Tag: Religion and Spirituality

Daily OM for October 7th – Expanding Their Vision

Expanding Their Vision

Nine Ways to Help Others Awaken to Consciousness

by Madisyn Taylor

 

By simply being yourself, you can help the people in your life see a living example of consciousness.

 

1. Living by your values allows you to become a positive source of inspiration for others. Don’t hide – express yourself and embrace life without reservation. By simply being yourself, you can help the people in your life see how one person can make a difference by being a living example of consciousness.

2. When you communicate your views, do so casually and in a nondogmatic manner. Allow the people you speak with to ask questions. Offer only as much information as they are ready to hear.

3. Igniting the spark of consciousness can be as easy as giving someone a gift. A favorite book, a medicine bag, or a beautiful gemstone can pique your loved ones’ curiosity and prompt them to begin an exploration of the soul.

4. Teaching a friend, relative, or colleague to meditate or chant can put them on the path to consciousness while simultaneously reducing their stress levels.

5. Others may want to know more about living consciously but are unsure of how to begin. Starting a discussion group – even a virtual one – can help you reach out to individuals that are eager to learn.

6. By recognizing and acknowledging the inherent value in everyone you encounter, you can teach them how to value others. Sometimes, the easiest way to encourage people – even challenging ones – to respect others is to respect them first.

7. Invite people from your personal and professional lives to join you in attending a ceremony or ritual. The experience may touch them in a profound way or introduce them to a new spiritual path.

8. Casually point out the interconnectedness of all living beings using concrete, everyday examples. Many people are unaware of how their actions affect the world and are intrigued when they learn of the power they hold.

9. Introduce your loved ones to conscious living in a lighthearted and enjoyable way. Serve delicious organic recipes at gatherings, volunteer as a group, and show them how wonderful it can feel to be truly aware and connected to the universe.

Daily OM

Who Inherits Your Knowledge?

Who Inherits Your Knowledge?

Author: Lady GoldenRaven

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you,
LadyGoldenraven

Footnotes:
Link to Book of Shadows:  http://www.brahmsbookworks.com/id2.html

When You Might Not Want to Come Out of the Broom Closet

When You Might Not Want to Come Out of the Broom Closet

Author:   Bronwen Forbes   

A great deal has been written about the benefits and advantages of coming out as Pagan to your family, friends and co-workers, both here on Witchvox and in other places. Living an honest life, helping Paganism be more accepted as more people say “I know a Pagan, ” and taking pride in who and what you are – these are all excellent reasons to be open about your faith. However, as a friend of mine reminded me recently, coming out is never something you do just once. You continue to choose with every new day, every new situation and every new person you meet whether or not to say anything about your spiritual path.

Which means, of course, that there are some valid reasons to never come out to anyone, or only to a select few in specific situations. For example (obvious as it is) , if you’ve recently begun the process of legally severing your marital bonds with someone and, before the divorce is final and all child and property custody disputes have been resolved, and you realize in the middle of all this that you’re Pagan, it would probably be in your best interests not to announce your new path until after the dust has settled.

Another obvious example is on the job. I hate to sound like an alarmist, but in this economy, just because you think it’s safe to be openly Pagan at work doesn’t mean it *is* safe. I lived for years in the Baltimore-Washington DC area where no one, not even my employers, cared if I was Pagan or not.

I left DC for a Midwest town that had a university – and a very prominent journalism school. As leaders of a training coven (consisting mostly of college students including one journalism major) , my husband and I were pretty good candidates for “interview a witch for the Halloween edition of the school paper.” It happened every year. While I wasn’t exactly out at work, between my regular appearance in the university’s school newspaper and occasional mentions in the city’s paper for being on various Pagan-related discussion panels, I wasn’t exactly hiding my religion, either. Five minutes on Google would have told my employers everything they wanted to know about it. I don’t think it even occurred to them to check.

Unfortunately, I took this lack of interest in my religious affairs for granted when we moved to a tiny town in New Mexico and I got a job at the local (much smaller) university in the admissions office. We also tried to help revive the campus Pagan student group which had been prominently featured in the local paper a year earlier, when every Baptist minister in the county denounced its existence (which should have been a clue to me to keep my flapping mouth shut) . Connections were made among the students, and next thing I knew it was two weeks before Samhain and the editor of the school paper was interviewing me. It was a good, well-written article, and no one in my office said a word about the fact that I’d just outed myself to the entire campus. I didn’t think any more about it.

