I Am Me

I Am Me

Author: Dahlia Starwatch

I was always told, “Yup, Jesus is up there. Yup, God’s watching you, so be good.” And I couldn’t help but feel a bit afraid of the menacing big guy upstairs that would send down to the inferno that (not literally) burned right under my feet if I did something wrong or bad. And I couldn’t help but feel alone when the topic of religion came up in my family.

I said I was this, but it felt off. Then I’d say I was this, and still feel off. Then I got more into Buddhism. It felt close enough to what I wanted; I said that’s what I was. So I studied and studies and practiced and my grandparents were proud. They’d take me to the temple just to study. They made sure I practiced at least once a day, but everything still felt off.

But that’s what the problem was, I felt off. And I hated it. I just wanted a religion that would let me believe in what I believe in, and that was magic. I had always loved magic since I was a little girl. Starting from watching “Charmed” with my mom and aunts to “Harry Potter”. I found magic in the world, and that’s what I wanted. I just could never find it. So I stuck with Buddha, no matter how uncomfortable I felt.

Then I started going for walks around my neighborhood and down at a close park and felt the energy of the world. I felt the energy that the rocks stored and carried. I felt the energy from people that passed me on their own walks or as they sped by in their cars. I felt the energy of the creek and the trees and all the other plants. I didn’t understand it so I just dismissed it. I didn’t like dismissing it. But it was foreign, and I was very “in my shell” back then.

I kept going for my walks and I kept trying to ignore what I felt. It was really hard, so finally, i just sat down on a big rock in the park by the creek and just sat there. I sat there for a good hour. I watched how the world changed in front of my eyes, even if they were just little changes. I felt the world’s energy shift and move and felt it move through me and i was just in awe.

I came back the next day and did the same thing all over. I soon began to realize, after I left the park, I felt much happier. I felt better I felt amazing. I didn’t understand it, so I went to mom about it. I tried to explain it to her. I tried to explain how the energy moved and how the world changed and how beautiful the change and energy flow was. But she just told me that I was touched by a special gift from one of the Gods. I felt crushed that that was the only explanation I was going to get. So I went down the park continually, and every day I thought to myself, this feels like magic. This is what I like. This is what I want to feel like everyday, all the time.

Then one day, a good friend of mine began talking about some of his Wiccan friends. I became really curious and decided to do some research. Being that I couldn’t get to a bookstore, I Googled away (yes, I am a dweeb at times but I love being that way ^.^) ! I ended up finding a website (Wicca-spirituality.com) and fell in love with Wicca. I ate up the information and began to really study the faith trying to understand the God and Goddess, and I realized, this is what I am. This is the religion I’ve been searching for. I couldn’t feel more… centered. I felt at home.

I told my mom, but she didn’t know what the religion was. So I tried to explain it to her, and she still didn’t understand. She told my dad, and my father said nothing. But they both threw a terrible fit when my friend gave me tarot cards for Christmas. I argued with them that it was apart of my religion.

They argued it was bad luck. I wasn’t going to give up something I believed in. They had raised me to fight for what I believed in. But now they were being just plain hypocritical. I was allowed to be a Wiccan, but I couldn’t practice Wicca?

I couldn’t practice the magick I had believed in my whole life? I was shattered. This is who I am, and my parents wouldn’t let me be true to myself when that’s what they taught me while growing up. So finally, I just shut them out of my religious beliefs.

I shut them out. I didn’t want them to talk down to me because they said what I believed in was now said “Evil”, which was a common misunderstanding. Wicca is beautiful religion, and I’m proud to be a witch. But apparently they weren’t.

Finally though, they began to accept who I am, religion included. They even take me to the Stores to buy supplies when needed, even though the Stored are a long drive a way

So I’ve been studying Wicca ever since. I am proud to say that I’ve actually merged two religions and it feels perfect for me and I am proud to say I am Buddhist Wiccan. It made no sense to me to drop a religion I had done for so long, and Wicca isn’t really all that different when it comes to the faith. I love that I found out who I am, and that I have a Goddess watching over me.

Merry ye meet and merry ye part. (:

Blessed Be~~ Dahlia Starwatch

Shine a Light into the Darkness

by Freya Ray

What does it mean, to shine a light into the darkness? If we’re going to talk about candle magick, what more powerful candle is there than the human spirit? In the face of a wide array of conflicting information, it seems worthy to explore the idea of how best to make a difference in the world.

What conflicting information? As you’re reading this paper, you identify as some form of witchy pagan, or are at least curious about such. That’s great, but it does not automatically liberate you from the Judeo-Christian heritage of our culture. That heritage says that to be a good person, to do good for others, you suffer. You give up yourself to take care of those in need. On the other hand, there is a streak of self-indulgent hedonism running through much of today’s Wiccan culture. “Do what you will and harm none.” What’s the harm in doing this little love or money spell, to create what I want in my life? A third opinion about how to be in relationship with the world that affects many of us is the metaphysical hive mind. That cosmic-consciousness PC-police brain hums out, “It’s all good. Everything is happening exactly as it’s supposed to. We have all chosen our own destiny, and can all choose perfect abundance and love if we just, well, choose it.”

Before you get all up in arms about my brattily simplistic summaries, I’m just making a point here. Which is: Most of us feel an instinctive urge to give back, to make a difference, and it can be hard to figure out how best to do that. Following are my musings on the question, “How can I up the wattage on this little light of mine, and shine it where it can do the most good?”

Rest Your Spirit

It’s hard to do anyone any good when you’re run down, crabby or emotionally overwhelmed. Somehow, some way, find the time to restore yourself when you need to. I could run through all the cliché remedies: Take a nap, soak in the bath, be in nature and so on, but you already know how best to take care of yourself. This is your monthly scheduled reminder from the universe to actually do it.

Have Cosmic Sex

Talk about upping your wattage! Great, chakra-blowing, mind-altering sex is better than any drug for opening you up to the beauty of others, increasing the generosity of your spirit and making you more patient with everything. Not only does it benefit your partner (we hope), but the energy of divinely inspired sexual congress overflows to benefit everyone. If you have a partner, seek to actively bring God/Spirit/Goddess/whatever into your lovemaking. Call circle before you begin. Focus every scrap of your attention on the energy between you and your partner, on elevating what you’re doing to the level of art. Take hours and hours. If you’re alone, do all of those same things. Be aware of your energy, of every subtle nuance of your reactions. Get a book on Tantra (The Art of Sexual Ecstasy by Margo Anand is a good one), and practice elevating your energy as you pleasure yourself. Some of the best sex I ever had was just me, my hands and my breathing.

Have you ever considered sending a shot out as you come? As you reach orgasm, take that juicy energy and send it to AIDS orphans in Africa, or the women of Afghanistan, or your ex-boyfriend, or whatever. It can’t hurt, right?

Make Yourself Available

It’s all fine and good to talk about reciprocity and balance in our relationships, but the truth is that sometimes I give a friend apples and get back kiwis. Common metaphysical lore holds that everyone in our life is a teacher for us in some way. But some of my friends just teach me about my ability to be there for someone learning stuff I already know. These “unequal” relationships are not only okay, they’re necessary. I know I never would have made it through the last 10 years without my older (or just wiser) friends who knew the things I was learning. They freely taught, gave advice or just let me cry on them. I do the same thing for a few people younger or less experienced than I.

I believe it’s good to have a list of people who are allowed to make outrageous demands on you from time to time. For some reason, a particular friend’s emotional crisis touches you, and you give them permission to call at any hour, and you’ll be a friendly ear. Conversation after conversation ends up being mostly about them, and their struggles, and you don’t mind or feel “owed.” When energy work, ritual or a Tarot reading happens, it’s for them, not you. Call them projects, call them puppies, call them friends having a hard time. Just have some people you personally care for.

Be a Relentless,
Irrepressible Optimist

Think of it as a meditation, as a spiritual practice: Find the upside in everything that happens in your life. I can talk for five minutes about the good things I learned from being in an abusive relationship. Talk about impulse control! I’m not condoning all the ugliness of life, and certainly I’m not saying we should perpetuate it to help others learn hard lessons, but I do believe that any situation can be interpreted any number of ways. I feel more empowered if, instead of going to the “poor me” place, I answer these questions: What am I learning here, and how is it benefiting me?

For example, I recently fell completely, utterly in love with someone who I am not currently able to talk with. My friends who have heard every blow-by-blow think he’s a jerk and offer all kinds of sympathy. But I know what I’m learning from the situation. I finally found that place in myself that was unwilling to give up on someone, just because of something they said. I found the place in me that can be mad as hell and not walk away. I’m learning some measure of patience. I have a mantra, “Nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah, you can’t make me stop loving you.” It’s my process, I own it, I refuse to feel victimized by life.

If you’re at all prone to martyr or victim thinking, I can’t begin to tell you how much psychic energy will be liberated by running your thoughts along more positive lines. Giving away your power is a huge drain on the psyche, on your ability to feel positive about your own life and on your ability to have anything to offer to others. Try keeping your own power instead. You’ll like it!

Follow Your Impulses

Between the opposites lies the path. Sometimes we need to be selfish, sometimes we need to be selfless. The best way to navigate life between the poles is to listen to Spirit, to the voice of your own intuition, in every moment. If you’re in doubt about how to proceed, sit still (or nap) until clarity comes. Trust yourself.

Find the Connections

Alienation and separation do not help us help each other. The false sense that we are all alone, that we are different from others, leads to thoughts like, “Why would I want to help those ones. They’re nothing to me.” Seek to find the connections. Do some past-life work, so you can remember for yourself how a life could lead one to be dirty and poor. Meditate, finding the dark impulses inside yourself, so you don’t feel yourself better than the one who succumbed. There is no separation. What is done to the least of us, is done to us, we do. It’s all one.

We don’t all have to be bodhisattvas in order to care. Some glimmer of the kinship between all of us will open up remarkable compassionate vistas.

Reach Out

Ask yourself, “How does service best manifest in my life?” As a professional psychic, shaman and healer, I find most years that much of my time serving others is done in that way. I have a collection of friends I give my professional services to, without expectation of return. From time to time, I offer my services free to a stranger. For a while, I tithed. Sometimes I do shamanic work for strangers in my dreams. Sometimes I pray or do ritual for a person or family or part of the world in crisis. Sometimes I drive my mother to the dentist.

Not everyone is cut out to volunteer at the hospice. But everyone is capable of some kind of service. Your professional expertise might lend itself to occasional gifts of time and knowledge. Your body might like to express itself in some good physical barn-raisin’ activity from time to time. You might be a fundamentally lazy person, who can still feel like a good contributing citizen by gifting 10 percent of your income every month to someone deserving. Give it some thought, and find your own way.

Everyone needs to know that their flame helped light the way for someone.

My Goddess in My Life

My Goddess in My Life

Author: Frostig

My eyes wander up to the sky and back to the earth, my mind drifting as my body slows. I feel her around me. My heart quickens. A light sweat forms on my brow but still knowing she is near calms my muscles. All at once, I am ready to move or ready to relax. I know she helps guide my path in this world. I asked her to help me make decision with me, not for me.

She is Freya, the Goddess whom I love with all of me. By profession, I am a soldier and have been for 18 years, but I enjoy a softer side of life as well in writing and poetry. She is my muse; she is a lover and a warrior, a strong woman who knows what she wants and is willing to make sacrifices to meet her goals, inspiring me to do the same: to look at the world through another’s eyes, from a different point of view, to see things with a glowing halo of light.

I feel her presence in the love of my wife. The tender care she gives me. Her understated strength; I can feel it in her words. She helps me and guides me. We are a team and accomplish things as one.

I have written before here and some of you may remember that this is my third tour in Iraq. I have never asked to given anything from her, but for advice and guidance only. I ask for safe journeys and if I must fight that, I do so with honor and integrity. That if I die it is on my own terms and that I may do so with respect and honor and in the aid my friends.

In my life, I have always felt the strength in a feminine power. A mother watching over me keeping me safe, a lover holding me in her arms letting my soul rest in her tender hold. In the presence of women I feel refreshed.

When I feel the presence of my Goddess near I feel as if the world will bow to me. I ask her to guide me and help the things in my life have fall into place. I trust in her and knowing that as long as I uphold the promises I have made, not only to myself but to her as well.

