Mabon To Samhain

Mabon to Samhain

Wiccans observe the autumnal equinox with a lesser sabbat that many call Mabon. The day and night may briefly be of equal length, but from now on the hours of darkness will grow steadily longer, with the signs of natural life fading apace. With harvest over, the Goddess of the waning moon, now descends to the Otherworld, where she will reign alongside the Horned God, who has battled hideous beings in his quest to become Lord of Death.

Witch’s Daily Affirmation

Daily Affirmation

I am a Witch!

I am at One with the Earth, The Universe,

and the Divine!

Let this day be free from Strife and Fear;

Let only Joy and Love come near;

With Blessings given and received

I walk in Peace in Word and Deed.

Burning Bright – The Element of Fire

Burning Bright

The Element of Fire

In the Wiccan tradition, Fire is the Element of the South and is usually represented on an altar by a candle or a wand. Fire can light a Fourth of July sparkler in celebration or burn a city to the ground. A highly volatile and powerful Element, Fire is treated with the utmost respect by Natural Practitioners. Ritual bonfires are a staple in almost all nature-based religions. Candles can light our way, send a wish to the Goddess, and focus our attention during a spell. In Nature, Fire can be related to volcanoes, comets and, well, forest fires.

The Akasha Connection

Spirit is considered the fifth Element and is sometimes referred to as Akasha. Spirit is the binding force of the other elements, the part that runs through all matter, and it is also the collective unconscious of life forms. Sources don’t agre on the original meaning of Akasha. Some say the word is Persian or East Indian and means “inner space.” Others say it’s a Sanskrit word that means “hidden library.” Despite its elusive origins, it is known as Spirit in the magickal realm.

Elements Of Life

Elements Of Life

The Elements Of Life

In the Goddess tradition, as in many other earth-based traditions, the elements that sustain life are sacred. The four elements of life – air, fire, water, and earth form a circle, with the fifthe element, spirit, as its center. Each of the first four elements of life represents one of the four directions. For us, air is the east, fire is the south, water is the west, and earth is the north. In your circles, you must work with the correspondences that feel right to you. The elements teach us about ourselves. Air, fire, water and earth represent our minds, our energy, our emotions, and our bodies. When we face a problem or a challenge, we can ask ourselves whether we’ve looked at it from the point of view of each element. What do we think? What energies do we notice? What feelings do we have? How are our bodies affected? What does our inner spirit tell us? The circle of the elements of life helps us to remember to consider the whole, not merely one part, of any question or decision.

When these four elements of life are present and in harmony, the fifthe element, spirit, or center, is created. Spirit is what we call conscience, character, intuition, or the small voice inside. In Goddess tradition, this is the place where aquired knowledge and our innate wisdom meet and are touched by the Goddess to form an inner spirit, a sense of direction that steers us away from harm and toward our life’s purpose.

In the task of raising children in Goddess tradition, we find that just as the four eleemnts earth, air, fire, and water connect to make the sacred circle, these elements, when translated into human attributes, make the child a whole vibrant person. Our goal, as people who are rooted in the world view of the Goddess traditions, is to rais echildren who are empowered. Empowerment is that combination of self confidence, independent thought, intuition, and egagement with the world that enables us to live by our princicples and stand up for what we believe in. By creating an environment that empowers our children and ourselves, we strive to create a culture based on concern and compassion, rather than apathy and indifference.

In the following sections we discuss each of the five elements and their primary associated qualities as they relate to child rearing and self-development. We focus on realistic goals and common sense strategies that we can all draw from, regardless of our personal preferences on a number of issues.

Fire

All life on earth depends on the energy of the sun. Plants use that energy directly to live and grow. Animals must eat plants or other animals. But directly or indirectly, we are all sustained by the sun.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the sun is brightest and hottest when it shines at high noon from the south. Therefore south is the direction we associate with fire.

Fire is also the element that warms our houses and cooks out food. the hearth fire is sacred in every earth-based tradtion, for fire is the living heart of the home. Before, television, people would gather before a fire to tell tales and sing songs during the long nights of winter, We still love to sing around a campfire or chant over a ritual fire in the center of our circles.

Fire is also dangerous. Like all thing of power, fire demands respect. A curtain wafting across a candle can burn down a home. The summers are dry where we live, and a careless match or stray spark can ignite a wildfire that may burn thousands of acres and hundreds of homes. Learning to knowfire means learning how to use fire safely and how to put a fire out. Fire reminds us that we are all responsible for each other’s safety.

Fire is the symbol of human energy as well as the sun’s energy. Health, strength, enthusiasm, and passion are qualities of fire. When we direct our energies, when we focus on a goal, we use our will, one of the powers we find in this eleement. Fire is connected to all forms of magic that direct energy, especially healing and protection.

The time of day connected to fire is, of course, high noon, just as the season is high summer. The colors of fire are red, orange, and bright golden yellow. The lion, because of its bright golden color and wild, dangerous power is often seen as a symbol of fire. So is the dragon, with its fiery breath. Legends tell us that salamanders could live in fire – but don’t test the myth with any of the ones you may find!

Brigit, of course, is the Goddess of the sacred flame of poetry, healing and the forge. Pele is the Hawaiian Goddess of the volcano. Hestia is the Greek Goddess of the hearth. Lugh is the Celtic sun God. Wayland Smith is the ancient God of the forge. Set is the anceint Egyptian God of the hot desert sun. There are many more Gods and Goddesses of fire. On our altars, a candle flame brings the presence of fire to our rituals. The tool of fire in our tradition is the wand, which is used to direct energy, and wands are oftenmade of wood, which burns. You can make a wand of your own by cutting (with adult help if working with a wee one) a small branch from you favorite tree. Be sure to ask the tree’s permission, and leave an offering.

Water

Life began in water, in the currents of the primeval ocean, and living things need water to survive. Our bodies are mostly water, and our blood is similar to seawater in its chemistry. Water carries nutrients to all the cells of our bodies and cleanses our wastes. Clean, sweet water is sacred to all people who honor life.

Water moves in a great cycle around the globe. Rain falls on the earth, bringing life to plants, soaking the soil or collecting in streams and rivers that flow to the sea. The great tides and currents of the ocean sustain sea life from the tiny plankton tot he great whales, influencing the weather, wearing away the shore. Water evaporates from the surface of the waves, forming clouds that bring the rain, and so the cycle begins again.

The summers are very dry where I live, so the first rains of winter are especially sacred. Suddenly new life appears. Seeds sprout, and grasses begin to grow. Our winters are often very wet, and rain comes down for days and days. Dry streams spring to life and rivers widen their flow. In flood years, we see the imense power of water to break through obstacles and carry away anything that blocks its flow. In drought years, water becomes extremely precious to us, and we learn to guard every drop carefully.

Water also represents our feelings and emotions. After all, our feelings flow and change like wtaer. We can bathe eah other in love and appreciation, but we can also rage and storm like the ocean waves crashing against the shore. When we honor all our feelings, the ones we think of as positive and those we think of as negative, we can choose how to act so that our emotions feed life. When we know our anger, we can choose to act peacefully. When we admit our fear, we can choose to act with courage.

For us, water is in the west, the direction of the ocean and the rain. Its time of day os the gray twilight, and its season is autumn, when the rains return. The colors of water are blue, blue- green, and gray. All water animals ~ all fish and sea creatures, including dolphins, whales, and the wise salmon ~ are symbols of water.

Tiamat, the ancient Babylonian sea seropent goddess, was mother of all the Gods. Aphrodite, Greek Goddess of love, is also Goddess of the sea. Brigit carries the power of the holy well along with the sacred flame. Oshun is the Yoruba Goddess of the river and of love, art, and culture. Yemaya is the Mother Goddess of the ocean. Ba’al is the Canaanite God of storms and the returning rains of winter. Tlaloc is the Toltec God of rain. Mananan mac Lir is the Welsh God of the sea, while Poseidon is the Greek ocean God, whose horses are the wild waves.

On the altar, the symbol of water and traditional tool is the cup or chalice. Seashells, water-smoothed stones, and images of water creatures can also be used.

Spirit

We have gone around the wheel of the elements and visited all four directions. Now we come to the center, the place of that mysterious fifth element we call “spirit,” although we could just as well call it “mystery.” The center is the place of change and transformation, and this element is not so much of a physical presence but the sense of connection that puts us in touch with the great powers of life and death. Spirit might also be called “relationship,” as the center is the place where we connect with the Goddess and God, with our traditions, and with prayer, blessing, meditations, and personal practice. Another name for this section might be “core values,” for here we contemplate ethics, right and wrong, and our responsibility to be healers, peacemakers, and protectors of the earth and her peoples.

