Witchcraft And Wicca Faq

Book: Witchcraft And Wicca Faq by Anonymous

Frequently asked questions, or FAQs are listed questions and answers, all supposed to be frequently asked in some context, and pertaining to a particular topic. Since the acronym FAQ originated in textual media, its pronunciation varies; "fack," "fax," "facts," and "F.A.Q." are commonly heard. Depending on usage, the term may refer specifically to a single frequently asked question, or to an assembled list of many questions and their answers.

Wicca is a nature religion based upon beliefs and rites believed to be rooted in ancient pagan practices. Wicca claims a direct connection to the ancient Celtic tradition, which is thought to be more in tune with natural forces than Christianity and other modern religions of the West. However, rather than see Wiccans as members of a religion, it might be more accurate to see them as sharing a spiritual basis in nature and natural phenomena. For Wiccans have no written creed which the orthodox must adhere to. Nor do they build stone temples or churches to worship in. They practice their rituals in the great outdoors: in parks, gardens, forests, yards or hillsides.

Download Anonymous's eBook: Witchcraft And Wicca Faq
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A Christian Speaks Of Wicca And Witchcraft

by James Clement Taylor
I am a Christian and not a Wiccan. A Christian is one who has been baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and who has made a personal, free-will decision to commit himself and all his or her life to our Lord and God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Both of these things are true of me. I am a member of St. Mary's Eastern Orthodox Church, Calhan, Colorado. In this paper, I am not speaking as agent for any church, but I am, entirely on my own responsibility, speaking the truth in love, as we Christians are supposed to do.

A Situation of Strife and Shame:

There are many Christians today who believe that anyone who is not a Christian is doomed to an eternity of suffering in hell. Any decent person, believing this, would be compelled to try to save as many people from this fate as possible. But is this belief correct? Jesus Christ, having noted the faith and righteousness of a Roman centurion, a Pagan, proclaimed:

"Assuredly I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 8:10-12)

If we accept these words as true, and surely we should, then it is clear that heaven will contain many who are not Christians, and hell will contain many who are! Clearly, throughout the Gospels, Jesus Christ sets forth the criteria for entrance into the kingdom of heaven, and those criteria include love, kindness, forgiveness, and a refusal to judge others:

"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (Matthew 6:14-15)

"For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the same measure you use, it will be measured back to you." (Matthew 7:2)

"But go and learn what this means: `I desire mercy and not sacrifice.'" (Matthew 9:13)

"Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." (Luke 6:36-38)

Is it not clear? Anyone who fails in these things, will calling himself a Christian save him? Anyone who obeys God in these things, will being unbaptized condemn him? Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)

Yet it is not by good works that we earn our way into heaven, because there is no way we can earn the free gift of God's mercy and grace, which alone can save us. But it is clear that it is not by faith, in the sense of sharing the Christian faith, that we are saved, either. The faith which saves us is not faith in the goodness of our works, nor faith that we have the right theology and/or belong to the right church. Rather, it is faith in God, and in His mercy:

"So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy." (Romans 9:16)

But the Wiccans, you will say, do not have faith in God. Yet by their own theology, they certainly do. Those who call them Satan-worshippers are entirely wrong. They do not worship Satan, or even believe that Satan exists. Instead, they worship a Goddess and a God whom they understand as manifestations of a higher and unknown Deity.

Now if you are a Christian, this will sound familiar to you, and it should. In the Bible we find the following:

"Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, `Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, The One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you" (Acts 17:22-23)

The Wiccans worship the Unknown God, as manifested to them in the form of a Goddess and a God. Therefore, our Bible tells us they worship the same God we do; and if they do not know this, we should know it!

For those of us who are unable to simply stand on God's Word, and must prove to themselves the truth of what it proclaims the holy Apostle John has given us the method for doing this. You have only to attend any public Wiccan ceremony, and test the spirits which are there, to see "whether they are of God" (1 John 4:1). You will find that, while the power manifested there may be less than what you have experienced as a Christian, that power is clearly the power of God.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, these people of Wicca have been terribly slandered by us. They have lost jobs, and homes, and places of business because we have assured others that they worship Satan, which they do not. We have persecuted them, and God will hold us accountable for this, you may be sure, for He has said, "Assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me." (Matthew 25:40)

Let us, from this point onward, repent of our misdeeds and declare that henceforth we shall obey Christ our God, and not judge others or condemn them, so that He will not have to judge and condemn us for our sins.

