wicca Archives

How to Discover Your Inner Wiccan

August 12, 2021Spells

If you’re reading this article because you feel a connection to nature and are interested in learning more about Wicca, then you’ve come to the right place.

Modern Wicca is a religion that consists of witchcraft and the worship of nature. It was created by Gerald Gardner in the 1950s, and in recent years it has been able to thrive. Gardner’s main goal was to create a religion that would allow people to return to nature. It is a religion that is based on ancient pagan beliefs. It involves the belief in a divine force that is both male and female and focuses on the act of worshiping nature and living in harmony with its cycles.

Do you feel attracted to the Wiccan religion, but don’t know where to start?… In this post, we’ll show you how you can discover your true Wiccan self and become the empowered person you are meant to be.

Discover your power

Each person has his or her own unique powers and the only way to find them is by listening to what your inner self tells you. The power that is inside of everyone is impossible to measure, but the only way to make it stronger is to tap into it. A Wiccan can do this by focusing on finding their own power and using it to achieve their goals.

Wiccans believe that there are seven basic elements: earth, air, fire, water, ether, life, and death. Listen to your inner self, your intuition is the only way you can find out what you can do and how to do it.

By reading, learning, and applying your Wiccan knowledge, you’ll be able to “clear your mind” and discover magical affinities.

Find your spiritual identity

Many people are searching for a spiritual path that resonates with them. It may be that Wicca is your answer. Wicca is a nature-based religion that focuses on the ancient goddess and the god. Wiccans believe that all forms of worship should be personal and private, and they do not engage in public rituals or ceremonies. Wicca is a very simple religion with a sacred history that can be traced back to the early Celts.

You may find your spiritual path by looking into the Wiccan Rede, or the Law of Threefold Return. This is a great way to understand the relationship between yourself and your gods, and what you can do to build a strong relationship with them.

Wicca offers a wide variety of rituals, such as the Sacred Fires and Moon Spells. For example, you may find yourself in need of these rituals at different times in your life. Wicca rituals can be celebrated to increase energy or balance, depending on the needs of the practitioner.

By meditating and practicing the right rituals, you will get the needed guidance to find your spiritual journey. To be honest, there is no right or wrong path here, just “go with the flow” and let your spiritual path reveal itself. It may also help to learn some magick rituals and use witch tools (like tarot reads), e.g. like a moon ritual that you may practice on a full moon. This will help you get in the right state of mind to discover your spiritual identity.

Find your true self

Wicca will help you find your true self and your purpose in life. It is a way to help you find out who you are and what you want to do in life, by connecting with your true spirit and soul. Wicca will help you make the most of life. It is a way to make life meaningful and give it purpose.

Finding your true self is a process of self-discovery. It requires finding what you like and don’t like, what you are good at and not good at, what makes you happy, and what makes you sad. This is because each person has their own way of thinking and feeling, and without understanding who you are, it is hard to find what makes you happy.

Some people can find themselves quickly by looking at what they do for work, where they live, what their favorite color is, or what their favorite band is. But if you don’t know who you are, it is hard to make choices and decisions because you may find that you don’t have anything in common with the people around you.

You need to feed your brain, learn all you can about the Wiccan religion and make sure it is your right path, and then move accordingly.

Find a Wiccan Mentor

Although you may read and learn a lot on your own, nothing beats learning from a mentor. It is extremely helpful to have someone you trust along your enlightenment path, taking you by the hand and always available to assist you. So try to find witches that will help you discover magick.

We know it may be hard finding a Wiccan mentor when you’re just starting out. Luckily, the Wiccan community as a whole tends to be very helpful and willing to assist. Look for reputable Wiccan communities (either online or local) and start learning and meeting other fellow witches. Once you’ve found your Wiccan Mentor, you will both know it.

Just be careful of not-so-reputable communities that may just try to take advantage of you (unfortunately, there are some out there). But once again, you’ll probably notice it if this is the case.

Conclusion

Finding your Wiccan path is a very important process for many reasons. It can help you find the right “fit” for your religious beliefs. It can also help you find a community that shares your values. Lastly, it can help you find a new spiritual home. All of these are very important and can provide a lot of meaning to your life.

Bless be.

5 Wiccan Tips to Manifest Whatever you Want

February 2, 2020Spells

Along our wiccan path, especially during our first steps, we’ll always need help and direction. Although it is important to believe in your own thoughts and feelings, there is nothing wrong (and it’s actually recommended) to look for help and assistance from other wiccans.

In this article, Lauren Simpson-Green from fractalenlightment.com shares 5 wiccan tips for life manifestation. Do you have any other tips? Feel free to share them with our community in the comments section below the article.

Perhaps the reason why many of us look outside; to books and friends, to mentors and peers to give us the tools to create a healthy routine and the means to begin manifesting the life we want is because we don’t trust ourselves.

Yet when we haven’t been given these tools or pointed in the right direction by those who should’ve done so to positively curb our natural development we often need a few more nudges than most. Or perhaps we have mastered the art of self love and care but are yet to take the plunge and start facing the ultimate act of self love. Doing what you came here to do.

When it comes to this next step – of manifesting and positively welcoming in those changes with open arms – we need a great deal of growing up and taking responsibility, but also a greater depth of honesty.

For the biggest message to the universe (and the most common way we are not impeccable with our words) is the little voice that says night and day; I’m not good enough for this, I don’t deserve it, I don’t have the capacity to help others, I’m not ready.

