clearing emotional baggage

Many times we obtain so much baggage, and clutter that before we know it we need to have a yard sale or be buried by it. First we need to think about  what it is that we truly need. Things like family heirlooms are things to keep because they keep us rooted and help us see where we’ve been and what we come from.
Other items like knick knacks and things that really have no value other than esthetics really are not things to keep ahold of.

Baggage can be boxes but many times its emotional. So how do we get rid of emotional baggage? Have an emotional yard sale, and your potential clients may bring you tears, and some may help you laugh. I use the phrase ‘emotional yard sale’ to symbolize what is needed to be done. At these sales, we dig through all of the clutter and open boxes and sort through the (for lack of a better word) crap that just needs to find a new home.

So what do you do when you want to have a EYS? Sit down in a quite place and recap over all of your memories, even the painful and tragic ones. If it requires someone else to be there to help you talk it all out, then get yourself another set of ears, and if someone else isn’t available then get your self a tape recorder and just start talking.
Alot of times just hearing what you need to say helps, I know it does for me. Really allow yourself to have the full range of emotions that you need in order to knock these things out of your life.

You lover cheated on you, take a picture of them and just yell at it. You may feel funny yelling at something inanimate but you know what, this is about you and not what other people think. We bottle things up alot of times which just preserves the hurt, the pain, and the betrayal. Taking the lid off and allowing things to air out is what allows the healing process to begin.
You have the permission to keep the good things bottled up to keep them fresh and in good condition, though they may need a little dusting to make them shine again, but hey, this is what is going to help us remember the good times as well as the bad ones.

witch heal thyself

With the over prescribed medications that are available to us today, we have a pill for everything that could possibly be afflicting us. We have pills to enhance our sex life, to make us happy, to make us thin, to make our head not hurt, to keep us from pooping to much, ect.
We have walked away from our natural ability to heal ourselves. We take so much crap that is over the counter that we have forgotten how to use what the earth has provided us with to heal ourselves. We relay on the pharmaceuticals, instead of our own inner spirituality and the herbs that many of us have either in our backyard and within the neighborhood.

Day in and day out we are bombarded with the stresses of work, family, and bills. We begin to drown in our loathing of these event. Relationships become strained, work performance begins to fail and this begins a downward spiral that is at times hard to pull up from, which in the long run results in loss of employment, which brings on about a whole new dimension of problems.
Here are some simple steps to begin the healing process:

Meditate: You do not have to be a Zen Buddhist Monk to meditate. Just close your eyes and let all of your stress and anxiety drain away. Focus on your goal for the day, and try to project positive energy at it. Think of your self as a large rubber ball in which things bounce off of.
Aromatherapy: Believe it or not you can use smell to relax you and make you de-stress quickly and really improve your disposition. See our post under Aromatherapy
Showers: Take a nice hot shower, and let it all just wash away.
Herbs: Herbology is making a large come back, and with it the homeopathic remedies of yesteryear. Herbs have played a huge part in  our now modern day medicine.
Even if you are not Pagan or Wiccan in nature you can adapt these simple spells/rituals for what ever your religion may be.

Below, you’ll find some spells that are centered around focusing your magickal energy inwards, to affect yourself; your own mental and spiritual healing. You’ll also find that certain parts of the spoken spells are omitted; not for copyright are these omissions. These have been edited out to encourage the creativity in my audience; if you read the introduction section, you can find a bit more explanation there. Succinctly put, write your own spells! They’re more powerful, and more likely to attract the energy you need to accomplish magickal goals.

Spiritual Cleansing Bath

You Need:

As many white candles as you want, or have
Salt
Rosemary
Sage
Oil; for anointing
Mirror; bathroom mirror will do

Sprinkle the bit of salt, rosemary, and sage into your bathwater, after lighting all your white candles. Strip, climb in, and allow yourself to relax, or meditate for a bit, as you see fit. After a few moment, quietly repeat a cleansing spells for spiritual and emotional progress; it should be spoken to your Mother Goddess, whichever you serve, so be sure to begin the spell, or prayer, with a simple greeting or call; “O, Mother Goddess…”

After you’ve spoken your prepared spell or prayer, rinse thoroughly; make sure your entire body, including face and hair has been dunked beneath the water. Then contemplate every hurt you have ever endured, the wrongs done unto you, those you have done unto others, every pain, regret, ounce of guilt, and sadness. Then affirm aloud:

“I release this.”

Close this part of the ritual in a final cleansing. Rinse yourself in the water as thoroughly as you did the first time, then affirm aloud:

“O, Mother Goddess (insert name here), help me to release that which I have not seen.”

Step out of the bath, but do not dry off yet. Stand in front of the mirror, nude, and dip your fingers in the oil you set aside earlier. Place your fingers to each of your chakars, and bless each one aloud, and by name. Then dry off, and relax; you’ll feel your spiritual cleansing immediately.

Manifesting A Desire

You Need:

Red Candle
Matches
Burning Dish; a dish that you can safely burn something in, but not a bowl.
A bit of paper
Pencil
Something to stir the dish with; small knife, or even a small stick.

Settle yourself in a space where you have peace and quiet; perhaps near your altar, or wherever you feel you are most comfortable performing magic. Sit, and meditate on your desire; concentrate for a few moments, and when you’re ready, awaken, and write your desire on the slip of paper. Your candle should be placed at about chest height, on the table you’re sitting in front of you, where you’re sitting. Light your candle, and focus on the flame for a few moments. Now, imagine a glowing ball of white light in the center or your chest, and say aloud:

“I connect myself to the powers of the Universe.”

Now, close your eyes. Imagine your own, perfect spiritual form rising above your physical body, first looking down at your body, then the room, and rising higher, to view the world from above, higher and higher. Say aloud, affirmatively:

“There is one power in the Universe and I am a perfect manifestation of that power.”

Open your eyes, take the paper in your hand, and say:

“There is one power in the Universe, and I am a perfect manifestation of that power. And as such I will that even as this paper burns, so too will that which I have written come to pass. May it come without struggle, and harm none. I will it. I manifest it. I accept it. I receive it. I give thanks for it. By my will so mote it be.”

Burn the paper with the candle flame. Imagine a glowing white light around the paper. Once it is alight, hold it as long as you can, safely before place it in the burning dish. Turn the paper so that it burns completely, and evenly. The speed at which the paper is reduced completely by the flame will be your omen; the longer it takes for the paper to burn, the longer it will take for your desire to manifest. Remember, you have already manifested your desire, from this point on, put it out of your mind, and patiently move forward with the knowledge that it is coming, and will arrive at the right time.

Healing the Negative Aspects of Your Being

You Need:

Red Candle
Black Candle
A few hours of time completely alone.
Mirror, preferably a tall one.
Two sheets of white, blank paper
Burning dish
Stick, for stirring dish
Matches
Pencils & Eraser

Meditate first; meditation before a spell is important, because it frees your mind of all the unnecessary mental clutter that holds you back during spellwork; “Did I leave the coffee pot on?’ ‘I wonder if the clothes in the dryer are done?’ ‘I was supposed to call my mom today’ —-these are the kind of thoughts you learn to repel, and allow to bounce off your consciousness, with meditation. When you’re finished mediating, your mind is clear, and alert, and fully dedicated to the task at hand.

Now, strip down, completely nude; be at ease in your skin, it’s natural, and no one earth has the same body as you. You and your body share a relationship more intimate than you will ever find on earth, so it’s important to feel c omfortable in it. Now, stand in front of the mirror, and, with an open mind, examine every inch of your body. Make note of all your physical flaws. Now, sit comfortably, and draw yourself nude, on one sheet of your paper, focusing on what you feel, are your body’s biggest faults, and flaws.

In the free space of the paper, list all of the flaws in your body that you don’t like, and would like to see changed, and then, all of the bad habits, or personality flaws you’d like to see go away and be replaced by healthier habits. Next, take your paper to the altar. Using your matches, light the black candle, hold your paper, and imagine a soft white light, glowing around the paper. Say aloud:

“There is one power in the Universe, and I am a perfect manifestation of that power. And as such I release all these things that I have drawn, and written on this paper, that they may limit me no more. May they be healed and transformed, and their energy reused by the Mother (insert goddess name here), as she sees fit. By my will, with harm towards none, so mote it be.”

With the flame of the black candle, set the paper alight, and holding it, allow it to burn as long as possible in your hand, before placing it into the burning dish. Focus on all the negativity draining away, and move the paper with the stick so that it burns evenly, and thoroughly. Affirm aloud:

“And it is done.”

Remain nude, and respectfully extinguish the black candle. Return to your paper and pencils, and draw yourself again, this time focusing on the attributes you like best in yourself. In the free space of the paper, write your best physical and personality traits, and those you wish to strengthen and develop. Return to your altar, with the paper in hand and light the red candle. Visualize a glowing white light around the paper and say aloud:

“There is one power in the Universe and I am a perfect manifestation of that power. And as such I will that all these things that I have drawn and written on this paper will grow in stength, and flourish in my life. May they come to me as surely as the river goes to the sea, as surely as the rain goes to the ground. By my will, with harm toward none, so mote it be.”