Suggested ebooks:

Gordon Ireland - Faq On Wicca And Witchcraft And More
Denise Zimmermann - Complete Idiots Guide To Wicca And Witchcraft
Anonymous - All About Wicca And Witchcraft

Pagan Holidays

Book: Pagan Holidays by Anonymous

Christian Holidays are ancient pagan feasts that were ushered in by the Roman Catholic Church during the rule of Emperor Constantine. Constantine was a pagan sun-worshipper who desperately sought to unite his fallen empire through the merge of Christian and Pagan Practices. He achieved this by re-writing history and renaming pagan feasts with Christian Names.

Download Anonymous's eBook: Pagan Holidays

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Carroll Runyon - Magick And Hypnosis
Al Selden Leif - Pagan Herbs By Use
John Yarker - Arcane Schools
Anonymous - Pagan Germany
Anonymous - Pagan Holidays

Pagan Stones And Gems

Book: Pagan Stones And Gems by Anonymous

You find yourself in a store staring at a container filled with one particular stone. Which one do you purchase? The biggest one? The one with the shape you like the best? How do you know?

When I go to a store to buy gems, I take some things into consideration. Many stones have a variety of qualities. I think about what I want the stone for. There are a variety of different ones to chose from, decided on the stone to suit your need.

Sometimes one will immediately catch your attention. If that happens you may choose that one. Other times you will just see a collection of stones. Using your receptive hand (the one you don't write with) dig your hand in and sift through them. You should be left with a few in your hand. Put them aside and hold each one individually for a moment with your eyes closed. Does it have a comfortable feeling? Do you like the feeling you get from holding or rubbing it?

These are the ones to buy. You may feel vibrations from stones and gems; there is life pulsing through them. Try to 'tune in' to their vibrations. It may take time but it's worth the wait.

Download Anonymous's eBook: Pagan Stones And Gems

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Al Selden Leif - Pagan Spells Life Spells
Anonymous - Healing Gemstones And Crystals
Al Selden Leif - Pagan Spells Bath Spells
Anonymous - Pagan Stones And Gems

The Book Of Talismans Amulets And Zodiacal Gems

This book is nearly one hundred years old and many modern readers have complained incessantly about it’s “simplicity” and one Amazon review I saw even claimed it was “overly literal.” I can only assume that these complainers prefer the vague platitudes of modern New Ageism or the incomprehensible fantasist like a Kenneth Grant to good old fashioned lore complied by people who use their classical education to explore the mysteries. That’s fine for hobbyists but for practitioners book collections aren’t for the coffee table, they’re references that will be well used and read often. The Book of Talismans, Amulets and Zodiacal Gems will be read often.

I frequently checked out a version of this book from my college library and was pleasantly surprised to see a new printing of it available on Amazon as well as a scan of it on SCRIBD. It has brief, yet thoroughly researched, explanations of almost every symbol used in amulet and talisman creation utilizing historical research, and the authors’ exploration of how Zodiac stones were used by our ancestors will help you in your own formulations. The book covers talismans from Hindu, Jewish, Chinese, Egyptian, Roman, Gnostic, Greek, Muslim and Christian traditions so there is very much something for everyone.

Downloadable books (free):

Rosemary Ellen Guiley - The Encyclopedia Of Witches Witchcraft And Wicca
Howard Phillips Lovecraft - The Doom That Came To Sarnath
Stephen Flowers - The Galdrabok An Icelandic Grimoire
Ea Wallis Budge - The Book Of Gates Vol Ii
Basil Crouch - The Book Of Forbidden Knowledge

The Witch And Other Stories

Book: The Witch And Other Stories by Andrew Lang

Andrew Lang's Fairy Books or Andrew Lang's "Coloured" Fairy Books constitute a twelve-book series of fairy tale collections. Although Andrew Lang did not collect the Stories himself from the oral tradition, the extent of his sources, who had Collected them originally (with the notable exception of Madame d'Aulnoy), made them an immensely influential collection, especially as he used foreign-language sources, giving many of these tales their first appearance in English. As acknowledged in the prefaces, although Lang himself made most of the selections, his wife and other translators did a large portion of the translating and Telling of the actual stories.

Download Andrew Lang's eBook: The Witch And Other Stories

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Edward Hare - Bewitched And Bothered
Aleister Crowley - The Stratagem And Other Stories
Andrew Lang - The Witch And Other Stories

The Lord And Lady

The most common are the "Lord and Lady" or "God and Goddess". They go by a ZILLION different names. They are the division of the Universe into it's masculine and feminine aspects. Thus, if you address one, you address all that is female or male. If you speak to both, than it is the same as speaking to the Universe. These two are extremely versatile, and are used quite often.

