Let’s Talk Witch – Using Sacred Texts c 2013

Let’s Talk Witch – Using Sacred Texts

The Koran, the Bible and other books are perceived as having inherent magickal power because they are sacred texts. Sacred texts are not restricted to monotheistic faiths.

The works of Homer and Virgil, the Indian Vedas, and the Chinese I-Chingor Book of Changes are allconsidered sacred texts. The crucial question, in terms of successful spellcasting is “are any of those texts sacred foryou?” Sacred texts by definition, are so inherently charged with baraka and heka that, like a saint from beyond the grave, anyone may access that power. However, magick is both in the transmitter and the receiver, it is a reciprocal process. The most powerful sacred texts for you are those that you perceive as sacred. If your sacred texts are Broadway show tunes or doo-wop songs, then incorporate them into your spells in the same manner that you would any other sacred text.

Methods for the magickal use of psalms and sacred texts include:

*Whispering texts over a cup of water, which is then given to someone to drink(although the spell-caster may also desire to drink it, depending on the purpose of the spell.)

*Writing texts down on paper, then dissolved in liquid and drunk(by the spell-caster or the person of the spell: this derives from ancient Egyptian methods.)

*Wearing them as amulets, for empowerment and to transmit constant, considered magick energy.

*Tracing them on an apple with a pin; depending on the nature of the spell the apple is then eaten by the spell-caster of feed to the person the spell is intended for.

Let’s Talk Witch – Our Mind Set c 2014

Let’s Talk Witch – Our Mind Set

Our most important first tool when performing magick is our mind. You have to ask yourself a few questions before you start casting. Will this spell harm no one? Do I need this? Am I in the right state of mind to cast a spell?

These are just a few very important questions we need to ask ourselves. If you are sick, your magick may not be as strong as when you are healthy, so in those times you should be focused on self healing above everything else. There are so many steps you can cover here….but first…lets see where your mind is at and then we’ll continue from there. Don’t worry–there aren’t any difficult incantations to remember, no hard to pronounce power words. Simply logical and informative magickal applications to a better life. So take a deep breath, let it out slowly and clear your mind. Find your center, it’s easy to do. Just let go of all the hassles and stresses you have from the day–steer your mind away from all those fast paced thoughts of today’s society. And simplify. Go deep within yourself, and find who you really are. It really quite simple to find out who you really are deep down. Go back to basics. All those thoughts….get rid of them!

Think about the following…..

How often do you find yourself traveling through this world for others? How often do you find yourself compromising your beliefs, emotions and feelings for those around you? So as not to feel “uncomfortable” or in “pain” we see ourselves as if in a motion picture, acting out our lives in a drama that ends in need, want desire—for something different. For something that could have been. For something that should have been. Why do we walk down these roads? Why do we travel to these places at all? Is our vision skewed so dramatically by what others believe is right for us, that we feel the need to be someone other than ourselves? Carpe diem! Seize the day. Seize your life, take it for everything it is worth, hold onto that which makes you happy–that which brings you joy and contentment. Know that life’s lessons lead us into places that are sometimes dark and foreboding….you, somehow–when learned–these places turn to light. Know that happiness comes from within you, and not through others circumstances or fortune. Know that true happiness can be found in others…not when the time is right but when it is real. Trust your heart, trust in your soul—and life will catch up with you.

Live. Be free, and fly and shout as loudly as you want. Take hold of your dreams. Never let anyone try to influence your mind or your will. Be true to yourself and your will be able to live your dreams and find happiness beyond belief. Dare to dream, keep your mind clear at all times and use it wisely. For it is the most important tool you have in magick.

Excerpts from: Spellbound’s Book of Spells A Collection of Simple Spells Volume 1 by Kelli James Klymenko

Let’s Talk Witch – Altars and Circles, Oh My! c. 2013 by Lady Abyss

Let’s Talk Witch – Altars and Circles, Oh My!

When practicing Witchcraft the two most common elements that we all have in common are the magick circle and the altar.

Let’s talk about how to set up your own magick circle and altar.

The circle is a powerful Witch’s tool. It’s the space where your magick happens. It is a sacred space that only you can create for yourself.

The magick circle has been used by witches and other magicians of various cultures: American Indians, Babylonians, and many others have used the magick circle.

The magick circle protects the witch from the forces that he or she is raising. It’s also used to shut out any energy or forces from outside which will interfere with the ritual.

The circle also contains your own personal power while you are working magick, holding and channeling it or your purposes.

Essentially the circle creates the atmosphere for all the magick you will do. It is a sphere of energy that forms the boundaries of your magickal space.

You will need some kind of way of marking the boundaries of your circle.

You can use a long piece of cord, or if you are outdoors, draw a circle of chalk, or use other objects to mark the outside of your circle.

Traditionally, a magick circle is nine feet in diameter. If you have space constraints, make it as big or as small as you are able to.

As you set up your circle, try to feel its energy moving around you. Focus on creating your perfect magickal space, the place where you can access your true power.

Once you have your circle, it’s time to decide what will go inside it.

The altar is the space where your tools will go. It can be made of anything, but wood is the best choice. Your altar doesn’t have to be fancy.

