Witchcraft In North Carolina

Book: Witchcraft In North Carolina by Tom Peete Cross

The study of popular delusions has far more than an antiquarian or academic interest. Its results constitute one of the most fascinating and instructive chapters in the story of human progress. Written history is not so much the record of battles, conquests, and legislative acts as of social and intellectual development, and no true chronicle of any people can be written until account is taken of its popular beliefs and superstitions, as well as of the more obvious forces that ordinarily engage the attention of the historian. Witch stories are human documents and as such they must be reckoned with in any account of the mental temper of a people who believe in witches and whose actions are, even to a limited extent, ordered in accord with such belief.

With these facts in mind, the branch of the American Folk-Lore Society recently organized in North Carolina has undertaken the task of collecting and recording the popular tradition of that state. The following sketch, prepared at the request of the society, was designed originally to deal with only one of the many phases of folk superstition—Witchcraft ; but owing to the heterogeneous character of the collectanea submitted, it has in process of time become a sort of omnium-gatherum of North Carolina tradition regarding magic and supernaturalism. Its purpose is twofold: first, to enumerate such items of witch lore as have already been collected in North Carolina and to point out their traditional character; second, by means of illustrations from the folk-lore of neighboring territory, to indicate what other Articles of the diabolical creed future collectors may hope to discover.

Download Tom Peete Cross's eBook: Witchcraft In North Carolina

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Hesketh Bell - Obeah Witchcraft In The West Indies
Walter Gibson - Witchcraft A History Of The Black Art
Louise Huebner - Witchcraft For All
Tom Peete Cross - Witchcraft In North Carolina

A Short History Of The Salem Village Witchcraft Trials

Book: A Short History Of The Salem Village Witchcraft Trials by Martin Van Buren Perley

This short history meets that earnest desire; it gives the origin, growth, and death of the hideous monster; it gives dates, courts, and names of places, jurors, witnesses, and those hanged; it names and explains certain "men and things" that are concomitant to the trials, with which the reader nuiy not be conversant and which are necessary to the proper setting of the trials in one's mind; it compasses the salient features of witchcraft history, so that the story of the 1692 "delusion" may be garnered and entertainingly rehearsed.

The careful reader may discover, between the lines, in questions, in answers, and in the strange exhibitions, the real state of mind pervading all, which has been mildly characterized as a "delusion"; also he may be able to compare the Mosaic, the 1692, and the modern spirit manifestations, and advantageously determine for himself what is worth while in modern spiritualism, mindreading, clairvoyance, mesmerism, and the rest.

Though men of education, religion, titled dignity, and official station, of the professions and the 61ite, were responsible for the horrible cataatrophy, and in one instance or more forced the yeoman jurors to convict (who at the end signed recantations and expressed their grief), — religion and education must not be undervalued; a religious education will yield the highest type of manhood.

Download Martin Van Buren Perley's eBook: A Short History Of The Salem Village Witchcraft Trials

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe - A Historical Account Of The Belief In Witchcraft In Scotland
John Campbell Colquhoun - An History Of Magic Witchcraft And Animal Magnetism
Martin Van Buren Perley - A Short History Of The Salem Village Witchcraft Trials Ocr Version
Martin Van Buren Perley - A Short History Of The Salem Village Witchcraft Trials

What Is A Wizard

(Anglo-Saxon) Includes both sexes; One who is born with naturally given talents, energies and great knowledge of Magikal practices. One who adheres to the pagan traditions. A wizard usually acts alone and is sometimes considered to be a semi-divine authority. Merlin would be a good example. However, this divine perception is often rejected and most often redirected to the proper deities by the wizard himself/herself.

