What Pagans Know

September 5, 2015 / Moonwater / Leave a comment

When I arrived at Pinecrest campground, I looked forward to hiking through the pine trees until . . . my heart broke, seeing all of the dying trees.

Sure, we Californians complain about cutting back on our water consumption amid cries of “Drought!”
But I did not feel it in my gut until I saw all the brown, dying trees.

The trees all over California are dying.

What does this have to do with Wicca?

We can notice that the human race, for the most part, has neglected our Sacred Mother Earth. Many have ignored the God and the Goddess or downright forgotten about Them.

Mother Earth is sick, and we need to come to Her aid. What can we do?

We can protect her. Walking, bicycling, carpooling when possible. My sweetheart often takes the train and avoids commuting by car. Be sure to recycle and consider eating locally grown food.

We can also gather with others and organize a clean-up Mother Earth day or afternoon. Then you would pick up trash at beaches, forests, or even your own neighborhood.

I believe we need to fight global warming on a personal level, and in groups. Small actions do make a difference.

In one of my previous blog articles , I talk about how a friend and I cleaned up a big mess left by previous campers. It really bothered me that those individuals thought they could leave their trash and waste anywhere they pleased. They took no responsibility for their actions.

Pagans know better. My friend and I went into immediate action and cleaned up the campsite. The rangers were quite happy to provide us with bags to assist our “be kind to Mother Earth” actions.

Now I invite you to get involved on some level.

Let us, Pagans, lead by example.

Let’s show others on this beautiful Mother Earth how to be good stewards with the gifts we have been given.

P.S. To sign up for our E-Newsletter click here.

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

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

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

A Wiccan’s Journey to Health

August 22, 2015August 22, 2015 / Moonwater / 10 Comments

This post is a truly personal one for me. Being overweight most of my adult life, I accepted my size because it is a version of the Goddess.

Wiccans truly accept all body types. This is good.

For many of us, it is a relief not to have try to conform to the general culture’s ideas of what is attractive.

I’ve noted that movie star bodies often require extremes of surgery, exercise and diet. That’s not natural.

Our Wiccan culture values each person’s natural body form as a representation of the God and Goddess.

Still, this is a hard article for me to write. In fact, I’m going to share something deeply personal, and I feel some dread.

I have come to a real crossroads of my life. First, I need to let you know that my mother is morbidly obese. And, she suffers from diabetes. She grunts in pain from simply walking around.

She has crossed from being “on the heavy side” to being truly unhealthy.

Having a healthy body is important for all of us Wiccans. When we have a healthy body, we can easily create energy to fuel our spells. But if we’re unhealthy, we’re often impaired and cannot raise the proper energy to manifest our desires.

If you can’t walk up a flight of stairs, you sure aren’t going to be able to dance and move to create energy properly. (Yes, there are other ways of raising energy. But why lose the joy of dancing and moving?)

Our bodies were meant to positively express themselves.

This is where I need to be truthful with myself. I am going to do something no woman I know wants to do: Admit her excess weight to the world.

I am currently 266.4 pounds. Let me put that into context. In high school, I weighed 113 pounds. In later years, I weighed 130 pounds, and I felt quite energetic at that weight.

My current weight of 266.4 pounds is aggravating my asthma. I feel out of breath after climbing a flight of stairs.

And I admit that I am scared to cross the line into diabetes. I know what suffering my mother endures!

My sweetheart supports me as best as he can. He goes for a long walk with me everyday. He bought me a treadmill when I alerted him to my difficulty breathing outside on a cold day.

So let’s address this in few words.

I agree with our Wiccan community in accepting all kinds of body shapes. Well done, community!
I personally have crossed the line from “on the heavy side” to truly unhealthy.

In allowing myself to become unhealthy, I’m feeling bad in a number of ways: Pain in my hips, joints, back and more.

But there’s something that bothers me just as much. I feel that I have let down the God and Goddess. They have given me this wonderful body as a temple, and in a way I’ve trashed it.

I do not want to disrespect the God and Goddess.

We’re not talking about appearance at this moment. We’re talking about healthy or not healthy.

So this is my call to action. I need to shed the excess weight and become what the Gods intended, to be a healthy version of me.

I have been taking action. On a number of days, I’ve walked 8,000 to 10,000 steps. That has resulted in my letting go of 10 pounds so far!

