Crystal Therapy

Crystals, as I have said in earlier post, are very remarkable and possess qualities that can improve health if used correctly, and I'm going to describe one way of using them correctly. Now this is a physical treatment, not a mental one. Crystal therapy involves being covered with crystals, that's just about it.
Of course, there is a bit more to it than being covered with crystals, but that's the basic idea. The crystals can help improve certain parts of the body like intestines, blood, the heart, mind, aches, draw out sickness, improve emotional status, accelerate psychic abilities, those are only a few to name. Now, first thing you need to do is buy several crystals, the more the better. Depending on your purpose, it's good to have specific crystals. this website has lots of metaphysical properties that come in handy when you are deciding which crystals to buy.http://www.beadage.net/gemstones/gemstonesA_F.shtml
Now, to purchase your crystals, it is very likely that there is some new age shop or occult store in your town which sells crystals. These stores would probably be the cheapest to find these crystals, but if you can't find them there then try some online stores focusing on wicca or witchcraft, they tend to sell crystals as well, try this website. http://www.13moons.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=187
Before you buy any crystals, a little background info is needed. First, this exercise works best if you can support your chakra. You have 7 chakras, and if you can place a stone of the right color at the point on your body coordinating with the chakra with that same color, then you'll be in great shape. Now, you don't have to do this will all of the stones, it is just good to start there and then have other stones to add extra help. Like if you were aching at your stomach you might put quartz there even though the chakra is orange, but it would be best to put an orange stone AND the quartz. that is just about it. Have fun experimenting with this, once you get the technique down, placing the crystals in new places is fun and feeling the effects is great, but don't forget to purify your crystals in salt water after every 1-3 times you use them for best results.

Why magic works

I've recently been doing some research into more old forms of witchcraft, like how ancient tribes performed it and the kind of objects they used and it made me start wondering. Part of practicing witchcraft is also learning what makes it work and why and I'm really starting to make some great connections. As we do things, often times we don't question why doing them is going to make a difference, but we need to because piecing things together forms a bigger picture and makes everything easier and more understandable.
I was talknig to somebody on a social network and they were saying that dark magic is easier to perform that good magic, and though I don't approve of it necessarily, in a way it does make sense. He said that he would use blood often as an offering to the spirits, which he didn't specify, but he said that he could feel the energy present much faster than if he was donig a ritual without blood, and I think that the reason behind this is because blood is a life force. Everything in our body is manditory in order for us to sustain life, and living we have energy and emotion, but when we're dead we are simply an inanimate object. If you use something that possibly came from a living creature, it's possible that you can manipulate it's lifeforce before it's completely drained out. A lot of ancient forms of magic called for this and if it didn't work then I don't think that they would have continued to perform the rituals that way.
Now please don't get me wrong and think I'm a bad person and I'm gonig to start performnig dark magic, I'm a good witch and I do good magic, but learning about dark magic is also important because it shows a side to witchcraft that good witches like myself haven't experienced. But, back to why I think it is harder for witches who don't practice dark magic to perform rituals succesfully, I think so because we have replaced blood and a lot of parts to a ritual with things like water, salt and other items that never contained a life force so manipulating a force that isn't there isn't possible, so most of the enrgy used comes from ourselves.
Alright, I just wanted to put some more information out there for people to read and gain a better understanding of the craft. I hope somebody somewhere does read this, but if not then I guess that information will just stay with me.

Old traditions

Sadly, a lot of traditions that started in ancient countries are starting to die out and are being replaced by new traditions, and in ways that is good but it is also a bad thing. I think that revolutionizing witchcraft is important because it's gongi to happen whether peopel like it or not, but the sad thing is that because modern day society is so close minded on witchcraft in general, a lot of traditions are either being dropped or replaced with representations. Let's face it that a lot of old cultures had magic practitioners, such as high priests/priestesses from ancient celtic lands, shamans from small villages, voodoo priests from small tribes, and a lot of them had some rather crude customs, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't learn from them and figure out WHY they did that. Back in ancient times, magic, for some people was a living and not just a practice and they used it every day and passed it on through generations, and if the traditions were passed on then there must have been some credibility to them, right?
A lot of these people used natural ingredients in spells, potions, rituals and charms. They might have used bones, venoms, blood, etc. but that doesn't mean they neccesarily went out and killed these animals or people to get these ingredients. Even if they did kill them, the ingredients must have been important for them to take measures like that and a part of magic is learning from ourselves and others, including those from ancient times because back then people's senses weren't as dilluted as now and they were more in sync with nature and the natural balance of things.
Now, remember that I'm not saying that you should go out and kill a bunch of things, DON'T do that, it's wrong. What I am saying is that we should study why magic practitioners took the actions they did in those times when performnig ceremonies or just in general life because it might support a lot of today's beleifs and fuel your understanding for how magic really works. Have fun!

Samhain

So the autumn is here and of course that means that Samhain is near. First, before I do anything I want to clear up the correct pronunciation of Samhain. It isn't pronounced how it looks, it's pronounced as if it were spelled (Sowen). Just a little tidbit of info for you there.
Anyway, so my coven, Moonweb Coven now has four members! I know that it's not a lot but thats okay because they are all my best friends and you don't need a big coven to do magic, you don't even need a coven, but some of us like to have one. Unfortunately because of fighting gonig on between two members in the coven, the plans for Samhain have been split up between different members of the Coven, but oh well.
So, I am stil lexcited about thisw because I've been planning this for a while and we're gonig to have a feast and a big circle and its going to be really fun and were even gonig to camp outside. I'm really excited and I'll definitley give an update about how that goes. Also, it's about time to start harvesting before Samahin gets here. I've got to harvest some of my herbs to use in the ceremony on Samhain so I'll do that probably tomorrow and then dry them and the rest can be harvested throughout the little remaining time before the first frost comes.
Just felt like giving an update to let people know I', still alive and to share some of my enthusiasm! Everyone enjoy your Samhain!

Magick Alphabets

As I stated in a previous post, as witches delve deeper and deeper into higher magicks then it becomes more important to be secretive about our work. As we learn more then we start to uncover alternate meaning of things that we had already been taught about take the hexagram for example, it is commonly known as the Jewish star(Star of David) and many people are against Judaism(I know it's wrong) and they aren't going to listen if you try to explain that you aren't Jewish, they are just going to judge. That applies for a lot of things and a lot of people, though not everyone is so judgmental.

Anyway, it is important to keep our work hidden so I've gathered a list of ancient alphabets that people can use to decrypt their writing so others can't read it. Personally, I use the Theban Script, but there are also scripts like:

Elder Futhark Runes
Pictish Script
Writing of the Magi
Celestial Script
Bobilith
Enochian
Entruscan
Malachim
Greek
Hebrew
Phoenician

here are the links to the websites I took them from and they have pictures too along with descriptions to help you choose.

http://www.janih.com/lady/magick/alphabet.html

http://www.pathcom.com/~newmoon/alpha.htm

Basic Ritual Structure

I'm sure that there are a lot of people who are thinking "all of this information is nice, but what do I do with it?" It is important to have a base to start with, and I've kind of failed to start with the basics here and work my way up, it's just been a jumble of various bits of info and etc. Anyway, most beginners will use pre created spells and rituals for their work until they get experienced enough to do their own work, and even so, sometimes people still use pre written spells. I'm going to give you the basic foundation for rituals so that you will have a general idea of how to go about it, and of course you can change it up to fit your purpose.

First you will want to gather all of your supplies like an athame(ritual knife), all four elements(earth, air, fire and water) in separate bowls or chalices, candles, the boundary marker for your circle(string, chalk, salt, etc.) and then any extra things for whatever specific purpose you are casting a spell or ritual for.

Now you will want to cast the circle which will mean making the boundary with whatever substance you choose to use, making sure to leave an opening in it. Then you will want to cast the circle with the four elements, scattering each one around the circle. Salt and water can be sprinkled on the ground along the boundary line, candles are placed around the circle(I usually place five around it and then use my athame and connect a line of energy between each candle to form a pentacle). Then once this is complete I usually close the gap in the circle and move on to invocations and quarter calls. Some people do the invocations before they close the circle, but I feel it is a waste because the circle is open so the energy could be leaking right out, that's why I close it first.

Now we move on to quarter calls where we call the spirits of the watchtowers of the North, South, East and West. You might need a compass for this. South is Fire, West is Water, East is Earth and North is Wind. After you call the watchtowers then would be the time to do any extra invocations or power chants or anything like that.

After you have done all your invocations then is the time when you meditate to clear your mind and get into your deepest meditative trance which is best in order to perform magick with.

Once you've gotten into your deepest meditative state, then you perform the main ritual. Cast any spells, raise any energy or do whatever you desire. This is your time to shine and cast your magick, to let yourself be free!

After you've done the main ritual or spell then you need to start closing your circle. Come out of your meditative state, release any invocations and dismiss the watchtowers and then presume to finish closing the circle. The closing of the circle is significantly easier than the buildup of the circle.

This is a base for most rituals so enjoy yourself and try to create your own rituals. Blessed be!

