Tag: Gerina Dunwich

Beltane Ritual Potpourri

Beltane Ritual Potpourri

Recipe by Gerina Dunwich
45 drops frankincense oil
1 cup oak moss
1 cup dried bluebells
1 cup dried lilac
1 cup dried marigold
1 cup dried meadowsweet
1 cup dried rosebuds and petals
1 cup dried yellow cowslips
Mix the frankincense oil with the oak moss and then add the remaining ingredients. Stir the potpourri well and store in a tightly covered ceramic or glass container.
(The above recipe for “Beltane Ritual Potpourri” is quoted directly from Gerina Dunwich’s book “The Wicca Spellbook: A Witch’s Collection of Wiccan Spells, Potions and Recipes”, page 162, A Citadel Press Book, Carol Publishing Group, 1994/1995)

Winter Solstice Ritual Potpourri

Winter Solstice Ritual Potpourri

Recipe by Gerina Dunwich

20 drops musk oil

25 drops pine oil

1 cup oak moss

2 cups dried mistletoe

1 cup dried poinsettia flowers

1 cup dried bayberries

1/2 cup dried rosemary

1/2 cup dried holly leaves and berries

3 crushed pinecones

Mix the musk and pine oils with the oak moss, and then add the remaining ingredients. Stir the potpourri well and store in a tightly covered ceramic or glass container.

(The above recipe for “Yule Ritual Potpourri” is quoted directly from Gerina Dunwich’s book “The Wicca Spellbook: A Witch’s Collection of Wiccan Spells, Potions and Recipes”, page 162, A Citadel Press Book, Carol Publishing Group, 1994/1995)

 

Samhain Ritual Potpourri

Samhain Ritual Potpourri

by Gerina Dunwich

45 drops patchouli oil

1 cup oak moss

2 cups dried apple blossoms

2 cups dried heather flowers

1 cup dried and chopped apple peel

1 cup dried pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup dried and chopped mandrake root

Mix the patchouli oil with the oak moss, and then add the remaining ingredients. Stir the potpourri well and store in a tightly covered ceramic or glass container.

(The above “Samhain Ritual Potpourri” recipe is from “The Wicca Spellbook: A Witch’s Collection of Wiccan Spells, Potions and Recipes” by Gerina Dunwich, page 164, Citadel Press, Carol Publishing Group Edition, 1995.)

Spring Equinox Ritual Potpourri

Spring Equinox Ritual Potpourri

Recipe by Gerina Dunwich

A small cauldron filled with homemade potpourri can be used as a fragrant altar decoration, burned (outdoors) as an offering to the old gods during or after a sabbath celebration, or wrapped in decorative paper and ribbons and given to a Wiccan sister or brother as a sabbath gift.


45 drops rose oil
1 cup oak moss
2 cups dried dogwood blossoms
2 cups dried honeysuckle blossoms
1/2 cup dried violets
1/2 cup dried daffodils
1/2 cup dried rosebuds
1/2 cup dried crocus or iris


Mix the rose oil with the oak moss, and then add the remaining ingredients. Stir the potpourri well and then store in a tightly covered ceramic or glass container.


(The above recipe for “Spring Equinox Ritual Potpourri” is directly quoted from Gerina Dunwich’s book: “The Wicca Spellbook: A Witch’s Collection of Wiccan Spells, Potions and Recipes”, pages 161-162, A Citadel Press Book, Carol Publishing Group, 1994/1995.)

Morality Of Wicca

Morality Of Wicca

Wiccan morality is ruled according to the Wiccan Rede, which (in part) states “An it harm none, do what thou wilt.” (“An” is an archaic word meaning “if”.) Others follow the slightly adapted Rede of “An it harm none, do what ye will; if harm it does, do what ye must.” Either way, the Rede is central to the understanding that personal responsibility, rather than a religious authority, is where moral structure resides.One of the major differences between Wiccans and other types of witchcraft is the Rede.

