pagan

How to Communicate Something Tough and Avoid Somebody Shutting Down (a Witch’s Perspective)

/ Moonwater / 2 Comments

“My husband just shuts down,” my friend, Lisa, said. “I can’t get him to correct what he’s doing.”

Later, I had a thought based on some Wiccan and magick ideas.

Here are three insights.

1. Carefully choose words, and you wield energy.

“Magic isn’t the empty parroting of words and actions; it is an involved, emotionally charged experience in which the words and actions are used as focal points or keys to unlock the power that we all possess.” –  Scott Cunningham

You have the power to encourage or shut down a person.

Notice this difference:

  • Option One: “When are you going to listen to me? You just don’t care.”
  • Option Two: “Hey, thanks for clearing the filter for the sink.” (The other person smiles. Then you add something like…) Oh, I had another idea. Is this an okay time to talk “logistics”?

As Scott wrote: “words and actions are used as focal points or keys to unlock the power that we all possess.”

2. You influence certain people in ways more than you know.

If someone cares about you, they’d like to succeed in doing something good for you.

I remember inadvertently overhearing two spouses, “Sam and Janet.”
Sam looked back at Janet to see if Sam’s washing her car had made Janet happier.
No. She just made another request.

Sam did NOT get a moment of success at trying to please her.

It’s about giving your loved one some space to feel good.

In my own life, I need to take care of myself. And that’s tough when I’ve lost sleep. So sometimes, I schedule a nap.

I come back with renewed energy.

My husband and I enjoy a better interaction after that.

“On waking in the morning, try to make your first words pleasant, for this brings good fortune for the entire day.” – Scott Cunningham

3. Ask, in prayer, that the Goddess guide your words

Here is a prayer you can use.

Goddess,
Guide my words that they may comfort others,
Help me hold my tongue when the words are sharp.
Support me to take care of myself, mind and body.
May I be grateful for every blessing.
So Mote It Be

As witches, we notice the value of being flexible like the willow tree. May we meditate, conduct ritual, and pray to maintain our flexibility.

And remember this: 

“That perhaps is at the core of Wicca–it is a joyous union with nature. The earth is a manifestation of divine energy. Wicca’s temples are flower-splashed meadows, forests, beaches, and deserts.” – Scott Cunningham

May these insights support your path.

Blessed Be,
Moonwater

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Fortifying Your Boundaries (a Witch’s Perspective)

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“I’ve reached the end of my rope,” my friend, Rhonda, said. “I can’t bend anymore. I can’t take any more.”

I nodded.

I saw it in Rhonda’s eyes.
She knew that I understood.

That’s because she knew my story.
During my first marriage, I told my husband that we needed to have food in the house. But he didn’t care. He took care of himself by buying fast food. And overspending on his own video games.

That, plus more details, inspired me to go for a real boundary of “I’m not going to live like this.” I filed for divorce. One of my best decisions.

I have insights for you.

1. State your boundary. Make it brief. Say, “I need this.”

    During my first marriage, I would try to “make my case.”
    He did not listen. He did not care.
    Instead, I’ve learned to say, “I need this walkway clear.”

    That’s the full thought.

    I don’t need to plead and have to justify what I need.

    I have worth as a human being. The Gods placed divinity within me. And within you.

    “Live your earthly life fully, but try to see the spiritual aspects of your activities as well. Remember—the physical and spiritual are but reflections of each other.” – Scott Cunningham

    2. Realize that your boundary mirrors boundaries in nature.

    “We cannot and must not give love to others before we have respect and love for ourselves.” – Scott Cunningham

    Realize that the Goddess wants your well-being.

    I remember that the bark of a Redwood Tree is highly fire-resistant.

    The bark protects the tree’s core. Redwoods can survive all but the most extreme fires.

    Again, we, witches, learn from nature.

    Maintain a good and strong boundary.

    You, like the glorious Redwood Tree, are loved and valued by the God and Goddess.

    Here is a prayer you can use.

