spirituality

Wicca on a Budget

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EmptyPockets

Wicca on a Budget

I didn’t know what to do. When I first started on the Wiccan path, I read some books and it appeared that I needed a bunch of tools—which I could not afford! What was I to do? Like many young people at that time, I didn’t have a lot of money.

Many books don’t tell you something important: You probably already have all the tools you need. You don’t need all the fancy trappings and trimmings to practice the Craft. Using something simple is just as effective as employing some store-bought, fancy item. Tools encrusted with gems and other trimmings don’t make for a better tool.

In fact, the most powerful tools are ones we make ourselves.

Why? As you make the tool, the tool absorbs your energy and so holds more power.

But do not fear if you’re not skilled with arts and crafts. You will do just fine with simple things you gather from within your home.

Which household items can you use for your tools of Wicca?

First, avoid items that are made of plastic.

Now, here’s a list of things you can use:

Altar: Any table will do.

Altar Cloth: A large square scarf (or even sarong) will work. Just remember that the altar cloth helps to keep wax from damaging the altar. So if you do not want wax on your cloth, find some other material.

Athame: You can use a butter knife. Generally an athame is a black-handled, double edged knife. But a butter knife will work just fine. An athame doesn’t need to be sharp. It cuts energy not material things.

Bell: Any bell will work. You can even use a utensil to strike a wine glass. The bell on a cat collar will also work.

Boline:  The traditional boline is a white handled knife often with a curved blade, but a steak knife will work well. This knife, unlike the athame, is used for cutting physical things like herbs. You’ll also use the boline to carve runes and names on candles.

Candles: Any kind of candles will do. Further, any inexpensive tea lights would work.

Cauldron: Any fireproof container will do. A pot works well.

Censer: A simple bowl of sand will work just fine.

Goblet or chalice: Any glass will do. A wine glass will work well. Originally, the traditional goblet was made out of wood.

Incense: You could use fresh herbs from your garden if you don’t have regular incense.

Offering Dishes: The bowls from your kitchen cabinet will work just fine.

Pentacle: A simple plate painted with a pentagram works. Pentacles were often made out of carved wax, which could thrown in a fire and melt into nothing. That’s one way that witches employed to stay hidden from the wrath of persecutors.

Salt: It’s nice to have sea salt, but the table salt will do.

Wand: A branch from a tree in your garden will work. Make sure it does not touch the ground as this would cause the loss of the power the tree gave it.

Water: You don’t need to have spring water. Tap water works fine.

As you can see, most if not all of the tools you need reside in your home already. If you can make your own tools, that’s even better. However, most of us are not metalsmiths, nor do we have a forge handy. That’s okay, since I shared handy substitute-items above.

Wicca can be done on a budget. All you need is your imagination.

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

 

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The Down and Dirty about Love Spells

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Roses

The Down and Dirty About Love Spells

I really like this guy. Can you do a love spell for me? Wiccans are faced with this question a lot.

Love spells can be quite sticky. There’s a right way and a wrong way to approach them.

The Wrong Way to Do a Love Spell

Janet really likes Mark. So she buys a book on love spells from the local book store. She finds one she likes and performs the spell that night on Mark.

The next day she sees Mark. There’s something different about him. Soon he asks Janet for a date. During the date Mark can’t keep his eyes off Janet.

In the next days, Mark can’t get enough of Janet. At first she quite enjoys the attention. He calls every night.

Then he follows her to the gym, grocery store, a movie theater. He shows up at her house unexpectedly, at all hours of the day and night.

Now, every time she sees Mark, Janet jumps, startled.

Janet wanted love; she now has fear.

Do you see what happened? Janet made her own stalker by casting a love spell upon him. Two terrible details arise when you impose a love spell on someone. First, it’s unethical to mess with someone’s free will. Second, one could create a pattern in which a stalker may become violent.

The Right Way to Cast a Love Spell

Ellen hasn’t been on a date in quite a while. At an evening class she attends each week, she likes three guys, but she’s not sure about them.

She wants to find the right fit and someone who truly loves her. So Ellen decides to do a love spell. Ellen first decides to make the love spell about herself—that is, she seeks to become more accepting of love. During her ritual, she writes down what she’d prefer to find in a mate. She asks the Gods to guide her and that special person to meet.

A few days later, a guy named Sam arrives at the evening class. Sam is meeting one of the other three guys who attend the evening class. Sam strikes up a conversation with Ellen. Some days later, Sam asks Ellen out on a date. They really hit it off.

Do you see the difference?

Janet did a love spell on Mark, and such an imposition should never be done.