A good start.

I have written this article as both my personal declaration and as a support for any other Wiccans who, like me, want to cross the line back to healthy.

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

P.S. I am going to continue to pursue my healthy habits by walking and hiking over the next week while I’m on a nature retreat.

I’ll share with you something I’m excited about.

I presenting and leading a “Release Your Inner Blocks” exercises

at an Oct. 14, 2015 Event in North Hollywood, CA

Join us for the “YourBodySoulandProsperity.com Experiential Workshop”

in North Hollywood on Oct. 14, 2015 – 6:45 pm to 9:45 pm.

TO REGISTER — CLICK HERE

Special Early Bird Registration: ONLY $59.00 [a $79.00 value] **Deadline for Discount is Friday Sept 4, 2015**

P.S. To sign up for our E-Newsletter click here.

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 Embrace Wicca, Become Strong, Be at Peace with Yourself and the World Around You

And

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

“An It Harm None” Why?

August 15, 2015 / Moonwater / Leave a comment

“I don’t understand. The Wiccan Rede of ‘An it harm none’ seems almost impossible,” Nadia said.

“Impossible?” I asked.

“Look, I eat fish and chicken. That’s harms something,” Nadia said.

“Okay. I understand what you’re talking about. How about this? When you’re talking to a family member, and he says something in an irritated way, do you try to escalate it? Do you try to say something worse—something mean?”

“You know I don’t. I try to be kind to people,” Nadia said.

“Now, you’re onto something. ‘An it harm none’ is in the same spirit as ‘be kind; be compassionate.’” I replied.

In Wicca, we’re not scrambling for “commandments.” Wicca is a path that asks us to think, not just blindly obey someone else’s orders. This is what attracts many people to Wicca in the first place.

So let’s continue with the Wicca approach of thinking (not blind obedience):

Let’s look at a hypothetical situation. Emily’s home is invaded by an attacker. If “An it harm none” was a commandment, do you think Emily would not fight back?

What if the attacker approaches Emily’s nine-year-old son, Joseph?

Many of us would say, go for it Emily and protect your son! And it would work, in a way, with “An it harm none.” How? If Emily does nothing, perhaps, Joseph dies. That is a greater harm.

Many of us would say, fighting back and causing harm to the attacker is correct—to save a life.

Self-defense appears right in line with the Wiccan Rede.

We need to think things through. We know that the world is not simply black and white. We don’t just turn the other cheek. We live in a shades-of-gray universe.

As we walk our sacred path, we make many decisions with each step we take. Each person has his or her own gait and stride. Each of us has our own moral compass, and we must make our own decisions as to where we place our feet.

I invite you to consider some important issues. Where is the larger amount of harm? Is this a situation in which some form of self-defense is appropriate?

Think of “An it harm none” as an invitation for you to live with as much kindness and compassion as possible.

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

P.S. To sign up for our E-Newsletter click here.

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 Embrace Wicca, Become Strong, Be at Peace with Yourself and the World Around You

And

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

Experience Freedom Through The Power of Forgiving Yourself

August 8, 2015 / Moonwater / Leave a comment

“You need to forgive yourself,” my new therapist says. Nice words, I think. How am I supposed to do that?

I have been through many hours of therapy. I’ve experienced hours of meditation.

Here I’m going to talk about the truth and the reality of Forgiving Yourself.

Why do you need to forgive yourself?

Because feeling guilty and blaming yourself is a damn prison. I know this prison well. At times, I have been mad at myself for somehow allowing others to harm me. How can you hold a 10 year old little girl responsible for being held underwater by her sadistic 13 year old brother?!

Still, in later years, I had an abusive husband who had a hold on me until Wicca saved my life.

I’ve been furious with myself for “being a victim.” I’ve said, “I know it is not my fault.” But deep down I still felt it was my fault. I let it happen. I gave certain people power over me. I did this.

Whenever I go to this dark place, my heart bleeds tears of sorrow.

All of this self-blame and failing to forgive ourselves is a crime we are committing against ourselves.

Before I go further, I need to make something clear. Forgiveness is not pardon. A behavior could have been mean and negative two years ago, and it is still wrong today.

I learned from Dr. Fred Luskin (co-founder of the Stanford Forgiveness Project) that “Forgiveness is the end of the cycle of blame and suffering.”

