Tag: Religion Spirituality

Spell Casting: The Prayer Warriors

Spell Casting: The Prayer Warriors

Author: Widdershins

In a small community nestled along the Ohio River Valley, a high school football team had an incredible year as they went to a state championship game undefeated. The wife of the head coach was openly Christian and in an effort to help her husband win throughout the season, she started a small prayer circle known as the ‘Prayer Warriors’. The group would meet weekly to pray for their team’s victory. This was not only about the kids having a safe trip or about getting through a game without injuries, this was also about winning. In other words, they were consciously attempting to channel their spiritual energy in such away that it would cause their team to win, or for the other team to lose. Could this have been an actual coven of Christian Witches?

I imagine that if any of the women involved were to hear that they were being compared to a Coven of Witches they would be upset and it is not my intent to pass judgment, but they were spell-casting, and not in a good way either. Now, if they were good Witches they would have adhered to the Wicca Rede that states: ‘An it harm none do what ye will’. Praying that the other team loses isn’t exactly a no-harm approach. Then there is another moral guideline that is referred to by Wicca as the Threefold Law that states that what ever you put out there into the world will come back three times. So if you were spell casting or praying for the other team to lose I would imagine that it would come back in the form of three losses for the home team.

So based on some of the rules of witchcraft and spell casting, this ‘coven’ of football supporters was practicing some black magic, but they can’t be blamed because they were Christians and how could they have known about the Wicca Rede? But they did have a Bible, or as they call it The Good Book, which very clearly states “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12) , otherwise known as the Golden Rule. By the way, they lost the championship game to a private catholic high school team. One could only imagine what they must have thought.

I’m not trying to be mean-spirited. I have just never put the two together. Spell casting and prayer have a fundamental relationship that goes beyond just trying to make something happen that you want to happen. The two address a deeper human need for coping with things in the external world that we have no control over and it’s only human to feel anxiety when one perceives a loss of control.

I believe that the only logical approach for coping with the external world and our need for control is to alter our perception and thought processes from within. I also believe that the human race has intuitively developed ways to address this need and I would say that some such strategies have come in the form of spell casting, prayer and meditation.

To put a bit of a scientific spin on my reasoning, one must first understand that a thought is more than an abstract event, but an actual physiological reaction that spreads across the brain by activating an electrochemical impulse. This impulse is spearheaded by the activation of neurotransmitters that leap across synaptic gabs uniting million upon millions of neurons, each impulse within its own unique pattern. Each pattern becomes associated with a thought and like the tracks along a well-worn path these patterns grow stronger and deeper with each passing.

Not only can we change the levels of neuro chemical activity in our brains with the physiological reactions of our thoughts but we can also change the physical connections between neurons creating an unlimited array of patterns; this is a process that neurologists refer to as plasticity. The sheer power of thought can change the very landscape of our brain.

The concept of brain plasticity is a relatively new concept to science. Until just recently, neurologists theorized that our brains were fully developed by the time we reached our mid twenties and from that time forward very little, if any, changes accrued. Resent studies have suggested that this isn’t the case at all. It appears that our brains have the capacity to change throughout our entire lives.

I would go so far as to suggest that the ancients intuitively knew about the plasticity of their own being and that the internal dialogue, that we refer to as our thoughts, was some how a very important part of this plasticity and spiritual well-being. It appears that they some how understood that to remain both spiritually and physically healthy they had to maintain a command or a sense of discipline over their own thoughts. As a result, they developed ways to focus and concentrate on their thinking as a way to create meaningful and fundamental changes in their lives.

Transcendental meditation, which appears in early Buddhist literature, talks about focusing on one’s own thoughts while guiding them from a third party perspective. In spell casting, one learns to focus via careful preparation and concentration, and as recent neurological research suggests the key to plasticity is focus and concentration.

If the Prayer Warriors were to take a closer look at their situation, they would have came to the understanding that it wasn’t the outcome of an external event, such as a football game, that was driving them to engage in prayer for victory, but rather it was an internal neurological event. Their thinking leads them to believe that winning would relieve the anxiety that they were experiencing. This is where they fell short; they were unable to identify what they truly wanted to change. They wanted the anxiety to go away. Herein lies the secret of good spell casting.

One must meditate and focus on the true cause of their emotional responses such as, fears, desires, and anxieties and develop an internal dialogue that reassures and strengthens the neural networks that drive the emotions. Whether it is through transcendental meditation, prayer or spell-casting, one must focus on the internal and develop strategies to realign the thinking. As Wiccans, we establish and focus our mental energies by visualizing deities, writing and reciting poetry, chanting, ritualistic dancing, and so on, all of which is carefully thought out and planned and repeated as often as needed.

If the Prayer Warriors would have used their prayers to establish energy and clarity to better understand the feelings that they were having they may have come to realize that what they were feeling was normal and rather than fearing it, they could have embraced it and thanked their God for the opportunity to be human. They may have understood that once the game was over, and regardless of whether they won or lost, the anxiety would dissipate. The spell that they should have been casting was for clarity and understanding and the wisdom to enjoy the whole experience regardless of the outcome of an external event.

As one develops the correct habits of spell-casting, prayer and meditation, the brain begins to rewire itself in a way that allows one to perceive experiences and emotions through a positive filter. If such habits are developed incorrectly the brain rewires and the filter becomes negative. Either way you look at it, there is powerful magic afoot, or abrain, and it is not to be dealt with lightly.

