The spiritual meaning of number Three deals with magic, intuition, fecundity, and advantage. The number Three invokes expression, versatility, and pure joy of creativity. Three is also a time identifier as it represents Past, Present and Future. Consecutive Threes in your life may symbolize the need to express yourself creatively, or consider your present directional path in relation to past events and future goals. Three may also represent promising new adventures, and assurance of cooperation from others whom you may require help. Three typically symbolizes reward and success in most undertakings.
Tag: Wicca
The ‘Power’ Of A Word
The ‘Power’ Of A Word
Author: Lady GoldenRaven
I am so tired of hearing the constant misuse of one particular word: POWER.
We need to lose the egos people. Being a Wytch, Pagan, or Wiccan is not about power. It is about honoring and celebrating the Old Ones and Their Ways. It is about keeping them alive.
Being a Wytch (from this point on WYTCH will refer to Wytch, Pagan and Wiccan only to simplify the writing) is about caring for Mother Earth and her children. These children include ALL life, not just human. Being a Wytch is about honoring the God and Goddess. It is about observing the Sabbats as well as other rituals.
First, we must understand what the word power itself means. According to Merriman Webster Dictionary, the word power means:
Main Entry: 1pow·er
Function: noun
Pronunciation: ‘pau (- and ) r
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English, from Old French poeir, from poeir to be able, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin potere, alteration of Latin posse — more at POTENT
1 a (1) : ability to act or produce an effect (2) : ability to get extra-base hits (3) : capacity for being acted upon or undergoing an effect b : legal or official authority, capacity, or right
2 a: possession of control, authority, or influence over others b: one having such power; specifically: a sovereign state c: a controlling group
For most people, the word usually refers to the second meaning: possession of control, authority, or influence over others. For those making the transition from other religions to the Old Ways, they misuse this word.
As a Wytch, we DO have power according to the first definition. We can produce effects, but we can also misuse it as in the second definition.
Being a Wytch for over 30 years, I have seen many folks attempt to threaten others with their wytchy “powers”. I have seen wytches brag how “powerful” they are over other wytches.
In those 30 years, all those who claim to have this “power” have all misused it. They use it to control other people.
They use it to get what they want instead of either working for it, or obtaining it from some other means such as bartering for it. Most of what they want is not material items, but just the ability to “show off” to friends, feel threatening to those they wish to bully.
We need to first of all, strip the old familiar mindset of what power truly is. The power as described in the second definition is one that comes from man’s need to control everything. Yes, I mean men as opposed to women.
Don’t get me wrong, many women throughout history have misused this as well, but true misuse did not come along until Christianity and when MEN decided they had more power than women. I am not writing this to bash men–that is not my intent.
When women ruled this planet, there was a lot less war, killing, and rape? Puh–leeease!
But, I digress.
I hear so many young people say that they turned to Wytchcraft for the power. They are NOT in it for the religion. This upsets me terribly. We are trying to get rid of negative connotations to our religion and along come those who think they can have Power like they see on television.
I tell people, if I were a wytch like they portray on television, why would I be working my butt off week after week? I would not be in debt; I would have enough food so I would not go hungry, etc.
If I were a wytch as seen on television, I would be popping over to Paris for lunch with a twytch of my nose. I would be in the Bahamas with a blink of my eye during the cold winter nights.
I would not be driving a car that is old and falling apart. I would drive my Mercedes one day, my Porsche the next. I would have hit the lottery for millions several times over.
You get the picture.
What really almost pushed me to my limits was an event that occurred the other day. Debbie, a friend of mine considered an “adopted” daughter, is under my guidance as she learns our Ways.
She met a 23 yr old girl whom I will call Mary and they were talking about wytchcraft.
Mary said my daughter, ” I am more powerful than you will ever be!”
At age 23!
This girl claims to have more power than those older than her?
The wrath of a pissed off Wytch comes to the surface. Now, all my self-control was sorely needed. Not just because I felt the urge to just slap her silly, but I also had to watch my mouth.
I think the definition of the word ‘Power ‘should be changed to “the ability to maintain control over oneself”.
I am glad I had some time in between hearing the above statements and in my future meeting with Mary. It gave me time to think how I would handle this situation. I am still torn in some ways. The egotistical human side of me wants to just beat her down (verbally), but the Old Crone in me knows there is a better way to handle this situation.
I think we need to redefine the word power. As wytches, we do have the ability to influence not just other people, but events our professions, etc.
Have you ever heard the phrase: He had the Power to Influence others on the jury?” (Ok, the statement is redundant. It is like saying He had the Power to Power others.)
Our biggest “job” as a wytch is to not just worshipping and praying to our respective God/Goddesses, it is not only to heal Mother Earth and Her children.
Our biggest job is not letting egos affect us in any way.
We are HUMAN–we will NEVER be so powerful that we can instantly snap our fingers and have a mansion appear on our path.
Our jobs in healing the earth and in other rituals and/or spell works that we do is, in fact, to act only as a conduit through which the Ancient Ones may affect Their will. They alone know the Big Plan.
Let’s say we were doing a healing ritual for a person who is ill. This person recovers. Did WE do the actual healing? No. We sent our energies, prayers, and thought forms to the Ancient Ones. It was in Their plan that this person recover.
What if this person had crossed over? Some people blame themselves. Again, it is not our choosing nor is it our call on what happens to whom. If this person has crossed, the Ancient Ones had it in Their plans long before any of us were born.
As a Reiki Master/Teacher, I give my body to the God/Goddess to use as a conduit for their energy to heal. One can stand in the room and feel the heat increasing.
I am not supplying the energy that is being used to heal. If this were the case, none of the Healers in this world would be doing anything except sleeping to restock their supply of energy. The amount of energy used is far greater than what I as a human could ever “conjure” up.
Final words: Drop the word POWER from your repertoire. You really are not all that mighty and powerful.
Grasping Witchcraft
Grasping Witchcraft
Author: Charmed By The Moon
I know the title is a bit misleading as Witchcraft isn’t something we can physically hold. In fact, it’s more of something we can embrace and become. I’m referring more to the idea of getting a hold on it, seeing it, understanding it and living it.
I’ve been on this road for so long but haven’t made the true connection to the facts and ideas that are Witchcraft. There is so much to learn and so much to do and so much to envelop, it can often feel like a horse running down the road and I’m trying to get a rope on it to bring it back in again. It gets away from me sometimes. It becomes too big for me to truly grasp and hold close to me.
Some would say, “Well faith isn’t something you can capture; it is a free moving spirit of the Universe knowing no bounds, limits, or time”.
I agree to a point.
How do Christians and Jewish and Muslim people get a hold of their religion? I believe in some cases it is indoctrinated into them at birth and they have spent years studying and applying what they learn through weekly ritual, holidays etc. They have parents and family and friends in the same realms and it becomes a part of their life.
They have many years of preparation and teaching to reach the important milestones of their particular faith. There are huge parties and gatherings of celebration, families bonding and loving, and a strong sense of community.
That’s fine and wonderful if you are of a major Belief System but what about us? Or should I say me?
What about the Witchcraft of today and how it is still perceived by our peers?
There is no building to belong to, no sense of community really. No one wants to hear how you just made a second initiation and chose a new name. No one wants to know what crystals you bought for ritual. No one cares about the books and discoveries you are making.
Point is unless you have friends and family in the know, you don’t have any real support or ways to learn and certainly no one to celebrate with that might matter to you.
I do have a partner in my life and for that I am grateful and he too is on the same road as I but he knows about as much as I do. We can share moments and lessons but we still need more, still need direction so I set it as my personal goal to gain enlightenment on a different level at least for myself.
That leaves us on fact-finding missions. It leaves us open to strangers in our Belief System to guide us. (Some of which I have to say based on personal experience are total flakes!) Or, we meet people whom ‘don’t owe us anything’ and they choose not to teach what they have learned or even help to get us started. Fine. They have the right.
Next we have books by 1, 000 authors at least! Some writers and practitioners are on the same page, others are more complex, more don’t make any sense, some are so busy saying “this is the only way” and how do they really know? Books are great but there is no real way to ask a book a question! No way to talk to the author directly so it leaves many an unanswered query. So then we move to the online world and there is no real way to know if the person on the other end is real or not, what their motivations are, what they represent and where do they get their information. I suppose you can find a local coven and hope they accept you if your willing to do the work. Again these are strangers and you are in a vulnerable state as it is and for some insecure people they can fall into a terrible way.
It can be such a lonely world and very disheartening. There had to be a better way and I think I may have found it! I had to put some trust in someone I didn’t know and I am pleasantly surprised to say the least.
I paid for my classes. I exchanged money for knowledge.
Granted it isn’t a lot but there is a personal responsibility to each person and we carry it out. I know there are many people who are telling me that I shouldn’t have to pay. I can find information everywhere and yes, I have indeed found info. I’ve found so much I can’t organize it all and I don’t know how to manage one particular sect of Witchcraft.
I’m overwhelmed. I need direction, accountability, projects, motivation, detail, organization and even coaching.
That’s it!
I needed a Witch Coach! I needed someone to break it down and give me a starting point.
So, after a 2-year search and investigation I did come across one woman. She teaches many classes in person as well as correspondence and her style completely resonates with me, and I like her! I like the way she thinks. I like how she isn’t all about props and deliverance as much as common sense and developing natural ability. I got a cool little lesson book with projects, ritual ideas, reading material, supplies to buy, etc. and a nice note saying to me “Welcome” and a few other things.
I loved it. Granted I’ve not had a conversation with her yet and I will soon but I still felt like someone was at least a nice person and to the point. Anyone can say welcome to the group but I picked up a sincere feeling.
Upon receiving my materials I set out to start by doing the first lesson and I am still doing them day-by-day.
I feel good and I feel like I might actually one day grasp the element of being a Witch. I know I am one. I always knew but didn’t know how to get it off the ground.
It isn’t a race to ensue one’s faith; it is a journey of mind, body and spirit and it is meant to be as such. I want to taste it in my breath, feel it in my soul, and wake everyday knowing I am special and I know what many others do not know but seek.
No one can become anything over night. it takes study and determination and a natural love of what your doing. It takes wanting it more than you’ve wanted anything and not giving up because it becomes hard. In reality if we don’t learn how to do things right, we can cause more harm than good.
