Tag: Pagan

A Witch in the Closet

A Witch in the Closet

Author:   AntiHusband 

Every soul has a destiny. Throughout history we have heard and seen how life was before we were even a thought in two consenting adults. Our ancestors are keys to our past; they unlock secrets, bring about good fortune and sometimes crown us royalty. Finding out who you are is what everyone really wants. They want to know why they are who they are and how they got there. We all started somewhere; either from a far away country or perhaps we never left our roots. If you were to go back in time, where would you go? Who do you want to see? Even if you could never change events, you might at least get a little insight to your destiny and learn how better to make the most of your life. Past lives have always fascinated me…wondering if you were someone else in a past life. How exciting and yet kind of freaky? Of course. That is the beauty of life.

My heritage is mostly that of English and Scottish. I can try to go back and see if there is any royalty or that maybe a famous celebrity or great leader is on my history tree. Probably is. But that is not going to make me a princess or give me an “in” at the Golden Globes. There is some ancestry that interests me more and I am still investigating. I found a name that struck a sensory and it had everything to do with witches in Europe. Wow…I felt the back of my neck hairs rise up, not scary or terrifying, but intrigued and curious. You see, throughout my life, I have always felt that I am different — not in a morbid or bad way — in a way that I can only describe as meant for something and very in tune with my surroundings.

I think I will start with what I can remember from when I was a kid. First of all, I was not brought up a witch. I was brought up Presbyterian, not a bad Christian religion. I lived in southern California at the time and this meant lots of banquets, parties, celebrations and people with money donating to the church. My grandma Jones was a devote Christian, Elder, treasurer and very active for a 96 year-old. It was awesome, watching my grandma sing in church (I can still hear her voice singing hymns) ; I was in the kids’ church, mostly lots of playing and snacks. I did enjoy going to church with my grandma. Somehow, I knew I was making a memory every time and to this day I treasure those memories.

Fast forward to 1977, my friend and I would go into the garage and play zombies with our Barbies: we would pretend we could resurrect them. I can remember one night we had a sleepover with three other of my friends. We had an Ouija board, (a 70’s Ouija board was a big deal) . We asked it all kinds of questions (boyfriends, school, future husbands) but one question I did ask made a lasting impression on me: “Are you here?” The answer was a sharp “Yes”, which seems like a normal question that could be asked except… I meant, are spirits HERE. We did a lot of Ouija board stuff; it was different and fun.

I spent a weekend with my friend in Escondido, California. I think I was about 12; we took a trip to the library and checked out as many witch books, spells, and magic books as we could carry. We went home and read every one of them. My friend was really good at ESP (Extra Sensory Perception) . She could read the number on the card every time. Whenever her mom left, we would call another two friends and do fun “magic” stuff. I can recall one time we had about five of us and we were going to do “Light as a feather, Stiff as a Board”. We lit candles, incense and began to chant to the “Goddesses” to lift our friend off the ground. We repeated this chant over and over and with each girl placing two fingers under our friend. We kept chanting, until we were standing and one of us opened our eyes, we realized we were still holding her with our two fingers and virtually no weight was bearing down on us. We almost dropped her!

On another of our escapades, we all went into the bathroom, turned off the lights and looked into the mirror. We chanted “Bloody Mary” three times over and over until a shadow appeared next to my friend. Okay that was pretty scary…That happened only once, but definitely left an impression.

Throughout all my childhood adventures, it seemed that we were having fun being different. When I was 13 a few of us ventured into a huge sewer tunnel looking for whatever…. well, we found whatever; a box of skeleton bones! Scary but fun! My dad didn’t think so. Police came out and investigated…Yes, seems like it was a missing person. Never followed up on it, but I did like the skull; it was interesting.

My fascination with witchcraft books never really stopped. I just got busy doing other things (having kids, school, and work) . My closet was turned into a ritual room filled with pictures of loved ones who had passed, my animals’ pictures were in there as well. I wrote up little sayings or blessings to keep them safe. Items that I found mostly in nature were kept and stored: branches, rocks, pinecones and even a bird skeleton. Nature was also close to me and still is very much. I was making ritual circles before I even knew what they were. (Funny, sometimes my spells work and sometimes they are a little off. I stopped writing for a while because it startled me that IT actually happened like I wrote it.)

Anyway, I thought church was fun and it was great that it made people happy and “born again”. But sometimes I felt like it wasn’t a place for me. This bothered me because this was a place to pray and feel comfortable. I can’t explain it. One day, I happened upon something on the computer about Wicca, covens and how these groups had a strong belief in Gods and Goddesses and Mother Nature. I couldn’t stop reading. Suddenly I wanted to know more about Wicca and witches and the connection they made!

The more I read, the more I realized I had a lot in common with witchcraft and Wicca. All of the things I had been doing since I was a kid now made just made sense. This was not a coincidence. I found what I have been missing in religion and today I am relaxed and comfortable in my beliefs. These rituals and blessings came naturally to me. My friend, who is a numerologist, noticed a mark on my palm. I knew it was there, but really I thought it was just cute that it was shaped like star (pentagram) . My hand pentagram has meaning and a purpose for me. I am on a journey to find my place in this world and when I do, I have a strong feeling that it will be one that makes a huge impact on mankind. I know this sounds kind of ‘way out there’ but it is what I feel.

The many realms of the non-evident s are facets of many beliefs and those who can see beyond what is physical can open doors that they never knew were there. I am reading “Witches’ Book of the Dead” by Christian Day. It seems intimidating at first because you think it might me something about evil things and voodoo; not true. It actually touches on how different forms of mediums can reach the dead and communicate with them. The book gives you confidence on how to keep positive and protected when initiating a ritual; I haven’t actually done the rituals in the book yet, because I like to read it through. The book really touches home with me on dreams and spirits. I can relate to dreaming of the dead and communicating in my subconscious, especially when I sleep.

I am actually more aware of how I interpret the dreams I have and who was in my dream, and most of all if it was my grandma, mom or my son. I always get to physically touch or hug them. Their words are very clear and it is sometimes just catching up or I get to see their world and how they are doing. Once in awhile, I will dream about someone I never meant and he/she will give me updates on themselves. I keep them in my memory until something triggers it — usually a word, article or someone random talking about a loved one who passed on — and then bam! I know why I had the connection. Past lives, spirits and connections with objects are overwhelmingly a passion for me.

One of the things that always freak out my friends and husband is the fact that I can close my eyes and see numbers or words like a photograph. If someone asks for a phone number, I suddenly see a number and repeat it 97% of the time correctly. I was really good in spelling bees when I was younger. Recently, I have heard voices (I know, the ‘voices’ thing!) , but they are usually simple and very clear. I hear these whether awake or asleep.

One night I was sound asleep and out of the blue came “Mom!” I awoke and answered “What?” No one else was awake or talking in his/her sleep. Turns out, my son in Oregon was dreaming about me and his brothers and sister (we all really miss each other) and he was upset. I told him I heard him and he was not really surprised (because my first born son and I have a strong kinetic connection) but he was more interested that I had somehow manifested myself in his dream.

