Tuesday, March 31, 2009

How to heal physical pain

YOU NEED: piece of amethyst (as clear as possible), or a piece of Fluorite. a good visualization skill.

Sit in a quiet place and clear your mind of everything you can. Take the amethyst (or fluorite)and hold it in the hand that is closest to the hurt.(if the pain is in the center of the body hold it in your writing hand. Imagine a soothing light collecting at your feet and draw it up slowly towards your head filling every part of the body. Whilst doing this say silently the following verse:

"bright light, shining light
heal my hurts with all thy might."

Repeat this as you move the light up through the body. When you reach the top of your head expand to fill outside the head with light for about a foot. Then return to where the pain is most concentrated, push all your healing energy into this area.
If this doesn't work the first time then repeat. You should feel better soon.
to end the spell repeat the verse again but finish with "so mote it be"

To break the powers of a spell

Well maybe someone's put a hex on you. Here's a spell to undo what's been done!

YOU NEED: black candle, water and a black bowl

PLACE THE CANDLE INTO THE BLACK BOWL, FIX THE CANDLE TO THE BOWL USING THE WAX DRIPPINGS FROM THE CANDLE SO THAT IT STANDS ALONE. FILL THE BOWL TO THE RIM WITH FRESH WATER, WITHOUT WETTING THE WICK. BREATHE DEEPLY AND MEDITATE FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES. WHEN YOUR MIND IS CLEAR, LIGHT THE CANDLE. VISUALIZE THE POWER OF THE SPELL CAST AGAINST YOU AS LIVING WITHIN THE CANDLES FLAME. AS THE CANDLE BURNS DOWN, IT WILL SPLUTTER AND GO OUT AS IT TOUCHES THE WATER. AS IT IS EXTINGUISHED BY THE WATER, THE SPELL IS BROKEN .FINALLY, DIG A HOLE IN TO THE GROUND, POUR THE WATER INTO IT, THEN BURY THE CANDLE.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Sabbats - The Wheel of the Year

The Wheel of the Year is a metaphor used by Wiccans in their practice of Wicca and witches in their practice of witchcraft, although witches usually use the term "sabbath". It is a calendar for the cycle of the seasons and consists of eight festivals or sabbats, spaced at nearly equal intervals through the year.

In some styles of Witchcraft, and in Wicca, and Wiccan forms of neopaganism, nature's processes of life, birth, death, and rebirth are believed to follow a continuous cycle. Time is also believed to be cyclical and is represented by a whell or circle. Birth, life, death, and rebirth, are mirrored by the progression of the seasons. In addition, Wiccans see this cyclical progression as a reflection of the birth, life, death, and rebirth of God and in the fertility of the Goddess.

The Sabbats
Samhain - Samhain (OCT-31)
Yule - Winter Solstice (?DEC-21) - Alban Arthan, Saturnalia, Yule, Christmas
Imbolc Imbolc (JAN-31 to FEB-02) - Bride's day, Candlemas Day, Groundhog Day
Ostara - Vernal Equinox (?MAR-21) - Alban Eilir, Eostar, Eostre, Lady Day, Ostara
Beltaine - Beltane (APR-30)
Midsummer - Summer Solstice (?JUN-21) - Alban Hefin, Gathering Day, Midsummer, Vestalia
Lughnasadh - Lammas (AUG-1)
Mabon - Fall Equinox (?SEP-21) - Alban Elfed, Mabon, Autumn Equinox, Harvest Home

The Names of the Festivals
Most of the names originated with real, ancient festivals, but the names Litha and Mabon were invented by Aidan Kelly in the 1970s and have continued to gain popularity with North American Wiccans. The word "sabbat" has the same roots as Sabbath (Christian) and Sabbath (witchcraft). It stems from the Old English sabat, Old Frenchsabbat, Latin sabbatum, Greek sabbaton, and Hebrew shabbat, which means "to cease or rest".

Festival Dates
The dates of the festivals vary due to the numerous traditions, forms, and styles of Witchcraft, Wicca, and the modern Neopaganism. However, while each festival has somewhat different traditions associated with it and the dates can vary according to path, the meanings generally remain consistent.

The Effect of the Hemispheres
The Wheel of the Year originates in the Northern Hemisphere, so to compensate in the Southern Hemisphere most Neopagans advance the dates by six months or so to bring them into alignment with their local, natural seasons.

Quarter Days
Cross-quarter days traditionally fall at the end of the months, but some Neopagans consider them as having occured at the midpoint of the two surrounding quarter days. These modern-day calculations typically result in celebrations being held a few days after the traditionally observed dates.

Sun Sabbats and Moon Sabbats
Observance of Moon Sabbats:
Imbolc: new, crescent, 1st quarter
Beltaine (Beltane): 1st quarter, gibbous, full moon
Lammas (Lughnasadh): full, disseminating, 3rd quarter
Samhain: 3rd quarter, balsamic, new

Sun Sabbats refer to the quarter days, based on the astronomical position of the sun. Moon Sabbats are usually observed during Full Moons, normally the Full Moon closest to the traditional festival date, but sometimes during the 2nd Full Moon after the preceding quarter day. This places the Moon Sabbat anywhere from 29-59 days after the preceding solstice or equinox.

Origins of the Festivals of the Wheel of the YearThe festivals of the Wheel of the Year take their names from old, Pre-Christian Celtic and Germanic festivals. However, the forms and meanings have changed in most cases. This is primarily due to the influence of late eighteenth century romanticism and elements introduced through the advent of Wicca.
Prior to modern Wicca, the Wheel of the Year was unknown, and at first, only cross-quarter days were observed. In 1958 members of Bricket Wood Coven added the solstices and equinoxes to their calendar to increase the number and frequency of celebrations. Gerald Gardner, the coven's high priest at the time, was on holiday on the Isle of Man when the coven increased the number of celebrations, but he did not mind, as in his opinion this change served to further their alignment with the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids, a style of Neo-druidism created and promoted by Ross Nichols, Gardner's friend.

There are no records that prior to the birth of Wicca all eight of the festivals were ever observed by anyone, anywhere.

Herbal Correspondences for Witchcraft and Wiccan Magick

Magical Herb Correspondences
Herbs, resins, and other organic materials can be used in a variety of forms such as their natural form, dried, or in oils, powders, and incenses. And while there may be differences in the way they are used, the properties of the herbs and resins and their effects remain the same.

Herb applies to a wide range of plants, including: grasses, trees, shrubs, weeds, roots, barks, and the flowers of any plant used for healing, magic spells and rituals, witchcraft, Wicca, or other purposes. Resins are concentrated, partially dehydrated derivatives of the liquid or sap of trees and plants and are commonly used in the same manner as herbs. Animal products like musk and ambergris are used similarly to resins and herbs, but primarily for their scents.
Herbs and their by-products have been used for thousands of years by humans and other animals for healing. Even lower life forms are familiar with the benefits gained through the ingestion or application of certain plants. Likewise with the magical aspects of herbs, only this use is limited to humans. For thousands of years humans have used herbs and herbal concoctions for with the intent of altering their world.
Herbs have many possible uses:
Charms and Sachets
Incense
Bath
Oils
Teas

The correspondences listed here include each herb's botanical name, common name, ruling planet, dominant element, any associated deity, and its magical properties. This list is no way fully comprehensive. It is offered only as a basis for further research and as a CURIO for personal entertainment purposes ONLY.

The first two lists are "quick and dirty" references. The table is a more comprehensive list of the various herbs and their correspondences.
SUN: peony, sunflower, saffron, cinnamon, laurel
MOON: hyssop, rosemary, moonflower, moonwort, garlic
MARS: garlic, tobacco, wolfsbane
MERCURY: fennel/finoccchio, mint, parsley
JUPITER: basil, mint, henbane
VENUS: lavender, vervain, coriander, laurel
SATURN: rue, cummin, hemlock, mandrake

