Day: February 8, 2012

Full Moon Love Boon (Storm Moon)

Full Moon Love Boon

(Storm Moon)
 
 
You will need your journal, a green candle, three drops of rose oil, and a green stone. This spell taps into the fertile power of the moon, ruled by the beautiful Greek Goddess Selene. She influences the reproductive energies of plants, animals and people.
 
Begin by writing on a blank page of your journal what you want to focus the energy of this full moon love spell. It could be anything from a new love relationship to strengthening your love with your beloved. Be clear as to your desires, and make sure your spell is truly for the greater good–everyone’s greater good, not just your own.
 
Dress the candle with the three drops of rose oil. As you rub the oil over the surface of the candle, focus your mind on your desire. Wipe the oil from your hands, and place the candle in a candleholder. Light the candle, and imagine the candlelight fueling your magickal pattern. Imagine the magickal fire energizing every aspect of your being and then direct it toward your specific love desire. Say three times:
 
I am the light that shine bright
Within this magickal moonlight night.
 
Put the green stone on an altar tile or plate on your altar. Then carefully pick up the candle and hold it over the stone. Angle the candle so that three drops of wax spill onto the stone. After you do this, say:
 
Maid, Crone, and Mother
Your light shines like no other
On this bright night of the full moon
Please grant me this true love boon.
{State what you desire.}
So be it! Blessed be!
 
Allow the candle to burn safely down, and set the stone in the windowsill to absorb the energy of the full moon. Afterward put the stone one your altar for twenty-eight nights(a moon cycle) to draw the love you desire into your life.
Advertisement

Isis and Osiris Love Placket (Storm Moon)

Isis and Osiris Love Placket

 
The Goddess Isis and her consort Osiris brought agriculture, music and spirituality to the ancient land of Egypt. Osiris was gentle and hated violence, and Isis was wise and adept at the ways of magick. When you bring this Goddess and God into your love magick, you bring divine love and caring into your relationship.
 
For this spell, you will need a white candle, a red envelope, a lock of your hair and a lock of your lover’s hair, and a green felt pen.
 
Light the candle and dedicate it to the Goddess and God:
 
Wise Isis and gentle Osiris
May your love always shine on me and my lover.
 
Take the red envelope, place in it your lock of hair and your lover’s, and seal it with a few drops of candle wax. Take the green felt pen and draw the image of an ankh on the front of the envelope. Now, draw a heart around the ankh, and as you do so, say the following:
 
Bring life to my love
Let it grow into eternity
So mote it be! Blessed be!

The Magick Sex Pentacle (Storm Moon)

The Magick Sex Pentacle

(Storm Moon)
 
You will need romantic music, a sheet of clean paper, a red felt pen, ten drops of your favorite scented oil or perfume, your lover, five white tea candles, your magick want and a soft warm bed.
 
First, turn on the romantic music before you make this pentacle with five sexy steps you can enjoy with your lover. Do this by drawing a large five-pointed star on the sheet of paper with the red felt pen. In the head, arms, and legs of the pentacle, write in the five sexy steps you would like to explore with your beloved, one per area. Set the sheet in front of you.
 
Put a drop of the oil on each of your lover’s ankles, each of your lover’s wrists and lastly a drop on your lover’s forehead. Using the other five drops of oil, have your lover anoint you with the oil in the same way.
 
Create a space where you can safely place the five tea candles around the drawn pentacles in front of you: two at the bottom, two at the sides and one on top, representing the ankles, wrists and forehead. Light each candle, and dedicate it to the Goddess of lust and love by saying:
 
“Oh wondrous Lady of lust and love,
Empower this pentacle with your magick.”
 
Holding your lover close to you, use your wand to connect the five points of light in a clockwise motion into a pentacle of love. Merge with the pentacle and imagine your wildest sexual fantasies. Use the soft warm bed to realize these fantasies with your beloved and make your dreams come true. You can also do this pentacle solo.

Opening the Star (Storm Moon)

Opening the Star

(Storm Moon)
 
 
Use this spell to become one with the stars.
 
