The Tools Of Ritual Magick

Formal ritual magick requires its own special tools. These may be real or symbolic.

The list I give here is intended only as a guide: some of these may not be relevant to your own way of working. I have listed the areas of the circle in which each tool is traditionally placed. There are many sources of magical tools and, as I mentioned in the section on spells, you may already have a number in your home. You do not need to spend a great deal of money unless you wish, but I would suggest that you take time in finding the right items. Even if you work in a group, you may like to build up a set for your own personal work.

Some people prefer to make their own magical tools and this certainly does endow them with energies. I have suggested books that tell you how to make your own candles for special ceremonies and even your own knife. Woodcarvers are an excellent source for small staves suitable as wands and will often make items to order. In time, you will build up a collection of items and by personalising and charging them, you make them not only powerful, but also your own.

Keep your magical tools in a special place, separate from your everyday household items, wrapped in a natural fabric. You can buy excellent hessian bags and may wish to keep fragile or items that will scratch in separate ones. You can also use silk. Secure your bags with three protective knots.

You may have heard various warnings about needing to destroy charged tools on the demise of the owner, and the dire consequences of their being touched by any outsider. This is real late-night-cinema stuff. But common sense dictates that you should not leave knives, sharp wands, etc. where children might harm themselves and on the whole it is better to keep magical items away from the curious and the sceptical.

There is really no reason why you should not use your kitchen knife for cutting vegetables and then, after a quick purification in water or incense, chop herbs in an impromptu spell, or open your circle with it. But on the whole it is better to keep a separate knife for your special ceremonies.

I believe that even formal tools are like electrical devices that are lying unplugged and unused: they contain the potential to help or harm only if misused. What is more, without your personal vibes, which act as your password, the power cannot flow; you have not created an independent life form.

The following tools are commonly used in formal magick.

The Athame
An athame is, quite simply, a ceremonial knife. It is one of the ritual tools that entered the tradition through the influence of magicians and witches who set out the wisdom, mainly at the beginning of the twentieth century and in the upsurge of covens during the 1950s. Gerald Gardener, one of the founding fathers of Wicca, considered ritual knives and swords of prime importance in modern formal witchcraft.

You can obtain an athame from a specialist magical shop, but as I said before, any knife – even a letter opener – will do, although it should preferably have a silver-coloured blade. Athames are traditionally double-edged and black-handled, but a single-edged blade is better if you are new to magick, to avoid unintentional cuts.

There is a vast array of scouting and craft knives available, with black wooden handles on which you can engrave magical symbols such as your zodiacal and planetary glyphs with a pyrographic set obtained from an art shop. You can also paint moons, stars, spirals, suns, or crosses with silver paint. I use a curved-bladed knife with a silver engraved scabbard, which I bought from a souvenir shop in Spain.

The athame is set in the East of the altar and represents the element of Air. Like the sword, it is traditionally used for drawing magical circles on the ground and directing magical Air energies into a symbol. When you are casting a circle, you can point your athame diagonally towards the ground, so that you do not need to stoop to draw (which is not very elegant and bad for the back). With practice, the movement becomes as graceful as with a sword.

The athame can also be used as a conductor of energy, especially in solitary rituals, being held above the head with both hands to draw down light and energy into the body. This uses the same principle as that of arching your arms over your head to create a light body as described on page 124. One method of releasing the power is then to bring the athame down with a swift, cutting movement, horizontally at waist level, then thrust it away from the body and upwards once more to release this power. If others are present, direct the athame towards the centre of the circle. After the ritual you can drain excess energies by pointing the athame to the ground.

An athame may be used to invoke the elemental Guardian Spirits by drawing a pentagram in the air and for closing down the elemental energies after the ritual. With its cutting steel of Mars, it is effective in power, matters of the mind, change, action, justice, banishing magick, protection and for cutting through inertia and stagnation. The athame is sometimes also associated with the Fire element.

If you don’t like the idea of a full-sized athame, there are some lovely paper knives in the shape of swords or with animal or birds’ heads.

Some covens give each of their members a tiny athame, to be used for drawing down energies during ceremonies. The main athame is used by the person leading the ritual who may draw the circle, open all four quarters and close them after the ritual.

An athame with a white handle is used for cutting wands, harvesting herbs for magick or healing, carving the traditional Samhain jack-o’-lantern, and etching runes and other magical or astrological symbols on candles and talismans. Some practitioners believe that you should never use metal for cutting herbs but instead pull them up, shred them and pound them in a mortar and pestle, kept for the purpose. Pearl-handled athames are considered to be especially magical.

The Sword
Like the athame, the sword stands in the East of the circle as a tool of the Air element. Swords are the suit symbol of Air in the Tarot and are also one of the Christian as well as the Celtic Grail treasures.

Each of the Tarot suits and the main elemental ritual items in magick, represented by these four suits, is associated with one of the treasures of the Celts. The treasures belonged to the Celtic Father God, Dagda, and are said to be guarded in the Otherworld by Merlin. There were 13 treasures in total, but four have come into pre-eminence in magick and Tarot reading.

These four main sacred artefacts – swords, pentacles, wands and cups, or chalices – have parallels in Christianity and were associated with the legendary quest of the knights of King Arthur, who attempted to find them. The Grail Cup was the most famous of these. The Christian sword of King David, identified in legend with Arthur’s sword Excalibur, appears in Celtic tradition as the sword of Nuada whose hand was cut off in battle.

With a new hand fashioned from silver, he went on to lead his people to victory. According to one account, the Christian treasures were brought in AD 64 to Glastonbury in England by Joseph of Arimathea, the rich merchant who caught Christ’s blood in the chalice as He was on the cross and took care of His burial after the crucifixion.

Some present-day, peace-loving witches, myself included, do not really like the concept of using swords, even though they are pretty spectacular for drawing out a circle on a forest floor, and swords are rarely used in home ritual magick. If you do want to use one, however, you can obtain reproduction ceremonial swords.

The sword is the male symbol to the female symbol of the cauldron, and plunging the swords into the waters of the cauldron can be used in love rituals and for the union of male and female, god and goddess energies as the culmination of any rite. However, the chalice and the athame, or wand, tend to be used for the same purpose, unless it is a very grand ceremony.

The Bell
The bell stands in the North of the circle and is an Earth symbol. It is an optional tool and can be made from either crystal or protective brass. Best for magick is the kind that you strike.

The bell is traditionally rung nine times at the beginning and close of each ritual; the person ringing the bell should stand in the South of the circle, facing North. (Nine is the magical number of completion and perfection.) It is also rung to invoke the protection of angels or the power of a deity and in ceremonies to welcome departed members to the circle. You can also sound the bell in each of the four elemental quadrants, before creating the invoking pentagram, to request the presence of each elemental guardian. It can also be sounded as you pass your chosen symbol around each quadrant of the circle. However, you should not use the bell to excess – it is better under-utilised.

The Broom
The broom, or besom, was originally – and still is – a domestic artefact. It represents magically the union of male and female in the handle and the bristles and so is a tool of balance. Brooms have several uses in magick. A broom is sometimes rested horizontal to the altar to add protection, and couples jump over one in their handfasting ceremony. Most important, you should use your broom to cleanse the ritual area before every ritual.

Brooms are easily obtainable from any garden centre (you want one in the traditional ‘witches’ broomstick’ shape, not an ordinary brush). Brooms made with an ash handle and birch twigs bound with willow are traditionally recognised as being especially potent, being endowed with protective and healing energies. Some practitioners carve or paint a crescent moon at the top of the handle, others decorate theirs with their personal ruling planetary and birth sign glyphs entwined.

When cleansing the area for rituals, you might like to scatter dried lavender or pot pourri and sweep it in circles widdershins, saying:

Out with sorrow, out with pain,
Joyous things alone remain.

You can also sweep areas of your home such as uncarpeted floors, patio paths and yards to cleanse the home of negativity. Remember to sweep out of the front door, away from the house and eventually into the gutter, or if in you live in a flat, you can collect the lavender and dust in a pan and send it down the waste disposal unit.

You may also wish to cleanse the area further by sprinkling salt and pepper dissolved in water after sweeping. If you are working on carpet, you can use a very soft broom (some modern witches even hoover in circles widdershins and sprinkle the area with water in which a few drops of a cleansing flower essence, such as Glastonbury Thorn, has been added).

The broom is an Earth artefact.

The Cauldron
The cauldron is the one ritual tool that is positively charged by being the centre of domestic life and can replace the altar as a focus for less formal magick spells. If you can obtain a flameproof cauldron with a tripod, you can, on special occasions such as Hallowe’en, light a fire out of doors and heat up a brew of herbs and spices in the cauldron. When not in use, you can keep your cauldron filled with flowers or pot pourri.

If your circle is large enough, you can place your cauldron in the centre. Then, if you are working in a group, form your circle of power around it, so that the altar is within the outer consecrated circle and you make a human inner circle with the cauldron as the hub. If you are working alone, you can have your altar in the centre with the cauldron in front of it. Alternatively, you can have a small pot or cauldron in the centre of the altar.

Experiment with the different positions both for group and solitary work and walk or dance your way around to work out the logistics. Some practitioners do not use a cauldron at all.

In your rituals, you can light a candle in front of the cauldron, fill it with sand in which to stand candles, or surround it with a circle of red candles to represent Fire. Wishes written on paper can be burned in the candles. Water darkened with mugwort may be placed in the cauldron, especially on seasonal festivals such as Hallowe’en and May Eve, and white candle wax dripped on the surface to create divinatory images that offer insights into potential paths.

You can cast flower petals into the cauldron water to get energies flowing. For banishing, add dead leaves and tip the cauldron water into a flowing source of water. You can also burn incense in the cauldron if this is the focus of a ritual.

The cauldron is a tool of Spirit or Akasha, the fifth element.

The Chalice
The chalice, or ritual cup, used for rituals is traditionally made of silver, but you can also use crystal, glass, stainless steel or pewter. The chalice represents the Water element and is placed in the West of the altar. Like the sword, it is a sacred Grail treasure and is a source of spiritual inspiration.

The Grail cup is most usually represented as the chalice that Christ used at the Last Supper, in which His blood was collected after the crucifixion. As such, it signifies not only a source of healing and spiritual sustenance, but also offers direct access to the godhead through the sacred blood it once contained. Tradition says that the original Grail cup was incorporated by Roman craftsmen into a gold and jewelled chalice called the Marian Chalice after Mary Magdalene. In Celtic tradition, it became the Cauldron of Dagda.

In rituals, the chalice can be filled with pure or scented water with rose petals floating on top. I have also mentioned its ritual use with the athame in male/female sacred rites, as the symbolic union of god and goddess that has in many modern covens replaced an actual sexual union (that now tends to occur in privacy between established couples only).

The chalice is also central to the sacred rite of cakes and ale that occurs at the end of formal ceremonies – the pagan and much older equivalent of the Christian holy communion. The offering of the body of the Corn God is made in the honey cakes on the pentacle, or sacred dish, and the beer or wine in the chalice is fermented from the sacrificed barley wine. In primaeval times, actual blood was used to symbolise the sacrifice of the Sacred King at Lughnassadh, the festival of the first corn harvest. The rite goes back thousands of years.

The cakes and ale are consumed by the people acting as High Priestess and Priest in a dual energy rite or by those initiated in those roles. Crumbs and wine are first offered to the Earth Mother or poured into a libation dish (a small dish for offerings). Then the priestess offers the priest a tiny cake and then takes one herself and he offers her the wine before drinking himself. The dual roles work just as well in a single-sex coven. The cakes and ale are then passed round the circle and each person partakes of the body and blood of the Earth, offering a few words of thanks for blessings received.

