Goddess Devotional and Cleansing

So I could've sworn that I had posted this a long time ago but I can't seem to find it. This is something that I do on my own before my altar. It was inspired by a book I read called The Shamanic Witch by Gail Wood.

First you will need to get into your meditative state. You will need the elements represented before you: a bowl of salt for Earth, a red candle for fire, a bowl of water, and incense for air. I like to place these in their respected directions around my cauldron which is always placed upon my pentacle.

Take a pinch of salt and sprinkle it around you deosil thrice while saying:

"I stand in the presence of the Goddess.
I cast all negativity into the Earth,
so that I may be cleansed by Her strength."

Place your hand over the flame of the red candle and say:

"I feel the passion of the Goddess,
I cast all negativity into the fires of change,
so that I may be cleansed by Her vitality."

Sprinkle the water around you thrice in a deosil direction while saying:

"I bathe in the heart of the Goddess.
I cast all negativity into the wells of change,
so that I may be cleansed by Her love."

Waft the smoke of the incense over you and say:

"I breathe in the breath of the Goddess.
I cast all negativity into the winds of change,
so that I may be cleansed by Her intuition."

Move your hand over each element and say:

"By Earth, Fire, Water, and Air,
through Her strength, vitality, love, and intuition,
I am cleansed! As I do will, so mote it be!"

What I like to do at the end is take some loose sage and light it within my cauldron and meditate for a few minutes to complete it. This represents the Spirit.

Positive Affirmation Seal

Last night I performed an Esbat ritual and I thought that some of the elements I put into it would be very beneficial to those setting their goals for the New Year. I'm going to call it, a Positive Affirmation Seal. You can either perform this as just a spell or in a ritual all it's own. So to begin you will need:

• Parchment paper
• Pen (may be previously enchanted or not)
• Anointing Oil
• Bowl of Salt and Water
• Frankincense incense
• Red candle
• Pentacle
• Cauldron
• Loose Sage and igniting coal
• Sealing wax and seal

Set up your altar and say your blessings. Light the sage on the coal within the cauldron on the pentacle. Make sure the smoke permeates the air accordingly so that the space is cleansed. You may also consecrate, charge, or bless the area in your own fashion. Once your sacred space has been prepared, you will begin by meditating. The purpose of this meditation is to divine your positive affirmations. Light the red candle and the incense and sit for several minutes. As soon as these affirmations enter your mind, write them down upon your parchment paper. Once you have completed this to your satisfaction sprinkle the paper with salt and say:

"By the strength of the Earth,

I charge these affirmations.

As I do will, so mote it be!"

Run the paper over the flame of the red candle and say:

"By the vitality of Fire,

I charge these affirmations.

As I do will, so mote it be!"

Sprinkle the paper with the water and say:

"By the love of Water,

I charge these affirmations.

As I do will, so mote it be!"

Run the paper through the smoke of the incense and say:

"By the intuition of Air,

I charge these affirmations.

As I do will, so mote it be!"

You may wish to call upon your deities to bless your affirmations as well. You will then fold the paper three times as you would do putting it into an envelope. You will then seal the paper with your sealing wax and keep the paper in a safe place such as a power chest for the rest of the year. Leave it somewhere you can see it so you are reminded of it. At the end of the year you may break the seal and burn the paper to release its energy. This is also something you can also do during the lunar cycle.

Mistletoe

Mistletoe is an herbal generally associated with Yule. It is classified as a parasitic plant that grows on top of existing plants and draws nutrients from its host. These plants are usually harvested in the winter and hung to dry for use later on. Generally, this plant is considered a good luck charm. You can carry it on you for luck or lovers who kiss underneath it are ensured happiness. It is also a symbol of peace.

This herb can be used magically for:

• masculine energy
• attracting love
• protection
• good luck
• forgiveness
• increasing sexual potency
• banishing energy and unwanted spirit

Medicinally, it can be used for:

European Mistletoe

• lowering blood pressure
• general health of the heart and circulatory system
• epilepsy
• rheumatism

American Mistletoe

• uterine contractions to aid in menstruation and childbirth

When using mistletoe in teas for medicinal remedies be careful as it is toxic. You would have to ingest a substantial amount to kill you but you must keep out of reach of small children and pets. Do not use mistletoe if you are pregnant or nursing.

