First Time Moonwater SilverClaw Provides Video Training

December 8, 2014 / Moonwater / 2 Comments

Have you noticed over the months that I have been responding to comments/questions posted with my various blog posts? I realized that providing some coaching through the comments section could be improved by offering 3 Weeks of Video Training plus a workbook.

I’m so excited to share with you now videos related to material in my new book, Goddess Has Your Back. For the first time, I’m offering a Gift of Three Videos when readers purchase my new book between Dec. 11^th and Dec. 18^th, 2014. The 3 Videos include a Bonus Workbook. Purchase your book and send the Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com Receipt number to AskAWitchNow@gmail.com Thank you and

Happy Yule.

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

For more of Moonwater SilverClaw, consider some of her books:

Goddess Has Your Back: How Wicca Can Help You Raise Your Self-Esteem and Make Your Life Magickal

And

The Hidden Children of the Goddess Book

The Hidden Children of the Goddess Embrace Wicca, Become Strong, Be at Peace with Yourself and the World Around You

And

Beyond the Law of Attraction to Real Magic: How You Can Remove Blocks to Prosperity, Happiness and Inner Peace

Traditional Wicca versus “Cyber Wicca”

December 6, 2014December 7, 2014 / Moonwater / 9 Comments

Have you wondered if practicing the old ways can really thrive in this fast-paced, high-tech age?

I think about this often. Walking my sacred path, I was fortunate to find a mentor and learn the sacred path in the traditional way, one on one. But what about those seekers who can’t find a mentor to teach them the old ways face to face?

Wicca continues to grow in leaps and bounds. We’re seeing that there are not enough mentors to go around with the growing demand for knowledge about our Craft. So many seekers turn to the Internet for help.

Is a Cyber Mentor going to work as well as an In-person Mentor?

The Pros and Cons When Comparing a Cyber Mentor and an In-person Mentor:

Cyber Mentor
Pro	Con
Seeker can have access to the Cyber Mentor from anywhere in the world.	Mentor cannot see and feel how Seeker moves the energy.
Seeker has someone to go to for support.	Both Seeker and Mentor can only communicate through the Internet (or perhaps, occasionally by telephone).
Seeker may have a number of choices in terms of selecting an online mentor.	Mentor cannot experience how Seeker uses energy.
	Mentor cannot be present while the Seeker conducts ritual and provide in-person safety during the learning process.

In-person Mentor
Pro	Con
Mentor is present and can give you an experiential understanding of Wicca.	Mentor may live far away, and meeting in-person may be quite difficult and time-consuming.
Mentor can physically sit with you and listen to your needs.	Mentor and Seeker may fall into personality clashes. Being present in-person may create an intense relationship.
Seeker has someone to go to for support.	Finding a compatible In-person Mentor may take much trial and error with related emotional ups and downs.
Mentor can read how Seeker processes energy.
Mentor can lead you through meditations and can answer questions about the feelings that rise up during the process.
Mentor can be there for Seeker’s safety in learning the finer points of the Craft.

Although, I prefer an In-person Mentor, I acknowledge that many Seekers are constrained by situations that require a Cyber Mentor. They may live in an area with no nearby mentors. They may have to hide while living where persecution makes it too dangerous to openly look for a mentor.

So Cyber Mentors come to be vital for many Wiccans’ learning and training.

Through my blog, I function as a Cyber Mentor. I share my experiences in learning the sacred path. There are a number of good websites/mentors out there. It’s often about finding someone who has a “voice” that really connects with your heart.

What would I suggest for those new to Wicca? Read to get insights from a number of credible people.

I have dyslexia so I’ve found that using an ereader and enlarging the type help a lot.