Until I realized that my immediate supervisor was quietly and subtly going out of her way to make my workday a living hell – and had been since the article appeared in the paper.

For example, whatever I did wrong was discussed loudly and in public, while my co-worker, a Catholic, got a bit of quiet privacy when her errors were pointed out (We started the same day and did the exact same job) . I mentioned it to my boss and was told it was all my imagination and that I was “too sensitive.”

Eventually I quit; I’m convinced that if I hadn’t, I would have been fired. Was it because of the article? I’ll never know for sure, but in retrospect my decision to come out of the broom closet was, in this instance, a pretty poor one.

Sometimes, though, the decision of whether or not to come out as Pagan is not so obvious. Family and close friends, for example, are the people you most want to accept this part of you, and as a result your prediction of their reaction to your news may be skewed; you so very much need them to be happy for you that you could project the reaction you want onto them.

I’ve asked around, and a lot of my friends suggest telling a close sibling, aunt or uncle and see how they react before having the “Big Talk” with Mom and Dad. But – and this is hard – telling your nearest and dearest may not only be a bad idea, you may not know it’s a bad idea until it’s too late.

Back in the mid 1980s when I first realized I was Pagan, I told my parents. I had plenty of solid, valid reasons for doing so: 1) I was about to be divorced by my first husband over my Paganism and I thought they deserved to know the truth. 2) I had a strong feeling, even in the early days, that my spiritual path was going to be a major part of my life (turns out I was right) and I couldn’t see cutting my parents out of that much of my world (we were a lot closer back then) . 3) My parents are highly educated people with five college degrees between the two of them, have been professional performers most their lives (i.e. used to odd, artistic, fringe folk) , and are reasonably liberal in their personal and political views. In other words, if there are (or were) two Christians (Episcopalians) more likely to accept their daughter’s new spiritual path with open-mindedness and grace, I don’t know them.

At first it looked like I made a good decision to come out to my folks. My father, a college librarian, found a copy of Starhawk’s The Spiral Dance on my recommendation and read it. He said that while he’d never be a Pagan, he was struck by how “poetic it is.”

Fast forward a decade or so. In the intervening years my religion has been referred to as “that Pagan b*llsh*t” more than once. I’ve been told, “We’re just so relieved you’ve managed to stay away from the drugs” (What drugs? Did I miss the memo on rampant drug use in the Pagan community?) , and treated to this day like a not-quite-bright teenager by – you guessed it – my intellectual, liberal parents.

Was coming out to my parents a good idea? Probably not.

Knowing what I know now, would I do it today? No.

The decision to tell or not to tell someone you’re Pagan is a deeply personal one, and not in any way something you should be pressured into. Coming out as Pagan is not “cool” or something to do for the shock it might cause the listener. Although it’s true that the more of a presence we are in society the less “other” we become, and the more our faith is accepted in the world.

But we need to be aware that sharing our religious choice with anyone or everyone is not always the best solution. We no longer need to worry about witchfinders, hangings and other historically dire consequences for openly celebrating our faith, but we do need to think very hard about our livelihoods, our children and the feelings of the one we’re outing ourselves to before we choose to share this most personal information.

The Origin of Magick

The Origin of Magick

Author:   Crick   

Have you ever wondered about the origins of magick?
By magick I am not referring to the stage tricks employed by various entertainers for our amusement, but rather the energy which numerous cultures and belief systems have tapped into in order to manifest their various objectives.

This universal gift is known by many different names depending on which culture/belief system one looks at. It may be known simply as magick, prayers, miracles, life force, juju, karma and so forth.
For the purpose of this article it will be referred to as energy.

Have you ever wondered if such energy was a latent presence here on earth prior to the arrival of humankind? Residing here as an ancient primordial force, which was patiently waiting for sentient beings to discover its presence and purpose.

And if it was here prior to the arrival of human beings, did it serve an active purpose in the shaping of life and/or the creation of events that allowed for said life to begin? Was this primordial energy an essence that was introduced by Deity by way of a direct involvement with what we know as life? Or was it a side effect that formed as a result of actions taken by Deity during the course of said activities?

