“Could I use witchcraft to fulfill my New Year’s Resolutions?” a friend, Sara, asked.
“Witches do have an advantage in fulfilling their resolutions,” I replied. This is good news because there are reports that 80% of people fail in their resolutions by February.
Did you make a New Year’s Resolution?
Witches have a better chance at accomplishing their resolutions because we have magick and the God and Goddess on our side.
Here is a simple spell to help you realize the accomplishment of your New Year’s Resolution.
What you will need:
Parchment or virgin paper
Tinted ink that matches your intention (an example is red to get things moving)
Bless and consecrate your items (paper, marker [or ink and quill])
Write your resolution on the paper. Hold the paper in your dominant hand and think of what you want to accomplish with the resolution. Pause and consider the experience and the benefits of manifesting your resolution. Imagine and feel the positive feelings.
Once you have your mind firmly on the outcome of your desire, ignite the paper on the working candle and drop the paper into the cauldron to burn completely and say:
Lord and Lady, Inspire and make manifest All the best That I desire Fuel the fire So I experience what I hope for, Blessings evermore
“My whole household is down with the flu. Except me. Well, I’m starting to cough. I don’t how much longer I can take the pressure,” she said.
Saying “Don’t worry” won’t do Zoe any good at this moment.
When’s the last time you have been seriously worried? Is it happening now?
I’ve noticed that worry gets more intense about things we really cannot control.
What can you do?
We, Wiccans, have an advantage: We can do an empowering ritual.
The “Let Go” Meditation/Ritual
What you will need:
One white candle
Banishing oil or extra virgin olive oil
Banishing incense or your favorite scent
Ritual tools
Cakes and wine
This is a truly simple candle ritual you can do to get some relief from worry.
Cast circle in the usual manner.
Consecrate and charge your candle with your holy water and your incense. Dress your candle with your oil.
Start belly-breathing (taking big breaths in and out—slowly) and light the candle.
Envision all your worry and fretting going into the candle’s flame. That is, envision all your worry as a black smoke flowing out of your mouth with each breath out. The flame draws all the black smoke.
Say: In this moment,
I let go. Goddess take this from me.
God strengthen me.
So mote it be.
Continue your meditation on the candle, breathing out all your worries as the black smoke.
When you’re done, thank the God and Goddess for Their support. Let the rest of the candle burn out.
“Moonwater was telling me about her weight loss program, and it sounded like something I could do that didn’t cost me more than the normal groceries I buy, anyway. I started with an egg omelet in the morning with mushrooms and spinach. … In two weeks, I lost 7 lbs. I had a couple of days of eating what I wanted but not overeating. Then right back to Goddess Style. I feel great and eat what the Goddess gives us.” – Denise Kopplinger
As a Wiccan I found this an inspiring read. Written in a way that makes it accessible to everyone irrespective of their current knowledge. – Shona Cathro
I don’t generally write reviews on books I’ve read…but this time i feel lead to. This book spoke volumes to me, as if the author knew exactly where I’m coming from and what I’m struggling with. It’s not often a book can make me cry, but this one did by making me see the many blocks I’ve put up in my life. I knew they were there, but I’ve gotten skilled at pretending they’re not. Thank you for helping me see I’m not some freak because of circumstances throughout my life that have caused the blocks, and that i need to stop hiding from or burying them and face them one step at a time. – Crystal Sparks
This book is a must have for all of those starting out on the spiritual path of Wicca and for all of those who are just looking for some light and love in their life. MoonWater SilverClaw uses her knowledge of Wicca and her personal experiences to not only teach the Law of Attraction in a clear manner but to help you use the Law of Attraction to better your life.
Through simple guided meditations and tips on living a happy healthy life this book takes you on a journey that will teach you how to love yourself, better your self image, and rid yourself of the negative energies that prevent you from reaching your goals.
This book covers many wonderful topics that will teach you basic magical practices as well as the theory and idea of “like attracts like” From setting up an alter to casting a circle and how to perform and find the magick that you are seeing in your life this book has so much to offer.
