Tag: Religion and Spirituality

Creating Your Sacred Space

Creating Your Sacred Space

 

Preparing Your Space

Before you begin any ritual or ceremony, you should Clear and Cleanse the area where the work is to be done. This is especially true when you’re first consecrating your sacred space. You should re-cleanse this area each time you begin a ritual or use of this space, but these later efforts will all be affected by how you first set the intent and use of energy in this space for the first time.

 

Selecting A Space

Designate an area in your home or outside where your sacred space will be. This should be a place that is undisturbed by other members of your household. If you don’t have the space in your home to designate a room as your spiritual area, then set aside a corner or portion of a room. You can use curtains, an attractive room divider or just a special arrangement of furniture.

If you decide to create a space outside, the same considerations apply. You want this area to be undisturbed by other people. A place where your ritual objects will be safe if you leave them outside.

Setting Up Your Space

Before any spiritual event can occur, you should create or designate a place that can act as your “Sacred Space”. Your personal area where only spiritual work and interaction will be conducted. Once you have designated an area, inside or outside, you will need to cleanse the area, energize it and create a “gateway” for spiritual communication and work.

 

Decorating Your Space

Decorations add to the “essence” of your spiritual space, but they also server as symbolic reminders and tools for your work. If you have a close affinity to the energy of a particular animal, then add a statue or picture of that animal in your area. If you have a particular connection to a pentacle or medicine wheel, then give that object a prominent location in your space.

Some people like to set all natural materials in their space. A solid wood table and chair(s) with natural fiber coverings and so on. These additional practical items are entirely up to you. But if you feel that natural objects help you connect with the natural forces around you, then add these specific items to your space.

Some things you may want to consider putting in your space are:

Table and at least 1 chair.

A small table for a permanent altar.

Candles of varying color.

Crystals and stones for future rituals.

Incense for cleansing and clearing.

Don’t forget the matches.

Any other Magikal Tools you may wish to use.

Preparing and Casting the Circle

Preparing and Casting the Circle

Though it sounds simple, preparing the circle for a ritual can be a long, laborious process with little thanks given by the people that come to the circle. The witch in charge of setting up the space for a circle must decide what they think is necessary and make adjustments on the fly for missing things. They must listen to the discussion on what will be done at that circle and find what is needed, often digging up scraps from here and there to get everything. The leaders of the circle in particular, will generally bring any special items that will be required, but the things that are more common fall to whomever is doing the ritual preparation.

If a witch works as a solitary, then she is responsible for everything. This, of course, is made simpler by the fact that she disturbs no one if she forgets something and has to go get it. Preparation for circle includes such things as vacuuming the carpet if the floor is carpeted and sweeping it if it is not, setting up the altar and cleaning out any items that were not cleaned out after the last circle, setting up the charcoal for the incense and lighting it just before circle so that it is hot when needed. She needs to check that there is a pitcher of juice or wine available if a feast is being done, that there is good ventilation and sufficient heat in the room, and that everyone is ready to go before the circle starts.

There should be enough time before a ritual starts for people to sit together in silence to attune to one another, allowing the mundane world to slip away and adjust to a sacred way of thinking. Shirking on this is shirking on the preparation of a ritual, as it is very important that a group work together as a coherent whole.

Once the preparations and meditations are done, it is time to cast the circle. This can be done in many different ways. Several are presented below to give the student a choice and different ways to do this. The actual techniques do not matter so much as the intent and desire. It is a way to trigger the mind into working in a different manner than it is accustomed to working. As a student becomes more practiced and able to cast stronger and better circles, they will notice the way their minds shift focus from mundane to the sacred as they create their space. They will also begin to experiment with different ways of casting a circle. When this happens, they have learned a critical step to becoming a witch.

