Using The Seven Pins In Candle Magick

In Hoodoo and Voodoo, use of the seven-day candle, or "7 day vigil candle" is commonplace. The seven day candles are used in difficult cases and cases where concentrated energy is needed. The candle is burned over a period of seven days whereby the practitioner pays attention to revealing and divinatory signs from the candle.

To use your pins with a candle, you start with
a regular offeratory or large candle and seven pins of the seven colors. The candle is divided into seven equal parts by sticking the pins into the candle at seven equal intervals. The seventh pin goes into the top or bottom of the candle. Make sure the pins go all the way in the candle. Take a piece of parchament paper (best to start with a rather large piece of paper) and write down seven wishes. Fold the paper at a 90 degree angle and write your full name over your wish, then fold again and write your name again, proceeding with this process seven times. Dress your candle with the appropriate oil and place the folded paper under the candle. The candle is burned for seven nights, with the flame pinched out each time a pin falls. Save all of the pins and when the last needle falls, stick the pins into the paper so that it looks like the one in the picture. According to the law of attraction, bury the paper, pins and leftoverwax under your doorstep to attract your wishes to you. If your wishes are of the repelling type, throw the ritual remains in a crossroads, graveyard, or in a moving stream or river.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Tuesday Lobsang Rampa - The Thirteenth Candle
Julian Wilde - Grimoire Of Chaos Magick
Thomas Moore - Candle Magick For Love
Ophiel - The Art Practice Of Caballa Magic

The Noblemen In Ancient Egypt Part 44

Whatsoever broadcasting were regarded as in the company of a man's most calorific wares. Ptahhotep false the togetherness of a wife and other half, the dampness of brothers and sisters. The basic unit of hang loose was the give shelter to. In this context the vivid reliefs abide on new meaning. In the Egyptian unsmiling of Mereruka, for sample, are a variety of scenes exposition give shelter to consideration. One is an touch and harmonious bedroom notice with Mereruka and his other half celebration their bed living being sour. In inexperienced he watches her as she sits on a elevated chaise longue playing a harp. Heredity outings were encouraged: in Mereruka's unsmiling he can be seen affectionately holding his son by the hand (the boy holds a hoopoe bird in the other hand), and with them are his other half and a row of followers. In Ti's unsmiling he is depicted with his other half and descendant seafaring undeviating the marshes in a papyrus vessel. This is the at the outset payment of give shelter to life in the history of man. State was no register or clerical purchase on morality and ethics. Sufficient and wrong was a chivalrous unruly, not a accounting one.

From the at the outset times the sacred set of laws of behaviour were based on an inborn appreciate of what was good quality and at that moment accurately, and what was flabby and at that moment wrong. No matter what that occurred faithfully and was usual by the community was accepted on from life to life until behaviour patterns were automatically adhered to for the simple justification that 'it was always done that way'; in the role of it was Maat (good or accurately or establish). Maat was an draw part mature by purpose and ready traditional by strong domestic custody. The upper advice to it is in the Memphite Join in wherever reckoning was prone to him who does what is liked; harm to him who does what is hated. In other words Maat at upper covered usual behaviour within the community. The invention mature, with the commencement of a God-king, inwards the spirit of domestic guidance, for the Egyptian pharaoh was the chair of inhabitants and the law. After that Maat embraced the inhabitants robot and became accuracy and reckoning. Maat gave strength and power to the inhabitants establish as it provided rebuke and keep on in the give shelter to.

THE EGYPTIAN OLD Utter sages or aware men', Imhotep, Kagemni and Ptahhotep, whose preparation and proverbs were quoted for thousands of get-up-and-go just the once their deaths, bring in the at the outset formulation to be found in any literature on accurately way. On the unruly of Maat, Ptahhotep wrote: immense is "Maat"; its permission endures, nor has it been overthrown being the time of its architect, for reward is inflicted on the transgressor of its laws... bar switch may carry on tangent wealth... the power of "Maat" is that it endures, so that a man may say: It is a possession of my found which I last congenital.'

It is from such healthful wisdoms, addressed from found to son, that we learn most of life in these chilly times. It is too common sincerely to escort the ancient Egyptians' apparent preoccupation with death; it is smarmy inexperienced thing to know of their social wisdom and learn of their high right viewpoint, which centred chubby the give shelter to, performance and correct behaviour. To make a ache list of the ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt and as a result pet name the hang loose as 'pagan' is to fail to notice the heights of their thoughtful, social and right wisdom.

The Experience (Good judgment Prose) in the Egyptian Old Utter were right but not accounting. Religious studies (Pyramid Texts) was theological and political, but taught no ethics. At the same time as was regarded as correct behaviour was taught by rote within the limits of the give shelter to household: Kagemni instructed his children to comprehend it as it is on paper... and it seemed good to them greater than what in the whole land.. The priests, on the other hand, endeavoured to typeface a spacious shut down to grow domestic unity and monetary effect under the regarded as correct behaviour was taught by rote within the limits of the give shelter to household: Kagemni instructed his children to comprehend it as it is on paper... and it seemed good to them greater than what in the whole land.. The priests, on the other hand, endeavoured to typeface a spacious shut down to grow domestic unity and monetary effect under the pharaoh. The ethics of the Peace literature lately appeared in accounting texts in the Halfway Utter (in the form of the dark horse Wave).

Representations of gods were rightly absent from the internal tombs of the Old Utter. This is not to say that the ancient Egyptians did not obtain that all in all their way on earth would be judged by the immense Crew. Constantly good endeavors were extolled in tombs. Harkhuf of Elephantine recorded: 'I gave bread to the avid, clothing to the exposed, I ferried him who had no vessel... I am a nice and on the point of Dominant One... As for any man who shall come inwards (this) unsmiling as his mortuary possession, I drive conquer him conjure a dense fowl; he shall be judged for it by the Peak One.' And the Keeper Meni similarly warned top-quality the doorpost of his tomb: the same him who does what not keen it [my unsmiling]. It is the EGYPTIAN Peak GOD who shall decode [him].' Two property are bright from these texts: upper, that the peril of supreme judgement before the Peak God was a prevention not keen flabby way, and secondly, that a man's justification for declaring nice endeavors on earth was 'that it may be well with me in the Peak God's specter. In other cultures in other lands the fame connecting good and bad was not to come for the bordering 2,100 get-up-and-go.

Allied WEB Angle :

* Noblemen in Very old Egypt
* Very old Egypt Noblemen
* Very old Egypt Nobleman

Giving Back

I take by surprise how methodically we relive to bestow everything back to Father Earth?She provides for us in the form of heat, light, sustenance and air, she correspondingly provides the energy with which we work our magic, so I keep up it's good to bestow everything back to her.But how?You could work a candle spell to send energy towards slope and new beginning of the Property, you could escalate energy within a ritual and send it to the Property or you could send Reiki and/or healing energy for the globe.Droppings and fertilise, next you put dung or fertiliser on your garden send a bit of magical trapped taking part in it for healing and new beginning.In the same way as you group a creeper from your garden beat it with new seeds.Spread off your rocker be radiant seeds in fuse areas (make balanced it is recognized land and not a farmers wheat field!).Before harvesting a creeper pay out a punishment relating with its spirit, that way you can ask absolution to group what you hurl.Salvage - an transparent one I know, but donate are lots of ways to recycle other than composting and paper/glass recycling. Curb up all the ends of your scented candles, soften them and make them taking part in a new one - you want get some thrilling scent blends! Depression vegetable ends and pieces to make ancestry with.I am balanced donate are hundreds of other ways to bestow everything back!Blessings and glut to you all.Tansyx

Origin: ceremonial-magic.blogspot.com

What Goes In A Book Of Shadows

The book of shadows is a reference, a guide, a journal, a means of record-keeping. Within it's pages you will keep details of spells cast and the results, of rituals conducted with a note of the intention and any work done, you can record dreams, divinations, thoughts and ideas. Basically, anything that you find important as a pagan or a witch.

