“I have no choice about this,” my friend, Steve, said.
I immediately thought, Is that true? Does he have no choices?
Maybe you’ve been in a similar situation when you wanted to offer some ideas to a friend, but you could feel it … the friend just wanted to vent. They were not open to hearing new or different ideas.
The good news is that we can turn to the Gods when we, personally, feel confused or feel that we have no choices.
Here are three helpful insights:
Invite the Gods to reveal your hidden choices.
Say a prayer and ask the Gods, “Please reveal to me some positive choices I have that seem hidden to me now.”
You can also use a divination tool like a pendulum or Tarot Cards. Ask the Gods to guide you while using the tool.
How to Use a Pendulum
You’ll use a chain with a stone attached at the end. Hold the end of the chain and have the stone (crystal, precious metals, etc.) dangle over a sheet of paper with your two choices inscribed.
Loop the chain over your middle finger. Hold still. Declare that if the appropriate choice is “A,” then the stone will rock vertically (flowing toward your abdomen and away). Also, declare if the correct choice is “B,” then the stone will rock horizontally. Ask the Gods to show you the correct answer. Hold still and see what answer you get.
Invite the Gods to strengthen you when it is a tough but valuable choice.
The Gods care about you. They know of the path you need to tread. It may not be the path that is easy, and it may not be the path that you preferred.
However, it’s the path that calls you—if you can hear it. Ask the Gods to strengthen you and to remove distractions so you can hear the call of the path aligned with your destiny.
It’s important to walk your Destiny Path for your own personal growth. We have lessons here during this incarnation.
Invite the Gods to walk with you.
Invite the Gods to support you and walk with you on your True Path. You can do this through prayer, ritual, or simply by talking (in your mind) to the Gods. Consider taking a walk in nature and enjoying such an internal conversation with the Gods. Ask what you need to learn on this journey. Ask Them to clarify your answer. Additionally, you can ask the Gods to move any obstacle out of your way.
“I’m dreading taking the BART (the subway in the San Francisco Bay Area),” my friend, Olivia, said.
“Something in particular?” I asked.
“The last two times, some guy was stumbling around talking to people. These guys were strange—even scary. I was thinking—please don’t talk to me. Please don’t talk to me,” she said, her face wincing at the memory.
I can relate in that I’ve been using public transit recently. It feels like a gamble to take public transit. You could be late, verbally abused or worse.
So how can witchcraft help?
I ground and center before traveling. Additionally, I put up my energy-shield at the beginning of my journey with the InstaCircle.
How to Do an InstaCircle
Using your power hand (this would be your dominant hand), trace the Circle three times around and above your head.
I cast my Circle thrice, round, round and round.
Point your index finger up to the heavens and then pull energy down to the ground.
Let no bane get in, From heavens to ground.
That completes your InstaCircle and your energy-shield.
Next, I say this prayer:
The Safe Travels Prayer
Dark Mistress of the Waning Moon, and O Hairy Horned Lord of death and rebirth. Give me Your protection during this journey, Keep all troubles that come my way at bay. As I do Will, So, Mote It Be
“I’ve heard of sacred oils for ritual use,” my friend, Mia, said. “How do they help?”
“You can anoint yourself as a blessing. You can anoint a magickal tool to cleanse it,” I began.
Knowing how to make sacred oils for ritual use is cost-effective, and it’s being truly witchy!
I prefer to harvest my herbs when I have the chance. But that may not always be practical.
When you look carefully, you can find reputable online sources and brick and mortar stores where you can find appropriate herbs.
Warning: Do not use poisonous herbs!
You can use sacred oils for anointing yourself and others for different reasons. Below is the Herb Empowerment Chant to charge your herbs.
Herb Empowerment Chant
Little bundle of [herb you are using] of mine,
I empower you now, for it is time.
I call upon the powers of the Moon and Sun,
I call upon the powers of the Earth and Sky.
I call upon the four elements, Earth, Air, Fire, Water,
Give this [herb you are using] all Your power.
I call upon the powers of the rivers and the seas,
Listen to my hopeful pleas.
