Tag: Arts

Goddess of the Day – Aphrodite

Aphrodite

Greek goddess of love and beauty

By deTraci Regula, About.com Guide

Aphrodite

From ‘The Dictionary of Classical Antiquities’

Aphrodite’s Appearance:Aphrodite is a gorgeous, perfect, eternally young woman with a beautiful body.Aphrodite’s Symbol or Attribute:Her Girdle, which has magical powers to compel love.

Strengths:Potent sexual attractiveness, dazzling beauty.

Weaknesses:A bit stuck on herself, but with a perfect face and body, who can blame her?

Aphrodite’s Parents: One genealogy gives her parents as Zeus, King of the Gods, and Dione, an early earth/mother goddess. More commonly, she was believed to be born of the foam in the sea which bubbled around the severed member of Ouranos when Kronos slew him.

Aphrodite’s Birthplace: Rising from the foam off of the islands of Cyprus or Kythira. Milos, where the famed Venus de Milo was found, is also associated with her in modern times.

Aprhodite’s Husband:Hephaestus, the lame smith-god. Also associated with Ares, god of War.

Children: Eros, a Cupid-like figure.

Some Major Temple Sites of Aphrodite: Kythira, an island she visited; Cyprus.

Basic Story: Aphrodite rises from the foam of the waves of the sea, enchanting anyone who sees her and inciting feelings of love and lust wherever she goes. She is a contender in the story of the Golden Apples, when Paris chooses her as the fairest of the three goddesses (the others were Hera and Athena) and Aphrodite decides to “reward” him for giving her the Golden Apple (the prototype of most modern awards) by giving him the love of Helen of Troy, something of a mixed blessing that led to the Trojan War.

Interesting Fact: The island of Cyprus has many places believed to have been enjoyed by Aphrodite when she was on earth. Recently, the Cypriots have revived a tourist-friendly version of some of Aphrodite’s festivals at the town of Paphos.

How to Cast a Spell

(YOU CAN COPY AND PASTE ANY SPELLS POSTED TO A DOCUMENT TO PRINT AND/OR SAVE ON YOUR COMPUTER)

HOW TO CAST A SPELL

A spell is nothing but a story (from an old word “spelen,” to “tell a story”).

You’ve had spells cast on you all your life, without knowing it.

When your father called you “lazy,” or “stupid,” or “sloppy,” or “a failure,”
he was casting a spell on you.  Most likely, you still act the way your father
(or mother) said you were.

And you’ve cast spells on yourself all your life, without knowing it.  Whenever
you say the words “I can’t” you are casting a spell of failure on yourself.
Whenever you tell someone they give you a headache, you are casting a headache
spell on yourself.

Learning to cast spells is learning how to control your own life.

You can cast a spell simply by telling yourself a story out loud, alone or with
friends.

You can cast a spell by thinking a story to yourself.

You can cast a spell by acting out a story.  (This is the purpose of ritual, of
course.)

And you can cast a spell by wearing or carrying a physical object that
constantly reminds you of the story (an amulet).

A spell works simply because it is spoken.  Strong emotions are not necessary.
You don’t even have to believe it to make it happen.

Try it.  Start each day by saying to yourself:  “Today, I am going to receive
some money” (or “will make a new friend,” etc.)  See what happens.

One caution:  Be careful what you wish for — you WILL get it!

And remember the ancient rede:  “An ye harm none, do what you will.”  This
means that we cannot cast a spell concerning another person (with the possible
exception of a healing spell) without their consent.  Any interference in
another person’s life force is unacceptable.

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Hints for Success Spellcasting

(YOU CAN COPY AND PASTE ANY SPELLS POSTED TO A DOCUMENT TO PRINT AND/OR SAVE ON YOUR COMPUTER)

HINTS FOR SUCCESS SPELLCASTING

Success in spellcrafting, as with any art, comes from practice and patience.
Medieval monks didn’t learn to brew world-renowned beverages overnight, nor did
da Vinci create a masterpiece without making some mistakes. So, be patient with
yourself in honing your magical arts and follow these suggestions to help get
over the rough spots:

Bring as many of your senses into the magical procedure as possible to clarify
and delineate its purpose(s).

Always visualize your intentions in detail while you work.

Repeat spells whenever you feel the need. Each reiteration provides supportive
energy for manifestation.

Phrase the verbal component to be geared toward your specific intentions.

If you are uncomfortable with vocalizing spells, you can mentally recite them
just as effectively. Remember, thoughts are words uttered inwardly.

Eliminate, substitute, or augment any prop/focal you desire.

Be certain to maintain the congruity of meaning.

Use the timing as a guideline, not as an edict. Any time is the right time for
magic!

Make notes of your successes and failures. These memos will prove immensely
helpful in the future.