Our family BOS starts off with our family history. My husband and I decided that we wanted ours to be very much used like an old-fashioned family bible. We therefore printed up the family line for both of us back 2 generations, and have left space for future generations. Future additions will be handwritten in.

After that, I have put a drawing of my preferred altar set up with explanations of what goes where as I have detailed in Tools of the Witch.

The remaining pages are used for recording rituals that we have done as a family. Sometimes we have a formal ritual with all the smells and bells, other times we just invite family around for an informal dinner.

Some rituals that can be found in our family BOS include Circle Opening and Closing rituals, symbolic great rite, initiation rituals, naming ceremonies and a handfasting ceremony. The naming and handfasting ceremonies are detailed in Life Rituals.

My personal BOS also contains information on spells I have done and divinations I have done using either a tarot deck or my amulets, dreams, and things seen during guided imagery sessions.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Ancient Grimoires - The 8th Book Of Moses
Sekhet Sophia - The Alexandrian Book Of Shadows
Gerald Gardner - The Garnerian Book Of Shadows
Sasha Fierce - The Book Of Shadows

Suggestions For Your Own Book Of Shadows

You're going to see all sorts of rules and laws and thou must do this statements about creating a book of shadows online.

Let me tell you straight out. There are no rules, there are no laws, and there is nothing you must do to make your BOS your book.

Some things I have seen as "Must have in your BOS":

A dedication page - If you want to write a dedication in your book, go ahead but it isn't necessary.

Writing in a special language - Use your native tongue. If you cannot think and speak fluently in a language, do not write your BOS in it. You'll just end up having to go get a translation dictionary every time you want to read it.

A protection spell of some sort - Again, go ahead and put one on if you want, but for the most part the only person who is going to have an interest in your BOS is you. Unlike the fictional spellbooks found on popular TV shows, a BOS has no inherent magic, no special powers. It's just a book. An important book, but just a book all the same. Everything within those pages will have been put there by you, they will be of importance only to you.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Benjamin Rowe - The Book Of The Seniors
Sekhet Sophia - The Alexandrian Book Of Shadows
Austin Osman Spare - A Book Of Satyrs
Gerald Gardner - The Garnerian Book Of Shadows
Sasha Fierce - The Book Of Shadows

Modern Witchcraft On Wikipedia

To show and prove the misconception of witchcraft (which stemmed from Judaism and the Kaballah.) " ...historically notably in Early Modern Europe, where witchcraft came to be seen as a vast diabolical conspiracy against Christianity, and accusations of witchcraft led to large-scale witch-hunts..."

Witchcraft, in various historical, anthropological, religious and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. Witchcraft often refers to the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers in order to inflict harm or damage upon members of a community or their property. Other uses of the term distinguish between bad witchcraft and good witchcraft, with the latter often involving healing, perhaps remedying bad witchcraft. The concept of witchcraft is normally treated as a cultural ideology, a means of explaining human misfortune by blaming it either on a supernatural entity or a known person in the community.Pocs 1999, pp. 9?12. A witch (from Old English wicce f. / wicca m.) is a practitioner of witchcraft.

Belief in witchcraft, and by consequence witch-hunts, is found in many cultures worldwide, today mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa (e.g. in the witch smellers in Bantu culture), and historically notably in Early Modern Europe of the 14th to 18th century, where witchcraft came to be seen as a vast diabolical conspiracy against Christianity, and accusations of witchcraft led to large-scale witch-hunts, especially in Germanic Europe."Witchcraft". Encyclop?dia Britannica.

The "witch-cult hypothesis", a controversial theory that European witchcraft was a suppressed pagan religion, was popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Since the mid-20th century, Witchcraft has become the self-designation of a branch of neopaganism, especially in the Wicca tradition following Gerald Gardner, who claimed a religious tradition of Witchcraft with pre-Christian roots.Adler, Margot (1979) Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today. Boston: Beacon Press. pp. 45?47, 84?5, 105.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Anonymous - Witchcraft Dictionary
Jaroslav Nemec - Witchcraft And Medicine
Louise Huebner - Witchcraft For All
Gerald Gardner - Witchcraft Today

New England Other Witchhunt The Hartford Witchhunt Of The 1660

Book: New England Other Witchhunt The Hartford Witchhunt Of The 1660 by Walter Woodward

Although many teachers focus on the Salem witch-hunt of 1692, the history of Witchcraft in New England provides other important perspectives from which to examine this perennially interesting topic. Salem, as the most expansive and punitive single episode of witch-hunting in colonial New En gland, assuredly merits, and gets, significant attention. In the past decade, more than thirty scholarly works, a dozen educational video projects, at least nine major internet websites, and over a hundred primary and secondary supplementary curriculum re sources have been produced, all focusing on the Salem Witch hunt. As useful as much of this material is, concentrating exclusively on the events at Salem masks critical features of the cultural and historic importance of witchcraft as a continuous presence in New England's history. Witches, many students are surprised to learn, were an active force in New England From the early seventeenth century until well into the nineteenth century.

Download Walter Woodward's eBook: New England Other Witchhunt The Hartford Witchhunt Of The 1660

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Lover Of Truth - An Open Entrance To The Closed Palace Of The King
Damon Leff - A Pagan Witches Touchstone Witchcraft And Witch Hunts In South Africa
Solomonic Grimoires - The Grand Grimorie With The Great Clavicle Of Solomon
Walter Woodward - New England Other Witchhunt The Hartford Witchhunt Of The 1660

Your Magical Name

Why a Magical Name?:
Ah, the magical name. So many people find wicca and decide right off the bat that they’re going to name themselves Lady Such-and-Such or Lord Whatsis. Go to a pagan event and you’ll meet more fifteen-year-old Lady Morganas than you can shake a stick at. And it’s virtually guaranteed that within about three months, Lady Morgana will decide her magical name, sometimes called a craft name, is really supposed to be Starfluffle or Moongypsy, and she’ll change it.

In fact, she’ll probably change it two to three times a year.

The Name-of-the-Month Club:
This odd phenomenon, known as the Name-of-the-Month Syndrome, happens most often because the person in question hasn’t taken the time to research and learn, which is crucial to finding the right magical name.

A magical name is unique to the practitioner, and there are several ways to find yours. When you find the right name, you’ll keep it for a long time. In some traditions, it‘s customary to wait until you‘ve studied a year and a day before claiming your magical name. Some Pagans have two magical names -- one which they use in public and one which is known only to the gods and members of the person’s coven.

Think Long-Range:
One method by which people sometimes find their magical name is to simply choose something they like. A problem with this method is that what we like on one day, we may find silly a year down the road. If you’re going to choose a name based on whether it sounds cool or not, stop and think about it. What is it about the name that appeals to you? Ten years from now, are still going to feel comfortable saying, “Hi, I‘m Fairypuddle,” when you meet a new person?

Names with Meaning:
Choose a name not only for its sound, but its attributes as well. For example, someone wishing to convey strength in their name might include “oak“ or “iron“ as part of their moniker. A person who is highly creative might select a name that reflects their art or craft. You may want to choose a name based rooted in folklore or mythology. Many people include the name of an animal that resonates with them. A cautionary note here: in the Pagan community, certain animals pop up all the time. You’ll meet two dozen Ravens and just as many Cats, but it’s unlikely you’ll encounter anyone calling himself Wombat or Penguin.

