Tag: Wicca

Pagan Myths Debunked: Where Did You Think That Pointy Hat Came From, Anyway?

Pagan Myths Debunked: Where Did You Think That Pointy Hat Came From, Anyway?

by Lilith Veritas

It’s never been easy to be a pagan in a world where differences are feared and minorities are persecuted. It’s made even tougher by how little nonpagans usually know about the realities of our lifestyle and beliefs. How many times have you had to explain that Satanism is not Wicca, or that Wiccans are not the only pagans? Most nonpagans get their information about Wicca, neo-paganism and other Craft-related beliefs from the mass media, which has faithfully clung to stereotypes and painted a sensationalistic picture of pagans, just like they do about everything else. TV shows like Charmed and Buffy the Vampire Slayer have contributed much to making paganism seem less frightening and more acceptable to the mainstream, but they’ve also continued to support misinformation and superstitions that have plagued pagans throughout modern times. Shows like Sabrina, or even the old favorite Bewitched, leave nonpagan viewers with the impression that witchcraft is all fantasy and special effects, and anyone who believes in such things might have a screw or two loose. Really, do you know anyone who has a talking cat or has developed a working teleport spell?

The reality is that the majority of pagans today come from other religions and backgrounds and are at least partly self-educated, and many bring some of these ideas with them! It’s really difficult to educate the nonpagan public if we’re not clear ourselves on the history of witchcraft and the origins of our symbols, tools and stereotypes. While it’s hard to change deeply held beliefs, the truth is a powerful weapon against fe

and prejudice, and acknowledging our own history is the only way to move forward to a (hopefully) enlightened future.

For a quick example of the history of a pagan tool, let’s look at the Book of Shadows. Many pagans take it for granted that these books are an integral part of being a pagan. The term itself has been popularized by the media; the sisters on Charmed have a family Book of Shadows, which seems to be a universal encyclopedia of all things magickal, and the sequel to the popular Blair Witch Project movie was called Book of Shadows. The common perception seems to be that Books of Shadows have been handed down from medieval times and contain wisdom gathered hundreds of years ago. How accurate is that perception?

The first recorded reference to an actual Book of Shadows was in 1939, by the founder of modern Wicca, Gerald Gardner. He claims to have received pieces of this book during his initiation into the religion now known as Gardnerian Wicca. Both Doreen Valiente and Aleister Crowley appear to have added to the book, after Gardner “restored” it. Prior to that, however, there is no known recording of a Book of Shadows, at least not by that name, and few references to grimoires or books of knowledge used specifically by pagans. The book Aradia: Gospel of the Witches was written by folklorist Charles G. Leland in 1899 and appears to be the closest historically, but it would hardly have been ancient knowledge a mere 40 years later. Books of Shadows are now used by many pagans, both Wiccan and non-, but that name seems to be solely a creation of Gardner and his contemporaries.

Many pagans would like to believe that there is a written source for ancient spells, rituals and traditions to which they can turn to validate their current practices. They may forget that in ancient times, and often through the first part of the twentieth century, the common person didn’t know how to write or read! Most pagans in the Western world today can both read and write, and even those deemed “illiterate” can often do both enough to get by. During the height of the witch hunts and in rural areas where folk medicine and pagan rituals may have continued more or less uninterrupted, literacy was not common, and it is unlikely that many witches, if any, kept such a book. Most commoners didn’t keep books at all!

There is another argument against the idea of ancient grimoires being commonplace: Anyone found with such a book would likely have been found guilty of heresy and possibly put to death, and the book summarily burned. This threat would have been lessened for someone of the upper classes, but for typical rural folk would probably have been too big a risk to take. During the times when herbal healers had to be very careful to hide the tools of their trade and be sure to put their best Christian face forward, it would have been virtual suicide to have a book of “arcane knowledge” laying around the house, even if most of your neighbors couldn’t read it! Having books at all was cause for suspicion amongst the lower classes, since they were poorly understood by most and rarely read by any but high society. The few documented grimoires likely did belong to folks of higher classes, as they were the ones who could afford them and could also afford to learn to read.

As I mentioned, many pagans would like to have a historical book of knowledge to justify their current practices. While it would be nice to trace such things unbroken into the past, “new” does not mean “bad” or “invalid.” Newer ideas aren’t automatically bad ideas! Now that we have the means to write down our beliefs and rituals to pass on to future generations, or just to remind ourselves, many of us will choose to do so. Knowing where a practice comes from allows room to change and grow, and keeps folks talking from a place closer to truth than superstition. And knowing that new practices are springing up will hopefully keep the pagan paths alive and vital instead of bogging them down in the dogma so common in many mainstream religions.

Moving into the realm of stereotypes, many Americans think of the pointed black hat as the key identifier of a witch. These folks are often the most surprised when they meet a real, modern witch wearing jeans and a T-shirt. But where did the stereotype of this pointy hat come from?

One thing to keep in mind in the search for this stereotype’s origins is that it is peculiarly American and Western European, particularly from the British Isles, and it is a fairly modern invention. Witches in Eastern countries do not appear wearing pointy hats or any of the accoutrements that we commonly associate with the Halloween-style witch. Early woodcuts of witches in the Middle Ages showed them wearing scarves, or hats popular at the time, or even with their hair flying in the wind. Our media has popularized the view of witches with pointy hats as well as green skin, warts and brooms. I suspect the Wizard of Oz movie released at the dawning of the media age has more to do with the current stereotype of the “wicked witch” than does historical evidence!

The most positive interpretation I came across was echoed by Doreen Valiente as the probable source: Pointed hats were actually a visual representation of the Cone of Power that witches drew upon during their rituals. While this puts a nice, witch-friendly spin on the image, I find it to be rather unlikely. People in previous centuries who were creating woodcuts of witches tended to paint a very unkind picture and did not include positive aspects of true witchcraft as it existed at the time. Witches were portrayed dancing with devils and participating in all varieties of heinous rites, not drawing down the moon and healing the sick. It is unlikely that someone projecting a witch in such a light would bother to represent a Cone of Power, which is typically a positive force.

There is another, commonly held belief that the pointed hat originated with another persecuted group in Europe, the Jews. While Jews did wear pointed headgear, most scholars now believe these hats were not a likely source for the witch’s pointed hat. After all, pointed hats were fairly common throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

This fact leads us to the source I find to be most believable, and most mundane, for the Pointy Hat Look. During the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, commoners in Wales and England often wore pointed hats. As fashions changed, the last to retain the old styles were the rural and peasant folk, who were considered “backward” by higher society and were usually the ones accused of heresy and witchcraft. Much as we today have stereotypes of the sort of student who might commit violence at a high school, so did the medieval people have their ideas of what sort of person might be a witch.