Important Sigils

These are just some sigils that I found on Cythrawl Coven's website after looking up the Cythrawl pentacle, which I will explain more about later in the post. These are just some sigils of protection or power, and I find all of them rather important, though not all are widely recognized. All of the explanations of these sigils will be in my own words, but some of the information is taken from www.coven-of-cythrawl.com because I just learned about a few of these sigils recently from this website.






The Pentacle- It represents the 5 elements of witchcraft: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Spirit. It is a symbol of protection and commonly known as "The Witch's Star" or "The Witch's Cross" because of its association with Witchcraft. Unlike the inverted pentacle with two points up, the pentacle represents good instead of evil. It also has less common representation as in the five places where Christ was wounded and as the Microcosmic man.





The Hexagram (Solomon's Seal)- Before this symbol became associated with the Jewish religion, it was known as the symbol which represented the joining of the opposites, shown how two triangles are entwined together. It is a symbol of protection, commonly seen in many famous magic circles created by many expert occultists throughout history. It was also the alchemical symbol for alcohol.





The Magic Hexagram- This is an alternate form of the Hexagram, created by Aleister Crowley for the emblem of his "Order of the Silver Star". They used this alternate form because since the pattern isn't broken it is believed to be more powerful compared to the original Hexagram which is two separate triangles. Since one did not have to pick up the pen to draw this symbol it was gateless and said to be more powerful when protecting against evil of any kind.







The Heptagram- The seven pointed star is a sigil of power because the number seven is a power number. The number seven has come up many times as a common number in astrology and general spirituality. (example: 7 visible planets including the sun and moon, 7 chakras, seven days of the week). Seven is also thought to be a lucky number. The Heptagram is also known as the Elven Star or the Fairy Star by some people who follow the Fairy Way.






Inverted Pentacle- This is a symbol commonly associated with Satanism, evil, or dark magic because of its message of denouncing God. It is commonly worn by Satanists or Devil Worshipers(I think that there is a distinction between the two but I'm not really sure what it is). It is supposed to drive away positive energy and attract evil or negative energy.



Cythrawl Pentacle- This is a version of the pentacle created by the Coven of Cythrawl. It is tilted so it is neither inverted or upright, being neither good nor evil, lying in between. It represents the constant shifting of perception in life. Because people need to be in an altered state of mind in order for most spells or rituals to properly work, this pentacle was created to help achieve that purpose. As our perception switches the pentacle from upright to inverse faster than our minds can make out the difference, then our mind will become overloaded and an altered state of mind can be attained.

Thanks for checking out my blog!

I've been looking at the stats here recently and checking out the amount of visitors I've been getting and it's rather surprising. I thought absolutely nobody was looking at my blog, but I guess not. Whether you are only here for a second or if you check it out regularly, I appreciate it and I hope that you all follow my blog and comment on posts because it helps me get a feel for things I should add or change. Thank you everyone!

High Magic

As I grow more experienced and gain more knowledge, I'm starting to drift further away from the common wiccan style rituals and practices more into the higher occult work. Of course Wicca is still very important to me and a very important part to my practices and I will not just drop it and move on, it is important to me, I'm just working my way into higher magics. The other members of my coven, though I love them dearly and want them to go far don't seem as motivated to move past a mediocre understanding of the craft and other practices. Part of the reasons I can understand, but others seem silly to me.
Anyway, back to high magic. Originally when I got into the occult in general it began with a fixation on demons and ghosts, only because I watched a lot of silly shows and read a lot of fictional books dealing with those subjects, but I never quite grasped how dangerous it was. Also, most of my friends at the time were into dark things, as was I and still am, but not evil things. Dark things as in horror stories, gothic stuff, but nothing evil whatsoever.
I started to drift away from demons and ghosts, a little freaked out by the whole experience after my first few uses with an ouija board. Though I never actually contacted a spirit or ghost, the thought of actually doing so seemed frightening, but I was still into the whole occult in general. That is when I discovered Wicca and immediately launched into it, studying profusely and trying things out for myself, being satisfied with the results.
Now I am still wiccan, but I am moving back into the general occult work, higher magic. I'm not doing anything evil like summoning demons or anything, but getting into things like occult history, powerful figures and people in occult history. I have a curiosity for alchemy and hope to someday learn more about it. Not only am I just learning, but I'm also trying more things out like astral projection, self hypnosis, dream walking, and other forms of higher magic, dealing with the mind and spirit more than the physical ritual, which is still a great fascination to me.
Higher magic doesn't mean that it's evil, bad or necessarily more dangerous(though it can be), but it is more complicated, more time consuming and requires abundantly more practice, along with research. You will notice that as you start seeing certain things then you will notice them again and again, refrences to it and closely related topics. You will start to read articles, excerpts from books or famous manuscripts, piecing things from one source to things from another source together to form bigger pictures and understandings and it is all so thrilling gaining so much knowledge. Being able to have information in a few clicks of a button is so much easier than hunting for hours for one article like people used to do and with this increase in technology, this generation will have such a better understanding of the subject than previous generations, but first we have to get caught up.
You will be thrown into a web of interlacing topics and once you get in it seems impossible to get out, but mainly out of sheer curiosity taking you deeper into the subject. Good luck to all with your research and practice, whether it be high magic or basic magic or just a few articles that you read. I hope that you find a place for yourself in the substantially large subject known as the occult.

How to get experienced

Witchcraft is a practice like all other practices and it isn't something you're just going to know everything about in a week. It requires an immense amount of study to learn it, and the best part about it is that it can be used for your whole life and there is no end to what you can do with that knowledge. Because Witchcraft is such a general term with so many different aspects and types throughout various cultures it is nearly impossible to learn everything about it in one lifetime which makes it such an interesting practice.
Anyway, when getting experienced it is important to read about it and try it yourself. Even from reading little things and tidbits of info can add up in a big hurry and soon you will start knowing how to make your own rituals, spells, herbal remedies and you will begin to piece things together to get a bigger picture and make sense out of it more and more. Let's take Silver Ravenwolf as an example. Most pagans believe she is a terrible author and is more in it for the money and fame than the actual practice, but the way I look at it is that there is something to learn from everybody, even Silver.
I try and take a little from everyone to get their opinion and beliefs on the subject, that way I can decide for myself what is right for me and what isn't and have a more general outlook on it than just an outlook taken from one or two people. Either way, have fun learning about it and always try and keep an open mind.

Tarot and divination

The art of divination is to obtain information through ritual or some other form of scientifically unproven method. Some of these methods include scrying(looking into a crystal ball or another object as a focal point, usually reflective or transparent), tarot readings, readings using a set of runes, reading tea leaves, Ouija boards, or many other forms. Those were just the most common forms of divination that I could think of.
The art of divination requires practice and intense study. You won't be able to read a three paragraph article on how to read tarot on the internet and then do a reading correctly, it requires tons of practice as do most forms of divination. Some people spend years studying these forms of divination and though you probably wont need to study it for ten years just to do a reading, the people who do take that time to study and practice it are the ones who will get the best results because they will have better experience interpreting the results. As you do readings you learn from your experiences from examining what the results are, whether they are correct or false and then you can figure out where you might have interpreted wrong.
Before trying to purchase anything you might need for divination, read up a little on it and see if it sounds like something you would really like to commit to. Either way, divination is a complicated form of magick but if you take the time to learn it then it can be very enjoyable and you will most likely be glad you learned it.

Secret Scripts

Sorry it has been a while since I have posted on this blog and I am trying to get back into the habit of posting regularly. Anyway, lately I have been doing a lot of research and a bit less actual practice, but that doesn't mean I haven't been doing it. I have been growing in my knowledge, experience and power and therefore have been delving into more powerful and complicated magick. I have also been doing research on more dangerous magick. I am NOT talking black magick, I would never use black magick, I am just saying that as we get into more complicated and powerful practices they start to become more dangerous. I have actually been reading up on the art of conjuring spirits and it is very complicated and highly dangerous and not advisable to anyone who has not had intense study and preparation of the topic. I myself am not ready to even try such a feat and have no desire to at the moment, considering the dangers it can impose. When you are conjuring any kind of spirit, there is no guarantee that it will be a good spirit, you might end up conjuring a demon or so on. Also, these beings are much more powerful than us and could easily possess us which is why we use nothing short of the most powerful of protection rituals before attempting any kind of contact. Meddling in these powerful acts could get you killed, or worse!

Sorry to venture off track about conjuring spirits and I'm not trying to mislead you by saying that it is black magick, because it isn't as long as you are doing it on non harmful intentions. Still, black magick or not, it is dangerous and I highly advise against it unless you are truly prepared. Also, I am not going to post this kind of info in case anyone tries it under bad intentions or anything like that.

The reason I made this post is because as we stop fooling around with silly spells to get us a good grade on an assignment or change our eye color or something like that and turn towards more powerful magick, people will also start to worry and judge us more. The salem witch trials are over and happened long ago, but people are still being murdered for the use of witchcraft. It is a highly feared practice and many people think it is evil and some practitioners will end up dead because of this. People aren't going to give you the chance to explain your practices and will immediately judge or act. I would advise anyone to not go out of their way to mark themselves as a witch or a practitioner of witchcraft. If you have parents or roommates who disapprove of the practice and you keep a book of shadows, I would advise you to either hide it well or use a different script to write it in so that it cannot be read by others as easily. You can google magick scripts or even make up your own or something like that. But I just want to warn you because witches are still discriminated against and don't go throwing your beliefs out there because you might end up dead. That is all for now.

