The Circle Within Creating A Wiccan Spiritual Tradition

Book: The Circle Within Creating A Wiccan Spiritual Tradition by Dianne Sylvan

The Circle Within is your guide to creating a personal Spiritual Practice for daily life. The first section is a thoughtful examination of Wiccan ethics and philosophy that explores how to truly live Wicca. The second section includes devotional prayers and rituals that provide inspiration for group or solitary practice.

Topics include: cultivating an ongoing personal relationship with deity, ethics and standards of behavior, concepts of sacred space, elements of a daily practice, tuning into the Wheel of the Year and the elements, and creating meaningful personal rituals. Move beyond the basics of Wicca and enter the sacred space of the circle within.

I've never written a review for Amazon.com, but had to do one for this book. I came across Dianne's website some time ago & was intrigued with her way of looking at Wicca. When I found out she'd published a book, I tracked it down & was even more profoundly moved by her observations. This is a woman who will make you THINK. There are many books I've read About Witchcraft & Wicca. Plenty of info on tools, quarter calls, the gods/goddesses, etc. But I found something missing in most of them. The most basic, essential thing of all: relationship with the Divine & how it affects your life on a very basic level. There were times during this book where I had to stop & say, "YES! YES!" Cheers for Ms. Sylvan for having the heart & drive to write this book & get it out to the public.

Also, I have to say that the litergy in this book is some of the most beautiful I have ever read. The chapter titled "The Book of Moonlight" is going to be used often in my practices.

Dianne Sylvan (Austin, TX) has been a practicing Wiccan since the age of sixteen. She is co-founder and President of Blessedways, a Wiccan educational and spiritual organization based out of Central Texas. Through Blessedways she teaches classes on Wicca, the Runes, spiritual magic, and ecstatic dance.

In addition to her books, Dianne's work has appeared in Circle Magazine, NewWitch magazine, and the Llewellyn Wicca Almanac and Witches' Calendar; she has also been interviewed by the Wiccan Pagan Times. More of her articles on living Wiccan spirituality can be found on her website, Dancing Down the Moon.

Buy Dianne Sylvan's book: The Circle Within Creating A Wiccan Spiritual Tradition

Downloadable books (free):

Michael Ford - Luciferian Witchcraft An Introduction
Paul Foster Case - The Early Writings Vol I Occult Fundamentals Spiritual Unfoldment
Anonymous - Thelema A New Spiritual Tradition For A New Age

Checklist For A Well Working Group

1. We are clear about our goals and how we intend to achieve them.
2. We know and respect each other well enough to feel very comfortable and attuned working together.
3. Our magick is ethical, designed for our growth and fulfillment and the benefit of those who request help, and never used to harm others.
4. We share the responsibilities of making the group work; every individual's
contribution is important.
5. We see each other socially outside the group, and support each other through difficulties.
6. We enjoy. There is fun and laughter at our meetings.
7. We work at Learning magick. We dig deep, compare different sources, try new techniques, ask pointed questions, do it until we get it right.
8. We keep ourselves healthy and fit in order to more readily channel power and receive insight.
9. We keep our Ritual Area and tools orderly and clean.
10. We constantly seek Knowledge From many sources -- people, books, workshops, other paths...
11. We do not make a virtue of authority and obedience, but treat each other as respected equals (regardless of the formal structure of the coven).

We raise genuine power and channel it; our rituals are not tame readings or rote gestures, but filled with energy, vitality, will and purpose.

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The Witchcraft Trial In Moscow

Book: The Witchcraft Trial In Moscow by Friedrich Adler

I predict that Behind the Moscow Trial will stand not only as a brilliant attempt to clarify the conftirm status of this particular trial, but also as a land in intelligent political pamphleteering in the American labor and revolutionary movement. I know of no other such w^ork w^ritten by an American in my time to match it for clarity, force, intelligence, and logic (JAMES T. FARRELL.)

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Is Wicca Really Supported By The Us Taxpayers

It is not obvious exactly why people believes that Wicca (a.k.a. Witchcraft) and other minority religions are taxpayer-funded. In fact, a case can be made for the reverse: Wiccan soldiers are probably funded to a lesser degree than are Roman Catholics, Protestants and Jews.

