Lady Marissa's Witchy Ways

What Wicca Really Is

2008-07-11T16:18:00.002-04:00

There seems to be some confusion on what Wicca really is. Some say it isn't a real religion. That is so not true. Wicca is modern day religion based on old witchcraft traditions. The following is an article from The Celtic Connection. You can find more information by clicking on the title of this post.

What Is Wicca

Contrary to what those who choose to persecute or lie about us wish to believe, Wicca is a very peaceful, harmonious and balanced way of thinking and life which promotes oneness with the divine and all which exists.

Wicca is a deep appreciation and awe in watching the sunrise or sunset, the forest in the light of a glowing moon, a meadow enchanted by the first light of day. It is the morning dew on the petals of a beautiful flower, the gentle caress of a warm summer breeze upon your skin, or the warmth of the summer sun on your face. Wicca is the fall of colorful autumn leaves, and the softness of winter snow. It is light, and shadow and all that lies in between. It is the song of the birds and other creatures of the wild. It is being in the presence of Mother Earths nature and being humbled in reverence. When we are in the temple of the Lord and Lady, we are not prone to the arrogance of human technology as they touch our souls. To be a Witch is to be a healer, a teacher, a seeker, a giver, and a protector of all things. If this path is yours, may you walk it with honor, light and integrity.

Wicca is a belief system and way of life based upon the reconstruction of pre-Christian traditions originating in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. While much of the information of how our ancestors lived, worshiped and believed has been lost due to the efforts of the medieval church to wipe our existence from history, we try to reconstruct those beliefs to the best of our ability with the information that is available.

Thanks to archaeological discoveries, we now have basis to believe that the origins of our belief system can be traced even further back to the Paleolithic peoples who worshipped a Hunter God and a Fertility Goddess. With the discovery of these cave paintings, estimated to be around 30,000 years old, depicting a man with the head of a stag, and a pregnant woman standing in a circle with eleven other people, it can reasonably be assumed that Witchcraft is one of the oldest belief systems known in the world toady. These archetypes are clearly recognized by Wiccan as our view of the Goddess and God aspect of the supreme creative force and predate Christianity by roughly 28,000 years making it a mere toddler in the spectrum of time as we know it.

Witchcraft in ancient history was known as "The Craft of the Wise" because most who followed the path were in tune with the forces of nature, had a knowledge of Herbs and medicines, gave council and were valuable parts of the village and community as Shamanic healers and leaders. They understood that mankind is not superior to nature, the earth and its creatures but instead we are simply one of the many parts, both seen and unseen that combine to make the whole. As Chief Seattle said; "We do not own the earth, we are part of it." These wise people understood that what we take or use, we must return in kind to maintain balance and equilibrium. Clearly, modern man with all his applied learning and technology has forgotten this. Subsequently, we currently face ecological disaster and eventual extinction because of our hunger for power and a few pieces of gold.

For the past several hundred years, the image of the Witch has been mistakenly associated with evil, heathenism, and unrighteousness. In my humble opinion, these misconceptions have their origin in a couple of different places.

To begin, the medieval church of the 15th through 18th centuries created these myths to convert the followers of the old nature based religions to the churches way of thinking. By making the Witch into a diabolical character and turning the old religious deities into devils and demons, the missionaries were able to attach fear to these beliefs which aided in the conversion process. Secondly, as medical science began to surface, the men who were engaged in these initial studies had a very poor understanding of female physiology, especially in the area of a women's monthly cycles. The unknowns in this area played very well with the early churches agenda lending credence to the Witch Hunters claims and authority. The fledgling medical professions also stood to benefit greatly from this because it took the power of the women healers away giving it to the male physicians transferring the respect and power to them.

Unfortunately these misinformed fears and superstitions have carried forward through the centuries and remain to this day. This is why many who follow these nature oriented beliefs have adopted the name of Wicca over its true name of Witchcraft to escape the persecution, harassment and misinformation associated with the name of Witchcraft and Witch not to mention the bad publicity the press and Hollywood has given us simply to generate a profit.

The Concept Of Deity

As mentioned in earlier documents, Wiccans, Pagans and Witches see the divine as being manifest at all levels of humanities limited ability to comprehend the universe world around us. The fact that some may call upon or associate with the divine by different names does not necessarily mean that we see a complete seperation of deities.

We accept that different aspects of the divine combine to make the whole. In this view, we recognize and attune ourselves with nature and the creative force in a way the individual or group is most comfortable with. The following is an explanation of this concept which most agree upon.

The Supreme Creative Force:

The One is the all encompassing unity of all things which exist. This includes that which is manifest to our limited awareness and understanding as well as that which is not. The One is infinite to a point that the human mind simply cannot comprehend its vastness.