In some groups each person has an individual chalice set before them, but everyone still drinks one after the other, offering thanks, unless there is a communal chant of blessing before drinking.

The chalice can be filled with wine or fruit juice or water, depending on the needs and preferences of the group.

The cakes and ale ceremony and the male/female chalice rite can both be easily incorporated into a solitary ritual.

The Pentacle
The pentacle is a symbol of the Earth and is familiar to users of Tarot packs. It is placed in the North of the altar.

It consists of a flat, round dish or disc, engraved with a pentagram within a circle. The pentacle has been a magical sign for thousands of years. The five-pointed star of the pentagram within it is a sacred symbol of Isis and the single top point is considered by many to represent the Triple Goddess.

You can place crystals or a symbol of the focus of the ritual or charged herbs on the pentacle to endow it with Earth energies. It can then be passed through the other elements or empowered by passing over the pentacle incense for Air, a candle for Fire and burning oils or water itself for the Water element.

The pentacle can be moved to the centre of the altar once the symbol on it has been fully charged. It is very easy to make a pentacle of clay, wood, wax or metal, and on it mark a pentagram with the single point extending upwards. This is what you might call the all-purpose pentagram – drawn this way it always has a positive influence.

You might also like to make a larger pentacle for holding the tiny cakes for the cakes and ale ceremony. You can find special recipes for these cakes in books but any tiny honey cakes will serve well.

The Wand
The wand is a symbol of Fire and should be placed in the South of the altar.

The wand is sometimes represented by a spear. Both the wand and spear, like the athame and sword, are male symbols. The spear, another Fire symbol, is not used in magick, except occasionally in the form of a sharpened stick in sacred sex rites, when it is plunged into the cauldron or the chalice as a symbol of the sacred union of Earth and Sky, Water and Fire.

The wand is traditionally a thin piece of wood about 50 centimetres (21 inches) long, preferably cut from a living tree (some conservationists disagree unless the tree is being pruned). After a strong wind or in a forest where trees are being constantly felled, it is often possible to find a suitable branch from which the wand can be cut. It should be narrowed to a point at one end and rubbed smooth.

You can make a series of wands from different woods for your ceremonies.

Ash is a magical wood, associated with healing and positive energies.

Elder wands are symbols of faerie magick and so are good for any visualisation work.

Hazel comes from the tree of wisdom and justice and is linked with the magick of the Sun. The wand should be cut from a tree that has not yet borne fruit.

Rowan is a protective wood and so is good for defensive and banishing magick.

Willow is the tree of intuition and is said to be endowed with the blessing of the Moon.

You can also use a long, clear quartz crystal, pointed at one end and rounded at the other, as a wand. In its crystalline form, especially, the wand is used for directing healing energies from the circle to wherever they are needed.

The wand is used for directing energies and for making circles of power in the air – hence the image of the faerie godmother waving her wand – deosil for energies to attract energies and widdershins for banishing. It can be used to draw pentagrams in the air at the four quarters and it can also be used for drawing an invisible circle when you are working on carpet or another fabric that cannot be physically marked.

In some traditions, the wand is a tool of Air and so this and the athame, or the sword, are fairly interchangeable. However, the wand seems more effective for casting and uncasting circles, invoking quarters and closing power. It is also particularly good for directing energies in rites of love, healing, fertility, prosperity and abundance.

— Practical Guide to Witchcraft and Magic Spells By Cassandra Eason

With my thanks to Lady Abyss for this great information first posted in April of 2019

Magickal Activities in Honor of Apollo’s Day, May 18th

Magickal Activity for May 18th, Apollo’s Day

Sun Talisman for Personal Power

Items Needed:

Yellow paper or card stock

A gold marker or ink pen

First pentacle of the Sun

This simple rite is best performed at high noon on Sunday. Inscribe the first pentacle of the Sun on the yellow paper using the gold marker. Cut the pentacle out and hold it toward the sun. Feel the power and energy of the sun flower through you and into the pentacleas you chant:

Glory of the Sun, everlasting light,

Bring me power, strength and might.

So Mote It Be!

Carry the pentacle in your purse or wallet.

Celebrating Spirituality 365 Days A Year – Equirria

February 27th

Equirria

The Equirria was an ancient Roman festival of horse-racing held in honor of the God Mars. It was said to have been established by Romulus and held in the Campus Martius on Caelian Hill. There was a similar festival held on March 14 called the Mamuralia.

Mars was originally a God of agriculture and guardian of fields and boundaries, known as Mamers, Maris, or Marmar. He became identified with the Greek God Ares and so assumed the major role of war God. He was regarded as the son of Juno, and the month of March was named after him. He had a succession of festivals in February, March, and October.

Magickal Activity for Equirria

The First Pentacle of Mars

The First Pentacle of Mars is used to invoke the powers of Mars for gaining courage, enthusiasm, ambition, and all physical accomplishments.

You will need:

A square of red card stock

1 Red red votive candle in a glass holder

A small red cloth bag

Inscribe the First Pentacle of Mars on the red square of card stock. Light the red votive candle, and place it on top of the pentacle as you chant:

“Almighty warrior and God of power,

Fill me with courage from this hour.”

Allow the candle to burn completely out. Place the pentacle in the red bag and carry for courage

To Slow Down Time

TO SLOW DOWN TIME
Draw a pentacle on your right hand using a blessed blue pen. Visualize a sand
clock as you draw with the sand falling slowly. Say:

Core go round
Power be bound
Interrupt the nature’s course
Time slow down
Cast the spell saidth this words.

The spell will last for 24 hours or until the pentacle is erased, naturally or
washed, so don’t let your hand get sweaty.

Spell to Speed Up Time

SPELL TO SPEED UP TIME

Draw a pentacle on your left hand using a blessed red pen. Visualize a sand
clock as you draw.

Now put your left hand on your forehead or third eye, and say:

Sands of time show me thy way
Turn the nights into days
Rose petals so light and grace
Speed up time now in this place.

The spell will last for 24 hours or until the pentacle is erased, naturally or
washed, so try not to let your hands get sweaty.

The Witch’s Rune

Witchy Comments & Graphics

The Witch’s Rune

Darksome night and shining moon

Hearken to the witch’s rune

East then south, west then north

Here come I to call thee forth

Earth and Water, Air and Fire

Work ye unto my desire

Wand and Pentacle and Sword

Hearken ye unto my word

Cords and Censor, Scourge and Knife

Waken all ye into life

Power of the Witch’s Blade

Come ye as the charm is made

Queen of Heaven, Queen of Hell

Lend your aid unto the spell

Horned Hunter of the Night

Work my will by magick rite

By all the power of Land and Sea

As I do will, so mote it be

By all the might of moon and sun

Chant the spell and be it done.

Gardnerian Traditional Witchcraft –C.9. The Witches’ Chant or Rune (1957) to D.4. Forming the Circle. (1961)

C.9. The Witches’ Chant or Rune (1957)
Darksome night and Shining Moon,
East, then South, then West, then North,
Harken to the Witches Rune:
Here come I to call thee forth.

Earth and Water, Air and Fire,
Wand and Pentacle and Sword,
Work ye unto my desire,
Harken ye unto my word.

Cords and Censer, Scourge and knife,
Powers of the Witches Blade,
Waken all ye into life,
Come ye as the Charm is made:

Queen of Heaven, Queen of Hell,
Horned Hunter of the Night,
Lend your power unto the Spell,
Work my will by Magic Rite.

If chant is used to reinforce a work already begun, end with this:

By all the power of land and seaBy all the might of moon and sun,
What is my will- “So mote it be,”What I do say- “It shall be done.”

C.10. Consecrating Tools (1957)
(Note: if possible lay any new weapon touching an already consecrated one, Sword to sword, Athame to Athame, etc.)
[1] Prepare Circle and purify. All tools must be consecrated by a man and a woman, both as naked as drawn swords; they must be purified, clean, and properly prepared.
[2] Place tool on pentacle on altar. Magus sprinkles it with salt and water. Witch passes it through smoke of incense, replaces it on pentacle. Touching with already consecrated weapon, they say the First Conjuration.
[2a] For sword or athame, say “I conjure thee, O Sword (or Athame) of Steel, that thou servest me for a strength and a defence in all magical operations, against all mine enemies, visible and invisible, in the names of Aradia and Cernunnos. I conjure thee anew by the Holy Names Aradia and Cernunnos, that thou servest me for a protection in all adversities, so aid me.”
[2b] For any other tool, say, “Aradia and Cernunnos, deign to bless and to consecrate this [tool], that it may obtain necessary virtue through thee for all acts of love and Beauty.”
[3] Again they sprinkle and cense, and say the Second Conjuration:
[3a] For sword or athame, say, “I conjure thee, O Sword [Athame] of Steel, by the Great Gods and the Gentle Goddesses, by the virtue of the Heavens, of the Stars, of the Spirits who preside over them, that thou mayest receive such virtues that I may obtain the end that I desire in all things wherein I shall use thee, by the power of Aradia and Cernunnos.”
[3b] For any other tool, say, “Aradia and Cernunnos, bless this instrument prepared in thine honour.” (For the scourge or cords, add, “That it may only serve for a good use and end, and to thy Glory.”)
[4] All instruments when consecrated should be presented to their User by giving the [point-down triangle] sign salute (if they are working in the 1st degree, or the sign of the higher degree if they are working that.)
[5] Then the one who is not the owner should give the Fivefold Kiss to the owner. For the final kiss, the tool should be placed between the breasts, and the two workers should embrace for as long as they feel like, it being held in place by their bodies. The new owner should use it immediately, i.e., cast (trace) Circle with Sword or Athame, wave wand to 4 quarters, cut something with white-handled knife, etc. Cords and scourge should be used at once.
The tool should be kept in as close connection as possible to the naked body for at least a month, i.e., kept under pillow, etc. When not in use, all tools and weapons should be put away in a secret place; and it is good that this should be near your sleeping place, and that you handle them each night before retiring. Do not allow anyone to touch or handle any of your tools until they are thoroughly impregnated with your aura; say, six months or as near as possible. But a couple working together may own the same tools, which will be impregnated with the aura of both.

