Spiritual Philosophy And Practice Of Wicca In The Us Military

Book: Spiritual Philosophy And Practice Of Wicca In The Us Military by David Oringderff

This work developed out of an identified need for clear and concise information regarding the practice of Wicca, particularly as it pertains to US military members and their families, friends, commanders, and chaplains. Many people were significantly involved in this effort. The authors would particularly like to thank Reverend Selena Fox and Circle Sanctuary, the Reverend Rene Delaere of Greencraft and the Sacred Well for their direct and substantial contributions, as well as Silverdrake for their work in the previous editions of this guide, Overview and Guide for Wiccans in the Military. We would also like to recognize the energy, love and support given by the International Executive Council of Clerics of the Sacred Well Congregation, Hera, Odinda, Itarilde, Arghuicha, and Gayomard. Special thanks goes to Father Timothy Ullman for his assistance in researching constitutional law and applicable service regulations.

Download David Oringderff's eBook: Spiritual Philosophy And Practice Of Wicca In The Us Military
Tags: west critical essay  occultism britain  letter brief apologetical  love for truth  rosacruz john portuguese  book poem  

How And Why Casting

How I cast a Circle depends on WHY I am circling. But that's not real helpful advice to someone new to magic...so I'll try ramble a bit about the subject.

First questions are usually about 'stuff and tools'. I LOVE all my witchy *Thangs*, but never confuse them with the Source of Magic. Wands don't make magic.

If I am outside because it is a full or new moon, or a Solar HolyDay, I tend to bring lots of stuff with me. I don't necessarily bring everything you might see in a group ritual, just what I feel like having according to the moment and the occasion. I've been known to spend the entire day taking things outside to set up a circle in preparation for a ritual just for myself. The preparation, the tools and objects, the creation of an alter, all appeal to the artist in me. It is something I find great pleasure in.

If the reason I am circling is more than celebretory, if I have a specific personal goal in mind, I tend to take less stuff with me, choosing only things I feel most appropriate, and those sparingly. I guess I see a division between 'celebratory' and 'working' ritual. I see 'tools' of ritual as more important in Celebratory Circles and to the working of magic in a group ritual rather than a Solitary one. They help to create the boundaries of sacred space, they add a sense of mystery and help to bring a group into the focus that is needed for working together. Tools have less to offer me in Solitary ritual, I just don't need them as much as in group work.

In any ritual, regardless of the purpose or number of people, I start by grounding and centering. These two are similar, but I see them as distinct from one another. Grounding is more of establishing a connection. I see magic, the use of power and energy as a gift, a loan, the source being the Earth and the Goddess, Grounding is establishing the connection. I can offer you a visualization that I used to use if you want, (it is one of a tree, sending roots deep into the earth) but I recommend you see this as another 'tool' and
use it only as an aid to finding your own source/feeling of power.

I don't use a visualization, and I'm not really sure how I can accurately describe what I do....other than to tell you I look within, find inside myself the source of connectedness and power and then let it resonate. This resonance is what I call centering.

The feelings of calling and focusing the Energy of the Earth are powerful ones, centering is becoming adjusted to that feeling, finding your own silence in the midst of a tornado of Power.

I ground and center sitting on the earth, hands touching the ground, eyes closed. The alter and anything I need will already be set up, there may already be a candle burning, sometimes I will open my eyes and stare into the candle before I go any further to cast a circle. I think of this time as waiting to see the circle that wishes to be cast. I don't usually plan ahead what I'm going to say or whom I will invoke, I wait until these moments and follow my instincts.

I usually use smudge, but rarely do a cleansing or banishing in solitary space (and even in group ritual if I remember to add salt to the water its with my Goddess given fingers not some ceremonial knife).

To cast the circle I stand in each of the directions E,S,W,N, and call in the spirits of that direction. My roots are Dianic, I invoke only the Feminine as I call the quarters. I do not in Solitary ritual separately invoke the Goddess, instead I invoke Her in each of her aspects as I come to each direction. At times my words, my intent is to call more upon an essence of a particular direction, other times I directly invoke a particular Goddess that represents to me what I am doing and which direction I am facing.