Some helpful routines and suggestions for manifesting what you want can be too vague, others too materialistic. The first rule of witchcraft, whether you’re interested in that side of it or not is that, whilst you’d love to be off creating colorful spells and doing one for this and one for that, actually the greatest wisdom is knowing that everything is already OK the way it is and doesn’t need your interference thank you very much

The universe knows the bigger plan, so sit back and enjoy it. However, some things need a little nudge in the right direction, and if you’re completely changing the direction of your life or instigating major changes in many forms then you’ll probably need to study and rearrange your patterns and habits.

Here are five wiccan tips that work for me:

1) Dig deep

Before even planning and plotting over what you want to manifest, you must dig deep. This especially applies if you are asking and asking for something and you’re just not getting it. An example is the person who wants an apartment and a job, yet time and time again, despite wishing for both just runs into roadblocks.

The message this person is probably sending out is that they don’t really want to be there, or, that they’re just not sure what they want to do or where they want to live. The universe WILL give you everything you desire… it’s just that most people have no clue what exactly it is they want.

Be careful what you wish for is a common adage for a reason. You might just get it and it may not be what you wanted after all. Remember EVERYTHING has two sides and so explore the possible ‘down sides’ or less appealing aspects of your wish and how it might impact other parts of your life.

Sit down, let rip on the honesty and THINK HARD about what you really want. What are those little red flags that keep going up? Don’t ignore them. Pluck them out and study them with a magnifying glass. Like all stuck emotions and fears, the more you honestly explore and release them the more likely they are to dissolve into thin air.

2) Imagine

Having decided what you want, you still aren’t ready to take the plunge. Now IMAGINE exactly how you will be by projecting the ideal into your future. As I’ve already said, what often holds us back is that to know everything that’s going to happen and have it all planned out and set in stone is, well… a little boring. We like mystery and to have the forces of life play out and surprise us in ways we would never have imagined.

Is there a way you could focus on one element to manifest and leave the rest up to the professional and ever-knowing laws of nature? Or do you feel a sinking sensation of dread or disappointment when viewing your dream in such a way? Often, the first few times we do this we come up with false dreams, things we don’t really want at all.

As we all know of witchcraft, the dangerous side of it can prevail if not respected. Becoming a master of divine timing and having fun with spells or meditative manifestation exercises whilst staying humble is one thing, but forcing it can have tragic effects. Making others fall in love, contacting the dead… we don’t need to watch Disney’s Aladdin to know that these are all big no nos.

3) The power of three times three so mote it be

One last thing before taking the plunge – ask yourself, does it hurt anyone including myself? This is one hurdle many can never clear, especially when it comes to money as the sensitive among us simply can’t ask for more than we need or feel the entitlement to it.

It’s like the gender wage gap – in the U.S, women are 77% to every man’s 1$, mostly because women’s sense of entitlement and judgment of their own self worth in the interview is much lower.

The fact that all the world’s wealth already goes to those who believe they should have it and honor financial status and success above all else already makes my skin crawl, so these self help books that encourage you to feel entitled to money just doesn’t feel right somehow.

Do you NEED what you are desiring? Are you being greedy and are secretly aware of this? Perhaps this is a block, but also should be an indicator of the right thing to do. Buddha’s right speech and right livelihood indicate having a just reason attached to a goal.

If you want to save money to eventually buy a beautiful house and gardens to turn into a meditation centre or foster home will probably compliment your higher self as opposed to buy a second car. Having said that, each to their own and who are any of us to judge what others want, but this is a good rule. If it doesn’t hurt anyone including yourself, then go ahead.

4) Explore the best ways to manifest for you

Some do an image board, some repeat a mantra. Some wish for it everything night and others do so and then conveniently forget about it. The key thing is doing something, but most certainly with an air of detachment. Creatively explore ways to integrate it into your routine. Spells can be a fun and creative way to do this although beware becoming too attached to little mistakes and superstitions along the way.

Doing this with others can be even more powerful and avoid individual pedantries. Meditation may be more your thing, but remember to close any ‘wishes’ or visualizations of getting what you want with a prayer for others – a simple energy reminder and statement of humility to the universe that you are aware you already have all you need, that you are already grateful.

I find drawing up a routine with spaces for spontaneity can be an excellent way to manifest things. Just changing your habits and routine and acting as if you already have whatever it is you desire can be the most effective step.

5) And finally, keep going

Keep going, repeating steps one to four until it begins to happen. Often if it’s not happening you’re missing signs from the universe which are opportunities in disguise or still not being completely honest with yourself about what you want.

Revise, meditate on your past and any inner voices that may be telling you things that are holding you back. Manifesting can be a huge inner journey, and if done right, can open up all sorts of doors for you. With changes that can be enjoyed for the rest of your life.

How to teach kids about Magick?

May 20, 2019Spells

Blessed be!

While I was reading this article from Wiccan Spells, I decided to share it with all of you but thinking in all the kids from my family and friends in mind. Specially Liah my niece, Ian my nephew and Naomi, a sister from other life’s daughter. Their mothers are doing a great job maintaining and nurturing their natural magick, i have noticed they do some of the tips from this article so I hope it works for everyone.

Introducing children to the practices of Wicca and Paganism can be tricky, especially if you’re unsure where to start. I know many people that were drawn to the faith due to their interest in living in harmony with nature, and having a religion that they can practice by themselves, or a religion that really focuses on the feminine side of life.