With the flame from the red candle, light the paper, and while holding it, allow it to burn there as long as possible before setting it in the dish. Turn the paper with the candle so that it burns evenly, and focus on positivity increasing, and strengthening. Affirm aloud:

“And it is done.”

the laws of old

These laws were made in the olden days and were followed. Today many people within our community do not know of or follow them. However, these rules/laws are very good and should be followed now days.

1. The Law was made and ordained of old.
2. The Law was made for the Wicca, to advise and help in their troubles.
3. The Wicca should give due worship to the gods and obey their will, which they ordain, for it was made for the good of Wicca as the worship of the Wicca is good for the gods. For the gods love the brethren of Wicca.
4. As a man loveth a woman by mastering her,
5. So should the Wicca love the gods by being mastered by them.
6. And it is necessary that the Circle which is the temple of the gods, should be truly cast and purified. And that it may be a fit place for the gods to enter.
7. And the Wicca shall be properly prepared and purified to enter into the presence of the gods.
8. With love and worship in their hearts, they shall raise power from their bodies to give power to the gods.
9. As has been taught of old.
10.For in this way only may men have communion with the gods, for the gods cannot help man without the help of man.

HPS & HP

11.And the High Priestess shall rule her coven as the representative of the Goddess.
12.And the High Priest shall support her as the representative of the God.
13.And the High Priestess shall choose whom she will, be he of sufficient rank, to be her High Priest.
14.For, as the God Himself kissed Her feet in the five-fold salute, laying His power at the feet of the Goddess because of Her youth and beauty, Her sweetness and kindness, Her wisdom and justice, Her humility and generosity,
15.So He resigned all His power to Her.
16.But the High Priestess should ever mind that the power comes from Him.
17.It is only lent, to be used wisely and justly.
18.And the greatest virtue of a High Priestess be that she recognize that youth is necessary to the representative of the Goddess.
19.So she will gracefully retire in favour of a younger woman should the Coven so decide in council.
20.For a true High Priestess realizes that gracefully surrendering pride of place is one of the greatest virtues.
21.And that thereby she will return to that pride of place in another life, with greater power and beauty.

SECURITY

22.In the old days, when witchdom extended far, we were free and worshipped in all the greater temples.
23.But in these unhappy times we must celebrate our sacred mysteries in secret.
24.So be it ordained that none but the Wicca may see our mysteries, for our enemies are many and torture loosens the tongue of man.
25.So be it ordained that no Coven shall know where the next Coven bide.
26.Or who its members be, save only the Priest and Priestess and messenger.
27.And there shall be no communication between them, save by the messenger of the gods, or the summoner.
28.And only if it be safe may the Covens meet in some safe place for the great festivals.
29.And while there, none shall say whence they came nor give their true names.
30.To this end, that if any be tortured, in their agony, they may not tell if they do not know.
31.So be it ordained that no one shall tell anyone not of the craft who be of the Wicca, nor give any names or where they bide, or in any way tell anything which can betray any of us to our foes.
32.Nor may he tell where the Covendom be.
33.Or the Covenstead.
34.Or where the meetings be.
35.And if any break these Laws, even under torture, THE CURSE OF THE GODDESS SHALL BE UPON THEM, so they may never be reborn on earth and may remain where they belong, in the hell of the Christians.

DISPUTES

36.Let each High Priestess govern her Coven with justice and love, with the help and advice of the High Priest and the Elders, always heeding the advice of the Messenger of the Gods if he cometh.
37.She will heed all complaints of all Brothers and strive to settle all differences among them.
38.But it must be recognized that there will always be people who will ever strive to force others to do as they will.
39.These are not necessarily evil.
40.And they oft have good ideas and such ideas should be talked over in council.
41.But if they will not agree with their Brothers, or if they say,
42.”I will not work under this High Priestess,”
43.It hath ever been the Old Law to be convenient to the Brethren and to avoid disputes.

NEW COVENS

44.Any of the third may claim to found a new Coven because they live over a league away from the Covenstead or are about to do so.
45.Anyone living within the Covendom and wishing to form a new Coven, shall tell the Elders of their intention, and on the instant avoid their dwelling and remove to the new Covendom.
46.Members of the old Coven may join the new one when it is formed. But if they do, they must utterly avoid the old Coven.
47.The Elders of the new and old Covens should meet in peace and brotherly love to decide the new boundaries.
48.Those of the craft who dwell outside both Covendoms may join either but not both.
49.Though all may, if the Elders agree, meet for the great festivals if it be truly in peace and brotherly love,
50.But splitting the Coven often means strife, so for this reason these Laws were made of old and may the CURSE OF THE GODDESS BE ON ANY WHO DISREGARD THEM. So be it ordained.

GRIMOIRE

51.If you would keep a book, let it be in your own hand of write. Let brothers and sisters copy what they will, but never let the book out of your hands, and never keep the writings of another.
52.For if it be found in their hand of write, they may be taken and arraigned.
53.Let each guard his own writings and destroy them whenever danger threatens.
54.Learn as much as you may by heart and, when danger is past, rewrite your book, an it be safe.
55.For this reason, if any die, destroy their book an they have not been able to.
56.For, an it be found, ’tis clear proof against them.
57.And our oppressors know well “Ye may not be a witch alone”.
58.So all their kin and friends be in danger of torture,
59.So destroy everything not necessary.
60.If your book be found on you, ’tis clear proof against you alone, you may be arraigned.

PERSECUTION

61.Keep all thoughts of the craft from your mind.
62.If the torture be too great to bear, say “I will confess. I cannot bear this torture. What do you want me to say?”
63.If they try to make you speak of the Brotherhood, do not.
64.But if they try to make you speak of impossibilities such as flying through the air, consorting with a Christian devil or sacrificing children, or eating men’s flesh,
65.To obtain relief from torture say “I had an evil dream, I was beside myself, I was crazed.”
66.Not all magistrates are bad, if there be an excuse, they may show mercy.
67.If you have confessed aught, deny it afterwards, say you babbled under torture, say you knew not what you said.
68.If you are condemned, fear not.
69.The Brotherhood is powerful and will help you to escape if you stand steadfast, but if you betray aught there is no hope for you in this life or in that to come.
70.Be sure, if steadfast you go to the pyre, drugs will reach you, you will feel naught. You go to death and what lies beyond, the ecstasy of the goddess.

TOOLS

71.To avoid discovery, let the working tools be as ordinary things that any may have in their houses.
72.Let the pentacles be of wax so that they may be broken at once or melted.
73.Have no sword unless your rank allows it.
74.Have no names or signs on anything.
75.Write the names and signs on them in ink before consecrating them and wash it off immediately afterwards.
76.Let the colours of the hilts tell which is which.
77.Do not engrave them lest they cause discovery.

CONDUCT

78.Ever remember ye are the hidden children of the Goddess so never do anything to disgrace them or Her.
79.Never boast, never threaten, never say you would wish ill of anyone.
80.If any person not in the Circle, speak of the craft, say, “Speak not to me of such, it frightens me, ’tis evil luck to speak of it.”
81.For this reason, the Christians have their spies everywhere. These speak as if they were well affected to us, as if they would come to our meetings, saying, “My mother used to worship the Old Ones. I would I could go myself.”
82.To such as these, ever deny all knowledge.
83.But to others, ever say, “‘Tis foolish men talk of witches flying through the air. To do so they must be as light as thistledown. And men say that witches all be blear-eyed old crones, so what pleasure can there be at a witch meeting such as folks talk on ?”
84.And say, “Many wise men now say there be no such creatures.”
85.Ever make it jest) and in some future time perhaps, the persecution may die and we may worship our gods in safety again.
86.Let us all pray for that happy day.
87.May the blessings of the Goddess and God be on all who keep these Laws which are ordained.

VALUABLES

88.If the craft hath any appanage, let all guard it and help to keep it clear and good for the craft.
89.And let all justly guard all monies of the craft.
90.And if any Brother truly wrought it, ’tis right they have their pay, an it be just. An this be not taking money for the art, but for good and honest work.
91.And even the Christians say, “The labourer is worthy of his hire,” but if any Brother work willingly for the good of the craft without pay, ’tis but to their greater honour. So be it ordained.

QUARRELS

92. If there be any dispute or quarrel among the Brethren, the High Priestess shall straightly convene the Elders and inquire into the matter, and they shall hear both sides, first alone and then together.
93. And they shall decide justly, not favouring one side or the other.
94. Ever recognising there be people who can never agree to work under others.
95. But at the same time, there be some people who cannot rule justly.
96. To those who must ever be chief, there is one answer.
97. “‘Void the Coven or seek another one, or make a Coven of your own, taking with you those who will go.”
98. To those who cannot rule justly, the answer be, “Those who cannot bear your rule will leave you.”
99. For none may come to meetings with those with whom they are at variance.
100. So, an either cannot agree, get hence, for the craft must ever survive. So be it ordained.