Angelica: Protects from evil.
Ash (wood): Invincibility.
Balm Melissa: All healing. It's reputed to repel illness.
Betony: Protection against evil spirits.
Borage (flowers): Gives courage.
Bracken: Fern seeds gathered at midsummer are golden and were user to make the wearer invisible and also bring gold.
Briar Rose: Protects from bites of dogs or snakes.
Clover (flowers and leaves): Brings good luck and assists with clairvoyance.
Daisy: Innocence and love.
Dill: Love.
Eglantine (sweet briar): Pleasure.
Elder (use only twigs, do not cut tree): Revered by the Ancients; Elder brings wisdom, joy and delight.
Elm: Childbirth (it is associated with Embla, the first woman in Norse mythology).
Fennel: A sacred herb held in great respect by the Ancients. Wards off evil spirits, bestows strength, courage, and prolongs life.
Harebell: The flower of witches, who used its juice as part of their flying ointment. It is associated with seeing fairies, goblins and earth spirits. It was also thought to bring bad luck..
Hawthorn: Marriage and fertility (not a very attractive smell).
Hay: Pregnancy and fertility.
Hazel (use wood): Sacred in Celtic mythology for fertility and immortality. Wards off rheumatism. This is one of the most popular woods for making sorcerer's wands and dowsing rods.
Heather: Luck.
Honeysuckle: Fidelity and affection. Those who wear it will dream of their own true love.
House Leek (chicks and hens): Keeps evil away and the wearer will never be struck by lightning.
Hyssop (hyacinth): Purifying, cleansing.
Jasmine: Attraction.
Lady's Mantle: For women's problems. Use the pearl of dew that gathers on the leaves at dawn. Causes change in your life, brings luck. Aids spirituality.
Lavender: relaxing and stress relieving.
Lilac: Luck, love.
Lily of the Valley: Counters spells, attracts fairies.
Marjoram: Peace, happiness, joy.
May flowers: The base of the old wild magick. May flowers bring both adventure and chaos into your life.
Mint: Sharpens the mind.
Mistletoe: Energy, fertility, immortality.
Mulberry: Headaches.
Mullein: Asthma, protection from evil.
Nettle: One of the nine sacred herbs of the Anglo Saxons. Protection against demons and evil spells.
Oak : A sacred plant. Protection by the gods, strength, long life.
Onion: Protection against lung illnesses, colds, flu, and the plague, fends off evil spirits.
Orchids: Desire.
Peony wood: A powerful charm against evil.
Poppy: A charm to assist those bewitched into love.
Primrose: Used by the Ancients to see fairies.
Rose: Pure love.
Rosemary: Good memory, friendship, fidelity.
Rue: Luck and protection against the evil eye, freedom.
Saffron: Aphrodisiac.
Sage: Longevity, prosperity (do not cut this plant with metal).
Snowdrop: Used to quicken the passing of sorrow.
Sow Thistle: Increases strength and stamina, repels witches, invisibility from enemies.
St Johns Wort: Considered the most potent of herbs for driving away evil spirits and spells.
Strawberry: Sensuality.
Sweet pea: Good fortune.
Thyme: Relives giddiness and nightmares.
Violet: Love, humility, honesty, virtue.
Walnut: Robs an evil spirit of mobility, repels insects. It is the tree of Jupiter and brings the Gods' blessings.
Wheat: Gaia's blessings, as it contains the spirit of the earth and harvest. Used for growth and fertility.
Willow: To ease sorrow and the loss of a love.
Yew: A sacred tree. Protection against evil. Do not cut the tree, gather only from the ground.

Moon Rituals, Spells, and Magic

The position of the Moon determines and helps you choose the best time to perform certain rituals. What follows are some of the most current and useful correspondences. Here is some new and relevant information you can use to guide you in your endeavors.


Waxing Moon:All rituals for cures. Positive magic. A good period for increasing love, prosperity, luck, growth, sexual desire, wealth.

Full Moon:To increase psychic gifts, extrasensory faculties and spirituality. All invocations involving the lunar deities, spirits, fertility, transformation and prophetic dreams are favored.

Waning Moon:Best for exorcising negative influences, breaking bad habits, losing weight and getting rid of people whose influence is not beneficial in your life.

New Moon:It is better to abstain from calling upon energies during the New Moon.

Moon in Aries:Good for increasing your authority and leadership. Traditionally, it was at this period that one called upon the gods of war.

Moon In Taurus:Good for practicing rituals pertaining to the purchase of a house, the acquisition of goods, an increase in your wealth and prosperity.

Moon In Gemini:Good for magic spells dealing with communication, public relations and writing.

Moon In Cancer:Good for honoring lunar deities, spells for protection of your home and its goods and for calling upon the familiar spirits for a peaceful family life.

Moon In Leo:Excellent for rituals and spells that affect an increase in your social role, courage and male fertility.

Moon In Virgo:Excellent for obtaining employment, increasing intellectual faculties and improving health.

Moon In Libra:A good time for spells dealing with creativity, justice, legal problems and acquiring a spiritual, karmic or emotive balance.

Moon In Scorpio:This is an excellent period for spells and rituals involving the regulation of sexual problems, accelerating psychic growth and for success in major transformations.

Moon In Sagittarius:Good time for voyages, displacements, sports activities and spells and rituals used to increase one's capacity to recognize the truth.

Moon In Capricorn:A good time for spells and rituals used for increasing ambition, recognition and career advancement; a favorable time for politics.

Moon In Aquarius:A time for increasing creative faculties, artistic direction, supporting freedom, friendship and ending harmful practices.

Moon In Pisces:Excellent time for spells and rituals dealing with dreams, discernment, all extrasensory faculties and musical and artistic continuations in general.

Astral Color Correspondences for Astrology, Spells, and Magic

Astrological Color Correspondences symbolize the astral-physical relationships of the ruling stars and planets within our earthly realm. They represent the influences exerted upon our lives by the movements of the stars and planets and the corresponding colors that are in accordance with those movements and their subsequent effects.

Color correspondences are just one more valuable ingredient in any astrological reading of a horoscope or interpretation of zodiac influences, but they are equally important when combining astrology with a magic spell or ritual. The appropriate colors for a particular astrological sign, zodiac sigil, or horoscope chart when combined with a spell or incantation can be included to symbolize the intent or purpose of the spell being cast. The traditional associations for particular colors as listed on this page are intended to provide the historical, traditional correspondences of color as employed over the last few centuries.

Astrological Color Correspondences symbolize the astral-physical relationships of the ruling stars and planets within our earthly realm. They represent the influences exerted upon our lives by the movements of the stars and planets and the corresponding colors that are in accordance with those movements and their subsequent effects.
Color correspondences are just one more valuable ingredient in any astrological reading of a horoscope or interpretation of zodiac influences, but they are equally important when combining astrology with a magic spell or ritual. The appropriate colors for a particular astrological sign, zodiac sigil, or horoscope chart when combined with a spell or incantation can be included to symbolize the intent or purpose of the spell being cast. The traditional associations for particular colors as listed on this page are intended to provide the historical, traditional correspondences of color as employed over the last few centuries.

Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb 18): Sky Blue
Pisces (Feb 19-Mar 20): Lavender
Aries (Mar 21-Apr 19): Red
Taurus (Apr 20-May 20): Green
Gemini (May 21-Jun 21): Pink
Cancer (Jun 22-Jul 22): Silver
Leo (Jul 23-Aug 22): Gold
Virgo (Aug 23-Sep 22): Navy
Libra (Sep 23-Oct 22): Green
Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov 21): Red
Sagittarius (Nov 22-Dec 21): Navy
Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan19): Brown

Color Correspondences for Spells and Magic

Color Correspondences must always be taken into consideration when creating and casting magic spells. Colors, symbols, and scents are important parts of every magic spell, as they stimulate the senses and set the overall ambience. Proper use of these key elements contributes to the effectiveness of every spell and magickal ritual.

White: A balance of all colors, effective for spiritual enlightenment, purification, protection, cleansing, clairvoyance, healing, truth seeking; rituals involving lunar energy; may be substituted for any other candle color
Yellow: Activity, creativity, drawing, pulling, compelling, and unity. Yellow brings the power of concentration and imagination to a successful ritual: used in rituals when you wish to gain another's confidence or persuade someone or in rituals that require solar energy.
Gold: Fosters understanding and attracts the power of cosmic forces; beneficial in rituals intended to bring about fast money or riches
Pink: Promotes romance and friendship; standard color for rituals intended to bring affection; a color of femininity, honor, service; brings friendly, lively conversation to a dinner table.
Orange: Charges and recharges intellect; combine with any other candle to stimulate their actions; for rituals stipulating Mercury
Turquoise: Healing, Prosperity, Peace, and Growth Peach: Strength, Protection, Confidence, and Communication
Rose: Maintaining Health, Patience, Passion, and Peace
Orchid: Physical Energy, Happiness, Power, and Healing
Violet: Spirituality, Friendship, Relaxation, and Peace
Chartreuse: Confidence, Prosperity, Travel, and Growth
Red: Health, passion, love, fertility, strength, courage, will power; increases magnetism in rituals; draws Aries and Scorpio energy
Silver: Removes negativity and encourages stability; helps develop psychic abilities; attracts the influence of the Mother Goddess.
Purple: Power, success, idealism, psychic manifestations; ideal for rituals to secure ambitions, independence, financial rewards, or to make contact with the spiritual other world; increase Neptune energy
Magenta: Combination of red and violet that oscillates on a height frequency; energizes rituals where immediate action and high levels of power or spiritual healing are required.
Brown: Earthly, balanced color; for rituals of material increase; eliminates indecisiveness; improves powers of concentration, study, telepathy; increases financial success; locates objects that have been lost.
Indigo: Color of inertia, stops situations, or people. Indigo is used in rituals that require a deep meditation state or in rituals that demand Saturn energy.
Royal Blue: Promotes laughter and joviality; color of loyalty; use to attract Jupiter energy, or whenever and influence needs to be increased.
Light Blue: Spiritual color; helpful in devotional or inspirational meditations; brings peace and tranquility to the home; radiates Aquarius energy; employ where a situation must be synthesized.
Blue: Primary spiritual color; for rituals to obtain wisdom, harmony, inner light, or peace; confers truth and guidance.
Emerald Green: Important component in Venusian's rituals; attracts love, social delights and fertility.
Dark Green: Color of ambition, greed and jealousy; counteracts these influences in a ritual.
Green: Promotes prosperity, abundance, and success; stimulates rituals for good luck, money, harmony, rejuvenation.
Gray: Neutral color, useful when pondering complex issues during meditation; in magic, this color often sparks confusion; it also negates or neutralizes a negative influence.
Black: Opens up the deeper levels of the unconscious; use in rituals to induce a deep meditation state, or to banish evil or negativity as in uncrossing rituals; attracts Saturn energy.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Witchcraft Magic Spells

The word ‘witch’ is a part of the larger word witchcraft. ‘Witch’ means magic maker. So witchcraft is the art or craft of making magic. Modern witchcraft is now closer to wicca, which besides meaning ‘wise’ also means to ‘bend’. The word ‘ bend’ brings witchcraft closer to magic or spells.
Every human heart is filled with needs, dreams and desires. They may relate to health, wealth, love, marriage, revenge, fame, success, sex, litigation, rivalry, home, job, cars, tours and travels. The list can be as long and as varied as the human needs and desires are. We make every effort including witchcraft and spells to achieve our aims.
Witchcraft magic spells are an irresistible and dominating influence, which wields great power over the animate and even inanimate objects of the natural world. Spells are a potent tool of the witchcraft. Spells may be used in many forms. They can be used as love spells, lost love spells, sleep spells and so on.
Spells are a form of magic. They can empower you to achieve your aims and transform your life from one of deprivation to that of opulence and luxury, from ugliness to beauty and charm. Witchcraft magic spells are cast by observing certain rituals like the ritual of the pentagram.
The first step of the ritual involves casting a circle and calling the quarters to perform the Qabalistic Cross. The second step is to inscribe the circle. In the third step you invoke the Archangels of the Four Quarters. The last step is to perform the Qabalistic Cross Again.
Spells can be good or evil. It is the responsibility of the practitioner of spells not to misuse them in a negative way, to harm others or do something against the will of God. He can, of course, use them in a positive way for his own good and also for the good of others. The practitioner of witchcraft magic spells cannot escape the responsibility of the consequences of his actions.

