Sacred Space
Black spirits and white, red spirits and grey
come ye, come ye, come ye that may!
Around and around, throughout and about
The good come in, and the ill keep out!— Doreen Valiente
In the Craft, there are two ways in which we prepare a space for working. The most common is to create “sacred space”. If the working is formal and ritualized in nature, we will also “build the temple” — cast a formal circle and call on representatives of each direction to assist us in the working.
For most purposes outside of initiate Craft (the Wicca), sacred space is the perfect choice. As with many esoteric skills, the primary “work” is done with visualization. The person creating the space must envision the area being washed clean in some way. Most traditions use the image of white or blue light.
The invocation calls on the four elements to come if they like. Most modern pagans are familiar with elemental color associations. I teach my students three sets of color associations:
| Popular “Gardnerian” | Native American “Medicine Wheel” | British Traditional Craft (New Forest) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| North | Green | White | Black |
| East | Yellow | Yellow | Red |
| South | Red | Red | White |
| West | Blue | Black | Grey |
As you can see, the Valiente invocation uses the New Forest colors for the Airts (spirits of the directions). Thus, in using it, one calls on north, south, east and west, and ask those spirits to 1) show up, 2) go throughout the sacred space and 3) go outside the space to protect it.
Unlike most formal circle casting procedures, this invocation does not necessitate the actual drawing of a circle, nor does it bind the area into a restrictive space. However, with a minor modification, it can be used to cast circle.
Black spirits and white, Red spirits and grey,
Come ye, come ye, come ye that may.
Throughout and about, around and around,
The circle be drawn, the circle be bound.— Doreen Valiente, The Rebirth of Witchcraft
The actual casting of a circle requires actively directing energy to form a modified sphere around a working space. This energy should, ideally, form a nearly impenetrable wall. Should one unwittingly walk “through” the wall of a properly cast circle, he will FEEL it, and probably have a throbbing headache in short order! Therefore, circle casting is best reserved for times when people are not likely to be leaving and reentering the space frequently.
The following is a more elaborate circle casting rune by Doreen Valiente for this purpose.
Black spirits and white, red spirits and grey
hearken to the rune I say.Four points of the circle, weave the spell
East, South, West, North, your tale to tellEast is red, for the break of day
South is white for the noontide hour
In the West, is twilight grey
And North is black for the place of power.Three times’ round, the circle is cast
Great ones, spirits from the past
Witness it and guard it fast.— Doreen Valiente
Circle casting is a fine art that anyone can learn, but one can only become proficient at through careful practice. As for the invocations, there are hundreds in print which can be used, and it is perfectly possible to create one for a given situation or ritual. Some witches even cast with no words, using only the force of their developed visualization techniques. I have used Valiente’s words here because they are simple to learn and reasonably traditional.
Suggested Reading on sacred space and circle casting:
- The Rebirth of Witchcraft, Witchcraft for Tomorrow, and Natural Magic by Doreen Valiente
- To Stir a Magic Cauldron by Silver Ravenwolf, chapters 2 & 5
- The Spiral Dance by Starhawk, chapter 4
- Witchcraft: Theory & Practice by Ly DeAngeles page 87
Meeting the Gods
Begin with a basic induction
…a lovely garden. If you look around now, you will see flowers and trees, a place to sit quietly, and a small pond or fountain. Walk along a path through this area, and enjoy the sounds and smells of the garden. Walk over to the pond or fountain, and touch the surface of the water, and then look into the water. As the ripples fall away, you can see a reflection…the reflection of the God within you. Reach your hand into the water, and take the hand of the God in the reflection. Help him or her out of the pond or fountain, and to his or her feet.
Take a few moments to feel the power of this being beside you. Breathe in the life force surrounding you now, and walk with your God. Speak to God gently, as you would a dear friend, and ask: “What is your name?”, “Why have you come to see me now?”, “How can we communicate better, closer?”, and any other questions you might have. Accept the answer you receive, and remember it is God’s option how and whether he answers all of your questions.
Thank your God for his time, and for meeting with you, as you walk back to the fountain. Tell God that you look forward to spending time together again soon. Give your God a reverent hug or kiss before helping him or her back into the water. As the ripples fade once again, revealing your own reflection, step away from the fountain and back toward the path.