The ‘supernatural’ comes natural to me, spirits and entities are mostly just trying to connect, as we all do, and they make communications with those who are open-minded and curious. They exist, but not on the level that we are. Spirits can see, hear, and feel. They see us like they used to. If we are not aware of them, we just go about our regular day doing what we do and never know that a spirit is standing right next to us. There are actually many people who have sensory perception, but they shrug it off, and all those subtle hints and clues, they tune out.

Like I said before, I am on a journey. I go about my daily routine but I do so as a witch, one that is listening with all eyes and ears. Being a witch and a Wiccan has really given me a new sense of well-being. I like to grow fresh veggies and am really big on herbs; I have known the benefit of herbs since I was young and (little known fact: I have had all my kids at home and I used herbs in pregnancy and during labor) I I never thought to have my kids in a hospital.

Witches always seem to get a bad rap. In the 1600’s, the Salem witches were the “healers”, the people locals would go in the middle of the night to get the spell or help they needed to fix their woes and problems. Somehow, the witches became the enemy after that and they were blamed for any bad thing that happened to the townsfolk. They were tried and hanged. Every woman who even looked suspicious was hanged and their friends and/or family as well. Ever wonder if you could go back in time and challenge that one-sided thinking? I do.

Finding other people like me was hard at first but I now belong to a coven and some have some forward to ask curious questions. I am always happy to help them find their way. My rituals and blessings are pretty much done in solitude and without other eyes (although my eight year old is very interested and she attends rituals to watch within the safety of the protection circle) . I have some awesome antique tools I am collecting to keep on my altar. My current quest to find an authentic cauldron is tiresome, but fun. Making wands with the correct wood and crystals is one of my gifts (I don’t buy them straight out) . It makes it more personal and so the spell will have a stronger power.

My Wicca studies are primarily done quietly and in private because if I were to do my rituals in my living room or even outside, I have no protection, no hiding fence to seclude myself and I really don’t know my neighbors, other than the fact that every Sunday most of them take off to church. So, for right now, I will restrain from redecorating my living room and hanging my broom on my patio wall. I have a room downstairs that is dedicated to my witchcraft and blessings.

In the winter, which it is now (January) I hunker down and watch the cold. The snow outside is still and the sky is dark and the only birds I hear are the Ravens flying around looking for food. They become increasingly bolder the colder the weather gets. Mother Nature is dormant and the re-birthing will soon begin with the cycle all over again. This is when I focus on my studies and try to learn more about how to be a better witch and hone my strengths and skills. It gives me empowerment and strength to know I am different from other people, I have always been keen to the smallest things and objects around me and I really do appreciate being able to sense the spirits in this world.

In the spring and summer, it is really beautiful and the daylight lasts all day here in Alaska. I get to make plans for my garden and when the snow melts I will find all kinds of rocks, sticks and things Mother Nature has hidden from the elements. I have actually made two wands from Birch; they turned out really nice! Feathers from Ravens and other birds are very rampant, especially near the bird sanctuary a few miles away. My garden consists of cooking herbs, magical herbs, and some, which are poisonous as well. I also have a veggie garden that is pretty big. My favorite ‘witch thing’ to do is make a circle of elements around a tree, complete with special rocks and candles. It is always in a safe secret area and is pretty inconspicuous, even if a stranger walked into my backyard. The herbs are recycled into dried herbs and tinctures that I share with my close friends and we get together and make dandelion wine, mead and rhubarb wine. Being a person who also happens to be a witch is actually the most beneficial thing to me in my quest for spiritual oneness.

I see shadows and hear voices very clearly in the night. I dream about happenings, not just random dreams, dreams that are repeated and are very clear. I am typing right now and it is clear that there is a spirit right behind me. (I have been doing this before I ever came out of my “witches closet”.)

As life goes on, I became more in tune with myself. I started small rituals, mostly to help me find my keys or see if a new love was in store for me. Every time, I would feel like I wasn’t alone. These were never negative spirits and shadows but I believe they are spirits who are there to protect me and guide me and even help me find my keys.

In many ways, my beliefs can only be shared with my coven friends and my Wicca friends. I am still living in my closet. On the plus side, my rituals and blessings (even the simple ones) are assisting me in being aware and “seeing” entities around me. They are there and I live with them, or they live with me.

There is so much to learn and understand, because spirits and shadows (that what I call ghosts) are all around us. This planet is one of many that can sustain life, both living and spiritual. Someday, humans will travel far into the solar system, even further than we are now and maybe discover another planet much like this one. Spirits exist; bodies die and souls are freed. The voice in your head that keeps you safe and that “feeling” you have is real. Our world is full of the living and the “living” spirits, some related to you and some not. They are there watching you and protecting you.

In conclusion, we, as humans, are given many opportunities to “see”, but only the open-minded are able to see. Witches have been around longer than Christianity. Wiccans can be seen as nature loving, earth conscious people with special gifts that they can use. They are given the gifts to teach to other “open-minded” people. I am proud to say that I am Wiccan and a witch and I have never felt so empowered as I do right now.

What Does It Mean To Be A Pagan In Today's World?

What Does It Mean To Be A Pagan In Today’s World?

Author: Brid’s Closet

What does it mean to be a Pagan in today’s world?

I was sitting by my desk, thinking about topics for classes at my store. Many topics come to mind, but nothing seemed to “jump” out at me. I brought up this subject to a good friend of mine (who is not pagan), and she brought up this topic.

What does it mean to be Pagan? A “card carrying” PAGAN?

Many people are still very quiet about their choices in life, even to how they practice their religion or their form of spirituality. Many friends of mine are still in the “closet” about being a Pagan or being Wiccan. That is their choice, but not mine. I have the wonderful opportunity to be open about whatever it is that I do because I own my own business.

My sons also have choice as far as to what they believe. My oldest was degreed by me, because that was his choice, and I am proud of him because of that. My middle son considers himself to be agnostic (like his dad), but still is always looking. My youngest is still not sure as of yet. He takes in a lot, asks a lot of questions and is processing what he receives. They are fine young men, all of whom I am fiercely protective and proud of.

Some keywords that come into my mind are “love, strength, happiness, comfort, inner confidence empowerment, and honor”. Being a Pagan has helped to see that I have the ability to make a change in my own life, whether it is on a magical level or a mundane one.

A lot of people come into my store asking very similar questions, but what I do most of the time is to explain what I am not:

I am not a Satanist (the term “Satan” doesn’t exist in the pagan world.)
I don’t work or believe in the devil.

I don’t walk around in black clothes all the time (though it is fun sometimes!)

I don’t sacrifice animals…or use them in any rituals (my dog does like to run in and out of circle sometimes!)

I don’t bash other Pagan traditions.

I am not evil, nor is my spirituality evil.

I don’t run round naked, except in the privacy of my own room (maybe!)

I don’t have sex with others in ritual.

I don’t insult or blast other religions. People have done that for far too long in history to Pagans. I won’t do that to others!