For more information you can visit this very informative site here.

Yule Blessing

Blessed Yule brings forth the Light

as the flames dance in the dead of night.

Return dear God to the darkened Earth,

as we celebrate your sacred birth.

Bless the Mother and bless the Son

for blessings bestowed upon everyone.

By the Sun, the Moon, and the Sea

as I do will, so mote it be!

Elements To Creating A Ritual

So I've realized that I've been writing rituals and explaining how to cleanse space and cast Circles but I haven't really explained to anyone how they can create their own ritual. I only just thought of this while I was reading a book by Scott Cunningham who started explaining the different elements to creating your own ritual. While he explained the elements listed in his book were not required but more of a guideline, I would like to create my own guideline here. My guidelines don't really have as many elements to it as his does; this is probably due to the fact that I create very simple and memorable rituals and a lot of my rituals are spontaneous. I do understand that there are a lot of people out there who would rather do formalized rituals that have been written in advance and possibly even practiced.

Generally, I write down Sabbat rituals beforehand and my Esbat rituals are spontaneous since that is a time for creativity. So here is an extremely simplified list of how a typical ritual is laid out.

• Cleansing yourself
• Cleansing the Sacred Space
• Casting the Circle
• Calling the Quarters
• Honoring and calling the deities
• Celebrating the Sabbat or working your ritual magick
• Meditation/grounding your energy
• Thanking your deities and Quarters for helping you
• Opening the Circle

So of course what you do inside your ritual, the 'body' of it, is all up to you. When I am within my Circle there is no concept of time. Many people ask me how long ritual will be and I cannot give them a straight answer because the Circle is a space outside of time. It is a separate plane of existence altogether. Typically my rituals can last anywhere from an hour to 3 hours and feel like it lasted just 20 minutes. Most people in my Circle make the same comment "How was it actually that long?!" 

Sweetheart, it's magick!

Using Energies From Esbats and Sabbats

Everyone knows that Full Moons, New Moons, and Sabbats are great times for ritual and spell work. These days hold immense amounts of energies that can be used to our Will and directed towards a common purpose. However, there has been some debate about when these energies mature enough to the point to be effective, especially in regards to Full Moons and Sabbats. Certain traditions in Wicca and Witchcraft have a time limit on when these energies can be tapped into, if you will. To some this may sound ignorant since there is energy all around us just waiting to be utilized everyday but to others this is a legitimate concern.

I believe there is energy all around us. The term I like to use for it is Prana which is a sanskrit term for "life force" which is from Hinduism. I remember when I was reading a book about 6 years ago when I first discovered this term and a meditation for it (something I'll probably blog about later) and thinking to myself wow, that makes so much sense! However, I consider this universal energy that can be tapped into at any time. Full Moons and Sabbats have a certain special energy, to me at least.

Full Moons are filled with the divine feminine energy from the Goddess. These are Her nights and I expect most would agree with me on this. The Moon belongs to the Goddess in all her forms and give off immense amounts of psychic and spiritual energy that can be used specifically for divination, candle magick, psychic development, astral projection, and a ton of other stuff. Since most of my training is in the Celtic Witchcraft Tradition, I tend to stick to my rule of when it is appropriate and effective to harness this kind of energy for my rituals and spell. In short, I was taught that with Full Moons you can harness this energy up to 3 days before the Full Moon and up to 3 days after the Full Moon. This is because the energy has almost reached it's peak 3 days prior and the residual energy 3 days after is still strong enough to use as well. The moonlight given off reflects the energy in a way.

This is the general rule in my tradition which I'm sure it varies across the board in other sects and traditions. But, if you ever wondered about it, this is what I go by. Now as for Sabbats, they're a little different.

So Sabbats are basically Wiccan Holy Days. They reflect the Wheel of the Year. What I was taught, was that you can celebrate a Sabbat 3 days prior to that Sabbat but never after. Celebrating a Sabbat after the Sabbat has already passed is basically void. They depict certain astrological occurrences that happen on those days as well as the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. It would be like going to watch a meteor shower the day after it happened. You're not going to see anything. Also, to celebrate a Sabbat after it has already occurred disrupts the cycle, You wouldn't celebrate Thanksgiving on Christmas so why would you celebrate the death of the God on Yule when he's being reborn? If you miss a Sabbat it's not the end of the world. Just move on to the next chapter just as life does.

