“No, I don’t think I’m strong enough to move on from this hell I’m in,” my friend, Amy, said.
“If you realize that Goddess loves you, and you do the things so you can feel Her support—you can do the hard things in life,” I replied.
Here I’ll share three points.
You are not alone.
The God and Goddess are always with you. You can call on Them to help you through the tough times in your life.
“Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever toward it; let naught stop you or turn you aside.” – Doreen Valiente, speaking in the voice of the Goddess – in The Charge of the Goddess
Sometimes, it feels like everything in the world is trying to stop you from your desired goal. At those moments, look beyond the mundane world. Call on the Gods for Their support. Ask the Goddess, in Her nurturing aspect, to help you and guide you on your path.
Goddess is the Loving Form of Deity.
“Nor do I demand sacrifice, for behold I am the Mother of All Living, and my love is poured out upon the earth.” – Doreen Valiente, speaking in the voice of the Goddess – in The Charge of the Goddess
The Goddess has explained that she doesn’t demand that you sacrifice your desires or dreams for Her. She wants you to be happy. The Gods don’t want us to suffer.
Sometimes, we get the answer of Light, having gone through a time of darkness.
“The dark and the light in succession,
The opposites each unto each,
Shown forth as a God and a Goddess,
Of this did our ancestors teach.” – Doreen Valiente – in The Witches Creed
If we don’t have the hard times or dark times in our lives, we can’t fully appreciate the light parts. In one discussion, one of my friends emphasized that an important part of happiness can be feeling relief after a dark time.
When we see the good times stand out from the dark, we truly appreciate the good times when they arrive.
The dark times can be a powerful form of teacher. Dark times teach us certain lessons we need to learn. When the Light finally arrives, the Light illuminates our progress through those lessons.
We need both times of Light and dark to grow into our full potential and full destiny.
“Why is it getting worse?” my friend, Stephanie, said.
“I know there’s a lot happening. Anything in particular?” I replied.
“More violence in this country!” Stephanie said. And, this began a significant conversation.
What if Goddess Serves as Your Source of Certainty?
Is it possible to be certain of anything, anymore? Some people complain, “Unbelievable. I could not even imagine that people in leadership positions would be so … disgusting.”
I’ve learned that there is value in seeing ourselves as “spiritual beings having a human experience.”
As many of you know, I believe in the Summerlands, a place of love and peace in between the times we incarnate. We return and incarnate into a new body, and the lessons begin. We use our bodies as a user-interface for our spiritual being to learn lessons on this physical plane.
I realize that it can be tough to see this spiritual level when we’re in the midst of suffering and confusion. It’s as if we’re wearing “human-tinted glasses.” I suggest that we pause and consider looking at our lives from Goddess’s perspective. Goddess knows.
A Source of Comfort
Sometimes, I return to The Charge of the Goddess for inspiration and comfort.
“Let my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth, 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.” – Doreen Valiente (speaking in the voice of the Goddess—from The Charge of the Goddess)
A couple of meanings rise up for me with the above quote.
Notice the phrase “all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals,” and see that the Goddess gives us the answer. We can derive comfort in honoring Her with our compassion, reverence, humility and more. Acts of kindness and beauty honor the Goddess and make us feel good.
A Prayer
Dear Goddess Release me from my stale, limited beliefs And give me compassion and mirth in heaps. Acts of love and Acts of pleasure. I honor You in this way forever.
May the ideas expressed here comfort you and invite you to listen to your heart. May compassion for others flourish in your heart.
“My whole household is down with the flu. Except me. Well, I’m starting to cough. I don’t how much longer I can take the pressure,” she said.
Saying “Don’t worry” won’t do Zoe any good at this moment.
When’s the last time you have been seriously worried? Is it happening now?
I’ve noticed that worry gets more intense about things we really cannot control.
What can you do?
We, Wiccans, have an advantage: We can do an empowering ritual.
The “Let Go” Meditation/Ritual
What you will need:
One white candle
Banishing oil or extra virgin olive oil
Banishing incense or your favorite scent
Ritual tools
Cakes and wine
This is a truly simple candle ritual you can do to get some relief from worry.
Cast circle in the usual manner.
Consecrate and charge your candle with your holy water and your incense. Dress your candle with your oil.