Many “traditional” witches or witches that follow other paths do not believe in the Rede. This is a major topic of controversy within the Wiccan and Pagan communities.Many Wiccans also promote the Law of Threefold Return, or the idea that anything that one does may be returned to them threefold. In other words, good deeds are magnified back to the doer, but so are ill deeds.

Gerina Dunwich, an American author whose books (particularly Wicca Craft) were instrumental in the increase in popularity of Wicca in the late 1980s and 1990s, disagrees with the Wiccan concept of threefold return on the grounds that it is inconsistent with the Laws of Physics.

Pointing out that the origin of the Law of Threefold Return is traceable to Raymond Buckland in the 20th century, Dunwich is of the opinion that “There is little backing to support it as anything other than a psychological law.” Her own personal belief, which differs from the usual interpretation of the Threefold Law, is that whatever we do on a physical, mental, or spiritual level will sooner or later affect us, in either a positive or negative way, on all three levels of being.

A few Wiccans also follow, or at least consider, a set of 161 laws often referred to as Lady Sheba’s Laws. Some find these rules to be outdated and counterproductive.Most Wiccans also seek to cultivate the Eight Wiccan Virtues. These may have been derived from earlier Virtue ethics, but were first formulated by Doreen Valiente in the Charge of the Goddess. They are Mirth, Reverence, Honour, Humility, Strength, Beauty, Power, and Compassion. They are in paired opposites which are perceived as balancing each other.

Many Wiccans also believe that no magic (or magick) can be performed on any other person without that person’s direct permission (excepting pets and young children who can be protected by parents and owners). Sometimes when permission is expected but not yet attained magical energy will be placed on the astral plane for the receiver to gather if and when he/she is ready.

Pleasant Dreams Potion

Pleasant Dreams Potion

 
 
3 cups water
1/3 cup rose petals
1 pinch cinnamon
3 bay leaves (crushed)
 
Do not drink this potion. It works by being inhaled slowly. Put all the ingredients into a teapot or pot with a lid. Pour the boiling water over the ingredients and cover the pot for five minutes. Take the covered pot into your bedroom. Put it on a sturdy surface, and then take off the cover. Carefully inhales the steam for a few minutes. Be very careful because the steam is hot. Leave the cover off and let the aroma fill your bedroom. Lay down and drift to sleep with the expectation of having pleasant dreams.

GYPSY-WITCH LOVE POTION

GYPSY-WITCH LOVE POTION

 
1 TEASPOON DRIED AND CRUSHED BASIL
1TEASPOON DRIED FENNEL
1 TEASPOON DRIED EUROPEAN VERVAIN
3 PINCHES GROUND NUTMEG
1/4 CUP OF RED WINE
 
Heat over flame till boiling for three minutes, remove from flame and cool.
Strain through cheesecloth into cups. Add honey to sweeten. Then drink up with a loved one.
 
Recipe from Wicca Craft by Gerina Dunwich

To Cause Physical Weakness

To Cause Physical Weakness

A very ancient spell for causing physical weakness in someone who has wronged you is to take a new knife and cut a lemon into quarters. While you cut, concentrate on the injury done to you and whisper:

“As the fibers of this fruit fall asunder, so too
the bands of (your enemy’s name) strength.”

The object of the spell will immediately feel a cutting pain in his heart and a general weakness throughout his body.

The Rule of Three

The Rule of Three

aka The Law of Threefold Return

ByPatti Wigington

 

Many new Wiccans and Pagans are initiated with the cautionary words from their elders, “Ever mind the Rule of Three!” This warning is explained to mean that no matter what you do magically, there’s a giant Cosmic Force that will make sure your deeds are revisited upon you threefold. It’s universally guaranteed, some Pagans claim, which is why you better not EVER perform any harmful magic… or at least, that’s what they tell you.

