Magick is at our core, as Witches, magick and spells have taken the place of prayer. In my family and coven at the Sabbats we give offerings in gratitude and celebrate the fire festivals and the myth that document the history of our faith. The Esbats are when works of magick are performed.
Full - A time of Banishing, banish debt, banish illness
New - A time of Increase, draw in health, wellness, wealth, love and strength
Waxing - A lesser Drawing force for more subtle magick.
Waning - A lesser Banishing force for more subtle magick.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Sunday, May 24, 2015
Special Days.
I love the idea of keeping a calendar in fact, my coven has one printed every year that includes not just the dates and times of gatherings but which member is assigned to which Esbat or Sabbat. I used to buy a Witches Datebook and loved having it. Maybe I'll have to buy another one.
My Sabbat List starting with Samhain and ending and Mabon 2016
Samhain - October 31st Saturday
Yule - December 21st (Observed) Monday
Imbolc - February 1st Monday
Ostara - March 21st (Observed) Monday
Beltane - May 1st Sunday
Litha (Summer Solstice) - June 21st (Observed) Tuesday
Lughnasadh - August 1st Monday
Mabon - September 21st (Observed) Wednesday
Good thing that my days off are currently Sunday and Monday.
My Sabbat List starting with Samhain and ending and Mabon 2016
Samhain - October 31st Saturday
Yule - December 21st (Observed) Monday
Imbolc - February 1st Monday
Ostara - March 21st (Observed) Monday
Beltane - May 1st Sunday
Litha (Summer Solstice) - June 21st (Observed) Tuesday
Lughnasadh - August 1st Monday
Mabon - September 21st (Observed) Wednesday
Good thing that my days off are currently Sunday and Monday.
Friday, May 22, 2015
Religion Vs. Science.
Science: Answering the most difficult question in the universe since 1564. Sometimes you cannot accept something as fact based on blind faith. Science looks for "Why" and then explains "How" which is essential to some people.
Religion: Everything happens for a reason, God works in mysterious ways. Simple acceptance of things that have no obvious answer.
Religion vs. Science: Science is not the opposite of religion. In a lot of cases it helps explain how its possible for a spell to work. But in the end Spells are just a different kind of prayer. So it tells us that Prayers can be answered. I use physics to explain a great deal when it comes to magick. Its sad that some faiths find the question of "Why?" to be a blasphemy.
Religion: Everything happens for a reason, God works in mysterious ways. Simple acceptance of things that have no obvious answer.
Religion vs. Science: Science is not the opposite of religion. In a lot of cases it helps explain how its possible for a spell to work. But in the end Spells are just a different kind of prayer. So it tells us that Prayers can be answered. I use physics to explain a great deal when it comes to magick. Its sad that some faiths find the question of "Why?" to be a blasphemy.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
The Lingo..
Jargon is perhaps one of the most subjective ideas in any group. If you have a good vocabulary or own a Dictionary/Thesaurus you can manage just about anywhere. Silver wants us to copy her list of Jargon down for future reference, but I know where to find it so I am skipping that exercise, as I have most of her terms memorized and have had them in my everyday vocabulary for a long time. I tend to get really dismissive when people bring up Jargon, that includes professional jargon.
That said even I think that there are a few words every Witch should know. My Jargon consists of the few words that I cant find in just any conversation.
ANIMISM - Belief that a spirit or force residing in every animate and inanimate object, every dream and idea, gives individuality to each. The related Polynesian concept of man holds that the spirit in all things is responsible for the good and evil in the universe.
SIGIL - A symbol with some occult meaning that may be used in magickal workings. Often a seal, sign or other drawing, it may be carried or otherwise used to control the power symbolized.
WARLOCK - Derogatory term for a Male Witch. It’s original meaning, derived from the Old English “waer logga,” is “oath breaker” and it was used in reference to a traitor to the Craft during the Burning Times.
Its also important to be able to give a quick definition of Cleanse, Consecrate, Dedication and Initiation.
