Karina turned to me and said, “But I’ve never done this before. It’s a lot of money. I mean, I could spend all this money recording my songs and no one buys them.”
“What does your heart say?” I replied. Sometimes, and it depends on the individual, the heart says, “It’s time to Dare.”
In the previous post we talked about Fire. Now, we’ll discuss the element Water, which is West on the Witches Pyramid.
Water represents to Dare.
In this series of posts, we started with Air, which gave us the idea. Then we proceeded to Fire which was to Will and to desire the change, and get it moving into reality. Now we focus on Water because we need to Dare to accomplish the change.
Wanting to change isn’t enough, we need more energy associated to the process. We need to Dare to do it!
Many of us are too afraid of change. We hide from it and even run from it. Still, we notice:
“There is nothing permanent except change.” – Heraclitus
Change can be a very emotional subject. Being afraid of change is natural and so we need Water, to Dare ourselves to do it.
Change promotes growth. We grow not only spiritually, but also with our relationships and our mental and physical health.
A Ritual to Celebrate Water and to Move Beyond Fear
Consider something in your own life that you know you need to change but are afraid to.
Draw a pleasant, hot bath. Make a sachet of lavender. Lavender is used for purification, and lavender helps us calm those fears of change.
When your bath of lavender is ready, step in and relax. Breathe in and out slowly.
Once you have relaxed, think of the change you want and the fear holding you back from it. Concentrate on these fears you have.
Now envision the fear being absorbed by the water all while you continue breathing deeply—in and out.
When you feel you have successfully transferred all the fear into the liquid, get out and drain the water away. Dry off and make sure you do not use the towel again until you have laundered it.
Use this ritual focusing on Water and to Dare to move forward in your life.
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
And
“I feel stuck,” my friend Amy said. My first thought was that it might help for her to do a ritual related to the element Fire.
In the previous post, we talked about Air in the Witches Pyramid. In this post, we will discuss Fire, an element (related to South) that is part of the foundation of the Witches Pyramid.
Fire represents To Will on the Witches Pyramid. Will is that fire to get things done. Will is the intensified-desire that creates change and allows us to manifest our thoughts into reality.
Fire is energy. And still, we begin with the element Air which creates the idea of what you desire. Fire helps manifest what Air created.
Without Fire things stagnate. Nothing gets done. We need to Will to change ourselves and forge forward to accomplish the fulfillment of our needs.
Fire is a transformative element. Fire is a force (or energy) to change, which transforms you into something new
Change is something we strive for in Wicca. We want to transform ourselves into newer and better states of being so we can grow spiritually.
So how do we enhance the element of Fire in our lives?
Consider something you want to change or to get better in your life. Do you want to get a better job or do you need a better living situation? A quiet desire is not enough. You need to apply Fire so you Will something into being.
One of the best ways to empower yourself with Will is to do a ritual focused on Fire. Begin a meditation on Fire by first lighting a candle. Focus your eyes on the flame. Breathe deep. Soon you will close eyes and do the following visualization.
Your visualization will now be quite specific. Visualize a symbol of a current situation that you do NOT like. Now imagine that what you really want is inside the symbol.
Now apply the power of FIRE to the symbol which is like a false shell around what you want.
This false shell burns away and you are left with what you really want!
You have applied the power of FIRE.
To build up your To Will power, you may need to do a series of Fire-related meditations.
Remember, your mind, properly harnessed, has terrific power to improve your life.
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
And
Two things recently shook me up. First, a friend told me about how a work group came to her house and then her camera was missing. This work group was made of pagans who participate in community events. What?!
Wicca, for example, is about respect for nature, respect for ourselves and respect for others. What happened here that some pagan stole a camera?
Second, two elders in our community told me about how they are being marginalized. “Younger Wiccans are not honoring elders. They don’t listen,” said one of the elders.
The above two incidents inspire the question: Is our Wiccan and Pagan community letting an important part of our identity fade away?
The part of our identity I’m talking about is being respectful. Respect is defined as “a feeling or understanding that someone or something is important, serious, etc., and should be treated in an appropriate way.”
Elders and people’s rights to their property need to be respected.
But there is something impinging on our Wiccan and Pagan community: For many of us, we’re an island surrounded on all sides by the Western culture’s self-centered ego, the “me, me, me” effect.