I understand this may be absurd to some people but to me, it's just what I stick to. I understand people have busy lives and may be too tired to do anything on a Sabbat and therefore want to do it later; that's cool, whatever floats your boat. To me, Sabbat days are significant for a reason and I believe that reason to be that that's when the energy has peaked. Anything after it starts to wane so I try my best to harness it when I can.

New Moon Thoughts

The new moon is tonight and I've been thinking a lot about my spirituality and about the knowledge I've been seeking over the past few weeks. This hunger has led me to meet up with several group classes and it's given me a new meaning. I've gotten to the point where I feel like teaching others again and joining a Coven rather than practicing as a solitary, which is what I've been doing for a while.

In fact, on this new moon I will be doing another Dedication Ritual because I feel like it's something I need to renew with myself. Dedication rituals, I believe, are helpful in keeping one with their goals. These are goals one makes to themselves and to their deities and to the Universe. It's a very personal thing and no formal ritual needs to take place in order to dedicate yourself.

I just think that I need to spend some time within my Circle and sit and contemplate everything that has been happening in my life recently. So tonight, if you are having having troubles or are searching for yourself then join me. Set up your sacred space. Plant your seeds upon this new moon and as the moon waxes watch them grow into exactly what you were hoping for.

Sex Magick Taboo

I know this is a topic that people tend to shy away from, especially those that see sex as a taboo subject. If this is a topic that you find upsetting or triggering please do not read any further. Sex Magick, especially in the Western world is not something that I hear about very often in Covens or among the general Pagan, Wiccan, Witch population. In fact, in a lot of the groups I have met, the first two stipulations for the group is, "We do not do skyclad [naked] rituals", and "We do not practice sex magick [group sexual participation]." There is absolutely nothing wrong with these statements and it is everyone's right to be comfortable with what they are participating in. However, for those who do have a group that participates in sex magick or those who do it individually or just with their partner, I just want to say there is absolutely nothing wrong with that either.

I've heard a lot of Wiccans/Pagans/Witches say that sex magick isn't a valid form of magick, or that those who practice it are perverted. This is not true. It's easy to say these things when one is afraid of them or has grown up with a certain code of morality. Sex magick is very powerful and generates significant amounts of energy that can then be directed towards your spell or ritual intention. It's not for everyone, but I'm becoming more and more agitated with people of the Craft polluting the idea that sex is anything but a natural phenomenon. Some people choose to represent the union of the God and Goddess symbolically by placing the athame in the cauldron and others choose to show it through the union of their own bodies in an actual representation. It all depends on the persons' preference.

Right now, I am reading a wonderful book on Celtic sex magick and I would like to reach out to those who are interested and tell them it's a wonderful journey. Your journey is different from everyone else's and that is perfectly fine. Don't listen to judgement and do what you need to do in order to continue your journey. Just remember to be safe in the process!

This is the book I am currently reading if others would like a reference:

Book Review: Witchcraft: Theory and Practice by Ly de Angeles

I know I haven't posted a book review in quite sometime but that doesn't mean I've stopped reading them! I will update on previously read books later on but this one I just finished tonight. I wanted to go ahead and write about it since it's fresh on my mind.

So I gave into reading this book because everyone seemed to be reading it. In fact, I felt like there was a fad going on with this book for awhile. Usually I don't like reading books that seem to be taking the Pagan community by storm because I feel like they may not be as authentic. However, I feel that the author of this book is extremely intelligent and for the most part I agree with what she says about the Craft. The things that I disagree with are of course personal to my own Craft and are irrelevant to discuss since it has to do with my beliefs which will obviously differ from everyone else.

Ly de Angeles has some incredible and highly valuable information within this book's pages. Some of it I've even recorded (with a few personal tweaks of me own) into my Grimoire. Of course she has meditation techniques, instructions in self-initiation, stuff on Astral projection, and many things on protection, banishings, and helping out your fellow neighbor. All of this information is great...I just wish it was presented more clearly. While reading this book, I felt like it skipped around or jumped rather quickly from topic to topic. There weren't really any set chapters even though she tried. There were a bunch of sub-topics that seemed to have no relation to one's before or after them. I felt disorganized while reading it and dare I say a little anxious. You could clearly see her thought process was a little scattered and unfocused. Some sections or sub-topics I felt were irrelevant and made no solid points.