Wicca

When witchcraft is practised as a religion, it is called by the Old English term for witch, Wicca. This term is used to counter all the negative stereotypes that society has given witchcraft. Wicca is primarily a religion that worships nature, and sees all creation as sacred. In fact, all Wiccan holy days follow the cycles of nature and the changes in the seasons. Wicca also worships both a male and female deity, a female Goddess and a male God, who had together created the world and everything in it.

Black and White Witchcraft
Witchcraft is neither black nor white. Witchcraft is a religion that respects Mother Nature and She is neither completely positive or completely negative, this is the same for witches.

Witchcraft Spells
Spells are used by Wiccans, and are a series of rituals and prayers that are conducted in witchcraft to ask for divine help in a certain aspect of life. All spells must adhere to the Wiccan Rede, the witchcraft code of conduct, meaning that any spells used to manipulate, dominate or control another person is forbidden. In witchcraft, spells may also be changed or adapted to suit a Wiccan’s personality or specific wishes in casting the spell. In this site there are a range of free spells to practise at home.

Witchcraft Book - The Book of Shadows
A good Book of Shadows will serve as a witch craft reference guide a place where you keep tables and correspondences, spells and rituals that you’d like to try, divinatory meanings and many other things of that nature.

The Wiccan Rules (Rede)
The Wiccan Rede is the rule of conduct that all witches must follow while practising witchcraft. It rules that a witch may engage in any action, as long as it is carefully considered, and their actions harm nobody, including themselves. Witchcraft is ruled by the Threefold Law, which is the belief that any action taken by any witch that affects another person, will come back to the witch threefold, whether it be harm or good.

Friday, March 20, 2009

HOW YOU CAN TELL WHAT PHASE THE MOON IS IN

To tell whether the Moon is waxing or waning is fairly simple. Basically, all you have to do is go outside at sundown and take a look -- if you don't see the moon then, you will have to go outside later at night and check again, or check during the day:
If the Moon is already up in the sky in the evening, when the Sun goes down, then the Moon is waxing. Every night it will rise a little later in the day and look a little fuller. At Full Moon it will rise almost exactly when the Sun sets.
If the Moon is not already up in the sky when night falls, but instead rises long after sunset, or if you see it faintly during the day, then the Moon is waning. Every day it will rise a little later and look a little thinner. At New Moon it will rise almost exactly when the Sun does, but you won't be able to see it at all.

New Moon


Finally, growing smaller still, the moon has waned completely and it vanishes. This is called the Dark of the Moon or New Moon -- and it is reserved for dark works and dedications to dark deities. On the night of the New Moon you will see no Moon at all, no matter how long you stay up and watch, because...

The New Moon (Dark Moon)
rises at sunrise
and sets at sunset.
Waxing Moon Again
About 3-4 days after the true Dark of the Moon you will see a tiny sliver of a Moon like a fingernail paring appear in the sky at sunset near where the Sun has gone down. Some people call this the First Crescent. Others call it the Siva Moon, because the Hindu god Siva is shown with a thin crescent moon in his hair. This is the time to begin waxing, drawing, attracting or growth spells.
The First Crescent
rises a little bit after sunrise
and sets a little bit after sunset.
After that, the Moon grows (or waxes) to a nice, "Man in the Moon" type Crescent Moon. You can continue to do waxing, drawing, increasing, or growth spells. And that's where we started out, with the Waxing Crescent Moon.

Waning Moon







After its 14 days of waxing, culminating with the Full Moon, the entire process is reversed and the Moon decreases in apparent size. After about 3 days of appearing to be more or less full, the moon slowly begins to visibly go dark on the right side, while the left side stays the same disk-shape as it had when it was Full. This is the Waning Gibbous Moon -- it looks perfectly round on the left side, but bulged out past half-way on the right. This is the time to begin waning, repelling, decreasing, or reversing spells.



The Waning Gibbous Moon
rises in the early evening
and sets some time after sunrise.
Every night the Moon rises in the East a little later and the thickness of the Waning Gibbous gets thinner, until the shape of the Moon is half a circle. This is the Last Quarter, also called by some people the Third Quarter or Waning Half Moon. It is dark on the right and bright on the left. You can continue to do waning, repelling, decreasing, or reversing spells.
The Waning Last Quarter Moon
rises about at midnight
and sets about at noon.
As the shape continues to shrink, night by night, the Moon becomes a Waning Crescent; the dark side is to your right, more or less, and the bright Crescent is to your left. You can continue to do waning, repelling, decreasing, or reversing spells. This is a powerful time to take off curses or to send evil back to the one who sent it to you.
The Waning Crescent Moon
rises between midnight and dawn,
but fades out when the Sun comes up.

Full Moon


It takes about 14 days of growing bigger for the moon to grow or wax completely full -- that night you will see the Full Moon rise as a perfect circular disk. This is the Light of the Moon, and it is reserved for light works and dedications to benevolent lunar deities. It is used for celebrations and prayers for peace.


The Full Moon
rises almost exactly at sunset
and sets almost exactly at the next sunrise.

Waxing Moon







WAXING MOON



Let's start with a Waxing Crescent Moon, the kind that looks like a Man in a Moon drawing or a cute Christmas tree ornament with a smiling face and a long white beard. When the Moon is a Waxing Crescent; the dark side is to your left, more or less, and the bright Crescent is to your right. (Sometimes the Moon is tipped a little, so it may not be exactly right or left, but you will know what i mean if you go outside and look at it.) You can use this time to perform waxing, drawing, increasing, or growth spells.


The Waxing Crescent Moon
rises after sunrise and sets after sunset --
it is only seen in the night sky for a short time after the sun goes down.
Every night the Moon rises in the East a little later and the thickness of the Waxing Crescent gets fatter, until the shape of the Moon is half a circle. This is the First Quarter, also called by some people the Waxing Half Moon. It is dark on the left and bright on the right. You can continue to do waxing, drawing, increasing, or growth spells.
The Waxing First Quarter Moon
rises about at noon
and sets about at midnight.
After that, the Moon starts to look like it is pregnant -- it is perfectly round on the right side, but bulged out past half-way on the left. This is the Waxing Gibbous Moon. You can continue to do waxing, drawing, increasing, or growth spells.
The Waxing Gibbous Moon
rises in the middle of the afternoon
and sets before well before sunrise.

How to Work Magic Spells by the Moon

Magic spells and rootwork that are worked to increase or expand something -- love spells to draw someone to you, money spells to attract wealth, Crown of Success spells to advance a career and bring you the most recognition on the job or in school, spells to increase business or draw customers to your shop, and honey jar spells to sweeten someone to you -- are often begun or worked entirely while the moon is waxing or growing bigger in apparent size. Folks who want their hair to grow thick and fast cut their hair when the moon is waxing. People plant crops that are grown for their leaves, flowers, or seeds during the waxing moon.
Magic spells and conjure jobs that are worked to decrease or diminish something -- separation spells and Break Up spells to end a love affair, Hot Foot spells to drive away an unwanted neighbor, Uncrossing spells to take off crossed conditions, and spells for the removal of disease -- are often begun or worked entirely when the moon is waning or growing smaller in apparent size. Folks who want to keep a hairdo and slow down their hair growth cut their hair when the moon is waning. People plant crops that are grown for their roots during the waning moon.
Not everyone times their magic spells or takes their hoodoo ritual baths or plants their garden by the moon, but if you want to do so, you not only need to know how to work with the moon's influences, you need to know the cycles of the moon itself. The Moon goes through an entire cycle of waxing and waning about every 29 days. This is called a Lunar Month or Lunation. There are about 13 Lunar Months in a calendar (or Solar) year.

Glossary Part 2

Allegory
An allegory is a fictional work or artistic expression that has an important symbolic meaning that parallels the literal interpretation.

Archetype
According to Jung "archetypes", or primordial images, make up the collective unconscious (see definition later in this glossary).They correspond to experiences such as confronting death or choosing a life partner and manifest symbolically in religions, myths, fairy tales, and fantasies. A goddess or a god can be considered as a kind of archetype, as can many images within the Tarot.

Charge of the Goddess
The Charge of the Goddess was written by Doreen Valiente. It is a poem, originally found in the Gardnerian Book of Shadows and used widely throughout Wicca.

Christianity
Christianity is a major monotheist world religion that believes Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the saviour of humanity.

