Messages In This Digest (10 Messages)
- 1.
- This week's moonscopes From: LadyHawk_Jax
- 2a.
- Re: Everyone! From: Lady Nightshayde
- 2b.
- Re: Everyone! From: Annette Breaux
- 2c.
- Re: Everyone! From: Lady Nightshayde
- 3a.
- Re: any help please From: Lady Nightshayde
- 3b.
- Re: any help please From: Lady Nightshayde
- 3c.
- Re: any help please From: Fran Wolfe-Johnson
- 4a.
- Re: Info on tools and postures please. From: Lady Nightshayde
- 4b.
- Re: Info on tools and postures please. From: Fran Wolfe-Johnson
- 5.
- **Topic Tag**, 9/4/2011, 12:00 am From: 13Witches@yahoogroups.com
Messages
- 1.
-
This week's moonscopes
Posted by: "LadyHawk_Jax" ladyhawk_jax@yahoo.com ladyhawk_jax
Sat Sep 3, 2011 9:13 am (PDT)
This Week's Moonscopes Forecast
For the week of Sept. 4 to Sept. 10
(Missed last week's forecast? Here it is.)
Sunday, Monday: the Moon is in Sagittarius
Traveling (especially longer distances), coming into contact with people who are not from your country of birth, and connecting with people who are from your birth country but are from an entirely different area than yours are three of the activities that can be highlighted when the Moon is in Sagittarius. This sign is about expanding your horizons, both in the mental world and in the external world.
Tuesday, Wednesday(*v/c-evening) : the Moon is in Capricorn
It's always nice when the sign Capricorn falls in the middle part of the week when people are already on a roll with projects and activities. Capricorn likes to accomplish whatever needs to be done and the Moon enjoys seeing someone take the reins and go with it, so to speak. Although the Moon is at home in the sign Cancer (which is opposite Capricorn on the zodiac chart wheel) and rules emotions, it also can represent a strong will and a stalwart power that is resolute when it comes to undertaking tasks.
Thursday, Friday, Saturday am: the Moon is in Aquarius
The planet Mercury bounces playfully out of the sign Leo on Friday and takes measured steps into analytical Virgo for a while. On these last couple of days this time around that the communication planet is in Leo and therefore opposite the Moon in Aquarius, balance and equilibrium are in the spotlight. Unique and perhaps mind-blowing ideals (Aquarius) and a multitude of fact-based ideas (Mercury) can actually blend, without charging into opposing corners, if everyone focuses on keeping things in a perspective of stability while at the same time allowing for originality.
Saturday pm: the Moon is in Pisces
Gentle reminders of things long past, things that are delightfully imagined, and things that are perhaps possible may drift into view this evening. It's a good time to wander through biographies or autobiographies of people in whom you have an interest, if for no other reason than to see how much alike human beings can be.
Check your astrology chart to find which house (section of your chart) has the current Moon sign on the cusp (the beginning edge) & apply Forecast information to that area of your life as well.
For example, the Moon is in Leo and one of the suggestions is to entertain - however Leo is located in the 12th house of your chart, which is an inward energy place...then have a small, quiet gathering. By contrast, if Leo is located in the 1st house of your chart, an outward energy place...have a party! Don't have an astrology chart? Click here .
It is interesting to note when the current Moon is in the same sign as your birth Moon and to see how the flavor of that day carries through the following 30 days.
Current Planet Positions:
Sun - Virgo, until Sept. 23
Mercury - Virgo, until Sept. 26
(**retrograde into Leo Aug. 2-26, and staying in Leo until Sept. 9)
Venus - Virgo, until Sept. 15
Mars - Cancer, until Sept. 19
Jupiter - Taurus, until June 12, 2012
Saturn - Libra, until Oct. 6, 2012
Uranus - Aries, until Mar. 6, 2019
(Taurus, May 16, 2018-Nov. 7, 2018)
Neptune - Aquarius, until Feb. 4, 2012
Pluto - Capricorn, until Nov. 20, 2024
Current Asteroid Positions:
Ceres - Pisces, until Jan. 20, 2012
Pallas - Aquarius, until Feb. 13, 2012
Juno - Libra, until Oct. 26
Vesta - Aquarius, until Dec. 21
Chiron - Pisces, until Apr. 22, 2018
Current Asteroid Transits:
Ceres - Harvest the core basics of spiritual beliefs or philosophies.
Pallas - A practical application of information is the best approach.
Juno - Protocol and social practices are highlighted.
Vesta - Personal desires are mixed together with personal responsibilities.
Chiron - Transcend wounds and negativity through compassion.
Love, Light and Abundant Blessings,
LadyHawk
- 2a.
-
Re: Everyone!
Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99
Sat Sep 3, 2011 2:03 pm (PDT)
Hello Everyone !