Along these lines, Gary Jensen, a professor of sociology at Vanderbilt University, postulates a connection between the persecution of Quakers in America and the stereotypical appearance of witches in our folklore. Quakers did wear pointed hats, and the negative image of witches wearing conical hats in America became common about the same time anti-Quaker sentiment was at a peak. Quakers were thought by some to consort with demons and practice black magic, things also associated with the early American view of witches. Once again, an easily recognized symbol of an oppressed minority may have become generalized to a group equated with them.

In the final analysis, it’s likely that more than one of these issues came into play to ingrain the pointy hat into the mainstream idea of what a witch looks like. After all, the ideas that stick most firmly in the mind are the ones repeated from different sources, and many things in history can’t be traced to a single root cause or moment.

In the Craft, as in all aspects of human culture, the powers of media and modern communication weave together a new “truth” from bits of folklore and whispered traditions, and picking apart this fabric to get at the real foundation requires persistence and the willingness to view your own ideas in a new light.

For those interested in further reading about pagan stereotypes and history, I suggest the Internet as a great source of information, if one takes the information found with the proper grain of salt. Two articles in particular that I came across stand out in my mind, and I believe it would benefit pagans in general to read and consider the implications of both of them.

First of these is a speech by Doreen Valiente at the National Conference of the Pagan Federation on November 22, 1997. As a founding influence on the modern practice of Wicca and a contemporary of both Gerald Gardner and Aleister Crowley, Valiente had a unique perspective. In this speech, she questioned many “truths” about Gardnerian Wicca and presented views that some may find surprising. Transcripts of her speech can be found at http://www.users.drak.net/lilitu/valiente.htm.

Second is a very well-researched essay about the Burning Times by Jenny Gibbons, which can be found at http://www.cog.org/witch_hunt.html.

While I don’t endorse either of these sources as the absolute truth, they are certainly thought provoking.

Some other sources:

The Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft, by Rosemary Ellen Guiley

Best Witches site, http://www.rci/rutgers/edu/~jup/witches

“The Witching Hours,” by Shantell Powell, http://shanmonster.bla-bla.com/witch

Creating and Using Roles of Power: When Wisely Used, This Ritual Bond Can Multiply Your Energy

Creating and Using Roles of Power: When Wisely Used, This Ritual Bond Can Multiply Your Energy

by George D. Jackson

The establishment and utilization of a pole of power is probably the most far-reaching magickal operation you will ever attempt. A pole of power can be defined as a person or persons joined to you on the five levels of intellect, emotion, creativity, spirit and the physical through empathy and consensus to perform powerful magickal acts. In joining, the other person or persons and yourself form a gestalt, an integrated structure or pattern that makes up a unified experience and has specific properties that can neither be derived from the elements of the whole nor considered simply as the sum of these elements. In short, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

The formation of this gestalt means a pole of power can be viewed as one of the most significant power multipliers available to a magickal adept. This bond is in fact a magickal marriage, and its offspring are magickal operations that the individuals involved would have difficulty performing on a solitary basis. Groups such as covens operate on this principle but utilize numbers to make up for an individual commitment to the circle that is (usually) less than between a paired couple working as poles of power.

Most magick users operate in a solitary mode, occasionally forming temporary group gestalts. The solitary approach is perhaps the least vulnerable and most unhindered from a personal standpoint, but with some notable exceptions it is also the least powerful. Even when practicing magick in the solitary condition, an in-depth personal psychological preparation is strongly advised. Many individual practitioners venture into areas where their power levels are too low to properly cope with what they locate, or where they cannot comprehend the circumstances they find themselves in. Among the unfortunate results of this type of journey can be deep states of depression, as well as from time to time hallucinations. Exploring the magickal unknown on a solitary basis frequently means the practitioner has few resources when it comes to falling back, regrouping and establishing a magickal defense. For such exploration, strength in numbers can be very valuable.

Poles of power are utilized at three levels. The first is a temporary union of two or more magick users to perform a predetermined magickal act. Practitioners often form poles of power on this level at festivals or magickal gatherings, and the most common usage is the erection of the magickal circle and the wards. The second level is semi-permanent and frequently involves a coven, guild or religious organization. The most common magickal actions at this level fall within the area of invocation (addressing a deity). The third and final level is the state of the permanent pole of power.

The permanent state does not have to be between a male and female, but that formation is the most common. A permanent state is almost always bipolar, with each pole contributing the psychological orientation the other lacks and reinforcing the other’s abilities. To effectively create a permanent state, the magick users involved should view the state as they would choosing a marriage partner in consensus reality.

To create the bond effectively will very likely demand that each partner perform some very honest self-evaluation. This is a formidable type of personal survey. From what participants learn in it about how they relate to themselves and others, they may find it necessary to perform some psychological engineering upon themselves before entering into a permanent pole-of-power relationship. To understand the level of work involved in such engineering, consider how many self-help books are being sold and how many people are undergoing some sort of psychotherapy. The initial groundwork of self-evaluation, empathy and consensus make a permanent pole-of-power state one that is best not rushed into.

It is also well to know at this point that, because the pole-of-power state is a magickal bond, an automatic energetic feedback loop is created on the quantum or elemental level. Once this loop is formed, violating your partner’s sense of propriety is going to have consequences. Also, it is well to know that the subconscious does not forget anything that you do. You will become vulnerable to actions connected to this bond, and the stronger the emotional value of the occurrence the more vulnerable you will be.

Should the participants decide to go forward, the emotional and intellectual status is laid down for a permanent pole-of-power relationship by establishing a state of trust and honor and a desire to work for mutual benefit. This mutual trust and cooperation in turn will provide energy for the spiritual, creative and physical portions of the bond. The process is hinted at in the Wiccan “In perfect love and perfect trust” and the Thelemite’s “Love is the Law, love under Will.”

Once you have done the groundwork, you are ready to perform ritual, and some if not all of the power evoked will remain with you for the rest of your life.

The ritual is performed in the following manner. The first thing to do is establish the statement of intent, which is for both parties to commit to being each other’s pole of power. The next thing is to build a “free space” or place of power in which to perform the ritual. In the male-female mode, it is recommended that the rite be done in the nude, symbolizing that both parties have nothing to hide from one another. A banishing spell is then done to clear the area of hindering forces and is followed by the primary bonding ritual. An example follows:

We are one mind, me and thee, together when apart; near when far;

Thoughts within thoughts, aware when unaware; bound within the circle

Now until whenever!