In all the information I’ve gathered in four years I couldn’t differentiate what was bogus and what was truth and then who deemed it to be truthful? I discovered I have to find my own truth in what makes sense to me and what calls to me.
I found it, finally.
Please, Don’t Think You Know Me!
Please, Don’t Think You Know Me!
Author: Lady Abigail
“I have no fear of who you see,
For I can be only me.”
For me, it was a wonderful gift, being raised in the love and nurturing compassion of my Great Grandmother and learning from her the wisdom of family and history of her heritage, which was mixed in Native American traditions, Ozark Magick, Healing and Wisdom. She was truly an amazing person, and, oh yes, she was a Witch.
But it was not something she dressed up in; it was just simply who she was.
My Great Grandmother was a small woman just barely five foot tall. I would have to guess that she weighed maybe a hundred pounds and that would if she was soaking wet. For most of my life, I remember her wearing dark skirts and long-sleeve blouses even in summer. She wore a bonnet and sometimes gloves to keep the sun from darkening her skin. She dressed much as she had in her younger days.
She was in no way a threatening-looking person. In fact she was quite the opposite. Reflecting back, I would have to say, she gave the appearance of a “little house on the prairie” schoolteacher. But, those who knew her, truly knew her and respected her for the force of nature that she was unto this world, a person of good, healing, and wisdom.
Occasionally I would hear people saying things about my Great Grandmother and her being a Witch. I understood, even as a child, people enjoyed saying things about other people as long as they were not around. Sometimes it was about her goodness, but it was often filled with their fear and ignorance for someone they were afraid to know.
Over the years I have had people assume that because my Great Grandmother was a practicing Witch, it must have been somehow hard on me. Perhaps they believed that my Great Grandmother’s house was filled with rat tails and bat wings. Others would assume that since I was born into a family of Witches, then that made me a Witch.
Okay, kind of, yes, but not exactly.
My Great Grandmother believed that you were whom you made yourself into, the choice being yours. She taught me and gave me the gifts of knowledge, magick, and understanding of the powers hidden within the moon, earth, and nature. However, I had to also study and learn them.
Then, as I grew, the lessons grew and in time I learned that living within a world of magick, meant you would be learning for the rest of you life.
Witches know that once we open that first book, that study and knowledge are like a thirst we can never quench; a thirst that truly gives us an understand that surpasses every part of life.
Recently I had a young ‘witchlit’ make the comment that, “people were afraid of her … you know, since she was a witch and all.” (scary) But that is only because they knew that they should not mess with her, or make her mad because if she got mad, no telling what would happen.
I laughed, since most people have no idea I am a witch. I’m not in the broom closet by any means; I just don’t announce it as I walk into a room. I don’t need too.
In time, I will tell those in my life, friends outside my magick world, if I feel they need to know, which normally comes after they have a chance to get to know me. Then I let them decided how they feel about me, who and what they think I am.
If they stay in my life, I will cherish them. If they walk away, I let them go with understanding.
My Great Grandmother taught me at a young age, that it is not fear that brings a person respect. It only brings fear. And fear will in time breed hatred and contempt.
Unfortunately, there are some in our life’s who seem to confuse the two of these. Respect and Honor come from what others see deep within us, from our deeds and not our words.
My Great Grandmother was a Witch, but she was so much more. She was a daughter of the old south with Native American parents who walked the trail and escaped into a new life. She was the sister of a brother who was taken away by a religion that was not of her family’s believing, then forced by the government to send him away on a train to never be seen or heard from again. She was a wife and a mother. She was a widow and understood the struggles and joys of marriage, life, family, as well as the pains of losing those she loved.
Her husband died in World War I and her only son died in World War II. She was an honored grandmother and great grandmother. (Now a great-great-grandmother, as well.) She was a woman of means who survived alone and raised a family with no aid from anyone during the great depression.
Yes, she was a Witch, a Shaman, a Healer and a Wise Women. But she was so much more. All anyone even needs to have done was ask and she would have welcomed him or her into her life.
I have had people tell me that it freaked them out once they found out I was a practicing Witch. I have had some people feel so uncomfortable with that knowledge that they had to separate themselves from me completely, somehow unable to see past a label to the person within. How funny that people want to think they can guess who we are by just looking at us or by the title we carry in our life.
I have to tell you it is not a good idea to think you know someone because of how they dress, how they look, or what they may do in their life’s.
If you met me on a street, it is possible you would think I was the church lady. Other days you might think I was a streetwalker. But you never really know who a person is on the inside, unless they share that part of themselves with you.
Most of us know how to carefully mask the secrets we protect within ourselves. But that is because we carry our power within our spirits. No one can take it, nor do we give it away. We don’t need to put on a show, or act high and mighty to prove to someone who we are.
We know already.
In peace and magick,
Lady Abigail
Footnotes:
FYI: Practicing Witch- One who is actively working at the profession and skill of magick and/or Witchcraft. A Witch of continuing study and actively presuming additional levels of skill within the craft.
A Witch endeavoring to learn and grow beyond. Establishing magickal habits and continuing methods. Uninterrupted growth and study within the chosen occupation and skills of magick and/or Witchcraft.
Planning and Performing Handfastings
Planning and Performing Handfastings
Author: Iris Firemoon
Handfastings are pagan wedding ceremonies, in which typically the couple’s hands are tied together to symbolize the joining of two people, or specifically, “tying the knot”. A handfasting can be a trial, lifetime, or eternal (spiritual) marriage. Depending on the intent of the couple and the national, state, or province laws, a handfasting can be a legal marriage as well.
Regardless of the legal or time extent of the union, marriages typically have one requirement. Both parties must willingly consent to a joining. However, this is not always a universal requirement.
In Ireland and Scotland, during the early Christian period it was a form of trial marriage, often performed in rural areas when a priest was not available. The couple could form a temporary, trial marriage, and then be married “in the Church” the next time a priest visited their area. This is similar to a betrothal, or a ceremony of exchanging vows of consent to a marriage at a future date and/or agreeing to a marriage contract.
“Telltown marriages” were named for the year and a day trial marriages contracted at the yearly festival held in Telltown, Ireland. The festival took place at Lughnassadh (August 1), and the trial marriage would last until the next Lughnassadh festival. At that time, they were free to leave the union if they desired.
We are going to explore two sides to a handfasting. On one side, we are planning the handfasting, and on the other, we are officiating. While not all of us will plan a handfasting, and not all of us will officiate them, these topics go hand in hand.
To plan a wedding, you must understand what it takes from your officiant, and to officiate, you must understand what goes into planning it. Priests and Priestesses are in essence clergy of this religion, and it may be requested of us to perform or aid in these duties.
PLANNING A HANDFASTING: While there are lots of things to consider when planning a wedding, such as a caterer and photographer, today we will stick to planning the ceremony itself.
When picking a date, the astrological influences around that time should be taken into consideration. At the very least, you would probably want to steer clear of getting hitched during a moon void-of-course, Mercury Retrograde, or when the Sun is in opposition of Venus.
Who to put on the guest list is an important fact to think about. When thinking of non-Pagan family members, and even those you will invite that might scoff at the idea of a Pagan wedding, the couple has to sit down and decide how obviously pagan they are going to let the ceremony become. In what a handfasting ritual implies and was first practiced in Wicca, there was no audience of people invited for the novelty of sharing the experience, or non-Craft people. However, since our society is more open to these experiences, things have changed.
Some families are more open to new experiences, and other families are more conservative. A wedding is not the best place to come out of the broom closet. Not only could it ruin a day that is considered to be special to most people, but also it could make everyone uncomfortable, and cause problems down the road.
However, allowing the thoughts and beliefs of family members to heavily influence the ceremony that you want could create feelings of regret. Think about what you and your partner want in the ceremony, and then think about how the guests would respond.
If the couple is set on having a more elaborate handfasting, but do not want to involve family and friends, two ceremonies could be held. The legal bond could be established at a more non-denominational ceremony, while the spiritual bond is fortified in an all-out handfasting.
My good friend who got married in 2004, she sent out a notice in her invitations about the nature of the ceremony. This gave guests a chance to opt out then. I believe that she also passed out programs that explained some of the various part of the ritual (their purpose, some history, and explanation), as well as contained the script of the ritual. The priestess also reinforced these explanations during the ceremony. She also let people come forward after the ceremony and ask questions.
When planning for cowan family members and friends, there are many elements standard to ritual that must be considered, such as the language of the ceremony, the altar, attire, casting a circle, calling quarters, cakes and ale, etc.
One way to make family and friends more comfortable with the background of the ceremony is to adapt the softer language. I have written and performed handfastings in which the couple asked that I omit words that may be misunderstood…such as Witch, Wiccan, and Pagan. Instead, I would create a strong earth-based theme in my ceremony.
I described concepts in terms of the cycles of the sun and the moon, our connection to all things, and in the symbolism of the circle. It may also be wise to explain the history and practice of included elements in the ceremony that might be alien to the guests, such as jumping over the broom, binding, the circle as sacred space, etc.
Keep in mind the attire that you will wear. While Pagan ritual attire is different than traditional wedding garb, you may want to think twice about what you wear. For example, you probably will not want to end up skyclad in front of your parents, and that it typically illegal in public. It would also be a wise move to alert Craft folk attending about any general attire suggestions, mention that family and friends will be in attendance, and to keep that in mind.
Also, think about other traditional elements of rituals, such as how the altar will be structured, whether or not you will set the area up in a physical circle, as well as cast a circle, and call Quarters, Goddess, and God.
Most rituals involved us casting a circle, and with a handfasting, this is no exception. Because of non-pagan family guests, some choose to cast and call the quarters before the guests arrive.
At my most recent ceremony, I all of the prep work, while the bride and groom sorted their affairs. A good friend of mine got married and had us cast a circle while the guests were there. Guests were explained the importance of the magick circle, sacred space, and the barrier that it created. They could then choose to sit inside the circle, or outside the circle.
There are many elements of a handfasting that make it different from other rituals, such as a wedding party, binding, challenge, exchange of vows and rings, as well as jumping over the broom.
Who’s in the wedding party? Handfastings are not the typical ritual, and as a result, we end up with some non-typical situations. If the guests at a wedding are cowan and Pagan, then there is a chance that some of the wedding party may be a mix.