Large armed forces bases frequently have one or more Protestant ministers, Roman Catholic priests, and a Jewish rabbis on staff. The military usually pays clergy salaries, provides chaplains with offices and support staff, etc. Fort Hood has 42,000 military personnel and 96 chaplains. Assuming that each chaplain (with office staff) costs a $75,000 per year, the government allocates $171 per year for the spiritual support of each Christian or Jewish soldier. But there are no Wiccan Priests, Priestesses, or chaplain office at Fort Hood. Wiccans are expected to fend for themselves, and provide their own priests and priestesses from within their own membership. (One reader reports that there is a major concentration of Wiccans in the army stationed in Germany that are served by a Neopagan Priestess.) The cost per Wiccan for spiritual support in Fort Hood is essentially nil.

Some news sources stated that the Army had increased security at Fort Hood "in order to deter members of Christian groups from intimidating the witches, who meet in campgrounds..." 9 The army would certainly incur costs due to this increased security. Perhaps a bit of gas would be used by some military police vehicles while they protected the Wiccans. Probably a few sheets of paper would be consumed by the MPs while preparing reports. MPs are not paid overtime, so there would be no increased cost due to salaries. The total cost of protection would be minimal. These trivial costs are not the fault of the Wiccans. They are caused by perceived danger due to local religious intolerance by a minority of Christians.

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Full Moon Ritual Group

Book: Full Moon Ritual Group by Anonymous

The Esbat takes place on the nights of the New Moon and the nights of the Full Moon. On these nights, the coven usually does any kind of magical work and business they need to. It is enacted, hopefully every Full Moon.

Set up: Place a candle in each of the four cardinal directions.Lay the rest of the tools on the altar cloth or near it. The altar can be on the ground, a table, a rock or a stump. The altar should be in the center or just North of center of the Circle. Light the six candles and the incense, start the music and begin the ritual.

Download Anonymous's eBook: Full Moon Ritual Group

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Welcome To Occult Community

The “occult” community is an almost meaningless term denoting the vast numbers of Neo-Pagans, traditional “practitioners,” ceremonial magicians, root workers, card readers, Vitki, Bokurs, exorcists, Brujas, Witches, Warlocks and all the other people who delve into the practice of magic. As America in particular and the West in general has become more accepting of these practices they have become almost mainstream and indeed in the case of Wicca, crystal workings and other practices they have become less part of the “occult’ and more a part of the watered down “New Age” movement that is the bane of true practitioners.

For the past few years I have seen that proficiency in magical practice, familiarity with the literature of the occult and the ability to discern legitimate rituals and techniques from online role playing and media inspired fads disturbingly rare. Today’s “Witch” is more likely to be familiar with organic vegan recipes than the recipe for making the love philters. Today’s Magician will be more apt to sulkily skip dinner and rail on the Internet about a person who has crossed them than resort to the infamous Black Fast. More people have read Twilight in our so-called community than have read Elizabeth Butler’s excellent introduction to the history of Western Magicians Ritual Magic.

When you do find people who claim to have actually practiced some form of the Art you’ll get wild tales of lightning bolts, levitation, or long-winded explanations about how “everything you do” is magic. And that’s if they believe at all; I’ve had more than one self-described Witch tell me rituals and spells didn’t work.

There was a time, my friends, when that Fraternity of Night called to a select few who, through painstaking research, long hours of studying and experimentation and the will to follow the path least tread, accumulate a few jealously guarded and (more importantly) effective spells that ended up scribbled in a journal and perhaps, if we were lucky, passed to trusted friends. But our own secretive nature and elitist mentality has created several new generations of unguided, unfocused and uninformed practitioners who do little but imperil themselves and those around them. For all our complaints it is we older generations, smug and separate, who have created the New Age by not being involved in it. Spell and Ritual is my small way of making up for the lack of leadership many of us have shown.

This will not be a place for moralizing, political debate or personal attacks. Spell and Ritual will only deal with the mechanics of magic and the literature you should be familiar with. Some of what we will be posting will be academic in origin, as this is an essential piece of a practitioner’s education which many people have missed out on. One cannot understand Necromancy, for example, if you are unfamiliar with the long history of Necromancy in Western civilization which is mainly preserved by classical scholars.

Spell and Ritual will not tolerate racism, sexism or any other -ism. There has been a movement among some young Witches to claim the African diaspora traditions (like Voodoo, Santeria, etc) are “evil” and there is quite a bit of bigotry experienced by Christian practitioners of the Arts. This is not acceptable here. Likewise, since I was very young, there has been considerable pressure put on male Witches (even non-Wiccans) to refrain from using the term Warlock. I myself prefer the term but this will not be open for debate. How people describe themselves and their practice will be respected here. That includes those that practice the Left Hand Path. We are not here to debate what is right and wrong, only what does and does not work.