Basic Induction
Close your eyes and begin to breathe slowly and deeply. Feel the breath go down, down, down into your belly, filling your root, your core. Release the breath and breathe up out of the crown of your head. Breathe again, paying attention to your breathing. In, and down…filling the belly, letting the belly go soft. Then up, up and out of the top of your head, the life force showing over you to be taken in again.
After breathing this way for several breaths, begin to notice your thoughts. Don’t dwell on them, don’t try to deal with them, and don’t push them away either. Simply let them float by quietly, and observe. Find yourself in a dark place, with light only immediately surrounding you. Your thoughts drift past and into the darkness. You do not fear the darkness, for it is not the unknown, merely the unimportant at this time.
Bask in the spotlight that surrounds you, and as you enjoy it, it begins to widen, slowly revealing…
Go to guided meditation portion.
…You begin to notice the light is growing dimmer around you. As the scene before you fades to black, you find yourself once again surrounded by darkness and cradled in a spotlight. Begin once again to sense your thoughts, and watch them. Gently deepen your breath, breathing once again deep into your core, and out the top of your head. You may wish to gently wiggle your fingers and toes. Softly open your eyes, and breathe in a welcoming breath. Welcome back.
I was wondering what all my Book of Shadows should have in it?
My dedicants start their book with the following for each Sabbat:
- A ritual to be performed solitary
- A ritual to be performed in coven
- One page of chants/lore/incense/other correspondences appropriate to sabbat
- One “craft” or other holiday working
- A “fun fact” page.
They must also prepare (and include):
- A full moon ritual for one and for a group
- A new moon ritual (or other working) for one and a group
- An all-purpose healing ritual
- A devotional ritual for working with a God and Goddess of their choice (patrons)
- A ritual for working with a totem.
By the time the dedication year is up, they have a good skeleton start to a solid BOS. Then they start getting the Traditional stuff.
You will also want to include any information you come upon that seems useful and your thoughts on it, any workings that you do and notes, etc.
A simple working for communication
This was in response to a question on Yahoo! Answers. I don’t usually post “spells” here, this is more a bit of folksy magic.
If it is someone who I have been unable to contact, I will take a token of them and a token of me and place them together in a yellow bag or tie them with a yellow string. If you don’t already have some tie to this person (like if you are trying to get Justin Beiber to call you) it won’t work.
What’s this all about:
Ok, what we are doing here is a bit of sympathetic magic. The idea is to get the two people into the same sphere of interest.
Now, both people must be in the practitioners sphere of influence for it to work, which means that someone who has never had any tie to the practitioner won’t respond to the working. The work needs a conduit to travel. Think of the energy like electricity: as long as there are wires, it’ll keep going, even if the wire is a tiny strand. But no wire, no juice.
The reason I use yellow is because it is a color associated with Hermes & therefore communication. If another color says communication to you more than yellow, by all means, use that. The idea here is to have your subconscious sending the right codes with that energy down the wire. Yellow tells my subconscious that this is a connection via a communication medium. If I wanted the two people to cross paths, I might use green or black to represent physical meeting. (Actually, I would do something entirely different, but I want to illustrate how these things can be adjusted.)
Bed of Roses
I belong to an e-list for coven leaders, and have been reading along for some time as members expound on the joys and pains of coven leadership, on the difficult decisions, and on why it’s all worth it. So, the other day, I returned from luch, read a post about it not being “a bed of roses” and felt inspired. Enjoy.
Bed of Roses
I am but a humble gardener
Learned in my Craft
I’ve studied how to sow the seeds
To cut the stem and graft
I know the ways to coax new growth
And stymie evil weeds
Long as the rose accepts my care
I’ll give it all it needs
But growing roses isn’t bliss
Despite their blessed smell
For every rose that’s blossomed full
Three more have gone to hell
And I know not to fertilize
With grade A bull manure –
The average stems may flourish
But splendid ones grow fewer
Sometimes as I tend my greens
Thorns may prick my finger
The hurt has always gone away
But memories still linger
And when I think I’ll just give up
And turn it all below
I recall the oath I gave in love
And trust some years ago
Some day I hope to give my Queen
One dozen blood red stems
Though it may take years to find
And grow those brilliant gems
For all the joy and pain it brings
It’s not as one supposes
A coven leader’s job it seems
Is to sleep in beds of roses.
