“My life’s just too busy. I’m juggling everything. Trying to keep my husband happy and our two children. Work is getting worse, too,” Nadine told me.
“It sounds like you need a little ‘silence’ in your life,” I suggested.
“Don’t I wish!” Nadine confirmed.
In today’s post, I’m talking about the element Earth, represented as North of the Witches Pyramid.
In the previous post, we explored West and Water. Water was about to dare.
There is a different type of strength that we can find helpful: the strength known as to Remain Silent, as manifested as Earth.
Many of us find our thoughts racing all day long. It would really help if we could calm down our minds. As Wiccans, we find that quieting our minds helps us focus our thoughts and our magick. When you bring your mind to quiet, you can focus and manifest your desire into reality.
Furthermore, when we talk about to Remain Silent, we actually refer to literally being silent. For example, we stay silent about what happens when we conduct ritual. Everything done and said in Circle is sacred. This means that we Wiccans keep the details locked in our hearts and away from the mundane world.
Sure you might be tempted to share details of life-transforming occurrences in Circle. Instead, be sure that you keep silent! Keep the details as a precious, sweet experience all your own.
So how do you bring the element Earth and to remain silent into your life?
A Meditation to Celebrate Sacred Silence in Your Life
Find a quiet place where you will be alone and relaxed for five or ten minutes. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply. Picture a pyramid in your mind. Gently explore your answers to these questions:
What is this pyramid made out of?
What color is it?
What is the texture of your pyramid?
Imagine viewing the pyramid from various angles. Focus. Concentrate until you can even see the pyramid with your eyes open.
This pyramid process helps you focus your mind and clear it of extraneous thoughts.
Repeat this practice whenever you feel overwhelmed. Practice focusing, calming down and experiencing Sacred Silence.
More feelings of calm and peace are just a brief pyramid-meditation session away.
Blessings,
Moonwater SilverClaw
P.S.
If you have a question about Wicca and would like me to reply, please fill in the request form below.
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
And
Karina turned to me and said, “But I’ve never done this before. It’s a lot of money. I mean, I could spend all this money recording my songs and no one buys them.”
“What does your heart say?” I replied. Sometimes, and it depends on the individual, the heart says, “It’s time to Dare.”
In the previous post we talked about Fire. Now, we’ll discuss the element Water, which is West on the Witches Pyramid.
Water represents to Dare.
In this series of posts, we started with Air, which gave us the idea. Then we proceeded to Fire which was to Will and to desire the change, and get it moving into reality. Now we focus on Water because we need to Dare to accomplish the change.
Wanting to change isn’t enough, we need more energy associated to the process. We need to Dare to do it!
Many of us are too afraid of change. We hide from it and even run from it. Still, we notice:
“There is nothing permanent except change.” – Heraclitus
Change can be a very emotional subject. Being afraid of change is natural and so we need Water, to Dare ourselves to do it.
Change promotes growth. We grow not only spiritually, but also with our relationships and our mental and physical health.
A Ritual to Celebrate Water and to Move Beyond Fear
Consider something in your own life that you know you need to change but are afraid to.
Draw a pleasant, hot bath. Make a sachet of lavender. Lavender is used for purification, and lavender helps us calm those fears of change.
When your bath of lavender is ready, step in and relax. Breathe in and out slowly.
Once you have relaxed, think of the change you want and the fear holding you back from it. Concentrate on these fears you have.
Now envision the fear being absorbed by the water all while you continue breathing deeply—in and out.
When you feel you have successfully transferred all the fear into the liquid, get out and drain the water away. Dry off and make sure you do not use the towel again until you have laundered it.
Use this ritual focusing on Water and to Dare to move forward in your life.
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
And
“I feel stuck,” my friend Amy said. My first thought was that it might help for her to do a ritual related to the element Fire.
In the previous post, we talked about Air in the Witches Pyramid. In this post, we will discuss Fire, an element (related to South) that is part of the foundation of the Witches Pyramid.
Fire represents To Will on the Witches Pyramid. Will is that fire to get things done. Will is the intensified-desire that creates change and allows us to manifest our thoughts into reality.
Fire is energy. And still, we begin with the element Air which creates the idea of what you desire. Fire helps manifest what Air created.
Without Fire things stagnate. Nothing gets done. We need to Will to change ourselves and forge forward to accomplish the fulfillment of our needs.
Fire is a transformative element. Fire is a force (or energy) to change, which transforms you into something new
Change is something we strive for in Wicca. We want to transform ourselves into newer and better states of being so we can grow spiritually.
So how do we enhance the element of Fire in our lives?
Consider something you want to change or to get better in your life. Do you want to get a better job or do you need a better living situation? A quiet desire is not enough. You need to apply Fire so you Will something into being.
One of the best ways to empower yourself with Will is to do a ritual focused on Fire. Begin a meditation on Fire by first lighting a candle. Focus your eyes on the flame. Breathe deep. Soon you will close eyes and do the following visualization.
Your visualization will now be quite specific. Visualize a symbol of a current situation that you do NOT like. Now imagine that what you really want is inside the symbol.