You can start with these books listed here:

The Way of Four by Deborah Lipp
When, Why….If by Robin Wood
The Hidden Children of the Goddess: Embrace Wicca, Become Strong, Be at Peace with Yourself and the World Around You by Moonwater SilverClaw
Goddess Has Your Back: How Wicca Can Help You Raise Your Self-Esteem and Make Your Life Magickal by Moonwater SilverClaw
Beyond the Law of Attraction to Real Magick by Moonwater SilverClaw
Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft and Witchcraft from the Inside by Raymond Buckland
The God of the Witches by Margaret Murray
Aradia by Charles G. Leland
The White Goddess by Robert Graves
The Golden Bough by James George Frazer and Robert Fraser
Witchcraft Today, Meaning of Witchcraft and a suggested novel called: High Magic’s Aid by Gerald Gardner
ABC’s of Witchcraft by Doreen Valiente
What Witches Do and The 8 Sabbats by Janet & Stewart Ferrar
Grimoire of Shadows by Ed Fitch
Robin Wood Tarot by The Book by Robin Wood:
The Sabbats by Edain McCoy
The Circle Within by Dianne Sylvan

Reading books like those above can help you on your first steps of your sacred Wiccan path.

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

For more of Moonwater SilverClaw, consider some of her books:

Goddess Has Your Back: How Wicca Can Help You Raise Your Self-Esteem and Make Your Life Magickal

And

The Hidden Children of the Goddess Book

The Hidden Children of the Goddess Embrace Wicca, Become Strong, Be at Peace with Yourself and the World Around You

And

Beyond the Law of Attraction to Real Magic: How You Can Remove Blocks to Prosperity, Happiness and Inner Peace

Simple Wiccan Dedication Ritual

November 28, 2014November 28, 2014 / Moonwater / Leave a comment

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.

For the altar setup click here.

1) Cast Circle (For script click here)

2) Dedication Rite

Say the following:

O Triumphant and Great Lord,

O Beautiful and Gracious Lady,

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.

So Mote it Be.

3) Cakes and Wine (For instructions click here)

4) Close Circle (For instructions click here)

I hope this dedication rite will help you upon your journey.

Blessings,
Moonwater SilverClaw

For more of Moonwater SilverClaw, consider some of her books:

Goddess Has Your Back: How Wicca Can Help You Raise Your Self-Esteem and Make Your Life Magickal

And

The Hidden Children of the Goddess Book

The Hidden Children of the Goddess Embrace Wicca, Become Strong, Be at Peace with Yourself and the World Around You

And

Beyond the Law of Attraction to Real Magic: How You Can Remove Blocks to Prosperity, Happiness and Inner Peace

“Goddess Has Your Back” – Amazon’s Sale – 44% Total Discount Ends Nov. 29th

November 27, 2014 / Moonwater / Leave a comment

How exciting! Get a paperback copy of my book “Goddess Has Your Back” for 30% off (Amazon’s special sale that ends Nov. 29^th) plus the regular 14% discount. That’s right. My new paperback book for a total of 44% discount. I’m so glad that Amazon is helping my book get to more people (during Amazon’s Black Friday sale).

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

For more of Moonwater SilverClaw, consider some of her books:

Goddess Has Your Back: How Wicca Can Help You Raise Your Self-Esteem and Make Your Life Magickal

And

The Hidden Children of the Goddess Book

The Hidden Children of the Goddess Embrace Wicca, Become Strong, Be at Peace with Yourself and the World Around You

And

Beyond the Law of Attraction to Real Magic: How You Can Remove Blocks to Prosperity, Happiness and Inner Peace

Invite the Gods to Comfort You

November 22, 2014 / Moonwater / 2 Comments

Candle

“I’m feeling overwhelmed a lot of the time. Sometimes, I’m afraid but I’m not clear about what’s really bothering me,” Nadine, a close friend, said.

Since that conversation, I’ve reflected on this human dilemma. We have all had trouble in which we see bad circumstances pile up against us.

However, sometimes we know that some trouble is present, but we can’t see the details clearly.

One way to see our obstacles clearly is to do a Candle-Lighting Ritual.

Light the candle and concentrate on the candle’s flame. Recite this chant:

The Gods’ Presence Chant

Though the darkness presses in,
I know the Gods’ presence within.
Open the Door for my Insights’ flight,
May this be solved in a fortnight.

When you make time to do a ritual, you open the door to feel comforted by the Gods.