Have you noticed that if we get caught up in our thirst for instant gratification we lose touch with the roots of Wicca?
We’re used to getting everything instantly. Through the internet, we have instant music, news, and contact with others. There is a casualty in all of this: patience.
And that’s where the lack of respect for elders comes in. Elders move and think at a different pace from those of us typing away at our electronic devices.
More than that, many of us think that elders are too behind the times to offer anything of value. What could elders teach us? Certainly, they can inform us of things to be careful about when doing ritual. Further, if they have had long-term friendships or a long-term romantic partnership, they know something valuable!
So how do we return to our Wiccan roots and enhance being respectful to others?
For many of us, we need to practice being respectful to the one person with us all the time—ourself. Show some patience and compassion toward yourself.
Then allow that patience and compassion radiate out from you.
If you’re going to be near an elder, pre-plan a couple of questions you might ask him or her.
Such questions might be:
Elders have gone through life stages that many of us have not experienced yet. Sure, the details change. They may have used rotary dial phones, and we now have smart phones. But elders have gone through big and tough changes including loss of friends and loved ones to death, for example.
Wicca provides us with wisdom from the past. In fact, our Wiccan heritage has been passed down through the generations by people talking to each other. The process has usually been from elder to neophyte.
So I invite you see how you can make some space, pause and listen.
There’s so much that elders can share with us.
Blessed Be,
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
And
“Now, do you believe?!” my sweetie said to me, as the plane lifted from the ground.
“Yeah, I do,” I replied.
For months, he said that we would take a plane, cross the country and then take a ship and finally walk on the ocean floor.
Because of dealing with depression symptoms, it was hard for me to really believe that our trip would actually take place. In a way, you might say my depression symptoms blocked me from seeing the possibilities.
This reminds me of the classic story in which blind men gathered to experience an elephant.
“It’s a pillar,” said the blind man embracing one leg.
“No, a hand fan,” said another holding an ear.
“You’re wrong, a rope,” said another.
“No, a wall.”
“A solid pipe,” said the one holding the tusk.
A wise man approached and explained, “You’re all right. You all experienced a part of the elephant. The elephant is all that you said and more.”
Finally, the blind men stopped arguing.
The same, I believe, is true about Deity. Everyone has a piece of the ALL. And what they don’t see is that it is all connected. It’s the same ALL that everyone else has. But they are experiencing the ALL in different ways, and this selective experience creates different practices and beliefs around the world.
So when I hear someone say that he knows the one and only God, I pause. I think of the elephant which is more than the sum of the parts.
Yes, I believe the God and Goddess are part of the ALL. But still I realize that Deity is more than my momentary perception.
And I’d invite anyone else to consider that other people are experiencing Deity in a way that suits them at the moment.
Let’s celebrate our shared opportunity to grow in spirit.
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
And
The video camera “record light” glowed red, and I asked the notable witch a powerful question: What has changed in your belief system from when you started?
This question resonated in my thoughts. When I first started my practice of Wicca, I read that the Gods were everywhere. I just went along with that but I didn’t function on the level of really knowing this.
I didn’t intend to fall into a pattern of looking upon the authors as all knowing priests, telling me what to think and how to worship. (Even if the authors did not mean to “preach,” I took their words in that way.) This is not the spirit of the Craft. If you want to be told what to do and how to do it for your spiritual path, go to certain churches, synagogues or other places of worship.
Wicca is something different. Because I lacked experience, my perception of the Craft was off. As I mentioned, the authors seemed liked preachers to me. The Craft is not a faith of listening to someone standing at a pulpit and following what they say.
But when I first started out I treated my practice of Wicca like that. I lacked the understanding and more importantly, knowing the Gods. Once I met the Gods, my understanding became a knowing in my heart what the Craft is really about.
Instead of looking outward toward Deity, which is what many of the mainstream religions do, I looked within. I found a new world to explore. Looking within, I could no longer deny that my thoughts of inferiority and self-loathing were not the truth of the Gods. Such thoughts of self-loathing were the fruit of abuse and my frightened ego.
The experience of meeting the Gods during my meditation gave me a whole new sight. This sight was of the love and compassion of the Gods. I saw myself as They see me: a creation of beauty.