It is not necessary to use all the props and focals listed in devising your
spell. In fact, trying to do so would probably make the spell unmanageable
(unless you have three hands). Choose only those items that intimately sym-
bolize your goals, and that you feel are necessary to the spell’s construction.

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Your Charm for March 2nd is The Menat

Your Charm for Today

The Menat

Today’s Meaning:

A few prayers to your deity of choice would serve you well when dealing with this aspect. Your questions or requests stand a better chance of being answered in the next few days if you do so.

General Description:

This elaborately ornamental charm, worn by Egyptian women, was supposed to bestow upon them all the blessings of their powerful Hathor, goddess of the sunrise, whose worship was universal in Egypt. Health, strength, happiness – all these were the gifts of this their goddess of love. She was regarded as a loving, protecting mother, both of the living and of the dead; was the deity who filled both heaven and earth with her beneficence, and the dispenser of all the blessings of life.

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WOTC’s Extra – Goddesses/Gods You Can Call On for Specific Spellworking

Goddesses You Can Call Upon for Specific Spellwork:

Aphrodite: Greek; Goddess of passionate, sexual love.
Aphrodite will assist you in pulling loving energy toward yourself.
Aradia: Italian; Queen of the Witches, daughter of Diana.
Aradia is an extremely powerful entity and a protectress of Witches in general.
Artemis: Greek; Goddess of the Moon.
Astarte: Greek; Fertility Goddess.
Whether you wish to bear children or have a magnificent garden, Astarte will assist in your desire.
Demeter: Greek; Earth Mother archetype.
Excellent Goddess where birthing or small children are involved.
Diana: Roman; Moon Goddess and Goddess of the Hunt. Diana is many faceted.
She is seductress (as she enchanted her brother Lucifer to beget Aradia in the form of a cat) as well as a mother figure for Witches.
Isis: Egyptia; represents the Complete Goddess or the Triple Goddess connotation in one being.
Persephone: Greek; Goddess of the Underworld as well as Harvest. Daughter of Demeter.
Selene: Greek; Goddess of the Moon and Solutions.
Appeal to Selene to bring a logical answer to any problem.
Venus: Roman; Goddess of Love and Romance

 

Gods You Can Call Upon for Specific Spellwork:

Adonis: Greek; consort of Aphrodite. Also another name for “lord”.
In Phoenician his counterpart is Astarte.
A vegetarian God. Roman counterpart is Venus.
Apollo: Greek and Roman; twin brother of Artemis. God of the Sun, Light and the Arts.
Cernunnos: Celtic; Horned God and consort of the Lady. Also Kernunnos.
Eros: Greek; God of Romance and Passionate Love.
Hymen: Greek; God of Marriage and Commitment. His counterpart is Dionysus.
Luce: Italian; Soul mate and Brother of Diana. Father of Arcadia. God of the Sun and Light.
Osiris: wiccan; counterpart of Isis. Over-all God form including vegetation and after-life.
Pan: Greek; God of Nature and the Woods, Laughter and Passion.
Also music and personal abandon. Of course, you can refer to either the God and/or Goddess as merely Lord and Lady if it makes you feel more comfortable.

 

 

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Faith

Witchy Comments

Faith is the Dark Moon
Unseen in the night
We know it is present
Yet long for the light.
 
Faith is the wind
That whispers around us.
 
We cannot touch it
And must take it on trust.
 
Faith is the soft voice
of the Goddess of Old
Who warms us in the winter
And wards off the cold.
 
Let my heart feel the warmth
Let my soul hear Her voice
Let me find faith in the darkness
And my spirit rejoice.
 

So Mote It Be.

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Your Animal Spirit for February 19th – The Green Man

Your Animal Spirit for the Today

Green Man

Green Man peers out of the foliage to remind you that not all of life’s mysteries have logical solutions. Be open to magical opportunities, spirit allies, and unconventional paths. Get out into the wilderness, ground yourself in meditation, and listen for Green Man’s wisdom. You may just catch sight of him eyeing you in his leafy camouflage.

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February 18 – Daily Feast

February 18 – Daily Feast

We need to get our priorities in a row. A lazy person never has priorities and never plans anything. He lets circumstances make all his decisions – and believes fate has the final say. Even though he has had a thousand nudges to do a certain thing, he ignores them because it is only himself dreaming again. If we cannot hold onto a plan long enough to do anything about it, then we should write it. Write it so plain that when we read it, we run – we run toward putting into practice what we set out on paper. It is essential to decide the ultimate outcome of our lives. If we do nothing, then that is a decision. Our lot in life is what we make it, using every delay, every pain, every injustice as fuel to fire our determination.