Let Them Participate in Rituals

While you’re doing magickal workings, either spells or rituals for different Sabbats, why not include your children in these practices? Kids LOVE to be involved in anything that adults are doing, and this is no different. Just like kids learn basic skills from their parents and other adults in their lives, magickal practice is no different. When you’re performing your next ritual, pull up a stool and let your child join in. Talk them through what you’re doing, answer their questions with patience and understanding, and if you feel it is safe enough, even let them join in by helping to light candles or place things around an altar!

They will love being involved, and you can explain to them step by step what you’re doing and why – all the while opening their eyes to the wonder that is Wicca!

Spells and Craftwork

Here’s where your children’s imagination can really shine. Why not allow your kids to join in with a few different spells and craftwork? Let them create their own wand! Go through the woods on a nature hike, and allow them to find a fallen branch that speaks to them. Grab some discarded stones, feathers, anything that your child is drawn to, and start walking them through how to craft their own supplies and tools.

This is also a great lesson in respecting nature and everything that the earth decides to give us. Once back at home from your hike, start crafting! Break out the glue, glitter, markers – anything your child would like to use – and let them go crazy crafting away! Explain to them the symbolism of having their own wand, and what a wand does in Wicca practices. Then you can even help your child perform a spell – and have them start watching for the effects! If you’re looking for inspiration, check out these simple spells for children.

Incorporate Your Deities

During bedtime make a teaching lesson as well! Instead of turning to the same fairytales (which are fantastic!), why not tell your children a few stories about the deities that you worship? Greek and Roman goddesses and gods have many myths written about them, and some are GREAT for children. You can even find books specifically geared to children in this genre. Then incorporate the deities in your rituals. You’d be surprised at how quickly your children start to pick up on which god/goddess to work with! The biggest thing to remember is simply to talk to your children about the religion as openly as possible. Children will pick up on your love for Wicca, and want to be as involved as you are!

What kind of witch are you?

May 1, 2019Spells

Interesting is that your interest may tell you a lot about the kind of witch you are. Yes, if you love cooking or probably love to be working with plants, herbs, or simple like to spend time in a beach (this remind me a friend that didn’t know yet she is a witch… other day we will talk about this :D!)

There are still many more types of witches – these are the most common presented by Aldora in her blog Kitchen Wiccan. In the last decade more people practicing have branched out as individuals and found certain strengths and attractions to become a force all their own. Go with how you as an individual feel, as you never have to “fit” into a category – these are just here to help you if you don’t quite know what type you are yet. You just may have a connection to one.

Traditional Witch

The witches who take the journey of traditional witchcraft, are interested in the old ways (pre-Christian), and are followers of history and the arts, building a foundation for their craft. Usually the craft is passed down generation after generation within family units. These witches are less inclined to participate in the worship of Goddess or Gods, preferring to work predominantly with the Spirit world and will often call on their ancestors or land spirits for strength. They work with moon cycles, planetary symbols and cycles, rune symbols, herbs and their chemical uses, the land and ancestors are very important to a Traditional witch.

Traditional witches are drawn towards both the dark and the light, performing banishing and repelling spells. They do not to follow the threefold law or the Wiccan Rede, (just to be clear traditional witchcraft is not Wicca) but careful consideration and responsibility is taken when performing any magic whether it’s healing, hex, curse or banishing spells. They perform Shamanic journeying by inducing trance that involves drumming, rattling, heavy dancing, rocking, entheogens, meditation, flying ointments, and more.

Hedge-riding is a practice that involves traveling to the spirit world through the use of trance work and other various techniques to alter the conscious mind (including entheogens, which are herbs and other substances used to induce trance) which allows the spirit to leave the body. Animism is a part of Traditional Witchcraft because they believe everything on this earth has a spirit or soul. They believe in an Upper World, Middle World and Under World. Under – those who’ve died, awaiting reincarnation or choosing not to pass on or can’t ascend. Middle – the here and now. Upper – spirits/souls who have ascended and no longer need a body as they can survive without the recharging of the spirit/soul that life is, or were never bond to a physical form/body to begin with.

Kitchen Witch: (aka – Cottage Witch & Hearth Witch)

This Witch carries practical sides of the Wiccan / Pagan religion, magic, gemstones, the elements and the earth. A Kitchen Witch is usually recognized as practicing Celtic Wicca: Goes by the elements, the Ancient Ones and nature. They are usually healers, respected highly and once they are past their 40’s tend to take on a “Wise Woman” role as they have an abundance of knowledge and are admired for it.

They work with plants, stones, flowers, trees, the elemental people, the gnomes and the fairies. But above all performs her magic in the Kitchen and has Goddess given talents for food crafting. Potions, herbal remedies, and natural instincts for over protection of hearth and home. Most often they make the best mates as they are very crafty in love and relationships – and it is said one who is a friend of a Kitchen Witch has many perks.

Green Witch:

Is the practice of nature-based and earth oriented witchcraft, drawing on the folklore, folk religion and folk magic of ancient cultures as they connected to the forest; such as the tree worship of Druids, the kitchen craft of Italian witches or the keeping of sacred groves as presented in Gallic paganism. Green witches usually practice a traditional form of witchcraft in which the earth, trees, herbs, plants and flowers are consulted for their medicinal and magical value.

They will grow their own herbs or Wildcraft them, and are very good at making herbal remedies. Belief in deities depends on the individual witch, though many Green witches acknowledge and earth mother or series of nature spirits as their deity. Usually, the spirits of nature, the dead (that of humans and animals) or the Fey have a large part in Green traditions. A form of green witchcraft which is better classified as Green Wicca was popularized by Ann Moura.