CURSES

101.In the olden days when we had power, we could use the art against any who ill-treated the Brotherhood. But in these evil days we must not do so. For our enemies have devised a burning pit of everlasting fire into which they say their god casteth all the people who worship him, except it be the very few who are released by their priest’s spells and masses. And this be chiefly by giving monies and rich gifts to receive his favour for their great god is ever in need of money.
102.But as our gods need our aid to make fertility for man and crops, so is the god of the Christians ever in need of man’s help to search out and destroy us. Their priests ever tell them that any who get our help are damned to this hell forever, so men be mad with the terror of it.
103.But they make men believe that they may escape this hell if they give victims to the tormentors. So for this reason all be forever spying, thinking, “An I can catch but one of these Wicca, I will escape from this fiery pit.”
104.So for this reason we have our hidels, and men searching long and not finding, say, “There be none, or if there be, they be in a far country.”
105.But when one of our oppressors die, or even be sick, ever is the cry, “This be witches’ malice”, and the hunt is up again. And though they slay ten of their own to one of ours, still they care not. They have countless thousands.
106.While we are few indeed. So be it ordained.
107.That none shall use the art in any way to do ill to any.
108.However much they may injure us, harm none. And nowtimes many believe we exist not.
109.That this Law shall ever continue to help us in our plight, no one, however great an injury or injustice they receive, may use the art in any way to do ill, or harm any. But they may, after great consultations with all, use the art to restrain Christians from harming us Brothers, but only to constrain them and never to punish.
110.To this end men will say, “Such a one is a mighty searcher out, and a
persecutor of old women whom they deemed to be witches, and none hath
done him harm, so it be proof that they cannot or more truly there be
none.”
111.For all know full well that so many folk have died because someone had a grudge against them, or were persecuted because they had money or goods to sieze, or because they had none to bribe the searchers. And many have died because they were scolding old women. So much that men now say that only old women are witches.
112.And this be to our advantage and turns suspicion away from us.
113.In England and Scotland ’tis now many a year since a witch hath died the death. But any misuse of the power might raise the persecution again.
114.So never break this Law, however much you are tempted, and never consent to its being broken in the least.
115.If you know it is being broken, you must work strongly against it.
116.And any High Priestess or High Priest who consents to its breach must immediately be deposed for ’tis the blood of the Brethren they endanger.
117.Do good, an it be safe, and only if it be safe.
118.And keep strictly to the Old Law.

PAYMENT

119.Never accept money for the use of the art, for money ever smeareth the taker. ‘Tis sorcerers and conjurers and the priests of the Christians who ever accept money for the use of their arts. And they sell pardons to let men escape from their sins.
120.Be not as these. If you accept no money, you will be free from temptation to use the art for evil causes.
121.All may use the art for their own advantage or for the advantage of the craft only if you are sure you harm none.
122.But ever let the Coven debate this at length. Only if all are satisfied that none may be harmed, may the art be used.
123.If it is not possible to achieve your ends one way, perchance the aim may be achieved by acting in a different way so as to harm none. MAY THE CURSE OF THE GODDESS BE ON ANY WHO BREAKETH THIS LAW. So be it ordained.
124.’Tis judged lawful if ever any of the craft need a house or land and none will sell, to incline the owner’s mind so as to be willing to sell, provided it harmeth him not in any way and the full price is paid without haggling.
125.Never bargain or cheapen anything whilst you buy by the art. So be it ordained.

LAW OF THE LAND

126.”Tis the Old Law and the most important of all laws, that no one may do anything which will endanger any of the craft, or bring them into contact with the law of the land or any persecutors.
127.In any dispute between Brethren, no one may invoke any laws but those of the craft.
128.Or any tribunal but that of the Priestess, Priest and Elders.

DISCUSSION OF WITCHCRAFT

129.It is not forbidden to say as Christians do, “There be witchcraft in the land,” because our oppressors of old make it a heresy not to believe in witchcraft and so a crime to deny it which thereby puts you under suspicion.
130.But ever say, “I know not of it here, perchance there may be but afar off, I know not where.”
131.But ever speak of them as old crones, consorting with the devil and riding through the air.
132.And ever say, “But how may many ride the air if they be not as light as thistledown.”
133.But the curse of the Goddess be on any who cast suspicion on any of the Brotherhood.
134.Or who speak of any real meeting-place or where they bide.

WORTCUNNING

135.Let the craft keep books with the names of all herbs which are good, and all cures so all may learn.
136.But keep another book with all the Bales and Apies and let only the Elders and other trustworthy people have this knowledge. So be it ordained.
137.And may the blessings of the gods be on all who keep these Laws, and the curses of both the God and the Goddess be on all who break them.

USE OF THE ART

138.Remember the art is the secret of the gods and may only be used in earnest and never for show or vainglory.
139.Magicians and Christians may taunt us saying, “You have no power, show us your power. Do magic before our eyes, then only will we believe,” seeking to cause us to betray the art before them.
140.Heed them not, for the art is holy and may only be used in need, and the curse of the gods be on any who break this Law.

RESIGNATIONS

141.It ever be the way with women and with men also, that they ever seek new love.
142.Nor should we reprove them for this.
143.But it may be found a disadvantage to the craft.
144.And so many a time it has happened that a High Priest or a High Priestess, impelled by love, hath departed with their love. That is, they left the Coven.
145.Now if the High Priestess wishes to resign, she may do so in full Coven.
146.And this resignation is valid.
147.But if they should run off without resigning, who may know if they may not return in a few months?
148.So the Law is, if a High Priestess leaves her Coven, she be taken back and all be as before.
149.Meanwhile, if she has a deputy, that deputy shall act as High Priestess for as long as the High Priestess is away.
50.If she returns not at the end of a year and a day, then shall the Coven elect a new High Priestess,
151.Unless there is a good reason to the contrary.
152.The person who has done the work should reap the benefit of the reward. If somebody else is elected, the deputy is made maiden and deputy of the High Priestess.

TRAINING

153.It has been found that practicing the art doth cause a fondness between aspirant and tutor, and it is the cause of better results if this be so.
154.And if for any reason this be undesirable, it can easily be avoided by both persons from the outset firmly resolving in their minds to be as brother and sister or parent and child.
155.And it is for this reason that a man may be taught only by a woman and a woman by a man, and women and women should not attempt these practices together. So be it ordained.

PUNISHMENT

156.Order and discipline must be kept.
157.A High Priestess or a High Priest may, and should, punish all faults.
158.To this end all the craft must receive correction willingly.
159.All properly prepared, the culprit kneeling should be told his fault and his sentence pronounced.
160.Punishment should be followed by something amusing.
161.The culprit must acknowledge the justice of the punishment by kissing the hand on receiving sentence and again thanking for punishment received. So be it ordained.

which element of the horoscope are you?

No doubt that millions of persons begin their journey rushing through the newspapers to see the daily horoscope. We want the horoscope to tell us positive things will happen in the next 24 hours, like how will somebody look at us nicely, how fast we will be rich, or our love compatibility. In contrast, we are less interested to come up with a horror-scope like ‘today is not your day for love, business deals are not in the stars for you today.’

But first of all, which element of the horoscope are You? Hmm… don’t really know what the horoscope is? Well, the horoscope is an astrological chart for a specific person or group that correlates each zodiac sign as they are crossed by the Sun, Moon and planets and the position of planets in astrology. Now, the elements Fire, Earth, Air and Water are based on ancient Greek philosophy; they are the building blocks of life: the solid earth upon which we stand, the running water we use as a resource, the air we breathe and the fire which keeps us warm and aids in the creation of additional resources. The horoscope elements reflect a quality of human nature and correspond also with the Tarot: Fire = Wands; Earth = Coins; Air = Swords; Water = Cups.

Here are the list of the Sun Signs elements, but if you still don’t know, ask mom for your birthday and keep reading this:

1. Earth Signs

Well-grounded, and realistic, your earth sign makes sure you stay in the real world. When it comes to friendship, no-one is more rock steady than you. A builder of long-lasting bonds, you are talented in business and good with money. You find fulfillment in seeing tangible results for your efforts.

Earth signs are: Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn.

Taurus (April 21 – May 21): They are faithful and generous friends with a great capacity for affection, but rarely make friends with anyone outside their social rank. The ruling planet for Taurus is Venus; the color of choice is Pink, and its star stone is the Emerald.

Virgo (August 23 – September 23): They need the stimulus of practical problems to be solved rather than the mere routine or working to set specifications that need no thought. The ruling planet for Virgo is Mercury; the colors are Green and Dark Brown, and its star stone is the Sardonyx.

Capricorn (December 22 – January 20): They plan carefully to fulfill their ambitions; they are economical without meanness, and able to achieve great results due to their organizing ability. The ruling planet for Capricorn is Saturn; the color of choice is Brown, and its star stone is the Black Onyx.

2. Fire Signs

These three are the sexiest signs in the Horoscope. Enthusiastic and creative, courageous and spontaneous, confident and fun-loving, you are ardent in love. Other cooler signs may be dazzled by your bright flame.
Fire signs are: Leo, Aries and Sagittarius.

Leo (July 23 – August 22): Their personal magnetism and innate courtesy of mind bring out the best of loyalty from subordinates. The ruling planet for Leo is the Sun; the color of choice is Gold, and its star stone is the red Ruby.

Aries (March 21 – April 20): The Arian is a pioneer both in thought and action, adventurous, ambitious, and impulsive. The ruling planet for Aries is Mars; the color of choice is Red, and its star stone is the precious Diamond.

Sagittarius (November 23 – December 21): Their strongly idealistic natures can also suffer many disappointments without being affected. The ruling planet for Sagittarius is Jupiter; the color of choice is the Rich Purple, and its star stone is the Topaz.