I just wanted to tell everyone that I know to have a wonderful Labor Day Weekend
Gae, a very happy Labor Day weekend to you as well.
The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.
Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/13Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/Whispering Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/MagickalMe als/
http://groups.yahoo/group/ NightshaydesNews
- 2b.
-
Re: Everyone!
Posted by: "Annette Breaux" annettebreaux@yahoo.com annettebreaux
Sat Sep 3, 2011 2:34 pm (PDT)
Thanks, trying to stay dry. TS Lee is on his way.
Annette
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- 2c.
-
Re: Everyone!
Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99
Sat Sep 3, 2011 2:51 pm (PDT)
Thanks, trying to stay dry. TS Lee is on his way.
Annette
Please be careful.
The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.
Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde
- 3a.
-
Re: any help please
Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99
Sat Sep 3, 2011 2:13 pm (PDT)
I am the kind of person who works on their own with anything and so I would like some step by step instructions on how I can start my path that I have choosen but I am a little nervous that I may do something wrong I have most of the items needed for doing rituals, spells etc but I think I need a little support from others from the group.
This may help:
Facing Your Fear
You have your candles picked out and a place away from distractions. You have your book of ritual. You're ready to go except for one little thing that keeps gumming up the works: you haven't dealt with your fear.
Fear is the emotion that made you wait six months until you felt comfortable buying a black candle. Fear made you hide all your altar materials, even though you live alone and only entertain your cat and your goldfish. Fear led you to store your Tarot cards in the freezer.
Since this article assumes you're new to experiments in spiritual development, we'll also assume that you haven't crossed the maxim "let it flow and let it go" when dealing with any really strong motivating or un-motivating emotion.
This essay isn't about psychology and facing old resentments toward parents--leave that to professionals. This is about finding a way to ease into ritual so that you can start experimenting within your chosen path. Reading about magic and earth worship is all fine and well, but if you don't add experience, a lot of that learning can go for naught.
Fear can prevent you from exploring rituals. For some, it even prevents reading about Paganism for fear of "going to hell" for witnessing "forbidden" information. Fear can prevent people from finishing rituals in process. Worst of all, it can prevent you from working through a valid learning experience.
The reason why this happens is similar to the reasons most of us survive a bedwetting phase as children. We're afraid of the unknown; crossing into ritual practice means possibly raising the monster that used to live under our beds--and he doesn't just want toenail clippings anymore. We fear failure: what if disaster happens when we mispronounce a syllable? Will the cat turn into a puma and the house burn down? Will we have to face the embarrassment of doing this silly ritual only to find it doesn't work, and end up feeling even more foolish? These fears can't be blamed on all the times we had to wake our parents to change the sheets--they can be roundly and cheerfully blamed on society. Once you're finished blaming your favorite targets and feel better, go on to the next paragraph.
Getting rid of fear doesn't do much good. Facing and conquering fear or ignoring it like the pestiferous child it is probably creates more productive results, magically speaking.
Examine your fears and choose a method of coping. The methods generally involve emotional management. For example, when I first started practicing, my fear came from the strange sensations I felt from the energies I raised. I had to develop a way to find out if these energies were normal or something that I should, as a matter of self-preservation, avoid.
I handled my problem by practicing circle casting. I got to the point where I can meditate on the type of circle I want surrounding me and the same energy sensation that used to spook me surrounds and satisfies me, since it's exactly what I want.
Other methods of handling fear of performing rituals involve slow immersion, short rituals, and protection spells. The method depends on the person. If adjusting to energy sensations is the problem, try shorter rituals--even just casting a circle, calling the quarters, and promptly dismissing them. Once you are more comfortable, move onto actually "doing something" while in the circle. If you feel you have to do a ritual because some emergency arises where you have a driving need to use magic, a protection spell as a preliminary is the best "quickie" way to conquer fear available. Many protection spells are easily located both on the Internet and in Pagan material published. A protection spell gives assurance to the subconscious mind that what you are doing is safe, and reinforces, too, that you have made it safe for yourself.
If these suggestions don't give you the motivation you need to take that first step, then commune with your deity to face this problem, or in the words of a beloved pugnacious three year old, "Get over it!" Ritual involves experience. Experience includes fear. To grow spiritually and psychically, you must experience fear and somehow work with it. Ritual could be the first step.
by Diana Olsen,
copyright 2000
The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.
Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/13Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/Whispering Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/MagickalMe als/
http://groups.yahoo/group/ NightshaydesNews
-----Original Message-----
From: Jan Malone <magikalwitch@yahoo.co. >uk
To: 13Witches <13Witches@yahoogroups.com >
Sent: Fri, Sep 2, 2011 3:26 pm
Subject: [13Witches] any help please
Merry meet everyone, I am new to the craft an I am looking for some help on actually getting started,
I am the kind of person who works on their own with anything and so I would like some step by step instructions on how I can start my path that I have choosen but I am a little nervous that I may do something wrong I have most of the items needed for doing rituals, spells etc but I think I need a little support from others from the group.
