Tag: Esoteric and Occult

Spells For All Occasions – Some Spell Ethics

Spells for all occasions

Some Spell Ethics

The central ethic within Wicca is, “An ye harm none, do as ye will.” This applies not just to spells and rituals, but also to everyday life as well, ya know… Besides, with concepts such as Karma or The Threefold Law, I wouldn’t want to do anything harmful for fear of that harm coming back to me, most likely three times as bad.

We as Pagans should set a good example anyhow. For many many, many years, Witches have been cast out as being “evil” people, or we have wrongly taken the blame when something goes wrong. Yes, it is the 1990’s, and one would think by now that such medieval notions would have been forgotten by now. But, that isn’t the way it is. So, I believe that it is up to us to break those myths. It is up to us to say, “HEY WORLD!!! I AM NOT A BAD PERSON!!!!!

Anything causing harm to anyone, including oneself and others, and anything that limits anyone’s free will should be expressly avoided!!!

For example, one of the questions hear get the most is, “Corky, how do I make So-And-So fall madly in love with me?” The answer is simply, “You don’t.” Forcing someone in specific to fall in love with you is limiting their free will. So, how can this be avoided? Well, let’s say that all the person wants is to find a romantic partner and that in their mind, this person is the best choice. Why not do a spell for “A lover who is perfect for me.” and put the energy out into the universe to bring whoever that is into your life.

There are a lot of people out there who say that doing any spell for any self- glorification is bad. I, personally, do not see things this way. Yes, if you are doing spells to make yourself the best person in the world so that you can show off to all your friends and the people in the checkout line at the local supermarket, yes, I do believe that would be true. Every now and then, whenever the need or want arrives, I feel it is OK to splurge a little.

So, if you are planning on doing a spell that may or may not be ethical, how can you figure out weather or not to do the spell? Well, one good idea is to think it over. What is my specific need or want? Are there any other ways to go about getting it? Another good idea, if you know anything about tarot or runes or ??? is to do a reading of some sort to see what the results (or consequences) of doing such a spell would be, and to take the results of the reading into consideration before performing the spell.

The Spells

To Bless a New Relationship

Bake a fresh loaf of bread. Hold it up to the moon and ask the lady to bless the bread as well as the relationship. Break off a piece of the bread for your partner, as well as one for yourself as well. As you share time together, share the bread as well. (Do not cut the bread with a knife or any other cutting tool. Just break off the pieces with your hands. Adding butter or jam might be a good idea to help sweeten things up a bit.)

To Attract a Love

Play a CD or Tape of some romantic music that means something to you. Make sure that the music does not include songs that you associate with another person. It is important to keep specific people out of your mind performing this spell. On a sheet of cardboard, light a candle of your favorite color to represent you. Then, light a red or pink candle to represent whoever your new love may be. Using a red magic marker or crayon, draw a heart around the red candle. Every day for at least a week, relight the candles in the evening, and as soon as you light the candles, move them slightly closer together, so that on the last day, the candles are as close together as possible.

To Heal a Friendship

Shortly after an argument, buy a greeting card which closely expresses what you would like to say to your friend. Rub the greeting card with lavender leaves before you give it to them or mail it to ensure that it is well received.

To Bring Adventure to Your Life

Sprinkle the soles of your shoes with some cinnamon and place some almonds in your pocket before setting out for the day.

To Protect From Nightmares

Fill a small pillowcase with anise seeds, dragon’s blood, and lavender and place the pillowcase under your pillow when you go to sleep. Ask the Celtic Goddess, Mare (MAH-re), the bringer of dreams to only bring you nice dreams.

To Quiet a Noisy House

Powder some dragon’s blood, and in a small bottle, mix it with sugar and salt. Cover tightly and secure it someplace in the home where it will not be seen or disturbed. This will help keep things peaceful and quiet.

For A Peaceful Home

Gather freshly cut parsley and place it in a pan of water. Let it soak for nine minutes, and then sprinkle the water throughout the house while visualizing a calm environment. Peace will be restored.

For Protection and Purification (Bath)

Steep a teaspoon of basil in a cup of boiling water, and strain out the herb. Add it to you bath water for a protective and cleansing influence. It is particularly useful to clean off the feelings left by contact with those who are negative or controlling.

