Magic

You Can’t Know It Unless You Live It

/ Moonwater / 2 Comments

He had that look in his eyes. A dash of confusion and a pinch of cynicism. “Tell me. What is Wicca, really?” Andrew asked.

Because I knew Andrew had to leave for an appointment soon, I thought that I’d better boil this down to a few sentences.

Then I thought, What does Wicca really mean to me?

Is Wicca just about herbs, brews, crystals and poppets? Or is it something else? How can I sum Wicca up in just a few sentences, or even one sentence?

Could you do it?

Yes, Wicca involves herbs, brews, crystals and more. But that is not Wicca. Is it about the Gods, dancing and singing? It does have those, too. But what is Wicca at its core?

The clearest way I can explain Wicca is: It’s a practice. Wicca is something you do. Not something you have. You can have all the trimmings with the crystals, herbs, fancy robes and even a crystal ball. But that does not make you a Wiccan.

Wicca is something you practice everyday. Wicca is a part of you. It’s what you do not what you have.

Wicca is honoring the God and Goddess with each breath, and honoring the earth as you walk. It’s finding the peace within your mind and heart, and then sharing that with others.

To me that is what Wicca is. It is finding the light with the Gods’ guidance and reflecting this light for others to find their own way on the path.

I strive to do this everyday. Sometimes I’m right on the mark, doing and breathing Wicca. Sometimes, I’m off. Perhaps, I miss my daily meditation. This is why we look on Wicca as a practice. You continue to develop yourself throughout your life. Sure, at times, you may stumble. But Wicca is about taking each step forward.

You continue walking the Wicca path before you.

Sometimes it’s hard; sometimes it’s easy.

With the Gods’ guidance, it’s always true and fulfilling.

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

 

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

Goddess Has Your Back

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 Book

 

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

 

 

 

 

And

Real Magick

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

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Talking to Claudia

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Opening up to New Ideas

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

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 Book

 

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

 

 

 

 

And

Real Magick

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

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White Magic versus Black Magic – Really?

/ Moonwater / 5 Comments
Black and White Pentacle

Black verses White

 

“When you’re using Black Magick, you’re—”  the comparative religion student said, as he stared at me.

“Hey, she hasn’t said anything about Black Magick,” the college class instructor clarified.

I added that Wicca is a positive spiritual path. I emphasized: “There is no White Magick or Black Magick.”

Further in the discussion, another student asked, “Black Magick is about doing something bad to someone else—right?”

Still, another student said, “But I thought White Magic is when you do something good for someone.”

Stop. First, this is a “dualism way of thinking.” This type of thinking dates back many centuries. For example, in Zoroastrianism,  the One Deity was said to have two manifestations: good–Spenta Mainyu and bad–Angra Mainyu.

Some comparative religion scholars suggest that this good/bad idea continued through Judaism and Christianity.

This dualism idea is not the Wiccan approach. Modern Wicca traces back its insights to pre-Zoroastrianism times.

In Wicca, magick is energy and a resource. Similar to water, it is neither good nor bad.
Here are two examples about water:

Lost and staggering in the desert, you’re parched, dehydrated. And water saves your life.

OR

You’re taking a wonderful cruise, but a rogue wave knocks you from the deck. You tread water until . . . you can’t, and the sea takes another victim.

So is water good or evil? No. It just “is.”

Wiccans can use magick for good or bane (“a source of harm or ruin” – Merriam-Webster.com). The practitioner’s intention takes the resource that is magick and turns it to good or ill. Magick is simply the natural energies around us. I’ll say that Black Magick and White Magick are misnomers.

So does this mean that the practitioners can be either White Witches or Black Witches?

I suggest we drop these terms.

Still, we all have a light and a dark side.

My point is: Let’s drop these labels Black and White. Instead, remember the Wiccan Rede: These Eight words the Rede fulfill: “An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will.”

Yes, evil exists.

But if we stick to the Wiccan Rede, we can walk a positive and spiritual path.

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 Book

 

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

 

 

 

 

And

Real Magick

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

 

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Discover The Deep Truth Beneath Casting Circle and Ritual

/ Moonwater / 2 Comments
Sacred Circle of Trees

Sacred Circle of Trees

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.

The more often that you Cast a Circle, Conduct Ritual, Do the Cakes and Wine Ceremony and Close the Circle, you become stronger.

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:

The Hidden Children of the Goddess Book

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

Real Magick

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

 

Moonwater SilverClaw Logo

Cord or Knot Magick

/ Moonwater / 24 Comments

Cord_Knots

What if you could do a simple spell that could help you get a job, heal up from an illness or give you prolonged protection on a trip? The answer is knot magick (also known as cord magick). This form of magick working has been used for centuries in everything from weaving carpets to knitting and crocheting.

