pagan

You May Be Surprised (A Witch’s Perspective)

/ Moonwater / 1 Comment
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)

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      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

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      How Witches Fill an Inner Need

      / Moonwater / 2 Comments

      At night, I cannot eat enough. What?

      Have you had this experience? You eat something—something good like a dessert.

      Then it’s chips.
      Soda.
      Cookies.
      Cashews.
      Peanut butter M&Ms.

      (Not you? Am I alone here?)

      Recently, I said, “You can’t satisfy an inner need with outer stuff.”

      (But I’m willing to try.)

      I have three insights for you.

      1. What is your inner need?

        Some researchers suggest that we are 95% motivated by things in our subconscious mind.

        So how do you make the subconscious stuff visible to your conscious mind?

        You can meditate and ask the Gods about some of the driving factors.

        But, one of the most important things is to observe your actions.  

        Ever open a cupboard door looking for something to eat?

        You know that hunger—that no matter how much you eat—is never satisfied? Just close that cupboard door.

        It’s Halloween time in the United States. Or for us witches Samhain.
        How do you feel when you see the green-skinned, cackling caricature of a “so-called witch”?

        What does this cackling, green caricature need? Popcorn?

        Chocolate? Definitely chocolate.

        Let’s pull back. Away from that… What could be the inner need?

        Wanting comfort.

        So, how would you like to be comforted?

        (I do rely on my coffee in the morning…)

        2. Step on the path of “centered and whole.”

        Have you attended a ritual with other witches and felt at home?

        Or…

        You’re a solitary witch and your personal ritual came together well. You felt calm, but also invigorated!

        To get to “centered and whole” you need to push away distractions.

        So, what is distracting you?

        3. Ask the Goddess for clarity in the face of distractions.

        To me, cookies, pastries, and other treats are a plea for comfort. What about you?

        Here is a prayer you can use.

        Goddess, clear my mind,
        Free me from the mud of distracting thoughts and feelings.
        Flush me clean with the spring waters of Your love.
        Hold me close with Your arms around 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

         Enroll in my Online Course At Udemy.com

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        How Witches Create Magick — When There’s No Fortune in Their Fortune Cookie

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        Oww! It felt like a loss. My fortune cookie was empty. I found no slip of paper that promised, “Your dream will definitely come true.”

        Damn.

        Now what?

        I have three insights for you.

        1. Write your own fortune.

        I wrote my own fortune: “The Gods give us a great fortune including a great car.”
        That’s right. My husband and I need a replacement car.

        I suggest that you write your own fortune. When you write that fortune, it’s like composing a simple magickal spell.

        So, what “fortune” do you want?

        2. Realize that you’re a co-creator with the universe.

        Does the God and Goddess give you good fortune? Yes. And, you need to take action, too.

        “All acts of love and pleasure are My rituals. Therefore, let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you.” ― The Goddess in The Charge of the Goddess, written by Doreen Valiente

        What action do you need to take to move your life forward? What can make your life better?

        3. Ask the Goddess for good fortune.

        Here is a prayer you can use.

        Goddess,
        Guide me to my healthy desires.
        Help me fulfill my destiny,
        Open the doors to good fortune for 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

         Enroll in my Online Course At Udemy.com

        Spiritual Solution for Depression Relief is also an online course on Udemy.com

        Looking for gifts?

        PentagramWheel2

        See my designs at Redbubble. 

        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.