D.1 The Old Laws (1961)
[A] The Law was made and Aredan of old. The law was made for the Wicca, to advise and help in their troubles. The Wicca should give due worship to the Gods and obey their will, which they Aredan, for it was made for the good of the Wicca, As the [5] Wicca’s worship is good for the Gods, For the Gods love the Wicca. As a man loveth a woman, by mastering her, so the Wicca should love the Gods, by being mastered by them.
And it is necessary that the Circle, which is the Temple of the Gods, should be truly cast and purified, that it [10] may be a fit place for the Gods to enter. And the Wicca should be properly prepared and purified, to enter into the presence of the Gods.
With love and worship in their hearts they shall raise power from their bodies to give power to the Gods, as has been toughed us of old, [15] For in this way only may man have communion with the Gods, for the Gods cannot help man without the help of men.
[B] And the High Priestess shall rule her Coven as representative of the Goddess, and the High Priest shall support her as the representative of the God, And the High Priestess shall choose whom she [20] will, if he have sufficient rank, to be her High Priest),
For the God himself, kissed her feet in the fivefold salute, laying his power at the feet of the Goddess, because of her youth and beauty, her sweetness and kindness, her wisdom and Justice, her humility and generosity. So he resigned his lordship to her.
But the Priestess should [25] ever mind that all power comes from him. lt is only lent when it is used wisely and justly. And the greatest virtue of a High Priestess is that she recognizes that youth is necessary to the representative of the Goddess, so that she will retire gracefully in favour of a younger woman, Should the Coven so decide in Council, For the true [30] High Priestess realizes that gracefully surrendering pride of place is one of the greatest of virtues, and that thereby she will return to that pride of place in another life, with greater power and beauty.
[C] In the days when Witchdom extended far, we were free and worshipped in Alther Greatest Temples, but in these unhappy times [35] we must hold our sacred mysteries in secret. So it be Aredan, that none but the Wicca may see our mysteries, for our enemies are many, And torture looseth the tongues of many. It be aredan that each Coven shall not know where the next Coven bide, or who its members are, save the Priest and Priestess, [40] That there shall be no communication between them, save by the Messenger of the Gods, or the Summoner. Only if it be safe, may the Covens meet, in some safe place, for the great festivals.
And while there, none shall say whence they come, or give their true names, to the end that, if any are tortured, in their agony, they can [45] not tell if they know not. So it be Aredan that no one may tell any not of the Craft who be of the Wicca, nor give any names, or where they bide, or in any way tell anything which can betray any to our foes, nor may they tell where the Covenstead be, or where is the Covendom, [50] or where be the meetings or that there have been meetings.
And if any break these laws, even under torture, The Curse of the Goddess shall be upon them, so they never reborn on earth, And may they remain where they belong, in the Hell of the Christians.
[D] Let each High Priestess govern her Coven with Justice and [55] love, with the help of the advice of the elders, always heeding the advice of the Messenger of the Gods, if he cometh. She will heed all complaints of brothers, and strive to settle all differences among them, but it must be recognized that there be people who will ever strive to force others to do as they will. [60] They are not necessarily evil, and they often do have good ideas, and such ideas should be talked over in council. And if they will not agree with their brothers, or if they say, “I will not work under this High Priestess,” it hath always been the old law to be convenient for the brethren, and to void disputes, any of the Third [65] may claim to found a new Coven because they live over a league from the Covenstead, or are about to do so. Anyone living within the Covendom wishing to form a new Coven, to avoid strife, shall tell the Elders of his intention and on the instant void his dwelling and remove to the new Covendom.
Members of the old Coven may join the New one when it be formed, but if they do, must utterly void the old Coven. The Elders of the New and the Old Covens should meet in peace and brotherly love, to decide the new boundaries. Those of the Craft who dwell outside both Covendoms may join either indifferent, but not both, though all may, if the Elders [75] agree, meet for the Great Festivals, if it be truly in peace and brotherly love. But splitting the coven oft means strife, so for this reason these laws were made of old, And may the curse of the Goddess be on any who disregard them. So be it aredan.
[E] If you would Keep a book let it be in your own hand of write. [80] Let brothers and sisters copy what they will, but never let the book out of your hands, and never keep the writings of another, for if it be found in their hand of write, they well may be taken and Engined. Each should guard his own writings and destroy it whenever danger threatens. Learn as much as you may by heart, and when danger is [85] past, rewrite your book an it be safe. For this reason, if any die, destroy their book if they have not been able to, for an it be found, ’tis clear proof against them, And our oppressors well know, “Ye may not be a witch alone” So all their kin and friends be in danger of torture. So ever destroy anything not necessary.
[90] If your book be found on you. ’tis clear proof against you alone. You may be engined. Keep all thoughts of the Craft from your mind. Say you had bad dreams; a devil caused you to write it without your knowledge. Think to yourself, “I know nothing. I remember nothing. I have forgotten everything.” Drive this [95] into your mind. If the torture be too great to bear, say, “I will confess. I cannot bear this torture. What do you want me to say? Tell me and I will say it.” If they try to make you speak of the brotherhood, Do NOT, but if they try to make you speak of [100] impossibilities, such as flying through the air, consorting with the Christian Devil, or sacrificing children, or eating men’s flesh, to obtain relief from torture, say, “I had an evil dream. I was not myself. I was crazed.”
Not all Magistrates are bad. If there [105] be an excuse they may show mercy. If you have confessed aught, deny it afterwards; say you babbled under torture, you knew not what you did or said. If you are condemned, fear not. The Brotherhood is powerful. They may help you to escape, if you stand steadfast, but if you betray aught, there is no hope for you, in this [110] life, or in that which is to come. Be sure, if steadfast you go to the pyre, Dwale will reach you. You will feel naught. You go but to Death and what lies beyond, the ecstasy of the Goddess.
[F] ‘Tis probable that before you are engined, Dwale will reach you. [115] Always remember that Christians fear much that any die under torture. At the first sign of swoon, they cause it to be stopped, and blame the tormenters. For that reason, the tormenters themselves are apt to feign to torment, but do not, so it is best not to die at first. If Dwale reaches you, ’tis a sign that you have a friend somewhere. [120] You may be helped to escape, so despair not. If the worst comes, and you go to the pyre, wait till the flames and smoke spring up, bend your head over, and breath in with long breaths. You choke and die swiftly, and wake in the arms of the Goddess.
[G] To void discovery, let the working tools [125] be as ordinary things that any may have in their houses. Let the Pentacles be of wax, so they may be broken at once. Have no sword unless your rank allows you one. Have no names or signs on anything. Write the names and signs on them in ink before consecrating them and wash it off immediately after. Do not Bigrave them, [130] lest they cause discovery. Let the colour of the hilts tell which is which.
[H] Ever remember, ye are the Hidden Children of the Gods. So never do anything to disgrace them. Never boast, Never threaten, Never say you would wish ill to anyone. If you or any not in the Circle speak of the Craft, [135] say, “Speak not to me of such. It frightens me. ‘Tis evil luck to speak of it.”
For this reason: the Christians have spies everywhere. These speak as if they were well affected, as if they would come to Meetings, saying, “My mother used to go to worship the Old Ones. I would that I could go myself.”* To these ever deny all knowledge.
[140] But to others ever say, “‘Tis foolish men talk of witches flying through the air; to do so they must be light as thistledown,” and “Men say that witches all be bleared-eyed old crones, so what pleasure can there be in witch meetings such as folk talk on?” Say, “Many wise men now say there be no such creatures.” Ever [145] make it a jest, and in some future time, perhaps the persecution will die, and we may worship safely again. Let us all pray for that happy day.
[I] May the blessings of the Goddess and the God be on all who keep these laws which are Aredan.
[J] If the Craft hath any Appanage, let all brothers guard it, and help to keep it clear and good for the Craft, and let all justly guard all monies of the Craft.
But if some brothers truly wrought it, ’tis right that they have their pay, an it be just, an this be not taking [5] money for the use of the Art, but for good and honest work. And even the Christians say, “A labourer is worthy of his hire.” But if any brothers work willingly for the good of the craft without pay, ’tis but to their greater honour. So it be Aredan.
[K] If there be any disputes or quarrels among the brethren, the [10] High Priestess shall straight convene the Elders and enquire into the matter, and they shall hear both sides, first alone, then together, and they shall decide justly, not favouring the one side or the other, ever recognizing that there be people who can never agree to work under others, but at the same time there be some people who [15] cannot rule justly. To those who ever must be chief, there is one answer, “Void the Coven and seek another, or make a Coven of your own, taking with you those who will to go.” To those who cannot rule justly, the answer be, “Those who cannot bear your rule will leave you,” for none may come to meetings with those with whom they are at [20] variance; so, an either cannot agree, get hence, for the Craft must ever survive. So it be Aredan.
[L] In the olden days when we had power, we could use our Arts against any who ill-treated any of the Brotherhood, but in these evil times, we may not do so, for our enemies have devised a burning [25] pit of everlasting fire, into which they say their God casteth all the people who worship him, except it be the very few who are released by their priests’ spells and Masses, and this be chiefly by giving money and rich gifts to receive his favour, for their Alther Greatest God [Greatest God of all] is ever in need of Money. [30] But as our Gods need our aid to make fertility for men and crops, So the God of the Christians is ever in need of man’s help to search out and destroy us.
Their priests tell them that any who get our help or our cures are damned to the Hell forever, so men be mad for the terror of it. But they make men [35] believe that they may scape this hell if they give victims to the tormenters. So for this reason all be forever spying, thinking, “An I can but catch one of the Wicca I will scape this fiery pit.” But we have our hidels, and men searching long and not finding say, “there be none, or if they be, they be in a far country.”
[40] But when one of our oppressors die, or even be sick, ever is the cry, “This be Witches Malice,” and the hunt is up again. And though they slay ten of their people to one of ours, still they care not; they have many thousands, while we are few indeed. So it is Aredan that none shall use the Art in any way to do ill [45] to any, howevermuch they have injured us. And for long we have obeyed this law, “Harm none” and nowtimes many believe we exist not. So it be Aredan that this law shall still continue to help us in our plight. No one, however great an injury or injustice they receive, may use the Art in any to do ill or harm any. [50] But they may, after great consultations with all, use the Art to prevent or restrain Christians from harming us and others, but only to let or constrain them and never to punish, to this end. Men say, “Such an one is a mighty searcher out and persecutor of Old Women whom he deemeth to be Witches, [55] and none hath done him Skith [harm], so this be proof they cannot, or more truly, that there be none,” For all know full well that so many folk have died because someone had a grudge against them, or were persecuted because they had money or goods to seize, or because they had none to bribe the searchers. And many have died [60] because they were scolding old women, so much so that men now say that only old women are witches, and this be to our advantage, and turns suspicion away from us.
In England ’tis now many a year since a witch hath died the death,
but any misuse of the power might raise the Persecution again; so never break this law, [65] however much you are tempted, and never consent to its being broken. If you know it is being broken in the least, you must work strongly against it, and any High Priestess or High Priest who consents to it must be immediately deposed, for ’tis the blood of the Brethren they endanger. Do good, an it be safe, and only if [70] it be safe, for any talk may endanger us.
[M] And strictly keep to the Old Law, never accept money for the use of the art. It is Christian priests and sorcerers who accept money for the use of their Arts, and they sell Dwale and evil love spells and pardons to let men scape from their sins. [75] Be not as these. Be not as these. If you accept not money, you will be free of temptation to use the Art for evil causes.
[N] You may use the Art for your own advantage, or for the advantage of the Craft, only if you be sure you harm none. But ever let the Coven debate the matter at length. Only if all are satisfied that none may be harmed [80] may the Art be used. If it is not possible to achieve your ends one way without harming any, perchance the aim may be achieved by acting in a different way, so as to harm none. May the Curse of the Goddess be on any who breach this law. So it be aredan.
[O] ‘Tis adjudged lawful an anyone need a house or land, an none will [85] sell, to incline the owner’s mind to be willing to sell, provided it harmeth him not in any way, and that the full worth is paid, without haggling. Never bargain or cheapen anything which you buy by the Art. So it be Aredan.
[P] It is the Old Law and the most important of all Laws [90] that no one may do or say anything which will endanger any of the Craft, or bring them in contact with the law of the land, or the Law of the Church or any of our persecutors. In any disputes between the brethren, no one may invoke any laws but those of the Craft, or any Tribunal but that of the Priestess and the Priest and the [95] Elders. And may the Curse of the Goddess be on any who so do. So it be Aredan.
[Q] It is not forbidden to say as Christians do, “There be Witchcraft in the Land,” because our oppressors of old made it Heresy not to believe in Witchcraft, and so a crime to deny it, which thereby put [100] you under suspicion. But ever say “I know not of it here, perchance they may be, but afar off. I know not where.” But ever speak so you cause others to doubt they be as they are. Always speak of them as old crones, consorting with the Devil and riding through the air. But ever say, “But how may men ride through the air an they be not [105] as light as thistledown?” But the curse of the Goddess be on any who cast any suspicion on any of the Brotherhood, or speaks of any real meeting place, or where any bide. So it be Aredan.
[R] Let the Craft keep books with the names of all Herbs which are good for man, and all cures, that all may learn. But keep [110] another book with all the Banes [poisons] and Apies. and let only the elders and trustworthy people have this knowledge. So it be Aredan.
[S] And may the Blessings of the Gods be on all who keep these Laws and the Curses of both God and Goddess be on all who break them So it be Aredan.
[The following two sections were added after 1960.]
[T] Remember the Art is the secret of the Gods and may only be used in earnest and never for show or vainglory. Magicians and Christians may taunt us, saying, “You have no power. Do magic before our eyes. Then only will we believe,” seeking to cause us to betray our Art before them. Heed them not, for the Art is holy, and may only be used in need. And the curse of the Gods be on any who break this law.
[U] It ever be the way with women, and with men also, that they ever seek new love, nor should we reprove them for this, but it may be found to disadvantage the Craft, as so many a time it has happened that a High Priest or High Priestess, impelled by love, hath departed with their love; that is, they have left the coven. Now, if a High Priestess wishes to resign, she may do so in full Coven, and this resignation is valid. But if they should run off without resigning, who may know if they may not return within a few months? So the law is, if a High Priestess leaves her coven, but returns within the space of a year and a day, then she shall be taken back, and all shall be as before. Meanwhile, if she has a deputy, that deputy shall act as High Priestess for as long as the High Priestess is away. If she returns not at the end of a year and a day, then shall the coven elect a new High Priestess. Unless there be a good reason to the contrary. The person who has done the work should reap the benefit of the reward, Maiden and deputy of the High Priestess.