Hedge Witch:

Hedge craft is a path that is somewhat shamanic in nature, (sometimes referred to as wise man & wise woman) as they are practitioners of an Earth-based spirituality. These are the ones who engage in spirit flight and journey into the Other world. They can, in this capacity, be very powerful midwives and healers. A bird of one kind or another is usually associated with the Hedge Witch, most commonly the raven and the goose.

The term “hedge” signified the boundary of the village and represents the boundary that exists between this world and the spiritual realm. (they are said to be Night travelers or walkers on the wind). Their main function is mediator between the spirits and people. They may also work as a herbal healer or midwife. Some claim it to be the continuation of the practices of the cunning folk and wise-women, while others say that it is a modern tradition.

Eclectic Witch:

An individual approach that picks and chooses from many different traditions and creates a personalized form of witchcraft that meets their individual needs and abilities. They do not follow a particular religion or tradition, but study and learn from many different systems and use what works best for them. Many Eclectic Witches refer to themselves as Solitary Practitioners, Sorceresses, Hedge Witches, Green, White, and Grey Witches. Some consider themselves Wicca, as long as the Rede is adhered to, the Earth and the Universe revered. One main complaint made against the Eclectic Witch is that they are not true Wiccans because they build a taylor-made religion or tradition for themselves from the ground up rather than following an established or correct form of Wicca.

Their minds remain open and are receptive to knowledge, ideas, beliefs and methods that others practice. They adapt well to different situations and create their own paths by what they believe to be true and right at that time in their life (simply put – they don’t follow rules). They like to explore and make their own mistakes and take from experiences in turn creating their own rules and traditions. It’s why you can bring 2 Eclectic Witches into a room yet they are totally different in the way they practice, live, and believe as they are all different in some way.

Hereditary Witchcraft:

The term hereditary witchcraft, is given to the witch who has inherited the magic gifts through genealogy. (Keep in mind just because your Grandparents or Parents were/are witches does not necessarily mean you are too. Sometimes this can skip generations.) These witches are born, usually to a magical family and begin their journey very early in their life, using the gifts handed down through the generations.

Born into a tradition of esoteric origin (the conviction that nature is a living entity owing to a divine presence or life-force). These traditions are often not recorded, except in Grimoires which are also passed down but very highly protected, but rely primarily on oral and physical tradition. Each family has it’s own unique traditions. Most will stick together as family units rather than covens.

Sea Witch: (water witch)

As the name implies, sea witches are believed to be able to control many aspects of nature relating to water, most commonly an ocean or sea. They specialize in water based magic and worship Sea Gods & Goddesses. However, in more modern times, sea witches can also practice witchcraft on or near any source of water: lakes, rivers, bathtubs, or even simply a bowl of salt water. Sea witches use witchcraft related to the moon, tides, and the weather, and are believed to have complete control over the seas.

In some folklore, sea witches are described as phantoms or ghosts who have the power to control the fates of ships their passengers. Sea witches often improvise on what they have, rather than making purchases from a store or from another person. Common tools include clam, scallop, or oyster shells in place of bowls or cauldrons. They are beachcombers and collect items including seaweed, fishing net, shells, sea grass, driftwood, pieces of sea glass, and even sand. Driftwood was used as walking sticks and charged as wands. Sea Witch works with what is termed ‘grey magic’ to maintain a balance of light and dark – most are solitary.

Secret witch: Are you in the broom closet?

April 10, 2019Spells

I loved so much this article by Donyae Coles in the Spriral Nature Magazine as explain many of us experience. As the writer, I am open about my practice, but I don’t go to the streets with a sign saying “I am a witch”. If you ask me, I wont deny, just that. But this isn’t the case for everyone. For a variety of reasons, may people are “stuck in the broom closet” and have to keep their practice secret. This need for secrecy can be very hard to practice under, not only emotionally but also from a practical standpoint.

There are many valid reasons not to share your practice and they should be respected, it is not for us to judge anyone else’s journey. We do not live their lives, we do not follow their paths.

Here are some tips to help people practice in secret.

1. Getting an education as a secret witch

Many new practitioners who aren’t sure where to start (but must stay secret) often are at a loss as to how to learn more about the work without exposing themselves. One of the simplest things to do is to read, but keeping an occult library would probably blow your cover.

The good news is that there are tonnes of resources available online. Not just blogs and websites (like the one you’re reading now!), but also a huge selection of books! Another option is to purchase ebooks for things that you are interested in learning about. Many of the larger publishers in the metaphysical realm offer their titles in ebook form that can easily be purchased from sites like Amazon of Google Books.

Finally, don’t discount online groups and forums. These places usually have files that they share and people are always willing to help those who are looking for information. Not all groups are meant for everyone though, so try a bunch and see what fits!

2. Altar spaces and sacred spaces

One of the biggest issues for people who are practicing in secret is the altar. Regardless of which practices you follow, many of them call for the use of an altar and even if ultimately the practitioner moves away from such practices, many people just starting out wish to have one.

Simple altars generally include representations of the four elements, icons or representations of deities or our ancestors and at least a small space for offerings. These are just some basic staples. Representations can be pictures or even small jars filled with the elements along with candles or incense. Read my post: Altar Set-Up for Beginners and Witches on a Budget to have more ideas :D!