To Attract Customers to a Business or Visitors to a Home

Make a fine powder out of some basil leaves and sprinkle them around the main entrance to the home or place of business. It is believed that only good and friendly people will enter, since it supposedly repels those who intend harm toward the workers of a business or the occupants of a home.

To Lose Your Troubles

Take a handful of earth and gaze into it. Put all your troubles and thoughts of distress into it. State exactly what it is that’s troubling you. When finished, throw the dirt behind you and walk away without turning around to look at it.

To Bring Certain Influences Into Your Life

In a plot of prepared land, or in a medium sized flower pot, sow the seeds of an appropriate plant in the form of a symbol or rune representative of your need. Tend to the plants. After they sprout, draw a circle around them in the earth or soil with your power hand. Stand in quiet contemplation of the growing, living symbol. As it has sprung into existence, so shall your need.

You may want to look in a magical herbal book for the magical influences of certain herbs.

To Help Heal Depression

Light a green candle. As you gaze into the candle for a few moments, try to relax as much as you can and clear all thoughts from your mind. Visualize the Mother Goddess sitting in front of you. Listen for a moment to hear if she has any words of encouragement for you. Visualize her next hugging your and holding you as you rock gently back and forth from side to side easing away your pain and sorrow.

Another good idea, if you suffer from chronic depression is to see a therapist of some sort. There may be another way to deal with your problems, and sometimes just talking about it helps too.

To Enchant A Book

Light a blue and an indigo candle. Invoke a Goddess of Wisdom, and ask for her help to enchant the book. Inscribe the book letting the inscription express the desired wish.

To Help in Times of Financial Difficulties

With clove or cinnamon oil, trace a money symbol or rune on the largest denomination of bill that you have. Put this in your wallet and resist spending it for as long as you can. Every time you look at the bill, visualize the rune to reinforce its power.

Spells and Spell Casting

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.

Key Elements of Successful Spell Casting

phantasmal_familiar_by_rebelkitty-d5iar4f

Key Elements of Successful Spell Casting

1. Like attracts Like – what you are focusing on is what you wil attract. If you focus on the problem or what you don’t want. Even though you say you don’t want it, because you’re energy is caught up in that negative emotion you will attract more of the same.

2. Faith & Certainty. In order to successfully cast a spell you must have absolute certainty that what you want to have happen will. There is no doubt, hope or longing. You know and so it becomes!

3. YOU are the key ingredient to a spells success. As it is your energy and focus that will determine the outcome of the spell.

4. It is strongly recommended that you cast your own spells. As often people will position themselves as witches and offer to cast a spell for you – and they are not aligned to what it is you want, as they are not true magickal practitioners. As any true white witch would tell you that YOU are the best person to cast your own spell, for the reason your energy is closer to the outcome than anyone elses.

5. And harm ye none. You Never Ever Ever look to go against another’s free will. Meaning you do not try to make them love you, or do anything you desire. We each have the right to choose for ourselves. We also are to never wish revenge or pain or suffering onto another.

6. The Rule of Three is that if you go against the right of another to free will and spell cast to make them do something. Feel something or have something happen to them – you will invoke the wrath of the Rule of Three and encounter something back tha tis three times in magnitude of your wrong doing.

 

The Origin of Magick

The Origin of Magick

Author:   Crick   

Have you ever wondered about the origins of magick?
By magick I am not referring to the stage tricks employed by various entertainers for our amusement, but rather the energy which numerous cultures and belief systems have tapped into in order to manifest their various objectives.

This universal gift is known by many different names depending on which culture/belief system one looks at. It may be known simply as magick, prayers, miracles, life force, juju, karma and so forth.
For the purpose of this article it will be referred to as energy.

Have you ever wondered if such energy was a latent presence here on earth prior to the arrival of humankind? Residing here as an ancient primordial force, which was patiently waiting for sentient beings to discover its presence and purpose.

And if it was here prior to the arrival of human beings, did it serve an active purpose in the shaping of life and/or the creation of events that allowed for said life to begin? Was this primordial energy an essence that was introduced by Deity by way of a direct involvement with what we know as life? Or was it a side effect that formed as a result of actions taken by Deity during the course of said activities?

Or perhaps it is a development that manifested itself with the advent of humans? Could it be that the life force that we know as spirit introduced this energy into the life process in order to provide us with opportunities to expand our spiritual awareness and/or connection with alternate realms?