Spell and Ritual is in the process of actively soliciting spells and rituals that people can verify as working, and we are glad to promote books, services, or Web sites that will be of interest to practitioners.

As a quick aside, I have always found the use of “Magick” instead of magic a bit pretentious. It irks me, but if you must, feel free.

This site will be, I hope, a resource for everyone. Please leave your politics and pettiness at the door and use this site to discuss and learn the Mysteries.

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When You Are Become A Witch

Technically, the first time you cast a spell of any kind you are a witch. This, in some aspects, is not too different than driving a car. For example, if you get behind the wheel of a car, start it, and hit the gas pedal, you are technically driving. Therefore you are a driver, regardless if you are a licensed driver or not. magick without study and practice can be like driving without a license. You would, technically, be a witch. Of course, like driving without knowing what you're doing, you can cause a lot more trouble than you suspect very quickly.

In this next section, I will be referring to Pagans in general. Remember, wiccans are Pagans, but not all Pagans are Wiccans.

Gods can be a tricky subject... But let me see if I can break it down a bit. Again, the beliefs I'm about to tell you apply to a large portion if Pagans, but not all.

The most basic god is the totality of everything. And I do mean everything. All mater, all concept, every single molecule, electron, thought and essence... "Everything that is." The totality includes us, and we are a part of it. It would not be the same without each and every person, and no person would be without being part of everything else. This brings us to the idea that we are really one with our world, each other, our pets, even our keyboard, the stars, everything. Also, being part of this totality is much of the basis of Magick. But we'll get to that later.

Ok, so we, as individuals, are part of a larger sum... In fact the entire Universe. The Universe may, or may not have a purpose (divine will). In fact, it'd be rather difficult to ever know if it did, because of the absolutely mind boggling expanse of the Universe. Nevertheless, some people claim to know what the Universe is up to (but I sure don't).

Now, because of the difficulty in talking about day to day things in context of absolutely everything, this concept is not used much except for in theological discussion, or in some magickal works. The human mind has a habit of breaking things up into smaller pieces to be handled.

From here, gods are pretty much open, honestly. A god is what you use to symbolize emotions or concepts when you need to concentrate on something. If you feel you are going to go into combat, you would concentrate on Mars (for example) to help prepare you for what lay ahead.

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The Complete Idiots Guide To Paganism

Book: The Complete Idiots Guide To Paganism by Carl Mccolman

You-re no idiot, of course. But finding the perfect expression of your spirituality can prove long and challenging. You might already be attracted to paganism, but considering the variety of traditions and paths that fall in this category, you-ll need a spiritual guide.Seek no further! Whether you-re interested in following the pagan path or just curious to know more, The Complete Idiot-s Guide- to paganism will enlighten you on this fascinating array of nature-based beliefs and practices. In this Complete Idiot-s Guide-, you-ll learn about: * The basic principles of shamanism, druidism, Wicca, and more. * How to deepen your connection to the Goddess, the God, and nature. * The fundamentals of meditation, magic, divination, and spiritual healing. * Tips on incorporating pagan rituals into your modern lifestyle.

A lot of the Idiot's Guides that I have read are really misnamed, because they contain a lot of valuable information about the subject and presented in terms that anyone can understand. I loved this book because it explains virtually every aspect of Paganism. The explanations and descriptions of various Pagan practices, ideals, Sabbats, rituals are kept brief as befits an introductory book. And yet, even after having a handful of other intoductory Pagan books, I found myself learning facts here that I hadn't known about before. The author sticks to the "Pagan philosophy" of "Harm no one" in describing Paganism.

Among topics discussed? Besides the various Pagan Sabbats and pagan ideals, there are chapters devoted to Shamans, Druids, Wicca, the "Spirit World" and the Pagan elements of fire, air, water, and earth. There are four chapters that discuss Pagan rituals and I found the author's claim that we already do rituals in our lives (high school and college graduation, marriage and funerals, for example) very true. I never would have thought about that. There's also several chapters devoted to "Pagan magic," which help to demystify it. The book's last few chapters offer advice on "living the Pagan lifestyle," and there's an extensive list of recommended reading at the book's end. One could spend months reading through the list of books alone if one wanted to.

The more I read about Paganism, the more I realize other religions over the centuries have liberally borrowed its customs and holidays. For anyone wishing to join this path or those already on it seeking to learn more, this book is a wonderful introduction.