Collective Unconscious
Jung believed that on a deep level all humans are connected. The collective unconscious contains elements of our race’s experiences throughout history, it is the place where inhabit the "archetypes". It is thought by some scientists that a collective unconscious may exist in some other mammals.

Demi-god
A being that is half divine.

Elemental forces
Fire, Water, Air and Earth

Equinox
The equinox is a twenty four hour period in spring and autumn when day and night are approximately the same everywhere on Earth. They happen on or around the 21st of March and the 21st of September.

Greater and Lesser Sabbats
The Greater and Lesser Sabbats constitute the annular cycle of Wiccan festivities.
The Greater Sabbats, also known as the Cross Quarter days, are:
Imbolg (variant spellings include Immolg or Imbolc), 2nd Feb
Beltane (variant spellings include Beltaine or Bealtaine), May Eve
Lughnasdh, August Eve
Samhain, November Eve
The Lesser Sabbats are the:
Mid-winter solstice or Yule
Vernal (or spring) equinox or Eostre or Ostara
Mid-summer solstice or Litha
Autumnal equinox or Mabon

Immanent
In Wicca immanent is a term applied to deity, which is believed to exist in all things throughout the whole of creation.

Judaism
Judaism is the religious culture of the Jews and is one of the oldest religions on Earth.

Karma
Karma is a Sanskrit word that means "actions". It is widely believed in Wicca that what one does comes back with equal force. Right actions equal right experiences. Karma exists on all levels of creation and is one of the principles behind nature. It is often referred to as "perfect balance" and can be personified as a powerful goddess.

Pantheists
Pantheists believe that the God/dess and the material world are one. They see that the God/dess is present in all things.

Pantheon
A pantheon is all the goddesses and gods in the religion or mythology of a particular culture.

Patriarch
A patriarch is a respected male figure, be he a god or a human.

Psyche
The psyche can be considered to be the whole of the human mind on all levels, conscious and unconscious.

Solstice
The Solstices are the longest and shortest days of the year. They happen on or around the 21st of June and the 21st of December.

Transcendent
In Wicca deity is referred to as transcendent as it is generally considered to be unknowable completely. It may be as well that deity exists outside our Universe as well as within it.

Yang
Yang is the light, positive and masculine principle in Chinese philosophy

Yin
Yin is the dark, negative, feminine principle in Chinese philosophy.

The Cleansing Rain

This meditation is especially useful for dealing with stress and worries. One of the biggest barriers towards magical working is anxiety, for when the brain is preoccupied it is difficult to concentrate and there is no space to raise positive energy. It is important to note that the following exercise will not make the things that you are worrying over disappear. What it will do is help you to put them into perspective and allow you the freedom to dispense with them for a period of time. What distinguishes a person who is less stressed than others isn’t the amount or quality of concerns that they have; it is how they deal with these things that counts.
This meditation can be done in various ways; it can be practiced in the shower, during light summer rain or as a visualisation in the comfort of a chair. Here I give the method for the latter, although it will be obvious how it can be adapted to the other two situations. Remember, Water represents negative, passive energy and is seen as having feminine qualities.
Light a candle in your meditation space. Use sandalwood or jasmine to perfume the air if you wish. Find a comfortable place to sit (lying down is not an option). Breathe in for nine, hold for seven and breathe out for nine. Repeat this cycle for a few minutes.
When you are ready, imagine that a light warm shower of rain is rhythmically pouring down upon your head and shoulders. Think of the things that have been bothering you. As you do so see the worries pour from your mind, down with the water and through your arms and legs, until eventually they seep through your hands and feet into the ground. Don’t be tempted to try to force them out. Don’t wish anyone or anything bad will -this is very important as it can have effects that can greatly complicate your life. As your worries flow with the rain, say “I release you and allow you to pass harmlessly into infinity.” Notice that it is you that is allowing the releasing into infinity and no-one else. It is you that has the control over the release process.
By releasing your worries and your fears you are beginning to let go of the hold that you have allowed for them to have over you. Some of you may be resistant to this notion at first. That is OK, such a reaction is normal. You will find, though, that it is very empowering to realise that you are part of your problem. By changing your behaviour, you will change your relationship to the source of your stress, and this in turn will then subtly change the dynamic of a situation in your favour.
As you feel the tension subside, see rays of sunshine appear through the clouds. Imagine a rainbow of shimmering light form in the sky. Know that this is a positive sign.
When you feel that you have given enough time to the outpouring of your anxieties become aware of your breathing again. Breathe in for nine, hold for seven and breathe out for nine. Repeat this pattern for a few minutes.

Spell: Cleansing
First a word about spells:
It is generally true to say that the best spells are the ones that a witch writes for themselves. This somewhat negates the importance of books that provide collections of spells for set purposes, you know the kind of thing; 101 Love Potions, 50 Spells To Make You Wealthy etc. However, witches need to learn how spells function, what they look and sound like, the possibilities of various techniques, and so on. One of the best ways to do this is to provide the trainee with some basics that they can then go away and adapt. There will be much more information about spells in a later lesson on magic in Wicca Revealed as well as advanced spell material that is to be found in the Advanced Wicca Course.

The Importance of Cleansing
Cleansing a space is very important as it frees the atmosphere from the residues of energy and events that have taken place within it. The amount of cleansing done will depend on the individual. Some witches like to cleanse their living space at regular intervals to keep it “psychically fresh” whilst others reserve the cleansing process for a traumatic event. However, all witches use cleansing regularly in their magical space. This is important as magic is difficult to effect in places where the witch feels uncomfortable and under negative influences. Cleansing works by giving the witch the sense that they control the psychic happenings in the area that they have chosen to work in. Whether one explains this purely as psychology or as the magical control of occult forces makes little difference. The fact is, it is believed to work, and, as you will learn throughout this course, belief is one of the most important keys to magical working. The method of ground and centre, will, visualise, bless, seal, release (in varying combinations or with one or two additions) is common to all spell work.

Ground and Centre
Before starting any magical work it is important to use the technique of grounding and centring. A quick way to do this is to visualise a bright beam of light that stretches from just above your head down through your spine and into the ground. Allow yourself to feel the exchange of energy between you and the Earth and centre yourself upon the balance of energies, breathing in and out slowly as you do so. This will have the effect of harmonising energy within you before you start the spell work.

Will
Next set your intention. What is it that you want to will to be done? In effect this is setting your goal; try to be as specific as possible. An appropriate intention for this spell could be expressed as:
“I charge that this space shall be cleansed of all harmful negativity. I cast it from this place so that it returns safely to the Goddess who may recycle it as she sees fit.”

Visualise
Hold your right arm in front of you and point your index finger at the centre of the space you wish to cleanse. Now visualise a bright clear white light shooting forth from your finger. See the light entering the area and fill it completely. As you do this concentrate (but don’t strain) on seeing the negativity completely dissipate.

Bless
Blessing is very important -it creates good feeling in all who hear it, including the speaker, and affirms the work in hand.
“I bless this space and all who come to be in it. May the light forever fill it and them.”

Seal
Now seal the spell by uttering words of power. A favourite of Wiccans is “So mote it be”.

Release
A quick way of releasing energy is to imagine that bright light pours from your hands and feet down to the ground. For those of you who live in high rises it is important to see it dissipating into the Earth below the building. You can also use the Tree Meditation from Lesson One to get rid of any energy left floating around from the spell.

A Variety of Goddesses and Gods

Goddesses

Aradia
Aradia is perhaps the most popular name for the Goddess in Wicca. According to the Vangelo delle Streghe she was the daughter of Diana and Lucifer and became the messenger of her Great Mother. Diana told her that “I have come to sweep away the bad, the men of evil all will I destroy”[10] and proceeded to educate her in witchcraft. She told Aradia to battle against social injustices by teaching fellow witches how to poison great lords in their palaces as well as how to conjure tempests to ruin crops of rich peasants. Diana gives Aradia her anti-establishment stance, typified by her attitude towards the church, which she regards as being an embodiment of all that is evil. Her education complete, Aradia is exhorted to go out and found the secret society of witches. Her vengeful qualities have been tempered somewhat by her transmission through Gardnerian Wicca, and Aradia is now most commonly regarded as a nature goddess and seen as a complement to Cernunnos, Herne or Pan.

Arianrhod
The pretty Welsh name of Arianrhod means “Silver Wheel”. Only one story of her has survived -the Romance of Math in the Mabinogion. This portrays her as abandoning her sons, Dylan and Lleu Llaw Gyffes, as well as holding power over the latter by preventing him from bearing arms. However, her name hints at a nature greater than at first seems evident, for the circumpolar stars that never set and are known as Caer Arianrhod (Castle of the Silver Wheel). These stars don’t obey the seeming ever changing laws of the heavens; the Moon has her phases, the Sun his cycles, but these turning stars never set. Because of this some Wiccans use them to symbolise the resting place of souls between incarnations. By this association Arianrhod has become a goddess of reincarnation. Further, because she has sons, she was likely intended to be a goddess of birth and the fact she could withhold weapons from her children perhaps symbolises the power over initiation into manhood [11].

Hecate
Hecate is perhaps most famous for being a protectoress of witches and is most typically portrayed as a goddess of the Underworld and strongly associated with magic, especially that of the darker variety. Originally she was regarded as the daughter of the Titans, Perses and Asteria, although a later tradition says she was born of Zeus and Hera. Traditionally she was the guardian of mariners and herds of sheep. Her three faced image, known as a Triple Hecate, was often placed at crossroads in ancient times, where offerings were left to her on the eve of the Full Moon. Her symbols include the key and the flaming torch, as her wisdom is supposed to unlock and illumine all mysteries. Her totem animal is a black dog. As the dark goddess she is particularly associated with the Crone.