The wedding party can range from coven members and Pagan friends, to the Pagan-friendly and the pagan-skeptical. Keep this in mind when planning on whether or not your wedding party will participate in the actual ceremony.
Find out whether or not they are comfortable with the roles that you are thinking of assigning them, and make sure that they know what to expect. The wedding party can take on group roles, such as setting up the altar, casting the circle, and calling quarters, etc.
Most weddings include an exchanging of vows, which are promises that the bride and groom make to each other. More conventional handfastings will also include exchanging of rings.
During the binding, the wrists of the bride and groom are bound together with ribbon. They clasp right_hand-to-right_hand, and left_hand-to-left_hand, crossing wrists. The priest/ess asks one of them if they wish to be bound to the other. This takes place of traditional “I do’s.”
Then, they may be a set of challenges the bride and group must pass to receive a blessing. The bride and groom, bound, are led to each element, then to any close family members (such as little ones) who want to participate. Bound, their bond is challenged by each.
Either the bride and groom are brought to each quarter, or the person representing that quarter (if you have them) comes to the bride and groom. They present a challenge of some sort, such as “I am the Elemental of the East, Guardian of Air. This is the element of life, of intelligence, of communication, and of thoughtfulness. It is the inspiration that moves us forward.
Do you and will you continue to share your thoughts, ideas, and burdens? Your hopes and dreams?” The bride and groom answer “We do.” They may then receive the blessing of that challenger.
Then, move around through a challenge by the remaining quarter guardians. In one handfasting I participated in, after the elemental challenges, the daughter of the bride had her own challenge. I would imagine that it could be extended to any person directly involved in the union.
When cakes and ale are partaken, this is the bride and groom’s first meal as a united couple.
Jumping over the broom is an African tradition still used today. Brooms were given as wedding gifts as a blessing of abundance, and they were decorated, and kept as keepsakes.
The action of jumping the broom also symbolizes crossing the threshold, as well as taking a leap of faith. Since the besom is a tool of cleansing, it also symbolizes the couple entering the marriage unencumbered. The wedding party or designated people hold the ends of the broom, while the bride/groom jump over it.
For more information on planning a handfasting, Selena Fox put together a great page: http://www.circlesanctuary.org/events/weddings.html
OFFICIATING A HANDFASTING: As priests and priestesses, we are sometimes asked, and at times required, to perform certain clergy duties. Included in the rites of passage that we may be asked to preside over are handfastings.
Not all handfastings are intended to be legal. Some are trial, some symbolic, and some only spiritual ceremonial unions. Legally recognized marriages have several benefits, however none of them are universal to all cultures and countries. In the United States, some of the benefits of a legal marriage include the ability to file joint taxes (which may decrease their total income tax), to control property, to be added to the same insurance policy, to make decisions for their spouse (including life and death decisions, such as the controversial “pulling the plug” scenario), and others.
Legal marriages also afford some spouses benefits should the couple divorce, such as child and spousal support. They can also sometimes establish the man as the legal father of a woman’s child, the woman as the legal mother of a man’s child, give the husband or wife and their family control over the sexual services, labor, and/or property of the spouse, and establish a joint fund of property for the benefit of children.
However, each state, province, or country will have its own requirements for deeming a marriage legal. As the officiant of any wedding ceremony, it is your responsibility to find out what is legally required of the ceremony, if the couple desires it to be legal. You cannot risk performing a ceremony that the couple believes is legal, and finding out later on that it was not. Should something ill happen as a result, you put yourself at risk for a lawsuit.
For example, a person could attempt to add a spouse (who was not previously covered) onto his or her insurance plan, but only to discover that their marriage was not legal, and cannot be added on to the policy. While they are wrestling with paperwork and arranging another ceremony that is legal, the spouse that was not covered is in an accident, all of which is not covered by any insurance.
Check with the local courts for the exact laws for the area. A marriage license, blood test, witnesses, and a licensed officiant may be required (among other things). For example, in Ohio, a marriage license must be obtained by the bride and groom in person at least three days prior to the ceremony. This license is valid for only 30 days. A blood test is no longer necessary.
However, if not a judge, mayor, or other public figure deemed eligible to perform such ceremonies, the officiant must be licensed by the State of Ohio. To obtain a license, the officiant must mail in $10 with an application and a photocopy of the ordination certificate.
While any person can officiate a handfasting, whether or not the ceremony that person performs is legally recognized depends on each state, province, or country. The area that you live in will have its own laws on who can officiate marriages and have them recognized by the government.
Some places require a license, some say that anyone ordained by their religious body can perform weddings, and others require a letter of good standing from the ordaining organization. In Washington D.C., a license must be obtained, and if you are not from the District, a person that is currently licensed in the city must go with you to vouch for you.
There is more information on various state and region laws here, but keep in mind that you will still want to verify with the local courts: http://www.themonastery.org/?destination=ulcLibraryMarriageLaws
To find someone to officiate your handfasting: http://www.witchvox.com/vn/vn_index/xclergy.html
Now, where can you get ordained? Ordination can occur through any religious body. Ordination “is the process in which clergy, monks or nuns are set apart and authorized by their religious denomination or non denominational seminary to perform religious rituals and ceremonies or otherwise to minister in a clerical capacity.” It typically occurs when a student has completed a certain level of study, or certain requirements within a religious group, and thus the requirements vary from group to group.
While eclectic Wicca teaches that self-initiation is permissible, thus indicating that this person is a priest or priestess of Wicca, this person is still not ordained.
In the U.S., most people have heard of the Universal Life Church, and its free online ordinations. I typically do not talk about it, because I do not believe that every person should go online and sign up for ordination, though it is possible. While there are laws on the legality of weddings, and the requirements to perform legal marriages, there are no laws on which religious bodies can perform ordinations.
If Wicca is a recognized religion, and a religious body deems a person capable of performing such ceremonies, then that person is ordained. But I would rather not mail in an ordination certificate from my Wiccan coven to the state of Ohio. Yes, I would rather mail in my ULC certificate for which I paid $4.95. It also gives solitaries the ability to apply for licenses if required and legally perform marriage ceremonies.
There is information on the ULC website as to which states accept and do not accept ULC ordinations, as well as which countries outside of the U.S. do accept them. Many people consider it a joke that people’s pets can be ordained through ULC. Of course, I feel that those people make it a joke, for it serves its purpose.
To check the Universal Life Church: http://www.ulc.org
In some situations, you may be asked to write the ceremony, or give input as to some of the elements. You must be familiar with the elements of a handfasting, as well as how to write and perform rituals. You should at least have a basic handfasting ritual that can be adapted if need be (somewhere stuffed in your pointed hat). If they wish to write their own, this basic ritual can also be given to the couple as a guideline.
You may be asked to counsel the couple, or be put in a situation where the couple needs advice. It is not uncommon for either the bride or groom to get cold feet, to ask questions about commitment, or have questions about the ceremony itself. It is part of the clergy role to act as a mentor and guide.
Be prepared to answer these sorts of questions, should they come up. However, if there are major differences that need to be reconciled, you may want to refer the couple to a professional that can help them sort issues out.
You also have the right to advise the couple address these issues before the ceremony, and even refuse to perform the ceremony should you feel it necessary.
While officiating a ceremony, you have the option of charging for services. Some people feel that it is unethical to charge for such services, but it is a service nonetheless. Some areas have laws establishing a maximum amount that can be charged for ministerial services.
Some of these laws are vague and say, for example, that no more than $15 dollars can be charged for the service of a minister. This type of wording does not say how much work is worth $15. Writing a ritual could be one set of services, performing the ceremony another set of services, etc. Check your local laws for specific information. When I officiate handfastings, I do not charge for my services, but have usually asked that my travel costs be covered.
Suggested reading:
Handfasted and Heartjoined by Lady Rhea
Handfasting and Wedding Rituals by Raven Kaldera and Tannin Schwartzstein
A Romantic Guide to Handfasting by Anna Franklin
Footnotes:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handfasting
http://www.religioustolerance.org/mar_hand.htm
http://www.themonastery.org/?destination=ulcLibraryMarriageLaws
Handfasting and Wedding Rituals by Raven Kaldera and Tannin Schwartzstein
The Top 5 Things Your Local Witch Wants You to Know
The Top 5 Things Your Local Witch Wants You to Know
Author: Holly Risingstar
I am a fairly ordinary woman. I’m in my early thirties; I have a Master’s Degree in Counseling Services; I work with families in crisis. I’ve got two kids, a husband, and family nearby; I love the arts, shopping, beadwork, travel, and photography. I’m addicted to the Grey’s Anatomy and Heroes. I drive a black Honda that has seen better days. I wish gas prices would go down. I’m in desperate need of a haircut.
Oh, and did I mention, I’m a witch?
No, really.
I was born into a nominally Jewish family and had five years’ worth of Hebrew school growing up, but it never felt right to me. I never felt connected, spiritually, to God. By the time I was hitting my teens, I had started to read more and more about the occult, and finally came across Scott Cunningham’s book Wicca: a Guide for the Solitary Practitioner (considered by many to be the best introductory book on Wicca there is). Finally, I Got It. Something inside me knew this was my path, where I was supposed to be and what I was supposed to be doing. I’ve been Wiccan for 17 years now, and I’ve never looked back.
Wicca is an earth-based, non-Judeo-Christian religion. The modern form was created from various pieces of pagan religion by Gerald Gardner in the 1930s, but from there has exploded into a rainbow of traditions, each with its own particular blend of magic, faith, and morals. Wicca is a legally recognized religion in the U.S and you can even have it imprinted on your dog tags in the Armed Forces. It is often cited as being the fastest-growing religion in the country.
When asked to write this piece on Wicca, I considered carefully what I might want to say. Should I launch into a defense of my beliefs? Normalize Wicca with other religions? Simply compare and contrast? Deliver an anecdotal “Day in the Life of a Witch” kind of thing?
I settled on this:
THE TOP FIVE THINGS YOUR LOCAL WITCH WOULD WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT WICCA
1.We are not Satanists.
You heard it here first! Wicca does not subscribe to a Judeo-Christian belief in God; therefore, we don’t believe in a Devil, Hell, or Heaven. Wiccans revere nature and treat the Mother Earth with great respect. Many (though not all) of us believe in some aspect of the Goddess; many also believe in some form of the God, Her consort.
