Messages In This Digest (4 Messages)
- 1.
- Grat MInds and Astrology From: Lady Nightshayde
- 2a.
- The Rule of Three From: Lady Nightshayde
- 3a.
- The Pentagram From: Lady Nightshayde
- 4a.
- Animals and Witchcraft From: Lady Nightshayde
Messages
- 1.
-
Grat MInds and Astrology
Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99
Wed Aug 31, 2011 9:47 pm (PDT)
Great Minds and Astrology
Famous people on astrology
by Carol Allen
If you ever feel embarrassed that you're into horoscopes or that you like astrology - or if you worry about what others would think if they knew, it's understandable. But when you explore the history of looking to celestial forces for guidance, it may help to know that astrology has played - and continues to play - an extraordinary role in the lives of powerful people throughout the ages.
That's right: the "scandalous" matter of U.S. President Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy - who employed astrologer Jeanne Dixon - was not the isolated case some people supposed it to be. Whether you look to the Founding Fathers (who, it's said, timed the signing of The Declaration of Independence and all future presidential inaugurations with their eyes to the sky), or Elvis Presley (whose famous comeback concert was scheduled when astrological forces assured his great success), or Shakespeare (who made over 100 astrological references in his plays and sonnets), great minds have called on this ancient knowledge since the dawn of time.
Still feeling unnecessary shame? Then consider what others have said about looking to the stars:
"Astrology is one of the most ancient sciences, held in high esteem of old, by the wise and great. Formerly no prince would make war or peace, nor any general fight a battle - in short, no important affair was undertaken - without first consulting an astrologer."
- Benjamin Franklin (1751)
Okay, you may argue that he was just commenting on history, and didn't actually personally endorse anything. Well, ponder this:
"The cosmos is a vast living body of which we are still parts. The sun is a great heart whose tremors run through our smallest veins. The moon is a great nerve-center from which we quiver forever. Who knows the power that Saturn has over us, or Venus? But it is a vital power, rippling exquisitely through us all the time."
-D.H. Lawrence, 20th Century British novelist
If you're saying to yourself, "Yeah, but scientists and astronomers don't believe in astrology," then check out what one of the greatest astronomers to ever live is quoted as saying:
"A most unfailing experience... of the excitement of sublunary (that is, human) natures by the conjunctions and aspects of the planets has instructed and compelled my unwilling belief."
- Johannes Kepler, 17th century German mathematician and astronomer
Now, if you're thinking, "Yeah, but he lived a super-long time ago," then see what the most famous astronomer of modern times said:
"That we can now think of no mechanism for astrology is relevant, but unconvincing. No mechanism was known, for example, for continental drift when it was proposed by Wegener. Nevertheless, we see that Wegener was right, and those who objected on the grounds of unavailable mechanism were wrong."
- Carl Sagan, 20th century astronomer and writer
How cool is that? Are you still convinced that he was just being academic, and that he didn't have any personal success, or results? Then read this:
"Millionaires don't have astrologers, billionaires do."
- J.P. Morgan, turn-of-the-20th-Century financier and banker
I bet that one got your attention! It's pretty amazing that a billionaire would give credit for his massive success to something so many rational (and broke) people dismiss as nothing more than mere superstition.
But the most amazing quote of them all...
"There will be signs in the Sun, the Moon, and the stars."
- Jesus Christ, The Bible, Luke - 21:25
(I swear it's there - I checked it myself.)
So, see? By believing in the influence of the heavenly bodies above, you're among the greatest thinkers mankind has ever known. So be proud of your open-mindedness, your excellent judgment, and the good company you keep. In short - give yourself a "high five" for being so enlightened... and quit worrying what anyone thinks of you.
http://www.californiapsychics. com/articles/ Love/2448/ Great_Minds_ and_Astrology. aspx
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
- 2a.
-
The Rule of Three
Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99
Wed Aug 31, 2011 9:48 pm (PDT)
The Rule of Three
aka The Law of Threefold Return
By Patti Wigington, About.com Guide
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. 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?
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 adaptations of the Rule of Three that I've heard of is one that states, quite simply, that your actions effect 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.
http://paganwiccan.about.com/ od/wiccaandpagan ismbasics/ a/Rule_of_ Three.htm? nl=1
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
- 3a.
-
The Pentagram
Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99
Wed Aug 31, 2011 9:50 pm (PDT)
The Pentagram
The Pentagram, a written, carved or modeled version of the pentacle, is a
five-pointed star with one point upward. It is often worn as jewelry by Wiccans,
and as such, it is a religious symbol as significant to the wearer as is the
cross to a Christian or the six-pointed star to a Jew. Its basic symbolism is
the four elements-fire, earth, air and water-plus the fifth (and upward
pointing) realm of Spirit, which transcends, encompasses and permeates the material
world.
