The Magick of this Blog - Always Seek More Knowledge

SEEK TO UNDERSTAND

As a witch with my own personal beliefs, I reflect those such beliefs on this blog; no one has to like my understanding of the beliefs taught to me, but no one should get upset, instead, seek to understand. The goal of a witch is to understand, to always seek knowledge.

This blog does not specifically stick to the ways of only white magick, nor does this blog entirely encase itself in black magick either. Instead, it practices the ways of magick of all colors! I personally believe that a witch must have an idea and understanding of each type of magick that is in this natural world so that they can decide more fully which magick is best suited for themselves and not discriminate against any other color of magick. Like a past post that I wrote several years ago, black magick is not entirely bad just as white magick is not entirely good.

~*~

“To me, a witch is a woman that is capable of letting her intuition take hold of her actions, that communes with her environment, that isn't afraid of facing challenges.” 

― Paulo Coelho

~*~

Not only does a witch need to seek to understand the different colors of magick, but they need to learn how and when to hex just as much as how and when to heal. Hexing can be a positive thing in certain situations; you can bind a person who is bothering you, push for someone to leave your friends alone, hex the person that physically or sexually assault you, the person that is bullying you can get a piece of their own medicine, etc. Yes, karma does play a huge role in the Universe - do unto others bit, and what goes around comes around - but sometimes karma needs a little push or just some help, maybe she needs to know that this person does need some medicine or they really do need some punishment.

Now, I don't advocate that you go around hexing people you feel deserve punishment or has been slightly unfair, not at all. Hexing must be done with the understanding that it is in a just way, that it is truly deserved, and your Gods or spirit guide(s) must agree too. They will understand that whatever was done to you was possibly because it was a lesson that you needed to learn and so the person probably doesn't deserve retribution, other times what a person did to you - e.g., rape, stole your life savings, advocates for hate, etc. - truly deserves punishment and torment, hell on earth.

~*~

“A Witch is born out of the true hungers of her time,” she said. “I was born out of New York. The things that are most wrong here summoned me. ("Drink Entire: Against The Madness Of Crowds")” 

― Ray Bradbury, Long After Midnight

~*~

A witch holds the power of the Universe, is made with star dust and natural magick,, they have the power to influence the weather and speak to the dead, the power to find true inner peace, and so much more! There is no limit to a witch's power except when they doubt themselves! We can speak and commune with Gods and spirits, we find power in the natural Earth as well as the stars and planets out in the Universe. We can do and be anything we want!

So go out there, sisters and brothers! Accept your powers! Embrace your feminism! Embrace your masculinity! Teach yourself and research as much as you can possibly get your hands on! Then, go help others! Help them to understand, to embrace themselves - even when others won't.

How To Work Spells - Introduction Exercise

Alright everyone, merry meet, and let's get started! Today we are going to be learning more about spells: making them, using them, all the shabam! The book that I will be using is called Wicca Power Spells by Aurora; I'm just taking concepts from it, so don't worry and I will be including some other cool stuff. You may want to take some notes and write this stuff in your Book of Shadows so it can help you later! So, let's get started!

When you use magic (please don't judge before you hear me out!) don't be mislead or misunderstood about it. Magic is not supernatural. Magic is actually one of the most natural forces in the world! Only people who fear it call it supernatural, so try to learn what magic really is and how to respect it, because there's nothing to be afraid of if you respect it.

Magic is considered the projection of natural energies to produce needed effects. Say you are doing a love spell just to make yourself more attractive to someone; the energy required for that is positive and love energy. Where better to get that energy from than the Earth? The energy that it gives off is natural and clean (except what us humans have done to it).

There are three main sources of energy in the Universe (but let's just stick to the world for now so it's not a lot to take in). It's important to know what kinds of energy we are talking about when we cast spells.

The first kind is personal energy. This is our own personal life force. We take in energy from the sun, water, and food, and we release it through exercise, movement, and even as we exhale.

The second type of energy is earth energy. This is the energy found within our planet. Each natural element has its own power which can be used in magic: earth, trees, stones, wind, fire, and crystals are some examples of earth energy.

The third, most powerful type of energy, is divine power. This is the energy that makes up the entire Universe (world). This is higher power energy, life force-whatever you want to call it. It's the universal (world) power source, and it's what we tap into when we perform magic.