D.2. The Verse Charge (1961)
I the Mother, darksome and divine,
Say to thee, Oh children mine
(All ye assembled at mine Shrine),Mine the scourge and mine the kissThe five-point star of love and bliss
Here I charge ye in this sign. (Assume Goddess position.)

All ye assembled here tonight
Bow before my spirit brightAphrodite, Arianrhod,Lover of the Horned God,
Mighty Queen of Witchery and night

Astarte, Hecate, Ashtaroth, Dione,
(Morrigan, Etain, Nisene),
Diana, Brigid, Melusine,Am I named of old by men,Artemis and Cerridwen,
Hell’s dark mistress, Heaven’s Queen.

(Whene’er trouble comes anoon)
All who would learn of me a Rune
Or would ask of me a boon,Meet ye in some secret gladeDance my round in greenwood shade,
by the light of the full moon.

(In a place wild and lone)
With the comrades alone
Dance about my altar stone.Work my holy Magistry,Ye who are fain of sorcery,
I bring ye secrets yet unknown.

(Whate’er troubles come to thee),
No more shall ye know slavery
Who give due worship unto me,Who tread my round on Sabbat-night.Come ye all naked to the rite,
In token ye be truly free.

I teach the mystery of rebirth,
Keep ye my mysteries in mirthHeart joined to heart, and lip to lip,Five are the points of fellowship
That bring ye ecstasy on Earth.

I ask no offerings, do but bow,
No other law but love I know,By naught but love I may be known,All that liveth is mine own
From me they come, to me they go.

D.3. Casting and Charging (1961)
[1] Forming Circle. Light candles.
1. Draw Circle with Magic Sword or Athame.
2. Sprinkle with consecrated water.
3. Cense.
4. Say, “I conjure thee, O Circle of Power, that thou be a Boundary and a Protection and a meeting place between the world of men and the realms of the Mighty Ones, A Guardian and a Protection that shall preserve and contain the Power which we shall raise within thee, Wherefore do I Bless and Consecrate thee.”
5. Say “I summon, Stir, and Call Thee up, Ye Mighty Ones of the (East, South, West, North) To witness the Rites and to guard the Circle.”

[2] Closing Circle.
Say, “Mighty Ones of the (East, South, West, North), I thank you for attending, and ere you depart for your lovely realms, I say Hail and Farewell.”

[3] Consecration of Water and Salt.
Touch water with Athame, saying, “I exorcise thee, O Creature of Water, that thou cast out from thee all the impurities and uncleannesses of the spirits of the World of Phantasm, In the names of Aradia and Cernunnos.”
Touching Salt with Athame, say, “Blessings be upon this creature of Salt. Let all malignity and hindrance be cast forth hencefrom and let all good enter herein. Wherefore I bless thee that thou mayest aid me, In the names of Aradia and Cernunnos.”

[4] Drawing Down the Moon.
“I invoke Thee and call upon Thee, Oh Mighty Mother of us All, Bringer of all Fruitfulness. By Seed and Root, by Stem and Bud, by Leaf and Flower and Fruit, by Life and Love, Do We invoke Thee to descend upon the body of Thy servant and Priestess (name).”
High Priest and other men give Fivefold Kiss. Women all bow.

D.4. Forming the Circle. (1961)
FORMING THE CIRCLE. [1] Must have a man and a woman, properly prepared, i.e., naked.
[2] Mark a circle nine feet across on the floor with chalk, etc. The best way is to get a string. Tie 2 loops four foot, six inches apart. Put one loop over a nail or something in the center. Put chalk in the other and run it round. If you can’t make marks on the floor, put furniture, etc., round to form it. Have a table, etc., as an Altar, with all tools, etc., on it. Have a bowl of water, and some salt.
[3] Place Athame on the bowl of water. Say, “I exorcise thee, O creature of Water, that thou cast out from Thee all the impurities and uncleannesses of the Spirits of the World of Phantasm in the name of Aradia and Cernunnos. But ever mind that Water purifies the body, but the scourge purifies the soul.”
[4] Then place Athame on the salt. Say, “Blessings be upon this creature of Salt. Let all malignity and hindrance be cast forth hencefrom, and let all good enter herein. Wherefore I bless thee that thou mayest aid me, in the name of Aradia and Cernunnos.
[5] Then trace Circle on the lines you have marked out, starting at the East and returning to the East. (Always go round the circle with your Right hand to the Altar. Never go Widdershins.) Then put the Salt into the water. and go round the circle again, sprinkling it to purify it. Then go round again censing it. (Everyone in the circle must be sprinkled and censed.)
[6] Then go to the East, Sword or Athame in hand. Draw an invoking pentacle in the Air, starting at the top and going to the lefthand corner, saying, “I summon, and call thee up, O Ye Mighty ones of the East, to guard the Circle and witness our rites.” Then holding the point of sword or Athame upwards, do the same to the south, west, and north, and return to the center, to the south of the Altar.
[7] Then each girl should bind her man, hands behind back and cable Tow to neck. He should kneel at altar, and be scourged. When all men are thus “purified,” they purify the girls in turn. No one may be in the circle without being thus purified.
[8] Then do whatever work wanted.
[9] When closing the Circle, the High Priestess, or whoever she tells to do it, saying, “Hail, ye mighty ones of the East. I thank you for attending, and ere ye depart for your lovely realms, We say, Hail and Farewell.”

Bibliography
These are books you should read in order to see the sources Gardner used to create these rituals.

Crowley, Aleister. Magick in Theory and Practice. Castle, n.d. [ca. 1930]
Gardner, Gerald B. High Magic’s Aid. Michael Houghton, 1949.
——. Witchcraft Today. Jarrolds, 1954.
——. The Meaning of Witchcraft. Aquarian Press, 1959.
Glanvil, Joseph, and Henry More. Saducismus Triumphatus: or, Full and Plain Evidence Concerning Witches and Apparitions. London: Lowndes, 3d ed., 1689. Scholar’s Facsimiles, 1966. One of Murray’s major sources of information.
Leland, Charles Godfrey. Aradia: The Gospel of the Witches of Tuscany. Scribner’s, 1897. Buckland Museum reprint, 1964.
Mathers, S. L. MacGregor, ed. and trans. The Greater Key of Solomon. De Laurence, Scott, 1914.
Murray, Margaret A. The Witch-Cult in Western Europe. Oxford University Press, 1921. Oxford paperback, 1962.
——. The God of the Witches. Oxford University Press, 1934. Doubleday Anchor, 1960.
Regardie, Israel. The Golden Dawn: An Account of the Teachings, Rites, and Ceremonies of the Order of the Golden Dawn. 1937-1940. Hazel Hills, 2d ed., 1969.

* Gardner appended this paragraph to the Craft Laws in the early 1960s.
* Gardner appended this paragraph to the Craft Laws in the early 1960s.
* These are shown by a drawing to be: genitals, left foot, right knee, left knee, right foot, and back to genitals.
* My Lady Epona points out that this is precisely what Charles Cardell had claimed; that is, this paragraph is a response to Cardell, and so it was probably inserted into the Craft Laws after the run-in with the Cardells and Olive Green in 1959. This again is an indication that Gardner did not promulgate the Craft Laws as a document for the Book of Shadows until about 1960, when Mr. Q was initiated.
—

APPENDED NOTE: Although the information in regard to cource books is very
correct, it should be noted that additionally Gardner is known to have also
drawn from non-publically available books of Masonic Ritual accessable only to
members of FreeMasonry Lodges.
—

Gardnerian Traditional Witchcraft – B.5. The Warning (1953)

B.5. The Warning (1953)
Keep this book in your own hand of write. Let brothers and Sisters copy what they will, but never let this book out of your hands, and never keep the writings of another, for if it be found in their hand of write, they may well be taken and tortured. Each should guard his own writings and destroy them whenever danger threatens. Learn as much as you may by heart, and when the danger is past, rewrite your book. For this reason, if any die, destroy their book if they have not been able to, for, if it be found, ’tis clear proof against them. “Ye may not be a Witch alone”; so all their friends be in danger of the torture. So destroy everything not necessary.
If your book be found on you, ’tis clear proof against you. You may be tortured. Keep all thought of the cult from your mind. Say you had bad dreams, that a Devil caused you to write this without your knowledge. Think to yourself, “I Know Nothing. I Remember nothing. I have forgotten all.” Drive this into your mind. If the torture be too great to bear, say, “I will confess. I cannot bear this torment. What do you want me to say? Tell me and I will say it.” If they try to make you talk of the brotherhood, do not, but if they try to make you speak of impossibilities, such as flying through the air, consorting with the Devis, sacrificing children, or eating men’s flesh, say, “I had an evil dream. I was not myself. I was crazed.”
Not all Magistrates are bad. If there be an excuse, they may show you mercy. If you have confessed aught, deny it afterwards. Say you babbled under the torture; you knew not what you did or said. If you be condemned, fear not. The Brotherhood is powerful. They may help you to escape if you are steadfast. If you betray aught, there is no hope for you, in this life, or in that which is to come. But, ’tis sure, that if steadfast you go to the pyre, drugs will reach you. You will feel naught, and you go but to Death and what lies beyond, the ecstasy of the Goddess.
The same with the working Tools. Let them be as ordinary things that anyone may have in their homes. The Pentacles shall be of wax that they may be melted or broken at once. Have no sword unless your rank allows you one. Have no names or signs on anything. Write them on in ink before consecrating them and wash it off at once when finished.
Never boast, never threaten, never say you wish ill to anyone. If any speak of the craft, say, “Speak not to me of such, it frightens me, ’tis evil luck to speak of it.”