That said even I think that there are a few words every Witch should know. My Jargon consists of the few words that I cant find in just any conversation.
ANIMISM - Belief that a spirit or force residing in every animate and inanimate object, every dream and idea, gives individuality to each. The related Polynesian concept of man holds that the spirit in all things is responsible for the good and evil in the universe.
SIGIL - A symbol with some occult meaning that may be used in magickal workings. Often a seal, sign or other drawing, it may be carried or otherwise used to control the power symbolized.
WARLOCK - Derogatory term for a Male Witch. It’s original meaning, derived from the Old English “waer logga,” is “oath breaker” and it was used in reference to a traitor to the Craft during the Burning Times.
Its also important to be able to give a quick definition of Cleanse, Consecrate, Dedication and Initiation.
Monday, May 18, 2015
Getting Acquainted...
With all the traditions out there, I would classically label myself as three things. Celtic, Family Traditional and Faery Faith. Silver suggested that I copy down the different traditions and leave room for more. And I agree, I have the different traditions highlighted in so many other places that I'm not doing it here.
What influences me is Celtic, Faery, my Family and some Asatru. My Gardnerian Lineage is traced from my coven Initiation back to ( a few people and) Doreen Valiente.
My ancestors did not bleed for a wide range of Gods, they bled for Cailleach, and a few bled for Bran. My ancestors are Scottish on both sides, with a dash from Saxony/Hessian Germany, Belgium, and Sweden. This gives me a fascination with Asatru, the ritual structures, I hold a Blot once a year but would never call on Odin or Baldur. I found a statue of Freyja at a local thrift store and couldn't resist her, but candles on that altar are unlikely, she may end up being gifted to a student. I adore the Roman practice of household gods but on I Hecate I will not call.
Faeries? A huge part of the lore held by the Scottish Clans, I have seen Faeries for as long as I can remember. They introduced me to real magick even before my parents talked about anything like that in front of me, they have been my Guardians as I have been theirs.
There is a lot to be said for the simplicity of an Eclectic Altar, it feels a lot more primitive, more genuine that the highly commercialized statuary on the market over priced cast resin statues with a bronze finish. It feels to me like I'm placing an action figure on my altar. The less detailed figures reach a place with me, they can be anyone I need them to be. Does this make me Eclectic? Not in my own eyes. In someone else's eyes? Probably.
What influences me is Celtic, Faery, my Family and some Asatru. My Gardnerian Lineage is traced from my coven Initiation back to ( a few people and) Doreen Valiente.
My ancestors did not bleed for a wide range of Gods, they bled for Cailleach, and a few bled for Bran. My ancestors are Scottish on both sides, with a dash from Saxony/Hessian Germany, Belgium, and Sweden. This gives me a fascination with Asatru, the ritual structures, I hold a Blot once a year but would never call on Odin or Baldur. I found a statue of Freyja at a local thrift store and couldn't resist her, but candles on that altar are unlikely, she may end up being gifted to a student. I adore the Roman practice of household gods but on I Hecate I will not call.
Faeries? A huge part of the lore held by the Scottish Clans, I have seen Faeries for as long as I can remember. They introduced me to real magick even before my parents talked about anything like that in front of me, they have been my Guardians as I have been theirs.
There is a lot to be said for the simplicity of an Eclectic Altar, it feels a lot more primitive, more genuine that the highly commercialized statuary on the market over priced cast resin statues with a bronze finish. It feels to me like I'm placing an action figure on my altar. The less detailed figures reach a place with me, they can be anyone I need them to be. Does this make me Eclectic? Not in my own eyes. In someone else's eyes? Probably.
Saturday, May 16, 2015
How did I get here?
This is a hard one. Everyone has a past, the lives our parents and grandparents lead shape our direction. Every Witch out there feels a thrill when they hear a story that is almost mystical from within their own line.
My father's grandmother was an astrologer who did a chart on the even of my father's birth, it said that he would have three great opportunities in his life to be a great success and that he needed to be careful as these chances would be fleeting...