I would lso like to thank everyone for the posts that have been posted as I have enjoyed reading them all and there are some really fantastic posts that have been very interesting, anyway I would be very great if anyone is prepared to help me get myself going, but I need to go back to the basics again because i think I've jumped ahead of myself
Thank you very much for your time i would be very grateful
Blessed Be everyone
magikalwitch
- 3b.
-
Re: any help please
Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99
Sat Sep 3, 2011 2:17 pm (PDT)
Merry meet everyone, I am new to the craft an I am looking for some help on actually getting started,
I am the kind of person who works on their own with anything and so I would like some step by step instructions on how I can start my path that I have choosen but I am a little nervous that I may do something wrong I have most of the items needed for doing rituals, spells etc but I think I need a little support from others from the group.
This may help also:
How to Become a Wiccan or Witch
Being a Wiccan or Witch is generally not something you are born as or just wake up one morning and decide to become. More often than not, you come across it by accident unless you were raised that way. Many find the philosophies of how Wicca and Witchcraft view nature are the same as the one's they currently hold. They just didn't know there was a specific belief system that shared the same views.
As Silver RavenWolf accurately stated in her book To Ride A Silver Broomstick. "The Charge comes to each of us in a different manner. It is that moment in our lives when we feel the Magick of the Universe for the very first time coursing through us... and we know beyond all real and imagined shadows that this calling to the mysteries is indeed there. That it is truly there, and not a whimsical flight from reality."
If you are one who has seen striking similarities between what you believe and have found here, there are generally accepted ways to increase your awareness and find communion with others who feel the same. The following are the steps I would recommend to any one who wishes to learn more.
Read everything you can get your hands on that will tell you more about the beliefs of Wicca and Witchcraft. Only by learning as much as you can about the basic beliefs and tenets of this path can you decide if the old way's are right for you.
While doing this, you will begin to form associations and hopefully find correspondances within yourself. Note these feelings in a journal or diary. Write down the reasons you think Witchcraft is your path. What does being a Witch mean to you? What do you hope to achieve and learn? What do you fear about following this path? How do you see the Goddess and God? What does the Divine mean to you? Be absolutely honest with yourself here, this is a private book and nobody else will ever read it. This notebook will help you design your dedication/self-initiation ritual and eventually evolve into your Book of Shadows.
There are no right or wrong answers and it is not a test. It is only a way to help you define your understanding of this path.
Most importantly, listen to your inner voice. It is usually very good council and will not lead you astray. If something you read, hear or are told does not feel right, then it usually isn't right for you. If everything still feels right and you are sure Witchcraft is the path for you wish to follow after all this studying, now is the time to perform a dedication ritual.
This ritual should be yours and yours alone. Design it however you want to and in a way that will be most meaningful to you. A dedication ritual means exactly what it sounds like. You are dedicating yourself to the Craft and making the decision to live life in closer harmony and balance with the earth and nature. You are making a commitment to yourself and the Divine.
Mine was on the shore of a remote high cascade mountain lake here in Oregon. The dancing light of the campfire on the trees, a full moon reflecting off the snow pack fed waters of the lake all combined with the energy of surrounding nature. This setting was ideal for me but something completely different might be right for you.
I haven't mentioned anything about spells because you need to complete the first two steps before you even think about working with spells.
Before you begin working with magick, you need to understand what it is, where it comes from and the ethics involved. You will also need to learn and understand the basic structure of rituals, Casting circles, calling quarters, invoking the Goddess and God, raising and directing energy, grounding, centering and closing the circle.
Magick is raising and channeling the energy found in yourself, nature and in the Divine. A Witch combines this energy with their focused efforts. It takes dedication, effort, energy and hard work to achieve a desired result. The main ethical tenet to always remember is the point of the Witches Rede:
"An It Harm None."
Magick is not Hollywood hocus-pocus. It is not bending the natural order of things to fit your needs or desires. If that is what you are looking for, you are in the wrong place.
Witches have had enough bad press over the past few centuries and are working hard to turn those misconceptions around. We do not need people running around claiming to put spells and hexes on people because they cannot face reality, are not willing to work for what they want or are looking for an easy solution to their problems. Magick doesn't work that way...
All your reading and study will help you prepare for this. The Suggested Reading Section of our on-line catalog offer some excellent resources to help you understand these basic concepts.
You will also find that meditation and visualization exercises will increase your concentration. The ability to focus and visualize will greatly increase the power of your magick. Breathing exercises will help you focus as well so spend time on them.