We are one spirit, me and thee, together when apart; near when far;

Will joined to Will; felt within and without; bound within the circle,

Now until whenever!

We are one body, me and thee, together when apart; touching when separated;

Flesh of the same flesh; bound within the circle,

Now until whenever!

As a form of reinforcement, which is not a requirement, the ritual may be culminated in sexual union. Aleister Crowley frequently used sexual union in bonding rituals, and practitioners interested in including this technique in their ritual are referred to his works. After this step, the wards are then dismissed and the circle is taken down.

I can tell you from personal experience that the pole-of-power circumstance has many benefits outside of being a power multiplier. It can be an excellent early-warning system when the bonded pair explores unknown spaces. What might have a limited impact on one person can affect the other quite strongly, which information can allow both to make a strategic retreat from a threatening situation. A pole-of-power bond is also very good for long-range nonverbal communication. It sets up that “call me” feeling that crops up in the back of one’s consciousness.

There are other advantages that vary with the people involved. While the bond does not prevent the highs and lows that occur in interpersonal relationships, in my experience it very definitely shortens the duration of the lows. Finally, there is a personal connection that persists even when the people involved have drifted apart in time and space. When consensus is joined once more, power is immediately renewed.

George D. Jackson is an Adept V of the Sorcerer’s Guild, a group dedicated to the enhancement of magickal work among its membership that is open to initiates of most magickal traditions.

The Wicca Book of Days for March 13th – A Planetary Discovery

The Wicca Book of Days for March 13th

A Planetary Discovery

It was on this date in 1781 that the German-born astronomer William Herschel discovered a new planet, whilst working in England, which later took over the astrological ruling of Aquarius from Saturn. We now call this plant Uranus after the Romans’ primeval sky deity. Yet it was initially touch and go whether the new planet would be named Georgium Sidus (the Latin for “George Star”), in respectful recognition of Herschel’s patron, King George III, as Herschel himself had stipulated, or rather Herschel, Herschell, Herschellium, or Herschel’s planet, after its discoverer.

Learn from Lithomancy

The divinatory art of lithomancy requires thirteen stones, symbolizing each of the seven traditional ruling planets (the sun, moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn), as well as life, love, health, the home, magick and news. Cast your stones on a table and interpret how they fall.

The Wicca Book of Days for March 12th – Mad March Hares

The Wicca Book of Days for March 12th

Mad March Hares

The mating rituals performed by hares that can be observed in England and other parts of northern Europe during March have long amused, resembling as they do erratic chases punctuated by frenetic boxing matches. In more superstitious times, such “mad” behavior was regarded as proof that the hares were, in fact, “were-hares,” or witches that had assumed a harelike form. Hares have profound symbolism in Pagan belief: they were considered sacred to the Greco-Roman messenger God Hermes/Mercury and the Norse fertility Goddess Freyja, among other deities, while Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon Goddess of Spring, was depicted with a hare’s head.

A Pagan Philosopher

Take a little time today to read about life and work of the remarkable Hypatia of Alexandria (c. 370 – 415), a female philosopher and teacher who was butchered and burned in March by a mob of bloodthirsty Christians, for being either Pagan or a Witch.

 

The Happy Side of Magick

The Happy Side of Magick

Author: Poppy

I have never really used many spells or chants, and when I have it is often at a time when I feel I can do nothing else… one of those ‘may as well try it’ approaches. I understand the mechanics of spell casting, how it works and how the desired effect is achieved, the problem I find with it though is that I was brought up with fairy tales and stories about Witches who cast elaborate spells with confounding results, and I find because of this upbringing that spell casting is intrinsically linked, in my mind, to fanatical stories and make believe lands.

I say this only to give you, as a reader, some sense of understanding how much effort had already been applied before I decided to cast a love spell. It was not a compulsion spell, merely creating a cosmic attraction field. I do understand that there are differing views on the appropriate use of love spells, of any kind, ranging from never-to-be-used to ‘use all the time, everyday!’ However I am not writing to discuss the pros and cons of casting a love spell, nor even, to some extent, the morals that must be thought through before one is cast, I am simply writing to explain and inform how mine worked, and how I would recommend it to anyone in the same situation, or any situation.

As previously stated, I was in pretty dire straits when I preformed this spell, (I know some would not consider that an appropriate term for being out of love, which some deem as a trivial matter. I believe it is a very apt description.) and as such, was not expecting any results. At the time, I had become rather disenchanted with Wicca. I cannot pinpoint exactly why as no major life events had occurred to make me believe that the Goddess was absent. It was more just a lack of connection, which is probably part of the reason I believed the spell would fail.

It was one of those long term/ three months spells, which meant that I wasn’t too fussed when nothing appeared after a few weeks. So I promptly forgot about the spell due to an influx in collage coursework and activities, and was asked on a date. To me this had never happened, and so I was, understandably I believe, rather surprised. He asked me over text, which I later found out his friend had actually composed, and we met up six days later.

I have to admit I had no idea who he was. Even after finding him on Facebook, I had difficulty in pinning him as the guy who was in my quiz team, Never the less, we started talking, and despite his apparent obsession with football and The Killers (who are a fine band, just not my style) , I agreed to a second date, and a third, and so on.

Now it was around the fifth date that I remembered about the spell I had cast, mainly by finding it whilst looking through my Wicca box. I didn’t connect the spell with my newfound boyfriend as I was having what I believe to be a bit of a slow day. I had become captivated with Wicca once again mere weeks after casting the aforementioned love spell. I proceeded to look through the ‘requirements’ for the person I wished to meet and found, to my surprise, that my recently obtained boyfriend met every criteria… and not in a vague ‘well I suppose’ sense, more in a height/weight/age/exact personality sense! I was literally speechless. I think I should mention now that the spell cast was for a soul-mate (I know, I just jump right in to it!) not just general love. I can say now, with our year anniversary just gone, that it has definitely worked.

I know some of you may be sitting there scoffing at my perhaps pitiful year long relationship, but to me, it is a success… especially considering that for the last three months he has been away at Canterbury, which is a good five hour train journey from where I live, making the relationship harder.

I didn’t really put off telling my boyfriend about my religion, more it just never actively came up. He informed me from the start that he was ‘devout’ atheist, and indeed some of our more interesting conversations have been on the concepts of souls and deities. However, I believe him knowing my religion made our relationship better. But I would not recommend the way in which he found out.

