Creating A Goddess Box

Currently, I'm taking online courses with this amazing online Goddess School at The Goddess Tree School. Each lesson is filled with enlightening things to discover such as cleansing your life of spiritual "junk food" and partaking in mini-rituals to help create a deeper and long lasting relationship with your inner Goddess. I recommend these lessons for anyone who is trying to rediscover their inner power and become closer with the Goddess on a fulfilling level.

For my very first lesson in the Goddess School, I was instructed to create a Goddess Box which was something I had never done before even though I had read about things similar to a creation such as this in other books. I do have a power chest but I had never considered it a Goddess box, only a tool to intensify my spellwork. I decided that it was time to finally try it and see how it worked out for me. A Goddess Box is a box that is meant to hold your wishes or your intentions that you wish to come to fruition over time. Your box gives your intentions power through the Goddess. I suppose you could equate this to leaving your prayers in the Goddess's hands; she'll take care of you.

Your box is meant to inspire creativity within you. You can put whatever you want on your box and you can use any medium as your box. For myself, I bought a little cheap wooden box from Micheal's and then I decorated it according to how I felt. Here are some supplies you may need:

• A box
• Glue
• Glitter
• Paper
• Paint
• Ribbon
• Crayons/colored pencils
• Scissors
• Stones
• Beads

Anything else that you deem necessary. These supplies will vary depending on what your heart tells you to do. There are no limits to your creativity. When you've created your Goddess Box, dedicate it to it's purpose. You may do this through your own dedication ritual or you may write out it's intention and place it within the box. Watch as all the intentions that you place within the box unfold. You can take your intentions out of the box every couple of months and see which ones have come to pass. 

Remember, the Goddess works in mysterious ways, and not all prayers or spells are meant to be granted or work. If an intention has not come to fruition, it may mean that it is not time for that to occur or is not meant to occur.

Here is a picture of my Goddess Box. It reads: Thou Art Goddess

Getting To Know Your Athame

An athame (ath-a-may) is a ceremonial double-edged dagger used to direct energy. Usually, it is black handled which defines it from the boline which has a white handle. The edges are blunt as this dagger is not used for cutting like the boline and is for strictly ceremonial purposes. Typically, it is created from steel but it can be made from different elements such as wood or bone. The handle may be inscribed with any symbols the barer wishes or symbols associated with their Coven or Grove. These symbols can represent deities, runes, elements, or whatever is desired.

The term "athame" is said to be suspected from the Latin term "artavus" which means a kind of quill knife. This knife was described in "The Key of Solomon" as a sickle shaped knife which is in line with the shape of the boline.

This tool is used for magical and ritual purposes only. It is used to direct energy especially when casting a Circle. It can be used for charging and consecrating items as well. The athame, in most traditions, is representative of the element of fire and is one of the 4 elemental tools in witchcraft along with the pentacle, the chalice, and the wand. In the other traditions it is associated with the element of air and the wand represents fire. The athame is also usually the main tool that's representative of a phallus and used in the symbolic version of the Great Rite.

When choosing your athame, take your time. This is a very important tool and to me is the most important tool. Take care of your tools and they will take care of you.

Wand Crafting

It's beginning to be that season where it's time to go out and make a new wand. Wand's are ritual tools used in the craft to direct energy sort of like an athame. I tend to use wands for specific rituals that have to do with heavy elemental or healing magic as they belong to the element of Air. Wands are heavily used by the Druids and it's considerably their most valuable tool in ritual. I for one, believe that wands should be handcrafted as the materials are quite easy to find and they hold a very personal power.

The best time to harvest a wand is in the spring when saplings are coming to life with energy from the sun and the energy of the Earth is feeding through the tree up to its tall branches which will be budding. This energy can be harvested in your wand. Some people prefer to pick up fallen branches from the grounds as not to harm the tree it came from and also in an effort to remain eco-friendly which is absolutely acceptable and understood. However, most Druids prefer to cut a branch from the tree so they know exactly what type of wood it is and from what specific tree it came from as location can be very important when discerning the type of energy it is giving off or being used for. When harvesting your branch you want to make sure to seal the cut on the tree with some beeswax and to leave an offering for the tree it came from such as a libation of spring water, herbs, stones, or a small talisman.

A wand can be as long or as short as you wish it to be, however a good estimate would be from your elbow to the tip of your middle finger for length and about as wide as your finger. You will need to let the wand dry in the sun for at least 3 days or longer. You want to choose a branch on the tree that is mature. After the wand has dried, you can begin by stripping the bark from it. Some people choose to keep the wand in i's raw form or may wish to keep some of the bark on it. I like to take the bark off and use it later in my ritual to purify and charge it.