~ Let the young men of this nation remember that idleness leads to poverty. Industry is honorable and leads to contentment. ~

CHIEF JOHN ROSS

‘A Cherokee Feast of Days’, by Joyce Sequichie Hifler

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Daily Motivator for February 18th – Face forward

Face forward

Yes, it’s interesting and somewhat instructive to know how things got the way  they are. What’s far more important, though, is what you choose to do going  forward.

Pay attention to what has happened but don’t waste your precious and powerful  energy becoming obsessed by it. Put that energy into moving in a positive  direction.

It’s what you can do now that really matters. As big as they might have been,  the expired opportunities of yesterday are now negligible compared to the  possibilities of today.

What you can do now is connect with your most treasured dreams. What you can  do now is act with passion and the highest expectations to bring those dreams to  life.

Instead of living with wistfulness, regret, or anger about the past, you can  live with positive purpose toward a great and shining future. The direction you  face makes all the difference in the world, so make the choice to face  forward.

This is a new moment, and with it comes the chance for a new start. Take that  chance, grab that opportunity, and live your life forward in a beautiful and  fulfilling way.

— Ralph Marston

The Daily Motivator

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Your Ancient Symbol Card for February 18th is Love

Your Ancient Symbol Card for Today

Love

Love indicates that love is either present in our life or a distinct possibility. Be open to all possibilities, remembering that true love is given freely, without condition, and does not have to be earned. This is the kind of love we want to welcome into our life and to give to others. Be open to new ideas, and beware of judging against someone in an unloving manner. When Love appears, return to the place where you can love yourself and then seek out the same love from others.

As a daily card, Love suggests that for those who are currently in a relationship the opportunity to deepen the bond is present. For those who are single, Love implies that the prospect for them to begin a romantic relationship is very strong at this time.

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Let’s Talk Witch – Spells and spell casting.

Witchy Cat Graphics & Comments
Let’s Talk Witch – Spells and spell casting.

When talking about spells and spell casting you can get into some sticky situations. No other subject can cause so many divisions in the pagan community.

It seems that there are as many different ways and ethical practices as there are gods and goddesses in the universe. If you take into consideration that spells and the way you cast them is what makes them effective it begins to make perfect sense why.

In effective spell casting there are three very important ingredients that you must have, resolve, focus, and comfort.

Without resolve there can be no change, it is your commitment to an action that is the basis of a spell. You have to really want it! Without a genuine intention to effect a change you are casting magic to the wind, cluttering up an otherwise flowing universe. Spells without resolve can be detrimental undirected or worse misdirected energy is free to change unknown situations.

Make sure you really want the change you are trying to make. When you get it, it’s yours. This is where a little divination would come in handy to make sure you will be truly happy with the outcome of your spell.

Focus, direction, or meditation, how good can aim? The focus of your spell casting is as important as the resolve to make a change. If you can’t see the broad side of a barn you will not have the ability to effect a change on it. You have to be able to taste it! If you physically build a dog house, you have to have some idea what it will look like when you are done. A spell is like a dog house, if you don’t know what it’s supposed to look like when your done, you could very well end up with a failed attempt or worse. You have to belive it’s possible. If you can’t belive that something is possible it’s not. Anything is possible if you truly belive it can happen. If you belive you can make a change and you know how the change will take place and you can picture the end result of your spell, you are there.

Comfort is easy, if you can’t ethically accept the responsibility for your spell or there is something that bothers you about what you are trying to do or how you are going about it, don’t. You are the power in your spell, you are the creator and the control.

Poor comfort will mess up your focus and your resolve. Without comfort you will have a very poor spell at best.

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ZEUS BINDING SPELL

ZEUS BINDING SPELL

  God: I call upon Zeus, chief ruler of immortals

And mortals alike, most powerful of all the gods,

Who was known as the omnipotent Father Zeus,

And to the Romans as Jupiter, and who punishes

those who lie and break. 

Around I bind you three times three 

No more bad things you’ll think of me    

Around I bind you three times three 

No more bad things you’ll say of me 

Around I bind you three times three 

No more bad things you’ll do to me 

Around I bind you three times three    

And if these things continue to be 

Then back upon you three times three 

‘Til totally vanquished you will be 

By the powers of three times three 

By Earth and Fire, Air and Sea 

I fix this spell, then set it free

‘Twill give no harm to mine or me    

As I so will, So Mote It Be!

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AN ALL PURPOSE SPELL TO EFFECT ANOTHER

 

AN ALL PURPOSE SPELL TO EFFECT ANOTHER

  This simple spell can be used for any purpose – whether it be to empower a person, to heal them, to bind them etc. Simply choose the appropriate color candle and scribe the person’s name and your intent upon it. Anoint it with an appropriate oil.    

Light the candle and while watching it burn, repeat the following chant, focusing upon your intent as you do so.    