Better yet, you can simply make one knot to accomplish knot magick. This process requires no obscure objects or substances to acquire. You can do knot magick anywhere and at anytime.

So what do you use for tying the knots?

First, use natural substances because they hold a magickal charge, and synthetics do not. Use cotton, silk or other natural fibers for your knot magick, and this choice will help you succeed.

Use each cord only once. Blending intentions weakens and can even pollute your magick.

How to do knot magick

The first step is to identify specifically what you want to do.

Some examples are:

  • Get a job
  • Heal
  • Arrange protection

Wiccans use knot magic in two ways: the Proactive approach and the Reactive approach.

Proactive means preparing ahead of time. Imagine that it’s two weeks before hurricane season. You go to stores for supplies and for materials to board up your house or business.

On the other hand, Reactive means you rush around during the storm and try to live through it.

Most knot magick is done proactively. You prepare ahead of time so your magick can improve a situation or even prevent trouble.

Historically, sailors asked witches to place the winds into knots so that the sailors would have a remedy if they were stuck in a dead calm. They would untie one of the knots to make the winds blow.

The Steps of Knot Magick

One of the most important things in your magick is will so that you can successfully fuel your spell. What is will? Will 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.

Secondly, you must believe! If you do not believe, then your magick will falter.

Finally, master Pranic Breathing, also known as belly breathing. If you’re familiar with yoga, you probably know of Pranic Breathing techniques.

In Pranic Breathing, you breathe in deeply extending the stomach, utilizing all of your lung capacity. Visualize pulling up energy from the earth. Through Pranic Breathing, you move energy. Visualize your breath as a greenish-blue mist. This mist will carry your will and your intention into the knot. (This process is also referred to as “the breath of life.”)

Note: Consider visualizing your breath as different colors depending on your intention. For example, focus on the color orange for more confidence for a job interview.

Now, let’s go through the steps in order:

1. Figure out what you need, that is, your intention.

2. Start tying a knot into your cord (do not tighten it yet) and simultaneously, focus your will on your intention.

3. Do Pranic Breathing.

4. Have your desire firmly fixed in your mind. Know it as reality, even for just a moment. At that point, blow your will (in the form of your greenish-blue misty breath) into the knot and tighten it closed.

5. When you have completed the process, engaging in grounding yourself.

You have just completed knot magick.

In knot magick, Wiccans usually work in odd numbers: tying five, seven or nine knots in the cord.

The order in which you tie the knots is also important. Please view the correct order in this image here:

CordMagick

As you tie each knot you recite a line of the following poem. This poem is designed for tying nine knots.

Chant

By knot of one, the spell has begun,

By knot of two, my words become true,

By knot of three, it comes to me,

By knot of four, I’ve opened the door,

By knot of five, this spell’s alive,

By knot of six, this spell is fixed,

By knot of seven, there is no question,

By knot of eight, it’s now my fate,

By knot of nine, this thing’s now mine!

So mote it be.

 

 

Recently, I used knot magick before I attended a vital meeting. Just knowing that I worked knot magick relieved some of my stress. Of course, I still had to do the mundane work of gathering materials and rehearsing my words for the meeting.

But it’s a relief to know that I have invoked the blessings of the Gods, too.

I invite you to consider knot magick to help your life.

 

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

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How to Make Your Own Personal Sigils

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Personal Sigils

Personal Sigils

How to Make Your Own Personal Sigils

Imagine putting a magical intention into an object. Why would you do that? Wiccans do this because they want the object to hold power to help them realize a personal desire. For example, you may be job hunting and you want the power of the object—in this case, a sigil—to assist you to get the ideal job.

Making your own personal sigils is easy. Some time ago, author/artist Austin Osman Spare devised a method for creating sigils.

Since that time, a number of authors have discussed Austin Osman Spare’s process of making sigils. One book I appreciate is Frater U. D.’s Practical Sigil Magic: Creating Personal Symbols for Success.

I have made a couple of my own additions to the process.

First, throughout history, witches made sigils out of virgin parchment. But that is quite expensive. Also if you’re vegan and will not wear leather, you will want to use something else. Why? Parchment is typically made from goat skin. So let’s talk about a process devoid of parchment.

I use the heavier art paper, the kind that absorbs ink and which can be infused with different tinctures made with herbs. Water color paper is a nice choice, too.

