Tag: Witchcraft

Earth Witch Lore – Crossroads

Earth Witch Lore – Crossroads

 

Crossroads are considered sacred in almost all magical traditions. A crossroads is a universally accepted place to hold rituals, leave offerings, or dispose of items you wish to be rid of. While this is not a natural creation but one that is homemade, it still falls in the realm of earth.

 

It is believed tat Hecate rules over the three-way crossroads. She can see the past, present and future, It is said that if you should approach a three-way crossroads at night, you would hear her black dogs howling. Her altars have been erected at such places for centuries.

 

The four-way crossroad are considered to be powerful because all four directions meet at one point. Dirt, rocks and sticks gathered from such a crossroads are said to have powerful spiritual connections, albeit tricky ones to master. In Greek myths, Oedipus met his fate at the crossroads. From the Yoruban people we have Legha (a god known for his clever tricks) ruling the crossroads.

 

Ancient people were afraid of what it meant when one direction met another direction. All manner of folklore is available concerning the crossroads. Fairies are said to hand about there, along with ghouls and goblins. Even the Christian Satan is said to roam the crossroads.

Earth Witches know that a crossroad is actually a place of sacred transformations, manmade or not. Frequently they see them as a metaphor for transformational points in our lives. In such a capacity the crossroads relate to time.

Earth Witch Lore – Mountains and Mounds

Earth Witch Lore – Mountains and Mounds

 

Legendary mountains and mounds fall within the domain of the Earth Witch. While mountains are natural formations, mounds are human-made. Both are considered sacred space. The prevailing argument as to the purpose of the mounds is that they are sacred burial grounds.

The Navajos have an old legend that describes the creation of the six sacred mountains. The First Man and First Woman formed the mountains from a bag of dirt that they carried with them from the third world (spirit realm). They sent Turquoise Boy to one mountain. Abalone Shell Boy to another, Jet Boy to another, and White Bead Boy to another. The mountains were not satisfied with that arrangement and would rumble loudly with displeasure. Only two of the six mountains were happy. First Man and First Woman sent the beautiful Mixed Stones Boy and Girl to those mountains. They then sent the rest of the holy ones, including Grasshopper Girl and Yellow Corn Girl, into the mountains.

First Man and First Woman then fastened the mountains to the land with lightning bolts, stone knives and sunbeams. They decorated them with shells, eggs, mists and rain. They then blessed the mountains with chants and prayers. They believe that keeping the land beautiful pleases the ancestors, and pleasing the ancestors, make for a happy tribe.

The Earth Witch agrees with this philosophy. She makes regular use of eco-magic and often gets involved with environmental issues. She understand the true beauty and blessing of the Earth and does not take them for granted. She considers keeping the land clean a sacred responsibility.

The Dark Side of the Earth Witch

The Dark Side of the Earth Witch

 

All beings have their strengths and weaknesses. In the case of an Earth Witch, there is one main magical problem: she has a hart time defending herself against things that are “unearthly.” Spiritual entities or adverse astral conditions are rare occurrences, but since they force the Earth Witch out of her natural realm, they can cause quite a bit of stress and wreak havoc. Because these entities have an easier tim attacking the Earth Witch, they tend to do so more often than they do the other Elemental Witches. Because of this problem, the Earth Witch is usually very practiced in warding and protection. This is also a prime argument for maintaining balance in one’s magical practice. Each element has its own set of strengths and weaknesses. Where one element may have a hole, another may fill it with energy.

 

However, the enterprising Earth Witch has (and has had for centuries) the perfect tool to remedy this problem: the bridge. Crossing running water serves to release her from any hounding spirits. In order for an Earth Witch to fight unearthly forces effectively, she must call upon her sister elements. It is in this capacity that her role of being the foundation of life is of the greatest importance. Her ability to draw from her sister elements and seek their aid becomes more pronounced each time shed does it. Practice makes perfect for an Earth Witch.

 

It is important to note than an Earth Witch can have a hard time understanding her sister elements. In truth, all practitioners of specialty paths have to find their own unique ways of relating to those who follow a different elemental path. The Earth Witch is both battered and pampered by the other elements. For example, a hurricane force wind may change the surface of the Earth, but it cannot change the core of it. The Earth Witch is the same. She can adapt to the wind on the surface, but it does not change who she is or her role in the world.

Home of the Earth Witch

Home of the Earth Witch

  

The home of an Earth Witch is lived-in, comfortable, happy, and usually well organized–she runs a tight ship. At the same time, the Earth Witch is the first to let housework slide a bit. Her view is that as long as everything is in its place, a little dust is okay. She recognizes that many times there are more important things to do than mindless scrubbing. It is not unusual for an Earth Witch to incorporate magical correspondences into her décor. She usually has an abundance of house plants and tends to have a green thumb when it comes to the care of these plants.

The kitchen is by far the most popular room in the Earth Witch’s house. She considers it to be the heart of her home—and her home is her heart. The aromas drifting from the kitchen tend to make folks gravitate into the room. The Earth Witch appreciates good cooking. She is renowned for her ability to whip up a meal from scratch while visiting with others. Unfortunately, due to this love, she also may have issues with weight and carry a few extra pounds.

While taste is important to the Earth Witch, texture is even more important. The Earth Witch is sensual and loves touching and being touched. She may have a affinity to velvet, silk and more exotic fabrics, but you will most often find her dressed in comfortable cotton. She has a strong affinity to stones and crystals and often wears them as jewelry.

The Earth Witch understands the forces at work behind crystal energy. She know that crystals contain electrical charges and can be used as batteries, both personally and in electronic devices. She is usually well versed in magnetic magic as well.

The Earth’s Witch Book of Shadows is often painstakingly kept. Thorough and detailed, it can contain entire family histories with its pages. It is usually scrupulously organized and filled with any fact that could possibly be needed. The Earth Witch treasures family heirlooms and creates her personal Book of Shadows in such a way that it will stand the test of time. To her, it is not only a book of magic, it is a manual of life, and it is meant to be passed down through the family.

The Path of the Earth Witch

The Path of the Earth Witch

 

The path of the Earth Witch most closely resembles that of a Kitchen Witch or a Green Witch. It is grounded in the home and family. Whether gardening, cooking or cleaning, the Earth Witch brings magic into her life at its simplest level. She becomes one with the Earth. The Earth Witch accepts that everything she does is a reflection of the cycle in nature, down to the cell multiplications in her body, and she considers all of it to be magical. She fully understands the mysteries of the Earth.