I know this is sketchy...Here's an example of what I mean: In the East, I usually invoke the essence of the direction, that of beginnings of birth and rebirth. This is the direction in which I see my Friend and Guide the Owl and the direction of my birth, therefore I usually do not invoke a particular Goddess here. In the South, I will usually invoke a particular Goddess, one who represents either emotion or the emotions that I am feeling in regard to the work I am doing. In the West I will include both the essence of the direction
as well as a Goddess Aspect, this direction is an introspective, reflective one and comes easily to me. The North is the direction of the greatest Mystery, I linger the longest and speak the least here, usually invoking using an Ancient Goddess name or names.

To call each of the directions I face them from the edge of the circle and raise my arms in what I call the Goddess sign, others call a yonic symbol. I will draw an invoking Pentagram in the air when in group ritual, but in Solitary I draw Pentagrams on my body instead. I draw one over left breast for E, vulva for S, right breast for W and forehead for N, womb for Center. This symbolizes my belief that magic comes from within, and that every woman's body is as the body of the Goddess.

I continue around the circle twice more, pausing in each direction, it is a bit of a trance inducer for me and the belief again that we create magic with our actions - casting the circle as I walk it's path three times.

Yes, my circle casting does blur the lines between *casting the circle* and *invoking*. I'm sure there are many traditionalists who would look down their pointy lil noses at this. But after a decade of walking this spiral path... I am inclined to smirk at comments from RigidWitches. If you take any advice from these pages, let it be to follow your OWN sense of Magic and Mystery.

Spirits of the Mystery Realms, both known and those un-met
I call as Priestess of the Mother,
daughter of Diana, daughter of Astarte, daughter of Artemis,
Mother of All.
As my Grandmothers before me
From time out of mind
In this place that is not a place
I dance between the Worlds
The Circle is Cast

Free e-books (can be downloaded):

Phil Hine - On Cursing
Leo Ruickbie - Halloween And Samhain

Tags: pagan manners animals  body puritan england  magick herbal divinations  beltane ritual  asuri atharva veda  revival 1929  goddess recipes perfumes  ethical psychic  salem account  gavin frost  george davis applied materials  grand arcanum  false memory inquisition  

13 Goals Of A Witch

These thirteen goals were written by Scott Cunningham in skeleton form without added substance to explain their complete meaning. Scott wrote this list in one of my favorite books, "WICCA: A guide for the solitary practitioner." Inside, he includes his private Book of Shadows and other valuable writings for both a coven of witches and the solitary practitioner. I've fleshed out the meaning of his goals from his teachings and those of Buckland.

1. Know yourself

When you truly are in tune with your inner self, that will reflect to others. You'll be trusted, confident and sure of your path.

2. Know your Craft

Only through your understanding how to use the Craft for helping others and yourself, will you build your relationship with the God and Goddess, Lord and Lady. Respect the rights of others, and "ye do no harm, do what ye will."

3. Learn

The more you learn about Wicca, the Craft and becoming a witch, the more you'll understand that you know nothing. There is a vast amount of knowledge available for any who seek it.

4. Apply knowledge with wisdom.

Though you know how to create and maintain a binding spell, does not mean you have the wisdom to administer the spell. Wisdom takes years of working spells, magick and communing with other witches to fairly and justly administer magick to those in need. Learn all the Craft you can, then learn to practice those skills wisely and with love.

5. Achieve Balance.

You will have other interests that seem to pull you away from the Craft or Wicca. You shouldn't feel obligated to stay within the boundaries of what you believe a witch or Wiccan should be every day. Feel free to express yourself with balance. Join a group to clean up the beaches to keep gaia clean and beautiful. Volunteer at a hospital to assist the elderly. Balance in your life will make you a better person and a better witch.

6. Keep your words in good order

"Speak little, listen much", "Think before you speak" are good goals for a learning witch. The elders have much to say and you should learn to listen as you grow in the Craft.

7. Keep your thoughts in good order.

There is no revenge, or evil intent in the Craft. When you're feeling overwhelmed by others, wish them great success. Remember the power of three will return to you when you send your white magick toward those who verbally abuse or have the desire to harm you.

8. Celebrate life

Enjoy every moment that life brings to you, whether a brief moment of pain or joy. Take part in events and ritual to celebrate the God and Goddess, make new friends who share your enthusiasm. Surround yourself with those who emit a natural positive energy and bring a smile to your lips.

9. Attune with the cycles of the Earth

When the sun goes down, your body may say it's time to rest. Listen to the natural circadian rhythm of your body. You were born on this planet and when the moon is high and full, changes in gravity works on your bodies chemistry. Denying your animal instincts and inner self that recognizes gaia's cycles will work against you.