Those times when we just say a simple, quick chant, we are performing magic. Either to protect us, to help us pass a test, or to feel confident, magic is being used.

When using a spell, there's one, very important, VERY, to concentrate! You have to focus on what it is that you really want when you cast a spell and you have to really feel it! You can't just burn some candles and say some magic words-you have to actually MEAN what you say.

And keep very well in mind to remember the Wiccan Rede. Even though some of you won't be following the Wiccan path, it's not against the rules to mix and match things like a really awesome and personalized outfit, because there are no rules about that! Still, remember that when you cast a spell, it's not supposed to harm anyone! If you intend your spells to harm someone, you will create negative energy. This means your spells are going to backfire on you or have consequences that you did not intend. YOU ARE WARNED!

Now, let's talk about the divine powers that should help us with our spells. In Wicca, Wiccans believe in a lord and a lady, a god and goddess. For us/you, you can use different deities. Like the last post I did, it can be your patrons or it can be totally different gods that are required for you spell. It doesn't mean you need to believe in them in order to practice spells, but you need to be able to focus on a higher power, and the power of nature. If you can do this, then you are on a roll!

Keep in mind that magic is working with higher powers of the Universe (world) to create a better world for you or for others. It all depends on who or what your spell(s) are intended for.

While reading this book, I read that there are certain tools needed in order to cast spells. This is news to me and this may be news to you, so let's get a look at that list!

Believe it or not, some of the tools needed are actually used to stereotype witches: the broomstick, the cauldron, and the magic wand, all are important parts to certain rituals. Here's what they are used for:

The broom is used to purify and cleanse the space you are doing magic in. As you sweep, you are sweeping away any bad energy that can interfere with your magic. A classic broom is made of ash, birch, and willow. These kind of woods are protective and purifying. Of course, any broom will do the job, so you don't have anything to worry about.

A magic wand is used to direct and channel energy, and to invoke the god and goddess. You can use just about any fairly straight piece of wood as your magic wand. You may decide to decorate your wand, carve it or paint it as you choose. Make it special to you and feel free to personalize it.

Another important tool for casting spells is incense. Our sense of smell is very powerful, and certain smells create very potent magical effects. You can use stick or cone incense, or buy a special granulated kind from occult stores. (Specific spells will call for specific scents, so watch out in case you want those exact ones.)

The cauldron is the container in which transformations occur. It is your very own tool for creation. Usually, cauldrons are made of iron and rests on three legs, but they are kind of hard to find, so you can always brew whatever it is you need in a pot on the stove or a substitute. Remember, it's the intention that matters when it comes to magic!

Candles are very important when practicing magic. Most spells require you to light candles, or use them to contain energy. You can use any candles you wish, although certain spells will require a specific color. We'll get more into that later, but not too much later. Herbs and essential oils are also important for spell casting and potion making. so watch out for those too.

You will also need a place to practice you magic; your alter. I have already gone over what it is that you should need for this, so don't worry about this!

Last, but not least at all, is your Book of Shadows. This is your personal book of magic and a record of everything you do (a combination of your personal journal and a spell book). This I have also went over, so if you have already created your amazing, elaborate Book of Shadows, great! If you haven't, that's still good, you can use a substitute notebook and then place all your information into it. I suggest, this I forgot to add, that you write your spells and things in hand because it makes it more personal, but if not that doesn't disrupt the magic! Don't worry!

When doing a spell, two common elements that is included during a spell are the magic circle and the alter. The circle is a powerful tool. It's the space where you magic will happen. It is a sacred space that only you can create for yourself. The magic circle protects the witch from the forces that he or she is raising. It's also used to shut out any energy or forces from outside which will interfere with the ritual. The circle also contains your own personal power while you are working magic, holding and channeling it for your purposes. Essentially, the circle creates the atmosphere for all the magic you will do. It is a sphere of energy that forms the boundaries of your magical space. As you set up your circle, try to feel its energy moving around you. focus on creating your perfect magical space, the place where you can access your true power.

