Tag: Pagan

Happy Friday to you all, dear friends!

Days Of The Week Comments

Couldn’t resist! I should say the above graphic only implies if you are shopping on this “Black” Friday, lmao! I don’t mind crowds but the crowds on this Friday are too much for me. I avoid all major shopping centers like the plague. But to all you hearty-die hard shoppers, good luck and I hope you get what you are shopping for. Now behave yourself and no tug-of-wars for that last fabulous buy!

 

Friday Is Ruled By Venus

 On Friday anything related to love and relationships will have good results when done this day, which is derived from the Goddess Frigg, the Norse patroness of fertility. Other correspondences for Friday are: 

Ruling Planet: Venus 

Rituals: Love, Attraction. 

Element: Water 

Colour: Green 

Number: 7 

Magickal Graphics

Today’s Runes for Wednesday, November 23 is Eoh

Today’s Runes

Spirit Runes are most commonly used for questions about mysticism, spirituality, and religion. Eoh refers to the Yew tree. The Yew does not go dormant and therefore represents endurance. Even the wood of the tree is strong, resilient, and pliable – the Yew bends, but does not break. The evergreen nature of the Yew is present even in the rune itself, as it cannot be changed even by reversal. This rune is historically symbolic of death, but, as in the Tarot and as suggested by the nature of the Yew tree itself, death is seen only as a transmutation of something eternal and unchanging – the spirit.

Today’s Runes for November 22nd is Ken

Today’s Runes

Stone Runes are most commonly used for questions about the natural world and things beyond human control. Ken is the rune of light and knowledge, driving away darkness and ignorance and revealing hidden truth. This rune also brings forth images of friendship and comfort. Ken is the light of inspiration, the light of imagination, and a beacon in the darkest hours.

Today’s Runes for November 21st is Ken

Today’s Runes

Jade Runes are most commonly used for questions about love, friendship, and relationships. Ken is the rune of light and knowledge, driving away darkness and ignorance and revealing hidden truth. This rune also brings forth images of friendship and comfort. Ken is the light of inspiration, the light of imagination, and a beacon in the darkest hours.

Today’s Runes for Saturday, November 19th is Inguz

Today’s Runes

Spirit Runes are most commonly used for questions about mysticism, spirituality, and religion. Inguz is the rune of completion and fertility. The presence of this rune suggests that tasks which have been initiated will come to fruition. This rune is associated with Ing and Frey, it is this connection that explains its connotations of both fertility and sexuality. The variant of this rune shown here is reminiscent of the twin strands of life, and of the challenge and rewards of bringing together things complimentary.

I hope you are having a very enjoyable & relaxing weekend!

Days of the Week Comments Sorry for running late, another late night for me, lol!  And just as I started this here comes my baby wildcat, Razzy for loving. Considering what she is I do take a minute or two to love her. Her few minutes turn into about 30 or 45 minutes. When we are through loving, she stretching out on the bed behind me and goes right off to sleep. Domesticating a wildcat is not for the faint of heart, lol! She is getting use to us or I should say me. She still looks at the hubby like “who the heck are you?” He is starting to stick his hand out and let her smell him, so she is slowly but surely getting use to him.  But Razzy is getting use to living in the house. It has been a long process and she still has a little way to go but she is and will get there with a lot of love. I wouldn’t advise anyone to try to domesticate a wild animal.  There are times I think I must have been totally nuts when I just up and grabbed her and brought her in the house. But at the time I wasn’t thinking with my head, I was thinking with my heart. I loved her and I knew deep down she loved me. If I had to do it all over again, I would. She is my baby and I know it is going to be a long process but she will eventually become a true member of the family. If you could see my arms, hands and legs, you would probably shake your heads at me. When she was younger, I had her fixed and I know some think it is cruel but I had her front claws removed (because of the kind of cat she was). The vet also agreed to fix her a little younger than most cats. The hope was that fixing her it would tame her a little bit and it did. But she has adapted rather quickly and can use her back claws like razors. We play under the covers of the bed and my hand comes out a bloody mess. When I am in the kitchen washing dishes, if I don’t pay attention to her, she will jump up on the calf of my leg, sink her claws into me and bite me on the butt. She hates for me to put on socks and she especially hates long johns. She pulls the socks off of me and climbs my long johns till I take them off. So you see taming a wild animal is not a piece of cake. It takes a deep love for the animal and a lot of patience.  