The devotion I have for my Goddess feels more like a relationship than worshipping. We seem to have a give and take. Sometimes if I get too full of myself she lets me stubble a bit to remind me I need to have humility.

When I am living clean and doing the right thing, I have found that for no reason things fall into my lap and gifts both mental and physical appear in my path for me. I know at that time I need to share them, not hold them all for me. True gifts are not yours to keep they are yours to share; it is a great responsibility and not one to be taken lightly. Even if the gift is a part of you, we must learn to give our time and our knowledge to help others.

I carry with me a few things at all times. One is a copy of the Nine Noble Virtues the other is a picture with a memorial poem of a friend, killed last year by a roadside bomb in Baghdad. The virtues are a constant reminder to me of the guidelines I work to live by each day. The picture of my friend reminds me that we can be taken at anytime and to live your life by touching and enriching the lives of others.

So here I sit, the middle of Iraq again. I know I am here for a reason; something started but left undone. I have begun by strengthening the position of the Pagan Open Circle here and with the help of other friends’ state side I am working towards a higher level of religious awareness in the military. I know if I trust in her and make sound decisions our goals will be met, together.

I know she will not do everything for me, I would never ask that, if she did the goals that are met would not feel as sweet and I would feel a lacking inside of me. I need to earn my accomplishments.

I have learned that you must have honesty with yourself before you can have a trusting relationship with anyone else. Feel the honesty deep with in your soul. When I first felt it, I was scared, scared because of the raw truth I told myself. I instantly had to be with others; solitude was not what I felt I needed.

Nevertheless, it is exactly what I needed, the time to go over things in my mind to see that this is what I needed; it was the truth in my soul.

This is when I first felt her with me, I did not know who “She” was it was my first time with this emotion, this feeling, this presence. I started asking questions in the dim light of a campfire, seen flickering through the nylon of a tent. Speaking with a woman, a Goddess in her own right, her answers led me to more questions. I began reading and reading and reading.

Then a day came while reading, I saw her name and it felt good inside me when I said it, I know now it was her. She came to lift me up, to show me who I could become; the man I was meant to be. I thank her everyday for holding me safe for all these years, always there holding me but never wanting me to know she was there.

Now I’ve seen her in my heart and I feel her smile upon me.

By living a good life, acknowledging my weaknesses and my strengths, knowing my limitations, and pushing them a little further everyday, this is how I honor her. To show I am worthy of her graces, this is how I live. I thank her and every woman who has the Goddess in her — you know who you are –

You have touched my life and prepared me to be the man I am to become.

Paths and Journeys

Paths and Journeys

Author: Janice Van Cleve

Paths and journeys are not the same thing. Paths are like nouns and journeys are like verbs. Paths are routes that lead to this or that destination. Journeys, on the other hand, are how we drive on this or that path, where we have been, and where we think we are going. Sometimes we take one path and sometimes another. In fact, since we are pursuing multiple short term and long term goals all the time, we probably are journeying on multiple paths every day. We have career paths, relationship paths, financial paths, aging paths, health paths, and many more. We are driving at different speeds, in different vehicles, and talking on different cell phones. No wonder we sometimes get lost or crash into things.

Some paths are determined for us – by bosses, by laws, or by how much money we have or don’t have. Some paths we fall into by chance – job layoffs, traffic accidents, or forces of nature. Some paths we choose because we like the path or because we think it will get us to a desired destination. Spiritual paths are no different.

An illustration might clarify. When I was a Roman Catholic, my spiritual path was the church, my roadmap was the Baltimore catechism, and my destination was Rome. I suppose a good Mormon kid takes the interstate to Salt Lake City, a Muslim travels to Mecca, a Jew to Jerusalem, and a Buddhist evaporates into Nirvana, metaphorically speaking. It all seemed so clear to me back then that if I drove this path with this road map I would get to Rome just like they told me I should. A funny thing happened along the way, however. I got pulled over by the Holy Police and when they checked my drivers license and found out I was a lesbian, they said I couldn’t drive on that road.

So there I was out in the middle of Nowhere, Kansas, my journey aborted, and no clear destination. I got out of the car and wandered around in the cornfields for a while until I met a country girl who guided me to a side road. It was then I discovered that there was a whole network of side roads going to all sorts of interesting places. She told me that this was the Pagan path, or to be more accurate, one of many Pagan paths.

Pagan paths are fun. Some are long, some are short, and some are under construction. There are many intersections, many maps, and many road signs, but no Holy Police. Most of the paths don’t pretend to go to any one special destination; rather, they just seem to go for the joy of going. And that’s when I began to notice a striking thing about these Pagan paths. They have lots of interesting attractions on both sides of the road and no commandment or necessity to reach an ending. What a contrast to the Holy Roman path I had been driving on!

Or was it? Now that I had seen the reality of multiple paths, I looked back at that Catholic highway. For the first time I noticed that it had exit and entry ramps, too. There were Catholic road crews repairing and replacing sections of it as well. Even the Catholic road maps got updated eventually (although it took the Vatican 400 years to exonerate Galileo) . I had not been aware of the varieties of Catholic experience before. Then I noticed that not all the Muslims or all the Jews were driving down their respective straight and narrows either. I wondered then if all paths were actually more or less equal and a journey on any one of them would be just as meaningful and of value as any other. Then I heard the sirens of the Holy Police and I remembered the difference between the highways and the side roads.

That’s not to say I have not encountered sheriffs on the side roads but most of them are pretty laid back and the only laws they enforce are those of common civility and mutual respect as expressed in the Law of Love, the Wiccan Rede, Kharma, and such like. What really holds Pagan paths together is not enforcement but traditions, particularly their seasonal traditions. There’s no denying the seasons. They come and they go as the Wheel of the Year turns. Even in parts of the world where the differences of weather are minimal, the energy forces of each season are still at work. Our various traditions help us align with the seasons, the forces of the universe, and our inner spirits so we don’t get lost or crash.

Where do these traditions come from? Tevya asks that very question: “You may ask, how did this tradition get started? I’ll tell you. . . . I don’t know. But it’s a tradition, and because of our traditions every one of us knows who he is and what God expects of him. Traditions, traditions! Without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as a fiddler on the roof!”

Our traditions come from many places – intentional design, borrowing from someplace else, a good idea that sticks, or who knows where? What makes a practice or a set of words a tradition is that it is used repeatedly over time and those who use it invest it with value through their applied energies. In ancient days it was the elders, the loremasters, the bards, and the shamans who remembered the traditions and passed them down orally through the generations. Modern Pagans – and other religious folk – write them down in Books of Shadows, prayer books, and liturgies.

Thus we have many paths, each supported and balanced by their traditions. However, paths all by themselves do not get us to our destinations. We have to choose which paths to follow, and when, and for how long. We have to put our own energies and efforts into motion. Scribes and shamans, priests and priestesses, bards and loremasters are responsible for maintaining the paths and traditions but only we are responsible for our individual journeys.

One of the most delightful features of paths – either side roads or highways – is that if they are alive, they are continually under construction. Our Women Of The Goddess Circle is a good example. It has been under construction for almost 19 years as of this writing. Over time it has developed some pretty good traditions and practices, based on much study, experience, and good judgment. That’s not to say that we haven’t built a bridge or two to nowhere in those years, but we learned and altered course as necessary. We continue to encourage our women to seek out many paths and bring back good ideas.

New ideas are sifted and even if they are tried, it is understood that they are on probation until they prove themselves. Too many changes too often can erode a group’s traditions. On the other hand, closing the door on changes that would improve the performance and appeal of a path could doom it to limited usefulness. The challenge is always to maintain a careful balance between tradition and change.

Part of that balance is to keep reminding ourselves of the mission and purpose of the group and of the path it is on. It is more important for each path to offer its own distinct features and attractions than for it to become either all things to all people or nothing to nobody. Another part of the balance is for each individual to take personal responsibility for their own journey, to contribute enthusiastically to the path she is on while she is on it, and to seek other paths to round out her spiritual needs.

As for myself, I follow the Dianic Wiccan path and I do have a care toward maintaining its traditions and those of the Women Of The Goddess Circle. However, I do journey sometimes on the Gnostic path or the Aquarian path, or I take to the stars with astrology or take to the outdoors alone into the wilds of Nature. My journey is enriched by all of them – and out here there are no Holy Police.

Satan: Not My God

Satan: Not My God

Author: Lady Abigail

“So, you‘re a Witch. Do you worship Satan?”

I cannot tell you how many times I have been asked that question. It does not seem to matter what tradition you may happen to work with; Eclectic, Druid, Celtic, Wiccan, and so forth, you have most likely been asked this question yourself. Somehow, if you do not believe in the Christian male god of everything, you must believe in and therefore worship Satan.

Occasionally, the name may be different, according to whom they see as this entity of evil. (Devil, Satan, Beelzebub and Lucifer being only a few on a long list of names.) Yet, the question is continuously asked.

Most of us have tried to respectfully explain to people that we don’t believe in a devil or a hell. This often gets a few strange looks, or a question of what we do believe in.

I believe that some of the people who ask this question, “Do you worship Satan?” don’t really care what the answer is. They are those people who believe they already have all the answers and most of them what to tell me what that answer is.

So I have decided that rather than try to explain to them that my beliefs do not consider Satan as valid, I simply say, “No, I don’t worship any of the Christian/Judaeo Gods, good or evil.” That always brings an immediate response. “What do you mean, Christian/Judaeo Gods?”

I reply that Satan, by whatever name he may be called, is the their God of Evil, not mine. I have to say, I have received more than a few puzzled looks, not to mention, shock, frustration, and some extremely nasty words.

The idea that Satan is their god of evil enrages many within the some of the mainstream faiths.
But, the truth is, Satan is considered by many as evil personified. He is the enemy of their heavenly God. There are a few additional faiths that believe in a concept of an evil godlike being, although it has been my experience, that none of those give him such absolute power and reverence as those of the mainstream religions.

Numerous followers of the Bible consider Satan to be not only real, but also created by God to be ruler of Hell. Satan, the God of Hell, was put in this position of authority over all the horrors that occur in human life, via the God of Heaven. Satan is distinguished in this arrangement as the God of Evil. He is seen as a very real and valid part of these mainstream religions.

A few years ago, there was a mini series called, “Revelations.” Actor Bill Pullman plays the part of Dr. Massy, a noted expert on Satanism, who had his daughter (who was to be a virgin sacrifice) killed by the followers of Satan. Natascha McFlhone plays the part of Sister Jo, a nun who goes out to prove, or disprove, miracles concerning the coming of Christ and the Anti-Christ. Together they travel the world battling evil and a demented Satanist, played by Michael Massee.

The reason I reference this program is because, no matter how enlightened we think we are as a society, this is how many see Satan. Their concept of the Devil, in a very physical form, is of a being looking to put an end to all that is good in the world. In this series, we see evil lurking around every corner, children being stolen, and the possible destruction of the world.

Disappointingly, some of the scenes show people chanting, likened to Witches, along with the working of magick and rituals for some diabolical propose. Pentagrams are displayed as the sign of the Devil; just another one of a thousand times the symbolism of Witches, something we are proud of, is used and intermingled with those of a Devil to whom we do not give credence. Nonetheless, it is assumed by numerous people watching, that those chanting persons working evil rituals and magick are also Witches.

It seems impossible to find any recorded history or sacred text, religious or otherwise, that gives reference to a Devil, Satan, Demon, or Lucifer, before or outside these mainstream religions.

For thousands of years, the ancient knowledge was verbally passed from generation to generation. Yet, many of the stories, folklore, and teachings of the Gods and Goddesses are the same throughout history, with only cultural differences represented. This includes the majority of stories found in the Bible. Surprising, many (if not all) of the Bible stories we know today are found in ancient writings of numerous societies that pre-date the biblical writings by centuries. Yet, none of these speak of a Devil, not having the requirement of a God of Evil who could be blamed for the debauchery in the world.

Subsequently, where did Satan, this demonic Devil, come from? The only writings I can find on Satan, or the description of Satan, come from the Bible. Satan is mentioned first in the book of Job. While still living happily in heaven, he appears with the “sons” of God. He is full of himself and wants to show off by testing God’s servant, Job. Satan is allowed by God to do ruthless and horrendous things to Job; God wanting to prove that Job would stay strong no matter what evil Satan executed upon him.

