Klia's Book of Shadows

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Klia
Posts: 237
Joined: Sun Oct 20, 2013 12:59 am
Gender: Female
Location: Ohio

Klia's Book of Shadows

Post by Klia »

Welcome and take anything you like! A lot of this was copy and pasted but I may have reworded things. You guys have given me so much for my own BOS and I'm giving back! Comment on things you'd change or like or whatever. I am learning from you. Enjoy!

What is Magick?
© copyright 1999, 2000, 2001 David Rankine

What is magick?

Forget all the fallacies and stereotypical pre-conceptions taught to you out of fear and ignorance and approach this question with an open mind. You will probably find it is not what you have been taught to think. Magick has been defined as “The art and science of causing change to occur in conformity with will” which could be put more simply as making desired change happen; or as “energy tending to change”; a definition I use is “magick is conscious evolution through directing energy.” This does not really explain magick though, so I will try to elaborate on these phrases without jargon.

An aim of magick is to train the mind by harnessing and making more consciously accessible such higher faculties as intuition, inspiration and the creative imagination, and by drawing on the power of the unconscious - to try and use more than the 10% of our brain's capacity that we do.

Magick assumes belief in, or rather experience of, subtle energies. We can only see about one seventieth of the light spectrum, yet what we cannot see still affects us - such as x-rays and ultraviolet light. Similarly, magick is about focusing more subtle, non-physical energies, and directing them to create change. To go about this requires experience, and training to improve the power of the mind, and specifically, the will.

Acts such as meditation, breath control, voice work, body work, visualization, drama, ritual, and others, are all designed to improve our body and mind, to better sharpen us and balance us, and to enable us to perceive and wield more subtle energies.

In the same way, an individual is as strong as their will, and the more balanced and integrated a person is, the stronger their will (note, this is probably one of the main reasons why so many magicians have experience of counseling and/or psychology, recognizing the help these processes can give, both through training and experiencing them. This also acts as a removal of farcical social stigma often attached to these processes).

Practicing magick tends to act as a de-conditioning mechanism and can be a subtle process, the longer you practice, the more you change and the unnecessary inhibitions, stigmas, guilt, and sin complexes that society builds in are removed. This has the effect of releasing their energy into the psyche, where it can strengthen the individual.

The more physical side, such as yoga, bodywork, dance and massage, also removes the tension held in the body as body armor, and releases this and removes energy blockages which impair full efficiency and may result in illness.

Possibly the major difference between magick and many of the religious paths to spiritual growth is that magick is more dynamic, and places the emphasis on you to work for change - there are no gurus in magick, rather there are fellow students with different perspectives and experiences - we learn from each other, as in other areas of life.

Magick tends to work a lot with symbols, as these are the language of the unconscious, and this is an area of tremendous power to tap. Symbols have many functions, and one of these, released through magick, can be the ability to confound the ego and the censor mechanisms, and enabling us to perceive more subtle truths, or experience direct revelations. Although we
may not be able to fully explain how symbols work, we know from experience that certain symbols seem harmonious with certain types of energy.

For example a magician may tell you that if you want to attract love you should wear green, and rose perfume, perhaps wear copper, like a bracelet or necklace, etc. These are all things attributed with Venus, who is associated with love, and so the principal is one of contagion - sympathetic magick, or making something happen by working with items linked to it. This is one of the oldest and most commonly practiced forms of magick. Working with the symbols of a type of energy does seem to attract that energy.

A cautionary word here, magick is often seen as a way to hidden powers, and entered for the wrong reason, the “I want sex, power and lots of money” syndrome. Now there is nothing wrong with these things in themselves, but when you do magick you will discover that you tend to get what you need rather than necessarily what you want.

When you do magick you generally use techniques to alter your state of consciousness and raise energy, and then direct that energy to create a desired result. The channel that energy takes as directed by your altered state of consciousness is not necessarily the path you might expect in your normal everyday state. Magick does bring you power, yes, but it is power over yourself, not other people. It is the power that is important, to grow and to create positive change.

This does not mean there is anything wrong with using magick to gain more physical things, there is nothing wrong with doing a ritual or spell to get a job, whereas trying to make a specific individual go to bed with you would be wrong. Magick is very much about intent, and if your intent is to get work, you are not imposing on people, whereas if you were trying to make somebody do something that they would not naturally do, you are imposing on their will.

If you did a ritual to attract love without specifying a person, but opening yourself to the opportunity to meet someone where love may arise, and to feel more attractive and better about yourself, you are not imposing, you are trying to create positive change.

Magick is a commitment to yourself, and it requires determination, perseverance, strength, openness to change and absence of rigidity, a love of life (including yourself), and a desire to grow and fulfill your potential. It may be that you already have all these qualities and do this already without calling it magick - magick is not about labels, and those who think and talk as if it is unfortunately put some people off. Magick is learning about the natural flows of energy in the universe, and working in harmony with them to effect positive change, both in yourself and in your environment.

Some people ask why magick is spelt with a ‘k’ on the end. This is to distinguish it from magic, associated in the popular mind with illusionism and prestidigitation, stage magic. Magick is not about illusion, it is about creating real change, and the ‘k’ signifies this. K is the eleventh letter of the alphabet, i.e. the one beyond ten. Symbolically this is very powerful, as we work in base ten, and eleven represents the unseen or hidden energies - the subtle energies of magick, eleven is considered to be the number of magick.

Magickal training and experience bring forth the energies of the unconscious, and so it is no surprise to see that symbols become more important as you develop, providing not only the language of dream and the unconscious, but also helping create a more flexible perception grid of the universe. To grow spiritually, it is vital that you remain flexible and do not become dogmatic, rather that you are open to experience and willing to question your ideas and beliefs as a result of those experiences.

Magick can be a painful process. It is not easy to maintain the discipline and honest self-critical approach all the time. It can also be hard work dealing with the energy released without being knocked off balance sometimes. The important thing in these cases is to remain honest and keep at it. Nobody said magick was easy! It takes a lot of practice and hard work and pain, but the rewards are spiritual and mental growth, the joy of life and the beauty of unconditional love. Beyond the limits there are no limits!

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tools of the Craft

Magick can be performed without the standard tools. These are only props to help you focus your energy and concentration. You many collect all of these, a few of these, or none of these.


The Altar
Your Altar has to be one of the most important tools. This is where all the magickal things happen. Your altar centralizes your personal power. It is a work table. A permanent altar helps you honor the Gods even when you are not physically present.

Anything can be your altar. An old table, a rock, a picnic table, or even good old Mother Nature!

The Wand
The wand serves to protect and direct your energy to a certain place, thing, person, or dimension. There are many Occult shops that sell wands, but it is possible, make your own. This makes it more personalized. The wand and the Athame are interchangeable.

The Broom or Besom
The broom can be for decoration, magickal and ritual use. It is used to "sweep" the negative energy from an area.

The Chalice or cup
Used in a magickal circle to hold the beverage to be drunk during the ceremony. You may want to have 2: One for you and one for the Gods.

The Pentacle
The pentacle is a flat disc with a pentagram (among other possible symbols) inscribed onto it. Its basic use is to evoke entities and protection. It's also excellent for empowering jewelry and gems.

The Athame (pronounced Athaymay)
The athame is used for commanding and directing power. This is usually a double-edged, dull knife as it is never used to cut anything on the physical plane. After a magickal rite is over, most magickians absorb the circles energy back into the athame for later use.

The Bolline
This is the magickal knife used to cut things on the physical plane. Most use a curved hilt or blade. It is used to harvest herbs, plants, inscribing candles, cutting cords, etc.


The Censer
This is also called the incense burner. The use for this should be obvious. It should be made out of a heat resistant material especially if you use the type of incense made from herbs that will need to be burned on charcoal.

The Cauldron
This is where the witch makes brews, oils, or other crafty things. This should also be made out of a good material that can stand high heat.

Consecration of Tools
Items needed:
o Tool(s) to be consecrated
o Bowl of water
o Bowl of salt
o Incense
o White candle

Cast a proper circle before doing any magickal work. Place the tool to be consecrated on the pentacle. Touch it with your left hand and say: “I consecrate this tool to cleanse it, so that it may be purified and able to serve me in the magick circle. In the name of the Mother Goddess and the Father God, you are consecrated.”

Pick up the tool. Touch it to the salt. Pass it through the incense and the flame of the candle. Sprinkle it with water. Then hold the tool to the sky and say: “Lady and Lord, bless this (name of tool). Let it be pure for thy service and bind it so that no harm will come to anyone from its use. Keep watch over it and guard the works that come forth from it. I dedicate this tool to thy service. So mote it be!” Continue with magickal workings or close the circle.

Not everyone is going to have or be able to have a lot of items on hand. The following list is only a suggestion!!

• Fabric for the altar and making pouches and dream pillows.
• Amulets
• Baskets of different shapes and sizes. (Good for placing offerings in to the Gods).
• Beads (good for making emergency talismans and amulets.)
• A bell (sometimes you may find a spell that calls for ringing bells)
• Bowls (to hold oils, water, salt, etc.)
• Candles of all colors and shapes
• A compass
• A variety of crystals and stones for magickal workings.
• Earth (as in soil)
• Feathers
• Felt
• Glass jars of all shapes and sizes for storing things like herbs and oils.
• Herbs
• Incense sticks, cones, burners, charcoal for herbal incense, and a heat resistant plate.
• Ink and fountain or quill pens to write on parchment paper with.
• Lighters and matches
• A Magick Mirror for scrying
• Your magickal jewelry.
• Mortar and pestle
• Essential Oils
• Parchment Paper
• Ready-made pouches for herbal charms and to carry rocks and gems in.
• Scissors
• Sea salt
• Statues of your Deities or animals.
• Strings and cords
• Wooden boxes
"The will to do, the soul to dare is yours for the taking if you prepare."
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Klia
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Joined: Sun Oct 20, 2013 12:59 am
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Location: Ohio

Re: Klia's Book of Shadows

Post by Klia »

Circle Casting

What is Casting a Circle and why do it?
Ritual and magickal workings take place within a constructed circle, magick circle or sphere of personal power. In Wicca, the circle is used to create scared space in which humans meet with the Goddess and God.
The circle defines the ritual area, holds personal power, shuts out distracting energies, and basically creates the proper atmosphere for the rite. When the circle is cast correctly, the rites can begin. How do you know you did it right? Well, if you do the visualization right and did all the steps correctly you will be able to sense the boundary of the circle. I have actually seen the sphere before. The air in the circle will change. I have had many experiences with the air becoming really warm or hot. You will know when it has been properly cast.

How do I make a circle?
Some kind of marking should be made on the floor to physically define the space. A cord, a circle of salt, tarot cards, or whatever feels right to you. It's your circle, do what you want with it! This is to show where the sphere bisects into the Earth. The circle is usually 9 feet in diameter but it can be made bigger or smaller depending on what you are going to do.
The four directions are marked off with candles to be lit or an object that represents them. These objects can be:
1. North-pentacle, a bowl of salt, or an object from the Earth
2. East-burning incense, a feather, or an object that represents Air
3. South-A red candle, an oil lamp, a lava rock, or an object that represents Fire.
4. West-a cup or bowl of water, a sea shell, or any object that represents Water

The altar should be as close to the center as possible. Your back should always face the center of the circle. All the items you will need for the ritual should be on or around the altar. If you should forget something a doorway can be "cut" into the circle.

Opening a Circle
From the North, the Earth that is Her body
To the East, the Air that is Her breath
To the South, the Fire that is Her spirit
To the West, the Water that is Her womb.
In the name of the Goddess and God, I now cast this as my working circle.
So mote it be.