Now on to other matters…….I have had a few comments from my dear readers wanting to know if it would be ok to share this blog on Facebook with their friends. It would perfectly find to share this blog with anyone you would like. I am very honored that anyone would want to share the blog and the information on it. I consider these requests the best compliments I could ever receive. You are telling me I am doing a good job getting the truth out about Witchcraft and doing the Goddess’ work. So yes, dear readers, share the blog with anyone you would like. The more the blog is shared, the more the truth about our Religion spreads. And the truth and beauty about our Religion needs to spread like wildfire. Witchcraft has been casted in a negative light for way to long and now is the time for the truth to come to light. It is time that Witchcraft takes it rightful place in history and today’s Religions. With your help, we can accomplish this. So please share and spread this blog with anyone you would like. And thank you for your help and your kind words.

I love all my readers and friends. I appreciate your support and love. Because without you and the Goddess none of this would be possible. 

Much love to all,

 Lady A

~Magickal Graphics~

The Hedge Witch’s Home (Or A Guide to Practical Paganism)

The Hedge Witch’s Home (Or A Guide to Practical Paganism)

Author: Liofrun

For most of us Pagans, the altar can be seen as a spiritual or peaceful refuge in our own special corner away from the mundane and away from the rest of the world. For others of us, we may prefer to meditate and still others would like nothing more than a peaceful walk in a forest. But our homes can be places of spiritual refuge as well, from the front door to the bedroom at the furthest end of the house. In fact, the home should be a refuge, a Pagan one. It goes without saying that most of us want to feel Pagan and live Pagan but for some of us this can be difficult.

Some of us live in must urban settings or very small dwellings with little room. Maybe you’re renting an apartment with strict rules such as no holes in the walls. But it’s anything but hopeless. We can “Pagan” up our houses in the simplest of ways. It is possible even if we live in tiny, cramped apartments or dorm rooms where lighting candles and incense isn’t practical and is prohibited by post-secondary institutions.

Kitchen Witches make much use of their kitchens. Their altars are their counters and their ritual tools are the big wooden spoons and saucepans by the stove. Green Witches have their gardens and hedge witches have the tinted jars of sundry herbs lined upon the shelves.

There are a few simple steps a Pagan can take to make their home really their home. Setting up a modest altar in a preferred room is one way, perhaps with a smudge stick or perhaps with images of ancestors lining the edges. This is really very simple, a nicely framed picture of Grandma and Grandpa on a side table will most surely do! My altar has a calendar set up neatly on the left side. You can decorate your altar according to your path’s holidays and decorate your house with seasonal sprigs or seasonal emblems.

One can also make use of many readily available herbs to feel close to nature such as creating sachets, herbal rinses, soaps, incenses, teas or any variety of delicious culinary dishes. I have only a few words of advice and those are: DO NOT OVERPICK. And be sure to pick ethically as many plants are endangered or becoming endangered just as animals do. And do not pick anything out in the wild without thoroughly making sure you know what it is and use it to the best of its abilities If you can’t be sure, leave it or consult someone who knows. That being said, the practical Pagan may want to get rosehips from the roses in his garden and they appear when the blooms die for any number of practical purposes from teas to desserts.

These and many other herbs can also be found at a local loose-leaf teashop, or if you’re lucky enough, your local herb shop or Pagan shop. There are many practical ways to utilize these small charms as well. A kitchen Witch might go to the supermarket and buy some thyme or ginger to cook with and saturate it with his or her witchy knack for cooking. If you live in the city, and want to feel more “naturey”, set up a windowsill spice garden and be sure to get a few potted plants.

When friends come over, the hedge Witch can brew a mean tea from those same rosehips, which are high in vitamin C and thus helpful with colds. If you’re looking for a sleeping potion and warm milk just isn’t doing the trick, try some chamomile. As a mild sedative, it does wonders to help you, or your active children get to sleep.

To make your home feel like being home and feel more Pagan, you could tie an herb sachet by the bathtub and the scent will be released with the steam. You could collect your favorite Pagan authors and place them on a bookshelf in the living room. You could keep a diary, dream journal or recipe book by your bed stand.