Or perhaps it is a development that manifested itself with the advent of humans? Could it be that the life force that we know as spirit introduced this energy into the life process in order to provide us with opportunities to expand our spiritual awareness and/or connection with alternate realms?

And if this is the case, why do you suppose that such a tool for growth and/or communication is so under utilized?

I say this because in society today, folks tend to become less connected with the world around them and more absorbed with the part of the self that is influenced by the individual ego.

And if this is a tool for growth and communication, why is it that those folks who actually use this energy for this purpose are spurned and looked upon with suspicion and in many cases with outright disdain by others in society? Witchcraft in essence, embodies the concepts and principals in the use of such energy.

And yet the word “witch” brings out and runs the gauntlet of emotions and perceptions of humanity as a whole. And depending on which side of the fence one stands, a witch is either an evil and vile creature or a person who is in touch with and resonates with the universal energies of which magick is a major part of.

Where does this fear of the unknown come from?

Was the ego installed into our souls as a balance to such a powerful tool? Has the balance shifted too far to one side of our souls?

As humans we readily employ magick in our various endeavors, but do we really understand its origins and what exactly is that we are using as a tool? Could the ego be a safety mechanism that has been allowed for whatever reasons, to exceed its purpose?

In some cultures, magick known as prayers is used as a means of communication with Deity. Does magick have but one specific intended use? And if so, are all other uses of such energy but an abuse of its original intended use?

Within these same cultures, when an event that is normally beyond the capacity of mere mortals, occurs, it is called a miracle.

Are these so called miracles really but a form of the same energy that others would call magick? Can we as humans in fact manifest these miracles by employing this energy? Or should such manifestations be the sole province of deity?

And while we are on the subject, does this energy have a shelf life?

Does it become stronger with use, opening even more avenues of discovery and power as one venture along the path, or does it weaken from non-use and/or the cultural disbelief in such a power?

Or is it simply a neutral tool offered by the powers to be, with many different attachments waiting to be realized by humanity.

Regardless of what name we call this energy or by what concept we use to identify with it, this gift has surpassed all boundaries of cultural, religious and societal beliefs. It is found in all aspects and fiber of this existence that we call life. It is a dominant force, often in a passive way, in basically everything that we do as humans. As such we may most likely only achieve but a peripheral understanding of such a complicated and diverse force.

Perhaps one day when we become as one with deity, a more comprehensive understanding of such a gift will be made known to us. But until such a revelation is proffered by the powers that be, we should always strive to understand as much as we are able to in order to effectively use such energy in a way that is both constructive and meaningful to our personal lives and not only our personal lives but to those around us as well.

As members of a diverse community, we have a responsibility to contribute to the health and well being of our community. Because of the diversity of society, there will always be divergent views as to what this energy is or in how it is to be used. But at the end of the day, how we use such energy is still an individual decision.

There are certain pagans, in particular Wiccans, who believe that whatever energy is sent out will return to the originator threefold.
As a traditional witch, I personally am not so sure that such a transfer is so cut and dry, but in general such a concept is a good yardstick or learning curve to adhere to.

I personally do not consider myself a master for I do not believe in such a being outside of deity. Rather I am a student of life with lots of questions. For without such questions there are no answers.
And quite frankly I don’t have answers to many of the questions that I have asked here. What few answers I may have are based upon my personal life experiences.

As pagans we are each individual and thus should answer such questions as they pertain to each person in regards to ones own beliefs and practices…

Let’s Talk Witch – Creating Your Own Spells

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Let’s Talk Witch – Creating Your Own Spells

People who are new to magick often ask if it’s okay for them to create their own spells. The answer is a resounding yes. Think of it this way: someone, somewhere had to come up with the idea for the first spell, and the hundreds of thousands of spells after that. Personally created spells are often considered a very important step in the witch’s training and adeptness.

Once you’ve become familiar with casting spells and adapting existing spells for your individual purposes, you’re ready to design your own, original spells from scratch. Other than your fundamental knowledge of magick, you no longer have a construct to work from. You must devise all the actions, symbols, timing, wording, and other components of the spell yourself—that’s what makes creating original spells so exciting. It’s like being the composer of a piece of music and the performer as well.