In almost all religions traditions and mythologies, humans sprang forth from the Earth. The Earth allows us to draw energy from it and to return that energy to it. It cleanses us by its very presence. We may purge into the Earth any negative vibrations that bother us, and we can depend on it to do a thorough job of cleansing them away.

The Witch who follows the element of earth is similar to the Kitchen Witch in her use of herbs and magic in the kitchen as well as her affinity for “home-grown” magic and simple folk magic. The Earth Witch incorporates magic into the spice additions and stirring patterns of the majority of meals she prepares in her home.

The Earth Witch relates to the path of the Green Witch in that they both often are gardeners. It is not unusual to find Earth Witches with statues and beautiful rock formations in their gardens. They decorate them in much the same manner as they do their homes. Often, they tend their edible gardens the closest, while courting the favor of the gnomes to watch over their more delicate plants.

The Earth Witch views her home as an extension of the Earth in every way; it is like her own personal slice of the Earth. The kitchen is a direct extensions of the garden and therefore of the Earth.

The Earth Witch specializes in protection magic, past-life discovery, prosperity and fertility. She trains to hold herself closely to the honors of the Earth by recycling and practicing eco-magic. She often is very frugal and prefers to make the things that she can rather than buy them. She can usually make her own cleaning products, candles, and all types of herbal remedies. From healing teas to lice treatments, the Earth Witch understand that the magic is within the Earth itself and within her. She knows exactly which herb to prescribe to cheer you up or relax you. Herbs are her special course of study.

The Earth Witch lives in a world where every knife is a potential athame and every glass a chalice. While she does perform more formal rituals, for the most part she keeps things informal and constant. She holds her path close to her heart and has no illusions about how grand magic can be. She knows that it takes work. She is grounded in reality.
The Earth Witch views spirit as a part of her and everything she does. She accepts that spirit lives within everything in existence. Because her view of spirit is so all-encompassing, she understands that not all things have rational explanations. However, she is the first to try to find a scientific explanation before chalking up an experience to something “supernatural.” While she easily accepts the existence of spiritual conjurations and the like, she does not do so blindly. She keeps her mind open.

Through the Earth Witch is often perceived as boring or a homebody, she stands on a foundation that is unshakable. If you are friends with an Earth Witch, you have a true friend. She has a very nurturing and protective quality and is loyal and dependable.

Characteristics of an Earth Witch

Characteristics of an Earth Witch

 

One of the best things about the Earth Witch is her ability to remain silent. She understand that sometimes it is best to say nothing rather than risk saying it wrong. She is very careful about what she says. Because she is not argumentative by nature, when the Earth Witch speaks her words hold weight. She also tends to be critical of others, even though she may not say it out loud. Too often, the Earth Witch represses her feelings and as a result may need to purge more often than those who follow other elemental paths. But since she holds earth so close to her, she is adept at purging anywhere and anytime.

Cautious and wary, the Earth Witch rarely takes unnecessary chances. Level-headed to the end, she helps others find suitable solutions to their problems. Her approach to life is slow and steady. She is conservative, patient, and practical.

The Earth Witch can most often be found working a job in which she can directly improve the world around her, or a job that may seem boring but is traditionally necessary within the boundaries of society. Social work, teaching, architecture, and banking are natural choices for the Earth Witch.

On the flip side, the gentle Earth Witch is not one you want to anger. She is capable of utter destruction, which she views as a natural part of the cycle of life. Rarely will she look back with regret. She may take a while before deciding that she is angry and will give you every chance to explain yourself. But once angered, she can be stubborn and hold a grudge. Because she will give you every chance in the beginning, if she decides that she doesn’t like you–well, you earned it. Most people only get to cross that line once with an Earth Witch. However, she is eternally forgiving toward those she loves and trusts.

Because the Earth Witch is so rooted in the home, she must be careful not to shut herself away from others entirely. However, she is rarely shy and can often be found at social gatherings.

The Earth Witch may have a talent for sculpting, even if she doesn’t know it yet. When holding chunks of clay in her hands, she can create some beautiful statuary.

The Earth Witch is a teacher and strives to set a good example for her students, children and friends. She practices what she preaches and believes that actions speaks louder than words. For thousands of years, the bones of the Earth (rocks) have been utilized as teaching implements. Pictographs (painted-on symbols) and petroglyphs (carved symbols) date back to the ancient Egyptians. Almost every culture has its own version of rock teachings.
Earth rules the season of spring. During the spring, the Earth and the Earth Witch come roaring back to life. As the flowers bloom, the grass grows, and the animals wake from their slumber, the Earth Witch becomes one with all of nature. She is directly influenced by the increasing life energy of all things. Her personal power is at its highest point during this season.

One of the most prevalent aspects of the path of the Earth Witch is sharing. Mother Earth shares all of herself with the other elements. She allows herself to be the foundation for all of life. She is battered by storms and ravaged by fire, but she remains unchanged yet ever evolving. The Earth Witch holds herself close to the archetype. She struggles to remain calm and steady during all of life’s storms. She has a unique talent for being able to keep her cool. She also has the minor quirk of being slow to movement. The Earth Witch knows that she has all the time in the world–she is not the sort to jump around and do things right away. “All in good time” is her motto. However, she must be extremely careful with this aspect of her personality, as it can cause her to stagnate and stop her growth. As a rule, the Earth Witch resists change.

When it comes to divination practices, the Earth Witch can read better by scrying into water or fire than by using the divination systems that fall under the rule of earth. This is because her role as the base for the other elements. The Earth as a whole contains water and fire and serves as a foundation for air. There is much more to the Earth than dirt and plant life.

Humanity belongs to the realm of earth. Any type of folk magic that utilizes footprints, hair or nail clippings, etc., is an Earth Witch’s specialty.

The Earth Witch is puzzle of Hoodoo, Voodoo, Native American beliefs, shamanistic behaviors. Wiccan ethics (or the Golden Rule), and/or ancestral lore. Yet she is a puzzle in which all of the pieces fall in place to create a beautiful picture.

