What is a witch?
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
“Okay, I told you what I’m working on for 2015,” I said. “What’s your plan?”
“Losing weight,” Sharon replied.
“Isn’t that what you said last year?” I asked.
“Yeah, but I am really going to do it this year,” she insisted.
Do you find yourself making some sort of New Year’s resolution? Or have you given up?
Consider making a spiritual resolution.
One example would be to dedicate yourself anew to the Gods (see my Simple Wiccan Dedication Ritual).
My own resolution is to meditate more often.
I’m concerned that many of us make resolutions that are too big. Instead, you can identify something small to do. For example, your plan could be: “I will have a piece of fruit instead of a muffin for breakfast each morning.”
The idea is for you to pick something manageable. Avoid some extreme diet.
Use the same pattern for a spiritual resolution.
Some people insist that they will start meditating an hour a day when they haven’t done meditation on any regular schedule.
Instead, pick a manageable goal like: “I’ll meditate for 5 minutes each morning.”
Make it easy to succeed. Start with a baby step. You can always increase the time you meditate once you’ve instilled the new, positive habit.
Less is more. Once you accomplish the daily 5-minute meditations, you experience good feelings of success! You can build on that.
Using the above baby-step approach you will be ahead of all those people who set extreme resolutions and fail.
Instead, you will succeed and improve your Wiccan practice step-by-step. The God and Goddess want you to succeed.
What well-considered New Year’s resolution will you make?
Blessings,
Moonwater
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
He had that look in his eyes. A dash of confusion and a pinch of cynicism. “Tell me. What is Wicca, really?” Andrew asked.
Because I knew Andrew had to leave for an appointment soon, I thought that I’d better boil this down to a few sentences.
Then I thought, What does Wicca really mean to me?
Is Wicca just about herbs, brews, crystals and poppets? Or is it something else? How can I sum Wicca up in just a few sentences, or even one sentence?
Could you do it?
Yes, Wicca involves herbs, brews, crystals and more. But that is not Wicca. Is it about the Gods, dancing and singing? It does have those, too. But what is Wicca at its core?
The clearest way I can explain Wicca is: It’s a practice. Wicca is something you do. Not something you have. You can have all the trimmings with the crystals, herbs, fancy robes and even a crystal ball. But that does not make you a Wiccan.
Wicca is something you practice everyday. Wicca is a part of you. It’s what you do not what you have.
Wicca is honoring the God and Goddess with each breath, and honoring the earth as you walk. It’s finding the peace within your mind and heart, and then sharing that with others.
To me that is what Wicca is. It is finding the light with the Gods’ guidance and reflecting this light for others to find their own way on the path.
I strive to do this everyday. Sometimes I’m right on the mark, doing and breathing Wicca. Sometimes, I’m off. Perhaps, I miss my daily meditation. This is why we look on Wicca as a practice. You continue to develop yourself throughout your life. Sure, at times, you may stumble. But Wicca is about taking each step forward.
You continue walking the Wicca path before you.
Sometimes it’s hard; sometimes it’s easy.
With the Gods’ guidance, it’s always true and fulfilling.
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
Nina is afraid. Did she leave her diary out on the kitchen table? Her deeply religious parents would disown her in a moment if they knew of her Wiccan path.
It makes sense that Nina keeps her spirituality to herself at least until she upgrades to a better job and her own apartment.
Wiccans still suffer discrimination and intolerance in this world. It can even escalate to violence—bodily harm and damage to property.
We know we follow the God and Goddess, and we keep that a secret within our own hearts.
Realize that even if you are secure in being out as a Wiccan, many others are not. You do not know someone else’s circumstances. You may live in a progressive location where you are safe. But others may live where they’re not safe. Because of this, do not out anyone. Coming out as a Wiccan is solely a personal decision.
When you enter the world of Wicca and Paganism you need to abide by some rules which include:
Some Wiccans gather and go skyclad (naked) during rituals. This does NOT mean that there is an open invitation to touch.
The above rules remind us of ways to take care of ourselves and others.
Blessed be,
Moonwater
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
Dear friends who are getting Goddess Has Your Back before the deadline (11:59 pm 12/18/14) — one last reminder for you to send me your receipt number from your purchase of Goddess Has Your Back to get your three free videos and workbook. A friend said, “Goddess Has Your Back makes a great gift — and they’ll get the videos!”
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
Just a reminder that there is only 1 day left until December 18th 11:59PM to get 3 free videos of training with a workbook by simply purchasing a copy of Goddess Has Your Back. The videos and workbook is my gift to you the reader, don’t miss this opportunity.
Topics include:
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’m such a f—ing idiot,” I yelled.
My friend, Sarah, ran into the kitchen, asking, “What happened?”
“I trashed the recipe. This tastes like crap. I’m no good at anything,” I said.