Everyone is born with gifts and talents, however, a wizard is born with an inner instinct toward magikal practices. That person still has to make the 'choice' to use those gifts on the pagan path. A witch or wizard is making a choice to follow the principles and beliefs of the pagan path and exercise their given talents. They are not born with an all knowing wisdom. Just like everyone else; they have learning to do and wisdom to achieve.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Arthur Edward Waite - What Is Alchemy
Anonymous - What Is Wicca Article 2
Stephen Mcnallen - What Is Asatru
Lil Bow Wow - What Is A Warlock

The Religion Of The Ancient Celts

Book: The Religion Of The Ancient Celts by John Arnott Macculloch

Originally published in 1911 MacCulloch uses various texts as a source to piece this tome on the religion of the pre-Christian Celts together. Overall a good work, especially when you consider this was written before most, if not all, of the major archaeological finds that gave great insight into the ancient Celts. I love reading historical books that were published in the 1800's and early 1900's because the authors are not chained by political correctness and were often willing to think outside the box instead of toeing the line of mainstream academia.

Well worth its price, the work is suitable to the general public, while still valuable to those interested in the Celts from an historic, linguistic, mythological or ethnological standpoint. MacCulloch covers his subject matter clearly and thoroughly (referencing such things as parallels with Greek mythology and Sumerian religion) and writes in a style that will satisfy the expert without mystifying or losing the attention of the amateur.

The main text is 390 pp, is fully referenced in footnotes, and is fully indexed. Chapter titles include: Gods of Gaul - The Irish Cycle - Tuatha De Danaan - Gods of the Brythons - Cuchulainn Cycle - Fionn Saga - Gods and Men - Cult of the Dead - Nature Worship - River and Well Worship - Tree and Plant Worship - Animal Worship - Cosmogony - Sacrifice, Prayer & divination - Taboo - Festivals - The Druids - Magic - Etc...

Although the book may be "dated", it is not "outdated". Given the scholarly standards of its time, this may be more of a virtue than a drawback. More recent results in the area are naturally not addressed. But the work is consistent with comparative methods, and considers the consensus without neglecting competing accounts. There is neither neo-Druidic nonsense nor needless pedantry. While the study is generally limited to the culture of the British Isles, as opposed to that of the Continent, this is due to the lack of Continental oral tradition rather than to lack of attention on the author's part.

MacCulloch is judicious. Yet he addresses issues such as the pre-Indo-European origins of the Mother-Goddess cult of Brigid, as the legends of the faerie-folk known as the "Side,"* (as in banshee) and as the stories of "Isles to the West" now sunk below the sea.

Fans of J.R.R. Tolkien will find this work enthralling and familiar, as it shows some of the sources for his magnificent "Middle-Earth." Avid youngsters, Celtophiles, students of Irish poet W.B. Yeats, followers of Marija Gimbutas (Civilization of the Goddess) and admirers of Robert Graves (The White Goddess) will likewise be pleased.

(Consider a search for MacCulloch's 1918 "Celtic Mythology" at Google Books which will return the entire public domain text. It can be browsed or downloaded in lieu of a preview here of his style.)

I can recommend this work unreservedly for readers of all persuasions. (reader's review)

Download John Arnott Macculloch's eBook: The Religion Of The Ancient Celts

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

John Opsopaus - Interpretationes Of Ancient Herbs
Irv Slauson - The Religion Of Odin
William Alexander Craigie - Religion Of Ancient Scandinavia
Tuesday Lobsang Rampa - The Cave Of The Ancients
John Arnott Macculloch - The Religion Of The Ancient Celts

How To Create Your Clean Wicca Witchcraft Altar

The first step is to thoroughly clean the room that will contain your altar. It is best to mix sea salt into water. If you can't find any sea salt to use (any new age shop should have some), just use cleaning supplies you would normally use.

Scrub down the walls, ceiling and floor (if you don't have a rug). Make sure to pick up the clutter, and organize the room as best you can. The less clutter and mess, the easier it will be to control the energy that collects.

Now, you need to determine where North, South, East, and west are. You can use a compass, or ask someone who knows (if you don't). Once you figure them out, make sure to mark them using any small objects so that you won't forget. The reason you are doing this is because your altar will be setup-facing North because it is the direction of "Earth" and the primary energy you will connect to.