It can be a cardboard box covered with cloth, two cinder blocks with a board on top, a small coffee table or even a large, flat rock.

Traditionally, the altar is set in the center of the circle, facing North.

But what items will go on your altar, and where should you place them?

On the left side of the altar you place items such as your crystal, your cauldron(if it will fit), and a silver or white candle.

Your broom also goes on the left side, next to the altar.

On the right side is the place for your magick wand and your incense.

You can be as creative as you wish with your altar. Make it personal, and choose items which are both powerful and meaningful to you.

In the middle you can place some flowers if you like, plus all the ingredients you will need for your spell. Don’t forget matches for the candles, and a place to put the used matches.

Make sure you have all your spell ingredients ready before you begin, so that you do not have to leave the circle once you have started your ritual.

The altar is where you will do your spell casting. That’s why it’s in the center of the circle—it’s the focal point of your ritual.

Again, how you choose to do this is up to you. There’s no one right way to set up an altar.

All that matters is that you choose items that are magickally powerful and that you feel a connection with.

The magick will do the rest.

The Ethics of Love Spells by Mike Nichols c 2013

The Ethics of Love Spells

   by Mike Nichols
by Mike Nichols

To gain the love of someone: On a night of the full moon, walk to a spot beneath your beloved’s bedroom window, and whisper his/her name three times to the nightwind. –Ozark love spell

It seems to be an immutable law of nature. You are interviewed by a local radio or TV station, or in some local newspaper. The topic of the interview is Witchcraft or Paganism, and you spend the better part of an hour brilliantly articulating your beliefs, your devotion to Goddess and nature, the difference between Witchcraft and Satanism, and generally enlightening the public at large. The next day, you are flooded with calls. Is it people complimenting you on such a splendid interview? No. People wanting to find out more about the religion of Wicca? Huh-uh. People who are even vaguely interested in what you had to say??? Nope. Who is it? It’s people asking you to do a love spell for them!

This used to drive me nuts. I’d take a deep breath and patiently explain (for the thousandth time) why I won’t even do love spells for myself, let alone anyone else. This generally resulted in my caller becoming either angry or defensive, but seldom more enlightened. ‘But don’t you DO magic?’, they ask. ‘Only occasionally,’ I answer. ‘And aren’t most magic spells love spells?’, they persist. That was the line I really hated, because I knew they were right! At least, if you look at the table of contents of most books on magic, you’ll find more love spells than any other kind. This seems as true for the medieval grimoire as for the modern drugstore paperback.

Why? Why so many books containing so many love spells? Why such an emphasis on a kind of magic that I, personally, have always considered very negative? And to make matters even more confusing, the books that do take the trouble of dividing spells between ‘positve’ and ‘negative’ magic invariably list love spells under the first heading. After all, they would argue, love is a good thing. There can never be too much of it. Therefore, any spell that brings about love must be a GOOD spell. Never mind that the spell puts a straightjacket on another’s free will, and then drops it in cement for good measure

And that is why I had always assumed love magic to be negative magic. Years ago, one of the first things I learned as a novice Witch was something called the Witch’s Rede, a kind of ‘golden rule’ in traditional Witchcraft. It states, ‘An it harm none, do what thou will.’ One uses this rede as a kind of ethical litmus test for a spell. If the spell brings harm to someone — anyone (including yourself!) — then don’t do it! Unfortunately, this rule contains a loophole big enough to fly a broom through. It’s commonly expressed, ‘Oh, this won’t HARM them; it’s really for their own good.’ When you hear someone say that, take cover, because something especially nasty is about to happen.

That’s why I had to develop my own version of the Witch’s Rede. Mine says that if a spell harms anyone, OR LIMITS THEIR FREEDOM OF THOUGHT OR ACTION IN ANY WAY, then consider it negative, and don’t do it. Pretty strict, you say? Perhaps. But there’s another law in Witchcraft called the Law of Threefold Return. This says that whatever power you send out, eventually comes back to you three times more powerful. So I take no chances. And love spells, of the typical make-Bobby-love-me type, definitely have an impact on another’s free will.

So why are they so common? It’s taken me years to make peace with this, but I think I finally understand. The plain truth is that most of us NEED love. Without it, our lives are empty and miserable. After our basic survival needs have been met, we must have affection and companionship for a full life. And if it will not come of its own accord, some of us may be tempted to FORCE it to come. And nothing can be as painful as loving someone who doesn’t love you back. Consequently, the most common, garden-variety spell in the world is the love spell.

Is there ever a way to do a love spell and yet stay within the parameters of the Witch’s Rede? Possibly. Some teachers have argued that if a spell doesn’t attempt to attract a SPECIFIC person into your life, but rather attempts to attract the RIGHT person, whomever that may be, then it is not negative magic. Even so, one should make sure that the spell finds people who are ‘right’ for each other — so that neither is harmed, and both are made happy.

Is there ever an excuse for the make-Bobby-love-me type of spell? Without endorsing this viewpoint, I must admit that the most cogent argument in its favor is the following: Whenever you fall in love with someone, you do everything in your power to impress them. You dress nicer, are more attentive, witty, and charming. And at the same time, you unconsciously set in motion some very powerful psychic forces. If you’ve ever walked into a room where someone has a crush on you, you know what I mean. You can FEEL it. Proponents of this school say that a love spell only takes the forces that are ALREADY there — MUST be there if you’re in love — and channels them more efficiently.