Now, let's talk about "raising your power" stuff. There are different ways to tap into the power that runs through your veins. First of all, anyone can cast a powerful magical spell. If you think you're not powerful enough, or not magical enough, or you're still skeptical about this, don't worry! You will be able to perform very effective magic, if you can follow some pretty simple instructions.

There is a very important principle that underlies all magic spells you perform; some people call it The Secret or the Law of Attraction, but the point is you WILL attract what you think about and focus on. That is how powerful your mind is! If you focus on protection, like you REALLY focus, then it will be given. Call it Faith if you'd like, but it's not just faith in the divine or in the Earth, it's mainly faith in yourself. And if you do not of faith in yourself, your spells will not work. You have to put your ENTIRE BEING into achieving your goal.

Here is an example: making negative statements WILL cancel out any positive energy created by your spell. This basically means that the spell won't work. How great is that? (Sarcasm). When you cast a spell, you need to be CONFIDENT that it WILL work, that it WILL succeed. In fact, the more confident you are, the more successful your spell is likely to be.

--->So I can tell that you are just SO excited to tap into that river or power that flows right through you, am I right? Great! Let's start with an exercise. First, we are going to tap into our personal energy. Find a comfortable place to sit and make your breathing long, deep, and slow; like meditation. 

FEEL your body relax and your mind get quiet; begin to ignore the outside world and its problems, tune into yourself. Now, start rubbing your palms together, taking deep and calming breaths. Do this for about twenty seconds, or when you feel like stopping. Start slowly, and then rub faster and faster; go at the tempo you want/need though. Now, feel your muscles begin to tense up. Feel your palms begin to get warmer. Stop. Hold your palms about two inches apart. Can you feel them tingling? This is the energy that you have built and released, and it's now flowing through your hands!

Once you have created this energy, you can now try to manipulate it. Using your mind and powers of visualization, give this energy a color, like your favorite color. Form it into a ball of pulsing energy and let it move between your hands. Now, you can make it bigger or smaller as you choose. And finally you can choose to let it return to your body. Simply let it flow back into your palms into your arms, and be absorbed by your body again.

Once you have practiced with your personal energy, it's time to start sensing Earth energy. For this exercise, find a plant. Any herbs,plants, or flowers will work-but it's better if they are still growing, not cut. Now, breathe deeply for a few moments and, like before, relax yourself. Hold your left palm a few inches above the plant now. Focus your awareness on your palm. Think about the following: what do you feel? Is it a dull throbbing, a hum, a wave of heat, or a kind of energy shift in your hand? If you can feel something different, then you are feeling the energy of the plant. You can do this exercise with any natural object: stones, crystals, and trees for example. They all have their own earth energy.

For many reasons, it's better to draw energy from the earth and other natural objects when you are performing magic. Using your personal energy is very draining and this enhances your own power with earth energy, making your spells more effective.

The power, as you may guess, comes from the divine. When you perform magic, you are asking the divine to contribute this power to your spell. You may be able to sense this incredible power as you are doing a spell. Over all, divine energy is what makes magic truly magical.

To help, let's just get an idea of what we learned in this post:

You have learned more about the meaning of magic

You have learned all bout the three types of energy and how to tap into them

You have learned exercises to help yourself feel this energy

You have learned of the supplies needed to perform magic

You are ready to practice real, effective spells

Blessed Be!

Finding Your Patron God/Goddess

This subject is kind of touchy, because there are a lot of things that can happen. It may take a while before your patron actually chooses you, and in a lot of cases people often get agitated and impatient about finding their own God or Goddess that chooses them, or they may choose you instantly. Nobody really knows when it comes to the Gods, but they do know what they are doing, most of the time. In this blog, I will show you some videos about what exactly to look for when finding your Patron God/ Goddess and what to do. The number one thing NOT to do is freak out about why they haven't contacted you, because it doesn't help you or your case.

Why Have A Patron God
For most Pagans their Patron God is not some far off entity. This is a being that they have a strong personal relationship with. This is who they call upon when doing rituals and spells, if they practice magic within their beliefs. A Patron God provides guidance and support as they grow and develop in their own spiritual and religious practice. So far, I haven't found my own Patron(s), but I am patient, and so should you all be, because time is a strange thing to think of. For us, there isn't much time, but for them they have all the time they could ever need, they don't really realize the time it is until "whoops! that human that I really liked is about to die and I didn't get the chance to tell him that I liked him" or something. 