Next, you need to mark your circle. You can use white cord, or any small objects that are sacred to you. (such as candles or figurines) If you have enough room, try to mark the circle between 5 to 9 feet in diameter. (If you don't have enough space your circle can be smaller, but it may be a little more difficult to stay inside of the circle when doing your spell work.

When you mark the circle start in the East and move clockwise around the circle, finishing again in the East. Think of this is a "permanent" circles that you will "redraw" each time you do ritual or spell work. (You'll see how to redraw it later)

Now it is time to decorate your temple (the area around your circle). You can hang meaningful posters, fabric, and pictures. You can set up candles all around the room in any way that feels right for you. Try to set up a mystical feel, one that builds strong emotions for Magick work. The decorating can be simple or elaborate, whatever evokes strong feelings inside of you.

Next, you need to do an initial cleansing and purification of your space. So you must first prepare the cleansing water for this ritual. You will "charge" the water with positive and pure energy from your heart. Then you will use this water to cleanse your space.

This purification is very important to perform correctly or your space will be tainted - and it will never "feel" right. Your Magick will probably suffer as a result.

I can't stress how important the preparation of your cleansing water, and the actually cleansing and purifying of your space is. It so critical for you to actually see the rituals being done that I have included a DVD section on them in the full witchcraft Academy. Not only is there a detailed step-by-step guide for you to follow (with pictures and images), but you will actually see a demonstration of this powerful (and important) ritual.

Once you have fully cleansed and purified your space, it is time to set up your altar. Throughout this process, keep in mind that you can use any materials to set up an altar - but it is best to avoid using synthetic or metal materials. You can use a small wooden table that is between knee and chest high (you may even consider a circular table - which are popular for altars) The idea here is to maintain the natural energies of the Earth by using materials coming directly from the earth (if possible).

Set up your feminine diety elements to the left, and your mail diety elements to the right. (For Wiccans, Goddess elements to the left, and your God elements to the right)

If you want to see a full layout of elements and how to arrange them on your altar to heighten your connection to Magick - see the Home Academy to follow the exact steps. It also includes pictures of different altar setups and a video demonstration of setup and "consecration" of tools and other items on your altar. (This is a must to harmonize the energy within the tools with the energy of the altar and your sacred space)

Replace the markers you used to define the directions (North, South, East, and West) with white candles. In the DVDs you will also see how you can use colored candles that represent each of the elemental colors of the four directions. I like to place more candles around the border of the circle because I like to work my magic by candlelight.

Finally, repeat the purification ritual in the Home Academy for your altar and the circle. Then take a broom, or use your arm to clear out the space of the circle and push any negative or dark energy away.

Your first Witchcraft alter is born, congratulations! Now you can gradually increase it's power to attract the Magick energies you will need in your spell work by adding meaningful objects to it. There are many specific examples of altar setups, and examples of objects that you can add. Above all, these objects must be a reflection of you. The more of "you" that goes into your altar, the more power you will be able to draw from it - and the more protection it will offer as you do your Magick.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Herbert William Magoun - The Asuri Kalpa A Witchcraft Practice Of The Atharva Veda
George Lyman Kittredge - Notes On Witchcraft
Gordon Ireland - Faq On Wicca And Witchcraft And More
William Frederick Poole - Cotton Mather And Salem Witchcraft
Alexander Roberts - A Treatise Of Witchcraft

The Nocturnal Witch Collection Book Of Shadows From The Shadows

Book: The Nocturnal Witch Collection Book Of Shadows From The Shadows by Konstantinos

Let me begin by saying that Konstantinos' "Nocturnal Witchcraft" and its companion "Gothic Grimoire" included in the set are one of the few Llewellyn books I would ever recommend to anyone. Please do not let the titles suggest that what you will receive is a wrist-slitting church of satan tome intended to teach you how to summon up the forces of darkness to curse your enemies and enslave lovers. No, what you are receiving here (and as is clearly stated by the back matter, and clearly stated by the publisher name?...) are two manuals on a nocturnal take on Alexandrian Wicca. Those of you who favor the romantic "shadowside", the mysteries of the night, the energies of the Moon, and dark Gods and Goddesses of ancient pantheons, but want to maintain strong, ethical and moral values should buy this set.