More often than not, the pentagram is enclosed within a circle, although this
is not always the case. Upright pentagrams are drawn in the air as part of
the ritual practice within a Wiccan magickal circle. This is done precisely, and
with will and purpose. The point at which one begins the drawing of the
pentagram has meaning in correspondence to the elements, or to whether one is
banishing or invoking.
The pentagram, when inverted (single point down, double points up), has been
used as a symbolic depiction of the Horned God. In occult symbolism, this is
akin to the Spirit of God taking on physical form in the world of matter.
Interestingly, this corresponds in basic symbolism to the Christian cross, which is
made up of the vertical line of Spirit descending into the horizontal line of
the material world. The longer length of the vertical line below the
horizontal one indicates the Spirit's entrapment in matter-Christ on the cross. In
resurrection, Spirit would transcend the material, which could be depicted by the
vertical line moving upward, superseding and escaping from the material.
Still, when the Black Mass was developed by disgruntled priests during the times
of the Inquisition, the inverted cross with its vertical line moving upward, as
their symbol, took on an evil connotation just the opposite of what simple
geometric symbolism would suggest. Also, during the Inquisition, the Pagan
Horned God, sometimes depicted as a goat, otherwise as a stag, was characterized by
Inquisitors as Satan, in one of many deliberate, false and very often violent
attempts to suppress the Old Religion. As if that was not bad enough, the
Church of Satan, founded in America in 1966, chose the inverted pentagram as its
symbol. Since then, Satanic fears and fantasies, have caused the inverted
pentagram to be thoroughly suppressed in any use by Wiccans, especially in the
USA. Here it is largely viewed as the antithesis of Wicca, just as the inverted
cross is viewed within Christianity.
Be it known that Satan is not, nor has he ever been, a concept of either
medieval witchcraft or modern Wicca! Instead, he is strictly a concept of the
Christian tradition, derived from the earlier extreme good/evil dualism of its
more ancient predecessor, Zoroastrianism.
Studying the basic forms of symbolism offers fascinating insights into how
meanings change over the passage of time. Some people today
so fear Satan and any religious concepts not their own, that they
erroneously consider all pentagrams, either upright or inverted to be equally
evil, quite forgetting that the widely depicted Christmas star is an
upright pentagram! As for the inverted pentagram, it is worn by every holder of the
United States' highest medal for valor, the Medal of Honor.
Starcrafts - The Pentagram
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
- 4a.
-
Animals and Witchcraft
Posted by: "Lady Nightshayde" LadyNightshayde9@aol.com nightshayde99
Wed Aug 31, 2011 9:51 pm (PDT)
Animals and Witchcraft
Since time began animals have been revered and worshiped as spirits of
nature, known to the ancients as power animals or the animal guides of
the Gods. Many animals therefore became associated with various deities,
such like: Diana and the Hound, Hecate and the Toad, Proserpina and the
Raven, Pan with the Goat and Athena with the Owl. Most other deities in
one way or another became associated with animals. The ancients believed
animals were closer to nature than humans, and would perform rituals and
make offerings to their spirits in attempts to communicate with them.
Old shamans believed that all things and beings, particularly animals,
were possessed of a spirit or soul, and that one could attract parts of
their soul, thus their spirit and powers with mimicry. To achieve this
they dressed in appropriate animal furs and feathers or wore horns and
fierce looking masks while performing dance and imitating their antics.
The novice shaman would acquire his animal spirits on completion of his
initiation. These he would send out on errands or to do battle on his
behalf, however if they failed or died, then so too did the shaman. The
shaman would keep and use the same animal spirits until his death, upon
which time they would disappear or be passed on to aid his apprentice.
Given the animal kingdoms intimate relationship with nature, its not
surprising that witches as they evolved should adopt certain animals as
their own link to nature, spirits and deities. Wise men and women
commonly used animals, while wizards, magicians and village healers used
them to diagnose illnesses, sources of bewitchment, divination and to
find lost property or treasure.
It was not until the Middle Ages and the rise of Christianity that the
witches pets and animals became thought of as agents of evil. As the
persecution of witches began, so the church started teaching the concept
that the Witches' familiar was an associate of the Christian devil. They
became demons and evil spirits in animal form, sent out by the witch to
do their nasty bidding. They also believed witches possessed the power
to transform themselves into animals, in which guise they committed any
number of diabolical deeds. Later they were believed to use animal
products in spells, making potions and concoctions to aid
transformation, gain power over nature, or even to harm and kill.
The most common animals associated with witchcraft were the: Frog, Owl,
Serpent, Pig, Raven, Stag, Goat, Wolf, Dog, Horse, Bat, Mouse and of
course the Cat, though virtually any animal, reptile or insect would be
suspect. Obsession with the witches familiar was most prevalent in
England and Scotland and was mentioned in numerous trial records of the
period, particularly those related to "Matthew Hopkins", the infamous
Witch Finder General (see Matthew Hopkins).