Polarities of The One:

The Goddess and God are seen as a manifestation of the feminine and masculine forces of nature. Each having unique characteristics that when combined result in the harmonious creation of life.

We see examples of this in everything around us as nothing can exist without the interaction of feminine and masculine energy. This creative energy is omnipresent. They are concepts that allow the human mind to comprehed the creative force of the world around us.

Giving name to the divine or feminine and masculine energies is in many ways irrevalent and certainly cannot justify the wars and bloodshed history has seen because of it. They are simply names humanity, a culture or specific belief system has created over time for association purposes.

It really matters little whether we associate with the divine as the "Father, Son and Holy Ghost" or "The One, Goddess and God." Ultimately, the concept is the same.

Some Spells and Chants

2008-07-10T14:20:00.002-04:00

The following are some spells and chants that can be used for different reasons. You can find more spells and chants by clicking on the title of this post.

Cauldron

A SPELL TO BREAK THE POWERS OF A SPELL

If you believe that a spell has been cast against you, place a large black candle in a cauldron (or a large black bowl). The candle must be tall enough to extend a few inches above the cauldron's rim. Affix the candle to the bottom of the cauldron with warmed beeswax or the drippings of another black candle so that it will not tip over.

Fill the cauldron to the rim with fresh water,without wetting the candle's wick. An inch or two of the candle should remain above the water. Deep breathe, meditate, clear your mind, and light the candle. Visualize the suspected spell's power as residing within the candle's flame. Sit in quiet contemplation of the candle and visualize the power flowing and growing with the candle's flame (yes the power against you). As the candle burns down, its flame will eventually sputter and go out as it contacts the water. As soon as the flame has been extinguished by the water, the spell will be dispersed.

Break your visualization of the spell's power; see it explode into dust, becoming impotent.Pour the water into a hole in the ground, a lake or stream. Bury the candle. It is done.

HOME PROTECTION MIRROR SPELL

Compose an altar: place a censer in the center before an image ofthe Goddess. Have a twelve-inch (or so) round mirror there as well.Ring the altar with nine white candles. Burn a protective incense(such as sandalwood, frankincense, copal or rosemary) in the censer.Beginning with the candle most directly before the Goddess image,say these or similar words:

Lunar light protect me!

Repeat as you light each candle until all are glowing.Now, holding the mirror, invoke the Goddess in her lunar aspectwith these or similar words:

Great Goddess of the Lunar Light

and Mistress of the Seas;

Great Goddess of the Mystic Night

and of the Mysteries;

Within this place of candles bright

and with Your mirror nigh;

Protect me with Your awesome might

while ill vibrations fly!

Standing before the altar, hold the mirror facing the candles sothat it reflects their flames. Keeping the mirror toward the candles,move slowly, clockwise, around the altar, watching the reflectedfirelight bouncing off your surroundings.

Gradually increase your speed, mentally invoking the Goddess toprotect you. Move faster and faster; watch the light shattering theair, cleansing it, burning away all negativity and all lines alongwitch the ill energies have traveled into your home.

Charge your home with the protective light of the Goddess. Racearound the candles until you've felt the atmosphere change, until youfeel that your home has been cleansed and guarded by the GreatGoddess.

When finished, stand once again before the image. Thank theGoddess in any words you wish. Pinch out the candles one by one, bindthem together with white cord and store them in a safe place until(and if) you need to use them again for this same purpose.

PROTECTION CHANT

Visualize a triple circle of purplish light around your body whilechanting:

I am protected by your might,

O gracious Goddess, day and night.

Another of the same type: visualize a triple circle and chant:

Thrice around the circle's bound,

Evil sink into the ground.

Fertility Charms

~Carry a bagful of hazel nuts to ensure your own fertility.

~Other herbs to ensure fertility are basil, hazel, poppy, cucumber, apple, pomegranate, acorns, myrtle, and all other nuts.

~Men should carry a piece of mandrake root to ensure their won fertility and sexual prowess, while the jasmine flower does the same for women. The first seven herbs listed above can be added to food and take internally to ensure proper fertility, or they can be introduced into sachets, as can acorns, myrtle and nuts.

~Bull Amulet: To increase fertility in women and men, wear a bull shaped amulet, or place on under the bed before making love.

~Fish Amulet: An amulet shaped like a pair of fish and made of gold or mother of pearl will increase fertility and virility, bring prosperity and offer you protection from people you hate or who have evil intentions.

~Goat Amulet: The symbol of the goat (sacred to Aphrodite and the Horned God) increases fertility when worn or carried as an amulet, and is especially favorable for those born under the sign of Capricorn.