On the other hand, Ellen did a love spell to make her more accepting of love and to be able to see the one she was looking for. She also asked the Gods to help guide both her and her right match to find each other.

That’s a big difference.

Love Spell

What you will need:

  • Pink candle
  • Rose Oil to dress the candle. (You can make Rose Oil by diluting rose essential oil into olive oil. Make sure it is the therapeutic grade essential oil.)
  • Candle holder for pink candle
  • Loadstone
  • Table for the altar
  • Candles and candleholders for the four directions in the colors that represent each (red for south, blue for west, green for north, yellow for east)
  • Red candle for the God and a green candle for the Goddess. (These candle colors are preferable but not mandatory. You may also use white candles, which represent all colors.)
  • Working candle to represent the element Fire
  • Cup or chalice
  • Athame
  • Pentagram
  • Sword. (If you don’t have one, use an athame to cast the circle.)
  • Incense
  • Censer
  • Dish of salt, preferably sea salt
  • Bowl of water
  • Bell or chime
  • Altar cloth to keep wax and the other things off the table
  • Wine or juice and some sort of cake
  • Lighter
  • Taper (Light the taper by using the working candle. Then use the taper to light the other candles.)

The Basic Circle Script

Note: This script is written for someone who is casting alone.

1) Knock three times on the altar. Ring the bell three times.

2) Use the lighter to ignite the working candle. Place the lighter down on the altar. (The other candles will be lit later when you use the taper.)

3) Light the charcoal (if you are using it) from the working candle. (The incense will placed on the charcoal later.)

4) Take your athame and place its tip into the flame of the working candle. Say:

I exorcise* you o creature of fire. And I consecrate and bless you in the names of the Goddess and the God that you are pure and clean.

(*Note: When we speak of exorcise here, we are purifying the item by driving out any negative energies.)

5) Trace a pentacle (a five-pointed star) in the air above the flame. Pick up the working candle and raise it up above you and imagine the Gods’ energy filling the candle’s flame. Place the candle back on the altar.

6) Take your athame and place its tip into the bowl of water. Say:

I exorcise you, o creature of water. And I consecrate and bless you in the names of the Goddess and the God that you are pure and clean.

7) Using the athame, trace a pentacle in the water. Pick up the bowl of water and raise it up above you and imagine your energy and the Gods’ energy filling the water. Place the bowl back on the altar.

8) Take your athame and place its tip into the salt. Say:

I exorcise you, o creature of salt. And I consecrate and bless you in the names of the Goddess and the God that you are pure and clean.

9) Using the athame, trace a pentacle in the salt. Pick up the bowl of salt and raise it up above you and imagine your energy and the Gods’ energy filling the salt. Place the salt bowl back on the altar.

10) Take your athame and place its tip into the incense. Say:

I exorcise you, o creature of Air. And I consecrate and bless you in the names of the Goddess and the God that you are pure and clean.

11) Using your athame, trace a pentacle in the air above the incense. Pick up the incense and raise it up above you and imagine your energy and the Gods’ energy filling the incense. Place the incense on the lit charcoal.

12) Take your athame and scoop up a blade of the salt. (Or you could your finger.) Place this pinch of salt into the water. Repeat this step two more times. Now, with the athame, mix the salt into the water and finish making consecrated water. With the athame, trace a pentagram over the bowl. Now, pick up the bowl of consecrated water and raise it up above you and imagine your energy and the Gods’ energy filling it.

13) Take the consecrated water (the salt and water mixture) and dip your fingers into it. Dab some of it on your inner wrists and forehead. Say:

I bless myself with Earth and Water.

14) Take the censer filled with the burning incense and wave the smoke over you. Say:

I bless myself with Air and Fire.

15) Take the consecrated water and use your fingers to asperge (sprinkle with consecrated water) the circle. Starting with north and moving clockwise, walk a complete circle around the perimeter, aspersing each corner as you go. When finished, place the bowl back on the altar.

16) Pick up the censer. Use your hand to wave the incense smoke around the circle. Starting with north and moving clockwise, walk a complete circle around the perimeter, waving the smoke as you go. Be careful not to burn yourself or anything else. When finished, place the censer back on the altar.

You have just cleansed the space and yourself. Now let’s continue by casting the circle.

17) Take the athame. Envision energy being channeled from you and coming out the tip of your athame [You point the athame outward, away from you as you create the circle.] Starting with north and moving clockwise, walk a complete circle around the perimeter. As you walk, say:

I conjure you, o circle of power, that you be a boundary between the seen mundane world and the spirit world, that you protect me and contain the magick that I shall raise within you! I consecrate and bless you in the names of the Goddess and the God. So mote it be!