Take a hot bath, anoint yourself with your favorite scented oil, put on relaxing music, and lie on our bed with your arms and legs extended. Imagine yourself as a star glistening in the night sky. The light pours in and out of your legs, arms, and head in a clockwise motion. Sense the light moving in, then sense it moving outward. Your being becomes pure light as you shine with the light of the divine. Perfect love and perfect peace flow in and out of you, connecting you with the whole of Oneness.
 
Sense your being opening up like a flower whose petals are pure light. From the inside out, you glow with a brilliant white light that emanates from every part of your being. Feel yourself becoming the essence of fluorescence, filled with ardor of life.
 
As you drift off to sleep, take this sensation of being filled and emanating with an aura of perfect love and perfect peace within your inner being. Continue to sense the star inside of you opening like a flower and glowing with your inner beauty. Repeat the following affirmation three times:
 
“Tonight and every night
My star spirit is shining bright.”

Practicing Wicca and Witchcraft Today

Practicing Wicca and Witchcraft Today

 

Starting something new can be frightening; this applies also to a new religion. You will be taught the basic tenants, but in the long run, it will be up to you to make of it what you want.

There are many different witches, each with their own set of rituals. Some witches prefer to work alone, other like working within a coven. Once again this is a person choice. Let no one force you into joining anything with which you are not comfortable.

Let me give you an idea of the various forms of the craft that are available to you.

Gardnerian Wicca: Started in 1950’s by Gerald Gardner. Groups tend to work skyclad. Covens use a degree system. Individuals are initiated by the coven.

Alaxandrian Wicca: Started in the 1960’s in England. In many aspects they are like the Gardnerian Wicca.

Georgian Wicca: Founded by George Patterson in the 1970’s. They are known as the Georgian Church and draw their rituals from the Alaxandrian and Gardnerian crafts. Members also write their own ritual.

Algard Wicca: Founded in 1972. Mary Nesnick combined Alexandrian and Gardnerian Wicca to form the Algard tradition. They are very close to the Gardnerian tradition.

Seax-Wica: Founded in 1962 by Raymond Buckland a protégé of Gardner. He moved to the U. S. A. and in 1973 started his own tradition based on Saxon traditions. Hence Seax-Wica.

Feri Tradition: Victor Anderson is credited to bringing this tradition to America in the late 1960’s. Feri teacher tend to add something of themselves to the religion as they teach. They can be solitary or work in small groups.

Dianic Tradition: This religion focus strongly on the Goddess with little or no interact on the God. This is a feminist movement of the craft. The covens are women only.

British Traditional: There are a number of different British Traditions that are based on the Pre Christian traditions of Old England.

Celtic Wicca: The tradition looks to the Celtic and druidic deities, with an emphasis on magickal and healing properties.

Northern Way or Asatru. This tradition is based on the Old Norse gods.

Pictish Witches: This is a solitary Scottish Tradition that is based on nature.

Strega Witches: This tradition is from Italy.

You will notice that this list is long, but not complete. Many witches are drawn to the “way” because of their background. This need not be so. Follow the one that calls to you.

Becoming a Wiccan

Becoming a Wiccan

Remember these are just guides and other peoples thoughts, becoming a wiccan may vary depending on you, you may even already be wiccan without even knowing!The Craft does not actively seek converts. We do not proselytize. We are willing to inform when asked, and training is available in varying degrees of formality. Some Witches believe that one must be born with the talent to become a Witch. Others believe that all people have the ability, and that becoming a Witch is simply a matter of training. Some people know from an early age that they are Witches; others come to the Craft as adults. Most of us grew up in a tradition other than the Craft.
And there are many out there who do what we would call Witchcraft who have no idea what to call it, or even that there are others like them in the country or the world. Being a Witch, like doing Magick itself, is a matter of symbolism and intent.

How Do I Become A Wiccan?
This is a frequently asked question which is asked, and the honest answer would be there is no “becoming a wiccan”, in the sense u wake up one day and decide you are going to be Wiccan. Like all religions its is something you either are brought up with, perhaps if someone in your family is Wiccan, or something you know you want to be part of and you know you are, for example if it feels right for you and you know what you want from it.

Like all religions, you do learn as you live it, with Wicca there are different “slants” to the beliefs as you go from one Wiccan to the next. As you learn you will most probably adopt your own “slant” on your beliefs. There is no right and wrong.