Names to Avoid:
Another bit of advice -- generally, the titles Lord and Lady are reserved for people who are elders or have a significant amount of leadership experience under their belt. To name oneself Lady So-and-So without any credentials is considered presumptuous by many Pagans. Likewise, in many traditions it’s seen as hubris to give oneself the name of a deity. You may want to choose a name that indicates your dedication to a god or goddess, but don’t co-opt their names. It’s just rude. If you're a dedicant to Apollo, don't call yourself Master Apollo, call yourself something like Apollonius instead.

Using Your Birth Number:
Another popular method of finding a magical name is to choose one that corresponds with your birth number. To find your birth number, begin by adding the digits of your birth date.

If your birthday was September 1, 1966, you would start with the numbers 911966 = 9 + 1 + 1 + 9 + 6 + 6 = 32.

Now take those two numbers (3 and 2), and bring it down to a single digit: 3 + 2 = 5. That number -- in this case, 5 -- is your birth number.

Use the grid below to find a name that corresponds to the number 5, by calculating the sum of the corresponding letters.

1 = A, J, S

2 = B, K, T

3 = C, L, U

4 = D, M, V

5 = E, N, W

6 = F, O, X

7 = G, P, Y

8 = H, Q, Z

9 = I, R

Let’s say you’ve decide you like the name Willow. Using the letters in “Willow” you would take the numbers 5 + 9 + 3 + 3 + 6 + 5 = 32. From there, 3 + 2 = 5. If the name you like doesn’t match your birth numbers, try some creative or alternate spellings to see what happens.

A Gift from the Gods:
In some cases, you may be fortunate enough to have your new name bestowed upon you by a god or goddess. In these instances, you may encounter someone in a dream or a vision who tells you, “Your name is Such-and-such.” While you may choose to add to it or come up with a variation on it later, if this happens to you, accept the name as the gift that it is.

Whatever method you end up using, think carefully before you finalize your new name. While it’s okay to change your name later on as you evolve spiritually, changing your name every few weeks or every time you see a new episode of “Charmed” is probably not the best course of action. Find the name that is right for you -- and when it IS the right one, you will know.


Books You Might Enjoy:

Anonymous - The Mystical Qabbalah
Kenneth Grant - Magical Revival
Aninymous - The Angelical Alphabet

Witchcraft As A Means For Subduing Female Influences

The subservience of women to men was a common theme in early Christian writings -- an outgrowth of both traditional patriarchal attitudes and the extreme hierarchical nature of the church itself. Groups which did not hold to hierarchy in any form were attacked immediately. There is no shared authority between the genders in traditional Christianity, either in the church or in the home. Homosexuality would be particularly threatening to this ideology, as it raises the potential of redefining gender roles, especially in the home.

Witness how the recent attacks upon homosexuality in society has progressed hand-in-hand with the mindless promotion of vague "traditional family values," particularly those which "put women in their place" and reinforce male dominance in the home. With a married couple of two women or two men, who exactly is supposed to be in charge and who meekly obedient? Never mind that the Christians who fear such relationships will never be asked to make those decisions themselves -- the mere fact that people are making such decisions on their own rather than obeying someone else's religious proclamations is quite enough to give them fits of apoplexy.

The perception of women as inferior to men, and possibly the enemy of proper religious or social order, has survived down through this day in the most conservative and fundamentalist religious movements around the world. Religious institutions and doctrines are a primary repository for ancient beliefs about the social, physical, political, and religious inferiority of women. Even if the rest of society is moving on and improving women's status, religion remains a main source of beliefs and attitudes which retard that progress in the hopes of reversing it completely. And, where women cannot be attacked directly, they are attacked indirectly through negative stereotypes about "feminine" values as compared to positive stereotypes of "manly" or "masculine" traits.

It would be a mistake to assert that the Christian persecution of witches and witchcraft was nothing but an attempt to suppress women and feminine influences. Christian society, politics, and theology at the time simply wasn't that simplistic. At the same time, it's hard to overestimate the role misogynistic attitudes and repressed male sexuality played in the persecution of witches. It seems likely that if they didn't exist, the extreme violence directed at women and alleged witches probably wouldn't have occurred.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Peter De Abano - Heptameron Or Magical Elements
Louise Huebner - Witchcraft For All
Richard Weiss - Recipes For Immortality

Witchcraft And The Inquisition

As the Inquisition proceeded through the 1400s, its focus shifted from Jews and heretics towards so-called witches. Although Pope Gregory IX had authorized the killing of witches back in the 1200s, the fad just didn't catch on. In 1484, Pope Innocent VIII issued a bull declaring that witches did indeed exist and thus it became a heresy to believe otherwise. This was quite a reversal because in 906 the Canon Episocopi, a church law, declared that belief in the existence and operation of witchcraft was heresy.

The additional persecution of anything which resembled feminine religiosity went to interesting lengths in that devotion to Mary became suspect. Today the figure of Mary is both popular and important in the Catholic church, but to the Inquisition it was a possible sign of overemphasizing the feminine aspect of Christianity. In the Canary Islands, Aldonca de Vargas was reported to the Inquisition for nothing more than smiling at hearing mention of Mary.

As a result of this, church authorities tortured and killed thousands of women, and not a few men, in an effort to get them to confess that they flew through the sky, had sexual relations with demons, turned into animals, and engaged in various sorts of black magic. The image here depicts what Christians imagined went on at a court of witches where Satan presided.

People typically fear that which they don't understand, so witches were doubly damned: they were feared because they were allegedly agents of Satan seeking to undermine Christian society and they were feared because no one really knew what witches did or how. In the place of real knowledge or information, Christian leaders made things up and created stories which were certain to cause people to hate and fear witches even more.

People trusted their religious and political leaders to provide them with accurate information, but in reality the "information" provided was simply whatever furthered their leaders religious and political goals. Creating an enemy of out witches served the goal of increased religious and political cohesion because people would want to draw closer together in order to confront the enemy who wanted to destroy them. Isn't that ultimately more important than whether the stories were true or not?

Books You Might Enjoy:

Gabor Klaniczay - Witchcraft Mythologies And Persecutions
Max Heindel - Ancient And Modern Initiation
Robert Wang - The Qabalistic Tarot
Jaroslav Nemec - Witchcraft And Medicine

Witchcraft And Sorcery

Witchcraft and sorcery are almost identical terms as both use the magic spells, mystical or paranormal means to harness occult forces to produce desired results. Ideally speaking, persons pursuing witchcraft do not aim at producing evil results. Somehow the term sorcery is used pejoratively to denote the use of supernatural powers to produce unnatural and negative course of events.

Another factor that differentiates witchcraft from sorcery is that while sorcery can be learnt and practiced by anyone, witchcraft is considered to result from inherent mystical powers and is practiced by invisible means. Modern witches, however, claim that witchcraft can be acquired through learning as well.

Both Witchcraft And Sorcery have existed since times immemorial in all the societies and cultures around the world. In ancient Greece, witchcraft existed as early as the time when Homer lived. The legendary Medea was considered as the best known sorceress in classical times. The Roman Horace describes two witches in his famous Satires. There are several references to witches in Bible. Saul (1 Samuel 28) consulted Witch of Endor.

Though witches were hounded and persecuted as being aligned with evil spirits in the past ages, Witchcraft has acquired respectability with the passage of time. It has washed away the stigma attached to it and cleared many popular misconceptions about it.

In twentieth century, witchcraft movement termed as wicca the Craft, the Wisecraft is professed and practiced as religion.
The term wicca comes from an old English word wicca which has its origin from the Germanic root ‘wic’ and means ‘to bend or turn’. A witch is supposed to bend or turn the course of events for a good cause. Earlier the female practitioners of witchcraft were called witches, while their male counterparts were called wizards. But now the term witch is used both for male and female practitioners of witchcraft.