The most common belief system involves the Triple Goddess; a Mother Goddess, symbolized by the moon, who watches over mothers and children, family and all matters pertaining to that phase of a woman’s life; a Maiden Goddess, who reigns over joy, youth, vitality, freedom, and so on; and a Crone Goddess, who holds the secrets of magic and is the Guardian of the Crossroads (in other words, a death-related Goddess. Not one who causes death, mind, but who assists those who are in this stage of existence.)
Often the Goddess has a God consort, symbolized by the Sun, who is her lover and assists her with Creation of all things. Often he is associated with forests, certain animals, and a vast variety of human experiences ranging from sex to war to creativity. One of the great joys of Wicca is the ability to choose which Goddesses and Gods have meaning and connection for you – though they’ve been known to choose the practitioner!
2.We have one law – An It Harm None, So Mote It Be.
Which means don’t harm anyone, including yourself. Sounds fairly simple, right? Not so easy. It’s a tough moral code to live by. We cannot, in good conscience, take revenge, cause harm, or cause another person problems on purpose. No killing, no stealing, respecting other human beings – sound familiar?
3.You probably know one of us.
Wiccans (and pagans of all flavors) are everywhere. We come from all walks of life; nurses, doctors, teachers, lawyers, convenience store clerks, computer programmers, business owners, you name it. We are not necessarily the odd chick down the street with the long hippie skirts and twelve cats. . .ok, well, she might be one of us.
We have our share of hippies, vegans, Goths, and assorted subcultures. But you won’t necessarily know us just looking at us – most people I tell about my religious leanings are surprised. As a co-worker (and devout Christian) recently said to me, “I was so surprised that you are – you know, what you are. I kept saying, “How can Holly be a heathen? She’s so nice!”
4.Yes, we do cast spells.
It’s very similar to praying. Spell casting simply means using rituals to help bring about a desired outcome; no more, no less. A conscientious witch never casts on another human being without that person’s consent and full knowledge, and she won’t do it for money, if she’s the real deal. Witches try never to violate another person’s free will. There are no big flashes like in the movies; I can’t fly, float, or make things disappear (though there’s a shot if I put it on my desk!), and lightning has certainly never flown out of my fingertips.
What I can do is help protect, heal, bring about some occurrences (like employment or good legal results), marry couples and bless children, and things of that nature. I do not hex, curse, or cause harm through magic. It’s not cool with the Goddess.
5.You may have participated in a Wiccan or Pagan tradition.
We have holidays, creation myths, and rituals just like any other religion.
Wiccans generally celebrate eight high holidays: Samhain (pronounced so-when) on October 31st is one of them. That jack o’lantern on your porch? Started out as turnips, decorated to keep away evil spirits. Next comes Yule, the Winter Solstice, on December 21st – and if you have a Christmas tree, know that it started as the use of evergreen to symbolize life and rebirth in Roman and Druidic rituals.
Following are Candlemas on February 2nd, which celebrates the lambing of the ewes and the returning spring; Litha, the spring equinox, on March 21st; Beltane on May 1st, which celebrates life, generativity, and is where the Maypole comes from (you are dancing around a phallus to make the fields fruitful, folks!) Next, the Summer Solstice on June 21st, then Lammas on August 2nd, which celebrates the height of summer.
Lastly we have Mabon, the autumnal equinox, which ends the cycle of growth and prepares us for Samhain and the winter to come. We also celebrate and worship on the night of the full moon; we may also celebrate life events like births, weddings, maturation of our children, and death. In this way we remain close to the cycles of the earth, never forgetting who we are and what is happening in the world around us.
Wicca and Paganism are rapidly becoming mainstreamed. Your local bookstore probably has a decent-sized section on Metaphysical Studies, and you’ll find plenty on the religion there.
We have our own magazines, hundreds of websites, bumper stickers, T-shirts, music, and so on. Being Wiccan or Pagan does not necessarily mean we’re strange; it means that we have a different belief system than the general American public.
If you run across a Wiccan or a Pagan, don’t be afraid to ask us questions. We won’t come to you, but if you ask we’re generally happy to share what we know with others. Most witches are delighted to have a chance to combat the stereotyping and misconceptions the public has of us.
When we part, Wiccans often say, “Blessed Be.” And so I’ll leave you with a Blessed Be – merry met, merry part, and merry meet again.
Footnotes:
Previously published in a Mensa newsletter.
The Rede Does Not Say “Harm None”
The Rede Does Not Say “Harm None”
Author: Praxiteles
I have always been puzzled over the general notion that the Wiccan Rede can be reduced to “harm none”, but it wasn’t until recently that the significance of this dawned on me. Ethics and morality in Western culture are almost always the ethics of denial, restriction, and rules, instead of the ethics of opportunity.
Think of the 10 Commandments: thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not commit adultery; keep holy the Sabbath, honor thy mother and father. They define a negative space you simply shall not enter, and a positive space you simply must occupy. In the realm of morality, we’re just not used to positive ethics, to the ethics of opportunity. So it’s not surprising that what most people seem to take away from the Rede is the negative component, “harm none”. Yet, in my opinion, this reduction of the Rede misses the whole point, and does great damage to its essential nature!
If we move things from the realm of morality into another realm, this will become clearer. Suppose that your lover says to you “My darling, just as long as there isn’t any bondage-discipline or sado-masochism, we can make love in whatever way the mood and inspiration comes to us! We can let our imaginations and passions run free and enjoy each other!”
Suppose that he or she says this to you, and then you start talking about how you both must ensure that nothing that you do will lead to BDSM, and start going on about how important it is to consider the smallest implications of every action in your lovemaking, and whether or not it might not someday lead to BDSM. Wouldn’t that be missing the whole point? Wouldn’t you be focusing in exactly the wrong area? The whole point of mentioning the negative space was to say that everything else was the positive space—such a large space, such room for growth and flowering! That was the point, not the other!
Or suppose that a mother says to her children: “My dears, you can play and run and do whatever you want, and wear whatever clothes you want, so long as you stay on our property between the road and the stream.” And suppose that one child sits down and draws a map and focuses intently on the road and stream, and then walks around noting the boundary lines and continually talks to the other children about how they must not cross these boundaries. Yet, the other children are busy making up fun games to play, running around, climbing trees, and enjoying themselves.
The thought of the boundary only enters their minds when they come to the road or the stream during a game, and they take some care to turn aside the path of their running, or chose another place to hide. Wouldn’t you think those children were the ones who had gotten the real message intended by the mother? Further, wouldn’t it simply be wrong to say that the mother had told the children “never leave our property; never cross the road or the stream”?
Because, that is not what she said. Essentially she said if you don’t leave the property then you can do whatever you want and wear whatever you want. Perhaps, if questioned, she would say that if the children have on long pants and their good boots and if they don’t run, they could go across the stream.
Getting back to the Rede, it says: An it harm none, do as ye will. Clearly this is not logically equivalent to “harm none”. If we invert it, it says “An it cause harm, don’t will it”—and does not say “an it cause harm, don’t do it.” Thus, in some Traditions, the Rede is amended to read “An it harm none, do as ye will. An it cause harm, do as ye must.” The issue is whether the harm is willed or not, not whether it is done or not.
In my opinion, the part of the Rede that people should be focused on is “do as ye will”. The Rede defines a huge, wonderful, wide-open space in which each of us can figure out what our beings aspire to do, to be. As long as we aren’t harming others or ourselves, we can feel confident that we can aspire towards the flowering and revelation of our True Will.
This is the important part of the Rede, and not the bit about “harm none.” And I find it incredible that so much attention is given to the issue of “harm none”. I’ve seen endless discussion about whether it is even possible to live without harming others, evening bringing plants and bacteria into the term “others.” Some try to elevate it to an ideal, unattainable, but the direction to be followed, like the Buddhist notion of saving all sentient beings. Others use it as the reason they aren’t Wiccan. Such a stupid idea! Obviously one can’t live without harming others!
All of these positions are tangential, because the Rede doesn’t say that we must live without harming anyone or anything. The Rede says that we can do what we will if it isn’t harming anyone. If it is harming someone, then we can’t just do whatever we will—other factors and consideration enter the equation then. What those are, each of us must decide for him or herself. Even here, the Rede offers no rules. Even here, the Rede is of a very different character than the 10 Commandments and general Western morality.
Some people want to be told what to do and what not to do, what to think as good, and what to think as bad or evil. They want rules and regulations—commandments. They believe that without these, no social order is possible. Yet increasingly in this day and age we can see that that assumption is unfounded, and increasingly there are people who want to figure out a way to arrange society and ethics to allow for as much freedom of expression and being as possible; to use ethical formulations to protect and support freedom, instead of to deny and restrict it. And, in my opinion, these people are essentially following the Wiccan Rede, whether they know it or not.
Far from being a liability, I find the Wiccan Rede to be a wonderful asset. It clears away so much muck from morality, and redefines the entire realm in a positive way. Understanding it in a negative way undoes much of the greatness of the Rede. So in my opinion, people should stop reducing the Rede to “harm none” and start trying to have more fun in life!
Just Another Pentacle Article
Just Another Pentacle Article
Author: Koneko
Wearing a pentacle is a topic that has been, will be, and is being as you read this talked about, written about and thought about. But like all religious symbols, yes even the cross or crucifix, it also can create or instigate a great deal of negative backlash.
For Wiccans in predominantly Judeo- Christian countries it is from the almost all Christians that live among us, whether they mean to be cruel or not. For Christians and Jews, it is in the non-Judeo-Christian countries that they are persecuted.
Persecution over religious symbols is everywhere and in every faith we’d be fools to think it is just towards Pagan and other non-Judeo-Christian faiths.
But anyway, wearing the pentacle is a choice we all have to make. Should we declare openly that we follow an alternate path of spirituality or for the sake of ourselves and maybe even our families keep it hidden away?
For me sometimes I wear one of my pentacles and sometimes I don’t. It all depends on my mood and whether or not I can handle whatever ignorant b.s. comes my way. If I think I will be able to handle it I’ll either break out the simple one or I will break out my necklace that has a right side up pentacle resting over an upside down one, a gift from my sister. If not I won’t wear either of them.
I have great respect for Christians that actually follow in Christ’s footsteps and show compassion and love for all those around them – my late and loved grandmother, a late and equally loved friend/sister, my mother, my second mother (a family friend) , an old family friend, and a very dear friend of mine are only a few that come to mind.