MoonWater SilverClaw is truly an inspirational writer for a newer generation of Wiccans and those seeking to use the natural energies of the earth to make changes in their life. Her writing style speaks from the heart because she has been where the reader is, she has used these techniques and steps to better her own life and now she is helping the reader use the Law of Attraction to better theirs – Amazon Customer
This is an absolute gem for the witch with issues. Rituals for things like self-esteem are something i have never seen before. Moonwater’s writing is engrossing and draws the reader in. I am a witch with PTSD M.S. and other issues and this book made me feel hopeful and capable. – t’air
Ms. SilverClaw has written a book that is really great for the beginner wanting to learn about Wiccan or wants to start practicing the art of Wicca. I found this book wonderful, easy to read, and extremely helpful and informative. It covers everything from what Wicca is, the history of Wicca and how Wicca became misassociated with evil, along with how Wicca can help/save people’s lives. Ms. SilverClaw also discusses practicing Wicca either in a Coven or Solo, and all the things you need in order to have in order to perform your ceremony, and she explains what each item means. She explains how to create spells and gives examples to use, and explains the pitfalls of creating certain types of spells. Ms. SilverClaw has truly created a book that is a cast all net the seems to cover everything that I needed to know to begin practicing Wicca. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is searching for their first book on the topic and wants to start practicing the art of Wicca or is just curious about the topic. This is truly a Must Have book. – Tamra L. Shipman
In a gathering of friends, some conversation about money arose. You could see it. Some of the people gathered bristled.
I like to talk about prosperity which includes an abundance of love, friends, things we need and the ability to be generous.
For example, just last night, a homeless man stood outside a 7-Eleven convenience store. He asked, “Could you buy me something to drink?”
“Sure,” I said. I was buying a Big Gulp, and I bought him one, too.
“Thank you,” he said, quietly.
I was grateful that I had the cash in my pocket to buy something for both of us.
Sometimes, we simply need cash to buy something for another person or to pay our bills.
In light of that, here is a Money Spell.
Money Spell
You will need:
A green candle
“A check to yourself from the Universe”*
Cauldron
Money drawing oil
Money Oil (add drops of essential oils together)
3 parts ginger
2 parts orange
4 parts pine
2 parts cinnamon
1/2 part chamomile
1 part cedar wood
5 parts jasmine (optional)
matches or a lighter
* We create a check from the Universe by writing the amount we want and writing “from the Universe for the Good of All” in the memo section on the check.
Warning: ONLY work this spell during the waxing moon.
Dress the green candle properly. (That is, dab your finger in the money oil and rub the candle repeatedly from wick to base—until the whole candle is covered in money oil.)
As you dress the candle, envision money flowing into your life.
Light the candle and chant the following out loud:
As I light this candle so, Make my money grow and grow, Let it flow without rhyme or reason, Each and every turn of season, Filling up my pockets so wide, Let me enjoy this happy ride, Make me stronger than the ocean tides, Manifesting my will to coincide, With no malice, woe or hitches, May there be no mess or jinxes, With no need of fear of ruin, Let it rain money, bless my journey. An it harm none, so mote it be!
Now hold the “Check from the Universe.” Light the check via the candle and place the check in the cauldron to burn safely.
Watch the flame as it burns the check.
Meditate while focusing on the flame of the green candle.
When you are ready, place the green candle in a safe place and let the candle burn completely out. [Do NOT leave an untended candle. Stay safe.]
The above spell has worked for me. I had difficulty receiving appropriate checks and things cleared up. I was grateful!
May your journey be prosperous and happy.
Blessings,
Moonwater
P.S. Often, we Wiccans like to customize our spells. For more information about this, sign up for my E-Newsletter because I’m going to be sharing information about customization in my next installment of my E-newsletter.
True, many Wiccans use wine in our the Cakes and Wine ceremony. Alcohol is a drug.
Not all Wiccans use alcohol in the Cakes and Wine ceremony. Some substitute grape juice or another fruit juice. Some completely abstain from all drugs like alcohol and caffeine. Yes, even some teas are off the list.
We can’t throw all Wiccans into any rigid category. Some use other natural drugs to combat ailments such as depression symptoms, arthritis, and other sources of pain. Some imbibe marijuana, for example.
It is truly up to the individual practitioner to choose what may help for medical reasons or improved quality of life.