Buy Carl Mccolman's book: The Complete Idiots Guide To Paganism

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Solitary Wicca For Life Complete Guide To Mastering The Craft On Your Own

Book: Solitary Wicca For Life Complete Guide To Mastering The Craft On Your Own by Arin Murphy Hiscock

If you prefer a solitary approach to worship and Witchcraft, this is the book for you. You need sound guidance and tools as you work alone to deepen your knowledge and strengthen your abilities.

Author Arin Murphy-Hiscock provides you with everything you need to take your spiritual practice to the next level. Solitary Wicca for Life encourages you to reach beyond the ordinary and create a unique path of worship, using techniques that go further than other texts:

- Advanced Circle Casting-advanced techniques and applications, plus methods for creating sacred space when a circle isn't necessary
- Enriching Ritual-tools and techniques that bring new depth to personal practice, including sacred drama, masks, ritual garb, and symbols
- Crafting Liturgy-Wiccan ritual defined stage by stage, as well as guidelines for writing invocations, prayers, meditations, and personalized rituals for esbats, sabbats, rites of passage, and more
- Drawing Down Deities-invoking deities for guidance, communion, worship, etc.
- Growing as a Solitary Wiccan-the means by which you'll enhance your spiritual growth and reach out to the world at large.

Solitary Wicca for Life is the essential reference handbook you need to reach deeper, go farther, and strengthen your solitary path-one day at a time.

I read lots of Wicca 101 books, especially those that seem to be aimed at the Solitary Practitioner. With many of them, I will find some points that I think the average solitary practitioner may relate to, or that someone, somewhere, will relate to. Many times, however, the material does not "click" with my own personal beliefs, or they do not take the "Traditional Path" when it comes to Wicca, but rather they are "Wiccanish". This is OK for someone else, but not necessarily for me. But I do not judge by my standards alone, but rather the viewpoint that everyone needs material that will relate to them personally.

Reading this book, however, there was more material here that I found I agreed with, related to and found to be "Traditional" with a Solitary spin than other books of this kind. And this, to me, was a big plus.

Ms. Murphy-Hiscock has taken Wicca back to the roots and explores adaptation to the Solitary way of practice. This is a Wicca 101 book, so it makes a good first handbook for the average new Solitary practitioner and yet, it provides some material that the advanced practitioner may want to review because of its accuracy, to augment their Wiccan practice, to add elements of the Traditional or just because it is well written and has much to ponder and contemplate.

I especially enjoyed her overview of Wicca Origins, and her separation of Traditional Wicca from the Eclectic practices that Wicca has evolved into. She covers well the Tenets of Wicca, discusses common metaphors and myths and separates some of the more widely accepted but none the less mistaken beliefs and practices that have crept into modern Wicca. She gives you a good idea of how to go back to the beginning, re-examine the issues and maybe take away a better representation of what it is that Wicca is really all about.

Arin Murphy-Hiscock has been a practicing Wiccan for ten years, five of those years as a solitary practitioner. She is the series editor of the For Life series and the author of Power Spellcraft for Life: The Art of Crafting and Casting for Positive Change. She lives in Montreal, Canada.

Buy Arin Murphy Hiscock's book: Solitary Wicca For Life Complete Guide To Mastering The Craft On Your Own

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A Historical Account Of The Belief In Witchcraft In Scotland

Book: A Historical Account Of The Belief In Witchcraft In Scotland by Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe

1884. Found in this volume is a historical account of witchcraft in Scotland, with chapters delineating various time periods up to AD 1465 through AD 1724. It is an introduction tracing the legends of wizardry and spectral appearances to the earliest periods of Scottish history. It is the best chronological and historical account of such matters in Scotland, and being strictly a monograph, independent from Law's "Memorialls" which Mr. Sharpe edited.

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Magical Herbalism The Secret Craft Of The Wise

Book: Magical Herbalism The Secret Craft Of The Wise by Scott Cunningham

Natural magic utilizes the world around us for magical purposes. Herbs are one of the most important tools for natural magic, and the best introduction to this system is found in Scott Cunningham's Magical Herbalism.

This book presents a complete system of magic using herbs. You will learn the theory of magic and the tools you'll need. Then you'll get countless techniques for using herbs for magic. Need a protection method? "Pick several protective herbs and bind the stems together with red thread, then hang them up. This practice dates back to Babylonian times." You'll find a list of over 115 herbs that details their magical powers, so you can easily find which ones are protective in nature.