There are many options for building one for more discreet practice. One basic suggestion is to place the altar in a closet, if you at least have your own room, that way it will not be on display. Another option for a larger altar is to build it inside of a box or suitcase that can be hidden under the bed when not in use. This solution works very well for those who at least have their own bedroom to function in.

For people who do not have their own room, it is still possible to have an altar! Small altars made from small boxes, even mint tins, are very popular. By using smaller vials or relying on just pictures and drawings, you can make a simple, functional altar.

A final solution for those who absolutely cannot have a physical altar is to create a virtual one. Either by using elements you found on the web to create a photo collage, or setting up a temporary altar and snapping a photo. This isn’t the greatest option as altars should ideally be “living” spaces where you move, add, and change things as part of your practice, but for people in a tight spot, it is a solid choice

3. Making offerings in secret

If you do have to rely on a digital altar space or one that cannot be out in the open, making offerings can be a bit tricky. After all, you can’t just set a plate in front of your nana’s photo and call it a day! But don’t worry, there are many other ways to send your offerings.

The first is simple, although food and drink are some of the most basic offerings we make, you can also offer your prayers, the lighting of a candle or your own meditation as a form of vernation. This option works for honouring both gods and ancestors. They will understand your constraints as long as you are diligent in your work and honest with what you can give.

Another solution is to make your offerings at a place that is associated with them. For ancestors, a trip to their graves (if possible) is something that would not raise suspicion in most communities. Taking flowers once a week to a cemetery is a very commonplace activity and people wouldn’t bat an eye.

If you’re dealing with deities or other natural spirits, then you can simply go to places that are associated with them. This means, for example, that if you want to make an offering to Oshun (a very popular Orisha), you could go to a river and leave her offering for her. Or, if you were hoping to commune with Dionysus, hit up a wine bar. The key is to find the things which is associated with them, where their energy would gather and go there.

Get to know who you are worshipping and get creative! There are a million and one places where a deity’s energy might be felt outside of the obvious ones, like parks and streams. Think about what your chosen deity likes and go where you can find that thing!

In some locations, it is much easier to leave offerings than others. Obviously in a park or by a river, for example, it would be very easy to leave something (just make sure that whatever you are leaving will not harm the environment!), but in a shop or public place, it might be a bit harder to do so discreetly. In public places, you may only be able to offer a prayer or devotion to your deity but that is better than nothing at all. Take advantage of this post regarding celebrations: Hold an Imbolc Candle Ritual for Solitaries, Yule Rituals [that Anyone can Perform] & What do Wiccans believe? A beginner’s guide to Wicca.

4. Doing the work as a secret witch

Other hurdle for people who must keep their practice secret is actually doing the work of the craft. For people who practice forms of chaos magick or just general worship, they may not need to engage in any actual rituals or spells. For other paths, actually completing rituals and casting are important parts of their practice and many people who must do so in secret feel as if they aren’t really following their paths because they cannot do so.

Although very blatant things like sigils scrawled on your walls, talismans around your neck, and iron cauldrons boiling over the fire may tip people off to what you’re doing, it is very possible to do work in secret. The first step is throwing out any preconceived notions of what the craft looks like. Forget about dancing naked in the moonlight, wearing pentagram everything, or swapping out your deodorant for a permeant aura of Nag Champa incense. None of those stereotypical things are needed to practice and you are more than welcome to do them later when you can be more open. For now, let’s concentrate on what you can do.

5. Low key divination

Finally, there’s the act of divination (check my store for ideas). Many people who embrace this lifestyle practice some form of divination as a way to help guide them, commune with the higher and lower planes, practice meditation, or even see how spell work will go for them. The problem with most divination is that you need tools and these leave the secret witch open for discovery.

The easiest-to-hide form of divinatory tools is perhaps the pendulum. The types you can purchase from shops made from crystals, stones, and fine metals are lovely but you don’t need these to practice this art. You can make a pendulum from just about anything and a piece of string. A ring, a key, a nail, tied to a string and there you go! It’s also very easy to make a pendulum board or mat. Check this: Pendulum Witchcraft: How to Make and Use a Pendulum

Scyring can also be done with limited tools, however, it does take some alone time so this is only an option for people who are able to be alone and meditate comfortably. It can be done outside or even by staring at a screen, but if anyone will wonder why you’re staring at a screen for so long, it may not be the best option.

Tarot cards are the most popular option for divination but keeping a deck can be hard for people living in secret. There are online tarot decks available that can be used through apps, such as the Golden Thread Tarot7 (which is free), but this may not give people the full feeling. Learning about cartomancy, reading with standard playing cards — you can learn the techniques from Fortune-Telling by Cards by P.R.S. Foli,8 a book available online for free. Suggested to read: Introduction to Tarot Reading: Suits and Cards

Standing in your power, even in secret

As I mentioned earlier, secret witches and people trapped in the broom closet get a lot of guff from those who have the privilege to be open about their practices. It’s hard when you feel like you can’t really be who you are and do the things that would fulfil you as a person.

These tips and tricks are meant to help you find ways to practice while keeping your mental and physical health safe from bullying and harm. Not everyone understands this lifestyle and some still outright fear it due to ignorance, however, don’t let that stop you from exploring, even if you have to do so in secret.

What do Wiccans believe? A beginner’s guide to Wicca

March 26, 2019Spells

Do you want to learn more about Wicca? You have come to the right place. This is a very deep and interesting subject, with lots of information available online. Unfortunately, not always this information is really accurate.