Later, in Isaiah, we are told how the Devil is sent to Hell. The Devil, Lucifer, is seen as an angel, being prideful and wanting to be like God. So, he is punished and kicked out of heaven and falls to hell. In this, there appears to be a splitting of God.

Now we have two: one good, loving, and benevolent God who lives in heaven, and one evil, malicious, God who lives in Hell. No real physical description of Satan is ever given in the Bible. He is spoken of as evil, the father of lies, disobedience, and bringing all that is wicked. Perhaps this is why it can be said that the Devil has the power to take on many forms.

Unfortunately, one of the ways the church attempted to turn Pagans away from their own beliefs was by deceitfully altering the accepted wisdom of the Old Ways. Disguising the truth to fit within their own needs served to convert, or destroy, those of conflicting faith. The Pagan Gods were transformed, with the Greek God, Pan, who is recognized as horned, hoofed, goat-like, and holding a long, three-pronged fork, or spear, called a Trident, becoming an early version of the Devil.

The Great Horned God recognized as a human male form with antlers, holding snakes, surrounded by creatures of earth, became a more human personification, sometimes with red flesh, a goatee, carrying a pitchfork. These Pagan Gods lent form to a previously un-solidified god of evil, Satan, the most vile, despised God of sin and death.

How bizarre that Satan began his extremely malevolent deeds at the same time the church came into its greatest power on earth, sometime during the thirteenth century. (It should be noted that some believe the source of all-evil is most beautiful. Using a pleasing form, he, or she, can lure innocent souls away into hell.)

Satan is believed to perform dark and evil magick, understanding that this also mean that these mainstream religions are based on magick, with water being turned to wine, foretelling the future, miracles of healing, the dead walking, talking with spirits, and the promise of life everlasting. How strange. If it is done in one religion, it is miraculous. Yet, when these same works of wonder are performed in any other religion, they are viewed as works of some devil. Perhaps it is the fear that others would see, and understand, that power and magick are within us all. This being too much to fear for those who wanted to control a populous.

Interestingly, in examination by religious and nonreligious scholars, it is believed that the entire concept of a Devil, or Satan, is due to an error in the translation of two words, “diabolos” and “daimonion.” In the original Greek and Hebrew, the word diabolos simply meant opponent or adversary, as in an enemy, rival, or foe. Daimonion was one of supreme authority or complete and absolute ownership. Could this be where the idea of a supreme power of evil found its birth? I have to believe that is from where the popular image of Satan came.

It is amazing that, individuals not wishing to take responsibility for their actions often resort to, “the Devil made me do it.” But in those words are frightening reminders of the history of the burning times. It is always easier to blame someone else, another power, or those that are different from you in some way.

Once the pointing starts, the true evil begins to grow. The blaming of others emerges like a forest fire and that fire is hard to put out. At one time, Witches were honored and respected for the knowledge we held in healing and magick. However, we are now still working to reclaim our reputations and show we are not evil.

So, let us repeat again. Witches do not desire, nor have any need, to worship Satan. Witches live right and do what is right because it is right, not out of fear that some big, nasty, red dude with a pitchfork is going to come and get us in the end. Witches are not Satanist. The Devil is not part of our religion, faith, or lives.

We don‘t want him; you can keep him.

When Your Pet is More Than A Pet – Familiars and Avatars

When Your Pet is More Than A Pet – Familiars and Avatars

Author: Bronwen Forbes

As a prologue to this, you need to know that Herne has been my patron God since I was nine years old. You don’t need to know, but you’ll probably figure out by reading this (if you haven’t already) that sometimes I’m a little slow to notice the obvious.

A few months after adopting my red and white beagle mix Herman, I was trying to sleep in one Saturday morning when I began to idly wonder, “There are so many Goddesses with dogs as part of their symbolism. I wonder what Gods are associated with dogs, too?” And then it hit me like a two-by-four to the forehead. Herne, Lord of the Wild Hunt, is very much associated with dogs, especially red and white hunting dogs, than you very much. (I warned you I’m a little slow sometimes) .

Needless to say, sleep was no longer an option. I sat up and looked at Herman (who had spent the night, as he usually did, asnooze at my side) who was already staring at me with a definite, “took you long enough to figure it out” expression.

And just like that, I not only had a familiar, I had an avatar.

I’m defining “avatar” here not as a recent hit movie or a small picture that represents you on various blogs or discussion boards, but as the earthly representative of a deity. And for the love of me, I hadn’t a clue what to do with mine.

Four months later, we adopted a German Shepherd mix named Katie – and lo and behold, she was also what my husband likes to call a “God-touched” dog. But unlike Herman who was also my familiar (notice the past tense; I still miss him) , Katie let us know pretty quickly that she had no interest whatsoever in being my husband’s familiar, but would happily attend her Goddess Nehelennia’s tasks of safe travel, healing and commerce. Period.

Since acquiring Herman and Katie in 2001, I’ve alao gotten the clue what to do, not just for my special dogs, but for anyone else who may wake up one morning and see deity shining through the eyes of their pet.

First and foremost, and I know this sounds obvious, you have to keep treating your pet like a, well, pet. Your animal companion is your spiritual and or magickal support (familiar) or a little bit of deity (avatar) but he still needs proper food and water, adequate shelter, regular veterinary checkups, exercise, training, vaccinations, etc. After all, it’s not like the Gods can or will take care of your pet for you.

But once the regular, responsible pet ownership duties are taken care of with your familiar or avatar, there are still some things you need to think about to keep your relationship with your animal companion – and your deity – as smooth and fulfilling as possible.

1. Remember that, despite her spiritual role in your life, your pet is still going to act like an animal. Herman used to drive me crazy with this. He was a daily reminder of my relationship with my patron deity, helped me work through some serious ritual issues, was a whiz at helping new students ground and center simply by sitting in their laps during ritual – and he was also a master escape artist. He could climb or dig under any chain link fence, and did so on a pretty regular basis.

Katie, a born healer, is also a big dog and an unrepentant counter-surfer. I can’t begin to count how many times I packed my lunch, left the kitchen to get dressed for work, and came back to find my lunch bag and food containers in Katie’s crate and my ex-lunch in her stomach. She may be God-touched, but she’s still a dog!

2. Give your familiar and/or avatar full autonomy regarding ritual attendance. This includes personal workings, small group rituals, festivals, and rites of passage. Shortly after my Saturday morning revelation about Herman, my husband and I took him with us to visit my parents for the weekend. While we were there, I helped my parents bury the ashes of our old family cat in the side yard garden – an understandably emotional activity. Herman was in the back yard, separated from me by a picket fence. He could see me through the fence, but couldn’t get to me. As my father dug a hole for the ashes, Herman went nuts, for want of a better word. Instead of pursuing squirrels (his usual pastime in my parents’ backyard) , he was throwing himself against the fence and barking frantically, trying to get to me. I should have stepped over the fence, opened the gate, and allowed Herman to join the small ritual. After all, he only wanted to do his job.

There have also been instance and rituals where Herman or Katie did *not* want to attend a particular ritual, and we quickly learned to “listen” to their opinions – rather like knowing that it doesn’t feel right to take a certain tarot deck with you when you go do readings at a community event. We learned this lesson the hard way when we took Katie to a ritual she clearly didn’t want to go to and she had a seizure.

3. Give your pet enough down time. Just as you can’t be in ritual 24/7, it’s unrealistic to expect your pet to be “on, ” i.e. actively acting as a divine representative or helping you with your spiritual work all the time. Don’t bug him to help you if he clearly doesn’t feel like it – the fact that he’s asleep or ignoring you are clear signs that he “doesn’t feel like it.”

If you find yourself needing extra protein, water or sleep after a working or ritual, offer some to your familiar or avatar as well.

If you have a pet that also enhances your spiritual practice or connection with your deity, you have been given a gift beyond price. Very few animals, at least in my experience, can do this, and if you get one or even two in a lifetime, you have truly been blessed. It’s also not something you can actively look for; it’s like love (actually it *is* love) – the more you try to find that special animal, the less likely you are to succeed.

Be patient. If and when you’re ready, the right animal will come.

Faith: A Measure of Courage

Faith: A Measure of Courage

Author: Phoenix Forestsong

Trials of faith are perhaps one of the most difficult and seemingly impossible to beat, truths of life. Do you believe because you want to? Do you believe because you need to? Do you believe because you’re afraid not to? Do you believe firmly, and with utter conviction from the fiery furnace that is your soul, simply because you do?

Being the over-analytical and opportunistically studious Witch that I am, combined with the convenient timing of a test of faith (I’m an optimist) , I began to wonder exactly what Faith was. Exciting stuff I know, in fact, it is so exciting that from the earliest days of mankind, we nearly instinctually segregated ourselves based on the unquantifiable attribute of Faith. Man has been gleefully and gloriously engaging his fellow men to kill, rape, hunt, sacrifice, maim, torture, enslave, debase, dehumanize, corrupt, ostracize, ignore, discriminate, and in every other way demean anyone whose beliefs differ in any way.

Faith. It led an entire nation of people who valued their beliefs above all else, their core ideals all based on the same essential beliefs, into the very example of Devotion. From the very earliest of times it was faith that led these people from a nomadic and pastoral way of life, into a Mecca of civilization and legend. From freedom to power to bondage, into one hell of a bad road trip and back into a great nation again, it was Faith, Devotion to their God that has held them together throughout time.

This group of people, their common beliefs uniting them, marched straight into battle for the very land of their new nation. Not only have these brave and noble souls won and lost their land, their nation, their very lives have been hunted in genocide. Even during those times, when the sky looked the darkest, when it looked like the curtains were just about to close and nothing mattered anymore; it was Faith that made the difference. Faith, with its immeasurable and intangible set of life altering philosophies and values, brought them back from the terrifying depths of extinction into the glory of nationhood once again…and again…and again…

Faith – A Test of Time

It is said that Time is the ultimate destroyer, that nothing and no one can ever defeat the ravaging and eroding effects of Time. I beg to differ. Read the following excerpt from an AP article that I found on space.com.

“Current estimates for the construction of the pyramids, based on surviving lists of the pharaohs, are believed to be accurate to within about 100 years.

But Cambridge University Egyptologist Kate Spence said that by analyzing the relative position of Earth and two stars, she has dated the construction of the Great Pyramid at Giza — one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World — to within five years of 2478 B.C.
That means the Great Pyramid is 4, 478 years old — or 75 years older than one commonly accepted estimate.”
-Stars tell the age of the pyramids, researcher says:
Alex Dominguez – Associated Press Writer posted: 11:18 am ET 17 November 2000

Scientifically, I get it. If you read the full article it states that the Pyramids were built with their north and south sides facing precisely north and south. By mapping the orbits of stars and calculating it backwards, two stars in the little and big dipper were always facing north and south. Thus, if you date it backwards and find where, thus when, those stars would have been aligned with North and South, you find the year! Ingenious!

It’s all Math! The universe, life, all of it and everything can, at some level, be quantified in an equation or counted in an audit. Everything except the spiritual…or can it be? I’ll leave the answer to that question to paranormal scientists, who I do believe are doing some good scientific work in expanding the science of the paranormal, to measure and prove. Until then, I’ll use my senses to detect Spirit, to feel faith, and to live in Devotion.

Faith – The Mouth of the Cave

Upon having our eyes opened with, oh…I don’t know, mankind’s rapid advancement in technology for example. There was once a time where men and women would willingly wait inside a forest for lightening to strike a tree in order to borrow fire. Mankind at this very moment now has the amazing ability to incinerate selected nations, or the entire world with the push of a button. How stupid are we?

Primitive humans understood at a feral level the patterns of the natural world. In fact, these primitive people thrived by living in harmony with their world. If I were a primitive human, I would like to think that I would have enough common sense to stay away from things that obviously attract lightening!

“Enlightened Man” has left the comfortable embrace of the Mother and ventured out into the wilderness to visit her gorgeous daughter. Man has traveled into space, landed on the Moon, split the Atom, and discovered infinite possibilities and solutions to problems and ideas not yet encountered. Humanity, in only the past hundred years, has learned to fly without wings. He has decoded the message of DNA and broadcast a message of peace to anyone who is listening in the rest of Universe via intelligent machines that he built.