The process of becoming a good Wiccan involves a lot of reading, studying, and developing of your own perspective. It is a religion that encourages independent thought. So by reading some good books, learning about the Craft, then deciding if you’re ready, you can dedicate yourself. The best place to start is to look within yourself.

Sit down and think about what you are trying to achieve, how might be the best way to go about that. Try to figure out what you believe, how you think the world works, why things are the way they are.

Meditate on who you are as a person, and who you want to become. Are you who you want to be? Why or why not? Where do you want to be and why? Only when we understand ourselves can we truly see the world with totally clear vision.

Making the first important step, deciding that this is something you want to look into, all you have to do now is the actual studying part.

A good starting point would be to head to your local book shop or library. Surf the net and find all the information you can; join a newsgroup, check out message boards and chat rooms. Ask a lot of questions, and don’t be afraid of looking silly.

Wicca

Wicca

 
Wicca is a Neopagan religion that can be found in many English-speaking countries. Originally founded by the British civil servant Gerald Gardner, probably in the 1940s, although it was first openly revealed in 1954. Since its founding, various related Wiccan traditions have evolved, the original being Gardnerian Wicca, which is the name of the tradition that follows the specific beliefs and practices established by Gerald Gardner.repeatedly in his published work of 1954. The spelling “Wicca” is now used almost exclusively, (Seax-Wica being the only major use of the four-letter spelling).

In Old English, wicca meant necromancer or male witch. Some contend that the term wicca is related to Old English witan, meaning wise man or counselor, but this is widely rejected by language scholars as false etymology. Nonetheless, Wicca is often called the “Craft of the wise” as a result of this misconception.It appears that the word may be untraceable beyond the Old English period. Derivation from the Indo-European roots ‘wic’ or ‘weik’ is seemingly incorrect by phonological understanding.Though sometimes used interchangeably, “Wicca” and “Witchcraft” are not the same thing. The confusion comes, understandably, because both practitioners of Wicca and practitioners of witchcraft are often called witches. In addition, not all practitioners of Wicca are witches, and not all witches are practitioners of Wicca.

Wicca refers to the religion. This can be a reference to both the initiatory tradition, where initiates are assigned a degree and generally work in covens, and to Solitary Wicca, where practitioners self-dedicate themselves to the tradition and generally practice on their own. Both Initiates and Solitary Wiccans worship the Goddess, with most also choosing to worship the God, and both celebrate the Sabbats and Esbats.

Witchcraft, or as it is sometimes called “The Craft?, on the other hand, requires no belief in specific gods or goddesses and is not a specific spiritual path. Thus, there are Witches who practise a variety of religions besides Pagan ones, such as Judaism and Christianity. It is considered to be a learned skill, referring to the casting of spells and the practice of magic or magick (the use of the “k” is to ‘in order to distinguish the Science of the Magi from all its counterfeits’ (or perhaps just to make it sound better), and was coined as a spelling by Aleister Crowley). To add to the confusion the term witchcraft in popular older usage, or in a modern historical or anthropological context, means the use of black or evil magic, not something Wicca encourages at all.

BRANCHES OF THE WICCA

BRANCHES OF THE WICCA

There are many different traditions or branches of the Wicca. These depend upon
the original location of each coven’s ancestors within the area known as Western
and Insular Europe. Each is different in many ways — the way in which the
rituals are performed, the wear (or lack of wear) within the circle, the
language which is spoken within the circle, the system of training, the symbols
used, etc. All are the same in that they honor the Deities of Nature, live by
the philosophy of “Harm none and do what you will,” believe in reincarnation,
and have the knowledge of working a specific form of magick.

There are many so-called “courses” on “How to become a Witch” ranging in price
from a dollar to several hundred dollars, none of which are enlightening to the
well read, nor do they reveal any of the secrets of the Wicca. For the curious,
perhaps, they can be of benefit – for the serious, they are at most worthless,
and more often than not, dangerous and inaccurate.

The following are brief descriptions of the various traditions within Wicca:

GARDNERIAN – A branch of Wicca deriving its name from Gerald B.Gardner who was
initiated into a coven of Witches in the New Forest in Britain and who helped
greatly in the advancement of the truth about Wicca by his love for it and his
writings on the subject. It is inherently Celtic in origin encompassing rituals
as practiced in Southern England. Ritual nudity is required at all times.