Witchcraft as a religion was developed in the United Kingdom by Gerald B Gardner, a British civil servant. Gardner had a life long interest in occult and supernatural forces. Witchcraft is now openly and proudly practiced in almost all the English speaking countries including the United States of America besides many traditional societies and cultures around the world. In Africa people seek medical aid for external physical problems and consult witch doctors for internal illnesses.

It is now widely believed that witches cast their spells for good objectives like love, health and wealth. Genuine believers in witchcraft do not cause harm to others. They worship God or deity or Mother Nature which is believed to possess both male and female aspects. They, however, emphasize on the female aspect or the Goddess side of the deity. Wicca is a religion of fertility. It celebrates the seasonal cycles of the nature that are central to the farming communities. The religious rites are tied to the cycles of moon which is the symbol of the power of the Goddess and also the seasons of the year.

Religious witches use their craft for the benefit of the people. They religiously follow their golden rule called The wiccan Rede which says: "An' it harm none, do what ye will.” They believe in the theory of karma that any act of witchcraft will return to its practitioner magnified three folds, whether it is good or evil.

Wicca is the most democratic and free religion in the world. There is no central authority. The witches work in loosely organized groups called covens. Some covens are made up exclusively of women, some of men while others have mixed membership. There are witches who do not join any coven at all and practice their faith alone as solitaries.

Modern witchcraft is a recreation of pagan, folk and magical rites selected from the major cultures and societies across the world such as Babylonian, Celtic, Egyptian, ancient Greek, Roman, and Sumerian Buddhism, Hinduism, and the rites of American Indians.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Aj Drew - Wicca Spellcraft For Men
Gabor Klaniczay - Witchcraft Mythologies And Persecutions
Louise Huebner - Witchcraft For All
Gerald Gardner - Witchcraft Today
Jaroslav Nemec - Witchcraft And Medicine

Christians Are Ruining Wicca

WARNING: I awoke this dawn hunch frustration at a level of 9 out of 10. Due to weather and other stuff, I'm not able of behave substance that incentive explain it unswervingly. I also woke up with my knack to concord with frustration at a level of about 3 out of 10. I am one immense frustration in reserve from body in moan on my bed. Why? Openly, PMS, I secure. This bitterness venting is one way of relieving the frustration.

Tight Christians,

Entertain tell stories body crappy at your religion and available your kids so disenfranchised that they compose out for any other religion and as a consequence hold to the foremost they find that isn't yours. Whatever you're behave to teach your kids your trust, it's not working, seeing that they are flocking to Wicca.

We used to be normal. Due to the demographics of the world, most of us Wiccans were Ex-Christians, but we came from British and Northeastern US churches. We were Cake-or-Death Christians. We were Friendly Keep order Christians.

Your kids, still, keep in check been raised with a Christianity that is based on unequivocal performance to a set of beliefs (naturally as well as a accumulation outside the Bible) and significant natives outside your unwise churches as non-Christians. When they station your unwise church, they consistently move their unequivocal performance thing with them.

And therein lies our question. Our religion of Wicca is about permissions, not exclusions. We don't keep in check the "don't do it seeing that I imaginary so."

Let's move three of our priestly statements:

* An it harm none, do as you incentive.
*...All acts of love and go into are my rituals.
* Whenever you keep in check chauffeur...and improved it necessary be on the full moon.

Now, readily, Wiccans read these cipher at spit think a lot of, translated in within Christian-friendly language:

* Do harmless substance as consistently as you squalid.

* Property done with kin in a loving air, with full taking over and to command somebody to go into, while no one is body subjugated or demoralized, are good with the goddess. She even encourages them, seeing that they deliberate what she desires from kin.

* If you've got a squeal for a ritual, do it. If you chauffeur a rigid time, the full moon is a good one.

Now, arrived are how your Christian kids, who've disagreed with your church's unwise non-Biblical acts, while meaningful them how to vote and how to dress, obtain the three substance above:

* If you do everything that causes harm, the gods incentive okay you.
* The cleanly time one necessary keep in check sex is in the context of ritual.
* We Necessary marked For instance the moon is full.

Now, here's the big problem:

We who were raised non-Christian, nominally Christian, Cake-or-Death Christian or Friendly Keep order Christian were raised at a time when the growth in the frequent was seen as a bad thing, and our parents whispered it was Self-seeking to keep in check families with 10 kids or outstanding. You kin keep in check exercises while Quiverfull or, straight, treating a woman while the queen in a bee arrangement and making her particular job spitting out produce, or in your deal with, larval Christians. When your daughters discharge they don't squalid to be pregnant or recuperating from pregnancy for the rest of their lives and come to our trust, they nauseatingly outnumber natives of us who were never fitted with the filters you put on them. The permissions go in one pitch of our basic, hop just about in the tend and come back out as Serene permissions. The permissions go in their ears and come out sounding redress while Christianity, with 'thou shalt nots' and 'you betters.'

We really were up with our trust defective the commandments your kids are coming up with... and they are body very vulgar and argumentative about their new trust of Wicca in a way we weren't via...and their plain information are sour us.

So, I've got an emotion that can help us moreover....

From now on, very of calling the Christians that disorder with several aspects of your trust "non-Christians," or "Fake Christians," or "unChristian," stay at them a type of Christian you disorder with. So, if your close up church with the dogmatic performance view is Catholic, stay at the Christians you disorder with... um...Methodists, cleanly say it in a really mean way... And you Methodists can stay at the Christians you aggression, um, Quakers, and Baptists can stay at them Catholics, etc. That way your messed up kids with the blinders that turn permissions within exclusions, suggestions within commandments and genuine dialog and disagreement within pressure to the trust incentive station us discretely.

Thanks,

LabGrrl

[Does not go through to ALL Christians. This treatise is tongue-in-cheek. Entertain use clowning filters. Get off my home turf.]

Witchcraft And Christianity

The earliest Christian document to examine witch craft was the Canon Episcopi, which appeared in round year 906, even though it may have been written centuries earlier. The canon was intended as a guide for the use of bishops in carrying out their duties.

Year 1324 in Ireland, in one of the most bizarre cases in the history of witch craft, this barrier collapsed as sorcery and rising religious concepts of the devil became inextricably entwined. The victim, Ireland’s first major witch, was neither helpless nor an aging crone, and desire for her property and power was certainly a significant motivation behind her trial. For lady Alice Kyteler was the wealthiest woman in Kilkenny when she was accused of being a witch. Her accuser, Bishop Richard de Ledrede, a Franciscan trained in France, was at the time less powerful than Lady Alice.

Among the charges brought against Lady Alice were that she denied Church allegiances, parodied religious ceremony, sacrificed animals, using the words ‘fi, fi, fi, amen’, creating powders and ointments containing worms, herbs, parts of dead men and unborn baby, and engaged in intimacies with a man who appeared as a cat and a black dog.

Even though she certainly was involved in practice of some sort of ritual magick, Lady Alice fought the charges repeatedly before finally seeking refuge in England. Unfortunately she left her maid Petronilla behind, and Petronilla was tortured until she admitted that her mistress was a sorceress of extraordinary talents and a participant in lavish nocturnal orgies.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Max Heindel - Teachings Of An Initiate
Samuel Sharpe - Egyptian Mythology And Egyptian Christianity
Jaroslav Nemec - Witchcraft And Medicine

Witchcraft Tools

Be it English, Italian, French, German, Spanish, or Scottish, witches all seemed to use similar tools to do similar things. Perhaps more than that, it is this commonality, based for the most part on myth, clerical stereotypes and confessions extracted under torture that has served to leave the image of the witch so intensely on the Western imagination.

The lore of witches, for example, is widespread with stories of witches riding on broomsticks. This tradition appears to be ancient and transcripts of the 16th and 17th century witch trials are filled with references to it. One of them, Isobel Gowdie, a famous Scottish witch, went so far in her confession as to give her formula for making a broom, beanstalk or straw fly.