Complete system of magic that is as easy as it is powerful. It begins with theory and what you need to do to prepare for works of magic. Then it tells you how to harvest, dry, and store the magical herbs. This is followed by information on how to use the herbs you have obtained for such things as getting love, doing divinations, casting protection spells, and healing yourself and others. You'll also learn how to make magical fluid condensers, incenses, perfumes, scented oils, and amulets. The book continues with a listing of over 115 major magical herbs with all of their qualities listed. And there is much, much more, too. The phrase "complete system" really doesn't express how full of information this book really is.
Another reason I think this book has become a classic has to do with Scott's style of writing. It is very gentle and kind. He never talks at you or down to you. Rather, he seems to be talking with you. This makes the book a pleasure and a treasure to read and enjoy.

How about a divination using herbs? "Get a small quantity of dried patchouly, mugwort, or wormwood. Crumble the herb between your hands until it is finely diminished. Next, pour it into a small square pan (glass or ceramic). Light yellow candles and place the pan on your working area. Close your eyes, extend the index finger of your weak hand, and gently touch the center of the pan with its tip. Move it at random in the pan, shifting from one direction to another ... Now, remove your finger, open your eyes, and interpret the symbols you have just written in the herb."
All of the techniques, rituals, spells, talismans, healing methods, and charms are this easy. And most importantly, they work! You'll also find how to make and use incenses, scented oils, perfumes, fluid condensers, and so much more.

This combination of style and depth of content makes Magical Herbalism one of the finest and most important resources you can have. If you are looking to expand your knowledge of herbs, this book is for you. If you are looking to expand your knowledge of folklore, you need this book. And if you are looking to work with the gracious gifts of Mother Nature that can be used to improve your life and the lives of those around you, this book is a must.

Both novice and veteran will find something of interest within its covers with extensive information in an easy-to-read format. You can learn how to make amulets, potions, incenses, oils, sachets, simples, infusions and a garden to be used for magical spells and rituals geared to a variety of purposes. This book is a treasure.

Buy Scott Cunningham's book: Magical Herbalism The Secret Craft Of The Wise

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Reaching Out To Wiccans

Book: Reaching Out To Wiccans by Anonymous

Begin your time together by asking your students to name as many TV shows, books, movies and video games as they can that deal with witches, the supernatural world and the occult. As they name them, list each one on a chalkboard, whiteboard or large sheet of paper.

Say something like this: Obviously, there’s a huge interest in our culture in supernatural things and the occult. It’s no wonder that the beliefs and practices of the Wiccan religion are spreading fast in North America and around the world. Teenagers, especially, are being drawn to a religion called Wicca. Today, we’re going to study what wiccans believe, what the Bible says about those beliefs, and how we can reach out to friends who are interested in Wicca.

Download Anonymous's eBook: Reaching Out To Wiccans

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Lakes Area Pagan Fall 2008 Vol 2 No 2

Book: Lakes Area Pagan Fall 2008 Vol 2 No 2 by Anarchistbanjo

The Lakes Area pagan is published as a service to the local pagan and wiccan community. Contributors have been asked to use pen names or Craft names for security reasons. No profit is made on the publication of this magazine other than the small profit the bookstore makes for distributing it. There is no advertising. There is only the willingness to share. I have done minor editing of spelling and grammar to make the issue more readable.

Download Anarchistbanjo's eBook: Lakes Area Pagan Fall 2008 Vol 2 No 2

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The Tree Of Life An Illustrated Study In Magic

Book: The Tree Of Life An Illustrated Study In Magic by Israel Regardie

Israel Regardie wrote The Tree of Life, a book many consider his magnum opus, in 1932. It has continued to sell for decades. And no wonder. Up until the time this book was published, very little information about true high magic was available to the public.

In this book, Regardie reveals the secrets of real magic. He begins with an explanation of what magic is and, just as importantly, what magic is not. He explains that it is a spiritual study and practice which, along with forms of yoga, forms the two branches of the tree that is mysticism. Magic is not being a medium or a psychic. Then he explains the tools of the magician, what they mean, and how to use them. He explains the techniques of evocation and invocation, skrying, and astral travel. He shows how the Qabalah unites everything. He even gives a description of the secrets of sexual magick. All of this is in a clear, lucid writing style. This book is simply a must for anyone who is, or aspires to be, a real magician.

I've read the material contained in The Tree of Life a hundred times in a hundred other books. Those books are a but a shadow of this one. Each of those others list this one in their bibliography while they try to re-tell it as well. None have succeeded. Those other books have their place, but this very well written tome is at the foundation of modern magick.