TRADITIONAL – Many branches of the Craft which claim to be pre-Gardnerian.
This covers a lot of territory, again depending upon the area of origin (i.e.,
Wales, Scotland, Ireland, etc.). Ritual nudity is sometimes required. Some
groups are strictly robed.

ALEXANDRIAN – A branch in Wicca deriving its name from Alexander Sanders. This
is a form of Gardnerian Wicca (rather, a form which “borrowed” much of
Gardnerianism). It is very ceremonial, encompassing much of Quabalistic magick,
etc. Ritual nudity plays a part but it is not required, the choice being left to
the individual Witch.

CONTINENTAL – This can be put under the heading of “Traditional,” again
depending upon origin (France, Germany, Spain, Basque, etc.).

STREGERIA – This can be put under the heading of “Continental.” It is
Witchcraft as practiced in Italy and Sicily, each area of Italy and Sicily
practicing according to their own folk-tradition. These are extremely
secretive peoples, but much can be learned about them by reading Leland’s
ARADIA: THE GOSPEL OF WITCHES and Leo Martello’s WITCHCRAFT: THE OLD RELIGION.

HEREDITARY – Pockets of Hereditary Witches do exist in Europe and America,
carrying on their family traditions. They are usually the most secretive,
preferring to work alone or only within their families. Their form of
Witchcraft is almost entirely different than what we know as Wicca.

DIANIC – This branch of Wicca lays a great stress on the Goddess, sometimes
entirely ignoring Her Horned Consort. I do not know much about them, but they
seem to be similar to Gardnerian (or vice versa). Perhaps this was the
original tradition that Gerald Gardner was initiated into.

THE NEW REFORMED ORDER OF THE GOLDEN DAWN – A neo-Gardnerian or quasi-
Gardnerian group founded by a Californian named Aidan Kelly. They are a
beautiful and idealistic form of the Wicca, constantly researching into our
ancient heritage.

AMERICAN-CELTIC – Perhaps the largest and fastest growing form of Wicca in
America originating out of the Twin City area (Minneapolis-St.Paul). Their form
is akin to Gardnerian, though ritual nudity is not required by all of their
covens.

Two of the newest branches of the Craft are the SEAX-WICCA, formulated by Dr.
Raymond Buckland (formerly a Gardnerian), based upon the religion of the Saxons.
It is a unique system which has eliminated the Degrees and operates upon a
democratic level. Unlike other traditions, non-initiates are permitted at times
to witness the rituals. The other of the two is simply called WICCA and was
formulated by Edmund M. Buczynski from nine ….years of study and research into
pre-Celtic and Celtic religions. It also is operated upon a democratic level.
However, the three degrees have been kept as well as ritual nudity. Only
initiates are permitted to attend meetings.

There are many other groups, many are “underground” and shun any publicity. Most
are small and isolated (like the BOREADS, a lovely tradition who call themselves
the “children of the north wind”). The fact remains that all of these groups are
legitimate representatives of Wicca in the world today.

WELSH TRADITIONAL – This is a Celtic-derived tradition which incorporates the
teachings and mythology and traditions of Ancient Wales. There is a large group
at present in Georgia, California, and New York.

MINOAN BROTHERHOOD AND SISTERHOOD – These groups are worshippers of the Cretan
snake goddess whose holy priests and priestesses were historically homosexual.
The Brotherhood and Sisterhood meet separately at the Esbats, but meet together
at Sabbats.

A to Z – A Wiccan Glossary

A to Z – A Wiccan Glossary

 
AKASHA: the spiritual ether (or Aether); the omnipresent fifth occult element which embraces the other four-earth, air, fire, and water; and from which they stem. This is the realm of “pattern” or causality, from which the realm the normally thought of “five senses manifests. Some define it is the “other” of the “two worlds” that the witch or magician walks between.

ARADIA: Daughter of the Goddess Diana, and a name for the Goddess used by Italian Witches or Strega, commonly used in many Wiccan traditions today.

ASPECTING: Any advanced magickal activity in which a practitioner manifests a particular aspect of the Goddess or God, in thought, feelings, behavior, appearance, etc.; Often as a direct result of a “Drawing Down”. Often a minor variation of this phenomena occurs with the selection of a “Magical Name”, of Craft Name.