Equally famous and popular accessories were the long black hooded cloak and the bubbling cauldron. The cloak, though of ancient origin, seems to have had no special use except from helping to hide the witch’s anonymity, but the cauldron was a commonplace of making magic. From cauldron brews the witch might make lethal poisons and enchanted potions and ointments.

A 14th century French witch, Anne Marie de Georgel, admitted making a stew composed of poisonous herbs, parts of the dead bodies of men and animals. The herbs that are used in such wicked stews probably gathered when the moon had waned. When the moon was full, herbs were picked to produce wholesome effects. As an example, the green and silver leaves of mugwort, plucked at full moon, were carefully brewed and used in the use to improving clairvoyant power.

For their sabbats, or meetings, witches needed such items as candles. Also part of the sabbat ritual was a Magic Circle that had been traced on the ground by the tip of a magical knife. These circles were created to gather the witches’ special power.

To make a spell-casting drink a witch might use a household bottle or jug. In post World War II London several such jug were found buried in the foundation of old houses. They contained human hair entangled with metal nails, fingernail parings and pieces of hearth-shaped cloth pierced with pins.


Books You Might Enjoy:

Tarostar - The Witchs Spellcraft Revised
Louise Huebner - Witchcraft For All
Gerald Gardner - Witchcraft Today

Upstage The Unbelievers Wherever You Find Them

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Book Of Spells

BOOK: Measurements OF SPELLS BY Mysterious

Presenting a choice of spells from a choice of original get older and cultures, this book confront tempting, far-off, and sometimes honest erotic magic spells to help readers prosper at work, at skip, or in love. This book is a good way to learn about craft and is a good book for battle who know snooty than a small part about "WITCHCRAFT", or a good book for kids who know a lot snooty, and want to do some really murmur a** spells... but its not a good book for Very experianced "WITCHES". I reccomend this book like it has spells that really work, but they scarcely work if you are invincible, and are good at concentrating and Individuality invincible, not meat unmanageable and hiper appearing in the spell... it is scarcely for times battle who know what they are discharge duty... It does want you go out shopping with in a while, or go to parks and get stores, but most of the kit are kit that most battle or else take in on hand... Buy this book but be carful and use them open. Chomp FUN!

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Witchcraft The Festival Of Lammas

Dates:
February 1st (southern hemisphere)
August 1st (northern hemisphere)

Lammas is the first of the three Harvest Festivals in a witch’s seasonal cycle, the others being Mabon, and Samhain. Also known as Lughnasadh, by Irish-Gaelic traditions, it marks the end of summer and the coming of autumn; the days slowly become shorter, giving way to the growing nights.

This festival symbolizes the fading power of the Sun God, and calls attention to his willingness to sacrifice himself to the Moon Goddess so that we can make it through the coming winter with the fruits of the first harvest, knowing all the while that he will return to us again as the cycle continues.

It’s a time to give thanks for the people and things that we have, to feel grateful for what we have and share it with others, therefore planting the seeds for a future harvest.

The most common theme associated with this Festival, is that of “eating, drinking, and making merry”. A baker’s oven goes into over-drive making loaves to be broken with friends and family, and the message is that of sharing what we have with others so that they might benefit from our good fortune as well.

Lammas ritual for the Solitary Witch

* Keep in mind that this ritual isn’t written in stone, you can change and adapt it to what best suits your needs as a witch.

Your altar and circle should be decorated with mostly grains, sheaves of wheat and barley, or, if you’re like me and like to use what you have on hand, a few handfuls of rolled oats will do in a pinch. The altar cloth should be red, or reddish-hued, while the altar candle should most certainly be orange. If you notice, the whole colour scheme is very “earthy” in nature.

Note: some witches prefer to have a ritual bath before they get started, that is, a quick dip in the tub to which herbs and salt have been added…it can help put you in the right frame of mind.

When you’re ready, cast your circle, call the elements and invoke the Gods, and then begin. Standing in front of your altar, take some of the grain or oats in your hand and hold it high.
Say something like:

Upon us is the First Harvest, a time when the fruits of nature sacrifice themselves so that we may survive. Now, as the Sun God prepares for death, I ask that his sacrifice helps me to understand and accept the sacrifices I must make in my own life.
Now, as the Moon Goddess’ power grows, I ask that she whispers her secrets and magickon the night winds, so that I can hear them and use her wisdom wisely.

Rub the oats between both hands so that it falls onto your altar. Then take a piece of fruit, like an apple, and bite into it, allowing yourself to fully experience the taste.
Then say something like:

I share in the fruits of the First Harvest, so that I might share in the wisdom it offers.
Goddess of the Moon, Mother of All
God of the Sun, Father to All
I thank you for that which you’ve given me. May I always remember “harm none”, and may all that I do be in reverence of you.

Now you can eat the rest of the fruit. Meditate, or reflect, on the good things that have happened to you thus far, and the sacrifices you had to make to get to this point. Think about how you’ve shared your good fortune with others, even if it only meant smiling at a stranger. Any magickal works should now be done, or write about your experiences in your Magickal Journal…if you have one.

Thank the Gods and the Elements for their attendance, and let them know that while you appreciate their presence, it’s now time to go. Release the circle, and then carry on with the Cakes and Ale ceremony, or so “eat, drink, and be merry” with some good friends.

Books You Might Enjoy:

William Phelon - Our Story Of Atlantis
Anonymous - The Mysticism Of Masonry
Aleister Crowley - The Litany Of Satan
Yacki Raizizun - The Secret Of Dreams
Reynold Nicholson - The Mystics Of Islam

Witchcraft Magick

Magick is the term used to classify different alternative and New Age practices into one category. All of these practices involve the cause of change by non-physical means, whether it be the power to transform oneself or others.

The word "Magick" was coined to differentiate serious magic from the staged, sleight of hand kind, such as is done by David Copperfield and others. In layman's terms, magick entails manipulating energy and focusing the will, often utilizing rituals and items containing certain properties, to accomplish a goal. This is admittedly a rather simple explanation, and the study and successful use of magick and magickal powers is a lifelong proposition. The annals of magickal history go back to the beginnings of mankind, and indeed, more information on magick has probably been lost in history than exists in all our resources today.

Magick is a powerful resource, and though it cannot be measured or proved by science, it cannot be disproved by science either. In and of itself, Magick is neither good or bad. The INTENT of the practitioner is what separates White Magick from Black Magick.

In modern America, the word Magick has become somehow intertwined with the wiccan religion, but this is not a very accurate correlation. Not every Wiccan practices Magick, and not everyone who practices Magick adheres to the Wiccan religion.

Magick and witchcraft are both essentially based on the fact that we, as spiritual beings, have innate powers to manipulate the world around us. The premise is that with practice, we can hone these innate powers to reach our aspirations and goals. Whether we use these powers for good or bad is up to us, and both scenarios will be covered on these pages. This page will strive to define the elements used in Magick and what they mean, pinpoint specific known properties of common magickal items and herbs, and provide tutorials aimed at tapping into the powers needed to successfully perform simple magick spells and rituals.

As always, if you have anything to contribute, we would very much appreciate hearing from you. Please feel free to visit the Message Board link below, or to privately E-Mail us. Also, do Bookmark and return often, as we update these pages daily.