    Gods,
    Surround me with your protection,
    Like the mother bear who protects her young,
    Or the lion who protects his pride.
    Here me now, and surround me with
    your protection on this Day/Night!
    So Mote It Be!

    May these insights support you on your path.

    Blessed Be,
    Moonwater

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    You May Be Surprised (A Witch’s Perspective)

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    The Triple Goddess symbol of the waxing, full, and waning moon over dark background. (Photo of the moon: NASA)

    “I’m exhausted,” my friend, Amy, said.
    “Your Sjögren’s syndrome is a lot to bear,” I said.

    Part of caring for my friends is to listen well.
    I ask questions, and they discover details for themselves.

    I asked, “Would you be okay with exploring two ideas?”
    I waited. Maybe she was too tired at this moment on the phone.

    “It’s okay,” she said.

    “What does the fearful part of you say?” I asked.

    “That I’m done. My life is going to stay in this box of illness. That I’m going to have this level of pain until I leave this planet.”

    We talked some more.

    A few minutes later, I asked, “What would Goddess say?”

    This stumped her.

    She paused.

    I waited.

    Eventually, she said that Goddess would encourage her. Goddess, would say, “Be compassionate with yourself. Because you are My child. Pain has different colors and textures. You’ll have times when you won’t think about the pain.”

    Later, I reflected on this.

    Often, I return to the words of the Goddess, in The Charge of the Goddess, as written by Doreen Valiente:

    “Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever towards it; let naught stop you or turn you aside.  … Let My worship be within the heart that rejoices, for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals.  And therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you.” – The Goddess speaking in The Charge of the Goddess, written by Doreen Valiente

    May these insights support your journey.

    Blessed Be,
    Moonwater

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    See What the Goddess Reveals (A Witch’s Perspective)

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    “I feel so vulnerable,” Sheri, a friend, said.
    I nodded. I deeply related to this.
    I reflected on this later.

    What if we could align ourselves with Goddess? What if we could know Her power?
    And, we can!

    Goddess and the God placed divinity within us.
    That is our essential identity. Yes, our essence.

    Here is something that stands out: the Goddess’s Principles.
    Here is a definition of principle:

    A principle is a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior or for a chain of reasoning. – Oxford Languages

    We can find some of Goddess’s principles as she speaks in the writing of Doreen Valiente:

    “Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever towards it; let naught stop you or turn you aside.  … Let My worship be within the heart that rejoices, for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals.  And therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you.” – The Goddess speaking in The Charge of the Goddess, written by Doreen Valiente

    Here is a prayer to support you in your own identity.

    My Gracious Goddess,
    Show me my own beauty and strength,
    My own power and compassion,
    Let me strive for honor and humility, mirth and reverence in all I do.
    Let me see myself in You, and You in myself.
    So Mote It Be.

    May these insights support your path.

    Blessed Be,
    Moonwater

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    Burst through the “It’s Good for You” Wall (a Witch’s Perspective)

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    “What’s good for you—that’s Wicca—that you don’t do?” my friend, Margarette, said.
    “Meditate more often,” I said.
    “What holds you back?”
    “It’s a freakin’ cliché. I have no time in the morning. I’m too tired at the end of the day. And, I spend my day mostly taking care of my parents (often). And one diabetic cat,” I said, my shoulders drooping.
    Margarette nodded. She looked sad.

    I have an insight for you.

    Attach The Good For You Action to Something You’re Already Doing

    Something good for me is to do an action that makes me feel better.

    For example, my husband massages my back every night. (Yeah, I feel lucky.)

    But I just don’t get around to massaging his back.

    I don’t feel good about not supporting the Love of My Life.

    Except, now I’m turning that around. Now, I’ll take 10 seconds to massage the trapezius muscles next to his neck when I walk past him to my workstation (in our home).

    10 seconds is better than nothing.

    He smiles and says, “Wow! You remove a lot of tension from my trapezius muscles in a short time!”

    So I’m going to walk past him anyway. I’ve just attached being kind to my husband (and I feel better) to my daily action.