~Ram Amulet: An amulet in the shape of a ram will increase fertility in women.

~Unicorn Amulet: The unicorn is a ancient symbol of chastity and protection, and it's fabled born was said to be used in medival times as an amulet to detect poisons in the food or drinks of kings, queens, pontiffs and popes. To promote fertility or increase sexual magnetism, wear any type of amuletic jewelry shaped like a unicorn.

Fertility Spell
Getting Pregnant Spell

You will need the following: --ace of wands, 10 of cups, the SUN, --something for a baby you bought specifically for this ritual (a bib, a small blanket...etc.....), --9 red candles. Light the candles and lay out the tarot cards one by one. Visualize yourself finding out your pregnant, staring at a positive pregnancy test. Repeat the following: With these cards and with this spell- I call upon the good and helpful powers. I desire to start a family - I desire energy and love to continue. This small item (hold up the baby item) is the token of the commitment we are ready to make. We are ready to love our children - we are ready to teach our children and we are ready to have our children. so it is - so it shall be! Seal this spell with kisses and hugs followed by the actions necessary to start a family. Seashells represent fertility. She can create a small seashell altar in her bedroom. If she wants to add a deity, I'd use the Goddess of Willendorf. Any round and fertile/pregnant goddess will work, and there are many! Holed stones are also symbols of fertility. Have her carry one her person or have her wear one around her neck as a charm. Placing one by the bed or between the matters is also good. Eat healthy! Diet plays an extreme part in fertility. Use visualization. She must be relaxed. Also, studies show that when the man and woman climax together, the woman has a higher chance of conception. Full moons... In tribal times and pre-electricity, women would ovulate around the Full Moon and menstruate around the Dark or New Moon. One way to get yourself onto this cycle is to start paying more attention to the phases of the moon and also going out under the moon for even a minute or two.

Meditation

2008-07-02T17:31:00.002-04:00

The following lecture on Meditation comes from a great Geocities site. You can visit it by clicking on the title of this post. I in no way condone druguse or any other chemical way to induce an altered state of mind. So take caution in reading this article. Besides using man made drugs are frowned upon by true Wiccans. Although some forms of liquor are fine like Wine and such. I prefer Whiskey myself. LOL!

MEDITATION

Entering the Trance State

Trance and meditation is the art of deliberately changing your state of consciousness from that which you use everyday to one where you join into the magickal flow and processes of the universe. There are three main ways to alter your consciousness and we will begin by describing each of these categories.

The first way is by altering your actual physical body processes by any number of methods that alter your brain chemistry. Psychedelic drugs (LSD, peyote, mescaline etc.), fasting, sleep-deprivation, exposure to extremes in temperature or sensation (pain/pleasure), and sensory deprivation are all examples of ways that you can achieve a trance state by altering your body chemistry. I DO NOT RECOMMEND any of these for the beginner. First of all, any or all of these methods can have life-threatening consequences if the practioner is not sufficiently careful. Second of all, states of altered consciousness induced by these methods cannot be easily exited from if the practioner becomes confused or scared or something comes up. If you must experiment with these types, do so only under the expert guidance of an experienced shaman/shamaness high priest/priestess (and I mean experienced in these types of dream-quest trance methods) who can be present with you while you do it.

The second way to alter consciousness is through drama. This is a fairly common occurence. This type of altered consciousness happens during any group activity where the emotions of the group are focused on a single outcome or spectacle. Some examples are the religious ecstasy that sometimes occurs at pentecostal revivals and prayer meetings, the unified spirit or emotion that occurs at political rallies, rock concerts, sporting events or even some movies. In this type of event or drama, your attention becomes so focused on whatever it is that is going on that you actually enter a light trance state. Covens and religious groups throughout time have utilized ritual and spectacle to induce this type of heightened consciousness within their membership.

The third way is the way that most concerns the solitary witch. This is achieving a heightened state of awareness through meditation and focused thought and chances are good you have already done this at one point or another in your life. Hypnosis and daydreaming are two easily recognized trance states that you may be aware of or have experienced in this category.

So why do we want to put ourselves into a trance state? First, our natural "powers" of intuition and observation are closely tied to the dream consciousness. We subconsciously relay messages from it all the time in the form of "hunchs", premonitions, gut feelings, but as a practioner of magick we want more than to just passively catch as catch can, we want to be able to actively harness our dream consciousness to provide information and feedback on the larger universe. Secondly, the dream consciousness is directly tied into the energy field that is the ultimate reality of the world we know. On the most basic level, all matter is really a pattern of energy. Our regular consciousness being limited is unable to recognize the patterns or influence them in any means other than direct physical intervention, but our dream consciousness can add/subtract/ redirect energy into a different pattern and thereby produce magick: changes in the universe brought about by will.