The components you include in a spell should support, strengthen, balance, and harmonize with one another. They should also be items you feel comfortable using. Some witches enjoy working with flowers, herbs, and other botanicals. Others have a fondness for gemstones and crystals. No one type of ingredient is inherently better than another, but your feelings will certainly influence a spell’s outcome. Keep your objective in mind at all times as you select ingredients. For instance, if you are making a love talisman, you might want to include pairs of ingredients: two rose petals, two pieces of rose quartz,etc. Consider the symbolism of each component and how well it aligns with your intention. A ring is a powerful symbol to put in a love talisman; a coin clearly symbolizes an intention to attract wealth.

Choosing your own ingredients, rather than following a prescribed formula, allows you to fine-tune a spell to your specific needs. Let’s say you’re doing a prosperity spell to help you

(1) attract money and

(2) hold on to it.

To achieve both objectives, you could combine a piece of aventurine with a piece of hematite. Once you understand the basic natures and symbolism of various components, you can mix and match them to create exactly the right combination of energies.

A WITCH’S BREW FOR CLAIRVOYANCE

A WITCH’S BREW FOR CLAIRVOYANCE

Into a cauldron of boiling water, add a handful each of 3 herbs(shredded) that have long been associated with the arts of divination and prophecy.

  • laurel leaves

  • cinquefoil

  • mugwort

Cover with a lid, and boil for 13 minutes.

Lift the lid of the cauldron and deeply inhale the vapors of the bubbling brew 3 times.

Take a normal breath of air, and then once again deeply inhale the vapors 3 times.

Repeat this for 3 minutes, and if you have allowed yourself to properly enter a psychic state, you may begin to receive prophetic visions, either in the form of pictures or symbols, or perhaps in a combination of the two.

Let’s Talk Witch – Incorporating The Animal Element Into Your Magick

magick21

Incorporating Animal Elements Into Magick

Anyone who’s read Shakespeare is familiar with the idea of using animal parts in magick: “Eye of newt and toe of frog, / Wool of bat and tongue of dog …” (Macbeth, Act IV, sc. 1). Where did this tradition come from Quite simply, humans have always trusted animal spirits (and the spirits of plants and inanimate objects) for their powers. A Magus (the singular form of Magi) who needed courage looked to nature’s blueprint and found a lion, whose heart may be carried or otherwise used in a spell (thus the phrase “heart of a lion”). When a Witch needed stealth, it made sense to use the chameleon’s skin as a spell component. When he needed perspective, a variety of birds came to mind, and he might harvest the eye.

Over time things changed, however. Only animal parts found in nature and properly cleaned are fit to be used magickally in Witchcraft. Modern Witches honor nature and her needs in their methods; eco- consciousness is a top priority. Here’s a brief list of animal components and applications you would likely find on a random walk in nature:

Antlers: Sliced antler makes a very sturdy carving surface, and may be used in making a personal set of runes. Alternatively, antlers can be carried to honor Artemis, Cernunnos, and Bacchus, or used as virility charms.

Eggshells: Traditionally, shells were buried or burned in healing spells (often after having been carried by the patient so the eggshells “absorbed” the illness). Eggshells also make a good womb symbol in which energy can be nurtured to maturity. Be sure to consider the color of the eggshell in the final application. For instance, use blue eggshells to nurture peace and joy.

Feathers: Use feathers for divination, for moving incense around the sacred space, or as a spell component in magick directed toward liberation and release. They’re also good for meditations in which you wish to connect with bird spirits or the air element.

Fur: Tufts of fur can often be found on burrs or other prickly bushes. If you can determine the animal that lost the fur, you can apply the fur as a symbol of that creature and its attributes in spells and rituals. For example, a bit of rabbit fur would be a good component to put in your power pouch for abundance and fertility. (Any small pouch will do as a power pouch. Use it to keep special items, like small stones given by friends and those that carry personal meaning.)

Nails: Nails serve utilitarian purposes (for gathering food) as well as defensive ones— when in the clutches of a foe. With this in mind, animal nails could be carried as amulets and talismans for providence and safety.

Teeth: One of the longest-lasting parts of any body, teeth have natural associations with longevity and durability. Furthermore, teeth affect the way a lot of creatures communicate, so use them in different communication spells, depending on the type of creature involved. For example, if you were going into a meeting where clever discourse was needed, carrying a fox tooth might be apt.