I am afraid I am going to diverge slightly, and I apologize if any view it as an unwanted interruption. I feel that what occurred was a breach of trust, and really just a show of a lack of morality in some people. My boyfriend found out about my religion through one of his friends, who happened to be a sergeant at the cadets I attended and a devout Christian. “At cadets”, for those of you who may be unfamiliar with the dress code, we were allowed to wear necklaces as long as they were hidden and for religious purposes.

I wore a plain silver pentagram at the time, and the chain occasionally showed, causing questions at least once a week. Usually I could just say it is a religious necklace (as trying to explain it to people who aren’t listening and are just desperate to be told you summon the devil is tedious) . However this time he walked a little way, turned as though an afterthought and asked “Yeah, what religion?” I answered, “I’m Wiccan” and we carried on our separate ways.

I thought nothing of this until I got a call from my boyfriend asking if I was a Witch. I was a bit bemused by how he had come to that conclusion, as, like spell casting, the word brings to mind Grimm’s fairy tale type characters and so I do not use the word. I answered that no, I wasn’t a Witch but I was Wiccan… and how did he come to hear of this information? It transpired that at the first possible chance this Christian friend, who I still believe had gained this information in an environment that did not warrant outside gossiping, had run to him at the first chance and said “Do you know your girlfriend is Wiccan?” We both believe it was to try and drive a wedge between us for reasons only known to him. Anyhow, this rant is almost over, and I shall end it and resume back to my original purpose by saying that I believe it was extremely ill-mannered and uncouth to divulge this information. I have always been raised to not speak of other religions or beliefs unless with express permission or belief that the knowledge would be useful in some way and that the person to whom is being referred does not mind.

I suppose what I am trying to get across with this article, is that magick does work. If you believe in something and you are prepared to go that little extra, it will change your life in wondrous awe-inspiring ways. I think it cannot be expressed better than through love of something else. I suppose it is also partially about dis-enchantment of Wicca (which I overcame by a sudden realization that I was still actively talking to the Goddess when I got really stressed) .

I am not trying to actively express feelings either for or against love spells, as I believe that, as with all magick, it depends entirely on the intentions of the caster. But I know that even in dark and desperate moments, magick and belief and everything joyous in Paganism can just seep in, lift you up and make everything just a little bit better.

Thank you for reading this article. I hoped you got some enjoyment, or really anything, from it, and to feel free to email me if you wish.

From Bars to Blessed: A New Beginning

From Bars to Blessed: A New Beginning

Author: ADDvst

I am an Eclectic Wiccan. I have not always been. In fact, before I heard the term “Wiccan”, I didn’t have any faith at all. Not even in myself. I wanted to write this essay and to share my story as to why I chose the goddess and the god.

When I was a child, I was very rambunctious. Getting into trouble in school was my daily routine. I would fight, steal, lie, and cheat. The worst part was I had no idea as to why I did those things. My grandmother used to say, “I was possessed by the devil”. When I grew to my teenage years, things slowed down a bit. That is, after being placed into state custody. At the age of 15, I found myself in a foster home, as my biological family didn’t want anything to do with me. It was there that I encountered the most wonderful girl I have ever met, Nicole. I started to understand what it meant to love someone else and care about someone other than myself. But I was still making some stupid choices.

On August 29 2001, three friends and I broke into a convenient store, stealing everything that could be moved and carried. This time I didn’t get a slap on the wrist. I was sent to state prison for a term of two- to – six years. I lost everything I ever knew that day. And, the worst part, that girl who taught me how to love… she also was charged for a crime that I talked her into committing.

In 2005, I found myself again in trouble with the law. This time the sentence was harsher: six years in state prison. It was there, sitting in a jail cell, that I began thinking about my life, and how to change it around. I remembered something Nicole had said to me when I asked her to take me back. She said that she had too much to lose. Funny thing is, she didn’t have a thing at all. She just didn’t want to be involved in my constant screw-ups. So that was it. Just me and a cold jail cell. No family. No friends. No money or possessions. So what would the normal miscreant think? Yes. You guessed it. It’s time for an end. And a new beginning.

My first thought was the conventional way of ‘ending the bad’. Shoe string. Bed sheet. Instead, for some odd reason, I decided to pick up a book and read. So I read and read and read. For two years I lay in a cell and read.

One day, a Christian tried to sit down and preach the Bible to me.” No, I don’t find it to be true, ” I told him. He asked, “Well, what do you believe?” And so I started writing every belief that I had down on paper. Then, I went and read about the different religions.

I came across a book called Wicca: For Beginners by Scott Cunningham. I was actually shocked at how everything made sense. I became very interested in learning more. So without delay, I ordered a few more books from the library. After reading the books, and being sure I wanted to learn the way, I did a self-dedication rite. I did this rite by myself in my cell. I simply fell into a meditation and invited the lady and the lord to join me. That night, sitting in that cell, I could actually feel a transformation take place. A new lease was given to me. I soon found it easy to control my thoughts. A feeling of happiness and joy washed over me. My heart became a soft, warm life force. I began seeing the earth in a light that I never seen before. I began to see the old religion in a lot of every day events.

Through meditation, I began to concentrate on the wrongs that I did to others. This does not come easy, or without regrets. We have all heard the expression “you don’t know what you have till it’s gone”. Me, I still try to find that way to get it back. Time… I can’t turn back that clock, but I am grateful to have memories of those that showed me how to love, and inspired me to make a difference. It is very heart-wrenching to have the woman you love the most tell you she don’t feel the same… and that you’re to blame.

It has been four years since I dedicated myself to the way –“harm none do as ye will”- These four years have been remarkably enlightening to me. I made two promises to myself and to the powers that be: 1: never harm again; but help others whenever possible and 2: do everything in my power to better my future, to give back instead of take away.

After being released from prison, the first thing I did was move out of my old town. I headed straight to New York City. In just three weeks, I have enrolled into college and found a job. I continue on a daily basis to nurture my relationship with the lady and the lord. In my heart, I don’t believe that I would be where I am today, with the mindset that I have, if I had never picked up that book. I would never have the connection with the earth and the mother. I would never have been able to understand my own life, past, and future.

I am a son, a brother, an uncle, an ex con. The latter I am not ashamed of. It brought me to my rightful place, with the goddess in my heart. My experiences will someday help my teach someone else, and maybe help change their life.