Start belly-breathing (taking big breaths in and out—slowly) and light the candle.
Envision all your worry and fretting going into the candle’s flame. That is, envision all your worry as a black smoke flowing out of your mouth with each breath out. The flame draws all the black smoke.
Say: In this moment,
I let go. Goddess take this from me.
God strengthen me.
So mote it be.
Continue your meditation on the candle, breathing out all your worries as the black smoke.
When you’re done, thank the God and Goddess for Their support. Let the rest of the candle burn out.
“Moonwater was telling me about her weight loss program, and it sounded like something I could do that didn’t cost me more than the normal groceries I buy, anyway. I started with an egg omelet in the morning with mushrooms and spinach. … In two weeks, I lost 7 lbs. I had a couple of days of eating what I wanted but not overeating. Then right back to Goddess Style. I feel great and eat what the Goddess gives us.” – Denise Kopplinger
As a Wiccan I found this an inspiring read. Written in a way that makes it accessible to everyone irrespective of their current knowledge. – Shona Cathro
I don’t generally write reviews on books I’ve read…but this time i feel lead to. This book spoke volumes to me, as if the author knew exactly where I’m coming from and what I’m struggling with. It’s not often a book can make me cry, but this one did by making me see the many blocks I’ve put up in my life. I knew they were there, but I’ve gotten skilled at pretending they’re not. Thank you for helping me see I’m not some freak because of circumstances throughout my life that have caused the blocks, and that i need to stop hiding from or burying them and face them one step at a time. – Crystal Sparks
This book is a must have for all of those starting out on the spiritual path of Wicca and for all of those who are just looking for some light and love in their life. MoonWater SilverClaw uses her knowledge of Wicca and her personal experiences to not only teach the Law of Attraction in a clear manner but to help you use the Law of Attraction to better your life.
Through simple guided meditations and tips on living a happy healthy life this book takes you on a journey that will teach you how to love yourself, better your self image, and rid yourself of the negative energies that prevent you from reaching your goals.
This book covers many wonderful topics that will teach you basic magical practices as well as the theory and idea of “like attracts like” From setting up an alter to casting a circle and how to perform and find the magick that you are seeing in your life this book has so much to offer.
MoonWater SilverClaw is truly an inspirational writer for a newer generation of Wiccans and those seeking to use the natural energies of the earth to make changes in their life. Her writing style speaks from the heart because she has been where the reader is, she has used these techniques and steps to better her own life and now she is helping the reader use the Law of Attraction to better theirs – Amazon Customer
This is an absolute gem for the witch with issues. Rituals for things like self-esteem are something i have never seen before. Moonwater’s writing is engrossing and draws the reader in. I am a witch with PTSD M.S. and other issues and this book made me feel hopeful and capable. – t’air
Ms. SilverClaw has written a book that is really great for the beginner wanting to learn about Wiccan or wants to start practicing the art of Wicca. I found this book wonderful, easy to read, and extremely helpful and informative. It covers everything from what Wicca is, the history of Wicca and how Wicca became misassociated with evil, along with how Wicca can help/save people’s lives. Ms. SilverClaw also discusses practicing Wicca either in a Coven or Solo, and all the things you need in order to have in order to perform your ceremony, and she explains what each item means. She explains how to create spells and gives examples to use, and explains the pitfalls of creating certain types of spells. Ms. SilverClaw has truly created a book that is a cast all net the seems to cover everything that I needed to know to begin practicing Wicca. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is searching for their first book on the topic and wants to start practicing the art of Wicca or is just curious about the topic. This is truly a Must Have book. – Tamra L. Shipman
“What do you want to learn?”
“Compassion.”
“Okay. I can help you with that, the next time …”
My question for you is: Does the idea of reincarnation connect with your heart on some level?
We all start in the spirit world as spiritual beings. Before we come down to incarnate into a new body, we talk with our spirit guides and other beings. We decide what lessons we want/need to learn. We map them out and place lessons into our upcoming incarnation. Our obstacles have a gift for us.
Working Together with Other Souls
We also work together with other souls to help them learn and grow. We agree before we incarnate who our parents and friends are. Let’s say you want to learn compassion. You and another spirit talk and agree that this spirit will help you learn. In your life, you marry this person (spirit), and your spouse creates opportunities for you to learn that lesson. Some can be intense. What if you have a spouse with clinical depression or an addiction to oxycodone? This is an opportunity to learn compassion and forgiveness for your spouse.