It is time we stop and forgive ourselves for the things we did to ourselves. We may also need to forgive ourselves for what we may have allowed to happen to us.

I’ll now share an exercise that I’ve found to be powerful.

Warning: This is exercise IS powerful. Make sure you have someone to talk to afterwards – a loving friend whom you trust, a counselor or a trusted psychologist. You might just save this exercise for a time when you can do the exercise in the presence of a trusted helper.

Version One:

Have a friend you trust and who loves you sit in front of you. Be close enough to see into his or her eyes.
Get comfortable. Light a candle and some incense. (Place the incense to the side so you avoid the smoke obscuring your view of your friend.)
Set a timer for 5 minutes. Then for 5 minutes, look into each other’s eyes and think about how much you care about the other person.
Do this several times over a month. It may take longer or less time. Your plan is to get to the point where you feel relaxed and accepted.

Version Two:

Sit in front of a mirror and get comfortable. Light a candle and some incense. (Place the incense to the side so you avoid the smoke obscuring your view of your own eyes.)

After setting a timer for 5 minutes, concentrate as you look into your own eyes in the mirror. Now you begin the process of forgiving yourself for all of your past mistakes that caused you to suffer . . .

Say:

I forgive you for ______ and anytime I failed at __________.

I forgive you for ______ and the times I was wrong.

I forgive you for ______ and the times I let things happen to you.

I forgive you for ______ and the times I hurt others.

Do this as many times as you need so you start to relax into your personal forgiveness of yourself.

During the week, if you start to feel fearful or frantic, you likely need another session of self-forgiveness.

(Some traditions refer to this process as “mirror work.” Some people practice saying, “I love you” to themselves as they gaze in a mirror. Many report that it takes about a month of practice until they feel better and a degree of real healing.)

After any session of self-forgiveness, eat something. You’ve used up personal energy. It takes energy to focus during your self-forgiveness session.

And then make sure to talk to someone you trust.

This is a very powerful exercise. Remember there is divinity in you.

As you do this self-forgiveness exercise, you will likely feel the presence of God and Goddess. How will you know this? You’ll experience a degree of peace that is new and different than your regular daily experience of life.

Remember, you are loved by the God and Goddess.

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

P.S. To sign up for our E-Newsletter click here.

BREAKING NEWS!

Moonwater SilverClaw Appears and Speaks At:

YourBodySoulandProsperity.com Arrives in North Hollywood, California – October 14th, 6:45 pm.

Workshop: “Your Body, Soul and Prosperity — 3 Easy Steps to Massively Increase YOUR Health, Happiness and Prosperity”
The Experiential Workshop Wednesday October 14, 6:45-9:45 pm. Share the news with friends. Thank you. Many blessings.

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

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

And

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

Lammas 2015 . . . and the Many Faces of the Gods

July 31, 2015 / Moonwater / Leave a comment

Happy Lammas 2015

“I don’t get it. Why are there so many faces or versions of the God and Goddess?” my friend, Cara, asked.

“Let me put it into this context. Today is the first of three harvest festivals called Lammas. We collect our bounty at this time, reaping what we had sown in the beginning of the year. This is a wonderful time of family and friends. It’s also when we see the Gods grow older and start to wane,” I replied.

“Grow older. What’s that about? They’re Gods. They don’t need to grow old,” Cara protested.

“True. Still, the Gods are relating to us. They’re expressing the Cycles of Life. And Cycles are part of the human experience of birth, maturity and death,” I said.

The Many Faces of the Gods

Why do the Gods change and look different at different times of the year and look different to everyone in general?

All over the world, people describe “God” or the God and Goddess in many varied ways. People point to various physical traits and characteristics (See these varied descriptions of Deities).

The Gods can look like anything they want to. The Deity that I relate to has the body of a man and the horns of a stag, for example.

At this time, I relate to the Goddess in the form of the Earth Mother. I appreciate how She nurtures us and shares her bounty with us.

Each individual can connect with Goddess in any form. Who’s to say that the Goddess isn’t black, red, yellow or even blue? She could be a Heron or any other animal or the combination or several creatures.

We notice how Deities differ in appearance from culture to culture. We also have young Gods and Old Gods. These Gods help those people understand the life cycles they are in at that particular moment in time.

Young women often relate to the Maiden aspect of the Goddess. Many women in their later years find that they have more in common with the Crone.