How Do They Choose You?
At some point when you become Pagan, or sometimes even before, the Gods begin to take notice of you. Gradually, those of you who they have a greater affinity for pay closer attention and may start coming to you in your dreams or through other means. Some Gods may decide to "test" you. This isn't to prove your worthiness, far from it. That is a concept conceived in the idea that people are inherently unworthy and must prove themselves otherwise. These tests are more to make sure that you are capable of handling the energies that particular God may bring into your life by combining His energies with yours.

How Do They Reach Out For You?
Sometimes they can be very blatant and in your face. They may all of a sudden, with no warning, just come to you while you dream or while you are awake. They are Gods, they do what they please, so be careful of what happens, because they could just all of a sudden take over you (not too badly though for you to be afraid). The ways they can be varied. You must let yourself remain open to hearing, seeing, smelling, or otherwise experiencing the messages they are sending you. If you get sensations that make you uncomfortable, do not be afraid to tell whoever is sending these things to you to go and leave you alone. You are not obligated to accept any messages you do not want to receive. And, frankly, just because you are receiving messages does not mean they are from Gods or even from benevolent beings, so you may want to watch out. 

An example of strange sensations would be what happens to me sometimes. Every now and then I will get this really strange sensation in my ear. It kind of goes all static and I can't hear anything out of it for a while. A few months ago a read an article that it may be spirits talking to me, so I tried talking back, telling them to go away, and it eventually did, but now I know that it wasn't spirits, but it still happens in the most unexpected of timings.

Once A God Tries To Contact You
When you start getting these messages however they may come it is time to start your investigations. If you have a clear idea on who it is, then find all the information you can on that particular God and study Him, or Her, in depth. Look in books, on the internet, record your dreams if He is coming to you in that way. Meditate. Ask questions and listen for His answers.If these messages are coming to you as symbols, then you have a bit more work to do. You'll need to pull out your reference books and websites and find out what you can about the symbolism of what you are smelling, seeing, or otherwise sensing or experiencing. Listen to your gut instincts here as well. If you find yourself being drawn towards one particular Pantheon over another then look that direction. People have reported seeing a particular bird a lot, in situations where they wouldn't normally expect to see that bird. Or hearing a particular sound, or having repeating dreams. While you can seek guidance from outside sources such as books or by asking questions of other people, the ultimate answer of Who it is trying to contact you will come from within your own heart.

This video should give more of an insight to how to find your Patron.

This video is an example of someone who had found their Matron and just more ways to look into finding yours.

This video is to explain a concept of how your Patrons don't HAVE to be exactly the same and have to be people who are coupled together. Like, say if you get Durga from the Hindu religion and Apollo. They aren't Gods that have been set together, but that doesn't matter, because they don't have to. Just watch the video and you'll probably understand better. 

Blessed be!

Book of Shadows- To Do And To Make

Let's take a small and quick break here. I'm going to help all of you create your own Book of Shadows. Mainly, the Book of Shadows comes from the Wiccan religion, but I think that it's best to use it for whatever any of you want, because it will be the book where you store all your knowledge about spells, rituals, holidays, how to use things, etc. And a Book of Shadows is used for your personal self and you can pass it on to your children and their children, to follow the generations. My Book of Shadows I started about three years ago, and I haven't really added on because I wasn't really sure about joining my religion. Now that I am, I am not only going to add on to it, but I'll make it pretty amazing. In my book of shadows, I have a number of different spells I can use for any occasion, such as healing spells, beauty, luck, protection, etc. I need to really get all the information modernized because most of it isn't up to date, but I plan to make it really stand out.

For your book of shadows, you can either write in a blank book or you can type it. I usually type it because I can type faster, but I like to write, so I may do both! But you can do whichever you prefer. I'm going to post a video to help all of you to help give a general idea of what your Book of Shadows some thickness. If you don't want a Book of Shadows because you are afraid that your parents will find it or something, that is perfectly fine. There is actually a way to "code" it, if you know what I mean. But here is the video, and after that you can check out how I code things. There will be a video about an idea of things that you should put in  your Book of Shadows and there will be one for some idea of ways for you to make your Book of Shadows full of life and more interesting.