Your Deck of Ancient Symbols Card for Aug. 29: The Beacon

Your Deck of Ancient Symbols Card for Today

 

The Beacon

The Beacon symbolizes both guidance to safe harbors and a warning of dangerous waters. The Beacon is represented by a lighthouse atop jagged rocks with its powerful light cutting a path that leads to an adjacent entrance to a calm harbor on a stormy night. The Beacon suggest that if you look for it, there is a general path for you to follow to reach a place of peace and harmony. However,  The Beacon itself sets upon rough ground, so you must still step carefully as you follow it to quiet waters.

As a daily card, The Beacon provides guidance away from conflict. It implies that the path to resolving differences is marked and visible to any who look for it. The Beacon also warns that while there is a way to quell strife, you still must move carefully towards a solution

 

Your Rune for August 29 is Naudhiz


Your Rune For Today

Naudhiz       

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

Today’s Tarot Card for August 29 is The Magician

The Magician

This Tarot Deck: Cat People

General Meaning: Traditionally, the Magus is one who can demonstrate hands-on magic — as in healing, transformative rituals, alchemical transmutations, charging of talismans and the like. A modern Magus is any person who completes the circuit between heaven and Earth, one who seeks to bring forth the divine ‘gold’ within her or himself.

At the birth of Tarot, even a gifted healer who was not an ordained clergyman was considered to be in league with the Devil! For obvious reasons, the line between fooling the eye with sleight of hand, and charging the world with magical will was not clearly differentiated in the early Tarot cards.

Waite’s image of the Magus as the solitary ritualist communing with the spirits of the elements — with its formal arrangement of symbols and postures — is a token of the freedom we have in modern times to declare our spiritual politics without fear of reprisal. The older cards were never so explicit about what the Magus was doing. It’s best to keep your imagination open with this card. Visualize yourself manifesting something unique, guided by evolutionary forces that emerge spontaneously from within your soul.

Something I love and had to share this morning

I ran across this graphic, which I haven’t seen for a long time. I love it and I had to share it with you. Perhaps I had to share it because of the mood I am in or because it is the truth. I consider myself a Witch of the Old Ways.

The time has come for us to let the world know the truth about our Religion. Remember what our ancestors sacrificed. We cannot let their sacrifices die in vain. We have to let the world know the truth and beauty about our Religion. We have to let the world know about the Goddess and Her beauty and Her Love. And most of all about the beauty of Her Religion and what it has to offer to everyone. We are not evil. We never were. We were victims. But we refuse to be victims anymore. The time has come for us to take a stand. Let the truth be known to all.

Let the world know, we are Witches. We are a proud Race of People. We have a rich heritage. We have a wonderful Religion. Hear Us! Listen and learn the truth. It is time that we take Witchcraft to itself rightful place in the 21st century. Witchcraft has to be brought back up to the mainstream Religions. It is our calling to do this. We must do this, for our Ancestors and our Goddess.

I am a Witch and I am very proud to be one!

 

More Wiccan Comments

Elder’s Meditation of the Day – August 28

Elder’s Meditation of the Day – August 28

“With prayer and good intentions, we make our lives sacred and so come to balance.”

–Don Jose Matsua, HUICHOL SIERRA MADRE MEXICO

Only through prayer can we make spiritual changes that are permanent. You have told us that all life is sacred. Today I intend to serve you, my Creator. Allow me to overcome temptation, and if one comes along, let me see the lessons that will give balance. You have told us that all life is sacred. Let me see today with a sacred eye. Let me see beauty in all things.

My Creator, let me know what You would have me be today. Let my intentions be honest, respectful, humble and loving.

August 28 – Daily Feast

August 28 – Daily Feast

Everything that thrives is fed by the light. Lift up a rock, and the seed that sprouted beneath it is bent, stunted and colorless. But after a few hours of filtered light it begins to straighten, and will eventually throw off all the effects of being held down. We need, a li so qui lv di, a weight or a burden, lifted from our shoulders so we can grow and thrive in the light. We have to show willingness to stand on the rock and not beneath it. To see ourselves in better circumstances, to think clearly, is to be free. Little by little we see the possibility of health and order and great prosperity which includes everything we need. To see good and say good will eventually cause good, but our vision and our words must be steady.