ASPECTS: Forms, facets, or personas of Deity: for example, Brighid, Iseult,Eos, and Kore are all aspects of the Maiden, and the Maiden is an aspect of the Goddess

ATHAME: black handled, double edged dagger. Principally used to cast and dissolve the circle, for which purposes it is interchangeable with the magic sword. A tool of the “Element” of Fire in the Georgian Tradition and some others.

BELTANE: May Eve festival. One of the Ancient Celtic “Fire Festivals.” on this night, the cattle were driven between two bonfires to protect them from disease. Couples wishing for fertility would ” jump the fires” on Beltane night. Also the traditional Sabbath where the rule of the “Wheel of the Year” is returned to the Goddess. This Festival also marks the transition point of the threefold Goddess energies from those of Maiden to Mother.

BOOK OF SHADOWS: Traditionally hand copied book of rituals, recipes, training techniques, guidelines, and other materials deemed important to a Witch or a coven. Each tradition has it’s own standard version of the Book and each Witch’s book will be different as he or she adds to it with time from many different sources. Only another Witch can see your book of shadows. Also, traditionally, it may never leave your hands or possession until death, when it should be destroyed, or (in some traditions) returned to the coven to be disposed of.

BURNING TIMES: a term used by some Witches for the period of persecution in the Middle Ages and later. It is in fact a misnomer in some places, as Witches were only burned in Scotland, and on the continent of Europe. In England and the U.S., they were hanged.

CANDLEMAS: Festival held on Feb. 1. One of the 4 Celtic “Fire Festivals. Commemorates the changing of the Goddess from the Crone to the Maiden. Celebrates the first signs of Spring. Also called “Imbolc” (the old Celtic name). This is the seasonal change where the first signs of spring and the return of the sun are noted, i.e. the first sprouting of leaves, the sprouting of the Crocus flowers etc. In other words, it is the festival commemorating the successful passing of winter and the beginning of the agricultural year.This Festival also marks the transition point of the threefold Goddess energies from those of Crone to Maiden.

CARDINAL POINTS: North, South, East, and West, marked in the Georgian Tradition by candles of green, red, yellow, and blue, respectively. The Circle is drawn to connect these four points.

CHALICE: one of the tools of the Witch. Placed on the altar to represent the element of Water.

CHARGE OF THE GODDESS: The Traditional words of the Goddess to her followers, or “hidden children”. Normally declaimed by the HPS at every coven Circle.

CIRCLE: the area in which the magickal worship and spells takes place. Can also be used to designate a particular group of Witches or Pagans such as “Silver Acorn Circle”.

CONE OF POWER: power raised in the circle by the Witches assembled, and sent out into the world to work magick, is usually visualized as being retained and built in the form of a “cone” prior to release.

COVEN: an organized group of Witches, led by a High priestess and/or a High Priest who meet regularly for worship and fellowship. The traditional membership is 13, but in fact most covens number considerably less. 3 is the minimum in the Georgian Tradition. In Middle English, “Covin” a group of confederates; In Old French “Covine” a band or group with a single purpose; Latin “Com”-together, “Venire”-to come or move.

COVENSTEAD: regular meeting place for a coven. Usually the home of the High Priestess or High Priest.

COWAN: a non-Witch. Formerly used in a very derogatory manner. Still used in Masonic Ritual to indicate the non initiate and/or pretender to “real craft”. Not often used today among most Witches.

COYOTE ENERGY: trickster energies. Named for the American Indian Trickster, Coyote, who tricks man into learning what he needs to learn. Applies to one who constantly jokes and clowns. Also applies to the concept of “Holy Fool” in many traditions.

CROSS QUARTER DAYS: The modern name for the Celtic Fire Festivals of Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lammas.

———————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Abracadabra- A word from the Jewish mystical tradition of Qabala. Its root is the name of the Gnostic deity Abraxas, meaning “hurt me not”. It is said to possess magickal powers, especially of protection from illness.

Adept- An individual who through serious study and accomplishments is highly prficient in a praticluar magickal way.

Aeromancy- Divination by the stars.