What is a Soul Group?
We are grouped with souls that vibrate at the same level as we do (our Soul Group).
One of the great reasons we want to incarnate on the physical plane is to learn lessons and to meet and be influenced by higher vibrating souls. In this way, we hope to raise our own vibrational levels.
A number of authors suggest that reincarnating is the opportunity for us to raise the frequency of our vibrational level. It’s suggested that at higher levels of vibration we can better connect to deeper levels of the truth. We can then move on to higher realms in the spirit world.
Ideas about the importance of reincarnation arise in Wicca, Buddhism, Hinduism and more.
A view of reincarnation can even bring us comfort. When we hear of children dying, we can hold the view that they will have another opportunity in a future incarnation.
Death is the graduation of the soul to a new life.
May your understanding of reincarnation comfort you.
As a Wiccan I found this an inspiring read. Written in a way that makes it accessible to everyone irrespective of their current knowledge. – Shona Cathro
I don’t generally write reviews on books I’ve read…but this time i feel lead to. This book spoke volumes to me, as if the author knew exactly where I’m coming from and what I’m struggling with. It’s not often a book can make me cry, but this one did by making me see the many blocks I’ve put up in my life. I knew they were there, but I’ve gotten skilled at pretending they’re not. Thank you for helping me see I’m not some freak because of circumstances throughout my life that have caused the blocks, and that i need to stop hiding from or burying them and face them one step at a time. – Crystal Sparks
This book is a must have for all of those starting out on the spiritual path of Wicca and for all of those who are just looking for some light and love in their life. MoonWater SilverClaw uses her knowledge of Wicca and her personal experiences to not only teach the Law of Attraction in a clear manner but to help you use the Law of Attraction to better your life.
Through simple guided meditations and tips on living a happy healthy life this book takes you on a journey that will teach you how to love yourself, better your self image, and rid yourself of the negative energies that prevent you from reaching your goals.
This book covers many wonderful topics that will teach you basic magical practices as well as the theory and idea of “like attracts like” From setting up an alter to casting a circle and how to perform and find the magick that you are seeing in your life this book has so much to offer.
MoonWater SilverClaw is truly an inspirational writer for a newer generation of Wiccans and those seeking to use the natural energies of the earth to make changes in their life. Her writing style speaks from the heart because she has been where the reader is, she has used these techniques and steps to better her own life and now she is helping the reader use the Law of Attraction to better theirs – Amazon Customer
This is an absolute gem for the witch with issues. Rituals for things like self-esteem are something i have never seen before. Moonwater’s writing is engrossing and draws the reader in. I am a witch with PTSD M.S. and other issues and this book made me feel hopeful and capable. – t’air
Ms. SilverClaw has written a book that is really great for the beginner wanting to learn about Wiccan or wants to start practicing the art of Wicca. I found this book wonderful, easy to read, and extremely helpful and informative. It covers everything from what Wicca is, the history of Wicca and how Wicca became misassociated with evil, along with how Wicca can help/save people’s lives. Ms. SilverClaw also discusses practicing Wicca either in a Coven or Solo, and all the things you need in order to have in order to perform your ceremony, and she explains what each item means. She explains how to create spells and gives examples to use, and explains the pitfalls of creating certain types of spells. Ms. SilverClaw has truly created a book that is a cast all net the seems to cover everything that I needed to know to begin practicing Wicca. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is searching for their first book on the topic and wants to start practicing the art of Wicca or is just curious about the topic. This is truly a Must Have book. – Tamra L. Shipman
Mark held the gargoyle and said, “This is so cool. I really inherited something good.”
If only that were true.
Mark noticed that he was hit with a number occurrences that people often call bad luck. Things like: the alarm clock fails which makes one late for work. Appliances malfunction. You name it.
Mark paused and reflected: The previous owner of the statue had a streak of bad luck—job loss, divorce and then death!
Mark placed an amethyst crystal inside the statue. You see, amethyst turns all negative energy into white light. Problem solved, right?
Three days later, Mark checked on the crystal, which had turned completely black. Next step, he packed the statue with blessed salt. But things still kept going wrong in his life.