Books in PDF format to read:

Morwyn - The Golden Dawn
Daniel Haigh - The Anglo Saxon Sagas
Aleister Crowley - The Zodiac And The Tarot

Nocturnicon Calling Dark Forces And Powers

Book: Nocturnicon Calling Dark Forces And Powers by Konstantinos

New York-based occult author Konstantinos (and yes, that is his real name) is a famous name within the darker aspects of the occult. Over the years he's published a total of six books with Llewellyn - books that are all aimed at and written for Nightkind; that is, creatures of the night, people with a somewhat darker (but not necessary evil) view of magickal workings and who prefer the darkness of the night to the light of the day. He's also written numerous articles and appeared on many different TV-shows. In other words, he knows what he's talking about.

And in Nocturnicon he talks about magick being done at night. As with other books of the same category (not necessarily about darker aspects of the occult, but definitely about magick), this is not a book written in an attempt to convince skeptics that magick does indeed work. And it's not some sort of summary about the history of magick and the occult, even though historical references does pop up from time to time. No, this is instead a manual for the believer, a tool that you can use to summon the dark forces that are hidden somewhere in the dark and the infinite universe that surrounds this planet of ours.

Take a thrilling walk on the dark side with Konstantinos! The author of Nocturnal Witchcraft presents a collection of magickal techniques for working with dark forces. Developed and tested by Konstantinos, these rites and rituals have proven to be quite powerful in harnessing nocturnal energies-even helping the author overcome a serious medical condition in a miraculous recovery that shocked doctors!

Many books about magick contain rituals that are very difficult to do, demands years and years of practice, and include accessories that aren't always very easy to find. Nocturnicon is, however, nothing like that. The rituals and exercises described here are easy to do, don't require any bizarre and impossible demands of preparation, and if you do them correct you'll see the results in no time. Konstantinos is an honest author. He discusses how the use of absinthe (not the legal stuff but rather the old, traditional version) can affect the imagination in great ways, he doesn't deny that illegal substances that help in opening up new aspects of your Consciousness, and sex magick isn't too taboo to write about.

Drawn from diverse sources-ceremonial magick, folk magick, Ancient Greek ritual, and divination-these techniques enable magicians and novices to conjure and control primal energies, thoughtforms, Lovecraftian entities, egregores, sigils, and other forces. Those attracted to the dark mysteries will relish Konstantinos' bold Exploration of sex magick, death magick, altered states, dream grimoires, and forbidden tomes.

Still, please note that it's NOT a "pro-drugs book" or kinky anthology about sleazy sex. Far from it.

If you're a diehard skeptic who doesn't believe in anything that has to do with the occult and magick, then Nocturnicon is probably one of the worst books you'll ever buy. However, if you're open to new possibilities and perhaps even feel instinctively that the darkness of the night affects you in a very special way, then there's really no reason for why you shouldn't run as fast as you can to your nearest bookstore and get a copy of Konstantino's latest work.

He actually succeeds in being amusing, thorough, controversial, funny, and serious, all at the same time, and if you add the fact that the book itself if extremely pleasing to the eye you'll realize that Nocturnicon - Calling Dark Forces and Powers is a book you cannot afford to miss.

Note to the reader of this review: I usually don't give 5 stars to a book, since most books have at least a few flaws that lowers the grade, but occasionally it does happen.

Buy Konstantinos's book: Nocturnicon Calling Dark Forces And Powers

Downloadable books (free):

George Gifford - A Dialogue Concerning Witches And Witchcraftes
Douglas Colligan - Strange Energies Hidden Powers
Michael Jordan - Dictionary Of Gods And Goddesses

Pricticing The Craft Why Young People Are Attracted To Wicca

Book: Pricticing The Craft Why Young People Are Attracted To Wicca by Anonymous

This article first appeared in the Effective Evangelism column of the Christian Research Journal, volume 30, number 5 (2007). For further information or to subscribe to the Christian Research Journal go to: http://www.equip.org In April of this year, the Department of Veterans Affairs approved the use of the Wiccan pentacle—a fivepointed star surrounded by a circle—on tombstones at Arlington National Cemetery and other U.S. military burial grounds. The pentacle joins a list of 38 other approved religious symbols including an atom for atheists, the humanist emblem, and various forms of the Christian cross.

Wicca, long considered a fringe spiritual practice, has entered the mainstream and the number of practitioners has skyrocketed over the past decade. According to the American Religious Identification Survey1 conducted every decade by the City University of New York, the number of Wiccans in America was seventeen times larger at the beginning of this decade than it was in the early 1990s. Not only are there military personnel who practice Wicca, but many high school and college students do as well. Wiccans on college campuses have been forming their own clubs for years.