When you look at these two videos below, think about the different ways she personalized her Book of Shadows; how she made it fit to what she likes, how she made it more interesting, how she took into consideration of matching colors to their spells. If you have ever seen the Spiderwick Chronicles, think about Arthur Spiderwick's book that tells about the Fae creatures and how he made included flowers Faeries might have liked or some plant samples. Go outside the box if you want to!!!

In this next video, take account of how Flora has set up her Book of Shadows and all the things she has included to her Book of Shadows.

Now, if any of you are interested in "coding" your Book of Shadows, please continue down to below, the rest of you, enjoy setting up your book of shadows and good luck! Because I know I have some future ideas for my Book of Shadows.


Coding Your Book Of Shadows.
The form of code that I use is simple for me, because the day I learned it I used it OVER AND OVER because I was just so excited about it, and I will show it to you today. Just to warn you, it's a little like math. It's something new, like algebra, that you are learning and when you keep practicing and practicing over and over again you aren't sure about getting it until BAM!!! it clicks!

With this exercise, you will need a piece of paper (doesn't matter what kind) and something to write with. Now, on your piece of paper, make two rows of twenty-six columns. On the bottom row, write the letters of the alphabets in order. When you are finished with that, stop. Now, you will have to think of a word. For now, just a simple one. Like TOE. So write TOE in the first three columns at the top. What you do now, is continue writing the alphabet after the E. If you look at the example below, yours should be correct as well. (When you continue the alphabet order, the next letter you get to is O, skip it and move on to P and the same goes for T; skip it and go to U).

Now, let's try something a bit more challenging. Let's use the word MAYBE. Do the exact same format as you did before, then write MAYBE at the top and continue off of that. If you get the concept, your table should look like below:

If you got that, then great! I'll explain to you the next process. The next step is words with two of the same letters in them, like APPLE. Since we have to stick to the twenty-six letter rule, we won't put APPLE at the top row, but we'll put APLE at the top. Since there is a double letter, we have to take out the one that appears second. So go off like you originally would while using APLE. It should look like this:

 If you got that, awesome! Now let's try the word PURPLE. What we'll do, since the letters aren't next to each other, we'll still take out the second letter and it will look like PURLE. Use the same process and it should look like this:

If you want to look at a better way to example it, here is a picture:

And that is how to use my way of coding. If there are other ways you would like to use, instead of using letter against letter, you can use symbols, numbers. colors, anything! The sky is the limit!


So, good luck everyone! If you would like, please post some other ideas that you have or some pictures of your own Book of Shadows. When I get mine together and actually have some money, I'll show all you guys! Blessed be!

Divination 101 - Scrying

Scrying is the art of gazing into an object in order to see with the mind what the eyes cannot. You may have had experience with this before. Anyone who has ever been camping knows the strange deisre to sit staring into the fire at night. There is just something there that seems to awaken something within our mind. Scrying can be performed with crystals, gazing into mirrors or with bowls of water.

When using a crystal ball, it must be absolutely perfect. It cannot have bubbles, scratches, cracks, or any other flaws that will distract you from your work. Always lay your ball out on a soft black cloth (the best being black velvet since velvet catches no light). As you work, move any light source so that it cannot be reflected in the ball. This will affect your ability to concentrate and see what you need to. Flickering candle flames can be very distracting when you need to pay attention to your divination. Gaze into the crystal and keep your mind as blank as you can.

You will not be able to work if you are affected by stress or tension so try to rid yourself of the day's activities before you begin. Gaze naturally into the crystal and allow your mind to rest. Do not imagine anything inside of the crystal. It may take a very long time when you are first beginning but after a while you will see the ball seem to fill with a fine white mist. Gradually, it will grow thicker and thicker until the crystal seems full of smoke. This will fade shortly, leaving you with a picture.

This picture may be from the past, present, or future, but it is most likely to be symbolic, not literate. You will probably need to look up the meaning if it is a symbol or an animal. Try to determine the meaning of what you see, but do not allow yourself to see what you want to see. This practice can also be accomplished by staring into a black bowl full of water or gazing into a scrying mirror. Scrying mirrors are like regular mirrors except that they are black and obviously not for seeing your reflection.