The Nameless Path

The Nameless Path

Author: Celtic Crystal

I have no name for the Spiritual Path I follow. I started off seeking the Wiccan Path, but I have a tendency to see shortcomings and limitations in following a specific set of rules. I would start reading/ learning/ practicing about a particular Path, and then begin to “see” the pattern- and conclude that following x-path is similar in nature to Y-path with a twist of whatever other path. Then I would mentally chuck the X-Path out and lie still, mentally for a while.

I create my own. Really. Yes I understand the power of ritual, and the stages that the individual’s mind gets into at every step in the ritual process. But I always feel the need to go with the flow, and when I come upon people who begun to speak about how things must be done, I really get turned off.

How can any other being dictate what a spiritual path is for someone else? In knowing myself, I have come to realize that visuals are extremely important for me to connect to the All. As a Painter, I feel most connected to All Things, when I am conceptualizing and executing a painting. As such, I incorporate drawings and pictures in part of my ritual. One of my most effective ways of magicking away a nagging problem is by drawing the object and burning the bugger in a spell.

Is this a disciplined practice? Not yet- but it may become one in future years.

I feel an affinity to blues, purples and yellows and gold. Colour Therapy indicates that these are spiritual colours, wisdom colours and leadership colours. Nothing makes me feel more connected to All Things like swirls of those colours together. And yes I do feel a sense of power in the creation of anything using those colours.

I feel an affinity to my herbs. These are carefully collected, based on whatever I happen to be working on inwardly at the time. I prefer to grow mine from the seedling, and create a psychic bond with them as they grow. This way part of me is in them when I use them. Once I attempted to use moon blood to nourish them, but somehow I got the feeling they didn’t like that.

I create my own gods, my own entities that assist me in my work. I craft them out of energies of air, fire, water and spirit. I also craft them in memory of the dead…. the creativity of Monet, with the tender care of Mother Teresa…. you get the drift. This way, if I don’t find a god or goddess that is applicable; I make up my own.

I once envisioned a spirit being, which lived in one of my plants, and did my bidding, as I needed. But I became guilty about leaving Selena (as I called her) trapped in my basil plant and let her go free. I hope she is happy; I couldn’t stand to feel her trapped in the plant. The plant died though…lessons learnt.

I have toyed with creating my own Tarot cards, which would be more applicable to the challenges that I face, and the goals that I wish to attain. The ideas behind them: the need to keep focus on my goals and to remind my mind to continuously vibrate my desires. This project is still in the conception stage of sketches because my goals keep changing.

The sign of an undisciplined mind? Perhaps. But I would rather be flowing with the waters of change, than boxed in by ritual and process created by others and followed “religiously” by most that none of it becomes part of me.

As such, I am often “The Fool” starting back at “0” and beginning a new path again.
Why am I writing this? Not too sure, definitely not for reassurance that I am doing the right thing. It’s just my point of view that Tradition, while a launching pad for a journey, should only be a base from which you fly. What you add or subtract to give a different flavor is what makes it part of you, from you… you giving back creativity to the All Creative.

Speaking of flavours…I cook too- as part of a spiritual practice. Cooking to me, is my connection to the women in my life who have taught me, who have passed on. I fill my cupboards with spices and powders and dried leaves. I try as much as possible to gather things fresh. I dry my own herbs, and label them in “Witchy” names because it’s more fun! (My dried chili peppers are labeled “Dried Tongue of Fire Dragon!” LOL!)

Cooking is a creative process limited only by my imagination. I whip up a breakfast for breaking barriers, or a lunch for conquering “lack”, my butter being to add richness to my spirit, and the salt to purify my thoughts and body.

Understanding yourself, and the symbols you find in things around you is key to the creative magicking process. You need to read into the things around you: the animals you see, the birds that come near to you. There are messages in the Universe, and there are constant conversations around you if you know how to listen.

I have no desire to choose a label for this thing I practice as a Spiritual Path. Our minds are such that to place a label, will start to exclude the things that it is not. No label leaves it open, free to add or take-away whatever is needed at the moment to affect the spell. ‘No label’ will leave my mind open to interpret things from various magickal angles. If I decide that a ritual involving the roasting of marshmallows will work, I am free to do so — because my mind cannot tell me that the task is not magickal.

Be free in your spirit; be childlike in your spiritual expression. Be blessed…blessed be.

The Witches’ Pyramid

The Witches’ Pyramid　

The Witches’ Pyramid is a set of four principles that are very important to successful to magick:

To Know, To Will, To Dare, and To Remain Silent.

To Know

Research the spells you cast. Learn about the magickal correspondences and use them in your spells. The more of these you work into your spell/ritual, the more focused your energy will become.

　

To Will

Practicing meditation will teach you to focus your mind which will in turn energize your magick more effectively. You will have confidence in your spell/ritual for it to work. You must believe that you have done real magick and that the real magick worked. Your spell feeds off of your intentions and intent.

　

To Dare

Any thoughts you have lingering will compromise your magick. Feel your magick as you’re doing the spell. Focus on it completely.

　

To Remain Silent

The energy you spend thinking about something else will not go toward your spell work. It’s more effective to just think about the spell, focus on it and let your spell do its work. Do not talk about your spell work to anyone, never. If you discuss your spell crafting, it will weaken it. So it is of the utmost importance that you “Remain Silent” always.

Dragons of Darkness Chant

The following call or brief ritual are meant to be included in your other rituals, within a cast and sealed circle. They are used to add greater power to any spell working because they specifically call the elemental dragons of Spirit. This taps into a vast reservoir of power current which can amplify any other power raised within the magical circle.

