See the Truth

March 14, 2015 / Moonwater / 4 Comments

“Now, do you believe?!” my sweetie said to me, as the plane lifted from the ground.

“Yeah, I do,” I replied.

For months, he said that we would take a plane, cross the country and then take a ship and finally walk on the ocean floor.

Because of dealing with depression symptoms, it was hard for me to really believe that our trip would actually take place. In a way, you might say my depression symptoms blocked me from seeing the possibilities.

This reminds me of the classic story in which blind men gathered to experience an elephant.

“It’s a pillar,” said the blind man embracing one leg.
“No, a hand fan,” said another holding an ear.
“You’re wrong, a rope,” said another.
“No, a wall.”
“A solid pipe,” said the one holding the tusk.

A wise man approached and explained, “You’re all right. You all experienced a part of the elephant. The elephant is all that you said and more.”

Finally, the blind men stopped arguing.

The same, I believe, is true about Deity. Everyone has a piece of the ALL. And what they don’t see is that it is all connected. It’s the same ALL that everyone else has. But they are experiencing the ALL in different ways, and this selective experience creates different practices and beliefs around the world.

So when I hear someone say that he knows the one and only God, I pause. I think of the elephant which is more than the sum of the parts.

Yes, I believe the God and Goddess are part of the ALL. But still I realize that Deity is more than my momentary perception.

And I’d invite anyone else to consider that other people are experiencing Deity in a way that suits them at the moment.

Let’s celebrate our shared opportunity to grow in spirit.

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

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

Changing and Growing on my Path

March 7, 2015 / Moonwater / 3 Comments

The video camera “record light” glowed red, and I asked the notable witch a powerful question: What has changed in your belief system from when you started?

This question resonated in my thoughts. When I first started my practice of Wicca, I read that the Gods were everywhere. I just went along with that but I didn’t function on the level of really knowing this.

I didn’t intend to fall into a pattern of looking upon the authors as all knowing priests, telling me what to think and how to worship. (Even if the authors did not mean to “preach,” I took their words in that way.) This is not the spirit of the Craft. If you want to be told what to do and how to do it for your spiritual path, go to certain churches, synagogues or other places of worship.

Wicca is something different. Because I lacked experience, my perception of the Craft was off. As I mentioned, the authors seemed liked preachers to me. The Craft is not a faith of listening to someone standing at a pulpit and following what they say.

But when I first started out I treated my practice of Wicca like that. I lacked the understanding and more importantly, knowing the Gods. Once I met the Gods, my understanding became a knowing in my heart what the Craft is really about.

Instead of looking outward toward Deity, which is what many of the mainstream religions do, I looked within. I found a new world to explore. Looking within, I could no longer deny that my thoughts of inferiority and self-loathing were not the truth of the Gods. Such thoughts of self-loathing were the fruit of abuse and my frightened ego.

The experience of meeting the Gods during my meditation gave me a whole new sight. This sight was of the love and compassion of the Gods. I saw myself as They see me: a creation of beauty.

The Gods communicated to me specifically that They crafted all Their children with love, respect and reverence. So much so that They put themselves into each one of us.

Since that time, I have grown with the knowing that Deity is within and throughout the world around us.

Some might suggest that this insight is a “no-brainer,” but the truth is: I really needed to learn this firsthand through interacting with the Gods.

Just reading or listening to others tell me about this insight was not enough. I needed to experience the real teaching moment for me.

Now I look within to hear the Gods and look outside me to see the signs from the Gods. I have a personalized relationship with the Goddess and God. They are my friends and confidants. They lead me and guide me through my everyday life, including crucial times of hardship.

My journey has also included starting as a solitary witch and then joining a coven.

Like many people I started by reading books. At the time, I couldn’t find a mentor and I wanted to have the right mentor. So I asked the Gods for Their help. They responded, “… when you’re ready.”

So I stayed on the solitary path for many years—reading many books and practicing the Craft as well as I could.

Finally, my first mentor arrived in my life. The Gods were right. I had finally had enough knowledge so that I was able to more fully appreciate my first mentor’s guidance.