The Magick Circle

The magick circle is debatably the most important part of witchcraft. Without the magick circle then your magick is not as focused, the witch is not protected, and your success isn't as probable. Now, there are several ways to cast the magick circle ranging from a plain, simple circle to a complex multiple layered circle with sigils, invocations, and many other aspects. For a beginner it is common sense to start off with a simple circle as they should be starting with simple magick. If you have never cast a circle before or done any kind of spell, trying to do a more complicated spell or ritual is probably not going to work and could be dangerous.
The magick circle can be drawn with a piece of chalk, a string, traced in sand or dirt, or simply imagined(often though you might accidentally step outside the boundaries though). Another method that many experts use is drawing or painting the circle on a piece of wood, fabric, or paper of some kind. I myself just recently found out about this method and finished one myself yesterday. The thing with this is that it saves time from having to draw the circle itself and writing out all of the sigils and words that you may use when casting the circle. If you are going to do this then you will want to make it so that it isn't limited to only a few kinds of rituals, it should be more general so that you can use it in almost all of your rituals because they are large and take time, patience, and skill to make.
Here are some pictures oh some magick circles that might give you an idea. The first will be mine and the rest will be some more famous circles in history.

Herb Gardens

Many witches decide to grow their own herb garden, myself included. Just this year I have started one and I hope that it flourishes. I started one inside during the winter and it did alright, but the rain came and smashed down all of the living plants so I reseeded them.
First you need to make a plot for it and decide what kinds of plants to put in. Some plants need certain amounts of food or water and sun that differ from other plants so you should know which plants need which so that you can provide and allow your plants to grow better. Also, you must keep in mind about which plants are invasive and wil ltake over your garden and about weeds. Some plants will attract insects like bees so if you need to harvest the it might be better to harvest at night when these insects go back to their hives or homes. Mint is a very common and useful herb, but it is very invasive and it will take over your whole garden so if you want to grow mint, it is best to plant it away from other plants. Also, mint requires very little care because it grows like a weed, but at least you get it frequently.
Remember to take care fo your garden so that it desn't die. If you do all of this then you will have a healthy garden! Good luck.

rune casting

This is my first entry in a while. I have been really busy with school and haven't been posting recently. Today Fastian(another member of moonweb coven which is my coven) and I tried to do a reading using runes. We started out with simple readings, kind of silly ones but then we got into deeper, more serious readings. I think that it was very succesful and that the readings were quite accurate, though I can't be sure for the future readings yet. Rune casting, although maybe not as accurate as scrying or other methods of divination, it is simpler and faster. It is also more general so you can't figure out who you are gonig to marry or what grade you are gonig to get on your algebra test or things like that. The readings have to be more general. Anyway, just felt like posting this to try and get back into the habit of posting. Blessed be!

Here is a link to a site that describes how runecasting works so you can try it for yourself. It is very simple and quick and doesn't require too much practice, a little but I supose everything does. Anyway, good luck.
http://www.sunnyway.com/runes/index_divination.html

Spell to get one's visitation removed

I have a friend who is having problems with her father. She feels that she is in danger of going over to his house so I am posting this spell for her.

First, find an area suitable to cast a circle that is large enough to comfortably fit whoever is going to be present. Cleanse the area to prepare for your magick. This can be done several ways. The two most common ways are by sweeping with a besom or by smudging. Once your area is cleansed then cast your circle.

After you have cast your circle then you need to have six candles. Place five of them at even integrals around the circle and place the last one in the center of the circle. Sit down and take some time to meditate and clear your mind so that you are totally focused when casting your spell.

After you have meditated for a while then take some time to gather up some energy. Imagine it as a ball of pure white light. After you have summoned a sufficent amount of energy then recite the incantation.

You are holding me back,
you are causing me stress,
you are causing me pain,
and I want it to end.
I want to be rid of you (name of person),
so that you can never harm me again,
so that I never have to go back to you.
I wish that your visitation would be taken,
and you would be left alone,
as to never bother me again,
so I can live my life in peace.
(name of person) I am done with you,
I am free of you,
and you can never hurt me again.
So mote it be!

As you chant imagine you and that person connected with a thread and then a pair of scissors coming and cutting the thread. Imagine the person drifting away from you, fading away until they are completely out of your mind. After that then take some sort of item that they might have given you, something that resembles them and burn it. It can be anything, as long as it represents them. It can even be their name written on a piece of paper or a photo of them. Once it has burned out thank the goddess, close the circle and then scatter the ashes. It might be good to put the ashes in a bowl so that you can keep track of them when you scatter them. As you scatter them, imagine that person disappearing from your life forever.

Joining a coven

A coven is a group of witches who practice magick together, often on a set schedule. There are tons of covens all throughout the world, some more well known than others. A lot of witches are solitary, working on their magick alone. From personal experience, I have to say that when doing magick, if you are with another person then your magick is stronger, and of course you will experience this in a coven.
A lot of covens are well known throughout the pagan community and often accept new members. Usually, these covens are quite large, having many members. Often times these members live all throughout the country or even the world and only gather during important events, like for the sabbats. Many other covens are smaller and only consist of a few members, usually the lowest number being three.
If you are interested in joining a coven, look around your town, you just might meet some people who know something. Often, covens have websites so try googling covens in whatever town or city you live in. Sometimes you might really have to look around. If you have a local new age or occult shop then try asking the employee if they know of any local covens.
If you can't find and pre-existing covens, maybe you should create your own little coven. If you know a few people who practice magick like you, see if they would be interested in joining a coven with you. You could practice your magick together and offer support. You could all oversee important rituals and such. Luckily, witchcraft is a very flexible practice and your path is one for you to decide.

Dowsing Rods

Dowsing rods are "L" shaped rods usually made of metal. They are used to help you find various items. They were originally used to help find water and treasure, but some people also use them to find spiritual energies.

Dowsing rods, if you can't find them are quite simple to make. Get two metal coat hangers and a pair of pliers. Cut out the long, straight section in both of the hangers and discard the rest of it. Now, you need to cut them so they are the same length. Once this is done then take one and bend it about 3/4 of the day down. You need to have them so that the metal is bent so one part is short and the other is long. Do this to the other rod. Now you should have two metal "L" shaped rods.

They are very simple to use. Just rest them in your hands so that they can move freely but also so that they won't fall. Don't grip them at all or else they won't be able to move on their own. Now, just say very clearly either out loud or in your head what you are looking for. I tried water first and they started pointing to the water. I wasn't moving them, they were moving by themselves. They work incredibly well and it requires very little focus or practice, if any. I also tried it with several household items like candles, a window, a TV, and it worked every time. Have fun dowsing.

Pendulums

Pendulums are tools of divination. You get some sort of weight and attach it to a string, chain, or something and then it's ready to be used. Pendulums are great for the solitary witch because you only need one person to work it. The only downside to it is that it can only give yes or no answers.

At your local new age or occult shop you can probably find them. They will probably have some sort of stone or crystal attached to a chain and they will look pretty fancy, but you can make one for very cheap. All you need is some sort of weight that can be attached to the end of a string. This can be anything, a ring for example would work well. Tie the string to the ring and then hold it up with your hand under it. Try not to move it, let it move by itself.

First, you need to find out which direction it will move to specify yes and no. Say in clear words "show me yes" and see which direction it moves. It might move back and forth, clockwise, counter clockwise, but it will do one of these. If it doesn't do anything or it moves in more than one direction then stop it and try again. DO the same for "no".

Once you have figured out which way is yes and no, then you are ready to use it. You can ask it questions and then let it show you the answer. It is a very simple exercise but very common among witches.

Poppet Magick

Poppets are dolls of people that you can make out of wax, cloth, clay, etc. Poppet magick in Wicca ISN'T VOODOO! Poppets are used for healing, romance, protection, and other good things. Poppet magick is to be performed on another person ONLY if you have their consent first, otherwise you are messing with their free will which is dark magick. You can also make one for yourself, I did that to help bring myself good dreams so I could get a feel for dream walking. I suppose that doing a healing spell on somebody without their consent isn't dark magick, but it is still important to have a person's permission before you perform a spell on or for them. If you use the dolls for harmful purposes or without asking them then it is essentially the same thing as voodoo and is considered dark magick. Whatever you do shall come back to you threefold, meaning that if you harm somebody then you will only get the worse end of it.

Making poppets are quite simple actually. All you need are supplies to make the doll, such as clay, wax, cloth, etc. Since the only kind of poppet I have ever made was made out of cloth that is what I will teach you how to make today.

First, what you will need is some fabric of some kind, a needle and thread, stuffing, scissors, and a few other optional supplies that I will specify later. First, put the two pieces of cloth back to back and draw a basic human shape, it can look like a gingerbread man. Then, cut out the design, making sure that the fabric is back to back so that the two pieces you cut are identical. Then, sew up the fabric along the edge but leave a small opening in it somewhere to stuff it with.