Embrace the shadows and explore the dark side of magick with this boxed set of Konstantinos favorites. Nocturnal witchcraft introduces how to work with lunar powers and spiritual entities that prefer the darkness. Learn to cast a nocturnal magick circle, skry the night, open the gates to the underworld, and use dark symbols in your night rituals. Expand your connection to the dark ether and the unseen world with Gothic Grimoire. This book features techniques and rituals taken directly from Konstantinos’ personal magickal notebooks, including the Nocturnicon, rites for overcoming obstacles that appear in the life of the nightkind. From astral travel to working with thoughtforms, The Nocturnal Witch Collection will help you connect with the positive side of the dark-ness.

What you get here are two manuals on non-fluffy Wicca for night owls. In Nocturnal Witchcraft, you will learn the preliminaries. Beginners and even experienced witches will benefit greatly from the practices and exercises here, compromised of banishing rituals, circle casting, consecration of tools, invocation, godform assumption, relaxation exercises, vizualization exercises, concentration exercises, scrying lessons, an introduction to the god and goddess of night, basic rites and spells, and much, much more. Nocturnal Witchcraft can easily double as a Wicca premier, but with a night side take. After you've read and mastered "Nocturnal Witchcraft", the "Gothic Grimoire" will take you much further. Nocturnal sabbats and esbats, advanced thoughtforms, astral projection, astral manipulations, night vision, creation of an elemental servant, advanced spells and rites, opening the gates to the Underworld, and much, much more await you herein. Not all darkness is evil. And many of the "darkly inclined" tend to display an interest in neopaganism, and ethical neopaganism at that, do well to check out Konstantinos' books. Also highly recommended are John J. Coughlin's "Out of the Shadows: An Exploration of Dark Paganism and Magick", Denise Dummars & Lori Nyx's "Dark Archetype" and everything by Demetra George and Michelle Belanger. As Konstantinos would say, blessings, nocturnal witch.

Buy Konstantinos's book: The Nocturnal Witch Collection Book Of Shadows From The Shadows

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Sekhet Sophia - The Alexandrian Book Of Shadows
Gerald Gardner - The Garnerian Book Of Shadows
Asatru Free Assembly - The Odinist Anthology Selection From The Runestone
Austin Osman Spare - The Sorceries Of Zos From Cults Of The Shadow

Discovery Of Witches

Book: Discovery Of Witches by Thomas Potts

Were not every chapter of the history of the human mind too precious an inheritance to be willingly relinquished -for appalling as its contents may be the value of the materials it may furnish may be inestimable -we might otherwise be tempted to wish that the miserable record in which the excesses occasioned by the witch mania are narrated could be struck out of its pages and for ever cancelled.

Download Thomas Potts's eBook: Discovery Of Witches

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Anonymous - History Of Nordic Runes P9
Margaret Alice Murray - The God Of The Witches
John Stearne - A Confirmation And Discovery Of Witchcraft
Reginald Scot - The Discoverie Of Witchcraft
Thomas Potts - Discovery Of Witches

Getting Started In Traditional Witchcraft Now

If you are interested in becoming a Traditional Crafter, a Traditional Witch, here is where to start. With all the misinformation drifting around about this topic it is best to start with some basic essentials. When I was first starting out I wanted to get into the “fun stuff” you know, when do you get to work with tools? And rituals? Spells? Those are all interesting aspects of the Craft but you really must learn some central skills and techniques that will be useful in all those activities later on. Fortunately it is easier than you may think.

Let me share some of my own experience. I can vividly remember visiting an old family friend in the woods to the north of where I lived, it was a small home he owned and built himself. For as long as I can remember he had been a Crafter and I was always interested in what he practiced. I would always knock three times and then he would answer, the smell of aromatic dried herbs hit you as you walked into his small cottage. The first time I visited him I was not sure what to expect, would he teach me a spell, or some sort of ceremony?