Dragons of Darkness

This element “feels” heavier even than the element of Earth. It give a sense of floating in the womb, of the time when each of us was being created. Choose deep, somber music with occasional rushes of energy. Dance as if you were awakening from a deep sleep and stretching for the first time in your life. Let your dancing reflect your desire to be reborn in a new and better image.

Note: Use black (or very dark) candles or other objects along with your chosen element color. Correspond the herbs and oils to the other primary element. Repeat this chant three times:

Dragons of Darkness, your power will run

Until the time of my magic is done.

Teach me your secrets, the dark not to fear.

For dark is receptive, not terror or tear.

Dreams of the Spirit, soar with the night.

Wrap me in guidance, you balance of light.
(The Charm of Making may be chanted here.)

(Ring gong five times, pause, ring once.)

Dragons of Light Chant

The following call or brief ritual are meant to be included in your other rituals, within a cast and sealed circle. They are used to add greater power to any spell working because they specifically call the elemental dragons of Spirit. This taps into a vast reservoir of power current which can amplify any other power raised within the magical circle.

Dragons of Light

The music for this element should be the astral, airy kind. It should make you think of floating through space, circling the Sun, and visiting the stars. Express yourself in dance as if you were dancing through the universe itself.

Note: Use white candles or other objects along with your other chosen element color. Correspond the herbs and oils to the other primary element. Repeat chant three times:

Light of the Spirit, symbol of Sun,

Be with me now ’til this spell working’s done.

Help me to balance all karma and force.

‘Til I reach to the truth of my life on this Earth.

Guide me and teach me, O Dragons of Light.
Sparkle my magic with power on this night.

(The charm of making may be chanted here.)
(Ring gong once, pause, ring five times.)

Dragon of Earth Chant

The following call or brief ritual are meant to be included in your other rituals, within a cast and sealed circle. They are used to add greater power to any spell working because they specifically call the elemental dragons of Spirit. This taps into a vast reservoir of power current which can amplify any other power raised within the magical circle.

Dragons of Earth

As humans, we are so familiar with the feel of Earth energies that it is often difficult to imagine what being Earth is like. Earth energies are creative, maternal, slower than those of other elements. Perhaps you can best identify with this element by feeling as if you are the mother of all, a parent who cares for her/his creations. Music should be slower and perhaps heavier, the dance more stately.
Note: Use candles or other objects of a pure dark green color. Choose herbs and oils that are listed as of the element of Earth. Repeat this chant three times:

From your mountain caverns deep,

Rise, Northern Dragon, from your sleep.

Grael (grail)! (Ring gong four times)

Lead me to riches, purpose true,

Endurance strong, I call on you.

Grael! (Ring gong four times)

Dragon of Water Chant

The following call or brief ritual are meant to be included in your other rituals, within a cast and sealed circle. They are used to add greater power to any spell working because they specifically call the elemental dragons of Spirit. This taps into a vast reservoir of power current which can amplify any other power raised within the magical circle.

Dragons of Water

There are several good environment tapes that play the actual sounds of the ocean or running streams. Some harp music is also reminiscent of Water. Let yourself be Water in your dance and singing; feel yourself flowing along a streambed or riding the ocean waves.
Note: Use candles or other objects of a pure blue color. Choose herbs and oils that are listed as of the element of Water.

Repeat this chant three times:

Calm Water, moving Water, seas and lake

I call upon the Water Drake.

Naelyan (nail’-yon)! (Ring gong three times)

Teach me the psychic. Grant to me calm.

And peace of mind, compassion warm.

Naelyan! (Ring gong three times)

Dragon of Fire Chant

The following call or brief ritual are meant to be included in your other rituals, within a cast and sealed circle. They are used to add greater power to any spell working because they specifically call the elemental dragons of Spirit. This taps into a vast reservoir of power current which can amplify any other power raised within the magical circle.

Dragons of Fire

 

In your dance and singing, imitate the movement of flames. If you have ever closely watched a wood fire, for instance, you become aware that fire dances and sings in its own manner. Choose music that helps you to reflect this mental imagery.

Note: Use candles or other objects of a pure red color. Choose herbs and oils that are listed as of the element of Fire.
Repeat this chant three times:

In your cavernous, fire-filled hall,

Echoes the Name that I now call.

Fafnir(faf’-near)! (Ring gong twice)

Stir my blood with will power bold.

Create new changes from the old.

Fafnir! (Ring gong twice)

Dragon of Air Chant

The following call or brief ritual are meant to be included in your other rituals, within a cast and sealed circle. They are used to add greater power to any spell working because they specifically call the elemental dragons of Spirit. This taps into a vast reservoir of power current which can amplify any other power raised within the magical circle.

Dragons of Air

Choose music that represents to you either storms or light, breezy conditions, depending upon the atmosphere you wish to create. Your dancing and singing should make you think of wind blowing across the land, stirring the plants, whistling over the mountain tops, pushing the clouds through the sky.

Note: Use candles or other objects of a pure yellow color. Choose herbs and oils that are listed as of the element of Air.
Repeat this chant three times:

Dragon Ruler of Wind and Cloud,

I call your secret Name aloud.

Sairys (sair-iss)! (Ring gong once)

Quicken my mind, renew my Life.

Grant me joy free from strife.