~ You must speak straight so that your words may go as sunlight to our hearts.

~ COCHISE

“A Cherokee Feast of Days” by Joyce Sequichie Hifler

 

 

 

Daily OM for August 28 – A Special Goodnight

A Special Goodnight

Creating a Nightly Ritual

by Madisyn Taylor

Bedtime can be a perfect time for a nighttime ritual of sending love to the world and finding gratitude for your day.

At the end of the day, as the sweet, dark stillness of night beckons us to lay down our bones and rest, we find ourselves at a clear transition point: Behind us lies the previous day and all that has come before; ahead of us, dawn heralds the unfolding of all that is yet to be. While many of us have morning rituals that connect us with our center and help us to set intentions, we may want to explore the magic and power of nighttime ritual as well. It holds for us a beautiful chance for self-appreciation and blessing. Before you go to bed each night, you can send gratitude, compassion, and healing to the being you have been up until this moment. And you can send lightness and love into the future for the one you are in the process of becoming.

Though simple, this action honors the journey you have taken thus far, while opening you to the wonderful possibilities still ahead. When you consciously engage with your own evolution this way, you may find that your sleep gets sweeter, filling your night with a deeper sense of trust and relaxation. As you rest, you can surrender to these peaceful hours, knowing that the road behind you has been seen and acknowledged with respect and kindness, while the path ahead now holds your own benevolence and well wishes.

This bedtime ritual empowers you as the only one who can determine the meaning of your own past and the hopefulness of your future. By setting this special time aside each night, you can begin to orient yourself on your path of growing. It allows you to let the past have its place, to trust that the future is taken care of, and to simply rest yourself in the graceful arms of the present moment.

General Guidelines for Casting Spells

General Guidelines for Casting Spells

Set aside a room for your magical work. Decorate it with things that
put you in a magical mood. Remember to use things that stimulate all
five of your physical senses. Some obvious things would be the use of
appropriate colors for sight, incense for scent, music for hearing,
wines for taste, and textures for feel.
If you do not have a room you can set aside exclusively for your
magical work, then choose a room that can be locked while you do your
work. This will allow you to work undisturbed. In any case, you
should clean your work area periodically with a purifying
powder/floorwash to keep away negative vibrations.
Set up an altar to be used as your worktable. It’s size and shape
should be those that appeal to you. Placing candles and other items
that assist you to concentrate on the work at hand is a good
practice. Some people like to cover their altar with a white cloth
and place fresh cut flowers on it every day.
Always use the best candles, oils, and incenses that you can afford,
or make your own, for scrimping on materials has a negative effect on
the subconscious. Don’t forget that the subconscious is very good at
making do with raw materials that it can shape to its own use.
Never cast a spell until you have a clear and concise picture of what
it is you wish to accomplish. This ties in with the saying “Be
careful what you wish for, you just might get it.”
Always ground out any extra energy you raise for the spell, and bind
the spell so that it expires within the pre-determined amount of
time. Once you have cast the spell, do not discuss it with any one
until after it has worked. Most spells peter out because the person
who cast it boasts about it to so many people, that the spell is
robbed of power before it has a chance to work. The ancient bond
placed on the magician was to dare, to know and to keep silent.
Above all, at all times, remember the Rede: “An ye harm none, do what
you will.” You do not know all the effects of your spell, therefore,
use magick sparingly, if at all.