For the more spiritual, you could buy a nice broom and decorate it to your tastes and use cleaning the home as a ritual or if you’re Heathen, place a blót horn or ancestor image on the mantel. Mine is only big enough for a single shot so if you’re space is cramped you can still aim small. You do not have to feel like you are trapped in a cramped, mundane and utterly unPagan apartment.

You can imbue almost anything with a spiritual significance. Even if you are a teenager in a strict nonPagan home you can try your hand at cooking or placing a broom in your room to clean with and of course you can buy little figurines for your bedroom that have special significance to you.

Last but not least, you could try your creative hand and add a very personal element. If you can write, write a prayer for your bedroom wall. If you can paint, paint an image of your patron God. If you can carve, carve an image of your totem. If you can work with wood, well, you get the idea.

It is very easy to be the Practical Pagan without cheapening the experience or overdoing it dramatically. After all, no one really need a big witch hat and a cast iron cauldron sitting dead centre in the front foyer for all to see to have a Pagan home and neither do you need to set up a mini Stonehenge in the backyard (a small altar by a tree or birdfeeder may do just fine) .

If space is an issue, aim small. If disapproving eyes are an issue, aim for subtle and above all, aim for modest and something which will complement your personality!

Make your home really feel like yours and let it be inspired by your Pagan path.

Happy (Pagan) interior decorating!

 


Footnotes:
N/A

Ritual Tools

Ritual Tools

 
 
While many power objects find a home on the ritual altar and are used in ceremony, they are not necessarily the same as ritual tools. Ritual tools are objects that have very specific uses in a ceremonial setting. The smudge fan purify space. Smudge and incense begin to induce a sacred state of mind. The ritual sword may be used to cast the circle and cut openings in it for participants that need to leave or re-enter. These tools may be gifts from your spirit allies, but they have a purpose other than connecting you to Deity and holding power for you individually.
 
Ritual tools being great mystery and powerful belief to a ceremony. Simply by using them, you may be transported into a magickal state of consciousness. The belief in their power alone can spur you into more effective magick and deeper trance states. This can be particularly true in the early stages of your practice, but continued use can increase their power exponentially. The more you work with these tools, the more conditioned you become to the stages of consciousness that you experience through using them. In this way, they can be invaluable catalysts to the creation of magick.
 
Because of the important role these tools play in the creation of ceremony and the intimate nature of your psychic relationship with them, it is vitally important that ritual tools be properly cleansed and ritually consecretaed and accepted by the deities of your path.
 
Kristen Madden
Llewellyn’s 2007 Magical Almanac

Using Your Fire Dish

Using Your Fire Dish

A fire dish is ideal for any seasonal or personal rite of passage for which traditionally a bonfire was lit. Sometimes you can have a bonfire or remove turf and make a fire pit with bricks, but this is not always possible, especially near sacred ground.

A fire dish is wonderful for unifying those sharing a rite, whether a coven, friends or family.

When you are not travelling, keep your fire dish to the south of the outdoor altar as a powerful representation of the fire element and to attract fire spirits and faeries. You can cover it when not in use or during inclement weather.

Sprinkle incense or herbs directly on to the burning wood to make personal empowerments and to raise or release power during a spell.

Burn wishes scratched on the inside of bark with a small knife or burn dead leaves and twigs to represent banishing what is redundant in your life.

Use your fire dish as a focus for chanting and dancing and as an added bonus for supplying light and warmth during a ritual.

Make sure the fire dish is not too full to avoid the danger of tipping over or getting too hot. Keep water nearby to extinguish an over-zealous fire.

Some woods like juniper and cedar spit; ash and pine are excellent as is oak although some people will not burn the latter. Sandalwood smells fabulous if you can get it; you can sometimes buy small sandalwood logs in bags from a hardware store. You can mix the woods.

Practice before your first ritual with your fire dish so you know how to light a good but not ferocious fire. When everyone had an open fire in the living room, this was daily practice. Nowadays, unless you were a Scout or Girl Guide or belong to a coven, you may not have been taught the art. Follow the instructions on a pack of firelighters or ask an older relative for a lesson.