If we hope to engage this growing segment of our society—particularly the young people who practice Wicca—typical Christian tactics such as organizing boycotts, letter-writing, and shunning Wiccan believers, must become a thing of the past. Too often, Christians have refused to treat Wiccans as their neighbors and have been content to remain ignorant about what Wiccans really believe and why they believe it. We know that Paul on Mars Hill and other members of the early church looked with compassion on the pagans in their midst and effectively engaged them in conversations about the gospel. We must do no less with modern-day pagans.

Download Anonymous's eBook: Pricticing The Craft Why Young People Are Attracted To Wicca

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

William Butler Yeats - The Secret Rose And Rosa Alchemica
Anonymous - Reaching Out To Wiccans
Anonymous - Pricticing The Craft Why Young People Are Attracted To Wicca

The Moon Phases

At the end of this page is a Module that will show you the current moon phase. If you click on it it will take you to the people whom make the software that you may download so you can have full month calendars. This will help you to plan when to do your Spells or plant your seeds for your Herb Garden.

The Moon phase... The proper Moon phase is one of the keys to success in Spell casting. There are many Spells that I do on the night of the Full Moon for maximum effect and potency just as farmers may plant there seedlings during the Full Moon. The Moon effects everything and can effect our moods and actions. Ever notice that people seem to be more wound up and crazy during the Full Moon? I see it all the time. There are four phases of the Moon... New Moon, Waxing Moon, Full Moon and the Waning Moon. Each of these phases has a 7 day period for doing your Magical workings. If you add these phases up, you come up with the 28 day lunar month. The time period for each phase is... 3 days before to 3 days after. This gives you plenty of time to plan and do you Spell casting. Not everyone can plan on doing magic on one certain day, so this opens the window of opportunity for those of you who have a busy schedule. Here is what the different phases are normally used for in Magic.

New Moon - There are usually two days of the new moon. This phase is very similar to the Waning Moon and used to rid ones self of things.

Waxing Moon - This is when the moon is increasing in size of visibility. This phase is for doing Spells that might increase your gain such as Love, money, power or other material things.

Full Moon - This the phase where I do my most important spells. For my beliefs are that my Magic is much more powerful during this phase. Most people like my friends only consider the Full Moon the actual day that it is the fullest and marked on the calendar. They do not know that the Moon has the same influence for a seven day period. Once again I personally prefer to work on the night of the Full Moon, at its fullest.

Waning Moon - This is when the moon is decreasing in size of visibility. This phase is normally for Spells that do away with things or make things go away. Such as making an enemy go away or a bad spirit or slander along with many other things.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Roger Bacon - The Mirror Of Alchemy
Idres Shah - The Book Of Power
Edward Kelley - The Angelic Alphabet
Solomonic Grimoires - The Book Of Secrets

The Great Cycle

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... The cycle of a year, it's birth and death is mirrored in the lives of all living Things. This cycle is also mirrored by the day/night cycle, and a multitude of other cycles. Many gods are used to personify either the circle in it's entirety, or a specific aspect of the cycle (The Green Man for birth or rebirth, the springtime, growth).

Downloadable books (free):

John Yarker - The Anglo Saxon Chronicle
Aleister Crowley - The Winged Beetle
Zoroaster - The Chaldean Oracles
Tuesday Lobsang Rampa - The Thirteenth Candle
Michael Sharp - The Great Awakening

What Does It Mean To Be Wiccan

To be Wiccan is to worship the Goddess and her companion the Horned God, and to follow the philosophies, ethics and practices of the old religion. Originally rooted in Paganism, Wicca existed long before Christianity and long before the Church was founded.

Wiccans honour the Earth as their spiritual Mother (the Goddess) and the Sky and the wildness of nature as their spiritual Father (the Horned God). In practice, this means that they esteem nature and the planet on which we live. They venture not to harm anyone or anything, because to them, everyone in the world are their brothers and sisters with an equal right to exist. Wicca is a tradition that works to harm none in thought, word, or deed. Therefore, anyone who says they are a witch but works otherwise should not be considered an authentic Wiccan practitioner.

Witchcraft is still the only Spiritual Tradition that raises the female above the male, in contrast to patriarchal religions such as Christianity and Judaism. They venerate an almighty male deity, with little positive mention of the female at all. Because of its veneration of a Goddess, Wicca follows the moral values associated with feminine spiritual powers – such as love, peace, and joy – rather than the more masculine religious attitudes of domination, strength, and authority.

Witches work by peaceful means, seeking to unite rather than to divide, to be of service to our communities, and to be the healers, counsellors, and the guardians of all life on Earth. This is because they see themselves as the children of the Goddess and the Horned God that they honour. When this is a truth within a witch, they can only ever love and look after what has been so lovingly created for us.