And if this is the case, why do you suppose that such a tool for growth and/or communication is so under utilized?

I say this because in society today, folks tend to become less connected with the world around them and more absorbed with the part of the self that is influenced by the individual ego.

And if this is a tool for growth and communication, why is it that those folks who actually use this energy for this purpose are spurned and looked upon with suspicion and in many cases with outright disdain by others in society? Witchcraft in essence, embodies the concepts and principals in the use of such energy.

And yet the word “witch” brings out and runs the gauntlet of emotions and perceptions of humanity as a whole. And depending on which side of the fence one stands, a witch is either an evil and vile creature or a person who is in touch with and resonates with the universal energies of which magick is a major part of.

Where does this fear of the unknown come from?

Was the ego installed into our souls as a balance to such a powerful tool? Has the balance shifted too far to one side of our souls?

As humans we readily employ magick in our various endeavors, but do we really understand its origins and what exactly is that we are using as a tool? Could the ego be a safety mechanism that has been allowed for whatever reasons, to exceed its purpose?

In some cultures, magick known as prayers is used as a means of communication with Deity. Does magick have but one specific intended use? And if so, are all other uses of such energy but an abuse of its original intended use?

Within these same cultures, when an event that is normally beyond the capacity of mere mortals, occurs, it is called a miracle.

Are these so called miracles really but a form of the same energy that others would call magick? Can we as humans in fact manifest these miracles by employing this energy? Or should such manifestations be the sole province of deity?

And while we are on the subject, does this energy have a shelf life?

Does it become stronger with use, opening even more avenues of discovery and power as one venture along the path, or does it weaken from non-use and/or the cultural disbelief in such a power?

Or is it simply a neutral tool offered by the powers to be, with many different attachments waiting to be realized by humanity.

Regardless of what name we call this energy or by what concept we use to identify with it, this gift has surpassed all boundaries of cultural, religious and societal beliefs. It is found in all aspects and fiber of this existence that we call life. It is a dominant force, often in a passive way, in basically everything that we do as humans. As such we may most likely only achieve but a peripheral understanding of such a complicated and diverse force.

Perhaps one day when we become as one with deity, a more comprehensive understanding of such a gift will be made known to us. But until such a revelation is proffered by the powers that be, we should always strive to understand as much as we are able to in order to effectively use such energy in a way that is both constructive and meaningful to our personal lives and not only our personal lives but to those around us as well.

As members of a diverse community, we have a responsibility to contribute to the health and well being of our community. Because of the diversity of society, there will always be divergent views as to what this energy is or in how it is to be used. But at the end of the day, how we use such energy is still an individual decision.

There are certain pagans, in particular Wiccans, who believe that whatever energy is sent out will return to the originator threefold.
As a traditional witch, I personally am not so sure that such a transfer is so cut and dry, but in general such a concept is a good yardstick or learning curve to adhere to.

I personally do not consider myself a master for I do not believe in such a being outside of deity. Rather I am a student of life with lots of questions. For without such questions there are no answers.
And quite frankly I don’t have answers to many of the questions that I have asked here. What few answers I may have are based upon my personal life experiences.

As pagans we are each individual and thus should answer such questions as they pertain to each person in regards to ones own beliefs and practices…

Daily Motivator for Oct. 15th – Good things you deserve

Good things you deserve

Living richly isn’t just for someone else. You deserve a life that’s filled  with richness and joy, and you deserve to be the person who makes it happen.

Good fortune isn’t just for someone else. You deserve to have good fortune,  and you deserve the experience of creating that good fortune with your attitude  and your efforts.

You deserve to have a lucky break. So get busy and do what it takes to give  yourself one.

Let today be the day you stop waiting for something good to come along. Get  up, get going, and make something good, valuable and meaningful out of what you  already have.

Go ahead and give yourself all the good things you deserve. Feel how great it  feels to be positive, focused, helpful, compassionate, caring, productive and  joyful.

You deserve the best in life precisely because you’re fully capable of making  it happen. Your opportunity to live richly is here and now, so put it to  outstanding use without another moment’s delay.

— Ralph Marston

The Daily Motivator

Witch To Witch – Goofer Dust Questions?

pagan19

We have had a few questions in regards to Goofer Dust. Mainly, how do you make it and then what do you use it for.  I have attempted to answer some of these concerns below. If you have any further question, drop us a note.