I could not have been more mistaken. When I got there he took me out the back door that opened directly into the forest. We walked deep into the woods where the ancient trees grew. Finally he stopped and told me to sit on an old stump. He told me to sit perfectly still, to close my eyes and calm my mind. After a while I became very aware of my surroundings and sensitive to nature itself. I could feel the sway of the trees and the breeze that moved them; I could hear the flutter of even the tiniest of winged insects, smell the amber colored leaves as they fell from the trees, and even tastes the lingering moistness left over from summer rains. It was peaceful and wonderful, nothing had even felt this real to me.

He explained afterward that the lesson he was trying to teach me was to “Go Within,” to focus the mind, it is what some might call meditation. Being in the forest is a great place to Go Within, and to grow closer to nature. These are the first two steps a new seeker should take: Go Within, and become closer to nature.

You can Go Within in your home, outside, or anyplace. The idea is to focus, to turn off all the distractive thoughts that race through the mind every second of our lives. This “mental noise” prevents us from seeing clearly; but if we can focus on just one thing we can tune out all the other distractions. This is a vital ability in the Traditional Craft, and is a basic skill used in Traditional Magic. Our modern society has become dominated by industrialization and commercialization; too non-thinking, hectic, and automatic. nature is often an afterthought, but getting close to nature is exactly what a new seeker needs to do.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Howard Williams - The Superstitions Of Witchcraft
Swain Wodening - Anglo Saxon Witchcraft
Alexander Roberts - A Treatise Of Witchcraft
Michael Bailey - Historical Dictionary Of Witchcraft

The Inner Temple Of Witchcraft Magick Meditation And Psychic Development

Book: The Inner Temple Of Witchcraft Magick Meditation And Psychic Development by Christopher Penczak

The Inner Temple of Witchcraft is a thorough course of education, introspection, meditation, and the development of the magickal and psychic abilities that are the birthright of the witch. Four introductory chapters present the history, traditions, and principles of witchcraft, followed by thirteen lessons that start with basic meditation techniques and culminate in a self-initiation ceremony equivalent to the first-degree level of traditional coven-based witchcraft.

This book's non-dogmatic presentation encourages an eclectic, personal approach while providing a strong foundation for the practice of witchcraft and magick. Develop your psychic abilities and practice potent magickal techniques as you explore the source of every witch's power--the temple within.

These two new titles from Llewellyn focus on witchcraft, or Wicca, a cluster of religious rituals and beliefs deriving from ancient European polytheisms or paganisms. The author of seven books on witchcraft, Grimassi is a practicing Italian witch (a strega) who has researched the history and theory of witchcraft back to antiquity, with a view to recovering and preserving teachings and lore. As a result, the book is primarily a historical study of various European Witchcraft traditions. Even when considering magickal techniques for the focusing of natural power or discussing methods of psychic development, the author takes pains to cover their historical development. While Grimassi's book will appeal more to scholars of religion, Penczak's book will appeal to believers and interested casual readers. An active witch and teacher of modern neo-Paganism, Penczak teaches classes (mainly in New England) on witchcraft and various other New Age practices such as reiki, shamanic journeying, and past-life regression. His book aims at using Wiccan techniques (generally termed "Magick") to aid in personal growth. Accordingly, after a brief history and some basic theory of Wiccan spirituality comprising four chapters, there follow 13 lesson-chapters on techniques of spiritual growth, each followed by appropriate exercises. A minor criticism: some of the material discussed, while probably hermetic or occult in origin, is not ordinarily considered Wiccan but pertains to other religious traditions. Astral travel, for instance, is more often a feature of Shamanism, while chakras are a part of yoga. Both books provide a useful introduction to Modern Witchcraft and are recommended for both academic and public libraries, particularly those with substantial religion collections.