“Who told you that?”
“People,” I replied.
“Which people?”
“Everybody,” I maintained. “My mother’s called my cookies ‘hockey pucks.’”
Now, years later, I realize that I had a bunch of automatic-thoughts. Thoughts that tore me down. Our minds are like a bed of fertile soil, and the ideas we have are like seeds.
Before we go any further, I invite you to realize that Goddess wants you to have good seeds/good thoughts. Why? Goddess wants you to enjoy your life.
I’m not guessing here. I know. During many of my meditations, I felt the real presence of the Goddess—such loving kindness.
It’s important to realize that many people—parents, friends, teachers and the media—plant seeds in our minds. Some seeds are weeds.
We need to take responsibility for the garden in our mind. We need to learn how to weed out the unhealthy thoughts. We learn to encourage the positive thoughts—the roses. Weeding our own bed of soil (our mind) helps us to be healthy and happy.
So how can we do that? Ask this question: Is this thought harming or hindering my happiness? Also ask: Is this thought/belief making me grow in the direction I want? Or is this thought stunting my growth and making me miserable?
Take special care to notice the seeds (thoughts) you plant yourself. In many cases, we’re still operating with thoughts we planted as children. Every child is different as is every adult who grows up (at least physically).
Have you noticed recently how two people can have opposite reactions to the same event?
For example, Janet hates rain storms because she deems them to be gloomy and the cause of her getting wet hair as she runs to her car.
Janet’s best friend Cindy loves the rain because it makes the flowers grow.
Do you see how Janet is planting weeds and Cindy is planting roses?
Here’s a secret: In many cases, we can transform the weeds to roses—that is, we can work to change our perception of a situation. It does take creativity.
Creativity is the area where Wiccans thrive. We Wiccans have tools to use with our creative energies. Cowans (non-magickal folk) only use their brains for creativity (for the most part). On the other hand, Wiccans have spells, chants, meditations and much more to work with.
Here is an example of a chant you can use to transform weed-like thoughts to those that empower you:
Transformation Chant
Poisonous thoughts these weeds of mine,
Keeping me from peace this time.
Plucking my weeds hither and fro,
Weeding my thoughts like a pro.
Now peace and happiness I grow,
Lord and Lady make it so!
I invite you to pay attention to the weeds (negative thoughts) you may find in your mind. Weeds rise up without our efforts.
Instead, tend your garden of your mind and blossom into the empowered version of who you really are.
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
Hello, I’m Moonwater SilverClaw
Reminding you that I have a Special Gift for you
to celebrate the debut of my new book GODDESS HAS YOUR BACK.
When you purchase your copy of my book during the Special 7 Day Time Period – Dec 11-18 2014
I will give you 3 weeks of video training and the workbook.
Topics include:
You get all 3 videos, plus the workbook
About the book Goddess Has Your Back: Want to experience happiness and inner peace? Can you imagine feeling better about yourself and that your life is truly magickal? High Priestess Moonwater SilverClaw reveals the powerful and uplifting spirituality known as Wicca. She pulls back the curtain and lets you in on real secrets. She reveals how the Goddess really has your back and how you can have a loving relationship with the Goddess. Connect with the Gods and feel supported when confronted with grief and tough times. Learn the secrets behind making magick really work for you. Avoid making the big mistakes when doing magick. Enjoy rituals through the whole year.
So please purchase you copy of GODDESS HAS YOUR BACK
between December 11th and the 18th and December this year 2014
and receive your gift of 3 weeks of Video training – that’s 3 videos plus the Workbook.
Thank you.
Blessed Be,
Moonwater SilverClaw
Happy Yule.
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
Have you wondered if practicing the old ways can really thrive in this fast-paced, high-tech age?
I think about this often. Walking my sacred path, I was fortunate to find a mentor and learn the sacred path in the traditional way, one on one. But what about those seekers who can’t find a mentor to teach them the old ways face to face?
Wicca continues to grow in leaps and bounds. We’re seeing that there are not enough mentors to go around with the growing demand for knowledge about our Craft. So many seekers turn to the Internet for help.
Is a Cyber Mentor going to work as well as an In-person Mentor?
