Tag: Ritual

Lighten Up – Bill Gates’s Book On Wicca

1. The book would be called Windows to the Goddess.

2. Iconology was be a major chapter.

3. A revised edition would be released approximately every 6 months without which your magic would no longer work.

4. Your broom would crash at least once a week.

5. Cauldrons would be called recycle bins.

6. A book of shadows would be called the folder of magic.

7. A free high speed connection spell would come with every book.

8. Ever now and then, your circle would collapse and you would have to perform the reboot ritual to get it working.

9. If you used the more powerful MagicNT rituals, the above would happen to all circles within a 5 mile radius.

10. At least once a month, you would have to reinstall your spells into your folder of magic.

11. You would have to use a start ritual to exit your circle. (And cake and wine would only be available after a sign from the Goddess saying it was safe to do so.)

Water Magick – The Importance of Sea Salt

The Importance of Sea Salt

 

In maritime lore, seawater was thought to cleanse a person thoroughly, absorbing any bad luck, due to the salt content of the water. Throwing salt into a fire for nine consecutive days was thought to break any chain of bad luck, while throwing salt at a person was sure to bring her grief.

Dragons of the Zodiac

Dragons of the Zodiac 

As there are dragons of the planets, so are there dragons of each zodiac sign. Some magical systems look upon these dragons as devic in nature and therefore not as powerful as element dragons. I have not found this to be so. I leave it to your own personal experience to decide the situation.

Sometimes we need to enhance the good qualities of the sign under which we were born, sometimes lessen the negative qualities. Many times we need the qualities and energies of other signs for a short period. By using the chant under each zodiac sign, the magician can add to her/his magical energies, particularly when she/he must face a sticky situation or deal with difficult people. However, no magician should work with the powers of one sign too long or she/he may develop too much of a particular power, thereby overbalancing.

As with planetary dragons, indeed all dragons, the magician should extend a mental invitation to join the ritual. Choose music that reflects to you the zodiac sign with which you are working. Steven Halpern has recorded some very beautiful New Age music specially for the zodiac signs, but these may not appeal to you. Response to music is a very personal thing. Your responses can even change from time to time, depending upon your emotions, physical health, and environmental situation. What feels right one time may not be appropriate at another.

Like the planetary rituals, these zodiac rites use candles, herbs, and oil of the appropriate sign to connect with dragon energy and draw on it.

Use the basic dragon rituals as a foundation ritual, adding the appropriate colors, herbs, etc. Insert the chants in the place where spell working is called for. Dance with your dragons; sing with them; chant vowel sounds with them. At the end of whichever zodiac chant you decide to use, meditate on absorbing the energies and qualities for which you have asked. Listen inwardly for suggestions.

Dancing with Dragons

D. J. Conway

Dragons of the Planets

Dragons of the Planets

 

 

The dragons representing the planets are used basically for performing ceremonies or rituals on certain days and in certain hours, to acquire certain physical or personality traits. If this is to be part of your ritual methods, I suggest you carefully read a chart for both day and night planetary hours. Remember to adjust for daylight savings time.

 

Some magicians feels that planetary dragons are only elemental energies and not specific beings of any kind. That has not been my experience. That is like saying there are only gnomes and no faeries. I suppose it is all in one’s perception of other levels of being.

 

The idea behind using planetary days and hours is that you are connecting with a stronger energy for use in your rituals. As the elements are the substance of the universe, the planets are more concerned with action and process. Only seven astrological bodies were used by the ancients: Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. These correspond to the days of the week and the hours of each day. To use this system find the planet that correspond to the type of ritual you plan to do . Then select the proper day and hour in which to do it.

 

The waxing or increasing Moon is the time for spells of increase, building and growth, while the waning or decreasing Moon is the time for decrease, destruction, removal, and binding. For the Sun the bright daylight hours are used for increasing magick, with noon being strongest. For decreasing magick, perform during the evening hours, with midnight being strongest. Each planet has a dragon ritual chant for the physical, mental-emotional, and spiritual aspects of growth. These chants are to be used in conjunction with candles of the appropriate color. Consider carefully the reason behind your choice of planet characteristics before you do these rituals. And never go to extremes by constantly performing the same rituals for the same characteristics. You can get overloaded and create worse problems for yourself if you do. An example would be using the planet Mars too much; this would eventually produce negative aspects, such as an explosive temper and impatience.

