Tag: Magic

What Is The Difference Between A Spell and A Ritual

What Is The Difference Between A Spell and A Ritual

 
 
In practice the terms “spell” and “ritual” are used interchangeably in magick and throughout used as a umbrella term for magickal working.
 
A spell tends to be a less formal kind of magick, usually cast for a specific purpose or need, for example to protect a named traveller (maybe yourself or a family member) on a particular journey or trip for a specified length of time. The energies are raised and then released so they will bounce back to activate the purpose of the spell which has been represented by a symbol of that journey. This physical focus of the spell might in natural magick be a feather or some chopped fennel herbs to symbolize travel.
 
In contrast a ritual is based on a more general or long-lasting focus. A ritual may be carried out at specified times, for example the first day of spring or to celebrate the birth of a baby. A ritual, even in natural magick, follows a more structured format.
 
What is more, whereas a spell builds up to a climax and release of energy, the ritual may release energy more evenly throughout the weeks and months ahead.

Seeking and Working with Dragons

Seeking and Working with Dragons 

It should be obvious by now that I have a deep respect and love for dragons, a belief in their powers as co-magicians that is backed by years of personal experience. And I hope I have piqued your interest enough to want to work with them.

So how does one go about finding dragons? And how do you use their power? Should you do co-magick with dragons, or should you avoid the partnership?

I assume since you have read this far, that you either already practice some form of magick or are seriously contemplating doing so. If you are experiencing any doubt about your worthiness (Goddess forbid!) to work in the area of magick, any area of magick, you have some serious work to do on your self-image and the programming you have undergone that created your poor self-image.

Every magician, indeed every person who even uses prayer, constantly walks the fine line between an overinflated ego and an appreciation of her/his self-worth. She/he understands, without any cover-ups, exactly why they are choosing to work magick at any given time. This understanding is vitally necessary in order to assess the end-result of the spellworking, the type of magick used, and the consequences that may be forthcoming for certain actions. What others think of a magician’s reasons is not important; they do not pay the penalties, gain the advantages of the rituals, or know exactly what that magician may think and feel. However, the magician must know what is deep within her/his own mind and heart, know it and deal with it if there is negative programming or intentions that are selfish and unjustified.

A good magican is neither white nor black. A good effective magician is what I call gray, one who understands completely the consequences of actions and is willing to do what is necessary, particularly in the areas of protection and the removal of evil. An effective magician knows her/himself like no one else does; she/he has to be brutally honest about real intents and purposes for using any type of magick in the first place, but especially so when practicing dragon magick.

In dragon magick, the magician cannot afford any lingering doubts as to her/his right to ask help from these powerful entities. Like many other beings, physical and nonphysical, dragons will take advantage of anyone who vacillates in her/his commitment or who is unclear about their intent of a ritual.

I have yet to meet an “evil” dragon, although I have encountered a few who distrust humans so much that one must take special care when working with them. Dragons become “evil” only when there is an imbalance of energies, a disruption of the powers flowing from the Earth and humans to dragons and back again. To re-establish a positive flow of this power, the magician does not join every fanatical group out picketing and rioting. She/he knows that all changes begin within the self. Like ripples in a pond, when the self becomes balanced the immediate atmosphere and community are affected. When the community becomes balanced, this spread further, taking in countries and eventually the entire world. But, as with all things, a majority of individuals must desire and seek the balance and improvement or it will not occur.

Does this mean that unless you are perfect in all levels of your being that you cannot attract, contact and learn from dragons? Of course not? But if you desire a continued companionship with them, you must strive to better yourself, balance the ebbs and tides of energies within you, and make this effort, an on-going project. Every magician and spiritual seeker should be aware that there is no such thing as complete perfection within the human body and mind 100 per cent of the time. If you could become that perfect, you would no longer inhabit a physical body. The laws of the universe do not allow anything to remain static, non-moving or non-growing. Perfect is static in whatever form it currently has; therefore, in order to confirm to the laws of the universe, that perfect form must evolve into something else, some form of being that can continue to evolve to the next higher stage of life. Change is one of the few constants of universal law.

“Dancing with Dragons”

D. J. Conway

Wishing You A Very Magickal Weekend!

Days Of The Week Comments 

Happy Saturday Everyone!

 

Saturday’s Correspondences

Saturday Is Ruled By Saturn

Ruled by the Roman God of the harvest and planting. New starts and firmly planting your seeds of intention or good focuses on Saturday.

 Other correspondences for Saturday are:

Saturn Rituals: Disciplining ourselves.

Element: Earth

Colour: Black and sometimes purple

Number: 3



Magickal Graphics

Responsible Witch

Responsible Witch

Author: Donna Caldwell aka Scarlette Winter Rose

What is a witch? Is it, as by common definition, a sorceress, a person bent on evil doings, who casts spells and worships the devil? Is it someone to fear and therefore ostracize, imprison and execute? My answer to these questions is both yes, and no.

Why am I qualified to answer these questions? Because I am a witch, and have been all of my life.

So let’s get those questions answered.

First, a witch is many things. She, or he, as men are witches too, may or may not be a sorceress. Some witches practice no spell craft, but choose only to focus on the worship of nature, and the Goddess and God, providers of all that we are blessed with on this earth.

There are those like myself, who practice sorcery, or magick. And you will find that among witches, those terms, along with numerous others, intertwine for many, while some insist that the term sorcery only applies to black magic. I do not agree, because to me there is no “black” or “white” magick. There is only magick, and it is the intent of the practitioner that determines the direction of the energy used.

When one decides to follow the path of the witch, they are making a commitment that holds many responsibilities, and will find that there is much to learn before any actual casting of spells should be approached.

To quote High Priestess Ly de Angeles, from her book “Witchcraft Theory and Practice”, “Once initiation has occurred, there is no turning back…you will quest all of your life; it is not a thing to do thoughtlessly.”

This is, in part, because our spiritual path, unlike others, states that we are immediately responsible for all of our actions and the results that follow. We cannot lay blame elsewhere for our harmful deeds, whether toward ourselves or to others.

Witches do not believe in the devil, so the idea of our worshipping one is meaningless. If we have acted in a baneful manner, we will not be judged after our body dies, before a single god, but will reap the sowing of our intent while in the present life, and sometimes beyond it, in accordance to the laws of the universe.

This is known among witches as the Threefold Law. It states that any one baneful act by a witch shall be returned upon them three times.

Some, myself included, do not hold strictly to the Threefold Law, but believe that negative use of witchcraft returns upon those liable however many times the universe deems necessary, in order to teach that which must be taught to the practitioner. Think of the old saying “What goes around comes around.”