But the energy would be there just the same, whether or not you use a spell to focus it.

I won’t attempt to decide this one for you. People must arrive at their own set of ethics through their own considerations. However, I would call to your attention all the cautionary tales in folk magic about love spells gone awry. Also, if a love spell has been employed to join two people who are not naturally compatible, then one must keep pumping energy into the spell. And when one finally tires of this (and one will, because it is hard work!) then the spell will unravel amidst an emotional and psychic hurricane that will make the stormiest divorces seem calm by comparison. Not a pretty picture.

It should be noted that many spells that pass themselves off as love spells are, in reality, sex spells. Not that there’s anything surprising in that, since our most basic needs usually include sex. But I think we should be clear from the outset what kind of spell it is. And the same ethical standards used for love spells can often be applied to sex spells. Last year, the very quotable Isaac Bonewits, author of ‘Real Magic’, taught a sex magic class here at the Magick Lantern, and he tossed out the following rule of thumb: Decide what the mundane equivalent of your spell would be, and ask yourself if you could be arrested for it. For example, some spells are like sending a letter to your beloved in the mail, whereas other spells are tantamount to abduction. The former is perfectly legal and normal, whereas the latter is felonious.

One mitigating factor in your decisions may be the particular tradition of magic you follow. For example, I’ve often noticed that practitioners of Voudoun (Voodoo) and Santeria seem much more focused on the wants and needs of day-to-day living than on the abstruse ethical considerations we’ve been examining here. That’s not a value judgement — just an observation. For example, most followers of Wicca STILL don’t know how to react when a Santerian priest spills the blood of a chicken during a ritual — other than to feel pretty queasy. The ethics of one culture is not always the same as another.

And speaking of cultural traditions, another consideration is how a culture views love and sex. It has often been pointed out that in our predominant culture, love and sex are seen in very possessive terms, where the beloved is regarded as one’s personal property. If the spell uses this approach, treating a person as an object, jealously attempting to cut off all other relationships, then the ethics are seriously in doubt. However, if the spell takes a more open approach to love and sex, not attempting to limit a person’s other relationships in any way, then perhaps it is more defensible. Perhaps. Still, it might be wise to ask, Is this the kind of spell I’d want someone to cast on me?

Love spells. Whether to do them or not. If you are a practitioner of magic, I dare say you will one day be faced with the choice. If you haven’t yet, it is only a matter of time. And if the answer is yes, then which spells are ethical and which aren’t? Then you, and only you, will have to decide whether ‘All’s fair in love and war’, or whether there are other, higher, metaphysical considerations.

Love Spells – Before you can fulfill your goals through spells, you first need to take inventory of your love life. c. 2013

Love Spells

Before you can fulfill your goals through spells, you first need to take inventory of your love life. The following questions should give you a fairly clear idea about the patterns that run throughout your intimate relationships. Once you identify your patterns, it’s easier to change them.

*Describe your ideal intimate relationship.

*Describe the worst intimate relationship you ever had.

*How would you rate your present sex life If you’re involved, is your significant other romantic

*Are you romantic

*If you’re involved, is your relationship emotionally satisfying

*What, if anything, would you change about this relationship

*If you’re not involved, jot down five important

*List five things that make you feel good.

Loving yourself is a definite prerequisite for casting any love spell. It sounds simple enough, but so many of us have grown up believing that we aren’t worthy, aren’t attractive or intelligent enough, aren’t this or that. Before you try any love spell, spend a little time uncovering your beliefs about yourself.

If you’re holding on to negative beliefs about your worth as an individual, take a tip from author Louise Hay and adopt this simple yet powerful affirmation: “I love and approve of myself.” Say it out loud, write it out, and post it on your mirrors, your fridge, and wherever else you will see it frequently. Yes, you probably will feel a bit foolish at first, but that just means the affirmation is working. When you repeat something often enough and back it with positive, uplifting emotion, your unconscious mind gets the message.

Source: The Only Book of Wiccan Spells You’ll Ever Need (The Only Book You’ll Ever Need)

Singer, Marian; MacGregor, Trish (2012-08-18).

Spell for Friday – Candle Magick for Rocky Times

(YOU CAN COPY AND PASTE ANY SPELLS POSTED TO A DOCUMENT TO PRINT AND/OR SAVE ON YOUR COMPUTER FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY)

LOVE SPELL WARNING: Love spells such as this one take the person who you want to love you free will/spirit away. What happens with a spell like this is the person will become obsessed with you to the point of possibly losing their job, which in turn can make them lose their home, automobile, friends, their family, etc. I have heard of people under love spells dying from not eating or drinking when they are not in the presence of the spellcaster 24/7/365. So, unless you want some who only loves you because of a spell you put on them then go for it. But if you want someone to love you because they feel that emotion towards you then please do not do this spell. The same warning goes for animals, birds, reptiles, or anything else that has a heart and can create a bond with someone.