In this article Claire Lampen from The Daily Dot gives us a basic but very nice description about Wicca religion (perfect for beginners). Not everything is here of course, but it will give you a better understanding about our beloved religion (from a perspective of a non-wiccan reporter).

For the past few years, we’ve been enjoying an extended season of the witch, magical proclivities having gained quite a bit of pop culture traction. While the sudden flood of amateur interest may frustrate legitimate, long-practicing witches, it doesn’t show any signs of stopping anytime soon. Which means demand for primers on the basics, like Wiccans—what do they believe? Are all Wiccans witches and vice versa? Might I be a Wiccan and not even know it? What even is Wicca, anyway?

Well. Wicca, a pagan belief system centered on the worship of the natural and, often, of a God and a Goddess, emphasizes a strong connection with the earth and derives magic from it. Because magic is central to Wicca, according to Witchcraft.org, every Wiccan is a witch but not every witch is a Wiccan.

Although Wicca is a decentralized religion often led by solitary practitioners, there are a few central tenets that dictate the Wiccan belief system, at least in the United States. At a 1973 conference of more than 70 Wiccans from different Wiccan subsets, the temporarily convened Council of American Witches hammered down 13 core principles that many U.S. Wiccans still recognize decades later.

A beginner’s guide to Wicca and Wiccan beliefs

What do Wiccans believe?

Wicca is hardly a staunch or strict belief system— and that’s a huge part of what gives Wiccan beliefs mass appeal to people of diverse religious backgrounds. It’s not uncommon for individual practitioners or covens to write their own interpretations of the Wiccan code of conduct. However, as in any religion, there are a few key rules and principles that most all Wiccans stick to, whether they practice alone or in a coven. There are two key rules that are typically the most important:

1) Wiccan Rede

Originally part of a 26-line poem, the Wiccan Rede outlines the key moral system in Wicca. It reads “An it harm none, do what ye will.” It has also been written as “That it harm none, do as thou wilt.” In most interpretations, it’s similar to the “golden rule”—treat others as you’d like to be treated.

2) Rule of Three

The Wiccan three-fold law isn’t just a tenet of Wiccan beliefs. The idea is that whatever energy you put out into the world, spiritual or otherwise, it will come back to you three times. This is also often referred to as karma.

The 13 principles of Wicca

According to Pagan Path, the 13 principles of Wicca are these:

We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarters. Usually in the form of Sabbat and Esbat celebrations.
We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward our environment. We seek to live in harmony with Nature, in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.
We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary it is sometimes called “supernatural”, but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.
We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity as masculine and feminine and that this same Creative Power lies in all people, and functions through the interaction of the masculine and feminine. We value neither above the other, knowing each to be supportive of the other. We value sex as pleasure, as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energies used in magickal practice and religious worship.
We recognize both outer worlds and inner or psychological worlds sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconscious, Inner Planes, etc.-and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magickal exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.
We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.
We see religion, magick, and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it—a worldview and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft-the Wiccan Way.
Calling oneself “Witch” does not make a Witch—but neither does heredity itself, nor the collecting of titles, degrees, and initiations. A Witch seeks to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and well without harm to others and in harmony with Nature.
We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness giving meaning to the Universe we know and our personal role within it.
Our only animosity towards Christianity, or toward any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be “the only way” and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.
As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the Craft, the origins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present and our future.
We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as “Satan” or “the Devil”, as defined by Christian tradition. We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.
We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.

Variations in belief

According to ReligiousTolerance.org, there are still variations in Wiccan beliefs depending on the individual practicing. Some worship only one deity, often the Goddess alone, some worship a full spectrum of pagan gods, some see the universe itself as a god, some question the existence of a deity, and some flat-out don’t buy into any kind of God at all.

One common misconception is that Wiccans worship the devil, when in fact they have no equivalent to Catholicism’s hell-bound overlord. Unifying Wiccan beliefs include gender equality, the power of human sexuality, respect for nature, and certain latitude in personal autonomy—so long as doing what you want doesn’t harm anyone else. Practicing Wiccans also believe in the law of karma, which is to say, whatever good or bad thing a person does will come back to them thrice as strong.

What is witchcraft?

Witchcraft, distinctly different from Wicca, is “the magical manipulation of energy to bring about change,” in the words of my new favorite website, Witchipedia. Witches might derive that power from nature—think crystals, herbs, plants, feathers—or from themselves, but regardless, they practice magic by casting spells and performing rituals.

Are there Wiccan holidays?

Many Wiccans refer to the Wheel of the Year, which represents an annual cycle of seasonal festivals observed by Pagans. Solstices and equinoxes mark the significant holidays throughout the year, which Wiccans also refer to as sabbats.

Yule

The winter solstice marks Yule every year, but the exact date varies. Depending on the Gregorian calendar, Yule could fall between Dec. 20 and Dec. 23. According to Wicca.com, the Yule tradition celebrates the rebirth of the sun by lighting a Yule log, which is meant to burn throughout the first night of solstice and smolder for 12 days. Many of the Pagan traditions of Yule are identified with Christmas today, like hanging mistletoe, poinsettias, evergreen boughs and holly decorations, and decorating a Christmas tree.

Samhain

Probably the biggest and most important Wiccan holiday, Samhain is celebrated on Oct. 31 and is also known as All Hallow’s Eve, Hallows, or the Feast of the Dead, according to Wicca.com.