The Pros and Cons When Comparing a Cyber Mentor and an In-person Mentor:
| Cyber Mentor | |
| Pro | Con |
| Seeker can have access to the Cyber Mentor from anywhere in the world. | Mentor cannot see and feel how Seeker moves the energy. |
| Seeker has someone to go to for support. | Both Seeker and Mentor can only communicate through the Internet (or perhaps, occasionally by telephone). |
| Seeker may have a number of choices in terms of selecting an online mentor. | Mentor cannot experience how Seeker uses energy. |
| Mentor cannot be present while the Seeker conducts ritual and provide in-person safety during the learning process. | |
| In-person Mentor | |
| Pro | Con |
| Mentor is present and can give you an experiential understanding of Wicca. | Mentor may live far away, and meeting in-person may be quite difficult and time-consuming. |
| Mentor can physically sit with you and listen to your needs. | Mentor and Seeker may fall into personality clashes. Being present in-person may create an intense relationship. |
| Seeker has someone to go to for support. | Finding a compatible In-person Mentor may take much trial and error with related emotional ups and downs. |
| Mentor can read how Seeker processes energy. | |
| Mentor can lead you through meditations and can answer questions about the feelings that rise up during the process. | |
| Mentor can be there for Seeker’s safety in learning the finer points of the Craft. | |
Although, I prefer an In-person Mentor, I acknowledge that many Seekers are constrained by situations that require a Cyber Mentor. They may live in an area with no nearby mentors. They may have to hide while living where persecution makes it too dangerous to openly look for a mentor.
So Cyber Mentors come to be vital for many Wiccans’ learning and training.
Through my blog, I function as a Cyber Mentor. I share my experiences in learning the sacred path. There are a number of good websites/mentors out there. It’s often about finding someone who has a “voice” that really connects with your heart.
What would I suggest for those new to Wicca? Read to get insights from a number of credible people.
I have dyslexia so I’ve found that using an ereader and enlarging the type help a lot.
You can start with these books listed here:
Reading books like those above can help you on your first steps of your sacred Wiccan path.
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 have had many requests for help in writing dedication rituals. So here is a simple dedication ritual that you can do if you have made the choice that Wicca is right for you.
Preparation
Turn your phone off and make sure you will not be disturbed. Clean the area to do ritual: Dust, vacuum, and anything else you need to do before you begin. Next take a ritual bath (For instructions click here.) Find a comfortable place and sit quietly, meditating on what you are about to do. You are about to dedicate yourself to the path of the Gods. Be honest. Is this really what you want to do? Don’t take the promises lightly. You will also need to pick out a new name to go by. This is fun and can be anything you choose.
What you will need:
1) Cakes/Bread: It is acceptable to use bread, cupcakes, cookies, or even a power bar. It should contain carbohydrates to nourish the body and replenish the energy you use during the ritual.
2) Censer & Incense: In this case, the incense burner holds cone incense. However, it is acceptable to burn any kind of incense you choose. Remember that incense, when burned, represents Air on your altar.
3) Taper: The taper is for lighting candles. You begin by using a lighter to ignite the wick of the working candle. Then, you bring the taper to the working candle and ignite the wick of the taper. Now with the lit taper you ignite the other candles on your altar.
4) Lighter: The lighter is used to light the working candle. Any type of lighter may be used.
5) Bell/Chime: A bell or chime is needed for different purposes during a ritual.
6) Pentacle: The pentacle is used to help focus your attention on your goal.
7) Athame: The athame knife is used to direct power and can cast circles.
8) Bowl with Water: Water is one of the five elements. It is used together with salt to make consecrated water.
9) Dish with Salt: Salt represents the Earth. It is placed into water to make consecrated water.
10) Chalice with Wine: As you remember, the cup is a female symbol. In a ritual, the cup holds the wine or juice that is to be blessed. (It is acceptable to use juice instead of wine if you do not drink alcohol.)
11) Offering Dishes: These dishes are used to “offer up,” as an offering, part of your blessed food from your “cakes and wine” ceremony. We will discuss that later. You can also offer up flowers, which pay tribute to nature and the Goddess.
12) Goddess Candle & God Candle: These are the candles that represent the God and Goddess.
13) Working Candle: The working candle is positioned between the God and Goddess candle. Use this candle to light the other candles during a ritual. The working candle represents the element Fire on your altar.
For the altar setup click here.
1) Cast Circle (For script click here)
2) Dedication Rite
Say the following:
O Triumphant and Great Lord,
O Beautiful and Gracious Lady,
My intention to You, my Lord and Lady, is to dedicate myself onto the sacred path which you have opened before me. I accept this path as my own, and willingly of my own accord tread upon it. I know it will not be easy, but I promise I will be steadfast. And if I should fall, I shall rise again, all in Your honor. I will help those who tread upon the path, with me, beside me and behind me. And I will help them freely and willingly with love in my heart, for I know that they are a part of You as I am a part of You.
(Raise goblet or cup)
As I kneel before you naked in this truth. I [Your New Name] toast to you O Honorable Lord and Gracious Lady.
To new beginnings, new friendships and new growth.
Magick in the starlight
Magick in the moonlight
Magick is now my right.
So Mote it Be.
3) Cakes and Wine (For instructions click here)
4) Close Circle (For instructions click here)
I hope this dedication rite will help you upon your journey.
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 