Whiskers: According to an old bit of folklore, cat’s whiskers that you find somewhere can be used in a wish-fulfilling spell. For this to work, burn the whisker and whisper a wish to the smoke. This spell might be accomplished with the whiskers of other animals too, like using a dog’s whiskers to inspire devotion and constancy.

The Only Book of Wiccan Spells You’ll Ever Need (p. 104).
Singer, Marian; MacGregor, Trish (2012-08-18).

Your Ancient Symbol Card for October 3rd is The Phoenix

Your Ancient Symbol Card for Today

The Phoenix

The mythical, endearing Phoenix has long been a symbol of rebirth, renewal, and coming full circle. Tired in both body and spirit the aged Phoenix combust into flames and from its ashes is reborn. The Phoenix does not indicate change so much as it does renewal and revitalization. It denotes the completion of a cycle and beginning anew.

As a daily card, The Phoenix suggest you are at a place where some aspects of your life have reached the end of a cycle. Your energies may be weakened from use and stretched over too many arenas to be as effective as they once were. As a result, now may be a good time for you to take a step back and allow yourself time to revitalize both your physical and spiritual self.

Let’s Talk Witch – Witches & Reincarnation

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Witches & Reincarnation

The witch’s body houses his soul. Witches who believe in reincarnation—and most do—regard earth as a place of learning. Their time on this planet is spent gaining and applying knowledge in ways that can only be accomplished on the physical plane. The eventual goal, however, is to stop the cycle of reincarnation so the soul can return to the Source. The earth, its creatures—everything in this world—are seen as teachers, and all experiences are considered opportunities for growth.

How long a soul waits between incarnations is uncertain. Several years, or perhaps decades or centuries, may pass between sojourns in this world. Many people believe you choose the time, place, and conditions into which you are born, or that you decide in concert with a divine plan that extends throughout the universe.

You may have a specific “task” or “reason” for assuming a particular lifetime. Karmic issues incurred during previous existences influence your present and future lifetimes. Consequently, your soul might have to wait until conditions on earth are optimal for you to undergo the spiritual growth you seek before you can re-enter a physical form.

What about the myths and beliefs about people being reincarnated into animals? No one knows for certain. If you ask some pet owners, they’ll tell you animals display uncanny psychic abilities and seem to have a soul or spirit. Witches often have exceptionally strong ties with animal companions whom they call “familiars.” Although Hindus believe humans can reincarnate as other species, witches generally accept that human souls come back to earth in human bodies.

Excerpt from:

The Everything Wicca and Witchcraft Book (Everything®)
Alexander, Skye (2008-07-01).

Elder’s Meditation of the Day – October 2

Elder’s Meditation of the Day – October 2

“Laughter – that is something very sacred especially for us Indians.”

–John (Fire) Lame Deer, ROSEBUD LAKOTA

Laughter is mental, laughter is emotional, laughter is physical and laughter is spiritual. Laughter helps us find balance. If we get too angry, laughter will turn that emotion in a balanced direction. If we have a mental picture of someone who is too strong, laughter will help ease the tension. If the body is stressed, laughter will release natural relaxants into our muscles and our nervous system. Laughter often changes our attitude. We need to lighten up and laugh more.

Great Spirit, teach me to laugh.

October 2 – Daily Feast

October 2 – Daily Feast

Sweet fragrance of the land, herbs and roots and medicines long lost to the general populace, are nonetheless as present as they always have been. We have been so taken with miracle cures, these things have been put away as folklore and not dependable. The simple people at one time had no other alternative – so runs the present-day popular notion. Hard-fought battles over who is to pay for the miracle medicines – and we are grateful for most of them – may turn a venturesome soul back to the soil and back to those things that heal a mind and body without being asked for proof of insurance. But one other thing far too ignored is the power of prayer. No Indian is remiss in blessing his body and soul and spirit because he knows they work together. His prayer is not now and again but regular and potent.