So witches do have rules? Hell yes!

We abide by that which is known as the Wiccan Rede, a hefty list of guidelines. The most basic and important of these is “And it harm none, do what thou wilt.” Now, just what does that mean?

It means a lot.

We must take care with everything and everyone on this earth, be it the people, the animals, nature, and the planet itself. All is a gift from the Goddess. We must not lie, steal, cheat, or raise war, either with nations, or other people who would condemn us for our beliefs because they differ from their own.

We must work magick responsibly. This means we must prepare for ritual with great thought and patience, being precise, and making sure our efforts do not impose upon another’s will, as that would be baneful.

We must not use mind-altering drugs of any kind before or during ritual. To do so would be against the Rede, as we could bring harm to others and ourselves due to our lack of clear focus.

There are strict rules for summoning energies or “watchtowers”, as we in the Craft refer to them. They are called upon to join and assist in ritual, and must be dismissed at the ritual’s end, in a certain way. Failing to do this can, and most often does, result in negative occurrences long after the ritual is over and those in the circle have gone merrily on their way.

Being in a drugged state would leave those practicing within the ritual circle completely vulnerable to the energies and spirits that have been summoned. To perform spell work correctly, successfully and safely, one must have complete control over their faculties.

Now, how about our reputation?

It has taken hundreds of years for witches to partially recover from the labels placed upon us, and whether we like it or not, our chosen path is one which is looked at by others who still hold to the opinion that we are not following a true spiritual path, but one of pure evil. We must show them differently.

We must act responsibly, respectfully, and never fall into the trap of believing that we are “right” and others “wrong” in their differing beliefs.

We must not boast of powers, or play upon another’s fear of us, thus falling prey to the ego and thereby promoting our own demise, either through personal fault, or by those who would seek to destroy us.

As for that last question, I think I’ll let you, the reader, decide. You have heard from me, a practicing witch, concerning some or our basic beliefs and ways in which we live our lives.

So, what do you think? Should I be feared? Ostracized and imprisoned? Executed?

Some would still answer, “Yes.” My neighbor is one. She has stated on more than one occasion that anyone who practices witchcraft, or her idea of witchcraft, should, in fact, be burned at the stake, twenty – first century or not. With the giant wooden cross she has erected in her front yard, I guess she is preparing for her own ritual….

There will probably always be those who will hate us, out of ignorance and fear. Or perhaps just because we have the courage some of them lack, to follow our own path rather than go along with what is most acceptable in society for the sake of fitting in.

As for myself, I shall continue on the journey my Goddess has provided me, and I shall remain a responsible witch.

The Spiritual Laws of Witchcraft

Witchy Comments 

 The Spiritual Laws of Witchcraft 

Witches know that no truths are absolute. There is no one absolute truth for anything. There is no one way to interpret reality, behave, think, or live. Therefore there is no single way to practice magick, pray, celebrate the seasons or spirituality. The idea that there is only one truth to any question leads to fanaticism, compulsion, and persecution.

Witches understand that the Universe is in perfect harmony and balance. Therefore, everything has an equal and opposite, not necessarily equated to a negative. For example: male and female, light and darkness, up and down, positive and negative, left and right.

Witches realize that for every action there is a reaction. Most of us view this as the Law of Karma. Therefore if you create evil, you will receive evil inn return, create good and receive good in return. Harmony begets harmony, evil begets evil, and balance begets balance.

Witches know and realize that we are all one. We are connected. Everything that you do to another, influences yourself either directly or indirectly.

A Witch should never close his or her mind to knowledge of any kind. It is through the continuous process of learning that we raise our personal vibration and our attunement to Deity.

A Witch acknowledges the Magickal Circle as Holy Ground. Therefore a Witch shall purify him/herself before entering or casting a Circle. All notions of hatred, arguments, or prejudices of any kind have no place within Circle.

Witches use the energies around themselves to effect change within their lives and the lives of others. These energies are manifest as the 5 Elements ( Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit). The Witch becomes a conduit for the Divine and Earthly energies used during Magick and Ritual.

Witches use common sense and wisdom and do not share the Mysteries with common fools. The Mysteries are not to be wasted in this, or any other manner.

Witches do not point out the identity of other Witches. Discrimination still haunts many of us. If one brings about such an incident, he/she is directly responsible for the harm that befalls the one revealed.

Raising, Directing and Releasing Energy in Ritual and Spell Work

Raising, Directing and Releasing Energy in Ritual and Spell Work

Author: Seleya
One of the most important aspects of both ritual and spell work is the raising, directing and releasing of energy. While most understand the concepts, the reality is something altogether different. Since no two people are the same, and no two people resonate with the same methods of raising, directing and releasing energy, it is important to understand the nature of these three functions of energy usage.

While it’s simple to say: “…here is where we raise the energy, direct it and than release it…” it’s quite another thing to actually accomplish those three little things. Some say dance, sing, chant, drum, etc., but what are we actually doing while we dance, sing, chant, drum, etc.? Does the dancing, singing, chanting, drumming themselves matter? The answer is no! What matters is the energy raised when these actions are performed by the person or people involved.

So how do we raise, direct and release energy? By using any method we are comfortable with that will help us to focus our minds, focus our intent, focus the energy in us, around us in our immediate environment, in the Earth, the Sun and the Universe; to bring the energy to us, and into our circles, to accomplish the desired purpose.

Many people are in such a hurry, they omit the “grounding” part, that should always be at the very beginning or any work, be it ritual, ceremony or spell. First, this helps to connect us to the energy in ourselves, our environment and the Earth, Sun and Universe, than that connection “grounds” us, by helping us to shift our attention, our focus and our consciousness to an altered state (i.e.: from the mundane to the sacred or higher consciousness) . It is from this “altered” state that we raise, direct, and release energy, by setting aside all thoughts and focus on our daily lives and moving into an altered state.

Without the shift in consciousness, it’s just dancing, singing, chanting, or drumming… all mundane experiences, in and of themselves. The “magic” starts with the mind shifting to an altered state, where it can focus on actually raising, directing and releasing energy.

By “raising” energy, we are increasing the level of energy within not only ourselves but within the circle we have cast. As the energy begins to increase, we focus and concentrate it or condense it, until it is nearly palpable. It doesn’t matter what “method” we use to raise the energy, only that that form resonates with our psychic, our bodies, or emotions and our spirits. We have to reach out to the energy we are attempting to raise, with our hearts, minds, souls and spirits; we have to become one with it. Once that connection has been established, we can than move on to “directing”.