My mother's grandmother was once arrested for reading tea leaves.
For me it was my mother's mother, who one year after thanksgiving dinner and the traditional game of Scabble, pulled out a book on the I-Ching. Suffice it to say, the family was up late that night. It left an impression, and afterwards before we left to go home the next day Grandma gave me a small oyster jar about a third of the way full with ashes. "These belonged to your great-grandmother Weaver, (who read tea leaves in parlors..) I want you to have them." I found out later that they were a portion of her cremains. I don't remember the I-Ching reading, but I remember Grandma Goggs and that jar of ashes. My mom has the jar, but later after Goggs passed, mom gave me a small mayo jar with a portion of Grandma's ashes and Grandma's jade bracelet (she wore it every day of her life) As well as a few other personal effects and pictures.
Grandma Weaver's ashes were gifted to me before I read my first Pagan book, at a time when I was only a little fascinated with the symbols in my Dad's Astrology books. But within a year of that night I was mixing herbs and tinctures after about two years I was making soaps and oils, Grandma Weaver's Ashes are why I read Edgar Cayce's works.
Many years from that time, I have read countless books and done my share of Tarot or Rune readings, performed rituals and helped a co-worker banish a malignant spirit. I talked about my faith every day, performed devotionals.
My best friend had her boyfriend move in with us, and he had no faith in anything. In fact he had a sort of hate and anti-faith that became poisonous and made our practice shift more towards secret, and finally it became almost a non-practice.
At his urging we moved from Utah to Pennsylvania, we lived in West York, by the fairgrounds. I was able to set up an altar in an armoire and had started getting involved in my faith again. There were no full scale rituals but I could meditate, light incense on my altar, work on my magical tools and write. It was starting to get better for us as they decided to be friends and not date anymore..
But my Father is a pretty major cornerstone to my spiritual growth, he had a heart attack and stroke right on Thanksgiving 2013, so I moved back to Utah (long story short) 2 moves that close together I lost a lot of my ritual supplies and so forth, which started my path stagnating.
I am really, really hoping to find my way. I have lost my path and feel like I'm wandering in a strange forest at night. I need a light in the darkness again.
My father's grandmother was an astrologer who did a chart on the even of my father's birth, it said that he would have three great opportunities in his life to be a great success and that he needed to be careful as these chances would be fleeting...
My mother's grandmother was once arrested for reading tea leaves.
For me it was my mother's mother, who one year after thanksgiving dinner and the traditional game of Scabble, pulled out a book on the I-Ching. Suffice it to say, the family was up late that night. It left an impression, and afterwards before we left to go home the next day Grandma gave me a small oyster jar about a third of the way full with ashes. "These belonged to your great-grandmother Weaver, (who read tea leaves in parlors..) I want you to have them." I found out later that they were a portion of her cremains. I don't remember the I-Ching reading, but I remember Grandma Goggs and that jar of ashes. My mom has the jar, but later after Goggs passed, mom gave me a small mayo jar with a portion of Grandma's ashes and Grandma's jade bracelet (she wore it every day of her life) As well as a few other personal effects and pictures.
Grandma Weaver's ashes were gifted to me before I read my first Pagan book, at a time when I was only a little fascinated with the symbols in my Dad's Astrology books. But within a year of that night I was mixing herbs and tinctures after about two years I was making soaps and oils, Grandma Weaver's Ashes are why I read Edgar Cayce's works.
Many years from that time, I have read countless books and done my share of Tarot or Rune readings, performed rituals and helped a co-worker banish a malignant spirit. I talked about my faith every day, performed devotionals.
My best friend had her boyfriend move in with us, and he had no faith in anything. In fact he had a sort of hate and anti-faith that became poisonous and made our practice shift more towards secret, and finally it became almost a non-practice.
