Astragalomancy
Small bones (each associated with a particular interpretation) were cast, in this system of divination, in the manner of throwing dice. Eventually dice were utilized in the place of bones. Numbers on the dice were associated with letters to form words that had a bearing on questions asked by the diviner. Sometimes used was an associated primarily ritual of writings questions on paper and passing it through the smoke of Jupiter wood.
Ashagalomancy
A system of divination of casting small bones (each associated with particular interpretation). The method is similar to throwing dice. In fact, in later development of this divinatory system dice were utilized. The numbers were associated with letters which formed words related to questions put to the diviner.
In an related preliminary ritual the questions are written paper which is passed through smoke of burning juniper wood.
Amniomancy
A form of divination practiced by using a caul, or membrane which sometimes envelopes a child’s head at birth. From inspecting the caul wise women would foretell the future of the baby. If its color is red then happy days or good fortune were ahead for the child, but if it is lead-colored then misfortune laid in the child’s path.
This is a tremendous time of transmutation. All of the prior elements are coming together for a final burst of creative output. You have seen a clear view of your own needs and the posture of significant others. Now the accumulation of that input is leading to a deep, core change within you. In this phase, you will naturally be inclined to seek higher guidance so that you can emerge from this transformation successfully. The Disseminting Moon favors sharing what you have learned (and are learning) with others.
Spell to Calm Overreacting
To reduce a tendency to overreact to situations
Items You Will Need:
White Candle
Lavender essential oil or incense
This can be said on the new moon or whenever needed. It is actually more of an affirmation than a spell, so you might want to memorize it and say it whenever you feel yourself starting to overreact to something. (You only need the candle the first time you do the spell.)
Anoint the candle with lavender essential oil or burn some lavender incense. (Lavender is an easy scent to find and you can use it later to remind yourself not to overreact. If necessary, you can dab a bit of essential oil on a tissue and tuck it in your pocket.) Light the candle and focus for a while on the light and the calming smell. Then say the spell as slowly and calmly as possible.
“I am calm and in control
Rooted in Earth
Soothed by Water
Brought clarity by the Air
The Fire within has burned to embers
I am calm and in control.”
On a piece of paper, write down all the obstacles you can think of that you are blocking your success. Include everything: the economy, specific people like your nasty boss, every circumstance, and every situation that opposes your success. Try to be as specific as possible.
Now for each obstacle on your list, get a black candle. And for each candle, carve one of the obstacles on your list onto the candle.
It’s best if you have an odd number of candles.
Anoint each candle with cinnamon oil.
Burn one candle each night, and scorch the edges of the paper a little bit each night. Do not burn your list completely until the final night and the final candle.
After you have burned your last black candle, take a gold or green candle. Gold and green are the colors of success. Choose a green candle if your main goal is to make more money, a gold one if it is to find a more satisfying career.
On a new piece of paper, list everything that you want in a job. Your dream job, if you will. Be specific as possible. As your green or gold success candle burns, burn this paper as well.
Focus and concentrate on manifesting your dream job. Now that you have eliminated all obstacles in your path with the black candles, it’s time to start focusing on attracting success.
Be patient, the answers will come to you and new opportunities will make themselves available.
Don’t be afraid of these opportunities. Recognize them for what they are—and go for it!
Healing with Hurt
Using Your Pain to Help Others
Pain is a fact of being and one that permeates all of our lives to some degree. Since the hurt we feel may be a part of the experiences that have touched us most deeply, we are often loathe to let it go. It is frequently easier to keep our pain at our sides, where it a
cts as a shield that shelters us from others and gives us an identity—that of victim—from which we can draw bitter strength. However, pain’s universality can also empower us to use our hurt to help others heal. Since no pain is any greater or more profound than any other, what you feel can give you the ability to help bring about the recovery of individuals whose hurts are both similar to and vastly different from your own. You can channel your pain into transformative and healing love that aids you in helping individuals on a one-to-one basis and spreading a tide of curative energy throughout the world.