Sairys! (Ring gong once)

Calling The Dragon

Calling The Dragon

I do not know a practitioner who is not interested in calling a spiritual or astral entity who will project their presence with such clarity that there is no question of knowing the being is there. Dragons are such fascinating entities, how could a true practitioner not want to feel the unquestioning presence of such a creature?

There is also a greater reason for calling a dragon into stronger presence. The stronger the auric vibrations of such a creature within your ritual circle, the stronger the ritual and power sent into your motivation for the ritual. Practitioners perform rituals for praise and enjoyment; they perform them for special intentions. I know of no true practitioner who does rituals for no purpose whatsoever. To perform a ritual properly, a great amount of time and energy are expended, a complete waste if one has no specific goal in mind.

When you use the dragon call and feel the presence of one or more dragons about you, treat them with respect. Take time to make their acquaintance before asking their help. Most dragons are beneficial and helpful, but all draconic temperaments are extremely sensitive; treat them with the greatest respect.

Note: Perform during bright noon or the waxing Moon for increasing magic, with the Full Moon being strongest; during evening hours or the waning Moon for decreasing magic, with the New Moon being strongest. Use in conjunction with any ritual. This ceremony is primarily to summon the dragon for manifestation. The manifestation may be the rare physical type or, more likely, it will be the sharpening of your inner sight.

Supplies: Pentacle disk; dragon pentacle; water chalice with a little fresh water in it; dish of salt; wine chalice; black (left) and white (right) altar candles; sword; wand; incense burner; appropriate incense; dragon’s blood and mugwort; dragon mirror; gong or bell; staff. Paper and pen to write down any messages.

Use the Basic Dragon Ritual up to the point where you insert the necessary chants for specific spell workings.

Hold the sword in your power hand, the staff in the other. Stand facing the altar and tap the staff three times on the floor while holding the sword pointed at the dragon pentacle. Chant in tones that vibrate through your body:

COME, DRACONIS!

BY YOUR ALL-CONSUMING BREATH, I SUMMON YOU.

(tap staff three times)

BY YOUR PIERCING GAZE, I SUMMON YOU.

(tap staff three times)

BY YOUR MIGHTY STRENGTH, I SUMMON YOU.

(tap staff three times)

BY YOUR WISDOM ANCIENT AND CUNNING, I SUMMON YOU.

(tap staff three times)

BY YOUR MAGICK DEEP AND OLD, I SUMMON YOU.

(tap staff three times)

COME, DRACONIS, TO MY CALL!

You will feel power sent to you from all sides by the half-seen dragons. Listen for any messages that they may give you. You may feel their presence by a sudden temperature change, a prickly feeling between the shoulder blades, unusual currents of air, and other phenomena. If dragons are pleased with you, they often sound a deep vibrating rumble, almost like an enormous cat’s purr.

CRYSTAL GAZING – PART TWO

CRYSTAL GAZING – PART TWO

Karen Charboneau-Harrison

You will learn to use your scrying device or speculum more quickly if you are familiar with the techniques of visualization. Visualization is the ability to create a picture in your mind’s eye and transfer this image to walls, ceiling or mid-air, mentally changing its color, shape or size. When you are first training yourself to scry, you will find it helpful to practice with visualization, mentally creating an image and then transferring the image onto the speculum surface. This will acquaint you with the sight of an image on your speculum so that when you begin to achieve results in your scrying you will be familiar with the sight and it won’t disconcert you.

As with scrying, it takes a little time to develop the ability to visualize at will. You must be prepared to expend energy and time to allow your ability to manifest. You should set aside a period each day in which to experiment with the process – a time when you will not be interrupted. Thirty minutes each day should be enough.

Even if you haven’t worked with scrying or magick to date, you have experienced visualization. When you are fantasizing or daydreaming and you become immersed in the scenes inside of your head, you are visualizing. The following exercises will help you to gain and control that ability:

1) Begin thinking about a subject which is dear to you, a particular fantasy that you have, such as the house you would like to build, the picture you would like to draw or the person you are in love with. Concentrate all of your attention on this subject and enjoy your thoughts, seeing in your mind’s eye the house, the picture or the lover. Now become aware that you are visualizing. The scene in your mind’s eye will probably waver or disappear at this realization. Re-grasp it firmly in your mind and hold it there for as long as you are able.

2) After you have successfully completed the first exercise and have been able to consistently visualize the scene every day for a week, sit down in a quiet, private room and allow yourself to relax. Decide upon an object in the room, a chair for example, and look at it very carefully, keeping all of the thoughts on the chair. Notice the shadows on the chair, the wrinkles in the fabric, the grain of the wood. Now sit back and close your eyes. Try to bring the image of the chair into your mind in all of its detail. Experiment with this exercise very day until you can do it. After you have successfully visualized the chair with consistent results for a week, go on to exercise three.

3) Continue using the same object that you have been visualizing. Bring it into your mind and hold the image. Now open your eyes and see the object before you (the image in your mind, not the physical object), and place it at eye level against a solid colored wall, preferably a white wall. Practice this exercise for the next three days.

4) Now when you visualize the object against the wall, change the color of it. Change it back to its original color. Practice changing the color of the object with many different colors. Now raise and lower the object on the wall. Turn it completely around and upside down. Return it to its original position.

Visualization is not difficult, but it does require time, determination, quiet and patience. Once you have mastered the techniques of visualization, it will be a simple and natural step to transfer images to your speculum. By training yourself with visualization, you have acquired the necessary discipline, patience and meditative qualities essential to successful scrying.