At his urging we moved from Utah to Pennsylvania, we lived in West York, by the fairgrounds. I was able to set up an altar in an armoire and had started getting involved in my faith again. There were no full scale rituals but I could meditate, light incense on my altar, work on my magical tools and write. It was starting to get better for us as they decided to be friends and not date anymore..
But my Father is a pretty major cornerstone to my spiritual growth, he had a heart attack and stroke right on Thanksgiving 2013, so I moved back to Utah (long story short) 2 moves that close together I lost a lot of my ritual supplies and so forth, which started my path stagnating.
I am really, really hoping to find my way. I have lost my path and feel like I'm wandering in a strange forest at night. I need a light in the darkness again.
Thursday, May 14, 2015
13 Goals of a Witch...
Silver asked that we read every word and not skim no matter how long we've been practicing. This was hard for me, I had to read it three times. She then asked that we write down what we didn't agree with or what we had questions about. I think I already have a copy in this blog but I'm doing it again. All 13.
1: We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarters.
2: We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward our environment. We seek to live in harmony with Nature, in ecological balance offering fulfillment and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.
3: We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary it is sometimes called supernatural, but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.
4: We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity ~as masculine and feminine~ and that this same Creative Power lies in all people, and functions through the interaction of the masculine and feminine. We value neither above the other, knowing each to be supportive to each other. We value sex as pleasure, as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energies used in magickal practice and religious worship.
5: We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological, worlds sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconscious, Inner Planes, etc. ~and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magickal exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.
6: We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.
7: We see religion, magick, and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it ~a world view and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft~ The Wiccan Way.
8: Calling oneself "Witch" does not make a Witch, but neither does heredity itself, not the collecting of titles, degrees, and initiations. A Witch seeks to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and well without harm to others and in harmony with Nature.
9: We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness giving meaning to the Universe we know and our personal role within it.
10: Our only animosity towards Christianity, or towards any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be "the only way", and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.
11: As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the Craft, the origins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present and our future.
12: We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as Satan or the Devil, as defined by the Christian tradition. We do not seek power through the sufferings of others, nor accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.
13: We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.
Its not that I disagree with anything written above, or that I question it is 10 through 13. Are all very defensive and in my opinion superfluous after have read the first nine, those four points feel to me like an attack on other faiths. All faiths at one time or another have been persecuted, there is no real need to highlight our persecution. The best defense for the kind of negative attention Witches still receive is to not acknowledge it at all.
Is everything people say about you true? No? Well what makes everything that others say about my faith true?
1: We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarters.
2: We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward our environment. We seek to live in harmony with Nature, in ecological balance offering fulfillment and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.
3: We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary it is sometimes called supernatural, but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.
4: We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity ~as masculine and feminine~ and that this same Creative Power lies in all people, and functions through the interaction of the masculine and feminine. We value neither above the other, knowing each to be supportive to each other. We value sex as pleasure, as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energies used in magickal practice and religious worship.
5: We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological, worlds sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconscious, Inner Planes, etc. ~and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magickal exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.
6: We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.
7: We see religion, magick, and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it ~a world view and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft~ The Wiccan Way.
8: Calling oneself "Witch" does not make a Witch, but neither does heredity itself, not the collecting of titles, degrees, and initiations. A Witch seeks to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and well without harm to others and in harmony with Nature.
9: We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness giving meaning to the Universe we know and our personal role within it.
10: Our only animosity towards Christianity, or towards any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be "the only way", and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.
11: As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the Craft, the origins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present and our future.
12: We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as Satan or the Devil, as defined by the Christian tradition. We do not seek power through the sufferings of others, nor accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.
13: We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.
Its not that I disagree with anything written above, or that I question it is 10 through 13. Are all very defensive and in my opinion superfluous after have read the first nine, those four points feel to me like an attack on other faiths. All faiths at one time or another have been persecuted, there is no real need to highlight our persecution. The best defense for the kind of negative attention Witches still receive is to not acknowledge it at all.
Is everything people say about you true? No? Well what makes everything that others say about my faith true?
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