And I dare not to forget; about two years ago I wrote letters to every person that I betrayed. Today I can happily say that I have made amends and rekindled old friendships. I spend time with my family. It is a wonderful feeling to have them in my life. There yet may come a day when that woman who saw too much too lose in me, may see the world with me. It’s never too late to change and find your calling!

I am thankful to all who give guidance to people like me who need a little direction. And I am beyond grateful that the lady and the lord gave me a new beginning!

Blessed be! And thank you for reading.

The Wicca Book of Days for March 11th – The “Witches of Belvoir”

The Wicca Book of Days for March 11th

The “Witches of Belvoir”

It was on March 11, 1619, that Margaret and Philippa Flower (sisters), Anne Baker, Ellen Greene, and Joan Willimot were hanged for witchcraft in Lincoln, England. Having been dismissed from her job as a laundress at Belvoir Castle, Margaret had allegedly turned to her mother, Joan, for revenge. Joan accordingly cursed Margaret’s employer, Francis, Earl of Rutland, and two of his sons and heirs later “died in their infancy by wicked practice and sorcerye,”   according to an inscription on their father’s tomb. During the accused women’s trial, Joan Flower choked to death on some bread, shortly after having uttered the words that sealed her daughters’ fate. “May this choke me if I am guilty.”

Say it with Flowers

Whether the “Witches of Belvoir” were guilty of murder or not, there is no doubt that many innocent women died horribly as a result of having been falsely accused of witchcraft. Lay flowers on your altar as a mark of remembrance.

 

Before I get started today, I have something personal to share….

Daylight Savings Time Graphics
Good Morning/Afternoon or whatever it is? I absolutely hate time change. I got tickled I stuck up the post yesterday reminding everyone to change their clocks and guess who didn’t? Yeap, me! So I am totally screwed up today. Please have extreme patience with me, I beg you, on bended knee, enough or do I need to go on, lol!

I forewarned you that this was going to be a personal post, so if you want to skip over it, you can do so now……..

For all the other’s that stuck around, I love ya’. Most of you know that I am a Hereditary. I have had the opportunity to practice all types of magick and also walk several different Paths. I guess after a while I have begun to think I have my act together. Then something out of the blue catches me and I absolutely loss it. When I loss it, I do not do good magick. The magick I produce is magick that comes from angry and hatred that spontaneously combusts. You think you have your inner magick harnessed and under control but these things can happen to the best of us. Let me fill you in…..

It was last night, I got into a very heated argument with a neighbor. The neighbor made a nasty comment about my helping the local vets care for wild animals in the area. She had even made a comment about me taking one of these wild animals as my own. She told me she knew that I had an affection for wild animals and some I did keep. That’s a lie, I have only kept one and that one was Razzy. She informed me that Mocha (my 15 year companion) was a wolf. Then the bitch even when on to say Razzy was a bobcat (tell me something I didn’t know). She made the comment that started the whole “push over the edge me.” Razzy came from a set of three kittens. Two of those kittens just vanished. I knew what had happened to them but I can’t go to the sheriff and tell them how I know and expect them to believe me. After I told the woman last night, I knew what had happened to the kittens. She admitted they had come over here and got them. She said she got them because they knew what kind of cats they were. After that I got totally angry with the woman and told her a thing or two about staying off my property. I also told her if she ever set foot back over her she would live to regret, I promised her that. I meant it. As the bitch was walking away, she hollered, “Oh, yeah, there is a bobcat just roaming all around. Wouldn’t it be ashamed if it got shot?” I cursed the woman on the spot. (Temper, temper, temper). I came into the house and told my husband about the conversation. While I was talking to him, I heard about 5 gun shots. The darkest feeling came over me. My heart got so heavy and it sank to my stomach. I went to the kitchen and fell to my knees. I knew what had just happened, her husband had shot that bobcat. The rage built-in me so quick, the power was there before I knew. My mind just went. I left this plane and was traveling down a cosmic wormhole. The colors, the speed, I could see the end of the hole, there was nothing but starry sky. I bursted out of the wormhole and with me came a indescribable force of energy. I could see it surrounding me.  It was just a straight, focused surge of energy. Then it was gone. I felt so relieved. I just wanted to drift in the stars. My husband was shaking me and calling me by name. “Good Goddess, what happened to you?” he asked. I slowly came too. I asked him what he was talking about. He told me I was sitting up in a fetus position and light was coming from my stomach area. He told me that I had scared him half to death. Then he heard one explosion after another coming from the neighbors. He said all of the outside lights started bursting one right after another. The garage, the security light, the landscaping lights, the house lights, the porch lights. He said it looked like an energy field had just come over their house and was blowing anything electric. Then he saw me on the floor still out of this world, shaking, the light glowing stronger now, he knew what was happening. That is when he started shaking me. After I grounded, I told him what I had experienced. I told him I had felt it in my heart that nature had lost one of it most divine creatures. I couldn’t take it. It was too much. I went into a rage. The energy just came and I sent it. Am I ashamed of what I did, no. The man had no respect for nature and all of it creatures. He needed to be taught a lesson. But it wasn’t my place to do so. But I realize to raise that type of energy, I had help. So I figure what I did wasn’t all wrong. Today, I am totally wiped out. I just feel very relaxed and totally at peace. Strange isn’t it? How such a violent outburst such as that can leave a person feeling this way.

You might wonder why I am sharing this with you. Several reasons: One, even the Seasoned of us can lose control. We think we have that inner power harnessed  and can wield it at our command. 99% of the time we can. But there is that dangerous 1%. That 1% is just sitting there waiting to be triggered. Most of the times, something you feel very passionate about, a true love, a deep connection with something or someone, a death, something traumatic can trigger it. Last night, it was my deep connection with all the wild creatures of nature and one’s death that triggered mine. That 1% of energy is there, waiting so be aware of it. Second, things happen that sometimes we can’t control or perhaps we can but we don’t want too. Should we feel guilty about what we have done? Is it wrong to go with that sudden impulse? These are questions you will have to ask yourself. I can’t answer them for you. But I do have to answer for myself. My answer to both of these are NO.

There comes a time in every witch’s life were you will have to make choices. You will be put in circumstances, you never believed possible. You will face experiences, that you never dreamed possible. This is the way of the Path we have chosen to walk. We are the chosen. We are suppose to help mankind and their betterment of their lives. Perhaps I did better that man’s life. Perhaps he woke up with a horrible guilty in the pit of his stomach for what he had done. I don’t know but maybe. But as a witch, you will run into these situation, be put in strange circumstances, you must be prepared for whatever is to come your way. You must be able to live with the result of your actions you take.  The Path won’t always be rosy but it will be a Path that only the few and select are honored enough to walk.