The directing of energy is the beginning of actually “using” the energy raised. It’s the part where we take the focused and condensed energy, and “point” it at and “direct” it into the work at hand; be it ritual, healing or spell. The raised energy must be sent into that which we desire to become reality. Without this step the energy will simply dissipate, and eventually drain into the Earth; any residual, left over energy will make us feel edgy, nervous, agitated or nauseous.

The most important part is the “releasing” part. We have to release the raised energy into the working; we can’t “hold” onto it, or the working will fail for a lack of energy. However, this last step is the most difficult to accomplish. Because we have connected with the energy we have raised, in the process of raising it; it is natural to “hang on” and stay connected to it. In order to “release” it we must sever that connection and re-shift our consciousness back into a mundane state. We have to move our consciousness away from the “work” and focus on something mundane, like the “cakes and ale”.

Now comes the hardest part of all. Just saying, “I am releasing the energy”, during the ritual or spell, is not enough. We have to actually and COMPLETELY release all the energy, all focus, thought and worry or anticipation about the “working”. If we hang onto to any part of it, we are maintaining our connection to the energy, and will drain it away from our work. We cannot think about, worry about or “wonder” when the ”work” will come to fruition. We have to “know” that by fully releasing all energy, all thought, all connection to the work, it has already become reality, even if we have not yet experienced it.

There is no magic wand like in the Harry Potter novels; the “work” or “magic” has to be allowed to function along natural lines in accordance with the Universal Laws of physics. We will not wake up in the morning miraculously thin, rich, etc. Everything in its due course. If the energy has been properly raised, directed and released, then the work is already done. It has already come about, whether we can see it at the moment or not. It’s out there, and on its way to us in what ever form we need or that the Gods determine.

The more we want something, need something; the more difficult it will be to do the last part – the releasing. In the mid 80’s, I attended several “spoon bending” workshops conducted by a physicist named Jack Hoak. He and a Metallurgist friend were working for the Pentagon at the time, conducting experiments on using the mind to bend metal (with a war application, of course) . In the workshops we learned to bend silver spoons, forks and knives with the power of our minds. And yes, it does work!

The children did if first and the rest followed quickly. The trick? Release.

It was during these workshops that I really learned to understand the concept of “release”. It was easy to concentrate on the spoon bending, but quite another thing to remove all focus from the spoon so it could actually “bend”. My first spoon bent, when the person next to me squealed with delight as their spoon bent, the moment my attention was completely drawn away from my own spoon, it bent. I had released the energy I was mentally focusing and directing at the spoon “to bend”, and then it did.

While it seemed to work best when there are many people present (easily raising the energy?) , it has yet to work for me when I am alone. Partly because of my own belief that it will only work with others present, and partly because there is nothing to distract me into releasing my energy. Practice – I need more practice.

It all takes practice. Be patient, it’s helpful to start out with the little things and work up to the bigger things. We must believe to see, not the other way around.

As with everything – practice, practice, practice.

Gods, Magic and Bending Energy – What Other Oddities Do We Believe In?

Gods, Magic and Bending Energy – What Other Oddities Do We Believe In?

Author: Bronwen Forbes

You’ve got to admit – to the outside world, we Pagans and Witches believe in some pretty weird stuff. For example, most, if not all of us, actively work with deities that a large chunk of the world doesn’t believe exist; either Apollo, Thor and the Morrigan (for example) were never Gods to begin with since there’s only One, or they were once considered Gods but now they’re just archetypes, or part of our psyches, or both. But to us they’re quite real. They think they’re real, too – just ask them. And the fact that some of us can actually invite these deities to inhabit our bodies for brief periods of time, i.e. draw down? Psychosis, plain and simple. Ask just about any non-Pagan psychiatrist.

And then there’s magic. Say “magic” to most non-Pagans and they’ll assume you’re talking about pulling a rabbit out of a hat, or card tricks, or sawing someone in half. What we call magic is “change in accordance with will” which, if you’ve actually done it, can be as amazing as pulling a rabbit out of a hat for real, but it’s not the same thing. Still, I’ve gotten a lot of derisive and condescending looks from non-Pagans when the subject of magic comes up, mostly because our definitions of the word are so different.

For the record, stage magic has always fascinated me. Whenever there’s a kid’s program at the local library that features a magician, my daughter and I are right there. Magic act at the local renaissance faire? I’m in the front row – at least twice, if it’s good. And one of my favorite adventures when my family and I lived in Wisconsin? Visiting the Houdini museum in Oshkosh. Not only do I find his escape feats to be really cool, but also the work he did to debunk fake mediums interests me. But I digress.

And the idea that we can “play with” natural energy just boggles the mind of those not part of this path. Have you ever triggered heat-activated elevator buttons without touching them? Or sensed lay lines in your yard or town? Or felt a change in temperature once the circle was fully cast? That’s all energy work – and the bit with the elevator buttons is kind of fun. If elevators are a regular part of your life, it’s a great way to brighten up an otherwise dull workday. Plus, it will scare the hell out of your co-workers once you perfect the trick. Trust me.

So my question is, is one of the reasons you and I became Pagan the fact that we have the innate ability to accept somewhat fantastic or “out there” concepts as truth? Or do we have the ability to possibly accept the fantastic as truth because we once made an informed decision to follow a Pagan path? Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

I suspect, just as with the chicken and egg question, that the answer doesn’t matter much. So I’m going to ask a different question: what other “out there” ideas or oddities do you believe?

Take, for example, the idea that beings from other planets regularly visit ours, or at least do drive-bys from time to time. I think it’s hubris to assume this one small ball contains all the life in the universe, but that’s just me. I also look at some reality television shows and seriously consider the possibility that we are just not evolved enough as a species to handle contact with alien beings yet. Do I think aliens kidnap people? Yes and no. And I’m saying this as someone who spent a very…interesting evening with several members of MUFON (Mutual UFO Network – a support group for alien abductees. Long story.) There are hundreds of folk stories, songs and legends about people who were taken into Faery and weren’t seen for weeks, months, or even decades. Now we have the same basic story, but the “others” in the story aren’t faeries and elves, they’re little grey people with big black almond-shaped eyes. I think the phenomena, whatever it is – actual or imagined – is the same, but the details changed as humans moved into a more technological culture.

And then there are ghosts. I’ve never seen one, although I have seen “paranormal activity” such as lights turning on and off by themselves, shadows moving across the backyard, things like that. When I was about five months pregnant, we moved into a new house, and one day after getting out of a particularly long, hot shower (during which the bathroom mirror fogged up much more than usual) I saw the name “floyd” (ghosts apparently don’t use basic capitalization) written in the steam on the mirror. I did what any self-respecting crazy pregnant woman would do and screamed for my spouse. We tried everything to clean “floyd” off the mirror including pure ammonia. But every hot shower brought out floyd’s graffiti tendencies for the next four years. Maybe Windex should carry a warning on the label “Does Not Work On Ectoplasm.”