    My way to add Wicca to these 10 Seconds is to say a prayer like: “God and Goddess, thank you for my sweetheart. May he feel safe in my arms and loved.”

    What would be good for you to add to your daily life?

    Here’s a helpful prayer.

    Goddess,
    Guide me to make time for
    What’s good for me,
    What’s important to me,
    What makes me smile.
    So Mote It Be.

    May this insight support your path.

    Blessed Be,
    Moonwater

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    How Witches Deal with Someone Who Won’t Hear Them

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    “My sister just won’t stop for a minute to hear me out,” Milly, a new acquaintance, said.

    “She has all these judgments about me and my faith. She doesn’t see me as a person. It’s like she’s talking to her projection of what she thinks I might be.”

    I reflected on this.

    Here are two insights that might help you.

    1. You push, and they push back.

      Ever try to explain your faith to someone? And, they just push back. Telling you that you’re wrong and that they know—better than you—what your spiritual path is.

      Arrogant, right?

      You push facts, and they push fiction.
      But what does the pushing get?
      Nothing good.

      2. Invite the Gods to help you lower your “intensity.”

      Have you noticed that when someone says unfair and ignorant things against you, it’s your internal “intensity” that rises?

      Here is a prayer that you can use to help you lower your intensity.

      I breathe in and bring in the love of the Gods.
      I breathe out and let go of my anxiety.
      I breathe in and bring in clarity.
      I breathe out and let go of my intensity.
      I breathe in calm.
      I breathe out and let go of my intensity.
      I breathe in peace within my integrity.
      I breathe out and let go of my intensity.
      May the Gods bless me.
      So Mote It Be

      May these insights support your path.

      Blessed Be,
      Moonwater

      Enroll in my Online Course Beyond the Law of Attraction to Real Magick At Udemy.com

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      Missing Closeness in Relationships – See What Goddess Points To … (A Witch’s Perspective)

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      “I don’t think she cares anymore,” my friend, Bert, said of his wife.

      I reflected on this.

      Bert, like many men, places all the burden of emotional support on his wife.

      It’s heavy!

      A comedian noted that when a wife dies, the man falls apart.

      However, when the man dies, the widow carries on with grace because she has a group of women to support her.

      I thought about this. The Goddess directs our attention to nature.

      I have two insights for you.

      1. In an ecosystem, each being plays a role.

      I like sharks. Now, do I want to swim with them? – No!

      There was a book called How to Swim with the Sharks…

      No thanks. I’ll swim in a swimming pool.

      But sharks, the coral reef, lionfish, sea turtles, and sea anemones all play a role.

      So, if you want more closeness in a relationship, make sure you have an ecosystem – that is, a community.

      Then, you can relieve the relationship of some emotional burden.

      You can come back together refreshed and open to your special bond.

      2. The Goddess revels in Her Three Phases.

      The God respects the Goddess. And She respects Herself.

      We, witches, find grace and peace when we flow through our phases.

      I think about my teen years. My face had no creases.

      But I’ll celebrate my wisdom right now.

      How about you?

      Are you finding your personal value in the phase of life you’re in now?

      May these insights support your path.

      Blessed Be,
      Moonwater

      Enroll in my Online Course Beyond the Law of Attraction to Real Magick At Udemy.com

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      3 Signs You Are on the Right Path (A Witch’s Perspective)

      / Moonwater / 2 Comments

      At fourteen years old, I met the God and Goddess. It was a big surprise. Especially because I was on a retreat for a “conventional religious path.” The retreat leaders sent the attendees into the forest to have quiet time alone. (Well! They would have been surprised to hear about MY experience.)

      I didn’t see the God and Goddess. I felt Their Prescence. The big difference was that my depression symptoms quieted down. Peace flowed over me.

      Every day, my depression symptoms were like a rake clawing my arm. (But worse.)

      Then, when the God and Goddess appeared … it was like I let out a big, cleansing sigh.

      I have three insights for you.

      Here are signs that you’re on the right path …

      1. The Gods introduce themselves to you.

        In my experience and that of others I know, the Gods appear in the time of silence. Some people get “auditory Guidance.”