Candle Magick for Rocky Times

You will need:

Pink Candle

The Spell:

A love candle with oils and herbs hidden in a secret place instills confidence in our power to be good lovers. It is a secret source of inspiration when times are hard and you need to work through problems that arise in your relationship.

Hold a pink candle and charge it for future spells, by visualizing you and your lover in a happy loving embrace. Put the energy from this vision into the candle. The say out loud:

“We will always love each other.
May the Goddess and God grant this.

for the good of all.”

When problems arise in your relationship or you need self-confidence, take out the candle on a Friday during a waxing moon and anoint it with love oil using this procedure: Put some oil on your index finger, and beginning in the middle of the candle, run your finger to the wick end. Then repeat, rubbing the oil down to the bottom of the candle. Light the candle and let it burn down completely and go out.

Wiccans Practicing Witchcraft

Ro Longstreet
BellaOnline’s Wicca Editor

You can walk a Wiccan spiritual path without practicing witchcraft. Wicca is a religion centered upon the natural world that involves worship of God and Goddess. It also requires that you live by certain tenets such as the Wiccan Rede (“An harm it none, do what ye will”).

Meanwhile, witchcraft is a set of learnable methods by which you can influence the flow of energy that surrounds you and permeates the universe. As with skills such as growing herbs or meditating, witchcraft can add a deeper layer to your spiritual life, but you do not have to practice witchcraft to worship the God and Goddess in a Wiccan way. Many Wiccans are interested in witchcraft, some are good at it, and others have no interest whatsoever in picking it up.

Within the broad scope of Wicca, witchcraft is only a small part. If you live your life as a Wiccan without practicing witchcraft, you will still have plenty to keep you occupied. You can focus on ritual rather than spellwork. Daily rituals can include morning and evening prayers to God and Goddess, blessing food and drink, and making everyday choices to live in harmony with the earth.

You can observe ceremonies known as esbats to mark the phases of the moon, and sabbats for the passing of the seasons. Milestones in your life such as marriage, birthdays, birth of a child, passage into adulthood, self-dedication to your spiritual path and more can be celebrated with Wiccan ritual.

Much of Wiccan ritual is similar to witchcraft with a focus on altar, tools, candles, herbs, and other accessories. The difference is that you would not be raising, focusing, and directing energy, as in spellwork. Rather, your ceremony communicates devotion to God and Goddess. If you were to compare an act of witchcraft to a religious ritual, the two would feel very different. Casting a spell involves a rising tension and release whereas a ceremony is more a gentle outpouring of gratitude.

If you did want to practice witchcraft as part of your Wiccan spiritual path, it can deepen your understanding of the natural world that surrounds you. This is similar to how growing your own herbs can put you in touch with the agricultural cycles of life. If you learn to cast spells, it will teach you about the ebb and flow of the energy that fills the universe – and your own place within the tide pool of that vast ocean.

BellaOnline

A Laugh for Today – You might be practicing Bubba Wicca if …

Signs That You May Be A Bubba Wiccan

You are out in the woods and the Horned God appears to you and it takes you more than 30 seconds to put down your deer rifle.
You’ve ever duct-taped an outhouse and called it a sweat lodge.
You run out of candles and then get the emergency flares out of your trunk.
Your altar is made from the hood of an old Chevy pick-up.
You begin your Circle by calling for quarters to be placed in the beer fund jar.
You enter a skyclad circle with the words, In Perfect Love and Perfect Lust.
You close a circle with the words “Hot damn, let’s party!”
You get most of your spiritual wisdom about the cycles of nature from Bill Dance bass fishing shows.
You watch NASCAR for its karmic revelation.
Your ritual robes are made of weatherproof camouflage.
Your revel fire causes the smokejumpers to fly in.
The only herb you use has to be planted in the middle of nowhere.
You think “The Reclaiming Collective” is a great name for a used automobile parts business.
Before you can use your ritual cauldron, you have to wash out the bones from your fish stew.

Laugh-A-Day: You might be practicing Bubba Wicca if …

You might be practicing Bubba Wicca if …

You are out in the woods and the Horned God appears to you and it takes you more than 30 seconds to put down your deer rifle.
You’ve ever duct-taped an outhouse and called it a sweat lodge.
You run out of candles and then get the emergency flares out of your trunk.
Your altar is made from the hood of an old Chevy pick-up.
You begin your Circle by calling for quarters to be placed in the beer fund jar.
You enter a skyclad circle with the words, In Perfect Love and Perfect Lust.
You close a circle with the words “Hot damn, let’s party!”
You get most of your spiritual wisdom about the cycles of nature from Bill Dance bass fishing shows.
You watch NASCAR for its karmic revelation.
Your ritual robes are made of weatherproof camouflage.
Your revel fire causes the smokejumpers to fly in.
The only herb you use has to be planted in the middle of nowhere.
You think “The Reclaiming Collective” is a great name for a used automobile parts business.
Before you can use your ritual cauldron, you have to wash out the bones from your fish stew.

Daily OM – Working with Angels c. 2012

Graceful Guidance

by Madisyn Taylor

Our angels are here to help us and by calling on them for assistance they are able to do their job.