However, this is one of the most highly contested theories in modern Paganism. Is the Rule of Three real, or is it just something made up by experienced Wiccans to scare the “newbies” into submission?

There are several different schools of thought on the Rule of Three. Some Wiccans and Pagans will tell you in no uncertain terms that it’s bunk, and that the Threefold Law is not a law at all, but just a guideline used to keep people on the straight and narrow. Other groups swear by it.

Background and Origins of the Threefold Law

The Rule of Three, also called the Law of Threefold Return, is a caveat given to newly initiated witches in some magical traditions. The purpose is a cautionary one. It keeps people who have just discovered Wicca from thinking they have Magical Super Powers. It also, if heeded, keeps folks from performing negative magic without putting some serious thought into the consequences.

An early incarnation of the Rule of Three appeared in Gerald Gardner’s novel,High Magic’s Aid, in the form of “Mark well, when thou receivest good, so equally art bound to return good threefold.” It later appeared as a poem published in a magazine back in 1975. Later this evolved into the notion among new witches that there is a spiritual law in effect that everything you do comes back to you. In theory, it’s not a bad concept — after all, if you surround yourself with good things, good things should come back to you. Filling your life with negativity will often bring similar unpleasantness into your life. However, does this really mean there’s a karmic law in effect? And why the number three — why not ten or five or 42?

Objections to the Law of Three

For a law to truly be a law, it must be universal — which means it needs to apply to everyone, all the time in every situation. That means for the Threefold Law to really be a law, every single person who does bad things would always be punished, and all the good people in the world would have nothing but success and happiness — and that doesn’t just mean in magical terms, but in all non-magical ones as well. We all can see that this is not necessarily the case. In fact, under this logic, every jerk who cuts you off in traffic would have nasty car-related retribution coming his way three times a day, but that just doesn’t happen.

Not only that, there are countless numbers of Pagans who freely admit to having performed harmful or manipulative magic, and never having anything bad coming back upon them as a result. In some magical traditions, hexing and cursing is considered as routine as healing and protecting — and yet members of those trads don’t seem to receive negativity back upon them every single time.

According to Wiccan author Gerina Dunwich, if you look at the Law of Three from a scientific perspective it is not a law at all, because it is inconsistent with the laws of physics.

Many new Wiccans and Pagans are initiated with the cautionary words from their elders, “Ever mind the Rule of Three!” This warning is explained to mean that no matter what you do magically, there’s a giant Cosmic Force that will make sure your deeds are revisited upon you threefold. It’s universally guaranteed, some Pagans claim, which is why you better not EVER perform any harmful magic… or at least, that’s what they tell you.

However, this is one of the most highly contested theories in modern Paganism. Is the Rule of Three real, or is it just something made up by experienced Wiccans to scare the “newbies” into submission?

There are several different schools of thought on the Rule of Three. Some Wiccans and Pagans will tell you in no uncertain terms that it’s bunk, and that the Threefold Law is not a law at all, but just a guideline used to keep people on the straight and narrow. Other groups swear by it.

Background and Origins of the Threefold Law

The Rule of Three, also called the Law of Threefold Return, is a caveat given to newly initiated witches in some magical traditions. The purpose is a cautionary one. It keeps people who have just discovered Wicca from thinking they have Magical Super Powers. It also, if heeded, keeps folks from performing negative magic without putting some serious thought into the consequences.

An early incarnation of the Rule of Three appeared in Gerald Gardner’s novel, High Magic’s Aid, in the form of “Mark well, when thou receivest good, so equally art bound to return good threefold.” It later appeared as a poem published in a magazine back in 1975. Later this evolved into the notion among new witches that there is a spiritual law in effect that everything you do comes back to you. In theory, it’s not a bad concept — after all, if you surround yourself with good things, good things should come back to you. Filling your life with negativity will often bring similar unpleasantness into your life. However, does this really mean there’s a karmic law in effect? And why the number three — why not ten or five or 42?