Demeter and Persephone
The Greek myth of Demeter and Persephone (also known as Kore) is famous throughout the world. Demeter was a great corn goddess who doted on her beautiful daughter, Persephone, and together they tended the Earth causing vegetation to grow. Unknown to either of them Hades, god of the Underworld, had become consumed with desire for Persephone and one day kidnapped her and dragged her down to his realm. Not knowing what had happened to her daughter, Demeter was desolate and despairing. She went and consulted Hecate, the great Crone, who advised that she contact Helios, the Sun god, who could see all things. Helios blamed Zeus (the King of the Gods) saying that he had granted Persephone to Hades. In an attempt to force Zeus to command the release of her daughter, Demeter refused to let crops grow and the land became barren. Zeus finally gave in and commanded Hades to release Persephone. However, before she left, Hades persuaded her to eat some pomegranate seeds, a symbol of a marriage that could not be revoked. To save the situation Zeus proposed a compromise where Persephone would live for two thirds of the year with Demeter above ground and one third of the year below. Rhea, Demeter’s mother, persuaded her to accept this deal and she agreed that while her daughter was with her crops and plants would be able to grow.

Bride, also known as Brighid, Brigid, Brigit and Brid
Bride is an Irish goddess of fertility, inspiration and healing, who was the daughter of the Dagda the supreme god of Celtic mythology. She is often shown as a triple goddess. She is ruler of arts and crafts and especially the skills of poetry, smith craft and medicine. Music is also sacred to her and she was a patron of the Bards. She is often likened to the spirit of the grain and corn dollies are traditionally made to honour and represent her. Her festival is La Fheila Bride or Candlemas, celebrated at the beginning of February.

Isis and her consort Osiris
Isis[12] was originally a goddess of agriculture. She was the daughter of the Earth god Geb and the sky goddess Nut, her sister was Nephthys and her brothers were Horus the Elder, Osiris and Set. Isis married her brother, Osiris, and together they taught the Egyptians all the arts and sciences of civilisation. This was much to the distaste of Set who flew into a jealous rage at their success and plotted his brother’s downfall. One story recounts how he produced an amazing decorated chest made in the shape of a man. He threw a party and all the male guests tried to see if they would fit, yet none did. It was then Osiris’ turn and to his surprise he found he fitted perfectly. No sooner had he lain down than Set slammed closed the heavy lid and threw the coffin in the Nile so that Osiris would drown. The grieving Isis, in the shape of a white bird, hunted high and low for the body of her consort. Eventually she found the coffin in the roots of a tree on the island of Byblos. Unfortunately Set recaptured her husband and this time cut his body into fourteen pieces which he scattered to the far corners of the land. Weeping bitterly Isis eventually hunted all the pieces down, except for his phallus which had been eaten by a Nile crab. After magically restoring his body and remaking his penis she was then able to conceive Horus the Younger. Thereafter Osiris became Lord of the Dead and Horus his incarnation on Earth. The cult of Osiris, Isis and Horus became the most widespread and popular in Ancient Egypt. Isis gradually absorbed the qualities of most other goddesses, becoming something of a universal deity.


Gods

Cernunnos
Cernunnos is perhaps the foremost of male divinities that witches draw upon and yet he is one of the most shady and difficult to define. He was a member of the Celtic pantheon and it is likely that he was intended to represent the spirit of horned animals, something that the snake like creature with rams' horns often found by his side seems to emphasise. In particular he was probably associated with the stag. Cernunnos may also have been seen as of a noble class and perhaps a god of fertility. Seated on the ground in a cross legged fashion his posture seems almost meditative. However, no-one can be completely certain of these things as there are few written records and any assertions about his nature are based on depictions found on cave walls, vessels and sculptures. The earliest of these seems to have been found at Val Camonica in Italy and dates from the C4th BCE, whilst the best known is on the Gundestrup cauldron found in Denmark which dates to the 1st century BCE[13]. Such works give the geographical range of his worship which would have stretched from Italy to Scandinavia. That he must have meant much the same to the Celts wherever he was worshipped is evidenced by the consistency of the portrayals. He is nearly always found as an older man with a beard and because he wears a torc the viewer is lead to an impression that he has a great stature within the community of deities. When coupled with a coin filled purse, often on or near his person, he seems to be a character of great wealth. For witches he is often seen as a symbol of maleness and an embodiment of the Horned God[14].

Lugh
Lugh ( pronounced "loo") is an Irish god from Ireland's mythological past who is often portrayed as a great monarch and hero. His father and mother's marriage was likely designed to ease tensions between his father's tribe the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Formorians who were his mother's people. When he reached manhood Lugh travelled to Tara to join the court of King Nuada of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He was eventually given command over the Tuatha Dé, and set about waging a successful campaign against the oppressive Fomorians, finally freeing the Tuatha De Danann from tyranny[15]. It is likely that Lughnasadh originally celebrated this victory, although some say Lugh created this festival in memory of his foster-mother, Tailtiu. Legend has it that the event was held on 1st August at the town that bore her name, which is now known as Teltown in County Meath[16]. As Lugh became mythologized he was associated with kingship, the Sun, trade, craftsmanship, tricksters, youthful exuberance and shining light. He also became a harvest god[17] and Lugnasadh seems to have turned into a celebration of his triumph over the Spirits of the Other World who had tried to keep the August crops for themselves. In this form the event survived long into Christian times and has been revived under a variety of names today. Modern Wicca has a variant of this festival, although its character has a slightly different flavour than the original celebrations, which would have been funereal and martial[18]. Lúnasa is the Irish name for the month of August.

Herne
Herne the Hunter is a ghost or monster associated with Windsor Great Park. He is perhaps a manifestation of the Horned God which can be based on connecting his name to the deity Cernunnos and the fact that they are both depicted as being antlered.
Perhaps the earliest account of this figure is from Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor in 1597:
“Sometime a keeper here in Windsor Forest, Doth all the winter-time, at still midnight, Walk round about an oak, with great ragg'd horns; And there he blasts the tree, and takes the cattle, And makes milch-kine yield blood, and shakes a chain In a most hideous and dreadful manner. You have heard of such a spirit, and well you know The superstitious idle-headed eld Receiv'd, and did deliver to our age, This tale of Herne the Hunter for a truth.”

Pan
To Wiccans Pan is a powerful god and an archetype of male virility and sexuality. In Greek mythology he is the guardian of shepherds and their flocks. Like a satyr he has the hindquarters, legs, and horns of a goat. In some legends he is the son of Zeus and in others the son of Hermes. His mother is said to be a nymph. Pan is famous for his sexual prowess, and often depicted with an erect phallus. His horns and cloven hooves were used by Christian artists and writers as a basis for the images of demons and Satan. Pan is also famous for his pipes and once challenged Apollo, the god of the lyre, to a musical contest. The gods agreed that Tmolus, the mountain-god, would adjudicate. Pan produced a lilting melody that both he and his companion Midas enjoyed. Then Apollo ran his fingers through his lyre and Tmolus immediately gave the victory to Apollo. Unfortunately for him, Midas disagreed with the outcome and complained. Apollo would not put up with such defective hearing and gave Midas the ears of a donkey[19].

Tammuz
An ancient Babylonian myth relates that Tammuz[20] was the King of Uruk and consort of the goddess Ishtar. When out hunting he was gouged by a wild boar and mortally wounded. He fell to the realm of Death which was ruled by the goddess Allat, sister of Ishtar. Grieving, his wife decided to brave the dark land of the Underworld and search for her beloved partner. She descended through seven gates and finally arrived at the realm of her sister. Eventually Ishtar convinced Allat to release Tammuz, as well as all the other spirits of the deceased. From this moment on the cycle of death and rebirth began. The myth has several layers of meaning relating not only to the mysteries of regeneration, but the cycle of the seasons and Spirit’s entry into the world of matter.

Balder
Balder[21], sometimes known as Baldur, was the Scandinavian god of light and joy. He was the son of Odin and Frigg who were king and queen of the gods. Frigg had a dream that Balder’s life was threatened and resolved to make sure that he was safe. She extracted an oath from all the forces and beings in nature that they would not harm her son. Unfortunately she forgot to bind the mistletoe to this oath. The gods were joyful at the news that Balder was safe and by way of a celebration threw stones and darts at him. However, the wicked trickster god Loki put a twig of mistletoe in the hands of Balder’s twin, the blind god of darkness, Hoder. Laughingly Loki asked him to throw it at his brother who fell to the ground, mortally wounded with a piercing to his heart. After Balder’s demise, the messenger Hermod, another of his brothers, was sent by Odin to the underworld to plead for his return. It was agreed that the god would be set free on condition that all things in the world would mourn for him. On hearing that everyone was to display their grief Loki disguised himself as a giantess and refused to take part, as a result the terms of the agreement were not met and Balder was prevented from returning to life.