3. Air Signs

These three are the most intellectual signs of the Horoscope. Their skills make them great thinkers and problems solvers.

Air signs are: Gemini, Libra and Aquarius.

Gemini (May 22 – June 21): Since they lack the quality of conscientiousness, they are apt to fight a losing battle in any attempts they make to be moral. The ruling planet for Gemini is Mercury; the color of choice is Green, and its star stone is the Agate.

Libra (September 24 – October 23): Librans are sensitive and have the psychic gift of understanding the emotional needs of their companions and meeting them with their own innate optimism. The ruling planet for Libra is Venus; the color of choice is Blues, and its star stone is the Sapphire.

Aquarius (January 21 – February 19): Many are psychically intuitive to the Age of Aquarius, an age in which mankind will experience a great spiritual awakening. The ruling planet for Aquarius is Uranus; the color of choice is Turquoise, and its star stone is the Turquoise.

4. Water Signs

These three always stay tuned to their feelings, conscious and subconscious, with a level of intuitiveness sometimes bordering on the psychic. Water is the element of the poet, which have them ready to interpret the universe.

Air signs are: Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces.

Cancer (June 22 – July 22): The Cancerian character is the least clear-cut of all those associated with the signs of the zodiac: It can range from the timid, dull, shy and withdrawn to the most brilliant, and famous. The ruling planet for Cancer is the Moon; the color of choice is Silver, and its star stone is the Pearl.

Scorpio (October 24 – November 22): They are like a volcano; they can erupt at any moment. Their tenacity and willpower are immense. The ruling planet for Scorpio is Pluto; the color of choice is dark Red to Maroon, and its star stone is Opal.

Pisces (February 20 – March 20): They are more readily concerned with the problems of others than with their own. Their psychic and spiritual qualities can lead them into careers in the church or as mediums and mystics. They are also sexually delicate. The ruling planet for Pisces is Neptune; the color of choice is soft Sea Green, and its star stone is the Moonstone.

spiritual toxic waste

Although it’s rare, there are some people who operate without any conscious form of spirituality. This usually dulls their life and they seem to inhabit a world without much meaning. For those of us with a spiritual element, this would be a living hell. Fortunately, most people do have a spiritual side to them.

That’s not to say they necessarily are religious. Being spiritual means the person has some concept about how the universe works and how they relate to it. It doesn’t have to contain any Maker or be complicated, it only needs to be a model that works for the person and provides some kind of relationship between that person and the way they perceive world around them. Almost by definition, this must include a certain mystical part because there will always be the unknown factor in everybody’s universe.

Having spirituality is an important part of anyone’s mental and emotional health but having one doesn’t guarantee that health. There are some forms of spirituality that are toxic to a person as well as causing a great deal of pain and trouble for everyone around them.

It’s easy to point to another person’s spirituality and say it’s toxic. In fact, there is a long history of people doing exactly that. And not all the examples in that history would be classified as religious wars. But it would seem that every war is at least partly based on the idea that ‘we’ are right and ‘they’ are wrong, ‘we’ have God on our side and ‘they’ don’t, ‘we’ have the spiritual and moral high ground and ‘they’ don’t.

Whenever you think about how another person interacts with the universe, you’re looking, at least in part, at their spirituality. One may not agree with another’s viewpoint, but that is not sufficient for calling it toxic. Unfortunately, that hasn’t stopped many from attacking others on the basis of their supposedly ‘wicked’ spirituality. Pagans are acutely aware of this practice when they hear somebody standing up and declaring them to be devil worshipers, baby eaters, and all other sorts of vile creatures.

The irony of it is that many Pagans will turn right around and say that those people are mean and stupid and that their spirituality is the source of those moronic accusations. People who use another person’s spirituality as an excuse to attack them usually aren’t doing so because their own spirituality makes them do it. They’re doing it because they’re mean and stupid. They’re using the other person’s difference of spirituality as an easy target for justifying their actions. And it almost always is easy to find something strange about any form of spirituality.

Pagans often snicker when somebody says something like, “Satan made me do it.” We probably think to ourselves that the person is just using some made-up personification of evil to justify his or her own nasty behavior. The mere concept of such a being existing and having an influence on us is just too much ‘out there’ for most of us.

Or how about, “God told me I have to do it, ” from the guy shooting at a hornet’s nest? Crazy talk, right?

I know it’s crazy… Loki told me so.

See? It’s all a matter of perspective.

Here is where somebody’s going to say, “Hey, wait a minute. This preacher on the tube is calling Pagans some pretty nasty names and quoting that book of his that says it’s okay to kill us!”

Yeah, so? I could probably use their book to ‘prove’ it’s wrong to eat fried eggs on Thursday mornings. What’s your point?

The fact that the guy is using his holy book to justify his stupidity doesn’t mean what’s in the book is mean and stupid. Just because the hammer hits your thumb isn’t a reason to say the hammer is wrong. We’ve got to separate spirituality from the person who uses it to see if the spirituality itself is toxic or only a misdirected ‘hammer’ used by a person.

So what does constitute toxic spirituality? To answer that, we must first understand what spirituality is and how people employ it. I’m of the firm belief that all but the rarest of people has some sort of spirituality. Even those who say they have no religion or don’t believe in a deity will have spirituality. In the strictest sense, any theory about how the universe works and some explanation about how we can relate to that universe is a spiritual system, a spirituality. It need not have any deity or supernatural beings or forces.

However, some part of it must be able to recognize the unknowns in the universe and have some way of accommodating them. And that makes all spiritualities mystical in some way. The reason for spirituality is important here: It exists to give structure and support to the person using it in regard to their perceptions of the events within their universe. It determines qualities of the relationships between events, objects, emotions, and thoughts. It provides meaning and perspective.

So spirituality supports, offers a model that organizes and gives meaning to everything, and accounts for the unknown to a person. That covers a lot of territory and makes a person’s spirituality a very important thing. Spirituality is always complex and in all likelihood is in a continual state of change for everybody. It is also very personal. Since our notion of how the world works and what everything in it means depend on our experiences, it’s probably impossible for any two people to have exactly the same spirituality. Ask a million people how love figures into their world and you’ll get at least a million different answers.

A toxic spirituality is one that not only fails in its support of the person, but also actually undermines that person’s existence. You could say it kills its host.

Let me give you an analogy. Let’s say a person is using a library to do some research. But this library is filled with books that are incomplete or just plain wrong. When the person looks up something, they don’t get good information and will eventually harm themselves and maybe others because of it. A toxic spirituality is like that.

Now for the bad news: We all have some parts to our spiritualities that are incomplete or corrupted in some manner and quite likely are toxic to us. Nobody can truthfully say they’ve gotten it all right. So the question becomes whether we can root out our toxic parts and change or eliminate them for our own good. This is a difficult task and to set out without preparation is not recommended. This is a large part of the work of the priesthood.

As part of their initiation ceremonies, many Pagans have the title of priest or priestess conferred upon them. Many of these initiates interpret that to mean that they have been given some sort of credential that puts them on a par with clergy from other religions. Indeed, this may be part of the intent of such a title, but it is not the primary reason for using the term ‘priest’ instead of ‘minister’ or some other similar word.

The priesthood is primarily concerned with interpreting, understanding, and perfecting one’s own spirituality. This can be accomplished in many ways and the tradition one is initiated to will present a model by which the newly made priest or priestess may begin their work. As any who have accepted this as their sacred task will testify, this is a work in progress; it is never ‘done.’

There are two steps to finding one’s spirituality and determining if it is toxic or not. The first is a persistent and ongoing review of our feelings, motivations, thoughts, and actions. We need to sit back and look at ourselves with a dispassionate and critical eye, trying to ascertain how our activities can be explained as part of our world/spiritual view. This should be done for our positive experiences as well as the negative ones. In fact, don’t automatically presume that an unpleasant or negative event must have toxic spirituality behind it. Conversely, don’t presume that positive experiences don’t have toxic parts to them. We and the world we live in are much more complex than that.

The second step is to compare these parts of our spirituality with what we know about the rest of it. One comparison would be for compatibility. Does this part make sense, support, and work well with the rest? Or does it seem to contradict other parts? Does it feel good? When taken separately, does it say something about you that you feel good about? If you discovered it in another person’s worldview, would you feel comfortable with that? If not, perhaps you might wish to change things.

Don’t be too zealous and start ripping out the wires before you’ve settled on a better design however. Nature abhors a vacuum and that’s as true in the spiritual realm as much as the physical one. Besides, it isn’t a quick and easy job to pluck out a piece of your spirituality. Remember that we’re talking about a very fundamental element of our personality that determines how we relate to the world even though we usually don’t recognize it as doing so.

Patience and nearly brutal honesty with yourself will serve you better than rushing to judgment and ill-considered action. Consulting with others with whom you have built a trusting and supportive bond is a wise move. It’s more important to understand as much as you can before declaring some portion of your spiritual beliefs to be toxic and in need of a cure. Having someone with whom you can discuss your concerns will help you sort out fact from fiction and true discernment from automatic, knee-jerk reaction.