Spirit is timeless. It corresponds to the whole cycle of the day and night, the whole wheel of the year, and the realm beyond time. Its color is clear ~ or the rainbow, which contains all colors. All the Goddesses and Gods can be considered as aspects of the center.

The traditional tool of the center is the cauldron, the magic soup pot that combines the earth/metal of the container, the fire below and the air to feed it, and the water within to bring about transformation. The drum, which holds the heartbeat of a circle and keeps a large group unified, is also a tool of center. Many symbols can be used on the alter to represent spirit. One of our favorites is a mirror, for our connection to the sacred must be found inside each one of us.

Earth

The Earth ~ Rocks, minerals, and the living soil beneath our feet. Plants draw energy from the sun, but they are nourished by the earth. Seeds are planted beneath the ground to begin their lives. The dead bodies of animals and plants are taken back to the soil to feed new life.

We think of earth as a solid thing, but soil is amazingly complex. A square foot of good garden soil is like an underground city full of space, caverns, crystalline arches, and mineral bridges, all teeming with life. Soil contains air, so that life within can breathe, and carries water to sustain billions of soil creatures and feed the roots of plants. When we truly understand the marvelous world below us, we can protect the soil from erosion by wind and water, and learn to help build new, rich soil where plants can grow. Gardening, tending trees and plants, and caring for animals are all ways to honor and protect the sacred earth.

The earth is the element that stands for our bodies. Our physical bodies are sacred, and we must take care of ourselves as we take care of the earth. All the food we eat, all the things we make and do and use, are part of this element. Because good soil is often dark, the color of the earth is black and its time is midnight. The green of living plants and growing things is also a good earth color. Its direction is north, the one quarter of the sky where in the Northern Hemisphere the sun never travels, and its season is winter, the time of darkness when seeds sleep beneath the ground. Plants, trees, and all land animals, especially big ones such as bulls and bears, are symbols of earth.

Gaia (GUY-yuh) is the ancient Greek Goddess whose name means “earth.” Demeter was the Goddess of grain and agriculture. Eriu was the Irish Goddess who gave her name to the land itself. In many Native American stories, Corn Mother is the sacred being whose body feeds the people. Cernunnos is the Celtic Horned God, the God of animals. The Green Man in all his aspects is the God of plants and trees. Ogun is the Yoruba Lord of the forest. Robin Hood is an old English forest God. There are many, many more Goddesses and Gods of earth, of particular plants and animals, and of sacred places.

Symbols of earth for the altar can be stones, crystals, rocks, or living plants. Leaves, grain, fruits, flowers, and vegetables can also be used. The traditional tool of earth is the pentacle, a five- pointed star in a circle, often inscribed on a plate or made of metal. Its five points stand for the four elements, plus the fifth, spirit. They also stand for the five senses, for our five fingers and toes, and for the human body with legs apart and arms uplifted to invoke the Goddess. The circle around it stands for the wheel of life. For us, the pentacle is a symbol of wholeness and balance, and of the ancient mysteries of our tradition.

Air

Every Moment of our lives, we must breathe in order to survive. Air carries sounds and scents, and its clarity allows light to pass through so that we can see. Air is invisible, except when other things move in response to its motion, when the wind makes branches dance and leaves fly, or bends the grasses down as it passes.

We share breath with all life. Like other re-blooded creatures, we breathe in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide,which is used by plants and trees to transform the pure energy of the sun into food for all living things. Plants and trees give off oxygen, which we breathe in, and so a balance is sustained. We honor air as the breath of the Goddess and the gift of our most ancient fellow living creatures.

In our tradition, we associate air with the east, the direction of dawn or sunrise. Because air is invisible, we identify it with the parts of ourselves that are important but cannot be seen: our mind, our vision, our thoughts, and our dreams. Air represents knowledge and understanding, which we gain by looking closely at what is around us. Air is connected with springtime, the dawn of the year. The animals of air are, of course, birds and all flying insects,such as dragonflies and butterflies. Air’s colors are pale pinks, yellows, and whites.

Some of the Goddesses of air are Iris, the Greek Goddess of sunrise and the rainbow, and Oya, Yoruba Goddess of the whirlwind and sudden changes. Boreas is the Greek God of the wind; Hermes is the power of thought and communication. Elegba, th Yoruba trickster, translates human language into that of the Orishas, the great powers of the universe. All could be invoked for the gifts connected with air.

Symbols of air to place on your altar might be feathers, incense or other good-smelling things, fans, pinwheels, or kites. In our tradition the tool of air is the athame, the Witch’s knife. It stands for thepower of the mind to seperate things, to say: “I am me and you are you and we are not the same.” Clearly, a knife is an inappropriate tool for young children. Substitutes might be a pair of scissors or a pen (the pen is mightier than the sword).

Authors Details: The Elements Of Life by Starhawk

Earth Correspondences

ZODIAC

Capricorn: Beginning and structure

Taurus: Saving and fixed

Virgo: Changing (mutable) and review oriented

COLOR ASSOCIATION

Yellow or green, depending on the tradition you practice. Yellow for ceremonial Wicca and green for shamanic Wicca.

WICCAN TOOL

Cauldron or pentacle

ANGELS/GUARDIANS

Abundance: Barbelo

Agriculture: Rismuch

Alchemy: Och

Animals: Thegri, Mtniel, Hehiel, Hayyal

Commerce: Anauel

Creeping Things: Orifiel

Dust: Suphlatus

Earthquakes: Sui’el, Rashiel

Farming Sofiel

Fertility: Samandiriel, Yushamin

Food: Manna

Gaia: Michael, Jehoel, Metatron, Mammon

Gardens: Cathetel

Nourishment: Isda

Forests: Zuphlas

Fruition: Anahita

Mountains: Mehabiah

Plants: Sachluph

Trees: Maktiel, Zuphlas

Vegetables: Sealiah, Sofiel

Wild Birds: Trgiaob

DEITIES

African: Earth Mother, Divine Queen, Nimba, Oshun, Tenga

Egypt: (Female) Anatha, Bast, Isis, Mehueret, (Male) Min, Geb

Greek/Roman: (Female) Atlantia, Clonia, Flora, Hestia, (Male) Fauna, Pan

Norse: (Female) Frigga, Holda, Nanna, She-Wolf.

Celtic: (Female) Aine, Anu, Blodeuwedd, Cailleach Beara, Magog, Rosemerta

Invoking and Banishing Earth Pentacles

In ceremonial magick and some Wiccan groups you will find what are called the invoking pentacles of the Elements. There are five of them—Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit. To invoke the energy of the earth at the north quarter, you would draw the star starting at the top and following through. To release that energy, you would start at the bottom left-hand corner and draw the sigil. Usually the symbols are drawn in the air with one’s finger, wand, rod or athame. The invoking earth pentacle brings earth energy into the circle, and the banishing earth pentacle sends the energy back from whence it came. You might want to trace your finger over the diagrams to get the magickal hand of the energy of this symbol. If you are trying to bring prosperity into your life, then you might at some point in your ritual or spell draw an invoking earth pentagram on your supplies. You can even use a pen or pencil and draw it right on a dollar bill, asking for the blessings of abundance. This system of invoking and vanishing the elements using pentagrams is attributed to Samuel L. Mathers, who improved on the original material of the ceremonial magician Eliphas Zahed Levi.

Ritual Work Associated with the Element of Air

The Mind, All mental, intuitive and psychic work, knowledge, abstract learning, wind and breath, inspiration, hearing, harmony, herbal knowledge, plant growth, intellect thought and growth, travel, freedom, revealing the truth, finding lost things, psychic abilities, instruction, telepathy, memory, to contact the angels, the ability to know and understand, to unlock the secrets of the dead, zen meditation, brainstorms, beginnings, illuminations

Happy Saturday to all my dear friends!