18) Finish at the east quarter (direction).

Now it’s time to “call the quarters.” (This refers to the four directions.)

19) Pick up the athame and the taper from the altar. Light the taper from the working candle. Go and stand in the east corner of where your circle boundary is. Starting with the east candle, say:

I summon, stir, and call you up, o mighty ones of the East, element of Air. Come guard my circle and witness my rite.

20) Trace a pentacle in the air with your athame. Then light the quarter candle for east. Say:

Hail and welcome!

21) Move clockwise to the south candle. Say:

I summon, stir, and call you up, o mighty ones of the South, element of Fire. Come guard my circle and witness my rite.

22) Trace a pentacle in the air with your athame. Then light the quarter candle for south. Say:

Hail and welcome!

23) Move clockwise to the west candle. Say:

I summon, stir, and call you up, o mighty ones of the West, element of Water. Come guard my circle and witness my rite.

24) Trace a pentacle in the air with your athame. Then light the quarter candle for west. Say:

Hail and welcome!

25) Move clockwise to the north candle. Say:

I summon, stir, and call you up, o mighty ones of the North, element of Earth. Come guard my circle and witness my rite.

26) Trace a pentacle in the air with your athame. Then light the quarter candle for north. Say:

Hail and welcome!

27) Return to the altar. Using the taper, light the Goddess candle, saying:

Welcome, my Lady!

28) Using the taper, light the God candle, saying:

Welcome, my Lord!

You have now completed casting your circle.

 The Spell:

Take up the pink candle and sprinkle some of the blessed water on it and say:

You are cleansed by water and earth. 

Next wave the pink candle over the burning incense and say:

I charge and consecrate you by fire and air.

Do the same process with the rose oil and the lodestone.

Next, take your now cleansed and consecrated pink candle and carve your name on it with the word love.

Next dress the candle with the rose oil and say:

Little candle, I name you (your name) you now represent the love I attract to me.

Place the pink candle into the candle holder and place on the pentagram. Put the lodestone at the base of the candle.

Take the taper and light it from the working candle and light the pink candle saying:

I am love and love comes to me.

As the candle burns sit and concentrate on the candle flame, seeing love flowing in the form of light. When the candle has burned halfway down, take the candle and drop three drops of wax on the lodestone. Return the candle to its original place.

Continue to see the love radiating from the candle, and now also see the lodestone pulling love to you.

Watch the candle until it burns completely out. Carry the stone with you to help attract love to you.

Cakes and Wine Ceremony

After any ritual, it is important to replenish and ground your energy. Begin with wine or juice.

1) Take the cup from your altar and pour the wine or juice into it. Then take the athame and dip its tip into the wine or juice. Say:

As the athame is to the male, so the cup is to the female, and so joined bring union and harmony.

2) Pour some of your blessed wine or juice into the offering bowl or plate on your altar. Say:

To the Gods!

You can now partake of the beverage.

3) Take your athame and point it over the cake. Say:

Blessed be these cakes that they bestow health, peace, joy, strength, and that fulfillment of love that is perpetual happiness. 

4) Take one of the cakes (or just a piece) and place it in the offering bowl or plate. Say:

To the Gods!

You can now partake of the blessed cakes.

So, what do you do with the blessed offerings in the offering dishes? You certainly don’t just throw it into the garbage! They are gifts to the Gods. Take them outside to your garden where you can leave it on the ground to help nourish the Earth.

If you do not have a garden at your home, you can take the offerings out into the woods and leave them there. Some Wiccans who live in the city set the blessed offering out on their porch for local animals to partake. Be sure to only leave biodegradable food. Avoid wrappers or containers that will not decompose.

Closing Circle

It is very important to dismiss the energies you have called for your circle. Be sure to take down the magick temple (the circle) you erected. And certainly, dismiss the quarters!

To close your circle:

1) Take your athame and hold it up and stand facing the east. Say:

Hail mighty ones of the East, the element of Air. I thank you for guarding my circle and witnessing my rite. May you depart to your fair and lovely realms. I bid you hail and farewell. 

2) Trace a pentacle in the air with your athame.

3) Continuing, moving in a clockwise circle, stand facing the south. Say:

Hail mighty ones of the South, the element of Fire. I thank you for guarding my circle and witnessing my rite. May you depart to your fair and lovely realms. I bid you hail and farewell!

4) Trace a pentacle in the air with your athame.

5) Moving clockwise around the circle, stand facing west. Say:

Hail mighty ones of the West, the element of Water. I thank you for guarding my circle and witnessing my rite. May you depart to your fair and lovely realms. I bid you hail and farewell!