If you are interested in joining a Coven, most will require the traditional year and a day of study before initiating new members. This gives you time to explore the religion and decide if it is the right path for you as well as giving you and the Coven members time to get to know one another. Covens are generally very selective and rightfully so. There are many out there who seek this path for all the wrong reasons.
Blessed Be and may your path be Bright!
Herne
http://www.wicca.com/celtic/ wicca/howto. htm
The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.
Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/13Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/Whispering Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/MagickalMe als/
http://groups.yahoo/group/ NightshaydesNews
-----Original Message-----
From: Jan Malone <magikalwitch@yahoo.co. >uk
To: 13Witches <13Witches@yahoogroups.com >
Sent: Fri, Sep 2, 2011 3:26 pm
Subject: [13Witches] any help please
Merry meet everyone, I am new to the craft an I am looking for some help on actually getting started,
I am the kind of person who works on their own with anything and so I would like some step by step instructions on how I can start my path that I have choosen but I am a little nervous that I may do something wrong I have most of the items needed for doing rituals, spells etc but I think I need a little support from others from the group.
I would lso like to thank everyone for the posts that have been posted as I have enjoyed reading them all and there are some really fantastic posts that have been very interesting, anyway I would be very great if anyone is prepared to help me get myself going, but I need to go back to the basics again because i think I've jumped ahead of myself
Thank you very much for your time i would be very grateful
Blessed Be everyone
magikalwitch
- 3c.
-
Re: any help please
Posted by: "Fran Wolfe-Johnson" tygermoonfoxx@gmail.com tygermoonfoxx
Sat Sep 3, 2011 6:53 pm (PDT)
Honestly, the best thing you can do for yourself is to read books across a
wide variety of subjects from different publishers (in other words, do not
just stick with Llewellyn or the other major pagan publishers). Pick an
area which interests you and go with it, all the information you can hold
and any book which deals with the subject. Attend museums and look through
art. Read your favorite fiction and see if anything speaks to you. Take
time to observe around you, even if you're in a city, and see what things
you might be missing (even if it's a 'weed' coming up through the pavement
or a pigeon nesting on a building). Take a meditation or tai chi or yoga
class. Commit to a short walk or baking something or playing with a pet
every day.
Get a notebook, get several. Write your reactions, quotes, and observations
down. It might take a while, but eventually you might see a pattern in the
things you do and the things you notice which speaks to a deeper part of
you.
Don't practice, don't try to adopt new moral guides until you're certain
what motivates you: what you're willing to tolerate, what you absolutely
can't stand, what you believe on key political, environmental, or social
issues.
For books, these are good starters (even if you're not Wiccan):
"Wicca for the Solitary Practitioner" by Scott Cunningham
"Living Wicca"* *by Scott Cunningham
"The Magical Household" by Scott Cunningham
"To Ride a Silver Boomstick" by Silver Ravenwolf
"To Stir a Magic Cauldron" by Silver Ravenwolf
"Solitary Witch" by Silver Ravenwolf
"Green Witchcraft" by Ann Moura (there are three books and a grimoire in
this series, all good)
The works of Joseph Campbell, Isaac Bonewits, Yung, Freud, Robert Graves,
James Frazer, and even Robert Heinlein are good supplementary reading.
Just get a feel for yourself and what you want out of your path before you
start trying to practice anything. After that, look at some simple
grounding, centering, and shielding. Simple spell work (self improvement or
household improvement spells or kitchen magic are good).
Above all, record your efforts. Otherwise you have no idea what works and
what doesn't for you...or why...or where you found it.
On Fri, Sep 2, 2011 at 3:22 PM, Jan Malone <magikalwitch@yahoo.co. > wrote:uk
>
>
> Merry meet everyone, I am new to the craft an I am looking for some
> help on actually getting started,
> I am the kind of person who works on their own with anything and so I would
> like some step by step instructions on how I can start my path that I have
> choosen
>
--
"Whenever the pressure of our complex city life thins my blood and numbs
my brain, I seek relief in the trail; and when I hear the coyote wailing to
the yellow dawn, my cares fall from me - I am happy."
-- Hamlin Garland
Fran Wolfe-Johnson (WalkerTXKitty)
FoxHeart Acres, FL
http://www.myhappytrails.net
- 4a.
-
Re: Info on tools and postures please.
Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99
Sat Sep 3, 2011 2:32 pm (PDT)
Hi everyone,
If I remember correctly this is a group of sometimes very serious folks that know their craft well. I am studying Gardnerian Wicca with a teacher. My problem is I am having a hard time finding a good source for exactly what tools are used and how they are used. I would also like to know more about the god and goddess postures. I have just recently became aware of them and didn't know there was a difference before this week. One source on the internet tells how the pentacle altar tile is used to charge the ritual tools before a ritual, but when I ask a man that was suppose to be Wiccan he told me they don't use them. When I ask him then just what ritual tools they did use he told me that only the initates were privileged with that information. I am sitting there thinking, okay so what is a student suppose to use for tools in the meantime.