Here’s another “out there” idea that some of us probably believe and some of us don’t. Let me tell you my story about it. As of this writing, my family and I live in what I call The Little House in the Little Woods outside the city limits of Bloomington, Indiana. We are completely surrounded by woods that connect, with the occasional break for a road, to other woods for several miles, although we also have plenty of pastureland in the immediate neighborhood. The other night I was up far later than usual, and didn’t take the dogs out for their last-pee-before-bedtime run until about 11:15 p.m. So the three dogs and I were about to come inside when I heard four or five VERY loud, low WOOTS from the woods.

When something like this happens, believe me, the mind tries to come up with all kinds of plausible explanations. My first thought, I swear to Gods, was “We are too damn far south for moose” and then I ran through all other animals I could think of. Thing is, I watch those shows like Monster Quest and Destination Truth on TV. I recognized the sound.

The dogs’ behavior was most telling. The old one did her usual hide behind me, the beagle barked – and the wooter WOOTed back another two or three times. The big German shepherd, though, was seriously considering plunging into the woods to deal with it, but I was able to call him back. The fact that I was able to call him back *immediately* says a lot – normally he chooses not to listen to a word I say.

I got us back into the house and confirmed with my spouse that I did indeed hear the sounds. Only then did my spouse bother to inform me that he’d been hearing them for the past four or five nights (the rat!) . The next morning he logged onto a (you knew this was where I was going, right?) Bigfoot research site and played me some recordings. They sounded identical to what I’d heard the night before.

So I, at least, am convinced I heard Bigfoot last week. I must say I’m handling it much more calmly than the poor people they interview on those programs – the ones who are still freaking out twenty years after seeing or hearing one. I like to think it’s because, as a Pagan, I’m fully invested in the idea “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” Or maybe Bigfoot is less scary than ghosts. Hard to say.

What oddities do you believe in, and why? And what does that tell you about your Pagan path? Tell me, I really want to know.

Have a Magickal Tuesday, dearies!

Days Of The Week Comments
 Tuesday Is Ruled By Mars

 Archangel:  Samael 

Candle color:  Red 

Incense:  Dragon’s blood or cinnamon 

Crystals:  Jasper or garnet 

Use Tuesdays for spells for courage, change, independence in home or business life, for overcoming seemingly impossible odds and for passion. 

Where possible, work near a fire or bonfire or with a huge red beeswax candle as a focus; alternatively work next to  flowerbed or large vase of red, orange and/or yellow flowers.

 ____________________________________ 

Spell for Tuesday

Enhancing Confidence

In the old days many people thought that noise was a way of getting rid of demons so it was customary to shout when banishing such nasty things. Today we also recognize that psychologically we can be encouraged by passion, so this is a way of self-encouragement, and an appeal to our own ‘inner demons’.

Items You Will Need:

  • A bell or rattle
  • Rousing music
  • Your voice

The Spell:

  • Preferably choose a time when you will not disturb others and when you will not bedisturbed. Choose a short affirmation that expresses your best hopes for yourself.
  • This might be: I will survive or I can overcome any problem or I have the confidence to do anything or I am my own best friend
  • Play your music until you feel uplifted by its -mood.
  • Take up your bell or rattle and dance around -the room.
  • Proclaim your affirmation at the top of your -voice at least three times and preferably nine.
  • When the music finishes resolve to do three -different things in the next week which -demonstrate your new-found confidence
  • Each week reaffirm your confidence in the -same way, changing the words as necessary

This spell does seem to have an almost immediate effect. Even if you feel silly at first, having confidence is often about losing your inhibitions,and this is one way which can help. As a support for this, have fun drawing your own particular demoneven if it is only as a stick figure.

 
Magickal Graphics

Lemon Magic

Lemon Magic

Author: Janice Van Cleve

Lemon magic is a form of alchemy that has been practiced around the world in many different cultures for over 2500 years and it is still very alive and effective today. The word “alchemy” itself comes from the Arabic al-kimia, which is translated as the art of transformation. The fundamental ideas of alchemy are supposed to have begun in the ancient Persian Empire sometime before 500 BCE. In the Middle Ages its more popularized pursuits were alleged to be the transformation of lead into gold, the creation of the elixir of life, and the search for something called the philosopher’s stone. It was not until the Seventeenth Century that alchemy was itself transformed into modern chemistry.

Today in America, lemon magic is usually thought of as “turning lemons into lemonade.” There are various modern applications of this magic worked by different methods for different ends. One of the most common is “spin”. Spin is the reinterpretation of one set of words or events from a negative connotation to a connotation that is positive or at least neutral. It sometimes manifests itself as damage control. The alchemists who practice this art are called spin-doctors and they are found mainly in the arenas of government and politics, but they also proliferate as corporate lawyers and lobbyists.

Another application of lemon magic is in the business world. There it is found in mergers and acquisitions. The objective here is to identify struggling companies whose stock price is less than the value of their assets. When a target is found, corporate lawyers swoop in and devour the victim, absorbing it into their own company. Thus a liability for one set of investors is transformed into an asset for another set. A by-product of this process is usually downsizing and more people out of work.

These examples and many more demonstrate tangents of lemon magic where the effect is upon things and people outside of the magic worker. The magic worker remains unchanged in the process. However, the ancient art of alchemy went much deeper than this. It envisioned transformation of the alchemist herself with the ultimate goal of perfecting the state of humanity. Certain schools have argued that the transmutation of lead into gold is really an allegory for transmuting the imperfect human body into a perfect immortal body.

This, of course, ran counter to the concept held by official church doctrine that all human beings were corrupt, stained by sin, and condemned to hellfire unless they put their faith in the authority of the church and bought their indulgences. So alchemists dissembled the true intent of their work with cryptic symbology and vague rhetoric to avoid the tortures of the Inquisition.

Today we have no need to hide our alchemy, but often we don’t realize that we are using it. Turning lemons into lemonade by willfully changing our attitudes or perceptions toward the lemons is truly a transformation of magical proportions.

Starhawk – a well-known ecofeminist, author, activist, and priestess – defines magic as the art of changing consciousness at will. Aleister Crowley – poet, prophet, and magician – defined magic in much the same way. He called it the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with will. These folks and others who have written about magic are not talking about parlor games like levitating tables and making coins disappear. They are talking about understanding ourselves and the world around us so well that by our wills we can make of our situation what we want it to be.