Closing a Circle
From the West, the Water that is Her womb
To the South, the Fire that is Her spirit
To the East, the Air that is Her breath
To the North, the Earth that is Her body.
I release this circle of the elements and the guardians who watch over them.
In the name of the Goddess and God, I now close this circle.
Stay if you want, go if you must. Otherwise, Hail and farwell. Hail and farewill. So mote it be.
"The will to do, the soul to dare is yours for the taking if you prepare."
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Klia
Posts: 237
Joined: Sun Oct 20, 2013 12:59 am
Gender: Female
Location: Ohio

Re: Klia's Book of Shadows

Post by Klia »

Negative Energy Protection

Ever feel overwhelmed by your environment? Does it sometime feel like others energy soaks into your personal space? Ever catch yourself feeling exhausted, angry, irritable, moody, or sick for no reason–it just came like a sudden flood out of nowhere? Have you ever asked yourself why you are so sensitive to others around you and the environment? The good news is these feelings might not be yours. You may be what others call an “empath” also known as a “highly sensitive person” (HSP). Empaths are highly sensitive of the environment and energy. Often they can sense others energy and even absorb others energy. They can sense how another person is feeling just by being in proximity or seeing the person as if the feeling is in their own body. The following list is provided by Michael R. Smith, Ph.D, to help you discover if you are an empath.

You May Be An Empath If…
1. You look at someone and “just know” their emotional state.
2. You can feel the energy coming at you (or being drained) from another person, especially from the eyes.
3. You have a blocked feeling in your chest [or core], as if someone is tugging on it.
4. Tend to run away from people when stressed, rather than engage.
5. You’ve been called “oversensitive,” especially if you’re male.
6. Always know where danger may lurk. (Curiously, you may have avoided accidents).
7. Are drawn to the tranquility of animals.
8. Are drawn to mountains, nature, the ocean – anywhere outdoors.
9. Cannot bear violence in any form.
10. Can easily produce tears, sometimes at will.
11. You can feel the physical aches & pains of others.
12. Feel better after a good, intense cry.
13. See things from the “bigger picture” and from “the larger scheme of things.”
14. Are overwhelmed by large crowds or mobs (e.g. shopping malls).
15. Can sometimes feel affected by the energy of the full moon.
16. Have intense, fantastic, and sometimes lucid, dreams.

If this sounds like you, you’re not alone. Here are some solutions to clearing negative energy. Everyone is different, so try them out to see which ones work better for you. The number one key is to stay grounded in your body. This means getting regular exercise, eating nutritional food, and cutting out over stimulating things in your life.

Clearing Negative Energy in Your Environment
1. Smudging your home with sage.
2. Doing Meditation and taking deep breaths.
3. Strategically placing bowls of sea salt in your home to protect you from entrance of negative energy. The salt absorbs negative energy.
4. Using protective stones and crystals. Some good protective stones that repel negative energy are Onyx and Obsidian. While Amber and black tourmaline acts more like absorbers. And Amethyst is considered a healing stone. So you may also want to consider wearing protective stone jewelry.
5. Physically clean the place. This removes the old energy and keeps the place in high vibration.

Elevating Your Personal Energy and Grounding Yourself
1. Take a nice warm shower.
2. Take a nice bath using Epsom Salt. Epsom Salt is to help you cut the psychic connection with others so that they are no longer pulling you. Plus, it helps your tired body relax.
3. Use essential oil or scent such as lavender, eucalyptus, rosemary, etc. to calm and relax yourself.
4. Get a nice massage.
5. Meditate
6. Going outside for some sun.
7. Doing any type of physical activities that will help you stay grounded in your body.
8. Get some fresh air.
9. Connect with nature.
10. Going to ocean, forest, or mountain area also helps you rejuvenate.
11. Surrounding yourself around plants or trees of high energy.
12. Drink pure water. (Bless your water with positive energy before drinking it; thank it for purifying your body as you drink it.)
13. Eat proper balance nutritious meals.
14. Feel your emotions.
15. Take care of yourself.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________


Goals of a Witch

1. Know Yourself:
Take time to learn about yourself. Keep daily journals as well as sleep journals. Record your thoughts, experiences during meditation, your goals and anything else you think that is important. Use your dream journal to build a base line so that you can interpret your dreams because dreams are the way our shadow self talks to us. Endeavor to heal your shadow self. Use your daily journals to understand your thoughts and motivations. In other words, step back and examine yourself, your life, your goals and what you want and who you really are.

2. Know Your Craft:
Study and practice the Craft. Through exploring the different aspects and theories of the Craft you will become more adept and begin to form your own theories and practices that work best for you. Take classes offered in your area such as tarot, meditation among other things that interest you. Attend public rituals to gain insight into how others practice. Talk to other Wiccans and exchange ideas and experiences.

3. Learn:
The learning never ends when you are a witch. Read and study everything that you can and never dismiss any knowledge out of hand. You never know where a revelation may be hiding.

4. Apply Knowledge With Wisdom:
Use the wisdom you have gained to temper your actions. Wisdom is a gift given to the wise and the wise use their wisdom to make the best decisions available. To apply knowledge without wisdom is reckless and can be dangerous in certain situations. The truly wise never claim to know everything or claim the status as an authority or guru, because no one knows everything. Do not abuse the knowledge you have acquired.

5. Achieve Balance:
Wicca is a religion of balance. We embrace the light and dark, the God and Goddess; neither is more important than the other. Both have a purpose. We are to achieve balance in our lives. Such as balance in the self, home, personal relationships, what we take from the earth and what we give back and so on. A balanced life is a good life.

6. Keep Your Thoughts in Good Order:
This goal goes hand and hand with goal 7. As a witch your thoughts manifest reality in accordance with your will. Once you have reached a level of magical development you can set events in motion without even realizing it. A disciplined mind reduces that occurrences and aids in magical works. Your thoughts manifest before words are even formed.

7. Keep Your Words in Good Order:
As thoughts manifest reality in conformity to your will, so do words. Words are the verbalization of your thoughts and therefore carry power. To not mind your words is the same as spreading chaos magically. Discipline in minding your words adds meaning to what you speak and enhances their effectiveness in magical workings as well as the mundane world.

8. Celebrate Life:
This one is somewhat self explanatory. Live your life to the fullest and make every day a celebration of life. Life is a gift from the God and Goddess and they wish us to have a good time while here. Essentially, don’t be afraid to enjoy your life.

9. Attune With the Cycles of the Earth:
This is one of the basic concepts of Wicca. Our holidays, Sabbats, are based upon the Wheel of the Year, with the Wheel of the Year being based on the cycles of the Earth. We are to experience nature and understand that we are part of it and it is part of us and how it affects us. It is another mystery of Wicca that one has to experience to truly understand.

10. Breathe and Eat Correctly:
This one is self explanatory as well. We are to eat the proper foods and practice our breathing. It doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the food we eat or occasionally indulge. What it means is that we should eat a proper diet because it will help to make our bodies healthy. A healthy body not only makes us feel better and live longer, it aids us in our magical works and makes the mundane tasks easier. Learning to breath correctly aids in the raising of energy, focus, stress relief and meditation.

11. Exercise the Body:
This is a difficult goal for many people but it is an important one. Our bodies are wondrous things that the God and Goddess have blessed us with. We should respect the bodies we have been given and keep them in shape. A healthy body feels better both physically and emotionally. We also live longer and are less encumbered during mundane activities and magical ones as well. To exercise the body is to honor the God and Goddess.

12. Meditate:
Meditation is a key skill in the working of magic. It allows us to focus our thoughts thereby focusing our will. It also helps us in our mundane life as well. It reduces stress and helps us get through our mundane tasks by being able to focus and think clearly.

13. Honor the Goddess and the God:
We should honor the God and Goddess in everything we do. They are a part of us as we are a part of them. We are all connected. By honoring them we honor ourselves and our fellow humans. We also honor our gods through rituals and celebrations. We do this because we love them and we desire to not because we fear them.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


The Creation Story This is my favorite thing to read. It just makes sense and I feel satisfied when reading it. I highly recommend copying this!
By: Silver Ravenwolf

Long, long ago, there was only darkness-a deep, ebony ocean of empty infinity-the void that was no place. From this place of nothingness Spirit drew in upon itself, and, with a mighty burst of joyful vibration, our Lady of Light exploded into being, Her essence the totality of perfect love and perfect trust. In Her heart She held the presence of Spirit, and there was no part of Her that was not of the Devine.
In delight, our Lady began the Great Work. She danced among the heavens, Her bare feet beating out the rhythm of all creation, giving birth to every pattern of energy as sparks of light catapulted from Her flying hair and extended fingertips. She created the stars and planets, and bid them to dance with Her. As they began to move, so the cycle of the year was born, and the divine symphony of the universe came into form. She gave them names of power, each unto their own. These things moved from the void, into the thought, given the breath of life, and then into the world.
Our lady chanted the words of perfect love and perfect peace and, as these sounds fell to the Earth, the trees, flowers, and grasses took root in the fertile soil of Gaia. From the pure, white light of Her breath came the colors of the universe, turning all things to vibrant beauty. From the bubbling laughter in Her throat sprang the sounds of the clear, running water of the streams, the gentle lapping vibrations of the lake, and the roaring of the oceans. Her tears of happiness became the rains of our survival. Our Lady was the Presence, and the Presence our Lady.
And when Her dancing slowed, the Lady sought a companion to share the wonders of the many worlds. As the Holy Spirit, she created the God as Her soulmate. Because our Lady so loved the Earth, the energy pattern of the God contained both the essence of the Presence and the Divine energy of the Earth-and He was known by many names: Green Man; Lord of the Forests; King of the Fields; and Father, Son, and Sage.
Together, the Lord and Lady created all the beings of Earth. The Lord's power moved through Her, and She showered the Earth and all upon it with Her blessings. Together, They designed the birds, animals, fishes, insects, reptiles, and people of our world. To protect and guide the humans, the Lord and Lady fashioned the angels, guides, and spirits of power. These energies still walk with us, although we often cannot see them.
To each being our Lady gave a unique vibration in which to communicate, and the Lord bestowed to each the fire of passion and the burning instinct to survive. As a gift for His magnificent handiwork and caring for the creatures of Earth, our Lady gave our Lord a crown of stag antlers, which He wears upon His head. This aspect of half man, half animal would forever show His joy in both the human and animal creations of the Presence. The crown will always be a symbol that people can spiritually work with the duality of their own natures to reach into the core of Spirit.
Together, the Lord and Lady blessed the first humans with free will. "We are of the gods, and the gods are us!" the people cried. And the Lord and Lady smiled. "We are all one," said our Lady, and through a web of silver light She connected each human to the other, and then linked the humans to all other energy patterns on the planet. When this was done, She wove Herself and Her Lord into the divine tapestry of pulsating energy. "Love is the law, honor in the bond," said the Lord as He empowered the tapestry of life.
Our Lady has many names: Isis, Astarte, Bride, Diana, Aradia, Innana, Hecate, Mitzu, Gami, and thousands more. The Lady walks within and beside each woman and man of every race in every place. She is the Maiden, Mother, and Crone. She is the sacred trinity of all religions. Indeed, She is the Holy Ghost.
The Lord has many faces, from the strong Cernunnos to the delightful Pan, and Osiris, Try, Anubis, Ra, Apollo, Odin, and thousands more. He guards and guides us and resides in each man and woman of every race in every place. When thunder roars in the heavens and lightening cracks from the ground, the Lord and Lady dance the divine myth of creation so that we may remember Them and know that we are never alone, and that we all are one. When the sun rises each morning, we bask in the joy of His love for us, and when the moon moves through Her phases, we understand the cycle of birth, growth, death, and rebirth, as is the nature of all things, and we honor Her power.
But as the humans began to grow and prosper, they forgot about their divine parents. Although the Lord and the Lady called to Their children, they did not listen. They were lost, fighting the demons they themselves had created. Not wishing to abandon Their children, the Lord and Lady decided to create healers and workers of harmony among the humans to remind them of the divine source and to show them the way home to the arms of the Mother. Within each special soul would be the remembrance of the Great Work: to love, create, and move in harmony. And so the Lord and the Lady drew forth energy from the realm of angels, the realm of power animals, the realm of the dead, and the realm of humans, instilling these special souls with the divine energy of the Presence through miracles of magick. These beings of power were called Witches.
Our Lady taught the Witches the wisdom of the universe. They were instructed how to cast the circle of art and how to communicate with Spirit, because the humans of Earth had forgotten. She taught them to talk to the dead, how to honor their ancestors and succession of teachers, and how to focus the mind and cast a spell. In each brain She imprinted the patterns of all the energies in the solar system, and how to work magick by the moon and the stars. The Lord taught the Witches how to meld with the elements and spirits of air, fire, earth, and water, and to commune with the animal and plant kingdoms. He taught them weather magick and the healing arts with energy and plants – and, most of all, like their ancestors before them, He taught them how to protect themselves and how to survive. Each Witch was given the rites of purification and the ability to tap into his or her lineage of creation.
Together, the Lord and Lady gave the humans the Witch's Pyramid: To Know, To Will, To Dare, and To Be Silent, because They knew that not all humans on Earth would welcome these special beings of magick and love. The instructions complete, the Witches were sent to every culture and every tribe on the planet Earth, being born of the people but carrying the mission of the divine. In this way they have been known by many names and many races, yet, in soul, Witches they remain. Above all, they were given the message that the Goddess lives.
Even with the Great Work of the magical people, perfect love and perfect trust did not come easily. Many religions rose among the people to honor the Mother and Father, but each, in turn, cast out our Mother, thinking that worshiping the God alone would bring them the riches and strength they needed. In His disappointment of their actions, the Lord abandoned each religion, allowing them to crumble and die in the dust of the earth. Rather than create beauty and joy, the humans sought to destroy one another, to spread the sickness of greed and despair among their own. They forgot that the power within is greater than the power over one another. The people would not listen to the Witches. Instead, they burned them.
Thus, over times of great trial and suffering, the Witches became the hidden children, conducting their rites in secret lest they risk capture and death at the hands of the fearful humans and their terrible dogma. As the world grew dark with the ignorance and hate created by the humans, and evil arose like black steam from the cauldron of their minds, covering the planet with negative energy, the Lady whispered to the Witches that they should draw power from Her body of the moon, and the Lord enchanted the vibrant rays of the sun to instill them with strength. "The moon and the sun," They said, "are beacons of the Great Work. As long as they shine, you may draw form them whatever energy you may need, and when you look to these symbols in the heavens you will know that We are within you. There is no part of you that is not of the gods."
And so it was that once a month, when the moon grew full, the Witches celebrated in secret and remembered the blessing our Mother bestowed upon them, and worked magick to fulfill their divine mission of the Great Work. In these rites, the Witches called forth the essence of the Lord and Lady to help them take care of themselves, their families, the planet, and their friends. Four times a year, as the cross-quarters (Samhain, Candlemas, Beltane, and Lammas) blossomed with bonfires across the land, the Witches celebrated the festivals of fire in honor of our Lord and His love and protection for all the children of the Earth as well as the birth of our Mother from the Void and the divine dance that brought all humans into creation. At the four quarters of the seasons (Yule, Ostara, summer solstice, and Mabon), the Witches honored the solar cycle of life and the gifts of the Earth through celebrations of thanksgiving. For 8,000 years we have done this, for our essence is in every shaman, every magi, every priest, and every priestess who carries the hidden truth of perfect love and perfect trust within their souls. We are the Craft of the Wise.
When it is our time to leave the Earth plane, our Lady sends a guide to escort us to the Summerland. From the Presence that moves and flows through the Lord and Lady, we continue to learn the mysticism of the universe so that we may return, life after life, to serve our brothers and sisters - to remind them that they are only visiting here, and that each action, not each piece of gold garnered, is the way, the truth, and the light. In each lifetime, Spirit guides us through learning experiences, preparing us along the way for our individual missions. Sometimes we are born among our own kind, but more often than not, we are born among the unbelievers - we are born to show them the way home. It is by our actions, not our preaching, that the journey is made.
We are the Witches, the representatives of wisdom's growth on our planet. Because the religions of the world have failed to recognize the Great Work and to see our Mother in all things, the Lord and Lady gave us our own religion. This is our greatest test.
We are the hidden children. We are the people, the power, and the change - and we have incarnated in every race and in every culture, and will continue to do so until the end of time. We are the weavers, and we are the web. We cannot be stopped, because we are the Presence and the Presence is us. We are the divine angels of Earth. We are the heavens and the stars. We are the earth, the air, the fire and the water.
We are the Spirit. We are one. And… We have come to guide you home. For we are the Witches, back from the dead.
So mote it be.
"The will to do, the soul to dare is yours for the taking if you prepare."
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Klia
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Re: Klia's Book of Shadows