I know some Wiccans who aim to stay away from manufactured, pharmaceutical drugs. Some Wiccans choose to imbibe natural drugs like caffeine, alcohol or marijuana.
Many Wiccans live in states where marijuana use is illegal, and they abide by local laws. They do not break the rules of the place they live in.
I take medications that help me with an occasional migraine headache and for working with my depression symptoms. I do consult my doctor and monitor the effects of the drugs. Yes, do consult a physician about the use or non-use of drugs.
I invite you to pay close attention to how you do or do not use drugs. What results are you getting? What might you want to change for the better?
I have had many requests for help in writing dedication rituals. So here is a simple dedication ritual that you can do if you have made the choice that Wicca is right for you.
Dedication Rite
Preparation
Turn your phone off and make sure you will not be disturbed. Clean the area to do ritual: Dust, vacuum, and anything else you need to do before you begin. Next take a ritual bath (For instructions click here.) Find a comfortable place and sit quietly, meditating on what you are about to do. You are about to dedicate yourself to the path of the Gods. Be honest. Is this really what you want to do? Don’t take the promises lightly. You will also need to pick out a new name to go by. This is fun and can be anything you choose.
What you will need:
1) Cakes/Bread: It is acceptable to use bread, cupcakes, cookies, or even a power bar. It should contain carbohydrates to nourish the body and replenish the energy you use during the ritual.
2) Censer & Incense: In this case, the incense burner holds cone incense. However, it is acceptable to burn any kind of incense you choose. Remember that incense, when burned, represents Air on your altar.
3) Taper: The taper is for lighting candles. You begin by using a lighter to ignite the wick of the working candle. Then, you bring the taper to the working candle and ignite the wick of the taper. Now with the lit taper you ignite the other candles on your altar.
4) Lighter: The lighter is used to light the working candle. Any type of lighter may be used.
5) Bell/Chime: A bell or chime is needed for different purposes during a ritual.
6) Pentacle: The pentacle is used to help focus your attention on your goal.
7) Athame: The athame knife is used to direct power and can cast circles.
8) Bowl with Water: Water is one of the five elements. It is used together with salt to make consecrated water.
9) Dish with Salt: Salt represents the Earth. It is placed into water to make consecrated water.
10) Chalice with Wine: As you remember, the cup is a female symbol. In a ritual, the cup holds the wine or juice that is to be blessed. (It is acceptable to use juice instead of wine if you do not drink alcohol.)
11) Offering Dishes: These dishes are used to “offer up,” as an offering, part of your blessed food from your “cakes and wine” ceremony. We will discuss that later. You can also offer up flowers, which pay tribute to nature and the Goddess.
12) Goddess Candle & God Candle: These are the candles that represent the God and Goddess.
13) Working Candle: The working candle is positioned between the God and Goddess candle. Use this candle to light the other candles during a ritual. The working candle represents the element Fire on your altar.
My intention to You, my Lord and Lady, is to dedicate myself onto the sacred path which you have opened before me. I accept this path as my own, and willingly of my own accord tread upon it. I know it will not be easy, but I promise I will be steadfast. And if I should fall, I shall rise again, all in Your honor. I will help those who tread upon the path, with me, beside me and behind me. And I will help them freely and willingly with love in my heart, for I know that they are a part of You as I am a part of You.
(Raise goblet or cup)
As I kneel before you naked in this truth. I [Your New Name] toast to you O Honorable Lord and Gracious Lady.
To new beginnings, new friendships and new growth.
Magick in the starlight
Magick in the moonlight
Magick is now my right.
I just couldn’t get my mind to settle down. My friend’s suicide happened and it really tore at my heart. I knew that I had to make sure that he transitioned safely to the Summerlands. The transition just wasn’t going to happen on its own. That’s what the Tarot told me.
So I pushed myself and took action. I did a ritual to help him find the Summerlands. Once I knew he had crossed safely, I felt peace in my heart.
For Wiccans, we do have a source of relief and even deep peace: Ritual.
In my studies, I’ve learned that Ritual is designed to get us free of the conscious mind and its petty obsessions.
You become conditioned to go to a Higher Level where you can open the unconscious mind and open the doors to successful magick.
Successful magick happens when you open those doors wide and do it reliably. Repetition of rituals is the best way to change your consciousness so you can do magick reliably.