The capacity to heal others evolves naturally within those who are ready to disassociate themselves from their identity as victims. In fact, the simple decision to put aside the pain we have carried is what grants us the strength to redeem that pain through service. There are many ways to use the hurt you feel to help others. Your pain gives you a unique insight into the minds of people who have experienced trauma and heartache. You can draw from the wellspring of strength that allowed you to emerge on the other side of a painful experience and pass that strength to individuals still suffering from their wounds. You may be able to council individuals in need by showing them the coping methods that have helped you survive or simply by offering sympathy. A kinship can develop that allows you to relate more closely with those you are trying to aid and comfort.
Helping others can be a restorative experience that makes your own heart grow stronger. In channeling your pain into compassionate service and watching others successfully recover, you may feel a sense of euphoria that leads to increased feelings of self-worth and optimism. Your courageous decision to reach out to others can be the best way to declare to yourself and the world that your pain didn’t defeat you, and in fact it helped you heal.
To start a new endeavor
Items You Will Need:
Yellow candle
Seeds
Small pot of soil
Water in a decorative pitcher or jar
This spell can be used to give a boost to a new endeavor (or even a new relationship) or to help you find a new start if you’re not sure what to do next. It can be done at any time, but for an extra boost, try doing it at the New Moon.
Focus on what you are starting ( or on what you might want to start or achieve, if you aren’t sure), then light the candle and follow the directions in the spell.
(Hold the Seeds in your Hands)
Bless this new beginning A gift from the Gods Which I accept with gratitude and appreciation(Put seeds in soil)
Let it be productive like the Earth And nurtured by the warmth of the Sun(Pour Water on seeds)
Let it flow smoothly like the water And carry me in a positive direction Like a seed blown on the winds Bless this new beginning That it may broaden my horizons Strength and enlighten me. And help my spirit to grow and blossomSo Mote It Be.
SPELL TO DEFLECT EVIL
Creek stones and an Earthen bowl of water are used in this ritual. Its purpose is to deflect negativity.
Fill the bowl nearly full of creek stones, then fill the bowl with water. The chant used here is:
Bowl of reflection stones of protection
may the reason of my harm feel the power of this charm
Sisters three come work for me
bowl detect stones deflect and water reflect
peace and harmony now come to me as I will So Mote It Be!
Change the water once a week and renew the chant. Throw the old water on your doorstep.
The sisters of the Wyrd are incorporated here. The bowl stands for the first sister, she of the past; the stones stand for the present and the second sister; the third action, that of reflection, is for the sister of the future.
This is the third, and last, of the festivals of the dead in China. Clothing, money, and other gifts are burned in honor of the ancestors and loved ones. Candles, special food and rice wine and place before personal shrines to fortify them during their journey through the spirit world.
‘THINK on THESE THINGS’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler
Don’t try to tell me what your enemy looks like. My enemy is lazy, a procrastinator that spends most of the time talking me out of success. My enemy says friends are fickle and true ones are most infrequent. Faith, I’m told, is not enough to carry me over barriers. And I’m not loved so much as others, but that’s all right because what good is love?
The day is dreary, my enemy says, and the flowers at my feet will soon wilt. I shouldn’t smile at anyone today because they won’t smile back at me.
This will be one of those days when everything goes wrong, my enemy tells me, and if I do anything right someone else will get the credit. I should watch the clock and realize how long the day is and how weary I am.
Don’t tell me about your enemy, I have one of my own. But the fact that I know my enemy makes all the difference. My enemy lies to me and wants to destroy me. So I’ll refuse to give my enemy power this day by giving a special measure of love to my friends and knowing that everything is exactly the opposite of what my enemy tells me.
_____________________________________
Available online! ‘Cherokee Feast of Days’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler.