I have studied Celtic Greenwitch with a teacher for 8 1/2 months, then we had a communication problem and it all feel apart. I have recently started with a Gardnerian teacher and I think she assumes I know the tools already even though I had told her about all the conflicting information I have experienced. Since I still feel like I don't have the correct information I would greatly appreicate any information on the subject of tools and postures used in Gardnerian Wicca.
Keelty Sage
Keelty Sage, below are a couple of article on Craft tools.
I use a pentacle tile to put my water bowl on to mix it with salt to bless it with my athame. If "only initiates" are told what tools to use, I'd leave that group as fast as I can. The problem I had with the Gardnerian coven I was initiated into was they thought they were the be-all and do-all, and if you didn't have a degree, you were told basically nothing. I left after 3 years.
The Goddess posture for drawing down the Moon is to stand in a normal posture, with arms extended a little to the sides, with palms up to allow the Goddess to connect with you.
Tools of the Craft
There are four basic types of tools in the Craft: the essentials, the
working tools, the ritual objects, and the consumables. Essentials are the things
you cannot buy and without which there is no point in gathering the rest.
The working tools are the various implements such as the usual athame, wand,
cup and pentacle, as well as your Book of Shadows, your divination tools, and
whatever stones and bits of the natural world you find useful. Ritual objects
are the furniture, idols, dishes, cloths, etc. that are not absolutely
necessary for the practice of the rituals or for working magic, but that can make
things more pleasant and special. the consumables are those things used in
the rites and rituals that are frequently used up and need to be replaced in
the course of one's workings and rites, such as candles, salt, wine, and
incense.
The Essentials
Our first tools are the will and the body. We each begin with these and end
with these sacred tools. Witchcraft requires imagination, creativity,
responsibility, integrity, honor, persistence, determination, perseverance,
commitment, courage, tolerance, scholarship, honesty, service, love, and trust. As
the mind and memory are shaped and disciplined, so the body is likewise
trained and brought into the service of our Craft through the powerful techniques
of movement, breath, voice, and gesture. All else comes after the heart,
hand, and head.
The Working Tools
Each tool has a specific role or function in the work of a Witch. The
athame or ritual knife is possibly the most well known tool of the Craft. A
black-handled knife used in ritual, the athame can be carved with special
symbols, made from special materials, or otherwise personalized and empowered by
each Witch. There is a lot of nonsense written about athames, but the most
important thing to keep in mind is that this is a tool generally used for
focusing and directing energies. It should fit in your hand comfortably, preferably
with good balance, and it should fit with your tradition or chosen system.
In addition to the athame there is the traditional set of elemental tools,
which may have been drawn from ceremonial magic and which correspond to three
of the four suits of the Tarot--the cup, the wand, and the pentacle. Some
groups and paths also include a sword in this set of tools. I will not waste
space on the silliness surrounding the elemental attributions of the sword and
wand--your tradition will dictate which element they belong to; otherwise,
just pick one that fits for you and stick with it.
The wand is used to direct, stir, and coax energy within the circle, much
like a conductor's baton. I prefer a simple length of rough wood, but Wands
come in an amazing diversity of shapes, styles, and materials. If it serves to
do what you need it to do, then that's all that matters. The sword is
sometimes a coven tool, and sometimes a tool that has ties to specific lineages or
bloodlines. It cuts and cleaves through things, slicing through the tangled
webs and astral clutter surrounding the sacred space. You can draw the
circle with a sword and it does look impressive at outdoor events, making it a
highly useful tool. If you get into some of the forms of ceremonial magic, the
sword takes on a wide range of uses most Witches will probably never find a
need for.
The cup is a receptacle for energies and a vessel of cooperation, as it is
passed from celebrant to celebrant for all to partake of its nectar. The cup
is also seen as the grail, the cauldron, and the womb--generally a feminine
symbol of renewal, rebirth, and the promise of reincarnation.
The pentacle is sometimes a dish, other times a disk or plate carved or
painted with various symbols. Yo place stuff on the pentacle, and it represents
the microcosm within the macrocosm. For some, the pentacle is a symbol of
the wheel of the year and the passing of the seasons upon the earth. In many
ways it is the anchor, the symbol-seed of potential and desire that becomes
manifestation. The pentacle is the connection to the material world of shape
and form that rests upon the altar as the circle is cast taking us between the
worlds and beyond. You could look at the pentacle as the way of return, the
map back home.