10. Breathe and eat correctly

Live where you can breathe in clean air and have access to food from natural sources. Treating your body as the multi-tasking, super-machine at work and play takes a heavy toll. Filling up with sugar, fat and massive amounts of alcohol will dull the senses and quite possibly make you ill.

11. Exercise the body

A strong healthy body at any age; maiden, maid or crone will serve you well.

12. Meditate

This is an important tool for the witch who wishes to divine or commune with the deities. To conjure or make your spells work, you must be able to reach deeply and connect with gaia, the Goddess and God.

13. Honor the Goddess and God

All things are possible when you embrace the feminine and masculine parts of the faith of Wicca. One is as necessary as the other in nature and so mote it be.

Books in PDF format to read:

Anonymous - The Laws For Witches
Michael Harrison - The Roots Of Witchcraft
Margaret Alice Murray - The God Of The Witches

Tags: wiccan ceremonies  prolegomena sceptico mysticae  raven grimassi ancients  charles webster leadbeater  copied from documents  sacred texts   

Pagan Samhain Recipes

Book: Pagan Samhain Recipes by Al Selden Leif

I have mentioned previously several Things That you can make for this time of year and now I am going into more depth on a few things. Hope you enjoy them and have fun making some wonderful things for your samhain rituals and celebrations.

Halloween is said to be derived from Samhain, pronouced "SOW (rhymes with cow)-in", defined by the Irish Texts Society as: "All Hallowtide, the feast of the dead in Pagan and Christian times, signalling the close of harvest and the Initiation of the winter season."

The Scottish called it Hallowtide or the Feast of All Souls. Samhain is derived from a combination of "sam" and "fuin" meaning the end of summer and the beginning of a new year. In the first century A.D., the Romans brought along a couple of their own festivals to add to Samhain. Poloma, the goddess of fruit was honored, and the Festival of Feralia was to honor the dead.

Download Al Selden Leif's eBook: Pagan Samhain Recipes

Free e-books (can be downloaded):

Vovim Baghie - The Grand Satanic Ritual
Leo Ruickbie - Halloween And Samhain
Rodolfo Amadeo Lanciani - Pagan And Christian Rome
Charles Baize - Pagan Scriptures
Al Selden Leif - Pagan Samhain Recipes

Witchcraft Of New England Explained By Modern Spiritualism

Book: Witchcraft Of New England Explained By Modern Spiritualism by Allen Putnam

MOST history of New England witchcraft written since 1760 has dishonored the dead by lavish imputations of imposture, fraud, malice, credulity, and infatuation ; has been sacrificing past acts, motives, and character to skepticism regarding the sagacity and manliness of the fathers, the guilelessness of their daughters, and the truth of ancient records. Transmitted accounts of certain phenomena have been disparaged, seemingly because facts alleged therein baffle solution by to-day's prevalent philosophy, which discards some agents and forces that were active of old. The legitimate tendency of culture has been reversed ; what it should have availed itself of and honored, it has busied itself in hiding and traducing.

An exception among writers alluded to is the author of the following extract, who, simply as an historian, and not as an advocate of any particular theory for the solution of witchcraft, seems ready to let its works be ascribed to competent agents.

We proposed here an incipient step towards refutation of the sufficiency and justness of a main theory, now long prevalent, for explaining satisfactorily very many well-proved marvelous facts. Some such have been presented on the pages of Hutchinson, Upham, and their followers ; and yet these have been either not at all, or vaguely or ludicrously, commented upon, or reasoned from. Very many others, and the most important of all as bases and aids to an acceptable and true solution of the whole, are not visible where they ought to have conspicuous position. Presentation and proper use of them might have caused public cognizance to topple over the edifices which it has pleased modern builders to erect.

Download Allen Putnam's eBook: Witchcraft Of New England Explained By Modern Spiritualism

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Marsha Keith Schuchard - Why Mrs Blake Cried Swedenborg Blake And The Sexual Basis Of Spiritual Vision
George Lincoln Burr - New England Place In The History Of Witchcraft
Samuel Gardner Drake - Annals Of Witchcraft In New England And Elsewhere In The United States
Harriet Beecher Stowe - The Salem Witchcraft The Planchette Mystery And Modern Spiritualism
Allen Putnam - Witchcraft Of New England Explained By Modern Spiritualism