Post by Klia »

Wiccan Days of the Week

From a Wiccan viewpoint, it is marvelous how the traditional names of days have survived all through the dark times. It is no secret that all seven days of the week have been named after Gods and Goddesses worshipped by the Old Tradition. Let’s explore the way we could bring a little magic in our everyday use.
According to modern Wicca traditions, all seven days of the week has different attributes and represent a certain element. It is down to you individually, how you use this information but it is believed that an understanding of the wheel of the week can bring a nice change to a hectic lifestyle.
The seven-day week was first introduced by ancient Egyptians, when according to Egyptian astrology they assigned a name to every day by the planet that was regent during the first hour of that particular day. As ancient Egyptian astrology knew only seven celestial bodies, we now have seven days of the week. But all this has also a deeper meaning not only within Wicca.
In many traditions of Paganism and Wicca, days of the week are very important aspects of effective spell casting. For example, spells to do with abundance or prosperity could be done on Thursday, because it is associated with riches and desire. When casting a spell concerning business or communication, one might prefer to work on a Wednesday due to its associations.
While not all traditions follow this rule, when you're doing any sort of magical working, always be sure to document the day of the week you're performing the spell. You might be surprised later on to see some connections!

Sunday - named after Sunna, the Germanic goddess of the Sun. In modern Wicca traditions it is associated
with all possible solar deities.
• Color: Yellow, orange, gold
• Planet: Sun
• Metal: Gold
• Element: Fire
• Energy Principle: Yang
• Magical number: 9
• Deities: Brighid, Helios, Ra
• Gemstones: Quartz crystal, diamond, amber, carnelian
• Herbs & Plants: Marigold, sunflower, cinnamon
• Associations: Agriculture, beauty, hope, learning, healing, authority, friendship, victory, self-expression, and creativity

Monday - named after Mani – the Germanic God of the Moon. It is, however, contrary to the modern Wicca
beliefs as most of Wiccans regard the Moon as a female deity.
• Color: Silver, white, light blue
• Planet: Moon
• Metal: Silver
• Element: Water
• Energy Principle: Yin
• Magical number: 3
• Deities: Thoth, Selene
• Gemstones: Pearl, opal, moonstone
• Herbs & Plants: Wintergreen and other mints, catnip, comfrey, sage, chamomile
• Associations: Childbearing and family life, purity and virginity, spiritual growth and healing, wisdom, intuition, dreams, and house blessings

Tuesday - related to the Old Norse god Tyr and his equivalents Tuesto (Germanic head of the Pantheon) and
Mars (Roman god of war).
• Color: Red and orange
• Planet: Mars
• Metal: Iron
• Element: Fire
• Energy Principle: Yang
• Magical number: 4
• Deities: Lilith, Mars, Aries, the Morrighan
• Gemstones: Garnets, ruby
• Herbs & Plants: Thistles, holly, coneflower, cactus
• Associations: War and conflict, enemies, initiation, marriage and protection, solving the conflicts and spells relating to courage, logic, physical strength, and vitality.

Wednesday - has its name presumably from Wodan, the Anglo Saxon god, who is thought to be equivalent of
Odin in Old Norse Pantheon. However, non-English countries associate Wednesday with
Mercury – the Roman god.
• Color: Gray and Navy
• Planet: Mercury
• Metal: Mercury (Quicksilver)
• Element: Earth
• Energy Principle: Yin
• Magical number: 3
• Deities: Odin, Hermes, Mercury, Athena, Lugh
• Gemstones: Adventurine, agate
• Herbs & Plants: Aspen trees, lilies, lavender, ferns
• Associations: Business and job-related issues, communication, loss and debt, traveling and journeys, divination and spells relating to insight, self-improvement, and education

Thursday - named after the Old Norse god of thunder – Thor.
• Color: Royal blues, greens
• Planet: Jupiter
• Metal: Tin
• Element: Fire
• Energy Principle: Yang
• Magical number: 7
• Deities: Thor, Zeus, Jupiter, Juno
• Gemstones: Turquoise, amethyst, lapis lazuli
• Herbs & Plants: Honeysuckle, oak trees, cinquefoil
• Associations: Honor and family loyalty, harvests, clothing and riches, fealty. Thor’s day is associated with Jupiter and used for luck and money spells and magic workings concerning faithfulness and legal matters.

Friday - associated with Frigg or Freyja – the Old Norse goddess of love and fertility. Its planet is Venus.
• Color: Pink, aqua/blue-green
• Planet: Venus
• Metal: Copper
• Element: Air
• Energy Principle: Yang
• Magical number: 6
• Deities: Freya, Venus, Aphrodite
• Gemstones: Coral, emerald, rose quartz
• Herbs & Plants: Strawberries, apple blossoms, feverfew
• Associations: Family life, love and fertility, sexuality, harmony, friendship, growth, is regarded as the day of art and pleasure

Saturday - bears its name from the Roman agricultural god – Saturn.
• Color: Black, dark purple, brown, green
• Planet: Saturn
• Metal: Lead
• Element: Earth
• Energy Principle: Yin
• Magical number: 2
• Deities: Saturn, Hecate
• Gemstones: Apache tear, obsidian, hematite
• Herbs & Plants: Thyme, mullein, cypress
• Associations: Agriculture and creativity, fortune and hope, protection and banishment of negativity. Saturday is the day for banishing spells, change and motivation. In some Wiccan traditions it is associated with death/reincarnation workings but this must be approached very carefully!
"The will to do, the soul to dare is yours for the taking if you prepare."
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Klia
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Location: Ohio

Re: Klia's Book of Shadows

Post by Klia »

Grounding

Ever perform a ritual and then feel all jittery and shaky afterwards? Have you done a working, only to find yourself sitting up into the wee hours of the morning, with an oddly heightened sense of clarity and awareness? Sometimes, if we fail to center properly prior to a ritual, we can end up a bit off-kilter. In other words, you’ve gone and amped up your energy level, it's been increased by magical working, and now you've got to burn some of it away. This is when the practice of grounding comes in very handy. It's basically a way of getting rid of some of that excess energy you've stored up. Once this is done, you'll be able to regulate yourself and feel normal again.

Grounding is actually fairly easy. Remember how you manipulated energy when you learned to center? That's what you'll do to ground -- only instead of drawing that energy inside you, you'll push it out, into something else. Close your eyes and focus on your energy. Get it under control so that it's manageable -- and then, using your hands, push it into the ground, a bucket of water, a tree, or some other object that can absorb it. Some people prefer to fling their energy into the air, as a way of eliminating it, but this should be done with caution -- if you're around other magically inclined people, one of them may inadvertently absorb what you're getting rid of, and then they're in the same position you've just been in.

Another method is to push the excess energy down, through your legs and feet, and into the ground. Focus on your energy, and feel it draining away, as though someone had pulled a plug out of your feet. Some people find it helpful to bounce up and down a bit, to help shake out the last of the excess energy.

If you're someone who needs to feel something a bit more tangible, try one of these ideas out:
• Carry a stone or crystal in your pocket. When you're feeling over-energized, let the stone absorb your energy.
• Keep a pot of dirt outside your door. When you need to shed that excess energy, plunge your hands into the dirt and then feel the energy transfer into the soil.
• Create a catchphrase to trigger grounding -- it can be something as simple as "Aaaaand it's gone!" This phrase can be used as an energy release when you need it.

++++++++++

Centering

You may at some point hear someone in the Pagan community -- or in a book, or on a website -- refer to the practice of centering. Much like grounding and shielding, in many traditions it's crucial that you learn to do this before you begin working magic. Why? Because it's the beginning of energy work and if your tradition's magical practices are based upon the manipulation of energy, then you'll need to learn to center. If you've done any meditation before, it may be a bit easier for you to center, because it uses many of the same techniques. Here's how to get started.

First, find a place where you can work undisturbed. If you're at home, take the phone off the hook, lock the door, and turn off the television. You should try to do this in a seated position - and that's simply because some people fall asleep if they get too relaxed lying down! Once you're seated, take a deep breath, and exhale. Repeat this a few times, until you are breathing evenly and regularly. This will help you relax. Some people find that it's easier to regulate their breathing if they count, or if they chant a simple phrase, like "Ohm," as they inhale and exhale. The more often you do this, the easier it will become.