When you scry, it is important to place your back to the source of light rather than facing the light. I prefer semi-darkness with three lavender candles behind me for illumination. You will find that objects in the room will reflect slightly in the surface of your speculum. Do not let this bother you. You will become accustomed to the sight and will soon find that the reflections aid you in forming pictures on the surface of the scrying device.

You will gaze at the surface of your speculum (ball, scrying mirror or chalice of water) not into the center of it- not trying to penetrate it with your eyes. It is helpful to relax your eyes, slightly unfocusing them, when you scry. If you wear glasses, you can wear them or not when you are scrying. It is not your physical eyes which are seeing, but your psychic self and glasses won’t make any difference in the quality of the images.

Practice by yourself, in a quiet room with the speculum set before you on a table covered with a dark solid colored cloth. Be seated in a comfortable chair and relax. Pick up the speculum and concentrate on it, warming it with your body heat. Set it back on the table and still your mind. Open yourself up the impressions about to be received. Do not stare at the speculum and strain your eyes. Gaze at the complete speculum not at any particular point on it. You will find that the speculum really does cloud up. I have experienced images in two ways – the symbols or picture will begin to appear in the center of the speculum and gradually become clearer, rather like a picture print being developed, or the image will begin to appear at the side of the speculum and drift over to the center. It is important to note here that if the image comes from the side, you must continue to gaze in the center of the speculum. If you turn your eyes to look at the coming image, it will most likely disappear. If you fail to see anything the first few times, don’t be discouraged. A number of sittings are necessary when first training. It helps to use the ability that you developed in your visualization exercises and visualize an object, then transfer it to the surface of your speculum. Let the image rest there, relax yourself and allow the image to change by itself. By practicing this technique you will gradually learn to see in the speculum.

It is also important to remember when using a speculum of any type that it is merely a focal point for your mind. The image is not really there on the surface or within the speculum. Your mind is placing it there. The speculum merely serves as a tool to facilitate this ability.

When reading the future do not despair if you see something that you don’t like. The future is not a cut and dried affair. When reading the future, you are seeing what is most likely to happen if you or your querent (the person for whom you are reading) proceeds on the same path now traveled. People change and by that change so do events and the future. If you encounter a possible future that you don’t like, meditate on how you can change it into circumstances which will benefit you. This is the value of divination – knowing the most likely outcome from the actions you are now taking and thereby having the knowledge you need to make the future your own.

When you are not using your scrying device, store it out of busy areas of your home and out of the sunlight. It’s a good idea to store it wrapped in a silk cloth in a box out of the way. If you want to subtly display your speculum, you can set it on a table (out of the sunlight and not in busy areas) covered with a silk cloth.

Plan to spend thirty minutes a day practicing with your speculum. As with any occult studies, learning to scry with consistent and true results requires an investment of interest, energy and time. You will find yourself amply rewarded for your investment and effect, however, if you have the will and perseverance to pursue it to its successful end.

Closing the Circle

Closing the Circle

There are two ways to close the circle:

Draw a banishing pentagram while standing in the center of the circle. Say: “Guardians of the East, South, West and North. Powers of Earth, Air, Fire and Water I thank you for joining in my circle and I ask your blessings are you depart. May peace be between us now and forever. Blessed Be!

Once the rite is ending, face North, hold the wand up and say: “Farewell, Spirit of the North. I give thanks for your presence here. Go in power and love.

Repeat this at each point. When done, take your athame and go to the North. Pierce the energy field of the circle and bring the power into the athame. When you return to the North, the circle is no more.

It is important to close the circle properly. The energy you raise during the ritual is trapped in the circle. When you release the circle, the energy is released into the universe. Never leave a circle unopened.

We Can Change The World

We Can Change The World

Author: Lady Wolfwind

I am growing older. That’s a fact. I’m still in the Mother stage of my life, but I am fast approaching Crone. I am okay with this. More than most people, I would guess. I’ve learned that part of my contribution to society, as a Crone, is to provide wisdom and guidance to those seekers who ask. I’ve fit into this role flawlessly. Most people don’t want to hear what you have to say and if they do, they don’t listen anyway. I’m sure this is just a natural part of life. I never listened to my elders either. I look back on it now and I remember their words. How I wish I’d heeded their advice. The road would have been so much easier and I would have traveled so much farther.

I think that we’ve all learned some hard lessons on our journey. I believe that it’s what life is all about. I believe that our lessons and experiences have shaped who we are and what we believe to be true today. I wonder what experiences have led all of you to the Goddess’s path? What made us choose to be so different than mainstream society and their beliefs?

I was talking to my husband this morning. He is not Pagan, but he respects me for who I am. I had had a conversation with our daughter the previous night and there were some things that were said that bothered me. It seems that in talking to my children, they expect me to “be” a certain way. They have expectations of who I should be and how I should be living my life and even what I should believe. They are grown and out of all the people in my life, they are the ones I feel pressure from to live the way society says I should. To put on a false face to please them and the world. They don’t live near me so there is no embarrassment that Mom is a Pagan. Most time I don’t think they know what it truly means and they don’t care to ask or to listen. They are caught up in living their lives and making a living.

As children, I put aside dealing with my own life and figuring out what I wanted for my future to raise them. I didn’t let my past life experiences determine how I would make decisions regarding them. I have come to realize, now that they are older, I’ve grown into the woman I was meant to become. All of my life experiences have made me who I am. They don’t seem to understand that I had past experiences before they were born. They don’t understand that I am living my life exactly the way I want to. They don’t’ seem to understand that it’s a person’s choice to not fit in. It’s the way it has to be. They talk about their past experiences and lessons and think that if it is so with them, it must be so with me. I can never be the person they think I should be.