Good Saturday afternoon everyone! I hope you are having a wonderful day. My night was hideous and I am working off of about 2 hours sleep. It was almost dark last night when I decided to run down the road to the store. I always take Kiki with me when I go down there. You can pull right up to the front and it’s all glass and the employees know me, so they keep an eye on the truck. And I lock the little fart in, anyway. I carried Kiki out the door to get in the truck because of the wolf I had seen. As little as she is, she wouldn’t even make him a good snack. But the minute, I opened the door, she started sniffing and I got this super strange feeling. It was a horrible feeling, like a feeling of doom. I walked quickly to the truck and put Kiki in. Then I walked around to the driver’s side and I saw what my feeling of dread was. It was the timber wolf laying at the very back of the truck. I know now why he was out during the day, he is hurt and he is now foaming at the mouth. Well you can imagine what I liked to have done in my pants. I backed up slowly and made my way back to the other side of the truck. Kiki feeds off my feelings and by this time, she is at the driver’s side going wild barking and growling. Ever seen a 5-lb Pomeranian growl, it is hilarious. Anyway back to the story. I managed to get the door unlocked and get in the truck. Just as I was shutting the door. The wolf came up to the driver’s side door, stood up, growled, snarled and hit the window with his head repeatedly. It was like a scene from Cujo except this was Wolfjo. I had the good sense to remember anything rabid can’t stand noise. So I laid on the horn. After a few seconds of horn tooting, he ran off. My husband had come out during the horn blowing to see what was wrong. I was scared to death the wolf would attack him. I cracked the window on the passenger’s side and screamed for him to go back in the house. He did and he came back out with the shotgun. As the wolf was running off, my husband did shoot him but I don’t believe it was a fatal shot. I was upset the wolf had to be shot. I love wolves so. I am now glad that the first day I saw the wolf I didn’t try to befriend him. I would have been taking those horrible rabies shots. But after all that, my night went straight to heck. I didn’t sleep because I was upset. I think I drank about 2 pots of coffee. At least, I am keeping Maxwell House in business, lol!

Now after I have talked your ear off, I will get down to business, lol! I was going through the comments in the back. One I read head me in the hit like a 2×4. It’s not bad but it made me stop and think. Then I got to wondering if others think the same thing. So I felt compelled to answer it out here, in this forum. Here it is………….

Cell Phone Accessories wrote…..

How is it that just anyone can publish a weblog and get as popular as this? Its not like youve said anything incredibly impressive more like youve painted a fairly picture more than an issue that you know nothing about! I dont want to sound mean, here. But do you actually think that you can get away with adding some pretty pictures and not definitely say something?

I take that back, after reading it again it does sound mean! First off, I am a private person. In the world of witchcraft when I speak individuals listen. I guess you could also say, well I was going to say quiet but that doesn’t describe me at all. I would say, I think things over very carefully and then I speak. The people who know me, know this and they listen when I speak. I am very content with the blog and the way I publish it. I express myself through the material I post. Now if you want me to start speaking, just let me know. I can talk your ear off on any subject you choose.

Next I publish this blog more in a journal or a newsletter for Pagans. I try to gather the best on the net for my readers. I also add my own information. I speak through the spells, rituals, potions and so on, I put on here.

Lastly concerning the blog being popular. It just struck me that this person could be jealous of this blog’s popularity but I will forget that notion for now. The name of the blog, “Witches of the Craft,” is a very well-known name. I can proudly say that the WOTC has always had an excellent reputation. It is well established and has always been known for spreading the truth about The Craft. That was one of my main goal when I first started out. If I had a group I wanted it to provide good, accurate information for all who seek to know about Witchcraft. There are too many bad sites out there for someone to fall prey too. I wanted to try to prevent this if at all possible. But none of this would have ever been possible without the main Lady in my life, the Goddess. Without Her, none of this would have ever happened. She has guided me every step of the way. I made a vow to spread the truth about Witchcraft and do the Goddess’s work. I consider myself just Her instrument. Now I am going to get a little preachy…….I can sit here and describe the wonders I have experienced in my life. But I would tell anyone just don’t listen to me and my stories, experience it for yourself. You can feel the Goddess’s love as it shines down on you. You see the world in a totally different light than before. You have a connection with nature and all its creatures. I could go on and on, but I will stop by saying one final thing. The Goddess is a very loving Lady, She takes very good care of Her children, She shows mercy, forgiveness and most of all Her love is like no other. You have to experience it for yourself.

I hope dear Cell Phone, I have answered all your concerns and have spoken enough for you. Thank you for writing.

Well that’s all folks! Time to get busy. Have a great weekend!

Love to all,

Lady A

Let’s Include All Genders and Sexualities in Our Paganism

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by Janice Van Cleve

I used to think that paganism was this happy, liberal, fun, exciting adventure, where all the domineering, straight jacketed moralisms of patriarchal religion were out the window. I could probably be forgiven my naiveté, seeing as at the time I was newly arrived into the pagan community. Of course I brushed up against Gardner, Alexander, George and other theorists whose pagan notions retained sexist overtones, but I paid them no attention. After all, paganism is about experience rather than philosophy, right? And so far, my experience in all-women circles was nothing but positive, welcoming, and comfortably feminist.

Then came the skyclad ritual. It was co-ed, and I am a lesbian. I prefer to express my spirituality in woman-only space, but I can occasionally expand my participation to include men as long as they do not impose sexual touch upon me. I had been to a co-ed sky clad ritual before, and that one was okay. This time, however, only after we were already naked in circle, did the priestess announce that this would be a Georgian ritual. We had to get boy, girl, boy, girl and count off in teams for mutual stroking at each of the shrines. This was very different from what I expected, and I was uncomfortable. I would have left then and there except that she did give us a “safe sign” to use if we did not want physical contact. Trusting that the safe sign would be respected, I decided I could stay.

For the most part, it was okay. However, the male priest ignored my safe sign and laid hands and lips on me anyway. I felt violated, and I was very upset. That’s how I was finally forced to confront the issue of gender in my pagan practice.

My initial reaction to the incident was to convey my concerns to the persons in charge. To their credit, they took my concerns seriously and corrected the situation before the next skyclad ritual by allowing people to group in any way they wanted. They realized that the retreat must be inclusive of all sexual orientations, since 20 to 25 percent of the people attending that weekend were gay, lesbian or bisexual.

On a deeper level, however, the trauma of that incident caused me to look at the words and imagery surrounding our neo-pagan practice. How much of our modern pagan experience is limited to the male-female polarity? How much do we assume heterosexuality in our writings or illustrations? Are we ignoring or even marginalizing our lesbian, gay and bisexual sisters and brothers in the way we speak about and act out our paganism?

To start with, I certainly concede that male-female sexual activity, and allusions thereto, are powerful magickal tools. They can and do raise abundant energy. In Dreaming The Dark, Starhawk writes: “Sexuality was a sacrament in the Old Religion; it was (and is) viewed as a powerful force through which the healing, fructifying love of the immanent Goddess was directly known, and could be drawn down to nourish the world, to quicken fertility in human beings and in nature.” Much of Gardnerian magick is based on this notion that physical interaction between male and female is not only desirable, but necessary. Most ritual books, even today, assume a priest and priestess working together to create the magick for which they gathered.

Yet male-female polarity is not the only sexually magickal tool. Sexual energy between two women or two men is equally powerful and effective in pagan practice. Riane Eisler in Sacred Pleasure notes that Isis was served in Egypt by a gay priesthood. Margot Adler in Drawing Down The Moon noted the powerful energy that lesbian women and gay men have brought to the Craft. Ffiona Morgan has given us moving examples of lesbian sexual energy used in pagan ritual in her Goddess Spirituality Book. In an article called “A Sprinkling of Radical Faerie Dust,” Don Kilhefner writes that the dilemma facing gays is “our assimilation into the mainstream versus our enspiritment as a people…. There is a reality to being gay that is radically different from being straight.” Peter Soderberg, in an interview with Margot Adler, said of gays: “There is a lot of queer energy in the men and women most cultures consider magical. It’s practically a requirement for certain kinds of medicine and magic.” He concluded that the pagan movement doesn’t give credit to this, for “there’s a lot of heterosexism in modern neo-pagan culture.”

Kilhefner, Soderberg and others eventually broke away from the mainstream pagan movement to form gender-specific circles. Dianic Wiccans and Radical Faeries became homes for gender specific bonding and magick work. Soon the women’s groups attracted feminists of all sexual orientations who were opposed to assigned patriarchal roles. Radical Faeries attracted men for the same reason. Adler quotes one man: “when he first entered the pagan community, you could not even touch another man. And there were regular polarity checks in circles — you know, boy, girl, boy, girl. There’s been a wonderful loosening and blossoming in the last few years, but there is also much resistance.”

Today, there is a lot less resistance to the energies that lesbians and gays bring to the neo-pagan movement, but there is still a good deal of blossoming yet to accomplish. Removing gender and sexual bias from our pagan practice goes beyond being “politically correct.” It puts into action our belief in the immanence of spirit in all things and in all persons. It acknowledges the equal value of all persons and of their unique expression of life. It takes its authority, not from some headquarters or book, but from the lived experience of our sisters and brothers. It removes from our pagan practice biases that may be burdens to us and barriers to others.