Doreen Valiente, who with Gerald Gardner was chiefly responsible for bringing Wicca and Witchcraft into the 20th Century, sums it up best: “By developing their powers, the magician or witch develop himself or herself. They aid their own evolution, their growth as a human being; and in so far as they truly do this, they aid the evolution of the human race.”

So changing lemons into lemonade is truly a magical act. By seeing and acting upon the positive opportunities that lemons present to us, we not only improve our journey through the world, but we make it a more pleasant place for everyone else. This is not about “looking on the bright side” like some Pollyanna. This is about acknowledging the whole package – bright and dark – and by will and energy making it useful.

For example, a friend recently called me about 7:00 pm. It was already dark and I was settling in for the evening. She said that her car had been towed. Did she sob about her misfortune? Did she anguish about the $200 it would cost to get it out of impound? Did she even ask me for a ride home?

No. She asked me out for a drink!

She happened to be in my neighborhood and we had not seen each other for a while. We enjoyed a lovely conversation, a couple of nice drinks, and I drove her to the impound place for her to retrieve her car. It still cost her $200 and a complete alteration of her plans and mine for the evening, but she transformed that lemon into a delightful reunion and evaporated the stress it could have generated. That’s lemon magic!

The same thing happened to me just the evening before. I was at the house of some dear friends on the other side of Puget Sound. That means I had to take a ferry to get back home. The ferry website said there would be a boat leaving at 9:45 pm but in reality the next boat was not until 11:40. By the time I got back to Seattle, it was nearly one o’clock in the morning and there were no busses. So I had to march two miles uphill through the center of town in the middle of the night to get home.

Did I get angry with the webmaster or the ferry system? Not at all.

It was an opportunity for additional exercise and to work off calories. It was a beautiful night and a chance to experience my city in its quiet stillness. Best of all, it underscored my health and stamina and confirmed that I could still depend on my old body to function. It even prepared me for two glorious hikes in the mountains later that week. Lemonade!

Some folks go to the gym to work out when Life hands them a lemon. They not only dispel the negativity via vigorous exercise, but also shed some pounds in the process. Others learn from their lemons and pass on their lessons in the form of teaching or they modify their own behaviors to avoid those lemons in the future. By all these methods, and others besides, people can transform their mis-fortunes into positive fortunes.

Now if we could only learn to transform our lemons into a deep rich Burgundy, we’d really have something!

UNBINDING SPELL

UNBINDING SPELL

Ingredients

Note: This spell cannot be turned and there is no spell that will rebind the person once unbound.
Their power will come back; their body willbe free. I would not try to make a spell to undo this;
there is no spell which will achieve this and people that tried have been bound themselves as
a result. It should also be noted that this spell does not help those who become bound as a result
of trying to break it.
Needs: Two White candles Two Black candles
Movements:
Take the person that is bound and place him or her on his or her back looking up.
Place the two black candles at his feet and the two whites at his head.
Light them and then start the spell.
Spell:
I call on the gods and goddesses of the old days
as well of those of the new.
Break this spell that they call a binding with your power.
Gods of light move about this man or woman’s body.
Allow your power to break the holds on him or her.
Goddesses come down and wake his or her body.
Allow the power that you have given this person to be woken.
I call on the East gate.
Break the binding spell that was placed on this person.
Let it be removed for good.
Do not allow a spell of binding be placed on he or she that is before me.
Movements:
Place your hands to his or her chest and speak once more
Spell Continues:
Gods and Goddesses and the East gate,
help me within my workings.
Allow your power to move within my hands
and allow the binding that was put upon my friend
to be removed and never to come within him again
may he live or die.
I call on the element of the East, the element of water,
to fill these hands and move within this body
to allow the walls that hold him or her fall.
I call on the gate of the West, the gate of fire,
come forth and burn these walls that hold him or her from awaking
and burn the walls that hold back his or her power.
I call on the gate of the South, break the walls down with your power
so my friend may awaken as well his power.
I call on the gate to the North
to come and let the winds move air within my friend’s body.
Unlock the binding that was placed on my friend
and awaken his or her power and body to never be locked again.
Movements:
Move your hands down the sides of his or her body and say this.
Spell Continues:
O great gods and goddesses
and the gates that hold the elements within,
Send your power within my hands
and break free my friend from this binding.
I call on my friend; within your walls,
break that which holds you.
Open your body to my power and break the walls that hold you.
Come to me, my friend.
O great gods and goddesses,
do not allow the binding to work on this person any longer.
The power of both sides, of the Light and Dark,
Your onus is broken and you are free once more.
As the day and night,
so shall you be of both this day, and not just one.
Movements:
Back away once getting to his feet and dot move close tell you see the light of light
come over him or her and then the light of Dark come over him then see his eyes move little.
Then you may go to him or her to hold and help him.

UNCROSSING AND CROSSING SPELLS

UNCROSSING AND CROSSING SPELLS

Ingredients

If you have been having bad luck for a long time or are suffering from an unnatural illness
but you have no known enemy and no one has ever openly declared themselves against
you, you may have been crossed or jinxed, or someone has put roots on you. You may not
know who did it…but you may suspect and even be able to remember how it was done.
One common way to cross someone is to sprinkle Crossing Powder, Hot Foot Powder, or
Goofer Dust across their trackway or doorstep, or dress their socks or shoes.
Another way to fix a person is to get something personal of theirs and stop it up in a bottle
with roots and nails, pins, or needles. Your hair may have been gotten this way, or a piece
of your clothing, or your personal concerns. This trick may have been done to you by an
enemy to control you, dominate you, or get revenge on you by destroying your happiness
in love and money matters.
If you want to undo this sort of work, it helps to know who put the jinx on you so you can
call their name back at them, but even if you don’t know who did it or how it was done,
there are things you can do to take off the jinx.
Check around your home and see if you can find something that anyone could have
secretly put there to jinx you, like burying something in your front yard. If you find
something, like a bottle with personal effects, roots, or hairs in it, dig it up and burn it
or throw it away in running water. Even if you can’t find such a thing, you may have
been fixed with some mess sprinkled on your food or on your shoes.
You need to get 2 white offertory candles for uncrossing and some Uncrossing oil to dress them.
Also, and this is important, before lighting the candles, take a bath in some purifying
herbs or Uncrossing type bath preparation. The hyssop herb bath is something you
can make up yourself from hyssop leaves or you can buy ready-made Uncrossing
Bath Crystals with Hyssop, or — for a really strong job — you can use the 13 Herb
Spiritual Bath, which contains hyssop and 12 other uncrossing herbs.
Use 13 packets of 13 Herb Spiritual Bath and take a bath every morning for a
total of 13 days to clear away a really bad jinx. Hyssop is what is recommended
for purification. Call upon the deity of your choice.
To prepare the bath, you either brew up the herbs into a tea and strain it or dissolve
the mineral crystals in warm water. Then you recite an uncrossing spell of your choice
as you pour the bath water over your head. If you are taking the 13 Herb Bath, you
pour the water and recite your prayer13 times for each morning’s bath.
When you have finished the bath, step out of the tub and light the 2 white candles
that have been dressed with Uncrossing Oil. Stand between the candles. Do not dry
yourself with a towel — let the bath water dry on you in the air as the candles burn