Gardnerian Traditional Witchcraft -A.4. The Initiation (1949)[Second Degree]

[Second Degree]
Magus binds Witch as before, but does not blindfold her, and circumambulates with her, proclaims to the four quarters, “Hear, ye Mighty Ones, (name), a duly consecrated Priestess and Witch, is now properly prepared to be made a High Priestess and Witch Queen.”
Magus now leads her thrice around the circle with the half-running, half-dancing step, halts south of the altar, has the Witch kneel, and ties her down to the altar as before.
Magus: “To attain this sublime degree, it is necessary to suffer and be purified. Art ready to suffer to Learn?”
Priestess Witch: “I am.”
Magus: “I prepare thee to take the great oath.”
He strikes three knells on the bell, and again gives the series of three, seven, nine, and 21 strokes with the scourge as before.
Magus: “I now give thee a new name: _______. [kiss]
Magus: “Repeat thy new name after me, <saying> I, (name), swear upon my mother’s womb and by mine Honor among men and among my brothers and sisters of the Art, that I will never reveal to any at all any of the secrets of the Art, except it be to a worthy person, properly prepared, in the center of a Magic Circle, such as I am now in. This I swear by my hopes of Salvation, my past lives, and my hopes of future ones to come, and I devote myself to utter destruction if I break this my solemn oath.”
Magus kneels, placing left hand under her knees and right hand on her head, thus forming magic link.
Magus: “I hereby will all my power into you.” Wills.
Magus now unties her feet, unties the Cable Tow from the altar, and helps the Witch to her feet.
Magus: “I hereby sign and consecrate you with the great Magic Sign. Remember how it is formed and you will always recognize it.
“I consecrate thee with oil.” (He anoints her with oil on her womb, right breast, left hip, right hip, left breast, and womb again, thus tracing a point-down pentacle.)
“I consecrate thee with wine.” (He anoints her with wine in the same pattern.)
“I consecrate thee with my lips” (he kisses her in the same pattern), “High Priestess and Witch Queen.”
Magus now unbinds Witch’s hands and removes the cord, saying, “Newly made High Priestess and Witch Queen” [kiss] “you will now use the working tools in turn. First, the Magic Sword; with it you will scribe the Magic Circle [kiss]
“Secondly, the Athame” (Form Circle) [kiss]
“Thirdly, the White Handled Knife” (use) [kiss]
“Fourthly, the Wand” (Wave to 4 Quarters) [kiss]
“Fifthly, the Pentacle” (Show to 4 Quarters) [kiss]
“Sixthly, the Censer of Incense” (Circle, cense) [kiss]
“Seventhly, the cords; bind me as I bound you.”
Witch binds Magus and ties him to Altar.
Magus: “Learn, in Witchcraft, thou must ever return triple. As I scourged thee, so thou must scourge me, but triple. So where you received 3, return 9; where you received 7, return 21; where you received 9, return 27; where you received 21, return 63.”
Witch scourges Magus as instructed, 120 strokes total.
Magus: “Thou hast obeyed the Law. But mark well, when thou receivest good, so equally art bound to return good threefold.”
Witch now unbinds Magus and helps him to his feet.
Magus, taking the new Initiate by the hand and holding the Athame in the other, passes once round the Circle, proclaiming at the Four Quarters, “Hear, Ye Mighty Ones, (name) hath been duly consecrated High Priestess and Witch Queen.”
(Note, if ceremony ends here, close circle with “Hail and farewell.” If not go to next degree.)

Your Daily Tarot Card for Nov. 13th is The Sun

The Sun

Wednesday, Nov 13th, 2013

What has traditionally been known as the Sun card is about the self — who you are and how you cultivate your personality and character. The earth revolves around the sun to make up one year of a person’s life, a fact we celebrate on our birthday.

The Sun card could also be titled “Back to Eden.” The Sun’s radiance is where one’s original nature or unconditioned Being can be encountered in health and safety. The limitations of time and space are stripped away; the soul is refreshed and temporarily protected from the chaos outside the garden walls.

Under the light of the Sun, Life reclaims its primordial goodness, truth and beauty. If one person is shown on this card, it is usually signifying a human incarnation of the Divine. When two humans are shown, the image is portraying a resolution of the tension between opposites at all levels. It’s as if this card is saying “You can do no wrong — it’s all to the good!”

The Evolution of My Sacred Symbol

The Evolution of My Sacred Symbol

Author: Lady Rain StarDragon (Teresa Garcia)

All around us are symbols, and all are sacred when viewed with Sacred Mind, the state that we enter into when we meditate, or pray, smile at a new baby, or gaze in awe as the sky is painted with crimson and gold as Amaterasu leaves our visible sky as she traverses the High Plain of Heaven while our planet turns. The ones I have chosen for my personal use have changed through the years as I have changed and danced with Time.

As a child, I was raised to be Christian, and specifically Seventh Day Adventist, even though some would say my father was rather lax as he almost never went to church- he worked as a Correctional Officer at a fire camp and almost always ended up on-duty Saturdays. For a while, my mother took my brother and I, and the crucifix was a symbol that held power for me without question. My guardian spirit was with me from birth, and though he said he was a ryu and not an angel as believed in my the church I attended, and often encouraged me to consider what the symbols around and in the text read in services meant. Intuitively, the cross was the four directions for me, and Jesus was Man at the center, taking up his burden. Those in the church seemed to miss what I thought an important fact, his primary mission not being a scapegoat for mistakes we make in life, but a lesson in proper conduct towards our fellows so those mistakes would either not be made or would be lesser.

Others didn’t see my point, although my guardian and teacher agreed whole heartedly. To them, our race was unclean because the original humans disobeyed God (who I later learned was a particular deity called Yahweh of a particular tribe, and therefore possibly not the original creator in the grand scheme of things… provided there is one) . They took the Knowledge of Good and Evil without permission. I couldn’t understand, knowledge is for everyone, especially something like that. According to those in the church I attended, it was necessary for an innocent man to die to atone for such an act. For me, this symbol became tainted and sullied, and it took me a long time to discard the surface level understanding and delve back to the core. That is neither here nor there though, and I did not return to that church, setting out on an inner journey for understanding.

My guardian, that I will refer to here as Goruden, shared wisdom with me that day that I will never forget. “Listen to the wind, it will teach you everything you need to know. Become one with it and the water, flowing always home.” In essence, Nature held the answers that I was looking for. He had already helped me to learn to listen to what the trees told me, and I was learning to see through the eyes of animals. When visiting mountains, I listened to their slow, deep breathing, the voices of the stones, and the stories of the inner earth that Mounts Lassen and Shasta shared with me. Mountains and Wind became my symbols, as well as the stars of the night sky that had guided travelers for eons.

It wasn’t long before I was approached by someone Goruden-sensei had told about me, and I found books in the library when Goruden suggested that I look into knowledge about witches, as some of my ancestors reputedly had been killed as witches. While Goruden taught me the magic of his country and people, as different from humans and yet able at times to take humans into their families or join human families, I read what I could about witches from the reference section of the library and pondered what had been shared by the old woman who had come to me. After a while, I chanced upon “The Witches Bible” by the Farrars. After showing the ad to my mother, I used my allowance money and ordered it with her permission, and she had started checking the mail every day before my father could.

One day, he managed to come home early, and wouldn’t you know it, but that’s when the Gods decreed my package would arrive. Since he didn’t know the return address, he insisted I show him what was in it. Oh my, what a mess that was, and the big pentacle, cup and sword on the cover infuriated my father, due to what he had been taught as a boy about witches. Oddly enough, the next day after a long talk with my mother, I came home from school and discovered that my father wanted to speak with me about the book. He gave it back, having looked through it. The whole thing hadn’t gone the way that I intended it too, but we had a good discussion about why witches weren’t evil, and how a pentacle did not equate to Satanism. I was granted permission to explore this further since it had been he himself that had told me of how there was a witch in the family on his side (mother’s too, but that has no bearing on this) . I accepted teaching from the old woman who had come to me earlier, along with another young lady and a young man who became my training partners, my siblings.

It was during this time that I made personal acquaintance with The Lady, who I discovered to be much like Goruden. An indescribable presence in all her forms, both the terrifying and the beauteous, and although she was both harsh and loving I could stand before her without fear even when she revealed something that had ultimately driven my sister back to her former path.

The Pentacle became my symbol then when I had entered this training, and I determined that I would obtain one to wear. Goruden and I poured through the book together and reviewed the verbal lessons I was granted, as he admitted his knowledge of Western magic and religion was rather limited, having come from Okinawa (curiosity is what caused him to follow my father back to America when the time came) . The star is a symbol that is used by his people as well, and we had much interest in seeing the parallels and differences in practices and beliefs. I had something to call my beliefs, although Goruden never told me what he called what he was teaching, other than “The way things are” or “The path of the Spirits.” He wanted me to find my own path, not to copy what was his and followed by some in his own land.

Time continued to dance on, and I did obtain a Pentacle to wear (I had made several for use on my altar) , although I later ended up giving this to a family member through the man who later was my husband. I had outgrown that particular one, as it had the Tetragramaton upon it. By this time, I had also discovered sources on the religions of the East, and began learning about Shinto. I had obtained another Pentacle that bore the symbols of many religions on it, which symbolized to me not only the five elements I had learned of through Wicca, but the five elements as taught by my guide which were more like states than anything as they flowed into each other. This version of the Pentacle also symbolized to me how every religion contains truth, and how if these are found and combined a greater whole is made.

In the academic texts about Shinto, I found the views Goruden had taught me from as a child, and found pictures of the things he had described to me, the red torii, the roadside Jizo, the shrines both plain and ornate, the gorgeous Buddhist temples that he had visited with curiosity, and the shrine that he had to visit for a month every year. I learned the name he had only given me translations of, Shinto, “The Way of the Kami.”

I realized that every time I had learned something new, I had been approaching the stone circle of my ancestors through the red torri erected in my mind, the gate. Perhaps one day I will build a torri on my property. I also knew the central and most influential symbol in my life, which was not the Pentacle of the Element/States, nor the Sacred Mountain that I now live at the foot of which I am bound energetically to, but the Dragon, Ryu.

Dragon in Japanese is Doragon, Tatsu, or Ryu and is a Kami. Kami is translated by some as God, others as Deity, and others as Spirit but is all of these and more. Kami is Kami. Dragon to me stands for wisdom, strength, friendship, protection and love. Dragons can be vain and jealous, some are self-centered and violent, and like us they can be foolish as they too have negative qualities like everything. However, through my experiences with my guardian, he has taught me well and shared what wisdom he has. He has taught me strength, listened to me cry when hurt emotionally and physically, comforted me when he could. He has protected me to the best of his ability, as he does have other responsibilities than a young woman who is Priestess/Goddess and also both Kami and Human, that sometimes loses sight of the fact that she and all else are Kami. Goruden has been a friend to me all my life, and yes, holds my love just as much as my husband does, or my children. My life path is both Wicca and Shinto, and the symbol that I have designed to express my personal path is the Pentacle with a dragon lounging upon it, for it is who I am.