How can we accomplish this? One good place to start is to make no assumptions. Not everybody knows who Gardner or George is, not everybody is heterosexual, and many solitaries or newcomers may not even be aware of common group ritual practices. At the retreat I attended, Sylvan Grove did a workshop prior to their ritual to explain what would be happening. Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica welcomes all to their Gnostic Masses but makes clear in advance that visitors are expected to take communion. These are good examples of groups retaining their traditions and identity but acknowledging the diversity around them.

When we write articles and books, we can avoid assumptions either by acknowledging and including all of our diverse audience or by acknowledging them, but defining our approach up front if we are going to focus on a more narrow segment of them. We can do the same thing in presentations we give in classrooms. In more public settings, as in interfaith gatherings or in pagan gatherings open to all, it would be best to avoid sexual and gender bias altogether.

There is always room for individual groups to follow their own specific traditions, of course. Some groups use only Celtic symbolism while others prefer Native American, Greek or Teutonic. Some groups are just for women or just for men; others may be just for gays or lesbians. As long as none of us assume we have the whole truth or the only truth, and as long as we respect and include pagans who are different from ourselves when outside of our own circles, we will go a long way toward honoring the Goddess and God in all persons.

If we can succeed in doing that, we just may create a paganism that is happy, liberal, fun and an exciting adventure where all the domineering, straitjacketed moralisms truly are out the window.

How to Perform Ritual

by Jonathan Bergeon

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Ritual has existed in our culture for thousands of years. Evidence of ritual can be found in our everyday activities, and our not-so-everyday activities as well. But what is ritual?

Ritual is a sequence of events aimed at reaching a certain goal. To go a little further, one could add that it is a sequence of events aimed at reaching a certain goal a certain way. The act of ritual is a highly personalized venture. Not everybody does the same things the same that another does them. Because of this, there exist many methods by which one may reach the same objective. Despite the fact that there are certain requirements, both technical and personal, one must meet before one can hope to achieve one’s magical objectives, the differences in magical style continue to grow, as does the number of people who practice.

In regard to the technical requirements, it can be said that there truly exists only one – that being the assertion of will towards a defined goal. It can also be said that it is not necessary to do anything other than assert one’s will toward a goal for one to be successful, either in magic or whatever one chooses to do.

But for those of us who are not wholly privy to that notion, there exists ritual, and though there is truth in that statement it should be realized that other factors do apply.

One of these factors is the removal of self-doubt. Doubt undermines spells by negating them with contrary energies. If one doubts that one has effectively performed a spell correctly, then those feelings of doubt will be sent out along with the positive energies, countering them. Then, it becomes a case of the best energy winning. Thus comes the value of thinking no more of a magical act once it has been committed. One way that doubt may be quelled is through performing ritual.

Through the aid of ritual, one can erase doubt by taking certain steps to ensure one’s success. These steps serve to put it in the mind of the operator that he or she has done everything in his or her power, magically speaking, to see that the objective will be reached. This point is where such steps such as banishment, purification, consecration, sacrifice, and so on come in. All of these steps exist to ensure the success of the ritual as a whole, as should all the steps employed by the operator.

The steps employed in ritual magic vary from person to person and system to system, and not all are used all of the time. For example, not everybody consecrates the tools used in magic every time they use them. Also, not everybody calls upon outside influences and energies to aid in their workings.

It is my desire to provide you with a basic framework by which you may design your own rituals. A point to remember is that it is more difficult to contemplate ritual than it is to simply go out and do it. In ritual, if what you’re doing seems like what you should be doing, then it probably is. The following is the basic framework that I have promised:

Banishment
Cleansing and purification
Consecration
Setting the circle
Invocation of the self
Evocation
Sacrifice
General working
License of departure
Banishment
Reclaiming of the self

Banishment is a very important process in ritual as it serves to neutralize all of the standing and active energies in the work area. These energies may either be leftovers from a previous working or simply brought about by daily living. Whatever the case, they need to be rendered inert if they are not to interfere with the energies put forth by the operator.

If they do happen to interfere with energies of the operator, then the desired outcome of the ritual could be compromised. Whether this occurs, of course, depends on the intensity of the two energies, the potential and the resident — the potential being the operator’s immediate expenditure, and the resident being the energy present before the ritual was commenced.

This interaction could be looked at like the act of drawing. If you draw a picture over preexisting artwork, the previous work shall undermine, quite literally, the present endeavor. If, however, you somehow remove said working before beginning anew, then the result will be markedly different. The other way is to simply cover up the previous work tit for tat.

The acts of cleansing and purification can be either one and the same or completely different. It really all depends on how you view it and how you do it. For me, cleansing is more of an outwardly physical thing, whereas purification is more of a spiritual matter. The cleansing is done to remove physical impurities, hence the word clean. In contrast, the purification is done to purify the energies neutralized during the banishment. In effect, purification is another form of banishment. But, besides this, it is middle ground between the banishment stage and the consecration stage, completing one while beginning the other. Just as the cleansing portion of this stage cleanses the thing undergoing the process physically, the purification cleanses it metaphorically and in doing so prepares it to become a sacred thing.

The processes of cleansing and purification are sometimes overlooked by certain magicians, who would endeavor to eliminate the middle-man. While this may be entirely acceptable in some cases, it should not always be considered to be so, as cleansing and purification can add to the overall success of the ritual through the fortification of the banishment and the consecration.

Consecration is equally important as banishment, for it gives the energy that was made neutral during the banishment a direction. This direction is the goal of the ritual at hand. This direction is created by dedicating an item or items to be used in the ritual.

That which is consecrated need not be only an item but can also be a person or place. In fact, all things involved in a ritual should be consecrated. This includes all tools, the operator and any assistants involved, and the work space. By taking care to do so, you have essentially realigned all possible influences to meet the intended goal of the ritual.

To simply sum up the first three steps of a ritual, you first neutralize the resident energies, then filter out the impurities, and realign those same energies to fit the needs of the task at hand.

The fourth stage of ritual, at least as I see it, is the setting of the magic circle. Circle-setting entails the defining of boundaries. These boundaries are designed to keep the useful energies in and the unuseful energies out. Within this circle, the energies to be sent out to work the will of the operator are built up. The circle should not be so big that the operator cannot easily manipulate the energies within it, nor so small that he or she lights himself or herself on fire on one of the candles. Remember, fire has the ability to incite certain emotions that may not be conducive to the success of the ritual as a whole, especially when the operator has burst into flames.

The circle is the place where the operator is the prime creative influence. It is his or her little universe inside of a larger universe. One could say that in this space he or she is God; essentially this assertion is true, but the terminology is stretching truth. As the creative force in this little universe, it is basically up to the operator what is and what isn’t.

But how what is affects the grand scheme of things, that is the question. The artist can paint what is to him or her a masterpiece, but what is crap is crap. Conditions will always place a damper on the efforts of the magician if he or she endeavors to work against them. That’s why, when letting somebody have it magically, it’s best to amplify an already existing condition. But that is another subject altogether.

In the next step, the invocation of the self, I am referring to the magical or sacred self — that little part of you that you pull out of the closet when you wish to do something extraordinary. When I think of the invocation of the self, I think of the Havamal, where Odin sacrifices himself to himself. That is essentially what must be achieved, the metaphorical death of the mundane self for the birth of the magical self to occur. I’m tempted to call it the higher self, but some of the selves out there can be pretty low even in their more profound states.

The magical self has its roots in the elementary; in other words, it is generated through the conscious or unconscious will of an entity purposely or accidentally, embodied or no. The magical self, being as it is an energy to be tapped, is invoked. The invocation of the self can be bypassed or substituted with shape-shifting, providing of course you don’t end up like me and become contrary to your own goals when you shape-shift.

The next stage of ritual, should you choose this route, is evocation. Evocation is the calling forth of a certain energy or entity. This energy or entity called upon should be able to assist you in your working. A spirit of a malignant nature is not a good candidate to assist you in a love spell, at least not a nice love spell.

You should also consider that it is quite possible that the disposition of a conjured spirit may be equal to that of a total stranger off of the street. In essence, the position of the operator is that of the lowly beggar petitioning for help in his or her workings. This attitude is a far cry from the operators of the Middle Ages, whose workings resemble the more aggressive approach of, “Give me you spare change or burn in Hell in the name of my loving god.” (Well, everyone needs a hobby.) The main thing that I want to say is to look upon yourself and your situation as another might see it before you conjure and to determine then whether or not it would be worth it to petition for outside assistance. But if you do get ready to do so…

Sacrifice, ahh, that’s the stuff. I could write a book on this, but I won’t. I shall, however, grace you with the two types of sacrifice that exist as I see them. The first is personal, and the second impersonal. The latter is the sacrifice of something separate from the operator, such as somebody else’s property or a life force other than the person doing the sacrifice. As this is not a method I subscribe to, I shall discuss instead sacrifice on the personal level.