Visit her web site to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones……and also for those who don’t have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com
Click Here to Buy her books at Amazon.com
Elder’s Meditation of the Day
By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their web site: http://www.whitebison.org
A Clear Current
Maintaining The Flow
The essence of all being is energy. Our physical and ethereal selves depend on the unrestricted flow of life energy that is the source of wholeness and wellness. Though the channels through which this energy flows are open systems and influenced by factors outside of our control, we ultimately choose what impact these will have in our lives. It is up to us to identify and clear blockages in the energy field to ensure that flow is maintained. A healthy, grounded individual absorbs some portion of the energy emitted by other people and the environment, but this does not interrupt the continuous stream of balanced energy sustaining them. The same individual copes constructively with stress and upset, and they are not subject to the stagnation that frequently goes hand in hand with negativity. When we keep the energy in and around our bodies flowing harmoniously, we are naturally healthy, vibrant, and peaceful.
Life energy flows through us like a swift stream when there is nothing to obstruct it, but various forces such as trauma, downbeat vibrations, and disappointments act like stones that impede the current. If we allow these to pile up, our life energy is thrown off its course or blocked entirely, causing illness, restlessness, and a lack of vigor. If, however, we take the time to clear these forces away, we rob them of the power to impact our lives. When we cultivate simple yet affirmative habits such as taking regular cleansing baths, practicing meditation and breathing exercises, smudging, and self-shielding, we protect ourselves from outside influences that might otherwise impede our energy flow. Likewise, we lessen the impact of inner influences when we clear our auras of unwanted attachments and divest ourselves of blocked emotions.
A strong and fluid energy field is the key that unlocks the doors of self-healing and peace of mind. Your awareness of the flow of energy sustaining you empowers you to take charge of your own well-being by taking steps to unblock, correct, and enhance that flow. Fear will likely be the culprit when you cannot identify the source of stagnation—you may simply be afraid to let go of what is obstructing the flow. Letting go can be challenging, but the exuberance you will feel when the flow is restored will be a welcome and blessed reward.
Our True ‘Magical Tools’
Author: Solonius
Our ‘magical items’ are only mundane objects without inherent power! After much deliberation, I’ve decided that I must toss that match into the gasoline can. I feel that there is an undue amount of romanticism attached to what are only supposed to be the tools of the witch’s trade. We are supposed to be wise enough to know that it is our minds, through our focused thoughts, that perform our spells and ceremonies, not our tools.
Wren composed a very thorough and thoughtful essay on the types and uses of Magical Tools, posted here in Witchvox back on 16 July 2000. I highly recommend reading it for the knowledge that you can gain. I’m re-posting what I personally feel is the most insightful part of that essay:
— THE WITCH:
You are the most magickal tool of all. It is your intentions and energies that determine the results of any magickal work. Many Witches never use any other tool but their own personal energies! And some of the most powerful workings can be done without ever leaving your armchair. It is the focus, concentration, intentions and desires that reside within YOU that are the real ‘tools’ of the Witch! —
Here is what happens: We read a book that says we need these various tools to perform a spell, rite, or ceremony. So we head out to the local magic shop to find said tools, and we all know they absolutely must be cool looking! We decide that this implement would make a great magical tool. We ‘cleanse’ the object of any negative energies (Please explain that? Energy is energy; it only has potential directed by the user, right?) We name our tools. We keep them special by not using them for any other purpose. We hold them as sacred objects due to the use we place upon them. We have special clothes that we put on when we wish to do our ceremonies or cast our spells.
The question I ask is: WHY? Is it only to get us “in the mood?” Is it pretentious vanity?
It is the tip of the sword that makes the groove as we begin to cast our magical circle. What is our mind doing? Our mind is visualizing the cutting of the veil. Our mind is that which creates a magical space. It is our mind that makes that space a place where all things are possible. We know what a circle looks like, yet we use this romanticized object to perform a simple task a finger could do. Are we thinking that the tool is imparting some magical power instead of our minds? Do the Realms above the Physical Plane require the use of our physical objects to breach a veil… or is it our focused minds that do the breaching?