Love Potion No. 9
Being a public witch means getting any number of strange requests, usually having something to do with lotto numbers, intoxication, or love spells. A friend of my sister’s once wanted to know if I can make love potions. “I can”, I told her, “but it’s generally not something I would do.” I explained to her that I have made love ‘enhancing’ things and aphrodisiac type oils and powders, but I feel that a true love potion is binding the will of another and not ethical.
There was an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, where a young crew member discovers that she is a Q. In one scene, she uses her powers to force Cmdr. Riker to love her. She effectively bends his will, only to discover: “I thought it would be romantic…but it’s empty.” Similarly, making someone love you through magic is not truly love– it is an empty shell of what love can be.
Another problem with love spells, is that almost always, the spell casters motives are jumbled. Honest love does not require reciprocation, and most people who think they want person A to love them really just want to be loved, or don’t love themselves and are looking for a self-esteem crutch.
How many movies and stories have been made about the love spells that backfire? The character casts a love spell on the person he desires, only to find that he didn’t really desire that person, and now she won’t go away! Some love spells like this can be broken, but I think it is best to not bind them in the first place.
So do I think all love spells are bad? Of course not! I am an Aphrodisian after all. For the most part, it is the motives that need to be examined and questioned. There is nothing wrong with using magic to draw a loving aura to oneself, to reveal a person who loves you, or to learn to love oneself. The best love spells are those designed to increase the caster’s own sense of self-worth and improve self-image, for a little self-confidence can go a long long way to making a person attractive!
On Binding Spells
Is there a place for binding spells? Sure. Are they a cure-all? Far from it
A binding spell is basically a way of tying up a certain person’s ability to act in a certain way. Yes, there are some ethical questions here, but most craft paths hold that “to let evil go on unchecked is, in itself, evil” or something to that effect.
The real problem with binding is that in order to bind someone/something, the practitioner must attach that person or thing to something within the practitioner’s sphere of influence. By doing so, the practitioner, in effect, binds the person or thing to him/herself. In some situations this is desirable, but the practitioner must really know what they are in for! In most situations, it would be preferable to banish…get the problem out of the sphere of influence entirely so that it will no longer affect the practitioner.
The example of a practitioner using magic to offensively attack someone is a good example of an appropriate time to use a binding spell: the person is causing ill towards innocents. The person who undertakes the binding must be aware then, that the criminal or “dark magician” will be tied to her until the binding is released. Yes, this even holds true for all those folks you stuck in your freezer.
The trickiest part about binding spells is knowing when it’s really appropriate to use one. The next trickiest thing is binding down the right things: say you want to bind a child molester. So you bind down his sexual deviance, and his anger re-emerges as murderous intent. You have to be sure you are binding down the right thing, in this case, the anger.
Binding spells have their place, but like we said, they are tricky. It is my feeling that the practitioner should have a fairly strong background in spell and ritual design before attempting a binding spell, and should write the spell himself specifically for the situation.
I am a Witch
“You’re a witch…so what does that mean?”
I guess I’ve heard it dozens of times. I usually find the most politically correct and academic way to answer the question…just in case the asker encounters another Pagan somewhere along the way. It’s not that often that someone asks the question sincerely wanting to know what it means to me.
When I was younger, I lived a magical life. I saw things other people didn’t see, knew things as if out of nowhere. Had it been medieval times, I would have been branded a witch for many of my natural abilities on the spot. In this day and age, however, we have the New Age movement happily classifying such talents and normal and acceptable, skills to be honed and used to serve our fellow man. So what makes me a “witch” and not a “psychic” or an “energy worker”?
Well, to be honest, I think it would be perfectly fair to call me a psychic, a tarot reader, an energy worker, an aura seer, a folk magic practitioner, an herbalist, an aromatherapist, a ritualist, a priestess, a mythologist, a drummer, a dancer, a singer and a teacher. Or, you could just call me a Witch.
The things that make me a witch do include all these disciplines, but it is something more than that. Witchcraft, to me, is the art and science of living in balance with nature and one’s will. There are hundreds of books that will gladly tell you “what witches believe”, although since there is no dogma to the practice, they are all incomplete; every witch believes precisely what he or she believes. There are books that will tell you “what witches do”, and while there are more traditions and handed down wisdom here, the problem remains. Witchcraft is a very personalized path, and every individual is different.