Our “Golden Age of Humanity” who has created new worlds via Computers and the Internet, who will shortly fill that world with a new form of life, has discovered many secrets and realized many dreams. Yet still, as we discover incredible Life-Giving techniques and technologies, we for some reason still stand in the forest amidst one hell of a lightening storm.

Personally I don’t seem to recall, but at what point did we decide that actually building many something’s that could potentially have the ability to blow up the planet was a good idea? Yet one wave of humanity passes over the horizon and realizes “Gee, that probably wasn’t such a great idea huh?” another wave is right behind assembling their weapons as they run to catch up. As a species, we haven’t really advanced all that much have we?

Humankind has traversed uncounted miles and topped many horizons, each time discovering and dreaming just a little bit further and further ahead. In the days when life consisted of finding the nearest cave for shelter and the weakest deer for food, minds did not stray from survival. Thinkers were born who were a little brighter than the rest of the herd. Eventually new ways, safer ways, better ways were discovered, dreamt up, imagined and manifested into reality, and were learned by the whole of society. Thus, mankind has advance one step at a time from the cave and onto the shores of other worlds.

Yet still, even with the realization that the bounds of knowledge and discovery are limitless, mankind refuses to believe in what he cannot measure. The allegory of the cave is an example of this, for once you have left the cave, wouldn’t you want to see what else exists? For time and time again has history displayed the arrogance and folly of those who refuse to dream. I can quantify a tomato because I can see it, touch it, taste it, smell it, and perform numerous measurements on it. It is real because I can see it. Photons are light particles, a strange hybrid mixture of substance and energy that moves like a wave and a particle. The great inventor, Leonardo da Vinci, dreamt of some of our modern technology. Would the Photon, immeasurable in his day, be thought of as fantasy and magick? When I raise power, when my mother prays for one of her clergy, when I experience the divine, is that too not real?

Jules Verne, the great author, wrote works of fantasy and fiction. In his day his books were the stuff of dreams, a demented mind with too much time on his hands. It’s funny the way it is, how just a short time ago the works of fantasy are the stuff of our history. There are very few people who still live today who were never born into a world without flight. It’s commonplace. Hell, we have frequent flier miles!

If you were to go back in time and speak to the greatest minds of their day, a lot like two surfers’ excellent adventure, and tell them of our world and our dreams, how would that go over? Explain the mathematics involved behind thermonuclear fission to Socrates and then explain the very same thing to Thomas Jefferson. Which one will have the greater understanding? The more we advance, the further we see, and greater our dreams, which urge us onward over the next horizon…and the next….and the next… Why then, does our scientific community, people who were executed for their beliefs in provable science, and thus the “official world” still refuse to at least consider that which has not yet been quantified?

Our most brilliant minds have been able to prove, to the world of science, the existence of Black Holes. Black holes have no mass, thus no “weight”, their gravitational pull is so great that they eat stars and not even the light escapes. The only problem is this; no one has actually seen a black hole with his or her own two eyes. We have detected them based upon mathematics and theory, yet they are not really a physical object, rather a paradox of logic of and existence. Yet it is a scientifically proven and accepted fact that, yes indeed, black holes do exist.

I stand in a circle of power and I can feel my own energy. Seven nodes of light are mine, my chakras. I balance these energy centers and grow roots to ground. I feel the power, center my energy, and begin to raise power, attuning into the mighty torrent of Divine energy, spiritual energy. I focus my will into this power, this mighty and ever increasingly growing ball of energy, programming it with my intent. The time is right and my focus changes, I now direct this energy onto situation I am trying to better. I feel exhausted and must rest, but the wisdom gained from the brief communion with My Gods and the knowledge that the situation will be changed make a joy rather than a burden. I rest and I wait. Within weeks the situation begins to change, shaping itself to outcome, if not the imagined manifestation, of my will.

Everyone has this ability. Faith or faithless, it does not matter, for energy is energy, and energy is that which can be neither created nor destroyed. It is our Faith in our spiritual connection, whether it be Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Wiccan, Pagan, or even in the all-mighty spirit of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers; it doesn’t matter. What matters is that everyone can experience it, we can’t see it but we can feel it and its effects. X-Rays were accidentally discovered in 1895, but in 1894, or 4 for that matter, If a person were to be exposed to high doses of X-Ray radiation, that person would be just as dead whether X-Rays were “real” or not.

We Are Spirits In A Material World and Other Law Enforcement Sayings

I really like the name of that song, because we are Spirits in a Material world. Science is the study of the world of the physical and learning the secrets of how things work in order to make newer and better things. Magick is the study of the world of Spirit, of energy, and learning the secrets of how to manipulate the physical world through the spiritual. It is impossible to find a person who has not had a spiritual experience, for a spiritual experience is not the same religious experience. The brief moment of peace and feeling of oneness with the local park during your morning jog is a spiritual experience. The feeling of love and acceptance from a parent while you were very young, all these are spiritual experiences as well.

Even the most devout science-loving atheist, who believes in nothing but the physical, has had the same or similar experiences. Some people are afraid of the spiritual while others disregard it. Regardless, Atheists, Christians, and Wiccans choose their own paths and personal beliefs based upon whatever makes that spiritual connection for them. So, if it can’t be quantified and personal experience is not scientifically acceptable, where can the materialist look to find some proof of Spirit? Something that is real will leave an impact on the physical world, the world of measurement, while something that is unreal, will leave no mark for it does not exist.

There is a way in which to see firsthand the mark that Faith has had upon the world. Look to Egypt, the great Pharaohs and their great tombs, built so long ago that their civilization has passed beneath the sands of time into myth. Their monuments remain, those great tombs, standing tall and proud amidst the stinging erosion of flying desert sand. We look to these monuments of our ancient brethren with awe and wonder, amazed by the incredible precision and craftsmanship involved in an age of bronze, stone, leather, and rope.

Look now to the people of Israel, the people of God, a group whose faith, whose belief in their spirituality runs so deep, that it predates the pyramids. For over two thousand years of recorded history the Jewish people have been repeating the tale of their enslavement in Egypt, where they were used to build pyramids. The official judgment is mixed, because there were some Hebrew names that were involved in the pyramids, but in any case just remember that at the time of the pyramids, the people of Israel were plentiful.

Today, the pyramids have cracked, crumbled, fallen, and deteriorated from the time of their construction. Some of these great tombs have vanished below the sands of time, leaving no mark of their existence. Israel is a nation once again, for its history is turbulent but infinite. While the Pyramids are aging and falling, and time is taking its cruel toll on them moment by moment, the Jewish faith is still alive, well, and having babies! Their culture is still largely intact and their faith still runs as deep as ever before. From slavery to power to genocide to being scattered, the people of this faith are what keep the faith strong.

Mass and Energy – Science and Spirit

Which is stronger, Material or Faith? Stone and steel are the tools of the material world, which are those things that can be created and destroyed. Energy, Thought, and Will are the tools of the spiritual world, which are those things that cannot be created or destroyed; however, they can still manipulate the material world. Which is stronger, the stone or the soul? Which of the two choices takes more courage; to grow and transform into something better or to be that which simply is and always will be until it is ground into dust?

As a race, we have evolved from the feral animals of our forefathers, to a deeply spiritual people rooted in nature. We then moved from the realm of spirit to the realm of science, where human understanding blossomed. Spirituality and science are not mutually exclusive, so as one blossoms, the other withers. It is time for humanity to take the blinders off and see the many beautiful vistas that await us. Leonardo da Vinci knew his helicopter would fly, just as his submarine would work along with his tank and his glider. He didn’t have to even build them but I’m sure that Leo knew that one day his ideas of fantasy would be manifested into reality.

Blessed Be,

-Phoenix Forestsong

Footnotes:
-Stars tell the age of the pyramids, researcher says:
Alex Dominguez – Associated Press Writer posted: 11:18 am ET 17 November 2000

Today’s Affirmation for January 7th

I radiate love everywhere I go.

~from Saadia

~Magickal Graphics~

Daily Affirmation for Monday, Jan 16th

I am like the fire that shines. I am like the water that flows. I am like the earth that gives support. I am like the air that cleans the environment.

~from Mar

~Magickal Graphics~

The Daily Motivator for January 15th – The miracle that is today

The miracle that is today

Open your eyes, open your heart, and see the miracle that is today. Feel how good and powerful it feels to be alive.

You don’t have to wait for some distant, imagined time before you can relish the sweet, profound experience of being fully alive. Because right now, today, in this place, in this situation, the miracle of your life is here for you to live.

No day is really ordinary, because each day comes with its own bundle of unique treasures. No moment is useless or pointless, because every moment is filled with priceless possibilities.

Remind yourself how truly fortunate you are to be you. Look beyond all the distractions of superficial things that come and go, and feel the awesome power of life that exists within you.

Imagine the most amazing, fulfilling thing you can imagine. And realize that you have the ability to make it real, through the power of your life.

Today there is more hope, and there are more possibilities for fulfillment, than ever before. Because today you are here to bring the best of life to life.

— Ralph Marston

The Daily Motivator

The Meaning of the Number 6

The symbolism behind number Six is legend. With Venus as its ruler, Six represents harmony, balance, sincerity, love, and truth. Six naturally reveals solutions for us in a calm, unfolding manner. We invoke the Six when we need delicate diplomacy when dealing with sensitive matters. The spiritual meaning of number Six also deals with enlightenment; specifically “lighting” our path in areas we require spiritual and mental balance. Sixes beckon us to administer compassion and consciously choose forgiveness in a situation.

The Spirituality Meaning of Numbers

Can A Pagan Still Have Blind Faith?

Can A Pagan Still Have Blind Faith?

Author: Lady Julie of Ravensgrove Coven

Can you be Pagan and still have blind faith? Do you have to have tangible proof of the Goddess’s and the God’s existence? Do you actually have to see the gifts bestowed upon us by deities to believe in them?

Growing up in the Christian churches, the one thing that I have carried with me in my Wiccan path is the idea of blind faith. You sometimes just have to believe and just leave it at that. Not to say that you cannot have questions, it would be silly not to. If I do not understand an aspect of the path or a topic I am learning, I have no qualms about asking a question to try to understand it better. If we do not question, we cannot find answers, therefore we cannot grow. I do not want my high priestess to tell me, as the ministers of my early youth did, “Because the Goddess/God said so.” That is not what I consider faith.

Then again, I do not feel the need to question every single thing and need that tangible, “I have to touch it to believe it” proof. Do I need to see a physical manifestation of the Goddess or God? No. Would it make my belief in them stronger if I did? I do not think so.

I feel them with me everyday. I see their existence in the sun and the moon, in the flowers and the trees. I see them in the faces of my coven family during ritual. I see them every time I look into my granddaughter’s eyes. I feel them every day when I get out of bed to start my day, and I feel them every night as I ready myself for sleep.

My High Priestess is a gifted psychic and medium. I have seen the reactions of people after she has done reading for them. I have seen the looks on the faces of some when she describes a spirit that she sees. I cannot see what she sees; yet I still believe her. And there are times that what she sees may not make sense to the client, or even her at that moment, yet I still believe in her and her gifts. I am not going to run and throw everything I have learned from her away because something did not come through to her clearly and I felt it should. What kind of student would I be then? And most often, in time, what she had seen becomes clearer to all involved and they begin to understand.

It would be a very hard life to live, I feel, if we did not just sometimes believe, to feel that we had to have everything explained and proven in detail. It would be exhausting to question every aspect of your life, religion, belief, etc. How sad it would be to never be happy with just knowing that sometimes, things just are; that there is no rhyme or reason to the universe around us, to know that life is everywhere without having to see its DNA. I love the fact that I look around my life in wonder and see the gifts that have been bestowed upon me, knowing that I am a child of the Goddess and God.

I know the concept of “blind faith” carries a tremendous amount of Christian connotations to it, especially for those of us who grew up in the Christian churches. I cannot tell you how many times I was told that it were “God’s will” or “Give faith unto the Lord” in times of trouble. I know my mother has “put things in God’s hands” when money was tight or there was some other crisis in her life.

I believe that you have to help yourself to achieve your goals. Every time I cast a spell, no matter what the need, I know that I have to take actions myself to obtain that goal. I do not have the mindset that I am going to get what I want or need just because I have faith.

I know many Pagans who grew up in the Christian churches moved on from them because of the “just believe” attitude and the inability to feel free to question what they were being taught, the scorn that they received from the members of the congregations if they spoke out and questioned the Bible. I remember the fear I felt as a child when I was told that if I did not believe I would burn in Hell. The fire and brimstone fear, as I call it.