SOLITARY WITCHES

SOLITARY WITCHES

Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft  – Ray Buckland

In the majority of Witchcraft traditions there is no way that an ‘individual’
can operate – membership in a coven is mandatory. Most traditions have a system
of degrees of advancement not unlike those found is Freemasonry and other secret
societies. With such a system it is necessary for a Witch to advance, within the
coven, to a particular degree before being able to even cast a Circle. In order
to initiate others it is necessary to attain the highest degree. As a First
Degree Witch they can join with the rest of the coven in worship and in the
working of magick but can do nothing alone.

Such a system is all very well, and those involved seem quite content with it.
But it seems to me that an important point is being overlooked. Back in the ‘old
days’ of the Craft, there were many Witches who lived at a far distance from any
village or even from any other people at all. Yet these ‘were’ still Witches.
They still worshiped the old gods and still worked their own magick. That, I
feel, was as it should have been…and as it still should be. There are one or two
traditions, today, that do subscribe more directly to the old ways. In the Seax-
Wica, for example, there is not the dependence on the coven situation; there is
the reality of the Witch alone.

The main point here is that you should not be ‘excluded’ from the Wicca for such
a reason. Just because you don’t live anywhere near a coven; just because you
don’t know of anyone else with similar interests; just because you are an
individualist who doesn’t care to join with others… these are no reasons why you
should not be a Witch. So lets look at Solitary Wicca.

What are the main differences between a coven Witch and being a Solitary?

1. With a covener, the rituals are performed by a group of people; several
(principally the Priest and/or Priestess) playing the parts.
As a Solitary, you do everything yourself.

2. The Coven meets in a large (usually nine ft. diameter) circle.
The Solitary has a small “compact” circle.

3. The Coven use a “full complement” of tools, depending on the tradition.
The Solitary uses only what s/he feels s/he needs.

4. Coven meetings must, to an extent, be held when most convenient for the
majority.
The Solitary can hold a ritual whenever s/he feels like it.

5. A Coven draws on all its members to build a Cone of Power.
A Solitary has only her/his own power to draw on.

6. A Coven has a wide variety of knowledge and specialties.
A Solitary has only her/his own knowledge and specialty.

7. A Coven is usually fairly set in its ways.
A Solitary can change with her/his moods.

8. A Coven ritual can become almost a ‘production’ or pageant.
A Solitary ritual can be the barest minimum of words and actions.

9. A Coven must attune itself as one.
A Solitary IS one.

There are many other differences, of course, but these are enough to illustrate
the point that there are both advantages and disadvantages to being a Solitary.
Generally speaking, there is much more flexibility to being a Solitary, but
there is also a more limited store of knowledge and magickal power on which to
draw. Let me elaborate on the above points.

1. As a Solitary, you do everything yourself.

You can write your own rituals, just for you. But you can also adopt and adapt
coven ones. As an example of what can be done, here are some of the rituals from
this book (Erecting the Temple; Esbat; Cakes and Ale; Clearing the Temple),
suitably modified. You can do the same sort of thing with most of the others.
Compare these with the originals as you go.

ERECTING THE TEMPLE

Wiccan rings the bell three times, facing east. She then takes the Altar Candle
and lights the East Candle from it, saying:

“Here do I bring light and air in at the East, to illuminate my temple and bring
it the breath of life.”

She moves around to the south to light that candle.

“Here do I bring light and fire in at the South, to illuminate my temple and
bring it warmth.”

To the west:

“Here do I bring light and water in at the West, to illuminate my temple and
wash it clean.”

To the north:

“Here do I bring light and earth in at the North, to illuminate my temple and
build it in strength.”

She moves on round to the east and then back to the altar. Replacing the Altar
Candle, she takes up her athame and goes again to the east. With point of athame
down, she traces the Circle, directing her power into it. Returning to the
altar, she rings the bell three times then places the point of her athame into
the Salt, saying:

“As Salt is Life, let it purify me in all ways I may use it. Let it cleanse my
body and spirit as I dedicate myself in this rite, to the glory of the God and
the Goddess.”

She drops three portions of Salt into the Water, saying:

“Let the Sacred Salt drive out any impurities in the Water, that I may use it
throughout these rites.”

She takes up the Salted Water and, starting and finishing at the east, walks
around sprinkling the Circle. She then goes around again with the thurible,
censing the Circle.

Back at the altar, she drops a pinch of salt into the oil and stirs it with her
finger. She then anoints herself with it, saying:

“I consecrate myself in the names of the God and of the Goddess, bidding them
welcome to this, my Temple.”

The Witch now moves to the east and, with her athame, draws an invoking
pentagram.

“All hail to the element of Air, Watchtower of the East. May it stand in
strength, ever watching over this Circle.”

She kisses the blade of the athame, then moves to the south, where she draws an
invoking pentagram.

“All hail to the element of Fire; Watchtower of the South. May it stand in
strength ever watching over my Circle.”

She kisses the blade and moves to the west and draws an invoking pentagram.

“All hail to the element of Water, Watchtower of the West. May it stand in
strength, ever watching over my Circle.”

She kisses the blade and moves to the north, where she draws an invoking
pentagram.

“All hail to the element of Earth, Watchtower of the North. May it stand in
strength, ever watching over my Circle.”

Kissing the blade, she returns to the altar, where she raises her athame high.

“All hail the four Quarters and all hail the Gods! I bid the Lord and Lady
welcome and invite that they join with me, witnessing these rites I hold in
their honor. All hail!”

She takes the goblet and pours a little wine onto the ground (or into the
libation dish), then drinks, saying the names of the gods.

“Now is the Temple erected. So Mote It Be!”

ESBAT

Witch: “Once more do I come to show my joy of life and re-affirm my feelings for
the gods. The Lord and the Lady have been good to me. It is meet that I give
thanks for all that I have. They know that I have needs and they listen to me
when I call upon them. So do I thank the God and the Goddess for those favors
they have bestowed upon me.”

Then, in her own way, she gives her thanks and/or requests help. She then rings
the bell three times and says:

“An it harm none, do what thou wilt. Thus runs the Wiccan Rede. Whatever I
desire; whatever I would ask of the gods; whatever I would do; I must be assured
that it will harm no one – not even myself. And as I give, so shall it return
threefold. I give of myself – my life; my love – and it will be thrice rewarded.
But should I send forth harm, then that too will return thrice over.”