Much of her information given seemed to be for more advanced Witches instead of first degree initiates. Her intro material seemed rushed which I assumed because she believed her target audience were already veterans at meditation, visualization, and basic ritual and spellcrafting but that's simply not true. This book was being read by first time people in the Craft and de Angeles is already talking about hexes and at least intermediate banishings of entities. I felt like that was a little bit of a leap from the couple of visualization techniques she gave in the first section of her book.

I wouldn't recommend this book to beginners as I don't feel like there's enough information to be of value to them within this book. I would say if you are intermediate or experienced in your Craft this would be a better book selection for you. Also, I saw more practice than theory in this book. In fact, I'm not even sure why the word "theory" is in the title. I thought there would be more background information on Witchcraft thus leading to some sort of thesis but I didn't really see it. Other than that I would say this was an okay book to read but it's not my favorite and certainly nothing to rave about like everyone seems to be doing.

Blessed be, everyone!

The Grimoire

The Grimoire, a Witch's Book of Shadows, is one of the most valuable tools of information a Witch possesses. Typically, this book is not shown to anyone or may be shown only to Coven members of the highest trust. Some Covens have a community Book of Shadows that is continuously written into by the High Priest/Priestess and possibly by Coven members depending on the Coven Laws or it may be copied from for Coven members to write into their individual Book of Shadows. Solitary Witches tend to keep their Grimoire private.

My Grimoire is for my eyes only as of now. I love my Book of Shadows and I intend to pass it down to my future children when I decide to have them. If and when I decide to create a Coven of my own I may show it to my members but I will most likely keep it to myself and simply teach from it. I think it's better for people to develop their own ideas about spells/rituals rather than copy it from me. 

Your Book of Shadows can be as fancy or as simple as you like. It can be anything from a leather bound journal to a simple notebook. The way your Book of Shadows is set up is personal to you. The way you set it up is very important to your Craft. I keep my organized and I hand write everything neatly. I even color in my book because I think it makes it look better than simple black and white (and because I believe magick comes in all colors). Some people choose to do theirs differently such as it being messy and chaotic. Both of these ideas are completely fine. It all depends on you and how you wish to portray your magick.

I keep my Grimoire close to my altar and it is locked when not in use. So what exactly do you write in them? They contain a plethora of magical information along with practical information that the owner deems necessary to write. They can contain secrets, dreams, goals, spells, rituals, basic information regarding the Craft and Wicca, divination, charts, definitions, tools and how to use them, etc. I regard this blog as a type of online Book of Shadows that I don't mind sharing. Other things I reserve for my personal one.

You can put anything and everything in your Grimoire. It is entirely your choice and your right. This is my personal Grimoire.

Sacred Yule Plants and Herbs

So in recognition of Yule (this happens to be my second favorite Sabbat), I would like to post a little something about sacred Yule plants and herbs. In fact, I have a jar of Mistletoe sitting on my newly decorated altar right now. So I just want to give a brief description of each of these plants and why they are important for this holiday.

Yule usually falls between December 20th and December 22nd in the Northern Hemisphere. It's considered a minor Sabbat and is also the Winter Solstice, the shortest day in the year. It symbolizes the rebirth of the God and also the defeat of the Holly King by the Oak King.

1. Evergreens - Fir, Juniper, Cedar, Pine, these are all from the evergreen family. Typically the Yule tree or as people of the Christian faith like to call them Christmas trees are constructed from the evergreens. They symbolize protection, prosperity, and renewal.

2. Holly - Holly is generally a positive, healing wood. It is also a very protective wood and is used in the construction of many wands. It represents the Holly King which can be equated to Santa Claus in the Christian tradition.

3. Ivy - This plant can be used to bind family and romantic relationships together. It is also used in protection, as a barrier between you and a toxic situation, and can be used to improve relationships.

4. Mistletoe - This is a plant of peace and is used to end discord and strife. Everyone knows about hanging a sprig of Mistletoe over the doorway to get a kiss. The kiss represented peace.

5. Birch - This is a very versatile wood. It is often used as a Yule log along with Oak and is used to craft besoms. It is the first tree in the Celtic year and symbolizes rebirth.