Depending on your purpose, you can add extra supplies to help such as herbs, crystals, runes, etc. For my poppet I added herbs that matched my purpose and stitched runes onto the fabric. You will also want something of the person you are making the doll for. This can be a hair from them, a fingernail clipping, a personal belonging, even a photo. If you don't have any of these things then you can just write their name on a piece of paper and stuff it inside or stitch their name onto the outside of the doll.

Once you have added everything you need to the doll, sew it up. If you are planning on stitching something on the outside then this would be a good time to do that. You might want to make the doll resemble the person if you don't have anything from them, but this is also optional. You might just want to decorate it with hair, eyes, whatever. Once your doll is finished then consecrate it by passing it through all four elements(earth, air, fire, and water) and then stating what your purpose of using it shall be. Now, your poppet is ready to be used.

Once you have used your poppet keep it until your goal has been reached, and once it has then dismantle the poppet and burn all remains, making sure to thank the Goddess.

Curing a stomach ache

For common ailments like headaches and stomach aches there are lots of natural remedies. A lot of people just take medicines like aspirin or antacids when they should only take those when the ailment is very powerful. The more you take a certain medicine then the more your body becomes used to it and the less effect it has when you need it. For this post I am going to be focusing on stomach aches because a friend of mine has been getting a lot of stomach aches recently.

For a lot of people, carbonation soothes an upset stomach. Soda is carbonated so you might try drinking some. I wouldn't recommend any sort of cola like coke or pepsi, I would try something with a more citrus flavor. For me, if I have a stomach ache drinking coke only makes it worse. A lot of people, including myself say that ginger ale works well. You could also try plain carbonated water.

A lot of herbs might be able to relieve stomach tension. Peppermint works well, I have had personal experience with this one. Also, I have read that Aloe Vera juice works well. You could try and make some peppermint tea and stir in a little aloe vera juice, almost like adding honey to it. Ginger and chamomile are also supposed to work. You might also try making tea using carbonated water.

Sometimes if you just relax and sit down for a while then you might be able to settle your stomach. Some say that if you put your feet up it helps too. Just take it easy, even if you are feeling better then try and just be calm or else it might come back worse. This would be a good time to try the "mind over matter" exercise I described in my previous post.

Mind power

The mind is a very powerful thing, more powerful than most people believe. With your mind you have the ability to overcome physical boundaries. I am not talking about telekinesis where you mentally move objects, although some people claim that it is possible. Have you ever heard the phrase mind over matter? That is what I am talking about. I will give some examples to clear things up.

This winter I was out in the snow and my knees were so cold that they actually hurt. I decided to try out a little exercise. I sat down in the snow and imagined myself being warm. I mentally ignored the cold and replaced it with a false sense of warmth. Of course, my body was still cold as ice, but I temporarily wasn't feeling it.

The other day I was in the car and I had to pee so badly that I worried I might pee in my pants. I mentally overrode my need to pee and just held out until I got home. I was fine, but it was only temporary.

I am sure you could do the same for a headache or any sort of pain. You could do it for lots of things. The key is mind over matter. The mind is very powerful, it is the most powerful tool humans possess.

Dreamwalking

The art of dreamwalking is being able to control your dreams to a certain extent instead of them being completely random and unrelated to your life. This, like many other things such as meditation, astral projection, scrying, it takes practice. Dreamwalking isn't something you can just master over night, it takes a lot of practice. I am going to give some ideas and tips on how to dreamwalk or get better at it.

Keep a dream journal: Get a blank notebook to record you dreams in and a pen and keep them by your bed so as soon as you wake up you can write down everything you remember from your dream. Being able to remember your dream helps in achieving lucid dreaming where you will be able to think clearly and remember important goals while you are dreaming. You might notice that the more you do this then the easier it gets to remember your dreams and think clearly in your dreams.

Meditate on your purpose: If you have a specific purpose or goal that you wish to achieve in your dreams then meditate on your desire right before you go to sleep. Self hypnotism might also work. I explained how to do this in my previous post on "quitting a bad habit".

Program yourself: Similar to hypnosis, if you have a specific goal you wish to accomplish then you can try and program yourself. You can do this simply by writing your desire or mental command down on a piece of paper and putting it under your pillow while you sleep. You can also repeat your command or mental note again and again verbally or mentally.

Actual practice: If you are in a dream that you find you can think, try and change your thought process. You can also try to imagine your goal or desire and imagine it materializing. Close your eyes and visualize your desire happening and when you open them it should have come true. If you are trying to get a message to somebody for example(I shose this example because I one tried it) then imagine yourself walking through a door to tell that person your message, and they should get your message in their next dream.

Like I said before, this isn't something you can just master over night, it takes practice. Excercises like this are very difficult because they involve taking your spiritual and mental being to a higher level of mentality or spirituality. The more you practice excercises like meditation, astral projection, dreamwalking, etc, the better you get at them and you find that new excercises are very simple to learn. Good luck in your dreamwalking. Blessed be!

Quitting a bad habit or addiction

We all have bad habits, some worse than others. Some people like the bad habits, so much that they become impossible to quit, they are then an addiction. The key to quitting a bad habit is in self motivation and restraint. The power to quit is in the mind, and if you don't truly want to and believe that you can quit, then you won't be able to, you will just succumb to your desires and run right back to the addiction.

I am going to use smoking for an example here. My best friend is trying to quit smoking, she smokes about a pack every day, so it is going to be very hard for her to quit. Also, my parents used to smoke, one still does and so I can talk about it more than any other addiction or bad habit.

The steps to take to quit smoking, or whatever bad habit you have is to mentally prepare yourself. You need to tell yourself that you don't need it, that it won't help you. You have to want to get rid of it, you have to believe that you can. One of my bad habits is biting my nails. You are probably thinking "so what, I do it all the time?" but I take it to the extreme. I bite my nails so short that they bleed and get chapped and hurt like crazy, but as soon as they heal I do it again. My solution to it is to just paint my fingernails and get myself into the habit of not biting them until I can go without the nail polish. Usually, there are other solutions or ways to help ease the tension and stress with quitting a bad habit.

One way to stop is to try and hypnotize yourself. Tell yourself that you don't need it, that you don't want it, that you want to stop. Hypnotizing yourself is quite simple really. First, get yourself into a relaxed position, laying down or leaning up against something. Then, meditate for a while and clear your mind. Once you have successfully cleared your mind then take time to relax each body part, starting at your head and relaxing your eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and then work your way down your body, relaxing each individual body part. Imagine your muscles relaxing and the tension leaving your body until you are completely relaxed. The whole time you are doing this, keep telling yourself that you are getting more and more relaxed. Finally, once you are completely relaxed then tell yourself that you are tired of the addiction, that you are sick of it, that you don't want to or need to do it anymore. Do this again and again while you are in that vunerable trance, and once you feel you are ready then allow your body to come out of the trance. This isn't supposed to make you completely immune to the habit or addiction, but it should make it easier.

Now, another step to quitting your habit or addiction is to find another hobby, or a good habit. if you are a smoker, then try drinking a lot of tea or chewing gum. There are some anti smoking gums and teas. Try finding some of the herbs and making a tea out of it or chewing on the leaves. There are a lot of solutions, but the main one is to just tell yourself that you are done. Your mind is the key, your willpower. You truly have to want to quit, otherwise you will not be able to overcome your addiction or habit.

I hope I helped and gave you some ideas for where to start. Good luck with overcoming your bad habits and addictions. Blessed be!

Writing your own spells

A lot of witches use spells that have already been written, but do they ever consider where those spells came from? Those spells came from witches just like us. Writing spells is kind of like writing poems. Poems cam be very simple where the meaning stands out clearly, or they can be complicated and be full of deeper meanings. Spells are the same, they can be very simple with a few candles and some quick words and take very little time or they can be complicated using runes, sigils, complicated incantations and invocations.

Because not all spells are alike, I am going to write out a basic template for you so you can get a feel for what sorts of things you might want to use in your spells. Often you can substitute parts of the spell or just completely remove it.

Candles: Most spells call for at least one candle, the color usually relating to the purpose of the spell. Candles aren't necessary, but they are helpful, even if they are only used to illuminate the area. Also, candles help set the mood for spell casting. Even in childrens movies and books, wicked witches stand in a candle lit room preparing whatever concoction or spell. Candles are probably the most common thing to find in any sort of spell or ritual.

Circle: You might want to cast a circle before you do a spell to help protect yourself. When I first started practicing the craft, I never used a circle, I just did it without the circle. Now I am in the habit of always casting a circle. For one, I feel more protected and focused, and two, most of the spells I have done since I started casting circles work, but none of them worked when I didn't cast a circle.

Runes: The common runes represent a wide subject, so there will probably be at least one rune that will fit the purpose of your spell. Runes can be very powerful if they are correctly used, and they are also very simple to use. You can put them on all sorts of things. You can engrave them into candles, write them on paper and burn them, write them in salt water, etc. If I am doing a more advanced spell I will use runes sometimes.