Nope…don’t do the orgy thingy either!

What I do….hmmm…

I do honor Mother Earth. I see the earth as a living and breathing organism.

I do believe that all animals have a soul, and should be treated and loved as we expect to be loved ourselves.

I do try to live as “chemical free” as possible. This means that no chemicals or bug killers are applied to my lawn. 2 of my animals eat the grass on my lawn if the weather permits. No bleached flour, raw sugar, recycled paper. A friend of mine raises organically raised chickens, so I have organic eggs!

I keep as many trees as possible on the land that I am blessed to live on. Trees block the sun and keep your home cooler!

I do honor other people’s religions and their chosen paths.

I go love the Goddess and the God, as I would honor my own parents.
I try to use cosmetic products that are cruelty free.

I do try to grow my own herbs and vegetables when possible.

I recycle my paper, bottles, plastic and cans.

I do a full moon ritual once a month and celebrate the 8 holidays in the wheel of the year.

I guess I could just go on and on!

Once, a person came in and asked me why I was insulting myself by using the words “HEATHEN”, “PAGAN”, and “WITCH” to describe myself! In his teachings, he was taught that these words were an insult. He was shocked that I was proud of these terms!

The word “PAGAN” actually means “country dweller” or “civilian” or “peasant”.
1: Definition: Refers to any of the pre-Christian, (usually) polytheistic religions, or those who practice them. Wicca is one Pagan religion, as is Asatru, Santeria, Voodoo, or Shamanism.

The term “HEATHEN” is old English for Germanic paganism.
2: Definition: Among non-Pagans, the term ‘heathen’ just means anyone who is non-Christian. But Pagans use the term to refer specifically to those who follow a Norse or Germanic path.

A WITCH was known as a “wise” person, an herbalist, a midwife or a medicine person. (I’m an Alexandrian Witch!)
3: Definition: A witch is someone who practices witchcraft (either male or female), regardless of their religious standing. Not necessarily the same thing as a Wiccan (someone who follows the religion of Wicca)

These are words that I have come to embrace and be proud of. These words open up conversation and dialog, so that others will learn, understand and appreciate. Sometimes people appreciate the information that is given, other times, they don’t.

As a Pagan, I’ve raised 3 fantastic sons, have a “metaphysical” store that I share with my best friend, counsel people, rehabilitate birds, rescued a dog, a chinchilla and a bunny (who think they own my home!), teach classes, train special needs people (personal training) and in love with the most remarkable man.

What does it mean to be a “PAGAN”?

It means being a mom, a lover, a caregiver, councilor, herbalist, a cook, storeowner, and a woman dealing with today’s modern world who practices a very old way of worship.

Bernadette Montana is a very eclectic 3rd degree Alexandrian Priestess, a pipe carrier in the Sun Bear Native American Tribe, professional Tarot reader, a mom to 3 sons, one dog, 2 parrots, a bunny and a chinchilla and owns a metaphysical store named Brid’s Closet in Orange County, New York. Bernadette@bridscloset.com

Thanks to Terri Paajanen who posted the definitions of Pagan, Heathen, and Witch on the About website!

Footnotes:
Terri Paajanen who posted the definitions of PAGAN, HEATHEN, and WITCH on the About website!

One more thing and I'm getting busy…..

There is a poll on  the blog about holding an online ritual. I want to know if you would be interested in participating. You can believe it or not, I did an online ritual one time. The power that we raised ran through our computers straight to us. I asked the others about the ritual when it was over. They said it was awesome. They never believed that we would get those kinds of results from a ritual held on the net. So I have been thinking about that and I would love to do another one. How about you?

 

https://witchesofthecraft.com/2013/08/12/a-brief-poll-about-holding-an-online-ritual/

What A Blessed Tuesday It Is! Good Morning dear family!

Witchy Cat Graphics & Comments
Good morning my sweets! How are you doing today? I am sorry for running late but I have been goofing off look at other witchcraft sites. You know you have to keep up with the competition, lol!

 

We have several replies to the question of the day yesterday. Where is everybody else at? The question was……If you could go back in history and change any event from happening what would it be? We have some excellent answers and great discussion openers. Check it out here….https://witchesofthecraft.com/2013/08/12/question-of-the-day-please-participate-if-you-like/

 

I know my answer was to stop Booth from shooting Lincoln. Everybody else agreed that they wouldn’t change a thing. Simply because our mistakes and past make us who we are today. I agree with them. But if you thought what you did would benefit mankind and make this world a better place would you then?

 

I have to stop and think about the Burning Times. I cry every time I think about what our ancestors went through. Would I have loved to stop it? Would I like to have prevented it? Yes, I would. But deep down, I know preventing the Burning Times would have been wrong. Sounds funny coming from me doesn’t it. If it wasn’t for our ancestors and knowing what they went through, I don’t believe we would hold our Religion as dear as we do. I don’t believe we would be the fighters we are. The Burning Times made us who we are, as terrible as that might sound. Sadly, it had to happen. I know just thinking about it makes me angry and upset. But it has burned into my soul that I can never let my ancestors die in vain. NEVER! None of us can.

 

Witchcraft is now more widely accepted. The truth is getting out about what we are really about. We have a long way to go still but I am sure we will eventually get there. Our ancestors died for something they believed very precious and that was our Religion. We can never let our Religion or their memory fall by the wayside. We must continue the fight. It won’t be easy because it never is. But one day we will be able to say we put Witchcraft back into its’ rightful place in mainstream Religion.

 

Remember dear family, the fight goes on. But it is the good fight we are fighting and  we have the Goddess on our side.

Your Rune for Monday, August 12th is Naudhiz

bw-naudhiz

bw-naudhizYour Rune For Today   

Naudhiz       

Naudhiz may foretell needs unmet and friction in relationships. You may be in a time where you should be very careful in whatever endeavor you take on. Also it may be that you are about to learn some of life’s hard lessons and come out the other side of this period a stronger being.

 

A Pledge to Pagan Spirituality


Witchy Comments & Graphics

A Pledge to Pagan Spirituality

I am a Pagan and I dedicate myself to channeling the Spiritual Energy of my Inner Self to help and to heal myself and others. I know that I am part of the Whole of Nature. May I grow in understanding of the Unity of all Nature. May I always walk in Balance.

May I always be mindful of the diversity of Nature as well as its Unity and may I always be tolerant of those whose race, appearance, sex, sexual preference, culture, and other ways differ from my own.

May I use the Force (psychic power) wisely and never use it for aggression nor for malevolent purposes. May I never direct it to curtail the free will of another.

May I always be mindful that I create my own reality and that I have the power within me to create positively in my life.

May I always act in honorable ways: being honest with myself and others, keeping my word whenever I have given it, fulfilling all responsibilities and commitments I have taken on to the best of my ability.

May I always remember that whatever is sent out always returns magnified to the sender. May the Forces of Karma move swiftly to remind me of my spiritual commitments when I have begun to falter from them, and may I use this Karmic feedback to help myself grow and be more attuned to my Inner Pagan Spirit.