Downloadable books (free):

Pino Longchild - Wicca Revealed An Introductory Course In Wicca
Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak - The Arctic Home In The Vedas
Judy Harrow - Exegesis On The Wiccan Rede
Ernest Abraham Hart - Hypnotism Mesmerism And The New Witchcraft
Israel Regardie - The Art And Meaning Of Magic

Further Notes On The History Of Witchcraft In Massachusetts

Book: Further Notes On The History Of Witchcraft In Massachusetts by Abner Cheney Goodell

HISTORY OF Witchcraft IN Massachusetts, Containing ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE OF THE PASSAGE OF THE ACT OF 1711, FOR REVERSING THE ATTAINDERS OF THE VlTCHES; ALSO, AFFIRMING THE LEGALITY OF THE SPECIAL COURT OF OYER AND TERMINER OF 1692 : WITH A HELIOTYPE PLATE OF THE ACT OF 1711, AS PRINTED IN 1718, AND AN APPENDIX OF DOCUMENTS, ETC. BY ABNER CHENEY GOODELL, JR. .

Download Abner Cheney Goodell's eBook: Further Notes On The History Of Witchcraft In Massachusetts

Downloadable books (free):

Allen Greenfield - A True History Of Witchcraft
Summers Montague - The History Of Witchcraft And Demonology
George Lincoln Burr - New England Place In The History Of Witchcraft
Abner Cheney Goodell - Further Notes On The History Of Witchcraft In Massachusetts Orc Version
Abner Cheney Goodell - Further Notes On The History Of Witchcraft In Massachusetts

Silvers Spells For Protection

Book: Silvers Spells For Protection by Silver Ravenwolf

Silver is the first Wiccan author whom I have discovered so far, who has had the focus to dedicate her time and energies writing this "Silver's Spells For..." series. I declare that she is doing quite a good job!

Silver Ravenwolf's Silver's Spells for protection is just the right size. By that I mean that the format of this book makes it an ideal "take along" for purse, backpack, or pocket. This book covers how to handle stalkers, abusers, and other nasties with practical information as well as magickal techniques. It also discusses some of the other irritants in life-like protecting yourself from your mother-in-law's caustic tongue and how to avoid that guy who's out to take your job.

As for the one or two folks who declared that they needed to know Wicca or how to manipulate magickal energies before they used her books, well, you are entitled to your opinion. Considering that EVERY person on this planet has the potential for magick, I dare say that you all are trying to put magick in a box! Naturally Silver remembered to put the usual cautions and admonitions about the laws of magick in the first chapters of her book...so relax, OK?

Of course, unless the information in this book was valuable, there'd be no reason to take it along at all. But since it comes to spells, methods, and technologies for spiritual protection and prevention, this book has everything you need. That's why I started off by saying this is the right size to carry along with you: You're going to want to take it everywhere!

There is a self-blessing ritual and spells to protect your vehicle. There are spells to protect those in your home and ones to uncross yourself when confronted with negativity and setbacks. You'll find techniques to get people to stop lying about you, and others to aid you in court.

In fact, by understanding what underlies the techniques given in this book, you can come up with Protection Spells for any purpose. The appendices give you correspondences and suggestions so you can easily convert the spells given in this book to exactly work with your needs.

What do you do when you discover that your best friend at work sabotaged your promotion? Or if a neighbor suddenly decides that you don't belong in his town? What if a group of teens sets out to make your life a living hell? Silver's Spells for Protection contains tips for dealing with all these situations, and more.

One of the best parts of this book is a basic introduction to magick. Even if you're an old hand at spells and rituals, this section will refresh your memory and give information on ideas you didn't know or might have forgotten. How long should a ritual or spell last? Why didn't my magick work? When should I do this ritual? If magic for evil purposes works, why shouldn't I do it? All of these questions are clearly answered.

This book makes an excellent gift — to a friend or to yourself. Protection from the problems of life and from negative energies is needed by all. You can find answers here.

Anyway, don't let the naysayers put you off-- it is an excellent series, and the wide array of spells, their size and power being in direct proportion to the seriousness of the problems/people/situations at hand, are just what I needed! I live in a big city where there is LOTS of noise, and I used her suggestions for stress. Also, my ridiculous relatives have been harrassing me psychically to contact them (which in and of itself is not magickally ethical), and the "Simple Folk Spells for Little Troubles" worked wonderfully. All of her spells are, as Wiccan ethics go, WITH HARM TO NONE. Blessed Be!

Buy Silver Ravenwolf's book: Silvers Spells For Protection

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Richard Weiss - Recipes For Immortality
Aleister Crowley - Liber 500 Sepher Sephiroth
Phil Hine - Aspects Of Evocation
Aj Drew - Wicca Spellcraft For Men
Talismagick - Love Spells And Rituals For Love And Relationships

Witches And Broomsticks Use And History

The Broomstick...