Sigils: Sigils are very similar to runes, but there are a lot more sigils and they are more specific in what they represent. There are tons of sigils and symbols, some that you know by heart and don't even recognize to be sigils, like the pentacle, triple moon, triquetra. Sigils are just symbols that represent a subject, like war, protection, healing, etc. They are used the same as runes.

Incantations: Incantations are phrases that you use to specify your purpose. Abrakadabra is an incantation, although I have no idea what it means. They can be very simple, one or two words, or very complicated with several lines, or somewhere in between. I usually use a medium length incantation that tells my purpose. Incantations are just another way of releasing your energy out into the universe to fulfill your purpose. Many people find strength behind their words more than anything else.

Crystals: Crystals are nature's batteries. They store energy inside of them and have their own properties that we can tune into and use for our purposes. Using crystals is very simple. Each crystal has a different property, or maybe more than one. You can use them by just placing them around you, holding them as you perform the spell, or they can be the main focus of your spell.

Herbs: Herbs, like crystals, also have different properties. Using herbs can be quite simple as well. If you are making something in your spell like a dream pillow for example, then you might want to put some herbs inside of it to help you get into that state of mind where dreams happen. You can also burn them and use the smoke to help send your energies into the universe to fulfill your purpose.

These are just some ideas for you to work with. There are lots more things you can use in spells, but these are just some of the basics. Making your own spells is a skill, but a skill that is easy to master.

Book of Shadows

A Book of Shadows is basically a witch's diary. Your Book of Shadows(BOS) is where you would write down all of your magickal experiences. In it you could put anything from brews, spells, experiences, successes, failures, etc. Your BOS is about your magick and how it is going for you. Often, if your family has a long history of practicing witchcraft then a BOS will be passed down from generation to generation.

In my BOS I will write whatever magickal experiences I've had, ideas for the future, spells that have worked, or just general knowledge that I found to be important.
Your BOS can be written in a blank journal or spiral notebook, it can be on a more fancy journal(there are some journals engraved with pentacles, triquetras, triple moons, and other witchcraft symbols). I use a black folder that has metal tabs that allow you to add or subtract paper as you please. Often, especially for beginners, your beliefs will change and you will want to dispose of any false information in your BOS, that is why I have a BOS that I can add or subtract pages from. To make it a bit more authentic, I painted a pentacle onto the cover with a gold paint marker.
Many witches now have their BOS on their computer. I prefer the traditional paper BOS because I like to write in it by candle light, plus it just seems write to me.
Your BOS is about YOUR magick, not anybody else. Don't let people tell you what you can and cant put in your BOS. Your BOS is your magickal journal so you can put whatever you want into it, I am just trying to give you a feel for what a traditional BOS would be like to help you get started if you don't already have one.

Healing Spell

This spell is for curing sicknesses. I tried it on my best friend a few days ago when she was feeling ill. Her illness started off as a minor cold, but it progressed rapidly. She was having headaches, stomach aches, and she just felt down and out of it. I decided to try a spell to cure her and it worked! The next day she told me that she had no headache, her stomach ache was gone, and her cold symptoms were significantly better. This is the spell I used, but it isn't mine. I got this spell from spellsandmagic.com

Supplies:
A glass jar or container with a lid
powdered cinnamon
green ribbon
small objects to put in the jar, they should be green, white or silver. (you can use anything from beads, crystals, glitter, dried leaves, paper, colored sand, etc.)

Step 1: Cast your circle, make sure to call the quarters. If you don't know how to do this then after you purify your circle with all of the elements, go around to each compass point, starting at east and going clockwise. say the words "Bear witness, spirits of the east, guardians of air". Do this for all of the compass points and close the circle, but south is for fire, west is for water, and north is for earth.

Step 2: Consecrate all items that you are going to use. I wasn't sure how to consecrate them so I skipped this step. The spell still worked.

Step 3: Sprinkle the cinnamon over all of the objects and say
"herb for healing
herb for hope
herb for strength
help me cope
I call on thee spirits of water, earth, fire, and air to aid me in this healing"
To avoid making a mess with the cinnamon, I put all of the objects in the jar first and then sprinkled the cinnamon in the jar and said the words.

Step 4: Bind the green ribbon around the jar or container three times while saying
"Thrice I bind thee, and so with nine calls, you will heal"

Step 5: Put all of the objects into the container, put the lid on and shake nine times and say
"Power of healing, I command you, heal (name of person) from all sickness"
I had already put the objects in the jar so I just said the workds and shook the jar.

Step 6: Thank the elements and dismiss the quarters. You can do this by walking around the circle clockwise and stopping at each compass point and saying "Spirits of the East, I dismiss you, thank you for watching over me tonight" and do this with all the compass points. Then, take down the circle as you normally would.

Step 7: When you are done, keep the jar in a safe place. Every time you or somebody you know is sick, then take out the jar and shake it nine times and say
"(name of person) be well, (name of person) be free of sickness"

oil to help relieve pain

NEVER INTAKE ANY OILS, POTIONS, OR MIXTURES OF ANY KIND UNLESS YOU ARE 100% SURE THAT IT IS SAFE AND MEANT TO BE INTOOK!

I made this oil last night during the full moon. This oil is to help soothe aching muscles. It works best for aches and dull pains, not sharp pains like cuts or scrapes. For this oil I decided to use the solar method where I let it steep in a windowsill where the sun can reach it for two to three weeks, but you could also use the stove top method where you get two pots. Fill the first pot with water and then place the second pot inside of the first. You will put the oil in the second pot. Now, let the water come to a low boil and then let it sit for 30-60 minutes and then store it in an air tight container in somepalce where not a lot of sunlight can reach it.

Okay, here is the recipe for the oil. The mesurments are rough, I didn't measure very carefully.

Step 1: Get a base oil, this can be anything from olive oil, vegetable oil, penut oil, etc. I wouldn't reccomend olive oil because it is expensive, vegetable oil is pretty cheap, that is what I use.

Step 2: Add the measurment of each herb for every cup of oil. 2 TBSP of chamomile leaves, 1 TBSP of catnip leaves, 1 TBSP of spearmint or peppermint or both, 2 tsp of ground ginger, and I also added about 2 TBSP of herbs from a Tazo tea packet. The herbs inside were spearmint, peppermint, blackberry leaves, chamomile, rose petals, hibiscus flowers, lemon balm, safflowers, sasparilla, and licorice root. Just mix all this up with a mortar and pestel, add it to the oil, stir. If you are using the solar method then let it sit in a clear, air tight container for 2-3 weeks, and if you are using the stove top method then let the water in the first pot simmer for 30-60 minutes.

Step 3: If you chose to use the solar method, then once you have waited for 2-3 weeks then you can take the oil away from the windowsill and use it. Now, you might want to strain the oil and get all the herbs out, but you don't have to, some people just prefere it without the herbs.
If you chose to use the stove top method then you can turn off your burner, pour the oil from the second pot into an air tight container. You may strain the herbs, but you don't have to.

Step 4: Enjoy your oil, BUT DO NOT INTAKE IT IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM!!!!!!!!!!!

Getting into the magickal mindset

A lot of people struggle with getting into the point where you can actually work your magick. They find thatthoughts just keep interupting their focus, and even once they have blocked out all thoughts they still feel empty and unable to do much. A lot of problems that keep people from getting into that mindset, that state of being where they feel the magick is stress. Stress can come from anywhere and everywhere. It can be coming from family or social issues, relationships or beauty, weight or appearance, anything. First we must eliminate this stress. This can be done by doing daily yoga or taking simple steps to improve whatever situation is troubling you. Maybe you are in a situation where things just seem to be getting worse, it is time to take a step to fix it. It may seem hard and overwhelming, and you might just want to give up, but stand strong because the worse it gets then the more overwhelmed you will become and the harder it will be to fix. Once you start to eliminate these problems, step by step then you should feel that getting to that state of being where magick happens is much easier and natural. Life in general should be easier and more comfortable. All throughout this process try to meditate everyday to relieve some of the stress.
Now, there might be another reason why you just can't seem to get into that magickal mindset. You might be unaware of how to be able to get to that point. You might be lacking the desire to get to that point. It might be that you are under the influence of an entity or some sort of dark magick. If this is thecase then try purifying yourself and your home and se if this clears it up. Another reason that often keeps me from getting to that mindset is the jitters. If you are to hyper then take the time to relax each and every part of your body individually and once you are totally relaxed then try and let your mind flow away into a magickal trance. Goodluck achieving your magickal state and once you do I hope that you bask in the magick!

tools of witchcraft

In just about everything there are tools used. In mathematics there are numbers, signs and formulas, in languages there are tools of punctuation, spelling, and conjugations, and in carpentry there are hammers, saws, and drills. So tools are everywhere, and there are tools in witchcraft just like anything else. The tools I am going to list are just some of the more common or basic ones, the ones you need to know. Often, you need tools to complete spells or rituals or casting a circle. Even if you are just reading up on witchcraft, it might talk about tools you aren't familiar with.