May this [herb you are using] bring me peace and tranquility,
And protect me from all negativity.
Lovely Lady of the Moon,
Give me this, my greatest boon.
Now that your dried herbs are charged, use the following directions to complete your sacred oil.
How to Make a Sacred Oil
What you will need:
2 clean, dark jars (the dark tint keeps the sun out)
Funnel for liquids
Cheesecloth
Enough dried herbs to fill the jar two-thirds full
Bottle of Jojoba or Sweet Almond Oil, enough to fill one of the dark jars
On a full moon, use your herb of choice.
Warning: Do not use poisonous herbs!
Cleanse and consecrate your jars, cheesecloth, funnel, and oil.
Ask the Gods to enrich these items with their positive energy.
Fill one of the jars two-thirds full of the herbs, and then fill the jar the rest of the way with the oil. Jiggle the jar to get all the air out from in between the herbs, where pockets of air can stick. Once the jar is full, shake it until the contents are well-mixed.
Leave the jar in a dark, cool place.
Shake the jar each day, and make sure to keep all the herbs submerged to avoid mold. Open the jar and smell the oil to make sure it isn’t going rancid. Repeat this process for a full month until the next full moon.
Once your oil has been fully infused with the herbs, you will use cheesecloth to strain the mixture.
Place the funnel into the opening of the second jar. Place the cheesecloth over the funnel and pour your mixture into the second jar—straining the mixture with the cheesecloth. Make sure you squeeze the herbs in the cheesecloth to get all the mixture out of them.
Place a label on the mixture jar to identify it—and the date when you strained the mixture.
Many of my readers seek healing and magickal empowerment. With Midsummer near, we have the opportunity to harvest and dry herbs. Witches know that empowering dried herbs is the first step to creating a magickal tincture to empower your magick and heal yourself or another person.
Begin by placing your dried herbs on the pentacle that resides on your Witch’s altar. Say the following chant aloud:
Herb Empowerment Chant
Little bundle of [herb you are using] of mine,
I empower you now, for it is time.
I call upon the powers of the Moon and Sun,
I call upon the powers of the Earth and Sky.
I call upon the four elements, Earth, Air, Fire, Water,
Give this [herb you are using] all Your power.
I call upon the powers of the rivers and the seas,
Listen to my hopeful pleas.
May this [herb you are using] bring me peace and tranquility,
And protect me from all negativity.
Lovely Lady of the Moon,
Give me this, my greatest boon.
Now that your dried herbs are charged use the following directions to complete your sacred tincture.
How to Make a Sacred Tincture
What you will need:
2 dark jars
Funnel for liquids
Cheesecloth
Enough herbs to fill the jar one-third full
Bottle of vodka
On a waxing moon thirteen days before the full moon, cleanse and consecrate your jars, cheesecloth, funnel and a bottle of vodka.
Warning: Do not use poisonous herbs!
Ask the Gods to enrich these items with Their positive energy as you fill one of the jars one-third full of the herbs. Fill the jar the rest of the way with vodka. Shake the jar until the contents are well mixed.
Leave the mixture in a dark, cool place.
For thirteen days, mix the herbs by shaking them daily. Make sure to keep all the herbs fully submerged to avoid mold.
Once your tincture (the mixture) has been fully infused, use the second jar, funnel, and cheesecloth to strain the tincture. Place the funnel into the opening of the second jar. Cover the funnel with the cheesecloth and pour your tincture through the cheesecloth—into the second jar. Make sure you squeeze the herbs to get all the tincture out of them.
Label the jar and identify when the tincture was completed.
Now the tincture is ready for you to use in your spell work.
“Do Wiccans get help from the ‘Dark Mother’?” one of my readers asked.
Wiccans know that working with the Dark Mother is helpful when you need to rid yourself of negative energy, illness, and ex-partners.
It is vital to notice that the Dark Mother helps one do something we can call “positive deconstruction.”
Deconstruction can be natural. For example, a tree falls in the woods. It is natural and good for the tree to decompose. Then there will be nutrients for other things to grow.