Theory of Spellcasting

Theory of Spellcasting

Spells are an important aspect of magical training. They require the
use of the combined faculties of relaxation, visualization,
concentration and projection. The casting of spells provides practice
in coordinating these skills and developing them further. Spells are
extremely sophisticated psychological tools that have subtle, but
important, effects on a person’s inner growth. Spells may highlight
otherwise hidden complexes of the person casting the spell.
A person who has conflicts about success will find great difficulty
in concentrating on a money spell, for example. Many times the
practical results of a spell are far less important than the
psychological insights that arise during the magical work, for
discovering our inner blocks and fears is the first step in
overcoming them. Spells also go one step further than most forms of
psychotherapy, in that they allow us not only to listen to and
interpret the unconscious, but also to speak to it in the language it
understands.
Symbols, images, and objects used in spells communicate directly with
Younger Self, who is the guardian of our emotions and who is barely
affected by the intellect. We often understand our feelings and
behavior but find ourselves unable to change them, but through
spells, we can attain the most important power – the power to change
our lives.
Spellcasting also forces us to come to terms with the material world.
Many people attracted to the spiritual path of the Craft find
themselves uneasy with using magic for practical or material goals.
Somehow it seems wrong to work magic for oneself, to want things and
to get things. This is an attitude which is a holdover of the Judeo-
Christian world view that sees spirit and matter as separate and that
identifies matter with evil and corruption.
In the Craft, flesh, the material world, none of what is commonly
thought of as matter is separate from spirit. The universe is made up
of the Goddess who is manifest in all things. Union with the Goddess
comes through embracing the material world and all the gifts that She
has placed in it for us. Our major task on this plane of existence is
to become masters of this realm of manifestation. We do not fight
self-interest; we follow it, but with an awareness that transmutes it
into something sacred

Elemental Banishing

Elemental Banishing

 

Elemental banishing is a little more complex way to clean an area of the negative influences that reside there. It should only be done within a cast circle. This is an ideal way to prepare a new living space before you move in. It will take away any remnants of the old tenants that were there before you and let you move into a fresh, new space.

Cast a circle as you normally would. Before you call the elements to attend, take your athame to the west side of the circle and face outwards. Draw a banishing pentagram (point downward towards the earth) and then re-center the athame into the middle of it. Push the athame slowly outward while pushing outward with your own energy, ordering, “Go, or be cast into the depths of the flood!”

Move to the south and repeat your actions, saying, “Go, or be cast into the flames!”

Move to the east and pause to gather yourself and close the circle before drawing the final pentagram and saying, “Go, or be rent by the grinding earthquakes!”

Move to the north and repeat your actions, saying, “Go, or be torn apart by the whirlwind!”

Turn back into the center and yell, “I (we) banish you! I banish you! I banish you! BEGONE!” while clapping and clattering and making a great deal of noise.

At this point, you can proceed with the rest of the ritual that has been planned, starting with invoking the elements to bless the circle

Your Deck of Ancient Symbols Card for Aug. 28 is The Crystal

Your Deck of Ancient Symbols Card for Today

The Crystal

The Crystal glows with the power of mystical truths transformed into material realities. The Crystal denotes a self with a powerful connection to the spiritual world that allows them to literally soak up cosmic wisdom and apply it favorably to their everyday life. It suggest a tremendous growth of one’s spiritual self that will greatly impact the querant’s secular life.

As a daily card, The Crystal indicates a time when you are likely to be well served by allowing your spiritual self to guide your day to day behavior.

Feng Shui Tip for August 28: ‘Race Your Mouse Day’

You’ll want to tune into today’s ‘Race Your Mouse Day’ energies if your intention is to be the ‘big cheese.’ This day probably has more to do with the little computer device than with a tiny rodent, but we can address both, starting with the computer. Feng Shui advises hanging a round and faceted clear quartz crystal from either nine, 18 or 27 inches of red string, thread or ribbon directly above your computer. This ancient technique addresses modern day technology by inviting invisible energies to keep your thoughts crystal clear and your hard drive safe and sound. If you thought that today’s mouse is of the furry variety, read on. In Eastern traditions the mouse (and rat) is always associated with intelligence, longevity, luck and money. Mice and rats are also said to bring children better grades and a brighter mentality. And letting a mouse hang around sure hasn’t hurt Disney’s bottom line. If you’re looking to trap some quick cash of your own, or even trying to dig out of debt, place an image of the ‘Feng Shui Fortune Rat’ in the ‘Wealth’ area of the main floor of your home. Of all the fast-acting prosperity cures, this one serves both mice and men!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com