There are a couple of things I might mention to the potential reader. Though containing a good explanation of the Qabalah, contrary to the title, the book is really about Ceremonial Magick in its many forms. At times, Regardie approaches the subject as an apologist arguing around Blavatsky's Theosophical Society's tenants, which were the fashion at the time of the writing. The debate is mostly lost on modern readers but doesn't detract from the work and is completed in the early chapters.

Although Chic and Sandra Tabatha Cicero were friends of Regardie and are Senior Adepts of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, what changes could they have made to this classic book? Well, they did change the spelling from British style to American. And they did change his transliterations of Hebrew into the more popular style he used in his later books. But nothing vital was changed or removed. Everything else they added was complementary to the text that was there. And what incredible additions they are! Extensive annotations throughout every chapter; over 100 illustrations; more descriptive contents pages; a glossary, a bibliography and an index. They've even added a biographical note on Regardie and the importance of this book to him and to the occult world.

I'm glad they changed Regardie's old spelling of Hebrew words like Sephiros to Sephiroth to make them conform with the way modern magicians say these words! Sure, you can still buy the old Weiser edition, but if you do, you won't be getting over a hundred illustrations, great footnotes, a table of contents that you can ACTUALLY read, a 50+ page glossary of magical terms, and a comprehensive index. I know which edition I use more often, and it isn't the Weiser one!

Regardie's Tree of Life is invalueable to the student of both Qabalah and magic, introducing us to the methods employed by Aleister Crowley, the Golden Dawn and the Goetia. Regardie has extensively studied rituals of the Ancient Egyptians and Greeks and outlines simple formulas for performing the most complex rituals founded upon ancient knowledge. Also outlines the Augoeides working.

This book contains some of the finest occult writing that has ever been produced. And with the new material by the Ciceros, it becomes a must-have for any magician!

Buy Israel Regardie's book: The Tree Of Life An Illustrated Study In Magic

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Fort Hood Wiccan Group

The Fort Hood Open Circle is a Wiccan coven formed by military personnel at Ft. Hood near Killeen TX. They negotiated with the base's chaplains, and obtained approval to conduct study classes and rituals on the base. They agreed to:

- Not use their athames to cut anything. These are double sided, black handled, ritual knives, that wiccans never use for cutting.
- Wear clothes during their rituals. Some Wiccans prefer to be skyclad (ritually nude; clad only by the sky) during their services.
- Keep their personal Wiccan jewelry unobtrusive (e.g. wear a small ring or a pentagram on a necklace).
- Not use candles in the barracks; presumably because it would be a fire hazard.
- Not be tattooed. 4

The coven has been recognized by the army since 1997-AUG. 1 They have held twice-weekly evening classes to study Wiccan theology and practice. They have celebrated rituals at full moons and on eight Sabbats each year. At first, the only reaction by non Wiccans were a "handful of letters from irate fundamentalist Christians in nearby Killeen." 4 In 1999-MAR, the Wiccans invited a photographer to witness their Vernal Equinox rituals. The American-Statesmen, a newspaper in Austin TX, ran the photos a few weeks later. "Within days, Christian groups were calling the base and threatening to stage a march in town and disrupt the rituals, forcing the army to beef up security around the campsite."

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Choosing A Magickal Name

Choosing a Magickal name....

Many people have written me asking me how to come up with a Magickal name. This page is going 2 be short and sweet. So here's a little help 4 you. Well first of all... you can make up what ever name you so choose. Here’s some ideas....

* Medieval names

Look up old Medieval names on Google and you’ll find hundreds of names to choose from such as "Eadred" who was King of the West Saxons or "Cutha" who was another King of the West Saxons. The list goes on and on.

* Astrological names

One good method is to look up your Astrological Constellation. When you find a page that tells about that Constellation.... Look at the names of the Stars in it. Such as the Alpha Star which is the brightest Star of that Constellation. You can use that name or any of the other Star names. Simply find one that appeals to you. You can even change the spelling to fit you taste. For example.... The Aries Constellation.... "Hamal" is the Alpha Star or "Sharatan" is the Beta Star and of coarse "Mesarthim" is Gamma Star. Any one of these names would be great to use. This way you have a connection with that name. You could even use the Genitive name for Aries which is "Arietis".
But you can choose any Star name... even if it is not your Constellation.