Much of the same procedure should be used in any attempt to label another’s spirituality as toxic. However, when judging others it is always more difficult to know about their spirituality without a great deal of interaction and communication with them. In some cases, this is neither possible nor even desirable. Sometimes our instinctive reaction is to move away and disconnect and this is often worth listening to. However, if you choose to continue relations and determine that another person’s spirituality is toxic to them, there are a few guidelines you should follow.

Foremost, expect any attempt by you to change them will be met with extreme resistance. Any directed energy on your part will probably cause them not only to oppose you but also fortify and entrench the target of your efforts. And even if your judgments are keen (about it being toxic) and your energy to change their spirituality is surgically precise and effective, you would be unable to replace the missing piece with anything that could help them. Each of us ‘grows’ our own spirituality and any part that is made from ‘foreign materials’ severely tests and threatens the entire spirit of the person.

When a priest or priestess works to strengthen and detoxify their own spirituality, they must always have something better to put in place of the parts that they wish to remove before they do their own spiritual surgery. Otherwise, they will find that the spiritual body itself will grab on to anything that fills the gap and that new piece might be even more pathogenic. The same is true when working with another. The person must have something of his or her own making that will be a suitable substitute before any kind of rework is attempted.

Once again, if you are acting as their spiritual guide you must exercise rigorous caution and extreme patience in the process. Encouragement to explore and heal or detoxify their spiritual body is about the most a priest or priestess can do for another without making a complete hash of the process. Good intentions aside, nobody should attempt to change another person’s spirit without god-like wisdom. And who among us can say they have that?

The truth is that much of what we and others do is inconsistent with our spiritualities. We act and react in ways that are sometimes harmful to us and others; we make mistakes in our lives that show a remarkable lack of forethought, and we rarely consider our spirituality when going about most of our living. So-called ‘primitive’ people, who see their whole world filled with spirits, are often more sensitive and aware of their own spirituality than even the most religious and dedicated among us.

The more we reflect on and investigate our own spirituality, the better we will become at understanding the spirituality of others. Though we all have flaws and troubled areas in our spirits, together we manifest a universe of possibility and wonder filled with mystery and beauty. If we are to purify and make our spiritualities healthier, let us do so with love and trust that the gods we worship will guide us along the way.

the edge

From time to time we allow ourselves to become bitter and jaded and cold. We
withdraw into ourselves, shutting others out. This action is counter productive
to our emotional well being.

Yes at times it feels like we are stupid, and have unobtainable hopes and
dreams. It also sometimes looks as if the hole we are in is so deep that we can
never get out of it. This is wrong. Today I had a caller who was extremely
emotional, feeling like they had no place to go, no where to turn. After trying
to defuse the situation, the caller slammed down the phone and walked away.

YOU ARE NEVER ALONE! That is why Im here. Lets talk things over. Dont hurt
yourself or anyone else, its not going to make things better.

coven abuse

Little help is available to those suffering mistreatment in an abusive coven unless they are fortunate enough to connect with an understanding professional or others in the same situation. As a Pagan psychologist only too familiar with such damage, I developed this Coven Abuse Self-Help Index (CASHI) initially to help those in our community dealing with abusive Pagan clergy.

It has now been generalised to fit most pathways, be they Asatru, Buddhist, Celtic, Druidic, Hindu, generic Pagan, Shamanic, Wiccan or Witch. The CASHI is couched in terms of persons within an actively abusive situation, or for those previewing Covens Groves, Circles, Kindreds, Organizations etc. This Index also works well for those choosing individual apprenticeships, serial workshops or longer training situations of a metaphysical or “New Age” nature. Use of the CASHI will hopefully aid novices and others in avoiding common abusive situations that occur in such working groups. I spun the framework of this tool from the main concepts of Issac Bonewits venerable A Bonewits Cult Danger Evaluation Frame which is sometimes a bit confusing to novices as yet unfamiliar with the Pagan milieu. The CASHI was formulated to assist persons new to the metaphysical community and only marginally familiar with psychology in recognizing situations of coven and other organizational abuse. It is also quite suitable for persons at more advanced levels of tenure who may suddenly find themselves in an untenable situation within their group…

Coven Abuse Reality Check
If you are depressed, ill, stressed-out or otherwise in a negative space, take some time out to take a very long hard look at your own situation, motives, attitudes and actions before seeking to place the blame on others. Communication is a two-way street. Are you sure you are effectively communicating your needs to your covenmates and coven leadership? What about your negative perceptions? The worst thing to do is hoard up perceived slights then dump them on an unsuspecting populace. Be a good communicator and honestly discuss your ongoing perceptions with your fellow covenmates and Leadership when necessary. When deciding whether your ill feelings about the Coven stem from your own problems or those of other coveners or Leadership, factor in your own stress levels, emotional life and relative fulfillment level. Even lack of proper diet and exercise can affect your judgment and decision-making capabilities. Make sure you stand as much in Balance as possible before applying the CASHI.

1) Do the Leader/s, Priest/esses or other significant members of the Coven isolate you from people you care about inside or outside of the Coven?

(a) Is there an attempt to isolate you from family or from friends that you had prior to entering the coven?(b) Is there significant factionalism within the coven? Sub-groups that others in the coven point to and suggest or demand you not associate with? One or two persons in the coven that everyone else dislikes but nothing is done about?(c) Is there an “approved list” and/or a “disapproved list” of people, institutions and ideals you should or should not associate with or espouse? 
2) Do the Leader/s or Priest/esses of the Coven levy Coven taxes, dues or “membership fees” in excess of what might be reasonable for photocopying, refreshments served at meetings, and separate from any monies collected upon agreement of the entire Coven?

(a) Do they monitor your finances in any way or demand payments in any form for his/her/their services or “protection”?(b) Do the Leader/s, Priest/esses or other significant members of the Coven behave honorably with regard to their own money and personal possessions? Other people’s money and possessions? 
3) Do the Leader/s, Priest/esses or other significant members of the Coven have repetitive difficulties handling their daily affairs? Are they constantly in crisis, on the edge, depressed, ill, in debt, having family or legal problems, being evicted, etc? Some of this can be chalked up to reasonable “learning experiences” in a spiritual leader’s life journey. Beware of this syndrome if the following occurs:

(a) Are you or others frequently asked to help clean up this person’s life? Constantly being asked to babysit their children while they firefight? Emergency calls to help run them to shop or on other errands not connected with Coven activities? Loan them money?(b) Do the coven leaders or other significant members seem obsessed with cursing or hexing others? Do they blame everything wrong about their lives on others, particularly on spells or hexes they feel they might be under themselves? Are they constantly accusing others of attack, personal or magickal? Are they reliably melodramatic about the supposed threats they are under? 
4) Do the Leader/s, Priest/esses or other significant members of the Coven make a habit of embarrassing or invalidating you or others?

(a) If “yes” to the above, notice with whom and where this happens. In front of other Coveners only? In front of those outside or not connected with the Coven? In secret, just to you, not in front of anyone else?(b) Have you or anyone else become a “coven scapegoat” – a person that is habitually held up to scorn and criticism? Does that person in your estimation deserve the scorn heaped upon them?(c) Are they impeccable with their word or do their words and actions often seem dissonant? Does gossip about yourself or others come back to you, allegedly from Coven leadership? Alternatively, do Coven leaders constantly tell you you have faults because they allegedly hear about them from others? Do they “use” this information against you in any way?(d) Do they “use” other people’s alleged information against you as a substitute for taking a stand themselves or instead of responsibly making you aware of their own perceptions? Do they blame you for things based on the opinions of others they cite without bothering to hear your side of the story? Are you allowed to tell your side and is it responsibly taken into account by the Leader/s, Priest/esses and other significant members of the Coven?
5) Do the Leader/s, Priest/esses or other significant members of the Coven use invalidation and intimidation to make you or others coven members behave as they want?

(a) Do they force you or others to do what you don’t want to do Mentally? Spiritually? Physically?(b) Do they not listen to you when you tell them of your discomfort in forced situations? Do they make fun of your discomfort or constantly chalk it up to a lack of spiritual development on your part?c) Are things like coven secrets, levels of initiation or other information or elevation held over your head to get you to behave the way the Leader/s, Priest/esses or other significant members of the Coven want you to? 
6) Do the Leader/s, Priest/esses or other significant members of the Coven advocate or threaten you or others with violence of any kind?

(a) Have they threatened you or others with physical violence? When? Under what circumstances?(b) Do they treat you/others roughly, or touch you inappropriately?(c) Do they refuse to back off when asked? Do they use excuses for their violent behavior?(d) Do they threaten you or others with spiritual violence or psychic attack? How did you perceive this? (eg; did you perceive it psychically, were you told by the Leader/s, did the alleged victim tell you, etc?)
7) Do others collude with the main Abuser/s in their hurtful behaviors?