My husband feels that this is a lesson for them to learn. That it takes years of wisdom before you understand what I’m trying to say. I’m so afraid that even he doesn’t understand what I’m trying to say. Maybe he feels that I should live like everyone else as well. He is younger than me. He set my fears at rest when he looked me in the eyes and told me, “ There are not many people who have the courage to live as you do.” I knew then that he understands me. He said it with such a deep feeling of respect and love that it brought tears to my eyes.

I am afraid that my children will wish they’d gotten to know me after I pass to the other side. Isn’t that the way it usually is? Don’t we all stand back and wish we’d said this or that? Don’t we wish we’d listened to one more story or just sat a few moments longer? Is there a time when we have that “ah ha” moment when it all becomes crystal clear and we finally put the final piece of the puzzle in place and understand the whole picture we’ve struggled with for so long? It is a sad realization that we never took the time to get to know the ones we love the most. Why do they feel the way they do? Why do they believe what they believe? Why is Mom so quiet? Why does Aunt Mary not cry? Do we know? Do we care? Wouldn’t it be nice to figure it all out while you’re sitting with them, looking into their eyes?

This is one of those lessons that I know will have to be learned the hard way. One day they will realize that I had a life before they were born. One day they will honor my strength for overcoming the obstacles that could have stood in the way of me being a good mother to them. One day, they will understand what it means to be Pagan and they will honor me for my courage to walk a different path. One day, they will realize how much I love them. One day, I will not be here. I want them to know me and understand me before that time comes. I don’t think it will work out that way. I think we all walk around with the wounds of “what if.” I don’t think it has to be that way. I think we need to take more time with the ones we love. We get so caught up in the daily grind. We get angry at each other for things that don’t even really matter. We need to learn to listen, not just hear. We need to listen to their body language, and we need to listen to the voice inflections. We need to listen to the subtle clues that vibrate through the air currents, which tell us about the other person. We need to take a moment each day and consciously decide to learn one thing about another person. Take the time to tell the ones you love how you feel about them.

I think if we would take a few moments each morning, instead of running out the door, to make a decision to slow down for a little while each day. If we would make the choice to not keep procrastinating about visiting our aging mother who tells the same stories over and over, to sit with our child and understand how their understanding the world around them, we would become better people for it. I believe it would change not only the ones we’ve taken the time with, but also ourselves. We have to stop letting life get in the way. I think we would understand how we all became to be the people we are and how the ones around us became the people they are. I think all of us would be able to let things go easier.

I believe, as a society, we have lost the course we were supposed to be on. Somewhere, we allowed money and instant gratification to become more important than even the ones that are supposed to mean the most to us. I think, as a Pagan community, we need to be different than that. I think we need to set the standards and set them high. I think we should start living as we talk, to be the example of change in our world. One person can make a difference. I feel that our time is coming. We need to be united and to send a message to the world. We need to slow down and let the message come through loud and strong. Pagans are about love and about doing what is right. We’re about caring about each other, even others of different races and beliefs. We have to start at home.

Tonight, call someone you haven’t talked to in awhile and tell them how much you’ve missed them. Reach out to someone who’s made you angry and tell them that you have forgiven them, set up a date with your spouse, dinner with your parents, a movie with your kids. Don’t worry about how much it will cost. It will cost you much more to not do these things. Don’t worry about what others will think. It is up to us to be the example. Today is the time to take the first steps toward a new world; one we all know is possible. I don’t believe we can put it off any longer.

My Goddess in My Life

My Goddess in My Life

Author: Frostig

My eyes wander up to the sky and back to the earth, my mind drifting as my body slows. I feel her around me. My heart quickens. A light sweat forms on my brow but still knowing she is near calms my muscles. All at once, I am ready to move or ready to relax. I know she helps guide my path in this world. I asked her to help me make decision with me, not for me.

She is Freya, the Goddess whom I love with all of me. By profession, I am a soldier and have been for 18 years, but I enjoy a softer side of life as well in writing and poetry. She is my muse; she is a lover and a warrior, a strong woman who knows what she wants and is willing to make sacrifices to meet her goals, inspiring me to do the same: to look at the world through another’s eyes, from a different point of view, to see things with a glowing halo of light.

I feel her presence in the love of my wife. The tender care she gives me. Her understated strength; I can feel it in her words. She helps me and guides me. We are a team and accomplish things as one.

I have written before here and some of you may remember that this is my third tour in Iraq. I have never asked to given anything from her, but for advice and guidance only. I ask for safe journeys and if I must fight that, I do so with honor and integrity. That if I die it is on my own terms and that I may do so with respect and honor and in the aid my friends.

In my life, I have always felt the strength in a feminine power. A mother watching over me keeping me safe, a lover holding me in her arms letting my soul rest in her tender hold. In the presence of women I feel refreshed.

When I feel the presence of my Goddess near I feel as if the world will bow to me. I ask her to guide me and help the things in my life have fall into place. I trust in her and knowing that as long as I uphold the promises I have made, not only to myself but to her as well.

The devotion I have for my Goddess feels more like a relationship than worshipping. We seem to have a give and take. Sometimes if I get too full of myself she lets me stubble a bit to remind me I need to have humility.