So what do I believe? What do I do? What makes me a witch?
Ultimately, I believe that all of existence is one, and it is divine. There are movies and analogies galore that explain the theory: “The Force” of the Star Wars epic, “There is no spoon” of The Matrix, the self-created afterlife of What Dreams May Come. All things are not merely connected, all things are ALL…and the effect of changing one thing is to change ALL.
The problem with this great universal ALL is that it is difficult, at best, for the human mind to truly perceive of it. The various Gods and Goddesses of ancient times and the modern era are faces of ALL, and parts of it. Of course, in being part of it, they are also it, and that is where the whole thing gets very confusing for the simple human mind (surely we are capable of much greater (simpler?) things) and it becomes easier to talk about ALL as a system, with parts and faces and representatives.
The Goddess who I work with primarily as my intercessory to feel my connection with ALL is Aphrodite. This ageless entity comes to us from the sands of time, and carries with her an impressive heritage that spans most of the ancient world. She is best known through the writings of Hellenic Greeks, and has therefore earned a rather unwarranted reputation as a slut and a harpy. She is neither.
Aphrodite is a personification of the Power of Love. She exemplifies joy and beauty, and exalts sensual pleasures–things that are pleasing to the senses. As Her priestess, I am dedicated to bringing love, joy and pleasure into my life and the lives of those I care for. I believe that to live means to love; and that having someone to love and cherish, not in a tragic way, but in a joyful celebration, is the greatest gift life can offer.
I also work with another God oft maligned by modern interpretation: Ares. He is best known as the God of War…but one must understand that He is a foil to Aphrodite. To fight for something, one must be passionate about it, and this is where Ares comes in. He is the Power of Passion, and yes, he has a dark side. It’s important to me to remember that everything, all the joys of the universe, come at a cost. This is what balance is all about.
The things I do to change my life and enhance my beliefs are really pretty simple. I perform rituals at certain points of the year to align myself with the cycles of nature. I also perform rituals when I feel that I need to reinforce my sense of self-in-ALL. Some rituals are grand and follow a nearly liturgical design. Others are as simple as collecting fresh herbs, or cleaning colorful gemstones. The thing that makes them special is intent.
One thing that everyone always wants to know about is spell casting: “Do you cast spells on people? Can you cast one on so-and-so?” etc. Well, I do cast spells, but it is a rare occasion that it is even possible to cast a spell ON someone. Generally, if there is an intended “other party” involved in a spell, the spell is kind of thrown in their direction…it is up to the other person to pick up their end, consciously or subconsciously.
A perfect example is the classic love spell question. Everyone wants to know this one, especially people who think I may have cast such a spell on him or her. To start with: I am a priestess of Aphrodite. The work I have done with her adds a kind of sexy-lovey-pretty sheen to my aura. Many sensitive people have commented that when I walk in a room, everyone starts to think about sex…not necessarily with ME…sensuality just starts to ooze out of everyone. So that might have something to do with it. It’s superficial. Most people who react to this and think they have just fallen madly in love with me soon find out that they get used to the shock of it and I become “normal” in their eyes again.
There are several types of spells that I do, but I have the most skill and experience in love spells. Because of this, I know better than to try the traditional “make so-and-so fall madly in love with me” route. This kind of magic requires the other person to pick up his end, and usually, it’s not a healthy end! A good love spell will ask for the right person to come and to become committed to a relationship. It seems fairly non-specific, but it works.
Here’s my story of a love spell gone right. About a year and a half ago, I was about to start a new job and had just moved into a new home, and I felt I was ready to try a real relationship. I sat down, assessed my situation, and explored within myself what kind of person I wanted to be with. I took a lot of time preparing, writing, and working the initial spell, and I am very proud of it. It is rather advanced magic, because it does require shadow and inner work, and it requires the ability to clear the mind fully of all potential mates. My mind and heart had to be prepared to accept the choice that the universe made for me. So, I did the spell and I waited. On my first day of work, I met several interesting men, but I had reservations about starting a relationship with someone I worked with. I took my time, but one young man just kept appearing in my workspace day after day. He used words that were special to me, and inquired about my deepest secrets. He intrigued me.