Some of these practices include:
Alchemy: The process of trying to turn metal into gold.
Witchcraft/Wicca: Appealing to the God/ Goddess for change and healing.
Astral Projection: The practices of having a person’s soul leave the body for a period of time.
ESP: The ability to speak to another person without speech through use of their minds.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Gerald Gardner - Witchcraft Today
Jaroslav Nemec - Witchcraft And Medicine
Aleister Crowley - Intro Magick
Aleister Crowley - Magick

Wicca A Year And A Day 366 Days Of Spiritual Practice In The Craft Of The Wise

BOOK: WICCA A Day AND A DAY 366 Soul OF Saintly System IN THE Cruiser OF THE Of good judgment BY TIMOTHY RODERICK

Dowry are no short-cuts to becoming a Witch. Universally, students wear a go out with and a day to keen for their initiation happening the Cruiser. Based on this white waste, Wicca: A Day and a Day is a one-of-a-kind lecture guide that introduces Witchcraft once more a 366-day manipulate.

Talented for solitary students, this intensive study course teaches the basis contented of Wiccan practice: the tides of time, the wonders of the seasons, the ways of herbs and magic, the religious studies of the Old Ones, and the inner disciplines of seers and sages. Newspaper lessons hold drills, Wiccan theology and lore, and consideration relating to circle work, magical correspondences, holidays, deities, tools, healing, and divination.

This book opens with the lesson of the Cauldron of Cerridwen. Each creature who looks happening Her cauldron sees the wisdoms they command long for to project the "Respect OF THE Of good judgment". This book takes a very entity normal at a introduce somebody to an area dedication to this path by creating a day to day guide for the dedicating solitary to learn the wisdoms they command long for to project the Wiccan path. Yes, this book focuses on the practicing solitary and is meaningful as a training guide to help you by the use of the sometimes insecure core "Day AND A DAY" dedication that so many books only assurance you do. This book actually takes you exhibit.

Timothy Roderick is a British Customary Wiccan, who's one-time books cover many aspects of Wicca, among working with the dark of the moon as well as familiars. He is a assistant professor of the occult, shamanism and religious studies. He is the founder of the "EARTHDANCE Accumulate", a Wiccan community wherever he has been their spiritual chief for once more a decade. He comes to this book with some very talented papers and it shows in his work.

The book's deal is very simple; it goes by each day. The drills are not hope for or illustrative out, but to a certain extent simple, succinct and yet they cover a lot information. Day 1, for model, discusses Earth-Centered Religion, outside a ounce history, a simple habit in concerning with the earth, and a simple set of questions intended to investigate the habit as well as exploring yourself. Dowry are also ounce "Conversation BOXES" intended to anticipate some questions or earn a "SIDEBAR" declare for you to mull over pass on. Following "DAY 1" is a list of items you command long for for the taking into consideration 30 days; a shopping list if you command of basic supplies.

Timothy Roderick (SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA) is a counselor and inspiring psychologist who holds a Master's benchmark in Clinical Psychology from Antioch Academy. He is a expert officially accept in the oldest become hard everyday of English Customary Wicca in the Joined States, and has been a pupil and assistant professor of the occult, religious studies, shamanism and earth-centered spirituality for convinced years. Mr. Roderick is the founder of EarthDance Accumulate, a group that promotes awareness of feminist spirituality.

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Witchcraft Magic Spells

The word ‘witch’ is a part of the larger word witchcraft. ‘Witch’ means magic maker. So witchcraft is the art or craft of making magic. Modern witchcraft is now closer to wicca, which besides meaning ‘wise’ also means to ‘bend’. The word ‘ bend’ brings witchcraft closer to magic or spells.

Every human heart is filled with needs, dreams and desires. They may relate to health, wealth, love, marriage, revenge, fame, success, sex, litigation, rivalry, home, job, cars, tours and travels. The list can be as long and as varied as the human needs and desires are. We make every effort including witchcraft and spells to achieve our aims.

Witchcraft magic spells are an irresistible and dominating influence, which wields great power over the animate and even inanimate objects of the natural world. Spells are a potent tool of the witchcraft. Spells may be used in many forms. They can be used as love spells, lost love spells, sleep spells and so on.

Spells are a form of magic. They can empower you to achieve your aims and transform your life from one of deprivation to that of opulence and luxury, from ugliness to beauty and charm. witchcraft magic spells are cast by observing certain rituals like the ritual of the pentagram.

The first step of the ritual involves casting a circle and calling the quarters to perform the Qabalistic Cross. The second step is to inscribe the circle. In the third step you invoke the Archangels of the Four Quarters. The last step is to perform the Qabalistic Cross Again.

Spells can be good or evil. It is the responsibility of the practitioner of spells not to misuse them in a negative way, to harm others or do something against the will of God. He can, of course, use them in a positive way for his own good and also for the good of others. The practitioner of witchcraft magic spells cannot escape the responsibility of the consequences of his actions.

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Jaroslav Nemec - Witchcraft And Medicine
Louise Huebner - Witchcraft For All
Simon - The Necronomicon Spellbook
Kenneth Grant - Magical Revival

Witchcraft History

Infused with mystery, fear, unbelievable and grim facts and records, Witchcraft History can be traced back to centuries.

The word ‘Witchcraft’ has been derived from the word ‘Wicca’ which means ‘the wise one’. witchcraft has been seen as a magical phenomenon, a pagan worship or religion, sorcery, and others, at different periods in Witchcraft History.

The earliest records of the concept and practice of witchcraft can be traced to the early days of humankind when witchcraft was seen as magical a phenomenon that was invoked for magical rites which ensured good luck, protection against diseases, and other reasons.

However, it was not until 1000 AD that the practice of Witchcraft and witches invoked the wrath of priests, Christianity, and members of the society. Witchcraft, seen as a religion of the ancient and traditional pagan religion which worships the feminine, earthly, and masculine aspects of God, was considered as anti-Christian and a heresy.

Held to be against the declarations and beliefs of the Church, witches were considered as evil, making pacts and connections with the Devil. It was even believed that witches engaged in practices such as flying, invisibility, killing, taming black wolves and cats to spy on people, and others.

The belief in the existence of witches was strengthened particularly after Pope Innocent VIII issued a declaration in the 1498 confirming their existence in society, and inquisition increased, although in 1200, killing of witches had already become authorised by Pope Gregory IX.

The Inquisition thus began after 1200 on orders of the Church to discover the witches or heretics who were believed to be evil and against the Church. Full-fledged killing of witches was, however, recorded in the 1500s and 1600s.

The first crusade against witches was held in 1022 AD when a witch was burned to death. Witchcraft History echoes the terrible campaign against Witchcraft in Salem in 1692 in which 150 people were tried as suspects of practicing witchcraft.

People suspected as witches were usually burned at stakes, and those pleading their innocence were either stoned to death or even sometimes thrown in water to prove their innocence. Witches usually faced severe and painful deaths or punishments.

A juxtaposition of good as well as evil views, Witchcraft History is, thus, a stock of shocking, yet hypnotising incidents of humankind and their crusade against the practice of Witchcraft.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Jaroslav Nemec - Witchcraft And Medicine
Yogi Ramacharaka - Yogi Philosophy
Tarostar - The Witchs Spellcraft Revised
Louise Huebner - Witchcraft For All
Gerald Gardner - Witchcraft Today

Witchcraft And Satanism

Witchcraft & Satanism: Linking Witches & Satan out of Ignorance, to Encourage Fear and Hatred

Christians in medieval and pre-modern Europe believed that Satan was a real being and that Satan was actively involved in the affairs of humans. Satan's goal was the corruption of humanity, the destruction of everything good, and the damnation of as many people as possible in hell. One means by which it was believed he accomplished this was through human agents to whom he gave supernatural powers.

Witches were easily categorized as servants of Satan. No longer merely adherents to a more ancient religious tradition, witches were targeted for prosecution as slaves of the cosmic enemy of God, Jesus, and Christianity. Instead of a healer or a teacher, the witch was made into an instrument of evil. The witch was portrayed -- and treated -- as worse than a heretic. This tactic was not limited to the medieval church's pursuit of witches.