That being the case, all spells regardless of their outer form or ingredients need to be performed while in dream consciousness in order to be effective. Not to say that spells that are performed in normal consciousness are completely ineffective, because you are never completely out of touch with your dream consciousness, but the results will be more random depending on how close or far you naturally range from your dream consciousness. As an interesting side note, most people who choose to follow Wicca or any magickal tradition tend to be fairly "intuitive" (ie more tightly linked to their dream consciousness) to begin with. Those who have no interest in magick also seem to be the most divorced from their spiritual being/consciousness. This is a good thing for those of you who have doubts about whether you have the "gift" or not. If you didn't have the gift you wouldn't be interested.

So beyond divination and spell-casting what else is meditative trance good for? Meditative trance is good for "digging" around in your psyche to modify and eliminate bad behaviours (ie addictions, uncontrollable anger, depression, panic attacks, poor self-esteem, etc.) and encourage and promote good behaviours (self-esteem, self-control, tolerance, compassion etc.) One of your most important tasks as a Wiccan is to know yourself, and this goes beyond a mere biography of your life so far. It is important to examine each and every experience in your life both good and bad and how you reacted to them, sort of as an outside observer. To know why you think the way you do, what exactly makes you happy/sad/angry . This internal dissection is necessary to allow you to grow, to stop reacting to your life and start directing it. For some it is not too difficult, but for others (especially those from dysfunctional families) it is a painful process, but very necessary to bring yourself to a state of emotional and mental balance, because without this internal balance, magick will be more difficult and less effective and you will not be as adept at judging the fine ethical points of when and how to use it. In other words, meditative trance is useful for getting your life straightened out.

So enough with the theory and down into the actual how-tos. The following are some preparatory exercises to get you into the feeling of a non-linear consciousness.

Patterning
By the way this is a good one for those of you with an artistic bent as it helps you "really" see something. Take an object or scene (looking around your house is fine) and look at it, concentrate on it, but instead of seeing it as a book or a chair (or whatever) see it instead as a play of light and shadow , angle and color. Most of us when we look at something are not really seeing it's true shape but our idea of what the shape is.

Go outside and do this on trees, grass, the sky. After a time you should notice that things are a lot more complex than your idea of them was. You can also do this with your other senses. Close your eyes and listen, some sounds will be readily apparent, but don't focus on them, try instead to listen to everything simultaneously like a concert, not picking out any one sound over another.

Drifting/Daydreaming
Everyone has done this at some point or another...just stared off into space and let their mind wander. But when you do it now pay attention to the way you feel when you do it. This feeling is very similar to the feeling you will have in a light trance state.

Now on to actual trance.

There are as many methods to achieve a meditative trance state as there are people and no one way is inherently better than any other way. In general any repetative or rythmic occurence that you can tightly focus on will be sufficient to induce a trance state; the ways I give here are just the ones that work best for me. Once you have an idea of how a trance state feels, it is a good idea to experiment around to find the procedure that works best for you.

Method 1: Rythmic Breathing

Sitting in a comfortable position, close your eyes and consciously relax the muscles of your body. Now concentrate on your breathing. Pace your breaths by either counting or mentally reciting a chant. For example: in 1..2..3..4..out..1..2..3..4 or (one of my favs) in.. Isis.. Hathor.. Mighty.. Mother..out Sol.. Osiris.. Holy.. Father. Breathe evenly and completely all the way in and all the way out. Do this for about 5-10 minutes. You should start to feel a serene floating sensation very similar to the way you feel when you are day dreaming. This is a light trance state. In this state you will still be actively thinking and conscious and if you open your eyes you can observe things and move around, but things will have a "dreamy" quality. You may feel a tingling sensation in your hands or body--this is normal and nothing to worry about. To bring your self out, do something mundane...clap your hands..slap the earth..drink a glass of water...whatever it is you do, you are simply willing yourself to a normal state.

Method 2: Color Countdown

As before close your eyes and relax. Picture in your mind a red 7. Try to make it as solid as possible. Then an orange 6..yellow 5..green 4..blue 3..indigo..2..violet 1. Take your time with each color and fully visualize it before moving down to the next. As before you should feel the same "dreamy" quality. To bring yourself out you may use the same technique as in Rythmic Breathing or count your self up through the colors.

Method 3: Rythmic Sound

This one is slightly different. Make some sound...I use a drum, but clapping or repeting a chant is just as effective (or any combination of these). The main idea is to make a rythmic noise. Concentrate on the rythym and "lose" yourself in it. Once again you will know you are in trance when you experience the "dreamy" timeless quality.