The Witches Magick for October 29th – Conjuring Spirits Spell

To Conjure Spirits

Waxing Moon or Full Moon: Waning or New Moon

Two tall purple candles

Two tall green candles

A purple Amethyst Green Jade or Agate – in center of altar

Sandalwood & Lavender Incense or Sandalwood & Willow Bark Incense

Spirit Candle

Cast a triple circle. Conjuring of Spirits is always done in hours of darkness, not necessary to be midnight, but preferred. After you have performed your primary ritual, cast the incense into your burner, Place the Spirit Candle into the center of the altar and say:

“Spirit of good will, I bid thee enter

The Outer Circle.

The Second Circle.

The Inner Circle.

I am protected by this Pentacle upon my breast.

Which bears the name of (your Spirit Guide)

I bid thee, Spirit, Reveal thy Earthly name!

(turn slowly deosil as you speak)

Repeat this conjuration three times.

Perform a nine card Tarot Divination for the Spirit’s name, unless the Spirit replies in some other manner.

Ask:

Have you a message for me?

Perform A Tarot Divination or use the Witches’ Bowl to ask questions.

Spirit, is it true that….?

Deal gently with the friendly Spirits and they will lead you to the Greater Mysteries.

During your questioning, observe the Spirit Candle. If it wavers or rises and falls, or flickers unevenly, use the Tarot to see if the Spirit has a message.

You may ask 3 questions, after that you must ask:

May I seek further guidance?

Ask only 3 more questions.

Bid the Spirit depart, saying:

(Name), Good Spirit,

Thou hast diligently answered my questions and I do thank thee. I

hereby give thee license to depart. Depart, thrice – blessed Spirit, and be

thou willing to return when next I conjure thee. By the sound of this bell

(Use your Witches’ Bell),

I bid thee leave. Depart, Depart. Depart!

*Witches’ Bowl

Three casting stones, a bowl or tray 13″ or more in diameter, marked for divination.

The Tarot Path of Achievement

THE TAROT PATH OF ACHIEVEMENT
by Hermotimus

The Path of Achievement is charted by the Major Arcana of the Tarot Deck. Each
of us is aware that achievement is based on the accomplishment of goals. The
Major Arcana accurately charts the process of setting and completing goals
through 22 steps, each represented by a Major Arcana card. The understanding of this 22-step process is a very important tool for self-development.

The Path begins with The Fool. This card illustrates each one of us. We walk
along a path with our heads in the clouds, and fall into the abyss. The fall is
normal and almost a part of our nature. The shock of landing in the abyss is,
however, the separation between success and failure. The failures blame this
fall on others, or on circumstances or the Gods and Goddesses. When they pick
themselves up they walk upon whatever path is easily found. The successful
person stops at this point and asks “Why have I fallen?” This question leads to
the realization that one need not have fallen, and that to prevent a future
fall, one must make a change in what one is doing. This realization is the
beginning of the Path of Achievement. The realization that change is necessary
leads us to The Magician.

The card of The Magician illustrates that we have all the tools needed to make a
change in our path. The four tools upon the table are symbolic of the four tools
available to us. The sword symbolizes reason, and the cutting edge of logic that
is the conscious mind. The Wand represents the subconscious mind. The Cup is
symbolic of the superconsciousness, and the Pentacle represents our experience
and knowledge of the world around us. These four tools are all that are needed
on this path. The understanding that we have all we need to proceed along the
path, is the first step on the Path of Achievement.

The High Priestess represents the subconscious mind symbolized by the Wand on the Magician’s table. This is intuition, and the hidden wellspring of knowledge that we have gained from experience. Through this intuition we learn what change must be made to prevent another fall. The knowledge of what change is needed is inherent within us. We must allow what is there to come forth. Quiet meditation is the key to allowing the subconscious mind to tell us things we need to know. This change, suggested by our subconscious, now becomes our goal. This is the second step on the Path of Achievement.

The Empress represents our experience and knowledge, and is symbolized by the
Pentacle upon the Magician’s table. Here, we add up the experience learned in
our life about the world around us, and the nature of existence. This is the
basis that the other tools will use to chart our path toward the goal. Here we
must take time to reflect and remember. This is the third step upon the Path of
Achievement.

The Emperor represents the conscious mind, and is symbolized by the sword upon the Magician’s table. We know the goal. We have our experience to guide us. Now, through reason and logic, we must set forth the necessary course that we will traverse to achieve the goal. The conscious mind will take the goal and what we have learned, and develop the specific acts needed to achieve the goal. Each act must be clearly defined and stated before we can proceed. This is the fourth step of the Path of Achievement.

The Pope represents the superconsciousness symbolized by the cup upon the
Magician’s table. Here is the first test of the goal we have set for ourselves.
Our emotions guide us to understanding the superconsciousness. Does this goal
feel right? Is this what I need to do? Seek quietly within the mind and allow
your emotions to tell you the rightness of this goal. This is the fifth step on
the Path to Achievement.

The Lovers card is the point of decision of whether to proceed with the goal.
Here, we must take all our intuition, our knowledge and experience, our reasoned thought, and our emotions as the basis for this decision. If there is something wrong with our goal or the acts we will perform to achieve it, we will know it here. If there is something wrong, return to the High Priestess and start from that point again. The sixth step is your decision. When your decision is Yes,
the Chariot awaits you!

The Chariot begins the second phase of the Path of Achievement. It represents
the drive and self-discipline needed to carry out each specific act set down as
part of the first phase. Here we must set ourselves to the accomplishing the
specific acts needed to reach the goal. This is the key to achievement. The
self-mastery needed to complete what we set out to do is thus the seventh step
on the Path of Achievement.

Strength illustrates that while physical strength is needed, it alone is not
enough. We cannot open the jaws of the lion (nature) without his cooperation. We must work with and cooperate with the natural order in carrying out our specific acts. Many strong people fail because they do not realize that nature must be worked with, and not against. This is the eighth step on the Path of
Achievement.

The Hermit represents the constant need for vigilance as we carry out the
specific acts. It is easy to become distracted by the day to day events of life
and thus abandon our goal. Vigilance is the lonely sleepless watcher who warns
us when we are about to go astray. The ninth step is to be vigilant each day and
remember the importance of what we are accomplishing.

The Wheel of Fortune illustrates the working of fate in our daily lives. We all
experience the daily variations of existence, but allowing these variations to
rule your life is not the path to your goal. Accept that fate has a hand in all
things, and thus all things change. Accept also that we are not ruled by fate,
and our will to succeed can overcome the casual acts of fate. This is the tenth
step of the Path of Achievement.

Justice pictures the need to balance our daily affairs with the accomplishment
of our goal. The need for balance and harmony in the midst of the changes we are under-going must be realized. The single-minded pursuit of a goal leaves too
many routine tasks unfinished. Therefore, we must balance our daily needs with
the specific acts required to accomplish our goal. Proper rest and leisure, an
adequate diet, daily household chores must be part of the balance and harmony of accomplishing the goal. This is the eleventh step upon the Path of Achievement.

The Hanged Man represents the need for sacrifice. The task of creating something new is always preceded by the destruction of something else. We must sacrifice old ideas and old patterns to achieve the goal. We must be willing to sacrifice, and we are at the point in reaching our goal where certain things must be given up. This realization is the twelfth step on the Path to Achievement.

Death illustrates that the sacrifices we are making from the previous step have
opened the door for new ways. Death is the transformation from old to new. Old
growth must be pruned to allow the new seeds a chance to grow. The destruction
of the old ideas naturally results in the growth of new ideas. This is the
thirteenth step on the Path to Achievement.

Temperance is the time of prudence to allow the new ideas to grow and develop.
Give yourself time to allow your conscious and subconscious minds the
opportunity to set these new ideas in place. Haste is not a sign of progress.
It is a sign of failure. Thus step fourteen is the growth of new ideas and the
putting of these ideas into their proper places.

The Devil illustrates that we are easily chained to our past. It is never easy
to break old patterns and habits. Here we must sift through the ideas which have
grown and chose those of benefit to keep. Not all the new ideas are good, and we
must separate good and bad before we can continue. The task of the Devil is the
separation of good and bad, and is the fifteenth step on the Path of
Achievement.

The Tower Struck by Lightning is a graphic description of our break with the
past. Here we destroy and leave behind all the old patterns and habits. This is
the stripping away of what is no longer needed. The Tower suggests that this
stripping away is not always a painless task. But it is a necessary task. Thus,
the sixteenth step is the final removal of the ideas and patterns that have
hindered us on the Path of Achievement.

The Star represents the calm following the storm. Here one must take stock of
what remains and place it in proper order and perspective. This is not the time
for action but a time for ordering the cycle of our existence. The water in this
picture shows that we are in the emotional storm that gives no outward look. The
stars in the sky each have a definite place and so do we. This is the
seventeenth step on the Path of Achievement.

The Moon illustrates climbing out of the emotional sea and into the heights of
reason. The dark night of the soul is that climb from emotion to reason. Here we
stabilize what has occurred within us. We are emotionally calm and the light of
reason is just a short distance ahead. This is the eighteenth step on the Path
of Achievement.

The Sun shows the new person we have become in the full light of reason and
enlightenment. We are again as children, looking through our garden at the
wonders and delights it holds. We have gained new meaning and new ideas, and
here we can explore all that we have achieved. This is the nineteenth step on
the Path of Achievement.

The Final Judgment. Here we must ask “Have I completed my goal?” This is the
final step. A final judgment of all that has been done along this path. It is
also the judgment of our higher power on what we have done and accomplished
along the way.

The World illustrates the victory of our achievement. We have successfully
negotiated the Path of Achievement, and reached a new summit to our life and
being. But remember, the Fool again waits ahead for us to stumble. We will not
fall so deeply into the abyss next time, and our rise will be to a higher
summit.

Pagan Lite: Being A Non-Magical Witch in A Magical World

Pagan Lite: Being A Non-Magical Witch in A Magical World

Author: Charmed Boy

This article is one I had hoped to put off writing for a while. It is a continuation of sorts to the first article I wrote entitled When Walking The Path…Wear Shoes.I am what I call a “non-magical” Witch. I don’t cast spells or perform elaborate rituals. That may be fine for most of my Pagan brothers and sisters but it’s not really my thing.

I first realized magic and spells weren’t my thing when I attended the last Samhain celebration hosted by my friend Fran. As many who have read my first article know, Fran was the High Priestess of a group here in Arkansas called Net-per-netjer which means “beautiful house of the Gods.” Fran was an amazing woman. She meant business when she donned the crown of Isis and acted as High Priestess and conducted rituals. She also cared about the people who attended the celebrations.

I remember one occasion; it was after ritual. Fran had made a delicious feast of ham and colcannon. My father and I had both attended but my father preferred to observe from outside of the circle. He’s not Pagan but he is very supportive of my choice of faith. Fran made sure everyone ate. I was sitting in the front room watching a movie when I heard Fran’s voice from the kitchen.

“Chuck! Where is your father?”

I shrugged. “I think he’s in the car.”

My father is the type of person who doesn’t like to get into other people’s way when they are doing things like ritual. Fran frowned.

“Tell your father to come in and eat something.”

I went out and got him. Fran made sure he ate before we left. That’s just the kind of person Fran was. Always concerned with the welfare of others. After that, Fran and I didn’t see each other. Not because there was an animosity between us but because we both had things going on in our lives. We e-mailed and spoke on the phone quite a lot.

One day last year I sent an e-mail to Fran just to say hi and see how she was. I got a reply from her husband informing me that Fran had passed away. I miss Fran very much. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about her and the good times we shared. Attending those rituals made me realize that, that sort of thing wasn’t what I wanted.