Our tools take on the aspect of talismans by investing energy into the belief that they contain power. A talisman has no power other than the power of suggestion. It is our minds that place the belief in the power of a talisman, not the other way around. Is it a certain pair of shoes, tied a certain way, that allow us to toss a basketball into a hoop time and time again? Or is it the amount of attention we pay to what we are doing that hones our skills? The shoes might help us with our traction, but it is our minds that grasp the laws of physics. It is our minds that understand that we should apply this much force to move the mass of the basketball the distance to the basket. Why do we invest our energy into such a belief that it is all because of our shoes?
I feel the answers are simply these: Laziness and self-doubt. If we can get a tool that has power invested in it, we personally won’t have to work as hard. Those tools are on isle 5: Black and Decker or DeWalt. By placing more focus on the tool, and not on how to focus our thoughts, we seed doubt in our own mental ability to accomplish the task without our really cool looking magical item. It is our thoughts and desired intent that require our concentrated efforts. It is our minds that require the effort of learning, and developing our focus to such an extent that we have confidence in our own abilities. That confidence leads to more success.
We can’t be very confident in our own abilities if we are still riding around with training wheels after years of practice. Are our minds so weak that we need these really cool looking tools, consecrated on the first full moon of spring by a 4th generation Grand Poobah of the 1st Circle of the Wolf’s Shrine, using real dragon’s tears? (My apologies if you think I’m talking about you.) Will we think that such a tool will assist us in gathering energy? For that to happen we have to invest energy into the belief that it will. A magical tool does not gather, storehouse or bestow energy; WE are the conduits!
It is our imaginations that gather the energy and it is our intended desires that direct that energy to our desired outcome. We perform that ceremony, spell or rite for a purpose. We gather energy through our mind to enact that purpose. The actuality of spell-craft is this; we must gather energy, and then direct that energy. By assigning esoteric importance to mere tools, we yield energy that we are gathering for the spell in order to maintain a belief that the tool has infused power for our use. Better that gathered energy be used to enact our purpose! When we gather energy for a spell, and we cast out that energy to enable our desire, what is left to inhabit the magical tool? Are we confusing ourselves into thinking we are focusing physical energy (bound to this plane type of energy) or spiritual / mental energy? Although it might be convenient to think of these two types of energy as similar, they are, in fact, NOT. (If you think that I am mistaken, pick up your magical wand and, through you, focus its magical energy that a paperclip might float up in the air. If you accomplish this feat, you truly are a POWER in the Universe.)
Let me back up a little. Are tools necessary? YES! The focus we achieve from them is their true purpose. That, and that only, is their true use. Did we need a special pencil to help us add 2+2 a long time ago? Did the pencil give us the self-confidence that we would come to the answer? We eventually learned that we didn’t need any other tool than our own mind to perform the equation. It doesn’t make sense to think that a pencil will provide the answer for us; it was only used to keep us on track and help us progress. Are tools useful? YES! The more complex the spell, rite or ceremony, the more we can use tools to help us stay on track and stay in focus. And in that respect, almost any tool will do, (first and foremost being our minds) as long as we are focused on what we want to accomplish.
By practicing on focusing our minds, eventually we see that everything else we involve in the process is distracting, energy-wasting fluff. I highly doubt that the Spiritual Realm requires our theatrical production, with or without the props or an audience’s participation, to receive the energy and intent of our focused desire. We have fooled ourselves into believing it does because of our own desire for some romantic pageantry. But remember this: A tool is only what it is (this includes the spell) … it is a means to an end.
My intended purpose here is to urge you to think about these things! I am not requesting that you accept my opinion as your own.