As you progress through this year-and-a-day course of study, you will explore a wide range of topics that support and inform the dedicated witch:

- Ancient and modern magickal philosophy
- Modern scientific theories supporting a new definition of reality
- "Instant" magick techniques for protection, healing, and serenity
- Energy work and anatomy, including chakras and auras
- Astral travel, dreams, and spirit guides
- Healing techniques for body, mind, and spirit

Unlike most beginner books on Witchcraft, this book does not focus on spells, tools, or celebrating the wheel of the year (Sabbats). It is all to often that student of the Craft go straight to traditional spellwork without understanding how or why it works. The author insists that students who have not experienced energy or psychic powers, the "foundation stones or magick", will have a less profound experience in ritual. Instead this book focuses on the journey within, psychic development, meditation, and magick.

The book starts out with four introductory chapters that gives basic definitions of the word "witch", such as the healer and Walker Between worlds. It describes Witchcraft as an art, science, and spirituality and describes the ancient history and modern traditions of Witchcraft. The rest of the book is divided into 13 lessons along with exercises, meditations, and homework to go along with "a year and a day" study course. Lesson topics include meditation, ancient philosophy, magickal theory, protection, astral projection, light, energy anatomy (chakras, auras, etc.), spirit guides, and healing.

In my opinion, The Inner Temple of Witchcraft is an extraordinary text. Christopher Penczak's eclectic approach and personal experience makes this book a pleasure to read. When reading a book on Witchcraft, what's better than one written by an experienced minister and practitioner of the Craft.

This book makes me feel better knowing that I'm not the only one who can't figure out what it really is to "visualize your intent" right off the bat. It eases you into a meditative practice, visualization, affirmations, healing, chakra work, etc. He presents the skills as progressive lessons so the format is easy to follow. All the other magic 101 books say that magical skill comes with practice, but once again, this book is much more useful. Instead of just saying that you should practice, Penczak actually lists homework at the end of each lesson.

Buy Christopher Penczak's book: The Inner Temple Of Witchcraft Magick Meditation And Psychic Development

Books in PDF format to read:

Summers Montague - The History Of Witchcraft And Demonology
Justin Winsor - The Literature Of Witchcraft In New England
Bjarke Folner - Theoretical Foundations Of Witchcraft And Demonological Development

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

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 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.

Books You Might Enjoy:

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

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

Traditional Witchcraft

Traditional witchcraft is a religious belief system that has been handed down to us through our traditions and conventions. Traditional Witchcraft predates most of the main religions of the world. Some people claim that this knowledge originated several millennia ago, as far back as Paleolithic period.

Though the witchcrafts across the world may have some regional and social dissimilarity, one common feature that runs through the witchcrafts of all the societies is that it is an earth based religion.

Traditional witchcraft is close to what is generally called paganism which is basically the worship of nature. Witchcraft and paganism, as we all know are opposed by Christianity.

Witchcraft in Ancient Times

The mainstay of the people in ancient times was agriculture which depended upon the seasons. The seasons, in turn, were associated with the movement of Earth, Sun and Moon. The people believed in spirits and gods and goddesses and they associated them with Earth, Sun and Moon.

The agriculture year ended with the completion of harvest and sowing of new seeds for the crop in the New Year. This is the reason why Pagans and traditional witches consider Samhain as the agricultural year.

Believers in traditional witchcraft do not follow any guide book, nor do they believe in a singular god or deity. They believe in an all powerful nature. The practitioners of traditional witchcraft have their covens. They select the coven leaders on the basis of their knowledge and experience.

They believe in the existence of spirits and in the equality of all the living beings in the universe. They also, at the same time, recognize their different status. Though they believe in the existence of the deities, yet they call up only the spirits for assistance.

Witches consider that although the spirit world and the physical world are linked, yet they are separate. The only time this veil of separation between the two worlds becomes thin is on the night of Samhain.

Traditional witches use witchcraft in a very practical way. For example, they use herbs to cure the diseases. They may also use hexes and curses in certain cases.
Traditional witchcraft attaches great importance to pentagram and use it for protection, healing and magic. Pentagram itself symbolizes the basic elements such as the earth, fire, water, air and spirit.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Mike Nichols - Eight Sabbats Of Witchcraft
Archmage Bob Andrews - Old Witchcraft Secrets
Tarostar - The Witchs Spellcraft Revised
Paul Huson - Mastering Witchcraft
Michael Bailey - Historical Dictionary Of Witchcraft

Having A Spell With Witchcraft Proves Popular For Women

Witches and charismatic Christians are leading religious growth in Australia with many women turning to witchcraft or paganism as a reaction against the patriarchal nature of traditional Christianity.