First, what is sacrifice? The dictionary defines it as the destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else, or suffering the loss of something, and as a verb to give up, to renounce, to injure, or to destroy, especially for an ideal, belief, or end.

But what is the value behind sacrifice? When you go out to dinner, you get what you pay for; the same holds true for magic. When you enlist the assistance of an outside influence, it is best to give and not just take, take, take. Call me shallow, but I have always held sacrifice as a medium of exchange. Here, on the material plane, that which is given up is money. Money has little value to those who have no use for legal tender, so what instead shall we give? The answer is life force.

Now, before you go slashing your wrists, I would like to present an alternative. The life force given up can be dispensed without the shedding of blood, which in this day and age can be a dangerous thing. Instead, one may give up one’s own energies. Some people feel that we have only a limited supply of energy that is irreplaceable, but if that were so there would be a lot more dead or out-of-work magicians. The trick is to find a receptacle such as an apple and charge it with your own energy. That receptacle is then offered up to the power in question and your energy becomes theirs to benefit from.

In the case of the apple being the receptacle, an operation of this sort would go like this:

Obtain the apple
Obtain the knife
Carve the symbol of the power to which the sacrifice is being made
Commit the statement of dedication
Charge the apple with your own energies
Contemplate the action
Give thanks, make toasts, and so on

Sacrifice is an important subject and a facet of magic that may very well predate all other forms, and it definitely deserves some looking into in regards to its process, as well as the reasons it is performed.

I would like to close this section with the note that I do not condone the killing of animals for the purposes of magic.

The next stage is that of the general working. At this point, the operator does what he or she has gone there to do — that is, unless you’ve already done that during the evocation or sacrifice. The general working is basically the spell that is performed, designed to carry out the will of the caster.

The license of departure is a polite way of saying go home. This process lets a conjured entity know that the ritual is over, and that the entity can please go now so that you can shut everything down. It is in a sense a lesser, more polite form of banishment.

I might compare this to when you are entertaining guests at your home. Time passes, as it always does, and you find that you desire to bring the evening to an end. Banishing your company would be bad manners — for that matter, it might appear downright rude. Instead, you pleasantly insist that you are done now. The license of departure should contain a hint or two of congeniality, along with the usual sternness required to maintain control of the situation. I have found the popular line “Go now unto your places and be you ready to come when you are called” to be effective, although I usually like to throw a thanks in there somewhere. It should also be noted that this line can throw people off when used in a social environment.

The last banishment is done after the license of departure to make sure that everything is back to a preconjuration state. One needs to take care not to undo all that one has done. Therefore, this banishment is a selective one, directed at removing foreign energies rather than neutralizing the resident and potential energies sent forth by the operator during the general working. For the last banishment to be more than selective would be counterproductive.

The banishment of an entity can be a tricky thing, and sometimes it needs to be done more than once. Attention needs to paid to the atmosphere of the work area when a banishment is performed. If you still feel the presence of the entity in question, then you must banish again and if necessary again and again until you get it right. There are plenty of spells out there designed to do the trick, if you find that you are having difficulty. Another thing to watch out for is when you feel nothing at all. Like people, spirits cannot always be trusted.

The final stage, the reclaiming of the self, is the point at which one winds down the ritual, takes off the mask and the robe and what not, and returns to an everyday state. Energy that was put out to construct the circle and other such things is reabsorbed by the operator. Candles are extinguished, and the oil used in their anointing is cleaned off.

The reclaiming of the self is a time when the operator goes back to being Bob, the normal average everyday self. It can be a relaxing period of final contemplation and recording of results, or it can be just a clean-up time. That really depends on the person. But after this, one should think no more on what was done, save for the process by which it was done and how it in the future can be done more effectively.

It would be premature to bring this article to a close without mentioning tables of correspondence, which no one who practices magic should be without. (Unless you feel you have risen above these, in which case you don’t need to be reading this anyway.) For those of us still living on the material plane, a table of correspondence can prove at times invaluable. Such a table provides one with a great deal of basic knowledge and lore, which one can use in the creation of spells and rituals.

Some of the things that can be found in tables such as these are the best days and hours, weeks and months to perform a ritual or magical act. They can also shed light on the proper colors, herbs, and stones that may be employed, as well as certain spirits that can be evoked or invoked to assist in your operations. There are many books out on the market today on the subject of magic and occultism that may provide you with charts of this nature. Also, one can trudge through the mythologies and folklore of the world finding bits and pieces of usable information.

It is important to cross-reference the information that is presented to you in books, as it can vary greatly from author to author. All of the fun of compiling a table of correspondence should not be left up to the experts, as they may leave you with too much irrelevant information. The tables you construct are a testimony to your personal style.

I would like to say that it is important to have fun with the rituals you create, but that really isn’t the case. What is important is that you find a ritual style that works well for you. Fun is optional.

“We all come from the Goddess. . . .

“We all come from the Goddess
And to Her we shall return
Like a drop of rain, going to the ocean”
“May the circle be open, but unbroken,
May the love of the Goddess be ever in your heart.
Merry Meet and Merry Part
And Merry Meet Again!”

Fertility Spell

This spell uses symbolism in the use of the fig and egg, but also ancient methods of acknowledgement in the offering to the Earth Mother for fertility. Crops were often offered to the goddess in the hope of a good harvest and in this spell that hope is for new life. The spell is best done at the time of the New Moon or in spring time when the Goddess of Fertility is commemorated

Items you will need

YOU WILL NEED
Frankincense and sandalwood incense
White candle
A fig (fresh if possible)
A fresh egg
A clear glass bowl
A marker pen
Your boline
A trowel

Light your incense and the candle.
Put the egg on the left and the fig on the right, -the bowl in the middle.
Draw a symbol of your child on the egg.
Very carefully break the egg into the bowl and -place the empty shell on the left side again.
Make a small cut in the fig with your boline -and carefully scrape the seeds into the bowl.
Place the remains of the fig into the egg shell -to represent the physical baby within the-womb and again replace it on the left side.
With your finger, stir the contents of the bowl

clockwise three times and say: As these two become one May the Goddess and the God Bless our union with child

Leave the bowl in the middle and allow the -candle to burn out.
Take the bowl and the eggshell with its-contents to a place where you can safely bury -them.
(Your own garden is good if you have one

otherwise a quiet secluded spot.)

Place the eggshell in the ground and pour -over it the contents of the bowl.
As you cover it with earth say:

I offer to Mother Earth A symbol of fertility In love and gratitude for her bounty

Now await developments without anxiety.

This spell is full of symbolism. The fig represents not

only fertility, but also is thought to feed the psyche that part of us that some call the soul. The egg is an

ancient symbol of fertility and indeed of the

beginning of life. Bringing the two together

acknowledges your sense of responsibility for the

continuation of life

Fertility

Gives couples who want babies but can’t have them or don’t want sexual intercourse, a baby.

Items you will need

Boyfriend or Girlfriend
Blanket (pink or blue light colored)
Paper
Pen (Permanent Black)
Silver Cup
Wooden Spoon
3 Candles (Red, White, and Blue)
Concentration
Holy Water
Dried Rose Petals
Lighter
Bronze Pitcher

The Spell:

Get your girlfriend or boyfriend in one room with you. In complete silence take out either a pink blanket symbolizing a girl baby or a blue blanket symbolizing a boy baby. Take your permanent black pen and draw a pentagram. Put the pentagram in the middle of the blanket, then put the silver cup on top of it. Take the pen and let the girl write her name first on the paper with the pentagram on it. Then the boy must take the pen and write his name on the paper. Writing the name on the pentagram will have the spiritual power know the couple that wants the baby. Take out all three candles and put them in a line to the right side of the couple. Do not put the candles on the blanket unless you have a metal plate for the candles to be put on. Use the lighter to light the candles. Take the holy water and pour it in the silver glass without spilling a drop. Let the women take the rose petals and crunch it up until it is just crumbs of rose petals. After the petals are crunched put them in the silver cup. Then the boy must take the wooden spoon and mix the dried rose petals in the holy water until the rose petals are covered in water. The the boy with his own hands must take the holy water and lather it on his girlfriend’s stomach. The girl will then concentrate on the pentagram sign. As the boy rubs it on the girl’s stomach he too must think of the pentagram sign. After five minutes the girl will pull down her shirt covering her belly. The boy and girl must join hands, even though the boy’s hands are wet, and chant these words:

”Baby Baby come to me,
Baby Baby Mote it be.
God will give you life with me,
Baby Baby mote it be.
Life with you will be so good,
playing games and building wood.
You’ll be ours and you will see,
Baby Baby mote it be.”