* Dragon names

Yes you can look up Dragon, Serpent or snake names from novels or movies. Such as "Dracul" which is the Romanian name meaning Dragon or Devil. How about "Chua" which is a Native American Hopi name meaning Snake.

* American Indian names

Once again just as I already stated.... "Chua" which is a Native American Hopi name meaning Snake. There are allot Native American names to choose from.

* Mythical and folklore names

There and hundreds of these.... I'm not gonna type them out 4 you.... just Google it!

So you see there are so many ways to find a Magickal name to use in your Occult workings.
However you choose your Magickal name.... it does not even have to mean anything as long as it has a nice ring to it. This is about you and no one else.
You can make up a word that does not exist and use it for your name. Like I said.... This is about you!

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Amber K - The Basics Of Magick
Peter De Abano - Heptameron Or Magical Elements
Marcus Bottomley - Nine Proven Magical Rites
Jarl Fossum - Seth In The Magical Texts

Watchtowers Spirits Elementals Guardians Or You Name It

In the tradition of the Church of Wicca, we call elementals in the four directions. To those we have added grandfather Sky, Mother Earth, and the Center. The Gardnerian tradition calls lords of the watchtowers. When we first heard this, we thought it was chauvinistic; to be quite honest, we still don't understand it. We don't know what a psychic watchtower is.

Nor do we understand people who think of themselves as Celtic calling such entitites as Raphael, Asasael, Gabrial, Michael ... and the rest of that set -- straight from Hebrew tradition. That's like saying 'Amen' when you could say 'So let it be.' But be that as it may. . . .

I hear that some groups are now calling 'guardians of the watchtowers.' We think that this being gender non-specific (inclusive) and being more in tune with what we are doing makes more sense.

But why just call guardians? If we are going to call guardians, why don't we give those guardians some attributes? Of course, that gets us back into thinking about the eastern blue sylphs (if you think air belongs in the east); about the southern fiery salamanders (if you think fire belongs in the south); about western watery undines (if you think water belongs in the west); and about Northern earth gnomes (if you think earth belongs in the north). Or you can quite happily switch north and west. Se we of the Church of Wicca put the worker gnomes in the west and the watery undines in the north -- which we personally are comfortable with. Anyone for a schism?

When we construct a circle, aren't we asking for the presence of guardians? We are not demanding the presence of a god-ess force. But we could select a deity for each of the directions and reverently ask for the protection of that deity while we work. If we want protection, should we then use the most powerful deity we can for each of the diretions? Perhaps a god from one panteon and a Goddess from another pantheon.

If all this confuses you, it confuses us too. If we could define some basic ideas about what we are trying to do, then maybe we could develop some underlying guidelines about what it is we are doing. Then we could decide what is most appropriate to call and to dismiss.

As usual, we invite your comments. We are not trying to offend anyone or scorn their tradition, so please be constructive. Our hope is that we all may arrive at a shared understanding of what we are doing. If you know a better way and the reasons behind it, please share that better way with the community at large.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Starhwak - The Spiral Dance
Nevrom Ydal - Preparing The Ritual Area And Yourself
Peter Henry Emerson - Welsh Fairy Tales And Other Stories
Anonymous - Thelema A New Spiritual Tradition For A New Age
Frances Billinghurst - Is Wicca The Right Spiritual Path For Me

Uncle Setnakt

Book: Uncle Setnakt by Don Webb

Don Webb.1960 is an Austin science fiction and mystery writer, and former High Priest of the Temple of Set. He is best known for weird, experimental, and offbeat fiction, as well as works inspired by H. P. Lovecraft. He is a member of the Turkey City Writer's Workshop.

This Dom Webb's Articles serie opens the door to the darkly resplendent worlds of the Left Hand Path. Part philosophical treatise, part ontological stand-up comedy, and part magical practicum, this articles makes clear what many other books have only hinted at. For people with wit and perseverance, this articles is a training manuals for super-men and women. Don Webb has been a practitioner of the Left hand path since the 1970s. He is the former High Priest of the Temple of Set, the world's largest Left Hand Path organization, and the author of the best-selling Seven Faces of Darkness.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Don Webb - Uncle Setnakt Sez Become Evil And Rule The World
Aleister Crowley - Fact Sheet
Samuel Liddell Macgregor Mathers - The Tarot
Don Webb - Uncle Setnakt Sez Perform A Ritual Toasting
Don Webb - Uncle Setnakt Sez The Heroic Society

Gothic Grimoire

Book: Gothic Grimoire by Konstantinos

In this day and age when Witchcraft & Wicca books are plentiful, it is rare to find something worthwhile and truly inspiring.

