is a magnetic energy field and if it’s drab or gloomy you will attract disruptive and depressing situations.

  5. Create a peaceful, calm environment for your spell casting. Make your space as lovely as possible with candles, soft music, and lots of salt at hand to ward old negativity. Keep your home free of clutter and clean house regularly.

  6. Call upon your Angels/Guides to assist you. Your angels/guides are never far away, and they will gladly help and support you when you are trying to change  a situation.  Before casting your spell, say a silent prayer to the to the angelic forces for protection and you’ll ge sure to envelop yourself in their influence.

  7. Respect everything. There is no need to be obsessive, especially if you are feeling the financial pinch, but try as hard as you can to eat all the right foods.  Food is fuel and it affects your aura, so be as organic as you can. Eat badly and you’ll feel bad. Bear in mind that every animal, vegetable, and leaf has a spirit, so treat everything with the respect it deserves.

  8. Wish for money by be careful of greed. If you need to cast spells for material gain, then make sure that when you receive money as a result of magick, you give a little away to keep the cycle of good fortune going. A dollar in a charity box is quite enough; as long as you spread the wealth, your karma will stay positive.

  9. Never influence a person’s mind with magick.  Everyone deserves the right to free will, so never cast a spell to influence a person’s decisions. Doing so has drastic consequences. You could indirectly take that person off the path they are destined to travel and deprive them of lessons they need to learn. If you cast a spell to win back an ex, for example,  it may ge that you’ve derailed their fated union with somebody else in the future. If you’ve reeled them back  in, you have interfered with their karma, and you could get your karmic wrist slapped when you eventually pass over into spirit.

  10. Believe in yourself. No amount of magick will  work unless you have faith in yourself, so make sure that  you truly believe in your spells. Then success will be yours.

I Am A Witch

I Am A Witch
by Sandi Thomas

When I stand up for myself and my beliefs, they call me a “Witch”.
When I stand up for those I love, they call me a Witch.
When I speak my mind, think my own thoughts, or do things my own way, they call me a Witch.

Being a witch entails raising my children to be strong people

Who have a solid sense of personal and social responsibility

Who are not afraid to stand up for what they believe in
Who love and respect themselves for the beautiful beings they are.

Being a witch means that I am free to be the wonderful creature I am,
With all my own intricacies, contradictions, quirks and beauty.
Being a witch means I won’t compromise what’s in my heart.
It means I live my life MY way. It means I won’t allow anyone to step on me.

When I refuse to tolerate injustice and speak up against it, I am defined as a witch.
The same thing happens when I take time for myself instead of being everyone else’s maid or when I act a little selfish.

I am proud to be a witch! It means I have the courage and strength to allow myself to be who I truly am and won’t become anyone else’s idea of what they think I “should” be.

I am outspoken, opinionated and determined.
By Goddess, I want what I want and there is nothing wrong with that!

So, try to stomp on me, try to douse my inner flame, try to squash every ounce of beauty I hold within me. You won’t succeed.

And if that makes me a witch, so be it. I embrace the title and am proud to bear it. I love this, I can call myself a witch now and not feel bad about it!

SO MOTE IT BE!

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I AM A WITCH

THE CREATION STORY

THE CREATION STORY

THE CREATION STORY

Long, long ago, the world slept in the arms of the dark void.From this place of nothingness, Spirit drew together and created Our Lady of Infinite Love. 

The Lady danced among the heavens, Her feetbeating out the rythmn of all creation. Sparks of light catapaulted from Her hair, giving birth to the stars and planets. As She twirled, these heavenly bodies began to move with Her in the divine symphony of the universe. When Her dancing quickened She formed the seas and mountains of Earth. She chanted words of love and joy, and as these sounds fell to the Earth, the trees and flowers were born.

From the pure, white light of Her breath came the colors of the universe, turning all things to vibrant beauty. from the bubbling laughter in Her throat sprang the sounds of the pristine running water of the streams, the gentle lapping vibrations of the lake, and the roaring screams of the oceans. Her tears of joy became the rains of our survival.

When Her dancing slowed and She sought a companion to share the wonders of the world, Spirit created The Lord as Her lifemate and companion. Because She so loved the Earth, Spirit made Her companion half spirit, half animal, so that together the Lord and Lady could populate our planet. The Lord’s power moves through her and She showers the Earth and all upon it with Her blessings. Together, the Lord and Lady gave birth to the birds, animals, fishes, and people of our world. To protect and guide the humans, the Lord and Lady created the angels and power spirits. These energies walk with us always, though we may not often see them. Their speech creates a tapestry of positve energy, from which we draw strength.

To each bird the Lady gave a magic song, and to each animal the Lord bestowed the instinct to survive.

The Lord is the master of the animal and plant kingdoms, and therefore wears the antlers of a stag crowning His great head. This aspect of half man, half animal shows His joy in both the human and animal creations of the Spirit.

As the humans began to grow and prosper, the Lord and Lady saw a need for healers among them. And so they drew forth energy from the realm of angels, the realm of the power animals, and the realm of the humans to create the Witches. The Witches brought with them the wisdom of the Lord and Lady, the ability to heal, and the art of magic. The Lady taught the Witches how to cast a magic circle and talk to Spirit, and the Lord taught the Witches how to communicate with the energies of air, fire, earth, and water, and commune with the animal and plant kingdoms.