Powers that be, Powers of 3, Let X be all I see.

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To Cause The Unfaithful Lover Agony

 

To Cause The Unfaithful Lover Agony

To make certain that a faithless lover suffers three times the agony he’s caused you, light a red  candle on a night when you’re especially unhappy. As the flames flicker, stare at them, and remember how miserable the man has made you. Then stab the  candle three times with a straight pin and say:

“Three times this candle’s broken by me.    

Three times your heart will broken be.”

Do this on the same night, preferably Friday, seven consecutive times.  Soon some heartwarming reports on the gentleman’s troubles with his latest loves should start drifting back to you.

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Binding by Fear Ritual

Binding by Fear Ritual

This is the image of my would be victim
it I hang from a single thread
in a place no one shall see
it will bring fear in the heart of him who shall harm me
it will bring fear in the heart of him who would harm me
He will be binded by fear from harming me further
he will be binded by fear from harming me at all
I will tie a knot in the thread when I wish to secure the fear
until I break it
so mote it be

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Daily OM for February 14th – A Gift of the Heart

A Gift of the Heart
Letting People Know You Love Them

by Madisyn Taylor

If you love someone, let them know.

It’s easy to take our feelings for granted and to assume that the people we care about know how we feel about them. But while those we love are often quite cognizant of our feelings, saying “I love you“ is a gift we should give to our loved ones whenever we can. Letting people know you love them is an important part of nurturing any kind of loving relationship. Few people tire of being told they are loved, and saying “I love you“ can make a world of difference in someone’s life, take a relationship to a new level, or reaffirm and strengthen a steady bond. Everyone needs to hear the words “I love you.“ Three simple words – I – Love – You. When you declare your love for someone you admit to them that you care for them in the most significant way.

It can be difficult to express your love using words, particularly if you grew up around people that never expressed their affection verbally. But you should never be afraid to say “I love you“ or worry that doing so will thrust you into a position of excessive vulnerability. It is important to share your feelings with those that matter to you. Part of the fulfillment that comes with loving someone is telling them that you love them. Besides, love exists to be expressed, not withheld.

If you love someone, let them know. Don’t be afraid of the strength of your emotions or worry that your loved one won’t feel the same way. Besides, the words “I love you“ are often best said to another without expectation of a return investment. As each one of us is filled with an abundance of love, there is never any worry that you’ll run out of love if your expression of love isn’t said back to you. Saying “I love you“ is a gift of the heart sent directly via words to the heart of a recipient. Even though it may not always look that way, love from the heart is an offering that is always unconditional and given without strings attached. That is the true essence of the gift of “I love you.”

The Daily OM

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A Little Humor for Your Day – ‘Your Getting Old When…’

Your Getting Old When. . .

You know you’re getting older when…
Everything that works hurts, and what doesn’t hurt doesn’t work.
You feel like the morning after, and you haven’t been anywhere.
Your little black book only contains names ending in M.D.
Your children are beginning to look middle-aged.
Your mind makes contracts your body can’t keep.
You look forward to a dull evening.
Your knees buckle and your belt won’t.
Your back goes out more than you do.
You sink your teeth into a steak, and they stay there.
You know all the answers, but nobody asks the questions.

AhaJokes.com

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Your Animal Spirit for Feb. 14th is Porcupine

Your Animal Spirit for Today

Porcupine

Porcupine has appeared in your reading today to bring a message of innocence and trust. Although Porcupine can throw quills when cornered, he is gentle, loving, and non-aggressive. Is there an area of your life that need Porcupine energy? Have you lost the ability to trust??

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Calendar of the Sun for February 11th

Calendar of the Sun

11 Solmonath

Tiresias’s Day

Colors: Black and White
Element: Air
Altar: On cloth of black and white, lay a conch shell cut so that it can be blown through, a cup of water, and symbols of the hermaphroditic union.
Offerings: All should come to the ritual dressed in clothing of the opposite sex. Those who are of the third gender should wear black and white and be chosen to do the work of the ritual.
Daily Meal: Cakes and breads shaped like double genitalia.

Invocation to Tiresias

Tiresias, great seer,
You who traded sight
For foresight,
You who traded male
For female
And female
For the union of both,
Teach us that such boundaries
Are merely illusion,
To be dismantled
And walked right through.
Teach us that there are
New ways of seeing
That look past the blinders
Of culture and roles.
Teach us that our assumptions
Can often be done without
And that our lives will be
The better for it.

(There is no specific chant for this ritual; all should chant wordlessly while the water is poured into the conch shell and it is passed around. Each should either drink from it or blow into it like a trumpet, depending on whether they need to invoke female or male energy respectively into themselves. Then the rest is poured as a libation.)

[Pagan Book of Hours]

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