Yet now, in my Pagan life, there are times that I cannot see, or hear, or touch something, but I still believe it is there. I know that the Goddess and God are with me daily, because I feel their presence, yet I do not question their existence because they are not in a physical form.

I believe that there are spirits around me all the time, yet I am not one of the lucky ones who can actually see them. I believe that there is life in the grass, flowers and trees, yet I cannot physically hear them breathe.

I believe that there are people who have lived many lives, yet I was not there to witness those lives that they lived before. I believe that my High Priestess can see people and places here and now as well as the past, yet I cannot see them with her.

Blind faith, to me it is a comforting thought. To know that there is something out there that you believe in, that you cannot explain. Something you cannot see, but it is out there regardless. You do not have to be Christian to have blind faith. I believe that in any religion you have to have to have the ability to say, “I cannot explain it, I cannot see it, but I know it is real.

If you do not, then you might as well stay in bed and not look forward to a new day, not raise you face to the warmth of the sun, or breathe deep the fragrance of the flower. You might as well not look into the night sky and smile when you look at the Goddess in her moon form.

Can a Pagan still have blind faith?

I certainly hope so. I do.

Brightest Blessings,

Lady Jasmyne Dragonskye
Ravensgrove Coven
Indianapolis, IN area

Earth Witch Lore – Crossroads

Crossroads are considered sacred in almost all magical traditions. A crossroads is a universally accepted place to hold rituals, leave offerings, or dispose of items you wish to be rid of. While this is not a natural creation but one that is homemade, it still falls in the realm of earth.

It is believed tat Hecate rules over the three-way crossroads. She can see the past, present and future, It is said that if you should approach a three-way crossroads at night, you would hear her black dogs howling. Her altars have been erected at such places for centuries.

The four-way crossroad are considered to be powerful because all four directions meet at one point. Dirt, rocks and sticks gathered from such a crossroads are said to have powerful spiritual connections, albeit tricky ones to master. In Greek myths, Oedipus met his fate at the crossroads. From the Yoruban people we have Legha (a god known for his clever tricks) ruling the crossroads.

Ancient people were afraid of what it meant when one direction met another direction. All manner of folklore is available concerning the crossroads. Fairies are said to hand about there, along with ghouls and goblins. Even the Christian Satan is said to roam the crossroads.

Earth Witches know that a crossroad is actually a place of sacred transformations, manmade or not. Frequently they see them as a metaphor for transformational points in our lives. In such a capacity the crossroads relate to time.

Earth Witch Lore – Mountains and Mounds

Legendary mountains and mounds fall within the domain of the Earth Witch. While mountains are natural formations, mounds are human-made. Both are considered sacred space. The prevailing argument as to the purpose of the mounds is that they are sacred burial grounds.

The Navajos have an old legend that describes the creation of the six sacred mountains. The First Man and First Woman formed the mountains from a bag of dirt that they carried with them from the third world (spirit realm). They sent Turquoise Boy to one mountain. Abalone Shell Boy to another, Jet Boy to another, and White Bead Boy to another. The mountains were not satisfied with that arrangement and would rumble loudly with displeasure. Only two of the six mountains were happy. First Man and First Woman sent the beautiful Mixed Stones Boy and Girl to those mountains. They then sent the rest of the holy ones, including Grasshopper Girl and Yellow Corn Girl, into the mountains.

First Man and First Woman then fastened the mountains to the land with lightning bolts, stone knives and sunbeams. They decorated them with shells, eggs, mists and rain. They then blessed the mountains with chants and prayers. They believe that keeping the land beautiful pleases the ancestors, and pleasing the ancestors, make for a happy tribe.

The Earth Witch agrees with this philosophy. She makes regular use of eco-magic and often gets involved with environmental issues. She understand the true beauty and blessing of the Earth and does not take them for granted. She considers keeping the land clean a sacred responsibility.

The Meaning of the Number 9

The spiritual meaning of number Nine bring us to the very height of vibrational frequencies in this number sequence. Nine represents attainment, satisfaction, accomplishment, and our success to achieve an influence in our circumstances. The spiritual meaning of number Nine deals with intellectual power, inventiveness, influence over situations and things. Nine beseeches us to recognize our own internal attributes, and extend these abilities out into the world to make a positive, influential difference.

The Spiritual Meaning of Numbers

Soul Mates and Past Lives: How To Find Them and What To Expect

Soul Mates and Past Lives: How To Find Them and What To Expect

Author: Nita

I married my soul mate twenty-six years ago. Before we met, I thought it would be easy and that we would intuitively understand each other’s wants and needs. It didn’t happen that way and I didn’t know why! I failed to consider many aspects of what it would be like to actually live with my soul mate. He had problems in a completely different way than I did, due to how he had been raised. Our different life experiences caused problems also. I couldn’t help thinking that if this was my soul mate, how could a relationship with a regular guy have more problems than with him?

I looked up what a soul mate was and found some interesting information. A soul mate is a person who fills in all the gaps of your personality. I guess you would say that two soul mates are the yin and yang of a single person. Twin souls duplicate all of the personality traits of each other, including at times having the exact same experiences happen to them during their lifetime. I began to understand more of what I had been noticing about him and how our relationship worked. Twin flames are a variation upon twin souls but only together are the two people completed. Soul Mates can happen to clear up past karma and you can also be out of sync with a soul mate even if they exist in this lifetime.

Living with a soul mate is just as difficult as living with anyone else. Their personality faults and bad habits can drive you crazy. A soul mate is someone that you have bonded with in a past life. The soul connection can help you feel compassion even when they are at their very worst. Soul mates help their partners by expanding their viewpoints. They allow us to open ourselves up and see things in a different way. They feel in the gaps in experience we have by being included in their lives.

I enjoyed traveling and have traveled all over the country but I was never one to go hear bands play or attend musical concerts. My soul mate plays instruments and can really sing. I have heard many great bands and appreciate more types of music than I had ever thought existed. I have had a great deal of fun and found out that I could sing also. I never would have experienced this and many other rewarding things in our relationship if I hadn’t met my soul mate. I have met another soul mate that I am out of sync with in this lifetime. Yet I would be a great deal poorer in love and experience if I had not met these people.

Ask yourself and ponder some serious questions

•What character flaws do I have?
•Am I a difficult person to live with?
•Am I ready to share my life completely with someone?
•Could I like this person and enjoy expanding my life?

It is important to ask if you can like the person. A lot of people now tend to believe that sex and love are the only important questions in a relationship. They then marry someone and it doesn’t work out. The reason is that after the entire glow wears off in a relationship; each person looks at each other differently. I have seen couples stay together not because of sex or how the other person looks. They stay together because they can look at the other person and say “I love them, like them, and want to spend the rest of my life with them.”

You should realize that your soul mate will probably share many of the traits that cause you to be a difficult person. The moment you realize this, you will see that even when you both look at the same problems, your soul mate does things in a totally different or opposite way than you do. The important thing is the result. Different methods don’t matter as long as the end result is what both of you want to have happen. For example, I can be really stubborn at times, so I have little chance of finding a soul mate that is not stubborn in some way. I can depend upon him being stubborn but in a different way than how I am stubborn.

You can have more than one soul mate. This is because you have touched many souls in past lives and have often shared relationships with them. The more lifetimes you have lived, the more chances you will have of finding a compatible soul mate. It makes life really interesting at times. Different soul mates will complement you in different ways, and you learn different things with each soul mate. You may be out of sync with a soul mate which means that you never seem to both be in the position to experience each other. You are always with someone else or in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is still nice to know they are there where you can be friends and know someone else cares for you.

Soul mates appearing in my life have shown me the truth of past lives. A lot of clients of mine that have nightmares and dreams that are problems in their present lives are also dreaming about their soul mates. They have mental trauma occur about their past lives where they were separated or the other person died. It is the reason I stated that some soul mates appear in your life through past karma. It is because one or the other of you left something undone where you actually carried it over to the next lifetime. The two higher selves will join together to resolve the problems whether the soul mates are out of sync or not. It is because resolving the problems is the only way the two souls can experience and move on completely.

You can also have this occur between your soul and people you loved in any lifetime. I have met people that I knew immediately had been my sisters and brothers. Parents and other people I cared for in my life. I have seen this occur with clients who also know that something needs to be done to resolve problems. It is when people have past life issues that affect their lives.

Fear of water, dreams about war, evil people and any of variety of myriad problem dreams and visions can occur. The important thing is to realize you can attract the positive relationships in this life and resolve the undone business that is weighing upon your heart and soul.

The spiritual bonding between soul mates makes it possible for you to attract each other through magical means. This may not happen quickly, but it can be done. The reason that you can draw your soul mate to you is because of the previous bonding. It is like your soul getting a long distance phone call. One soul is saying to the other “I’m here, come get me. I’ve been so lonely without you in my life.” The following spell will help bring your Soul Mate to you.

To draw your soul mate you will need the following items:
•1 pink candle
•1 bottle of good quality myrrh oil
•1 empty picture frame

Instructions
Take the pink candle and anoint it with the myrrh oil. You anoint a candle by putting myrrh oil on a cloth or a finger and rubbing the candle upward. You completely cover the top half of the candle by moving the cloth or finger upward. You then use the myrrh oil to cover the bottom half of the candle by rubbing downward. Put myrrh oil on the tip of your finger. Then put your fingertip on the center of your forehead, and rub the oil into the skin.

Repeat this, and carry out the following ritual, every night for seven days before sleeping at night. You can keep repeating the spell until you find your soul mate. I have seen people draw their soul mate immediately. It took me seven years of doing this spell on and off. I knew he was my soul mate because I saw him in my dreams after I did the spell.

“I ask for you to come to me
I draw you by the bonds of our past lives and love
Show me your image and who you be
Come to me, come to me, come to me”

Now put out the candle and sit in the dark visualizing the image of your loved one appearing in the picture frame. Do not force an image but let the outline of a person be formed and then the features will form for you if you work on it long enough. You will then know the person who is supposed to be with you in your life.

I have known a few people who find that their soul mate is a three-month-old baby or a ninety-year-old person, and they are in their twenties. It doesn’t matter if you can’t find happiness and bond with another soul mate or with a soul that is compatible with you. It just means there’s more work for you to do on yourself before you will find someone. The most constant thing in the universe is Love and it is letting it into your life that is important.

We all learn from the good and bad things that happen to us. Love is something that is beautiful. But living and bonding with someone, especially a soul mate, can be hard work. The way to make things work is to treat the other person in the same way as you would like to be treated yourself, e.g., “To love one another, and to do unto others as you would be done by.”
You will find that a soul mate is the one person that will always be there for you. They are the people, as all the movies show, who will go to any length to aid and find their loved one. The rewards of finding a soul mate are beautiful and will last through many lifetimes.

One person can be at a different spiritual and mental level, but each of them will still learn from each other. Sometimes one soul progresses quicker than the other. If ever a soul mate is abusive then you should realize that you have done as much for them as you are meant to do. People sometimes mistake a person with a karmic tie as a soul mate. Working off the shared karma releases you from bad situations. But such a partner has to agree to grow with you and change. It is for the higher good of each of you to finish things up and move onward. You will then remove acceptance of abuse from your future lifetimes.

The soul mate for you always helps and supports you through the stages of your life. You both grow and are rewarded by the love, caring, and effort put into each other’s life. It doesn’t mean that you won’t have blockages, troubles, and problems to overcome. It does mean that you will always know that there is another soul and person who loves you

What Is In a Name?

What Is In a Name?

Author: Siren Starsong

Something memorable happened to my children and me the other day. I believe I was mystically guided by the hand of Bast, the Egyptian goddess of cats, women and children, to call my children together in what will surely be a defining moment in all of our existences as witches. We decided to choose our Wiccan or “Magical” names, as I like to refer to them. Some Wiccans do this; some do not. But being that I’m such a believer in dreams and all things magical, as are my children, I knew this was something we would do with incredible enthusiasm. Of course, recently my studies have included many of the Eastern and Asian traditions as well as the Stars, Ruling planets, Zodiacal signs, and the Elemental dispositions of people.