Through my first mentor, I had my first experiences as a member of a coven. It was nice to turn to someone who had the experience I lacked. My mentor would steer me on the safest and fastest path that was right for me. All along the way I still talked to the Gods and worked with Them to tailor the lessons of my journey.

To this day, I still ask my mentors for their guidance.

Blessed Be,

Moonwater SilverClaw

P.S. I expect to continue creating video interviews of notable Wiccan elders. If you have a question that you’d like to ask me or another Wiccan elder, please place such a question in the comments section. Thank you.

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

PantheaCon – Interview with Anna Korn

February 28, 2015 / Moonwater / 2 Comments

I had the pleasure of interviewing Anna Korn at PantheaCon 2015.

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

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

Interviewed by Lailoken on His YouTube Channel

February 23, 2015 / Moonwater / Leave a comment

My friend Lailoken Scathach interviewed me at PantheaCon this year. You can find this interview at:

For more with Lialoken you can check out his YouTube channel at:

https://www.youtube.com/user/Lailoken3?feature=hovercard

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

Skyclad verses Robed Wicca

February 21, 2015 / Moonwater / Leave a comment

Spiritual Tattoos

“Lisa, are you okay with going skyclad with our coven?” Sharon asked.
“I don’t know,” Lisa said.
“Do you understand why we go skyclad?”
“No.”

It’s your choice to go skyclad (which means nude) or clothed.

First, several covens do not practice going skyclad.

Some British Traditional Wiccan (BTW) covens do. For example, Gardnerians tend to, but many Gardnerian covens opt out of going skyclad.

Why go skyclad? Witches raise power. And, clothing is considered to insulate and prevent power from flowing.

Not everyone believes clothing has such a big impact. For example, I feel that magick is stronger than being so easily thwarted by clothing.

I note that we Wiccans try to attune ourselves as close to nature as possible. This is why most witches worship in the outdoors and honor the cycles of the seasons. Being in nature we feel closer to the Gods.

When we are born, we are naked, in a completely natural state. We are one with nature at that moment.

When we’re skyclad, I feel, we’re in a natural state. I feel this is a sign of freedom. We’re free from society’s chains. For some, clothing ties into how lower social-economic groups are, in a sense, enslaved. Taking off those Reeboks and fancy clothes help witches to come together as equals in circle.

For a number of Gardnerians, going skyclad is a manifestation of tradition. (Again, not all Gardnerian covens practice being skyclad.)

For covens, who opt out of going skyclad, they use robes or even daily, casual clothing.

I suggest that you consider choosing some clothing that you keep only for ritual. Such clothing will help keep you in the ritual mindset.

Some covens choose to hold ritual in a backyard. And some neighbors would find seeing a group of skyclad Wiccans as “indecent.”

Some people get a permit to hold a ritual in a public park (for example, the Spiral Dance in San Francisco, California). In these cases, going robed is a good idea.

Going robed works well when it’s cold outside. You really can’t concentrate if you’re cold and uncomfortable. Honoring the Gods is supposed to be a pleasant experience after all!

Your robe gives you a cool opportunity: You can place all kinds of magickal symbols on your robe.

You can add the following to your robe:

your name in Theban
power sigils
the color of your patron Deity
herbs
crystals (you could sew a few into your robe)

In this way, you can create magick just by putting on your robe.

Where can I get a Wiccan robe? There are sources on the Internet and at pagan gatherings.

If you feel crafty, you can even make your own. Consider this pattern below.

When you make your robe, pick cotton or another natural fiber.

Remember, it’s your choice: skyclad, robed, or in specially chosen casual clothes.

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

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

Open the Door for Love

February 14, 2015 / Moonwater / Leave a comment

“You can have that piece of sushi,” Paul said.
“No, that one is yours,” Rachel said.
“Go ahead.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Come on. It’s Valentine’s Day.”
“Well. Okay!” Rachel said, smiling and popping the food in her mouth.

In the USA, we celebrate Valentine’s Day, a holiday when we focus on being loving to a spouse or sweetheart.