According to the ancient Witchcraft Act of 1604, it was a felony to:
"consult, covenant with, entertain, employ, feed or reward any evil or
wicked spirit to or for any intent or purpose", an act that Hopkins used
with zeal when extracting confessions. He also used the "Malleus
Malificarum" the so-called Inquisitor's Handbook. Though it offers no
instruction concerning familiars in the interrogation and trial of
witches, it does acknowledge that an animal familiar "always works with
the witch in everything". As such it advises the inquisitor never to
leave a witch prisoner alone, "or the devil will cause him or her to
kill themselves, accomplished through a familiar".&nbs! P; This in mind
Hopkins would tie the witch up in a cell and leave them alone, while
watching secretly for their arrival. If so much of as a fly or beetle
approached them, it was deemed proof enough that they were indeed witches.
Today in contemporary witchcraft any thoughts of animals as "demonic
spirits of evil" has been left by the way side, though many modern
witches still use animals when working with magick utilizing their
primordial instincts and psychic abilities to attune with nature and
deities. Animals are sensitive to psychic power and vibrations, and are
welcomed into the magick circle when power is being raised or spells are
being cast. They are also used to aid scrying, divination and spirit
contact. When working with magick animals act as a guard in psychic
defence for they react visibly to negative forces and harmful energy.
Perhaps the most famous of contemporary witches to keep a familiar was
Sybil Leek and her pet jackdaw named "Mr. Hotfoot Jackson". Sybil was a
hereditary witch with a long lineage going back to the witches of
southern Ireland in 1134, but her choice of a pet jackdaw bears an
uncanny relationship to one particular ancestor called "Molly Leigh".
Molly was an old Irish witch who died in 1663.
As the story goes, Molly was buried at the very edge of the local church
graveyard, well away for others on account of her being a witch. A short
time after her burial the local vicar and others went to open her
cottage to retrieve her pet jackdaw. When they arrived they were shocked
to see Molly (or an apparition of her), sitting in an armchair with her
pet jackdaw perched on her shoulders (just as she was often seen in real
life). Frightened, the vicar and others returned to the graveyard and
reopened her grave. They drove a stake through her heart and threw the
living jackdaw into the coffin and reburied it. Could it be coincidence
that Sybil should take ! as a pet a jackdaw?
Many believe that an animal familiar is not acquired through personal
choice, more that an animal will choose you as its guardian and
companion. One cannot go down to the local pet-shop and choose a
familiar simply on its symbolic significances: "I shall take an Owl for
Wisdom, a Dove for Peace and a Spider for Imagination and Creativity".
Sorry, but that won't work. Animals have their own in-built wisdom and
intelligence, their own spirit and skills, and a bond needs to be made
with them if they are to volunteer to work as your familiar. Most often
the animal itself will let you know when this has been achieved.
Generally there are four different kinds of animal familiar. The first
is our physical everyday live-in pets, most commonly the cat or dog. As
with all our other family members an instinctive bond and psychic link
is created over time. Silent communication of their needs exists and
instinctively we know if they are happy or sad, hungry, hurting or in
need of attention. They in turn reciprocate and adapt themselves to our
life styles, intuitively they attune to our mood swings and
circumstantial changes.
The second type of familiar is an imaginative creature, one you can
closely identify with but never hope to own such like a lion, tiger or
leopard. This is an animal whose characteristics you admire, and you may
collect and hang pictures of it in you home. It resided in the astral
plane and because of your intense liking for it; you consciously or
unconsciously attract its aid. It's said that deceased pets with which
you had an affinity return in this capacity.
The third type of familiar is magickal, an elemental spirit. Witches and
Magicians often call upon elemental spirits for aid when working with
magick. When making talismans or amulets for specific purposes, they may
call upon a particular familiar elemental to inhabit an object to
enhance its effect. It is believed the Paracelsus; a medical academic
(1493-1541) instilled such a familiar into a large precious stone on the
pommel of his ritual sword.
The fourth familiar is the spirit of a human being, someone who has
died. Many adept magicians will command the appearance of a human spirit
but such spirits are hard to control, for instance, a spirit who has
been commanded against his or her desires can be troublesome, in which
case you need to be sure of your ability to get rid of them and this can
be much more difficult than the original calling. Those spirits willing
to act as our astral guides or teachers are commonly called 'Guardian
Angels'.
The most effective familiars tend not to be our domesticated pets, for
due to their life expectancy our pets come and go, though the spirit of
a deceased pet can still be used. The use of our domestic animals as
familiars is merely a stepping-stone to the raw power and energy of wild
animals that are much closer to nature; for instance, a domestic dog is
a softened version of its wild counterpart the fox, wolf, coyote and
other wild canine creature. Similarly a domestic cat can be linked to
other wild felines such like lions, tigers and leopards. Many witches
and magicians start with a domesticated animal as a familiar in the hope
that one day they will be able to handle and work more effectively with
its true power form, the wild animals of nature.
by George Knowles
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
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