Today’s Runes for November 15th is Dagez

Today’s Runes

Ice Runes are most commonly used for questions about struggle, conflict, and achievement. Dagez means daylight, and represents divine light. This rune generally refers to dawn (the initial sparking of energy) or to midday (the climax of energy). Both dawn and midday are symbolic of change, but unlike the changes in the perpetual circle of the year which are slow and subtle, the changes over a day are much faster and more dramatic. The breaking of a new day is symbolic of the rapid illumination of dismal circumstances, and is suggestive of Satori. Be careful – although this rune generally suggests a positive change, the symbology of a peaking point suggests that there must be a change downward as well. Fortunately for some, this rune is cyclic and irreversible, and so permanence is not promised – the only thing you can be sure of is an exciting ride.

The Survival of Ancient Ways in Today’s World

The Survival of Ancient Ways in Today’s World

Author: wolf witch

Witchcraft, Wicca, and Pagan belief systems in general are more popular now than since the advent of Christianity in the West. As society gradually moves away from the group and toward individuality with respect to spiritual development, people seek alternatives to “organized” religion in order to more thoroughly immerse themselves in that sense of inner spirituality that, in the East, comes from meditation and a closely controlled lifestyle and in the West has its roots in the ancient Western Mystery Tradition in part or in whole surrounding the teaching founded upon Hermetic philosophy.

Wicca is, depending on which “expert’ you read, either very ancient or extremely new and linked to Neo-Paganism. Still, its practices demand individual dedication and action, and, even in its most basic form, stirs the inner workings further toward the sort of self-realization equated with spiritual enlightenment. Whether this enlightenment is as thorough as that of the Buddhists or is that a devoted Christian attains through constant prayer is unimportant. What is truly a key factor here is that Wicca, in whatever form, requires the individual to ultimately take responsibility for his own spiritual development, as must the Buddhist or the Christian or any other person of faith.

The claim for the Craft being a part of the spiritual movement of modern times collapses in the face of archeological and anthropological evidence to the contrary. The Internet and the ready availability of books from a wide range of authors resulted in an incredible number of “traditions” birthing literally overnight, each of which possesses their adherents and, in the case of many founding members, zealots, a rather surprising response from a religion that is by no means evangelical. The point of this text is not to criticize new or old traditions. Each finds its place in spiritual development. Those with more parochial views may learn something here but will find no further argument with any modern path.

If no other law holds true in the Craft, “Each to his own” certainly applies.

In order to understand Western occult philosophy, one must grasp the words of the Emerald Tablet, the essence of which is the statement, “As above, so below, ” and its reverse. There is no dictum of control implied here, so the phrase does not lose, as suggested by some authors, its validity in reverse. It merely explains that the nature of things is best discovered in any one thing within the set; that is, if something exists in this universe, then its structure and function resulting from that physical existence resembles in kind all other things in this universe.

The axiom applies equally to Man and Spirit. The whole reason for its existence is to tell man that the universe he sees and the Universe his spirit knows is hardly imaginary but very, very real. The stone is the Almighty’s message to Man that what he cannot see has no reality whosoever in relation to the greater Universe of gods, angels, demons, and the like. Man is part of that magnificent continuum.

Thus is the Creator known to Man.

There are as many paths to spiritual awakening as there are people on the planet. Some folks are so convinced their method is right that they insist on bringing it to others which in some cases is a truly positive gesture. However, when that new system comes into place through the annihilation of what went before, then the result proves destructive and dangerous.

In the time of Charlemagne, Paganism died in Europe at the hands of Christians bent on destroying every other belief system but their own. St. Patrick did not drive the snakes out of Ireland (there were none to begin with) , but he did burn every piece of literature concerning the religious history of the Celts, a close equivalent to the burning of the great library at Alexandria by the Romans who simply knew no better. Patrick knew exactly what he was doing, and the Church made a practice of eliminating all but their own warped view of religion as a source of power and authority.

The Craft has few written records that cover events from the Dark Ages. All such literature became personal as each witch kept a Book of Shadows though few would have called it that. The books held recipes and formulae for everything from herbal remedies to dynamic rituals, most of which these days are drawn from a single surviving grimier, the Key of Solomon. From this text, Gardner drew the rituals in his book.

Fortunately, the worst persecution could not eliminate folkways, and many made their way to the present, especially those regarding healing. This knowledge forged an excellent foundation for modern witches to expand their knowledge of the human psyche in order to better help those in need.