The traditional companion of the witches was the enchanted broomstick, used for their wild and unholy flights through the night and probably to some distant Witches' Sabbat. This is one of the first images you get to see as a child and this was doubtlessly believed by the prominent rulers of Europe. The number of actual confessions of witches doing so is remarkably small. Usually confessions state that they went to the Sabbat on foot or on horseback.

Legends of witches flying on brooms goes back as far as the beginning of the Common Era. The earliest known confession of a Witch flying on a broom was in 1453, when Guillaume Edelin of St. Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, stated that he had done so. In 1563, Martin Tulouff of Guernsey said to have seen his aged mother straddle a broomstick and whisk up the chimney and out of the house on it, saying "Go in the name of the Devil and Lucifer over rocks and thorns". In 1598 Claudine Boban and her mother, witches of the province of Franche-Comt, in eastern France, also spoke of flying up the chimney of a stick. The belief of flying off though the chimney became firmly embedded in popular tradition, although only a few people ever mentioned doing so. It has been suggested that this idea was connected with the old custom of pushing a broom up the chimney to indicate the absence of the housewife. The Germanic Goddess Holda or Holle is also connected with the chimney.

Other indications that lead to the popular belief that witches actually flew on broomsticks can be found in an old custom of dancing with a broom between the legs, leaping high in the air. In Reginald Scot's book, The Discoverie of Witchcraft, published in 1584, we find a similar description:

"At these magical assemblies, the witches never failed to dance; and in their dance they sing these words, 'Har, har, divell divell, dance here dance here, plaie here plaie here, Sabbath, Sabbath'. And whiles they sing and dance, ever one hath a broom in her hand, and holdeth it up aloft." Scot quoted these descriptions of Witch rites from a French demonologist, Jean Bodin, who made observations of a kind of jumping dance, riding on staffs. These customs might have contributed to the popular picture of broomstick-riding witches through the air.

In 1665, from the confession of Julian Cox, one of the Somerset coven, mentioned "that one evening she walks out about a Mile from her own House and there came riding towards her three persons upon three Broom-staves, born up about a years and a half from the ground. Two of them she formerly knew, which was a Witch and a Wizard".

Where do these beliefs come from?

Some authors claim that the oldest known source of witches flying on broomsticks is a manuscript called Le Champion des Dames by Martin Lefranc, 1440. This might be one of the oldest images representing a hag on a broomstick, but it is certainly not the first. A wall painting from the 12th century in Schlesswig Cathedral (Germany) shows the Norse deity Frigg riding her staff.

If we really dig a bit deeper into history, we'll find that from the Roman world there are reports that mention witches flying on broomsticks as well as having used ointments, as early as the first century. They were called Straigae (Barnowl) and the Lamiae from Greek culture had similar characteristics. Later in Roman history, the goddess Diana was the leader of the Wild Hunt:

"It is also not to be omitted that some wicked women, perverted by the Devil, seduced by illusions and phantasm of demons, believe and profess themselves in the hours of the night to ride upon certain beasts with Diana, the goddess of pagans, and an innumerable multitude of women, and in the silence of the dead of the night to traverse great spaces of earth, and to obey her commands as of their mistress, and to be summoned to her service on certain nights". (See: Canon Episcopi).

Similar beliefs existed in many parts of Europe. From Norse mythology, we know that the army of women, lead by Odin (Wodan), called the Valkyries, was said to ride through the skies on horses, collecting the souls of the dead. In continental Germanic areas, the goddess Holda or Holle was also said to lead the Wild Hunt and is connected to chimneys and witchcraft. Berchta or Perchta, another Germanic goddess, which can be identified with Holda, has similar characteristics.

Again in Celtic Traditions, the Horned God Cernunnos, and/or Herne the Hunter was leader of the Wild Hunt and the Scottish Witch Goddess Nicneven was also said to fly through the night with her followers. Eastern Europe sources also have a wealth of folklore about witches flying through the air. So flying through the air, evidently, was a deeply rooted mythological theme, associated with the free roaming of the spirit, the separation of soul and body.

Symbolism

The broomstick is a female and male symbol, "the rod which penetrated the bush". Its symbolism and interpretation is therefore purely sexual.

Broomstick Weddings

"To marry over the broomstick," "jump the besom", was an old-time form of marriage, in which both parties jumped over a broomstick to signify that they were joined in common-law union. Also in the Netherlands, one can still find the old saying "over de bezem trouwen" (marrying over the broomstick). At gypsy wedding ceremonies, the bride and groom jump backwards and forwards over a broomstick. A besom used to be placed before the doorway, the married couple had to jump over it without dislodging the broom, from the street into their new home. At any time within a year, this process could be reversed to dissolve the marriage by jumping backwards. All this had to take place before several witnesses.