The Gods communicated to me specifically that They crafted all Their children with love, respect and reverence. So much so that They put themselves into each one of us.
Since that time, I have grown with the knowing that Deity is within and throughout the world around us.
Some might suggest that this insight is a “no-brainer,” but the truth is: I really needed to learn this firsthand through interacting with the Gods.
Just reading or listening to others tell me about this insight was not enough. I needed to experience the real teaching moment for me.
Now I look within to hear the Gods and look outside me to see the signs from the Gods. I have a personalized relationship with the Goddess and God. They are my friends and confidants. They lead me and guide me through my everyday life, including crucial times of hardship.
My journey has also included starting as a solitary witch and then joining a coven.
Like many people I started by reading books. At the time, I couldn’t find a mentor and I wanted to have the right mentor. So I asked the Gods for Their help. They responded, “… when you’re ready.”
So I stayed on the solitary path for many years—reading many books and practicing the Craft as well as I could.
Finally, my first mentor arrived in my life. The Gods were right. I had finally had enough knowledge so that I was able to more fully appreciate my first mentor’s guidance.
Through my first mentor, I had my first experiences as a member of a coven. It was nice to turn to someone who had the experience I lacked. My mentor would steer me on the safest and fastest path that was right for me. All along the way I still talked to the Gods and worked with Them to tailor the lessons of my journey.
To this day, I still ask my mentors for their guidance.
Blessed Be,
Moonwater SilverClaw
P.S. I expect to continue creating video interviews of notable Wiccan elders. If you have a question that you’d like to ask me or another Wiccan elder, please place such a question in the comments section. Thank you.
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
And
I had the pleasure of interviewing Anna Korn at PantheaCon 2015.
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
And
My friend Lailoken Scathach interviewed me at PantheaCon this year. You can find this interview at:
For more with Lialoken you can check out his YouTube channel at:
https://www.youtube.com/user/Lailoken3?feature=hovercard
Blessings,
Moonwater SilverClaw
Spiritual Tattoos
“Lisa, are you okay with going skyclad with our coven?” Sharon asked.
“I don’t know,” Lisa said.
“Do you understand why we go skyclad?”
“No.”
It’s your choice to go skyclad (which means nude) or clothed.
First, several covens do not practice going skyclad.
Some British Traditional Wiccan (BTW) covens do. For example, Gardnerians tend to, but many Gardnerian covens opt out of going skyclad.
Why go skyclad? Witches raise power. And, clothing is considered to insulate and prevent power from flowing.
Not everyone believes clothing has such a big impact. For example, I feel that magick is stronger than being so easily thwarted by clothing.
I note that we Wiccans try to attune ourselves as close to nature as possible. This is why most witches worship in the outdoors and honor the cycles of the seasons. Being in nature we feel closer to the Gods.
When we are born, we are naked, in a completely natural state. We are one with nature at that moment.
When we’re skyclad, I feel, we’re in a natural state. I feel this is a sign of freedom. We’re free from society’s chains. For some, clothing ties into how lower social-economic groups are, in a sense, enslaved. Taking off those Reeboks and fancy clothes help witches to come together as equals in circle.
For a number of Gardnerians, going skyclad is a manifestation of tradition. (Again, not all Gardnerian covens practice being skyclad.)
For covens, who opt out of going skyclad, they use robes or even daily, casual clothing.
I suggest that you consider choosing some clothing that you keep only for ritual. Such clothing will help keep you in the ritual mindset.
Some covens choose to hold ritual in a backyard. And some neighbors would find seeing a group of skyclad Wiccans as “indecent.”
Some people get a permit to hold a ritual in a public park (for example, the Spiral Dance in San Francisco, California). In these cases, going robed is a good idea.
Going robed works well when it’s cold outside. You really can’t concentrate if you’re cold and uncomfortable. Honoring the Gods is supposed to be a pleasant experience after all!
Your robe gives you a cool opportunity: You can place all kinds of magickal symbols on your robe.
You can add the following to your robe:
In this way, you can create magick just by putting on your robe.
Where can I get a Wiccan robe? There are sources on the Internet and at pagan gatherings.
If you feel crafty, you can even make your own. Consider this pattern below.
When you make your robe, pick cotton or another natural fiber.
Remember, it’s your choice: skyclad, robed, or in specially chosen casual clothes.