My parents and friends know by the way, I didn’t even have to tell mom (mom’s know everything) . They are truly God’s gift to the world, I do not think my late grandmother and friend could hate someone if they even tried, and are truly beautiful examples of the Christian faith. I was born and raised Catholic so I have seen and learned about the good and the bad of that faith.
The pentacle never really gave me a problem when I first started wearing it, even when I was wearing it in High School. My grades suffered because I was horrid at history, I loved the subject, and couldn’t do grammar to save my life, and I only passed because I gave my papers to about three or five different people to look over.
My teachers for the most part loved me or liked me because I actually *gasp* participated in class, didn’t cause problems, and often times knew what I was talking about. I actually enjoyed high school because I wasn’t the only so-called freak in the school and it was large enough that I could blend in with the crowd but small enough to wear fights weren’t really a problem. Strangely enough all the students seemed to get along with each other.
Sorry I seemed to have gotten off track, with graduation I went off to college a liberal arts college that was known for three things – gays, art program, and the teacher program. So, I never had problems there. I did act immature and burst out laughing when I overheard someone telling another student that the tarot cards were evil. Like I said wasn’t mature but I really couldn’t help myself, I always did have a problem with the brain and mouth connection.
Problems didn’t come until after I left the University of Montevallo, business school and I did not agree with each other, and went to Jeff State for their Culinary Program. Not at school, this happened at Subway, and yes dominoes I know that Submart on your commercials is supposed to be us, thankfully not by a coworker but by a customer.
Basically the customer was throwing a tantrum because I wouldn’t give her a discount that she didn’t qualify for, “sorry, but if you get two six inches that do not have the same meat they don’t equal a footlong.”
Well she called and complained and started harassing me, she wanted me to give her my last name, which freaked me out and I told her to have a nice day and slammed the phone down, burst into tears and had to be lead to the back during a rush and comforted. My coworker at the time, a Bulgarian woman that was a wonderful Christian woman comforted me and calmed me down. The woman is a great mother. Once again getting off track, sorry you’ll have to stay with me.
That same night, honestly this crap happens for a reason, I meet a tree-worshipper and a Baptist girl, friends with another coworker, and we talked about my faith. Luckily she had already seen a program on TV about witchcraft. We talked about binding spells, evidently according to her church binds stuff in the name of Jesus. We might have even talked about hexing, which seems to be a popular question when witchcraft is related. We talked about a few other things and I must say it was a joy to talk to her.
I should probably mention that I did have a conversation about my religion at my first job in the bar with some regulars. That was centered on binding and love spells. One woman wanted to know because a friend with a fake leg was having problems finding love. I explained that performing a love spell was controversy and could be dangerous if handled wrong.
I told them that if I were to perform a love spell for her I would only do it with her permission and cast one on her first so that she could love herself and be able to know and understand that despite the dirt bags that couldn’t handle her only having one real leg she was worth loving. I then explained that I wouldn’t cast a love spell on a certain person but putting a spell or call out there for someone that would love her for her was a possibility.
The conversation turned to hexing; I essentially told them that if they believed they could be hexed then chances are in my opinion they would be whether they were actually or not. Belief is a strong thing and the power of suggestion even more so sometimes.
Basically what I am trying to say, aside from the fact that my grammar is horrid, if you wear the pentacle you open yourself up to many people. Though sometimes no one really pays attention to what your wearing around your neck, unless they don’t like you for one reason or another. Then you’ve got more problems than you know what to do with.
You open yourself up to the Christian nut jobs, the open-minded Christians and they are out there, and even to members of your own or a similar religion. So wear it if you want or don’t wear if you wish to stay locked and barred in your closet for the rest of your life, or do what I do and don it when you are emotionally, mentally, and God forbid physically ready (should you have to defend yourself with brute force) for any and all attacks that might come.
Either way I hope the wearing of it brings you happiness, good debates and interesting meetings with interesting people.
Animals and Familiars
Animals and Familiars
Power animals are & are not a part of the Wiccan or Witchcraft Traditions. They are used by Native Americans, Shamans & other tribal organizations & traditions. Covens usually have a totem animal that is only known to those within the group.
In the Astral, you can merge with your totem & become the animal with your own intelligence intact. This is called Shapeshifting. There are two ways you can meet your power animal in the astral plane & discover which animal medicine is right for you. First, you could write & perform a ritual to call the essence of the animal that would suit you best & assist you in your present magickal workings. If you are not comfortable with the ritual format you can go into the familiar meditative state, walk through the astral forest & meet the animal.
When the first technique is used, that of the ritual, you will most likely see the animal in its natural form. There may be a synchronistic conversation where the topic is of the animal, or you find a book about the animal, etc. When you catch that first glimpse of that particular medicine, you will know it in your heart.
If you meet the animal in the meditative state, converse with it. Anything is possible in the astral, right? So ask questions & get to know your new partner.
If you have seen the animal after a ritual, plan sometime to go into the meditative state to cement your relationship & get to know the animal & the essence it represents.
Now that you’ve got the animal, what do you do with it? Power animals are great advice givers, often representing our higher selves that we haven’t been paying attention to lately. In a meditative state you can ask for their assistance on problems that have been nagging at you. At times, two power animals can work in conjunction with each other, as long as they want to. Silver has had some truly interesting & fruitful conversations with hers.
Power animals can assist you in the waking state as well. Perhaps you are trying to teach someone a particular theme & they are having difficulty understanding. Ask wolf for assistance; she is the great teacher.
Remember the old adages: clever as a fox, strong as an ox, etc.? Perhaps you need camouflage – then ask Brother Fox for assistance. If you seek wisdom, ask the Eagle. the Lynx knows the art of keeping secrets & the Swan guides one into dreamtime. The Panther is a good protective animal, though she does have a sarcastic, laid back nature.
Power animals are not limited to mammals. The reptilian & insect kingdoms can be just as helpful. Children can also be taught to work with animals & have a great ideal of success with them.
Dragonfly tells us how to break through illusions & how to gain power through our dreams & goals. She teaches higher aspiration.
The act of honoring an animal is not an act of worship, but is the acknowledgment of their power & their being as brothers & sisters of the entire universe. The energy of the animals, birds & other creatures that assist us should be honored. For too long, we have subjugated these creatures who are our equals in the system of the Universe. The Native Americans leave tobacco as a gift, scattered on the ground. You could also burn incense in honor of the animal. When honoring – leave a gift of some sort. A crystal or gem on your altar is also a lovely gift.
An Animal Totem is an important symbolic object used by a person to get in touch with specific qualities found within an animal which the person needs, connects with, or feels a deep affinity toward. One can have several animal guides through out life. Sometimes an animal guide will come into one’s life for a short period of time, and then be replaced by another depending on the journey or direction one is headed toward. Our guide will instruct and protect us as we learn how to navigate through our spiritual and mundane life. When one finds an animal which speaks strongly to
them or feel they must draw more deeply into their lives, they fill their environment with images of the animal to let the animal know they are welcome in the person’s space. Animal guides can help us get back to our Earthly roots, and reconnect with nature by reminding us we are all interconnected. To first do this we need to know what our Animal Totem is.
The Return Of The Sun God
The Horned God
In traditional and mainstream Wicca, the Horned God is viewed as the masculine side of divinity, being both equal and opposite to the Goddess. The Wiccan god himself can be represented in many forms, including as the Sun God, the Sacrificed God and the Vegetation God, although the Horned God is the most popular representation, having been worshipped by early Wiccan groups such as the New Forest coven during the 1930s. The pioneers of the various Wiccan or Witchcraft traditions, such as Gerald Gardner, Doreen Valiente and Robert Cochrane, all claimed that their religion was a continuation of the pagan religion of the Witch-Cult following historians who had purported the Witch-Cult’s existence, such as Jules Michelet and Margaret Murray.
For Wiccans, the Horned God is “the personification of the life force energy in animals and the wild” and is associated with the wilderness, virility and the hunt. Doreen Valiente writes that the Horned God also carries the souls of the dead to the underworld.
Wiccans generally, as well as some other neopagans, tend to conceive of the universe as polarized into gender opposites of male and female energies. In traditional Wicca, the Horned God and the Goddess are seen as equal and opposite in gender polarity. However, in some of the newer traditions of Wicca, and especially those influenced by feminist ideology, there is more emphasis on the Goddess, and consequently the symbolism of the Horned God is less developed than that of the Goddess, In Wicca the cycle of the seasons is celebrated during eight sabbats called The Wheel of the Year. The seasonal cycle is imagined to follow the relationship between the Horned God and the Goddess. The Horned God is born in winter, impregnates the Goddess and then dies during the autumn and winter months and is then reborn by the Goddess at Yule. The different relationships throughout the year are sometimes distinguished by splitting the god into aspects, the Oak King and the Holly King. The relationships between the Goddess and the Horned God are mirrored by Wiccans in seasonal rituals. There is some variation between Wiccan groups as to which sabbat corresponds to which part of the cycle. Some Wiccans regard the Horned God as dying at Lammas, August 1; also known as Lughnasadh, which is the first harvest sabbat. Others may see him dying at Mabon, the autumn equinox, or the second harvest festival. Still other Wiccans conceive of the Horned God dying on October 31, which Wiccans call Samhain, the ritual of which is focused on death. He is then reborn on Winter Solstice, December 21.
Other important dates for the Horned God include Imbolc when, according to Valiente, he leads a wild hunt. In Gardnerian Wicca, the Dryghten prayer is recited at the end of every ritual meeting contains the lines referring to the Horned God:
| “ |
In the name of the Lady of the Moon, and the Horned Lord of Death and Resurrection |
” |
According to Sabina Magliocco, Gerald Gardner says (in 1959’s The Meaning of Witchcraft) that The Horned God is an Under-god, a mediator between an unknowable supreme deity and the people. (In Wiccan liturgy in the Book of Shadows, this conception of an unknowable supreme deity is referred to as “Dryghtyn.” It is not a personal god, but rather an impersonal divinity similar to the Tao of Taoism.)