Here’s another example. A Wiccan can appeal to the Dark Mother by doing a spell in the waning moon (light to dark) to get rid of an illness. You are using magick to get rid of that illness.
As you can imagine, the Dark Mother is the opposite side of the fertile and growing aspect of the Goddess.
A Prayer
Dark Mother, Help me get rid of _____. I realize it is natural and good To let some things decompose So I may embrace my new chapter of life.
“I can’t take any more of this,” Todd, a workshop participant, said.
“Would you tell me more?” I asked.
“I feel overwhelmed,” he replied.
I felt great empathy for his situation. This began a valuable conversation.
So, what do you do when your back is against the wall?
Figure out how to lessen the overload
Draw a vertical line down the middle of a sheet of paper. On the left side, list the top three situations that are impinging on you. Directly across from each stressful situation, note two things you might do that could relieve some of your pain. Here’s a helpful angle about this process: Somewhere, somehow, there’s a lesson in all this. Consider writing in a journal about your thoughts and feelings that arise.
Ask the Gods for Guidance
Meditation is the key here. During your meditation session, breathe in deeply. Ask the God and Goddess, “Please guide me for my good and the good of all involved.” You can also ask, “Is there a lesson for me to learn here?”
Do a ritual to help alleviate the pain
Ritual is a great process for releasing negative energy—to flush it away.
Also, during a ritual you can create and enhance positive energy.
“Are there red flags when a coven screens prospective students and members?” one of my readers asked.
Here are considerations that covens I know consider:
Is the person …
On time? Does the person get to the meeting place a bit early? Being late is disrespectful to the coven leader and wastes their time. This gives everyone a bad feeling. Be a bit early.
Reliable? Does the person bring the items he or she is supposed to bring? In a coven, we rely on each other to bring those items we need. How can you do a candle ritual without candles? Fulfill your commitments.
Trustworthy? Does the person own up to his or her mistakes? A person who cannot admit a mistake is not trustworthy. How can they improve if they cannot see the error? Admit mistakes, resolve to improve and make amends.
Hard working? Does the person complete homework and other assignments? Make sure you demonstrate your commitment by completing assignments.
Dedicated? Does the person take the class and the information seriously? Do they study hard and treat the subject with respect? This is how you demonstrate that you really want to be a priest or priestess.
“How do I have a good PantheaCon experience?” Judy, a newbie, asked me.
Since this year’s PantheaCon will be at least the 11th year I have attended, I had a bunch of ideas rise in my mind.
“Start with the basics,” I began. “Enough sleep, good food, enough water, and pace yourself … oh, and don’t try to see everything.”
In this post, I’ll share ideas about having a good PantheaCon experience. Many of these ideas I’ve shared in previous posts.
For PantheaCon 2019, I’m thinking about Setting an Intention when I wake up—before attending PantheaCon for the day.
Here is a Prayer:
Lord and Lady, I’m grateful for PantheaCon and today, In so many ways. May I meet old friends and make new friends, Creating goodwill that never ends. May I have and keep a good personal shield, Protected from negative energies so that they yield. May I enjoy many moments of joy and inspiration, Learning much from every situation. Thank you, Lord and Lady. So Mote It Be.
More Thoughts on PantheaCon
Later, I reflected on the whole PantheaCon experience, and I had more thoughts …
Enjoy What Is There – “Let it be what it is”
“What did you learn last year at PantheaCon?” a friend, Jimmy, asked.
“Enjoy what is there, and let it be what it is,” I replied. By this I mean, pay attention to your expectations and how attached you might be to them. If you hold too tightly to certain expectations, you might feel devastated if they’re not met. Some people say, “Oh, that ruined my conference experience.”
On the other hand, just let the PantheaCon experience be what it is. Yes, you’ll find people of like mind and faith at the conference. It can be a great place to connect with people.
But if you’re a newbie, you may be held at arm’s length by some people because they don’t know you. Don’t take it personally. After your first year, people will know you. Then closer relationships will be possible.
Enjoy what’s in front of you.