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
And
“You can have that piece of sushi,” Paul said.
“No, that one is yours,” Rachel said.
“Go ahead.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Come on. It’s Valentine’s Day.”
“Well. Okay!” Rachel said, smiling and popping the food in her mouth.
In the USA, we celebrate Valentine’s Day, a holiday when we focus on being loving to a spouse or sweetheart.
But so many of us forget the most important person in our lives during this holiday. Who is the most important person to you? It’s you.
Do you feel too busy to pause and even acknowledge your feelings? Do you lack time to show some loving care for yourself?
I spend so much time too busy worrying about what other people think and feel. Are my friends okay? Is my mother irritated with me again? Is my father having trouble understanding people because he has a mild form of Alzheimer’s?
I’ve learned something important: Neglecting ourselves can really get us into trouble.
It’s even more extreme for those of us who have self-esteem issues. Some of us spiral down and need assistance from mental health professionals.
For example, I have struggled with self-hate and loathing my whole life so far because I deal with the symptoms of my depression.
There are times when I feel so depressed that I find it nearly impossible to demonstrate love and affection for my loved ones. At those times, I have retreated to my bed.
I’ve learned that I must practice self-care or I have no energy to be loving and kind to important people in my life.
Loving others must arise from being kind and loving to yourself.
I have learned that you need to love yourself before you can truly love another person.
How can we begin or reignite our journey of being loving, including loving ourselves? In my book, Goddess Has Your Back, I share the Self-Love meditation. This meditation really set me on a correct course.
In this article, I’ll now share a process to help you enhance your self-love.
Self-Love and Self-Esteem Ritual
What you will need:
Take the first two sheets and place them on a table before you.
Label one sheet: “How I like myself.” Write things you that like about yourself. If you’re feeling a bit low, just include small things like: “I like how I finish reading an article. I like that I call my sister just to say hello.” Write at least five things down or even ten things.
Label the second sheet of paper: “Things I want to change – Things I’m not happy with.” Write some things that you want to change or that you’re not happy about. Write a minimum of two things and no more than five.
Many of us will notice that our “not happy” list might feel “more important” or more intense. That’s understandable.
Now, we will use the third sheet. Look at both previous lists. There may be some overlap. For example, your second sheet may include something like: “I screw up everything.” But at the same time, your first sheet says, “I take good care of my sweetheart.” Is one true and the other false?
Is the “screw up everything” true because you find that you feel bad much of the time? Perhaps, it’s possible that your perception is off. I’ve learned from my own mentors that my depression symptoms can warp my perception and have me do something called “catastrophizing.” That means I might take one thought and let it overrun everything. For example, one time I was late in picking up my sweetheart. He remained in the rain and cold for 15 minutes. At the train stop, there was no shelter. I thought, “I’m thoughtless. I’m no good. I’m incompetent.”
Other vicious words swirled through my mind. However, the truth was that I’m on time or even early 199 times out of 200. That is the truth. But my perception was off.
So you’ll now use the third sheet to dispel perceptions that are off. Increase your positive feelings and demonstrate some self-love. Write down healthy perceptions. In essence, you combine the ideas in a fundamentally positive way.
For example, it could look like this: “I’m good to my sweetheart” plus “I screw up everything” becomes “I’m good to my sweetheart and sometimes I make a mistake. I can learn to do better.”
Go through the lists and complete at least three “positive and combined healthy perceptions.”
The next step:
Gather your fireproof container, your lighter and the “I’m not happy about” list. You will soon safely burn the “I’m not happy about” list.
Hold the “not happy” list over the fireproof container. Light the paper and let it drop into the container. Say,
My list of unwanted traits I hold,
harming my love for myself I’m told.
Now I release these thoughts to the light
burning now forever from my life.
Fire transform this list I hold tonight,
I now have self-love to its fullest height.
The next step:
The two positive lists “How I like myself” and “Healthy Perceptions” are gifts you have given yourself.
Look at the healthy perceptions and think of one small thing you might do that can help you improve your life.
Self-love is NOT self-obsession nor conceit. Self-love is recognizing that the God and Goddess have made you with positive traits for your joy and blessings to those people near you.
God and Goddess stand ready to support you. Simply ask for Their Support.
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
And
GoddessHasYourBack.com 