Procedure

Recite voice your request in your own words that the jinx be lifted and the one who
put it on you be struck down. Pinch out the candles (don’t blow them out) if you intend
to work this spell for the full 13 days. If you do ill only be doing it for one day, just
let the candles burn until they go out, no matter how long that takes.
After taking this bath, some people then use the remaining bath water to wash down
their floors and especially the doorstep of the house. Mix the bath water into a bucket
with some Chinese Wash to make it even stronger. Wash from the back of the premises
to the front. Sweep out the front doorway area while the floor is still wet. Once you are
done with the wash water, carry whatever remains out of the house and pour it on the
ground outside (not down the drain).
Do this every morning upon awakening — bathing, praying, lighting the white candles,
and washing down the house — for 13 days and this will bring you relief from crossed conditions.
If you know who has put this crossed condition on you and you want to reverse the spell
onto them, the best thing to hope for is to find the mess they put down — whether that be
powders, a doll, or a bottle spell. If you find it, just burn it all up or throw it into running water.
Not only will this take the root work off of you, it will send it back to the one who sent it.
Most times, unfortunately, you will not be able to find what they put down to hurt you.
In that case, one well-known way to reverse their work back onto them is to burn a black
candle on their name (putting their name on a paper beneath an overturned saucer under
the candle) or carve their name on the candle. If you use a black candle in the figure of the
Devil and carve their name on it, dress it with Cast Off Evil Oil and things will go harder with them.
If you don’t know the name of the person who did this trick to you, carve the words “My Enemy”
on the candle. Burn the black candle on the toilet tank, a little bit each night, pinching it out
between burnings. Burn it while the moon is growing smaller — and on the dark of the moon,
the darkest night of the month, turn the burning black candle upside down and extinguish
it in the toilet bowl, saying “Thus will you, [name of enemy], meet your fate!”
Throw the remaining black candle stub and wax into a crossroads — or into the yard of the
person who had put the roots on you or jinxed you.

WHEN CURSED BY UNKNOWN PERSON

 

WHEN CURSED BY UNKNOWN PERSON

 

Ingredients

 

Spell and magick be gone (say this three times)
That has been placed on me by person(s) known or unknown to me
Go back from whence you came
Remain with whom you came from
Be with who you were sent by
Then visualize a pyramid going over you.
I am under universal light and universal protection
Nothing less then universal perfection can touch me were I am
The forces of this spell do leave So mote it be.

 

GLAMOUR AND BEAUTY SPELL

GLAMOUR AND BEAUTY SPELL

Ingredients

The best time to perform this spell is during the Full Moon, although, you can
also do it on a Friday during the Waxing Moon.
Ingredients/Tools:
-Bowl of spring water
-herbs for beauty, such as lavender and catnip,
-a white rose that has been separated from the stem, -mirror.
A ritual bath or purification ritual is recommended before performing this spell to
sort-of ‘clean the slate’ and allow magic to start anew.
Cast the circle and become calm and centered. Sit or stand facing the West.
Pour the spring water into the bowl and hold it up to the Western corner. Say:
I hail to the West and the forces of Water.
Hear and aid me in this magick tonight.
Grant me your beauty,
Shape and form this face and body
and let me radiate with self-love.
With harm towards none,
and for the free will of all, So mote it be.
Set afloat the rose on top of the water and stir it with your fingers three times round in a clockwise motion.
Take the flower out of the water and hold it in your hands. Say:
By the powers of the West,
The forces of Water,
I charge this flower with love.
Beauty is here,
It shines with the power.
Beauty is here,
Contained in this flower.
Keep the flower in a box along with catnip and/or lavender to remind you of your true beauty.
If a friend or loved one needs the power of love and beauty, tell them the story of the rose you
have blessed and give them the rose to continue it’s power. I hope you enjoyed this spell, and
I hope you see the true beauty with your hearts.

BANISHING SPELL TO STOP HARM

This will protect without causing the person bound any harm.
It is not a dark spell but a very potent protective one.
You may use a different oil if you wish to use as a banishing oil.
Rosemary may be substituted for Rue.
Materials: 1 black taper or image candle (gender depends on who you are trying to bind) nail
black cloth a large piece of black cloth red ribbon cotton needle and thread
Banishing oil loose tobacco A small mirror that can stand by itself
If you can obtain hair or nail clippings from the person or a picture, you can use it in this spell.
Fold the felt in half and cut out a rough shape of the person you want to bind.
Make the figure large enough so that you will be able to stuff it after you have sewn it together.
Sew the pieces of the poppet together, leaving a hole through which you can stuff the poppet.
Fill it with cotton and tobacco, and if you have the hair or nail clippings of the person, add those to it.
Once it is filled, sew the opening closed. If you have a picture of the person,
staple or sew it to the front of the poppet.
Next, care the name of the person onto the black candle with the nail and add these runes:
Thuraz, Isa, Eihwas, a dark filled in circle to represent the dark moon,
bars like you will see in a jail, and a widdershins (anticlockwise) spiral.
Anoint the candle and the poppet with the oil.
Cast a circle, invoke the elements, God or Goddess you are working with.
Light the altar candles.
Light the black candle and adjust the mirror so that flame is reflected in the glass.
Hold the poppet out in front of you and say:
“Creature of cloth thou art,
Creature of flesh and blood you be.
I name you (name of the person you are binding).
No more shall you do me harm.
No more shall you repeat false tales.
No more shall you interfere in my life, nor in the lives of my loved ones.
By the power of the Gods and by my will, So mote it be!”
Draw an invoking pentagram over the poppet.
Now take the ribbon and begin to wrap the poppet like a mummy,
leaving no space unwrapped. Say:
“I bind your feet from bringing harm to me.
I bind your hands from reaching out to harm me.
I bind your mouth from spreading false tales to harm me.
I bind your mind from sending energy to harm me.
If you do so continue, let all negative energy be cast and reflected directly at you!”
Tie off the ribbon and hold the poppet in front of the mirror while you visualize all negative
energy this person has sent to you being reflected back at them.
Wrap the poppet in the black cloth and tie with another length of ribbon. Say:
“Great Mother, I have bound this person
from harming me and my loved ones.
By the powers of three times three
By Earth and Fire, Air and Sea
I fix this spell, then set it free
Twill give no harm to return to me
As I will, So mote it be!”
Let the candle burn out while the poppet sits at its base, then take the poppet
and the remains of the candle far from your home and bury it deep in the ground
or toss it in the ocean and walk away without looking back.