May the Goddess Always Guide Your Path,

Lady A

The Wicca Book of Days for March 10th – Nebulous Neptune

The Wicca Book of Days for March 10th

Nebulous Neptune

We are now more than midway through the zodiacal month of Pisces, which means that the rule of the Fishes’ governing planet, Neptune, has been well established for some time. Following its discovery in 1846, the tradition of calling the planets after Roman Gods as perpetuated through the naming of Neptune. Both the Roman Sea Deity and His Greek counterpart, Poseidon, were said to wield a fisherman’s trident, and it is this that forms the basis of Neptune’s sigil, or astrological symbol. Neptune’s influence is far from aggressive, however, for it is said to make us dreamy, intuitive, and imaginative, as well as altruistic, idealistic, and spiritual.

 

Godly Gray

Water, if not transparent, typically appears gray, which is why this is usually regarded as Neptune’s shade. Affirm your connection with Neptune today by using a gray candle or cord in your rituals or by wearing gray garments.

Magickal Ideas for Your Ostara Sabbat Ritual

Magickal Ideas for Your Ostara Sabbat Ritual

 

*Color and empower Oestre eggs for health, wealth and prosperity.

 

*Celebrate the return of the Goddess by conjuring potted plants and giving them to friends and loved ones.

 

*Incorporate chocolate into your Ostara ritual.

 

* Review the items in your magickal cabinet or box and replace what is needed. Empower the supplies during the Ostara ritual.

 

*Bless seeds for the garden.

 

*Hold your ritual at dawn.

 

*Ostara (spring equinox) is solar driven. The sun moves from mutable, watery Pisces to cardinal, fiery Aries. Aries is a great “starter” sign, but it manages to poop out along the way. Any magick done while the sun or moon is in Aries should be supplemented with other workings later on.

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.

How To Create Harmony in the Midst of Religious Intolerance

How To Create Harmony in the Midst of Religious Intolerance

Author: Annah

As we are all aware, Christianity has not been terribly good to us (understatement, I know) , but it is nice to know things are at least getting a little bit better in some areas. I wanted to share from my experience as I am in a Christian Seminary getting a Masters of Divinity and a Ph.D. in World Religions.

First of all, it depends on the church affiliation you run into that determines the usual anti pagan rhetoric. However, I can say from my own experiences, while these verbal attacks are hurtful as much as a physical attack, if you show them your heart many eventually will break down their “spiritual walls” and come to like you as a person and, eventually, begin to accept what you worship. When it comes to the actual moment that someone confronts you or asks you out of curiosity who and what you are, usually these specific church denominations break down and it is normally you and the Christian, not you and the Roman Catholic Church.

Why in the world did I want to go to a Christian Seminary? Well, I wanted a Ph.D. in World Religions and I also want to work, vocationally, in the Universalist Unitarian Church and in order to do that, one need to have a Masters of Divinity. I found a local seminary that appealed to me and I enrolled. My Ph.D. is for personal fulfillment. I love learning about the history of religious practices that has formed and evolved across the world. The most interesting aspect of these studies is seeing how the Goddess and the God has been a universal theme for every religion I have encountered, including some aspects of the Catholic Church. But that is for another article!

For me, my first day in Seminary was very scary. Not only am I a Pagan and a witch with a very pretty pentagram necklace adorning my neck in absence of a cross but also I am an out of the closet bisexual girl. The two usually do not mix well in a Christian Seminary and being a girl engaged to another girl only stirs a beehive in such a setting! The first week was rough and I would admit that. However, once I showed my heart to those around me, those barriers began to crumble.

Also, it helps to have open discussions with people so that they can learn more about you. Most people are afraid of witches because they know very little about us. They usually think we are satanic little devil worshippers who casts spells upon an altar of blood and pain. Once they begin to see that we actually worship earth, our Goddess and God and all things in our rituals are very peaceful then their defenses come down.

Understandably, I do not tell them details of my rituals. Not only is it not their business to know, but also I have oaths to keep. These oaths do not mean I am doing naughty secrets at the altar; it stems back to when we were persecuted and killed for our beliefs and it’s a tradition of secrecy I hold today. However, that does not mean I cannot be open about my practice. I just keep my specifics of worship to a minimum.

Through displaying your heart and your true intentions can another truly grasp the concept of acceptance. Show them your heart but do not show them too much. Be frank with Christians who ask you questions but do be frank too much. If they ask you a question, answer it within your boundaries of conviction and then ask them a question about themselves of equal value. If they do not answer, then you do not proceed with the questions and you close that door behind you because it is not fair for you to open your heart and soul and not the other person. However, if a dialogue or question and answer develop between you and a Christian then let that be a sign that doors are beginning to open.

Some may say “so what? I really do not care what any person thinks of me. I am my own person.” And that is a good philosophy to have. You are your own person and only you can control your own ship. However, I know from experience and being a lesbian, education is often the key to acceptance. Many times as I grew up, I heard gays, lesbians, and transgender people say “so who cares what they think. I do not need to explain myself to them.” I understand that concept. Trust me. However, when you talk to those who have opposing viewpoints, it is wise to open up and discuss the differences between the two people.

Persecution is a result of fear. Fear is a result of ignorance. Ignorance is a result of a lack of education. Educate those around you. Show them what a pagan is and show them what a pagan is not. Goddess never wants discord among us. They may be Christians. They may be Jews. They may be Muslim or Buddhist or Hindu but they are similar to us because they are our brothers and sisters of this earth and Goddess made them with just as much care as She made us.

I am rounding the end of my first year at Seminary. Everyone knows I am a witch. I am the only Wiccan listed as a Wiccan in the student directory. I am also class head of the diversity council and I am involved in many committee meetings and social events at the school as well as my local community. I may be the only Pagan at the seminary, but through the opening of my heart to others at the school I have been accepted by everyone and I pray you will to wherever your journeys take you!

I hope you take this advice and apply it if ever the time arises and I wish you well!

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.

How I Wear the Pentacle (or Not)

How I Wear the Pentacle (or Not)

Author: Dessie

If I had to guess I would say that most of the people who identify themselves as Pagan are familiar with this symbol: the pentacle. The pentacle is perhaps one of the most widely recognized Pagan symbols. It is seen in books, on Pagan websites, on television, and on Pagans and Wiccans themselves.