At some point in our lives, we are likely to find ourselves asking for help, perhaps from no one in particular, and without knowing where help could possibly come from. We may have raised our eyes skyward or whispered our need under our breath only to find that somehow we were heard, and the help we needed arrived. It might have come in the form of a person who appeared at the right time, or perhaps it came in the form of luck, chance, or divine intervention. However assistance appears, these are times when we can be sure that there are angels watching over us.
We may find ourselves asking for their help with simple things—like finding a parking spot or to watch over loved ones—but then we forgot to call on them when we found ourselves alone or in pain. We don’t need to be aware of them to receive their assistance, but there is comfort in the knowledge that they are there for us when we need them. And when we remain open to their presence, we can call on them whenever we need them to connect and be nurtured by their ethereal and heavenly energy.
As symbols of grace and gentle encouragement, they can offer us comfort as they enfold us in their wings or lift our spirit as they take flight. We may be warmed by their glow, guided by their gentle nudges or inspired by their whispers in our ears. We may hear the name of our angel and feel a personal connection, but it isn’t necessary. All they need is to be heard, to see us benefit from their guidance and perhaps to hear a word of thanks sent their way every now and then. Whether they appear in the guise of a helpful stranger, or as a thought that suddenly occurs to us, angels are our loving guides from the spiritual realm, who with a brush of their angelic wings help us to make the most of our human experience by balancing it with the spiritual awareness that all things are possible and that we are not alone.

How to Cast a Spell

(YOU CAN COPY AND PASTE ANY SPELLS POSTED TO A DOCUMENT TO PRINT AND/OR SAVE ON YOUR COMPUTER)

HOW TO CAST A SPELL

A spell is nothing but a story (from an old word “spelen,” to “tell a story”).

You’ve had spells cast on you all your life, without knowing it.

When your father called you “lazy,” or “stupid,” or “sloppy,” or “a failure,”
he was casting a spell on you. Most likely, you still act the way your father
(or mother) said you were.

And you’ve cast spells on yourself all your life, without knowing it. Whenever
you say the words “I can’t” you are casting a spell of failure on yourself.
Whenever you tell someone they give you a headache, you are casting a headache
spell on yourself.

Learning to cast spells is learning how to control your own life.

You can cast a spell simply by telling yourself a story out loud, alone or with
friends.

You can cast a spell by thinking a story to yourself.

You can cast a spell by acting out a story. (This is the purpose of ritual, of
course.)

And you can cast a spell by wearing or carrying a physical object that
constantly reminds you of the story (an amulet).

A spell works simply because it is spoken. Strong emotions are not necessary.
You don’t even have to believe it to make it happen.

Try it. Start each day by saying to yourself: “Today, I am going to receive
some money” (or “will make a new friend,” etc.) See what happens.

One caution: Be careful what you wish for — you WILL get it!

And remember the ancient rede: “An ye harm none, do what you will.” This
means that we cannot cast a spell concerning another person (with the possible
exception of a healing spell) without their consent. Any interference in
another person’s life force is unacceptable.

We Must Hide No Longer c. 2011

We Must Hide No Longer

Author: Ryan Smith

Welcome to America, the self-proclaimed land of the free and home of the brave. The country where, at least in theory, one can practice any faith one wishes and can fully exercise as the Founding Fathers put it the “freedom of conscience.”

The First Amendment, which starts with “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, ” while plain on its face has had a lot of footnotes attached to it over the years by the Christian supermajority. Freedom of religion as long as your faith is Abrahamic in origin. Freedom from persecution as long as you kneel before the Cross. Freedom to worship openly and unhindered only if your faith is one that was thrust on your ancestors by foreign missionaries who claimed to have their best interests at heart.

As a member of what is America’s Invisible Minority, I am no stranger to what happens to Pagans when one is ‘outed’. While I have not been physically assaulted or fired because of my faith I do know what it is for people to go oddly silent when I offer a blessing. I know what it is to be mocked as “insane” and/or labeled a “devil-worshiper”. And of course, I have heard the ever-popular chastisement of, “You’re going to Hell.” I’m fairly sure that anyone whom is not Christian reading this knows what I’m talking about. I’m also fairly sure most people reading this, if they personally have not been the victims of it, at least know someone who lost their job shortly after being outed for “personality issues” or because “didn’t quite work out” or because “we no longer have need of your services.”

Then we have the worst examples: Brandi Blackbear, who was suspended from school for fifteen days in Oklahoma due to accusations of witchcraft (1) . In 1999 Tempest Smith of Michigan who, after school administrators washed their hands of the ongoing harassment by Christian students at her school, hung herself rather than deal with it any longer in 2001 (2) .

Palmdale, California, the state that is seen by many and prided as the most forward-thinking in the country, in 2002 had a local Christian group invade a Pagan store and harass, browbeat, intimidate, and threaten patrons who were honoring Ostara. The best part was when the Sheriff’s Department refused to investigate because, oh by the way, a volunteer department chaplain was at the attack and helped organize it (3) .

2004 in South Carolina saw local prosecutors state that a man accused of murder did so because he was Wiccan (4) . There is of course the infamous case of the Wiccan Nevada National Guardsman denied a pentacle on his headstone by the US government (5) .