All of the present day’s rites and rituals owe much to Hermes and his simple statement. Understanding the universe makes clear the path delineated by the Craft, so the study of how the universe works is definitely worth the effort. In the end, the universe unfolds itself to each in its own way.

Here is one of the great gifts of the Goddess, as claimed in Celtic tradition: the Stone, a foundation upon which all else stands.

The occult deals with those entities and forces that, in general, lie outside the bounds of what most would define as normal existence. Where the world around us takes its description from physics, the occultist studies metaphysics. Where the scientist relies on proof as determined by experimental data, the occultist speculates using intuition as an equally valid point that influences understanding the true reality of any situation. While science plods on toward a complete understanding of the universe in detail, the occultist works more as a generalist using Hermes’ statement as a guide: “As above, so below”.

Today’s trend, thanks to the rapid spread of information and its verification relying very much on popularity rather than true alacrity, creates almost as many Craft belief systems as there are individuals capable of committing those beliefs onto a web page. More than a few seek a sense of authority within the old religion earned only in their own right. Many forget the trials that shaped Wicca over the years and the powerful forces and strong enemies that sought to wipe the Craft from the planet, burning, killing, and torturing every follower and many more who were rumored to be followers of the ancient ways.

There is a common feeling among these folk and a host of other witches that the burning times are over; that the public broadcast of one’s own faith can safely travel the Internet airways without fear of any repercussion.

One careful perusal of the news will prove this merry affection dangerously incorrect. With the smallest change in today’s status quo, the burning time could come back in force. Fundamentalism favors intolerance. There is absolutely nothing wrong with stating one’s beliefs in any public forum, but the defense of those beliefs to the blood must be the heart of that statement.

Today’s Runes for Monday, November 14th is Raido

Today’s Runes

Spirit Runes are most commonly used for questions about mysticism, spirituality, and religion. Raido means to ride. In this rune, the image is not so much the riding of a horse as in riding in a cart or as cargo. As such Raido may suggest a journey, but is much more indicative of communication. Alternate interpretations based on the use of Raido as a cognate in other words give it the meaning of council, judgment, and moral correctness. Therefore, this rune is the rune of wise advice and good leadership.

TO HELP DISPEL NEGATIVE ENERGIES AROUND YOU

TO HELP DISPEL NEGATIVE ENERGIES AROUND YOU

Take a small clear crystal, an acorn, some rosemary and mandrake and a bit of green silk
or cotton. It doesn’t need to be a big piece. Cast your circle and creating a pouch from
the herbs, bless them with each element saying:
“While this dwells within,
there will be protection without.
Cleanse and charge this charm,
element of against all who wish me ill!”
Now hang this somewhere not too obviously, like hiding it in a corner or over a window.
This will protect you ’til next Samhain when you should burn it in the sacred fire, crystal and all.
If it is not too tainted, the fire will just cleanse the crystal and you’ll be able to retrieve it
from the ashes but I always recommend just getting a new one.

The Third Rule Of White Magick: Ask for enough for your needs & a little more

The Third Rule of White Magick:

You can ask for enough for your needs and a little more
 
Magick can be used for any area of your life where you need power, money, healing or protection. There is nothing wrong in asking for the resolution of an urgent problem. After all, you can’t be drawing down lunar energies or healing rainforests successfully if you are worried sick about the bald tire on your car and you’ve got to drive your grandma to the hospital for her annual check-up the next day.
 
Witchcraft is and always has been about real people and their daily needs. As the Christian Lord’s Prayer says, “Give us this day our daily bread.” The religion of witchcraft is no less caring.
 
Our ancestors’ seasonal and domestic rituals were based on the need for enough food, shelter, and clothing. These were days when the harvest or the hunt was crucial to survival. The necessity of enough rain and sunshine for the growth of the seeds and animals formed the focus of seasonal rites. In societies that still depend on hunting, fishing or the harvest, these seasonal rituals have maintained their urgency and central position in the religious life of the community.
 
As long as your needs are realistic, you can usually obtain the resources you asked for, plus maybe an unexpected free upgrade, by doing even a simple spell. Be sure that your heart is in it and that you suspend logic–at least while casting the spell.
 