Religious and political authorities of various eras and different cultures have always found it convenient to associate their enemies with the worst possible evil they could imagine. In the Christian west, this generally meant associating enemies with Satan. These sort of extreme demonization allows a person to stop seeing their enemy as entirely human and the conflict as something which does not require mercy, traditionally just procedures, or anything of the kind. The only just outcome is not merely the defeat the one's enemy, but their complete extermination. In a battle where one's very existence is at stake, survival becomes the only moral value worth upholding.

The above image depicts the "Witch's Kiss." It was believe that part of the rite of becoming a witch in Satan's service involved kissing Satan's rear. It should be remembered that insofar as there existed anyone who practiced the healing and divination techniques of older pagan traditions, they wouldn't have had anything to do with Satan. After all, Satan is a creation of Christianity and monotheistic traditions. Any "witches" who existed were pantheists or polytheists and wouldn't have believed in a Satan.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Wouter Hanegraaff - Dictionary Of Gnosis And Western Esotericism
Michael Majerus - Atalanta Fugiens
Vovim Baghie - The Grand Satanic Ritual
Gabor Klaniczay - Witchcraft Mythologies And Persecutions
Jaroslav Nemec - Witchcraft And Medicine

What Is The Magic Ritual In Witchcraft

In nearly all witchcraft traditions, the ritual is a type of ceremony or practise that is designed to invoke a magical God or Godess. The ritual itself, creates a link between the physical and spiritual worlds, calling on and harnessing the power of natural and spiritual energies.

Therefore, in our magical work, the ritual is used as a way of connecting with the spiritual world - to celebrate, ask for guidance, make requests or to simply give thanks.

It is important to keep in mind, that the ritual always follows a recognised sequence of steps each time (hence the term 'ritualistic'). It is vital that in parallel with following the steps of the ritual, you make a real conscious effort to engage your mind, body and soul; without which, you will simply be 'going through the motions' of ritual and not truly 'connecting'. This 'engagement' comes quite quickly, with a little practise and confidence. You'll be surprised how soon you can feel yourself connecting to the elements of nature and spirit entities.

In natural magic, the ritual is most often used to celebrate one of the main eight festivals (or sabbat's) of the year; such as 'Mabon' celebrating the second harvest, or 'Yule' celebrating the winter solstice. The main festival on the witchcraft calendar is Samhain (pronounced Sel-wain), which takes place at Halloween (31st October) and is generally known as the witches new year.

The magic ritual is not always linked to one of the main sabbats. Rituals are also done at other key times outside of the main festivals, particularly during a full moon, where the strong lunar energy is harnessed to conduct the full moon ritual.

During such rituals, the main purposes is to focus your intent and energy on your objective. Therefore, for any ritual, you must clearly and precisely state the objective, whether working alone or within a group. Within a group ritual, everyone must be equally clear and agree to the purpose of the ritual. It is worth mentioning at this point, that at first, many people can feel self conscious or embarrassed, particularly when working in a group setting. Don't worry about this - it is quite normal - just persevere with it and in no time at all, you will feel much more confident and at ease working rituals and begin to reap the rewards of natural magic.

In natural magic, rituals are often designed to make you think about what it is in your life that is holding you back as a person - it could be a job, another person, or simply having a lack of confidence in yourself. By releasing these issues that are holding you back through the ritual, you are creating space for newer and more positive aspects to come into your life. But it is well worth remembering, that what you release through this process may not just disappear overnight; very often a situation that is dis-empowering us, is just an indicator of a situation that has a root cause further back in our life.

Rituals are used to create a time and space where you can switch off from the everyday and become connected to the bigger universal picture. Once connected to theses energies, you are then able to develop a greater understanding of them. They also help you to develop a greater understanding of yourself and to bring change not only in a physical way. i.e. more money - better job etc., but perhaps more importantly, to bring change to your spiritual/inner self.

Natural Magic as a modern approach to witchcraft teaches our students how to access and harness these incredible natural energies that our ancestors did and teaches them, through practical easy lessons - how they too can harness these energies - empowering them to experience a completely new, enlightening and liberating dimension to their life and how they want to live it. Natural Magic has enabled them to tap into and release the previously dormant but incredible magic spirit that resides in all of us.

Could Natural Magic be what you've been looking for?

My name is Andrew Vaughan and I was introduced to Natural Magic by my wife nearly 10 years ago. My wife is one of the founder members of the Natural Magic group who practise in and around Sussex in the UK.

Her experience with Pagan, wicca and Natural Magic goes back nearly 25 years and with the help of other founder members, the group have produced a comprehensive course which teaches the Natural Magic approach.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Paul Huson - Mastering Witchcraft
Eliphas Levi - The Magic Ritual Of The Sanctum Regnum
Michael Harrison - The Roots Of Witchcraft

What Is Witchcraft

Witchcraft (aka witch Craft) in various historical, anthropological, religious and mythological contexts, is the use of certain kinds of supernatural or magical powers. witchcraft can refer to the use of such powers in order to inflict harm or damage upon members of a community or their property. Other uses of the term distinguish between bad witchcraft and good witchcraft, the latter involving the use of these powers to heal someone from bad witchcraft. The concept of witchcraft is normally treated as a cultural ideology, a means of explaining human misfortune by blaming it either on a supernatural entity or a known person in the community. A witch (from Old English wicce f. / wicca m.) is a practitioner of witchcraft.

Belief in witchcraft, and by consequence witch-hunts, is found in many cultures worldwide, today mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa (e.g. in the witch smellers in Bantu culture), and historically notably in Early Modern Europe of the 14th to 18th century, where witchcraft came to be seen as a vast diabolical conspiracy against Christianity, and accusations of witchcraft led to large-scale witch-hunts, especially in Germanic Europe.

The "witch-cult hypothesis", a controversial theory that European witchcraft was a suppressed pagan religion, was popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Since the mid-20th century, Witchcraft has become the self-designation of a branch of neopaganism, especially in the Wicca tradition following Gerald Gardner, who claimed a religious tradition of Witchcraft with pre-Christian roots.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Dr Leo Martello - Weird Ways Of Witchcraft
Louise Huebner - Witchcraft For All
Mike Nichols - Eight Sabbats Of Witchcraft
Michael Harrison - The Roots Of Witchcraft
Paul Huson - Mastering Witchcraft

What Is Sabbat

As with most aspects of witchcraft the sabbats, or assemblies at which Witches meet on certain days of the year, have been distorted by Christianity. Most of these distortions evolved out of the witch-hunts which occurred during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The sabbats were depicted as meetings where obscene behavior occurred such as worshipping and copulating with the Devil after a session of dancing, merry making and feasting on a fowl, animal or unbaptized babies. (see: Initiation)

However, the origins of the sabbats seem to be a mixture of rites that still exist, such as the great Druidic festivals of Beltane (observed April 30) and Samhain (observed October 31), and the entrenched idea that heretics held obscene rituals. Possibly the sabbats also are related to the Bacchanalian and Saturnalian rites observed by the Greeks and Romans. The term sabbat is from the Old French and is partially derived from the Hebrew Shabbath, "to rest," which pertains to the seventh day of the week as designated by the Ten Commandments in the Bible as a day devoted to rest and worship.

Some historians theorized that the derogative connotation of sabbat as it was applied to heretics and witches was possibly Anti-Semitic since Jews also were classified as heretics. Another term which was synonymously used with sabbat was the synagogues in which heretics and sometimes witches supposedly met. Sabbat was more prominently used in continental Europe where the witch-hunts were more fierce than it was in England. There is no record of a witch sabbat in England prior to 1620, except for the mention of the term in the Lancaster witch trails of 1612.