Once your breathing is regulated and even, it's time to begin visualizing energy. This may seem weird if you've never done it before. Rub the palms of your hands lightly together, and then move them an inch or two apart. You should still feel a charge, a tingling sensation between your palms. That's energy. If you don't feel it at first, don't worry. Just try again. Eventually you'll start to notice that the space between your hands feels different. It's almost as though there's a bit of resistance pulsating there, if you gently bring them back together.

After you've mastered this, and can tell what energy actually feels like, you can start playing with it. This means you can focus on that area of resistance. Close your eyes, and feel it. Now, visualize that tingly area expanding and contracting, like a balloon. Try pulling your hands apart, and stretching that energy field out, as if you were pulling taffy with your fingers. Try visualizing the energy expanding to the point where it surrounds your entire body. After some practice, you'll even be able to fling it from one hand to the other, as if you were tossing a ball back and forth. Bring it into your body, and draw it inward, shaping a ball of energy inside yourself. It's important to note that this energy (in some traditions called an aura) is all around us at all times. You're not creating something new, but simply harnessing what's already there.

Each time you center, you'll repeat this process. Begin by regulating your breathing. Then focus on your energy. Eventually, you should be able to control it completely. The core of your energy can be wherever it feels most natural for you -- for most people, it's ideal to keep their energy centered around the solar plexus, although others find the heart chakra to be the place where they can focus on it best.

After you've been doing this for a while, it will become second nature. You'll be able to center anywhere, any time... sitting on a crowded bus, stuck in a boring meeting, or driving down the street (although for that one, you should keep your eyes open). By learning to center, you'll develop a foundation for energy work in a number of different magical traditions.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Meditation

What is meditation?
For some folks in the Western hemisphere, meditation is often seen as some sort of “new-age hippie” fad, something that you do right before you eat granola and hug a spotted owl. However, Eastern civilizations have known about the power of meditation and used it to control the mind and expand the consciousness.
Today, Western thinking is finally catching up, and there is an increasing awareness of what meditation is and what it can be used for. The benefits of meditation are mentioned not only by Wiccans and Pagans but by health practitioners and other everyday people.

How does meditation work?
The mind is made up of many facets, many of which we have not even begun to tap into. The conscious mind consists of all the things you’re aware of on a daily basis: can I pay my bills? Does my lover still love me? Will my parents get sick? Did I forget to clean the cat box? There is also the subconscious mind – all the things you know, but don’t know that you know. This is where things like memory and involuntary body functions come from. Finally, there is the part called the super consciousness, which is the higher self, the center of spiritual growth and well-being.

What happens in a meditation session?
Meditation allows you to focus on the subconscious and the super conscious minds. During a meditative session, you may find yourself meeting various archetypes, or encountering things that seem symbolic. This is your mind’s way of telling you what’s going on, and all you have to do is figure out how to interpret the message.

Guided meditations:
There are different meditation techniques, one of which is called guided meditation. In this technique, a guide – either in person or via a recording – leads the meditation, telling you where to go and what you see. They may include things such as, “You are walking down a path in the woods,” or “There is a person coming towards you who holds something in her hand.” For beginners, a guided meditation is excellent, because it provides a good idea of what meditation actually is, and allows you to center your focus. You can buy commercially produced guided meditation CDs, or you can create your own with a tape recorder.

Freeform meditation:
Freeform meditation is one where there is no guide, and you simply let your mind wander. To do this, sit comfortably and allow yourself to relax as much as possible. Some people like to lie down when meditating, but others find that they fall asleep when they do so. Choose whichever method is best for you.

Where should I meditate?
Find a place where you can be relatively undisturbed. Turn off the phone and the television, put the kids to bed, and close the windows if there’s traffic outside. In some traditions, meditation is only performed inside a sacred space, so feel free to cleanse and consecrate the area as you see fit. Remove any possible distractions, and wear clothing that’s comfortable. In fact, you can meditate skyclad (nude) if you choose.

When is a good time to meditate?
As to when you meditate, the best time is whenever you can get some quiet time. If that’s in the morning before everyone else gets up, great. If it’s at night when your family has gone to bed, that’s fine too. Many people like to meditate at night so they can go outside and meditate under the moon and stars. Whatever time you decide to practice, try to do it at the same time every day. This will allow you for more consistency, and get you into good meditation habits.

Types of Meditation and Example Steps

Guided Meditation
• With the help of a teacher or guide, or even a pre-made recording, take yourself on a journey through a place you find calming or relaxing.
• Visualize your surroundings, and try to incorporate as many senses as possible. Soak in the sounds, smells, and textures.

Mantra or Transcendental Meditation
• Choose a calming word or phrase. Repeat it over and over to yourself silently to prevent distracting thoughts from entering.

Mindful Meditation
• Take a break and make yourself acutely aware of your surroundings.
• Take deep breaths and feel your lungs swell.
• Allow yourself to think about your feelings, but do so without judgment.

Yoga or Tai Chi
• Perform a slow series of varying postures while breathing deeply.
• As you balance and move, focus on the movements and not on the stress in your life.
• Attend a class to learn the basics, and then you can practice in your own home.

Prayer
• Pray using your own words, or read prayers written by others.
• Reflect on the meaning of the words or write in a journal.

Deep Breathing
• Take deep breaths from your diaphragm, rather than short, shallow breaths from your chest.
• Continue until you feel calm.

Biofeedback
• A doctor attaches electrodes to your body to monitor blood pressure, breathing, heart rate, and muscle tension.
• A therapist will study your reactions and teach you how to reduce the types of stress you experience.

Exercise
• Try going for a walk or run to clear your mind and reduce stress.




Meditation Example
This is a sample visualization exercise. You should modify the script as you see fit, as you want to be as comfortable as possible during this exercise. In this example, our safe space will be a secluded forest.

Think of a place that makes you feel safe. It can either be a place you’ve visited before, a place you’ve seen but never been to or a place that exists only in your imagination.
Find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed. Get into a seated position, with your back against your chair, your feet firmly planted on the floor, and your hands resting in your lap. You are safe in this space, and you will be safe during this exercise.

Close your eyes, and start taking deeper and deeper breaths.
Inhale for 1…2…3. Exhale for 1…2…3.

Feel yourself letting go of all your tensions.
Inhale for 1…2…3…4. Exhale for 1…2…3…4.

All of the stresses of your day are slowing falling away.
Inhale for 1…2…3…4…5. Exhale for 1…2…3…4…5.

You begin to relax as you create a quiet space around you.
Inhale for 1…2…3…4…5…6. Exhale for 1…2…3…4…5…6.

Continue breathing deeply as you start to visualize your safe space.

You are outside in a beautiful forest. Look around you, and visualize your surroundings. The sky is a beautiful cloudless blue—or maybe it has the soft multi-colored hues of sunrise or sunset. Notice the colors of the trees or the grass. Maybe there’s a creek running through your forest, and you can hear the gentle splashing of water as it tumbles over well-worn rocks. Birds are chirping in the distance, telling you that your forest is safe. You continue to breathe deeply. Perhaps the sharp scent of pine stimulates your senses, or maybe you get the sweeter tones of meadow grass and wildflowers. Breathe in the gentle aromas that surround you in your safe space. You begin to wander, noticing the features of your landscape. Build every detail in your mind. Copses of trees, groups of boulders, maybe even a cottage in the distance or a simple hammock where you can rest. Grow your safe space until it encompasses you and all of your fears and anxieties. Walk around your safe space until you have explored as much of it as you want to.

Continue walking until you find your perfect place—the place that makes you feel most at peace. Visualize yourself sitting here, in this place, and begin to breathe.
Inhale for 1…2…3. Exhale for 1…2…3.

Surround yourself with feelings of peace and safety.
Inhale for 1…2…3…4. Exhale for 1…2…3…4.

Know that you can come to this place whenever you’re feeling overwhelmed and anxious.
Inhale for 1…2…3…4…5. Exhale for 1…2…3…4…5.

Your safe space will be there for you whenever you need it. You just need to know it’s there and take a moment to visit.
Inhale for 1…2…3…4…5…6. Exhale for 1…2…3…4…5…6.

When you’re ready to leave your safe space, slowly open your eyes and come back into the room. Hold onto those feelings of peace and safety, and know that you can revisit them whenever you need to.
"The will to do, the soul to dare is yours for the taking if you prepare."
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Klia
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Location: Ohio

Re: Klia's Book of Shadows

Post by Klia »

Candles and Meanings

Black
Burning black with any other color dissolves negative energies; protection, hex-breaking, reversing, banishing, destroying evil or negativity, binding, and repelling; used for healing very powerful illnesses; protection
“I invoke the spirit to guide and protect me. My faith assures that only the positive may touch my being. I am safe and at ease in body and spirit.”

Blue
Communication, truth, peace, calm, losing weight, wisdom, understanding, protection, harmony, inspiration, truth, patience, health and happiness, luck, communication, loyalty, peaceful, cooling, contentment, healing, idealism, harmony, devotion, meditation, sleep
“I believe in the healing powers of the universe and its ability to restore health. May these powers guide me to a state of complete well-being.”

Brown
Balanced color; material gain; eliminates indecisiveness; furthers powers of concentration, learning, telepathy, expands financial success, and finds lost items; material prosperity, home, friendships, balance, animal magic, earth magic, concentration and studying, wealth, success, intuition, psychic powers, protecting pets, helps finding lost items, healing

Gold
Enlightenment, protection, success, wealth, money, masculinity, playfulness, luck, divination, victory, communication, and attracts the power of cosmic influences

Green
Abundance, growth, money, success, wealth, physical healing, health, marriage, fertility, employment, balance, stimulates growth, healing, financial success, good luck, new job, good harvest, nature appreciation, beauty, youth
“May prosperity flow freely through my life. I sense a natural attraction to wealth and its comforts. Let me embrace prosperity in all forms.”

Ivory
Neutrality, balance and harmlessness

Lavender
Mother consciousness; manifestation and selflessness, spirituality, compassion, understanding, inspiration; make contact with Higher-Self; attract spiritual assistance; very calming

Orange
Cleanses negative attitudes, situations and places; happiness, business deals, attracting good things, success, career, goals, stimulation, attraction, power, luck, sudden changes, warmth, energy building, enthusiasm, attracts success and prosperity; emotional healing, attracts friends, courage and ambition, joy, success

Peach
Restoration and rejuvenation

Pink
Devotion, love, tenderness and faith, friendship, romance, honor, spiritual healing, caring, affection, forming partnerships, peace, emotional healing, universal love, purest form of love, love that is unconditional, spiritual love without sex connotation, raises vibrations, sensitivity, healing, designed to attract attention; the color of femininity and pleasantness; enhances joyful and lively conversation
“May love enter my life and fill my heart and soul. May the magic of love always inspire me to radiate warmth and caring to all those who touch my life.”

Purple
Use with white candle to neutralize effects of karma and ego; ancient wisdom, the third eye, psychic powers, meditation, spirituality, success, confidence, hidden knowledge, protection, divination, all forms of expansion, expands what you already have, spiritual protection, power, wisdom, healing, recognition; enhances psychic ability, recognition in work; contact with spirit world

Red
Energy, vitality, and strength, health, passion, sex, love, protection, fire, fertility, fast action, strength, potency, lust, blood, physical love and passion, courage, warmth, energy, attraction, magnetism, desire, action, physical strength, power, willpower; strengthens magnetism

Rose
Compassion for self and others; higher mystical powers; humor, love, romance, opening the heart, forgiveness, compassion, healing, joy, creativity, endurance, strength, stability and security

Silver
Victory, stability, meditation, developing psychic ability, removal of negative power, repelling destruction, cancellation, neutrality, stalemate; primarily associated with female deities

Violet
Strength, success, idealism, psychic revelation; ideal for rituals which are designed to secure ambition, independence and financial success or to establish contact with the other, spiritual world

White
The balance of all colors; spiritual enlightenment, cleansing, clairvoyance, healing, truth-seeking, purity, innocence, clarity and unity, dawn, purification, peace, truth, protection, spirituality, general work, cleansing, repels negativity; use to bring peace, spiritual strength, truth, purity; heals emotions, and provides protection; happiness
“I am spiritual. I move beyond the physical into the light, filled with hope, love, and joy.”