What to do? Mark took the cursed statue to a bridge over a body of salt water and tossed it in. Why? Using both salt (in the water) and earth (the floor of the bay), Mark had found a way to protect himself and other people from the cursed statue’s influence.
Negative or pesky entities have many forms.
I’ll now share four methods for dealing with negative entities/energies.
Strike an Iron Bell (or other iron object)
Some Wiccans find it helpful to strike an iron bell as a self-defense method when dealing with unruly Fey individuals.
(A number of Fey individuals can be suitable allies for humans. The Fey are known as powerful entities. Still, some of them may cause havoc.)
If you need to defend yourself, know that the Fey find it painful to hear a person ring or bang on iron. Such noises drive them away. Why? Because iron severs the connection to the natural energies of the earth, trees, water and other energy-generating elements.
Iron will bind the Fey’s magick. Additionally, the Fey use the above energies for their magick. These elements are the source of sustenance for the Fey. So, if they are around iron for too long, they can die.
Use Loud Noise
Chinese individuals set off firecrackers to scare off demons and baneful spirits. This is one reason that Chinese individuals use fireworks during New Years celebrations.
Make Holy Water with Blessed Salt and Water
Wiccans often use salt to purify a space or even a person’s home. Negative entities often cannot stand being in contact with Wiccan holy water.
Burn Sage to Purify an Area
When you burn sage, you purify the space it is burnt in. Just waft the smoke from the burning sage around the space while speaking aloud: “I am clearing this space of all negative entities and energies.”
In summary, the effective witch* uses methods like those above to stay safe and to live well.
It can work the other way. Have you ever met a young person with an old soul?
What about someone with a title? Does that make a big difference?
This is on my mind because I was talking with a friend who asked about my accomplishing the third degree as a Gardnerian priestess. Yes, I’ve studied for years with fine mentors. I’ve put in many hours and much effort into earning the third degree designation.
It’s a strange thing about human beings. We expect certain things. Some of us expect that people would put effort into becoming wiser as they aged. Still, we’ve seen people who just seem to stop in their maturity level.
We expect, or at least hope, that someone with an advanced degree would show superior knowledge.
My mentors whom I’ve admired have demonstrated two traits: kindness and humility.
“The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know.” – Albert Einstein
Wicca, to me, is a life-long journey in which I learn new things every week.
Recently, I wrote about the 4 elements of the Witches Pyramid—which also includes Spirit.
The great thing about meditating in the Wiccan way is that often we are given insights from the Gods and Goddesses.
In essence, the more often you meditate, the more opportunities you have to receive guidance from the Gods and Goddesses.
One of my favorite insights given to me is I am loved. This gave me higher self-esteem, and this gave me an understanding that I was not a horrible person which was a faulty idea that depression had slammed upon me.
I invite you to keep meditating or to start a meditation practice. Open the door to a better understanding of yourself and the world around you.
Blessings,
Moonwater SilverClaw
P.S. I will be away camping to connect with my Gods and will be returning Monday the 18th of May. Thank you to all my readers.
For more of Moonwater SilverClaw, consider some of her books:
I just couldn’t get my mind to settle down. My friend’s suicide happened and it really tore at my heart. I knew that I had to make sure that he transitioned safely to the Summerlands. The transition just wasn’t going to happen on its own. That’s what the Tarot told me.
So I pushed myself and took action. I did a ritual to help him find the Summerlands. Once I knew he had crossed safely, I felt peace in my heart.
For Wiccans, we do have a source of relief and even deep peace: Ritual.
In my studies, I’ve learned that Ritual is designed to get us free of the conscious mind and its petty obsessions.
You become conditioned to go to a Higher Level where you can open the unconscious mind and open the doors to successful magick.
Successful magick happens when you open those doors wide and do it reliably. Repetition of rituals is the best way to change your consciousness so you can do magick reliably.
The more often you do ritual, the more you train your mind to make a transition to a Higher Level.
Each ritual begins with Casting a Circle. When you cast a circle you not only set up your sacred space with related protection, your casting also opens those doors to your subconscious mind, which is called the Younger Self. We Wiccans use the Younger Self for communication as we do magick. By the way, the Younger Self is also known as the Sticky Self in the faerie tradition.