After saying this once, the woman will become pregnant in a matter of 24 hours. This spell is for couples who cannot have babies or for couples who don’t want to go through sexual intercourse. This spell will make the female pregnant and she can still keep her virganity.

Pagan? Witch! She’s A Witch!!

Pagan? Witch! She’s A Witch!!

Author: Lea

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WITCH! SHE’S A WITCH!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Footnotes:
none/original

Back to Basics: Are You Forgetting Something?

Back to Basics: Are You Forgetting Something?

Author: Greymentality

It is amazing how often we forget things we learned as a child. Proper manners “Yes Sir. No Sir.” To make our beds daily and do our homework. As adults, we have more responsibility and more chances to be slack in said responsibility. We often find ourselves not eating a healthy breakfast and staying up until all hours. Then we pay for it the next day (or later that day with a sick stomach).

Our mothers told you to brush twice daily, eat your veggies, and remember to say thank you. When was the last time you said thank you and really meant it? Heck, when was the last time you purposefully ate veggies? I’m talking to all of you out there, like me, who procrastinate and put want ahead of need. However, I’d like to focus on a part of your life your mother may not have included, but is just as important.

It has to do with the basics of magical workings.

What was the first thing you learned while doing energy work? Hopefully it was to ground your energies. Grounding is the act of basically connecting your energies to the Earth, generally in a root-like manner, to keep one’s energies from spiking and also to tap into a source of energies. It is alternately brimming forth energy and also a cord for any excess energy to safely be distributed into the Earth. Just think ‘root.’

Yes, I’m sure you ‘automatically’ ground and get on with things, but when was the last time you reveled in the act of tapping into the Earth? Grounding is much more sacred and important to do offhand. People like very much to hurry through life, why not savor the moment when your energy merges with something larger?

A few months ago I was reminded of the importance of grounding. I was asked to do something for a friend and readily offered my aid. I didn’t feel anything at first, only sleepiness. Then, bam! The headache happened. It’s like an energy hangover. Other people’s backlash can be different and it can simply be prevented. In fact, following this first suggestion can prevent much more.

1: Be aware of yourself.

If you are tired before you start the crafting, perhaps it is not the right time to do a circle. Need before want, remember? I know spells and workings are fun. I also know that people like to show off their talents. So, before you do anything crafty, take a moment and look over the situation.

Is anyone goading you into something? If someone were calling you out, what purpose would performing the spell be? Would your deity/ies like what you were doing? Would this potential moment embarrass you later on? Then there’s the situation where no one is goading you, and the one who initiated the showing off is just you.

All spells should have a purpose. What would showing off do but show that you are insecure and flamboyant? Often when we do spellcraft on the spur of the moment, we forget things. I don’t know, perhaps grounding for one. Also, we forget to be aware of our surroundings (the spiritual side and the more physical side alike).

If you pull out tools in the middle of school or at a busy restaurant, the teachers and other customers might get a little suspicious. I know we like attention, but is this the attention you really want? To be called to the Vice Principal’s office and asked about chanting in the middle of the courtyard during lunch?

Witchcraft is a mystery art, ‘showing off’ makes you part of the jokes that more experienced Witches chuckle at. Please, I know that there’s more to you than showing off. In fact, you probably don’t even know you’re doing it until it’s all over.

Discretion is the better part of valor and keeps outside people from interfering. Besides, is that the sort of energy you want associated with whatever craft you are planning? Which leads me to the next suggestion.

2. Does it feel right?

Often we find ourselves just looking for a spell to do. Ok, not everyone does this, but many people go through a stage where they “Just gotta do something!” Being still, being calm, simply being isn’t enough. They have to do something. So, they go crazy looking through spell books in the local Barnes and Noble or divine at anything that moves.

You ignore the feeling your guides touch on you ever so gently in lieu of more. More what, power? Attention? Basically, more fuel to feed your pride. In the end this can cause burn out or worse yet, a chaotic mind that forgets to do suggestion 1, to be aware of yourself.

I’ve had moments like that. It wasn’t enlightening. It was just busywork. Why make more work for you to do when you can minimize your energy expenditure by keeping your craftwork nice and neat? Try to reduce the number of spells you do and increase purposeful grounding. I’m sure you’ll notice a difference in how you think, feel, and act.

When your mind kicks up a lot of chaotic energy, it’s like a muddy pool of water. Once the waters still and the dirt settles, you can see more clearly. Also, you can trust yourself more readily. Which leads me to 3.

3. Trust Thyself.

This is the biggie. People are going to tell you you’re wrong, misguided, or just stupid for anything and everything. They might just disagree with you concerning a tarot reading you are giving them (other Practitioners will do this more than you would think). They might say that you are casting a circle wrong because you do it differently from them or think that you are a flake when in fact you are earnest in your ways.

It’s interesting to note that some of the harshest criticism I’ve seen comes from inside the Pagan and Witchcraft community. It can cause rock hard cliques, withdrawal of those who can be great teachers and worse yet, hesitation to reach out for others who could be great circle members.

In order to trust others, you must trust yourself. In order to know what feels right, you must trust yourself. In order to ground properly, you must trust yourself that you are in fact grounding properly. If you have done any successful working, you must have had trust in yourself to some point. Having complete trust in yourself is difficult when many in society call you wrong or when your best friend says you are doing things incorrectly (which just feels like another way of saying wrong). If it works for you, it works for you.

Trusting thyself is what brings everything together. Trust is being aware of yourself and knowing what you are doing is right. So, doing suggestions 1 and 2 will lead to true self-trust. If you already have self-trust, it never hurts to take a moment and reflect. Refine your baser skills of grounding, meditation, and remembering to draw in energy like you used to when all of this was new and shimmering with possibilities.

Learn to listen to your gut, because often it knows if something is a bad idea before your brain does.

4. You Are a Sponge.

Don’t forget to look at whom you practice with. Are they good to you? Would they help you move out of your house if you asked? More importantly, would they offer to help you move out if you didn’t ask? These are the kinds of people you want to be around. People who want to help you and not harm you.

Many go on the notion of perfect love and perfect trust, is this perfect love and perfect trust? Or is it just playing games? Find people that you can really learn from, and look to people who don’t boast or cover themselves in “Look at me” vibes (or perhaps clothing for that matter).

The most inconspicuous person might hold a treasure of knowledge and friendship if you trust your instincts to say, “Blessed be.” to them. Just make sure you’re not saying hi to them because they’re quiet.

Trust your instincts and your common sense; you have them for a reason. Remember, you are a sponge. You share energies with other people, and you start picking up those attributes. Haven’t you noticed that you start sounding like people you’re around often? It’s called mirroring. You copy what you see most around you to fit in.

American society says a T-shirt jeans or shorts are the norm in the warmer months. Wearing a civil war reenactment outfit would stick out like a sore thumb. Mirroring what you see others do is how you stay socially viable, and not an outcast.

It’s the same when you are with your circle or coven. If someone’s morals differ in a way that you would see as unacceptable, the more you are around them (and their energies), the less harmful their acts seem. Then you are no longer the person you were.

Are you the person you wanted to be?

Look at people like aspects of an art piece. Will your final work be magnificent and beautiful? Or will it make you feel full of dread when you look on it? Friends and circle members should not make you feel trepidation.

Try to follow the previous three suggestions, and the right people will start to come out of the woodwork.

I suppose some of these suggestions aren’t in the books we read when we first started out. Trusting yourself is something that comes in time. Being aware is simple enough, but often overlooked.

Asking yourself if something feels right can be relative. It can only be answered by the Practitioner doing the craft. Sometimes we forget about the need and do a want, just because we felt like it.

Sometimes we get smacked upside the head by backlash of some sort. We’re always in such a hurry. But, one thing that we can choose is our friends. Just because someone looks interesting doesn’t mean that they are trustworthy.

Never settle for less than the best. You are worth it. So, remember that next time you take a few seconds extra in that pre-spellcraft grounding.

~Greymentality

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 Threefold Goddess

To understand the concept of Goddess requires more than the
ability to visualize God as a woman. The Goddess concept is built
around the myth and mystery of the relationship between God and
Goddess, and beneath that, and part of it, Her Threefold Aspect …
Maiden, Mother and Crone.

One of the oldest recognized Goddess forms is the first Greek
Goddess – Gaia, the Earth Mother; the Universal Womb; Mother of All.
The most ancient Goddesses were most often Earth and Mother Goddesses.
The were worshipped and revered as bearers of life … fat, healthy,
pregnant and fruitful. As the Goddess concept developed, then came the
Harvest Goddesses, who were also Earth Goddesses. Understand that
this was a time when people did not even understand the basic
mechanics of procreation. Life was very sacred and mystical indeed!