 

Carve your desire into the candle with your ritual dagger. Anoint the candle with a planetary oil, from the wick to the bottom to bring something to you, from the bottom to the wick to move something away from you.

 

Also part of each ritual should be the choosing of planetary herbs as an offering to the dragon of that planet. You can enhances the power more by surrounding the candle with stones chosen for their specific energies. All planetary candles should be left on the altar to burn completely out.

 

Use the Basic Dragon Ritual as a foundation ritual and insert the chant for your chosen planet in the proper places. Invite the dragons of that planet to join you in dance and ritual; if you do not extend an invitation, why should they bother to join you? Chose music that reflects what you feel about the chosen planet. Let your feelings be sensitive to the atmosphere around you so that you will be aware of the dragons’ arrival and participation.

 

When you reach the part of the ritual where you insert specific spell workings, carve your desire into the candle; anoint it with the oil. Light the candle and surround it with stones. Say the planetary chant. Finish by chanting the Charm of Making:

 

“By the glow of Sun the power’s begun, by Moonbeam’s light the spell is right, to create desire by Earth and Fire, Water, Air, make magick fair. Powerful Charm of Making, Creative magick undertaking. Be Formed!”

When finished with the spell working, complete the Basic Dragon Ritual.

Calendar of the Sun for Thursday, Feb. 16th

Calendar of the Sun
16 Solmonath

Victoria- Day of Nike

Color: Red
Element: Fire
Altar: On a red cloth sewn with outstretched wings lay a naked sword and a helmet, and one large red candle.
Offerings: Victories, personal or for the world.
Daily Meal: Red-colored food.

Invocation to Nike

Failure is a part of life.
It is an inevitability
That we shall fail
More often than we shall succeed.
Yet if this truth stops us in our tracks,
We will never triumph
And we will never break through.
It is these failures,
These errors and defeats,
That make the touch of Nike’s wings
Even more valuable to us.
Lady of Victory,
Winged one who flies high
In the throes of ecstasy,
Do not allow us to fall
Into discouragement,
For only through perseverance
Can we come to know you
And your most precious gift.

(The ritual ends in a loud drum circle.)

SEPARATING YOURSELF FROM A PROBLEM/PERSON

SEPARATING YOURSELF FROM A PROBLEM/PERSON

Small issues can be handed in a magic circle, larger issues may need a full ritual.
Think carefully about which is best for the situation.
Needed : 2 black candles, a long black ribbon, black gloves, scissors,
cauldron containing small amounts of alcohol and a silver bell.
Cleanse and consecrate all the items, and dress the candles
(to send negative energy away from you), then light the candles.
Hold each end of the ribbon and name the ends.
Pass the silver bell over the alter several times until you feel you are in tune with the
Universal energies of love and peace. Anger is not a luxury afforded to you in the situation.
Put the black gloves on and say:
‘I call upon the energies of Universal balance
I call upon the ancient energies of my people
I call upon the living energies of the Morrigan
Underworld and heaven
Land and sea, I awaken these energies unto me.
Witness now that I renounce and sever
Break bonds and connections with ________
By all the powers that are One Power
May the great sisters of Karma now weave anew
and separate me from you
As I will, so mote it be’
Cut the ribbon and say: ‘It is so.’
Light the cauldron, and burn both the pieces of ribbon.

Different Types of Dragons You Might Encounter

Different Types of Dragons You Might Encounter

 
 
Dragons are much the same as other astral entities, although I have yet to meet an “evil” dragon. Their view of what is vital to your growth and advancement may exceed your present abilities to perform. To dragons, the physical is simply a hindrance that they tend to ignore. After listening to their advice, carefully consider if you can or should make the changes now or at all. Be certain that you are not holding back because of fear of the unknown or simple laziness. And always look at the end results sure to occur from taking action. You, and only you, are responsible for your life, regardless of where you received the advice you decided to follow.
 