The more often you do ritual, the more you train your mind to make a transition to a Higher Level.
Each ritual begins with Casting a Circle. When you cast a circle you not only set up your sacred space with related protection, your casting also opens those doors to your subconscious mind, which is called the Younger Self. We Wiccans use the Younger Self for communication as we do magick. By the way, the Younger Self is also known as the Sticky Self in the faerie tradition.
You might think of your Younger Self as a five-year-old. How do you keep a five-year-old engaged? Not with long-winded talking. Instead, you use things like props and other items. Think shiny, sparkly with loud noises.
Using drums, other musical instruments and other props that are fun and novel help you easily communicate with the Younger Self.
Wiccans realize the Younger Self is the source of energy for effectively doing magick.
Remember that regularly doing ritual helps you condition yourself to readily rise to a Higher Level and engage your Younger Self. In this way, your magick-work will get better.
Blessings,
Moonwater SilverClaw
For more of Moonwater SilverClaw, consider some of her books:
When I was initiated into the Craft, I didn’t “ground” properly after the ritual. Grounding is shunting extra energy out of your body. I failed to do the process.
Big mistake. I was up for 2 1/2 days. It was a double-edged sword: the energy was amazing, but I was bouncing off the walls. Now I was manic and tired. Headaches and body aches slammed me down.
My manic behavior annoyed the people near me. Worse yet—I put myself and others in harm’s way when I drove my car. Tired and unfocused, I was of no use to anyone.
When I finally came down from the energy, I slept for three days.
Why did I, as other Wiccans, fail to do the grounding process?
For some of us, it’s about getting distracted by the necessities of life—school, work, family responsibilities. For others, it’s because a mentor, perhaps, failed to fully train us in grounding techniques.
Many of us may do some forms of grounding but we may not fully succeed in properly moving the extra energy out of our body.
Now, I’ll share three valuable methods of grounding.
1. Eat good food.
Eat something. Carbohydrate rich foods (such as breads or pasta serve) as a good choice because they help pull you down from the high energy state that you achieved during magick working. See my Cakes and Wine Ceremony for an example of using food.
2. Push energy into the ground.
Shunt the extra energy back into the earth. One way is to take your hands or bare feet and place them on the bare earth. Release the energy by visualizing that you are pushing the energy into the earth. Mother Earth will recycle it for you. Having any contact with the earth is truly grounding. You can even lay in a field of grass and just deep breathe.
3. Hug a tree.
While hugging a tree, visualize that the extra energy is absorbed by the tree. The tree will do the rest. It naturally helps you pull the energy from your body and restore your internal balance. The tree takes the unneeded energy and shunts the energy down safely into Mother Earth.
Grounding isn’t just for after rituals. Having a tough day at work or school? Ground. Many of us make ourselves sick with built-up, unhealthy energies in our bodies. This can cause headaches and worse.
The solution is to do some grounding. You can release stress by simply deep breathing and placing your feet flat on the ground—no matter where you may be sitting.
Some Wiccans say, “But I am just doing a simple candle spell.” You still need to ground. You may not be exposed to a whole coven’s power, but you still raise energy to do any sort of magick working. This energy needs to be grounded. You may not notice the side-effects at the time, but they will still be there, and they can be harmful.
So if you have completed a ritual or you’re just feeling stressed out, ground. It not only helps you, it helps others.
How You Can Use Something Better Than an Affirmation
What do you want? Have you tried to coach yourself to change your own behavior?
Some people attempt to push themselves with statements like: “I’m a thin person.”
Well, I’ll tell you the truth. When I tell myself, “I’m a thin person,” my brain yells at me: “Oh, yeah! Look in the mirror!”
The phrase “I’m a thin person” is called an affirmation. In essence, a person tries to “affirm” something that currently is not true.
No wonder so many people say, “Affirmations don’t work for me.”
This bothered me so I came up with some new ideas before I gave my recent workshop on October 19th. The tool I created is a Pattern-Affirmation. (In discussion with my friend Tom Marcoux, he gave me two labels “Pattern-Affirmation” and “Wish-Affirmation” to add to my thoughts).