This knowledge being fresh in my mind and so eerily accurate in the descriptions of these little people that I knew better than anyone, I knew it was the right time to do this. For lack of a better word, I was inspired. It was not an easy task and it took pretty much all day to create their perfect and everlasting, Wiccan identities. Coupled with some further online research during this process, our names emerged. Names that would keep my children ever mindful of an innately good presence guiding their every movement as well as keeping a little magic in their daily routines. I also knew that we would be able to actively use these titles whether in ritual or rite or if nothing else, just to show each other affection. In perfect love and perfect trust.

My name was easy. I chose my name shortly after realizing that Wicca and Witchcraft were to be the path that my own life would follow. I had read a few books, and researched extensively online for something that I could believe in and feel good about. I was raised Baptist and had become so disenchanted with how Hollywood-ized it and many other western, Christian denominations had become. I knew that what I believed was different than how I was “conditioned” by my society to believe, but was unaware that there were a vast number of individuals whose views were just like mine.

And once I realized Wicca was right for me, it just seemed like the next phase of my metamorphosis to adopt my Wiccan identity. You know me as Siren Starsong. Being born a Capricorn and an Earth sign, I often wondered why I never really seemed to fit that description. I mostly exemplified the Aquarian traits and personality type.

Once I started reading about the Western Zodiac, my eyes were opened. See, I was a preemie. Born just over two weeks early. Had I finished my gestation and made my due date, Aquarius all the way honey! Maybe this would explain my recurrent dreams of being a mermaid. I’ve always been inexplicably drawn to the water.

I ache for the sea. To taste the brine on my lips, the sting of it in my eyes, the incessant rhythm of lunar-pulled, rolling tides. When I’m too far inland, I yearn for the seashore. When I’m standing on the sand, sea foam licking my toes, I feel I’m home and never want to leave. Then, there is the facet of music. It’s in my blood. Born to generations of gifted musicians,

I’m sure it was imparted to me as my mother’s voice penetrated the womb while singing lullabies in anticipation of my arrival. My instrument is my voice. It is my gift. Mermaids sing to the sea.

In legends, Sirens were known for voicing the most unfathomably beautiful serenade, that their songs actually hypnotized sailors, unfortunately to their tragic demise. Therefore, with two such powerful forces in me, I settled on SIREN and SONG. STAR had to be a part of it too. Stars in the sky (luv ’em) , starfish in the sea (duh) , pentagrams, pentacles (full of meaning) , you can see where I was headed with this. They are my favorite shape. Anyway, after saying it a bunch of different ways, once I heard THE ONE, it was like MAGIC. It was obvious at that very moment that I would forevermore be SIREN STARSONG. Merry meet.

So the process of finding a name had been established and I knew it would be such a magical and binding journey for my children. Don’t get me wrong, they are free to believe as they see fit. I only see to it as my duty to guide them in a path of light. The right-hand path of Wicca. If they grow out of adolescence only to choose a belief system different than mine, then so-be-it. At least I know that I had a hand in imparting them with the insight of the different worldly and otherworldly spiritualities. Gifting them along their way with a metaphysical window to see all that is, and can be good. Should they, in their adulthood, choose another way or craft, I’ll know they did it intelligently, wielding a wealth of divine knowledge and strength.

So, I just thought I’d share with you all exactly how we came to be who we are as a family of witches. What our names represent. Maybe a bit about who each of my children are and an idea about their signs and elements will highlight just how our names evolved. Again, the Internet proved to be an amazing and helpful tool in helping us with our quest.

Here’s the rundown:

Morgan Ashlee is the birth-name of my first-born daughter. She is sweet and strong-willed, self-aware and sassy! At 12 years old she is quite the super diva, singing ever so much better than I did at her age. Always the performer, she loves positive accolades and tons of attention. Immensely helpful, excellently intelligent, spirited and graceful. She can dance like nobody’s business (a cheerleader, GASP) . Though, she is more apt to befriend the wallflower than the debutant just out of sheer good will. She is eternally optimistic and rarely downtrodden. Super-emotive and affectionate, she is hilarious, entertaining, and one of my all-time, very best friends. She is fair-haired with snowy pale, glowy skin and cool, azure eyes. To me, she is what I envision angels looking like. She radiates light and warmth. Her beauty is luminous and celestial. She is a Libra, an Air sign.

Her Wiccan or magical name selection of ARIA represents her gift for and love of music. She also chose AQUA signifying both her physical characteristic of blue eyes and for her primary eastern element, which is Water. STAR was a given. Symbolic of her desire for admiration as well as her radiant beauty and kindness. A YIN to both mine and her younger sister’s Yang, she is also the Pig per the Chinese zodiac and a secondary Wood element. With a little help from myself, Morgan chose a name that suits her to a “T”. She is ARIA AQUASTAR and the only one of my children to share a common name (STAR) with myself. And here’s the weirdness. When she was born, I had yet to study any of these philosophies and had no idea of her astrological essence. So it is astonishing to me that the name I chose for her so long ago, simply because it sounded pleasing, was curiously accurate by definition. Morgan means “of the sea” or “by the sea” (her primary eastern element is Water) and Ashlee means “grove of Ash trees” (her secondary eastern element is Wood) . A little pre-Wiccan divination perhaps? Amazing!!!

Second by birth order is my daughter Shayne Alexis. She is 10 and was born on the fourth of July. She is the Yang of the two girls. She is soft-hearted and quirky, meek and wildly artistic, imaginative and silly. She is often misunderstood by those with little patience, due to her fluctuating disposition. She is the instigator, the ringleader of the younger children into a realm of dreamy, euphoric play. She wears her heart on her sleeve, loves all animals, and would rather be outdoors to run free. She’s a hard one to keep still for very long. She loves to tend a garden and can skillfully grow most anything. She’s adventurous yet clingy to the comforts of her own home.

Shayne is exquisitely petite, almost pixie-like, despite her inflated appetite. Her dark hair, saucer-sized, brown eyes and creamy complexion are reminiscent of a china doll. And much like a fairy, she’s often found perched comfortably atop seemingly awkward places (like the corner of a dresser or the back of a sofa) as if she is weightless. She and I are the most alike personality-wise which makes sense since we are both Tigers per the Chinese zodiac. She is a Cancer and a Water sign.

TALLULAH was decided upon after much aggravation to Shayne. She was harder to impress than the others. It means “running water”. Her ruling planet is the MOON so that one was a must. And then of course, GARDEN because her eastern elements are both Wood and Earth and because of her “inner” gardener. With her delicate and ethereal beauty, it is no wonder that she fell in love with her own new title in an instant. Close your eyes and say it aloud…TALLULAH MOONGARDEN. Doesn’t it just ooze fairy magic?

Third-born is my first son, Logan Aric. Born on 9/11/2001 during the World Trade Center tragedy, at just 6, he is an old soul. He is the introspective, introverted, soft spoken, observant, inventive, considerate, little professor. He is the boy-wonder genius, with a razor sharp wit and puppy dog gaze. Big brown eyes, golden hair and a tawny glow make this lanky, golden-boy striking to behold. Yup, he’s sure to break a few hearts. He’s extra loveable and super affectionate. He is just as content to be sitting quietly, turning his fantasies into artwork as he is to be spastically jumping on the bed like a daredevil with his brother. And though he is rarely ruffled, if angered, he erupts like a volcano and sulks for hours. He is the Virgo and an Earth sign like myself. A Snake per the Chinese zodiac, his elements are Fire and Metal. He is the YIN of my two boys.

We chose PHEONIX like the bird that perishes in a torrent of flames and falls to the Earth as ash. Then from the ash, is reborn. This name is symbolic of both Logan’s Earth sign (ash) as well as his Fire element. And, for his own deeply, reflective personal trait as well as representing his secondary element of Metal, SILVER seemed fitting. Something I’ve learned while reading about Chinese Snakes is that they are prone to psychic tendencies. Strange then how, one of Logan’s favorite pretend games involves portals. Always daydreaming of portals. SEER is sure to hone his future talents. Altogether, he is PHEONIX SILVERSEER.

Our fourth child and second son, Gage Anson, was born the day after my first-born’s birthday. It seemed we had come full circle. My husband and I had originally chosen the name Gabriel for him pretty early on in my pregnancy. At the last minute though, for no good reason at all, we changed our minds and agreed on Gage. And WOW, was he determined to be here too, as he defied all contraception. This would be a telltale sign of who this little boy would become.

Gage is wild, exhaustingly energetic, and dripping with happiness. He loves to make people laugh, even at his own expense. He is almost freakishly, physically strong, but is quite attached to his soft blankie and pillow. He is loud, huggable, goofy, mischievous, laid back, sneaky, musically inclined, and is delightfully charming. He’s gotten away with so much due to that last point. He has dark hair and eyes, milky, porcelain skin, and pomegranate red lips. He’s built stocky and muscular, almost plump, completely opposite of his older brother.

As a baby his hair was full of gorgeous curls and we were often complimented on our “beautiful little girl”. He is beautiful, no doubt. Ironically, he is that kid who will secretly create a mural in the laundry room where you’ve purposely hidden the Sharpie markers, while standing atop the dryer. But, then he’ll pass out the next instance amongst the dirty clothes, as if his batteries have run out, looking nothing but angelic as he slumbers.

I was elated when, while browsing the Internet for names meaning “strong”, I found that GABRIEL was on the list. I think I actually screamed a little. Plus, I’ve always said Gage looked like an angel while he slept and Gabriel is the name of an angel. Next, we chose FIRE in honor of his primary element.

Gage is a Scorpio and an amorous Horse by Chinese tradition with Water as both his western sign and his secondary eastern element. We picked STORM for its aspects of Water, unpredictability, and occasionally destructive nature. He may have the coolest name out of the bunch. Gage is now known also as GABRIEL FIRESTORM.

THIS CONCLUDES OUR BROADCAST DAY. But in all seriousness, I’m so thankful to have come across this site where I can share my enthusiasm for my beliefs. You all are now a treasured part of my days. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on these names. Also, I’d love to hear the stories behind your names. Thank you for taking the time to read this and blessed be.

Siren Starsong

Daily Feng Shui Tip for Jan. 9th

On ‘Play God Day’ I thought we’d take a look at the deity that the month of January is named after. January is actually derived from the ancient name of the Roman god Janus, who is touted to have presided over the dawning of every new year. He was often revered as the ‘God of Gateways’ or ‘God of Doorways.’ He is also known as the ‘Lord of Beginnings.’ The image of Janus is often symbolized by a face that looks both backwards and forward at the same time, perhaps a reminder that this is a good time to reflect on events of the previous year. And you don’t have to be reminded that any past reflection should only be in addition to recognizing the clean slate of opportunity that waits immediately ahead. So this would be a great day to make some lucky little upgrades to your front doorway. Remember that the front door calls in the subtle energies that enter your house and therefore has an impact on your opportunities and income. So be sure that this particular door is in good condition! If possible, paint the front door red to auger in fortune and luck, or green to grow health, happiness and prosperity. If you can’t do that, at least give it a good cleaning. No need for the God of Doorways to come knocking when a little elbow grease and a fresh coat of paint will bring you a year of blessings!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

THE NEW BOOK OF THE LAW

[sources: The Book of The Law, The Old Laws for the Old Religion, The
Great Book of the Law, The Dragon Law]

Preface: In my years of teaching and running a group, I have always had
a dissatisfaction with the popular “Book of the Law” available to most
Seekers. I felt it to be too archaic in its wording and perspective —
and while it was valuable in the Burning Times, it simply does not deal
with the concerns and needs of “modern-day” Witches. Over the years I
became familiar with several other sets of Laws. Each of these had many
good points, yet they also had their disadvantages as well.

Recently, I decided to do something daring — I took the four different
versions of the Laws which I had, and combined and reworked them. I
deleted what was no longer pertinent or meaningful, rewording others to
make them clearer and more understandable, as well as throwing in a few
new ones which I felt had been lacking.

I believe that what has evolved out of this work is a set of Laws which
are readable, usable, and most importantly, pertinent to the needs of
today’s Witches and Neo-Pagans. It is with these thoughts and hopes
that I would like to share them with you. If you should find merit or
worth in them, then I will feel as though I have accomplished something.
The material in this booklet has not been copyrighted, so you may
reproduce the Laws for students or friends, or reprint them in your
publication. It is my sincere hope that the New Book of the Law will be
of use to the Craft Community.