Footnotes
[10] Charles G. Leland, op. cit., p.5.
[11] See Robert Graves, The White Goddess, p.318 for information baout Celtic women giving arms to young males. Also pp.304-13 for the romance of Lew Llaw Gyffes.
[12] On the Isis and Osiris myth see Sir James Frazer, The Golden Bough, Clarendon Press, 2000 pp.364-8.
[13] The Gundestrup cauldron was found in Himmerland, Denmark, 1891 and is currently housed in the Danish National Museum, Copenhagen.
[14] See http://www.pantheon.org/areas/mythology/europe/celtic/articles.html for many articles on Celtic deities.
[15] An account of Lugh's decisive campaign can be found in the Cath Maige Tuireadh or Battle of Magh Tuireadh here http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T300010/index.html
[16] On this see Graves, op.cit., p.302.
[17] Ibid, p.301
[18] Ibid, p.302
[19] Artwork depicting this famous story can be found here http://www.uwm.edu/Course/mythology/0600/apollo.htm
[20] On Tammuz see Frazer, Ibid, pp.325-6.
[21] An excellent source for the Baldur myth is The Prose Edda, which can be found at http://www.northvegr.org/lore/prose/index.php

The Goddess and God and a Wiccan Creation Myth

One of the key sources for modern witchcraft is nineteenth century American folklorist, Charles G. Leland’s, Aradia, Gospel of the Witches[4]. This work was used by Gerald Gardner as a foundation for his development of the Wiccan religion and led Doreen Valiente to declare that it was “probably the first major influence (on the lineage of modern witchcraft) in relatively modern times”[5]. She was to take Leland’s translation and use it as a source of inspiration for writing The Charge of the Goddess, which is one of the more important ritual constituents in traditional Wicca based on a Gardnerian model. However, the work is not without controversy. Leland asserted that he had found a surviving witch cult in the Tuscan mountains of Italy, near Siena, that he proposed had survived there from ancient times. He based his work on a manuscript known as the Vangelo delle Streghe (Gospel of the Witches) that he said had been given to him by a woman called Maddalena -whether this individual existed or not is a moot point. The Vangelo is widely considered to be fraudulent by modern historians, although whether Maddalena or Leland was the culprit continues to be debated[6]. However, all scholars agree that Leland’s claims of an ancient lineage of witchcraft have no basis in fact[7]. Wiccan attitudes about the work are varied. Some believe it to be true whilst others see that, while it may well be a forgery, this doesn’t necessarily undermine its value as a creation myth or as a source for Wiccan rituals.
Although written in a naïve style the Vangelo contains an allegorical creation story called How Diana Made the Stars and the Rain[8]. This can be interpreted in a variety of ways by different Wiccan traditions, and the student will likely want to explore this document and come to their own conclusions. For the moment though we offer our own interpretation.
The Vangelo says:
“Diana was the first created before all creation. In her were all things”.
This can be understood that in the beginning there was nothing and that from this state of non-being arose the One. This has resonance with Kabbalistic thought on nothingness and the appearance of a “concentration” or spark of energy, as well as the scientific theory of the Big Bang where a creative flash appeared from nowhere. Scientists believe this flash quickly developed into simple molecular structures such as Hydrogen; there were no stars and darkness reigned. Diana, or the Goddess, can be identified with this initial state, within which there is the potential for all things.
The Vangelo continues:
“Out of herself….She divided herself. Into darkness and light she was divided. Lucifer, her brother and son, herself and her other half, was the light.”
Scientists theorise that over time gravity caused the simple molecules to clump together and eventually form stars. For the first time the Universe had light and darkness and that light was borne from the dark. Furthermore, stars are now seen as the generator of all the other molecules in existence, for when they explode star dust is created out of which planets, and all living things, are formed. This passage is also reminiscent of the ideas of Yin and Yang, the cosmic feminine and masculine principles, whose polemic tension lies behind all creation. The state of the One became dynamic existence when divided into two forces. Diana was the darkness and Lucifer[9] (the God) was the light. This again tallies with the theories of the Kabbalists who posit that the One reflected upon itself to become the Two, and that this was the basis for creation.
The Vangelo goes on:
“And when Diana saw that the light was so beautiful, the light which was her other half, her brother Lucifer, she yearned for it with exceeding great desire. Wishing to receive the light again into her darkness, to swallow it up in rapture, in delight, she trembled with desire. This desire was the Dawn. But Lucifer, the light, fled from her and would not yield to her wishes; he was the light which flies into the most distant parts of heaven, the mouse which flies before the cat.”
This section perhaps shows that the Goddess, who represents the dark feminine Yin force of creation, wanted to experience the light masculine Yang force that the God represents. But she could not, for although the two forces were working closely together, Yin and Yang were not one. Diana therefore consulted with the “fathers of the Beginning...[as well as] the mothers, the spirits who were before the first spirit, and lamented that she could not prevail with Lucifer”.
She was advised that “to rise she must fall. To become the chief of goddesses, she must first become a mortal.” If the Goddess wanted to be joined with the masculine forces of creation she had to enter into manifestation, for only here on the material plane could the the two forces be bound together, and only here could the Goddess and God unite.
And so Diana took the form of a cat and manifested on the material plane to become as one with the God. At first Lucifer was angry, so to maintain this union of creative forces and his love “she hummed the song, it was as the buzzing of bees (or a top spinning round), a spinning wheel spinning life. She spun the lives of all men: all things were spun from the wheel of Diana. Lucifer turned the wheel.”
Put another way the God and Goddess worked together to maintain existence; she provided vibratory energy (the song), whilst he provided spinning motion by turning the wheel. They gave the Universe form and movement; the vibratory energy created the structures and was complimented by a spinning force which maintained them and gave them movement. Together the Goddess and the God can therefore be seen to be the essential nature of existence.


Footnotes
[3] Aleister Crowley, John Symonds and Kenneth Grant ed., The Complete Astrological Writings, 1988, p.42. The Sun crosses the equator at the autumn equinox and dips below it which can be seen as a kind of crucifixion. This, of course, contrasts strongly with the crucifixion of Jesus at Easter, around the time of the vernal equinox.
[4] Published today as Charles G. Leland, Aradia or the Gospel of the Witches, Phoenix Publishing Inc, 1999.
[5] Ibid., quoted on the back cover.
[6] See JB Russell, A History of Witchcraft, Sorcerers, Heretics and Pagans, Thames and Hudson, 1991, pp. 148-52.
[7] See Ronald Hutton, The Triumph of the Moon, A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft, Oxford University Press, 1999, pp. 145-146.
[8] Charles G. Leland, op. cit. pp. 18-20.
[9] It needs to be stated here that this is not the notion of Lucifer in a Christian sense. For Wiccans, Lucifer was the angel of light who fell into existence on the material plane. This descent from Spirit into physical manifestation has nothing whatsoever to do with a descent into evil that rejects goodness.

The Divine Masculine

The idea of a God perhaps owes its existence to the hunt. Generally, in most ancient prehistoric societies, before the discovery of agriculture, it is believed that it was the males that hunted. Dressed in animal skins, and taking on something of the character of their quarry by way of disguise, the hunters would have set out in search of their prey. It was the responsibility of the men to provide life in another sense -the very sustenance upon which the well being of everyone in their group depended. The hunter’s often horned attire likely became a symbol of power. Hunting skills would have been passed down from generation to generation, but it is likely that in many societies they remained an initiatory secret only given to male children of a certain age. The secrets of the hunt, like the inscrutability of child birth, were thus shrouded in mystery. Small wonder too that what the male provided was similarly worshiped and honoured. Wiccans generally think of the God as being part animal, part human and part divine. He therefore encompasses the three natures of human existence.
The God of the Witches is often portrayed as cloven hoofed, with the body of a man and horns sprouting from his head. This composite image has had a difficult ride through the Christian era where he has become for Christians the figure of the Devil or Lucifer, the fallen angel of light. But the associations of this image with evil and darkness are dreadfully misleading. The God is, in fact, intended to show the incarnation of Spirit on the material plane; he therefore represents the descent of Divine Light into the animal kingdom of our human bodies. For Wiccans he is the Lord of Nature. Upright and true, proud and virile like the stag, he fears no-one and serves to protect his kind, laying down his own life if necessary. He is a leader but must bow to the seasonal cycles of the Goddess. As her consort he reveres and honours her, making sure that her needs are taken care of. Quick and sure footed he traverses the lands, running free through the forests, over the plains and upon the hills -he knows no bounds or limitations.
The God is also seen as having a strongly sacrificial nature. This is based on the cycle of the Sun. He begins the road to death directly after his midsummer reign (June 21st) where, having had his longest days and filled the land with light, his power gradually weakens and wanes. His darkest time follows his sacrifice at the autumn equinox (September 22nd) where he crosses the line of the equator and the nights become longer than the days. Aleister Crowley referred to this as his crucifixion[3] where he descends into the gloomy depths of winter in order that Mother Earth may take her repose before her renewal. However, death is but a stage in nature's cycle and the God is triumphantly reborn at the midwinter solstice (December 21st), from which point the days slowly become longer. Finally, he comes again to full strength at the spring equinox (March 21st) where the hours of day are longer than the hours of night and the Goddess re-clothes herself in green. He is often portrayed by sacrificial or dying and resurrected gods, such as Tammuz, Osiris, Dionysus, Jesus and Balder.
But the God is not merely a deity of an annular cycle for he is also able to encompass the stages of a masculine life. He is the new born child, weak and fragile, dependent on others for comfort, yet full of the promise of greater things. As he grows to maturity he is the fecund and randy youth, replete with hormones, vitality and experiment in the passionate and wild revelry of youth. Like Pan he romps through the landscape and this sometimes means that he is given to an excess of physical pleasure, including food, drink, music and sex. Like the trickster Loki he is fond of playing tricks on others and especially enjoys baiting his elders. It is at this delicate stage of development that he needs the firm guiding hand, love and understanding of the mother Goddess and the fatherly God.
However, as he matures he takes on the responsibilities symbolised by the stag and strives to become a worthwhile member of the community. The young male learns to have respect for womankind and begins to take on his role as contributor to the well-being of his family by providing the things necessary for its nourishment and survival, including protecting it from harm. He becomes a leader and a fighter for what is right, just and true. He thus grows to be a worthy partner to the Goddess and can be seen as the kingly Irish god Lugh or the Norse god Odin. In a sense he sacrifices the waywardness of his youth to the betterment of himself and to others. Finally, at the end of his life, he is old and without the physical strength of his youth. Yet, like the Crone, this does not mean that he no longer has a role. Far from it, in fact, as the new generation looks to his experience and wise counsel.
For the male witch he thus provides a model of masculinity that can readily be related to. The God of the Witches is not a “pure” God representing a rarefied form of maleness, beyond all belief that is inevitably impossible to live up to. He takes into account what it means to be truly male, and points the way as to how a man can play a constructive and useful role within the family and society at large. He is not a being that constantly has his head in the stars and his mind on the divine. He is a blend of the physical and the spiritual and resonates with what it means to be a masculine. That such a role model is desperately needed is reflected in the fact that in the most technologically advanced civilisations young males are the group most at risk of committing suicide. Our society has been failing to provide a positive lead to men for some time now and it is no wonder that they often feel a sense of disempowerment and de-motivation, spiralling into despair. For many the Wiccan God has served to provide a solution.
For the female witch the God provides a model of masculinity that she can be comfortable with; he is not a dominant patriarch but an equal complimentary partner with whom she can grow and develop. This stands in marked contrast to nearly every other religion existing today that seeks to subordinate and mould her to a masculine ideal.