Whilst the Horned God is the most common depiction of masculine divinity in Wicca, he is not the only representation. Other examples include the Green Man and the Sun God.In traditional Wicca, however, these other representations of the Wiccan god are subsumed or amalgamated into the Horned God, as aspects or expressions of him. Sometimes this is shown by adding horns or antlers to the iconography. The Green Man, for example, may be shown with branches resembling antlers; and the Sun God may be depicted with a crown or halo of solar rays, that may resemble horns. These other conceptions of the Wiccan god should not be regarded as displacing the Horned God, but rather as elaborating on various facets of his nature. Doreen Valiente has called the Horned God “the eldest of gods” in both The Witches Creed and also in her Invocation To The Horned God.
Wiccans believe that The Horned God, as Lord of Death, is their “comforter and consoler” after death and before reincarnation; and that he rules the Underworld or Summerland where the souls of the dead reside as they await rebirth. Some, such as Joanne Pearson, believes that this is based on the Mesopotamian myth of Innana’s descent into the underworld, though this has not been confirmed.
Dancing in a Wiccan Wonderland
Dancing in a Wiccan Wonderland
by Alexander, Aarcher
“Walking in a Winter Wonderland“
Pagans sing, are you listenin’,
Altar’s set, candles glisten,
It’s a Magickal night, we’re having tonight,
Dancing in a Wiccan Wonderland.
Chorus:
In a Circle we can light a Yule Fire,
And await the rising of the Sun,
It’s the Great Wheel turning for the new year,
Loaded with abundance and great fun.
Blades held high, censer smoking,
God and Goddess, we’re invoking,
Through Elements Five, we celebrate life,
Dancing in a Wiccan Wonderland.
Queen of Heaven, is in Her place,
Triple Goddess, now the Crone Face,
Above and Below, She’s the Goddess we know,
Dancing in a Wiccan Wonderland.
Chorus
Now the God, is the Provider,
Supplying game for our Fire,
Above and Below, He’s the Horned One we Know,
Dancing in a Wiccan Wonderland.
Later on, by the fire,
Cone of Power, gettin’ higher
It’s a Magickal Night we’re having tonight,
Dancing in a Wiccan Wonderland.
Five Elements of Magick
Five Elements of Magick
Author: Taliesin McKnight
In several forms of magick such as Wicca and ceremonial magick, there are five Elemental powers that are invoked, directed, and utilized. These are the Elements of Earth, Air, Water, Fire, and Spirit. The Fifth Element of Spirit (and this is very important) is not really an Element unto itself, but this will be dealt with shortly. These Elemental powers are called upon in ritual to stand guard over sacred space and to protect the practicing magician or witch from hostile entities and energies. It is for this reason that they are often referred to as the “Guardians.”
The very fact that many systems of magick utilize the powers of the Elements reveals that magick has its basis and foundation in the world of nature: the wind, the sun and moon, the oceans, the passage of the seasons, and mighty storms is truly the treasure house of magick. To be a student of witchcraft is to be a student of nature, regardless of what form of magick one chooses to delve into.
The Element of Earth represents the material world. It governs such things as finances, prosperity, good luck, success in business, fertility, harvests, and other such things. Earth also represents the state of solidity in alchemical lore. Earth is the starting place where we begin our journey. To deny the body and the material world in which we live is to live in denial and poverty. Earth is what grounds us and brings us back to the world of the senses. The Element of Earth stands guard and protects the northern section of the magick circle, in which magick is performed. It its the guardian of the north.
Air represents the world of mind. It is thought and logic. Air, therefore, encompasses such things as knowledge, education, learning, communication, popularity, and philosophy. The witch will invoke the forces of wind and Air in order to gain hidden knowledge. Thus, Air also rules over divination. The mind can, indeed, be likened to the sky. Thoughts pass through the mind as clouds. Sometimes our thoughts are sunny and enlightened. Other times the mind is filled with darkness and dreary thoughts.
It is thought which vitalizes and manifests reality. Without the force of reason our civilization would be as nothing. Think of the Element of Air to represent the Great Mind of Nature, whilst the powers also represent the faculty of thought within the microcosm: Man. The witch calls down the forces of wind to gain knowledge of the unknown and to advance in education. It also protects and stands guard over the eastern quarter of the magick circle. In alchemical language Air represents gas.
Water is the realm of emotion. Love, compassion, depression, empathy, and other such emotions are within its domain. Water is also connected to the moon. Emotions are like the tides of the ocean: ebbing and flowing, and always in a state of motion and change. Sometimes the seas of emotion are stormy, while at others it is calm and placid. Water also rules over intuition, artistic inspiration, dreams, romantic love, and psychic ability. It is the realm of the subconscious mind. The forces of Water govern and protect the western part of the magick circle. It represents fluidity in the art of chemistry.
Fire is also emotion, but represents more fiery emotions such as anger, lust, ambition, and zeal. It can be said that it represents passion more than emotion. Fire is also the destructive Element. It burns away the old and destroys. It is also the Great Transmuter, causing matter to transform from one state into another. In this way, it is the philosophers’ stone of alchemy. Fire also represents the spiritual element in Man. Without light (brought by Fire) , we cannot see. But bring forth the fiery light and we see reality as it truly is.
Thus, Fire represents spirituality, enlightenment, passion, and destruction. It is called upon by the witch to destroy enemies (however unethical this may be) and to bring protection. Fire is the guardian of the southern section of the circle wherein magick is done.
The Element of Spirit is not really an Element unto itself. It is more like the primordial essence from which the other four Elements (Earth, Air, Water, and Fire) draws its being. The Element of Spirit encompasses and transcends the other Elements. It is symbolized by the center of the circle. Spirit is called by many names by various traditions and magicians. Some call it the Divine Element, whilst others prefer the more Hindu sounding name of “Akasha.” It can truly be said that the other four Elements are merely manifestations of spirit, or that the other Elements act as intermediaries in which Man may ponder and contemplate the fathomless essence of which Spirit is. It is truly beyond mortal comprehension.
Do these Elements really reside within physical fire, water, air, and earth? This is highly debated within the occult community. Some will say yes, and that these are merely the astral or spiritual counterparts of the physical elements themselves. Others, however, will claim, just as strongly, that the physical elements are only symbols in the mind of Man. However, even if they are just “symbols”, the powers are still linked to the physical symbols themselves. Thus, whatever the case may be, the Elements are linked to their physical counterparts.
Now that this is understood, one may grow to grasp the deeper mysteries of magick. One should always keep in mind, however, that the true mysteries or “secrets” have never been written down. They are the secret and unutterable doctrine of occult science. Speaking them to the profane has been forbidden since the beginning of time. Even if one wished to communicate them, they are unable to be expressed into words, as they transcend human language.
These four Elements will guard and protect you in ritual. They will bend and bring to you your every desire. The Elements will take care of you if you let them. Allow their powers to manifest in your life.
Cobwebs
Cobwebs
Author: Brewan Blacksmith
A little while back, while driving around with, a friend I asked a simple question. “Is an artist still an artist if she loses her hands?” After a brief moment of pause she replied, “Yes.” I knew this was to be her answer and it was the same for me when the question first arose in my mind a while ago. It was easy for the both of us to answer being we are both artists. We understand that the underlying beauty in an artist is what resides in her mind and heart. At the same time, we both thought of the hardships that would come should an artist lose their outlet of expression. Painters paint and sculptures sculpt, but what if they no longer did? They would still see and think as they once had, but without physically doing what calls to them, what kind of an artist would they actually be?
For me, the thought later crossed over into another subject matter. “Is a Pagan still a Pagan if he no longer practices?” I asked myself. It was uncomfortable to think about as it pertained specifically to how my life hit me. For ten years I have been a Pagan, but since the recent recession a few years ago, day-to-day living removed the comforts of past practices. I wasn’t celebrating lunar rites, esbats, or sabbats like I used to. What once were coven celebrations amongst friends were now a lit candle and a prayer of thanks at best.
No more smudging, no more spell casting, no more divining and no more creating sacred circles for me. Good jobs became very sparse, living conditions changed, and disposable income disappeared. The time I once had for sharing with my coveners was removed, and all I was able to do was keep in connection with my gods through short prayers and silent conversations. The old ways of practicing the Old Ways were gone. The same held true for my coven friends.
While in this state of staleness I pondered briefly a few scenarios in which I wouldn’t be affected as much by these sudden changes in the way I lived my new life. Perhaps if I were a materialist I could cope by buying new things. Or maybe if I were of a more mainstream religious belief it would be easier as society makes time for it. If I were working a job that actually paid well, that would solve most of my problems. But, I’m no materialist, I’m devout Pagan until the end, and my job was a dead end. I always kept in mind that many people have it worse. I always kept in mind the beauty of my family and the smiles that they bring. But still, there was a void inside me. A great part of me remained dormant without my coven and all the great things we did. Within me there was a shadow, a lack of motion, a death.
Death, however, is often a misunderstood thing. People fear death because it is a physical end to what they know to be true. Death is a removal of what we see and that with which we are familiar. It is change, and it is inevitable and because of these it is something feared. Yet if you truly think upon death, which can be perceived as a lack of growth or motion, you will find that even in this state of stillness there is a spiraling of energy. Like the winter months when the trees shed their leaves and cold blankets the soil, beneath the snow there is life. In shadow there is gestation, evolution, transformation, and change. All of the energy witnessed during the warmer parts of the year trickle down the roots of the trees and plants and gather in the dark earth below.
The caverns of the Underworlds are filled with this energy. The realms of shadows and death are filled to the brim this time of year with the same energy the spurs us along when the sun is bright in the warm sky. So in death there is life, and also change.
When a mythic hero would die and enter into the Underworld, a place where one would never return, he in fact would eventually return. How is this so? The hero would escape death by embracing change. Through transformation he evades the clutches of death, but upon his return he is no longer the same person. He returns to the realm of the living, but at the same time he does not. Had he accepted his new place in dreary shadows in a void of timelessness? Only then would he truly have died.
It was this lesson that I learned during my college years that helped me get through a couple somber periods of my life, including this recent recession. At some point my inner, Sagittarian optimist took hold of it and I was altered by these life changes. Whether it’s making lemonade out of lemons, or always doing the best you can with what you have, death is not an enemy but a teacher about living. It is about transforming who you are to move unhindered with the ebb and flow of each incarnation.