Goofer Dust

Traditionally this powder is put wherever the person has to walk through it. It causes extreme discomfort and is used to drive people away. So, if you want to get your spouse out of the house, put Goofer Dust where he or she must walk through it. So you don’t get into the stuff yourself, carefully sprinkle a small amount in and around his or her shoes. Sprinkle a little under his or her pillow.

This powder can be used in other spells to rid yourself of any unwanted person. An alternative to using it the traditional way is to place some Goofer Dust in a box. Then, place a picture of your victim alone in the box and bury it.

Goofer Dust recipes vary. Here is one of my favorite:

Goofer Dust Recipe

1 part Graveyard dust (taken from the grave of a murderer at midnight)

1 part Sulphur

1 part Ashes from a fire

1 part powdered Bones (Bone Meal)

1 part powdered Snake Skin

1 part Iron filings

In short the ingredients are thing designed to poison and kill the victim by means of magick. When it is blessed and carried in a bag with you, it becomes a protective agent.

Forming Your Intention

Forming Your Intention

by Skye Alexander

The purpose of a spell is to manifest something you need or desire. That need or desire (or both) compose your intention. When you cast a spell, your intent is as vital to your success as your beliefs. Focusing attention on what you want puts energy behind your objective, enabling your mind to consciously create the circumstances you desire.

“A spell involves words and actions chosen to achieve a certain goal or desire, and is driven by the will of the person performing it. Words, symbols, and tools are combined to produce a ritual. Power is raised and directed out to the Universe to do its work.”

— Debbie Michaud, The Healing Traditions & Spiritual Practices of Wicca

As you design a spell, ask yourself a few basic questions. What is your reason for doing a spell? What outcome are you seeking? How passionately do you want what you’re trying to achieve or accomplish? Are you ready and willing to accept the outcome?

Be very clear and specific when asking for what you want. Remember the old saying “Be careful what you wish for.” Ambiguous statements tend to yield confusing and sometimes unwanted results. Bear in mind that just like a computer, spells do what you tell them to do. So if you perform a spell to find a perfect companion and get a wonderful dog, your magick certainly has manifested — exactly as you asked but not exactly as you’d hoped. Spells always take the easiest and most direct route to manifestation, so if you don’t state exactly what you intend, the outcomes can be interesting — to say the least.

It’s not necessary to envision how all the events leading up to the outcome will unfold. However, you must be able to clearly imagine the end result you seek. In fact, seeing from the end is essential. Hold firmly to your vision of the outcome you desire and trust that it will manifest.

Keep it Simple

Multitasking has become the norm in our busy modern world, but it’s not the best way to do magick. When your attention is diffused in several directions, its creative power becomes dissipated.

 Limit a spell to a single objective or desire. Don’t design a spell to find the perfect partner and improve your finances (although if you attract a wealthy partner, both goals might be accomplished simultaneously). If you want to create more than one condition, cast a different spell for each intention, preferably on a different day. Some magicians suggest waiting until one spell has manifested before doing another. By focusing on a single goal and putting all your energy behind that objective, you improve your chances of bringing your goal to fruition and avoid confusion.

Spoken Spells

In Old English, the word spell meant “story or narrative.” The noun form referred to a recitation or the act of speaking aloud. The verb spellen meant “to read something letter by letter.” Spoken spells were probably the earliest form of spell-casting, dating back to a time when few people could read or write.

Verbal spells, also called charms, make use of the power of sound and vibration. The word charm comes from a Latin term carmen, which means “incantation.” Many spoken spells rhyme or have a distinct rhythm in their delivery, making it easier for the witch to commit them to memory. Recitation and repetition have the additional benefit of forming impressions in the brain, providing a channel for your thoughts to flow through to manifest your intention.

Charms are a simple, no-frills sort of magick, considered by some people as a “low” form of spellcraft (as opposed to the highly ritualized magick performed by ceremonial magicians). Originally, verbal spells probably dealt with mundane matters rather than exalted ones. Prayers, however, also fall into the category of spoken spells. Don’t be misled by their lack of complexity; verbal spells can be quite powerful and fast-acting

Hey, It Is Actually Friday! Blessings To All Our Family & Friends on this “Friday”!