Yellow
Intellect, wisdom and honor, action, inspiration, and creativity, studying and intelligence, concentration, memory, logic, learning, attraction, confidence, mental powers, intellect, inspiration, concentration, retention of memory, energy, cheerfulness, sunny disposition, changes, endurance, stability, and security; strengthens imagination; positive energy
“I am a conduit of universal energy, allowing me to do good and righteous things. May this pure and positive force guide my every thought and action.”



Add power to your wishes, prayers, and magic by scratching one word or symbol that summarizes your intention into your candle before lighting it.
Sit in your sacred place. Surround and protect yourself with the magical white light of the universe. Holding the unlit candle, begin to feel the energy held within. The magical energy will enter your being where it is most needed. It is now time to light your candle and recite the candle’s blessing.



________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


The Law of Threefold Return
The Rule of Three

Many new Wiccans and Pagans are initiated with the cautionary words from their elders, "Ever mind the Rule of Three!" This warning is explained to mean that no matter what you do magically, there's a giant Cosmic Force that will make sure your deeds are revisited upon you threefold. It's universally guaranteed, some Pagans claim, which is why you better not ever perform any harmful magic... or at least, that's what they tell you. However, this is one of the most highly contested theories in modern Paganism. Is the Rule of Three real, or is it just something made up by experienced Wiccans to scare the "newbies" into submission? There are several different schools of thought on the Rule of Three. Some Wiccans and Pagans will tell you in no uncertain terms that it's bunk, and that the Threefold Law is not a law at all, but just a guideline used to keep people on the straight and narrow. Other groups swear by it.

Background and Origins of the Threefold Law
The Rule of Three, also called the Law of Threefold Return, is a caveat given to newly initiated witches in some magical traditions, primarily NeoWiccan ones. The purpose is a cautionary one. It keeps people who have just discovered Wicca from thinking they have Magical Super Powers. It also, if heeded, keeps folks from performing negative magic without putting some serious thought into the consequences. An early incarnation of the Rule of Three appeared in Gerald Gardner's novel, High Magic's Aid, in the form of "Mark well, when thou receivest good, so equally art bound to return good threefold." It later appeared as a poem published in a magazine back in 1975. Later this evolved into the notion among new witches that there is a spiritual law in effect that everything you do comes back to you. In theory, it's not a bad concept -- after all, if you surround yourself with good things, good things should come back to you. Filling your life with negativity will often bring similar unpleasantness into your life. However, does this really mean there's a karmic law in effect? And why the number three -- why not ten or five or 42? It's important to note that there are many Pagan traditions that do not adhere to this guideline at all.

Objections to the Law of Three
For a law to truly be a law, it must be universal -- which means it needs to apply to everyone, all the time, in every situation. That means for the Threefold Law to really be a law, every single person who does bad things would always be punished, and all the good people in the world would have nothing but success and happiness -- and that doesn't just mean in magical terms, but in all non-magical ones as well. We all can see that this is not necessarily the case. In fact, under this logic, every jerk who cuts you off in traffic would have nasty car-related retribution coming his way three times a day, but that just doesn't happen. Not only that, there are countless numbers of Pagans who freely admit to having performed harmful or manipulative magic, and never having anything bad coming back upon them as a result. In some magical traditions, hexing and cursing is considered as routine as healing and protecting -- and yet members of those trads don't seem to receive negativity back upon them every single time. According to Wiccan author Gerina Dunwich, if you look at the Law of Three from a scientific perspective it is not a law at all, because it is inconsistent with the laws of physics.

Why the Law of Three is Practical
No one likes the idea of Pagans and Wiccans running around flinging curses and hexes willy-nilly, so the Law of Three is actually quite effective in making people stop and think before they act. Quite simply, it's the concept of cause and effect. When crafting a spell, any competent Wiccan or Pagan is going to stop and think about the end results of the working. If the possible ramifications of one's actions will likely be negative, that may make us stop to say, "Hey, maybe I better rethink this a bit." Although the Law of Three sounds prohibitive, many Wiccans see it instead as a useful standard to live by. It allows one to set boundaries for oneself by saying, "Am I prepared to accept the consequences -- be they good or bad -- for my deeds, both magical and mundane?" As to why the number three -- well, why not? Three is known as a magical number. And really, when it comes to paybacks, the idea of "three times revisited" is fairly ambiguous. If you whack someone in the nose, does it mean you'll get your own nose punched three times? No, but it could mean you'll show up at work, your boss will have heard about you bopping someone's schnoz, and now you're fired because your employer won't tolerate brawlers --- certainly this is a fate which could be, to some, considered "three times worse" than getting hit in the nose.

Other Interpretations
Some Pagans use a different interpretation of the Law of Three, but still maintain that it prevents irresponsible behavior. One of the most sensible interpretations of the Rule of Three is one that states, quite simply, that your actions affect you on three separate levels: physical, emotional, and spiritual. This means that before you act, you need to consider how your deeds will impact your body, your mind and your soul. Not a bad way to look at things, really. Another school of thought interprets the Law of Three in a cosmic sense -- what you do in this lifetime will be revisited upon you three times more intently in your next life. Likewise, the things that are happening to you this time around, be they be good or bad, are your paybacks for actions in previous lifetimes. If you accept the concept of reincarnation, this adaptation of the Law of Threefold Return may resonate with you a little more than the traditional interpretation. In some traditions of Wicca, coven members initiated into upper degree levels may use the Law of Threefold Return as a way of giving back that which they receive -- in other words, what other people do to you, you are permitted to return threefold, whether it's good or bad. Ultimately, whether you accept the Law of Three as a cosmic morality injunction or simply a part of life's little instruction manual, it is up to you to govern your own behaviors, both mundane and magical. Accept personal responsibility, and always think before you act.
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Re: Klia's Book of Shadows

Post by Klia »

Phases of the Moon
The Moon phase must be taken into account whenever working magick or Wiccan spell-casting.
Each phase of the Moon has its own energy, and its own Power. When spell-casting, the more you can align with the flow of Universal Energy, the more powerful your Wiccan spells will be. The phases of the Moon become crucial information to a magickal Witch.


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Moon Phase Magic

New Moon Magic
New Moon workings can be done from the day of the new moon to three-and-a-half days after. The new moon is for starting new ventures, new beginnings. Also love and romance, health or job hunting. Optimism, hope and faith.


Waxing Moon Magic
From seven to fourteen days after the new moon.The waxing moon is for constructive magic, such as love, wealth, success, courage, friendship, luck and health. Accomplishments, creativity, strength, growth and learning, and positive transformation.


Full Moon Magic
From fourteen to seventeen-and-a-half days after the new moon. Prime time for rituals for prophecy, protection, divination. Any working that needs extra power, such as help finding a new job or healing for serious conditions, can be done now. Also, love, knowledge, legal undertakings, money, and dreams. Abundance, harvest, wish-fulfillment, manifesting desires, sexuality, and achieving all.


Waning Moon Magic
From three-and-a-half to ten-and-a-half days after the full moon.The waning moon is used for banishing magic, for ridding oneself of addictions, illness or negativity. Letting go, clearing away, cleansing, releasing, shedding old patterns, undoing bindings, opening up problem-knots, and making space.


Dark Moon Magic
From ten-and-a-half to fourteen days after the full moon. The dark moon is a time for ridding oneself of bad habits, Binding spells, for exploring our darkest recesses and understanding our angers and passions. Also bringing justice to bear. Rest, peace, deep wisdom, divination, contacting the guru within, and letting things die away completely.

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Moon Water

When the moon is full it's time for make moon water. When its available water from a rushing river or brook is nice, however like most of us, we do not have that flowing freely in our back yards so a good substitute is bottled spring water. Fill a clear jar or bottle with spring water and set it outside where the light of the full moon will shine on it. Leave it there as long as the moon is out. Ask the Goddess to bless the water with her light and love. Now be sure to bring it in before day break, and keep it tightly closed whenever not in use.

This water will be used in all rituals and spells that require water. When the next full moon comes, pour the remaining water in the grass or a garden (don't pour it down the drain) and prepare to make a fresh batch.


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Full Moon Names

Each full moon has its own name and a unique seasonal aspect associated with the wheel of the year. It is celebrated in Esbat rituals. The name given to each moon applies to the whole cycle of the moon, from its dark beginning to its dark ending. With so many moon names for each month to pick from, it can be hard to decide what to call each month’s moon. Use the following names given below, chosen to link that moon to its season.

January Ice Moon
February Snow Moon
March Plough Moon
April Seed Moon
May Flower Moon
June Meadow Moon
July Hay Moon
August Corn Moon
September Harvest Moon
October Leaf Moon
November Frost Moon
December Night Moon
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Re: Klia's Book of Shadows

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Still in progress...

Why I Love Paganism

1. It is not just a religion but a way of life. There are spiritual things in and around use every day to remind us that life is beautiful and that there is a reason why we are here.

2.There is an appreciation for balance. Female/Male; Goddess and a God. The Goddess created the God, so neither one is more important than the other. We have to have bad days/moods to appreciate the good days/moods. We have to have the not so good people to appreciate the good.

3. We treat everyone how we would like to be treated. Give people the benefit of the doubt; put yourself in their shoes; understand that everyone has their own battle, belief, and way of life. We appreciate people’s differences, making us more open minded and accommodating. Humans are not above animals or nature; we are one with the Earth and all connected and equal to each other.

4. The belief of Karma, both good and bad. If we key someone’s car, later on someone might hit/total my car. If I give to the homeless, I might later on find 5 dollars on the sidewalk. But we do not wait on karma or expect it. We live as we live, day by day, moment by moment.

5.The belief of optimism. The belief that when we look towards the good, we receive good. If we only see negative, we receive negative. The world is both good and bad, but thinking makes it so. We choose to be what we choose to see.

6. After death there is both Heaven and reincarnation. Our souls move onto a heaven to resolve any problems or troubles we died without fixing or understanding. We can choose to stay there or Be reincarnated into a human or animal in another life to further grow and learn more about life. We can even come back as a spirit to watch over people and the world.

7. There are spirits around us so we do not feel so alone. Whether it be in nature, animals, or people, everything and everyone has its own energy, spirit, and grace. We believe in angels and spirit guides to help our life be the best and most productive it can be.

8. There is no such thing as pure evil or a devil. Humans are born with blank slates and choose to be what they want to be. They are inspired by others and society. What they choose to do or believe is up to them. What they choose to do with negativity is up to them. Yes people do bad or immoral things, but everyone has beauty in them and may just need direction/help. A devil does not take over people’s bodies to make them do things he would want to happen. Hell is a fear tactic that we do not believe.

9. There is a separation between religion and politics. What governs our countries does not reflect our spiritual beliefs. Spirituality is a way of life, something that gives us hope, happiness, and reason. It is not used to convert or govern over people.

10. We do not believe in converting people. People find their own path and religion on their own or by the social opportunities. Our belief is not the one true way or the only way. People are free to choose their own path.

11. Things are not always meant to be. We can change our path, lifestyle, and choices. One slight move can change our life for better or worse. We are not destined or fated. What we do in this life determines our afterlife.

12. Every day is a reminder of my faith. The sun, moon phases, and seasons, show me birth, life, death, and rebirth. We need the moon, sun, sky, rain, trees, etc. to live on this Earth. We praise the things that help us survive, which were gifts from the Goddess and God. We take time to be thankful for changes that happen each month (Esbat), and be wishful for things to change in the next. With the different seasons (Sabbats), we acknowledge the reason why there are seasons: for our survival of different harvests.

13. The life, love, and death of our Goddess and God.Our Goddess created our God soon after her creation of the Earth. She is the Maiden, Mother, and Crone (Triple Goddess). These three phases are still only one Goddess, just with different outlooks, perspectives, and lifestyles. The God also has three phases: Father, Son, and Sage. The Goddess and God are immortal, though the God always dies – but is then reborn. When she is young and innocent, she is the Maiden. Every year, they marry and soon after, the God impregnates the Goddess with Himself, the Father. When the adult God dies, soon after He is born again as an infant, the Son. He is then raised by his mother, the Mother. He slowly ages and becomes elderly, the Sage. When He dies, She is the Crone and soon becomes the Maiden again.