(a) How are those persons connected with the Coven? Is there cliquishness involved?(b) How differently are persons inside and outside inner and intra-Coven cliques treated?8) Do the Leader/s, Priest/esses or other significant members of the Coven make you feel miserable, as if there were no way out of your situation in the Coven? Have they told or intimated to you that you will be in this Coven “for life”?(a) Do they forbid you to investigate other covens or to talk to people from other covens or organizations?
(b) Are you encouraged to keep silent about behaviors you witness in coven? Not necessarily oathbound coven secrets which are normal to remain silent about, but about how people treat one another? How interpersonal interactions affect others?9) Are the Leader/s, Priest/esses or other significant members of the Coven frequently angry for seemingly no reason?
(a) Is there one person that always seems to receive the brunt of the Leader/s anger? (Reference 4b, above)
(b) In your opinion has that person done anything to warrant such angry treatment?
10) Do the Leader/s, Priest/esses or other significant members of the Coven exhibit disbelief when you or others confront them with their bizarre behavior?
(a) Do they blame you or others for abuses they have perpetrated on you? (eg; “You made me do it.”)
(b) Do they use “projection” – accusing you or others of perpetrating the same abuses they themselves have perpetrated while staunchly denying their own culpability?

(c) Do they constantly point to “misunderstandings”, yours or others supposed “lack of spiritual growth”, a malignant juxtaposition of the stars or other seemingly thin excuses for their own behavior?

11) Do the Leader/s, Priest/esses or other significant members of the Coven use altered states (including those induced by alcohol or drugs) as an excuse for being abusive?
(a) Do the Leader/s, Priest/esses or other significant members of the Coven engage in abusive behaviors while possessed of Deity/Spirit or in the trance state? If so, is this a solo effort on the part of one or two? A concerted effort on the part of many?
(b) Do they blame Spirit, Deity or drugs for their abusive behavior? Eg; “The God/dess made me do it” -or- “It was the God/dess, not me” -or- “That’s the booze talking, not me.” etc.

12) Do any of the Leader/s, Priest/esses or other significant members of the Coven appear to have a “Jekyll and Hyde” personality? Do they exhibit sudden mood swings, unpredictable behavior and markedly contrasting modes of personal conduct over a period of time that you can recognize as cyclic or patterned behavior? (a) Do you experience incidents of benevolence then sudden violence? Kindness then rage experienced over a significant time period?
(b) Does said person often seem not to know what you are talking about when you refer to past conversation? Do they claim they never said what you know they did? Do they claim you never told them things that you know you did?

13) Are the Leader/s, Priest/esses or other significant members of the Coven hypersensitive to any form of criticism? Do they allow and encourage appropriate constructive criticism? Do they quash any inkling of an idea that they are in any way lacking or behaving abnormally?

(a) Opposite to quashing criticism, do they seem not to know what to do with it? Do they fence-ride on issues of interest and relevance? Is the Leader’s style of management wishy-washy and poorly defined? Do they seem not to want to hurt anyone by giving opinion? Do they have a recognizable set of values or do they go with whatever others in the group want?
14) How do the Leader/s, Priest/esses or other significant members of the Coven relate to children, animals and the disabled? Are they fair in their treatment of children? Of animals? The physically disabled or mentally challenged? Do they hurt, treat carelessly or advocate the hurting of any of these groups?
(a) How do the Leader/s, Priest/esses or other significant members of the Coven feel with regard to persons of different races or sexual orientations than themselves? Do they advocate treating such persons differently than others?

it’s all in the wrist – some wand basics

It’s All In The Wrist – Some Wand Basics

Author: Bronwen Forbes

Posted: February 14th. 2010 via Witchvox.com

After the athame, the most popular – and misunderstood – ritual tool is the wand. Aside from the “is the wand a tool of the East or a tool of the South?” debate I covered in my Witchvox article on athame basics, there seem to still be quite a few unanswered questions about the wand and its use including: Is it better to make or buy a wand? How long should my wand be? What should I make my wand out of? When should I use the wand in ritual, as opposed to using the athame? How do I charge my wand and make it ready to use? Is it better to make or buy a wand? In general, it is always better to make a ritual tool than buy it. Obviously, unless you have a forge and the training to make your own blade from scratch, it’s better to buy an athame rather than make it. Plus, wands made by other people can be *expensive.* I remember a few years back with wands made of wood that had a natural spiral twist to it from growing with a wild grape vine wrapped around it were being sold for about $60. If the seller added a shell or crystal at the tip, the naturally spiral wands were closer to $70. I remember talking to a friend who was Pagan and also participated in “Host Your Own Murder Mystery” events.

 She had just returned from a murder mystery convention and was telling me about the weird stuff that the attendees bought to make their weekend events more realistic (fake blood and cap guns were only the tip of the iceberg) – and how much they paid for it. I said, “Yes, but Pagans have been known to pay $70 for a stick!” She laughed, but she also had to agree with me. How long should my wand be? Traditionally, your wand should be exactly the length from the inside of your elbow to the tip of your middle finger. No more, no less, and *never* “trim” your already-made wand to fit in the fancy storage box your sweetie gave you for Yule (seriously, I know someone this happened to) .

However, it’s been my experience that if two people are working partners and only one of them has a wand, the other can generally use the wand even if it’s traditionally the “wrong” length. What should I make my wand out of? Wands can be pretty easy to make. All you need is a short, cured wooden branch, or, if you want to go fancy, find your own “stick” that has wild grapevine growing around it. Take home, strip the bark off, and polish. I had a student once who wanted more than anything to be a music conductor. Her wand was, in fact, a conductor’s baton. I thought it was perfect for her. I’ve also known people who have used bones from their totem animals (deer bones work very well, if you can get them) rather than wood. They seemed to work well, too. My husband has a lovely wand he “recycled” from a red maple tree that needed to be cut down in his mother’s front yard a few years ago.

To give him an even closer connection with his wand, he and his father were the ones that planted the tree in the first place. If I ever have a wand, it will probably be made of oak, holly or apple – my favorite trees. A quick note to the Harry Potter fans: no, it will not have a phoenix feather in the middle of it! You can decorate your wand with shells, crystals, feathers, paint, carve runes into it – whatever makes it more “yours.” However, I would reference the excellent article Lupa posted here on Witchvox about the legal use of animal parts for ritual items before adding feathers or bits of fur to the end, or even making the wand out of bone as mentioned above.

The last thing you want is to take your wand to a public space to use for a community ritual and have it confiscated by the police or park rangers because you’ve put a feather on it that, legally, you’re not allowed to have. When should I use the wand in ritual, as opposed to using the athame? You can, generally, use the wand for anything you’d use the athame for –casting the circle, saluting the quarters, etc. If you believe the wand is the tool of the East, use it any time you need extra “air” energy – when you’re doing a ritual to help you study more effectively for an exam, for instance, or when beginning a new job. If you believe the wand is the tool of the South, use it any time you need extra “fire” energy – if you’ve been feeling physically run down lately, or you’ve got some old life baggage you want to burn away.

If your wand is made of wood, I’d definitely refrain from placing it in a combustible situation – using it to consecrate a burning candle, or poking your incense charcoal to get the burnt ash off the surface and expose the glowing coal within, for instance. Use your athame or boline for those – and save yourself the pain and embarrassment of setting your wand on fire! How do I charge my wand and make it ready to use? I keep my wand tucked away with the rest of my altar tools (I have a small child and many pets. Ritual tools are safely stored in a special cabinet) . To charge it, I waited for a particularly windy day (yes, I am definitely of the belief that wands are the tool of East/Air) and took my wand outside for a few hours so it could absorb the wind. I also did this as close to sunrise as possible to add the dawn/new beginnings energy to the tool. I still do this periodically if I haven’t used it in ritual for a while – just in case. Whether your wand is something you make yourself or a gift from a dear friend, cherish it and use it well!

the healing power of trees

Author: Colin Bondi
Original Site: witchvox.com

I love trees, I always have. I love the natural world but for some reason trees have always had a special meaning and a special power for me. The reverence and appreciation I feel for them can be intense and lately I’ve made it a daily practice to connect and work with them. They are a great teacher for me and they demonstrate and symbolize how to live in the world with grace, groundedness, openness and connectedness. They help me move energy by connecting me with the Earth and acting as a channel for its energy.

They comfort me when I’m feeling lost and help me get to my feelings. They provide a natural temple to connect with Spirit, the Goddess and the power of the Earth. Its really too bad they aren’t appreciated more for what they have to offer people as well as what we can do for them because I think we are meant to work together.

Trees are an amazing spiritual symbol and they represent grounded connected life very well. If we consider how a tree exists this becomes clear. A tree is dependent on the world around it, it needs light, water, air and soil to grow and prosper. Yet if a tree is to survive it must put down strong roots deep into the ground while reaching up into the sky to the sun so it must be grounded in the Earth while open to the sky. If it is not well grounded a strong wind can topple it or even blow it away but if well grounded a tree can and must withstand storms and the tumult of the outside world. It must also be flexible so as not to break in the wind, a balance of strong grounding and flexibility.

Humans too must be well grounded in themselves, the Earth and in Spirit if they are to withstand the trials of life. If we are not well grounded we tend to be swept up in the circumstances and emotional drama of our lives and this is particularly true in these intense times. However if we are well grounded, we find our stability within and we are not swept away even in the most difficult of times. Like the tree we must also be flexible and not be so rigid in our groundedness that we snap. We flow with the changing current of life without being overwhelmed by it. Being grounded and flexible is what trees symbolize for me.

The tree has also been used by many cultures as a powerful symbol, an example of which is the Tree of Life. Here the tree is used to symbolize life itself in all its complexities and interconnections. A similar concept is that of the World Tree where the tree is used as a cosmological symbol of the underworld, the Earth and the Heavens.