You can ask for love, health, healing, career success, fertility, concentration and an improved memory to pass an examination or take a test. As long as you do put in the necessary hours of studying or earthly effort to bring your wishes to fruition, magick can give you the extra boost and the confidence to succeed.

White Magick

White Magick

  
Like any spiritual force, magick is neutral, whatever its form. In the past, and even today in some parts of the world, formal religion can be used to justify all kinds of cruelty and intolerance. Magick used for dark purposes is really about power and sometimes people do hide behind the name and practices of witchcraft to abuse the vulnerable, whether physically, sexually or psychologically.
 
Usually these folks aren’t really devil-worshippers as they claim, but have watched some nasty inaccurate horror film about satanism and get themselves into all kinds of psycholgical as well as psychic minefields, not to mention the dreadful harm they do to others — and to the good name of witchcraft.
 
Almost as harmful in terms of misinformation and causing psychological damage, though not intentionally are witch cult films that glorify special effect spells with fire, sulphur and blood sacrifice, ritual sex and medieval demons unleashed to grant their wishes.
 
To real witches all life is sacred even that of the smallest insect. If you’re looking for wild sex, forget witchcraft. You’re more likely to get a list of herbs to learn or the altar silver to polish at your local coven than an invitation to attend a moorland orgy.
 
White or positive magickal practice, the kind recommended in this and other books by responsible witches and organizations such as The Children of Artemis, probably the best on- and off-line resource, is a highly moral and responsible code. Common sense is the key and covens are like gold dust to find. You can be sure if you are offered instant initiation in some lonely place or after a few private lession; you should drink up and leave fast.
 
Natural magick is by its simplicity naturally protective and reassuring. However, in case we do get intoxicated by our own powers, floods, whirlwinds, volcanoes and earth tremors are a sharp reminder that we work with and do not control mother nature.

The Rule of Three

The Rule of Three

aka The Law of Threefold Return

ByPatti Wigington

 

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

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

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

Background and Origins of the Threefold Law

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

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

Objections to the Law of Three

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

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

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

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

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

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

Background and Origins of the Threefold Law

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

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

Objections to the Law of Three

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

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

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

Why the Law of Three is Practical

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

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

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

Other Interpretations

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

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

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

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

Magical Ethics

Magical Ethics

ByPatti Wigington

There’s a saying among the contemporary Pagan community that “black magic is whatever works, white magic is anything else.” This stems in part from a misconception that black equals bad, white equals good, and that there are no gray areas at all. However, nothing could be farther from the truth.

Let’s look at the word blackitself, and figure out why it connotates evil. A big part of that is thanks to pop culture — after all, in popular shows like Charmed or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the good guys are the “white light” people. The bad guys are surrounded by darkness. Another part of the whole black = bad concept is because of people who can’t let go of their Christian upbringing, in which those who are righteous are surrounded by the light of God, and those who are damned will dwell in darkness.

The problem with this logic is that darkness in and of itself doesn’t have to be bad at all. After all, how beautiful is a quiet night out in the country, miles away from the lights of a city? Have you ever walked in the woods at midnight, embracing the comfort of the shadows? Darkness is what lies in the soil, below the earth, before a plant grows in the spring. It is the long nights of winter, when we are drawn into our homes to embrace our families and count our good fortune. It is the inside of the womb, warm and nurturing. Even the darkness of the grave, of death itself, may be seen as welcoming.

Once we accept that dark isn’t all that bad, it’s a lot easier to look at the concept of “black magic” vs. “white magic.” Even if we replace the words “black” with “negative” and “white” with “positive”, we’re still in a bit of a pickle, and here’s why: because it is the intent that matters as much as the action. In other words, if someone performs magic that others might see as “negative,” but does it for what they believe is an honest and just reason, then is it really negative magic?

To do magic is to say that you want to bring about change in the Universe — after all, if everything were perfect, there’d be no need for magic at all. Any magic capable of causing change is also magic that can harm, simply by its very nature. Magic isn’t some Super Spooky Power that we have — it’s a tool we can use to precipitate changes. Any tool can be used for helping or harming — if I have a hammer, I can use it to build a house. I can also use it to whack people in the head. It’s not the hammer that’s “negative”, but what I choose to do with it.