My husband tells a story about how he knew a family that always complained about the restaurant food in front of them. It was always: “The fish is more tender at the XY Restaurant” or “I preferred the noodles at the AB Restaurant.” Nobody was simply enjoying what was in front of them. That is, the exception was my husband, who would say, “This works for me.”
“Wiccans listen to the Earth. They don’t shut out the lessons that She is so desperately trying to teach us…. Don’t shut out the physical world in favor of the spiritual or magical realms, for only through nature can we experience these realities.” – Scott Cunningham
Just as Wiccans listen to the Earth, listen to your own body. Do you need to take a break? Get a nap? Walk outside and get away from people for a time?
Pay attention to your body and the energies around you. You will learn a lot.
Align yourself to your “rhythms” during the event
Know when you have had enough. Don’t stay until you can’t think straight. Especially, be careful if you must drive home or to another hotel.
Some people around you may have similar beliefs andthey may be people who are upside-down—feeling upset about something. Make sure that you take care of yourself. Avoid being vulnerable to picking up other people’s negative energy. In my recent e-newsletter, I wrote:
“If you’re attending PantheaCon, you might want to use this following Shielding Chant to help you stay empowered in such a highly stimulating situation. This Shielding Chant can be used at times when regular shielding isn’t enough.
The InstaCircle Chant for Shielding
As you say this chant, you will take your power hand, (usually your dominant hand) and trace a Circle three times above and around your head. When you do the movements, you will envision the energy streaming from your index finger.
Soon, you will point to the heavens and pull the energy from there to the ground.
Here is the InstaCircle process with the movements:
Using your power hand, trace the Circle three times.
I cast my Circle thrice,
round, round and round.
Point your index finger up to the heavens and then pull energy down to the ground.
Let no bane get in,
From heavens to ground.
May this InstaCircle Chant process bless your life.”
Honor your own rhythms. Recently, I was reading some material by Doreen Valiente, when I came across this quote:
“This deliberate pacing of the circle is called ‘circumambulating.’ It is different from the wild joyousness of the round dance.” – Doreen Valiente
Sometimes, you want to do a “deliberate pace” and get some rest and other times, you’ll probably want to experience some higher energy activities at PantheaCon.
(Note: Having a lot of people in a small space like a hotel can spread germs a lot. Consider washing your hands often or using hand sanitizer. It is good to not only put up our spiritual wards, but keep up our physical wards. You’ll want to avoid catching ill—something known as “Con Crud.”)
In summary, let your PantheaCon experience be what it is, and align yourself to your rhythms during the event.
Do you beat yourself up emotionally? Perhaps, you’ve heard of the Inner Critic.
I have an Inner Critic. She is loud and sometimes in charge. So many times, this Inner Critic not only whispers in my ear but screams at the top of her lungs.
Sometimes, she says, “You’re no good.” Other times she says “You’re too fat … and too stupid.” Too often, this Inner Critic flings me into an overwhelming hopeless feeling.
Maybe, you can relate to this?
One time, when I was feeling particularly down, one of my friends said, “I get it. You have clinical depression symptoms. I’m just wondering if you have some part of you that stands to the side. A part of you that is not caught up in self-hatred. Do you have an … Inner Nurturer?”
What about an Inner Nurturer?
Before that moment, I had never heard this idea, Inner Nurturer. Just imagine, a part of yourself who is on your side. Your Inner Nurturer holds your hand through the tough times.
Maybe, my Inner Nurturer is mirroring what the Goddess would say to me.*
I was intrigued by this Inner Nurturer idea. So, I asked my friend to continue. He said, “It could be like this: Your Inner Critic is like a cup of inky water. And, the Inner Nurturer helps you by filling the inky-water cup with clean spring water. Over time, the ink runs over the edge of the cup, and you’re left with the clean spring water.”
How Can We Fill Up with “Clean, Spring Water”?
I thought about my friend’s story and realized the Inner Nurturer is the Goddess and God.
We reach the God and Goddess through meditation, ritual, and prayer.
Many times, I have let the Inner Critic run my mind. The solution is for me to connect with the God and Goddess more often. More times for meditation, ritual, and prayer. Then, I can banish the Inner Critic—even for a short time.
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