Dr Philip Hughes of the Christian Research Association said the numbers of people participating in nature religions - mostly witchcraft and paganism - rose by 140 per cent between 1996 and 2001. Agnostics were on the rise too, he said.

For many, nature religions were seen as environmentally friendly.

But Dr Hughes said their numbers remained small, with fewer than 25,000 adherents in Australia.

"They are never going to be really numerous as it is largely a protest movement."

Leading witch Caroline Tully says witchcraft is a religion for the weak and oppressed, especially women.

"Actually, I'm surprised the guys haven't taken advantage because there are so many single women," she said.

"There aren't many men, and a lot of them aren't particularly appealing."

Dr Hughes said growth among Pentecostals (such as Sydney's Hillsong Church) had been remarkable, along with ethnically based religions. For example, the Coptic Orthodox Church grew by 83 per cent between 1991 and 2001.

"Immigrants head to the churches in large numbers, even if they did not attend in their homelands," Dr Hughes said. However, he said he discounted fears in some church circles of mass conversions to Islam.

"The number of converts is very small, probably in the realm of less than a thousand or two. Only 2.5 per cent of all Muslims in Australia were born of Australian-born parents and some of these would be grandchildren of immigrants."

About 25,000 Australians identified themselves as Buddhist at the last census. Dr Hughes said young people liked its simplicity and ethics.

He said changes in immigration meant religion was now more diverse. Between 1996 and 2001, Buddhist numbers grew by 79 per cent, Hindus by 42 per cent and Muslims 40 per cent.

But all these groups together were still less than 5 per cent of the population.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Eliphas Levi - The Conjuration Of The Four Elements
John Ankerberg - Satanism And Witchcraft The Occult And The West Part Ii
Aj Drew - Wicca Spellcraft For Men

Church Depictions Of Witches And Witchcraft Christian Fiction

Portrayals of witchcraft in church records can be very amusing. Almost everything that was "known" at the time about witches was pure fiction, inventions by church authorities who were told that witches were a threat and so had to come up with something to describe. Their creations have passed on into popular cultural images of witches which continue to this day. Very little of people's understanding of witches has anything to do with any older, pagan traditions which supposedly were the source of witches and witchcraft.

Most clerics seem to have been rather limited in creativity, so witches were shown as behaving a simplistically opposite fashion from Christians. Since Christians kneeled, then witches stood on their heads when paying homage to their masters. Communion was parodied by a Black Mass. Catholic sacraments became excrement. The above image depicts some of the strange and crazy things which medieval Christians believed that witched did at night.

One of the most famous symbols of the Inquisition's witch-craze was the publication of the Malleus Maleficarum (Witches' Hammer) by Jakob Sprenger and Heinrich Kramer. These two Dominican monks wrote a lurid account of what witches were "really" like and what they "really" did -- an account which would rival modern science fiction in its creativity, not to mention its fictitiousness.

It's not too far from the truth to suggest that Sprenger and Kramer were early propagandists, creating a fake resource for authorities in order to help justify what the authorities wanted to do all along. Sprenger and Kramer told religious leaders what they wanted to hear and helped make it easier for those leaders to pursue the persecution of witches throughout Europe. The political and religious goals set down by the church leaders were deemed far more important than the consequences to their own values, principles, or morals -- and certainly more important than the possible persecution of anyone who might actually be innocent of the charges leveled against them.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Archmage Bob Andrews - Old Witchcraft Secrets
Samuel Sharpe - Egyptian Mythology And Egyptian Christianity
John Dee - Rituel Evocation Des Anges De La Heptarchia Mystica French Version
Rosemary Ellen Guiley - The Encyclopedia Of Witches Witchcraft And Wicca

Miracle Deliverance Power Of Pagan Names And Christian Names

Book: Miracle Deliverance Power Of Pagan Names And Christian Names by Pat Holliday

My friend from Nigeria, Pastor-Evangelist Michael T. Adenitire writes: God hates idolatry and if it remains unresolved, the enemy has a legal right to accuse and oppress. Combing the biblical principle of the visitation of the sins of the fathers on the children with clinical data from deliverance sessions, we observe a connection between genealogical sin and oppression in generations. Satan’s goal is to perpetuate his strongholds.