~ The lack of respect for growing, living things soon led to lack of respect for humans too. ~

LUTHER STANDING BEAR – LAKOTA

‘A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II’ by Joyce Sequichie Hifler

The People You Meet on the Pagan Path

The People You Meet on the Pagan Path

Author: MissElphie

There are always people who leave a mark along our path in our Pagan path. Those people who supported us and who taught us things that, probably, we wouldn’t have learned in any other way. These people are essential and must not be forgotten. After all, no matter how many books we write, how many thesis are made and researches done, there is always space to learn and embrace knowledge that we get through experience and by the teaching of others. That is what I’ll be talking about today.

The solitary path is a path that is often chosen, especially in today’s society in which most Pagan practitioners live in the big metropolis and cities, and where finding a coven is getting harder and harder. These good covens hide themselves more often than you think. And, if covens do ‘go public’, much of the time, they aren’t that big of a thing or there is a high chance that they are not what the practitioners are looking for. Good covens are hard to find. Not only due to their shortage but also because it’s complicated for a solitary to fit their eclectic costumes and already acquired traditions in a group that is as well defined as a coven. It ends up being complicated. Additionally, today’s individualism and our consumer and technological society oft results in isolation from the community around us (in favor of a virtual community) which may lead to a disconnection.

These factors plus the routine and daily busy life of the metropolis leads to shortage of time.
As you can see, there are numerous factors that may stop a solitary practitioner from joining a coven. There is, also, the possibility of the practitioner himself/herself not wanting to join a coven (like my case, for example) .

Don’t judge me wrong, I believe that life in a coven can be amazing and very enriching and, if possible, I recommend the experience if you are so inclined, since all paths teach us something. But, in this article, I’m focusing more on the solitary side of the Pagan practice.

For a solitary, magickal practice requires a routine by which the seeker learns things by himself/herself. We must alone search for authors, read books, research sources, etc. It ends up being our daily lives, so, after a couple of years, it becomes second nature. We know that author X is good and author Y is not that good. We prefer the works of X and not of Z. And so on.

However when we do meet someone who may be able to help us, such as someone with more experience, it’s always great. And, my advice is to take that opportunity. You can share what you know with that person and that person will share her knowledge with you. You can have arguments about a certain theory and, by debating it, reach a common and satisfactory answer. You can read books and discuss opinions on the subject or go to public events and find more people to talk to and learn from or teach.

With the help of others, our path only gets richer. It is still a solitary path and ours in the practical terms, since it is created and followed by us alone, but we always learn a lot interacting with others.

Throughout the years, I’ve met several people (not only online but also in person) who have taught me so much and helped me grow. I’m no longer that girl who thought that Wicca was all fairies and pink and that all other Pagan paths were a simple minority. Today, I have a clear notion of what Paganism is, of Wicca and of several different pagan paths, not only when talking about Neo-Paganism, but also pre-Christian beliefs.

I’m not saying that everyone whom you will meet will teach you something good for you to use in your daily path. But they will teach you something. They might, at least, teach you not to follow their path (if they are one of those crazy nut-heads that go around or a scammer) . Everyone has something to teach you and you must, along your path, learn everything you can from people, whether they are Pagan or not (Yes, even followers of other religions have a lot to teach you, especially when it comes to respecting other people’s beliefs) .

But of course, be careful. Don’t try everything people tell you to try. There are a lot of people who are amazing and who will teach you things that will last for a lifetime but there are also may be people with bad intentions who only want to harm you, scam you or worse. Trust me, I’ve seen people whose only interest in helping others was to gain money or fame or just use that “wanting to help” as a way of scamming them. Always be careful and always be very alert during any conversation. Think for yourself and, if necessary, ask for the opinion of someone older or with more knowledge than you, in whom you trust. .

Life has a lot to teach us and there are so many things to try and learn from. Don’t keep yourself entirely locked away from the world by not socializing, by not meeting other pagans. At first it can be hard to see so many points of views. Some you might even think “What is this?” but that will also teach you to respect others. There is so much you can learn by meeting and by talking to other pagans.

Find some events in your area or, if you are going on vacation to somewhere, search if there are any pagan gathering nearby and plan a visit. Or find an online forum and join up, meet some people and learn new things.

My simple conclusion: Socialize. Talk to people, enter social networks of Paganism, sign into forums and meet people. Learn with them and discover new worlds filled with knowledge. Who knows? You might even find a coven that will be your future family. You never know what plans the Gods have in store for us.

Live life to the fullest; know the world and live your religion.