The four basic working tools not only correspond to specific elements, but
also to particular seasons and sabbats. The attributions are different from
tradition to tradition, but with some quiet meditation and contemplation, each
tool will reveal its connections for you. In many ways they are the keys to
the Witches' circle.
As far as I am concerned, it's important for a Witch to have an appropriate
divinatory apparatus such as the I Ching, runes, a good Tarot deck, scrying
mirror or bowl, pendulum, or whatever you prefer. In order to really benefit
from these techniques, you might want to keep a journal as well, which makes
another useful and practical tool. Divination is a valuable resource for
anyone on the path.
The Book of Shadows should contain a wealth of experience whether you are
Gardnerian high priestess or a solitary hedgewitch: lore and ritual, myth,
spells, etc., that is your indispensable guide and road map for sabbats, esbats,
rites of passage, and other rituals.
The besom, or broom, is essentially a staff to which you've tied rushes,
cornstraw, or heather--or it could be a store-bought special. An integral part
of the mythic Witches' repertoire, the broom has a wealth of symbolic
associations connected to it, from sexual union and fertility rites to cleansing the
circle of bad luck to astral projection. Sometimes overlooked in the rush
to seize upon the more exciting tools of the modern Craft, the humble broom is
one of the more practical magic tools available. Ever try to sweep a circle
clear with a sword?
Of all the things used by a Witch, books are quite possibly the most
popular. Visit any Witches' home and you're likely to encounter hundreds of books.
Witches read about all sorts of stuff--some of it very useful.
In the course of study and reading, you will encounter many more tools such
as the cords, staff, stang, bell, and others. Witches tend to use those
things they have found to work for them. You will have to decide for yourself
whether or not to use any of the more specialized or exotic tools you come
across. My only advice is to make sure that the tools you select are there for
a reason and not just elegant clutter.
Ritual Objects
Be it a humble flat stone, two cement blocks, or a slightly battered fruit
crate, your altar is an important tool that should not be taken for granted.
Here is where you set your tools, prepare yourself, and come before the gods
and ancestors. The altar is a tool well worth some contemplation and
consideration. Before you place anything on top of your altar, stop and think for a
moment: what do you need it for? Simplicity is a virtue in successful
spellcraft, effective ritual, and good altar arrangement.
Consumables
Incense, candles, and water/wine are the most common items in this category.
Unless you're working in a primal manner, you'll most likely be using
candles on the altar, salt for purification, incense, oil, and some form of cakes
and wine or juice for the symbolic great rite. These are all tools as much
as your wand, cup, or besom. Each item is used for a specific function and
they all are integral parts of the ritual process. Of all the tools you might
use in your rites, candles and incense are among the most sensual,
stimulating and rewarding--and more often than not they are taken for granted.
Consider carefully just what it is that you bring into your circle, and what role it
plays in your rituals. Every tool, no matter how fancy or simple, carries
power and meaning into your sacred space.
Source Unknown
Tools
When starting out on the magical path, you will probably hear a lot about all the tools everybody tells you to acquire. There are the various knives and wands, the chalice, pentacles, altar tables, candles, incense holders, and so on. True, you don't need fancy tools to do effective magic, but most folks eventually get involved in rituals and ceremonies that just seem to go better with a few tools. In the course of stocking your magical supply chest, there are a few tools to consider that you don't always hear about.
STAFF
More theatrical than a wand, the staff is useful for drawing the
attention of groups. You can use the staff to scribe a circle's boundaries. A staff can be used to denote a guardian of a particular quarter, each staff appropriately decorated for each of the sacred directions. With a bit of carving or painting, you can transform a staff into a powerful repository of runic or other energies. A staff can be a very handy tool if you like to work outdoors, and can serve as a very effective badge of office or distinguishing item to help you stand out from the crowd.
LAMPS
A consecrated lamp filled with aromatic oil is a wonderful tool to
include in your altar setup. In the quarters you can also use hurricane lamps or the more stylish oil lamps with floating wicks that you can fill with colored oils. The advantage of the old-style hurricane lamps is that you can dim them and adjust their flame. Carrying lamps around in ritual can be a bit safer than trying to carry candles, and they stay lit better, too. If you're artistically inclined, you can etch magical designs into the glass chimney or base of your lamp with a mild acid paste, obtained in most hardware stores. To do so, first clean the surface of the glass where you want to etch it. Then draw your design on a sheet of self-adhesive vinyl used in lining cupboards and shelves (contact paper). Cut the design from the adhesive vinyl with a craft knife, remove the paper from the back of the vinyl, and stick it to the glass where you want the design. Then apply the paste. After a few minutes, rinse off the paste and remove the vinyl. Wash the lamp one more time to remove any excess acid paste.
SCRYING BOWLS, SHEWSTONES, AND MAGIC MIRRORS
Any bowl can be painted black inside and used for scrying. You can
fill the bowl with ink, water, or oil if you prefer.