14. Our rituals bring us closer to the Gods. We only allow positive energies into our circle, and that includes our self. We cleanse ourselves before we pray because the God and Goddess deserve cleanliness and respect. We spend our time in the circle because the God and Goddess deserve our respect and time. Some people believe the God and Goddess are equal to humans, I believe they are above us.
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Re: Klia's Book of Shadows

Post by __Oracle__ »

Thank you for posting , lots of useful information
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Re: Klia's Book of Shadows

Post by Klia »

You're welcome! Hope you've found stuff worth putting in your book of shadows!
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Re: Klia's Book of Shadows

Post by __Oracle__ »

I have just started out with my own book of shadows and their is tons of great information in here for me to use :-)
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Re: Klia's Book of Shadows

Post by Klia »

Awesome! I'll keep posting then!
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Re: Klia's Book of Shadows

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Prayers to the Goddess

I call upon you Goddess Divine,
I stand before your sacred shrine.
Spread your arms, let in the light,
I pray you'll help me do what's right.
Help me steer from what is wrong,
and any evils for which I long.
Help me live out every day,
according to your righteous way.
Let your voice ring loud and clear,
to comfort me of all my fears.
And if I ever shed a tear,
I pray Mother Goddess, that you'll be near.
Your guidance I need throughout this life,
I pray you'll never leave my side.
And when at times my faith is weak,
in you, Dear Mother, please let me seek.
I call upon you, Goddess Divine,
I stand before your sacred shrine.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Divine Mother of All there is, whose essence lies within us all and in all things.
Please fill this place with your sacred light and presence.
Please protect me and heal me.
Please bring me to wholeness and wisdom.
Make this a day of fresh starts, new beginnings.
Melt all obstacles in my path--gently, gracefully, lovingly.
Reconnect me to my highest self.
Awaken me to what I need to know next.
Let my higher self select and connect with the divine energy that is right for me, right now.
May I be uplifted and empowered by your Love.
So be it and so it is.
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Re: Klia's Book of Shadows

Post by Klia »

Yule
Yule is the celebration of Midwinter. The Winter Solstice is the longest night of the year, when the Sun King is re-born to light the world, to free it from the chilling grip of winter. Traditionally a time of getting together, parties and festivities. In the past, villages and towns were often cut off from one another, going through the harsh part of winter alone. Yule was the hope which people hung on to, the hope for the return of warm weather and planting seasons. When Yule arrived, with it was cause for celebration, the source of life was re-emerging from darkness

The Goddess at Yule
At Winter Solstice, the Goddess is seen as the Mother. The Dark Mother, Mother Night, Mother Winter. Just as death is followed by re-birth, the Crone Goddess of Samhain becomes the Mother who gives birth to the Sun. The Dark Mother is the giver of gifts and the teacher of lessons. She gives her gifts and her love freely to her children, without limitations. We don't have to earn them. We don't have to "deserve" them. We simply receive them. We are worthy because we are.

The God at Yule
The gifts of the Mother are brought by the God, the Bring of Gifts. He is the one who carries them into the world to be used and enjoyed. Old and tired by the longest night, the God goes to sleep in the arms of the Goddess and is re-born at dawn as the Sun, and fresh possibilities are re-born in us all. He brings all of your hopes and wishes and dreams for the coming year with him. From him we learn to rest and be renewed when we are tired, and to trust, especially when life seems hard, that change will come.

The Altar
The Altar at Yule centers around the Sun. A yellow candle, a picture, or a figurine can be used to represent the Sun. White Altar coverings are common, representing the snow covering the sleeping earth. Pine Cones and nuts represent the sleeping earth A Yule log, made from last year's tree, with a hole whittled in it holds the yellow candle representing the sun.

Meditations
Traditionally, Yule is associated with the longest night of the year, the hope of return of the sun and light, rebirth. In you meditations, you may want to think about how you might like to invite light, hope, and energy back into the world and your life.


Imbolc
Imbolc or Candlemas (also known as Brighid's day or Bride's day) is the Holiday that marks the sun's growing strength. We begin to see the days grow longer. In many places, we observe the first signs of spring. Imbolc is the time of initiation, the time of beginning. We look forward to spring and summer, preparing for the activities done in the warm time of year. We order seeds from catalogs and make vacation plans. Imbolc is a time for weather magic and divination, as evident in the tradition of "Groundhog Day".

The Goddess at Imbolc
At this time of year, the Goddess is the teacher, the midwife, the foster mother. We see Her as Brighid, the Irish Goddess of the holy well and the sacred flame. (Her name can also be spelled Bridgid,Brigid, Bridhde, Bride, or Brigit.) All life depends on water. Water that comes from the earth in springs and wells is especially precious. Since the Goddess is the living earth, wells and springs are her lifeblood. We drink from pure sources and feel refreshed. Fire is energy, warmth, the spark of life itself. Fire keeps us warm, and cooks our food. Just as the returning warmth of the sun and the spring rains awaken (heal) the earth, causing it to give forth life once again, the influence of the Goddess heals us, inspires us, awakens the creativity within us. She is the Goddess of Poetry.

The God at Imbolc
In Irish mythology, Brighid was the daughter of the Daghda (DYE-dah or DOW-dah), meaning "The Good God". Daghda is the God of abundance, food, and plenty. He is seen as a giant, a big man who carries a big club, which stands for both life and death. Shaped like the new shoots pushing out of the earth, it can also hit you over the head and kill you! The Daghda reminds us that life and death are always linked. The Daghda is the powerful life of the earth itself that begins to reawaken under the rays of the growing sun. The giant figure of the Daghda reminds us that the earth is bigger and more powerful than we are. Just as Brighid is the Goddess of the Poetry, the God as this time of year is also the Poet, whose words of power can bring healing or change the future, the guardian of secret knowledge.

The Altar
A bowl of water is a necessity for your Imbolc altar. You can collect rain water during the year that you bless and use as holy water in rituals. Collecting samplings of water from places visited would also be most appropriate. Also on the altar: Many, many candles! Also, a Brighid's Cross (woven from wheat) and pictures or symbols of fire and water.

Cleansing
Imbolc is the time for Spring cleaning. It is time to clear out the dust and cobwebs and prepare our homes, and ourselves, for the activity and growth that come during the spring season. This will take several days. Allow about a week, ending with the final ritual on the day of Imbolc.

Cleanse your Home
First, physically. Use vinegar and mugwort to wash your windows and mirrors. Sweep down cobwebs and dust under books. Throw away all prosperity and protections charms that are dusty and old. Dust and polish all wooden hex signs, witch bottles and other ritual objects. Next, psychically. Light a smudge stick (sage and lavender) and let the smoke reach every corner of your house. Blow the smoke behind doors, under furniture, even down drains! Open the windows and wave the smoke outside, taking the negative energy with it. Next, sprinkle holy (blessed) water around, followed by salt. Anoint wooden, bone and antler ritual items with appropriate oils.

Cleanse Yourself
Take a ritual bath. Fill the tub with lavender salts or oils. Soak for as long as you like, allowing all negative energy to soak away. Scrub your nails, your hair, every place you can think of. As the water drains from the tub, visualize it carrying away all the negativity from you, leaving you fresh and clean, psychically as well as physically.

The Final Ritual
Cast a circle in your ritual space. Use Lavender oils or buds to create scent, filling the room. Think about the areas of your life that you would want to be calmer, peaceful. Ask the Goddess for ideas to create that peace. Add frankincense and Dragon's Blood to the scents, again filling the room. Think about what you want to strengthen in your life. Ask for ideas to create that. Decide what you can do to create peace and strength in your life and create a plan whereby you can do this without stress. Thank the Goddess for her presence and inspiration. Share a cup of ginger tea and a piece of cinnamon toast with Her. Close the circle.


Ostara
Ostara is the celebration of the Spring (Vernal) Equinox when day and night balance. Astronomically, the sun crosses the celestial equator at this time. Held in late March, the actual date can vary from year-to-year as with the Autumnal Equinox and the two Solstices. The Vernal Equinox usually falls on March 20 or 21. Always check your almanac for your time zone. Called Ostara after the Saxon Goddess Eostre, this is a time of renewal, regeneration and resurrection as the Earth wakes from her long slumber. This is the time of planting, children, and young animals.
It is the fertility of the Earth that we celebrate, and we symbolize this new life springing from sun and soil with eggs, chicks, lambs, and rabbits (all symbols of the Great Mother). Ostara promises freedom from the dreariness of winters, it heralds the return of hope and dreams. With the days lengthening, we fill our lungs with fresh air and drink the pungent cleansing teas that clear our bodies from the heavy foods of winter

The Goddess at Ostara
Eostre is the Goddess of dawn and new beginnings. Her name is similar to the word for the Christian Easter, because that holiday took its name from the ancient Pagan Goddess of Spring and rebirth. Another name in the same family is Ishtar, the Babylonian Goddess of the forming and evening stars. Eostre's sacred animal is the rabbit or hare. Rabbits bear young in the springs, and have come to represent fertility and abundance. Hares, which are bigger and wilder than rabbits, have long been identified with magic, the springs, and the mysteries. Hares are associated with the moon - the ancients saw the "rabbit in the moon", today known as the "man in the moon". The other Goddess we associates with the Spring Equinox is Kore or Persephone, daughter of Demeter, the Greek Goddess of grain and growing things. In the Spring, Persephone comes back from the Underworld to be reunited with her mother. A part of the Goddess that has been sleeping all winter reawakens with the warming of the ground of springs. She who has been mother, midwife, and teacher through the winter now welcomes back her own daughter-self, the Maiden of Springs. At this time of balance the Goddess is Mother and Daughter both.

The God at Ostara
The God of Springs is the young God, playful and joyful, the trickster. He is the spirit of everything that is joyful, light, and changeable. Born at Winter Solstice, nurtured at Imbolc, now he's like a young and mischievous child, still wild and new. He is raw, creative energy that has not yet been harnessed, tamed, civilized. He sees with clear eyes and does not hesitate to announce that the emperor is naked. He deflates the pompous and laughs at self-importance. The trickster is an important spirit power in many earth-based cultures. To many of the Native American tribes, he is Coyote. To the First Nations of the Northwest Coast, he is Raven, who creates the world. In parts of West Africa, he is Elegba, the small child-God who as a point of light constantly runs circles around the universe. To early African-Americans, he is Brer Rabbit, who tricks his way out of trouble. In European earth-based traditions, he is the Fool of the Tarot, who leaps blithely off a cliff as he follows a butterfly, yet always lands on his feet, because he takes himself lightly. He is spirit taking the plunge into matter, idea manifesting as form. He is Robin Goodfellow, shape shifter and wood sprite, child of the Faery King. He comes to us in the springs when all of nature is shifting and changing: seeds poking out sprouts, butterflies emerging from cocoons, tadpoles growing legs and turning into frogs. We celebrate him on the Spring Equinox, but of course, his proper holiday comes shortly after, on April Fool's Day. In his honor, we play tricks on one another.

The Altar
The altar for springs includes images of rabbits and birds, eggs of all sorts, nests, flowers, and living plants. If you like to keep your altar up for a long time, blow your eggs after you've colored them. Take a small branch from a tree and hang the eggs from it. Start some seeds, to be planted out in the garden, and let your seed trays become the basis for your altar. Water them every day, talk to them, and watch them grow.

Flowers
What better day to decorate for the springs season than with the flowers that blossom at this time? They are abundant and beautiful. Daffodils, jonquils, tulips, narcissus, violets and crocus and snowdrops - fill the house with their color after you've finished your spring cleaning.

Meditations
Take regular walks around your neighborhood, looking and listening for signs of spring: the fattening leaf buds on trees, the first flowers of spring, the first Robin. Think about the Earth's movement toward greater light and less darkness.