Aisling– Ireland: Dream or Vision. In the many Irish tales having this title, the person who dreams sees a speir-bhean or vision-woman from the Otherworlds, pronounced “ash-leen”.

Aka- The cord between the astral body and the physical body, most likely this concept is derived from the biblical reference to a “silver cord” connected the body and the soul

Akashic Records- Edward Cayce’s concept which states that somewhere there is a universal hall of data about past lives, magic, healing, and spirituality. It does not exist on the physical plane but rather on a more psychic level. Some believe it can be accessed on the astral plane, others feel it can only be accessed through a visualization journey in the mind.

Alba– The Isle of Skye; Scotland

Alchemist- One who practices alchemy.

Alchemy- A form of high magick which stems from the middle ages noted by the attempts of alchemists to make lead turn into gold.

Alexandrian Tradition– A form of Garderian Wiccan practice developed by Alex and Maxine Sanders in Britain in the 1960s.

Alignment- Synchronization of mental and spiritual vibrations with a god, goddess, or astronomical body. Often the complete balance and centering of the chakras is called an alignment.

Altar- A small working area and shrine many pagans maintain, where they perform most of their ritual and spell work.

Amulet- An object charged with personal energies through ritual or meditation often used to ward off a certain force or person.

Aradia- The Italian goddess Diana’s daughter, said to be the origin of all witches. The book “Aradia, Gospel of the Witches” was written by Leland about Aradia and the practice of witchcraft

Arcana– The two halves of the tarot deck.The major arcana consists of 22 cards showing dominant occurrences in our lives.The minor arcana consists of 56 suit cards (commonly called the lesser arcana) that assists the major arcana cards,or shows smaller influences in our lives.

Archetype- Symbolic imagery seen in visions, dreams, meditation, and mind quests. Used to interpret the meaning of the vision thereby betting understanding and communicating with the subconscious.

Arthurian Tradition- A Welsh tradition of paganism based on the lore of King Arthur (the “Once and Future King”), Merlin the Magician, and Guinevere.

Asatru- Modern worship of the old Norse gods.

Aspecting- An advanced magical practice which is seen most commonly in a coven as opposed to solitary. The practitioner attempts to manifest an aspect of the Goddess or the God. This is seen in the pagan ritual of Drawing Down the Moon as well as in other pagan religions such as Vodou, where the priest often allows the deity to speak through his or her body.

Asperger- A bundle of fresh herbs either carrying dew or dowsed with spring water, used to sprinkle the water during ritual purification.

Astral– Another dimension of reality.

Astral Plane- A plane parallel to the physical world, traveled through by the astral body during projection.

Astral Projection/Travel– The proccess of separating your astral body from your physical body to accomplish travel in the astral.

Astrology- The practice of revealing the future by interpreting the arrangement of stars and planets in relation to astrological theory and the zodiac.

Athame– A Wiccan ritual knife. Generally double edged with a black handle, but not always. This knife is seldom used for physical cutting, if at all, and need not be sharp. It is *never* used to draw blood and Wicca do not draw blood or use blood in ritual. Its primary use is as an energy directing device, much like the wand, though with different common uses. compare: Boline, Wand

Attune- To bring different psyches into harmony.

Augury- Divination based on “signs” or omens.
Aura- An energy field which surrounds living beings. An aura is most often visible only to those born with the skill to see it, or those who developed this ability. A visible aura contains various colors and tells about the spiritual and emotional persona of the plant, human, or creature surrounded by it. However, an aura can also be felt, heard, or sensed through other means.

DEOSIL: clockwise, or sunwise. Traditional direction for working “building” magick.

DRAWING DOWN THE MOON: Ritual invocation of the spirit of the Goddess into the body of the High Priestess by the High Priest.

DIVINATION: magical method of exploration or inquiry into a situation via such methods as Tarot cards, runestones, I-Ching, etc.

ELEMENTS: Earth, air, fire, and water, plus spirit, which includes them all. These are regarded as realms or categories of nature (both material and non-material) and are not to be confused with the physicists table of elements, which the modern witch, of course, accepts.

ESBAT: weekly or biweekly meeting of a coven. Traditionally held either on the full moon or the new moon.

FAMILIARS: Either a Witch’s pet animal which has been trained to be a magickal helper, or an artificially created “elemental” which performs the same functions as the animal friend.