Trees can be powerful healing tools because they can help us ground and move emotional energy very effectively. When I’ve felt stuck in my “stuff” lately I’ve taken a trip to the park to do tree practice. I’ll find a strong tree I feel drawn to and touch it with both hands while planting my feet firmly on the ground next to it. I will then ask the tree for help in moving my stuck energy.

If it feels right to continue I visualize energy from the earth coming up through my feet and into me and flowing out through my hands into the tree and back into the earth creating a circuit. The tree has a way of helping me make this connection and moving the energy. I usually find emotion comes up rather easily when I do this… whether it be sadness, anger or some other feeling I had been holding onto. Once energy has moved I will quiet my mind and feel the energy of the tree and the earth, which is very calming. I conclude by giving the tree my gratitude and sending it love and light.

I think this practice is a powerful one because we can be so disconnected from nature in our modern world yet we are a product of nature. I wonder how much of our mental and emotional pain is made so much worse because we have lost this natural connection that is so healing. The drama and trauma of human life tends to obstruct life energy so it becomes things like depression, anxiety, anger and confusion. To Mother Nature this is all just life energy and so in reconnecting with her she can help us remove the obstructions and free this energy returning it to source while allowing it to flow through us in a way that allows us to live fully connected with life.

In the sacred rites and rituals of old, particularly the Druids, trees represented the place of spiritual worship, the sacred grove. They became a temple to the Divine. I have come to see it that way myself and consider the park near my house a temple and place of spiritual practice. The paths are the sacred halls of the temple and the trees living manifestations of the Goddess as well as access points to the Earth energy we are all a part of.

Reconnecting with the Earth in this way is not only healing for us but for the planet as well. If we can return all the disconnected energy we have created in separation, that energy can be used consciously to heal the planet. The environmental crisis we are experiencing today is a manifestation of this separation. In seeing ourselves as separate from the planet we have harmed it greatly while not realizing we are directly harming ourselves at the same time.

Is it any wonder our culture is so sick and dysfunctional? We are not separate from the planet; we are a conscious part of it and with our consciousness acting in harmony with the planet, it and we can be completely healed together. Technology, science and rational solutions will not save us because the problem is much more simple and basic than that and the solution is right here right now if we can just let go, listen, feel and realize our interconnectedness.

the fine act of knowing when not to speak

Many times people will call and ask me questions. Never really looking for an answer, just wanting to voice what they have on their minds, and looking for little to no interaction with the person on the other end of the line.
This is  a masterful skill that not many have, as most have mouths bigger than the state of Texas, and ears as small as a needle point. I have over many years of practice learned this fine art. I know that my shoulder is sometimes a pillow for others to cry on, and my ears are just there to absorb what others have to say. Though I may be a person of few words, it is at this time of silence that I am taking in more than you could ever imagine. Yes my expression may glaze over and it not seem like im listening but many times I am forming my own rebuttal to what is being said to me.

I guess what the meaning of this post is supposed to be is this. Sometimes you need to listen and not speak. Sometimes others dont need your view point, and even though you do not agree with something, dont knock it as its not your place. If someone asks your opinion do not beat them over the head with it simply say ‘i feel this way________, but I support your choice to do _______” one of my most favorite things to tell people is this :

                      “I really dont agree with that choice, however, I am always going to be right here for you, good, bad, or indifferent. Just note that I reserve the right to say ‘Ha ha I told you so…””

This lets others make their own decision and that way should they fail in what they were indecisive on they can not come back and said ‘well i did what you said now look at where I am!” Because you only offered up your view point, you didnt give them the idea, you merely suggested how you would do something.

Remember words are powerful weapons, and better than doctors, when used correctly.

can having too much in common become a problem

Perhaps being with somebody who is like you in every way can become a hindrance in making a relationship work, because of its tendency to impede growth and to foster narcissism in an individual.

Having said this, there might be some truth to the saying that opposites attract. There’s nothing entirely wrong with having the same taste in movies, travel destinations, books and perspectives on life. It’s when things go overboard that this “commonality” starts to become a burden. Here are some examples of how this can be made possible:

Lack of space. It’s OK to have activities that you engage in together, like if you do wall climbing, painting classes or backpack traveling. However, this can become an issue if your daily activities are constantly in sync with each other. Being together ALL THE TIME can be unhealthy as well, since one of you is bound to feel suffocated and get on the other’s nerves.

Shrinking your worlds. Since the two of you are constantly together, your worlds are bound to shrink as well. Your relationships with people outside your “sphere of love” deteriorates, you keep cancelling on your appointments with people and you no longer do the things that you used to, simply because your partner isn’t in on it (it might also be because they disapprove of it). Don’t allow this to happen, because it will transform your world into one that revolves around your partner, and this could become a bad thing down the line, especially when they start feeling that you’re constantly breathing down their necks. This is also the cause for the start of insecurity, discontent and to some extreme degree, contempt.

Letting your narcissism get in the way. Making any relationship work requires a constant need for understanding and the ability to be compassionate and considerate towards your partner. Having too much in common with your partner might be misleading on your part, as you might make the mistake of thinking that his or her needs are just the same as yours. Thus, defeating the purpose of making an effort to know your partner better or making an effort to make things work.

Having a lot in common with your partner can’t all be that bad. In fact, it may even be an upside to some, because they find that they understand each other better. Like in every relationship, understanding and consideration may be one of the more important factors to making sure that both your needs are met. The most rewarding of relationships, after all, are that which inspire you to grow individually. Don’t let these “commonality issues” be the reason for your downfall.

Picking our battles

Sometimes and we are all accused of doing this, we interject our opinions when they are not wanted. We all have a tendency to just open our mouths and allow for verbal diarrhea to come spewing forth. Sometimes this can cause fights, and other times hurt peoples feelings. Many times we dont care. But what if you are on the receiving end of that assault? What if, just for one second that was someone talking to you like that? What if what they were saying was really hurting you, and they didnt care?

Sometimes we find our shoes on the other foot. Taking time to really examine your words and what you have said to someone even if you dont agree with that person’s actions, comments, or opinions, one should always take the higher road and keep to themselves. You can talk the ears off of someone, but if they dont want to listen, then you are just wasting your time and breath.

This is where picking your battles comes in. Knowing what to say, and when to say it can truthfully help your cause. If you are suggesting something to someone and they wish not to hear it, in one ear and out the other….
Take some time to just listen, you dont always have to have a say, just listen, and be non-judgmental about things.

it’s a restraining order not a hallmark card *rant*

So you had a fight with your boy/girl friend or your spouse. You love them, and you think its all a big misunderstanding, yet they go out and put a restraining order on you, chances are YOU ARE NOT GETTING BACK TOGETHER.

Many times I just want to laugh when I get calls from scorned lovers who just want their mate back, but the other person has moved on and isnt looking back and has gone as far as involving the police or courts. Why would you want someone like that? Why would you want to be in their lives? Apparently the time you two did spend together was forced to an end with documentation that says you can not contact them ever again…Please stop getting mad at me when I give you a reading that isn’t what you want to hear.

I am not a fake reader, I will not tell you what you want to hear. SORRY!

recycling ritual tools

While neopaganism is relatively young, there are a variety of traditions that have arisen among some pagans surrounding ritual tools. Some have to do with their procurement, such as never haggle with the maker or seller of a tool you want. Others deal with their handling and care, such as periodic purification, not letting others handle them, and energetically insulating then when not in use.

But what about when you no longer have a need to use them? What if you’ve moved past a particular tradition and don’t have a use for tools specific to that tradition? Or what about tools that you used a few times but never really connected to? Maybe there are things that no longer fit you for other reasons, or that you feel need to move on to someone else.

Some people have absolutely no problem with passing their old tools on to someone else. Others are less comfortable with it, often citing the idea that a lot of their personal energy has gone into those tools and they don’t want that misused. Or they dislike the idea of some random person at Goodwill buying something that used to be sacred, and using it as an ashtray or letter opener. And some people dislike buying or otherwise receiving secondhand ritual tools, again often because of the “energy issue”.

In this day and age, though, there are a lot of resources going to waste. Countless amounts of perfectly good household objects, clothing, and otherwise usable things end up in landfills and garbage incinerators because nobody wanted them any more—at least no one who had access to them. And to replace these destroyed resources, there are more minerals being strip-mined, more forests being cut down for cash crop agriculture like cotton, more chemicals going into synthetics like plastic, and so on.

Pagan tools and other sacred objects are no exception. Most crystals are strip-mined, and even those that are from smaller operations still require the ecosystem to be disturbed in some way, even if only by human presences. The same goes for metals used in athames, chalices, pewter pentacle necklaces, and the like. Teak and other woods used in altars and boxes and other trinkets are often unsustainably grown and harvested with a negative effect on the local ecosystem. Many altar cloths, as well as a lot of flowing, brightly-colored clothing favored at festivals is made by slave labor in Asia and elsewhere, using harsh chemical dyes that can be horrible for the health of the laborers, as well as the environment that suffers the wastes from these processes. Most commercially available leather, feathers and other animal parts used in drums and other shamanic tools came from animals that suffered bad deaths, and often bad lives in captivity, and are often treated with more polluting chemicals.