After a while, I could see that work was where someone was going to come from, but as I said, I had met a number of young men, and didn’t know which was the one. I had other sources (divination) which agreed with this perspective. So I baked up some magical cookies in two types: pink ones to encourage any warm feelings that were there, and gold ones to get these men to open up! The intriguing man ate most of the tin, then asked me out and poured his heart on the table.
Our relationship was far from perfect (remember what I said about costs!), and he frequently chose to ignore or avoid me. Every time this happened, I cut my losses, cleared my mind and said “Hey Universe, that wasn’t him…please send me the right guy!” Guess who always called the next day. We even had a major breakup blowout. It took me weeks to be able to clear my mind enough to do the spell. When I was finally able, it took only a day or two before the intriguing young man and I were patching things up again.
The last time I worked this spell was when I was about to give up. I felt the problems in our relationship were insurmountable. I changed the spell slightly, added some aspects that I felt I had overlooked before, and sent it out to the universe again. I said “He does this and this and this, and that’s not right. Send me someone who doesn’t do those things!” He began to approach our relationship differently.
I honestly don’t feel that I ever “cast a spell” on my partner. I cast a spell on a nameless, faceless right person for me, and this wonderful man just happened to pick up the other end. And he doesn’t seem like he’s about to let it go. And THAT brings me much joy.
I do other spells, of course. Prosperity magic is big around my home: oil to bring money, gold coins, green candles. I do spells to get that client, to find a parking space, to generally make life run just a little smoother. They aren’t scary, and I usually use a candle, some herbs, or a stone, but I don’t need to. These things are just focus objects. The magic is all in me-it is in my will.
I also use divination tools such as tarot and scrying. The purpose here is not so much to discover “the future” but to kind of see beyond the misty veil that we, as humans, establish between the things we know and the things we need to know. If we paid attention to everything we know, as ALL, we’d never get the shopping and washing done! Using divinatory tools can help to pick through the mass of everything that is constantly happening and get pertinent information to help make good decisions. Like the herbs and stones, these are just focus mechanisms, and aren’t necessary but do make things easier.
I listen to my dreams, to my intuition, and to the world around me. I use nature for healing as much as I can, but I don’t eschew “modern science”. I thank the universe for the bounty that it offers me, and I use my gifts to help me grow as a person, as a professional, as a daughter, a lover, a friend.
So what makes me a witch? Well, all of this does…but then there’s this little spark too. I meet people every day that I think of as “witches”. For me the word has a special connotation. It means someone who knows that he or she has the power to make things happen. Someone who is aware. Someone who faces the world with eyes open. I’m sure that other people have other words for what I am. But in my private heart, I am, and will always be, a Witch.
Is Witchcraft a Religion?
The answer to this question lies more in the accepted definition of “religion” than in the meaning the Witchcraft.
re·lig·ion (r-ljn) n.
- a. Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe. b. A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.
- The life or condition of a person in a religious order.
- A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.
- A cause, a principle, or an activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.
(Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition)
Clearly, the word religion has many meanings. The definition above which best defines my relationship with the concept of religion is the last one: to me, true religion is living ones life according to his or her accepted governing principles. A “Christian” who regularly fails to “turn the other cheek” and “love his neighbor as himself” is not, to me, a Christian at all. To simply claim allegiance to a God or a spiritual leader is not religion, religion is a way of life.
It may not be defined by any group or term, such as Wicca, Buddhism, Judaism, in fact, some of the most spiritual and religious people I know profess no “-isms” at all. However, they have a clear set of principles that they have set for themselves, and they practice these principles consistently.
Thus, my own “religion” is a set of personal principles, guided by my Deities, which I strive to live by. My Gods and I find pleasure and communication through ritual, but it is not an indispensable part of religious practice. Religion for me can be summed up in eight words: An it harm none, do what thou will. “What thou will” is my defining set of principles, “An it harm none” is a reminder of my integral connection with Deity.
Witchcraft is, similarly, a way of life. One really cannot be a “sometimes witch” and be any good at the Craft. The skills of the Craft require daily practice and honing. Even the Witch who does not profess an “organized” set of principles, such as Wicca, will have a personal set of ethics and a regular practice to ensure she stays at the top of her game, so to speak. One could say that she practices religiously. I leave it up to the reader to draw his own conclusions, but I hope that this creates food for thought.