The signification of names according to Pastor Adenitire and their significance to their stature in the Bible. “No longer shall your name be called Abram. But your name shall be called Abraham; For I will make you the father of multitude of nations,” (Genesis 17:5). God wanted to expand his coast and territory. This shows that names have effect on a persons’ life. Then he explains how Satan adopts the same method of distributing evil from generation to generation.

Download Pat Holliday's eBook: Miracle Deliverance Power Of Pagan Names And Christian Names

Free e-books (can be downloaded):

Pat Holliday - Miracle Deliverance New World Pagan Idolatry
Pat Holliday - Miracle Deliverance Power Of Pagan Names And Christian Names

A Safe And Responsible Way To Explore Witchcraft

A Facebook fan just emailed me for advice on how to start exploring the craft safely and responsibly. Our visitors often express concern or even fear about practicing magic and casting spells. They worry that if they make a mistake or do something wrong, their spell could backfire, causing bad things to happen.

What you need to remember is that true magic comes from within. The words you utter or the tools you use will not affect the results nearly as much as the thoughts and feelings you actually send forth. My best advice for those who are just starting out is to be less concerned about having the proper candles, aromas and other suggested tools, and more concerned with developing positive thoughts and feelings to send forth. This is the best way to practice the Craft responsibly and protect yourself from drawing unwanted negative energy into your life.

A line from The wiccan Rede gives us sound advice: Mind the Three-fold Laws you should, three times bad and three times good... This is referring to the well known Law of Attraction. Like will always attract like, and the type of energy you send out into the Universe will be returned to you at least three-fold!

Books You Might Enjoy:

Paul Huson - Mastering Witchcraft
Raymond Buckland - Bucklands Complete Book Of Witchcraft
Dean Hildebrandt - Essay On Enochiana

A History Of Witchcraft In England From 1558 To1718

Book: A History Of Witchcraft In England From 1558 To1718 by Wallace Notestein

In its original form this essay was the dissertation submitted for a doctorate in philosophy conferred by Yale University in 1908. When first projected it was the writer's purpose to take up the subject of English witchcraft under certain general political and social aspects. It was not long, however, before he began to feel that preliminary to such a treatment there was necessary a chronological survey of the Witch Trials. Those strange and tragic affairs were so closely involved with the politics, literature, and life of the seventeenth century that one is surprised to find how few of them have received accurate or complete record in history. It may be said, in fact, that few subjects have gathered about themselves so large concretions of misinformation as English witchcraft. This is largely, of course, because so little attention has been given to it by serious students of history. The mistakes and misunderstandings of contemporary writers and of the local historians have been handed down from county history to county history until many of them have crept into general works. For this reason it was determined to attempt a chronological treatment which would give a narrative history of the more significant trials along With Some Account of the progress of opinion. This plan has been adhered to somewhat strictly, sometimes not without regret upon the part of the writer. It is his hope later in a series of articles to deal with some of the more general phases of the subject, with such topics as the use of torture, the part of the physicians, the contagious nature of the witch alarms, the relation of Puritanism to persecution, the supposed influence of the Royal Society, the general causes for the gradual decline of the belief, and other like questions. It will be seen in the course of the narrative that some of these matters have been touched upon.

Download Wallace Notestein's eBook: A History Of Witchcraft In England From 1558 To1718

Books in PDF format to read:

Anonymous - History Of Witchcraft Vol 1 Of 7
Nathan Beier - Spiritualism As Modern Witchcraft In New England From 1848 To 1866
Julia Phillips - History Of Wicca In England
Wallace Notestein - A History Of Witchcraft In England From 1558 To1718