Objections to the Law of Three

For a law to truly be a law, it must be universal — which means it needs to apply to everyone, all the time in every situation. That means for the Threefold Law to really be a law, every single person who does bad things would always be punished, and all the good people in the world would have nothing but success and happiness — and that doesn’t just mean in magical terms, but in all non-magical ones as well. We all can see that this is not necessarily the case. In fact, under this logic, every jerk who cuts you off in traffic would have nasty car-related retribution coming his way three times a day, but that just doesn’t happen.

Not only that, there are countless numbers of Pagans who freely admit to having performed harmful or manipulative magic, and never having anything bad coming back upon them as a result. In some magical traditions, hexing and cursing is considered as routine as healing and protecting — and yet members of those trads don’t seem to receive negativity back upon them every single time.

According to Wiccan author Gerina Dunwich, if you look at the Law of Three from a scientific perspective it is not a law at all, because it is inconsistent with the laws of physics.

Why the Law of Three is Practical

No one likes the idea of Pagans and Wiccans running around flinging curses and hexes willy-nilly, so the Law of Three is actually quite effective in making people stop and think before they act. Quite simply, it’s the concept of cause and effect. When crafting a spell, any competent Wiccan or Pagan is going to stop and think about the end results of the working. If the possible ramifications of one’s actions will likely be negative, that may make us stop to say, “Hey, maybe I better rethink this a bit.”

Although the Law of Three sounds prohibitive, many Wiccans see it instead as a useful standard to live by. It allows one to set boundaries for oneself by saying, “Am I prepared to accept the consequences — be they good or bad — for my deeds, both magical and mundane?”

As to why the number three — well, why not? Three is known as a magical number. And really, when it comes to paybacks, the idea of “three times revisited” is fairly ambiguous. If you whack someone in the nose, does it mean you’ll get your own nose punched three times? No, but it could mean you’ll show up at work, your boss will have heard about you bopping someone’s schnoz, and now you’re fired because your employer won’t tolerate brawlers — certainly this is a fate which could be, to some, considered “three times worse” than getting hit in the nose.

Other Interpretations

Some Pagans use a different interpretation of the Law of Three, but still maintain that it prevents irresponsible behavior. One of the most sensible adaptations of the Rule of Three that I’ve heard of is one that states, quite simply, that your actions effect you on three separate levels: physical, emotional, and spiritual. This means that before you act, you need to consider how your deeds will impact your body, your mind and your soul. Not a bad way to look at things, really.

Another school of thought interprets the Law of Three in a cosmic sense — what you do in this lifetime will be revisited upon you three times more intently in your NEXT life. Likewise, the things that are happening to you this time around, be they be good or bad, are your paybacks for actions in previous lifetimes. If you accept the concept of reincarnation, this adaptation of the Law of Threefold Return may resonate with you a little more than the traditional interpretation.

In some traditions of Wicca, coven members initiated into upper degree levels may use the Law of Threefold Return as a way of giving back that which they receive — in other words, what other people do to you, you are permitted to return threefold, whether it’s good or bad.

Ultimately, whether you accept the Law of Three as a cosmic morality injunction or simply a part of life’s little instruction manual, it is up to you to govern your own behaviors, both mundane and magical. Accept personal responsibility, and always think before you act.

Halloween Spell

For many witches throughout the world, Halloween is an ideal time to magically do away with weaknesses. The Celts of old, for instance, on Samhain slaughtered all livestock that were too weak to live through the coming winter. Using a quill pen and dragon’s blood ink, write upon a piece of parchment the weaknesses you wish to be rid of. As you concentrate on your intent, crumple up the paper in your “power hand” and toss it into a fire or set it ablaze by holding it above the flame of a black candle. Place it into a fireproof container such as a cast iron cauldron, and as the parchment burns away into ashes, so too shall your weaknesses be consumed by the flames of magic.

 

By: Gerina Dunwich