 
I call to the Spirits of love and light
To help me make my outlook bright
Take away the gloom and doom
With the sweeping of my broom

 

Cleanse my soul of feelings dark
Where misery has left its mark
Shift my thoughts to patterns new
Within the cauldron’s witchy brew

 

Ease my heart and mend all hurt
To childlike innocence I revert
Greeting each new day with glee
Amid my magick’s mystery

 

Negative out and positive in
With this new attitude I begin
To live my life with love and light
And see the world with clearer sight

 

So Mote It Be

 

A Quick Solitary Quarter Call

A Quick Solitary Quarter Call
(when you’re in a hurry! lol)

I welcome the East–bring your winds here,
Blow away doubt, confusion, and fear!
I welcome the South–let your fire glow,
Let desire and passion of life through me flow!
I welcome the West–let your healing rain,
Wash away negative feelings and pain!
I welcome the North–bring stability,
Strength and balance here to me!
The Quarters are called and the circle’s cast,
To raise the power and send it fast,
And when my sacred work is done,
Bless the magick that I’ve begun!

***AutumnRose***

Who Inherits Your Knowledge?

Who Inherits Your Knowledge?

Author: Lady GoldenRaven

Here is a thought: For us older wytchs, have you ever thought about who you will pass down your wytchy items to when your time comes to cross over? By the time we hit our “golden years”, most of us have amassed a rather large collection of books, articles, herbs, oils, etc. So where does it go?

We have thought about how we divide up the money we leave for our children, which one gets the house and this one gets the car. But, has anyone given thought to the wealth of knowledge we have put into our Book of Shadows?

Who gets the special oils you created? What becomes of the beautiful staff and wand we created with our own hands?

Do we leave our sacred Book of Shadows to our covens?

Is there a special child or friend who will use this information wisely and keep its secrets to themselves?

Has anyone thought of donating them to the military or some other organization?

Will they find their rightful owners or will they end up in the trash or floating around space with all the missing socks.

As I approach my Crone years and since I have taught many students in the ways of the Wise, I have often thought about leaving my stuff to one of them. However, several of my students have been online. It would be hard to leave my trusted Book of Shadows to any of them, since I have only had little contact with them. So, that leaves the students I taught in person, who are now either in my coven or have moved on.

However, I am lucky. I recently met a woman who is 25 years old. She and I have become really close friends. She had several pagan friends (who are also my friends) who had taught her a little bit about their path.

She calls me Mama Beth, since I am older and she can talk to me about things one cannot talk to about with her real parents. Since I have no children of my own, she is now my adopted daughter. She is serious about her learning of the craft, so I am now teaching her my ways.

I thought long and hard about whom would be heir to my wytchy fortune. I do not own a home, so all I have to pass along is my wytchy stuff, my Led Zeppelin/Robert Plant collection, and my car.

All that has been decided. And now, I have made my decision as to where my Book of Shadows and the rest of my stuff shall go. My daughter shall be heir to all I have in my Wytchy World. I have such a huge collection of books on the subject that is would fill two walls!

I started thinking about this when a friend of mine nearly died a few months ago in a terrible accident. I put much thought and many hours of thought into this decision. Once I decided, I made my intentions clear.

When I told Debbie of my decision, I thought she would never stop crying. She was happy yet sad. It was something she did not want to think about.

Well, nobody wants to think about such things, but you must. She is the only one allowed to even touch my Book of Shadows, let alone look in it to read from it. She has come over for her lessons on time every time. She is learning the Craft well. Most of all–I TRUST HER.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I surely do not want my Book of Shadows, which I spent many hours working on, ending up in a dumpster somewhere. I wrote every word in that book in calligraphy. If anything, it is a piece of art. For one, I have the fortune of having bought a grand Book of Shadows from a great company called Brahm’s Bookworks (link enclosed at the end), which is like the one you see on the show Charmed. Mine weighs over 30 pounds. Now you see why I do not want it simply dumped in the trash.

Who do I know who would appreciate this? My daughter!

Where will the hundreds of jars of herbs end up? Herbs that I lovingly planted, nurtured, and harvested. I have many bottles of oils which I have made, not to mention the holistic medicines I have made from all the above.

My staff, which I lovingly hand picked, designed by me for me, blessed and consecrated and has become a part of me, I do not want to end up in a burn pile somewhere as trash. If, my daughter chooses to burn it in memory of me so that none can use my “magickal” staff, then so be it.