Case in point: in the early nineties, a serial rapist was terrorizing the women of a coastal city in the Carolinas. His reported victims, over two years, numbered at least two dozen, including a teenage girl who later committed suicide. A group of witches got together one night, and did a working calling for this man to be stopped by the Universe. A couple of weeks later, the prime suspect — who was later convicted — led police on a high-speed chase and wrecked his car, nearly dying from his injuries. He has lived since then severely handicapped, but he never raped another woman.

Negative magic, or no?

There are people within the Wiccan and Pagan community who feel that any magic that affects other people at all is unethical, and they have the right to not perform any magic on, against, or for others. However, there are an equal amount of people who believe that change brought about by magic is acceptable, just as change brought about by mundane methods is acceptable. Chances are, the two camps will never agree, but what you can do, as an individual, is respect the beliefs of those who may disagree with you, whichever side you may happen to fall on.

Look at magic as a way to improve your life. You can use it to bring love to you, to gain financial abundance, to eliminate problems from your life. You can use it as a method of growth and self-empowerment. It can be used to help you fulfill your dreams, desires and goals. Can you use magic to help other people? Sure — if they ask you to. If they haven’t asked — or if they’ve specifically told you NOT to do anything on their behalf, then don’t.

Ultimately, only you can decide which forms of magic fall into your personal system of ethics. If you feel a particular course of action is wrong, then avoid it. If you feel it is ethically acceptable, and you’re willing to accept the results of your actions, then so be it.

Magical Ethics and Guidelines

Magical Ethics and Guidelines

There’s a lot of spirited discussion about magical ethics within the Wiccan and Pagan communities. What’s okay to do, and what’s not? More importantly, do the rules apply to everyone? Read on to find out the basics of magical ethics, and how you can figure out what’s acceptable within your own magical tradition.

Magic for Personal Gain

There’s an awful lot of speculation about whether or not it’s okay to perform magic for personal gain. Unless your particular tradition forbids it, here’s why you should feel okay about doing magic to benefit yourself.

One of the first cautionary warnings that people new to the magical life seem to stumble upon is the idea that magic shouldn’t be used for personal gain. There doesn’t seem to be any clear-cut precedent for where this mandate came from, and in fact very few Wiccan or Pagan traditions follow it. To do magic is, after, to express your own discontent with the universe and the things in it, and to make changes come about to your satisfaction.

Think of it this way. Let’s say you are particularly skilled at building things. Is there some big Rule of Building that says you’re only allowed to construct things for other people, but never for yourself? What if you have a talent for balancing numbers? Does the Accountant’s Rede permit you only to do someone else’s bookkeeping, but not let you balance your own checkbook? Of course not. That would be ridiculous.

If your tradition says, “Don’t do this,” then don’t do it. Otherwise, what’s holding you back? Your personal code of ethics will help you determine whether or not you can perform an action or not. 

Magic is a skill set just like any other. You can use it alone, or you can use it in tandem with the mundane. Part of developing magical ability is to make your own life better. If you’re sick, you do a healing working on yourself. If you’re financially strapped, you do a working that brings abundance your way. Just like with any other talent, use the skills you have to benefit yourself. If you’d like to use it to help other people as well, that’s awesome, and something to be proud of. In the meantime, unless your tradition specifically forbids you from doing magic for personal gain, don’t ever let anyone tell you that your abilities can’t be used for yourself.

Today’s Runes for Saturday, November 12th is Eoh

Today’s Runes

Spirit Runes are most commonly used for questions about mysticism, spirituality, and religion. Eoh refers to the Yew tree. The Yew does not go dormant and therefore represents endurance. Even the wood of the tree is strong, resilient, and pliable – the Yew bends, but does not break. The evergreen nature of the Yew is present even in the rune itself, as it cannot be changed even by reversal. This rune is historically symbolic of death, but, as in the Tarot and as suggested by the nature of the Yew tree itself, death is seen only as a transmutation of something eternal and unchanging – the spirit.

How to Choose A Good Magickal Name

How to Choose A Good Magickal Name

Author: Bronwen Forbes

There’s a standard joke in the Pagan community that, at a gathering, if the loudspeaker were to announce, “Will Raven, Morgan, and Rhiannon please come to registration?” half the attendees would show up, and that the Ravens at least would be split pretty evenly between males and females.

Like most good jokes, it has a lot of truth in it.

So rule number one of how *not* to choose a good magickal name is: pick one that’s already been used to death.