Let me tell you, this book is an exception and I cannot recommend it highly enough!! It was quite refreshing to see Lewellyn publishing something insightful and informative again, rather than re-hashing the same old topics cloaked in the latest "pantheon du jour."

Konstantinos' frank, descriptive writing style is one that is easy to relate to, both for the novice Witch and for those like myself who have been on this path long before the "Charmed" sect decided it would be fun to dabble in. And how nice to know that someone actually cracks open the "old school" tomes like Franz Bardon, Dion Fortune and RJ Stewart to bring that wisdom to the fore of Modern Witchcraft practice.

Too often, today's Witchcraft authors leave out the whys and wherefores of how the circle is cast, how a condenser is created and how energies can be directed and transformed. There's been too much glossing over of such important elements of the art, science and practicum of magick....its a wonder any modern students of the Old Ways are getting anything from ritual and spell work at all.

But let me tell you, as a woman who has been working with paganism for nearly two decades, this book is different. Not only is it is very apparent that the author has indeed tried to "walk his talk" in his Spiritual Path (another thing often lost on the newer generation of Witches), it's obvious that through intense study, trial-and-error and thoughtful practice he has actually gleaned the knowledge he espouses. What a concept!! To teach from serious first-hand experience rather than spouting rote diatribes!!

Any real Witch would know that Gardner, Sanders, Buckland and Valiente started from deeper roots of knowledge, and so too has this author. What a wonderful way to show how very important it is that the foundations of magickal practice not be glossed
over in haste.

By giving readers clues, hints and homework rather than blatantly
dictating his findings, the author encourages the reader to experiment and explore their magickal abilities until they find the core of truth within themselves. Not to mention his ground-breaking ideas of reconciling Dark Magicks.....a long time coming brother! Amen!

Readers of both this book and the companion, "Nocturnal Witchcraft," are in for a rare treat...an excellent writer and teacher.

Buy Konstantinos's book: Gothic Grimoire

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Stephen Flowers - The Galdrabok An Icelandic Grimoire
Medieval Grimoires - The Secret Grimoire Of Turiel
Medieval Grimoires - The Grimoire Of Honorius
Austin Osman Spare - The Zoetic Grimoire Of Zos

Candle Magic Rituals

Candle rituals have been around for centuries. You may remember your first candle ritual when you were 2 years old on your birthday. The candles were lit and you were told to close your eyes, make a wish and blow out the candles. Candle spells are pretty much the same principle. You light the candles, maybe close your eyes while repeating a spell or that which you wish for and visualizing it coming true. It is a combination of the need or desire, and the ability to visualize the outcome. Candle burning spells and rituals are very easy to do and to have success with if they are done correctly and you truly believe. The different colors of candles each have their own symbolism. Here is a table of the colors and their meanings...

White: truth, purity
Red: love, health, sex, strength
Green: money, luck, fertility
Black: discord, evil, negativity, confusion
Brown: neutrality, uncertainty, hesitation
Pink: love, morality, honour
Purple: power, business progress, ambition
Orange: attraction, stimulation
Greenish Yellow: jealousy, anger, discord
Gray: neutrality, stalemate, negativity
Light Blue: tranquility, patience, health
Dark Blue: depression, changeability

Candle spells can be very easy or complicated. It all depends on how much time you want to put into a ritual. It can be as simple as lighting a green candle and chanting... money money come to me.
It can also be very long and complicated lasting several days with the repositioning of the candles each day. The choice is always yours.

The first thing you want to do is get the appropriate color candles for your peticular desire. Then you need to annoint the candle with oil. Olive oil will do fine. You need to rub the candle with the oil from the middle outward to the ends. As you are doing this you need to be thinking of your desired goal. Then sit and meditate on your desire after lighting the candles, then read your spell or chant your appropriate mantra.You don't need some elaborate spell with a bunch of big words or words you don't even know how to pronounce. You can make your own spells or rituals. Think of your desire then make a simple little rhyme that tells about your desire in it. It doesn't even have to rhyme. This is all about will power, the power of positive thinking, and creative visualization.
If you can do these things then you will send those vibrations out into the universe and eventualy they will materialize.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Samael Aun Weor - Magic Runes
Anton Szandor Lavey - The Satanic Rituals
Vovim Baghie - The Grand Satanic Ritual
George Robert Stowe Mead - A Mithraic Ritual
Thomas Moore - Candle Magick For Love