The God and Goddess in their many forms are manifestations of the ALL. The God and Goddess are the Universe – The ALL is a singular entity.

The ALL, (the term I will use from now on to represent both masculine and feminine together) wants to connect with Its children—that includes us.

You probably noticed that you simply relate more to certain images, ideas and thoughts. Maybe the Maiden form of the Goddess speaks to you. Perhaps, the Horned God means a lot to you because you feel this glorious connection to nature. The All is every form of the God and Goddess at the same time.

The ALL is the sky and the Earth beneath our feet. It is the forests, the streams, the wind and the howl of the wolf. It is Maiden, Mother and Crone.

So we are never alone, because we are part of the ALL.

I believe the ALL split Itself and had children because It wants to know and learn about Itself through the lives of Its children, us. Yes, we have an afterlife and reincarnation. Those are also steps in the ALL learning about Itself.

So I invite you to enjoy learning about the pantheon of Gods and Goddesses.

Discover which form you most relate to now.

Since Life is made of Cycles and new chapters, you will have many opportunities to connect with new forms of the God and the Goddess throughout your journey.

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

P.S. To sign up for our E-Newsletter click here.

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

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

And

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

How to Meet Your Spirit Guides

July 25, 2015July 25, 2015 / Moonwater / Leave a comment

“How can I meet my Spirit Guides?” Jessie asked.

“Through meditation,” I replied. “While meditating, I had this experience:

I went to the standing stones and asked to meet my Spirit Guide. Suddenly, I was aware of a loving presence. A beautiful woman came forward. She approached me, and I could see her pleasant features form. Lovely brown hair and eyes came into focus. She reached out and took my hand.”

You can receive guidance from your Spirit Guide or even a Totem Animal.

Shaman Elder Maggie Wahls wrote: “A totem animal is often a protector, a mate to travel the Inner Worlds with who knows its way around and can get you in, to your destination and out again safely.”

I always start in a safe place on the astral plane. This could be a cottage or a circle of standing stones. Pick a place that has power to protect you. You can meet your Spirit Guide there.

The Witches’ Cottage is where I start in my daily meditation. From the Witches’ Cottage you can begin your journey on the astral plane.

Here is a meditation to discover your own Witches’ Cottage.

(The below material is an excerpt from my book Goddess Has Your Back. See a Free Chapter when you CLICK HERE.

Witches’ Cottage Meditation

Cast the Circle

Note: This meditation includes special pauses. During a pause you have the time to interact with the environment of the Witch’s Cottage on the astral plane. Consider either having a friend read the directions to you or pre-recording the material in your own voice for later playback. When you come across the words “Short pause” do not say them aloud. Simply pause your reading before you move onward.

2) Witches’ Cottage Meditation

Relax. Take a deep breath in. Breathe out, releasing the stresses of the day. Keep taking deep breaths, in and out. With each exhale you get more and more relaxed. Feel your body as it sits comfortably Notice now that the light slowly begins to dim. You feel comfortable and at peace as the light continues to fade. Now the light is gone and you are happy and secure in the darkness.

(Short pause)

Soon you notice the light starts to return. Slowly at first. Then as your eyes adjust to the new light, you now can see that you are in a Cottage. The air is fresh and clean. Look around to orient yourself to your new surroundings. Look to the south wall and see a warm, friendly fire crackling in a large stone fireplace. Walk to the fireplace and enjoy the light and warmth the fire gives you. Observe the fireplace What kind of stone is it made of? What kind of kindling is being used?

(1 minute pause)

Look to your right and notice the west wall and then walk to it and see a nearby fountain. What does this fountain look like? How was it constructed?

(1 minute pause)

Look to your right and see the north wall and walk to it.

Near the wall is a large stone table. Observe the table. What distinguishing marks does it have?

(1 minute pause)

Turn to your right again and view the east wall. Walk to it and now see a well-kept window set into the wall. What can you see out of the window? What time of day or night is it?

(1 minute pause)

Further explore the cottage. What does it smell like? What materials were used in its construction? How many rooms do you see?

(5 minutes pause)

Knowing that this is a safe and secure place where no one or thing may enter without your permission. You find a nice place to sit. Rest a while. Then notice how the light starts dimming. Feel comfortable and at peace as the light continues to fade. Now the light is gone and you are happy and secure in the darkness.