Rule number two of how not to choose a good magickal name: pick one that’s unpronounceable. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times people with magickal names like Aistiranpaistinfionncoinini have gotten really annoyed with me because I can’t pronounce their name. If you must*have a name longer than ten letters, do your friends, fellow coveners and community a favor and allow us to use a nickname. “Aistir” would work for my example. It means, “star” in Irish Gaelic.

Now that you know what not to do when picking a magickal name for yourself, what doyou do?

First, decide whether or not you really need one, or if your legal first name will work just fine. Back in the 1980s (when I first realized I was Pagan) , most of us had a special name we used in the community. Even though we were on the cusp of the 21st century, we still felt the need to hide our legal identity in order to protect our jobs and our children.

If you have a career, a potential career (if you’re still in school) , children that might be in danger because of where you live or who you’re divorcing, or a work situation that could be jeopardized if people outside the community knew you were Pagan, you might want a magickal name for public community use.

Also, many groups and traditions only use their magickal names when they’re in ritual – it’s another way to move them into ritual space, just like putting on robes and lighting the candles do. For these folks, the privilege of knowing and using their ritual name indicates that you are “family” to them. The rest of the Pagan community calls them Lynn or Bob, i.e. their legal names.

If you still decide you want a magickal name, it’s best to pick one that a) tells the Pagan world something about you, b) is a reflection of your path, or c) invokes something into you that you feel you lack. A really good magickal name will fill all three criteria.

Let me explain. When I joined my first coven, I was required (as were all members) to choose a name from Tolkien’s made-up Elvish language. I was a theater major at the time, and was intrigued by the comedy-tragedy masks that not only summed up the human condition, but also in the balance implied by the smiling face and the sorrowful face. After some reflection, I chose Nienor Lailaith, which, loosely translated, means “sorrow joy.”

I was called “Nienor” in the community for roughly my first year. It definitely told the Pagan world that theater was sacred to me, which was something I wanted everyone to know. The coven I was in used a lot of symbolism from Tolkien’s works, and when I met people and used my Elvish name, there was no question in their minds what coven I was in and what path I was on.

Finally, I was twenty-two years old. “Balance” was not in my vocabulary – but I knew it needed to be. I remember thinking that maybe a nice, balanced name like “sorrow joy” would help me learn how to better juggle my schoolwork, home life, and coven responsibilities. As magickal names go, Nienor Lailaith was a pretty good one.

So in case you’ve accidentally or deliberately misplaced your copy of The Silmarillion, how do you pick a good magickal name?

Here’s what I did when it was time to retire Nienor and find something else. I took a piece of paper and a pen and started writing down every word or name that I liked from my favorite books — fiction and non-fiction — my favorite movies, mythology – Greek, Roman, Celtic, Slavic, Norse, plus plant and tree identification books, baby name books (they’re not known for historical accuracy, but they do have some names you might not otherwise think of) , animals I particularly liked, zodiac correspondences, birds, history… every source I could think of until I had a list of about thirty names.

I then started to cross off the ones I liked the least until I had two left. One, not surprisingly, was Bronwen. I liked the sound. I liked the spelling – there are several ways to spell “Bronwen, ” more if you want it to look exotic. I played around with what little I know about numerology and discovered that Bronwen spelled with an “o” and an “e” (as opposed to, say, “Branwyn” or “Bronwinn”) was a one, a number that balanced my birth number very nicely. So, Bronwen it was.

(On a side note, I legally changed my first and middle names in 1994. “Bronwen” is now my middle name. You don’t have to go as far as legally changing your name. In fact, considering all the expense and annoyance of changing all one’s legal documents, including driver’s license, social security card, medical insurances cards, etc. I strongly recommend you have at least one major compelling reason to do so. It’s really a pain to do!)

Whatever you do, don’t use one of those Pagan name generators on the Internet. They’re a joke. They’re meant to be funny. They are not for real! You’d think everyone would know that, but I’ve run into about one too many “Lavender Mermaid of the Sand” who got her “special” name from one of those sites and took it seriously. In fact, I just now played with the Pagan name generator and got Ariadne Bard Dragonfly.

Hmm. I think I’ll stick with Bronwen, thanks. But if Ariadne Bard Dragonfly works for you, feel free to take it!