It is a magical interval when the mundane laws of time and space are temporarily suspended, and the Thin Veil between the worlds is lifted. Communicating with ancestors and departed loved ones is easy at this time, for they journey through this world on their way to the Summerlands.

Some of the most recognizable traditions of Samhain include leaving food offerings and altars for the wandering dead, dressing in costume, playing tricks or pranking one another, and celebrating with a large bonfire.

There you have it. Happy hexing.

Original Source (Article and Images): The Daily Dot

9 Things You Should Know About Wicca and Modern Witchcraft

February 21, 2019Spells

Are you interested in Wicca and Modern Witchcraft? The following article by Joe Carter shows some interesting facts about the modern wiccan / witchcraft movement and its history. Source: thegospelcoalition.org

A growing number of young women—driven by feminist politics and the #MeToo movement—are being drawn to a new brand of witchcraft, according to a report by NBC News. Here are nine things you should know about Wicca and modern witchcraft.

1. Witchcraft refers to the worldview, religion, and practices associated with using rituals that are believed to harness and focus cosmic or psychic energies to bring about some desired change. Modern witchcraft is the largest and most common subset of neo-paganism, a diverse group of religious movements that claim to be derived from historical pagan religions.

2. Within the witchcraft revival movement, the largest subset is Wicca. The 2008 American Religious Identification Survey estimated that in the United States there were about 600,000 neo-pagans, with about half identifying as Wiccan. Some estimates conclude that in 2017 there were more than 3 million practicing Wiccans.

3. In modern usage, the term “witch” is considered gender-neutral and can apply to either men or women. The term “warlock” is often considered a derogatory term as the original usage of the term meant “oath-breaker.” A group of witches who meet together regularly are known as a “coven.” Some witches believe a coven must have 13 or fewer members, though not less than three.

4. Wicca was created in the 1940s by Gerald Brosseau Gardner (1884-1964), a retired British civil servant an ordained minister in the Christian sect known as the Ancient British Church. Gardner is considered the “father of modern witchcraft,” though his neo-pagan beliefs had almost not connection to older forms of witchcraft. His brand of wiccanism (sometimes referred to as Gardnerian Wicca or Gardnerian witchcraft) was taken from more modern influences, such as Freemasonry, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and the English occultist Aleister Crowley. Gardner referred to his belief-system as “witchcraft” and a “witch-cult,” and the term “Wicca” didn’t appear until 1962.

5. In the 1960s and 1970, Wicca spread from the U.K. to other English-speaking countries, became associated with the burgeoning feminist and environmental movements, and split into various “traditions.” From Gardnerian Wicca sprang such offshoots as Alexandrian Wicca, Algard Wicca, Georgian Wicca, Druidic Wicca, Seax-Wica, and Eclectic Wicca.

6. The U.S. government first officially recognized Wicca as a religion in 1985. In a court case involving a prisoner (Dettmer v. Landon), the federal government argued that the doctrine of the Church of Wicca was not a religion because it is a “conglomeration” of “various aspects of the occult, such as faith healing, self-hypnosis, tarot card reading, and spell casting, none of which would be considered religious practices standing alone.” The court noted that the government was essentially arguing “that because it finds witchcraft to be illogical and internally inconsistent, witchcraft cannot be a religion.” The appeals court ruled that, “the Church of Wicca occupies a place in the lives of its members parallel to that of more conventional religions. Consequently, its doctrine must be considered a religion.”

7. A commonly shared core belief of Wicca (as well as other forms of modern witchcraft) is the acceptance and practice of magic. The Wiccan view is similar to that of Aleister Crowley, who defined magic as “the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with will.” As Wesley Baines says, “Many believe magic to be simply another law of nature, albeit one that is poorly understood and written off as fakery. As such, magic is not supernatural, but just as natural as gravity and wind, and often involve a combination of invocations, movement, music, meditation, and tools.” And as one Wiccan site explains, “Magick [sic] is another word for transformation, creation, and manifestation. Wicca magick is a tool we use to act on the subtle—or energy, or quantum—level of reality. The quantum level is the causal realm. It is the subtle influences at the quantum level that decide which way reality will go.”

8. Aside from a belief in magic, there are few beliefs that all Wiccan traditions share. The belief most commonly associated with Wicca is a variation of the Wiccan Rede (“rede” is from the Middle English, meaning “advice” or “counsel”). Believed to have been formulated by the Wiccan priestess Doreen Valiente in the early 1960s, the Wiccan Rede is stated as, “An’ it harm none, do what ye will.” Variations on the rede include “That it harm none, do as thou wilt” and “Do what you will, so long as it harms none.”

9. In its older forms, Wicca holds a duotheistic belief system that includes a female Mother Goddess and a male Horned God. As Wicca has became more influenced by feminism, though, it has become more oriented toward goddess worship. As Jone Salomonsen concludes, “Witches perceive of themselves as having left the Father’s House (Jewish and Christian religion) and returned ‘home’ to the Self (Goddess religion) with a call to heal western women’s (and men’s) alienation from community and spirituality and to become benders of human and societal developments.” This flexibility in excluding/including deities has, as Michael F. Strmiska says, “allowed people with interest in different deities and religious traditions to customize Wicca to suit their specific interests, thus enhancing the religion’s appeal to a broad and growing membership.”