Shewstones can be anything from an Austrian quartz crystal ball to a
chunk of polished obsidian or a smoothly carved egg of tiger eye. You can pretty much use any sort of gemstone, mineral, or crystal if you want. Some will work better than others, but the only way to determine that will be through experimentation. Generally, to work with a shewstone, you place it on a paten or pentacle. Some sources recommend using one made of beeswax, like Dr. John Dee used. If you can't acquire one made out of beeswax, you can hand-color a photocopy of Dr. Dee's design, or even draw your own. One word of warning: you may well want to do some sort of circle or create
sacred space before working with a shewstone.
Mirrors are wonderful tools for doing Yesodic rites, working with
moonlight, doing astral work, creating protective wards, doing revealing spells, clairvoyance work, or for returning unwanted or intrusive energies to their source.
If you are ambitious, you can remove the back of your mirror and
scratch symbols into the silver paint to create a magical circle, complete with sigils and arcane glyphs. Just be careful and remember that the
image you are making is the reverse of what will be seen. Once you're finished scratching the symbols, either paint the back of the mirror with a coat of black paint, or cover the back with a sheet of black cardboard and then replace the backing.
CORDS
Made from silk, leather, cotton, or whatever material you prefer,
cords are a great way to commemorate significant events such as rites of passage, or for signifying your dedication to a particular path, devotion, deity, or practice. Using different colors allows you to braid together a mixture of forces. For example, you might consecrate a strand of a particular color of cord to those planets that rule over those qualities that you want to bring into your life. Once each strand is properly consecrated, you can braid them together and seal the ends with thread, wax, jewelry, findings, wire, or whatever your creativity inspires you to use. These cords can then be used to carry your athame in a sheath, or you might want to hang talismans or charms from them.
Another form of magical cord is the sort made for casting the
circle. According to traditional sources, this cord is around nine feet in length for the individual, and from thirteen to twenty feet for a coven--depending on your tradition. These cords can be white, black, or red. You might consider braiding one with all three colors if that appeals to you.
SAND BOX
This is not the cat box, but rather a really fun tool for divination
and spellwork. A simple box of sand can be used to ground energies. You can scribe symbols into the sand as part of a spell, or you might
consider using a bed of sand laced with consecrated salt and herbs as a resting place for objects you wish to purify or cleanse. A sand box can also be used for classical geomancy. The box need not be extremely large--even something as small as four to five inches on a side is plenty useful. Fill the box with colored sand, aquarium gravel, or beach sand gathered under the Full Moon. You might consider using the sand box for doing sand-painting spells or rituals, which is ideal for small apartments. It's also easier to do sand-painting in the winter when you have a level surface to work on, instead of trying to fight with wind and snow. Another possibility is to create a miniature sand garden for meditative reflection, similar to rock gardens found in Zen centers.
RUGS, CUSHIONS, AND PILLOWS
Meditation is a staple of magical practice, and it's a good idea to
have something to sit on. Cold floors can be distracting. Rugs can also be useful as rollaway magical circles. You can stuff dried herbs into your cushions and pillows, like you would a dream pillow.
POUCH
A fabric or leather bag in which you keep mementos and other items of significance is a very good thing to have. Don't worry about ripping
off the idea of the medicine bundle or pouch of the indigenous peoples of North America--the Romans, Celts, Saxons, and Scandinavians all wore pouches and purses, too. When you are out walking in the woods it's handy to have something to hold all the rocks, acorns, leaves, twigs, herbs, feathers, or other gifts of nature that you come across and wish to hold on to for a bit.
A fabric pouch can be dyed, painted, stitched with designs, beaded,
fringed, or otherwise decorated to suit your fancy. You may want to have more than one pouch to keep your special stones from getting mixed up with your matches, etc. This is especially useful at outdoor rituals, camping, or festivals.
PENS AND INK
If you ever decide to explore the process of making sigils, or you
decide to make magical squares, kamea, or seals, you might find it enjoyable and rewarding to consecrate and dedicate a specific pen, or even set of pens, just for this sort of work. You can find designer fountain pens in a wide variety of materials and colors to lend the appropriate correspondences to your workings, or you might want to fashion your own pen from a stick of wood or a feather using an old-fashioned pen nib.
Once you have your pen, you can buy some colored inks to work with,
selecting colors according to your favorite system of correspondences.
Ambitious types might even want to try to craft their own ink.
RATTLE
A rattle is a very effective tool for synchronizing people's heart
rates and breathing in shamanistic sorts of workings. Quieter and easier to use than a drum, rattles are also much easier to take care of and to transport to rituals and gatherings.