What about inks? You could use one or of the many magickal inks on the market. My favorite is Dragons Blood Ink. But magickal inks can be expensive. So you can make your own out of a high grade ink such as Winsor Newton ink or India ink. To make it a magickal ink just add some essential oil to it, like myrrh. Mix and consecrate.

You can even use Sharpie pens as author Peter Paddon suggests. Just make sure to designate specific pens for only magickal work. They’ll be part of your set of magickal tools.

You can use different colors for different desires. Here is a short list of colors and meanings that I include in my book The Hidden Children of the Goddess [free chapter when you CLICK HERE]:

• Red: sex, desire, vitality, strength
• Orange: charm, confidence, joy, jealousy, persuasion
• Yellow: intellectual development, joy, intellectual strength
• Green: prosperity, abundance, fertility, money matters
• Blue: healing, protection, spiritual development
• Purple: the occult, power, magick
• Pink: love, friendship, compassion
• White: purity, innocence, peace, tranquility

Write out your desire on a scratch piece of paper; you can use a single word or a phrase. Some examples are:

• I want an ideal job for me at this time
• Happiness
• I need a new house
• Success

We’ll now use the word “Success” as our example. Cross off all of the repeat letters in Success. You end up with S, U, C, and E. (You want only one of each letter that appears in the word.) Next, scramble the letters, getting S, E, U, and C (for example).

Now comes the fun part: Combine the letters together in an image.

Success Sigil

Success Sigil

Can you find the letters?

In this way you can make all sorts of sigils.

If you want to imbue it with a potion or tincture this is the time to do it. You can either soak the paper in your tincture or brush it on. Either way you must let it dry. Overnight is best.

Now with this new image (of combined letters), inscribe it with your magical ink on your absorbent paper.

Now that you have the sigil, the next step is to breath life into it with Pranic Breathing, also known as belly breathing. If you’re familiar with yoga, you are probably familiar with Pranic Breathing techniques. Breathe in deeply; allow your stomach to inflate. Visualize pulling up energy from the earth. When you have built up enough energy in your lungs, blow it onto the sigil. This will charge it with your energy and further empower your intention.

Now place your sigil in a safe place and forget about it. Forgetting about it is the toughest part of the whole process. This helps the magick work.

As you can see, making your own sigils is quite easy and fun. After some practice, you will be able to do them quickly and easily.

Remember to consider using sigils to further your goals and get what you really want.

Learn more about sigils at Sigils: Special Techniques for Manifesting What You Want

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

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My workbook has just come out with a second expanded edition. You can check it out HERELawOfAttrMagick.

How You Can Use Something Better Than an Affirmation

/ Moonwater / 2 Comments
Candle

Candle

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.”

Now, I’ll share a helpful process.

The Pattern-Affirmation Ritual

Here are the steps:

  1. Gather a Seven Day Candle and a Circle Script
  2. Pick your Pattern-Affirmation
  3. Do the Pattern-Affirmation ritual.
  4. Do Cakes and Wine
  5. Close your circle

The process is as follows:

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!

Blessings,

Moonwater

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Exciting News – Moonwater’s First Workshop plus today’s blog post “The Freedom of Wicca”

/ Moonwater / 4 Comments
Real Magick Workshop

Real Magick Workshop

Exciting News   Moonwater’s First Workshop

(and Today’s blog post: “The Freedom of Wicca”)

I have been planning this for a while, and I just can’t hold it in any longer. I will be offering my first workshop on October 19th. I am very excited to now be able to offer you workshops. (For nearly a decade I have been a guest speaker in college classes).

The title of the workshop is Beyond the Law of Attraction to Real Magick.

One focuspoint for the workshop is that a number of people got excited when they first heard of the Law of Attraction–a process of manifesting your desires in your life. But then they became gravely disappointed.

I’m offering the insight that such disappointments are due to missing pieces of the manifesting process. I have found many of us have blockages in life. These blockages stop us from accomplishing our true heartfelt desires.

I have had to face such blockages, too. The good news that in the Workshop we will address the blockages that cause our magick to fail. We’ll use meditation and other processes during the workshop. It is truly a hands-on approach.

In this workshop we will be focusing on prosperity magick. However, this workshop can be used to unblock anything you may have that is hindering your magick from coming to full fruition. This workshop is three hours long (3pm to 6pm on October 19th) and will be held in San Jose, California, USA.

An opportunity for early registration:

  • Early Registration (August 11th – September 9th) is only $19.95
  • Regular Registration (September 10th – October 18th) $29.95
  • At the Door (If seating is still available) $35.00

Do not hesitate. This is an intimate setting with at most only 19 seats available.