FIVEFOLD KISS, FIVEFOLD SALUTE: The Witches’ ritual salute, with kisses; (1) on each foot, (2) on each knee, (3) above the pubic hair, (4) on each breast, and (5) on the lips-really 8 kisses in all. It is only used within the Circle, but the words that go with it are the origin of “Blessed Be.”

GARDNERIANS: Tradition of Witchcraft descended from the teachings of Gerald Gardner

GNOMES: an “entity” or “elemental” that dwells in the plane of Earth or is associated with the EARTH Element.

GREAT RITE: The rite which is the main feature of the third degree initiation, and which is also laid down for certain festivals. It is sexual in nature, but may be `actual’ (and private to the couples concerned) or symbolic, as the participants wish.

HALLOWS: name used by some traditions for Samhain, or Halloween

HANDFASTING: Wiccan equivalent of a wedding. It can be made legal if the Priestess and/or Priest are registered as clergy with the local authorities, or it may only be considered binding within the coven.

HIGH PRIEST/ESS: Technically speaking, a Witch who has received the 3rd. degree initiation. More usually, the male and female leaders of a coven.
IMBOLC: Celtic name for Candlemas.
INVOCATION: The ritual “calling-in” of an entity (or energies) higher than human, either for communication with the caller through a medium or by visible manifestation or else to enter into a human body as in the Drawing Down the Moon. In some traditions, a Prayer

LAMMAS: August 1st. Witch Festival. The Old Celtic name for this festival is Lughnassadh. It is the Festival of the First Fruits, and is the first of the 3 harvests. This festival also marks the change of the Threefold Goddess energies from that of Mother to Crone.

PENTACLE: a disc shaped talisman; in particular, the metal disc which represents the earth element among the witch’s working tools.

PENTAGRAM: The five-pointed star. With a single point uppermost, it represents the human being. Inverted, with two points uppermost, it can have Satanist associations; but not necessarily. Some traditions of Wicca use the inverted pentagram to signify an initiate of the second degree.

QUARTERS: The North, East, South, and West parts of a magickal circle or other ritual area. (See also “Watchtowers”)

REDE: rule or law

SABBAT: one of the Eight festivals or high holy days of Wicca.

SALAMANDER: an entity that dwells in the realm of Fire.

SAMHAIN: The festival of remembrance for the dead, held on the eve of Nov. 1st. It is the last of the three harvests. This festival also marks the transition of rulership of the “Wheel of the Year from that of the Goddess to that of the God.

SCRYING: divination, usually using such methods as crystal gazing, or divination via incense smoke, or water as opposed to tarot or other manipulative means.

SPELL: a prayer, or verbal direction of magickal energies toward the accomplishment of some goal.
SUMMONER: The male officer of the coven who corresponds to the Maiden. He is the assistant High Priest

SYLPH: an “entity” or “elemental” that dwells in the plane of Air or is associated with the AIR Element.

TRADITIONS: any of the various “sects” of Wicca such as Gardnerian, Alexandrian, Georgian, Seax, etc.

UNDINE: an “entity” or “elemental” that dwells in the plane of Water or is associated with the WATER Element.

WAND: A rod or staff that is prepared so that it may be used for magickal or psychic purposes, usually to project some form of power

WARLOCK: a term coined in the Burning Times . It was used to denote a traitor to the Craft, or one who had betrayed the followers of the Old Religion. It’s origin is Scottish. Because of the negative connotations, it is not used by most Wiccans today.

WATCH TOWERS: Originally from the Enochian branch of Ceremonial Magick, now incorporated into many “Traditions” of Wicca, these are the four elemental “directions” or “quarters” (corresponding to the appropriate points on the compass) called to protect the Circle during its establishment. Each of them have a correspondence between the compass point, an element, and (varying amongst different traditions) color associated with them.

WICCA: the name most modern day Witches use for the Craft. It comes from the Anglo-Saxon word Wicce, meaning to bend or to shape. This is the root word from which we get wicker.

WIDDERSHINS: counter clock wise. Used for “tearing down” OR BANISHING magick.

WHITE HANDLED KNIFE: the working knife of a Witch. It is used to carve candles, and for fashioning the other tools. Traditionally, it can only be used in a circle.