Athame: An athame is a ritual knife and it is one of the most common of tools. It is a double sided knife and it should only be used in rituals of good, it should never be used for dark magick(not that you should ever do dark magick) or to harm anyone or anything in any way, shape, or form. You can most likely find them in new age or occult shops or you can order them online. Once you get it then you should always purify it. This can be as simple or as complicated as you want and them you should bind it to you so only you can use it for magick. A lot of witches used to make their own athames, and if your family has a long line of practicing witches, then you might receive a family athame that has been passed down from generation to generation.

Wand: The wand is used for focusing and directing energy better. Usually it will have a crystal at the tip. The wand can be made out of wood, metal, whatever. It is very common for witches to make their own wands. Usually they get a relatively straight stick and put a crystal at the end using glue, cord, or wire of some sort. It is also common to decorate them with runes, cord or wire, or smaller crystals and gems.

Cauldron: The cauldron is a pot used to make brews, potions, concoctions, or other mixtures. They are usually made of cast iron and can be very large or tiny. I am sure you have seen pictures or movies around Halloween with a witch standing around a big pot with a roaring fire under it, usually stirring it with a stick. That big pit was a cauldron. You might have even used a plastic cauldron for a trick or treat bucket when you were younger. These are a bit harder to find. If you are lucky then you might find one in an occult or new age store. The new age store in my town has them, but they are very small. You will most likely have to order them online. It is common these days for witches to just use a stove and a big pot to make their brews. Cauldrons are rare and expensive these days.

Mortar and Pestle: The mortar and pestle consists of a bowl and a stick of rod of some sort to mash or grind up whatever you put into it, usually herbs of flowers. These are quite common. I have three in my house. One small metal one, another small wooden one, and a large stone one. Your new age or occult shop will most likely have these, and if they don't try looking in the utensil section of your local grocery store. If you still can't find them then try a big store like Walmart, K-Mart, or Target, I am sure they will have them. You can also try some small foreign stores.

Pendulum: A pendulum is some sort of weight attached to a string. In your local new age store it will usually be some sort of crystal or stone, but for cheaper you can use something as simple as a ring tied to the end of string. The point of the pendulum is to reveal hidden answers, sort of like an ouija board or a fortune teller, but you can do it by yourself. Only one flaw though, it can only give yes or no answers. If you are looking for more detailed responses, then I would recommend scrying. I made an earlier post about scrying.

Broom: Now we have all seen pictures of witches flying through the sky on a broom, but, unfortunately, that is not what brooms are used for in witchcraft. Brooms date back thousands of years and it is believed that the broom was one of the first tools used for magick. Many witches had brooms around their house to use in their magick and they could even be placed outside of the house as a sort of code to other witches and friends, telling them if they were home, busy, out, etc. Brooms were sometimes hung inside or outside the house or crossed with another broom to ward of evil and negative energy. Brooms are used to literally "sweep" away negative energy. You should use a broom to purify the area of your circle before using the space, and this can be simply accomplished by sweeping clockwise or deosil around the area. Brooms are simple to make too. Just get a stick or dowel of some sort and some thin twigs or long grass. Then tie the twigs or grass around the end of the stick using some cord or string. Now you should purify it, and you can simple do this by rubbing some salt over it and saying "I purify this tool of the craft, it shall be only used for good." This is what I did, but you can make it more complicated if you like. Then just make sure that your broom is never used for anything except magick, as all of your tools!

Conjuring Pure Energy

Ethnicity, culture, beleifs, all of these things seperate the world, but one thing every person alive has in common is energy! Energy flows through all of us and we can harness that energy and use it in magick! One of the most common and helpful things in magick is conjuring energy. I am going to teach you about the basics of conjuring energy.
First thing you want to do is cast a circle. If you are unaware of how to do this I have made an earlier entry with step by step instructions for casting and releasing a circle. Once you have succesfully cast your circle then sit down in the center of it and start with some meditation to clear your mind of all thoughts. I have made an entry on meditation also. I prefere to use the breathing method where you concentrate on nothing except your breathing and once you have banished all other thoughts from your mind and succesfully kept a clear mind for a few minutes, slowly try and unfocus on your breathing and just "be".

Now, rub your hands together until they are warm and then close them together. Imagine pure white light forming inside of them and slowly pull your hands apart, imagining the energy growing into a big sphere. If you struggle with imagining this, then just try and feel the energy. You will know that the energy is there when you get a tingling sensation in your palms. Also, your body should start to feel war, and tingly as well because the energy is flowing from your body to the space between your hands. As your energy grows then you will be able to feel it pushing against your body, it should feel warm and comforting. If you are outside then you can imagine pure white energy flowing from the plants and ground into the area between your palms, and this method works just as well, I have tried both.

Remeber, practice makes perfect so keep practicing this. Your control of energy will become much more powerful, but you must remember that it requires a lot of focus and patience. This is something that could take days, weeks, months to master, it is all in your personal skill. If you feel that you will never get it, that nothing is happening, that is normal. It might take a while to get a hang of this. Try some other sourses as well. Maybe this method isn't right for you. Whenever I learn a new technique, I usually check a few other sources so I can get some other info and advice. Also, you must keep in mind that we are working with magick, there is no instruction manual for it. The only way to work magick is for you to do it. People can give you tips and point you in the right direction, but it is you who is doing the magick. Fancy tools and spell books are useless if you don't practice the craft. This is something that is different for everyone so nobody can tell you if your progress is wrong. Magick is something that requires spiritual power, and with society rapidy becoming more technological, spiritual power is becoming a lot less common and powerful in people.

Now, back to the energy ball excercise. Once you feel that you are getting good at conjuring raw energy then try some other excersises. If you can get another person then you can try passing or thorwing your energy ball back and forth. You can try tossing it up into the air and catching it by yourself. There are all sorts of excercises that you can try, you can make them up on your own. A lot of healing uses raw energy so you can try healing people, or yourself. If you have a cut or scrape then try focusing your energy to that spot on your body. Getting a feel for working with energy is the goal here, and there is no limit to your power so practice, practice, PRACTICE!

The Sabbats

The Sabbats are the wiccan holidays. There are eight of them throughout the year. Each one is different and marks a different part of the year and a symbol of representation.

Samhain- Samhain, pronounced (Sowen) is on october 31st and represents the new wiccan year. Samahain is the time when the veil between our world and the realm of the dead is the thinnest and this is the time when you would invite your deceased ancestors back to pay them respect and love.

Yule- The winter solstice is on December 21st. It is the time when the day is dark for the longest.

Imbolc- February 2nd. Imbolc is the celebration to represent fertility between the Goddess and the God. It is a celebration of renewal and good fortune throughout the next year!

Spring Equinox- March 21. This is the time when spring is first coming. It represents growth and life. This is the time when you get your gardens ready and celebrate spring.

Beltane- May 11th. This is the celebration of love! What else needs to be said.

Summer Solstice- June 21. The say when daylight lasts the longest.

Lammas- August 1st. Now is the time to prepare your plants to be harvested. It is the time when autumn is coming.

Fall Equinox- September 21. Now is when the crops are being harvested form the fields and people are preparing for Samhain, for the new year, for winter.

spell to change your eyecolor

This is a nifty spell to change your eyecolor to whatever color you desire. The spell is temporary though. Now, cast a circle and inside it place three candles of the color you want your eyes to change to in a triangle. Have one of them in front of you and the other two flanking you. Now, gaze into the candle in front of you and imagine the color seeping into your eyes and dyeing them that color and then chant the following incantation:

Give my eyes a new light
let others see a change
I desire the color(desired color)
may my eyes become anew
and show myself a change
so mote it be!

Now, continue to gaze into the candle and imagine yourself with your eyes whatever color you desire them to be, and once you feel that you're done, blow out the candles and properly release the circle. Now you're done!

relaxing herbs

Herbs have different properties and effects of people, but some of my favorite ones are the relaxing herbs. They can help soothe aching muscles, releive stress, help you fall asleep, and a lot of them are great in teas(If you are not 100% sure that the herb isn't posionous then do not intake it in any way, shape, or form or else you could end up dead or in so much agony that you wish you were dead). These are just some of my favorites.
Spearmint
Peppermint
Gardenia
Lavender
Eucalyptus
Chamomile
Lemon Balm
Green Tea
Rose
Ginger
Catnip
Rosemary
Sage

I like to use a lot of mint. Mint tends to help calm you down, and it can also be good in releving aching muscles. My friend made a tea with catnip in it and it put her right to sleep so if you can't seem to get any sleep then try catnip. Lavender is good for soothing aching muscles. Chamomile and Green Tea helps calm you down and releive stress. Sage helps banish negative energy so it can be good if you are really angry and want to calm down. Those are just the ones I know aboutm. The other ones I haven't tried myself, but I am eager to do so.
These are just some herb combinations to make different teas out of. (Spearmint, Peppermint, Green Tea), (Lavender, Chamomile), (Catnip, Camomile), (Ginger, Lemon Balm), (Chamomile, Rose, Catnip, Lavender). Enjoy these herbs.

oil to help soothe

Okay, there are many oils to help soothe you, and this can be applied to areas of aches to soothe them, or just as a calming oil, a stress reliever. Okay here is the recipe. I made this recipe with the stovetop method, but youi could do the same with the solar method too.
Add vegetable oil to a pan which is placedin another pan with boiling water. I just used enough vegetable oil to fill my container some so I can't give any exact measurments. Add a handful or green tea leaves, spearmint leaves, and peppermint leaves. Add a few drops of pure peppermint extract. ONLY A FEW! That stuff if really concentrated and if you add too much it will be really potent. I added a bit too much so it is very potent, but very relaxing. Then just let the oil thicken, bottle it and you're done! Now, I used mint and green tea because they all came in one teabag, but you could use all sorts of combinations of herbs. Enjoy your oil!

casting a circle

There are many ways to cast a circle, but I am going to go with a relatively simple one. The point of a circle is to create sacred space, a place where you can safely perform magick. Also, the magick you create stays in the circle and you can actually feel it! I am going to tell you how to cast a circle, step by step.