Beltane
Beltane is the great spring holiday of the Goddess. Halfway around the year from Samhain, when we honor out beloved dead, Beltane is the festival that celebrates all of the living world: plants, animals, and human beings. On both occasions, the veil between the worlds is said to be thin, and is no more unusual to see the fairies near Beltane, than it is to see the spirits of the dead at Samhain. Beltane is a time of Faerie Magic and the Queen of faeries is represented by the Queen of the May. Along with her consort, she rules over the festivities and serves as representative of the Goddess.
In most temperate climates, flowers are now in bloom, trees are in blossom or in full leaf, and gardens are beginning to grow. All of the hibernating animals are fully awake. The birds have nested and settled down to raise their brood. Beltane is the Holiday of fertility. For Pagans, one of the great gifts of the Goddess is the power of the earth to grow wonderful flowers and fruits and all the things we eat. We are thankful fu the fertility of the earth, and our job is to keep the land and the soil healthy, to protect the animals and plants and trees so that fertility can continue. The earth is a living being, and all of her creatures are part of her body. Each has a place, a purpose, a special part in the great dance of life.
On Beltane, we also celebrate all the different kinds of human fertility and creativity. We give thanks for the power women and men have to make babies, to bring new people into the world. But people can create in other ways as well. When we paint pictures, make up songs, tell new stories, plant a garden, or cook a dinner, we take part in the fertility of the Goddess.
Beltane is also the time when we celebrate the joys of being alive. We give thanks for all the different kinds of pleasure our bodies give us, for without our bodies we couldn't see, hear, touch, taste, smell, run, dance, jump, sing, dance, or swim. Adults celebrate sexual pleasure at Beltane. For Pagans, the good, loving feelings that people can give each other with their bodies are special gifts of the Goddess. When we give each other love and pleasure, the whole earth is pleased.
But sexual pleasure, like anything of power, must come at the right time and in the right way, when we have grown ready for it. Children's bodies are constantly growing and changing and they need time to get to know them to enjoy the things they are able to do as they mature. So, Beltane is a good time for children to celebrate all the things they can do that they couldn't do before, and to run, jump, play games, climb trees, dance, turn somersaults and cartwheels or do anything that makes them glad they have a body.
Of course, bodies are different. People come in all shapes and sizes and colors. Not everyone can leap or dance, walk, see or hear. Beltane is also a time to admit that sometimes our bodies let us down. We get sick or hurt. Sometimes we well sad and angry about the things we cannot do.
Pagans believe that, just as the different plants and animals each have a special purpose in the web of life, so do the different kinds of people. That's why we should never mock people because of how they look or what they can or cannot do. People who cannot walk or see or hear or who have some other difference, have been given a special challenge in this life by the Goddess. Many things may be harder for them, but other things may be easier. And the harder the challenges we face, the more we can grow in our inner power.
In ancient times Bel-fires were lit on hilltops to celebrate the return of life and fertility to the world. Jumping over the fire could ensure safe delivery of a pregnant woman, spring spouses to young people, grant traveling a safe journey, ensure health, and bring about conception for a barren woman.
Beltane is a time of chaos, of the wild energy and passion found in the Greenwood. Be careful when you walk abroad on Beltane night - you never know when you're going to encounter.

The Goddess at Beltane
We have known the Goddess as Mother and as Daughter. At Beltane, She becomes the Lover of all living things. We could call her by some of the ancient names of the Love Goddess: Aphrodite, Astarte, Flora, Maia, Oshun. Many circles especially like to call her Queen Maeve, the Faery Queen, who comes riding forth from the Otherworld, the realm of dreams, imagination, spirits, and visions, to teach us how to move between the worlds. In Irish mythology, Maeve was a fierce and beautiful Goddess, who honored her husband, Aillil, because he was generous, brave, and not jealous. She was associated with the sacred hare, which brings both magic and inspiration.

The God at Beltane
At Beltane the God is the Green Man, God of all growing things. He too is the lover of all that lives, the protector of the wild things and the guardian of the forest. Often he is depicted as a leafy face peering out from the branches and foliage. He even appears in many old Christian churches, carved on pillars or decorating the altar screen. One of the Green Man's ancient names was Robin Hood, the huntsman who lives under the Greenwood Tree. You may be familiar with the stories of Robin Hood, bud did you know that he took his name from our ancient Pagan God? Robin Hood means "Rob in the Hood" - the hood worn by the Good People, the Faeries. He dressed in green and lived in the wilderness with his companions, who protected the poor and taught some hard lessons to the selfish and greedy.

The Altar
The altar for Beltane can be a simple arrangement of flowers in bloom at this time. May baskets can be made of paper strips or created from existing baskets. Branches of Hawthorne (the May tree) or oak leaves and branches (sacred to Robin Hood) can form a green background. You might also want to include pictures of the Fair Folk. And be sure to set out a bowl of milk or cream for them at night.


Litha
Litha: the summer solstice; the festival of growth. Litha is the season of expansion, when the crops burgeon forth. We forget winters cares and spend our days basking under the brilliant light. The Summer Solstice brings us the longest day of the year - the zenith of the Sun King, and also His death as the Holly King dethrones him and takes reign over the now waning year. From now until Yule, the light will fade into darkness. This is the time of lovers and gardeners. The rutting fervor of Beltane has deepened into the passionate eroticism that grows when partners become familiar with one anothers rhythms and moods. It is the love between those committed by heart as well as body. It is also the love of parents for their children (be they two- or four-legged!). Everywhere we look, ripeness spills out from field and forest. Litha is the height of the Divine Marriage, then the Oak King falls, His vigor and prime giving way to the sagacity of the Holly King, even as the Goddess prepares Herself for harvest and Cronehood.

The Goddess at Litha
At the Summer Solstice, the Goddess is the Generous Mother, Freya, Flora, Habondia, she who gives life and fruitfulness to all her children. Everything in nature is generous - otherwise we could not live. The apple tree makes hundreds of apples every year, when only one seed in one apple would be enough to reproduce the tree. Bees make honey so that the hive can survive the winter, but they keep on working all summer long, storing enough to share. Life could exist without climbing roses, striped butterflies, songbirds, raspberries, or wildflowers, but the Goddess keeps making new forms of beauty for us to enjoy. The Goddess at Summer Solstice gives us not just what we need, but extra. We can feel close to her by being generous, giving more than were asked to give, and doing more than just our fair share. That way, we make abundance for all. The rose is the Goddesss symbol at this time of year. Roses bloom abundantly in June, and we can take joy in their sweet scent and the lovely colors of their petals.

The God at Litha
All through the first half of the year, since his birth at the Winter Solstice, the God has been growing into this life in the visible, tangible world. Now, at the Summer Solstice, he transforms. The daylight is longest and strongest at this time, but now the power of night must begin to grow again. Everything and everyone who fulfills their purpose must change. The God dies in this world in order to be born into the Otherworld. Before, he was awake in this world and asleep in the Dreamworld. Now he becomes the Dreamer, asleep in this world but awake in the world of dreams and visions, the seed of what will come to be in this world. He becomes the Messenger, carrying our hopes and prayers to the spirit realms. The God is also the partner of the Goddess, bringing abundance to all of nature. He is Lugh, the Sun God, and he is the ancient power of life who was known simply as the Good God, Keeper of the Crops, provider for his people.

The Altar
At the Summer Solstice, the family altar can be covered with flowers, especially roses. On or around the altar, you might also place things you have completed and let go of, or are trying to let go of. Add any fist fruits of the season and, of course, images of the sun, sunflowers, and other symbols of the holiday. You might have a special section on the altar for things to give away. Take one thing off your won altar and bring it to the family altar, or find something special to contribute. Let the things stay during the holiday season to soak up blessings, then give them away before Lughnasadh rolls around!

Midsummer Fires
Instead of nine sacred woods being used, these are kindled of oak and fir. The midsummer fires were used much like the balefires, to hex the cattle for health and safety, to drive away baneful influences and they also represented the power of the sun at its zenith.


Lammas
The festival of sacrifice, Lugnasadh (pronounced Loo'-na-sah) is the Celtic festival dedicated to the God Lugh, the Long Handed, who is associated with light and fire. He festival is also considered to be the first harvest, the harvest of the grain, and is linked to the God (or Spirit) of the Corn. Summer is at its height, but already the days are growing shorter and we know that autumn is on its way. This is the season to think about our hopes and fears. We hope that we will be able to pick and eat all the things we worked so hard to grow - but a lot could still happen, storms, drought.
To harvest we must cut down the plants we have tended so carefully. We mourn and grieve for the spirit of the grain. We honor them because they give us life.


The Goddess at Lammas
This is the season that the Goddess becomes the Mother of the Harvest. She is strong, her face dark from the sun and wind. He carries a scythe and a basket of fruits, vegetables and ears of corn. She knows that in order to eat bread we must cut the grain. In fact, is we didn't cut it, it would die anyway, for that is the only way next year's grain can grow. We can call on the Harvest Mother when we have difficult decisions to make or hard tasks to perform. We must face our fears of failing, of losing the harvest, or making mistakes. She gives us the strength to do what must be done, to tell the truth, even when it hurts, and to say no to things that are not right. She loves us, her children, and her gifts are food, abundance, and plenty. Everything we need to live and grow. She is hope as well as fear. When there is something special we hope for, we can ask her help. But, remember, she expects us to work for what we want! We honor the Harvest Mother whenever we don't take the easy way out, when we do what is right, when we face fear and continue on ahead, when we work hard and wait patiently for rewards.

The God at Lammas
The God of this season is Lugh (Loo). He is also called Samildanach - the Many Skilled. He is the God of all the arts and skills. At this time of year, when we can feel the sun begin to wane and the days grow shorter we say the God is already halfway into the Otherworld. He is in the realm where ideas are born, where dreams and inspiration come from Spirit and be brought into our world of day and night by our work, our skill and our art. In his honor, games in champions would test their skills and strength were held by the ancients. Lugh is also a sun God. He is called Lugh of the Long Hand or Long Arm - the long rays of the sun as it sinks lower in the sky at this time of year. He is always reaching out to us with warmth and comfort. We can feel close to the God at this season by practicing our skills, making art, playing music.

The Altar
The Altar should have on it some of the first fruits, grains, and Vegetables that are now ripening. You can add things that represent your skills: a book, a drawing, even a hammer! Bread you have baked in the figure of the Sun or a man (to represent the God) could also be used for the Simple Feast during ritual. Corn Dollies, symbolic of the Goddess, are appropriate as well. One section of the altar can represent your hopes. Look for pictures in magazines and make a hope card. Another section of the altar can be for your fears. Draw pictures of them, fold them up, and, as part of your ritual, burn the pictures and release your fears. Have you and/or your ancestors been part of a struggle for justice? What struggles going on in the world right now could use some help from Lugh's spear? Put something on the altar to represent those struggles.


Mabon
Mabon, the Fall Equinox, is our harvest celebration. As during the Spring Equinox is is a time of balance between dark and light. But now, we are moving from light to darkness, from warmth to cold. We gather the harvest of summer and prepare for the winter ahead.

The Goddess at Mabon
At Mabon, The Mother of the Harvest becomes the Old One, the wise grandmother who teaches us to rest after our labors. In ancient Greece, the Goddess of the season was both Demeter, who can be generous with her gifts, or hold them back as she mourns for her daughter, and Persephone, who goes into the underworld to return again. In the British Isles, the ancient name for the Goddess of this time was Modron, which simply means "Mother". Sometimes she was pictured as a trio of women, each seated on a throne. Together, they were called the Mothers. They were responsible for abundance and sustaining the life of the people In the Celtic myths, is is Modron's son who is stolen away into the Underworld. Whenever we feed the hungry, we honor the Mothers.

The God at Mabon
This Holiday takes its name from the God Mabon. He was called "Mabon, son of Modron," which means "Son, Son of the Mother." He is such an ancient God that most of the stories about him have been lost. All we know is that he was stolen away from his mother when he was only three nights old and imprisoned until he was rescued by King Arthur's companions. Because Mabon knows what it is like to be imprisoned, he is also the God of freedom. He frees animals from their cages and loosens the bonds of all those unjustly imprisoned. He protects all things wild and free. His totem animals are the owl, blackbird, stag, eagle and salmon. We honor Mabon when we protect the wild things, animals and when we work for freedom for all people.

The Altar
The Mabon altar is simple. Make an arrangement of some of the things harvested that will keep for a few weeks: winter squash, dried corn, herbs, pumpkins. If you haven't harvested anything yourself, this is a good time to go to a farmers' market or a pick-your-own farm and choose what you want on the altar. Autumn leaves, a bouquet of late-blooming flowers, picture or figurines of animals are good additions, as well. If you know any stories of people who have been imprisoned for their beliefs, their religion or race, you can put their pictures on the altar.