A few of my friends may end up with a few things–some of the herbs and oils and such. My stones and all I promised to a friend who also makes jewelry. So he can use what he wants for wytchy works and pick what he needs for jewelry.

Of course, some things, I can leave to the world via the net. Some of this I have accomplished already. But face it, out in the world of Cyberspace, one cannot be too sure of who they are dealing with. A lot of my stuff is found and will be found as I continue, on Pathways Seminary.

But, I thought I would offer up this little essay as a reminder to all not to forget about whom you will leave your most precious Wytchy wears to. Since the baby boomers are now into their Crone years or close to it as I am, there are a lot of us pagans who belong to this age group.

So while you are sitting there, making out your wills, reserve space and time to have it in writing, to whom you are passing down your religious and magickal items to. I know, whomever ends up with them shall appreciate both the deep thought you put into giving it to them, as well as appreciating the work you did, and all the knowledge contained within these items.

I am happy that I know where my knowledge is going to be used and appreciated.

Thank you,
LadyGoldenraven

Footnotes:
Link to Book of Shadows:  http://www.brahmsbookworks.com/id2.html

Let’s Talk Witch – Creating Your Own Spells

phantasmal_familiar_by_rebelkitty-d5iar4f

Let’s Talk Witch – Creating Your Own Spells

People who are new to magick often ask if it’s okay for them to create their own spells. The answer is a resounding yes. Think of it this way: someone, somewhere had to come up with the idea for the first spell, and the hundreds of thousands of spells after that. Personally created spells are often considered a very important step in the witch’s training and adeptness.

Once you’ve become familiar with casting spells and adapting existing spells for your individual purposes, you’re ready to design your own, original spells from scratch. Other than your fundamental knowledge of magick, you no longer have a construct to work from. You must devise all the actions, symbols, timing, wording, and other components of the spell yourself—that’s what makes creating original spells so exciting. It’s like being the composer of a piece of music and the performer as well.

The components you include in a spell should support, strengthen, balance, and harmonize with one another. They should also be items you feel comfortable using. Some witches enjoy working with flowers, herbs, and other botanicals. Others have a fondness for gemstones and crystals. No one type of ingredient is inherently better than another, but your feelings will certainly influence a spell’s outcome. Keep your objective in mind at all times as you select ingredients. For instance, if you are making a love talisman, you might want to include pairs of ingredients: two rose petals, two pieces of rose quartz,etc. Consider the symbolism of each component and how well it aligns with your intention. A ring is a powerful symbol to put in a love talisman; a coin clearly symbolizes an intention to attract wealth.

Choosing your own ingredients, rather than following a prescribed formula, allows you to fine-tune a spell to your specific needs. Let’s say you’re doing a prosperity spell to help you

(1) attract money and

(2) hold on to it.

To achieve both objectives, you could combine a piece of aventurine with a piece of hematite. Once you understand the basic natures and symbolism of various components, you can mix and match them to create exactly the right combination of energies.

Your Ancient Symbols Card for October 2nd is Strength

Your Ancient Symbols Card for Today

Strength

Strength denotes an inner power, mastery of will, development of inner might, and the ability to lead effectively. Through mastering one’s emotions and learning from both success and failure the person Strength represents has reached a place where they are influential without applying physical force, able to weather the roughest of storms, and not likely to abandon the less fortunate. Strength also denotes a large capacity for forgiveness and compassion. Strength is not as much about winning as it is about overcoming hardship, and using well crafted persuasion to ease others to your side.

As a daily card, Strength indicates a period in which your psychological powers are extremely strong. Your mental endurance may well astound even you at this time. Possibly it is time for you to stand up and take command of any loosely run situations in your life. If you take the lead others will follow.

Your Ancient Symbol Card for Sept 24 is Magus

Your Ancient Symbol Card for Today

The Magus

The Magus is the physical embodiment of decisive action based upon knowledge and aimed squarely at specific goals. Thoroughly Yang by nature and firmly set in the material world, he none-the-less has a powerful spiritual connection as well. His knowledge, wisdom and skill are all encompassing. He is complete. His power as a creator is unmatched on our earthly plane. He is self-aware and unafraid to act. His enormous strength gives him the freedom to act as he chooses. However, responsibility comes with that freedom. Because he is not bound to the restraints of others he must choose how to act. The question that always lies before him is should he act morally, or forsake ethics for personal gain.As a daily card, The Magus suggest you currently possess a tremendous power and freedom to move your life in any direction you choose. In short, you can make things happen. Your true challenge at the moment is to move forward without trampling the dreams of others. Fortunately your moral fiber is strong as well, and will guide you down the right path.