6. Oak - Also used for the Yule log, it represents the Oak King. They symbolize power and endurance and I believe are one of the most majestic trees there are.

7. Yew - This tree is associated with immortality and longevity. It tells us this is a time of change and is associated with the Crone aspect of the Goddess.

My Familiar, Salem

So continuing on with showing some pictures from my own life, I'd like to introduce my familiar, Salem. I rescued him from the local animal control when he was 7 months old. He's now a little over a year (his first birthday was in July).

Here he is helping me out with my altar.

My Altar

So I wanted to post some pictures of my altar for Samhain. I usually change my altar with the seasons so I put Autumn decorations on it from August to October, Yule decorations from after Samhain to the end of January. Spring decorations from Imbolc to Beltane. And of course, Summer decorations from May back to August.

Some people change their altars much more often to celebrate all esbats while some never change their altar at all because they may believe it messes up the energy they've built up. It all depends on preference. For me, I really admire the changing of the seasons and the Wheel of the Year so I fashion my altar to match it and to me I'm also honoring those changes and embracing them and their gifts.

So this is my little altar. I really love it and I'm about to change it up once again for Yule! I also have a very nice book of shadows but I'll save that for another post.

Blessed be everyone!

Friday the 13th: Origins

So I absolutely adore Fridays, especially if they're the 13th. There's such a negative connotation associated with them. People throughout the years have cringed before them because they consider them extremely bad luck, but why? I'll tell you.

Fridays and the number 13 have been consider unlucky since medieval times. However, the two weren't put together until the late 19th century. There is no set in stone theory as to why Friday the 13th is exactly an "evil" day but there are some popular theories out there. The best theory for Fridays being considered evil stems from Christianity. It is believed that Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge on a Friday. It is believed they both died on a Friday. The Temple of Solomon was destroyed on a Friday. And of course, Jesus was crucified on a Friday. Of course, the day Friday was not even around yet during Adam and Eve's time so that day may be off.

Predating Christianity, Friday was named after the Norse Goddess Frigg, otherwise known and Freya. She was the Goddess of love, wisdom, beauty, war, death, and magic. It was considered unlucky to be married on a Friday as it would take away from the lovely Goddess.

Even though the origins are extremely old, it appeared the masses didn't really popularize Friday as an unlucky day until the mid-17th century. As for the unlucky number 13 there are quite a few theories to that, one of them being also from Christianity. It so happens that having 13 people present at your dinner table is unlucky because Judas was the 13th person at the Last Supper. Also, in Hinduism it was believed to be bad luck for 13 people to gather under any circumstances.

In Norse Mythology (my favorite theory), it was said that 12 Gods were feasting at the hall of Valhalla when Loki, the God of Mischief, arrived uninvited. Loki convinced Hod, the blind God of Winter and Darkness to kill Balder the Good. He did this with a spear of mistletoe.

In Goddess worshipping cultures, the number 13 was revered. It represented the number of lunar and menstrual cycles throughout the year. Of course, as patriarchal cultures came into play, the number 13 was demonized. In Ancient Egypt, they believed that life unfolded in stages, 12 of which being during life and the last, the 13th, being in death.

So now that we've looked at the day and number separately, when did they get together? Of course, there are a couple of theories and dates to this as well. It could be attributed to when the Knight's Templar was arrested which was on Friday, October 13, 1307. It could be the last day of King Harold II's reign on Friday, October 13, 1066 in which he was defeated by William of Normandy at the Battle of Hastings.

However this day seemed to form, the theories are quite fascinating! Of course, being one of the Goddess worshipping culture, I will be celebrating this coming Friday the 13th with my own special ritual and you can too! If you wish to join me there are several things you can do for this day such as honor Freya on her holy day or honor the afterlife like the Egyptians.

Seances: Tips For Summoning The Spirits

It's that time of the year again where the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest upon Halloween. During this time, I typically hear a lot of talk about the spirit world, especially about how it's becoming very active. Halloween is a fantastic time to scry, do tarot or rune readings, and of course summon the spirits. I wanted to write about this topic because recently a friend of mine has become extremely interested in contacting spirits. So before people decide to go buy a Ouija Board for their Halloween party, I just wanted to give a little advice about how to be safe.