If you are interested in going to the workshop please contact me now at:

AskAWitchNow@Gmail.com

And I will be happy to help you reserve your space for this workshop.

This is an exclusive event, so spaces are limited, please register early. I can’t wait to see you all.

I am looking forward to meeting you, and I will also be offering my followers a special discount. Email me with the code XC7T3 and I will email you a coupon for free admission for your guest.

Today’s Blog Post: “The Freedom of Wicca”

Choosing the Wiccan path is choosing freedom. Why? Here are a number details that reveal various levels of freedom.

Wiccans can choose who they practice with. I don’t just mean the people next to you, but you also get to choose which Gods you worship. Wiccans can choose the Egyptian pantheon of Gods or not! If Osiris isn’t the God for you, pick another deity. This is very important to us as Wiccans. Most Wiccans have enjoyed choosing a particular patron deity. This is a personal decision. I have Cernunnos as mine. Worshiping your Gods is much more important that worshiping someone else’s. You’re not boxed into following what someone else believes. No one tells us who we can and can’t worship. It’s one of the main freedoms that I cherish the most.

We are the captains of our own “ships of belief.” In other religions one must conform to what the leaders tell you to believe and what they tell you to do. Some religions enforce that people gather on certain days of the week and must hear a certain person give a speech. On the other hand, Wiccans can choose which rituals they perform and when. They can choose to celebrate a ritual as a solitary practitioner or they can join a coven.

We all have our own paths to walk with the freedom to walk with or without certain companions. Sometimes we follow someone else’s footsteps for a while, so we may learn the Craft. Then, we have the freedom to move on. Each of us is on an individual path. Sometimes our path lines up with someone else’s path. This is great because you can travel together and learn from one another. Then, when you heart tells you, you are free to separate and continue on your own path in a different direction.

Wicca does not force you to stay in life-long relationships. Wicca emphasizes “as long as love shall last” so one is not forced to remain married. Your individual path is respected.

Wicca does not force practitioners to practice intolerance. For example, a number of religions tell their practitioners that gays are an abomination and a Higher Power will punish them. Instead, Wiccans love all representations of the Gods. No one is an abomination because of the way they were born. We were made the way we are by the Gods on purpose, and they made each and everyone of us with great love and care. Black, white, gay, straight, we are all beautiful the way we are. To hate those differences is to hate the Gods’ work.

As Wiccans we have the freedom to practice what and how we want. We have the freedom to practice when and with whom we want. There are no strings attached. There is nothing to bind our hands and feet when it comes to our own personal practice. Wicca is full of the freedom to choose. We can see it in our practices. No wonder Wicca is one of the fastest growing faiths in the world.

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

How to Heal by Separating Yourself Spiritually from a Bad Relationship

/ Moonwater / 3 Comments
Magick Spellwork

Magick Spellwork

How to Heal by Separating Yourself Spiritually

from a Bad Relationship

We’ve all been in a bad relationship at some time in our lives. Whether it is a family problem or ex-lovers or a friendship that just plain went sour. So how do we spiritually separate ourselves from these poisonous people?

You can use many different ways to accomplish this. However, the first and foremost thing to do is to verbally end the relationship. You might say something like: “I don’t think this is healthy for us. So let’s just stop seeing each other.”

Second, physically stay away from the person. The idea is to stop spiritually ingesting the poison of interacting with them.

Many people hesitate to do the first two steps. For many, true change is quite difficult. I can relate to this. And, I’m providing the below ritual for when you’re truly ready to move on with your life.

Now, it’s time to use what I call the Separation Ritual. This ritual involves disconnecting the astral connections that you and the person made during the relationship.

Unless you take action, you stay connected to the person. How? Your astral bodies remain connected. Negative energy can still be transferred both ways. To protect yourself from these bad energies you must cut all ties from that person. This is where the Separation Ritual comes in.

Ideally, the person would participate in a Separation Ritual with you. That often does not happen. So you take an object that will stand in for the person. This object could be a picture or even a teddy bear, if the person likes teddy bears.

Use a length of yarn or piece of red string, which represents the connections you have between you and the toxic person. Red is for the life force but you can uses another color if you think that would be a better representation.

For this ritual you’ll need both your athame (to cast your circle) and a boline, which is a white handle knife used specifically for cutting physical objects during ritual.

Important: Athames are used to cut energy. Bolines are used to cut physical objects.

Here are the steps of True Separation:

  1. Verbally end the relationship
  2. Stay away from the person.
  3. Ground yourself.
  4. Cast circle.
  5. Do the Separation Ritual (see below).
  6. Do the Cakes and Wine ritual.
  7. Close the circle.
  8. Finally continue to have no contact with the toxic person.