Be Well,
Solonius
The altar is any flat surface that can hold all your tools. It can be anything from a table of any sort, to a cardboard box, book shelf, or even your floor, if need be. Traditionally Wiccans divide their altar in half. The left side for the Goddess. The right side for the God. Items that are Goddess related tools like your chalice, go on Her side and vise versa wand, Athame etc., for the God. And items representing the elements i.e. incense = Air = South is put in that direction. But I feel that your altar should be a reflection of the individual. Above is a picture of what my ever changing altar looks like. As you can see, I have several gifts from nature, feathers, a squirrel tail (I found lying in the center of a busy side walk!), pieces of wood, and various gems and stones. How you decorate your altar, and what you put on it is only limited by your imagination. You can add purely personal items as well. Just above the word “Witch’s” in the picture, is a tiny porcelain cat. I put it there in honor of my beloved Wolfgang, who passed away in 2005. Be creative and make yours something that reflects you. If you’re lucky enough to be able to have a permanent one, keep it, and the items on it clean. A dirty altar is just plane disrespectful to whom ever you worship.
Old WOTC Yuku Site
Tools are visual, symbolic aids that posses no power of their own…whatsoever. If you feel no desire to have some, or any tools that are mentioned, don’t get them. For many years, the only tool I used was a candle, and sometimes a pen and paper to write something down to burn. They were just as effective as the ones I do with tools.
How can you do a ritual or spell with no tools? It’s quite simple, by using your personal power. How meaningful, powerful, and effective any ritual or spell is depends entirely on how much energy YOU put into it. Your personal power is the single most important, and only necessary tool you need. Many who are just starting out feel that they have to rush around going bankrupt to get every fancy looking tool they see in order to perform a ritual. They feel that it can’t be done without them or that the tools themselves contain the energy they need. This is simply not true.
The tools you have should be chosen because you are drawn to them or feel that they will enhance your rituals. They are used as vessels to direct YOUR energy. Something to remember when you begin collecting your tools is that they don’t have to be expensive. An athame can be a black handled common kitchen knife (my 1st was a letter opener). Your pentacle can be drawn on a piece of paper like mine is, or carved in wood or clay. I’ve purposely included photos of tools that are bought or made as well as substitutes of all my tools. I did so to show that you shouldn’t feel obligated to have to purchase fancy, expensive ones. I’m an artist/photographer (among other things), and artists are very visual people. It would seem that while I’ve been at this for over 25 years…I need the visual tools or I wouldn’t have bought, found, like the squirrel tail around the top right hand corner of my crowded altar, or been given most of them. They help me, but that doesn’t mean they’ll help you. Only get, or take home from the earth, what (if anything) calls to you. And if you take something from the earth, do something to give thanks. It could be a peanut, water or even a penny for the fairy folk.
Once you have chosen a tool to use for rituals, it should be cleansed and consecrated. Consecration is the act of performing a small ritual in which you declare it as your tool for magickal purposes. After this is done, it should NEVER be used for other purposes. If you use your athame to do a ritual, and then go butter your toast with it, it no longer carries any meaning. Although the tools posses no power of their own, they do carry a special symbolic meaning and your energy. After consecration, they have a purpose and therefor should be only be used for that purpose alone.
There is one tool in The Craft that surpasses all others. Every other tool, no matter how expensive, will be useless with out it. When it comes right down to it..it’s the only tool you need. That tool is YOUR personal power. To enhance your personal power, you need to exercise it. Practice meditation and visualization techniques, and be able to ground and center yourself. No ritual or spell will ever be successful with out personal power, and you can’t gain any without practicing these methods to be able to have control of your thoughts, and crystal clear visualization which is a MANDATORY aspect of any spell or ritual. Don’t make light of the enormous importance of practicing the techniques of meditation, and visualization, on a regular basis.
Transferred Over From The Old WOTC Site on Yuku
The Sun Is Always Shining
Remember the Sun
There are times when gloom or darkness causes us to momentarily lose sight of the light. Although it is at these times when the thought of the sun can help us. Its warm, glowing rays brighten even our thoughts, and it’s good to remember that despite appearances the sun is shining right now. We may not be able to see it at this very moment, but if clouds block our view, they are only filtering the sun’s light temporarily. If darkness has fallen, we know that the sun is still shining at this very moment somewhere not too far away, and it’s only a matter of time before it will shine on us again.