In folk-belief, like that in Yorkshire, it was unlucky for an unmarried girl to step over a broomstick because it meant that she would be a mother before she was a wife. Light-hearted wags used to delight in putting broomsticks in the path of unsuspecting virgins.

RITUAL USE

Artificial Phallus

There are hints of its use as an artificial penis or dildo. In a curious old book, A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon and Cant, by Albert BarrSre and Charles Godfrey Leland (1897-1899), we are told that the slang term in those days for a dildo or artificial penis was "a broom-handle", and the female genitals were known vulgarly as "the broom". To "have a brush" was to have sexual intercourse. Noteworthy is the evidence from Witch trials mentioning the "cold hard member of the Devil himself". In 1662, Isabel Gowdie, accused of
witchcraft, made a confession which could suggest that some sort of artificial phallus of horn or leather may have been used:

"His members are exceeding great and long; no man's members are so long and big as they are....(he is) a meikle, black, rough man, very cold, and I found his nature as cold within me as spring-well water...He is abler for us that way than any man can be, only he is heavy like a malt-sack, a huge nature, very cold, as ice."

Broomsticks and Ointments

That ointments used to induce astral projection has been known for a long time. Therefore the belief of witches flying away on their brooms probably has its true origin in this shamanic practice of applying narcotic herbs. There are numerous paintings, engraving and woodcuts from witches, anointing themselves, before flying off to the Sabbat. There are also quite a lot of confessions of ointments being applied to leave the body and fly off. These confessions sometimes show an unawareness that they were not actually flying, but often it is obvious that the witches knew that the ointments they used had the effects requited for leaving the body and making spiritual journeys. These practices we now call astral projection, were obviously known throughout large parts of the world, but especially worthy evidence comes from French and Italian records.

There is also a hint of use of besoms and sticks as a means to insert the witches unguent into the vagina to potentate the aphrodisiac effects and for optimal absorption and effect, while serving as an artificial penis.

The confessions of a woman named Antoine Rose, a Witch of Savoy (France) who was tortured and tried in 1477, stated that "The first time she was taken to the synagogue (Sabbat) she saw many men and women there, enjoying themselves and dancing backwards. The Devil, whose name was Robinet, was a dark man who spoke in a hoarse voice. Kissing Robinet's foot in homage, she renounced God and the Christian faith. He put his mark on her, on the little finger of her left hand, and gave her a stick, 18 inches long, and a pot of ointment. She used to smear the ointment on the stick, put it between her legs and say "Go, in the name of the Devil, go!" At once she would be carried though the air to the synagogue."

Alice Kyteler, a famous Irish Witch of the early 14th century, was supposed to have owned a staff "on which she ambled and galloped through thick and thin, when and in what manner she listed, after having greased it with the ointment which was found in her possession."

Book and Article Resources:

An ABC of Witchcraft by Doreen Valiente, 1973. De Benedanti: Hekserij en Vruchtbaarheidsriten in de 16e & 17e Eeuw by Carlo Ginzburg, 1966, 1986. Encyclopedia of Witchcraft & Demonology, 1974. Europe's Inner Demons: The Demonization of Christians in Medieval Christendom by Norman Cohn, 1975, 1973. Heksen, Ketters en Inquisiteurs by Arie Zwart en Karel Braun, 1981. Practical Magic in the Northern Traditon by Nigel Pennick, 1989. The History of Witchcraft by Montague Summers, London, 1927. Witchcraft, A Tradition Renewed by Doreen
Valiente and Evan Jones, Phoenix Publishing, 1990. Witchcraft & Demonology by Francis X. King, 1987, and various online resources and articles...

Books in PDF format to read:

Patricia Telesco - A Witchs Beverages And Brews Magick Potions Made Easy
Kathryn Paulsen - Witches Potions And Spells
Alfred Thompson - Magic And Mystery A Popular History

Tags: kabbalah pythagorean scholarship  the pride project  witch milk  september mabon autumn  occult  role witchcraft  

The Staff

The Staff is generally known as a male mystery. This means that females were not taught the skills necessary to make or consecrate a Staff. However, even the most closely guarded secrets often get out, and today females can make and use a Staff during ritual. Sometimes it is frowned upon, but it is generally accepted as any other working tool of a Witch.