Once the bark has been stripped, seal it with beeswax. You may then begin to decorate your wand however you please, with stones, or wire, or leather. I prefer to decorate within the Circle so then I may purify and charge it at the same time. The best time to do this would be upon a Full Moon. There are many ways to purify and charge a wand, so choose the best way for you!

Wands can be made from materials other than wood such as stone, bone, clay, or metal. Of course, you don't have to make your own wand but it may not have the same personal touch to it as when you create your own. It's always good to have several wands available because different materials and especially different woods give off different energy. Choose what is best for you.

Basic Ritual Altar Setup

There are quite a few ways you can setup your altar table. You may place items and tools wherever you wish. For me, I put meaning into where I place my ritual tools and items. Above, is one basic setup you can do for your altar. The tools that are present in this altar setup are standard in Wicca. The tools shown above are used as follows:

1.) God Candle--this is representative of the God and is lighted in his honor as an offering.
2.) God Idol (Statue)--a physical representation of the God
3.) Cakes--this is a plate of cakes used during the Rite of Cakes and Wine typically performed at the end of a ritual.
4.) Chalice--the chalice may hold any drink that is being used for the Rite of Cakes and wine and represents feminine energy.
5.) Goddess Idol (Statue)--a physical representation of the Goddess
6.) Goddess Candle--this is representative of the Goddess and is lighted in her honor as an offering.
7.) Incense Burner--used for lighted incense and is representative of the Air Element.
8.) Athame--used to call the Quarters and direct energy when casting the Circle, represents masculine energy and associated with fire (or air depending on tradition).
9.)Wand--used to perform spells and also direct energy, represents masculine energy and associated with air (or fire depending on tradition).
10.) Pentacle--a disc normally inscribed with symbols used to ground energy, associated with earth and feminine energy.
11.) Bowl with Water--water is used for cleansing.
12.) Bowl with Salt--salt is used for cleansing.
13.) Bell--the bell is used to signal the beginning and end of rituals, chants, etc.

Some of the items missing from this setup include the cauldron, herbs, crystals, and any extra candles or items that you would deem necessary for a ritual you are performing such as representing the elements. Here are some pictures of other altar setups.

Picture from: http://witchcraftbasics.webs.com/sacredcirclesetc.htm

Picture from: http://www.thewitchescollective.com/Altars_Divination_Chants/altar.html

Picture from: http://heckate.wordpress.com/2011/11/14/the-altar/

As you can see there many different ways to setup your altar. You can either go "by the book", along with your tradition, or you may move things around as you see fit.

Getting to Know Your Cauldron

The cauldron above is the exact cauldron that I own. I use my cauldron for many things such as holding candles, burning herbs and paper with spells written on them, for holding water for scrying, as a symbol  of the Goddess, and much more. The cauldron is an essential ritual tool of a Witch when performing rituals and magick.

The cauldron is typical and metal pot or kettle with three "feet" and some sort of handle so that you may be able to hang it over a burning fire. They are typically black in color and some of them adorn symbols such as the ond adorning the goddess symbol above. I've seen other with triquetras and pentagrams as well. They may be small, only about 5 inches in diameter or larger. When choosing the size of your cauldron and if it has symbols or not inscribed on it, think about the purpose of it and what kind of magick you will be making.

Cauldrons are not typically used for cooking any longer, however some people still use them to cook broths and herbal teas. As for now, they are used in tools of Wicca and are associated with the Goddess. In Celtic mythology, the cauldron is associated with the Goddess Cerridwen. During symbolic representations of the Great Rite in Wicca, the cauldron is used to represent the feminine and her womb. An athame, or sometimes the wand depending on the tradition, is placed inside the cauldron to represent the sacred union of the God and Goddess. The cauldron may also represent rebirth and renewal. 

Getting to Know Your Besom

Besoms are traditionally made from a piece of wood about 3 to 5 feet in length and an inch to two inches in diameter. At one end, a bundle of twigs, straw, or herbs is tied together to form the end of the broom as seen in the picture above. Witches who use these brooms ceremonially tend to place charms, crystals, ribbons, and other objects on the broom for decoration, charging, cleansing, protections, etc.

The wood and bristles of the broom can be made from any material or wood you choose. However, I would advise to choose a type of wood or material that is most meaningful to you so that it can serve your purposes the way you want it to. The besom holds both masculine and feminine symbolism. The handle is a phallic symbol representative of the masculine while the bristles are feminine. You may think of it as the masculine and feminine joining in harmony or union.

The besom can be used as a tool to "sweep" away negativity within a sacred space or Circle. It is also an important tool in handfasting ceremonies where the couple who is to be wedded jumps over the besom to symbolize their new beginning together as a couple. Also, it is said that hanging your besom with the bristles upward will keep good fortune within the home and from getting lost. Place it next to your door to keep your home positive and cheerful within your home.