The types of dragons who are attracted to you will be the ones who have the most to offer you at the present time. Before rejecting a dragon find out what she/he has to teach you. Be brutally truthful with yourself. If you find that you need what the dragon offers, but do not feel that you can endure the teaching and results in large doses, do some negotiating. Present your case for a modified lesson plan; be plain-spoken about your emotional and mental inability to withstand the great stresses of immediate and upheaving change. When you do start working with a particular dragon on specific issues in your life, make an honest effort. As long as you are trying, even though you fall short at times, the dragon will be patient.
 
You can also acquire a personal dragon guardian. The guardian dragon does not automatically come into this life with you as does your spiritual guardian. It is a personal choice by that dragon(or dragons), just as one would choose a close friend. Although you can attract guardian dragons by cultivating certain attitudes and atmospheres, they can show up without any encouragement at all. They are gregarious little creatures, full of curiosity and mischief, who enjoy their own brand of practical jokes and the company of humans and animals.
 
Although guardian dragons tend to be fun-loving creatures who enjoy a good laugh, they are very serious about protecting you and your property. You might think of them as a spiritual watch-dog with boundless energy, influence and power. Cultivating their friendship helps when dealing with ritual with the other dragons. If you do not develop the friendship of your guardian dragon, the other dragon powers are not likely to be so cooperative.
 
Not all dragons are the same, no more so than are humans. They each have their own personalities. Their appearances vary according to the subspecies to which they belong, as do their special talents. Even individual dragons within a subspecies have identifying characteristics, markings and bodily appearances. Dragons can be even more individualistic than we are.

Different species of dragons have different abilities and interests. Dragons connected with the element of Fire, or those of fire and volcanoes, for example, are primarily effective in getting thing moving or tearing down impossible barriers. Wind and Air dragons are creatures of creative and mental aspects. Water dragons help stabilize emotions, heal emotional pain and point you in the right direction to discover love and friendship. Earth dragons are interested in the acquiring of material possessions and the accomplishment of goals. These are very general descriptions of dragon interests and abilities, as draconic abilities over lap in many areas. It is best to work with a balance of types of dragons, with one particular dragon-aspect predominating, according to the intent of the ritual.
 
Above all, a magician must know her/himself, all the good and bad habits, and face them squarely. There cannot be any self-delusion if ritual is to be effective and positive in nature. And why would anyone want their rituals to be negative when there will eventually be such a price to pay?
 
The magician may choose to begin working dragon magick as an effort to better the physical life, and this is not a bad or wrong procedure. Working on physical needs and desires, and seeing them manifest, gives a budding magician great trust in her/his inner powers. When the physical body and the surrounding are in which the magician must life and work are well and cared for, when there is less struggle and strife in life, then the next logical step for the balanced person is to seek spiritual enlightenment.
 
After all, when the very foundation of magick and ritual is finally uncovered the magician finds that all ritual and spell working is meant to be a means for spiritual growth and development. Whether or not we choose to follow that upward path is an individual responsibility. We are each responsible for our choices in life, how we react to the choices of others around us, even to our being here in the first place. We have no right to place any blame on others for what is going worn in our lives. If you make a wrong decision, change it and learn from the experience. Dancing with the dragons can make this life-path a little easier and a lot more interesting.
 
 
Dancing with Dragons
D. J. Conway

Calendar of the Sun for Saturday, Feb. 11

Calendar of the Sun
11 Solmonath

Tiresias’s Day

Colors: Black and White
Element: Air
Altar: On cloth of black and white, lay a conch shell cut so that it can be blown through, a cup of water, and symbols of the hermaphroditic union.
Offerings: All should come to the ritual dressed in clothing of the opposite sex. Those who are of the third gender should wear black and white and be chosen to do the work of the ritual.
Daily Meal: Cakes and breads shaped like double genitalia.

Invocation to Tiresias

Tiresias, great seer,
You who traded sight
For foresight,
You who traded male
For female
And female
For the union of both,
Teach us that such boundaries
Are merely illusion,
To be dismantled
And walked right through.
Teach us that there are
New ways of seeing
That look past the blinders
Of culture and roles.
Teach us that our assumptions
Can often be done without
And that our lives will be
The better for it.

(There is no specific chant for this ritual; all should chant wordlessly while the water is poured into the conch shell and it is passed around. Each should either drink from it or blow into it like a trumpet, depending on whether they need to invoke female or male energy respectively into themselves. Then the rest is poured as a libation.)