Goddess Blessings,
MissElphie

Thoughts on Death

Thoughts on Death

Author: Crick

As I walk about within the comfortable embrace of the forest, my thoughts begin to take shape. High above me in a sky draped with dark clouds, sits our Sacred Mother upon her regal throne. She is in her fullness on this special night. She is sending out energy that very nearly takes me to my knees. As I gaze upon her, I can feel a light drizzle, the remnants of her tears, as they cascade out of the sky. It is then that I begin to think about the concept of death as seen by her children here on Gaia.

Some of her children express their beliefs in such a way that one would think that there was an indivisible split between her and our sacred father. Like naughty children seeking the favor of one parent, they deny the existence of their sacred mother.

As part of this denial they espouse divergent views about the wholeness of life. A wholeness which not only encompasses that which we as their children know it to be, but that of which we have as yet to develop an awareness and acceptance of. In an effort to distinguish themselves from the sacred mother, they offer a distorted concept of the sacred wheel of spiritual growth in its glorious entirety.

A jaded concept that gives power and control to those blighted children who would choose one parent over the other. For such misguided children have not the maturity to embrace both as one. Their love is one-sided though they recognize this not.

They would use this impaired knowledge to frighten others into their fold. They would cast fear upon the concept of death by portraying our spiritual voyage as being limited to just this one and only realm. As a final journey as per their view, they would offer but one of two extremes.

And who goes to either extreme is determined in great part by those jealous children who have closed their hearts to the whole and who in turn have chosen but a part of that whole. Their focus is limited to the greed and power that corrupts their handicapped souls. For a partial love is far less then the greatness of the whole and thus leaves them impaired in their vision of real spiritual growth.

Then there are those children who suspect that perhaps loving but one sacred parent to the exclusion to the other is not entirely what is intended for those who travel through this humanly realm. They will mouth the words of love and acceptance of both sacred parents, but deep within, their hearts are paralyzed with a fear like a slow moving poison.

They claim an understanding of death as proffered by their newly chosen set of beliefs, but the words of their former association with those of narrow mind still reverberates in their minds. They become torn between both sacred parents and the beliefs as espoused by their various children, as if there was an overwhelming requirement to choose between the two.

Thus they follow the examples of those who are sorely limited in their love while secretly and with divided attention they attempt to associate with those whose hearts fully embrace both sacred parents and who have not the fear and the misguided notions of life and death. Such children go through life without the sense of security and serenity that is just beyond their fingertips.

Such indecision must be a terrible burden to bear, for such fears are spurned not by Deity but rather by their own brothers and sisters who are hobbled by their own lack of understanding. Nor will they acknowledge such insecurities, for to do so would require them to actually devote to one path or the other. And yet there can be no solutions or peace within the soul without such acknowledgement. And so they go through this life torn between the realities of spiritual growth and the misnomers of human will.

And lastly there are those children who refuse to differentiate one sacred parent from the other. Offering their unrequited love with no restraints placed upon them by the words and actions of their spiteful and somewhat confused brothers and sisters. Such are those who fully embrace the pagan way without the taint of hypocrisy or the blinding dogma of those who would choose sides where both sides are actually one.

For their love is pure and has no such obstacles. They go through this realm without the self imposed obstacles and instead tackle those obstructions, which are necessary in gaining a deeper understanding of the spiritual whole.

Death like its counterpart; life, are necessary parts of the whole. As a witch I fear neither, for both states of being emanates from our sacred parents. It is a trial of experiences that our spirits will undergo in its goal to become as one with the whole. As a child of Deity I fully understand that there will be limitations on our knowledge and direction of spiritual progression. There may be other states of being that we are not aware of as yet, and may not be aware of until we progress into death.

As I look around at the spirits that are gathered all about me as I stand here in this mist covered forest, these beings who are currently living in that realm we call death, I can’t but help to wonder if they are afraid of the next step in their spiritual growth. You know… that realm that we call life.

As a witch I personally do not believe that to end our existence here in this realm pre-maturely is within our proper arena of decision-making. That is the province of Deity alone.

But as a witch I walk with one foot in the light, a light that represents our awareness within this realm and with one foot in the dark, a light that represents knowledge yet to be learned. And so I fear neither life nor death for to do so is deny oneself the experience of the whole. And is not that what the sacred wheel supposed to represent?