Here the Witch may sing a favorite song or chant, or play an instrument.

Witch: “Beauty and Strength are in the Lord and the Lady both. Patience and
Love; Wisdom and Knowledge.”

(If the Esbat is taking place at either the Full or the New Moon, then the
appropriate segment is inserted at this point. Otherwise go directly into the
Cakes and Ale ceremony.”

CAKES AND ALE

Witch: “Now is it time for me to give thanks to the gods for that which sustains
me. May I ever be aware of all that I owe to the gods.”

She takes the goblet in her left hand and her athame in her right and slowly
lowers the point of the knife into the wine, saying:

“In like fashion may male join with female, for the happiness of both. Let the
fruits of union promote life. Let all be fruitful and let wealth be spread
throughout all lands.”

She lays down the athame and drinks from the goblet. Replacing it on the altar,
she then touches the cake with the point of the athame, saying:

“This food is the blessing of the gods to my body. I partake of it freely. Let
me remember always to see to it that aught that I have I share with those who
have nothing.”

She eats the cake, pausing to say:

“As I enjoy these gifts of the gods, let me remember that without the gods I
would have nothing. So Mote It Be!”

CLEARING THE TEMPLE

Witch: “As I came into my Temple in love and friendship, let me leave it the
same way. Let me spread the love outward to all; sharing it with those I meet.”

She raises her athame high, in salute, and says:

“Lord and Lady, my thanks to you for sharing this time with me. My thanks for
watching over me; guarding and guiding my in all things. Love is the Law and
Love is the Bond. Merry did I come here and Merry do I part, to merry come
again. The Temple is now cleared. So Mote It Be!”

She kisses the blade of her athame.

2. The Solitary has a small, “compact” Circle.

There is no need for the large, coven-size Circle when you are working alone.
One just large enough for you and the altar is all you need…probably five feet
in diameter would be sufficient. When ‘Erecting the Temple’, you would still
walk all around this Circle to ‘draw’ it with your athame, and to sprinkle and
cense it, but for addressing the four Quarters you need only turn and face the
directions from your place behind the altar. When working magick, it is easier
to build up power in a smaller Circle and it is generally a “cozier” feeling.

3. The Solitary uses only what s/he feel s/he needs.

You probably won’t need as many tools as a coven uses. You may decide to use no
more than you athame and censer. It is up to you; you have only yourself to
please. Don’t forget that you don’t HAVE to follow all the rituals exactly.

Examine as many traditions as you are able. See what tools they use and ‘why’
(it seems some groups use some items without really knowing why they do!), then
decide on which ones you need. You will find traditions that use broomsticks,
ankhs, wands, tridents, etc. You may even decide to add something that no one
else uses – the Pecti-Wita, for example (a Solitary tradition, as it happens)
use a ritual Staff which is not found elsewhere. Don’t add something just for
the sake of having it, or just to be different. Use something because you need
to use it, because you feel more comfortable with that particular tool then with
another or then without it at all.

4. The Solitary can hold a ritual whenever s/he feels like it.

A coven meets for the Sabbats and Esbats. The dates for the Esbats are fixed at
the most convenient times for the majority of members. As a Solitary, you can
have an Esbat whenever you feel like it. You can have Esbats three or four days
in a row, or go from New Moon to Full Moon without one at all. It’s up to you
and how you feel. If there is a sudden emergency – perhaps a healing that needs
to be done – you can get into it right away. You don’t have to desperately try
to contact others before you can get to work.

5. A Solitary has only her/his own power to draw on.

When working magick, a coven generates a lot of power. Working together, the
total power of the whole far exceeds the sum of the parts. The Solitary can do
no more then use the power s/he has. This is a fact and should be accepted. It
is one of the few drawbacks to being a Solitary. But this does not mean that
‘nothing’ can be done! Far from it. Many Solitaries do a great deal of excellent
work, drawing only on their own resources. A good parallel night be seen in
boat-racing or sculling, where you have teams of eight oarsmen, four, two or
single rowers. All propel their craft equally well. The only difference is the
greater speeds attained by the boats with the increased numbers of oarsmen.

6. A Solitary has only her/his own knowledge and specialty.

In a coven there is an accumulation of talents. One Witch might specialize in
healing, another in astrology, one in Herbalism, another in tarot reading. Once
might be an excellent tool-maker, another a great calligraphist; one a winemaker
and/or seamstress and another a psychic and psychometrist.

As stated, the Solitary has only her/his own knowledge available. This, then, is
another disadvantage but again, one that must be accepted. There is certainly no
reason why, as a Solitary, you should not be in touch with others (Wiccans and
non-Wiccans) who are astrologers, tarot readers, herbalists, etc. and to call
upon them for help and advice when needed. It is just that you don’t have them
readily to hand there in the Circle with you, available at all times.

7. A Solitary can change with her/his moods.

A Gardnerian coven rigidly follows the Gardnerian rites. A Welsh-Kelic coven
rigidly follows the Welsh-Keltic rites. A Dianic coven rigidly follows the
Dianic rites. This all goes without saying. Even an eclectic coven will
generally settle into rites, from whatever sources, with which it feels
comfortable and will stay with them. But the Solitary is free (freer even than
most eclectics, if only by virtue of having only her/himself to please) to do
whatever s/he likes… to experiment, to change, to adopt and adapt. S/he can do
elaborate, ceremonial rites on day and simple, plain, ingenuous rites the next.
S/he can do Gardnerian oriented rituals one time, Welsh-Kelic the next and
Dianic the next. There is tremendous freedom for the Solitary, which I urge you
to enjoy to the utmost. Experiment. Try different types and styles of rituals.
Find those that are exactly right for you.

