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!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
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
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
Monday, September 6, 2010
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!
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!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
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.
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!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
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.
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.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
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.
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.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
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.
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.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
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.
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.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
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.
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.
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