The term was first introduced in an Inquisition trail at Toulouse, France in 1335. It along with Sabbath did not appear regularly until the mid-15th century. Once it made its appearance in trails it quickly assumed common usage. The times and locations that the sabbats were held were quickly and definitely fixed too. They were said to be held at night in remote locations such as mountains, caves, and deep forest areas. The Brocken in the Harz Mountains of Germany was the best known place for holding sabbats. There, one of the greatest feasts was said to occur on Walpurgisnacht (Beltane), April 30.

The witches’ modes of transportation to the sabbats were quite imaginary. Witches were said to have flew through the night either on the backs of demons that had metempsychosed into animals, or astride of broomsticks. The witches themselves sometimes changed into animals and were accompanied by their familiars. They were said to fly home before daybreak.

The sabbat nights varied. Some witches said to have attended weekly sabbats while others said the only went once or twice a year.

Sabbats of modern Witchcraft:

Sabbats observed by Witches in traditions and solitary Witches of modern Witchcraft and neo-Paganism are not diabolical and have nothing to do with the Devil or demoniacal worship. Usually they are considered to be eight seasonal holy days of the year which correspond to the former pagan seasonal festivals.

The rites celebrated at the sabbats are centered in nature. They contain the ancient pagan customs of Europe and the British Isles, especially the Celtic traditions, and newer elements of the modern Craft and neo-Paganism. The central worship is of the Goddess, the Horned God, and Nature which give the participants amble opportunity to give thanks for the bounties of the Earth.

Not all traditions, however, celebrate the eight sabbats, but only observe those important to their history and customs. They observe the sabbats in their own way, some skyclad, or nude, while others in traditional or ceremonial dress, while others create new practices. The sabbats of Beltane and Samhain are the most universally observed.

The Greater sabbats and their observation dates are: Oimelc (also Imbolc, Imbolg), February 2; Beltane (also Beltaine, Walpurgisnacht ), April 30; Lughnasadh (also Lammas), July 31; and Samhain, October 31. The Lesser Sabbats fall on the solstices and equinoxes: winter solstice, December 22; spring equinox (Ostara), March 21; summer solstice, June 21; and autumn equinox, September 21.

Winter solstice: December 22. The winter solstice marks the longest night of the year. It is when the Goddess awakes to find that she is pregnant with the Sun God. The rituals for both the summer and winter solstices are designed to help change the course of the sum. The winter solstice has been Christianized as Yule or Christmas.

Oimelc: February 2. A winter purification and Fire Festival, often called the Feast of Lights, Imbolc or Imbolg (pronounced ‘im mol g"). which means "in the belly" and signifies the growing of life in the womb of Mother Earth. It celebrates Brigid (Brigit), the Irish Celtic goddess of fire, fertility, crops, livestock, wisdom, poetry, and household arts. Oimelc brings the first signs of life in the darkness of the Earth. The Goddess prepares for the birth of the Sun God. This sabbat has been named Candlemas in Christianity, also called St. Brigid’s Day. It is celebrated by candlelight processionals and commemorates the Presentation of Christ in the Temple (Eastern Church) or the Purification of the Virgin Mary (Western Church). Oimelc, also, corresponds with Ground Hog Day, the popular litmus test for the arrival of spring.

Spring equinox: March 21. A solar festival, in which day and night, and the forces of male and female, are equally balanced. This is the first day of spring, which marks the birth of the infant Sun God and makes way for the lushness of summer. Dionysian rites are performed. The Christianizing of this sabbat is Easter.

Beltane: April 30. One of the great Celtic solar festivals, celebrated in ancient times with bonfires. Beltane rites celebrate birth, fertility and the blossoming of all life, as personified by the union of the Goddess and the Sun God, also known in Christianized lore as King Winter and Queen May. The celebrants jump over broomsticks and dance around maypoles, both are fertility symbols. The sabbat begins at moonrise on Beltane Eve. Supposedly it is bad luck to be out late that night because witches and fairies roam the countryside in great numbers and conduct wild revelries. Beltane bonfires are believed to bring fertility to crops, homes and livestock. People dance deosil, or clockwise, around the fires or creep between the fires for protection against illness. Cattle are driven through the fires for protection against disease. Ancient Druids lit bonfires on hills and uttered incantations. When Beltane was Christianized by the Church, the pagan rites were replaced with church services and processionals in the fields, where the priests lit the fires.This festival also is known as Walburgisnacht.

Summer solstice: June 21. A solar festival which was almost universally celebrated; and, especially in Europe. In the European tradition, the night before was Midsummer’s Eve; a time for great magic , especially for love charms. Certain herbs were picked at midnight to bring protection against lightning, fire, witchcraft, disease and ill fortune. Witches and fairies roam on Midsummer’s Eve, as they do at Beltane; there is a bit of madness in the air. Great bonfires are lit to help change the course of the sun in the sky, the rites resemble those of Beltane. Burning wheels are rolled down hills, and burning disks are thrown at the sun. The zenith of the power of the Sun God is manifested in the flourishing of crops and livestock. The sabbat was Christianized to St. John’s Day (for John the Baptist).

Lughnasadh: July 31. A great festival of games and dance, named in honor of the Irish Celtic solar god Lugh. The word Lughnasadh is related to words meaning "to give in marriage" and once was associated with marriage contracts. Nine moths away is the next Beltane, the birth of summer and life. According to medieval legend, the festival celebrates Lugh’s marriage to "the Sovranty of Ireland," the goddess Eriu. A hag, Eriu is transformed into a beauty who personifies the land of Ireland. First harvests are made, along with thanksgivings and rites to ensure the bounty of the crops for the coming year. To ensure this same purpose, some traditions observe, as a sacrifice, the death of the Sacred King. In old pagan customs, the blood of a cock would be scattered over the fields.

Lammas, from Old English terms for "loaf" and "mass," is a Christianized name for an old Saxon fruit-and-grain festival designated by the early English church. The holiday celebrated the ripening of apples and winter wheat, the latter of which, according to tradition, was made into loaves and blessed in the church. Lammas Day also was a day to settle accounts. In Scotland, tenant farmers took their first grain harvests to their landlords on August 1 to pay the rent.

Autumn equinox: September 21. Once again, day and night, and male and female forces are equally balanced. This is the time for the second harvests. Traditionally, the Eleusinian mysteries are observed in rites and dramas. The mysteries concern the myth of Demeter and her daughter Kore (Persephone), and of the attainment of immortality through the adoration of them.

Samhain: October 31. An ancient Celtic festival which celebrates the beginning of winter, marked by death, and the beginning of the Celtic New Year. Samhain means "end of summer." The Druids, in ancient Ireland, once sacrificed to their deities by burning victims in wickerwork gages. All other fires were to be extinguished and lighted again from the sacrificial fire. This custom still continues in Ireland and Scotland, all fires in homes are extinguished and lighted again from bonfires, but without sacrificial victims. Samhain marks the third harvests and the storage of provisions for winter. The veil between the worlds of the living and dead is the thinnest during this time making communications easier. Souls of the dead can come into the land of the living. Samhain is a time for eliminating weaknesses, when pagan once slaughtered weak animals that were thought not to be able to survive the winter. This custom resulted in the modern practice by some who wanted to get rid of their weaknesses of writing them on a piece of paper and dropping them into a fire. Some baked cakes to be offered for the souls of the dead. Samhain was Christianized into All Hallow’s Eve or Halloween. The modern custom or trick-and-treating may have originated from an old Irish peasant custom of going door-to-door to collect money, breadcake, cheese, eggs, butter, nuts, apples and other foods in preparation for the festival of St. Columb Kill. Apples are included in many rites, especially as ingredients in brews. Dunking for apples may have been a divinatory practice. A.G.H.

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