Now apply the power of FIRE to the symbol which is like a false shell around what you want.
This false shell burns away and you are left with what you really want!
You have applied the power of FIRE.
To build up your To Will power, you may need to do a series of Fire-related meditations.
Remember, your mind, properly harnessed, has terrific power to improve your life.
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
And
“Why is the Witches Pyramid important?” Sharon asked me. “You already told me that the pentagram emphasizes the four elements Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. Isn’t that enough?”
I explained that the Witches Pyramid demonstrates how the four elements support Spirit, as you can see in the illustration above.
First, I’ll give you an overview. Here is how Element relates to a direction and a concept:
Air – East – To know
Fire – South – To will
Water – West – To dare
Earth – North – To remain silent
These concepts come together to form an essential part of your Wiccan Practice.
This week we’ll focus on Air.
Air – East – To know
Air is the cerebral element. You’ve probably heard the phrase: Knowledge is power.
In the Craft, we take action to know how to use the tools and rituals. Here is what is really powerful: to know yourself.
The journey of knowing yourself requires that you focus and take efforts to remove distractions. People who are caught up with their ego will miss so much.
Meditation provides a helpful path to discovering the truth that is deep within you.
How does meditation facilitate your self-knowledge? First, it helps you quiet your mind. Clear of distractions, you can learn about what you really need. Not just what you ego wants in this moment.
Clear of distractions, you can make better and better decisions. You’ll have access to your intuition. You’ll quiet down fear.
Clear of distractions, you’ll connect better with the God and Goddess. You’ll ask for guidance and you’ll be able to take in and understand the guidance that arrives as intuitive ideas and nudges in certain positive directions.
Start Easy with Meditation
Many of us hear about meditation and freeze up. We may say, “I don’t have the time.” Start easy. Just set up a timer and meditate for five minutes. Simply, find a quiet place. Get comfortable. Make sure you sit up so you don’t fall asleep. Concentrate on your breathing. When your mind wanders, bring it back to your breathing.
You might even begin a practice with your romantic partner. My sweetheart and I sit near each other – not touching – and close our eyes for our five minute meditation practice. The good news is that when one of us is not in the mood to meditate, the other one can inspire the other one to sit for the five vital minutes of the day.
Certainly, you can expand your meditation time, if you like.
Some people get disappointed that they do not get a wonderful feeling when meditating. Know this: It all counts. With a regular practice of meditation, you make yourself calm and more receptive to guidance from the God and Goddess.
Meditation is a blessing for your mind.
Remember, your mind is your most important tool. And Air will assist you in your goals. This week, consider having a few meditation sessions in which you focus on Air.
Next week we will look at the Element of Fire in the Witches Pyramid.
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
And
Two things recently shook me up. First, a friend told me about how a work group came to her house and then her camera was missing. This work group was made of pagans who participate in community events. What?!
Wicca, for example, is about respect for nature, respect for ourselves and respect for others. What happened here that some pagan stole a camera?
Second, two elders in our community told me about how they are being marginalized. “Younger Wiccans are not honoring elders. They don’t listen,” said one of the elders.
The above two incidents inspire the question: Is our Wiccan and Pagan community letting an important part of our identity fade away?
The part of our identity I’m talking about is being respectful. Respect is defined as “a feeling or understanding that someone or something is important, serious, etc., and should be treated in an appropriate way.”
Elders and people’s rights to their property need to be respected.
But there is something impinging on our Wiccan and Pagan community: For many of us, we’re an island surrounded on all sides by the Western culture’s self-centered ego, the “me, me, me” effect.
Have you noticed that if we get caught up in our thirst for instant gratification we lose touch with the roots of Wicca?
We’re used to getting everything instantly. Through the internet, we have instant music, news, and contact with others. There is a casualty in all of this: patience.
And that’s where the lack of respect for elders comes in. Elders move and think at a different pace from those of us typing away at our electronic devices.
More than that, many of us think that elders are too behind the times to offer anything of value. What could elders teach us? Certainly, they can inform us of things to be careful about when doing ritual. Further, if they have had long-term friendships or a long-term romantic partnership, they know something valuable!
So how do we return to our Wiccan roots and enhance being respectful to others?
For many of us, we need to practice being respectful to the one person with us all the time—ourself. Show some patience and compassion toward yourself.
Then allow that patience and compassion radiate out from you.
If you’re going to be near an elder, pre-plan a couple of questions you might ask him or her.
Such questions might be:
Elders have gone through life stages that many of us have not experienced yet. Sure, the details change. They may have used rotary dial phones, and we now have smart phones. But elders have gone through big and tough changes including loss of friends and loved ones to death, for example.
Wicca provides us with wisdom from the past. In fact, our Wiccan heritage has been passed down through the generations by people talking to each other. The process has usually been from elder to neophyte.
So I invite you see how you can make some space, pause and listen.
There’s so much that elders can share with us.
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
And
I had the pleasure of interviewing Rachael Watcher at PantheaCon this year.
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
And
“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
And
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
And
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
And
GoddessHasYourBack.com 