May I always remain strong and committed to my Spiritual ideals in the face of adversity and negativity. May the Force of my Inner Spirit ground out all malevolence directed my way and transform it into positively. May my Inner Light shine so strongly that malevolent forces cannot even approach my sphere of existence.

May I always grow in Inner Wisdom and Understanding. May I see every problem that I face as an opportunity to develop myself spiritually in solving it.

May I always act out of Love to all other beings on this Planet – to other humans, to plants, to animals, to minerals, to elementals, to spirits, and to other entities.

May I always be mindful that the Goddess and God in all their forms dwell within me and that this divinity is reflected through my own Inner self, my Pagan Spirit.

May I always channel Love and Light from my being. May my Inner Spirit, rather than my ego self, guide all my thoughts, feelings, and actions.

SO MOTE IT BE!

Who Inherits Your Knowledge?

Who Inherits Your Knowledge?

Author: Lady GoldenRaven

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you,
LadyGoldenraven

Footnotes:
Link to Book of Shadows:

Zealous or Thorough…What Kind of a Magickal Person Are You? (Part 2) : Revelry or Reverence?

Zealous or Thorough…What Kind of a Magickal Person Are You? (Part 2) : Revelry or Reverence?
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Author: Kestryl Angell

There are, periodically, bashing periods on the “fluffy bunny” set of Paganism. This form of intolerance is rather bothersome to both the Zealous and the Thorough practitioner in us.

On the one hand, those that are “light and fluffy” in their beliefs do very much so have as much right to their beliefs…and their dancing, sparkling, fairy-dusted, tinkling bells and moonlight-tastes-like-ice cream! .. sort of joy in their beliefs and newfound spiritual freedom as we all do to our own.

On the other hand, we also have the “right” to the peace and quiet that is found when our “sparkly, naked dancing days” come to a close and we realize that robes were given to us to keep the human being in us attuned to something higher than the basic sexuality that most of us have spent years trying to overcome the genetically coded pre-occupations that nudity often inspires, especially in one’s beautiful pagan youth.

No, I have nothing against dancing naked in the moonlight! I have done it for years! But, not every single person is as delighted with my nudity as the God/dess and I are, and thus I respect other’s right NOT to see what I only offer to the Gods who love me without the judgments held so often behind human eyes.

Is either side “wrong”? No, of course not, they are simply what are known as “mutually exclusive.” Can they co-exist side by side peacefully? Yes, as long as everyone is grown up enough to keep basic boundaries of respect for the other’s viewpoint… which is why there are often skyclad areas and non-skyclad areas, skyclad and non-skyclad rituals at pagan events and such. So everyone can have what is right for THEM and their view of “respect to self, others and Deity.”

It is appropriate to always do checking if you’re going to a public event or even a circle held by a coven other than that you’re studying or bound to. This way, if there are any issues that might come up for you, you’ll know about them ahead of time and be able to plan accordingly or bow out gracefully before it will cause any undo stress to you or others present. I’ll give an example from my own experience.

I was acting as High Priestess for a public gathering ritual. The theme of the gathering was “Finding the child within.” So, my then partner and myself planned a light-hearted ritual filled with playful revelry and imagery designed to help our inner children emerge and feel comfortable in a space of worship and kinship. We decided that using Kool-aid for our “wine” and animal crackers for our “cakes” would be a delightful expression and memory inducement for many there, as well as being a good tool for some of the shamanic portions of the ritual.

We had bubbles and sparkles and it was all sorts of kiddy fun…the fluffy bunnies LOVED it! Even the older, tried and true elders enjoyed rekindling their inner children over bubbles and Kool-aid and animal crackers.

But after the ritual, my partner and I were soon faced with a small, but very stern looking group all dressed out in their highest, brightest, most intricately machine embroidered ritual garb, all of whom were scowling mightily at us and holding their animal crackers reverently in the palms of their hands with a look of disgust that couldn’t be comprehended immediately by either of us on the receiving end of it.

When queried as to how they liked the ritual they said, “If we had known there was going to be animal effigy sacrifices in this ritual we would NEVER have attended! We will be praying tonight that the animal spirits that you sacrificed for your “kiddy playtime” will forgive you!” and they stalked off in a hufflepuff of righteous indignation and “ritually appropriate” gear.

I will be honest about our reaction. At first we were totally dumbfounded that we had insulted someone so deeply with animal crackers.

Secondly, we were thinking to ourselves “uh… animal effigy SACRIFICE?!?!?… OOkayyyy… Right! It’s an ANIMAL CRACKER, idiots! Open your MINDS!”

Then, we had to realize that we had indeed deeply insulted their personal practice, and though totally unintended, had obviously affected them very strongly to the negative. So, later that evening we got all “appropriately attired” for a visit to such a camp and made our way into it with all the appropriate ceremony that their “age-old practice” demanded and made formal apologies both to their teachers and students and to the spirits we may have offended in the process of our “thoughtlessness.”

Now, did WE feel we’d made the animal spirits angry? NO! Our perception of them was pleased with our efforts to have fun and connect with nature. But, in the spirit of not wishing bad blood for future times or opportunities that paths might respectfully cross between students of my world and students of their path, we chose to make the appropriate moves to secure mutual understanding and to restore respect on both sides.

The acts that we make in the name of reverence to the right of every person to believe and practice as they will are those that most often are the strongest ones we can make. It shows compassion, understanding and a desire to learn that is often respected even if your beliefs and practices vary widely from those you seek to understand.

In all of paganism, one thing stands true of every practice I’ve ever had the honor to learn much about. There is a time and place for everything. There is a time and place for starched, detailed, immaculately planned and executed high ritual magick and there is a time for complete and utterly beautiful silliness and light-hearted play with the Gods.

There is a time to smile, perhaps even dance a few steps and get some glitter in your hair from a passing “fluffy bunny” newbie and there is a time to put on your finest gear and go get humble in front of the elders of another path in the name of peace. There is a time to “let Pan rule!” and there is a time to remember with complete gratitude and utter reverence our Elders, Ancestors and the Gods.

The key to really good magickal living, on this note, dear readers, is learning to navigate the difference between the two. So remember, “moderation in all things…including moderation.” Learn to smile and dance with the fluffy bunnies and remember when your practice was new and sparkling sweet like summer wine…and hold reverence for how far you’ve come in your practice, or in the age of your soul which “demands” more reverent and detailed study of your path than being a fluffy bunny might give you personally.

Learn to be tolerant and compassionate, to be both filled with revelry and joy in your beliefs, your practice and your direct, beautiful connection to Deity, yet also be reverent of the past and where it has brought us. Be both! Be it all! Be zealous and passionate, detailed and thorough in your lives, your loves and your faith-practice.

It is the only way to be truly magickal! For magick, like love and life itself, exists in all the shades of grey between black and white. Which shades detail your particular view, your particular palette of expression, are entirely up to you and Deity as you see It.