(Short Pause)

Soon you notice that the light starts to return. Slowly at first. Your eyes adjust to the new light and you feel safe, calm and refreshed. Now open your eyes to your present-day world.

3) Do the Cakes and Wine Ceremony

4) Close the Circle

The Witches’ Cottage serves as a safe place when you start traveling on the astral plane.

My process is to begin at my Witches’ Cottage and then go to the standing stones.

You can use another process and still be certain that you begin with a safe place.

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

P.S. To sign up for our E-Newsletter click here.

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

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

And

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

The Adocentyn Library – Interview with Don Frew

July 7, 2015July 9, 2015 / Moonwater / Leave a comment

These are some really great interviews of Don Frew from my good friend Lailoken Scathach. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

P.S. To sign up for our E-Newsletter click here.

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

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

And

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

Protection – House Blessing

July 4, 2015 / Moonwater / Leave a comment

“What’s wrong Jessica?” I asked

“We just finished moving into our new home,” she said.

“How great!”

But Jessica’s face told another story. “I don’t feel like my family and I are the only ones there. Something just isn’t right.”

“Have you tried a house blessing?” I asked.

Sometimes moving into a new place doesn’t bring the joy we had hoped for. We may experience a form of uneasiness.

Now, we’ll discuss the process of doing a House Blessing.

What you will need:

Large container of Kosher Sea Salt
One white candle
Spring or purified water (enough to asperge your entire home)
Bowl (small)
Bowl (large)
Pitcher (this holds water for refilling your large bowl)
Incense
Anointing oil
Athame
White altar cloth
Pentacle
Bell

Set up your altar with the white candle (representing Fire) and the other Three Elements (Air, Water, and Earth). Put the white candle in the middle and the other Elements on their sides of the altar. Pour some water into the large bowl. Set the small bowl on the West side.

Section off the house with salt by making boundary lines blocking entryways for each room with the salt. (Set the salt in lines.) This will contain the energy in each room so that you can work on it as an individual space.

Start with blessing and purifying each Element by placing your athame in each Element–and say:

For the white candle: Light the candle, then place athame over it and say:

I CONSECRATE AND BLESS THIS FLAME IN THE NAMES OF THE GREAT LORD OF THE SUN AND GRACIOUS LADY OF THE MOON, THAT THIS FLAME BE THEIR SACRED LIGHT TO CAST OUT ALL DARKNESS WITH ITS USE.

Water Blessing:

I CONSECRATE AND BLESS THIS WATER IN THE NAMES OF THE GREAT LORD OF THE SUN AND THE GRACIOUS LADY ON THE MOON, THAT THIS WATER BE THEIR FERTILE ENERGY TO CREATE NEW BLESSINGS WITH ITS USE.

Salt Blessing:

I CONSECRATE AND BLESS THIS SALT IN THE NAMES OF THE GREAT LORD OF THE SUN AND THE GRACIOUS LADY ON THE MOON, THAT THIS SALT BE THEIR LOVING BODIES TO GROW NEW HOPE WITH ITS USE.

Incense Blessing:

I CONSECRATE AND BLESS THIS INCENSE IN THE NAMES OF THE GREAT LORD OF THE SUN AND THE GRACIOUS LADY ON THE MOON, THAT THIS INCENSE BE THEIR SACRED BREATH TO BREATHE NEW AND POSITIVE STORIES WITH ITS USE.

Take three pinches of salt and mix with the Blessed Water. Place incense on charcoal—or if using stick incense, light the incense-stick using the white candle.

Bless the oil with the Elements saying:

I PURIFY WITH EARTH AND WATER.
I CLEANSE WITH FIRE AND AIR.

Dip the small bowl into the large bowl to scoop up some Blessed Water.

Move around the space first with the water, asperge and say while going in deocil (clockwise):

I PURIFY YOU WITH EARTH AND WATER.

– Ring Bell

Next, move around the space while fanning the smoke of the burning incense and say:

I CLEANSE YOU WITH FIRE AND AIR.

– Ring Bell

If you sense any more negative energy, guide it with your hands. Direct the negative energy to the large bowl of holy water so that it is absorbed and cleansed. Shake the energy off your hands as you place your hands over the water bowl.