Step 1: Make sure you have all of the supplies! You will need at least one candle, I prefere to use five to place around the circle. You will need a small bowl of water and some salt. You will also need either a stick of incense or an athame, sword, or wand. Each of these tools represents one of the four elements. Candles are for fire, bowl of water for water, salt for earth, and the incense, athame, sword, and wand are for air.

Step 2: Begin to cast your circle. Create your boundary for the circle, either using a piece of string, a chalk line, candles as markers, or you can just imagine it(but the only problem with this is that you can accidentally go outside of it.) Now when making the boundary, make sure that there is an opening for you to step through, or if more than one person is going to be present in the circle, this opening in your circle is for when you invite them in. Now walk around the circle clockwise with each of the elements (when doing so say "I purify my circle with [element you are holding]" imagining a protective shield of white light growing around your circle and do that for all four of them and then place them around your circle with the distance between each object in relatively even increments. Now that you have cast the circle you must invite anybody else inside, and just say the words "[name of person you wish to invite into your circle], I invite you into the circle" Once everybody you wish to invite inside is present in your circle, close the opening, and if nobody else is present except for you then just close it. Now you can do whatever ritual of spell or whatever sort of offering or invocation that you choose and you can do it safely. Make sure that you DO NOT cross over the circle once it is cast because that is then breaking the protective flow of magick wich releases the circle and all of the magick that you did will come rushing out and it could have dire consequences.

Step 3: Now I will teach you how to properly release your circle. Once you have finished performing your magick, then stand up and say loudly and clearly "My magick is now complete and I will now release my circle". Gather up the objects in the order you purified your circle with them, and if you can't remember the order then just gather then up counter closkwise. Once you have done so wind up your string or eliminate you boundary, making sure to do so walking counterclockwise. If your boundary is a chalk line or candles marking the boundary then just smudge it out going counterclockwise or gather them up counterclockwise. Now you know how to effectively cast and release a circle!

Drying herbs

Herbs play a large part in witchcraft, but preserving them can be important for the winter months when they can't be harvested. When they are dried properly, they last much longer. You can dry them by taking a bundle of the branches of the herb with the leaves still attatches and wrapping a wire or string around them and hanging them upside down for about two weeks, maybe more depending on the humidity of your area's climate. In some areas, drying herbs can be harder that in others. If your area is relatively humid then drying them without them molding might be difficult. One way to dry them is to get a dehumidifier. Also, if there is air moving then it makes it harder for the water molecules to stick to them and mold them. When they are in bright sunlight then the color fades, and as the color fades so does the oils which hold the herb's properties. Keep them in a dry, dark room. The room doesn't have to be pitch black all the time, but the less sunlight the better. Once you have effectively dried them then place them in glass jars with air tight lids. DOn't place them in areas with too much sunlight, keep them out of dirtect sunlight. Happy drying!

making oils

Oils are very useful for many witches, including myself. The herbs used to create it have properties that stay in the oil and when you use it the oils has the same effects on you as the herbs, but they are more convenient in some cases. You can rub the oil on your body and let it sink into your skin for the desired effect, unlike herbs. Also, you can use it it baths to help soothe yourself for a relaxing soak. There are two ways I am familiar with making oils. One way is to take whatever herbs you have and place them in a base oil. The base oil can be anything from olive oil, vegetable oil, almond oil, etc. Then you place the oil inside a glass jar and put a handful or two of the herbs into it. Seal it and let it sit for about two weeks in a windowsill where sun can shine on it for a large portion of the day. After two weeks then take the oil and strain out the herbs if you don't want them, it works fine either way but you might not like the feel of them rubbing against your skin when you apply it. Then it is ready to use, just make sure that you keep it sealed whenever oyu aren't using it.
The second way which ism uch faster is to use the stove method. For this you will need a double boiler, and this is easy to make if you don't have one. Get a pot and fill it halfway with water, then get a smaller pot and set it inside of the first. Let the water come to a boil on low heat, if you want you can turn it onto high, let it come ot a boil and then turn it down to low. Then put your base oil into the second pot and whatever herbs you want. Then let it sit on a low boil for about thirty to sixty minutes. If the oil starts to smoke then it is overdone. You will know that it is getting close to done when it starts to thicken slightly. When that happens take it off the heat, and like I said before you can strain the herbs out of it, or you can leave them in. The effects on you won't change whether or not you leave them in or take them out, it is all about your own personal prefrence.
Each way has its own advantage. The solar method allows the oil to steep for much longer so it will be mroe potent and more powerful. The stovetop method is much faster so if you need the oil soon it can be achieved. Enjoy your oils!

runes

A common use of runes is protection. Many people place them on their doors or windows for protection, which is what i did. If you don't want the runes to show up then you can write in in salt water, which is what I did or you could just trace them their with your finger, imagining them being made of pure white light. I traced the runes Thorn(protection),Peorth(magickal success), Ur(mental power), and Sol(psychism) throughout my room along with several bind runes and some other marks like pentacles, triple moons, and the sign of the horned god. They are very powerful if used correctly and I wuld advise placing some protefctive runes on your house.

choosing your stone

Gemstones play a very large and important role in witchcraft for many people, including myself. They each have their own properties to them and can be used to aid you in different ways according to those properties, but one commonly asked question is "how do I find my stone?" Every person has a stone that they work best with, but sometimes finding it can be difficult and you are probably wondering, how am I supposed to know which one is mine? You don't chose your stone, your stone chooses you. One way of doing this is to browse through a large selection of stones and just see if any of them catch your eye, if any of them just feel right when you hold them, if you feel happy, pleased, or safe when holding it, these are all signs to let you know if the stone is right to you. Each stone has its own enrgies and vibrations and you can pick up on those. It may seem crazy, but if you hold them and clear your mind, becoming one with the stone, then you can actually feel the vibrations of the stone and some of its properties working on you! I am still working on finding my stone, but I think it might be flourite. I have this one piece of flourite and for the longest time I stared at its odd color, trying to decipher what stone it was. When I was seeing what sort of vibrations it had, I also noticed that it was making me feel very calm and relaxed, logical, and that is one of the properties of flourite. I figured all of this out later when I looked it up, but I am convinced that it is my stone. Anyway, good luck with finding your stone. If you feel like you may never find it, or that you don't have one then don't be worried or scared, once you find it then you will know it is right for you.

scrying

Scrying is when you gaze into something for a prophetic answer as some sort of image, sort of like an oracle. The object is usually reflective, like water or a black mirrow, a common one is the crystal ball. A lot of people also like to use fire to scry, I have never tried it that way, at least not yet. First thing you need to do it get soem sort of object that will act as your focal point, and this can be a crystal ball, a mirror, etc. My personal favorite is the black mirror, and if you don't have enough money to buy one then you can do what I did. Get a picture frame and remove the glass. Make sure that it is clean first and then take a can of flat black spray paint and paint the back side of the glass. Once it is dry then place the glass back into the frame with the paint facing away from the front and you are done! If you want a crystal ball or a black crystal ball then you can order one online if you can't find a new age shop that sells them. If you don't have the supplies to make or buy any of these then you can use just a bowl of water and some black ink, you don't even have to use ink, it can just be a bowl of water, or a mirror. The excersie is about focusing on something until you get an answer. This can take up to months to master, some people might find it very easy and master it in a few days. If you feel that you are never going to get answers then just keep trying, you have to really focus! If you are using a reflective surface, you can be sure that you are getting progress once your reflection fades and you are just staring at a blank plane. The first step is to clear your mind and once done so then you can begin your scrying. Gaze into your object and try to look past it, like a portal into a further realm, a realm where your anbswers lie. Now, I would recommend getting comfortable because it could be a while before you get any results, and sometimes you won't. It is all in your abilities. Like I said, for some people this will be easier than for others, but even if it takes you a year, that doesn't mean that you are bad at it, it just means that you are as in touch with your spiritual side, and it is perfectly natural!

can't find a new age store?

if you can't find a new age store, there are other ways to stock up on magickal supplies. Your local arts and craft stores like Michaels will have a large collection of candles, bottles, containers, blank books, etc. Also, stores like walmart, target, and K-Mart will also have a lot of supplies that you can use. A lot of supples are commonly found things, new age stores are just there for more uncommon things and to have your common things in one convenient place, also the employees can often provide a lot of advice. Oils, herbs, seeds, containers, incense, all these things can be easily obtained. For more uncommon things like crystals, pendulums, and other rare supplies can be ordered online as well

Spell to Cure Acne

Okay, I read a couple of spells to cure acne, one fo them is from a fiction book about Wicca. Even though the book is informative and is very accurate, I am not going to be using the spell from it. I read another spell from a book I bought the other day, it is not fiction, it is a book all about witchcraft.