We are given but a few decades with which to learn as much as we possibly can before we must start over again. Yet even within the span of a single life we can experience minor “deaths” which we can either submit to and become lethargic, or emerge from and become something more than we originally were. Within in each life we can mimic the life-death-rebirth cycle much like one year of Sabbats symbolizes the life’s journey of the Goddess and God. These murky times that shall strike our stable existences over and over are cosmic challenges, or tests, that help forge who we become. They bring sadness, depression, struggle, fear, and often hopelessness. But through them we become great, and that is one of the tasks this Earth is designed to do for us. So long as you do not succumb to stagnation and ignorance, even the darkest moments can strengthen you on your journey through each life.
It is through this wisdom that I tread forward. I feel no guilt any longer when I brush the dust off my old texts on Paganism. The cobwebs that have gathered on my robes and oils and tarot cards are wiped away free of sadness. I have missed my old tools that have gone years without use. But here they are now awaiting me once again. Little by little I get back into the habit of practicing as I once did. Yet every act now is different, improved, changed from my changed perspective.
I spent the last few years with my hands cut off. No Arte did I make. Yet within my inactivity my mind still churned, and many lessons were learned. And in many cases, epiphanies pertaining to Paganism came to me only through temporarily leaving behind my familiar Pagan rituals. Various mysteries are solved beyond texts and temples. Many require you to step outside your comfort zone and take with you only what you once knew.
It may seem through this that sometimes the Path of the Wise trails beyond our sights or that we lose our footing. But often it remains right under our feet as we walk upon it the entire time despite feeling otherwise. Rites and spells may be what a Pagan does, but in the mind and heart is where a Pagan resides. In my humble opinion I believe this as true, and with this I eternally move forward through every obstacle without regretting facets of the past. So long as I change for the better from every dark struggle, I can never consider those moments a waste of time. Learning keeps you moving forward no matter which direction life takes you.
My hope is that these words can bring a little comfort and understanding to those who have gone through recent hardship.
Good vs. Evil…Light vs. Dark. What Is The Truth?
Good vs. Evil…Light vs. Dark. What Is The Truth?
Author: Sleeping Moon
I understand that in writing this article, I might (more than likely) get some uproar about it. I’m willing to spout off what I am thinking and am willing to accept the consequences. I’m going to go ahead and start off scientifically (in the very loose definition of the word) instead of magickally. Even in magick, science has its place.
The color black is the absorption of all colors. The color white is the absence of all colors. If you hold a crystal to the sun, the rays of the sun will fracture and bounce off the crystal creating a rainbow prism. If you hold a piece of coal to the rays of the sun, no color will bounce off yet the coal will get very warm.
During the day, when the sun is beating down its warm rays upon the earth, we can sometimes see for miles around us. (Depending on where we are.) Nothing is hidden and all in plain sight. Yet, when the sun sets, a chill dampens the air and the light gets snuffed out. Everything is hidden in shadows and darkness. Everything that was there during the day remains the same at night, but light has been taken away so we cannot see. Our perception has in this case, decreased.
Beneath our skin we find blood, muscles, tissues, organs and bones to make up our bodies. We don’t see these on a daily basis, but we know that they are there. We see that with a cut, a scrape of the knee, with a break with in a bone. But, there are other things that we also don’t see; like atoms and protons, cancerous cells, diseases, sickness and so forth.
More often than naught, what we can’t see, we fear, and what we fear, we tend to hide from. Why hide from the dark when it is a major part of us?
I will admit that until I started on this path when I was 19 years old, I had been afraid of the dark. I didn’t understand why nor did I care until my eyes were open to it. Before I opened my eyes, I thought things where going to come out of that dark and attack me. I had no idea how much that darkness could be an ally. And how much fun it could be. Once I embraced the darkness, I found myself (on so many levels) .
We also, as a culture, have categorized depression as a negative, as the ‘bad’ along with debt, loneliness, aches and pains and even death. We have dubbed bubbly happy energies such as wealth, good health and love as good. Of course this is true for the most part, but we need to acknowledge both in order to prosper. How can we grow if we do not accept our faults, our bad habits, and our bad moods? I don’t care who you are, but no one is happy all the time. And I don’t care who you are, but no one is perfect either. It’s impossible. What would be the point of this life if it where so? We need the Ying to our Yang to balance ourselves out. It’s the laws of nature. It’s within our genetic make up. It’s our trial and error.
There are people who we run into on a daily basis who throw us off, who rub us the wrong way… but are they “evil”? Not necessarily. If at all. I could give countless examples here, but for the sake of the article, I’ll leave this to that single point.
Now magickally:
Since white repels all colors and black absorbs them, how do we know we don’t have every thing backwards? I’m not saying that demons are really the good guys and angels are the bad, but it makes me pause to wonder. What if, for centuries, we have been wrong?
It’s been proven that the Bible has been rewritten numerous times to suit that current authors’ needs. And we, as pagans, know that most of our deities have been demonized throughout history by others who don’t understand them. What my point is, who is to say what’s the truth and what isn’t? History’s authors may have deceived us all. Please note that I said, “may”.
Typically in general culture, we view the good or the light as the angels, as the playful faeries or as the source of all things. We view the bad, dark, evil as demons, devils, trolls, goblins and other nasties that go bump in the night.
Are we right?
I have to question it myself through my own personal experiences. I’ve worked with less than so-called “light” entities before and have had a great many POSITIVE responses from them. Never have any of these beings asked for something absurd from me in return for their services. I’ve never been demanded a living sacrifice (for the Gods honor life) and never been asked to harm myself or someone else. And in company, I’ve never gotten anything “testy”. I’ve opened the door numerous times to the other side and nothing strange ever happened.
I’ve never experienced a nasty entity in the “real” world and often wonder why. Is it my perception on them? Is my psychic shield that powerful to the point where they can’t get within ten feet of me? Do I try to work with something that a lot of people shy away from and therefore they respect me because I give them that chance?
No. I don’t think so.
Don’t get me wrong. I’ve had plenty of bad stuff happen to me throughout my life and expect more to come. But, who is to say if it comes from the good guys, the bad or if it was even predestined before my birth?
And to be honest, completely, brutally honest with yourself… If some kind of harm ever befell your friends or family that you loved, would you really send them love (the perpetrator) in return? Would you really just sit back and say, ‘it was meant for a reason so let it be’? I think not. You would do every thing in your power, physically, mentally, spiritually to prevent that person from harming another soul again. (Physically–within the law, of course.)
For quite a few years, I worked with this specific entity (that shall remain nameless) and the breed of it. It helped me out of some dark holes in my life and I can attest to it even saving my physical life once. (I will swear to this until my dying breath!) So, how can an entity that had been dubbed by the masses as “negative” be so bad?
*I also wanted to note here, I’m not some fanatic, and I know the difference between the waking world and the astral world where these beings reside. I know they can cross over planes from time to time as energy forms, and it isn’t at all like how they portray them in Hollywood. But, I’m not naive enough to say they don’t exist either. *
I have a friend who once told me, and a very valid point it is, that in the Biblical sense, Angels are the ones that are threatened by mankind. And yes, Demons want power, but they aren’t after revenge as the Angels are. They aren’t here to take over the world, as we know it. There is a movie out there that recently been out of the big screen portraying just this idea. Legion
Another friend of mine recently gave her impression of what I’m trying to get across: “There are many different energies in the world. Some are known as “evil” and some are known as “good.” But I don’t think it’s really a question of whether THEY are the evil or good; instead I think that they might reflect the energy we give into them. For example, there may be an entity that is perceived as evil (name any so called evil spirit or demon) , yet if you were to ask their cooperation and/or assistance with good intentions, or at least with fair intentions and respect, I think you are likely to find them cooperative and perhaps even helpful.
Of course, I do not mean to say that this will always be the case. I am sure that there are some entities out there that are better left untouched, because you certainly don’t know what the consequences will be and it might be more than you are expecting or willing to give…but in general, I think so called “demons” are capable of good deeds and cooperation, just as “angels” are capable of negative energy, mischief and general non cooperation – after all, I would think that the “fallen” angels are demonstrative of this.”
As she stated, if we “feed” a certain type of entity a certain form of feeling or thought, then that entity will more than likely take that to heart, because that’s the only type of energy it is getting. In a sense, it’s sort of like a ‘Tulpa’. A Tulpa is a form of energy that takes on a mass of energy from one person or many and acts in accordance to its creator. For example (possibly a bad one) : the Christian/Catholic God. (He just may be a real entity. I for one don’t know either way and I could care less at this point.)
I am not stupid enough to say that this applies to all things that have been dubbed negative. Or even to say that the dubbed masses of good should be questioned here either. There are some things that even I am wary of working with. Both good and bad. What I’m just trying to say here is to use your own intuition on what you work with. Even if this article has opened one person’s mind to the possibilities of working with different types of energies (other than just lovey-dovey good) , that’s good enough for me.
Use your head. Use your intuition. Try working with an entity that you have never considered working with before with no fear in your heart and you just might be pleasantly surprised. Just as you can’t judge a person until you’ve met them, so can’t you judge an entity before you work with them. (Unless the source you hear it from is a good and trusting one!)
How are we really to know what entity is “good” and what entity is “bad”? I for one am not going to judge ‘just because’. Will you?
Protective Charm Bag
Protective Charm Bag
Garlic is a great protective herb. Besides its supposed properties of keeping away vampires and the roaming undead, a clove of garlic comes in handy for kitchen magick. For this kitchen charm, use a four-inch squre of black fabric and about six to eight inches of black ribbon. Place the clove of garlic for protection and purification in the center of the fabric. Add a pinch of salt to break up any negativity you feel may be surrounding you or the situation.
Gather up each edge of the square, name them for each of the four Elements. After you gather the corners together, tie the bag closed with the ribbbon. Take a careful look at this kitchen charm, the directions are all laid out for you.
By the powers of earth (pick up one corner)
And air (gather the second quarter)
And fire (pick up the third)
And water (and the last corner)
I create this Witch’s protective charm.
(tie the fabric closed with the ribbon)
(tie the fabric closed with the ribbon)
Grant me safety and shield me from all harm.
Remember to seal this charm with the closing line.
By all the powers of three times three,
As I will it, then so shall it be.
You may keep the charm bag on your person or tucked away in the most-used room of your home to boost your magickal household protections.