8. A Solitary ritual can be the barest minimum of words and actions.

This follows on from (7) above. You can enjoy a true economy of ritual if you so
desire. Let me give you an example:

Erecting The Temple (Alternate)

The Witch lights the four Circle Candles from the Altar Candle and, with the
athame, “draws” the Circle, directing power into it. She then sits, or kneels,
before the altar and proceeds with a meditation on the elements:

(This should be familiarized – not necessarily word for word – so that it can be
followed through without effort)

“You are sitting in the middle of a field. There is lush green grass all about
you, with a generous scattering of bright yellow buttercups. Some distance
behind you, and continuing way off to your left, a wooded rail fence, with other
fields beyond it, stretches off to another distant fence, beyond which are more
fields leading to the foothills of the mountains which you can see in the far
distance.
A very light breeze ruffles the top of the grass and you can feel the
wind’s gentleness as it brushes your face. Crickets chirrup in the grass and,
from the trees beyond the hedgerow, you can hear the occasional song of a bird,
You feel contented, you feel at peace.
A swallow swoops down and soars low across the field not twenty feet in
front of you. He wings up and away over the trees towards the distant mountains.
A grasshopper lands on your knee, then almost immediately is gone again.
You get to your feet and stroll leisurely through the grass, parallel to
the hedgerow. Your feet are bare and the grass lightly tickles them as you move
along. You walk over to your right till you are close beside the hedge, then
advance along it. Reaching out your hand as you walk, you gently brush the
leaves; just catching them with your fingertips as you move along. There is a
slight rise in the ground ahead of you and off to the left. You leave the
hedgerow and move lightly up the hillock to stand where you can gaze about you
at all the beauty that surrounds you.
Seemingly coming all the way from the distant mountains, the breeze you
felt earlier is now more steady and you feel it on your face and arms. It gently
ruffles the tops of the grass and causes buttercups to nod their golden heads.
You stand on the hillock with your legs spread wide and slowly raise up your
arms towards the sky. As you raise them, you breathe in deeply. You hold the
breath for a moment, then gradually release it, bringing your arms back down to
shoulder level. As you release the breath you sing out the sound “Ah”……”A-a-a-a-
a-a-a-h!”
A second time the wind returns, this time blowing strongly; bending the
grass and stirring the hedgerow off to your side. It blows back your hair and
feels warm against your cheeks. For the third time you raise your arms to the
sky and cry out to the air. “A-a-a-a-a-a-a=h!” And for the third time the air
replies by sending the strong, rushing wind across the fields, bending the grass
before it and swirling up and around your body; tugging your hair back from your
face and fluttering the robes that you wear.
As the wind dies you allow your arms to fall to you sides and stand, with
head bowed, in the warmth of the sun. Breathing regularly, but deeply, you feel
the strength of the sun as it shines down upon you from out of the cloudless
blue sky. Slowly you life your face, with eyes closed, and bask in the radiance
that encompasses you. You breathe in deeply, sensing the cleansing and
purifying. AS you breathe, you feel the vitality building within you, fed by
those timeless flames.
You bring your hands up, together, to your chest, cupping them as though
holding the very orb of the sun. You continue raising them, up to your face then
on up high above your head. With palms open and upward, you spread your arms and
reach up, absorbing the sun’s rays into your body, this time through your hands
and down through your arms. Feel the energies rippling down through your body,
down through your legs, all the way to your toes. Feel the fire within you. Feel
the fire.
Now you lower your arms and, turning back towards the hedgerow, you leave
the hillock and continue on along the side of the field. As you walk you become
aware of a new sound – the sound of a running stream a tinkling of the waters
rushing over and around pebbles and small stones reaches your ears and draws you
forward. You reach the end of the hedgerow and see a small wood set back behind
it. From out between the trees runs the stream, bubbling and bustling on its way
to it knows not where. It curves out and around, to rush off and disappear from
view on the far side of the hedgerow you followed.
You drop down to your knees and reach forward a hand to feel the water. It
is cold, yet not so cold as to turn you away. The rushing water murmurs protest
at the new obstacle and bubbles around and between your fingers, eager to be on
its way. You smile and slip the other hand in beside the first. You wriggle your
fingers and rejoice in the invigorating coolness of the water. You splash your
face and feel the cold droplets trickle down your neck. It is refreshing and
energizing. You cup your hands and raise a human grail of divine essence from
the stream you bend and plunge your face into it, to celebrate a catharsis of
the flesh of the spirit. The water refreshes, cleanses and purifies. It is a
gift; a freely given pleasure. You sigh a long sigh of contentment.
Rising to your feet again, you move on along the edge of the trees until
you reach the corner of a large, ploughed field that opens out to the left. The
soil is newly turned and the scent of it heavy in the air. You walk out towards
the center of the field, breathing deeply and feeling the good clean dirt of the
earth between your toes as you walk.
When you finally reach the middle of the ploughed field, you stoop down
and sweep up two handfuls of the rich, dark brown earth. It feels good; in
communicates a kinship of nature. You feel a ‘grounding and centering’ of your
body, through your feet, into the earth. It is a sense of coming home, or
reaching that which you have long sought.
You lie down on the earth, between the furrows, eyes closed and face
towards the sky. You feel the gentle breeze blowing over you and luxuriate in
the warmth of the sun. away in the distance you can just make out the tinkling
of the stream as you absorb the energies of the earth. Your spirit soars and
rejoices. And, in so doing, you have touched all of the elements.”

You can see that the “things said” and “things done” are all in the mind. You
may well feel comfortable doing all your rites in this way, though I do urge you
to ‘at least’ cast your Circle physically.

As a preliminary to the meditation above, you might want to read up on
meditations. Also, I would suggest incorporating the breathing exercises given
in most lessons, including the imagery of the white light.

For such a guided meditation, you might like to record it on tape, ahead of
time, and then play it back to yourself in the Circle.

9. The Solitary IS one.

This can be both an advantage (chiefly so, I feel) and a disadvantage. An
example of the latter: if a Witch happens to have a very short temper and has
been badly used by someone, s/he might possibly be driven by thoughts of
revenge. S/he might be tempted to overlook the Wiccan Rede, rationalizing
her/his thoughts and feelings in some way. However, unless s/he can get all of
the other coven members, including the Priest/ess to feel the same way that s/he
does, s/he can do nothing s/he might later regret. Far more likely is that the
coven would calm her/him an bring the problem into perspective. The Solitary, on
the other hand, does not have this “safety catch”. S/he must, therefore, be
constantly on guard and always carefully and closely examine the situation
before working any magick, giving special thought to the Wiccan Rede.

But on the other side of the coin, the Solitary does not have to make any
compromises in anything s/he does. The Solitary is one with her/himself and is
automatically attuned, with no disharmony or distraction.