But so many of us forget the most important person in our lives during this holiday. Who is the most important person to you? It’s you.

Do you feel too busy to pause and even acknowledge your feelings? Do you lack time to show some loving care for yourself?

I spend so much time too busy worrying about what other people think and feel. Are my friends okay? Is my mother irritated with me again? Is my father having trouble understanding people because he has a mild form of Alzheimer’s?

I’ve learned something important: Neglecting ourselves can really get us into trouble.

It’s even more extreme for those of us who have self-esteem issues. Some of us spiral down and need assistance from mental health professionals.

For example, I have struggled with self-hate and loathing my whole life so far because I deal with the symptoms of my depression.

There are times when I feel so depressed that I find it nearly impossible to demonstrate love and affection for my loved ones. At those times, I have retreated to my bed.

I’ve learned that I must practice self-care or I have no energy to be loving and kind to important people in my life.

Loving others must arise from being kind and loving to yourself.

I have learned that you need to love yourself before you can truly love another person.

How can we begin or reignite our journey of being loving, including loving ourselves? In my book, Goddess Has Your Back, I share the Self-Love meditation. This meditation really set me on a correct course.

In this article, I’ll now share a process to help you enhance your self-love.

Self-Love and Self-Esteem Ritual

What you will need:

Pen
3 sheets of paper
Fireproof container
Lighter

Take the first two sheets and place them on a table before you.

Label one sheet: “How I like myself.” Write things you that like about yourself. If you’re feeling a bit low, just include small things like: “I like how I finish reading an article. I like that I call my sister just to say hello.” Write at least five things down or even ten things.

Label the second sheet of paper: “Things I want to change – Things I’m not happy with.” Write some things that you want to change or that you’re not happy about. Write a minimum of two things and no more than five.

Many of us will notice that our “not happy” list might feel “more important” or more intense. That’s understandable.

Now, we will use the third sheet. Look at both previous lists. There may be some overlap. For example, your second sheet may include something like: “I screw up everything.” But at the same time, your first sheet says, “I take good care of my sweetheart.” Is one true and the other false?

Is the “screw up everything” true because you find that you feel bad much of the time? Perhaps, it’s possible that your perception is off. I’ve learned from my own mentors that my depression symptoms can warp my perception and have me do something called “catastrophizing.” That means I might take one thought and let it overrun everything. For example, one time I was late in picking up my sweetheart. He remained in the rain and cold for 15 minutes. At the train stop, there was no shelter. I thought, “I’m thoughtless. I’m no good. I’m incompetent.”

Other vicious words swirled through my mind. However, the truth was that I’m on time or even early 199 times out of 200. That is the truth. But my perception was off.

So you’ll now use the third sheet to dispel perceptions that are off. Increase your positive feelings and demonstrate some self-love. Write down healthy perceptions. In essence, you combine the ideas in a fundamentally positive way.

For example, it could look like this: “I’m good to my sweetheart” plus “I screw up everything” becomes “I’m good to my sweetheart and sometimes I make a mistake. I can learn to do better.”

Go through the lists and complete at least three “positive and combined healthy perceptions.”

The next step:

Gather your fireproof container, your lighter and the “I’m not happy about” list. You will soon safely burn the “I’m not happy about” list.

Hold the “not happy” list over the fireproof container. Light the paper and let it drop into the container. Say,

My list of unwanted traits I hold,
harming my love for myself I’m told.
Now I release these thoughts to the light
burning now forever from my life.
Fire transform this list I hold tonight,
I now have self-love to its fullest height.

The next step:

The two positive lists “How I like myself” and “Healthy Perceptions” are gifts you have given yourself.

Look at the healthy perceptions and think of one small thing you might do that can help you improve your life.

Self-love is NOT self-obsession nor conceit. Self-love is recognizing that the God and Goddess have made you with positive traits for your joy and blessings to those people near you.

God and Goddess stand ready to support you. Simply ask for Their Support.