When I am living clean and doing the right thing, I have found that for no reason things fall into my lap and gifts both mental and physical appear in my path for me. I know at that time I need to share them, not hold them all for me. True gifts are not yours to keep they are yours to share; it is a great responsibility and not one to be taken lightly. Even if the gift is a part of you, we must learn to give our time and our knowledge to help others.

I carry with me a few things at all times. One is a copy of the Nine Noble Virtues the other is a picture with a memorial poem of a friend, killed last year by a roadside bomb in Baghdad. The virtues are a constant reminder to me of the guidelines I work to live by each day. The picture of my friend reminds me that we can be taken at anytime and to live your life by touching and enriching the lives of others.

So here I sit, the middle of Iraq again. I know I am here for a reason; something started but left undone. I have begun by strengthening the position of the Pagan Open Circle here and with the help of other friends’ state side I am working towards a higher level of religious awareness in the military. I know if I trust in her and make sound decisions our goals will be met, together.

I know she will not do everything for me, I would never ask that, if she did the goals that are met would not feel as sweet and I would feel a lacking inside of me. I need to earn my accomplishments.

I have learned that you must have honesty with yourself before you can have a trusting relationship with anyone else. Feel the honesty deep with in your soul. When I first felt it, I was scared, scared because of the raw truth I told myself. I instantly had to be with others; solitude was not what I felt I needed.

Nevertheless, it is exactly what I needed, the time to go over things in my mind to see that this is what I needed; it was the truth in my soul.

This is when I first felt her with me, I did not know who “She” was it was my first time with this emotion, this feeling, this presence. I started asking questions in the dim light of a campfire, seen flickering through the nylon of a tent. Speaking with a woman, a Goddess in her own right, her answers led me to more questions. I began reading and reading and reading.

Then a day came while reading, I saw her name and it felt good inside me when I said it, I know now it was her. She came to lift me up, to show me who I could become; the man I was meant to be. I thank her everyday for holding me safe for all these years, always there holding me but never wanting me to know she was there.

Now I’ve seen her in my heart and I feel her smile upon me.

By living a good life, acknowledging my weaknesses and my strengths, knowing my limitations, and pushing them a little further everyday, this is how I honor her. To show I am worthy of her graces, this is how I live. I thank her and every woman who has the Goddess in her — you know who you are –

You have touched my life and prepared me to be the man I am to become.

Good Sunday Morning to all my lovely friends!

Good Morning Images, Pics, Comments, Photos, Graphics
Today’s Affirmation for March 4th

I live in the spirit, at ease with body and mind, with nature in it infinite richness, with others in spiritual kinship.

 

Today’s Thought for March 4th

The Spirit flashes, like a salmon leaping. Although a salmon may be caught on a hook, the fisherman has no way to capture its beauty.

Modern Inspiration from Scotland

 

Meditation for March 4th

The Five-Pointed Star

The pentacle is a symbol of cosmic union, comprised of two interlocking triangles. The narrow triangle pointing upward indicates the masculine heaven principle; the wider, central triangle pointing downward, the feminine earth principle. Meditating on the pentacle aligns you with the cosmos, harmonizing the complementary energies of masculine and feminine within your nature.

Elder’s Meditation of the Day – March 3

Elder’s Meditation of the Day – March 3

“For me writing has become prayers that say, `Great Spirit, return to us our freedom, our land, and our lives. We are thankful for the present from which to learn how to be thankful for the past, and how to be hopeful for the future.”

–Barney Bush, SHAWNEE

We Native people have really been tested. This testing is having our land taken from us, our culture challenged, and our way of living altered. Gratefully, we have not lost our spirituality. Our spirituality has been the key for our people making it through all of these tests. Our prayers are strong. Indian people have also been able to adjust to change and still keep their culture and spirituality. Today, we should be grateful to the Creator for the present, and for the lessons of the past. May our future be guided by the Great Spirit.

Great Spirit, thank You for Mother Earth and Father Sky. Thank You for my life.

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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…

Pagan? Witch! She’s A Witch!!

Pagan? Witch! She’s A Witch!!

Author: Lea

Why is it when you mention the word ‘pagan’ people freak out? It is something I simply don’t understand considering that all current religions stem from that one word. Of course, many will simply not believe that this is true and believe any person who would announce himself or herself as such, well, evil.

Devil worshippers? I think not, pagans as a whole do not even believe in such a deity, they believe that evil comes from the human heart, you either accept it in or you don’t. And most pagans… don’t.

Must we hide? Yes. Simply put we fear for our lives and those of our families. Especially our children, many choose to follow in our footsteps; however, many do not. We do not drag our children to meditations or rituals; they go if they so choose. We would never force their will and make them participate.

They are allowed to find their own path through life accepting whatever form of spirituality calls to their souls. If it is Christianity, then so be it, that is how we live, work and love. We are happy, normal people with families, careers and the same daily strife that all people experience.

So how is it that people look at me as if I am different?

I am not any different from them. I simply want to live my life the way I see fit without having to adhere to something I simply do not believe in. I believe in life around me, in attempting to live without hurting and judging others regardless of their beliefs. Never would I tell someone they should not be Christian and yet, many tell me that I need saving.

It astounds me that so many have the gall to do so and will not give me the time of day otherwise. They won’t even take a minute to get to know me, speak with me about my choices and try to understand why I have chosen so. Why is this? Can they not think for themselves? Are they so trapped in one way of life they cannot even consider there may be many other ways to find joy in their own spiritual beings? And that brings me to this:

WITCH! SHE’S A WITCH!!