Wiccan Attitudes Towards Deity


In Wiccan belief the divine is ultimately seen as one. However, in general, witches believe in the creative polarity of feminine and masculine principles in nature. They therefore commonly think of deity as having a female and male aspect that exist together in a harmonious balance. These beliefs are evident in everything a witch does. They inform the practice of magical arts and are to be seen in the way witches set up their altar, carry out their rites and rituals, and celebrate the stages of the year.
Wicca's view of the balanced nature of deity stands in contrast to other religions that either play down or dispense with the female aspect entirely. This is exemplified by many forms of Christianity, where little part is played by the female in its belief systems or its institutions, as well as other faiths such as Judaism. For witches the dynamic creative tension of female and male is part of what may be termed the general theory of polarity, where all things rely on opposites for their existence. The concepts of day and night, dark and light, content and form, positive and negative, attraction and repulsion, North and South, up and down, each need the other for the opposite to exist.
This Wiccan attitude can be expressed by referring to the Chinese concept of Yin and Yang. Yin is the female, negative, dark aspect of creation where Yang is the male, positive, light aspect. Together they make up a whole. It should be noted here that the terms "negative" and "dark" are not used in a derogatory sense. “Negative” should be seen in the same way as science refers to an electron having a negative charge and dark as merely the opposite of light; they are not value judgements. It will also be noticed that in the Yin Yang symbol the black half contains a white dot and the white half a black dot, showing that in the female there is a part of maleness, and in the male there is a part of femaleness. This interplay of energies at all levels, whether it be divine or earthly, ensures the cyclic flow of creation. Witches believe that over emphasis on one at the expense of the other is merely to ensure sterility and stagnation. That said, the emphasis given to both Goddess and God varies in different traditions and their covens. For Wiccans deity is immanent, meaning that it is to be found in all things and pervades existence. Quite literally the Universe is perceived to be alive and the individual is but one cell in its enormous body. Everything is therefore sacred and this gives witches an enormous respect for all expressions of life. On the other hand, many witches regard the ultimate nature of deity as unknowable, beyond all names and forms and, perhaps, beyond all mortal comprehension. In this respect it is therefore transcendent.
Generally witches believe that goddesses and gods are representative of certain kinds of energy within existence. It is the energies themselves that are perceived as being real. That they are clothed in the form of a goddess or god is a way of making them intelligible to the human mind. Why not then use the language of science to express these forces? There are several reasons why witches don’t do this. On one level they feel that science only provides a partial answer to the question of existence, believing that there is much within the Universe that it knows nothing of. Further, the language of science, in its attempts to express these forces, is incapable of speaking to the human soul (something that many scientists doubt exists anyway). Our spirits thrive on the use of poetic and symbolic imagery that affect us in a more profound way than science ever can. You don’t go to a manual on sex to learn about love -you read Shakespeare. Similarly, for questions of our purpose and meaning in life, you can’t consult a book on biology and get an answer that satisfies the soul, however much it might please the intellect. The fact is that many humans are genuinely deeply moved and motivated by the various images of a goddess and a god, and feel that they have come to a more profound understanding of existence because of them. Further, using such imagery makes the forces knowable to an extent and allows the individual to work with them in their life on the material plane.
Although not endorsed by every witch, the gods and goddesses can therefore be seen to have an existence similar to the Jungian idea of the archetype. For Jung the archetypes were powerful symbols that had a genuine life. They existed in the human collective unconscious, independent of the individual mind, and could include god and goddess types[1]. Jung believed that these archetypes could be worked with to have an effect in the everyday waking world. The idea of a goddess and a god are as old as the human mind itself and are buried deep within all our psyches.
The Great Wheel of the Year
Wiccans see nature as a cycle embodying the polarity of deity, and this is no more clearly expressed than in their ideas of the interweaving of female and male forces in the Wheel of the Year. For Wiccans the Goddess is personified by the Earth and the Moon. She is the always present Great Fertile Mother who creates an immense variety of life from the elemental forces of which she is composed. Green and fresh in the spring, magnificent and powerful in the summer, she has her repose in the latter half of the year where she dresses in more sombre shades of brown and grey. As the Goddess Luna she is the silver, shape shifting Lady of the Heavens governing the tidal forces, as well as the monthly and nightly cycles of life on our planet. The God is embodied in the Sun who travels over the sky in his great chariot of flame. At full power in midsummer he provides the Goddess Earth with the energy to grow strong. From this point he gradually loses ground until he finally dies after the autumn equinox. Born again in midwinter he grows and climbs through the early months of the year to eventually rise triumphant and fertilise the Goddess around the spring equinox. He governs the annular cycles of life and the rhythms of our days.
Some witches have added to these basics, where they have introduced an Oak and a Holly King [2] that help to express the interplay between solar energy and Mother Earth. The Oak King rules the waxing part of the year from midwinter to midsummer whilst the Holly King rules the waning part of the year from midsummer to midwinter. The two compete for the attentions of the Goddess as the seasons ebb and flow and have been incorporated into rituals marking the various stations of the year. The seasonal cycles and the parts played by the Goddess and God are celebrated in the Greater and Lesser Sabbats (these will be discussed fully in later lessons). However, as we shall see, the Goddess and the God are not only thought of as the embodiment of the Earth, Moon and the Sun.
The Deities of the Witches
Each coven or solitary witch will have their own particular goddess or god that they use on a day in day out basis. Some, for example, opt for Aradia and Cernunnos, others for Bride and Herne. A goddess can be chosen from one pantheon, a god from another, and consistency in this respect is less important than the divine forces that they are seen to represent. Below we consider both the divine feminine and the divine masculine as they are perceived in modern witchcraft.
The Divine Feminine
For ancient humankind reproduction was the central mystery of existence. Woman was the giver of life and the gateway of birth. She was able to bleed profusely every month, changing like the Moon changed, and yet somehow could incredibly self heal, survive and return to the same state completely unscathed. From her body sprang life giving milk that every woman and every man was raised on. She was a walking miracle, mysterious and inexplicable. No wonder, then, that goddesses of fertility have been venerated and revered throughout human existence and frequently allied with the Moon. The Goddess was often depicted as a triple deity with the aspects of Maid, Mother and Crone, which not only represented the different stages of female existence but also echoed the waxing, full and waning aspects of the Moon. Today modern Wiccans feel that all three of these characteristics need to be portrayed if a representation of psychological wholeness is to be maintained.
The Maid
As the Maid the Goddess is young, fresh, magical and enchanting. She is bursting with the promise of new life and is especially associated with the spring. She caresses and explores the new landscape, and with her natural curiosity enquires into the new experiences of the world. Coupled with this inquisitive and carefree nature is a vital streak of eroticism that is fascinating and enticing to the opposite sex. When respected and cherished she is full of joy and elation. Make no mistake though, this young woman is not to be crossed and can be dangerous when treated poorly. She is portrayed by goddess figures who are maidens themselves, such as the Greek Persephone, daughter of the corn goddess Demeter, without whom spring cannot exist, or Aradia, daughter of Diana, who came to Earth to teach the art of her mother’s witchcraft.
Mother
Upon reaching motherhood the Goddess becomes the creator of life. Within her and without her she is responsible for giving it form and ensuring its growth. Through the placenta, the mother's nourishment transfers to the unborn babe; her milk feeds it during the early stages of childhood and her arms form a soft loop of protection that none may breach. With far reaching vision she is able to see all life before her and moulds it to her will and her desires. She is both emotionally and physically tough with an utterly ruthless destructive side that can stir with seeming unpredictably when any threaten or harm the things she loves. Powerful and authoritative, she is a giver of sound advice and counsel, and is the very heart of the family and her community. She is the mother and lover of the male, providing a balance for his masculine energy, and able to see deeply within his soul. It is she who shows him the initial ways of the world and sets him on the path of Manhood, it is she who arouses the ecstasy of the adult God and uses his seed to create new life. The Great Mother is the embodiment of fertility, but fertility on all levels with an overall plan that is both harmonious and balanced. In this sense she is the goddess Karma who keeps equilibrium regardless of our human notions of morality or fairness. Commonly in Wicca she can be seen as the Welsh goddess of reincarnation, Arianrhod, or the Canaanite fertility goddess Astarte. Other times she is worshipped as the powerful Roman goddess Juno or the huntress Diana, but perhaps most especially she is depicted as the goddess Isis, the greatest of all female deities.
The Crone
Finally she is the Crone. By those that are cruel, this stage of femininity can be depicted as the suspicious, dried out, ugly old hag of no worth. Even for many women she is a figure of fear and loathing, as everything is done by way of cosmetics and surgery to avoid the perceived descent into a hideous old age. Yet such a way of thinking ignores the true value of this phase in life. For Wiccans she is the Crone or wise-one, richly clothed and decorated by life’s experiences. She is a wonderful repository of valuable knowledge and experience, as she has lived through all the ages of femininity. A baby sitter for the Mother, a watchful eye on the Maid, a counselor to the male; she still has valuable roles to play. And yet she is a terrible reminder of decay and death, the inevitable end of life on this world. Once vibrant and sexy, once matriarchal and powerful, she shows that all things must return to the Earth from whence they came. In our modern 21st century such things are hard to contemplate, too awful almost to be true. But she can show us the way, by being our guide in how to meet our fate with dignity, and our leader through the veil of death. In this respect she is often depicted as Hecate, dread goddess of the Moon, the Underworld and magic.
Another less popular way of representing the divine feminine within the Craft is to show the triple aspect through one particular female deity. Such a goddess is the Greek Hera who at Stymphalus had three temples dedicated to her as the child, the wife and the widow goddess. Another would be the Hindu Bhavani, referred to as the Triple Universe. She is shown as a young crowned woman who has the forces of creation latent within her, as a mother with the Sun and the Moon at her breasts, and as the dark and terrible figure of death and transition with a necklace of skulls.
Because Wicca’s concept of the Goddess has these three distinct phases it is able to provide women with a deity that reflects back their own personal experiences of life and gives them something that they can clearly relate to. Moreover, the various goddesses provide womankind with purposes and roles that are not dictated by modern societal groups. They thus show what it means to be female in various stages throughout life, regardless of social conditioning. And further, allow women to reject oppressive values and beliefs, giving them the freedom to realise their true selves at all levels and phases of life. For the male the Goddess provides a way to explore femininity. On one level this works by allowing him to recognise the female aspect of his psyche. This can be a liberating and a mind expanding experience as he comes to appreciate that he is, in fact, so much more than typical gender stereotyping allows. On another level the Goddess lets him explore femininity outside of himself, providing a true model of the female, that diminishes the impact of society’s image, and helps him to appreciate and interact with women as they really are, rather than in how he has been led to believe they should be.
Footnotes
[1] Such a view can be built from C. G. Jung, Man and His Symbols, Picador, 1978, p.58, 69, 78, 85, 87 and 90.
[2] This was originally added into Wicca by the Farrars in Eight Sabbats for Witches, Hale, 1992, pp. 24-7. The Oak and Holly King were based on ideas in The White Goddess, A Historical Grammar of Poetic Myth, by Robert Graves, first published in 1948.