So the Solitary Witch is indeed a reality. Don’t let anyone tell you that,
because you don’t belong to a coven and because you were not initiated by
someone (who was initiated by someone who was in turn, initiated by someone… and
so on, ad nauseum), you are not a true Witch. Tell them to read their history
(and ask them who initiated the very first Witch?). you ARE a Witch and you are
so in the fine tradition of Witchcraft. May the Gods be with you.

THE DO’s AND DON’Ts OF WITCHES

THE DO’s AND DON’Ts OF WITCHES

WITCHES DO NOT DO EVIL…
They believe that doing evil and harm is against all ethical and moral laws.
Witches simply do not do harm (even to themselves).

WITCHES DO NOT WORSHIP SATAN…
Simply put: He’s THEIR boy…NOT Ours. Witches do not have a Satan/Devil or any
all-evil deity in their religious structure. Witchcraft is a religion that
underscores polarity and views the God and the Goddess as equal entities.

A MALE Witch IS NOT A WARLOCK…
The word Warlock is a Scottish word meaning “oath breaker”, and became a term
designating a male Witch during the ‘burning times’. A Male Witch is simply
that.

WITCHES WEAR CLOTHING OF EVERY COLOR AND EVERY STYLE…
Many Witches do choose to wear black clothing or ritual robes. The color black
is the culmination of all vibrational rates of light on the material plane.
Black absorbs light information and helps Witches be more receptive to psychic
impressions and energies.

WITCHES COME FROM EVERY SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND ETHNIC BACKGROUND…
Many Witches are professional people holding positions of responsibility such as
Doctors, Nurses, Police Officers, Teachers, etc. Witchcraft does not
discriminate against color or ethnic origin and does view everything as equal in
the eye of the Goddess and the God.

WITCHES DO USE SPELLS…
A spell is a thought, a projection, or a prayer. Other religions use prayer,
meditation, projection and ritual to produce an intended result. The word
‘spell’ does not imply doing evil or harm.

WITCHES DO USE MAGIC WANDS…
Often you see the use of magic wands in children’s cartoons and movies making
the idea seem frivolous. In actuality, they are used in healing for directing
energy.

WITCHES DO USE WITCHCRAFT AS A SCIENCE, AN ART AND A RELIGION…
They use their knowledge and magic in harmony with the Universe and Nature
around them.

THE WORD “WITCH” HAS A DEEP AND RICH HISTORY…
As defined by the English Oxford dictionary, “Witchcraft” is a Celtic
(pronounced Kell-tick) word meaning the wise, good people. “Wicce” (wick-kay)
designates a female Witch whereas “Wicca” (wick-kah) designates a male Witch.

IN THE RELIGION OF WITCHCRAFT WE VIEW THE PENTACLE AS AN AMULET AND
A SYMBOL FOR PROTECTION…
The five-pointed star represents the human body and the earth. In combination,
the star surrounded by the circle represents the human body encompassed by the
protection of the Goddess/God force. The pentacle is the symbol for Universal
Wisdom.

WITCHES DO CONCERN THEMSELVES WITH ECOLOGY…
They have never forgotten the basic fact: the world is not our enemy. Neither is
it inert, dumb matter. The earth and all living things share the same life-
force. They are composed of patterns of intelligence, of knowledge, and of
divinity. All life is a web. We are woven into it as sisters and brothers off
All. Witches need to be grounded in both worlds and awake to their
responsibilities for both worlds. It is only by being responsible human beings
that we can be responsible Witches and only responsible Witches will survive.*

*Except from “Power of the Witch” by Laurie Cabot.

“Witch”

“Witch”

 

The Random House College Dictionary derived “witch” from medieval English wicche, formerly Anglo-Saxon wicca (masculine), or wicce (feminine): a corruption of witga, short form of witega, a seer or diviner; from Anglo-Saxon witan, to see, to know. Similarly, Icelandic vitki, a witch, came from vita, to know; or vizkr, clever or knowing one. Wizard came from Norman French wischard. Old French guiscart, sagacious one. The surname Whittaker came from Witakarlege, a Wizard or a Witch. The words “wit” and “wisdom” came from the same roots.

There were many other words for witches, such as Incantatrix, Lamia, Saga, Maga, Malefica, Sortilega, Strix, Venefica. In Italy a witch was a strega or Janara, an old title of a priestess of Jana (Juno). English writers called witches both “hags” and “fairies,” words which were once synonymous. Witches had metaphoric titles: bacularia, “stick-rider”; fascinatrix, “one with the evil eye”; herberia, “one who gathers herbs”; strix, “screech-owl”; pixidria, “keeper of an ointment-box”; femina saga, “wise-woman”; lamia, “night-monster”; incantator, “worker of charms”; magus, “wise-man”; sortiariae mulier, “seeress”; veneficia, “poisoner”; maliarda, “evil-doer.” Latin treatises called Witches anispex, auguris, divinator, januatica, ligator, mascara, phitonissa, stregula.

Dalmatian witches were krstaca, “crossed ones,” a derivative of the Greek Christos In Holland a witch was wijsseggher, “wise-sayer,” from which came the English “wiseacre.” The biblical passage that supported centuries of persecution, “Thou shall not suffer a witch to live” (Exodus 22:18), used the Hebrew word kasaph, translated “witch” although it means a seer or diviner.

Early medieval England had female clan-leaders who exercised matriarchal rights in lawgiving and law enforcement; the Magna Carta of Chester called them iudices de wich (judges who were witches). Female elders once had political power among the clans, but patriarchal religion and law gradually took it away from them and called them witches in order to dispose of them. In 1711. Addison observed that “When an old woman begins to doat and grow chargeable to a Parish, she is generally turned into a witch.”

Reginald Scot remarked that the fate of a witch might be directly proportional to her fortune. The pope made saints out of rich witches, but poor witches were burned. Among many examples tending to support this opinion was the famous French Chambre Ardente affair, which involved many members of the aristocracy and the upper-class clergy in a witch cult. Numerous male and female servants were tortured and burned for assisting their masters in working witchcraft; but in all the four years the affair dragged on, no noble person was tortured or executed.