The main idea right now is to get you used to going into and out of a trance state and becoming used to the effects and sensations so that you become thoroughly familiar with the process...in the next lecture we will go into concentration and what to do while in trance to work magick.

Lady Marissa's aStore

2008-07-02T16:05:00.002-04:00

Unfortunately the aStore will not work on Blogger. So to see that is all offered at my aStore just click anywhere on the image below and you will be taken to my aStore. Thank you.

Moon Phases

2008-06-30T19:02:00.002-04:00

Free and Magickal Graphics by MyspaceMagick.com January 2008 New Moon ~ Tues. 8th 6:37 am 2nd Quarter ~ Tues. 15th 2:46 am Full Moon ~ Tues. 22nd 8:35 am 4th Quarter ~ Wed. 30th 12:03 am
February 2008 New Moon ~ Wed. 6th 10:44 pm 2nd Quarter ~ Wed. 13th 10:33 pm Full Moon ~ Wed. 20th 10:30 pm 4th Quarter ~ Thurs. 28th 9:18 pm
March 2008 New Moon ~ Fri. 7th 12:14 pm 2nd Quarter ~ Fri. 14th 6:45 am Full Moon ~ Fri. 21st 2:40 pm 4th Quarter ~ Sat. 29th 5:47 pm
April 2008 New Moon ~ Sat. 5th 11:55 pm 2nd Quarter ~ Sat. 12th 2:32 pm Full Moon ~ Sun. 20th 6:25 am 4th Quarter ~ Mon. 28th 10:12 am
May 2008 New Moon ~ Mon. 5th 8:18 am 2nd Quarter ~ Sun. 11th 11:47 pm Full Moon ~ Mon. 19th 10:11 pm 4th Quarter ~ Tues. 27th 10:56 pm
June 2008 New Moon ~ Tues. 3rd 3:22 pm 2nd Quarter ~ Tues. 10th 11:03 am Full Moon ~ Wed. 18th 1:30 pm 4th Quarter ~ Thurs. 26th 8:10 am
July 2008 New Moon ~ Wed. 2nd 10:18 pm 2nd Quarter ~ Thurs. 10th 12:35 am Full Moon ~ Fri. 18th 3:59 am 4th Quarter ~ Fri. 25th 2:41 pm
August 2008 New Moon ~ Fri. 1st 6:12 am 2nd Quarter ~ Fri. 8th 4:20 pm Full Moon ~ Sat. 16th 5:16 pm 4th Quarter ~ Sat. 23rd 7:49 pmNew Moon ~ Sat. 30th 10:41 am
September 2008 2nd Quarter ~ Sun. 7th 10:04 amFull Moon ~ Mon. 15th 5:13 am4th Quarter ~ Mon. 22th 1:04 am New Moon ~ Mon. 29th 4:12 am
October 2008 2nd Quarter ~ Tues. 7th 5:04 am Full Moon ~ Tues. 14th 4:02 pm 4th Quarter ~ Tues. 21th 7:54 am New Moon ~ Tues. 28th 7:14 pm
November 2008 2nd Quarter ~ Wed. 5th 11:03 pm Full Moon ~ Thurs. 13th 1:17 am 4th Quarter ~ Wed. 19th 4:31 pm New Moon ~ Thurs. 27th 11:54 am
December 2008 2nd Quarter ~ Fri. 5th 4:25 pm Full Moon ~ Fri. 12th 11:37 am 4th Quarter ~ Fri. 19th 5:29 am New Moon ~ Sat. 27th 7:22 am Waxing Moon and Full Moon

WAXING MOON
Let's start with a Waxing Crescent Moon, the kind that looks like a Man in a Moon drawing or a cute Christmas tree ornament with a smiling face and a long white beard. When the Moon is a Waxing Crescent; the dark side is to your left, more or less, and the bright Crescent is to your right. (Sometimes the Moon is tipped a little, so it may not be exactly right or left, but you will know what i mean if you go outside and look at it.) You can use this time to perform waxing, drawing, increasing, or growth spells.

The Waxing Crescent Moon rises after sunrise and sets after sunset -- it is only seen in the night sky for a short time after the sun goes down.

Every night the Moon rises in the East a little later and the thickness of the Waxing Crescent gets fatter, until the shape of the Moon is half a circle. This is the First Quarter, also called by some people the Waxing Half Moon. It is dark on the left and bright on the right. You can continue to do waxing, drawing, increasing, or growth spells.

The Waxing First Quarter Moon rises about at noon and sets about at midnight.

After that, the Moon starts to look like it is pregnant -- it is perfectly round on the right side, but bulged out past half-way on the left. This is the Waxing Gibbous Moon. You can continue to do waxing, drawing, increasing, or growth spells.