Blessed Be, Lady Galadriel

PART ONE

1. The Laws were created to give our lives form and order, that all
might be balanced throughout all of the planes. In truth there are two
sets of laws which govern us — one sets forth the ways of the Wiccan,
and the other the ways of the Universe. Both are important, both should
be observed with respect and treated with honor. The Laws were shaped
and molded to teach us, to advise us, and to counsel us in our time of
mortal life on earth.

2. Honor the Gods, for They are the channels and the manifestation of
the Source. Honor yourself, for this force also lies within you. Love
the Gods as They love you, and by loving yourself and your brothers and
sisters, so the Gods shall honor you. As the love and joy of a man and
a woman [or “lover and beloved” — LAH] flowers and grows when nurtured
with respect, and cultivated with understanding and honor, so should
you love the Gods.

3. The Goddess is the Great Mother, and the God is the Great Father, and
we are Their children; and we shall worship Them, for They are the
rulers of the Universe, and all that is therein. Therefore, O Children
of the Gods, try Them not, nor attempt to test Them, for They shall
show you that he Ways of the Craft are not to be belittled or mocked.

4. Let the Power of the Craft flow from you only in love — or not at
all. For it has always been known that the energy webs which we weave
and maintain shall eventually return to encircle their creator. Thus
our works become either the net which entagles and binds us, or th eweb
of light by which we find the Gods.

5. Let the Rites of the Wicca be a way for the children of the Gods to
be as One — for Power only flows when unified. Always should you
revere the Earth, and heal and tend Her, for She is our life, our
Mothership, on which we navigate the dark currents of space.

6. When you reap the harvests of your lands, then you shall not reap one
corner of the field, nor glean the herb gardens, or the fallen fruits
of the orchards. These you shall offer to the Earth Mother, in direct
return, or through offerings made to your Circle, or to sustain its
Priests and Priestesses.

7. Always be proud to be of the Wicca, but do not allow your pride to
become vanity — for those who are conceited are a stubling block at
the door of the Temple, and they shall be cast adrift, to swim within
their own vanity.

8. Observe and listen, reserving your judgement, for until all the
silver is weighed, who can know the worth thereof?

9. As like breeds like, even more so does good beget love and joy. Your
life will be full of love and joy if you are joyful and happy.

10. Your teachers are the servants of the Gods, and they shall plant the
seeds of knowledge within the minds of their students, and they shall
use their power for the good of the Wicca. Yet it is each individual’s
duty to tend the seeds which are planted, and to make the final
harvest. Those who misuse the power and the trust of the teacher’s
position shall have to answer to the Lords of Karma, and adjust the
balance accordingly.

11. The Temples of the Gods, which are Their abode on Earth, shall
belong to all Their children, and each Circle shall be as a special
family. Do naught against any Temple or any family of the Wicca, lest
you do that thing unto the Gods, and against yourself.

12. You must not be a teller of tales amongst the children of the
Goddess, and you must hold no malice or evil thoughts towards others of
the Wicca.

13. You should not lie, nor give false testimony before your Elders, or
those who are of the Wicca — for liars are fools, and a menace unto
themselves, and to the Wicca. Be truthful in all your works and deeds,
especially within the Circle, for what you say within the presence of
the Gods becomes manifest.

14. You must not put stumbling blocks in the way of those who do not
follow the Path of the Wicca. You must make no unrighteous judgements
of their ways, and you should aid them with an attitude of love when it
is asked for. Yet ever should you keep the Counsel of the Elders, and
reveal naught to others of where our Circles may be, nor may you reveal
our ways without the consent of the Priestess.

15. When you make a vow to the Lord or the Lady, or you swear an oath to
another of the Wicca, then you must do all that has come forth from your
mouth, for a covenant with the Gods, or with the Wicca, is your Honor,
and woe to those who care not for the fetters they attach to their
souls by not keeping their word.

16. The Great Mother and Father would not have their children suffer
the indignities of oppressors for their sake, for what is within the
hearts of Their children is dear and true to Them. The Ancient and
Mighty Ones shall cause the balance to be made for those who desecrate
the Lord and Lady, Their temples, or Their creations.

17. Never shall you use Magick, nor the Craft, to cause harm, for this
is misuse of the Power, and it is not to be condoned. To cause the
death of another through the Craft is to require the death of the Self
in sacrifice.

18. Never betray any of the brethren, nor the lore of our people, for
you are all servants of the Gods, and must live by the virtues of love,
honor and wisdom. Let truth, loyalty and honor be your creed. Let them
be your guides, tempered by love and wisdom.

19. The Order of the Gods shall you keep, and within Their Circles shall
you walk. You should not say “I believe” when you doubt, nor claim to
obey the Lord and Lady’s word when you never enter into the Temple. You
must not profess with your lips that which is not in your heart.

20. Do not use the names of the Gods in negative or evil ways, for They
love and cherish Their children above all others. All others They
love, even those who know them not. Yet those who hate and curse in
Their name shall have the Mighty Ones take the measure of their worth.

21. In any disputes between the children of the Goddess, no one may
invoke any laws but those of the Craft, or any tribunal but that of
Priestess, Priest, and Elders.

22. No one of the Wicca may do anything which will endagner the Craft,
nor bring any of the Wicca into conflict with the Law of the Land, or
with any of our persecutors.

23. Your magickal tools are channels to that which is most precious and
pure within you. Do not cheapen them by haggling their price when you
acquire them.

24. Never accept money for the use of the Power. It is sorcerors and
charlatans who accept money for their spells and prayers. If you accept
no money, you will be free from the temptation to use the Craft for evil
or unworthy causes.

25. You shall never take unduly from any human, animal or elemental that
which is not yours to take — for if you steal from another, in the end
you will have to sacrifice something dearer to you in order to attain
the balance.

26. Show honor to all people, that they may look up to you, and respect
you, and their eyes shall become a mirror for your soul.

27. Those who are of the Wicca shall not own slaves, for one person may
not own the spirit of another, for only the Great Mother and Father own
our souls. Nor shall you take as a pledge any person’s life, for to do
so is to take upon yourself both a mill and a millstone.

28. If a stranger sojourns with you, you shall do them no wrong; they
shall be as one of the Circle, born amongst ye, and you shall deal with
them as you would yourself.

29. Just weights and just balances shall be given by you, and just value
shall you give, and thereby receive threefold.

30. Your altars shall be kept clean, pure and holy, and all that is
brought into the Temple or the Circle shall be cleansed and blessed, for
the joy of the Gods, and of the Wicca.

31. A clean mind should have a clean body. You should keep your body,
your clothes, and your house clean, in honor of the Mother, who gives
these things to you.

32. Let none die without honor, without love, without respect, unless
their actions have decreed otherwise.

33. You should not couple together if it shall cause pain, jealousy or
deprivation to another by doing so. Union for malice or evil reasons
such as these upsets the balance, and the Lords of the Universe shall
make adjustments accordingly.

34. Let those who would love, and would be as one, and bear child, be
handfasted. For the sharing of love in this manner is beauteous, and
love’s union in the energy of the Gods, and the heritage of the child.
It is important for children to know and to identify with those who
brought them here.

35. The Law of the Goddess is that none of the Wicca shall take and wed
someone who they do not love, whether it is to harm another, or for
some form of material gain.

36. Remember that your children are Goddess-spawned, and are free
spirits. You do not own nor control them. They are your brethren,
come to visit for a while, that they may share in the vision of your
love and wisdom. Let each parent realize that although they may teach
and guide with love, the child shall also teach the parent, and aid them
in their growth and lesson

37. The etheric web and energy vortexes of the earth are in constant
flux and motion to adjust to the needs of the planet. The sacred trust
of the Wicca is to create and to maintain centers of light and
knowledge, using the magick of the divine spark within us to focus and
channel the forces of the Universal fire. And these are the channels
established between the worlds of the stars and the realms of the earth,
bringing in and regulating the spirit flames which energize and activate
all life forms. Thus we tend and guard the threads of creation, and we
weave the patterns of life and manifestation in an ever-evolving
tapestry.

38. Never use your heritage or position for self-glorification or gain.
Respect your magick and our ways. We must always recognize that while
others may look to us to lead them, they too are our guides.

39. Keep yor body strong, your mind keen, and your purpose pure, for
within your being you shall channel the Power, and it needs to be strong
and pure. And these are the keys to the path of Oneness, and to
communication with the Gods. Yet first you must learn to speak to Them
in such a manner as They can comprehend you. For the children of the
Wicca must aid the Gods, and work with Them, otherwise the Gods cannot
aid and work with you. Ever remember that the Priest and Priestess are
the living representatives of the God and Goddess Forces, and likewise
that all humans carry these forces within them, though they may lie
dormant and unawakened.

40. As the Great Mother and Father come unto one another and create with
the pure vibration of Love-Wisdom, so should you strive to make your
Temple pure in vibration, and thus a fitting place wherein you may
invite the Gods. Thus, your Circle should always be duly purified and
cast, and likewise, those who would use the gateways and travel the
Circle between the earth and other realms should also be duly prepared
and purified.

41. The Goddess hath said, “I shall not carry thee, yet neither shall I
hinder thee, nor keep thee from having the same opportunities as all of
my children. Thou art free, yet thou shalt not be coddled like babes in
the storm. If thou hast true devotion within thee, then all obstacles
may be overcome.”

42. The laggard is but half a person — and though half is better than
none, the whole is twice as good as the half. Those who do not work, or
who lack the will and desire to learn the ways of the Gods, unto them is
said, “The Ancient and Mighty Ones shall not keep thee within their
house, if ye learneth not.”

43. A sanctuary you shall make unto the Gods, that They may dwell
amongst you. And you shall fashion it to the best of your ability,
according to all tha your Elders shall show you, and pure energy shall
you place therein.

44. An altar shall you make to unto the Lady, and you shall make due
reverence unto Her, for every place where She is exalted, She will come
to you and bless you. And you shall fashion your altar out of wood or
stone, and burn incense and candles thereon, at the proper times, in
observance of her ways.

45. You should set aside at least one day during each moon unto the
Goddess, and on these days you shall do Her work; and on those days She
shall renew Her children and bless them.

46. Learn to build your own Temple, and to craft your own sacred Circle,
and all the tools that are used therein — for to be a person of the
Craft is to be a person of consequence.

47. Let each of you inscribe your own record of our ways and teachings.
For the course of each Wiccan should be charted, that the patterns of
their life-web may be made known and utilized. Let each Wiccan start
their Book of Light with the teachings and lore of their tradition, yet
let it also contain the rites and ways of each individual, which are the
harvest of each child of the Wicca, to use the wisdom of their heritage
as the seeds of their own wisdom. Thus shall our lore and knowledge
continue to grow and unfold, like a beautiful flower.

48. It is right to study and to understand the sigils, statues and
stories of the Gods, for they shall guide your thoughts to Them, and
They shall hear them. Yet you must ever remember that you worship not
the sign nor the statue, but the Gods which inspired them.

49. If your Circle owns any land, let all guard it, and help to keep it
clean. Let all justly guard all monies of the Circle, as well as the
rights and property of all members of the Circle.

50. If any Wiccan truly labors, then it is right that they should have
their just pay. This is not considered the taking of money for the Art,
but good and honest work. Yet if any Wiccan works willingly for the
good of the Craft, or for their brothers and sisters without pay, then
it is to their greatest honor.

51. If any Wiccan should deny themselves some pleasure or material
indulgence in order to do service in the Circle, this person shall be
blessed and remembered. For those who give for the greater good of all
shall have their spirit uplifted.

52. Know also that if you gift the Lady’s Priests and Priestesses, or
Her Circles, this is an offering made unto the Mother Herself, for a
true Priest or Priestess strives always to do Her work, and to be of
service to Her children, so to honor and respect them is to honor and
respect the Queen of All.

53. And the offerings which are considered the most pleasing to the Gods
are these: the fruits of the orchards the scents of the trees and herbs
the metals of the earth the waters of the earth the flowers of the
meadows and the milk of all mothers. Yet offerings of labor or money are
honest too, and these will also be accepted — moreso if you work with
love in your heart, for always there is work to be done for the Gods,
and service to be given to the children of the Wicca.