Illogically enough, the authorities persecuted poor, outcast folk as witches, yet professed to believe witches could provide themselves with all the wealth anyone could want. Reginald Scot, a disbeliever, scornfully observed that witches were said to “transfer their neighbors’ corn into their own ground, and yet are perpetual beggars, and cannot enrich themselves, either with money or otherwise: who is so foolish as to remain longer in doubt of their supernatural powers?” Witchcraft brought so little profit to Helen Jenkenson of Northants, hanged in 1612 for bewitching a child, that the record of her execution said: “Thus ended this woman her miserable life, after she had lived many years poor, wretched, scorned and forsaken of the world.”

“Women which be commonly old, lame, blear-eyed, pale, foul, and full of wrinkles; poor, sullen, superstitious, and papists; or such as know no religion; in whose drowsy minds the devil hath gotten a fine seat; so as, what mischief, mischance, calamity, or slaughter is brought to pass, they are easily persuaded the same is done by themselves . . . They are lean and deformed, showing melancholy in their faces, to the horror of all that see them. They are doting, scolds, mad, devilish; and not much differing from them that are thought to be possessed with spirits.”

Persecutors said it was heretical to consider witches harmless. Even in England, where witches were not burned but hanged, some authorities fearfully cited the “received opinion” that a witch’s body should be burned to ashes to prevent ill effects arising from her blood. Churchmen assured the arresting officers that a witch’s power was lost the instant she was touched by an employee of the Inquisition; but the employees themselves were not so sure.

Numerous stories depict the persecutors’ fear of their victims. It was said in the Black Forest that a witch blew in her executioner’s face, promising him his reward; the next day he was afflicted with a fatal leprosy. Inquisitors’ handbooks directed them to wear at all times a bag of salt consecrated on Palm Sunday; to avoid looking in a witch’s eyes; and to cross themselves constantly in the witches’ prison. Peter of Berne forgot this precaution, and a captive witch by enchantment made him fall down a flight of stairs – which he proved later by torturing her until she confirmed it.

Numerous stories depict the persecutors’ fear of their victims. It was said in the Black Forest that a witch blew in her executioner’s face, promising him his reward; the next day he was afflicted with a fatal leprosy. Inquisitors’ handbooks directed them to wear at all times a bag of salt consecrated on Palm Sunday; to avoid looking in a witch’s eyes; and to cross themselves constantly in the witches’ prison. Peter of Berne forgot this precaution, and a captive witch by enchantment made him fall down a flight of stairs – which he proved later by torturing her until she confirmed it.

Numerous stories depict the persecutors’ fear of their victims. It was said in the Black Forest that a witch blew in her executioner’s face, promising him his reward; the next day he was afflicted with a fatal leprosy. Inquisitors’ handbooks directed them to wear at all times a bag of salt consecrated on Palm Sunday; to avoid looking in a witch’s eyes; and to cross themselves constantly in the witches’ prison. Peter of Berne forgot this precaution, and a captive witch by enchantment made him fall down a flight of stairs – which he proved later by torturing her until she confirmed it.

Any unusual ability in a woman instantly raised a charge of witchcraft. The so-called Witch of Newbury was murdered by a group of soldiers because she knew how to go “surfing” on the river. Soldiers of the Earl of Essex saw her doing it, and were “as much astonished as they could be,” seeing that “to and fro she fleeted on the board standing firm bolt upright . . . turning and winding it which way she pleased, making it pastime to her, as little thinking who perceived her tricks, or that she did imagine that they were the last she ever should show.” Most of the soldiers were afraid to touch her, but a few brave souls ambushed the board-rider as she came to shore, slashed her head, beat her, and shot her, leaving her “detested carcass to the worms.”

From ruthlessly organized persecutions on the continent, witch-hunts in England became largely cases of village feuds and petty spite. If crops failed, horses ran away, cattle sickened, wagons broke, women miscarried, or butter wouldn’t come in the churn, a witch was always found to blame. Marion Cumlaquoy of Orkney was burned in 1643 for turning herself three times widdershins, to make her neighbor’s barley crop rot. A tailor’s wife was executed for quarrelling with her neighbor, who afterward saw a snake on his property, and his children fell sick. One witch was condemned for arguing with a drunkard in an alehouse. After drinking himself into paroxysms of vomiting, he accused her of bewitching him, and he was believed.

A woman was convicted of witchcraft for having caused a neighbor’s lameness – by pulling off her stockings. Another was executed for having admired a neighbor’s baby, which afterward fell out of its cradle and died. Two Glasglow witches were hanged for treating a sick child, even though the treatment succeeded and the child was cured. Joan Cason of Kent went to the gallows in 1586 for having dry thatch on her roof. Her neighbor, whose child was sick, was told by an unidentified traveler that the child was bewitched, and it could be proved by stealing a bit of thatch from the witch’s roof and throwing it on the fire. If it crackled and sparked, witchcraft was assured. The test came out positive, and the court was satisfied enough to convict poor Joan.

Witches were convenient scapegoats for doctors who failed to cure their patients, for it was the “received” belief that witch-caused illnesses were incurable. Weyer said, “Ignorant and clumsy physicians blame all sicknesses which they are unable to cure or which they have treated wrongly, on witchery.” There were also priests and monks who “claim to understand the healing art and they lie to those who seek help that their sicknesses are derived from witchery.” Most real witch persecutions reflect “no erotic orgies, no Sabbats or elaborate rituals; merely the hatreds and spites of narrow peasant life assisted by vicious laws.”

Witches provided a focus for sexist hatred in male-dominated society, as one writer pointed out:

“The spirit of the Church in its contempt for women, as shown in the Scriptures, in Paul’s epistles and the Pentateuch, the hatred of the fathers, manifested in their ecclesiastical canons, and in the doctrines of asceticism, celibacy, and witchcraft, destroyed man’s respect for woman and legalized the burning, drowning, and torturing of women . . . “Women and their duties became objects of hatred to the Christian missionaries and of alternate scorn and fear to pious ascetics and monks. The priestess mother became something impure, associated with the devil, and her lore an infernal incantation, her very cooking a brewing of poison, nay, her very existence a source of sin to man. Thus, woman, as mother and priestess, became woman as witch. . . . Here is the reason why in all the Biblical researches and higher criticism, the scholars never touch the position of women.”