Coming Out of the Pagan's Closet

This may seem like something you shouldn't worry about until farther down the road, but there are most parents or families out there that may not be happy with your decision to become a Pagan/Wiccan. I'm bringing this up now for all of you to look back and figure out if this is REALLY what you want. Some people only become a Pagan because it goes against all that their family is for and they just want to get back at them, or there may be smart ones that say "Yeah, I'm doing this for me." and if you are one of them, congratulations  and if you aren't you should probably sort through your priorities first and get back on track.

Last night was a big night for me and today was a big day for me as well. First, last night I told my sister - whom is my bestest friend in the world! - that I was going to become a Pagan. For about four years I have studied Wicca - not really doing it though - and I also studied Christianity, Atheism, Jehovah Witness stuff, and I made sure to figure out what exactly it was that I was looking for in my spirituality. For me I have always wanted a mother figure. Yes, I already have a mother and a step-mom who could fill in that position, but physically and spiritually I had a father, now I only needed to have a spiritual mother. Many of the Christian religions believe in the one God who is a Father to all, and I respect that, but it isn't for me. I told my sister this and after a while she finally understood what I wanted. 

Today, I sat my father and my step-mother down and I told them that I wasn't doing this to hurt them, or to against them in anyway, but I made this decision for me. After I told them that I wanted to become Pagan, they didn't flip out - thankfully - but they acknowledged my choice and they stuck by me. I then went to my Mother's house and spoke to her and my step-dad about it and I made sure that they were on the same page. They were really hesitant - since her parents are Jehovah Witnesses - but they as well acknowledged my decision. 

I'm lucky that those in my family acted that way with me and I'm glad that I can be opened up to them instead of just hiding my beliefs, but there may be those of you who aren't as lucky. Your parents may flip out and just go crazy as if you were the Devil, or they may throw you out onto the streets, but there are two simple things that you must stick to when sharing this information to your parents:

1) Don't force the idea onto them, carefully bring them into it as if you were saying you were going into the Military.

2) Keep to your beliefs.

When you are first going to tell your parents/guardians this, you cannot suddenly say "I'm going to be a Pagan!" because the first thing that many think of with Paganism - the same with Wicca - is Devil Worship, Satanism, spells, witchcraft, etc. You'll only just freak them out! Begin by simply stating:  "I have something important I have to tell you. I just want you to know that I am not doing this to offend or hurt you, but I am doing this because I feel like it is right and I need you to respect my decision. If you aren't going to respect it, I will understand, but at least acknowledge my choice." 

This is a good opening because it gets your parents thinking and it sets them up that this is important to you and they will hear you out. Next, still don't jump into telling them you're Pagan just yet, but ease them in and break the ice. See if they will guess what it is that is so important to you, or you can say "I've put a lot of thought into this and I have done the research for it (I will explain this in a moment) and I just want you to know that I have prepared for what may happen, but I want you to know that this will not change me. I'm still me and I will always be your child." 

Then you could maybe say "I'm a Pagan." 

But one of the most crucial things you MUST do is research this topic before you just tell your parents that you're a Pagan. Make sure to know enough that you can answer their questions (One of the biggest ones was "What is Paganism?" for my parents) and you have to be ready for anything that happens. Rejection, happiness, fear, or just questions. Like I said, I studied this stuff for five years to make sure that this IS what I wanted. You don't have to do the same amount of time, but make sure to get all your facts straight and - even though this may sound rude or bad - make sure to show your parents up, put them in their place about this because the idea of Paganism and Wicca has been twisted into many things that a lot of religions have got it wrong. To sound smart, say that most of the Christian holidays are based off of Pagan holidays. Here's a list:

Halloween

Christmas

Easter

Valentine's Day

Thanksgiving

Mother and Father's Day

and Sunday Services

All this because of Pagans. Without the Pagans, the Christian religions wouldn't have been formed. Anyway, basically get Street Smart - do your research on Christianity and Paganism, create a list of how the Christians took Pagan ideas, just make sure to get all your facts straight before you judge a book by it's cover. http://www.nazarite.net/evil-holidays.html

Well, this was a lot to take in, but good luck and if you have any questions just ask!

Blessed Be!