6) Trace a pentacle in the air with your athame.

7) Moving clockwise around the circle, stand facing north. Say:

Hail mighty ones of the North, the element of Earth. I thank you for guarding my circle and witnessing my rite. May you depart to your fair and lovely realms. I bid you hail and farewell!

8) Trace a pentacle in the air with your athame.

9) Return again to face east. While walking the boundary of the circle, say:

Fire seal the circle round,
Let it fade beneath the ground,
Let all things be as they once were before.
The circle is now no more,
Merry meet, merry part,
And merry meet again!
So mote it be!

In the post, I have shared with you the wrong way and the right way for doing a love spell. Take care in how you go about doing a love spell.

A proper love spell will build you up and attract the right match for you.

[If you’re interested in prosperity spells and other spells, please see my book The Hidden Children of the Goddess and Beyond the Law of Attraction to Real Magic: How You Can Remove Blocks to Prosperity, Happiness and Inner Peace.]

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

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Keep The Connection

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PinecrestTrail

Keep The Connection

My muscles ache and I’m wobbly on my feet. My Dad and I walk on a wooded trail in Pinecrest, California. My only thought is: Can I make it to the car?

On the drive back to our campsite, I think, I really need to go hiking more often. My muscles are just not in the condition I’d like them to be in.

Without enough hiking I lose valuable muscle mass and tone. And, without enough vigorous exercise, I’ll lose bone mass or even get a “flabby” heart, a cause of other health problems.

How does this connect with Wicca? We see something similar: without enough practice, you can lose your competency in the Wiccan path. Just as muscles become weaker due to lack of use, so does your proficiency in Wicca.

Out of practice in Wicca, your spells will not be as effective. They can even go bad because you’re failing to channel your energy to your desired goal. Such errors can cause undesired effects.

Fail to practice your faith and you may separate from nature which Wiccans hold so sacred. If you don’t pay attention to the cycles of nature (the cycles of life and the seasons), you may lose compassion for others who are going through personal cycles of growth and sometimes personal pain. Human beings live in a cycle of puberty, aging and other personal challenges.

Separating from nature, you may even lose compassion for yourself.

On the other hand, you can be diligent in your practice. You can exercise your Wiccan muscle just as you would support your body through physical exercise.

When your “Wiccan muscles” are in tune, you’ll take good care of yourself and stay aware of the Three Times Law.

Be good to your spirit like you’re good to your body through exercise.

Keep a diligent practice. Then you can avoid many situations of unintentionally hurting someone else. Through diligent practice, you are stronger and calmer. You have more patience.

So let’s flex all of our muscles to be both spiritually and physically healthy.

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

 

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How You Can Let Go of Fearing Death

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How You Can Let Go of Fearing Death

Do you fear death? Do you wonder what lies on the other side?

Several years ago, in the hospital, I was at death’s door. I had Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP). ITP is a bleeding disorder which can cause a person to bleed out simply by bumping into furniture. I could hemorrhage in my brain at any time and die instantly. When my dentist saw bruising inside my mouth, he told me to immediately go to the Emergency Room.

ITP creates the death’s door situation by having the immune system destroying platelets, which are necessary for normal blood clotting. The first night I stayed at the hospital the next morning I had bruises all down my body from lying on the bed. I had to remain sitting even while I slept. Because my brain could have hemorrhaged and killed me, I got to know death’s call intimately. Death was there everyday, sitting by my side waiting with me.

I had to accept that death could take me at anytime.

At first I was afraid. But then I realized that death is just a transition, not an ending.

Death is a transition to the Summerlands, a wonderful place of comfort and peace. Your family and friends who went before are there. Who could fear that?

When I first heard of the Summerlands, a complete knowing came to me. And, I also realized that that this place of comfort and peace is where we came from. So you don’t need to fear returning to where you came from. When we die, we go home.

And, once you return home, you can choose to be born again. Wiccans know this as reincarnation.

So as you connect with the idea and reality of the Summerlands, you can let go of fears about dying. Death is simply a transition to a place of rest, loved ones and renewal to prepare you for the next life, if you so choose.

Understanding that now, I do not fear death.

 

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

 

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Magickal Alphabets – Theban

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Magickal Alphabets – The Theban Alphabet

 

Imagine writing down your spells so a casual observer would not be able to decipher your notes. Nowadays, someone could look up the characters, but they’d have to put some effort into it. The unusual writing form I’m talking about is the Theban Alphabet. Several years ago, when I was in college, I found the Theban Alphabet referenced in a book.