TO BANISH ILL HEALTH FROM ANOTHER

This is a very short, quick and simple spell to do.
It can be done anywhere at any time (though during the waning period of the
moon is best as that is the time for banishing magic).
All you need is yourself, an intent, a person in mind (it helps to have a picture of
them if it is difficult for you to visualize them) and your finger ( I’ll explain).
Draw a banishing pentagram in the air with your index finger. This is done by drawing a five
pointed star backwards (the opposite direction you would normally draw it, not upside-down)
Draw it while saying:
Let this pentagram banish all ill health and negativity from (the persons name).
There is no specific number of times you repeat this process, it becomes as
many as you feel is enough.

A “KITCHEN WITCH” REVERSING SPELL

The following ingredients are needed

three red candles
(if possible) 1 black
candle if you can’t get a black candle without raising
eyebrows, go ahead and get a brand new black permanent
marker. Do not use this marker for anything else but this
type of spell if you can help it.)
rue
oil or get hold of some bulk rue … and a small bottle of
olive oil.A small candle holder and a clean piece of paper and a red
pen to write with are the next things.(again, a new pen if
possible, saving it for this type of spell. A good thing to
do is to get a variety of colored pens to save for doing
specific spells

You can do this whenever you feel the things in your life are not going the direction you’d wish

Melt the black wax of the candle in a double boiler and dip the lower half of the red candles in it, making the black wax coat the bottom half. Or, if you must, cover the lower half of the red candles with the black magic marker.

On a night where you can block everyone out for a while, take a bath with either sea salt or regular salt (1 tsp is enough) and a bit of rue oil or rue (cut or ground, doesn’t matter). Do not towel dry yourself, go ahead and air dry. (You can wear whatever you normally wear to do spells, but you definitely want to air dry.)

Then, get out the rue oil or, in a small bowl, mix 3 tablespoons of ground or cut rue and 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil. Coat one candle with the oil or oil-herb mixture, anointing from the middle out, going counter clockwise. Do the bottom half first, then the top. You’ll be doing this spell over three consecutive nights, so save the rest of the candles and the oil in a safe place.

On the piece of paper, write down what you’d like to see reversed from you; i.e. bad luck in love, financial problems, trouble from an anemy, inability to find what you need in your life, etc. Get thoughtful and make sure it’s something you really want to send away.

Place the piece of paper under the candle holder (it would probably be smart to put this in a pie plate or some other fireproof container), charge the candle with your desire to see these things or trends gone, and light the candle, using a lighter only (no matches).

Do this again for the next two nights, and once you’re done, burn the piece of paper, seeing your life as if a weight lifted from it.

If there’s any leftover wax, collect it in a brown paper bag and bury that someplace far from you, or throw in a trash can across town! Then forget about it, don’t worry over it, just know it worked.

You can do this whenever you feel the things in your life are not going the direction you’d wish, and different candle colors can be used for specific reversals. This is for general, overall reversals.

All four elements protection spell

The following ingredients are needed
1 blue candle
1 red candle
1 green candle
1 white or grey candle

to make the spell stronger.
dragons blood
salt
or anyother protection herbs/stones

A powerful spell that invokes the elements to protect you from harm.It really works based on me,family & friends who used it

cast your circle in a quiet & peaceful place.put the candles inside the circle in the following order/direction,north=green candle,east=white/grey candle,west=blue candle,south=red candle.If you have…put any herbs/stones for protection in the middle of the circle.light the candles from north & clockwise,when lighting them say *i invoke the element of earth to the north* & so on.BTW green=earth,white/grey=air,blue=water,red=fire.

when all the candles are ready then you can stand or sit in the middle or outside of the circle.relax & say *i invoke all the four elements by my side all that wish me harm shall not pass,so mote it be!

start off with north & say *earth protect me from north & around,block & crush thee threat* *air protect me from the east & around,blow& send back all thee threat* *fire protect me from the south & around,burn & banish all thee threat* ^water protect me from the west & all around,wash away & cleanse all thee threat* thank the elements =)

blessed be,amaranth

Everyday Water

Everyday Water
by Link

When you think of “Water” what comes to mind? A tranquil lake, gentle rain, or raging sea? Whether magical element or just a simple cup of tea, water can be a very special part of your life.

Water Spirits

Every body of water is an entity. Each lake, puddle or pool has a unique life-force all its own. It can be as vast as the sea, or as small as a two-sip potion bottle – any body of water has a personality just a little bit different than any other. Can you feel the personality of your bath? Can you feel a certain comfort within a place where you swim regularly? Try to sense what makes each body of water different than another.

Water at Home

A home is a very special place. It holds all the elements, and surely combines them into spirit. Water is an integral part of your home, like any ecosystem. The bathroom, the kitchen, the plumbing surely are temples for your own home’s personal aspect of water. When you visit the home of a new friend, make an effort to drink their tap water to take in a bit of the unique personality of that place. It may help you get a better feel for where you are, and all that resides there. Perhaps it is no accident that one of the first things someone offers a guest is something to drink. This concept is not limited to someone’s home. Going on a sales call or job interview? Grab a quick drink when you get there!

Healing Waters

Water is used in a variety of healing rites. Most magical people are quite aware of healing energies in teas, brews and baths. Next time you use one of these devices, try specifically addressing the water aspect within your magic. People often focus on the herbs used in their potions. But don’t forget the water spirits within your hot cup of tea that washes these herbs into your steamy Circle. Magic is often the chemistry of mixing things, thus mixing the energies they possess. Together, water and herbs make something very special, more so than either could do alone. Employ the water you drink to help swallow an aspirin; see the “liquid” in your cough syrup. Most over the counter drugs come in both liquid and tablet form. Perhaps this choice can help fit your magical need? When might a liquid work better than a solid, or vice versa?