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

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

PantheaCon

February 11, 2015 / Moonwater / 2 Comments

Going to PantheaCon? Meet Moonwater SilverClaw in person at the Double Tree Hotel on FEB 13 – 16^th . . . often in the NWC/COG suite. Come and chat — and get books signed by Moonwater in room 957. Come and enjoy the snacks and the people. Get your questions answered by knowledgeable people about the Craft and more!

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

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

Do Not Turn Your Magick into a Disaster

February 7, 2015 / Moonwater / Leave a comment

In several news broadcasts, TV anchors stressed the damage to crops and related water shortages caused by a severe drought. Angela could stand it no longer. She had to act! Angela cast a rain spell. Soon rain fell from the sky and the parched land soaked up the moisture. Then more rain and more. Mudslides caused property damage and even a few deaths.

Horrified, Angela realized that she had neglected to add a vital part to her rain spell—a timetable. She had not specified that the rain stop after the land was revitalized.

Destruction and death had occurred when Angela had only wanted to help the forests and farms.

Weather magick is quite tricky. You must ask for what you need and at the same time make sure there is a “stop-time” for the weather change you asked for.

The following is a little chant you can use to help the land, but at the same time stop the rain when you request it.

Rain Chant

Rain, rain come our way,
we ask you now to come this day!
Rain, rain come and play,
feed our crops now, in every way.
Rain, rain you’ve had your fun,
now go your way and give us sun.

Just like any spellwork, you need to tell the magick what to do and when its mission is complete. If you fail to do this, the results can be disastrous like Angela’s experience.

Here’s a way I can illustrate my point. You’ve probably seen the portion of Disney’s Fantasia entitled “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.” In the cartoon, Mickey enchants a broom to do one of his chores—filling a water basin in his mentor’s home. Soon through Mickey’s magical mistakes, the one broom became an army of brooms over filling the basin, creating a tidal wave of water.

Mickey had not used magick properly by guiding the brooms to complete the work and avoid causing havoc. Lucky for Mickey, his mentor woke up and stopped the brooms’ onslaught of water.

Many of us may not have a mentor to save us from ourselves. This is why it is a good idea to think through our actions before we do magick.

Let’s think through our magickal plans and include “stop-orders” so we can avoid disaster.

Then we can simply enjoy the blessings.

Blessed Be,

Moonwater SilverClaw

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

Feel Tired or Fuzzy in Your Thinking? Ask for Help from the Element Air

January 31, 2015 / Moonwater / Leave a comment

“Sarah, I have a big test tomorrow and I’m having trouble. I’m testing myself and I keep having difficulty recalling the information I studied,” Joe said.

“Have you asked for help from the Element Air?” Sarah asked.

Do you need a little help with studying, whether for an exam or for a presentation at work?

Air represents thought, and getting assistance from Air for studying makes perfect sense.

So how do we bring in Air for help? Do a meditation. Go and meet the Guardian of the East—the Element of Air.

Meditation: Ask for Air’s Assistance

[Consider one of these options: a) have a friend read the meditation aloud to you or b) record this meditation and then follow your own spoken directions.]

Sit down facing East and relax. Close your eyes and breathe in and out continuing to relax. Concentrate on your breathing. Feel the air going in and out of your lungs. You feel light as air and totally relaxed.

Continuing to breathe, you now notice a cloud in front of you. See it glide on the light breeze of the day. You get closer to the cloud, until it eventually envelops you.

The air is cool and comfortable in the cloud. Soon the mist of the cloud dissipates and you see a figure.

The figure is transparent. It’s a Sylph who kindly smiles as you get closer. Now you ask the Sylph for help in your cerebral endeavors. Ask for suggestions on the best way to tackle your project.

(Pause for 1 minute)

Once you have received your answer, bid the Sylph a fond farewell

Focus your attention on your breathing.

In a moment, you will count backwards from 5. With each count your consciousness makes it’s way back to where you started in the present world.

5-4-3

You’re returning to consciousness. Feeling calm and full of energy.

2-1. Open your eyes, feeling fully refreshed.

After completing the meditation, you have the insight and energy to do better with your project. Consider lighting a stick of incense (which represents Air) to thank Air for the help you have received.

Blessings,

Moonwater SilverClaw

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