Take a white piece of paper and upon it draw a monster. DOn't just draw a little scribble on a piece of paper, actually draw a fearsome and repulsive monster, color it if you want even. Now, just keep in mind that once you have completed the drawing then you need to do the spell immediatley so don't draw the picture until you are sure you will be able to be alonbe and undisturbed for maybe an hour or so. After the picture is completed then hold it up to you and deliberately say "you are my acne!" and imagine this monster on your face just like your acne. Create a circle, lining it with five white candles, and imagine that inside your circle is a pentacle and your white candles are the five points. Now take another white candle and place it in front of you and burn the picture of the monster while chanting:

"You represent my acne,
the thing that kills my beauty.
I want you no more and never again
so I banish you from ever return
leave my face so it is pure
Leave my face you monster!"

That was just a quick incantation I cane up with, if you want to create your own then that is fine, probably even better because it comes from insiude of you. They are your words, and your words used by you are more powerful that anybody else's.
Enjoy this spell, feel free to tell me your results as a comment.

Just a reminder of why you should always purify new crystals

Last night I tried the spell to make you dream of the one you love again, if you are unfamiliar of how it works then there is a previous entry all about it which explains the entire process of the spell. So this time I got a photo of the person and held it to my heart, but I also had a piece of rose quartz over it for romance. Later in the nigyht, the dream about the person never came, but instead a bad dream involving a piece of rose quartz did come. I had seen a piece of rose quartz laying on a table so I took it, and then alter the owner of it came looking for it. Words sliupped out that I had taken it and they were trying to beat me up to get it back. I used a piece of rose quartz, that I realized later I forgot to purify and I get a bad dream about it. Never forget to purify your stones after you buy them or else something bad could happen. If I was attempting a more powerful spell, things could have turned out worse, this is just a reminded or why you should always purify stones after you buy them, you never know what sort of energy could be lurking in them!

getting books on witchcraft

Now you may think that books on the subject may be hard to obtain, but it is actually fairly easy. I went in borders today and I found all sorts of books on the subject. I bought two huge books about witchcraft which included just about every aspect of magick there is, and then a smaller book devoted entirely to spells. Large chains like borderes or barnes and nobels(pardon my mispelling because I doubt I spelld that right) will want to please everybody and will definitely have a section devoted to magickal studies where you can find everything from crystals to herbs to dreaming to book of shadows, etc. Before you buy a book though, look at the contents to see what sort of information they have, otherwise you might get a book that you find yourself unable to use.

rune magick

runes are magickal symbols that have been used for centuries. They each have a meaning and they are a good way of focusing your desire into magick. You can draw them on a piece of paper, etch it into the ground, inscribe them on candles and then burn the candle, there are a lot of ways to use runes effectively and release their power. Here is a list of runes I found, I would type them myself, but there isn't a rune font on here.

http://www.starfirescircle.com/runes.html

there are hundreds of runes, but these are the most common. In order to find some other ones you might have to do some serious research of refrence some incredibly outdated script.

Visitor's chat zone

If you wish to chat with other visitors, then post what's on your mind here, but please keep in cival and magick related.

Visitors' general knowledge of magick

If you have a piece of knowledge that you wish to contribute, then post it here as a comment!

Visitors' rituals

If you have a ritual you wish to contribute, then post it as a comment here!

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Visitors' spells

If you have a spell that you wish to contribute, the post it as a comment here, that way all of the visitors spells will be in one place so they won't have to search around for them!

Healing spell

This is a spell for curing an illness. The effects won't happen immediatley, but they will recover significantly faster.
Take a white candle shaped like a human(if you can't find a human shaped candle a regular one should work). If you want to be specific then the candle can be of the ill person's gender, but it isn't necessary. Engrave the sick person's name on the candle, and if you want maybe a healing rune, or a little phrase like "get better". Anoit it with three drops of myrrh, mint oil can act as a substitute. As you are anoiting it, then imagine white light pouring into the candle from your prescence. Then recite the invocation:

In the divine name of the Goddess who breathes life into all of us,
I consecrate and charge this candle as a tool for healing

Now place this candle on top of a photo of the sick person and light the candle. Imagine that the person is healing and recovering as the candle burns down while reciting the invocation:

magick mend and candle burn,
sickness end, good health return

continue to chant this, still imagining the person becoming well again until the candle burns itself out. You might want a small candle because you probably don't want to be chanting this for an hour or two. Once the candle has burned out then take whatever is left of it and wrap it up in a cloth and bind it with a string, therefore binding the illness and then bury the cloth, thereby burying the illness as well. Good luck and happy healing!

Moon cycles

The moon is very powerful. It gives off an incredible amount of magickal energy, and the amount is determined with each phase of the moon. There are four phases, the new moon, the waxing moon, the full moon, and the waning moon. Now certain spells are better to do during a specific phase of the moon. Now each phase lasts for seven days. Now you are probably thinking, no, the full moon is only full for one day. You are correct, but the full moon "phase" just like all the other phases lasts for seven days, three before, three after, and one day when that phase is the most powerful. For the full moon, that one day would be when the moon was truly full and it's effects would be more powerful than the day after or the day before. Ifr you are incredibly busy and aren't able to do your spell during the exact day, then you have other days to do it.

New Moon: this phase is when the moon cannot be seen in the sky. This phase is used to get rid of something, maybe a bad habit, or a curse, etc.

Waxing Moon: this phase is when the moon is becoming more visible by each day and leading up to the full moon. This phase is used best to gain something, maybe luck, power, love, etc.

Full Moon: This phase is when the moon is fullest. This is when the most amount of magickal influence is radiating off of the moon. You should have better luck with any spell during this phase.

Waning moon: this phase is when the moon is decreasing in visibility and leading to the new moon. This phase is to make things go away, similar to the new moon.

Candle Spells

One of the most common and simple types of spells are candle spells. All you have to do is light a candle, or more than one if you want and then chanting a little wish or desire. You don't even have to chant, you can just imagine your desire coming true, it all depends of how powerful your desire is. One of the best thing about candle spells is that you make them up on your own. They can be as simple or as complicated as you want. You could just light a candle and make a little rhyme, it doesn't even have to ryhme if you don't want it to. You could also have a spell that is repeated for days, it is all about how powerful your desire is. For every color of candle there is a meaning that goes with it.
white, silver: purity, blessing
red: love, sex, romance,
pink: love, honor
blue: healing, peace, calm
orange: changeability
black,grey: discord, anger, confusion
yellow, gold: success, achievement
green: money, luck
purple: mentality, mastery

certain charts are different than others. Most of the colors stay the same with each chart, but certain colors are always different, like black, and blue. I have seen black represent evil, anger, disceord, protection, all sorts of things, and I have seen blue represent depression, changebility, healing, peace. Black and blue candles are relatively uncommon.
Candle spells are very useful, but keep in mind that it isn't the candle with the power, it's you. The spell will work as well as you make it. It is all about how much you want your wish to come true, not about how long or somplicated the spell is. The power is in YOU!

Meditation

Of of the most basic things in witchcraft, that I now realize I should have put maybe as the second post, is meditation. The point of meditation is to clear your mind of all thoughts. Of course there is the saying "let me meditate on that" which means that they meed to sit and think for a while about it. The meditation mostly used in magick involves sitting down in the lotus position and attempting to clear your mind of all thoughts and not let any reenter your mind. It is relatively difficult to do for many people, like me at first because you find that you start to think about things and you don't really realize it. To be able to just sit and "be" requires practice. Many people light candles, incense(but I prefer to use herbs because of the health benefits), turn on some meditation music, etc. It is all unnecessary, but for some people it helps them. If you feel like doing any of these things then go ahead, try different methods out and see what works best for you. For me, I just sit down, turn off the lights, light a few candles and begin. Now, my technique is to focus on nothing but listening to my breathing until all other thoughts are out of my head, then once I am confident that they won't return I slowly stop listening to my breathing and just "be". Since I have only used the method I described before, which works fine for me, I haven't really experienced many other methods so you might want to check out some other methods. I will post some links to websites that explain the process probably better than I can.
http://home.att.net/~meditation/MeditationHandbook.html

http://ezinearticles.com/?3-Powerful-Meditation-Techniques-For-Beginners-For-You-to-Try-Right-Away&id=1787961
in the link above it describes a method very similar to the one I use.

http://www.abc-of-meditation.com/meditation-techniques/beginner2.asp

whatever method you chose, I wish you luck. From personal experience, it is better to meditate before you do any magickal exercises because it settles any stressful problems or worried thoughts you might have which allows you to focus better on the exercise at hand. Good luck!