Magickal Gardening (Earth Magick)

Magickal Gardening

 Magickal and healing herb gardens are sanctuaries of the soul. Indeed, any garden is a magickal on to the Witch.

The earliest formal record of gardening dates back to a stone tablet from Mesopotamia circa 4000 BC. It describes how Enki, the Sumerian God of Water, provided fresh water to the dry land and thereby produced fruit trees and fields from a desert like land. By 2250 BC, the famed Hanging Gardens of Babylon were well established in the capital of Sumeria. These are considered to be the forerunners of gardens today.

In Ancient Persia, (modern day Iraq), gardens were the playground of life. They serves as a place of solace, a gathering place for friends and family, and a formal extension of the home outdoors. These gardens were called “Paradise” and were thought to be an earthly view of what heaven must be like. They were cultivated carefully and tended to lovingly. Due to the desert conditions of the area, the gardens were usually enclosed by high walls. Many had aqueducts installed to maintain the irrigation needed for the gardens to thrive. Most often these gardens were formed into a square pattern and further divided into four smaller squares. Fountains and water channels were an important part of the architecture of the gardens. The gardens were said to have two of every fruit tree and plenty of places for sitting so that one could rest and enjoy the view.

Zen gardening is considered an art form by many. A Zen garden is a dry-landscape style of garden consisting of sand trails raked into intricate patterns. Often, the trails are not made of sand at all but rather a crushed type of granite, a very fine gravel. Many times the gravel pathways circle a rock or bush. The purpose of Zen gardening (the raking of the gravels) is to provoke contemplation and meditation. These gardens are thought to be very peaceful and restful to the eyes.

Traditional Japanese gardens invoke a sense of peace and tranquility in both the gardener and the person lucky enough to view the garden. According to the principles of Japanese gardening, each element introduced must be something that could occur naturally. For example, you can find a waterfall in nature, but not a fountain. Hence, a fountain has no place in a traditional Japanese garden.

Knot gardens are by far one of the most fantastical types of magickal gardens. They can weave a spell right into the landscape. A know garden is a very formal, precise arrangement of plants and tress. To create a magickal knot garden, choose an herb that corresponds to your intent and plant it in a pattern. The pattern can be as intricate or a simple as you wish. It can be a symbol, meant to reaffirm the spell, or any pattern that you like.

The ancient Romans brought their gardens inside the home and invented the atrium. Many times the atrium was placed in the center of the home. The area was left roofless and was usually surrounded by walkways. It may have held reflecting pools, herbal gardens and fruit trees.

One of today’s most popular magickal-gardening practices is moon gardening. This technique uses an ancient system of moon phases and astrological placements to calculate planting and harvesting times. In a moon garden, white and night blooming flowers are the main ornaments.

Circle Etiquette

Circle Etiquette

Never summon Anything you can’t banish.

Never put asafoetida on the rocks in the sweat lodge.

Do not attempt to walk more than 10 paces while wearing all of your ritual jewelry, dream bags and crystals at the same time.

When proposing to initiate someone, do not mention the Great Rite, leer, and say, “Hey, your trad or mine?”

Never laugh at someone who is skyclad. They can see you, too.

Never, ever set the Witch on fire.

Looking at nifty pictures is not a valid path to mastering the ancient grimoires. Please read thoroughly and carefully from beginning to end so that your madness and gibberings will at least make some sense.

A good grasp of ritual and ritual techniques are essential! In the event of a random impaling, or other accidental death amongst the participants, (see next rule) a quick thinker can improvise to ensure successful completion of the Rite. Make them another sacrifice, Demons like those.

Watch where you wave the sharp pointy items.

Avoid walking through disembodied spirits.

Carry an all purpose translators dictionary in case the ritual leader begins talking in some strange and unknown language.

Avoid joining your life force to anything with glowing red eyes.

If asked to sign a contract or pact and you are experiencing doubts or reservations, sign your neighbors name. Malevolent entities rarely ask for photo ID.

Blood is thicker than water. Soak ritual garments an extra 30-45 minutes.

While drunken weaving may be mistaken for ecstatic dancing, slurring the names of Deities is generally considered bad form.