I loved the beauty of script lines. To learn this beautiful alphabet, I started writing my college lecture notes in Theban.

Where did the magickal Theban Alphabet come from? In the medieval period, magick workers wanted to disguise their notes. A number of forms of magickal writings were developed, including Theban. Then and now, alchemical and other occult traditions use Theban.

Several magick workers use Theban to keep their secrets. Only those who were initiated or taught this script could pry the magickal secrets from the pages of the writer.

Today, the Theban Alphabet is still used in paganism and especially in witchcraft.

The letters in English and their equivalent Theban representatives are in the below image:

ThebanChart

So how might you use Theban Alphabet? Consider using the script for writing in your Book of Shadows (BOS). Gerald B. Gardner wrote much of his magickal texts in Theban.

You can use Theban for talismans, carving on candles and much of the magickal work that you do.

Got a Magickal name? Use Theban to write it out. Make a personal sigil by using the Theban letters. Check out my Sigils post to know more about making Sigils.

I must say, writing in Theban can be fun.

In any case, you may want to write in some special script to elevate how you write as part of your magickal workings.

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

 

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Poll for A Possible New Product

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LawOfAttrMagick

The Hidden Children of the Goddess Book

The Hidden Children of the Goddess Book

 

 

 

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

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The Importance of Ritual Bathing

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Candle

Candle

 

The Importance of Ritual Bathing

Imagine you could enhance your magick working with a simple process. How? Your ritual bath. It’s important because it puts you into the right frame of mind before you perform ritual. Secondly, you physically clean your body of the dirt and grime of the day. Finally, ritual bathing cleanses you of the psychic garbage that clings to you.

You can choose any soap (a required part) that you prefer. Wiccans appreciate handmade soaps, especially if they already contain the herbs or essences one already uses in magick work.

How do I make my bathing a ritual bath (or shower)?

Bless and consecrate your soap and shampoo. Set these aside for use only during your ritual baths.

How to make a sachet with cleansing herbs for a bath:

Use a stocking or cotton cloth, and place inside selected cleansing herbs. The total amount of all herbs will be one tablespoon.

If you use a cotton cloth, gather the corners and tie them with a string. Make sure the sachet is closed and secure. This keeps the herbs from clogging your drain.

Place your sachet in the bath water then sprinkle in some sea salt and let steep for 5 or so minutes. Then enjoy.

 

Making a cleansing shower tincture:

If you will be showering, place your sachet in a large container of hot water to steep. Sprinkle sea salt and dissolve it into the mixture (the tincture). When the water cools to a comfortable temperature, then take into your shower and wash with soap, envisioning all the psychic garbage leaving you.

 

Then pour the contents of the tincture over your head and rub it in. In this way, the contents help you complete your cleansing. The residue flows away, down the drain.

 

Add a blessing

I also add a blessing at the end of my ritual bath. I’ve added some modifications to a popular blessing.

 

Wiccan Blessing

Starting at your forehead say as you touch you third eye say:

I bless myself by the Goddess,

(Touch your right breast)

By the air that is her sweet breath,

(Touch your left shoulder . . . [you are actually forming a pentagram with these movements].)

By the earth, that is her fertile body,

(Touch your right shoulder.)

By the waters that is her life giving womb,

(Touch your left breast.)

By the fire that is her bright spirit,

(Touch your third eye.)

May I be blessed, so mote it be.

Upon completing  your ritual bathing, you’re now ready to enter circle to honor the Gods respectfully. Not only will the Gods be happy but your fellow practitioners will be grateful, too. (Trust me.)

Are there particular rituals you like to do prior to entering circle? Let me know in the comments section below.

 

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

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Why Do Bad Things Happen?

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Asthma

Asthma

I can’t breathe. I’m in the Emergency Room area, waiting. But they’re not taking me in. They’re leaving me in the waiting room.

That’s how I felt a few days ago. It was my second time in the hospital in 24 hours. There’s no other word for it: suffering. I felt a big weight on my chest, preventing me from taking in an adequate breath.

In my suffering, some thoughts rose up. Why are the Gods letting this happen to me? Haven’t I been serving Their plan well enough?

Can you relate to this? Perhaps, you’re suffering now. Or you’ve suffered in the recent past. It’s hard to reconcile a vision of the Gods’ love for us with the suffering we endure.

There’s a secret that I want to share with you. The Gods do love us. And in this divine love they know that we’ve signed up for a life in which we grow. The tough truth is: suffering is part of our path of learning and becoming who we truly are.

Suffering forms us and sculpts us through the experiences we go through, both good and bad.