In 2007 an Army Chaplain, in spite of his stellar record as a soldier and Chaplain, was not only denied his request to serve as a Wiccan Chaplain but also removed from the Chaplain’s Corps (6) . I’m sure there are plenty of other incidents like these that are as bad, possibly worse, that have not been mentioned here.

So what, you may be wondering, is the point of all this? The point is simple: we as a diverse group of Earth-based faith traditions are routinely disrespected and disregarded by American society as a whole.

Now I know a lot of Pagans are likely thinking to themselves, “Why should we care what a bunch of superficial ‘sheeple’ think? We’re free spirits who dance to the beat of our own drums and don’t care what other people say about us!” There is a very serious problem with that kind of thinking.

In the United States of America today there are about 300 million people (7) . Of that 300 million it is estimated only 1.3 million are Pagans of some kind or another (8) . As much as our independent spirit and willingness to question convention is probably our greatest strength it cannot be ignored that we are a tiny minority in an overwhelmingly Christian nation.

What would happen if, for example, the good people at Operation Rescue who had regularly targeted Dr. Tiller’s clinic in Kansas for protest (9) were very directly confronted in the national media and asked if their accusations of him being a mass-murderer (10) were responsible in some fashion for his cold-blooded assassination inside his own church? You would have wall-to-wall coverage of pundits, preachers, and politicians tearing their hair out and wailing about “persecution.”

Now what happens if, say, a Druid Grove is accused of human sacrifice? First off you probably wouldn’t see any media attention given to such a story unless someone decides to go and actually do something about “those dangerous cultists.” You would probably also see outrage and condemnation on the web on Pagan blogs. And just like many other instances of persecution after we as a whole vow “Never Again” and some group or foundation takes up the incident as their championed cause, it sinks back into the morass of apathy.

Why does this happen? Are we not devoted enough to our own dignity? The answer is rather more elementary than Pagans being undeserving or incapable of organizing or any of the other excuses bandied about.

With only a small handful of real victories against our persecutors and attackers, any move to do something about it is already seen by many as doomed to fail. Too many Pagans give our independent nature and notorious difficulty in being organized in any meaningful fashion as cop-outs to really having an impact on society and improving our standing in it. It is, sadly, understandable why many would do so.

Who wants to exhaust their time, money, and energy fighting for a cause pre-determined in the minds of their colleagues as lost? Everyone wants to be the hero riding over the hill; no one wants to be the person who makes the glorious last stand for a greater moral victory. Far better, it would be argued, to think small.

Better to gain a seat on an Interfaith Council or use of a Unitarian Church than to run for public office. Better to make small, easy victories than to organize, mobilize, and take the fight to where it matters most: the public square. Better to cede the debate to people who do not understand us and in many cases are actively hostile to us.

To take such an approach is to sacrifice the future of our faith, of our community, and of the next generation of Pagans for the sake of questionable comfort and unsteady safety in the immediate present. As Ben Franklin once said, “He who would give up a little liberty for a little security will gain neither and lose both.”

We cannot continue to “wait and see” or “let our moment come” or “try not to upset people.” We upset a sizable fraction of the population simply by breathing; staying quiet and walking small will not change that. I see no reason why we, a community that wears our free spirits as a badge of honor and believe in the importance of personal responsibility, should be afraid of standing up for what we believe. Every other group striving for rights and dignity in American history has been told the same thing when they began their push.

If all the other groups had listened then we probably would still have slavery in the South, women as property of their husbands, and only those with land of their own having the right to vote. Discretion is said to be the better part of valor, but when discretion is forced by circumstance then it is no longer a guardrail against madness but a straightjacket for the soul.

So long as we allow inaction we will remain the Invisible Minority. So long as we act in reaction to fear Pagans will continue to be harassed, attacked, fired, and forgotten. The promise of the Declaration of Independence of, “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” will remain unfulfilled for all of us. The effort will be long. It will be hard. Only a fool would promise that it would be easy. But America now is no longer the America where the Religious Right stood unchallenged in their agenda by the masses.

The time is now. We stand at a vital crossroads in history. With the power of the social conservatives, at least for now, broken and our numbers on the rise we must seize the moment and begin the long journey to respect and acceptance. In so doing we must remember, for all who join us in the cause, that we do not just do so for ourselves. We fight for each other, our fellow Kin regardless of Tradition.

Most importantly, we are fighting for the future. The future of our Traditions. The future of our community as a whole and the health, vitality, and success of our local communities in particular. Most vitally we are struggling for the next generation. We must take up the cause to demand respect and dignity and work long and hard now so that when the next generation comes of age they will not know the fear, uncertainty, loneliness, and hardship that many of us have been forced to live with.

We begin today so tomorrow we may openly stand on the mountaintops and in the public square with each other, our children, and our fellow Americans and have no fear anywhere in this nation, from Seattle to Atlanta, from San Francisco to San Antonio, from New York to New Orleans there will be no place where we must hide the truth of who we are for the sake of survival or propriety.