Or do we just take to heart those segments of the wheel that appeals to us while in this realm?

A Little Humor for Your Day – My Daily Prayer

My Daily Prayer

So far today, Goddess, I’ve done all right. I haven’t gossiped, haven’t lost my temper, haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish or overindulgent. I’m really glad about that.

But in a few minutes, I’m going to get out of bed, and from then on I’m probably going to need a lot more help!

Turok’s Cabana

Daily Feng Shui News for Oct. 2nd – ‘Feast Of The Guardian Angels’

I pray that you love today’s ‘Feast Of The Guardian Angels’ just as much as I do. According to angel archeologist and author JoAnn Cornug, Angel Eliel has long been called upon to put magic and miracles in our lives. It’s believed that when this angel is invoked, he can conjure your wishes for you, especially if you say the following invocation: ‘Eliel, Eliel, Eliel, reveal the magic in our purpose. Eliel, Eliel, Eliel grant me my wish. Eliel, Eliel, Eliel amaze me with your grace.’ Amazing grace indeed.

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

Your Ancient Symbols Card for October 2nd is Strength

Your Ancient Symbols Card for Today

Strength

Strength denotes an inner power, mastery of will, development of inner might, and the ability to lead effectively. Through mastering one’s emotions and learning from both success and failure the person Strength represents has reached a place where they are influential without applying physical force, able to weather the roughest of storms, and not likely to abandon the less fortunate. Strength also denotes a large capacity for forgiveness and compassion. Strength is not as much about winning as it is about overcoming hardship, and using well crafted persuasion to ease others to your side.

As a daily card, Strength indicates a period in which your psychological powers are extremely strong. Your mental endurance may well astound even you at this time. Possibly it is time for you to stand up and take command of any loosely run situations in your life. If you take the lead others will follow.

Today’s Tarot Card for October 2nd is The Devil

The Devil

Wednesday, Oct 2nd, 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What has traditionally been known as the Devil card expresses the realm of the Taboo, the culturally rejected wildness and undigested shadow side that each of us carries in our subconscious. This shadow is actually at the core of our being, which we cannot get rid of and will never succeed in taming. From its earliest versions, which portrayed a vampire-demon, this card evoked the Church-fueled fear that a person could “lose their soul” to wild and passionate forces.

The image which emerged in the mid-1700’s gives us a more sophisticated rendition — that of the “scapegoated Goddess,” whose esoteric name is Baphomet. Volcanic reserves of passion and primal desire empower her efforts to overcome the pressure of stereotyped roles and experience true freedom of soul. Tavaglione’s highly evolved image (Stella deck) portrays the magical formula for harnessing and transmuting primal and obsessive emotions into transformative energies. As a part of the Gnostic message of Tarot, this fearsome passion and power must be reintegrated into the personality, to fuel the soul’s passage from mortal to immortal.

Congratulations To Our September Raffle Winner!

I have been aiming to do this and do this. I am so sorry I am running so late. So without further ado………..

Congratulation Chrystal George!

You are our winner for the September Raffle!

Remember you have the choice of the beautiful oak Wand or the Tarot Card. Please contact us and let us know. Also we need to verify your mailing address at that time.

Again, Congratulations sweetie!

Thank you to all who participated in this month’s raffle. We deeply appreciate all your love and support of the WOTC. Thanks to you, we met all our obligations! Thank You Again!

 

More Congratulations Comments

The Witches Magick for Sept. 30 – Candle Blessing Ritual

goth114

Candle Blessing Ritual

Using your bare hands, rub an anointing oil into the wax starting at the middle of the candle and working your way up to the top as you say:

I CONSECRATE THEE AS A TOOL OF MAGICK BLESSED BE!

Start again at the middle and this time; work your way down to the bottom of the candle and say:

I CHARGE THEE WITH POWER

IN THE NAME OF THE GODDESS

SO MOTE IT BE!

 

GOOD MORNING To my Beloved Family & Friends!

Good Morning, my dears! I know, I know, quit scratching your heads and going what the heck is she doing up this early? Well I will tell you don’t get use to it, lol! I have two doctors appointment this morning and wanted to at least get your horoscopes on here.

Got to run for now,

Have super Blessed Monday,

Love,

Lady A