I took some time for meditation and reflection to decide if being a Witch and Pagan was really for me. I walked in the woods near my house and listened to the birds and the wind as it blew through the trees. During these walks I posed questions to myself. Do I really need to practice magic and perform rituals to consider myself a Witch and Pagan? Do I really need all the trappings that go along with it, such as candles and incense and athames? Where am I meant to be? I asked the Goddess and Fran for guidance. I asked them to speak to me and give me a sign if this is the path I am meant to be on.

One day I went out for one of my walks when WHAM!! The answer hit me like a ton of bricks: You don’t need to practice magic or perform rituals to honor the Goddess and or God.

I have spoken to other Pagans and Wiccans who have told me that if you don’t practice magic and do rituals you ‘can’t really call yourself a Witch and Pagan’. I believe differently. The definition of “Witch” as I understand it means “wise one” and “knowledge seeker” and that Pagan means “country dweller” I believe we are all Witches and Pagans, regardless if we cast spells and perform rituals… or choose not to.

I have come to realize things about my faith and myself. I am both a Witch and Pagan and am very proud of that fact. I wear my Pentacle with pride. Whenever a Pagan holiday or Full Moon comes around, I pray, make an offering of thanks to the Goddess… and that is pretty much it. No muss, no fuss. For many other Pagans and Wiccans, the lighting of candles and incense, the chanting and casting of a circle adds to the enjoyment of ritual, and that is awesome. I believe everyone should be able to do his or her own thing, whatever that may be. Goddess knows, I don’t have the right to judge someone by what they do or don’t do.

Occasionally I’ll read an article on Witchvox.com about performing ritual and working magic. Want to know what is magical to me? Standing outside on a cool night when the moon is full in the night sky and glows like a big orange night light. Talking to my best friend on the phone and hearing the sound of her laugh. Seeing the sparkle in my godson’s eyes when he is excited about something. Stepping outside in the wintertime and smelling the sharp, fresh, cold scent of the air and seeing the freshly falling snow on the ground. Seeing the leaves in the Fall change color from green to red and orange and yellow. Smelling the scent of burning leaves and wood. Eating handfuls of candy corn. Sipping hot apple cider on a cold October day while going on a hayride with my dad. Feeling the power and ancientness of All Hallow’s Eve. These are my rituals. This is my magic. This is the way I honor the Goddess.

Do I believe those who do cast spells and perform rituals are wrong? Of course not. Fran did, and seeing the joy and power it brought into her life was an amazing thing to witness. When I am asked what my choice of religion is and I tell them “I am a Witch”, the child within me claps his hands and squeals with glee. I laugh whenever someone asks me if I fly around on a broom. I smile and say “No but I wish I could. It would make getting from one place to another a lot more exciting!”

In all seriousness, I am very proud to call myself a Witch. Walking the path I have been walking for the past 12 years has made me the person I am today. I am a little wiser and a lot more compassionate and forgiving. I am humbled and honored daily by the compassion and endless love the Goddess has shown me. We are all her children, regardless of how we choose to honor her. I cherish the Pagan and Wiccan friends I have made, especially Fran. She will live on in my heart and in my memory forever.

In closing, to all my Witchy brothers and sister out there I say this to you: Be comfortable in your own skin. Don’t let others tell you your way of worshipping the Goddess and God is wrong. Wear your Pentacle with pride! These are indeed magical times!

Blessed Be!

HOW I READ TAROT: ADVICE FROM A PROFESSIONAL

HOW I READ TAROT: ADVICE FROM A PROFESSIONAL

by Dawn

Finding a united vision when giving a Tarot reading can be a challenge. Most books on Tarot have conflicting interpretations of the cards, and very few books clearly explain how cards affect each other when they appear in a spread together. Although I won’t be able in this short article to touch on all of the cards and spreads available, I do hope to give you, dear reader, a few steps toward performing spreads and interpretations so that you can give your readings more clarity.

One of the most important steps when learning the Tarot is choosing a deck that speaks your language. If the images on the cards contain symbols that are familiar to you, you will find it easier to remember the cards’ meanings and develop a close working relationship with the cards. I have used quite a few different decks over the years and am now primarily using two of them, the Voyager Tarot and the Spiral Deck. I like using both during readings, because together they give a very detailed map of what is happening energetically with the client and hard answers on what is coming up, what actions should be taken and new information that till the reading may have been hidden.

When doing a reading, I start with a general landscape overview using the Voyager Tarot because of its spiritual and self-growth orientation. This deck has lots of visual impact because of the photo collage technique used to create the images of the Major and Minor Arcana. The photographic images of people, places and things I am familiar with helps to ground the cards in reality for me. It’s not that I don’t appreciate other drawn and painted decks; it’s just that I have an affinity for photography, so this deck works for me. During this overview phase of the reading, I don’t have the client ask any specific questions. I just tell him or her to relax and be themselves as they are shuffling the deck, to say their name out loud and let their minds go to the people, places and events in their lives in the past and present, and to their goals and dreams for the future.

When the client finishes shuffling, I cut the deck into three stacks and choose the bottom cut, taking the very bottom two cards out first. I use these two cards as clues as to the client’s big questions. Doing so helps me because often they are so nervous and excited they can’t remember what it is they want to know!

I then do a simple six-card spread, laying the cards out left to right with a row of three above another row of three. The top layer is the outside world: work, friends, family, how other people see the client and the tasks he or she is being asked to do. The bottom layer is how the client is reacting to the outside world and life, as well as the things he or she brings to the world and the gifts he or she is receiving. The far left pair is the past, the center pair is the present and the right pair is the future. By looking at this spread, which I call the current energetic road map, I can more easily see the overriding themes and lessons being experienced by the client. I take a close look at the cards and observe whether the cards have a similar feeling or meaning.

The second part of the reading answers very specific questions. I use a more traditional deck, the Spiral Deck, for getting hard answers. I have the client shuffle the deck while saying his or her name and asking the specific question; the client then cuts the deck into three stacks again. I always choose the bottom stack for the reading, but in this case I just lay out five cards in a row from left to right.

Card One represents the client and where he or she exists in the moment regarding the question. Card Two is the thing asked about; Card Three is something hidden about this thing. Card Four is an action suggested for the client to take regarding to the question, and Card Five is the most probable result.

As you can see, I prefer small card-spreads. I like to keep things as clear and simple as possible, so that I have enough form to relax into but not so much structure that I can’t receive any additional information clairvoyantly. I find that if I let my logical mind work with the given meanings of the cards but still allow my intuitive mind to spring about, creating links and juggling all the information into a new whole, the reading is more accurate and helpful.

Now to the actual working of the spread and the cards found within it. I did a reading on my life and came up with some interesting results.

My reading with the Voyager Deck resulted in the Seven of Worlds (Pentacles) and the Three of Wands as the bottom two cards, which represent the burning questions I have. The key words and meanings for the Seven of Worlds is material or financial breakthrough. The Three of Wands traditionally means a successful business person, but in the Voyager deck the card has the keyword of “compassion,” which I interpret to mean that I want to know how to have compassion in my actions. These two cards make a lot of sense for me at this time, because I have my own business as a psychic and Reiki healer, and I also want to branch off in some new directions, Web design and making magickal ceremonial garb and jewelry. Using my common sense, I say “But of course! I really want some constructive insight into how I am going to accomplish all of this beautifully and well while still coming from my heart.”

Here is the reading as it looked, with (R) standing for reversed:

The Past               
Devil's Play (R)
Woman of Worlds (R)

The Present           
Man of Crystals (R)
Woman of Crystals

The Future
Ten of Crystals (R)
Five of Worlds

Remember that the top layer (Devil’s Play reversed, Man of Crystals reversed and Ten of Crystals reversed) is the outside world and that the bottom layer (Woman of Worlds reversed, Woman of Crystals and Five of Worlds) is how the client reacts and what he or she brings to the outside world.

The first thing I notice is the Devil’s Play reversed in the outer past position. I feel that this means that I have been feeling very manipulated and part of some karmic pattern in all of my relationships, personal as well as professional. Major Arcana cards in a spread always signal that there is a big lesson to be learned, or a job to do. In this case, Devil’s Play signals to me that it is time for me to acknowledge that I have allowed myself to become part of the karmic wheel and that I need to stand up for myself and get off of it.

Next I notice the three court cards, the Man and Woman of Crystals and the Woman of Worlds. Court cards can represent people in the client’s life and the role of leader and responsibility to guide others. With the Woman of Worlds reversed, “Preserver,” I realize that, out of guilt and fear, I haven’t been asking for what is rightfully mine, especially materially. I notice that the Woman of Crystals, “Guidance,” the great decision-maker, is in the present inner position, reminding me that I have put on my tough boots and taken back the helm of my ship, making the decisions I need to keep me on course and getting rid of all the unnecessary crap.

Opposition still appears, in the form of unresponsive and self-absorbed people in my environment: the Man of Crystals reversed, “Inventor.” But I appreciate the reminder that I don’t need to take on other people’s issues with my decisions, as well as the reminder to keep to my resolve strengthened.

In the next position, The Future – well, frankly, it looks a little bumpy, with the Ten of Crystals reversed in the outside world. The keyword of this card is “Delusion,” and it stands next to the Five of Worlds upright. The Five of Worlds has the keyword “Setback,” which means a small financial setback that is necessary for my spiritual growth, so that I keep my money focused on what I am trying to create instead of buying into “keeping up with the Joneses” and so that I try not to spend money to fill a spiritual or emotional hole.

This card doesn’t show a hopeless situation; it just means I need to keep steady on course and listen to myself and my true instincts, instead of being swayed by the outside world. I love when I receive information like this about the possible future, because I can take action to lessen any impact this situation might have on my life, by saving money now and tightening my belt. Doing so will also help me to stay grounded in my authentic self, so I don’t get blown off-course by inaccurate or unhelpful outside influences. I have some events planned in the next three months that I hope will make me some additional income, but with this warning I will tread very carefully and make frugal financial decisions.

I will now do a quick spread using the Spiral Deck to answer the question “What does my business look like in the future?”

For specific questions such as this, I use a five-card spread. Here it is:

Me:     The Fool
Issue:  The Lovers
Hidden: Two of Pentacles
Action: Strength
Result: Ace of Wands

Note that all cards appeared upright.

Whew! It all looks good in the end. The result arises as the Ace of Wands, which means illumination and creative and spiritual gifts. I see too that the Fool appears for myself. Seeing this card, I realize that of course things are feeling a little overwhelming, because this whole path is completely new for me, The Fool (new beginnings, serendipity and trust!).

The issue card, The Lovers, reflects that I love all of the work I do and care about it so much that it would be a big deal emotionally if it didn’t work out. The Lovers means having to choose, matches and the significant other. I guess I really am a workaholic if my work is my lover! This card also suggests that the wonderful thing I haven’t acknowledged is that all of these projects and branches of my business provide a perfect balance for me emotionally as well as financially,

The hidden card appears as the Two of Pentacles, balanced life and reflection. I know that I will need to focus my energies toward accomplishing all of my goals and obligations, and that I will have to forgo some late nights watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel so that I can get things done and further my education in Web design. My “World Domination Plan,” as my partner would call it, is to be able to use my skills to work anywhere in the world

My action card is Strength, which means reining in my animal self and focusing that brute strength on a specific task, without killing my spirit so I can still pounce when needed. Strength also suggests higher education.

One thing to note as well is that three out of five cards in the spread are from the Major Arcana. This occurrence signals that big energy is afoot with this question and path in my life. This path is obviously something I am here to do, because it helps me learn many things about myself.