You will need your usual ritual items to cast circle and your altar. As I mentioned you will also have a length of yarn or piece of red string. The yarn/string must be long enough to encircle your own waist and to encircle the object (that represents the toxic person).

The Separation Ritual

Take the object. First, your will asperge it. Asperge means to sprinkle the holy water with your fingers onto the object.

With the holy water, asperge and say:

I cleanse and consecrate you by water and earth.

Next you will cense the object. Cense means to waft incense smoke over the object.

With the incense smoke, cense and say:

I bless and charge you with air and fire.

Then take the string/yarn and cense and asperge it as well and say:

I cleanse and consecrate you by water and earth.

I bless and charge you with air and fire.

Take the red string/yarn in your hands saying:

Tiny bundle of String/yarn

You are now the same as the bonds between me and Name of person.

Tie one end of the string/yarn to the object and then encircle your waist with the other end of the string/yarn, while you say:

You are the bonds that connect us now.

From me to Name of person and from Name of person to me.

Our connection is by thee.

 

Sit and concentrate on the bond between you both and see it as the string/yarn that now connects you and the object. Once you have a firm connection with that thought, take the boline and cut the string/yarn, seeing in your mind’s eye the astral bonds being cut along with the string/yarn.

Once you complete the cut, say:

I am now free of the ties of Name of person as he/she is of me.

May my happiness expand, and may Name of person’s happiness expand.

Blessed be.

Finish up with the cakes and wine part of the ritual and then close the circle.

And you’re done.

Separating ourselves from toxic people is important for our happiness and well being. It even blesses the life of the other person. You are doing yourself and the other person a favor.

I trust that this ritual will help you be happier and healthier.

Blessings,

Moonwater

Wiccans Handle Stress and Prejudice

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Bring Peace to Yourself

Bring Peace to Yourself

How Wiccans Can Handle Stress and Prejudice

We all deal with stress in our lives. However, members of a minority religion face additional stressors. Many Wiccans and Pagans in general have experienced some form of prejudice and some have even been the victims of hate crimes. These and other terrible acts upon us can really take a toll.

Although I am fortunate to live in the San Francisco Bay Area where there is more acceptance of people with differences, I have still faced prejudice. I have lost friendships and suffered the actions of intolerant people.

So how can we combat the stresses of such actions?

First, assess the situation. Can you educate the offending person? I have been in situations when the offending person thinks he’s right and will hear nothing that differs from his beliefs.

Make sure no one is being harmed. There is a big difference between offensive words and physical violence. One may need to take action. Maybe you need to quickly get to a place of safety. One might even have to call 911 for police intervention.

Take care of your own feelings. Before I get caught up in an aggression tornado, I remember to simply breathe. Concentrating on your breath is a great way to help yourself calm down. Then you can take control of the words that come out of your mouth. You can’t control what they say, but you can control what you say and do.

Find your way to compassion. The Gods and Goddesses love their children (all of them) so become the Goddess in her nurturing state. Let her energy flow within you. Let the Goddess help you select your words. Avoid words that sting, instead say something constructive and nurturing to the conversation. How would this sound? One way to respond is: “I heard what you said. That’s not what my life is about. I’m leaving this room.”

When I say compassion, I do not mean let them walk all over you. The idea is to make space in yourself to understand those who are ignorant of your beliefs. They don’t know what they are talking about. To take their words personally gives them power. Do not let that happen. Do not give these untruths any power.

Renew yourself. Once the incident is over, take some time to do a Breathing Meditation. I know how much it helps as a salve to the wounds their words have left.

Find a quiet place where you know you will not be disturbed. Silence your cell phone or home phone. Get comfortable and relax. You can burn some of your favorite incense and light a candle. I find dimming the lights to be helpful.

Here is the process:

As you relax, close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing. Breathing in and out deeply, envision a beautiful white light shinning down and surrounding you. Next, deeply breathe in that light, pulling in the beautiful cleansing properties of it. Hold this breath for the count of three.

When you breathe out, picture a black smoke made of those toxic words, actions and emotions. You expel the black smoke from your body. Imagine the black smoke absorbed and purified by the light around you. After your exhalation, hold your breath for a count of three. This is where you acknowledge the transformation of energy.

Continue this process until you feel you have expelled all of the negative comments/feelings/energies that were placed upon you. Finish this meditation by thanking the Gods for their shinning light.

May this meditation renew you and free you of any negative effects created by prejudice.

Once free of toxins, you can experience the blessings of life with the Gods and Goddesses.

Blessings,

Moonwater