Water Divination

Some people scry as a means to foretell the future or answer questions. Scrying is the act of gazing meditatively into a shiny nebulous surface, like a crystal ball. Fill your cauldron with water and see what shimmers on its surface — whether by moonlight, candelight or just bathroom nightlight. Oh, you don’t own a $200 cast iron genuine witchy cauldron to fill? Try any household vessel, perhaps one that fits your specific need. For example, if you seek financial guidance, try using the jar you store your loose change in. A new beginning? How about your morning coffee cup. Love? Perhaps a vase you might use for a dozen red roses.

For divination, you may want to try saving water to re-use over and over again each time you scry. Perhaps this water, just like you, will become more adept at scrying with practice! You might experiment with the specific type of water you want to use. When might water from the ocean work best? The rain or morning dew? Try collecting waters from the special places in your life, the stream where you picnic, the lake where you camp. Use your creativity here. Is there enough room in your freezer for a chunk of the first snowfall?

Another form of water divination might be to merely spill it on a flat surface. Which way did it run? Towards a specific direction? What does this direction mean to you? Try dropping something magical into a pool of water and count the ripples it makes. Four? Five? Do you find meaning in this number? Water is a very flexible thing. What new ways can you create to divine with water?

Your Own Waters

Perhaps the water we are closest to, but notice the least, is the water within our own bodies. Each of us carries around gallons that we borrow from our surroundings via the moisture within food and drink. We store it for hours, days, maybe even weeks, and carry it around like a little magical charm. Remember this the next time you share a drink during a special moment. A bit of that moment stays with you within the water you drank. Magical people instinctively feel the magic within their own waters. Ever notice how some people put a little something extra into licking and sealing a special envelope? It becomes a magical act!

Matter can be charged with your own personal energy, like the way a chair becomes warm when you sit on it. Water is especially receptive to storing energy. What energies does water hold within your body? Note that just about every emotion is expressed with water. Our water enables release, catharsis, getting it out of our system – whether tears of joy, a nervous sweat, or acts of love and pleasure. When we get too sad, too happy, too excited – water is what we often cast forth.

When you drink in water, take in what you need from the world. Ask for new things, new benefits, new wisdom and experiences. Just drink them all in like making a toast! And when you expel water, casting it out of your body, think what you’d like to cast out into life’s magical currents. Taking in, then sending out. What could be more magical than that?

The West

One popular belief assigns each element to a direction, with water corresponding to the west. My guess is that this began in England where the ocean actually is in the west, where the storms blew in from, thus fitting the geography and beliefs of the people who created the system. When members of the modern Craft community came to America, they continued the custom of looking to the west for water, even though the nature and geography around them was actually quite different. Water is one example of the choice whether to follow tradition, or modify our customs to fit the unique situations around us. I live on the east coast of North America, where the Atlantic Ocean is only 60 miles to the east. Yet most people I know turn their back and face west for water. Experiment with what direction feels most like water; try sensing what works best for you. You may find that the direction really doesn’t matter much. Someone I consider quite wise once reminded me that “water is where you feel it.”

The Water Cycle

Can we learn from the cycle of Earth’s water supply? Water vapor rises from the ocean, crystallizes to form a raindrop, falls to the Earth, runs its course through life’s rivers and streams, returning to the ocean, its source, to vaporize once again, perpetuating water’s cycle. Are we any different? Even today, Pagans sing about a drop of rain flowing to the ocean, returning to its source, the source of all life. This song even tells where we come from, and reminds us that we shall return. Think about the words. (Z. Budapest; 1971, Spring Hill Music.)

Look at the branching shape each tiny stream has as it feeds a larger brook, which then feeds a mighty river. Now look at the veins in your own arm. Perhaps it is the nature of small things to flow together, forming something larger. What other parts of life work the same way? What small things flow into you? And what do you join with to form something greater?

Like us, water also has many lives. The same H20 molecule that sits upon your sweaty brow today may have once been a teardrop in a lover’s eye or raindrop in a raging storm. It may even have once been part of an icy comet that hurled to Earth ions ago after whirling round the galaxy.

Water Magic

Perhaps the most common water magic is washing away something unwanted; we wash things to cleanse. Often the physical act of washing can have a magical component as well. When you shower, do you sometimes wash away more than just the grime of the day, making your stress-relieving shower a magical act? Have you ever rinsed out a glass or piece of clothing for a special occasion, and visualized the desired outcome of that occasion? When I wash my car, I pray for safe travel. (From the bathroom, the bedroom, and even the garage — Kitchen Witchery exists in every room of the house!)

I know someone who has slept on the same waterbed for a decade. This person respects (and actually talks to) the water within this bed as something sacred, like a magical familiar. Why not? Just imagine the energies this water holds. It becomes warmed by your body heat, hears a decade worth of dreams and passion. It provides the bliss of restful sleep. No other body of water can ever be that intimate.

Like anything magical, water is multi-dimensional. Make a list of properties you associate with water. Which aspect fits your magical need? Not only does water wash, but it nourishes and helps things grow. (Perhaps it is no accident that our first meal of Mother’s milk comes in liquid form.) Water is the place where life started, creating a new beginning for primordial Earth. What new beginnings do you yearn for? Water is the ink in your pen, the wine in your clinking glass. It freezes solid, yet steams away into vapor. Water makes ripply splashy noises, and swirls round and round into spiral whirlpools. Forget what you heard when you were nine years old – please do play with water!

Link
6538 Collins Avenue # 211
Miami Beach, FL 33141
AnthLink@aol.com

Today’s Goddess: Nicneven

Today’s Goddess: Nicneven
Halloween (Various Locations)
 
Themes: Protection; Ghosts; Divination; Peace; Winter
Symbols: Pumpkins; Gourds; Traditional Halloween Fare

 

About Nicneven: In Scotland, Nicneven is the Crone goddess of Samhain, which is the predecessor of modern Halloween festivals. Nicneven governs the realms of magic and witchcraft and also represents the imminent onset of winter.

 

To Do Today: In magic and Celtic traditions, this is the new year – a time when the veil between worlds grows thin and spirits can communicate with the living. Follow the usual customs of carving a pumpkin or turnip for protection and to illuminate the way for family spirits to join you in today’s celebrations.

 

In druidical tradition, Samhain was a time to rectify any matters causing dissent. Nicneven provides the magical glue for this purpose. Take a white piece of paper on which you’ve written the reason for anger in a relationship, then burn it in any hallowed fire source (the pumpkin candle, or ritual fires). As you do, ask Nicneven to empower the spell and destroy the negativity completely.

 

To inspire Nicneven’s wisdom or magical aptitude within, enjoy traditional Halloween fare – apple pie, for example, brings sagacity. Sparkling apple cider tickles magical energy. And root crops provide solid foundations and protection while magical creatures are afoot!.

By Patricia Telesco