When we remember that the sun is still shining, we know that things are still in motion in the universe. Even if life feels like it is at a standstill, sometimes all we need to do is have faith and wait for the time when everything is in its perfect place. Or we can we can choose to follow the cues of the sun and continue doing our work and shining our light, even when we can’t yet see results. In doing so we exercise our patience, making sure we are prepared when opportunity knocks and all other elements are in their right and perfect places.
The sun also reminds us that our own shining truth is never extinguished. Our light shines within us at all times, no matter what else occurs around us. Though the sun gives us daily proof of its existence, sometimes our belief in our own light requires more time. If we think back, however, we can find moments when it showed itself and trust that we will see it again. Like the sun, our light is the energy that connects us to the movements of the universe and the cycles of life and is present at all times, whether we feel its glow or not.
The Journey
While physical travel may be involved, The Journey represents an individual’s spiritual trek from one point to another. The Journey is represented by a sailboat gliding across an open sea. Like those traversing the ocean The Journey requires that we move off the firm ground of our present state and strike out for a new destination. The trip itself may well be full of adventure and challenges. There may be times when we lose sight of where we came from and possibly not even know where we’re going. Storms may crop up without warning. Diversions may slow our progress to our destination down. While it’s good to have an idea of where you want to go, it’s equally important to remember that often it’s the getting there and not the destination that is the most rewarding. To take such a spiritual voyage takes courage and conviction that direction in which your are moving is right for you.
As a daily card, The Journey indicates a time in which you are likely to derive insight and spiritual growth by moving off your everyday path. Although the time span is short, this movement may have a profound and enduring effect on your life. Indeed you may be on the verge of experiencing a revelation, or enjoying a period of self actualization. Be open to new paths and you may well end up with some very positive changes in your life.
This can be altered to fit any type of unwanted spell, or to zero in on one specific spell.
Perform this only if you are certain you are under a spell that is not in your best interests. It is wise to perform divination beforehand to see whether you are and whether that is the right course of action to take.
Incense: Frankincense, Sage or any appropriate cleansing/purifying incense or one that is personally empowering.
Timing: As needed, during the Waning Moon, at or just prior to Midnight.
Items Needed:
A candle (black for banishing or white for purity, cleansing & freedom)
Appropriate anointing oil
Unshelled pistachios
9 in number (or any number that is great significant to you personally).
Ritual:
Anoint your candle if desired, light it and the incense, set them in appropriate burners, visualizing yourself being freed.
Take one pistachio. Forcibly break it open, visualizing the unwanted spell breaking as the shell breaks. The more emotion you can put into the breaking of the shell, the better.
As you do this chant: “So may it broken be/ Any (love) spell cast on me/ That was cast not by my hand/ As I will, free and clear I stand!”
Continue this fashion until all 9 pistachios have been shelled. Eat the pistachios, knowing that you are now free.
You’ve heard the expression “playing possum”? It means to play dead and is derived from Opossum’s ability to act in whatever way the situation demands. If it’s practical to play dead, so be it; if it’s to Opossum’s advantage to be aggressive, watch out! Take your cue from this master actor today—and play the role that will serve you best.
The Owl
The powerful Owl easily makes its way through the darkest night on muted wings. Often it is only their haunting call echoing across the land that lets us know The Owl is near. Because of its amazing night vision, many cultures have attributed wisdom and the ability to uncover even the deepest secrets to the enigmatic, noble Owl. The Owl’s nocturnal prowess has lead many to see them as a messenger between the material and spirit worlds. Cultures as distinct as the African Zulus and ancient Celtics have ascribed magical powers to The Owl made them a revered companion to shaman and wizards.
As a daily card, The Owl marks a moment when wise decisions and actions must be made based upon information known to only a few, or possibly only you. It marks a time when your vision is likely to be clearer, more acute than of those around you. Spiritual revelations may be made. Secrets may be revealed that demand decisive action.
Witches Of The Craft® 
You must be logged in to post a comment.