The Waxing Gibbous Moon rises in the middle of the afternoon

and sets well before sunrise

FULL MOON
It takes about 14 days of growing bigger for the moon to grow or wax completely full -- that night you will see the Full Moon rise as a perfect circular disk. This is the Light of the Moon, and it is reserved for light works and dedications to benevolent lunar deities.

The Full Moon rises almost exactly at sunset

and sets almost exactly at the next sunrise.

Waning Moon and New Moon

WANING MOON
After its 14 days of waxing, culminating with the Full Moon, the entire process is reversed and the Moon decreases in apparent size. After about 3 days of appearing to be more or less full, the moon slowly begins to visibly go dark on the right side, while the left side stays the same disk-shape as it had when it was Full. This is the Waning Gibbous Moon -- it looks perfectly round on the left side, but bulged out past half-way on the right. This is the time to begin waning, repelling, decreasing, or reversing spells.

The Waning Gibbous Moon rises in the early evening

and sets some time after sunrise.

Every night the Moon rises in the East a little later and the thickness of the Waning Gibbous gets thinner, until the shape of the Moon is half a circle. This is the Last Quarter, also called by some people the Third Quarter or Waning Half Moon. It is dark on the right and bright on the left. You can continue to do waning, repelling, decreasing, or reversing spells.

The Waning Last Quarter Moon rises about at midnight

and sets about at noon.

As the shape continues to shrink, night by night, the Moon becomes a Waning Crescent; the dark side is to your right, more or less, and the bright Crescent is to your left. You can continue to do waning, repelling, decreasing, or reversing spells.

The Waning Crescent Moon rises between midnight and dawn,

but fades out when the Sun comes up.

NEW MOON
Finally, growing smaller still, the moon has waned completely and it vanishes. This is called the Dark of the Moon or New Moon -- and it is reserved for dark works and dedications to dark deities. On the night of the New Moon you will see no Moon at all, no matter how long you stay up and watch, because...

The New Moon (Dark Moon) rises at sunrise

and sets at sunset.

Waxing Moon Again

WAXING MOON AGAIN
About 3-4 days after the true Dark of the Moon you will see a tiny sliver of a Moon like a fingernail paring appear in the sky at sunset near where the Sun has gone down. Some people call this the First Crescent. Others call it the Siva Moon, because the Hindu god Siva is shown with a thin crescent moon in his hair. This is the time to begin waxing, drawing, attracting or growth spells.

The First Crescent rises a little bit after sunrise

and sets a little bit after sunset.

Cande Magic *** Their Colors and Meanings

2008-06-30T18:36:00.002-04:00

Free and Magickal Graphics by MyspaceMagick.com

Red Love, passion, sexuality, courage, strength, vitality

Blue Wisdom, spirituality, understanding, inspiration, friendship, sincerity, harmony

Green Money, financial matters, employment, success, abundance, prosperity

Orange Prosperity, encouragement, abundance, justice, luck, legal matters

Pink Friendship, relaxation, happiness, affection

Brown Earth energy, animals, grounding

Purple Spirituality, psychic abilities, meditation, mental healing, personal growth, tranquility

White Purity, peace, lunar energy, spirituality, for use with any purpose

Black Grounding, meditation, banishing, endings, protection

Some Important Witch's Tools

2008-06-30T18:21:00.002-04:00

Athame The athame is a ritual knife or dagger, usually double-edged with a black handle. The knife represents Fire, but is never used to cut anything physical. An athame is often used to cast a circle.

Chalice Your chalice (or cup) represents Water. Altar chalices are typically a stemmed goblet style, but any cup, glass or mug will do. Your cup is used to hold the water or wine for drinking at the end of a ritual or circle.

Wand Most people think of wands as long wooden branches with a big stone on the end. Your wand can be any material you feel drawn to (wood, metal, bone). Your wand is the tool of Air, and is used to direct energy during ritual. Wands tend to be the one tool that most Wiccans are likely to make themselves.

Pentacle Your altar pentacle can be anything from a simple pendant, to a large table-top platen. The pentacle represents Earth, and you use it to cleanse or consecrate other items on your altar. Typical pentacles are metal, ceramic or carved from wood.

Cauldron The cauldron represents Water, like the chalice. Most Wiccans don't actively use cauldrons but keep one for the symbolism and the sheer 'witchy-ness' of it. Cauldrons are cast iron pots, usually pot-bellied in style. If you cannot find a true cauldron, other bowls or pots may be used. Though it represents Water, many rituals also call for small fires to be burned in the cauldron. If you plan on doing this, make sure to have a cauldron that can take the heat.