First, Ouija Boards are NOT toys. They were designed after Witch Boards that were used to communicate with the deceased by none other than Witches. Although their design has been simplified, it still holds the same power and concept and thus should be respected. You must always say "Goodbye" when finished with the board and also thank any spirits you have communicated with and dismiss them. I always tell them to leave aloud no matter what.

Another tip is to ask test questions such as "What day is it?" or "What color is the sky?" This will help you determine accuracy and whether the entity you are speaking to is friendly or not. Remember, you can always ask the entity that is being rude to leave and if they are saying nasty things you need to dismiss them immediately. You can also state that you only wish to speak to those who have good intentions.

Cast a Protection Circle. This is optional but I like to do a little circle of protection, cleansing, and blessing before trying to commune with the dead. I feel that it helps keeps those unwanted spirits at bay. You can do this as formal or informal as you feel is necessary.

Set the tone and meditate. Again this is optional but I feel that setting a certain tone and atmosphere helps open people up to the incredible. You can use candles, incense, herbs, stones, etc to assist with this. Meditation also helps to clear the mind and creates a state of relaxation which will definitely help with any shaky hands on the board.

You don't need a Ouija Board to talk with the dead. You can just as easily create your own. One such way is to tape down letters and numbers on a table and use a wine glass as the pointer.

Remember to always, always, always close any Circles or portals you may open. when communicating with spirits you are opening a portal into their world from ours. You need to close these portals to prevent anything from coming into our world and staying here.

Stay safe this Halloween and have fun!

Candle Colors and Correspondence

Candle magick is a very simple yet powerful type of of magick. It can be used for a multitude of things such as healing, meditative journeys, success, protection, and anything your heart desires. The color of your candle can mean a lot as well, not to mention the scent, design, stones and herbs that are held within them. Choosing a candle is choosing your path. Choose them wisely for the purpose you wish them to serve. Treat them with respect and they will bring wonderful things to you.

Here is a list of colors for your candles and what they represent. Find the one that calls to you for your needs.

Green - Healing, Earth, Grounding, Success, Money, Growth, Peace

Blue - Calmness, Stress Reliever, Emotions, Fluidity, Tranquility, Meditation

Purple - Psychic, Journey, Trance, Intelligence, Spiritual

Yellow - Enlightenment, Wisdom, Happiness, Communication, Friends, Clarity

Orange - Warmth, Energy, Confidence

Red - Vitality, Sexuality, Fertility, Passion, Anger, Desire

Pink - Friendship, Relationships, Love, Sensuality

Gray - Balance, Neutrality, Stability, Maturity

Black - Protection, Mystery, Releasing Negativity

White - Purity, Cleansing, Positive Energy, Protection

This is just a brief description of of the colors and their correspondences. Of course I encourage those who feel that a certain color means something different to them than what's listed above to go with their heart's desire. It's not wrong, for example, to think of the color blue in relation to money.  If that is what your deities are telling you then you should do what you feel is right.

Abundance Bag

Everyone needs a little help every now and then, especially in the area of finance. I had been going through a tough time after my car accident on New Year's Eve last year. I was out of work for quite sometime and had to endure  months of physical therapy. Fortunately, I didn't lose my life in that accident. So since I was out of work, finances were tight. I created an abundance bag to help with these finances, buying a new car, and my taxes. It certainly helped and I still carry this bag with me today in my purse. I put it on my altar every full moon to keep it charged.

Here is a list of ingredients you'll need:

• One small green bag - green represents the Earth, success, abundance, and wealth
• A dime - this will represent wealth; it contains trace amounts of silver
• Allspice - abundance
• Bay Leaves - To write your wish upon
• Basil - wealth
• Almond Oil - Prosperity and anointing
• Elder Flower - Prosperity
• Something personal of yours - your hair, spit, blood, etc.
• Three green candles

First, you want to create your sacred space and have all these ingredients consecrated. Cleanse the area with sage. Place some bay leaves, sage, and elder flower in your cauldron. Place the three green candles in a triangular formation around your cauldron. Place a few drops of almond oil in the cauldron and anoint each candle with it before lighting them. Light each candle while visualizing your intent and then light your cauldron. Run your bag over each candle and through the smoke from the cauldron and anoint with almond oil. Place each herb except the bay leaf inside the bag and run through the candles and smoke. Do the same with the dime and place it in the bag. Write your wish upon a bay leaf, run over the candles and through the smoke and place it in the bag. Take your personal item (I used my hair) and place it in the bag. Run the bag with all the contents over the candles and through the smoke again.