Okay, so maybe I am a witch. What is so wrong with that? Wise Woman, I believe is a wonderful thing to be. In tune with yourself, your world and your thoughts and ideas. How evil is that? Amazingly enough it seems perfect to me.

I have suffered, suffer not a witch to live… well, I am beginning to think that maybe that is exactly what many in this world are going for.

Many months ago my husband and I were attacked after an evening out. Protecting me he suffered permanent damage to his right eye and I had a severe concussion. I didn’t understand, I wondered why the diamond engagement and wedding bands were still on my hand, why my husband still had his wallet. Recently things began seeping back, dreams that woke me screaming in a cold sweat, flashes and still the headaches plague me. I remember a group of young men following us, I remember them making sneering and nasty comments about my pentacle and myself, devil worshipper, witch, whore; I remember simply saying Blessed Be and then for so long, until recently, I remember nothing.

To remember nothing is a horrible feeling and now I wish I had never remembered. I realize now that they were willing to go through my well-sized very fit husband to get to me; they wanted me seriously hurt or simply dead. And they do it at night, on a dark, lonely downtown street and when they are finished they run like the cowards they are.

There were at least six of them against the two of us, really one of us, my husband. And he was angry with me, blamed me, why did I have to be the person I am, why couldn’t I just keep it to myself? Why did I always have to be who I was, could I not just pretend to be someone and something else? That hurt as much or even more than my head did and does to this day. To know that the person you love with all your heart and soul wishes even for one moment that you were someone else.

After being beaten for wearing my pentacle in the open so that others know my spirituality, I am almost certain I should move as far away from civilization as I can and never poke my head back into it again. Living in the middle of a wood with only the trees, sky and creatures as my friends I would never be judged, hated, scoffed at or beaten to the point of a severe concussion.

Telling your children to hate anyone for any reason is not an option. It’s no option of mine anyhow, I hope that I am teaching my children to love everyone for the simple fact that they too are here on this planet trying to live in such a harsh world but I want them to see the beauty around them.

To see the love that is there, from the tiniest flower hidden in the beautiful weeds to the grandeur of the sky above them filled with millions of stars and the moon at night. To see every person as basically good even if they don’t act as if they are at all times. To remember that their words and actions have a multitude of rippling reactions creating sometimes good and/or bad consequences.

Not being able to get a job because I won’t lie about who I am or hide it from the world is simply wrong. Working alongside others who may wear a symbol of their faith without being judged while you may not when you can get that job is sad, unfair and simply wrong.

And yet, again, I begin to believe I simply do not belong in this world. That maybe my family would be better off without me, that they would have the chance to just fit in and be a part of this world without me holding them back because I can not believe what others do. Because I know better, I know that any God or Goddess looking down upon this planet and it’s people today is crying, just as I am now, knowing that this is not the way it was meant to be.

Today I am not in tune with myself or anything, I simply do not want to be in this world with those who will not use the mind and free will given them to make a decision based on anything other that fiction.

Footnotes:
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Magickal Correspondences For The Five Elements

Magickal Correspondences For The Five Elements

Earth – North, Grounding – Mystery and growth, fertility, material abundance, the combined forces of nature and its bounty; birth and healing; business, industry and possessions; the bear, the stag and the wolf; conservation and nature.

Air – East, Truth and Light – Represents intellect, communication, knowledge, concentration; the ability to “know” and understand; to unlock secrets of the dead; contacting angels; telepathy, memory and wisdom, the hawk, the raven and the eagle; prophecy; movement, Karma and speed.

Fire – South, Cleansing – Stands for energy, purification, courage, the will to dare, creativity; higher self; success and refinement; the arts and transformation; the lion, the phoenix and the dragon; loyalty and force

Water – West, life – Associated with intuition, emotions, the inner self, flowing movement, the power to dare and cleanse all things; sympathy and love; reflection; currents and tides of life; the dolphin, the swan and the crab; dreams and dreamtime.

Spirit – The Fifth Element – It is the quintessence necessary for the manifestation of the elements.

Symbolic Circle Casting

 

 Symbolic Circle Casting

 

The most popular magick circle is a symbolic one, physically cast by walking round the visualized circle area clockwise. It is visible psychically as a circle of light but not seen externally except by those with evolved clairvoyant light – and children.

You can make a symbolic circle before a simple outdoor spell and it is a good way of connecting with the earth energies.

Form the psychic light circle in the air about waist or kneed high, whichever feels more natural, with a pointed crystal or wand held in your power hand (or your index finger). Direct the point at about 45 degrees, casting the circle in front of you so you step into the emerging light and become empowered.

If you wish, you can make a circle-casting chant that you repeat either aloud or in your mind as you walk, for example:

May the circle be cast and so remain unbroken

May the love of the goddess be forever in our hearts

Blessings be.

If working in a group, some practitioners like to cast a symbolic clockwise circle straight after the introductory blessing and then welcome other members of the group into it. Drawing the psychic circle over head height at the planned entry point (north-west for a north-beginning circle or north-east for an east-initiated one). The guests enter at this psychic gateway and you can then finish off the circle when they have entered.

Personally I prefer to make the circle round the people once they have entered. You can enter the circle where you began casting it through a visualized doorway, sealing it afterwards.

Unless it is a real emergency people shouldn’t leave the circle during a ritual as this involves a lot of sealing and unsealing and psychic disturbance.