Whether you wear one yourself or you know someone who does, chances are you know that jewelry featuring pentacles is very popular with some Pagans. I myself have a pentacle necklace that I love to wear whenever I can. I’ve had some interesting experiences when wearing it or seeing someone else wearing one.

Probably nine times out of ten, if I’m wearing my pentacle necklace, it’s hidden under my shirt. This is just easier for me. This helps me avoid any unwanted conflict. But this also brings up questions from friends who know I’m Pagan and can’t seem to understand why I’d hide it. I’ve been asked way too many times, “Are you ashamed to let people know you’re Pagan? Why are you so embarrassed, girl?”

Very rarely do I wear my necklace where others can see it. If I’m at home, I don’t really care if it’s hidden. My family is aware of my Pagan beliefs and has come to accept them (at least a little bit) over the last several years (It’s been a long process) .

Sometimes, if I’m going somewhere alone or with Pagan friends, I’ll wear my necklace so it can be seen… really, just to see what it’s like and what might happen (a social experiment, if you will) . Thing is, this social experiment usually has negative results: everything from the nasty glares in the frozen foods section of Wal-Mart to the outright laughter and nasty comments at the movies with friends. But truly, I think that those people are a minority; most people don’t notice at all.

If I’m on campus (I’m a college student) and I’m wearing my pentacle necklace, it’s always hidden. The university I go to has a fairly strong Christian presence, and though I don’t think anyone would be truly nasty, I’ve never felt quite comfortable with the idea of being openly Pagan there.

If asked, for most of these last few years, I’ve always identified as a solitary Pagan. I’ve made Pagan friends in my own town, from my old high school, and online. I’ve even been in this situation in high school: I’d heard a rumor that a girl in one my classes was a Wiccan, so I pretty much just asked her at lunch, and we’re still good friends.

The first time I heard of Wicca or Paganism, I was more than halfway through my freshman year of high school. It was awesome at first. I met a group of friends (There were like six of them, not including me) who said they were Wiccan and started hanging with them. I borrowed books from them; we had conversations at lunch about witchcraft and the Goddess. We thought we were it. We were just totally awesome. Then I told my mom about my new interest and she freaked out. My parents convinced themselves I was worshipping Satan, but it was also just a phase that would pass. (Soon I’d decide I’d done bad and become a good Christian girl.)

Then the other students noticed. That’s when things started getting really bad. Some of my classmates cornered me after my last class (gym) one day and held a mock exorcism with someone’s cross necklace and “holy water” from the water fountain. A teacher who witnessed this did nothing to stop it. I also had a pentacle necklace I wore back then. I took it off one day because a bunch of students were laughing at me. It disappeared from my bag sometime between the end of lunch and the end of the school day. Summer was a welcome break that year. My parents thought I was over the whole “Wicca thing.”

Summer break was over too soon.

My sophomore year was miserable. Apparently, the rumor mill had a longer memory than I’d thought it would. I was picked on constantly from the first day back because of the group of friends I hung out with. I was lectured for reading articles on this website using the library computers during lunch. My teachers found out and started giving me these “that’s so sad” looks. How could such an intelligent honors student get caught up in something so bad?

It was a shock to have people react that way. I pretty much jumped head first into the “broom closet” (and I hadn’t even heard that term at the time) .

I reconnected with some (and made new) non-Wiccan friends (while ignoring the Wiccan ones at school) . I showed up at Christian events like “See you at the pole” before class and helped out when a local church held a food drive. I fought to make even better grades, to impress teachers and my parents. I felt like a poseur, a fake, and a liar. While junior year wasn’t exactly awesome, it wasn’t as bad as the first two years.

My senior year was awesome, and by far the best year of my high school education. That year made up for most of the horrible crap that went on during the first three years. By then the rumor mill had pretty much stopped buzzing, there were far more important things going on: college applications, class cookouts, and all around celebration. We were seniors! I was the “good girl” again by graduation day.

Over those years, my beliefs didn’t fade away, they grew stronger. My parents noticed this and I think that my being the “good girl” has made it easier for them to believe that I’m not worshipping Satan every night after they go to sleep. I read more and more. I tried to reconnect with those Wiccan friends (only to find that all but a few of them were “over it”) . For them, it had only been a fad, a passing phase to get attention from classmates. Others were angry that I’d pretty much abandoned them (and they had every right to be) .

At some point I can’t remember, I stopped calling myself “Wiccan” (with lots of exclamation points and smiley faces) and just became “Pagan.” I’ve had people tell me that I started out as a “fluffy bunny” and finally grew up and became a “serious Pagan.”

So, I’ve been asked many times: “Why don’t you wear your pentacle so people can see it? Are you ashamed to be Pagan? Why are you so embarrassed?”

The answer is no, I’m not ashamed. I’m not embarrassed and I don’t want to be. I’ve just learned that there is a time and a place for everything, including displaying religious symbols and beliefs. I’ve learned that this world isn’t the all-accepting place I’d thought it would be. Even though the First Amendment guarantees “freedom of religion, ” that doesn’t mean that others will accept or understand my beliefs. It doesn’t mean that they have to know about them either. I learned all of this the hard way.

I’ve worked so hard to make it to college, you don’t even know. I’m lucky that I made it at all; it’s not an easy thing to do. It’s expensive, the coursework is difficult, and if I can walk away better educated and with a degree in four years, then I’ll be better off for it.

Yes, overall college is a more accepting place with better people than I grew up with. I won’t trust it that much though. My early high school years were horrible. I don’t want my college years to be the same. I won’t risk it, and if you think I’m less for that…well fine, that’s your prerogative and your way, not mine.

If I’m wearing my pentacle necklace, chances are you won’t see it. It might be a long time before I change my religion on Facebook to “Pagan” (if I ever do; right now I’m thinking that won’t happen) . I don’t tell everyone I meet while walking down the street that I’m Pagan. My beliefs and my spirituality are my business and mine alone if I don’t want anyone else to know. That doesn’t mean I’m less proud of my beliefs than you are.

The Wicca Book of Days for March 9th – Watery Depths

The Wicca Book of Days for March 9th

Watery Depth

Like each of the other elements that play such an important role in astrology, today’s element, Water, has many symbolic correspondences, not east with the moon and the feminine principle, as well as with profound emotions, creativity, sensitivity, and insecurity. This is also the element that is equated with cups, the category of minor-arcana Tarot cards that corresponds to the hearts sit of playing cards. And according to the alchemical thought, the elemental spirits that symbolized water (comprising cold and moist qualities), were the undines, whom some likened to mermaids and mermen, and others to seahorses with human faces.