Good Blessed Tuesday Morning WOTC!

Live and learn, learn to live

I strive to get what life can give

Send to me the lessons true

And help me know just what to do

Amid the mess and chaos fierce

Shine a light to darkness pierce

Show the way to knowledge deep

Which to let go and which to keep

Clear the way so I might heed

The lessons that I truly need

Show me what I need to learn

As life’s pages I do turn

Blessed Be

Mabon Comments & Graphics
With the High Priest through with Banishing The Elements, the High Priestess finishes tonight’s ritual with a Circle Banishing:

Equal night and equal day
Soon the light will fade away
Equal day and equal night
This circle fades as does the light
Thus the magick we invoke
Fades anon like wisps of smoke
Until we next decide to play
Equal night and equal day

So mote it be!

“Blessed be” and “Peace be with you” are given between all in the circle.

Peace Ritual

Peace Ritual

Choose candle colors that represent the things you seek peace for

“From out of the dark and into the light
A circular mark, a candle burns bright.
I look towards the sky…my song do I sing.
Spirits soar high and gifts do I bring.
I offer my all! My mind, I then clear
Hearken my call! I feel you are near!
Candle burns higher; my spirits set free!
Hotter than fire, this magic will be!
Let magic come ’round, from under the ground,
To form with my sound and then, to be bound!
Around me I feel the magic so real,
Before you I kneel.. the spell I now seal!
Let all hatred CEASE! And let there be PEACE!
These words that I say, with magick AWAY!
This spell that I send is now at an end.
Let the magick I’ve laid, go forth and not fade!
SO MOTE IT BE!”

Let's Talk Witch – Do You Know Your Altar Has to Have Balance

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Let’s Talk Witch – Your Altar Has to Have Balance

If you choose to leave your ritual tools out on your altar, be sure to display all four principal items—Athame, pentagram, chalice and wand—together to establish balance. These four implements represent the four elements: Air, Earth, Water and Fire respectively.

In addition to the four primary tools, you’ll want to keep a variety of other magick items and ingredients on hand for your workings. Most Witches store a supply of candles in different colors, along with incense, essential oils, herbs, crystals, and gemstones. In time, you might also consider adding ribbons, parchment, small bags, a crystal ball, bells a cauldron, tarot cards, runes, pendulum, ritual clothing and jewelry and a Book of Shadows for recording your spells.

Some Witches change the decorations on their altars to coincide with the seasons and sabbats. This practice keeps your altar looking fresh and attractive, while also linking you to the Wheel of the Year and the cycles of life.

The Origin of Magick

The Origin of Magick

Author:   Crick [a WitchVox Sponsor] 

Have you ever wondered about the origins of magick?
By magick I am not referring to the stage tricks employed by various entertainers for our amusement, but rather the energy which numerous cultures and belief systems have tapped into in order to manifest their various objectives.

This universal gift is known by many different names depending on which culture/belief system one looks at. It may be known simply as magick, prayers, miracles, life force, juju, karma and so forth.
For the purpose of this article it will be referred to as energy.

Have you ever wondered if such energy was a latent presence here on earth prior to the arrival of humankind? Residing here as an ancient primordial force, which was patiently waiting for sentient beings to discover its presence and purpose.

And if it was here prior to the arrival of human beings, did it serve an active purpose in the shaping of life and/or the creation of events that allowed for said life to begin? Was this primordial energy an essence that was introduced by Deity by way of a direct involvement with what we know as life? Or was it a side effect that formed as a result of actions taken by Deity during the course of said activities?

Or perhaps it is a development that manifested itself with the advent of humans? Could it be that the life force that we know as spirit introduced this energy into the life process in order to provide us with opportunities to expand our spiritual awareness and/or connection with alternate realms?

And if this is the case, why do you suppose that such a tool for growth and/or communication is so under utilized?

I say this because in society today, folks tend to become less connected with the world around them and more absorbed with the part of the self that is influenced by the individual ego.