Zealous or Thorough…What Kind of a Magickal Person Are You? (Part 1)

Zealous or Thorough…What Kind of a Magickal Person Are You? (Part 1)
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Author: Kestryl Angell

When seeking our own personal balance, both as human beings and as practitioners of a variety of magickal paths, it is always wise to ask ourselves several questions about the nature of what we seek to become by their working. For instance, do we wish to be zealous? Passionate almost to the point of losing ourselves entirely in the belief or practice!

Or do we wish to be thorough? Paying all attention in the world to every minutest detail of a rite or practice and being completely bound by its structure, nearly without individual thought or expansion being allowed or accepted.

Do we wish to lean toward revelry or reverence? What are we truly seeking to accomplish by using magick for the task before us? Could the goal be accomplished another way that might not include magickal “pushes” from us or do we need to do the working to illustrate the act of creation for ourselves? Let’s look even a bit more closely at the first of those ever-telling questions above.

For the first, do we wish to be Zealous or Thorough?

We’ve all met our friendly neighborhood Zealot. He’s the one that bashes you over the head with his bible in trying to get you to “share the word of God” or “hear his Testimony!” She’s the one that shoves endless volumes of empirical evidence up your nose to the contrary of what you are trying to share with her in discussions of faith vs. science rather than seeing that, to those that look more closely, science is only the proving of magickal theories that have been called “magick” for so long due to our ignorance that is now being disproved to find so much of what is called “supernatural” is actually just a part of the “natural” we hadn’t seen before.

He is the one that believes only in numbers when it comes to business and not in expanding a “vision” of an overall company outlook. She is the one that staunchly stands on long-disproved “facts of life” as being “correct” because it is all she’s ever been taught and she’s afraid to see anything past her own truncated viewpoint.

He is the one that feverishly swears that “this new product will remove those unwanted pounds in DAYS instead of weeks, months or years, without the need for invasive surgical procedures!” when he knows its really just a vitamin supplement with trace minerals that often help relieve common ailments and inflammations with “miraculous” ease.

They are the Salesmen and women of Hype.

Regardless of whether it is on a magickal path or simply on a path of learning, whether it is about personal moral and ethical belief structures and practices or whether or not science supports or refutes the supernatural as truly “existing” within our sphere of understanding, you will know a zealot by the uncanny fire (see crazy swirls spinning madly in the glistening wideness of their eyes, revealing a depth of passion with little spin on the fullness of what reality might be) in their eyes and their unswerving devotion to their own viewpoint.

You may say to yourself, “but pagans are loving, wonderful, non-judgmental people that would NEVER do to them what others have done against their beliefs after suffering so much difficulty at the hands and beliefs of others!

Oh yes, boys and girls, there ARE most definitely pagan zealots-haven’t you had any visit your local gatherings lately? -Look for some of your wilder nudist types that insist that to wear robes in circle is “sacrilege” or those who staunchly feel “EVERY pagan should stand up in this modern day and age, regardless of personal risk to life, family structure, livelihood, etc. and speak up for the practice of their faith ’til someone acknowledges their RIGHT to practice it publicly without ridicule!”-There are other examples, and this is by no means a “slam” to those that choose to have those beliefs strongly for their personal practice. However, your right to do as you feel is correct is just as important as mine is to me.

Guess what? The time when all people simply have the smarts and compassion to just let one another BE what they are without judgment or ridicule will be a wonderful day-and those guilty of DEMANDING their RIGHT to be heard when they already HAVE these things not only by national law, but by Constitutional Right-in fact, they are exercising them in the very moment they are ranting about someone else’s repression of their beliefs or practices-they are just as guilty of judgment of another’s beliefs and their right to state them freely as those they are rally-crying against for supposedly repressing them.

The general idea of balance in the face of an overly zealous person, regardless of their personal belief structure or practice, is to not necessarily practice yourself what they believe or practice, but simply to ALLOW them to do so. You don’t have to agree. Tolerance is not about supporting some one else’s beliefs or practices by doing it ourselves. Tolerance is about allowing them the God/dess given right to do, be, feel, think and say what they feel is correct or incorrect about the running of the world around them-just as it is ours.

However, in an effort to study balanced practice, which is what we started out to do, we must also look to the other polarity of common practice. Those, that rather than choosing to be purely zealous about their practices, beliefs and such, choose to be thorough in how they study it and use it in daily life. These folk are often studious, sometimes to the point of being reclusive. They often have huge libraries that they have read repeatedly, usually cataloging in extreme detail all along the way so that all their references may be at a moment’s touch.

They are the ones that are drawn to proving what is and isn’t “historical fact” and what is simply the growing mythology of a collective set of belief structures caught under the mutual “umbrella” called “Paganism.” They are what in my old days in the Society for Creative Anachronism were called, the “period police.”

They are the ones that look for just the right number of folds in that Tudor crinoline collar and make certain that you hand pressed every single one of those 50, 000 petticoats before stepping into your period appropriate undergarments and all the other properly stitched and beaded layers that you wish to sit uncomfortably beautiful in for the next 3 ½ hours of court that await your already aching ears.

Now I do not wish to appear here to be saying that an attention to detail is not important. When studying the various paths of magick, I am the first to advocate those that choose to do so with the greatest of possible detail.

However, just as pure zealous response can lead to an opposite response to what we are seeking, so too does too studious an approach lose our purpose, at times, in the seeking to line up all the appropriate signs, sigils, times of day, week, month and year, the appropriate herbs, incense, oils, candles, sabbat oil, blessing oils, and more to the point where the original reason and the passion for it is lost in the expectation of perfection in the tools being used to accomplish the goal.

Magick should always, regardless of the tools available at the time, come from within the worker of it, for it will never come from the tools they use it if did not first come from them…nor will the magick return to them, but to the tools.

For some workings, having all portends correct and every type of power available aligned just so is not only appropriate, but completely necessary to the working’s success.

However, as with the difference between needing a picnic lunch and a full seven course dinner, there is a skill to learning what is what and what to use when…and when you’re just going for complete and total overkill in the details department. Keep in mind, you can ruin the best soup with just one too many spices. The same is true for magick.

Simple is good for many things. Use “complicated” when you must. Don’t use magick at all, if it can be accomplished in another way.

Now I can already hear those out there who are of paths that consider personal gain to be an “awesome and totally acceptable reason to use magick whenever possible!” starting to kvetch and gripe that they “don’t believe in the three fold law so it doesn’t effect them!” and I say if you haven’t seen karma as a Universal Rule on your own, you aren’t looking closely or clearly enough.

It doesn’t have to read in your mind or book of shadows as “the Three-fold Law” or the biblical ten-fold references. But the simple Universal Law of Averages and of “what goes around comes around” are concepts so obvious to enlightened human beings that if all you’re arguing over is the numbers or the particular path stated (i.e. you’re “not a WICCAN, I’M a (enter your chosen path emphatically here—and don’t forget the “!!!” at the end!!!)

In this case, you’re being too detail oriented and not seeing the Universal Brickbat for what it is. That is just one of the lovely ways the Gods find to tell us every time we stumble in our oh-so-human way…”Nope, you don’t have it yet, pup. Keep trying though, you’re very amusing!”