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

For more of Moonwater SilverClaw, consider some of her books:

Goddess Has Your Back: How Wicca Can Help You Raise Your Self-Esteem and Make Your Life Magickal

And

The Hidden Children of the Goddess Book

The Hidden Children of the Goddess Embrace Wicca, Become Strong, Be at Peace with Yourself and the World Around You

And

Beyond the Law of Attraction to Real Magic: How You Can Remove Blocks to Prosperity, Happiness and Inner Peace

Talking to Claudia

November 15, 2014November 15, 2014 / Moonwater / Leave a comment

Opening up to New Ideas

“I don’t want to make a mistake. I’m new to spellwork,” Claudia said.

Shifting the phone to my other ear, I thought, “I can empathize with this because I went through it, too.”

Years ago, when I first began with Wicca, I was really concerned about doing Wicca correctly from the start. It was very important for me to honor the God and Goddess appropriately.

Claudia asked, “How do I do dedication ceremony? It seems like there are a lot of ways to do it, depending on what kind of Traditions [Trads] are out there.”

“It’s true that there are many different types of dedication ceremonies,” I began. “Many have valuable parts and there’s no one and only way to do a dedication ceremony.”

Wicca includes various rituals that a practitioner may do. Rituals can be incredibly complex to quite simple depending on your tastes. Do you like complex and complicated or do you prefer the more simple types of rituals? The best thing that I can say is whatever you do, do it from your heart. That is what pleases the Gods.

I continued by sharing my own journey and how I chose one of the oldest Trads for learning the basics.

Consider Which Witch is Which to get an overview of the different Trads out there.

Claudia then asked about casting of a circle and why people enter from the East and leave from the West. I answered, “We start in the East, in the direction of the sunrise. Then you walk around deosil (clockwise or sun-wise) untill you end up back in the East. West is the direction of Death so you exit that way. When you make a circle starting in the East, it comes around to the East again, making a ‘door.’”

Think of the cycle of life and death. We are born just like the sun each day. And then the wheel turns untill we end up at death, when the sun goes down or “dies.”

Then Claudia asked about which colors are appropriate to use for your circle. You can use white. Or you can use colors that correspond to the four directions:

North – green or brown
South – red
East – yellow
West – blue

For more information about rituals, consider my blog article “Why do Wiccans Do Ritual?”

If you want even more information, I have lots of good info for beginners in my book The Hidden Children of the Goddess.

“How do I find a good mentor?” Claudia asked and I shared with her information found in my blog post: Finding the Right Wiccan Mentor for You.

Another way to find a mentor is attending PantheaCon, a Pagan conference that takes place in the San Francisco Bay Area each February. Many different practitioners of Paganism (including Wicca) attend. You can then check out and ask about the different Trads, and learn from the practitioners themselves. You can check out the website of PantheaCon It would be fun to talk with you if we meet there. I often attend.

You can also find local mentors through Covenant of the Goddess.

I hope you find the above resources to be useful.

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

For more of Moonwater SilverClaw, consider some of her books:

Goddess Has Your Back: How Wicca Can Help You Raise Your Self-Esteem and Make Your Life Magickal

And

The Hidden Children of the Goddess Book

The Hidden Children of the Goddess Embrace Wicca, Become Strong, Be at Peace with Yourself and the World Around You

And

Beyond the Law of Attraction to Real Magic: How You Can Remove Blocks to Prosperity, Happiness and Inner Peace

Make More Powerful Spells

November 8, 2014March 4, 2021 / Moonwater / Leave a comment

TravalingTheRightPath

One night Sara did a prosperity spell. Feeling confident in her spellwork, she waited for the results of the spell to take effect. Three days later she lost her income source. What went wrong?

Doing spellwork is truly work. And, fortunately, you can improve your spellwork skills. Use the simple processes below to improve your success rate.

Moon Phase

Many Wiccans make a big mistake of failing to look at the moon phase before doing a spell. Because Sara didn’t look at the moon when she did her prosperity spell, she missed the vital detail that the moon was waning. That’s a problem because the waning moon is for decreasing work. She did not want her income to decrease!