Bowl of Salt You can use a bowl of salt to represent the Earth, rather than an altar pentacle. Salt is used to cleanse other tools, crystals, jewelry or any item that may pick up negative energy. A small bowl of salt (coarse sea salt is best) is simply kept on the altar.

Other Items

Candles - Represent Fire, and some people keep a special pair of candles to represent the God and Goddess

Bells - Used to mark points during a ritual

Censer - For burning incense (Air)

Boline - Curved knife for harvesting herbs
Incense, crystals, statuary

You may never use all of these tools on a regular basis, but you may come across a spell or a ritual that you want to do that requires one. If you don't have a tool, you can always improvise, or keep your eyes open for your next magickal item.
By Terri Paajanen http://paganwiccan.about.com/mbiopage.htm

Witch's Rede and Witch's Creed

2008-06-30T17:54:00.003-04:00

The Witches Creed

Hear now the words of the witches,The secrets we hid in the night, When dark was our destiny's pathway, That now we bring forth into light. Mysterious water and fire, The earth and the wide-ranging air, By hidden quintessence we know them, And will and keep silent and dare. The birth and rebirth of all nature, The passing of winter and spring, We share with the life universal, Rejoice in the magical ring. Four times in the year the Great Sabbat Returns, and the witches are seen At Lammas and Candlemas dancing, On May Eve and old Hallowe'en. When day-time and night-time are equal, When sun is at greatest and least, The four Lesser Sabbats are summoned,And Witches gather in feast. Thirteen silver moons in a year are, Thirteen is the coven's array. Thirteen times at Esbat make merry,For each golden year and a day. The power that was passed down the age, Each time between woman and man, Each century unto the other, Ere time and the ages began. When drawn is the magical circle, By sword or athame of power, Its compass between two worlds lies, In land of the shades for that hour. This world has no right then to know it. And world of beyond will tell naught. The oldest of Gods are invoked there, The Great Work of magic is wrought. For the two are mystical pillars, That stand at the gate of the shrine, And two are the powers of nature, The forms and the forces divine. The dark and the light in succession, The opposites each unto each, Shown forth as a God and a Goddess: Of this our ancestors teach. By night he's the wild winds rider, The Horn'd One, the Lord of the Shades. By day he's the King of the Woodland, The dweller in green forest glades. She is youthful or old as she pleases, She sails the torn clouds in her barque, The bright silver lady of midnight, The crone who weaves spells in the dark.The master and mistress of magic, That dwell in the deeps of the mind, Immortal and ever-renewing, With power to free or to bind. So drink the good wine to the Old Gods, And Dance and make love in their praise, Till Elphame's fair land shall receive us In peace at the end of our days. And Do What You Will be the challenge, So be it Love that harms none, For this is the only commandment. By Magic of old, be it done!

From Doreen Valiente's, "Witchcraft For Tomorrow"

The Wiccan Rede(Full Version)
Bide within the Law you must, in perfect Love and perfect Trust.Live you must and let to live, fairly take and fairly give. For tread the Circle thrice about to keep unwelcome spirits out.To bind the spell well every time, let the spell be said in rhyme. Light of eye and soft of touch, speak you little, listen much.Honor the Old Ones in deed and name,let love and light be our guides again. Deosil go by the waxing moon, chanting out the joyful tune.Widdershins go when the moon doth wane,and the werewolf howls by the dread wolfsbane. When the Lady's moon is new, kiss the hand to Her times two.When the moon rides at Her peak then your heart's desire seek. Heed the North winds mighty gale, lock the door and trim the sail.When the Wind blows from the East, expect the new and set the feast. When the wind comes from the South, love will kiss you on the mouth.When the wind whispers from the West, all hearts will find peace and rest. Nine woods in the Cauldron go, burn them fast and burn them slow.Birch in the fire goes to represent what the Lady knows. Oak in the forest towers with might, in the fire it brings the God'sinsight. Rowan is a tree of power causing life and magick to flower. Willows at the waterside stand ready to help us to the Summerland.Hawthorn is burned to purify and to draw faerie to your eye. Hazel-the tree of wisdom and learning adds its strength to the bright fire burning.White are the flowers of Apple tree that brings us fruits of fertility. Grapes grow upon the vine giving us both joy and wine.Fir does mark the evergreen to represent immortality seen. Elder is the Lady's tree burn it not or cursed you'll be.Four times the Major Sabbats mark in the light and in the dark. As the old year starts to wane the new begins, it's now Samhain.When the time for Imbolc shows watch for flowers through the snows. When the wheel begins to turn soon the Beltane fires will burn.As the wheel turns to Lamas night power is brought to magick rite. Four times the Minor Sabbats fall use the Sun to mark them all.When the wheel has turned to Yule light the log the Horned One rules. In the spring, when night equals day time for Ostara to come our way.When the Sun has reached it's height time for Oak and Holly to fight. Harvesting comes to one and all when the Autumn Equinox does fall.Heed the flower, bush, and tree by the Lady blessed you'll be. Where the rippling waters go cast a stone, the truth you'll know.When you have and hold a need, harken not to others greed. With a fool no season spend or be counted as his friend.Merry Meet and Merry Part bright the cheeks and warm the heart. Mind the Three-fold Laws you should three times bad and three times good.When misfortune is enow wear the star upon your brow. Be true in love this you must do unless your love is false to you. These Eight words the Rede fulfill:"An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will"