Lessons You May Not Find In Books

Lessons You May Not Find In Books

1) Within a Circle trust is an absolute necessity.

If you attend a ritual be SURE you trust those involved. Many feel this, in todays society to be archaic. It has always proved out when I have tried to work with unknown people, those I was unsure of or who were in some way unsure of me, failure, disaster or heated debate resulting in dissent has always been the end point. Know a person before you are willing to entersacred space with them.

2) Never spellcast too soon.

Magic should not be a first resort. The use of non-magical means should be applied when possible and convient. Overuse of magic, like anything else,becomes a crutch that can unbalance your life.

3) Prophecy is a two-edged sword.

Remember this, wether you read Tarot, I-Ching, Runes or whatever other means of divination or personal analysis. Be prepared to have the reading to go in directions you do not expect and be prepared for them NOT to be in a way you will like. Remember the Lesson of Cassandra (in Greek Mythology) that sometimes you can change the future and sometimes you cannot, and only time will tell which is which. If you cannot deal with the possibility of your personal wants or expectations being wrong, then you should not be consulting a means of divination. I have seen even long-time craft-folk who forget this lesson in the heat of emotion.

4) There is not a magical answer behind everything.

I have known some folks who became so obsessed in their personal paranoia of some form of ‘magical attack’ or ‘magical influence’ that such became their excuse for everything that occured around them, even when very simple non-magical answers existed to explain what had occured. The number of magical practitioners at present is VERY small, and most have a range of influence that doesn’t extend far on their own. The gathering of hateful or vindictive emotional energy to achieve a magical attack on another is not done easily or quickly, and tends to harm the attacker more often then the target. Look with logic on a situation.

5) Diversify.

Don’t depend on or look into only a single philosophy or magical application – a specialist is usually someone who is refusing to grow beyond boundries they have set for themselves.

6) A single teacher is NOT enough.

You will spend a lifetime as a real student, even if others one day declare you a teacher, leader or High Priestess. Gather from many to find what your lifepath is. Do not let anyone tell you there is ONLY one true belief system, one true Divinity, one way to approach a situation or one teacher to follow.

7) In the end you ARE Solitary.

All Magickal workers are eventually forced to depend upon their own company, seperated from the many communities and groups by distance, time or belief. You will probably spend more time solitary then in a group. Be prepared to face this when it happens. The Pagan Community is too small to be everywhere for everyone or to even always help its own (though trying to do so is a goal I feel vital to expand the community). You must become sufficiently balanced and grounded to deal with being alone and to practice your beliefs alone, especially in times of hardship and adversity.

8) Don’t be too fast to assume the role of a teacher, or to assume that a student cannot teach you something in return.

Can you really explain what you believe and do within your belief coherantly? Does the person to be taught really want to learn it all and are they sincere, or are they mearly curious or on a ‘power trip’? Learning to know when someone is ready to learn is one of the hardest lessons you must learn if you purposely teach. Don’t give a hand gernade to a three year old and expect positive results.

9) Not all paths and philosophies are desireable.

There are many that are self-destructive, purely self-indulgent or a combination of both. If a path cannot teach you some form of inner peace with yourself and what you are doing in life, or is devoted to manipulating others to achieve your personal benefits, then it is a ‘dead-end path’, one that is a cul-de-sac on the path of growth.

10) Don’t do what feels uncomfortable.

If performing a ritual, using a magic form, reciting a chant/prayer or performing an activity feels personally painful, uncomfortable or ‘wrong’ then it is not for you to be involved with it at that time. Listen to the inner voice of your spirit and follow its lead. Intuition is a powerful gift, don’t waste it by always opposing it.

11) You will have to take chances.

Magic doesn’t work on its own, and positive karma won’t help you if you fight it when it seeks to restore balance around you. It is not enough to cast a prosperity spell and then sit home and wait for a letter in the mail from Ed MacMahn with a check in it!

You must take non-magical action to help things along. Cast a spell for a new job? Sure, but then don’t turn down a chance to read job listings, mail resumes or attend an interview! Working to heal a sick spouse? ok, but make sure they are getting medical advice, enough to eat, attention, care, therapy, etc. to help the magic on its way!