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| What's a witch: Witchcraft is a religion just like any other, and is one of the fastest growing religions in the world. So what is a Witch and what do we do? For starters, the term Witch has absolutely nothing to do with Satanism. Witchcraft is an Earth based religion, meaning that it is based upon reverence for nature, respect of animals, and a respect of our environment and those in it. Witches practice folk magick, especially magick involving herbs, stones, colours, water and the energy of nature. However, we do not perform animal sacrifices; the only sacrifices made are of a spiritual nature. Witches can be both male and female; phrases such as wizard and warlock are not normally used, in fact warlock means 'oath breaker'! Many Wiccans term themselves as Witches, and the two are usually seen as synonymous, although some may disagree. Me included. Being wiccan means just a little too much treehugging for my liking as far as I'm concerned. There is a difference in being a witch and being wiccan. Know this. Wiccan purists will state that Wicca does not teach spell-casting or candle magic. Witchcraft is a polytheistic religion, this means there is more than one figurehead, a Goddess of whom has many names, and a God whom also goes by many names. By contrast, monotheistic religions believe in only one figurehead, for example, Christianity. Witches practice ritual observance of lunar events, the seasons and their effect on agriculture. The rituals are split into two groups, Sabbats and Esbats. There are eight Sabbats in a year representing the cycle of birth and death of the God, these being Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha/Midsummer, Lughnasadh, Mabon and Samhain. Esbats on the other hand are full-moon rituals, and there are usually thirteen of these in a year. All of these rituals are performed within sacred or magic circles, and are used for the purposes of asking for guidance and giving thanks to the Goddess and God, and are often used for the performance of magic. Most Witches are members of a coven, in which there will be a High Priestess and a High Priest. The other members (usually 11) will be Witches of varying degrees of aptitude/initiation. Solitary Witches are also commonplace, either through choice or because sometimes it can be difficult to find a coven with openings. Me for one, is a solitary witch by choice. This isn't anything I chose nor trained myself into being. I was born like this, this is who I am and what I do. Sometimes knowing and being aware, sometimes not. Spells can be casted without awareness. |
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| Spells, Healing & Hex: Grey Areas There is a very thin line between 'good' and 'evil' so it is not always easy to judge what is 'good' and what is 'evil'. Somewhere, the boundaries are blurred. It is up to you to make the decision. Consequences must be weighed up. If you are unsure about doing anything, then it is best to avoid it. However, if you decide to do something which you know is 'wrong' then please make sure that you have properly weighed up the consequences before going ahead. What you consider to be - might not be the Goddess's. Be warned that you might be in for a shock. Cautionary Notes They say not to do a spell where you wish someone to die or seriously injure themselves. Besides being extremely stupid, their death might not be a particularly good punishment for them. However, it would punish their family and friends who don’t deserve the pain that that person's death would cause. If you are particularly angry with someone, think very carefully before doing any spells against them. Only do anything when you have weighed up the consequences and you have calmed down. If you cannot forgive them, think over your motives for doing a spell. They might not be as honorable as you think. IF YOU'RE NOT SURE ABOUT ANY SPELL, DO NOT DO IT. A Witch who Cannot Hex; Cannot heal goes the old saying. Should we believe it? Maybe and maybe not. It may be true but then it is all about personal situations. If nothing really awful ever happens to you then you may never feel the need to hex. However, it is important to remain grounded about this subject. While hexing may be justified in certain circumstances, it is not an excuse to become an over-zealous vigilante. When Do We Hex? Zsuzsanna Budapest says that you have to know 100% the culprit of whatever has happened to you before you can hex. For example, if you have been raped and you suspect it was your next door neighbour but you were only 99% sure then it would be a good idea not to name names if you hexed the rapist. The Goddess might know better than you and She will not miss with Her punishment. This means that you have no chance of the threefold law returning on you. Whereas you would if you had wrongly hexed your neighbour. ( Note: Zsuzsanna Emese