Spiritual Solidarity

Light a candle in solidarity with the Buddhist people of Tibet, whose Butter Lamp Festival (Chunga Choepa) is held around now. Yak butter is used to fuel lamps, which are lit to scare off demons, and butter sculptures of auspicious figures and symbols are also displayed.

Dark Night of the Soul

Dark Night of the Soul

Author: caity

Often, sinking as low as I can sink comforts me. Hitting the bottom. If I can feel the floor, then at least I know that’s as low as I’ll ever go, and I do not have to fear falling down or sinking any deeper than this. It’s a sobering, numbing, and leveling feeling. I have found myself curled up in fetal position upon the black depths of the ocean floor more than a few times. I am safe there, because I know that I can go no lower. I can sleep there, because I am not filled with hopes or expectations to distract me or fill my mind with the fear of not attaining them. My nerves can rest, because once living in the state of my fear and dread confirmed, I have nothing to fear any longer.

Some have said that I needed medication or therapy for depression at these times. I used to try both until I realized that, despite what society believes, my soul needed these experiences. Now, I gladly choose depression, if that is the direction my heart is taking at a given time. When it wants to come back to me, I open the door, and say, “Welcome back, old friend. Come in, and sit with me. Teach me something new.” For one who walks in the dark gains excellent night vision, and can navigate through darkness much more easily than one who only goes out in daylight. So I’ll let the sad or dark times tether me down to the floor for at least a little while. If I can make it to the floor without drowning, then I shall never drown.

The dark night of the soul must come upon all of us, especially those of us who are deeply aware of our own spiritual quests. For how can we live in true, natural balance if we have not had our own personal struggles, sufferings, and sorrows? If we are never faced with total aloneness or even neglect, how and when will we ever learn to introspect and look solely to our own selves (or Higher Self) for comfort, love, wisdom, and guidance?

I am grateful for the era of the dark night in my life, for it was in this time that I discovered Wicca. Without the dark night of the soul, I would have never wanted to look deeper. Without the dark night, I may never have felt the need to seek for answers. Without my aloneness, I would have had others to look to, and would have never had to face myself, to look to my own heart, and learn to introspect and find my true spirit. My true face would not have shown its light to guide me through. And I’d still be living on the surface, trying desperately to block out fear of the unknown depths of the ocean, never finding my true face at the floor of my spirit, nor discovering my own capabilities and potential.

The dark night of the soul taught me how to hold and soothe my own self. And perhaps most significantly, the dark experiences of my past made me who I am today. Truly, I would not be half the person I have become if it was not for my wounds and sorrows. This realization has taught me to believe that every experience, even what we perceive as the darkest or most negative, is actually yet another learning experience, an experiment of our existence, and something through which we can gain knowledge and wisdom. There is truly no such thing as objective negativity; all is subjective.

In the Christian theology, and indeed within our mainstream society, we must never transgress over into darkness, for darkness is always “evil.” But to me, and to most practitioners of Earth-based spirituality, darkness is just as necessary as light, and is a healthy, natural, and educational component of the human experience. As well, balance and moderation are the keys to enlightenment. The dark is there to balance the light, not necessarily to be at war with it, thus the dark itself can still bring about enlightenment. And besides, in every great tale of mythology or lore, the great hero’s journey always includes descending into the underworld. It is my belief that we all must descend into our own underworld in order to get the most out of our journey here. I truly believe that darkness and pain is not an evil monster or devil to be feared, but instead a force that has an alternate method of helping us, of blessing us, and of teaching us some of life’s most important lessons.

And strangely, I have even found now, after my journey through deeper waters, that even though I have come out and into bright light again, and all is fairly well in my life, I somehow still seek aloneness. I somehow still wish to retreat to myself, to remember my sorrows, and to find my bed in darkness. I want to curl up in the fetal position on the lowest, most numbing floor of my pain, deep down where I am entirely by myself, just to feel and remember the sensations of sadness. Sadness is a universally shared aspect of existence and humanity, thus I will embrace it as a testament to my aliveness. And when I see it this way, it actually feels good to me when I hit rock bottom. It’s comforting to level myself with the lowest of sorrows and wallow in them for a while. It is part of the natural range of human emotions, part of the human experience. It even gives me a strangely sickening feeling, which somehow paradoxically alleviates my fears by confirming them.

I once read that to be a Witch is to be alone. Indeed, my loneliest times were when I was most attracted to the idea of being a Witch, and the most involved in seeking my own spirituality through Wicca. I find Wicca and Paganism so refreshing for their non-resistance to the range in human emotions, including the ones that may not feel as “good, ” with the understanding that aliveness and life itself is to be embraced and felt with the senses, and for their stressing of natural objective balance over subjective human judgment. A Witch understands that experiences are not objectively “good” or “bad, ” but depend upon one’s perspective. Both sides of all dualities (light and dark, yin and yang, male and female) are equal and necessary, not to be fought against one another nor made into a “versus.” I could not agree with this philosophy more.

In conclusion, I believe that dualities can, do, and must coexist… and that we can learn to not only deal with, but also be comfortable with and even benefit from both sides of every coin, both ends of any spectrum. So while although the light is usually seen as what’s “good, ” this does not make darkness “bad” by default; darkness is simply a necessary part of one’s spiritual journey, a balancer to the light. Like everything, it can be used for positive growth and for drawing inner-strength and spiritual enlightenment in an entirely new, different, and challenging way.

This is what the dark night of the soul has taught me… because I did not fight it, I let it in, and I let it teach me. What has the dark night of your soul taught you?

The Wicca Book of Days for March 8th – Planting Advice

The Wicca Book of Days for March 8th

Planting Advice

English writer Gervase Markham’s seventeenth-century almanac, entitled “The English Hus-wife,” advised the sowing of seeds in March that would provide the household’s supply of herbs, scented flowers, and vegetables later in the year. It was important to match certain seeds to specific lunar phases, he noted, as follows: “In March, the Moon being new, sow Garlic, Chevil, Marjoram, white Poppy double Marigolds, thyme and Violets. At the Full Moon, the wane, Artichokes, Basil, Cucumbers, Spinach, Gillyflowers, Cabbage, Lettuce, Burnets, Leeks and Savory.”

Mother Earth Day

Either follow Markham’s advice today or celebrate Mother Earth Day, as is done in China. “Plant” congratulatory gifts of flowers, coins and other objects symbolizing fertility and prosperity in soil, in the hope that the coming agricultural year will be a fruitful and rich one.

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)