At first, the humans accepted the Witches and treated them fairly; but because the Witches are different, humans began to fear the Wise Ones of the Lord and Lady, thus the Witches became the Hidden Children, conducting their rites of positive energy in secret lest they risk capture and death at the hands of uneducated humans.

As the world grew darker with ignorance and hate of human creation, The Lady took the body of the Moon to represent the gentle light of her perfect peace, and the Lord took the vibrant rays of the Sun as his symbol of strength in perfect love. And once a month, when the Moon is full, the Witches celebrate and remember the blessings our Mother has bestowed upon us.

We call forth Her energy to help us take care of ourselves, our families, our planet, and our friends. Four times a year the Witches celebrate the festivals of fire and honor the Lord and His love for us – these are called the cross-quarters. At the four quarters of the seasons, the Witches honor the cycle of life and the gifts of the Earth with festivals to both the Lord and Lady – signifying the balance they have brought us – the Equinoxes and the Solstices.

The Lady has many names – Isis, Astarte, Bride, Diana, Aradia, Hecate – and the Lady walks within and beside each woman of every race.

The Lord has many faces, from the strong Cernunnos to the delightful Pan. He guards and guides us and resides in each man of every race.

When thunder roars in the heavens, and lightning cracks from the ground, the Lord and Lady dance the divine myth of creation so that we may remember them and know that we are never alone.

When the Sun rises each morning, we bask in the joy of His love for us, and when the Moon moves through Her phases, we understand the cycle of birth, growth, death, and rebirth.

When it is our time, the Witches enter the Summerland. From the Spirit that moves and flows through the Lord and Lady we continue to learn the mysticism of the Universe so that we may return, life after life, to serve our brothers and sisters.

In each lifetime, Spirit guides us through learning experiences, preparing us along the way for our individual missions. Sometimes we are born among our own kind, and in other instances we must seek out our spiritual family. Many of us do not remeber our chosen path until we reach adulthood, but others know instinctively of their heritage from the time they form their own thoughts.

We are the Witches, the representation of the growth of wisdom on our planet. We are the Hidden Children, back from the dead. We are the people, the power, the change, and we have incarnated in every race and every culture. We are the angels of Earth. 

 

“The Creation Story” Courtesy of SilverRavenWolf

 

The Three Steps of Magick

Your altar provides the sacred space for doing magick to attain your goals. The three basic steps of magick are:

  1. intention and expectation

  2. desire

  3. experiencing

You can apply the three steps to all your magick making. First, you need really understand what your intentions are and what it is you expect, and most of all, that you really want it. Second, you must have a strong desire to attain your magickal goal. Third, you must merge with Oneness, with divinity, as deeply as possible, and then a little deeper still, allowing your intention, expectation, and desire to flow out of you and move out into the world. Imagine releasing thought energy so strong that it becomes real.

White and Black Magick

Magick is either positive or negative, depending on the intention of the Practitioner. Positive, white magick, brings beneficial things into your life. For example, making a talisman can bring you good luck. Negative, black magick, is used to harm people and cause negative events. Black witches use energies associated with the dark side. These negative energies aid dark, evil witches in their black magick, harmful works that are intended to bring bad luck and cause harm to the recipient.

Each of us enter The Craft do so of our own free-will and are given the choice: to go with the light or to go with the dark side. The choice is ultimately yours, but be warned, if you chose the dark side, it will eventually destroy you.

Choosing the dark side is similar to joining the mafia. Once you’re in, you’re a member for life. The initial appeal of the Dark Arts is the immediate sensation of power, but in the long-term, negativity eats at you much like it ate at Darth Vader in “Star Wars,” until he became so disfigured that he became a monster and no longer resembled a human being.

Those who subscribe to dark ways gave in to a dark polarity that at one time or another rears its ugly head in all of us. Those who adhere to positive magick represent the bright polarity, the polarity that balances the darkness and brings order to the chaos.

The light always overcomes the dark. The dawn always rises. If the darkness was more powerful and had the upper hand, then Adolph Hitler would have, without question, won World War II. But he didn’t. Those who practice the Dark Arts will find themselves on the losing end of things. A dark witch’s lack of success is due to negative energy’s preponderance to feed upon itself.

In the short run, practicing the Dark Arts will make you mean and vindictive because you have to build up a certain amount of negative energy to do black magick. This brings you some instant gratification, but in the long run you end up like Faust and darkness comes looking for your soul, at which point, you have no way out. When you turn to the darkness, you cannot turn back.

Working On The Astral Plane

The astral plane is a spiritual reflection of the material world. Technically, every time you physically perform a spell, you are also working on the astral level. A physical action in a spell is performed specifically for the equivalent and associated energy where it means on the astral plane. Once you have become adept at handling energies gathered in the physical world, then you might find yourself using fewer and fewer props and components. The web of energy, which connects everything, also extends to the astral level. It’s perfectly possible to do an entire spell on the astral plane, which is where most change occurs anyway, initiated by your symbolic actions on the physical plane. It take a lot of focus, and the establishing of a personal place of power on the astral plane.

You’re most likely familiar with the astral plane due to the concept of astral projection. The art of astral projection involve sending your consciousness elsewhere. It takes a lot of energy and concentration to do it, and it usually prefaced by meditation. Basically spellcasting on the astral plane is rather like doing the spell in your head, but with all the awareness and intention of performing the spell in the physical world.