An Introduction to Candle Magic

February 10, 2019Spells

Candle magic is one of the simplest forms of spell casting. Considered sympathetic magic, it’s a method which doesn’t require a lot of fancy ritual or expensive ceremonial artifacts. In other words, anyone with a candle can cast a spell. After all, remember when you were a child and you made a wish before you blew out the candles on your birthday cake?

In this article, Patti Wiginton, explains, as birthday candles, here is the same theory, only now instead of just hoping, you’re declaring your intent (and by now you’ve probably stopped hoping for a pony). If you think about it, the birthday-candle ritual is based on three key magical principles:

Decide on a goal
Visualize the end result
Focus your intent, or will, to manifest that result

What Sort of Candle Should I Use?

Most practitioners of magical systems will tell you that, much like a few other aspects of life, size really isn’t important. In fact, really big candles may be counterproductive. Look at it this way–a candle that takes three days to burn down can be highly distracting to someone working a spell that instructs you to wait until the candle burns out on its own. Typically, a short taper candle or a votive candle will work the best. In some cases, a spell might call for a specific type of candle, such as a seven-day candle or a figure candle, which may represent a particular person.

One of the most popular candles, believe it or not, is in fact the little menorah candles which are sold by the box in the kosher section of the grocery store. They’re about 4″ long, white, unscented, and thin. Because of this, they’re perfect for spell work.

You should always use a brand new candle for spell work–in other words, use virgin materials. Don’t use the candles that you burned at the dinner table or in the bathroom yesterday for spell work. In some magical traditions, once a candle is burned it picks up vibrations from things around it. If a used candle is already tainted by vibrations, some people believe it will lead to a negative or ineffective magical outcome.

When it comes to colors, you may wish to have a variety on hand for different magical purposes. Typically, Color correspondences for candle magic are as follows:

Red: Courage and health, sexual love, and lust.
Pink: Friendship and sweet love.
Orange: Attraction and encouragement.
Gold: Financial gain, business endeavors, and solar connections.
Yellow: Persuasion and protection.
Green: Financial gain, abundance, and fertility.
Light Blue: Health, patience, and understanding.
Dark Blue: Depression and vulnerability.
Purple: Ambition and power.
Brown: Earth-related or animal-related workings.
Black: Negativity and banishment.
White: Purity and truth*.
Silver: Reflection, intuition, and lunar connections.

* Note that in many Pagan traditions, it is acceptable to use a white candle in place of any other color.

Using Your Candle in Ritual

After you’ve selected a candle, you’ll want to oil it or dress it before burning. This is a method by which you’ll establish a psychic link between you and the candle itself. In other words, you’re charging the candle with your own energy and personal vibrations, and projecting your intent into the wax before you burn it. To dress a candle, you’ll need a natural oil; many practitioners like to use grapeseed because it has no smell. Another option is to use special candle magic oils from one of the metaphysical supply stores.

Begin at the top of the candle, and rub the oil downward to the middle. Then, begin at the base of the candle and rub the oil up towards the middle, ending where the first coating of oil left off. In some traditions, the anointing is done just the opposite way; start in the middle and work your way towards the two ends.

If your working calls for herbs to be used as well, roll the oiled candle in the powdered herbs until it is coated all the way around.

Brujo Negro of BrujoNegroBrujeria says,

“Is a candle magical in and of itself? No, it is the flame of the candle which is what we are making the magic; the candle and its wax are the fuel for the fire. In essence the candle is a vehicle for the creation of the magic contained in the flame, it is a tool if you will and yes it is a magical tool so you should treat your candles as magical tools. You should give your chosen candle a basic cleansing, before dedicating it to the use of a magical spell.”

The most basic form of candle magic uses a piece of colored paper that matches the intent of your candle. Decide what your goal is, and write it on the piece of paper. Just for an example, let’s say we’re going to do a money working. Write down your intent, something like I will become financially prosperous. In some traditions, you would write your intent in a magical alphabet, such as Theban or Enochian. Because this is a money-oriented working, we would select either a gold or green piece of paper, and a candle of the same color.

As you write down your goal, visualize yourself achieving that goal. Think about the different ways in which your goal might manifest. Could you be getting a raise at work? Perhaps someone who owed you money will arrive out of the blue to repay their debt. Maybe you’ll find out you overpaid that cable bill from last year, and you will get a surprise refund check!

Once you’ve written down your goal, fold the paper, concentrating on your intent the whole time. Some people like to say a small incantation as they do this. If you’re one of those people, this is a good place to do it. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. You can use something as simple as:

Extra money come my way,
I could use a little cash today.
Extra money come to me,
As I will, so it shall be.

Place one corned of the folded paper into the candle’s flame and allow it to catch fire. Hold the paper as long as possible (without burning your fingers) and then place it in a fire-safe bowl or cauldron to burn the rest of the way on its own. Allow the candle to burn out completely. When the candle has burned out completely, dispose of it, rather than saving it to use again for another working. Usually there’s not much left of a candle except a stub of wax, and you can either bury it outdoors or dispose of it in whatever manner you choose.

Candle Magic for Divination

In some magical traditions, candles are used for divinatory purposes. The two most commonly used methods of candle divination are by reading the wax, and reading the manner in which the candle actually burns. To read the wax, the typical practice is to drop the liquefied wax into a bowl of cold water. The wax will harden almost immediately, and form shapes. Use these shapes to get the answers to your questions, much as you would if you were reading tea leaves.

To divine by the way the candle burns is a bit more complex, and Cat Yronwoode of LuckyMojo has a great essay on ceromancy in Hoodoo candle magic.