The Key we’re truly trying to discuss here, however, is the balance between being Zealous and being Thorough in our practice and, one hopes, in our overall response to the world at large. So, first and foremost remember, “moderation in all things… including moderation.”

This means pick the appropriate tools or lack thereof for the job. Don’t overdo. Give reverence to the past for bringing us to where we are now in terms of our knowledge and our powerbase in connecting with Deity. But do not be so bound to the past and its rules-which were made for another time, place and set of people’s lives than those we live now-that you cannot take what is beautiful, good and strong from the past and make it into something even deeper and more meaningful to you and to your future generations.

Part of the beauty of our faiths-in my humble opinion-is that they are, generally speaking, growing and living faiths. They are growing from a past that is deep and vast, regardless of whether we carry on family traditions that have been passed down through the eons…or whether our path just became a recognized belief structure 15, 20, 50 or 100 years ago.

Whether they have been passed from blue blood witch to blue blood witch for generations or whether it was practice by our grandfathers and grandmothers, whether it was brought to us by an anthropologist or was channeled in sweat lodge, whether it existed when cavemen painted their sacred images on the walls of their sacred places or whether it was woven together only within your own lifetime of experiences-no one has the right to tell you that your practice is any more or less “Valid” than any other.

That is not their call, nor is it their right.

That particular “mystery” is between you…and Deity.

It is not a viewpoint’s age that makes it valid. Nor is a viewpoint all there is to beliefs of faith. But in matters of faith and religion it is our belief that, for us, how we see things being organized and connected to is the way things are for us that matter.

We’ll look at the other questions in Part 2!

Let's Talk Witch – Your Personal Code

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Your Personal Code

Every magickal tradition, from the Druids to Wicca to Santeria, has its own code— principles that guide the practitioner, boundaries that he or she won’t cross, a core of beliefs that permeates everything he or she does. These core beliefs define the parameters of the magickal practice. In Wicca, the primary principle is to harm nothing and no one.

But individuals also develop their own personal codes. Have you defined yours As previously noted, cultural differences have a hand in sculpting a particular individual’s beliefs. In the end, however, each of us must refine our own code as we evolve from children raised in the belief systems of our parents to adults who decide for ourselves what we believe.

This is not to say that any of us is omnipotent, that any of us has all the answers or even a good chunk of them. We’re all seekers and we all have a need for some sort of belief system. Your belief system may include an adherence to an organized religion or to some other spiritual discipline, or it may not include any sort of spiritual ideas at all. But at the heart of any belief system lies a code by which you live your life, and it may not have any connection whatsoever to other people’s concepts of good and bad. After all, even thieves have codes.

Do you believe in an afterlife In a supreme being In good and evil Do you believe that reality is exactly as it appears, that what you see is what you get Do you believe people can’t be trusted, that all Dobermans are vicious, that it’s every man for himself, that you’re a victim and there’s nothing you can do about it Then your experiences will confirm those beliefs.

If, on the other hand, you believe that nothing is fated, that your free will and your innermost beliefs effect your reality, then your experiences will confirm that, too.

Because you have picked up a book on magick and spells, you probably already believe that you can shape your own destiny and are looking for practical information on how to do it more efficiently and pragmatically. Magick is one route. But there are hundreds of ways to get to where you want to be. The bottom line of any exploration is defining what you believe and what works for you.

 

The Only Book of Wiccan Spells You’ll Ever Need (The Only Book You’ll Ever Need) Singer, Marian; MacGregor, Trish (2012-08-18).

A Witch Is…

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TO BE A WITCH

To be a witch is to love and be loved.
To be a witch is to know everything, and nothing at all.
To be a witch is to move amongst the stars while staying on earth.
To be a witch is to change the world around you, and yourself.
To be a witch is to share and give, while receiving all the while.
To be a witch is to dance and sing, and hold hands with the universe.
To be a witch is to honor the gods, and yourself.
To be a witch is to be magick, not just perform it.
To be a witch is to be honorable, or nothing at all.
To be a witch is to accept others who are not.
To be a witch is to know what you feel is right and good.
To be a witch is to harm none.
To be a witch is to know the ways of old.
To be a witch is to see beyond the barriers.
To be a witch is to follow the moon.
To be a witch is to be one with the gods.
To be a witch is to study and to learn.
To be a witch is to be the teacher and the student.
To be a witch is to acknowledge the truth.
To be a witch is to live with the earth, not just on it.

To be a witch is to be truly free!

Calendar of the Sun for August 5th

Calendar of the Sun

5 Weodmonath

Dumuzi’s Day

Color: Golden
Element: Earth
Altar: Upon a golden cloth is laid a sheaf of grain, two red candles, a cup of wine, incense, a sheepskin, a knife, and a bowl of blood.
Offering: Make a sacrifice of any kind.
Daily Meal: Meat and grain.

Invocation to Dumuzi

Hail, Lord of the flocks and herds
Who is slaughtered that we may live.
Hail, sacred king of Babylon
Who gives his life for Inanna’s freedom
And for Ereshkigal’s hunger.
Hail, reluctant one who goes unwillingly
To the sacrifice, as many of us do,
Yet who learns the beauty and dignity
Of the path of being an offering.

(The cup of wine is passed, and the remainder poured out as a libation.)

It is the nature of sacrifice
To be difficult.
If it was easy to throw away,
It was no sacrifice.
If it was did not miss it
It was no sacrifice.
If it was not the best you could give
It was no sacrifice.
If it was not agonizing to choose,
It was no sacrifice.
If it did not make you waver at least once in your choice,
It was no sacrifice.
If it did not make you weep,
It was no sacrifice.

(The bowl of blood is poured out as a libation.)

Song: Lammas Prayer

[Pagan Book of Hours]

Let’s talk Witch – Wild Magick

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Let’s talk Witch – Wild Magick

Wild Magick The definition of Wild Magick is very broad. Essentially, the Wild Witch seeks to defend nature, deepen her understanding of the wild, use this understanding as a spiritual tool, and then educate others regarding the state of the earth and how to preserve it. That’s a pretty big job, but one that many Witches, Wiccans, and Neo-Pagans embrace. Wild Magick deals specifically with those moments when the “wild” world touches our nine-to-five reality in intimate ways. Animals represent a big part of that picture, especially the Witch’s pets and familiars. Try the following strategy, a type of “wild” divination that relies on reading signs: Observe your pet’s behavior with visitors in your home. It might give you some insights about your visitors you wouldn’t otherwise get on your own, perhaps because animal reactions are based on instinct.

Outside the home, Wild Magick transforms a bit, especially when you’re in a natural environment. For example, if a Witch observes gulls circling above a group of fisherman with their daily catch, he might gather up a stray feather and add it to his power pouch, in order to inspire extended vision, especially when hunting (figuratively). This, too, is Wild Magick: taking a gift from nature and applying it positively to your spiritual life.