We must take up the cause of liberation. We can no longer let fear instilled by our attackers to keep us shoved into the shadows. We must stand up and get involved in our local communities. We need to actively participate in local, state, and federal politics whether or not it is directly Pagan related or not. To give us a voice in public offices, we need to cultivate, assist and support people to run for these offices including those within the existing two major parties.

We must aggressively dispel the lies perpetrated by our foes by coming out to the public where it is safe to do so as a Pagan, as a Druid, as a Witch, as a Heathen so they know we are not some mysterious dark cult but real people they know. We must do this for what are our natural rights as human beings of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness on our terms according to what we believe not what others say we must believe.

We have no time to wait, no time to allow our moment to come. Our time is here.

Every act we take, great or small, alone or in a group, which is one made for the good of our greater community is one worth doing. Every act no matter its impact is one more step on the road to victory.

We cannot wait for heroes to come riding down from on high to our rescue. We must answer the call and rise to the challenge that we all face.

Footnotes:
1. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1568/is_9_32/ai_70461580/
2. http://community-2.webtv.net/FullMoonCircle/TempestSmith/
3. Rich Breault, “Wiccagate: What do Witches Grove protesters have to hide?, ” Valley Press, 2002-APR-8.
4. http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=2347141 and nav=0RaPRIlo
5. http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2007/feb/08/news/chi-0702080027feb08
6. http://www.northcountrygazette.org/articles/2007/032907WitchTrials.html
7. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/US.html
8. http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/affiliations-all-traditions.pdf
9. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/abortviolence/stories/tiller3.htm
10. http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/8967610531.html

Spell for Today – A Spell To See Spirits c. 2014

A Spell to See Spirits

To see spirits, old European grimoires recommend mixing together aloe, pepper,
musk, vervain and saffron, and burning this in a cemetery.
We can adapt this for other locations (like those in which the spirit lived) by
adding a bit of sweetgrass or tobacco to a specially prepared incense.
Create the incense on the anniversary of the death of the individual you wish to
contact.
This is then burned at 11 am, in the safety of a majick circle that also holds
symbolic items to connect you to the entity.
An incantation to encourage the spirit’s presence is:

“Guardians of the Spirit realm,
hear and guide my plea.
When the witching hour rings true,
bring my relationship, name of person to me.
Other souls who hear my call,
are not welcome in this place.
Only the one known as name of person may enter sacred space.”

Repeat the request three times, twenty minutes apart, then wait quietly for
indications of a presence.
Signs include the scent of flowers, or favored cologne, a cool wind, movement of
curtains, and candles going out or twitching erratically.
Once you feel sure the spirit is with you, do not make it tarry overly long.
Take care of your business, say farewell, and thank the guardians for their
assistance before closing the circle.

A Word of Caution:
Spiritual entities should not be banished or called for amusement.
It is best to contact a knowledgeable, experienced psychic for advice or
assistance before undertaking any spells of this type.
It is used for communication, and understanding the purpose of spirits.
The best times are in-between times, such as noon, midnight, dusk and dawn.
Halloween. Seasons of late fall and winter.
When the Moon is in Libra. Eclipses. Wednesday.

Author unknown

Deosil and Withershins

When casting, dancing or chanting in a circle for ritual purposes. Wiccans refer to the direction described as either “deosil” or “Withershins.” When “deosil” (comes from the Irish Gaelic meaning, “turn to the right) is specified, this means clockwise, the direction in which the Sun apparently moves in the Northern Hemisphere, and in which circles are usually cast for positive magick. “Withershins” (or widdershins”) whose roots are embedded in the German words wider (“against”) and Sinn (‘sense’), means counterclockwise, and this is the banishing direction used for negative magick.

Sunny Days

Maximize the power of a spell cast during Leo’s reign by practicing it on a Sunday, the weekday whose dedication to the Lion’s planetary ruler remains enshrined in many modern European languages, including English.

Life As The Witch – Recognizing Our Goddess, HEKATE (Hecate)

Hekate: A Modern Implications

These days, Hekate is often still seen as the Goddess of Witchcraft and Dark Magick, a Dark Crone, because of her connection to the line between life and death. Her chthonic roots are attributed to her aspects as a Death Goddess, but in truth she is not solely death aspected. Her nature is one of transformation, and though change can be terrifying and damaging, it can also be beatific. To think of Her only as a chthonic, Underworld Goddess is to ignore part of her nature.

These days we too often see things in terms of diametric, opposites (light/dark, masculine, feminine, God/Goddess, as if the vast universe is written in binary, nothing more than ones and zeros. While these dichotomies play a role in the nature of the universe, they are also simplified depictions. Deity cannot be contained in the use of dichotomy, because deity transcends those terms.

Hekate is neither light nor dark; she is the very scale of graduation, present at the exact point at which one type of gray becomes another, between every gradient and at either end of the spectrum. Each change is her territory, and there are billions of transformations every day.

Hekate’s connection to magic is another aspect of her nature. Through magic we take what is only potential and pull it into reality, imprinting the mundane world with what could be. And this is one of the biggest changes of all, the transformation for which Hekate has always been particularly revered. Magick is transformation, and it’s from this that Hekate’s association with it is.