You may say: “I didn’t ask for this.

You’re right.

But you do want something—the freedom to become what you can become. We incarnate in bodies that can manifest, at times, as fragile. Difficult times will happen. How we participate in life (including suffering) shapes us.

For example, I don’t want to experience pain related to clinical depression, but that’s something I deal with. This process gives me a whole different viewpoint.

In recent days, I’m dealing with a whole new, terrible burden: extreme asthma. When I can’t breathe, I feel like I’m dying. That gives me a different perspective.

I’ll tell one gift that comes with both clinical depression and extreme asthma: compassion. I feel great compassion for people who have these burdens–and other people who have heavy burdens.

As Wiccans, we do have an advantage when dealing with suffering. Our faith can sustain us. We can know that the Gods are present to support us as we travel our path, especially when we’re suffering.

Call upon the Gods. Do ritual. Feel your divine connection.

The Gods are rooting for you. They are here to help guide you through these events. They support you in your times of need. They celebrate in your times of triumph.

Just remember the Gods are here for you and are always by your side. Even when you don’t see it.

They are our cheerleaders and our coaches in life. They teach by example and with love.

Now I ask you: What have you learned through times of suffering? How can you call upon the Gods for Their divine support? (Please share in the comments section.)

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

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Why Do Wiccans Do Ritual?

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Doing Ritual

This is our 100th post!

I just wanted to thank all my readers in over 112 countries, new and established. Thank you for all your support. Now for our featured post:

Why Do Wiccans Do Ritual?

It was a tough time. Bills were closing in on me. I felt desperate. I reached for something that is constant: The presence of the Gods and Goddesses. How to feel Their presence? – do a ritual.

Further, Wiccans do rituals to attune themselves to the cycles of the earth.

We do ritual to change ourselves for the better. We even change how we perceive ourselves and in so doing change the world around us.

Because of all of the above, ritual is a powerful tool.

We use some rituals to acknowledge the different stages of life, and in this way change ourselves forever. Stages include: reaching puberty, hand-fasting (Wiccan Marriage) and even for reaching elder status.

Ritual can help us create a true understanding of ourselves. We take a first step to a new reality for us. We get a new perception that assists us to make different decisions which can completely change our lives.

Above, I talked about the tough time with bills closing in. That was 2012. I needed to change my reality. So I did a ritual. In preparation for that ritual, I used another tool–meditation.

The meditation (which can be a ritual in and of itself) led me to the answer of doing a particular ritual.

Enduring financial troubles, I needed more income. I had tried the quick fix spells for more money. Those spells backfired. So if these spells were not working, what would?

I needed to do some inner change. So I did a ritual in which I asked to become stronger, to be able to create my own abundance in life. This is what I needed. Not another spell to just dump money in my lap. But to be able to be my own catalyst in my own life. This was inner work; this was changing me – not just temporarily altering an external situation.

A short time after completing my ritual, I had a vision from the Gods: I was write my first book The Hidden Children of the Goddess.

By doing the ritual, I was the catalyst in my own life. I had never written an article. But I had received a vision from the Gods, so I began to write. Because I have dyslexia, I engaged a team of editors. While writing the book, I started writing this blog which now has viewers in over 112 countries.

By meditating, then doing a ritual and then receiving a vision from the Gods, I was on a new path as a writer. In becoming a writer, I then became a workshop leader.

So I am living proof that doing a ritual can change your life. And it can start a positive cascade effect until you uplift those around you. And some of us go further so that a ritual is the start of our changing the world.

So now it’s your turn. Change your world! Make new possibilities bloom in your life and in the lives of others. Listen to your heart. What would you like a ritual to do for you? Look at resources like my book The Hidden Children of the Goddess for rituals and meditations you can do.

Remember the Gods are always with you. Do a ritual and feel Their support.

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw


Moonwater SilverClaw Logo

Online Wiccan and Pagan Schools – Are They Right for You?

/ Moonwater / 2 Comments
Online Learning

Online Learning

 

Would you benefit from studying with an online Wicca or Pagan school? To explore this topic, I interviewed Heather Greene, Luna Marr, and Aline O’Brien.

(Some responses may have been edited for length.)

Let’s start.

* When should someone consider going to an online school?

Luna: When it’s necessary. Some students work out very well with books and doing their own research, but there are others . . . who feel they need to hide their beliefs and study in secret, or just live in areas where a one-on-one pagan education isn’t available. Not all online educations are equal. . . . Some online schools just charge you money, hand you a bunch of information with little to no guidance. And others give you a mentor experience [in] your own home via the Internet.