        My friend, Tiana, gets an “intuitive zing” up her back.

        From experience, she knows that the Gods are supporting her and guiding her.

        2. You see signs of affirmation.

        Imagine you actually see signs that you’re on the right path.

        You may see certain animals that represent the God and the Goddess. Perhaps, you’ll see a mature buck, raven, owl, white heron, or hawk. These animals are good signs that the Gods are guiding you.

        3. You have a knowing or intuitive sense of what to do.

        Sometimes, the Gods lead you through your intuition.

        The first time I encountered a book about Wicca in a bookstore (I miss you Borders!) … I felt like I was coming home.

        You may observe nature and feel a direct connection to something going on in your mundane life.

        Have you suddenly felt relief? – like a weight lifted from your shoulder?

        Or has your chest felt warm and full?

        It can be different for each individual.

        What we do observe is that one often needs to “go quiet” and “make space” for the knowing to appear.

        Learning the Craft is a path.

        Do you feel at home on this path?

        May these insights support your journey.

        Blessed Be,
        Moonwater

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        Beltane 2025

        / Moonwater / 2 Comments

        Sunflowers

        Sunflowers

        Happy Beltane to all! May you be blessed with the season’s energies.

        Beltane

        To our ancestors, Beltane celebrates the beginning of summer. Bale or “bon” fires are an important part of the Beltane Sabbat. All fires at home or in shops were extinguished and then re-lit from the sacred bonfires that blazed on the tops of the surrounding hills. This was also the time when the herds were blessed. The people marched their cattle around and between the bonfires to bring good luck and fertility and to protect them during the year.

        The Sabbat Beltane, coincides with when the God actually impregnates the Goddess. This sacred act ensures the continued fertility for crops and animals throughout the light half of the year (between the Spring and Fall Equinoxes.)  A popular symbol for this sacred act, the May Pole represents the impregnation of the goddess. A May Pole is a pole set erect in the ground with ribbons attached on the top. People then each take a ribbon and dance in a weaving pattern around the pole. The pole represents God’s phallus and the colorful ribbons that the dancers wind around the May Pole represent the goddess with her flowers a-blooming. And so the impregnation of the Goddess is fulfilled.

        Blessed be,

        Moonwater SilverClaw

        How to Savor the Moment and Living Now (a Witch’s Perspective)

        / Moonwater / Leave a comment

        My feelings of frustration had me seeing plaid.

        All I wanted to do was get out of the home and begin my metal detecting adventure. Meanwhile, my sweetheart was completing a function in the online course app he was using.

        He asked that I cue up Chappell Roan’s performance of “Pink Pony Club” (at the 67th Grammy Awards) while he completed his task and got out of the online course app. (He creates online courses.)

        Then, his eyes went wide.

        “So, you want to skip watching Chappell Roan’s performance and get out to the wooded area—now?” he asked.

        “Yeah.” (Wasn’t that obvious?)

        Later, I reflected on savoring the moment.

        1. Shift your schedule.

        The plan was to watch a 4-minute video on YouTube. But my sweetheart correctly assessed that, in my frustration, my experience of the music and performance would be tainted.

        So we turned off the TV set and left to travel to the wooded area.

        2. Pause and assess if this is a moment to “savor.”

        After I did some metal detecting and digging around, I was doing the routine of putting the tools away. Then, I paused. This was a moment to be present with the breeze, the swaying tree branches, and squirrels running around.

        Here is a prayer you can use:

        Goddess help me savor special moments in my life.
        May I wrap myself in the warm moments of the past,
        As I look forward to blessed future moments.
        So Mote It Be.

        May these insights support your journey.

        Blessed Be,
        Moonwater

        Enroll in my Online Course Beyond the Law of Attraction to Real Magick At Udemy.com

         Enroll in my Online Course At Udemy.com

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

        Visit Moonwater’s Author’s Page for all her books here.

        Check out my Podcast.

        Check out my site MoonwaterSilverClaw.com  for spells and more.