So, in a wee nutshell, dear reader, follow these tips and see what comes:

Choose a deck or decks that speak your language.
Start with a global reading in order to illuminate any underlying themes in the client’s or your own life.
Do a separate spread to answer any specific questions.
Remember to relax and let your left brain do the literal interpretation and your right brain tackle weaving the connections.
Pay attention to any commonalties between the cards, to whether they have the same number, type or meaning. These are all clues pointing to who the client is and the information sought.
Keep practicing, and soon it will all work for you in a fluid way.

I hope that this article has sparked anew any interest you have in reading the Tarot. I have certainly found reading an enlightening and enjoyable task

Cleanse Your Mind

This spell is used to get rid of headaches and stress.

Items You Need:

Wand

Pentacle

Pillow

The Spell:

Unplug the phone, lock the doors and find a quiet place in the house to perform this spell. Tie the pentacle around your neck and sit with a pillow, close your eyes and take three deep breaths then with your eyes still closed, chant the following:

“Air I am,

Fire I am

Water, Earth

and Spirit I am.

Return to me.

Restore me.

So Mote It Be.”

Now touch the middle of your pentacle with your wand and hold it there until you feel the headache gone or the stress relieved.

Your Daily Number for Sept. 9: 5

An interesting new acquaintance may cross your path today. No matter how many times others change their mind, it’s best to go with the flow. The little voice in your head is often correct; don’t ignore it.

Fast Facts

About the Number 5

Theme: Resourceful, Adventure, Speculation, Travel

Astro Association: Taurus

Tarot Association: Hierophant

Spell of the Day for August 24 – Casting Pentacle Wards

Casting Pentacle Wards

Protect Your Home With The Power of the Pentacle

Items You Will Need:

Sage Smudge Stick.
Sandalwood Incense(one for every room)
Ceremonial Robes(optional)

The Spell:

Start by meditating for at least an hour or so. You need to empty your mind of all your negative thoughts and feelings. Place a stick of sandalwood incense in each room of your home. Pray to your deity or who/whatever you worship. Pray for protection of your home and family. Light your smudge stick and start by tracing a pentacle in the air in each room’s windows and doors. Start at the lower left-hand part of the pentacle and imagine a dome forming over of your home. This spell needs to be redone every month because the wards will lose power over time. Finish by thanking who/whatever you prayed to.

Your Magickal Correspondence for August 4

Magickal Intentions: Spirit Communications, Meditation, Psychic Attack or Defense, Locating Lost Things and Missing Persons, Building, Life, Doctrine, Protection, Knowledge, Authority, Limitations, Boundaries, Time and Death
Incense: Black Poppy Seed and Myrrh
Planet: Saturn
Sign: Capricorn and Aquarius
Angel: Cassiel
Colors: Black, Grey and Indigo
Herbs/Plants: Myrrh, Moss, Hemlock, Wolfs bane, Coltsfoot, Nightshade and Fir
Stones: Jet, Smokey Quartz, Amethyst, Black Onyx, Snowflake Obsidian, Lava, Pumice
Oil: (Saturn) Cypress, Mimosa, Myrrh, Patchouli

Saturn lends its energies to the last day of the week. Because Saturn is the planet of karma, this day is an excellent time for spellwork involving reincarnation, karmic lessons, the Mysteries, wisdom, and long-term projects. It is also a good time to being efforts that deal with the elderly, death, or the eradication of pests and disease.

More Blessings Comments

Using the Tarot as a Tool of Healing

by Dr. Neala Peake, selected from AllThingsHealing.com

The Tarot, long a powerful tool of divination, can also be used as a dramatic tool of healing, and for shifting deep patterns. The deck that I suggest for this, the Rider-Waite, is perhaps the most well-known deck in the Western world. Created by Dr. Arthur Edward Waite (1857-1942), a scholar of occultism, and illustrated by Pamela Coleman Smith, a theatrical designer and American member of The Order of the Golden Dawn, it is the “standard” teaching deck, and the first to use detailed illustrations of the Minor Arcana, not just the Major.

The Deck Itself

The 78 cards of the tarot deck are divided into two groups: 22 Major Arcana Cards, and 56 Minor Arcana cards, made up of pip or suit cards (1-10), as well as court cards, which more or less correspond with traditional playing cards. The meanings of the Major Arcana are generally considered more far-reaching, relating to our journey for meaning and enlightenment, while the minors are considered more transient, representative of day-to-day activities.

The Seven Chakras

Using both the structure of the seven Chakras and the images of the Rider-Waite deck, the Chakra Lube Job illustrates how the cards of a layout may be replaced as the healing progresses; as the images shift, they actually depict the process of growth and resolution, similar to time-elapsed photography.

The term Chakra is the Sanskrit word for “wheel,” and refers to our own energy system: the interface between our energetic and physical selves, our body and consciousness. Just as the car’s engine requires regular maintenance, the Chakras, too, require regular “tune-ups.” This not only keeps its system running smoothly, but addresses any blocks or problems on the core level.

While the chakras can be “tuned-up” through meditation, energy work with light, sound, color, crystals, singing bowls, musical instruments and others, the method which I’ve created and coined is known as The Chakra Lube Job.

The Chakras, one through seven, are: #1, the Root, at the base of the spine, which relates to our ability to prosper and thrive on the earth; #2, the Sacrum relates to our ability to gratify ourselves; #3, the Solar Plexus addresses our own personal power and capacity to be comfortable in our skin; #4, the Heart preserves unconditional love, and the integration of all polarities; #5, the Throat, the center of the seven, is self-expression; #6, the Third Eye, our ability to see the big picture and our psychic center; and, #7, the Crown, at the top of the head, is our connection to the universal, wisdom and bliss.

The Chakra Lube Job Reading

Here is a sample healing Chakra Lube Job, to show you how this works. This was a session with a woman in her early fifties, who is accomplished in her field, and highly regarded in her community. She pulled seven cards, one for each of the seven primary Chakras, in a vertical formation. She then continued pulling cards, until I, or, she, or both of us felt the process was complete. This process uses the images of the Rider-Wait deck to heal and shift the chakric patterns, in a very conscious fashion, and may take anywhere from 20 minutes to several hours. (You may want to use your own deck to follow along.)

Initial Layout The Chakra Lube Job Layout

Card #1 (Root) Ace of Pentacles (an immense pentacle shown emerging from a cloud, held by a huge celestial hand, above a flowering hedge and archway leading out to mountains)

Interpretation: This is a wonderful, life-affirming card that points to new beginnings, particularly of a financial nature. This ties in beautifully with the meaning of this chakra; the primary concern with this image, however, is that it refers to divine intervention, and points to a fundamental belief on this person’s part that she did not hold the power for her capacity to thrive in her own hands.

Card # 2 (Sacrum) Three of Wands (man on land, facing away from three wands).

Interpretation: This card indicates that this woman has given up on fulfilling her own sexual and emotional needs. She has turned her back on any expectation, but does not know where she will go from here.

Card #3 (Solar Plexus) The Magician (#1) Major Arcana (an androgynous figure in a red coat holding a wand that points upwards and downwards, behind a table bearing a cup, a pentacle, a sword and a wand)

Interpretation: This is a powerful Major Arcana or destiny Card, #1 in this sequence, which like the Ace of Pentacles, which she pulled for the first Chakra, (also a #1), shows she is in a powerful new cycle of putting herself first or fresh beginnings. This card shows that she has all the resources and power she needs to transform her life, and create all that she envisions. She loved this card, and we did not feel guided to choose any other cards. (This is quite unusual to stay with the first card chosen, and indicates that this area of personal power is very solid for her, and that she has everything she needs to make her life as she desires.)

Card #4 (Heart) Four of Wands (two women celebrating in the background near a castle tower; in foreground, four wands forming a lush canopy)

Interpretation: This is a beautiful celebratory card. My primary concern was that the two women were so far in the background, indicating they did not feel they were at the center of this area of their lives. They clearly loved life and had a great capacity to give and receive love, but tended to put themselves in the background.

Card #5 (Throat) King of Swords (Virile dark-haired young king, in blue robes, seated on a throne, holding a sword erect)

Interpretation: This card indicates that this woman feels very powerful in her position as a communicator; it is important, however, to note that this is a strongly masculine or patriarchal card, indicating that she does not necessarily feel this power as a woman, but more in a socially determined position of authority.

Card #6 (Third Eye) Two of Cups (man and woman making an oath or promise. I call this the “going steady” card, not as serious as The Lovers, Major Arcana)

Interpretation: This is the second card that depicts two people in it. This indicates that she does not feel completely self-reliant in her capacity to express her intuitive gifts or see the big picture. It may indicate that she prefers to be validated or supported by a partner (in this case a male or romantic partner).

Card #7 (Crown) The Emperor #4 Major Arcana* (an imposing bearded white haired ruler or father figure, in red robes and warrior armor, seated on a stone throne, holding an ankh.)

Interpretation: This is the second card of powerful male authority that she drew. This indicates that she feels strongly connected to her higher wisdom and the Universe, but in a form of male authority, or following in the footsteps of the father. It is no surprise that this woman has Saturn prominently in her chart, which points to a tendency to look for authority, and hence validation, within the framework of the established order of things. It also indicates that she looks to work and outer sources of acknowledgement (such as success, status and approval) for her personal validation. This is a powerful card, as it is a Major Arcana, and points to an overriding theme in her life.

The Crown

The remaining session lasted two hours, and while we don’t have time to show the entire process, we will give the example of the Crown position to demonstrate the process. I asked the woman to draw a card for a chakra position in which she felt the need for healing. After interpreting that card, I asked her to draw another card until she felt complete with the healing on that chakra. We did this with each chakra until all were complete and healed.

Crown sequence

Card #1 The Emperor (see above)*

Card #2 Ten of Wands (shows a blond androgynous individual carrying ten wands, as if burdened, on his/her shoulders. With home in the not too distant background, she/he is closer to home than he/she realizes.)

Interpretation: This card indicates that she feels overwhelmed by all that she has to do. This is emblematic of someone who always has a chore to accomplish or a deadline to meet. While they feel overwhelmed by this pattern, they don’t know any other way. The fact that they are closer to home then they realize, indicates she is maxed out on this tendency, and very close to reaching a place where she no longer will continue with this pattern.

Card #3: The Empress #3 Major Arcana

Interpretation: I was thrilled to see her pull this card, the female counterpart to the Emperor, and a Major Arcana card, showing a major shift in core perception. This is Venusian card, a celebration of one’s femaleness, a card where someone is allowing themselves to live in concert with the natural cycles, enjoying life and comfortable in their female essence in a powerful and celebratory way. This card indicates no pressure to succeed, and a joy in just being, enjoying and being receptive to the sensual and natural pleasures of life itself.

This short sequence demonstrates how this process maps a major shift in self-perception. It displays this process, using the simultaneity of cause and effect, and mirrors back to us, using the archetypal illustrations of the Rider-Waite, our own healing.

This healing affects our own Chakric well-being, as well as our own relationship to our self, and to the Universe. This process demonstrates how The Chakra Lube Job functions to both heal and maintain a healthy and life-affirmative relationship to mind, body and spirit, allowing us to prosper and thrive, continuing on our path to true happiness and true self, fulfilling our destiny, as we go.

The Chakra Lube Job is a term and technique created by Cathy H. Burroughs and is protected by copyright. Any reference to the technique or usage of the title of the technique must be attributed to Cathy H. Burroughs.

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