And if this is a tool for growth and communication, why is it that those folks who actually use this energy for this purpose are spurned and looked upon with suspicion and in many cases with outright disdain by others in society? Witchcraft in essence, embodies the concepts and principals in the use of such energy.

And yet the word “witch” brings out and runs the gauntlet of emotions and perceptions of humanity as a whole. And depending on which side of the fence one stands, a witch is either an evil and vile creature or a person who is in touch with and resonates with the universal energies of which magick is a major part of.

Where does this fear of the unknown come from?

Was the ego installed into our souls as a balance to such a powerful tool? Has the balance shifted too far to one side of our souls?

As humans we readily employ magick in our various endeavors, but do we really understand its origins and what exactly is that we are using as a tool? Could the ego be a safety mechanism that has been allowed for whatever reasons, to exceed its purpose?

In some cultures, magick known as prayers is used as a means of communication with Deity. Does magick have but one specific intended use? And if so, are all other uses of such energy but an abuse of its original intended use?

Within these same cultures, when an event that is normally beyond the capacity of mere mortals, occurs, it is called a miracle.

Are these so called miracles really but a form of the same energy that others would call magick? Can we as humans in fact manifest these miracles by employing this energy? Or should such manifestations be the sole province of deity?

And while we are on the subject, does this energy have a shelf life?

Does it become stronger with use, opening even more avenues of discovery and power as one venture along the path, or does it weaken from non-use and/or the cultural disbelief in such a power?

Or is it simply a neutral tool offered by the powers to be, with many different attachments waiting to be realized by humanity.

Regardless of what name we call this energy or by what concept we use to identify with it, this gift has surpassed all boundaries of cultural, religious and societal beliefs. It is found in all aspects and fiber of this existence that we call life. It is a dominant force, often in a passive way, in basically everything that we do as humans. As such we may most likely only achieve but a peripheral understanding of such a complicated and diverse force.

Perhaps one day when we become as one with deity, a more comprehensive understanding of such a gift will be made known to us. But until such a revelation is proffered by the powers that be, we should always strive to understand as much as we are able to in order to effectively use such energy in a way that is both constructive and meaningful to our personal lives and not only our personal lives but to those around us as well.

As members of a diverse community, we have a responsibility to contribute to the health and well being of our community. Because of the diversity of society, there will always be divergent views as to what this energy is or in how it is to be used. But at the end of the day, how we use such energy is still an individual decision.

There are certain pagans, in particular Wiccans, who believe that whatever energy is sent out will return to the originator threefold.
As a traditional witch, I personally am not so sure that such a transfer is so cut and dry, but in general such a concept is a good yardstick or learning curve to adhere to.

I personally do not consider myself a master for I do not believe in such a being outside of deity. Rather I am a student of life with lots of questions. For without such questions there are no answers.
And quite frankly I don’t have answers to many of the questions that I have asked here. What few answers I may have are based upon my personal life experiences.

As pagans we are each individual and thus should answer such questions as they pertain to each person in regards to ones own beliefs and practices…

Working With The Days of the Week – Sunday

Sunday Is Ruled By The Sun

Archangel: Michael

Candle colour: Gold

Incenses: Frankincense or orange

Crystals: Amber of clear quartz

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

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

The Peace Ritual To Quieten Our Nation's War Drums

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Lady A Asked Me To Remind You of this. Also if you haven’t started doing this prayer or petition it is never to late to start.

The Ritual

Design this ritual to suit your needs. Choose candle colors that represent the
things you seek peace for (e.g. maybe green and brown for peace on earth).

From out of the dark and into the light
A circular mark, a candle burns bright.
I look towards the sky, my song I do sing
Spirits soar high and gifts do I bring.
I offer my all, my mind I then clear
Harken my call, I fell you are near.
Candle burns higher, my spirits set free
Hotter than fire, the magick will be.
Let magick come ’round, from under the ground
To form with my sound and then to be bound.
Around me I feel the magick so real
Before you I knees, the spell I now seal.
Let all hatred CEASE
And let there be PEACE.
These words that I say
With magick AWAY!
This spell that I send
Is now at an end.
Let the magick I’ve laid
Go forth and not fade.
So Mote It Be!

Please join me in this ritual to bring peace to our country and eventually the world.