Merry Meet! I'm Lady Marissa

2008-06-30T16:55:00.003-04:00

Merry Meet to Lady Marissa's Witchy Ways! This site is dedicated to my chosen journey down my chosen path. Follow me on this very meaningful time in my life. Everything that I learn and is important to me will be featured on this site. But before I continue I should introduce you to the most important things of all; what being wiccan (or witch) is and isn't.

What Witchcraft is:

Witchcraft is a spiritual system that fosters the free thought and will of the individual, encourages learning and an understanding of the earth and nature thereby affirming the divinity in all living things. Most importantly however, it teaches responsibility. We accept responsibility for our actions and deeds as clearly a result of the choices we make. We do not blame an exterior entity or being for our shortcomings, weaknesses or mistakes. If we mess up or do something that brings harm to another, we have no one but ourselves to blame and we must face the consequences resulting from those actions. No ifs, ands or buts and no whining...

We acknowledge the cycles of nature, the lunar phases and the seasons to celebrate our spirituality and to worship the divine. It is a belief system that allows the Witch to work with, not in supplication to deities with the intent of living in harmony and achieving balance with all things.

The spells that we do involve healing, love, harmony, wisdom and creativity. The potions that we stir might be a headache remedy, a cold tonic, or an herbal flea bath for our pets. We strive to gain knowledge of and use the natural remedies placed on this earth by the divine for our benefit instead of using synthetic drugs unless absolutely necessary.

Wiccan believe that the spirit of the One, Goddess and God exist in all things. In the trees, rain, flowers, the sea, in each other and all of natures creatures. This means that we must treat "all things" of the Earth as aspects of the divine. We attempt to honor and respect life in all its many manifestations both seen and unseen.Wiccan learn from and revere the gift of nature from divine creation by celebrating the cycles of the sun, moon and seasons. We search within ourselves for the cycles that correspond to those of the natural world and try to live in harmony with the movement of this universal energy. Our teachers are the trees, rivers, lakes, meadows, mountains and animals as well as others who have walked this path before us. This belief creates a reverence and respect for the environment, and all life upon the Earth.

We also revere the spirits of the elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water which combine to manifest all creation. From these four elements we obtain insight to the rhythms of nature and understand they are also the rhythms of our own lives.

Because Witches have been persecuted for so many centuries, we believe in religious freedom first! We do not look at our path as the only way to achieve spirituality, but as one path among many to the same end. We are not a missionary religion out to convert new members to think the same as we do. We are willing to share our experience and knowledge with those who seek our wisdom and perspective however. We believe that anyone who is meant for this path will find it through their own search as the Goddess speaks to each of us in her time and way. Wiccan practice tolerance and acceptance toward all other religions as long as those faiths do not persecute others or violate the tenant of "Harm None."What Witchcraft is not:More information about Witchcraft is available in the Frequently Asked Questions section, but in the interim, here are the main points.

Witchcraft or Wicca is not a cult:

We do not proclaim ourselves to be spokespersons for the divine or try to get others to follow us as their leaders.

We do not worship Satan or consort with Demons. Satan is a Christian creation and they can keep him.

We do not need a paranoid creation of supreme evil and eternal damnation to scare us into doing the right thing and helping others.

We choose to do the right thing and love our brothers and sisters because it IS the right thing and it feels good to do it. I suppose it is a maturity thing.

We do not sacrifice animals or humans because that would violate our basic tenant of "Harm None." Anyone who does and claims to be a Wiccan or a Witch is lying.

We have no need to steal or control the life force of another to achieve mystical or supernatural powers. We draw our energy from within, our personal relationship with the divine and nature.

We do not use the forces of nature or the universe to hex or cast spells on others. Again, "Harm None" is the whole of the law.

Witches have a very strict belief in the Law of Three which states that whatever we send out into our world shall return to us three fold either good or bane. With this in mind, a "True Witch" would hesitate in doing magick to harm or manipulate another because that boomerang we throw will eventually come back to us much larger and harder then when we threw it.