54. If your offerings are made to restore the balance, it must by of a
nature that it not offensive to the Gods. It must be of value, yet
given with a free heart. Thus shall the harmony be restored. If your
offerings are given with a heart filled with love and devotion, or are
of service to the Gods, or to the Craft, then shall you receive
blessings manifold.

55. And when you make an offering unto the Gods, you should offer it
thru the most proper medium, at the proper times, and in such a manner
as to make it acceptable. Any and all remains of the rituals shall be
consumed in the fire, or buried within the Earth, as a way of returning
to the Source all that we use in the observance of our ways, thus
ensuring the continuity of the cycle.

56. All may use the Craft to help and aid them, or for the advantage of
their Circle, or the Craft — yet only if you are sure that you harm
none. Let each Wiccan and Circle always debate these matters at length.
Only if all be satisfied that none be harmed in any way, may the Art
then be used. If it is not possible to achieve your ends one way, then
perhaps the goal may be achieved by actng in a different way, so as to
harm none.

57. Throughout the world it has been many a year since Wiccans have been
burned. Yet misuse of the Power might raise the persecutions once
again. So never break the Laws, however much you might be tempted, and
never consent to their being broken. And if you know they are being
broken, then you must work strongly against it.

58. In days of old it was decided by the Mighty Ones who came before us
that the Art might be used to restrain others from harming the Craft or
its children, yet only after great consultation with all members of the
Circle, and only then to deflect or to constrain them.

59. And such were the ways of the Lady that She brought us forth in joy,
and such were the Ways of the Lord that His reign gave all life
pleasure. Offer love in your worship and all shall be joyous in beauty.

60. In the dimly remembered dawn of ages past, the Wicca were truly
free. Then, in Atlantis came the Age of the Misuse of Power, followed by
the Ages of Persecution and Suffering. Thus the people of the Wicca hid
themselves and cloaked their knowlege, and wove veils of secrecy and
silence. And this is how the Ways of the Wicca have been preserved
through the time of darkness. Yet much of the ways of our people were
lost to the ignorance of others.

61. Yet the cycle spirals ever on — and the Age of the Earth Mother
once again draws nigh. We must be strong — one with our birthright,
and one with our Gods, if we are to bring forth the balance. Those who
would harm us, or attempt to enslave us, we must overcome — yet only
through light and love, and never through violence or the evil of chaos.
And through our efforts the time of our people will come into being once
more. In the times which lie ahead, there lies much work to be done, so
that once more the cycles of life are drawn to the path of light, and
the balance acheived through the power of love.

62. In order to bring the ways of Light and Love and Life to the peoples
of the Earth, our secrets are slowly becoming secrets no more, and it is
good that this is so — for the age of shadow and secrecy is passing.
Yet the sharing of our ways needs always to be guided by wisdom and by
love. Let our rites and our mysteries be kept sacred. Let no one
defile our worship or our heritage. For the defilement of our ways is
an honor loss to self, and for the Craft.

63. Let each High Priestess govern her Circle with justice and Love, and
with the help and advice of the Elders and the High Priest, always
heeding the messages of the Gods when they come.

64. Ever remember that although the Priest is the force with which the
Circle is built, the Priestess is the ruler therein — for it is through
her that the Goddess created the world, and all things therein.

65. The High Priestess will heed all complaints of all Pagans and
Wiccans, and strive to settle any differences between them with reason
and with justice.

66. Let each Circle of Light decide how it shall be known — whether by
earthly name or magickal one. For each child of the Wicca knows best
the safety or dangers of their homeland.

67. Let each Circle or Temple maintain and dedicate unto the Goddess and
the God all the things that are required for Their rituals, for what is
blessed in the name of the Gods rightly belongs to Them, and the Priest
and Priestess shall be the caretakers thereof.

68. Anyone of the circle who is of sufficient rank, and wishes to form a
new Circle, shall tell the High Priestess and the Elders of their
intentions. Members of the old Circle may join the new Circle when it is
formed, but if they do so they must leave the other Circle, unless
otherwise instructed. For it is the Old Law that each Wiccan may join
the Circle of their choice, yet their energy should not be divided
between two or more Temples.

69. The Elders of the old and new Circles shall meet in peace and with
respect, to decide the level of interaction and connection between the
Circles. Yet it is known that the splitting of a Circle often means
strife. So only if it is truly in a spirit of peace and harmony should
the Circles meet for the celebration of the Great Festivals.

70. None shall enter the Circle that have a sickness or an ailment which
may be passed on to the Lady’s other children — for to do so causes
harm to yourself, as well as to the others of the Circle. Rather should
the Healers go unto the sick one, that through the love of the Gods they
shall be made well and whole once more.

71. It has been judged lawful that if any of the Craft need a house, or
land, and none will sell, to incline someone’s mind so as to be willing
to sell, providing it harms none and the full price is paid without
haggling.

72. In the matter of quarrels or disputes between the members of the
Circle, the High Priestess shall convene the Council, and inquire into
the matter. The Council shall hear each person privately, and then both
together. And they shall decide justly, not favoring one side nor the
other.

73. If an agreeable resolution cannot be reached, then that Wiccan must
leave the Circle, for a Circle of Light cannot be properly formed where
there is disagreement and discord. And when a Circle is not properly
formed, the energy within is either dissipated, or turns ugly, festering
like a hidden sore. So let them leave, but only with love in their
hearts and yours, for even though your paths may diverge, you are still
all children of the Wicca, and there must be no violence between us.
Bear no grudges, hold no thoughts of vengeance, for this will rot away
the foundation of your power.

74. It has ever been recognized that there are some people who can never
agree to work under any others. At the same time there are also people
who cannot rule justly. To those who must ever be chief there is but
one answer: “Void this Circle, and seek another one, or if ye be of
sufficient rank, then form a Circle of your own.” To those who cannot
rule justly, the answer shall be “Those who cannot bear your rule will
leave you.” For none may come to Circle with those with whom they are
at variance, for to do so angers the Gods, and hinders the Craft.

75. Those that do wrong without knowlege shall be held innocent; those
that do wrong through carelessness shall be judged lacking in wisdom,
and dealt with according to the nature of the transgression. Those who
do wrong with deliberation and forethought shall be thrice punished, and
the Lords of Karma shall lay low their pride.

76. Each person must make a balance for their words and actions, and the
judgements of the Elders should incline to try to make good come from
the injustice or wrong-doing. Many are the ways to restore the balance,
so let the judgements of the Elders and the Priestess be in keeping with
this.

77. Do not turn aside those who seek the ways of the Wicca for the want
of an offering or the lack of a robe. You are the servants of the Gods,
and the servants of Their people, and those that seek for the Gods you
must aid in their quest.

78. Of those who would inquire as to the ways of the Goddess, or who
wish to become of the Wicca, ye shall search their hearts, and even into
their spirits you shall look, as you are able. For the Wicca do not
look to acquire mere numbers. Let none be turned away if their hearts
are true, and their desire earnest.

79. The hidden children are like the strings of a harp: each one may
give a clear note, and when gathered together in sympathy and accord,
they shall give rise to a beautiful symphony. Yet when struck without
reason or thought, these notes may cause discord or disharmony.
Therefore the Gods decree to Their Teachers and Priests that all must be
taught to master their harp, and to pluck their strings with care, that
they cause no discord or imbalance.

80. Choose the Priests and Teachers of the Wicca with diligence and with
care. The qualities that you should search for within them are Faith,
Belief, Knowledge, Ability, Patience, Leadership, Humility, and a loving
nature — for they must lead and teach the children of the Goddess, and
will thereby have the power to do great good, or to cause great
imbalance.

81. In practice it should be that the greatest of the Priests and
Priestesses should guide the rituals within each of the Temples of the
Old Gods, and truly you should be content with the advice and guidance
given by them. Yet ever it should be given so that it is clear and
understandable, for within the Temple each of the Wicca is free, and
thus they should be able to recognize and to understand our ways and
their implications. And those who cannot explain the inner workings, or
give just cause and reason for their decisions, may be questioned, or
the wisdom of the advice weighed.

82. Let the Priestess and Priest lead as long as they are able, and
their leadership be wise and strong, and to the benefit of the Wicca.
Yet if their health is ill-favored, or if the next generation needs to
try their hand, then let them have the vision and the wisdom to step
away from their position, and pass the duties of the Circle t o another.
Let them not become overly attached to the office, nor too fond of the
power.

83. If a Priestess or a Priest should tire of their duties and charges,
then they may step down, but only after having trained and acknowledged
a successor. If a Priest or Priestess deserts their Circle, then they
have lost the right to ever lead again within this life, so great a
trust they have broken. If they should return to the Circle within one
turn of the Wheel, and are judged to have true atonement in their
hearts, new insight and growth, then they may be forgiven, and allowed
to return to the Circle, yet they shall worship only, and hold no office
or title. Leadership is a sacred commitment and an honor, and they have
shown that they cannot be trusted with such responsibility.

84. Any Priestess, Priest, or Elder who consents to a breach of the Laws
regarding the use of the Craft to cause harm to others must immediately
be relieved of their office, for it is the lives of the children of the
Goddess which they endanger, as well as the honor of the Craft.

85. The High Priestess may take a Sabbatical from her Circle, if her
personal life and duties require it, for up to a year and a day. During
that time, the Maiden shall act as High Priestess. If the High
Priestess does not return at the end of a year and a day, then the
Initiates of the Circle shall name a new Priestess. Unless there is
good reason to the contrary, the person who has done the work of the
Priestess should reap the reward. If someone else is named, then the
Maiden should continue in that office.

86. Each Priestess and Priest shall choose their own consorts, yet let
them be wise in the learning of our people, and thus others shall abide
by the wisdom of their choice. Yet if the Circle feels the decision is
ill-advised, or that they cannot abide and work in honor and trust with
that consort, then they may request a gathering of all concernted to
meet and to talk, and to resolve the balance with love and honor. For
only those who are pure and strong, keen and wise, patient and loving,
can effectively and properly carry out the duties of a Keeper of the
Circle.

87. Those of the Priesthood shall not neglect their mates, or their
children, or their house, nor anything which is in their possession; nor
shall the sick and the needy be neglected for the sake of the Circle.
Therefore let them adjust the one thing against the other, that neither
should suffer, and that which is given by the Gods is treated with love
and respect.

88. Long ago, at the time of Creation, it was deemed that the female
should hold the power of life-giving. And such was the male force drawn
to the love and beauty of the Creation of life, that he surrenders unto
her keeping the force of his powers in the furtherance of life. Yet the
Priestess must always remember that the fuel of the flames which light
the fires within her Temple comes from the Priest. Thus she must use
the force wisely, and only with love, and she must honor and respect he
who is the activator of the Life Force.

HERE ENDS THE NEW BOOK OF THE LAW.

Published by: The Grove of the Unicorn PO Box 13384 Atlanta, GA 30324

Ordering Information: Send Legal size SASE A small contribution towards
printing/handling costs will be appreciated.
——————————————————————————
To this I would add only one more admonishment, based on my own
experience: It is as important not to take oneself, one’s power, and
one’s Craft too seriously as it is not to take them too lightly.
Moderation in all things, including moderation. And remember that all
acts of love and pleasure are the rites of the Goddess, and this
includes HAVING FUN.

B*B Leigh Ann

The Law

We are of the Old Ways, among those who walk with the Goddess and God and receive Their love.

Keep the Sabbats and Esbats to the best of your abilities, for to do otherwise
is to lessen your connection with the Goddess and God.

Harm none. This, the oldest law, is not open to interpretation or change.

Shed not blood in ritual; the Goddess and God need not blood to be duly
worshipped.

Those of our ways are kind to all creatures, for hurtful thoughts are quiet
draining and aren’t worth the loss of energy.

Misery is self-created; so, too, is joy, so create joy and disdain misery and
unhappiness. And this is within your power. So harm not.

Teach only what you know, to the best of your ability, to those students who
you choose, but teach not to those who would use your instructions for
destruction or control. Also, teach not to boost pride, forever remember: She
who teaches out of love shall be enfolded in the arms of the Goddess and God.

Ever remember that if you would be of our way, keep the law close to your
heart, for it is the nature of the Wicca to keep the Law.

If ever the need arises, any law may be changed or discarded, and new laws
written to replace them, so long as the new laws don’t break the oldest law of
all: Harm None.

Blessings of the Goddess and God on us all.

(* Wicca – S. Cunningham)

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