Before tying the bag closed speak your intentions aloud to the God and Goddess and to the contents within the bag. Seal the bag and keep it on you at all times. It is best if you perform this during New Moon.

Herbal Remedies and Modern Medicine: Some Thoughts

Being sick is never fun. Period. I've been sick for the past couple of days, presumably with a virus. Everyone knows there is virtually nothing one can do to ease a virus. You just have to ride out the symptoms for the next couple of days to a week. I've still been working during this time and I think I'm just about near the end of this. So to help ease my suffering I've been drinking orange juice like it's going out of style, rubbing down with eucalyptus oil, and throwing back Robitussin like it's little cherry flavored shots.

So imagine my surprise when I'm speaking to a fellow Witch about the medication I'm taking and she scolds me for not using herbs in place of my Robitussin because apparently modern medicine is not as efficient and is more dangerous than drinking herbal tea and tinctures. I felt like I needed to clear up some misconceptions out there about herbal remedies vs. modern medicine and I think the best way to get this out there is by writing it in Q & A form. Just so everyone knows, I am in no way a physician. I'm a veterinary technician with a Bachelor's Degree in Animal Science and Chemistry and just so happens to be a Witch.

You're a Witch! How come you don't heal yourself with your energy and through using what Mother Earth has given you?

First off, deciding to use modern medicine to help you with the cold, the flu, strep throat, etc doesn't mean you're any more or less of a Witch. I'm sure if I summoned a 17th century Witch to modern times they would think taking one pill to cure a migraine in half an hour would be a gift from the Goddess herself or even *gasp* MAGICK. With that being said, I'm not saying using an herbal remedy wouldn't work. I'm just saying that herbal remedies are not as fasting acting as modern medicine from my experience. A lot of herbal tea remedies say you need to drink 4 to 5 cups over a period of 3 to 4 days and that's from a remedy just to help with menstrual cramps, not something like the flu!

Modern medicine takes those chemical compounds found in plants, isolates them, and puts it into some kind of oral form like a pill. So you're not getting all the vitamins and minerals from the herbs along with the other inactive/active ingredients. You are getting that one isolated compound that soothes the symptoms you have and you're also getting it in larger doses to where you can feel it working very soon.

As for using your energy to heal yourself, it does help to balance your energies to try and prevent illness. However, relying solely on energy to heal an illness is the same thing as Christians relying on prayer. So if you don't believe prayer can heal the flu or cancer then you're probably like me and highly doubt relying solely on your energy can heal you too.

Isn't modern medicine more dangerous than herbs and oils?

Not necessarily. Herbs aren't regulated by the FDA and therefore do not come with warning labels attached to them like modern medicine does. However, there are some herbs out there that can cause harm just like modern medicines. Some herbs cause dermatitis when in contact with the skin, abortions, vomiting, hormone/glucose peaks and valleys, allergic reactions, etc. Not to mention it can be very easy to confuse poisonous plants with non-poisonous ones. With oils, there is always a chance it could cause an allergic reaction or dermatitis. Usually there will be a label on your oils warning for dermatitis if you buy them from a store.

I want to strengthen my immune system. I feel like modern medicine suppresses it so wouldn't herbs help make it stronger?

A lot of people think this way and I'm partial to the idea as well. That's why if I have minor illnesses like a headache, a sore throat, or a rash I'll most likely use an herbal remedy or nothing at all and see if I can get better on my own. However, if I have a fever of any sort, I equate that to needing to bring out the big guns and will use something like Robitussin or even see a doctor. If you are really ill, please see a doctor and get something to help you get better. Illnesses such as strep throat can get increasingly worse without that penicillin shot and unless you're cultivating the mold for it in your backyard you will be miserable suffering through it and it can potentially be life threatening.

Remember that Witch I was talking about that sparked this conversation? She was using herbal teas and eucalyptus oil for an upper respiratory infection to "strengthen her immune system" and ended up with pneumonia. Please, don't let it get that far.

I don't feel like a Witch when I'm not using herbs for healing. Do you ever feel that way?