In invoking Heckate we can learn to accept changes in our lives, both positive and negative, and we can also create change in our own worlds. She aids the completion and manifestation of spells and when called for divinatory purposes she can help to reveal the truth more readily. She can part the Veil, to allow clearer vision or communion with the dead. Hekate is a protector of children, especially when they walk hard paths, but also in the journey into adulthood.

Hekate guards the crossroads, both those that line our physical reality and those that mark our passage through life, through our spirituality, and through the journey that is existence.

Reference:

Excerpt from:”The Transformative Nature of Hekate”

by Marion Sipe

Llewellyn’s 2012 Magical Living Companion

A Witches Spell – Spell To Assist In Readings and Divination

Lady of the Abyss is has a way to teach us new things from the Spirit Plane by me reposting this post of hers done on November 10, 2013

Spell To Assist In Readings and Divination

Items You Will Need:

White candle

Whatever tools you use for divination, such as tarot cards, runes, crystal ball, etc.

Not every form of divination works for every Witch. Sometimes it take trial and error to discover which one work the best for you. If you are having a hard time seeing clearly, try doing this before attempting a reading. It is also a good one to do if the issue at hand is very important.

If you still have a hard time seeing the answers you seek, you can try having your familiar help by giving them a choice of tarot cards or runes stones, and seeing which one they pick.

You can call on any God or Goddess for this spell. Apollo is used here because he was the patron God of the Oracle at Delphi, probably the most famous center of divination in the ancient world.

Great Apollo

Farseeing and wise

Help me see clearly

As if through your eyes

Bless now these tools

And the one who will see

And send me your vision

Of what is to be

Help me set aside feelings

That get in the way

So I might see true

In my reading today.

So Mote It Be

Daily Feng Shui News for March 2 – ‘Fame’

Many of us will be tuned into the 86th Annual Academy Awards tonight, an event that showcases the achievements of the film industry’s best and brightest. If you would like to be thought of as a star within your own industry, then Feng Shui says that you should light up your ‘Fame’ area. This arena is located at the back center or back middle of your living space. One way to fire up the ‘Fame’ energies is to place nine small red candles in that space and light them whenever you want to heat up your recognition factor. When this works for you and you receive an award, the first thing I want to hear you say is, ‘I’d like to thank Ellen –.’

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Today’s Tarot Card for March 2nd – The Fool

The Fool

Sunday, Mar 2nd, 2014

Pamela Coleman-Smith’s artful rendition of an “innocent Fool” archetype (Rider-Waite deck) is often used to represent Tarot in general. Early classical versions of the Fool card, however, portray quite a different character — a person driven by base needs and urges, who has fallen into a state of poverty and deprivation.

In some instances, he is made out to be a carnival entertainer or a huckster. In others, he is portrayed as decrepit and vulnerable — as the cumulative result of his delusions and failures. Not until the 20th century do you see the popular Rider-Waite image of the Fool arise — that of an innocent Soul before its Fall into Matter, as yet untainted by contact with society and all its ills.

Modern decks usually borrow from the Rider-Waite imagery. Most Fool cards copy the bucolic mountainside scene, the butterfly, the potential misplaced step that will send the Fool tumbling into the unknown. Don’t forget, however, that the earlier versions of this card represented already-fallen humanity, over-identified with the material plane of existence, and beginning a pilgrimage towards self-knowledge, and eventually, wisdom. The Fool reminds us to recognize the path of personal development within ourselves — and the stage upon that path where we find ourselves — in order to energize our movement toward deeper self-realization.

A Little Secret That Only Witches Can Know About. Can I Trust You?

Every secret organization or religion has a secret or two. Of course, you won’t never hear about them because they are secrets. Makes senses. Most of these organizations and religions have secrets to keep the public out and in the dark, to exclude them. On the other hand, our religion is not like that we have had to keep it secret just to keep it alive. If it was for our ancestors keeping our entire religion secret, we wouldn’t have a religion.

The secret I am getting ready to share with you is not that big of deal. It was used in the Burning Times to determine if the person you were meeting was a witch. You can see during this period of time why it was very important to know who you were meeting.

Here is the ritual. Enjoy!

This is a magic witches hand shake spell. This spell is cast to find out if someone you know may or may not be a witch. After casting this magic spell, you will then shake the hand of the person you are inquiring about, and your answer will be revealed in the handshake. It can also be used to slightly put a thought or idea inside the mind of a person without coming right out and suggesting it. We offer many more free magic spells here for you to use and to try.

Extend your right index finger and lightly touch the wrist of the person exactly where the pulse is felt. By touching the pulse it throws the acquaintance completely off his balance for just an instant , but in that instant plant an initial
thought, ( example : I am the one you want for the job) this
really works and is cool, try it.

*You can also determine if the other person is a witch by the way they grasp your hand. If their right index finger is extended and touching your pulse area, more than likely they are a with.*

Sunday Is Ruled By The Sun

Archangel: Michael

Candle colour: Gold

Incenses: Frankincense or orange

Crystals: Amber of clear quartz

Use Sundays for spells for new beginnings, for worldly success, to achieve ambitions and to reverse bad luck, especially and for health.

Where possible, use an open space in sunlight for sun spells, such as a sunny beach or shimmering plain.

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