Gradually, myth and mystery developed and revealed themselves,
creating the legend which we honor in the modern Wiccan Craft.

We recognize the Goddess as the mother of all, including her
Mighty Consort, the God. To Her he is Lover and Son, and together
they form the Ultimate, the Omniverse, the Dragon, the Mystery.

Now that is a pretty tough concept all things considered.
Especially in our society as it sounds rather incestuous. From a
mundane perspective, it gets worse as the Wheel of the Year Turns, and
the Oak and Holly Kings battle … eternal rivals and
sacrificial mates.

In the pages that follow, we will explore the Goddess foundation
concepts and try to reach an understanding of the basis of the
Mystery.

I don’t want to get off into all the names of all the Goddesses
in all the mythology in all of history. While that is certainly a
noble endeavor, it is not the objective here. What I do want to do is
look at the Goddess, in whole and in part, and see just who and what
she is.

First and foremost, the Goddess is the symbol of the Cycle of
Everlasting. She is constant, ever present, ever changing, and yet
always the same. She could be compared in that respect to the oceans.

As a part of that, she is that from which we have come, and to
which we will return. She is the Universal Mother, the Cosmic Womb.
While those are largely symbolic images, as opposed to literal ones,
they are important to bear in mind about any aspect of the Goddess.
She never harms, she is Mother.

One of the most difficult throwback mentalities to dispell in a
student is the difference between “dark and light” and “bad and good”.
Societally, and often religiously, we are trained to see bad and dark
and evil as being the same. Hence, we are also taught to hate and
fear our own mortality. All too often I see practicing Wiccans, who
ought to *know* better, fall back on these concepts when trying to
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explain or understand a concept.

The Goddess is dark, she is light, she is birth, she is death,
and she rejoices in all things. With death comes joy, for with death
comes renewal. With life comes joy, for with life comes promise.
With growth comes joy for with growth comes wisdom. Sorrow and fear
are not a part of her, not the way we feel those emotions. She is
incapable of sorrow without joy, she fears nothing, because fear is
not real. It is a creation of the mind.

Whether you see the Goddess as a Warrior Queen, or like the Good
Witch of the North in the Wizard of Oz, she is the Goddess. And she
has many parts and facets which defy comprehension as “One”. She
simply IS, and in that, can be whatever you need her to be in order to
establish a relationship with her. But none of that changes what she
IS.

“I greet thee in the many names of the Threefold Goddess and her
Mighty Consort. Athe, malkuth, ve-guburah, ve-gedulah, le-olam, Amen.
Blessed Be.”

So here, at the Circle Door, greeted by the High Priest or
Priestess we first see mentioned the Threefold Goddess. Full-sized
covens have three priestesses who take the specific roles of Maiden,
Mother and Crone, the High Priestess being Mother.

The Threefold Goddess however is NOT three entities, she is one.
Her aspects represent Enchantment, Ripeness and Wisdom.

Taking first things first is usually best, so we shall start
with a look at one side of the Maiden.

Quoting “The Myth of the Goddess” as found in Gardenarian Wicca
(Gerald B. Gardner, The Meaning of Witchcraft, Aquarian Press, London,
1959.):

Now Aradia had never loved, but she would solve all the
Mysteries, even the Mystery of Death; and so she journeyed to the
Nether Lands.

The Guardians of the Portals challenged her, “Strip off thy
garments, lay aside thy jewels; for naught may ye bring with ye into
this our land.”

So she laid down her garments and her jewels and was bound, as
were all who enter the Realms of Death the Mighty One. Such was her
beauty that Death himself knelt and kissed her feet, saying, “Blessed by
thy feet that have brought thee in these ways. Abide with me, let me
place my cold hand on thy heart.” She replied “I love thee not.
Why dost thou cause all things that I love and take delight in to fade
and die?”

“Lady,” replied Death, “it is Age and Fate, against which I am
helpless. Age causes all things to wither, but when men die at the
end of time I give them rest and peace, and strength so that they may
return. But thou, thou art lovely. Return not; abide with me.”

But she answered, “I love thee not.”
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Then said Death, “An’ thou receive not my hand on thy heart
thou must receive Death’s scourge.”

“It is Fate; better so”, she said, and she knelt, and Death
scourged her and she cried “I feel the pangs of love.”

And Death said, “Blessed be” and gave her the Fivefold Kiss,
saying “Thus only may ye attain joy and knowledge.”

And he taught her all the Mysteries. And they loved and were
one, and he taught her all the Magicks.

For there are three great events in the life of Man: Love,
Death and Resurrection in a new body, and Magick controls them all.
For to fulfill love you must return again at the same time and place
as the loved one, and you must remember and love them again. But to
be reborn you must die, and be ready for a new body; and to die you
must be born; and without love you may not be born. And these be all
the Magicks.

So there in the Gardnerian Myth of the Goddess we have her
Maiden aspect, seeking, searching and opening herself to the
mysteries. But it is well to remember that the Goddess herself is a
mystery, and the primary gift of the Goddess is intuitive Wisdom.

Beltaine (Bealtain) is the only Sabbat where the Goddess is
entirely devoted to the Maiden. Here, she revels in the enchantment,
in the joy of coming into fullness and mating with the God. Here, she
is maiden bride and we can most easily understand that facet of the
Maiden aspect. I should probably note here that some see this
festival as maiden turning into mother, with the maiden being in full at
Candlemas, but I do not agree with that.

Youth, newness, innocence and beauty are fundamental facets of
the Maiden aspect. But beneath those are seeking, and love, and love of
seeking. There is more to understand of the Maiden though.
Enchantment does not end with maidenhood, it is simply the beginning
of the Mystery of Life, for that, above all, is what the Goddess
stands for.

In Circle, in the Balanced Universe, the Maiden takes her place
in the East. In examining this most comfortable quarter, you learn
more about the Maiden Aspect. East (Air) rules the free mind and
intellect. It is the place to seek the ability to learn and to open
spiritually, to open your mind and find answers. It is a masculine
quarter, ruled by intellect, and analytical logic, but she brings to
it an intuition which is required to use these to best advantage.

“The river is flowing, flowing and growing, the river is flowing
back to the sea. Mother carry me, a child I will always be. Mother
carry me, back to the sea.”

This Circle chant, sung in joy, sung in sorrow, is a cry to the
Mother Aspect for comfort and warmth, a power chant calling upon the
steady power and fullness of the Mother and a plea for guidance.
While the Earth Mother, and the fully aspected Goddess are placed
North in the Earth quarter, the Mother aspect alone belongs in the
west.
2679

Comfort and love rule here. Emotions, sorrow, joy, tears, these
belong to the ripeness of the Mother. Caring and loving for all her
children, watching in pain and pride as they struggle to gain their
own, knowing full well she could reach out and do it for them, but
being both bound and desirous to let them do it for themselves.

There is a considerable difference, as you might have interpreted
from the above, between the Earth Mother and the Mother Aspect of the
Goddess. That is why we’ve started with her quarter, because it
reveals the limitations of the Aspect.

The Mother aspect is ripeness, the ancient bearing of fruit,
child and grain. She represents emotion and sexuality. The Goddess
in that aspect is most of the altar (as discussed in the Great Rite
lesson.) It is interesting to note the practice in numerous ancient
cultures of lovemaking or outright sex magick in cornfields to help
make the corn grow.

The Dark Mother should also be placed here, although culturally, I
have a tendancy to think of the Dark Mother as more in keeping the
Crone Aspect. It is a bit of work to see the Dark Mother in the West,
to separate Dark Mother from Crone, but it is worthwile. If you have
any background with the tarot I would suggest you take it in that
context, it is beyond the scope of this text.

Our exploration of the Goddess and her Aspects brings us now to
the Crone. For me, the Crone is the most fascinating of the Aspects
of the Goddess. Partly I suppose because she is the most mysterious
and paradoxical.

“Blessed Goddess, old and wise, open mine, thy child’s, eyes.
Speak to me in whispered tones that I may know the rune of Crones.”

With life and growth comes age and wisdom, and the Crone is this
in part. She holds fire and power, which wisely used can be of great
benefit, but hold great danger for the unaware. Hers are the secrets of
death and of life, and the mystery beyond the mystery.