I love my herbal teas. I look at them as a way to strengthen my immune system and communicate with my spirituality. I'm not saying you can't use herbs when you're sick. I use herbs and oils all the time but you do need to be careful when mixing these with modern medicine. Too much of those compounds can lead to complications and that's why there is a warning on the label of modern medicine saying to consult a physician if using an herbal supplement. Seriously. Read the labels!

Do you think people who refuse to use modern medicine are dumb?

Absolutely not. Ultimately, the choice is ours to use it or not to use it. It's just my personal opinion and preference to use it because I hate being sick and want to recover as quickly as possible because I feel like my energy just sucks when I'm feeling shitty. Like, I don't even want to write in my beautiful Grimoire when I'm feeling sick and that just doesn't fly with me. Whatever floats your boat. If you can get through a bout of the flu without a Z Pack, more power to you!

Omens

So as a Witch, I look for meaning in everything that occurs around me. I especially pay attention to wildlife that I see. Recently, I've been seeing a lot of rabbits which is a little odd since it's about to be fall. Rabbits usually symbolize spring time and fertility. I happened upon this article which I thought was very interesting and I wanted to share it.

So if you'd like to look into some common omens, here is that link!

Divination Tools

Divination tools have been used for thousands of years from the old bones of animals, to tarot cards, to runes. These can be traced throughout history and practically in every religion, philosophy, and culture across the world. I wanted to touch on some the most popular forms in this blog in case someone is wishing to learn about these practices. Personally, I use tarot cards and rune stones although I don't use them very often for myself. Occasionally, I will place a tarot card or rune stone upon my altar in ritual if it is representative of what I am trying to accomplish or of a deity I am acknowledging and receiving blessings from.

Tarot Cards - Tarot cards do not necessarily predict the future as black and white. They are typically referred to as oracles and give out a guideline by which there is a future possibility. Your future changes all the time with the decisions you make, the opportunities you choose to take or not take. One of the oldest decks used in the Wiccan tradition is the Rider-Waite deck which I use. I also have another set that I like to use as well. Find the one that calls to you. There are also many layouts you can use with these cards so test out some of the books out there. Usually when you by a deck, it comes with a book specific to the deck as well.

The Celtic Ogham - This divination tool involves the Celtic alphabet and was named after the Celtic God of eloquence and literacy, Ogma or Ogmos. Usually, the alphabet is written on staves and these staves are laid out and tossed to predict future outcomes. The staves are either read from left to right or from bottom to top and each letter represents a certain knowledge.

The Norse Runes - According to Norse mythology, Odin created the runes as a gift to man after hanging upside down from the World Tree for nine days. Usually, these images are carved into small stones but can be carved onto wooden staves or slices. Each rune has a meaning and can be further studied in books and kits.

Reading Tea Leaves - I think this one is super fun! It's not a particularly old tradition. Basically, you see pictures in the tea leaves after you drink the cup of tea. Here's a link on how to read your tea leaves here.

Pendulum Divination - For this method, predicting the future all amounts to how the pendulum swings. You can get these at any metaphysical store or by just attaching a string to small heavy object such as a stone. To use this, you have to ask your pendulum to show you the pattern or circle for yes or no, then you ask yes or no questions and just look for the pattern it showed you. Usually, it will swing in a clockwise or counterclockwise circle.

For further information on different methods (believe me there are plenty more than this list), I would encourage everyone to visit this link here.

How To Do An Offering

I've  never thought about trying to explain to anyone how to make an offering to the God and/or Goddess that the person is worshipping. I feel like it's a very personal thing and something that comes straight from the heart of the individual who is performing the ritual. However, I was asked this question by a friend of mine and did not realize that maybe people needed some inspiration about how to give an offering to their deity.

Here are a couple of ideas on how to do an offering for those who may need a little inspiration. These ideas are based on similar offerings that I have performed in the past. I'm leaving these ideas in a brief format so people can place their own personal touches on them without being influenced too heavily by my words. I do believe these are very personal gestures.

1.) Burning incense, candles, and/or herbs.

2.) Offering water, wine, milk, or other substance to the Earth.

3.) Offering pure intentions, thoughts, and/or your love.

4.) Offering food such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, etc.

You may even wish to offer food, herbs, or other symbols that represent the Sabbat or deities you are worshipping. These are just a few ideas to offerings you may wish to make but your offerings don't always have to be tangible. They can simply be your loving thoughts.