Samhain
Known to most as "Halloween: Samhain is the time that the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead is the thinnest. In ancient times it was believed that this is the time that our ancestors would return to visit us, to give help and advice. People set out lights in hollowed-out turnips to guide the spirits of the dead (the fore-runners of the modern Jack-o-lanterns) and put out food as an offering (which evolved to the modern tradition of "trick-or-treating").
Pagans are not afraid of the spirits of the dead. They are our friends and family. They are our ancestors who gave us life. We call them our "beloved dead". Death is a natural part of life, in fact, a gift of the Goddess. If nobody died, there would be no room for new things to be born, not change or growth.
Nobody really knows what happens when they die. Most Pagans believe that our spirits live on in one way or another while our bodies return to the elements and sustain other lives. There are many beautiful names for the place where our spirits go: Summerland (the place that is always summer and never winter), Tir n'a Nob (The Irish "Land of the Youth" where spirits grow younger and younger until they are young enough to be reborn) , Avalon (the Isle of Apples, where the dead wander in the orchards of the Goddess, where the trees bear fruit and flowers at the same time), and Heaven (where streets are paved with gold, and the spirits are transformed into angles and spend eternity in the presence of God). However we imagine this place, it is a place of peace and rest where we stay for a time until we are ready to be reborn again, perhaps as an animal or a tree or as another person. In each life we learn new lessons, so our spirits are always growing wiser.
Samhain is also our New Year's Day. It may seem strange to have a new year begin in the fall, when the days are growing shorter and colder. But death and birth are two sides of the same coin. It is the time of death and the time of new beginnings, when we think about hope and change and what the next year will bring.

The Goddess at Samhain
The aspect of the Goddess at Samhain is the Crone. The Crone is the Old one, who teaches us wisdom and helps us let go when we need to change and grow. Growing older means losing something as well as gaining something. The Crone teaches us that letting go is a natural part of life. When we let go, we make space for something new, just as when a person dies, they make room for another person to be born. When we let go of the old year, let it die, we make room for the new year to be born. The time between Samhain and Winter Solstice (Yule) is the waiting time, like when a babe is in the womb, not yet ready to be born. We don't yet know what the new year will bring, but we can dream, and imagine, and plan! We can feel close to the Crone at this time of year by spending some time with an older person. Visit your grandparents, or an elderly neighbor, who can tell you stories about their life. Knit or Crochet blankets to donate to a retirement home at Yule.

The God at Samhain
The aspect of the God at Samhain is the Horned God, the stag whose antler are fully developed. In ancient times, people depended on hunting for their food. The Horned God was the God of the hunt, and he represents the animal that gives its life so we can be fed. Today, most of us buy our meat at the store, and some of us are vegetarians. But even the vegetables and grains were once alive. The Horned God reminds us that our lives are gifts given to us by other living beings. Because all food is a gift of a life, it is sacred. We treat food with respect. We feel close to the Horned God by stopping for a moment before eating, to thank the plants and animals that have given their lives to be our food. We also say thanks for the work of all those who grew and harvested that food.

The Altar
The Altar at Samhain can be covered with a black or orange cloth. Upon it, pictures of our beloved dead and things that remind us of them are very appropriate. Symbols of the season, such as pumpkins, pomegranates, gourds, Indian corn and fallen leaves make wonderful and beautiful decorations.

Contacting the Dead
Most Pagans consider contacting the dead a risky proposal, at best. We do so only when absolutely necessary. Contacting the dead can be disruptive to your psyche. While some spirits involve themselves in our world as guides and mentors, others remain connected in more negative ways. Spirits need to be free to move on and we can best help them by leaving them alone. Death is a transition, signaling movement from one realm to another, and it's risky, and rude, to disturb them. Samhain is one of the few exceptions to this rule, but even at this time, we do not hold seances or call up spirits who do not want to be disturbed. During this time we invite those whom we wish to remember to be part of our celebrations IF they choose to join us, but we never coerce.

Divination
The three days surrounding Samhain are the most potent times of the year for divination and scrying. Since the veil between worlds is thinnest, we can see easily into the realms of spirit and faerie.
"The will to do, the soul to dare is yours for the taking if you prepare."
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Klia
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Re: Klia's Book of Shadows

Post by Klia »

Raising Energy
by Spring Wolf’s Pagan Path


Raising Energy
Everything in life has energy. It binds us, connects us and works with or against us. Magick is merely the science of energy manipulation. The energy you work with is created by you, and then manipulated to your intent.
There are of course many ways to raise energy for workings, meditation or protection. When you light a candle for your next party, say a little prayer as you light the wick and ask the Divine, or your guides to help you create happy positive energy to benefit the success of your party. Nothing is trivial, and nothing is too big. You have an effect on the energy patterns of the universe, as an individual and especially as a group.
So how do you go about raising energy for your workings? Through concentration and visualization. It's that simple. Einstein said "Thought is energy. To create it, use your imagination." And that's really all there is to it.


Visualizing Balanced Energy
Any working you attempt should be done with a balance of upper and lower energy. Being too far "out there", is just as bad as being "too grounded". So here's an example of creating balanced energy.
1. Sit in a comfortable position. Close your eyes and say a prayer to ask your guides, teachers and your Divine force to assist you in this process.
2. Take in 3 very deep breaths. With each breath, imagine the white light of divine energy entering into your body through your nose and drifting down to your solar plexus (where your rib cage meets at the bottom of your chest.)
3. As you exhale through your mouth, imagine the gray smoke of all your stresses, anxieties and negative emotions going out into the universe where it will be dissipated and no longer do harm to anyone.
4. Now imagine a silver cord starting at your solar plexus and moving down your spine. See the cord travel through your root chakra and past the floor or ground, through the bedrock and down through the molten lava of the earth. Until the cord reaches the bright yellow glowing center core. See your cord plug into the core, like an electrical cord plugging into a wall socket.
i. Now see the energy of Mother Earth quickly traveling up your silver cord. Just before it enters your body, see it slow down and gently flow up your spine and into your solar plexus. With each breath, see the energy from Mother Earth grow and expand. See it grow until it pushes outside your body. Pushing any leftover stresses or anxieties out of your soul and being. Until you are fully engulfed in this pure yellow warm energy like a force field around your body.
ii. You can even push the energy further to include your working circle and tools you've set out to use for your ritual.
5. Now imagine a second silver cord starting at your solar plexus and moving up your spine. See the cord travel up your neck and out the top of your head, through your crown chakra. See it travel through the ceiling or up into the sky if you're outside. Watch it move upward through the atmosphere, past the moon and out into the Divine universe. Until the end of the cord cannot be seen any longer. Now imagine the Divine energy as a white series of lightning bolts attaching themselves to your cord. Energizing it and sending the electricity downward back toward you. You might picture this as a giant electrical tree, with many branches and limbs from the Divine traveling down to you.
i. Now see the energy of the Divine quickly traveling down your silver cord. Just before it enters your body, see it slow down and gently flow into your crown chakra and down your spine into your solar plexus. With each breath, see the energy from the Divine grow and expand. Intertwining with the energy of Mother Earth. Don't mix these energies into one color or substance. See them as separate energy flows working together in harmony.
ii. See the Divine energy grow just like you did for the Mother Earth energy, pushing outside your body. Pushing any leftover stresses or anxieties out of your soul and being. Until you are fully engulfed in this pure yellow warm energy like a force field around your body.
iii. You can do the same thing as before and see the energy push to the edges of your circle to engulf you working area and your tools.
6. Now you can use this energy to create the workings you had planned for this ritual. Imagine the energy flowing from your hands into whatever form you had planned. You might see it travel through your tools, into a cauldron for instance. Where it can energize your intent and your potions or spells.
7. Add your own energy to the process as well. Simply add a visualization for yourself, generating your own energy in your solar plexus and intertwining it with the other two. If you're conducting a healing, see this other cord of energy as a pure emerald green. If you're working is for financial issues, see the third cord as the same color of money in your area or country. For the U.S. see it as the same green as our money. You might even visualize a few "100" numbers floating within the green energy.
8. Don't forget to thank the Mother Earth and the Divine spirits for aiding you in this process.


Connecting With Guides and the Divine
Another way to increase your energies is to connect with the Divine and your personal Spirit Guides. You may want to conduct a ritual that will take on some of the aspects of your Spirit Animal Guide, or for facing an issue you and your Guides have been working on through meditations.

1. Sit in a comfortable position. Close your eyes and say a prayer to ask your guides, teachers and your Divine force to assist you in this process.
2. Take in 3 very deep breaths. With each breath, imagine the white light of divine energy entering into your body through your nose and drifting down to your solar plexus (where your rib cage meets at the bottom of your chest.)
3. As you exhale through your mouth, imagine the gray smoke of all your stresses, anxieties and negative emotions going out into the universe where it will be dissipated and no longer do harm to anyone.
4. Return to normal breathing. Create a ball of energy within yourself at your solar plexus. Chose a color you feel is appropriate to your working. See this ball as a container for your energy.
i. Say a short prayer and ask your Spirit Guides to come and assist you in your working. Imagine your Guide touching your solar plexus and moving some of their energy into your energy ball. See it as peaceful, loving and compassionate. Working "with" you to increase the energy ball and watch it grow.
ii. Next, say a prayer to your Divine force and ask that it work with you. State your purpose and intent of this ritual. Then with each breath see the divine energy coming in through your nose and traveling to your energy ball. Adding the Divine energy to yours. Continue this visualization until the ball is completely filled with energy.
5. Now watch the energy ball grow and expand until it pushes outside your body. Pushing the stresses and anxieties out of your body and soul. Until it fully engulfs your body, your circle and so on.
6. Now you can use this energy to create the workings you had planned for this ritual. Imagine the energy flowing from your hands into whatever form you had planned. You might see it travel through your tools, into a cauldron for instance. Where it can energize your intent and your potions or spells.
7. Don't forget to thank your Guides and the Divine spirits for aiding you in this process.




Raising a Cone of Power
A cone of power is often created with a group of people, but individuals can do this as well. You simply need to alter the process a little bit do connect with your spirit guides, instead of people standing next to you. Typically this process is lead by someone in the circle, so that everyone is generating their energy in unison and coordinating their efforts. This doesn't have to be a High Priest/Priestess or Shaman. It can be anyone who has a soothing compassionate way of speaking and leading the group through ritual. If you're the only one in the circle, and you're working with your guides, then you are the person giving the directions.

1. Standing or sitting in a circle, close your eyes and say a personal prayer to ask your guides, teachers and your Divine force to assist you in this process.
2. Take in 3 very deep breaths. With each breath, imagine the white light of divine energy entering into your body through your nose and drifting down to your solar plexus (where your rib cage meets at the bottom of your chest.)
3. As you exhale through your mouth, imagine the gray smoke of all your stresses, anxieties and negative emotions going out into the universe where it will be dissipated and no longer do harm to anyone.
4. Return to normal breathing. But with each breath, see the energy in your solar plexus grow and expand. Pushing outside your body and fully engulfing your body and spirit.
5. Now imagine this energy growing and connecting with the person standing next to you. And see their energy connecting with yours. See these as two separate energies, intertwining and working together.
6. Once your circle connection has been established, visualize a silver cord moving from your solar plexus up your spine and out the top of your head through the crown chakra. See your cord, and everyone else's joining above the circle in a single center point.
i. It doesn't have to be way over head. In fact some covens like to use special distances for the joining point. Such as 9 feet or 13 feet above the circle.
ii. Now imagine the energy from the circle joining at the center point and slowly start to spin clockwise. This is now your cone of power. Continue this visualization until the energy is spinning very quickly, creating its own vortex. Some people describe this as an upside down tornado.
7. When you're ready to send out the energy for your intent of this ritual, see the combined energy being beamed out through the top of the center point. Traveling to the location or to the intent this working was designed for.
8. Don't forget to thank each other, your Guides and the Divine spirits for aiding you in this process.
"The will to do, the soul to dare is yours for the taking if you prepare."
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