On top of all this, pagans as a group are notorious for “magpie syndrome”. I have known entirely too many pagans—and been one myself—with huge collections of random magical tchotchkes, most of which just sit there and “look pretty”, or clutter up small spaces designated as altars. Granted, my tastes tended toward neat secondhand things I found at flea markets, and handmade pieces of art, but it still remains that pagans have a tendency toward packratting, and that includes all sort of mass-produced cheap statuary, pewter jewelry, and other things made cheap by cheap—and cheated—labor.

So with all that in mind, does it not make sense to reduce the demand for new resources? Isn’t it better for those who profess to follow nature-based paths in particular to get over the “icky energy” hangup and find green ways to deal with ritual tools that no longer suit us? Here are some suggestions: –Anything can be purified, and I do mean anything. If you feel something is “dirty” even after scrubbing it with salt, washing it with running water, or censing it with sage, it’s most likely that you’ve got a personal bias about it on some level that makes you still see it as “bad” or “tainted” or even just “mine”.
 If you don’t feel you can effectively purify it yourself, find someone who can. In my experience, most cases of “cursed” items tend to be a matter of confirmation bias—if you receive an item being told that it’s “cursed”, or if the physical appearance of it hits enough “creepy” vibes on a subconscious level, then you’re more likely to continue the story of “it’s cursed!” Yet if you handed it off to someone who had no idea and no belief in any of this sort of thing, chances are they could just set it up on their mantle with no harm or foul. So when doing purifications, don’t just purify the object—purify your own mind as well.

–Have a swapping party with some friends or other folks in the local pagan community. Make sure especially that people who are relatively new, or who may not have a lot of extra funds to buy tools, know about it. Have everyone who has tools to rehome bring them to the party, put them in the middle of the room, and let folks take whatever they will regardless of how much or how little they brought. At the end of the swap, if there are leftovers, let the people who brought them initially decide whether they’re okay with them being donated to Goodwill or another thrift store, or given away as a raffle prize at an upcoming pagan event/fundraiser, etc., or whether they’d rather take them back home and try again later.

–If you have something very special to you, just wait for the right person to come along. I ended up giving my very first set of ritual tools away to a relatively new pagan who didn’t have any, and I didn’t feel at all bad about it. She appreciated the tools, and I felt better knowing she had some that had been very near and dear to me.

–If the tool is simply too physically damaged, see if there’s a way to repurpose or otherwise recycle it. Can a cracked cauldron be used as a flowerpot, or an old wand help to prop up a young plant in the garden? Would an old, worn altar cloth still be usable to wrap a set of tarot cards, made into part of a quilt, or even be torn up into cleaning rags so as to save trees that would otherwise be made into paper towels? If you have an old broken rawhide drum head, can it be cut into smaller pieces, painted with seasonal decorations, and made into a bunch of Sabbat ornaments?

–Reduce your consumption as well, particularly of brand-new resources. Do you really need that cheap black metal candle holder from Wal-Mart made with strip-mined metal and shaped by slave laborers whose health may have been affected by metal fumes and anodizing chemicals? In my experience, thrift stores tend to have shelves upon shelves of similar candleholders secondhand that may just need a quick smudging and maybe a little dusting. If you must buy new, give your money to individual artisans, especially those who make use of secondhand materials and give them a new life. And, of course, there’s always the option of making your own if you’re so inclined!

There’s really no excuse to do things like bury old ritual tools in the ground or toss old crystals in a lake where they’ll never get used again. No matter what you have, someone, somewhere will make use of them and give them a cherished place. It may take a little effort to make the right connection, but in the end, everybody wins!

mundane magick

There are days in which I find myself feeling as if I have forgotten that I am, indeed, a Witch.
When I walk past the living room, I spare a glance with brown eyes at the small altar my partner Lore and I have crafted together using beautiful objects I have collected over the year of us being together. Our first chalice of red and clear glass, the miniature cast iron cauldron, and the brass lantern I had acquired years ago when I was thirteen. I still had it in my possession, even after over ten years. These objects, as well as many others, sat atop a wooden shelf, alone.

They gathered dust far quicker than the speed in which the days passed.
The daily grind can get to a person. The day passes, and you head to bed. Your head touches the pillows, and underneath the warmth of your secure blankets, you fall asleep. The sun rises. The day comes, and you awaken, pull on your clothes, and head out the door. You work. You eat. You come home. After commencing daily tasks, and wind down, you’re heading back to bed again. You may pass many, many days, allowing them to lapse in the same way over and over again, until you realize……Where have they gone?

On that shelf, the dust is still there.
It’s easy to forgot, amidst the glamour of the media and our own personal fantasies… that being a Witch does not necessarily mean living up that name at every opportunity. All of that is a front. Not all of us can remember to toss a prayer or thanks to the God and Goddess when something pleasant comes our way, or thank the patrons when a spell we may have managed to squeeze in a couple of weeks ago finally comes to fruition. That’s all right. The God and Goddess can forgive us for our thoughtlessness once in awhile. There are Sabbats that we may find ourselves forgetting about, or end up not having the time to celebrate it at all, not with all the other “mundane” holidays we may have to prepare for (cramming Thanksgiving in between Samhain and Yule, for example) . Often times, a full moon passes us, and there is no spell casting, nor celebration.
It just passes us by.…Or does it?

solitary spirituality

Being a solitary Witch does not mean that you have to do everything alone. I myself have been a member of a coven and practiced on my own as well, finding that not everyone is meant to perform rituals and works of magic with others. Sure, sometimes it is nice to be joined with others of your own faith. But being a part of a coven is not for everyone.

I found my path about ten years ago. A friend in high school introduced paganism to me. Mind you, this was also during a time when the movie “The Craft” had already gained cult status and being a witch became somewhat of a trend. My sister and a friend of ours also became interested and we dedicated ourselves as a coven before I knew it. For a few weeks the four of us were so close that we enjoyed practicing meditations, working with our energies, and celebrating midsummer nearly every day. Things seemed so great; I had finally found my calling and felt that the world was at peace with itself. Unfortunately that would not last long.

Our high priestess, my friend who introduced this faith to me, had her own agenda. That’s not to say that she meant any harm, and I will always be connected to her through the bonds of friendship. But the power this young high priestess felt over the rest of my coven mates and me seemed to overcome her better judgment. She began playing us against each other, praising me for my strength with the elements, only to use that as a way to make one of the other coven mates feel powerless. Then this same high priestess would turn around and favor my sister in a way that brought me down. It wasn’t long before the three of us realized what was happening. So instead of turning against each other, we started distancing ourselves from our leader.

The coven was eventually disbanded; we were young and had much to learn. It was a true experience, but since then I have not felt the need to join another coven. Nor do I think that I will ever want to again. Our high priestess has, to my knowledge, stopped practicing altogether, along with our other friend who has completely withdrawn from her beliefs. My sister and I witnessed quite a few people go through the fad of enjoying the ‘benefits’ of becoming a Witch, and when they realized that there is so much more to Paganism than just doing spell work and wearing the color black, they moved on. But Wicca was so much more to me, as it has been for many others. I became enamored with its teachings, and immersed myself in as many books, articles, and shops that I could find.

My sister has always been very encouraging and still holds her beliefs, but she is not as active in her faith as she used to be. We have sometimes celebrated the Sabbaths together, but I was often on my own. Luckily, the years have been kind to me. My connection to the Gods has only grown stronger as I have worked very hard to maintain a balance between living a healthy natural life and finding my place in society. A challenging task at times, but I always say that this is the best time to be a witch.
I am now married with a daughter of my own, and though I still consider myself a solitary witch, the wheel of the year is quite a beacon of light in our home.
Celebrating the holidays reminds me that love is the main ingredient in any faith. And the Gods sure have graced my family with plenty of love. We highly enjoy our festivities with our shy lion head rabbit Penny, our scaly fish Einstein, our two fluffy cats, Smokey and Tortoro, as well as our sweet dog Willow. I feel more at ease performing ritual with my family, including these beautiful creatures, than I ever did in a coven.

Some days I enjoy my meditations and rituals alone, whereas there are others where my husband and daughter join in. We are linked through our beliefs like many people, but my husband is a Taoist so his participation is based more on ideals than ritual. Not being a part of a coven has had a very positive effect on me. I have the freedom to focus on my own journey, while not feeling too self-centered. I take my faith very seriously while trying to know how to loosen up and enjoy my beliefs. Finding many solitary guides has made this possible.
There is a multitude of books, magazines, and online sources that give me the information I need as well as offering a sense a community.

Being lonely is not part of being a solitary witch because true Pagans are very personable. There is nothing more I love to do than speak with others about faith, as long as I am speaking with someone who is respectful. I live to enjoy life, knowing that the gods are always around me. If I do feel the need for a little Witchy interaction from time to time, there is always the “Pagan Picnic”, classes I can take at my New Age Shop and “the Witches Ball”. Our annual Renaissance Festival has quite a few Pagan elements included as well. Having the opportunity to attend these events allows me to be social enough with other people of my own faith without having to worry about the demands of being part of a coven.

Some Wiccans prefer those coven/group bonds, and that is understandable. Words cannot express the kind of link that one has to the other members of their coven. But many of us are perfectly happy to have the freedom of practicing our beliefs on our own. After all, everyone has their own path to take and being a solitary Witch is full of freedom, happiness, and adventure.