Aline O’Brien: In the case of Cherry Hill Seminary (CHS), because there is no other school offering full training parallel with what is taught at mainstream seminaries. I strongly feel that Pagans should collaborate on the creation of our own culture. That means not attending liberal Protestant seminaries because you think they’re the only game in town when it comes to seminary-type training (chaplaincy, pastoral counseling, interfaith, history, etc.)

Heather: Online schools can help people who, for one reason or another, don’t have the ability to physically attend classes. In addition schools like Cherry Hill Seminary offer access to subjects and teachers that might not be available locally.

Moonwater: I agree. Online education may be necessary for someone who does not have a local pagan community for support.

* Would you use an online choice for your primary way of learning Wicca verses face-to-face learning?

Aline: Not necessarily. It really depends a lot on what’s available in a particular individual’s area. 

Heather: I would not choose distance learning as my primary way of learning any subject unless no other option was available. And there are situations where that is the case. I do prefer the immediacy of presence and the concentrated, shared energy of the “classroom” experience. This cannot be replicated online. However I also believe that there are educational opportunities in all forms of learning processes. Distance learning gives us access to teachers and professional who might otherwise not be available to us at any point in our lives. I see that alone as an invaluable resource.

Luna: I wouldn’t say that I would choose it over face-to-face learning, simply that it’s an alternative and another valuable option. . . . In my school Pagans Learning Online we believe that an online education should mimic the face-to-face experience as closely as possible, through technology such as Skype, Google, and the ability to upload voice, video, and written materials. We are able to replicate the face-to-face experience fairly well. Is it the same as having that mentor there who can give you a hug when you’re down? Absolutely not. However, an online education can still offer the same benefits.

Moonwater: I prefer the face-to-face approach when possible. This way you can experience how your student moves and uses energy. However, it’s important to me that students have access to information. That’s the reason that I write this blog (with the help of my editors) and I wrote my book The Hidden Children of the Goddess.

* Are online schools helpful or harmful to our community?

Luna: This question is like a double edged sword. I want to say that online schools can be incredibly helpful to the Pagan and Wiccan community . . .  . [But] some schools offer a lot of false certifications and dangerous ideas that if a person was so willing they could take advantage of. I even heard of one online school that tells you that you’re not allowed to worship the Gods and Goddesses unless you are a Level 1 priestess and [have] passed their tests. A student looking into an online school needs to know when something just doesn’t sound right or seem right. They need to do their research. . . . Healing of the aura and the chakras is something that should be left up to trained professionals. . . . For people who are forced to practice in the shadows, having the opportunity to practice online is something that [can] change who they are in a positive way. Online schools have the ability to help guide and grow future leaders of the Pagan and Wiccan community so that the next batch of people who look for a place to learn may not have the same struggles.

Aline: Some are helpful, others not so much; depends upon the school. I can say, however, that Pagans attend CHS for two primary reasons: one is for personal enrichment and the other to better serve their own communities. They don’t come so they can get a degree and get a job by being hired by some Pagan ‘church.’ They don’t come so they can get a raise at their current job. In the bigger picture, some seek chaplaincy degrees because in the mainstream world having one is required in order for one to do that work (the military being the most stringent in terms of chaplaincy requirements).

Heather: Just like anything, distance learning can be both helpful and harmful. It is helpful for the reasons specified above. Distance learning can offer people an opportunity to attend classes that they might not be able to otherwise. At the same time, distance learning is not yet accredited in the same way as conventional institutions. Assessing a school’s credibility and legitimacy is left to student and [it’s] often very difficult. The digital world has created a universe in which legitimacy is easier to falsify. Students must be very cautious.

* Online schools are on the rise, so how can you tell if one is right for your student?

Luna: It’s about doing the research, knowing yourself and your own personal learning style, and using your common sense. . . . Paganism and Wicca are terms for thousands of proud and dedicated religious pathways and traditions, rooted 60,000 years in the past. That isn’t easy stuff to learn over night. I think that as a society we get far too wrapped up in the “I want it now” of things and we overlook the hard work and dedication it takes to do something right. So before you jump into the first online school of Paganism that you see, do some research and ask some questions and remember that if it doesn’t look right or sound right then keep looking.

Heather: It is important to research the institution, teachers and the administrative staff; to examine the promises made and the cost; to talk to former students and to ask as many questions as possible.

Aline: I would say in the same way one would explore schools for any other kind of learning–read everything possible, ask others who attended that school, etc. I’m not sure I quite ‘get’ telling what’s right for one’s student. To me, the student her/himself would be the person making such decisions. S/he could seek advice and recommendations from a teacher. Alternatively, a particular teacher may wish to direct a particular student to a specific online educational resource/school for, say, a course on ministering to the dying.