The Only Book of Wiccan Spells You’ll Ever Need (The Only Book You’ll Ever Need) Singer, Marian; MacGregor, Trish

Blessings To All Our Wonderful Friends & Family On This Beautiful Thursday!

Thursday, Thirsty Thursday Images

Bless this gathering of Witches

Brought together this day

In the name of the Goddess and the God

to dedicate themselves to each other

And to the Old Ways that led them here.

Bless this gathering of Witches

That they may work together in harmony

Learning and growing together

As they follow the Wheel of the Year

And bask in the light of the Full Moon

May the Earth grant us strength

May the Air grant us wisdom

May the Fire grant us passion

May the Water grant us flexibility

So we might work together for the good of All.

Bless this gathering of Witches

Brought together this day

In the Name of the Goddess and the God

To dedicate themselves to each other.

So Mote It Be.

The Magick of Life

The Magick of Life

Author:   Crick 

Have you ever taken a moment to notice the magick of life?

While walking along a country road, the reeds off to the side begin to waver to and fro. Is there a Sylph at play? Or is it Father Time heaving a sigh as he passes through?

Have you ever had the pleasure of listening to an old bullfrog bellowing out the blues? A grand old song of love lost and of love yet to be realized. An adage of life presented by way of the lyrics of nature in a symphonic way.

Have you watched as a caterpillar goes wafting along a rough barked tree? She is a beautiful metamorphous in motion, a budding mystery waiting to transform into a colorful and majestic form. From earth to sky, a wonderful delight forever touching our souls. The magick of life in a brief expanse of titillating color.

Have you ever noticed mother spider silently gazing over her web of silken strands. A superb artisan as she quietly guards the doorway to a special realm. Hers is an ancient lesson in patience. Sitting off to the side as a master shaman stealthily traverses from this realm to that using the glistening web as a mystic gateway into orbs of awareness floating about just beyond our senses.

Have you listened to the crescendo of a community of crickets as they sing in unison? First softly then loudly, then softly again, never missing a beat. An exercise in harmony, an everlasting bond of harmony. An awareness of their surroundings woven into the tapestry of their opera.

Such is the magick of life.

Have you ever noticed tiny dewdrops glistening like little diamonds clinging to the tall green blades of grass? An Undine child in the making perhaps as Father Sun draws them up into his warm embrace. Or perhaps a treasure forever in the making and yet never to be harvested.

Have you ever watched as a solitary leaf floats lazily out of the sky? Going this way and that and yet with a sure purpose. Directed by the currents of the breeze, much like life that is influenced by the changing winds of society. And yet a steady yet unseen goal looms before it.

Have you ever watched as a mother bird feeds her young? A bond of love stronger then steel and yet undetected by the human eye. The continuation of life, a magick ever so strong. For love can lead to birth as well as to death.

And so the wheel turns.

Have you ever watched as a black snake silently slithers across a path? A symbol of evil to some and yet seldom seen. Misunderstandings leading to fear, spiraling about in the darkness of ignorance. And yet knowledge will bring you back to the depths of understanding. And such awareness leads to tranquility and peace.

For such is the magick of life.

Have you ever watched a busy colony of ants? Oh the magick that resides within. A common purpose and involvement by all. No obstacle too great. No task too small. Surely lessons here to be learned by those who seek out such mysteries.

For the magick of life offers lessons not to be seen nor heard but to be felt and absorbed when we open up our hearts. Some teach that humans tower above nature. But as pagans it’s our way to be as one with life. For nature is life and the magick that she offers transcends all such misguided beliefs.

Have you noticed?

Deep within the forest, mother bruin lies within the embrace of hibernation, new life forming within her womb. An ancient ritual practiced through the ages. Have you ever wondered about her dreams as she sleeps through the frigid months of winter?
Now that is the magick of life.

Have you ever stood at the waters edge and watched as a mighty fish comes bursting through the surface of its watery domain? Perhaps it is carrying a message of truth and wisdom from He who resides in the murky depths.

Awaken witch, to the wonders of this realm. Listen to all that your ancestors knew to be true. Perhaps it is telling you to shake off the detritus of the mind and to feel with your heart that which is your destiny to experience as a pagan.

Far too long such knowledge has been suppressed by man; let nature be your ears and eyes.

Have you ever listened to the lone cry of a coyote during the moon lit night? A primal reaction to an awareness that has always been and will always be. Shaman quietly smiles in acknowledgement as his brother bids him welcome.

Such, my friend, is the magick of life.

Have you ever come upon the empty shell of a cicada clinging silently to a tree?

It would appear that death in place of life is in evidence; however a metamorphism onto a greater reality is the result of such an event. For death is the balance that creates life, one without the other is an energy, which has not come full circle, a partial reaction to what must be in order to be complete.

Have you ever sat amidst a field on the edge of dusk as an owl goes gliding quietly by? Some would say a witch in flight. Striking fear into its potential prey as it wings by on its deadly mission. And yet even fear has its place in the magick of life.

As pagans of whatever path, we too have something to contribute to the cacophony of magick that swirls all about us like a silent mist contained within the fog of reason.

Freeing our minds from the shackles of fears and insecurities that such knowledge brings to those who are not of pure heart is a step forwards towards such a contribution.

Acknowledging that such wisdom is within our ability to accept is a gift of awareness and acceptance that has been sorely lacking by so many of our species.

Throw off the blinders of prejudice and ignorance and allow yourself to be a student of life.

For the path of the pagan is truly the magick of life.

Let’s Talk Witch – Candle Magick

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Let’s Talk Witch – Candle Magick

It is important to know that you do not have to have elaborate spells prepared for most candle magick. If you have good visualization skills, or would like to add a candle spell to an existing spell you have prepare, it’s as easy as lighting the appropriate candle and stating your intent. What you do want to keep in mind, is that you should always combine as many elements as possible in your magick. Do your research — use the appropriate colors and herbs to enhance your magickal experience. Always be sure to set the mood in your magickal space. Be sure to have a clean and safe environment prepared when casting. All of this will contribute to your magickal experience, and help to effectively cast successful magick.

Another effective way to ensure added results is to always carve your name and astrological sign on the candle, to personalize it. Add as much detail to every spell you perform and create spells that are your own. There is no greater spell than the one you create. Meditate create and succeed. Magick is everything you are, and everything you place into it. Your energy and time, will create the perfect spell.

Purification Ritual for New Magical Tools

Purification Ritual for New Magical Tools

by Jame Kambos

Whenever you buy a new tool for magical workings it is important that the tool is purified. This is a simple purification ritual that I use to cleanse my new magical tools:

Ingredients:

caldron or any heat-proof dish

dandelion leaf

wormwood

sage

Ignite the herbs and let them smolder awhile. As the smoke curls about you pass your tool through the smoke and say:

“Smoke rise, Let me be wise. This (name of tool) is cleansed.  

I will use it only for good.”

The item is now ready to use!