SOCKS
In Minnesota where I live, it can get really cold, and running around
on a chilly wood floor with bare feet is far from pleasant. A warm pair
of wool ritual socks can be prepared by simply purifying them with incense and salt water, and maybe a touch of oil from the altar setup.
by Jim Garrison,
copyright 1997
The light of a hundred stars cannot equal the light of the Moon.
Love Each Day,
Lady Nightshayde
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http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/Whispering Witches/
http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/MagickalMe als/
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\
- 4b.
-
Re: Info on tools and postures please.
Posted by: "Fran Wolfe-Johnson" tygermoonfoxx@gmail.com tygermoonfoxx
Sat Sep 3, 2011 6:42 pm (PDT)
On Fri, Sep 2, 2011 at 2:41 PM, Keelty_Sage <walksalone2004@yahoo.com >wrote:
>
> If I remember correctly this is a group of sometimes very serious folks
> that know their craft well. I am studying Gardnerian Wicca with a teacher.
> My problem is I am having a hard time finding a good source for exactly what
> tools are used and how they are used.
>
If you've been told, as you indicated, that only initiates are given that
information then that is your clue to either re-evaluate whether or not you
want to be involved with Gardnerian Wicca and whether or not you are willing
to wait until the appropriate time to receive the required information.
Generally, with the Traditions (I'm Georgian, which is a BTW influenced
Tradition that uses Gardnerian material with its own adaptations) there is a
prescribed set of lessons for each level of study. As a dedicant (which is
what you are if you are not initiated yet), your primary job is to learn the
basics being given you. God and goddess postures and tools come later; even
with these simple things accidents can occur if you don't know what you're
doing. They build on basics such as grounding, centering, shielding, proper
placement of the elements, knowledge of their symbols and powers, etc. I
rather doubt, as a dedicant, you're ready to work with or use the tools
needed to charge something or to assume the God and Goddess postures.
I honestly recommend either leaving the teacher, for you're dishonoring him
by skipping ahead and not wanting to wait for information for which you may
not be prepared to use, or waiting patiently. Part of the dedication
process prior to initiation is to demonstrate that you CAN wait and you can
put in the work needed to advance in training.
Also, sources on the 'net are not reliable, especially not for the specific
procedures of a specific Tradition. For that reason alone you need to wait
and learn how Gardnerians do things or you could set yourself back. I had
been practicing as a pagan and a witch for about a decade before I committed
to learning and advancing in the Georgian Tradition. I found that I had
nearly as much to un-learn as I had to learn, and even more I had to
tabulate, balance, and merge with the practices of the Tradition. If you
cannot wait and do not wish to take that journey, maybe a Tradition (at
least one of the older ones) is not for you.
Public information to the contrary, you will never find all you need to know
about a Tradition available on the 'net. That is, presumably, why you've
sought a teacher. I hate to be the proverbial stick in the mud, but if you
have to even ask these questions it sounds to me like you're not even close
to being ready to use the information for which you're asking.
Wait. Learn.
FYI, a student in the older Traditions doesn't use tools. Mine were gifted
to me upon my Initiation. I had to, as part of my second degree initiation,
make my second set. The third set, the set I work with now, I chose for
myself AFTER learning those things.
Since I still feel like I don't have the correct information I would greatly
> appreicate any information on the subject of tools and postures used in
> Gardnerian Wicca.
>
>
Go back to your teacher. It's really disrespectful to ask these sorts of
things after you've already been told why you cannot be given the
information and that you will receive it later. General information is
fine, but it sounds like you're fishing about for how specifically the
Gardnerians do it. No one, under power of breaking oath, would tell you
that. I suggest reading from more general resources and then asking
intelligent questions about what you HAVE read instead of trying to get your
teacher to give you information that is oathbound.
And do some thinking about what you want out of your path. It just doesn't
sound to me like you're very compatible with a Tradition (at least, not an
older one). I don't know about others, but if a student comes to me with a
history of miscommunications and behaviors like these (asking about things
which are oathbound in public after being directed differently) I will not
take them on. Either the student regards my authority as teacher with the
proper respect or we part ways.
--
"Whenever the pressure of our complex city life thins my blood and numbs
my brain, I seek relief in the trail; and when I hear the coyote wailing to
the yellow dawn, my cares fall from me - I am happy."
-- Hamlin Garland
Fran Wolfe-Johnson (WalkerTXKitty)
FoxHeart Acres, FL
http://www.myhappytrails.net
- 5.
-
**Topic Tag**, 9/4/2011, 12:00 am
Posted by: "13Witches@yahoogroups.com" 13Witches@yahoogroups.com
Sat Sep 3, 2011 8:05 pm (PDT)
Reminder from: 13Witches Yahoo! Group
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**Topic Tag**
Sunday September 4, 2011
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(This event repeats every week.)
Notes:
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