What could Sara have done to have more money in her purse? She could have done a spell to decrease the size of her bills.

The truth is: You can do many spells at any time if you word the spell correctly.

As many Wiccans know, the waxing moon is for increase so it would have been better if Sara waited for the waxing moon if she wanted to stay with the original form of her prosperity spell.

Days of the Week

Another strategy for making your spell more potent is to use the correct day of the week. Plan to do your spell on the day that rules what you are seeking to accomplish. Here is an abbreviated list of the days, Deities and what they rule.

Sunday – Helios – Prosperity, power, strength, vitality, honor, passion

Monday – Diana – Agriculture, childbirth, instinct, a woman’s cycles, secrets

Tuesday – Mars – Conflict resolution, drive, war, domination, justice, protection

Wednesday – Mercury – intellect, communication, mind and intellectual pursuits, law and court cases

Thursday – Jupiter – Travel, wisdom, animals, gambling, increase

Friday – Venus – Love spells, feminine issues, emotions, marriage

Saturday – Saturn – Discipline, responsibility, hard work

Planetary Hours

The next thing you can do to power up your spell is perform your spell at the correct hour.

Planetary Hours of the Day
Hour	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
1	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn
2	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter
3	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars
4	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun
5	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus
6	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury
7	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon
8	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn
9	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter
10	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars
11	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Venus
12	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Mercury

Planetary Hours of the Night
Hour	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
1	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury
2	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon
3	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn
4	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter
5	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars
6	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun
7	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus
8	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury
9	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon
10	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn
11	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter
12	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars

Supercharge your spellwork by adding the correct moon phase, day and planetary hour. Using these strategies adds energy to your spell.

And this helps your intention, through your spellwork, find its mark.

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

For more of Moonwater SilverClaw, consider some of her books:

Goddess Has Your Back: How Wicca Can Help You Raise Your Self-Esteem and Make Your Life Magickal

And

The Hidden Children of the Goddess Book

The Hidden Children of the Goddess Embrace Wicca, Become Strong, Be at Peace with Yourself and the World Around You

And

Beyond the Law of Attraction to Real Magic: How You Can Remove Blocks to Prosperity, Happiness and Inner Peace

Wiccan Video Training

November 7, 2014 / Moonwater / 2 Comments

How exciting! Soon we will be offering video training in Wicca.

In order for the video training to be most helpful,

please let us know in the comments which topics you’re most interested in.

Here’s an example:

“How to Make Your Spells More Powerful”

I look forward to being helpful to you via video and moving beyond my usual posts at my blog: GoddessHasYourBack.com (aka TheHiddenChildrenOfTheGoddess.com)

Blessed Be,

Moonwater

For more of Moonwater SilverClaw, consider some of her books:

Goddess Has Your Back: How Wicca Can Help You Raise Your Self-Esteem and Make Your Life Magickal

And

The Hidden Children of the Goddess Book

The Hidden Children of the Goddess Embrace Wicca, Become Strong, Be at Peace with Yourself and the World Around You

And

Beyond the Law of Attraction to Real Magic: How You Can Remove Blocks to Prosperity, Happiness and Inner Peace

Embrace the Seasons and Make Your Life Better

October 25, 2014October 31, 2014 / Moonwater / Leave a comment

Goddess Has Your Back

Tears streaming down my face, I had no idea if anything would ever be okay again. I had just heard that my dear friend and neighbor had been shot dead at his workplace.

This devastated me. It seemed that the world had fallen apart around me. This was one of many hurdles that I faced this year.

But the year was about more than grief. It was about new growth. I planted seeds of hope. About a year ago, I started a new book, Goddess Has Your Back. How ironic: I lived through a number of situations in which I needed for Goddess to have my back.

All year I diligently worked on feeding those seeds, watering and tending to them (writing and editing) everyday. Now is Samhain, and I’m grateful to be entering into my own harvest season. And the fruit of my labor this whole year (with my team of editors) is my new book which is available Now entitled: Goddess Has Your Back: How Wicca Can Help You Raise Your Self-esteem and Make Your Life Magickal.