After purifying and cleansing the space, take up the athame and go to an entryway and trace a banishing pentagram there and say:

I CAST OUT ALL BANEFUL ENERGIES AND SEAL THIS [DOOR or WINDOW or FIREPLACE]

Then take up the oil and dab on each corner of the door frame/window/fireplace saying:

YOU ARE NOW CLOSED TO ALL NEGATIVE AND BANEFUL ENERGIES.

Once done, move to next room and start all over again.

When you have completed the ritual for the whole house, pour the last batch of the holy water down a sewage drain that goes away from the house.

This will help you clear all the nasties and bad energy from your home. You can also smudge your home afterwards just to make sure.

You deserve to enjoy your home in peace and harmony.

Blessings,
Moonwater

P.S. To sign up for our E-Newsletter click here.

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

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

And

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

Protection – Sage

June 27, 2015 / Moonwater / Leave a comment

“It’s like she’s still here!” Jennifer said.

“Who?” I asked.

“My mother-in-law. I don’t know how Sam could come from that woman. When she’s in the room with you, it’s like being smothered in resentment and broken dreams.”

“And you still feel her energy?” I asked.

“Yeah! How can it be? She finally went back to her home in New Jersey. But it’s like I can’t escape from her.”

“Let me tell you about smudging,” I said. Originally a Native American technique, smudging helps you cleanse a person or space for protection. Here’s how smudging is a protection-technique. Negative energy sometimes gets on a person. Think of dog hair or cat hair. So you need to dispel this negative energy, and smudging does that.

Spiritual cleansing is a good way to protect yourself, just like washing your hands helps you stay healthy.

In smudging you use the sacred herb, sage. One process is to use a bundle of sage. You carefully light the end of the sage bundle, enough so that smoke rises from the end.

When you use sage it acts like a sponge that soaks up the negative energy of a place or a person (the person’s aura).

How Burning Sage Connects with the Four Elements

Use an abalone shell as a holder for the sage bundle or loose leaves. The shell stands for the Element Water in the smudging process. The sage itself represents the Element Earth.

As the sage burns, we honor the Element Fire. The smoke rising from the burning sage represents the Element Air.

How to Use Sage to Cleanse a Space or a Person

You will need:

The bundle method: Gather enough of the herb sage to make a good pile of it. Use some cotton string or any other natural fiber and gather the sage. Bind the herb strands together to make a sage bundle.

Other method. You could place a pile of sage leaves in a fireproof container.

Next bless and consecrate your sage by using blessed holy water and incense from your altar.

When you are ready, light the sacred sage bundle and waft the smoke arising from the sage around the area to be cleansed.

As you waft the sacred sage smoke around the area, chant or say an incantation of healing or clearing. Envision the sage smoke absorbing the negative energy of a space or a person’s aura.

Fan the smoke and envision the negative energy dissolving away as the smoke dissipates. Make sure to open any windows and fan the smoke out of the home or away from the person being cleansed, healed and protected.

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

P.S. To sign up for our E-Newsletter click here.

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

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

And

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

Protection – The Sacred Circle

June 20, 2015 / Moonwater / Leave a comment

Circle Setup Graphic

Moira started her ritual. On the astral plane, this was like lighting a torch. Some entities were attracted. Fortunately, Moira’s mentor taught her well; Moira made sure to correctly cast her Circle!

Among the reasons to cast a Circle, protection and raising energy are key.

Do you really need protection? Isn’t nature all sacred? The short answer is . . . yes.

However, there are entities in the natural world that get attracted to a cast Circle. In the vastness of the astral plane, by casting a Circle, you have lighted a bright torch. The torch attracts everything. Entities are curious, and they’re attracted to energy. It’s what they feed on. So, in a way, you’re ringing the dinner bell.

Casting a Circle and calling your quarters is how you defend your own energy and space. Casting a Circle creates a boundary that defends you from the little buggers on the astral plane.

When you call the quarters, you are summoning the elementals (a form of entity) that help you defend your Circle. They also donate power to your spiritual working.

Calling the quarters is part of building a fortress against unwanted entities that may try to interfere with you and the energy you are raising.

In essence, when you call the quarters, you are making a temple. A fortified and well-guarded temple.

Blessings,

Moonwater

P.S. Be sure to get your copy of the special e-report “5 Big Mistakes New Practitioners Make—and How to Empower Your Spells” when you sign up for my e-newsletter when you click here before June 24, 2015.

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

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

And

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