You might think of your Younger Self as a five-year-old. How do you keep a five-year-old engaged? Not with long-winded talking. Instead, you use things like props and other items. Think shiny, sparkly with loud noises.
Using drums, other musical instruments and other props that are fun and novel help you easily communicate with the Younger Self.
Wiccans realize the Younger Self is the source of energy for effectively doing magick.
Remember that regularly doing ritual helps you condition yourself to readily rise to a Higher Level and engage your Younger Self. In this way, your magick-work will get better.
Blessings,
Moonwater SilverClaw
For more of Moonwater SilverClaw, consider some of her books:
Cleo, my cat, looked up at me. At 14 years old, Cleo needed me to give her intravenous fluids to sustain her. One night while I was administering her daily fluids she simply looked into my eyes and told me, I’ve had enough, I’m done.
I just knew. Other times, I’ve wrestled with the decision of when it was time to let go of my beloved pet.
Now, I’ve had cats my whole life. In high school, I was introduced to domesticated, pet rats. These little furry friends have terribly short life spans. I’d have four at the same time, and this meant crying every year as one of them would become ill due to old age. I had many times to practice letting go.
I have spent thousands of dollars for medical care for my fuzzy babies. But how does one know when to let go?
If a pet or familiar is close to crossing the veil, when is it truly time to let go?
First listen to your little friend. Here are some signs to help you consider when to let go.
• Is your furry companion still interested in life?
• Does your companion still enjoy eating?
• Does he/she still play in spite of the illness or disease?
• Is the little one in tremendous pain that prevents him/her from being happy?
Now I’m not talking about temporary illness. This is about the end of a life—a terminal illness.
Recently, on Facebook, people discussed the condition of Blacky, The Wheelchair Cat.
A native of New Zealand, he has one eye, and after being struck by a car, he’s left with spinal nerve damage and paralysis in his rear legs and bladder.
A number of people suggested that Blacky be “put down.”
But wait a moment! Blacky can now feel his legs if one tickles them. Sometimes he moves or stands on them. Last year, he had a perianal urethrostomy surgery because of his bladder problems.
Still, Blacky enjoys life. He enjoys going outside and playing. Other than his mobility issue, Blacky’s now healthy.
In summary, I invite you to look at my list and let it help you make a good decision about whether it may be time to let a pet go.
Sure, sometimes our pets have physical troubles. But you’ve probably noticed the we, humans, can have physical troubles, too. Still, we find ways to have joy and meaning.
Let’s make sure to support our furry friends in their times of need.
About three years ago, a particular witch held a ritual in the woods each weekend. To her delight, a certain deer joined her each time. When I heard about this, I realized one can have a wild animal as a familiar–an animal, usually a pet, that helps the witch.
At one point, I was in a Wiccan learning group gathered in the woods and an owl joined us. Animals sense energy which makes them good working partners.
Animals are so proficient at using energy that they can literally move in and out of a closed circle and not harm or break that circle. So when your familiar moves across the boundary of your cast circle don’t worry, they won’t hurt it.
Small children can also cross your circle’s boundary without disturbing it. It’s only when we get older that we become unable to do that. The reason? Society teaches us to limit ourselves and so we unconsciously do so.
On the other hand, familiars do not have that burden. They can move and work energy in ways that many of us cannot. This is why witches and other magick users like to have a familiar.
However, don’t just run to an animal shelter and pick any animal and assume that the little one will be your familiar. An animal must choose to do so. If your little friend does not make that choice of being a familiar, you can just enjoy the company of your pet in ordinary life.
So how can I tell if my pet or an animal wants to be my familiar? Observe: Does the animal want to hang around you as you do a ritual? When you ground and center does your cat (for example) come and sit, to support you.
If you observe a particular animal in the wild repeatedly show up during your rituals, pause. Ask yourself, “Does this one want to be my familiar or is this just a random visit?” (Note: This does not mean that you go over and pet the animal. They do not want that.)
Sometimes, you may discover that this particular animal is quietly acting as a familiar for you.
Note: Never try to force an animal to work with you. If you have a pet, but the little one just strolls away when you’re doing a ritual, let it go. Just love your pet for the other joyful moments you share. You do not need a familiar.
If you, at some time, find an animal that wants to work with you, it can be quite rewarding. Not only will your spells and other workings be more powerful, but you will also have a great friend by your side.
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