In my new book I address building yourself up and creating a new, empowered viewpoint about yourself and others. Further I provide empowering rituals for all the seasons and Esbats of the year.

In the next few days, I’ll know more about the actual date of release.

I’m feeling grateful that my work will be available for others, and wish that it helps you grow and have your bountiful harvest in your own life.

Taking Care of Yourself through the Seasons

Throughout my year of ups and downs, there has been one constant. With my coven, I have done a number of rituals and meditations. I suggest that you actually make a plan to do a ritual at least once a month.

Now it’s your turn. What are you tending in “your garden” and what is going to be part of your own harvest?

Be good to yourself.

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

For more of Moonwater SilverClaw, consider some of her books:

The Hidden Children of the Goddess Book

The Hidden Children of the Goddess Embrace Wicca, Become Strong, Be at Peace with Yourself and the World Around You

And

Beyond the Law of Attraction to Real Magic: How You Can Remove Blocks to Prosperity, Happiness and Inner Peace

How to Make Your Spells More Successful

October 18, 2014October 19, 2014 / Moonwater / Leave a comment

Spell craft and the Days of the Week

“What am I doing wrong in my spell-work? My spells are failing, even backfiring!” my friend, Jennifer, said, anguish in her voice.

As part of our conversation, I gave her some tips from my book The Hidden Children of the Goddess.

“You need several things to do successful magick.

1) Intent

To do successful magick, you need to understand several things. First, you must have an intent. You need to know what you want to manifest. Having a solid intent is your first step before you do any magick.

2) Concentration

This is the process of focusing and then refocusing your mind on your visualization task. In essence, you concentrate on the object and on the images in your mind that are specific for your desired manifestation

3) Visualization

You need to see what you want in your mind as already accomplished.

4) Willpower

The Collins English Dictionary defines willpower as “the ability to control oneself and determine one’s actions.” When it comes to successfully performing magick, willpower, to me, means the driving force of desire for some form of change. So I focus on the power of “I will.” This is an important distinction because many people think of willpower as only the ability to avoid temptation.”

[The above is the end of an abbreviated excerpt from my book, The Hidden Children of the Goddess.]

Check the Moon Phase

Is the moon phase helping or hindering your spell? Maybe your spell needs to be reworded to help it work more effectively. Take care to be quite specific in your wording.

Pick the Right Day of the Week

Different days are associated with different Deities and purposes, so choose a day that will lend energy to your spell.

Below is an abbreviated list.

Day	Solar Correspondence	Color	Magickal Correspondences	Deity
Monday	Moon	silver, white and Blue	illusion, prophetic dreaming, emotions, travel, and fertility	Diana
Tuesday	Mars	reds, black, and orange	courage and strength	Tyr, Tiu or Mars
Wednesday	Mercury	purples or orange	communication, change, cunning, and the arts, protection	Wodan (Odin) or Mercury
Thursday	Jupiter	blue	strength and abundance	Thor
Friday	Venus	aqua, pink	fertility, Love, birth, and romance	Venus or Frigg
Saturday	Saturn	orange, purple, deep blue	material success, expansion, money/wealth, physical well-being, prosperity, leadership, and generosity	Saturn
Sunday	The Sun	gold or Yellow	personal achievements, success, wealth, and fame,promotion at your job, seeking fame and wealth, or being acknowledged for a job well done	Helios

Magick is Like Water

Magick is like water that flows the easiest way down the mountain. Vague wording diverts your spell to an easy and wrong path. Be careful about your wording.

Be sure to follow the steps above and continue studying.

The Gods want to help you get what you want.

Do your part and get your spell-work in good shape.

Blessed Be,

Moonwater SilverClaw

For more of Moonwater SilverClaw, consider some of her books:

The Hidden Children of the Goddess Book

The Hidden Children of the Goddess Embrace Wicca, Become Strong, Be at Peace with Yourself and the World Around You

And

Beyond the Law of Attraction to Real Magic: How You Can Remove Blocks to Prosperity, Happiness and Inner Peace