Protection Bath – Tormentil
Protection Bath
Tormentil
Tormentil tea is used to keep malevolent magick far away. Althought its identity is often confused with the root charm High John the Conqueror, they possess no herbal relationship. Tormentil, a frequent component of European magick is actually closely related to another Hoodoo herb charm, five-finger grass(cinquefoil). Those five fingers are used in gambling magick to draw luck and money, however five fingers also create a potent sign of protection.
Pour boiling water over tormentil to make an infusion. Add this to a tub filled with warm water and then soak in the water.
Hello, I’m A Witch!
Hello, I’m A Witch!
Author: Greengate
I’m sure you all recognize this: you enter a crowded room, a party is going on and people are busy talking to each other over a glass of something, exchanging pleasantries they don’t really mean. They all wear the uniform: the expensive cocktail dress for the ladies, the suit that tries hard to look expensive, for the men. Everyone but one lady conforms to the norm. Black long hair flowing freely over her shoulders, long skirt, heavy ethnic jeweler, a large purple shawl hugging her shoulders, a faint Patchouli aroma in her vicinity. When you see her, you can immediately tell something about her, even if you didn’t exchange one word with her before. She can only be one of two things: an eccentric artist or a Neo-Pagan.
With a glass of wine in your hand, you work your way towards her, hoping to engage her in conversation. The sneaky thought of verifying your suppositions about her drives you. You exchange meaningless cliché’s and you seize the opportunity to ask:
“You have a wonderful sense of style. Are you an artist? I’m sure you paint.”
“No. I’m a Witch.”
She will probably tell you this with a firm voice and look directly at you, waiting for a reaction. But what should your reaction be? What did this lady actually tell you? I know what I believe a Witch to be, but let’s first consult one of the most used online resources for English words: the Merriam-Webster Online Thesaurus. According to it, a Witch is:
1. a woman believed to have often harmful supernatural powers (in the old days women were sometimes accused of being Witches and using evil magic to make the crops fail or an animal die suddenly). Synonyms: enchantress, hag, hex, sorceress. Related Words: charmer, conjuror (or conjurer), enchanter, necromancer, voodoo; magician, sorcerer, warlock, wizard.
2. a mean or ugly old woman (heaven help you if your ball lands on that Witch’s lawn) — see CRONE.
3. a person skilled in using supernatural forces (freakish storms that were once thought to be the work of Witches) — see MAGICIAN.
I can’t even begin to count on how many levels the good folk from Merriam-Webster are wrong. And not only are they wrong, but the definitions they give are insulting and rooted in hateful prejudice. But because I’m a Pagan who just had a good cup of coffee and a piece of Belgian chocolate, I’m going to be generous and give them the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps they aren’t deliberately ignorant, just misinformed. And, boy are they wrong! Every word and every implication of their explanations misses the point and is just about as accurate as a drunk who tries to put the key in the keyhole. I wonder if someone actually took the trouble to talk with people about this subject or, judging by the 15th century explanations, they had a séance and summoned none other than Tomás de Torquemada, the first grand Inquisitor, and asked him for his definition of this term.
I could go on for a long time fuming and stewing in my own juices, but there is no point in doing that. Instead, for the benefit of Merriam-Webster’s editor, and for those who don’t know what Witchcraft means, I’m going to describe it’s meaning, as this Pagan understands it. A Witch is a practitioner of the magickal arts. Nothing more, nothing less… I know this is a short definition, but it tells you all you need to know. If the editor of Merriam-Webster wants a more detailed definition, he would have to pay me in order to get it.
Now, let’s return for a moment to that exotic lady who introduced herself to you as a Witch. Why would anybody tell you that? Witchcraft is not something that defines a person, it is something a person knows and practices. Witchcraft is a tool that can be employed by someone to better his life. It does not tell you anything about the religious convictions that person holds, nothing about the morals or ethics that person may adhere to, nothing about the character that person has. So, I ask again: why would anybody introduce themselves with such a statement? It is like saying “Hello, my name is (fill in name here) and I know how to ride a bike.” It is as ridiculous as that.
Some of my fellow Pagans wear this word as a badge of honour. I completely understand the sentiment behind it, and I believe it is completely wrong. It is about time we put aside our differences; it is about time Pagans find common ground and define this word that defines us. In order to do this, I’m going to share some of my thoughts with you.
Witchcraft is a tool.
Witchcraft is nothing more than a tool, always at the disposal of those who have the knowledge to use it. This knowledge can be acquired from different sources. A spell cast in the proper way and with conviction will work every time. It doesn’t matter what your moral or ethical convictions are, it doesn’t matter what you want to achieve. If you are able to raise enough energy and successfully apply your will to it, the spell will be effective. Of course, everything we put out there will find its way back to the point of origin, amplified or not. There is no free lunch. One way or another, a bill will always be presented to you.
Witchcraft is not a religion.
In the minds of many people Witchcraft is synonymous with religion. This confusion between the two must be clarified. Witchcraft exists independent of ANY religion. You can do magick and belong to Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc. You can even be Agnostic or Atheist and practice the craft. So when you say, “I’m a Witch,” you are not telling me anything about your beliefs. The only thing you are telling me is that you know how to manipulate energy towards achieving a specific goal. You know how to do stuff.
There is a notable exception that must be mentioned. If in your magickal work you draw upon the divine energies, Witchcraft and religion come close together. But in spite of that they never mix. They stay separate. Religion has to do with your beliefs, Witchcraft with a certain way you achieve a goal. That means that if your spell involves the invoking of a deity, you do your spell in their presence and perhaps you are helped by their energies. That is not a religious act. That is an act of magick assisted by the divine. By far the most magickal work performed inside and outside the circle doesn’t involve the divine. Most of the stuff a Witch does, falls under the category of natural magick. It involves plant, animal and mineral material, oils, candles and a strong will. Nothing else.
The confusion between Witchcraft and religion may arise from the fact that we often choose to do magickal work inside a circle. Most Pagans, when they cast their circle choose to invoke the Goddess and the God, thus the magickal work is done in their presence. But, despite what some may say, their presence is not a sine-qua-non. A perfectly good circle can be cast without invoking any divinity. The casting of a circle is an act of magick and not a religious act.
Witchcraft is not exclusively hereditary.
Some of my fellow Pagans hold the view that Witchcraft is hereditary. They believe this excludes newcomers to the ancient art, because they had the misfortune to be born in a family that has no known magickal tradition. I respectfully disagree with this view. It is certainly true that some families pass on through the generations a certain sensibility towards magick. They may even pass on hidden knowledge. But all this does not exclude others, unrelated to them, from acquiring the knowledge. Witchcraft is an art, and as in every art certain families produce artists in every generation. That doesn’t mean that the son of a lawyer can’t learn how to paint, and do it brilliantly!
Witchcraft is neutral.
Magick can’t be good or bad, nor can it be white of black. The energy we use in it is always neutral. We colour it by applying our intent to it, but that does not change its neutral character. In order to categorize magick as good or bad, we must apply a moral judgement to it, and no matter how you look at it, that process is always a subjective one. Different people apply different values to their actions. What you may consider a good thing may be the worst outcome for me.
One may be tempted to explain the “good and bad” aspects of magick by associating it with constructive and destructive outcomes of the magickal work. If you care to analyse this view deeper than the surface, you will immediately notice that it is false. A destructive spell can sometimes be a good thing. You may want to break down blockages, remove obstacles or alter an unhealthy situation. In this case you must use the energy to destroy the old situation, in order to allow something new to develop. So, when someone tells you that they are a good Witch, regard them with suspicion. The neutral nature of magick is one of the first things one must understand in order to understand the ancient art. If this is not clear to the person you speak to, there is a deficiency present in their training.
Let’s once again return to that colourful lady. She told us she is a Witch. Why? Is this the most important thing about her? Or perhaps she feels the need to advertise something that sets her apart from the masses… Of course one can wear his convictions with pride, but why advertise them? I put it to you that the most successful practitioners of the ancient art are those that we don’t know anything about. We can only see that they are well adjusted, successful and happy. If a person feels the need to say “I’m a Witch” to a complete stranger, it may be a sign of an uncertainty they have. If you want to reaffirm this fact to you, do it in private. If you are not convinced your magick works, go back to it and study it.
I could understand if such a person would tell me immediately after we met that they are Pagan. I also wear this badge with pride. This statement tells us that one follows Pagan principles, lives a life that is in harmony with Mother Nature and that they feel at home within the Pagan framework, regardless of their religious convictions. If you belong to the Pagan nation, be proud of it, but don’t advertise what you can do by saying you are a Witch. That suggests that you came to Paganism only to learn the craft and take advantage of the possibilities it offers. Paganism is more than just the practice of the craft. So, what would you do after she told you “I’m a Witch”? I know what I would do: change the subject.
Protective Invocation to Hecate
Protective Invocation to Hecate
Wise Hecate, bless me please
And all that does belong to me.
Bless my work and my endeavors
Bless my work and my endeavors
Protect and keep me safe forever
From every hex and negative thought,
From every place that harm is wrought,
From every evil that’s allowed,
Protect me, Wise One. Guard me now.
Help me to walk in harmony
With every stone and bird and tree,
With every creature on this Earth.
Let me live in joy and mirth
That I may always be their friend
And gain their protection ’til this life ends.
Oh, Wise Hecate, watch over me
Until my soul, at last, is freed.
A CLEANSING CHANT
A CLEANSING CHANT
Uphold the rules of the Wiccan Rede.
Be high in spirit ye shall succeed.
Power of the Elements Five,
Will help Mother Nature stay alive.
From grains of Earth to the moving Air.
Past the burning Fire that magick flares.
Flow with Water, lakes, and streams;
Around the Spirit’s aura and dreams.
The Witches’ Chant
The Witches’ Chant
Darksome night and shining Moon,
Hearken to the witches’ rune.
East then south, west then north
Hear! Come! I call Thee forth!
By all the powers of land and sea,
Be obedient unto me.
Wand and Pentacle and Sword,
Hearken ye unto my word.
Cords and Censer, Scourge and Knife,
Waken all ye into life.
Powers of the witch’s Blade,
Come ye as the charge is made.
Queen of heaven, Queen of Hell,
Send your aid unto the spell.
Horned Hunter of the night,
Work my will by magic rite.
By all the powers of land and sea,
As I do say, “so mote it be.”
By all the might of moon and sun,
As I do will, it shall be done.
© 1974, Lady Sheba
Original Post By Natural Wytch
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