Men displayed a lively interest in the physical appearance of witches, seeking to know how to recognize them-as men also craved rules for recognizing other types of women from their physical appearance. It was generally agreed that any woman with dissimilar eyes was a witch. Where most people had dark eyes and swarthy complexions, as in Spain and Italy, pale blue eyes were associated with witchcraft. Many claimed any woman with red hair was a witch.

This may have been because red-haired people are usually freckled, and freckles were often identified as “witch marks,” as were moles, warts, birthmarks, pimples, pockmarks, cysts, liver spots, wens, or any other blemish. Some witch-finders said the mark could resemble an insect bite or an ulcer.

No one ever explained how the witch mark differed from an ordinary blemish. Since few bodies were unblemished, the search for the mark seldom failed. Thomas Ady, one of the few 17th-century English debunkers of the witchcraft craze, author of A Perfect Discovery of Witches (1661), recognized this, and wrote: “Very few people in the world are without privy marks upon their bodies, as moles or stains, even such as witchmongers call the devil’s privy marks.” But no one paid attention to this.

Trials were conducted with as much injustice as possible. In 1629 Isobel Young was accused of crippling by magic a man who had quarreled with her, and causing a water mill to break down. She protested that the man was lame before their quarrel, and water mills can break down through neglect. The prosecutor. Sir Thomas Hope, threw out her defense on the ground that it was “contrary to the libel,” that is, it contradicted the charge. When a witch is on trial, Reginald Scot said, any “equivocal or doubtful answer is taken for a confession.”

On the other hand, no answer at all was a confession too. Witches who refused to speak were condemned: “Witchcraft proved by silence of the accused.” Sometimes mere playfulness “proved” witchcraft, as in the case of Mary Spencer, accused in 1634 because she merrily set her bucket rolling downhill and ran before it, calling it to follow her. Sometimes women were stigmatized as witches when they were in fact victims of unfair laws, such as the law that accepted any man’s word in court ahead of any number of women’s. A butcher in Germany stole some silver vessels from women, then had them prosecuted for witchcraft by claiming that he found the vessels in the woods where the women were attending a witches’ Sabbat.

Sometimes the accusation of witchcraft was a form of punishment for women who were too vocal about their disillusionment with men and their preference for living alone. Historical literature has many references to “the joy with which women after widowhood set up their own households, and to the vigor with which they resisted being courted by amorous widowers.” The solitary life, however, left a woman even more vulnerable to accusations of witchcraft, since men usually thought she must be somehow controlled.

Those who tortured the unfortunate defendant into admitting witchcraft used a euphemistic language that showed the victim was condemned a priori. One Anne Marie de Georgel denied making a devil’s pact, until by torture she was “justly forced to give an account of herself,” the record said. Catherine Delort was “forced to confess by the means we have power to use to make people speak the truth,” and she was “convicted of all the crimes we suspected her of committing, although she protested her innocence for a long time.” The inquisitor Nicholas Rémy professed a pious astonishment at the great number of witches who expressed a “positive desire for death,” pretending not to notice that they had been brought to this desire by innumerable savage tortures.

The extent to which pagan religion, as such, actually survived among the witches of the 16th and 17th centuries has been much discussed but never decided. Dean Church said, “Society was a long time unlearning heathenism; it has not done so yet; but it had hardly begun, at any rate it was only just beginning, to imagine the possibility of such a thing in the eleventh century.” In 15th-century Bohemia it was still common practice at Christmas and other holidays to make offerings to “the gods,” rather than to God. European villages still had many “wise-women” who acted as priestesses officially or unofficially. Since church fathers declared Christian priestesses unthinkable, all functions of the priestess were associated with paganism. Bishops described pagan gatherings in their dioceses, attended by “devils . . . in the form of men and women.” Pagan ceremonies were allowed to survive in weddings, folk festivals, seasonal rites, feasts of the dead, and so on. But when women or Goddesses played the leading role in such ceremonies, there was more determined suppression. John of Salisbury wrote that it was the devil, “with God’s permission,” who sent people to gatherings in honor of the Queen of the Night, a priestess impersonating the Moon-goddess under the name of Noctiluca or Herodiade.

The Catholic church applied the word “witch” to any woman who criticized church policies. Women allied with the 14th-century Reforming Franciscans, some of whom were burned for heresy, were described as witches, daughters of Judas, and instigated of the Devil. Writers of the Talmud similarly tended to view nearly all women as witches. They said things like, “Women are naturally inclined to witchcraft,” and “The more women there are, the more witchcraft there will be.”

Probably there were few sincere practitioners, compared with the multitudes who were railroaded into the ecclesiastical courts and legally murdered despite their innocence. Yet it was obvious to even the moderately intelligent that Christian society deliberately humiliated and discriminated against women. Some may have been resentful enough to become defiant. “Women have had no voice in the canon law, the catechisms, the church creeds and discipline, and why should they obey the behests of a strictly masculine religion, that places the sex at a disadvantage in all life’s emergencies? Possibilities for expressing their frustration and defiance were severely limited; but voluntary adoption of the witch’s reputation and behavior was surely among such possibilities.

MAGICK AND WITCHCRAFT

MAGICK AND WITCHCRAFT

A number of other occult disciplines are prevalent

today besides magick. There are many cults and sects which

profess their own views, but there are really few differences

between them. One popular area in the occult today is

witchcraft. This is far removed from the cliche of devil

worship. Real witchcraft is a nature religion (pagan).

Witchcraft has much in common with magick.

Alchemy also has much in common with magick. It’s

heritage comes from the middle ages. Alchemy fathered

chemistry and the physical sciences. But the avowed purpose

of alchemy, turning lead into gold, is too limiting to be

called magick. Sometimes the goal of alchemy is interpreted

in another way, as the transformation of man into a spiritual

being.

Then there are the numerous modern day seers or

‘pychics’, as they like to be called, who operate within

their own somewhat unique systems. Although many of these

people are deluded frauds, some are very powerful occultists

indeed.

Of course, everything I have said here is a

generalization. Magick, witchcraft, alchemy, or any occult

field are complex subjects. Suffice it to say that magick

includes them all (it is eclectic). For magick is undoubtedly

a philosophy which has, as the late Aleister Crowley wrote,

“The method of science — the aim of religion.”