Glossary Part 1

Anglican Tory
Anglicans are members of the protestant Christian faith, while Tories are people of a right wing political persuasion in British politics, also referred to as Conservatives.

Astrology
Astrology is the study of the planets and stars and how they affect life on the Earth.

Autonomous
Autonomous means "self-governing". A big attraction of witchcraft is that witches can be their own rulers and there is little hierarchy in most traditions outside of a High Priestess and Priest.

Buddhism
Buddhism is a major world religion, it was founded in north-eastern India and is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the Buddha, or the Enlightened One.

Ceremonial Magic
Ceremonial magic is often referred to as High Magic. At heart it is a series of practices to effect Union with the Divine.

Coven
Traditionally a coven is a group of thirteen witches that come together regularly for religious and magical practice. It is quite common to have covens with just three members.

Crystal healing
It is a common belief in Wicca that crystals have subtle electro-magnetic properties that help cure illness and disease. Others would also state that the colours of the crystals have a beneficial effect.

Cunning
Cunning-folk were known for a range of practices that included lifting curses and bewitchments, love magic, herbalism and curing diseases in animals as well as humans. A few also practiced Astrology. The term "cunning" when used in this context is not pejorative. Some modern day Wiccans claim such people were witches and that they are their direct descendants. Others see this as quite an odd claim to make as there is actually evidence that Cunning-folk aided the persecution of those who it was claimed were witches during the craze in the seventeenth century[35].

Deity
The divine, all powerful and pervasive force in creation, commonly worked with as the Goddess and God in Wicca.

Elements
In magic it is seen that all creation owes its existence to the four Elemental Forces of Fire, Water, Air and Earth.

Divination
The practice of foretelling future events.

Dogma
Dogma is an authoritative and precise statement of religious doctrine that is given as an unquestionable fact. Witches generally have a strong aversion to dogma.

Enochian Magic
Enochian magic is a magical system that derives from the Elizabethan mage John Dee (1527-1608) and his accomplice Edward Kelley. It was developed by the Golden Dawn and some witches choose to specialise in it. It is generally considered an advanced subject and is not recommended for beginners.

Esbat
Monthly meeting of a group of witches usually at, or around, the Full Moon.

Freemasonry
The largest fraternal organisation in the world, believing in a duty to God, one's country, family and fellow human beings. Much masonic symbolism and ceremony has found its way into magical practice over the centuries.

Golden Dawn
Also known as The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a famous and very influential Victorian magical society, albeit one that was shortlived in its original form.

Herbalism
The study of herbs and their practical applications for magical, healing and culinary purposes.

Immanent
Immanent means present everywhere. Many witches see that Deity quite literally exists in all things.

Initiatory system of Three Degrees
Many traditions of Wicca have three levels of attainment that can be progressed through, typically a year and a day at a time. This is achieved by a mixture of study, practice and examination. How the degree is conferred varies; some traditions allow self-initiation whilst others will only let it be given by senior witches. Each level confers certain rights and responsibilities, although quite how these are defined varies from one tradition to another.

Kabbalah
Ancient Jewish philosophy that underpins much magical practice. Its incorporation in Wicca owes much to the influence of the Golden Dawn.

Neolithic Period
The Neolithic is a period of time that saw the origins of farming and a more sedentary way of life than hunter-gatherers had. It is typified by the use of pottery and of polished or ground stone tools.

Pagan
The word pagan derives from the Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller". It was a term originally applied by Christians to those who retained their old religious beliefs and practices. Today it is used to describe a multitude of native or "traditional" religions. Wiccans are often referred to as neo-pagans to emphasise the fact that Wicca is a modern religion.

Pantheon
A pantheon is all the goddesses and gods in the religion or mythology of a particular culture.

Polarity
Opposites

Polytheism
Polytheism means belief in many deities.

Priesthood
In Wicca every witch is a priest and has responsibility for developing their own learning and practice.

Reiki
A practitioner of Reiki places their hands on a patient with the aim of inducing natural healing. Practitioners will the Reiki energy, which they believe underlies everything in the universe, to effect a cure.

Seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarters
The seasonal quarters are:
Mid-winter solstice or Yule
Vernal equinox or Eostre or Ostara
Mid-summer solstice or Litha
Autumnal equinox or Mabon
The Cross Quarter days are:
Imbolg or Imbolc, 2nd Feb
Beltane or Beltaine, May Eve
Lughnasdh or Lammas, July 31st
Samhain, November Eve

Solitary
A solitary is a witch who practices Witchcraft by themselves.

Rosicrucians
The Rosicrucians are a large international fraternal organisation that pursue esoteric knowledge. Teachings include Kabbalah, Egyptian Hermeticism and Gnosticsm as well as other occult beliefs. Like Freemasonry much Rosicrucian practice has been influential on magic in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Shamanic
A shaman is essentially a medium, who acts as a channel for spirits. Traditionally a shaman's work consists of healing and divination.

Solitaries
A solitary is a witch that has chosen to practice alone. Some sectors of the Craft see this as being a lesser witch than one inaugurated in a coven; others see this as nothing more than snobbishness.

Spiritualism
Spiritualism is the belief that the dead manifest in the material world usually through a medium or clairvoyant. Although it has been believed in since the dawn of recorded history modern spiritualism has its roots in nineteenth century research.

Talismanic Magic
A talisman is an object that has been created for a specific magical purpose. Often it has complex symbols inscribed upon it, which constitute magical formulae.

Wiccan Initiation
See "Initiatory system of Three Degrees" above.

Wicca and Witchcraft
Some Witches draw a sharp distinction between "Witchcraft" and "Wicca", seeing that "Witchcraft" is a set of magical practices that can be performed by anyone regardless of their beliefs and that "Wicca" is a formalised religion. Some go so far as never to use the term "Witch" to describe themselves, preferring "Wiccan" instead. Others, including many well known established Wiccan authors, blur the distinction and use "Wicca" and "Witchcraft", "Wiccan" and "Witch" interchangeably. As a School we are in this latter camp, but we strive to make sure our students are always aware of other ways of seeing things.

Widdershins
When moving "widdershins", an anti-Sun or anti-clockwise direction is taken.

Woden and Freya
Woden is the chief God in the Germanic pantheon and Freya/Frigg is often seen as his wife. There is debate among established sources as to whether Freya and Frigg can be considered as the same goddess; some state that at one time they may have been equivalent, others see Frigg as Woden's wife and consider Freya to be another entity.