How to Practice as a Solitary Pagan

How to Practice as a Solitary Pagan

By Patti Wigington, About.com

In modern Paganism and Wicca, there are far more people who practice as solitaries than there are people who have joined covens or established traditions. Why is this? It’s partly because most people who want to learn about Paganism develop the interest long before they meet a coven or trad that they’re interested in joining. It’s also because even if you decide you want to be part of a coven or group, it’s not always easy to find one. Wiccan covens and Pagan groups don’t exactly have a listing in the Yellow Pages, so you may have five covens right up the street from you, and you’d never know it.

Certainly, practicing as a solitary can have its rewards. After all, you can make your own guidelines and follow your own set of ethics. Worship can be done at your convenience, rather than according to a schedule dictated by others. As a solitary, you’re really under no obligation to anyone but yourself and your gods. Many people spend their entire lives practicing as solitaries, and never feel a need to join a coven or group.

Occasionally, you may find some drawbacks to practicing as a solitary Pagan or Wiccan. You might sometimes feel alone, like you have no one to network with or share ideas with. You may at some point feel like you’ve stagnated — it’s hard to figure out what the next step is if you don’t have someone to compare notes. Sometimes, it’s nice to just get feedback from like-minded people — someone who can help you when you’re wondering about what to do.

If you’ve decided to practice as a solitary — either temporarily, or in the long-term — here are some tips on how to have a successful experience:

Try to establish a daily routine. It’s easy to let your studies go by the wayside if you’re all by yourself, so establishing a daily routine will help you keep on task. Whether your routine includes meditation, reading, ritual work, or whatever, try to do something each day that helps you work towards achieving your spiritual studies.

Write things down. Many people choose to keep a Book of Shadows, or BOS, to chronicle their magical studies. This is important for a variety of reasons. First, it allows you to document what you’ve tried and done, as well as what works and doesn’t work for you. Secondly, by writing down your rituals, prayers, or spellwork, you’re laying the foundation for your tradition. You can go back and repeat things that you find to be useful later one. Finally, it’s important to keep track of what you do magically and spiritually because as people, we evolve. The person you are now is not the same person you were ten years ago, and it’s healthy for us to be able to look back and see where we were, and how far we’ve come.

Get out and meet people. Just because you’ve chosen to practice as a solitary doesn’t mean you should never come into contact with other Pagans or Wiccans. Most metropolitan areas — and a lot of smaller communities — have informal Pagan groups that get together regularly. This offers solitaries a chance to network and chat with each other, without having to form specific organized groups. Take advantage of resources like Witchvox and Meetup to see what’s in your area. If there’s nothing around you, consider starting a study group of your own for like-minded folks.

Ask questions. Let’s face it, we all need to start somewhere. If your read or hear something and you want to know more about it, ask. If something isn’t clear, or contradicts something you’ve already read, ask. Don’t accept everything at face value, and remember that just because one person had a particular experience doesn’t mean that you’ll have an identical experience. Also, keep in mind that just because you read something in a book doesn’t necessarily mean it’s valid — learn to ask whether a resource is worth using or not. Don’t be afraid to be a skeptic sometimes.

Don’t ever stop learning. Ask other people in the Pagan community — either online, or in real life — for recommendations about books and other resources. If you read a book that you enjoy, check the back for a bibliography and see what other books that author suggests. Remember that learning can take place by reading, but it can also develop from personal experience, and from speaking with other people involved in Paganism.

Luna’s Grimoire

A Pledge to Pagan Spirituality

 

A Pledge to Pagan Spirituality

I am a Pagan and I dedicate myself to channeling the Spiritual Energy of my Inner Self to help and to heal myself and others. I know that I am part of the Whole of Nature. May I grow in understanding of the Unity of all Nature. May I always walk in Balance.

May I always be mindful of the diversity of Nature as well as its Unity and may I always be tolerant of those whose race, appearance, sex, sexual preference, culture, and other ways differ from my own.

May I use the Force (psychic power) wisely and never use it for aggression nor for malevolent purposes. May I never direct it to curtail the free will of another.

May I always be mindful that I create my own reality and that I have the power within me to create positively in my life.

May I always act in honorable ways: being honest with myself and others, keeping my word whenever I have given it, fulfilling all responsibilities and commitments I have taken on to the best of my ability.

May I always remember that whatever is sent out always returns magnified to the sender. May the Forces of Karma move swiftly to remind me of my spiritual commitments when I have begun to falter from them, and may I use this Karmic feedback to help myself grow and be more attuned to my Inner Pagan Spirit.

May I always remain strong and committed to my Spiritual ideals in the face of adversity and negativity. May the Force of my Inner Spirit ground out all malevolence directed my way and transform it into positively. May my Inner Light shine so strongly that malevolent forces cannot even approach my sphere of existence.

May I always grow in Inner Wisdom and Understanding. May I see every problem that I face as an opportunity to develop myself spiritually in solving it.

May I always act out of Love to all other beings on this Planet – to other humans, to plants, to animals, to minerals, to elementals, to spirits, and to other entities.

May I always be mindful that the Goddess and God in all their forms dwell within me and that this divinity is reflected through my own Inner self, my Pagan Spirit.

May I always channel Love and Light from my being. May my Inner Spirit, rather than my ego self, guide all my thoughts, feelings, and actions.

SO MOTE IT BE!

Gardnerian Traditional Witchcraft –B.14. Skyclad (1953) c.2013

Gardnerian Traditional Witchcraft –B.14. Skyclad (1953)

B.14. Skyclad (1953)
It is important to work naked from the start, so it becometh as second nature, and no thought of “I have no clothes” shall ever intrude and take your attention from the work.  Also, your skin being so accustomed to unconfinement, when power is given off the flow is more easy and regular.  Also, when dancing you are free and unconfined. . . .
And the greatest of all, the touch of the body of your beloved thrills your inmost soul, and so your body gives out its utmost power; and then it is most important of all that there is not the slightest thing to divert the attention, for then the mind must seize and mold the power generated, and redirect it to the desired end with all the force and frenzy of the imagination.
It has been said that no real knowledge may be gained our way, that our practices are such that they can only lead to lust; but this is not really so.  Our aim is to gain the inner sight, and we do it the most natural and easy way.  Our opponents’ aim is ever to prevent man and woman from loving, thinking that everything that helps or even permits them to love is wicked and vile.  To us it is natural, and if it aids the Great Work it is good.
‘Tis true that a couple burning with a frenzy for knowledge may go straight to their goal, but the average couple have not this fire.  We show them the way, our system of props and aids (i.e., magic ritual).  A couple working with nothing but lust will never attain in any case; but a couple who love each other dearly should already be sleeping together, and the first frenzy of love will have passed, and their souls will already be in sympathy.  If the first time or two they do stay a while to worship Aphrodite, ’tis only a day or two lost, and the intense pleasure they obtain only leads them again to the mysteries of Hermes, their souls more attuned to the great search.  Once they have pierced the veil they will not look back.
This rite may be used as the greatest of magics if it be done with both partners firmly fixing their minds on the object and not thinking of sex at all.  That is, you must so firmly fix your mind on your object that sex and all else are naught.  You inflame your will to such an extent that you may create a strain on the astral such that events happen.