In essence, a Wish-Affirmation is truly a standard affirmation that people try to use, often with disappointing results.
A Wish-Affirmation is: “I’m a thin person.”
On the other hand, a “Pattern-Affirmation” is: “I eat like a 130 lbs. person.” Or better yet “I have a lifestyle of a 130 lbs. person.”
Do you see the distinction?
A Wish-Affirmation is something you aspire to.
Instead, a Pattern-Affirmation is something that can be true right away. You can exhibit a different behavior now. Your very next action can contribute to your healthy lifestyle.
You can even apply the Pattern-Affirmation process to having financial abundance.
For example, a Wish-Affirmation could be “I am wealthy.” On the other hand, a Pattern-Affirmation could be: “I’m careful with my personal budget like a prosperous person.”
First, be sure to pick a suitable Pattern-Affirmation. Remember, it needs to address a pattern of behavior you want to instill.
Here are examples:
I eat like a 130 lbs. person
I study one hour a day like a good student.
I listen to my daughter’s thoughts and feelings like a good father.
Now, when you begin your ritual, cast circle.
Cleanse and consecrate your candle. Sit and hold your candle and meditate on your Pattern-Affirmation for five minutes or more.
Take the candle and place it on your altar. Say aloud your Pattern-Affirmation as you light the candle. Visualize that you’re guiding energy into the candle.
(Repeat the following process for seven days in a row:
Let the Seven Day Candle burn one knob per day. Each day, repeat the above process of meditating on your Pattern-Affirmation for five minutes or more.)
On the first day, after the first knob has burned down, do Cakes and Wine and then close the circle. Repeat the candle-lighting and knob-burning down for six more days.
Using this new tool of a Pattern-Affirmation Ritual, we will grow in new and exciting ways.
If you try the Pattern-Affirmation Ritual, please let me know about your results. Thanks!
Offerings are small gifts we present to the Gods. They can be many things from candles to wine. You can even offer up your time to a good cause for a deity. I used to volunteer at an animal shelter, for example. More often I offer candles and incense up as offerings. I take a candle and hold it up and say something like: “Here is a candle, please take this offering as thanks for ______”.
Then I light the candle and place it on my alter to burn down completely. Never extinguish a candle once you have lit it for an offering to the Gods. This is considered taking back the gift and is insulting to the deity. Always let it burn down completely down and out on a safe heat proof surface.
You can also do this process with incense and other herbs. Burn incense and or herbs to the Deity you want to honor. Besides burning candles, incense and herbs you can pour a libation (a liquid offering) out onto the earth. You can use anything: wine, juice and blessed water.
Why do we present offerings to the Gods? We say thank you for the Gods help on things we have asked for. After a spell is successful, we will make an offering to say thank you for their help.
What is a cakes and wine ceremony? It is the process of using food and drink to replenish the energy spent doing the working or ritual. Food also helps you to ground. Why is grounding important? It helps you shed the extra energy that you may have accumulated during your working. We raise energy to do our workings and when we are finished we need to shed that energy. For that we use this ceremony, which also helps replenish your body of the energy it used to do the magick. So the ceremony has a dual purpose.
For this ceremony you first must bless the food and drink. You begin with the wine or juice.
1) Take the cup from your altar and pour the wine or juice into it. Then take the athame and dip its tip into the wine or juice. Say:
As the athame is the male, so the cup is the female, and so joined bring union and harmony.
2) Pour some of your blessed wine or juice into the offering bowl or plate on your altar. While doing this say:
To the Gods!
You can now partake in the beverage.
3) Take your athame and point it over the cake. Say:
Blessed be these cakes that they bestow health, peace, joy, strength, and that fulfillment of love that is perpetual happiness.
4) Take one of the cakes (or just a piece of the cake) and place it in the offering bowl or plate. Say:
To the Gods!
You can now partake of the blessed cakes.
Note that this ritual was written for someone practicing alone. If it is conducted in a group, pass around the cup and the cakes, each person taking a sip and one of or part of the cake. As each person passes the wine and cake, they should say to the next person:
As you hand the cup to another say: May you never thirst.
The person replys to this: Blessed Be.
As you offer a cake say: May you never hunger.
When the cake(s) is offered to you reply: Blessed Be.
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