Budapest was born in Budapest, Hungary, during a big winter storm on January 30, 1940 - Her mother, Masika Szilagyi, was a medium and a practicing witch who supported herself and her daughter with her art, as a sculptress. Masika's themes always celebrated the Triple Goddess and the Fates, and Zsuzsanna grew up respecting and appreciating Mother Nature. Her family's spiritual tradition, however, started seeping back into her life, and she practiced solo worship of the Goddess at her home altar. Z was arrested in 1975 for reading Tarot cards to an undercover policewoman; she lost the trial but won the issue, and the law against psychics was struck down nine years later. Z has led rituals, lectured, taught classes, given workshops, written articles tirelessly, and published in hundreds of women's newspapers across the country. She has powerfully influenced many of the future teachers and writers about the Goddess -End Note ) |
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| The Pentagram & Pentacle: PENTACLE AND PENTAGRAM The pentacle is probably the most important symbol in witchcraft. It is a five pointed star with a single point facing upright. A written or drawn pentacle is a pentagram. In rituals and magic the pentacle is a round disk of earthenware, wax, silver, or clay. It is inscribed with magic symbols including a pentagram and is used to consecrate the magic circle. In some rituals the high priestess may asume the pentacle position. Some witches may wear a pentacle as a sign of their religeon. Some covens use the pentacle as the sigal of the witches who are initiated in to the second degree. The pentagram is the witches symbol of power and protection and used to control elemental forces. Pentagrams are usually drawn in the air with a sword. The method used to draw the pentagram depends on its purpose. Such as pentagrams to invoke are different from pentagrams to banish. Pentagrams are also used in meditation exercises where each point of the star is associated with a specific quality, attribute, concept, emotion or name of a pagan deity. The magicians pentacle is also referred to as the pentacle of solomon. It represents God or man and the four elements of nature, five senses, five wounds of Jesus, and the five points of man. The magician attaches pentacles on his robes. Pentacles are also engraved on rings. As a talisman the the pentacle enables the magician to command the spirits Pentagram Brief explanation of the 5 pointed star known as the Pentagram. Also known as the Pentacle (when the protection circle is around it.) This is a symbol of Power and protection it can be drawn on the floor, on a piece of clothing, it can be worn, or just drawn in the air. The origin of the Pentagram goes back before recorded history and has been used in Babylon, Egypt, Celtic lands of what is now western Europe, and many other cultures, including early Christians. The Pentagram is on the national flag of Ethiopia the first and still one of the most devote christian countries. Using the Pentagram as an Invoking Power. You draw the line starting from the top or Spirit. Position down to the lower left or Earth Position like such as the pic to the left - Doing this is symbolic of you invoking the powers of Spirit down to earth. The Opposite used for Protection and Banishing would be starting in the lower left corner or the Earth position and going up to the top or Spirit. The Positions in the Pentagram ***Fire ** Air*** **Earth ** Water** These Positions are very important to remain in this order The Earth and Water Elements are to be placed at the bottom because these are the grounding elements The Fire and Air Elements are higher because they are the action elements. This is the Symbolic form of man his mind is Spirit his hands are in Fire and Air his feet touch Earth and Water The Spirit is always on top because the Divine essence is above the elements to place the Spirit element down ward is an inverted Pentagram and is most often used by Satanists to symbolize the Negative Energy force. Another Variant Used is that of the position of Earth and Water switching with Fire and Air; *** Earth ** Water *** ** Fire *** Air ** Another Variant is also ****** Spirit ****** *** Water ** Air *** ** Fire ** Earth ** This Version is used to Symbolize Creation From the Spirit came the Will (Fire) From the Will came the Words of creation (Air) From the words came Life (Water) And with all of these in place came the Earth which endeavors to return to the spirit. The Planets can Also be placed into the Pentagram by using there elemental characteristics Earth = Virgo, Taurus, Capricorn Fire = Sagittarius, Aries, Leo Water = Pieces, Scorpio, Cancer Air = Aquarius, Libra, Gemini Check the "Zodiac" Link for more about the signs!  |
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 Pentagram as an Invoking Power. |
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