Part of the pleasure in knowing the Crone aspect is that while,
unlike the fully aspected Goddess, she is not also Maiden and Mother,
she does retain the experiences of both those Aspects in order to be
Crone. The Crone, wizened though she is, must still be able to reach
into herself and recall the innocent joys and high passions of the
Maiden and the love and warmth of the Mother. To be Crone and to not
have forgotten, to still be able to experience Maiden and Mother is,
to me, very appealing. More importantly, to be comfortable in that
Aspect, where you have truth and knowledge but have left youth and
physical beauty behind, and to still _feel_ youth and beauty without
being desirous of them is an admirable quality.

Crone is the least paralleled Aspect of the Goddess to our human
society. We discard our old and wise, not understanding their value
as teachers and models, and fearing their appearance as a reminder of
our own mortality.

Knowing Crone is a door we much each open for ourselves for to know
and love her is to cast aside a great many of our cultural and societal
malteachings.
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While the individual Aspects of Threefold Goddess are certainly
valid concepts and paths to knowing Goddess, I should caution that most
mythological Goddess figures are composite Goddesses. Earth Mother
Goddess figures are fully aspected Goddess by definition because they
represent the full cycle of the Wheel. Most other Goddess figures can
be classified as having a dominant (or operative) aspect and recessive
(promised, or in some cases past) aspect. Future and past should not be
taken literally, mythological Goddess figures are always whatever they
are eternally, they do not tend to change (ie age).

Maiden Goddesses possessing their operative in the Huntress or
Warrior aspects most often have a promise of Crone. Maiden Goddesses
expressing their dominance in beauty and/or love usually have their
recessive aspect as Mother. For example, Athena is a Maiden Goddess
with Crone attributes (the combination produces many Mother-type
qualities, and this results in the Crone aspected Maiden being the
most complete of the Mythological Goddesses, with the exception of
Earth Mother Goddesses.) Aphrodite is of course a Maiden Goddess with
Mother attributes.

Similarly, Dark Mother Goddess figures mostly find their promise in
Crone and Light Mother figures their recessive in Maiden. Crone
recessives work the same way, although sometimes it takes a bit of
close examination to find the “hidden” aspect.

One should note that this is not a formula, rather a tool to
assist in examining and understanding Goddess figures and creating
one’s own personal spiritual link with Goddess. It is also a useful
consideration when invoking a specific Goddess with purpose in ritual.
The purpose of this course has been to open avenues of approach
in discovering and developing a relationship with Goddess. For me
personally, I do not “believe” in the reality of mythological Goddess
figures as they were presented, but I do believe they are a valid way to
establish communication with Goddess. I also believe Goddess will
appear in whatever form we are most ready to accept. The real
Goddess, by my belief (and this is personal, not trad) is an entity
beyond my comprehension, perhaps composed of light (could 5000 sci-fi
films be wrong?), most assuredly unlike anything I could ever imagine in
true form. However, I do find mythological Goddess figures highly
useful for ritual, and of some help in my personal relationship with
Goddess. I hope you will too.

THE WITCH’S BALLAD

THE WITCH’S BALLAD
-Doreen Valente?

      Oh, I have been beyond the town,
      Where nightshade black and mandrake grow,
      And I have heard and I have seen
      What righteous folk would fear to know!
            For I have heard, at still midnight,
            Upon the hilltop far, forlorn,
            With note that echoed through the dark,
            The winding of the heathen horn.

      And I have seen the fire aglow,
      And glinting from the magic sword,
      And with the inner eye beheld
      The Horned One, the Sabbat’s lord.
            We drank the wine, and broke the bread,
            And ate it in the Lady’s name.
            We linked our hands to make the ring,
            And laughed and leaped the Sabbat game.

      Oh, little do the townsfolk reck,
      When dull they lie within their bed!
      Beyond the streets, beneath the stars,
      A merry round the witches tread!
            And round and round the circle spun,
            Until the gates swung wide ajar,
            That bar the boundaries of earth
            From faery realms that shine afar.

      Oh, I have been and I have seen
      In magic worlds of Otherwhere.
      For all this world may praise or blame,
      For ban or blessing nought I care.
            For I have been beyond the town,
            Where meadowsweet and roses grow,
            And there such music did I hear
            As worldly-rightous never know.

Lady’s A Spell of the Day for 9/7: A Spell to Strengthen the Witch Within

A Spell to Strengthen the Witch Within

This is a time of the rebirth of the root cultures of many peoples.
Ancient wisdom’s that were lost or obscured by the power shifts of
history are now coming into light through many channels. Native people
are discovering their rituals, their myths, their shamans. The
advances of technology are adding to this wave of discovery in many
ways, such as through media and communication (take the Internet for
instance).

The image of the witch is at the root of our cultural past. To embrace
and affirm this aspect of ourselves is to tap the power of tradition,
longevity, and cellular memory. Once we understand ourselves, harmony
sets in.

In preparing for your spell, first do some serious thinking about just
what the image of the witch means to you. Make a list of all her
qualities, her powers, her names, how she looks, What she wears,
thinks, feels, etc. See her in your mind’s eye with as much clarity
and detail as possible.

This spell should be cast three times, at the new, full, and dark of
the month.

Ingredients:
Large piece of parchment paper
Pen
Two purple candles
Moon Oil (Recipe)
Power incense
A small moonstone

Arrange your altar. Carve moons into your candles and anoint them with
oil. Anoint yourself as well, on brow, heart, and hands. Seat yourself
comfortably and light the candles, saying:

“With this flame, I awaken the Witch within me.”

Light the incense. Close your eyes and breathe deeply for a while,
relax, and let go. Bathe yourself and your aura in white light. Keep
breathing deeply and slowly as you begin to sway and weave, letting
your body move into a circular motion. Empty yourself of all
distractions and anxieties. When you feel flowing and peaceful, let
your imagination fill up with images of your inner Witch. Take Up the
parchment and pen and make a sketch of her (don’t worry about style
Or quality; the simpler the better).

Write your impressions and ideas beneath the drawing. Set this up
between the candles so that it is facing you. Take the moonstone and
clasp it to your heart. Keep breathing and weaving as you fill
yourself with the image on the parchment.

Draw the Witch image into yourself, see her multiplied a
Thousand-fold, vibrating in every cell of your body. Repeat the
following incantation three times:

“I am willing to be different and strong
I am willing to be different and beautiful
I am willing to be different and free
I am willing to be different from patriarchy
For this difference is the same
Sameness with the Non-Linear
World of Magick, The Goddess
Her forces, My dreams
The moon, My feelings, My creativity
My passion, My deep love, Of all creation…
And the only conforming I need to do
Is Forming Creation, For I am form
And I am forming, To universal law
And therefore mu! St survive…
And even though I may at times
Feel alone and misunderstood
I will remember that I have sisters out there
Who are learning to be free, Like me
And that I am not alone, But all One
And that free women were respected
And loved, And will be again
And will be again, And will be
I will it to be, I will it to be
And so doth it be, Forever, and ever
So be it, Blessed be”

As you repeat this chant, let your words flow rhythmically as you
Weave and sway, let your voice create melody. Improvise, make new
words if you feel inspired.

When you feel complete, slip your parchment beneath the altar cloth.
Give thanks to the Goddess and God and snuff out the candles.

The moonstone is to carry at all times. Keep it in your pocket, under
your pillow, or wear it in a pouch. Whenever you feel the need, hold
the stone and rub it with your thumb in a circular motion. Think or say:

“I am safe, I am me
All is well, Blessed be”

Tell no one of this spell until it has come to fullness. Even as you
feel your powers strengthen, it may be best to maintain silence. Be
discreet about sharing your magick.

	H.P. Lady Beltane on Happy and Blessed Mabon/Autumn…
	Michelle Salvail de… on Happy and Blessed Mabon/Autumn…
	H.P. Lady Beltane on Update on Big Dawg
	alanleealan on Update on Big Dawg
	H.P. Lady Beltane on I Won’t be Posting Today…
	Desra Kent on I Won’t be Posting Today…
	H.P. Lady Beltane on I Won’t be Posting Today…

Mabon to Samhain

Daily Affirmation

I am a Witch!

I am at One with the Earth, The Universe,

and the Divine!

Let this day be free from Strife and Fear;

Let only Joy and Love come near;

With Blessings given and received

I walk in Peace in Word and Deed.

Let’s Include All Genders and Sexualities in Our Paganism

article

by Janice Van Cleve

How to Perform Ritual

by Jonathan Bergeon

article

Pagan? Witch! She’s A Witch!! Author: Lea

Footnotes: none/original

Back to Basics: Are You Forgetting Something? Author: Greymentality

The Threefold Goddess

Pagan? Witch! She’s A Witch!!

Author: Lea

Footnotes:
none/original

Back to Basics: Are You Forgetting Something?

Author: Greymentality