* When should you not consider a school as a supplement for your student?

Heather: If local resources and lifestyle permit, it is good to consider the local options first. I would also steer a student away from a school that does not “check out” as legitimate.

Aline: Again, I can’t really speak knowledgeably to this because my experience is with a graduate school. It’s not about learning Wicca per se.

Luna: The only answer I would have for this is when the reason for seeking out the education isn’t pure of intent. . . . However if what you’re looking for is a chance to grow both as a person and in your magical abilities and you embrace the dedication it takes, then online schools are a great choice. I have seen many students whose self-esteem has bloomed. [And, one’s] inner light and love of yourself and those around you [become] powerful tools to change the world.

Since, Luna and Aline are active with online schools, I asked this question:

What can web schools like yours offer students with mentors?

Luna: I suggest a student stay with their mentor . . . unless they aren’t getting a full education from their mentor. I have had very good mentors. My first mentor was a Wiccan High Priestess. I myself have chosen the path of druidry, but it was very nice and refreshing to be able to learn so much about the Wiccan beliefs and practices. [I enjoyed] spending time with someone who knew what I was going through at a young age and was able to help guide me. It was a valuable experience. However, she was only able to offer me part of the picture that I was looking for. She could only teach me about Wicca. Because of this, I found myself studying books for years, doing research and seeking out others who had other beliefs.

Aline: The online school with which I’m affiliated, Cherry Hill Seminary (www.cherryhillseminary.org), provides primarily graduate-level education. We offer two masters’ degrees–M.A. in Pagan Studies and M.Div. So CHS is different from other online Pagan schools in that our students are already whatever kind of educated Pagan they are. In other words, mentors aren’t in the picture. Those who are seeking degrees, which is not all of our students, must attend two live, in-person multi-day retreats during the course of their studies. (http://www.cherryhillseminary.org/) CHS has a Dean of Students, who is not exactly a mentor but does help students determine their personal course of study. I think (not entirely sure) students have faculty advisors when they choose a degree path. (There’s tons of detailed info on this topic in CHS’ Catalogue.)

Some Pagans view Online Wiccan education as a controversial topic. The views expressed above belong to those who expressed them.

I, Moonwater, prefer the one-to-one mentor/student process (and that is my training). However, it strikes me that it is helpful to carefully study material if a local Pagan community is not available.

As with other important decisions, devote great care to your educational path.

Biographies of Our Interviewees

Luna Marr, has been studying paganism both independently and with various mentors for the last 21 years. She is very proactive in her local pagan community, serving as both clergy and secretary in her local pagan church. She says, “I have always believed that paganism deserves the same respect as other religions, but with that respect comes responsibilities to be knowledgeable in your beliefs and in the history of your beliefs. I feel that with the growing interest in paganism there need to be more hands-on ways for people to learn and grow without the pressure of being forced down one pathway or another.” Email: Luna@paganslearningonline.org  Her online school is Pagans Learning On Line.

Aline O’Brien, known among her co-religionists as M. Macha NightMare, is an internationally published author, ritualist and all-round Pagan webweaver. A member of the American Academy of Religion, the Marin Interfaith Council, the Nature Religion Scholars Network, the Covenant of the Goddess (CoG), and the Advisory Council of the Sacred Dying Foundation, Macha speaks informatively about Paganism to news media and academic researchers, presents at colleges, universities and seminaries, and teaches on the broomstick circuit. She has taught at Starr King School for the Ministry and since 2000 has served in various capacities at Cherry Hill Seminary, the first and only seminary serving the Neopagan community.  Blogs:  Broomstick Chronicles, Witch at Large , Wild Garden: Pagans in the Growing Interfaith Landscape at Patheos.

Heather Greene, is a freelance writer living in the South. She has a master’s degree in Film with a background in commercial media and technology. She is currently serving as National Public Information Officer for Covenant of the Goddess. From 2010-2012, she served as Public Information Officer for Dogwood Local Council. Additionally, she collaborates with Lady Liberty League on a variety of cases and is a regular contributor to Circle Magazine. Heather has been practicing Wicca and Witchcraft for almost twenty years in both solitary and group settings. Personal Blog  Google +  Twitter  Pinterest  – See more at: http://wildhunt.org/about/heather-greene#sthash.mwzYAeWA.dpuf

Heather Greene

Freelance Writer

Staff Writer, The Wild Hunt
Staff Writer, Circle Magazine
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