In yesteryears, the Staff was used spear-fashion, to hunt animals and fish. Because it was such a powerful tool it became shrouded in mystery. The priestess females tended to the homefires and the cooking, but food provision and the tools used therein were male mysteries. Women had much to do, and silently let it fall to their men.

By the time more efficient weapons had been devised, such as bows and arrows, the Staff became of use as a walking stick. Canes are generally used by older, wiser people, and perhaps the story of the "magic walking stick" came about because some old apothecary
had a cane to help him in his old age.

By the time the Middle Ages came along, the Staff had been adopted by the Christian church. They believed in magical staffs, as seen in the Story of Moses' magickal stick turning into snakes. And the Christian church decided that if they had staffs, none other could, and the posession of anything looking like a "tool of the devil" resulted in land, money, and status being taken away, as well as the threat of death by hanging or fire. Witches and magicians of the times would make their magickal staffs into brooms, by tying twigs onto the bottom, and using it as a broom. This is how the theory of the witch's broom came about.

Nowadays, when times are a little less threatening, we can carry staffs like the original shamans and villiage priests did. We can gussy them up and hang doodads on them, polish and varnish them, carve runes and mystical symbols on them, and no one really cares. Many Pagans, Witches, and people of other religions carry fancy staffs with them to gatherings.

My Staff

I made my staff fairly simply. I found a branch that seemed to me to be perfect for the task , and I stripped off all of the bark. Because I was using Chinese Cherrywood, underneath the bark was a lovely pale cream colour of wood. I eagerly tore off the remainder of the bark , but was soon dismayed to see that the wood at the top of the staff, where I had started peeling, was turning a dull reddish colour. As the wood dried, it's colour deepened. At first I was none to happy, but I eventually grew, through working on the staff, to like it much better than that creamy colour.

After all of the bark was off, I gathered it all up and put it in a bag. I later burned it in a small cauldron to represent the elements of air and fire in my staff's consecration ritual. I then proceeded to carve the runes upon my staff. I carved the Egyptian
Symbol of Life on one side, and several words along the other side. Using Ogham runes I carved the words, "To Heal, To Love, To Learn" and my
name rune , and farther down, "Summer Solstice, 1991", being the date upon which I finished my staff!

After all the carvings were finished I proceeded to sand it down, using the heaviest grade of fine sandpaper. I sanded until my bloody arms were going to fall off. Don't do this one at home kids, leave it to the professionals . When all of the staff was smooth, I then began to resand the whole thing again, this time with really fine sandpaper. It turned out to be really smooth.

After I re-etched the runes to make sure they would stand out okay, I varnished the staff with a spray-on varnish . I did this 4 times, letting it dry overnight before reapplying. Then I hung my doodads on it, stuck it in the altar room, and off I went on the night of the full moon to consecrate it.

Consecration Ritual

Consecrate the staff the way you would consecrate any magickal tool. I sort of "edited" the usual version of the ritual because I had the bark to burn as incense.

Pass the Staff through the smoke of the fire, saying:

O Creature of Wood and Spirit!
With incense made from thy own bark,
Representing the Element of Air,
I cense thee!

Pass the Staff through the flames of the fire, saying:

With Fire bright, also of thy own bark,
I burn away all impurities!

Sprinkle the Staff with the consecrated water, saying:

With Water, clear and cool, that once fed thy roots,
I wash thee clean and free!

Sprinkle the Staff with the consecrated salt, saying:

With the Salt of the Earth,
I ground thee firmly to thy purpose!

Thou shalt be an aide in the Directing of my Will.
Thou shalt be a physical symbol of the Masculine within me.
As the Egyptian symbol of Life is etched on your side, so shall the
Feminine and Masculine meet and join,
And be stronger and wiser because of the union!

Books in PDF format to read:

Howard Phillips Lovecraft - The Street
Tuesday Lobsang Rampa - The Saffron Robe
Howard Phillips Lovecraft - The Festival

Tags: kabbalah pythagorean scholarship  the pride project  witch milk  september mabon autumn  occult  role witchcraft  

Relaxation Ritual

1- Sit or lie in a place where you will not be disturbed. Get comfortable. You arms and legs should not be crossed. Your eyes should be closed.
2- Visualize a ball of warm golden light surrounding your feet. The ball always brings peace and total relaxation. Let it go and as it goes, feel you feet being filled with the warm golden glow of total relaxation and peace.
3- Now allow this ball of light to rise up to your legs and up your torso. Then allow it to go down your arms to your fingers, and finally up your neck to your head. You are covered with the warm glow of peace and relaxation.
4- Stay in this state for a few moments. Be at one with yourself.
5- When you want to come out of it, take three deep breaths and feel fresh energy come into your body.

Books in PDF format to read:

Aleister Crowley - International
George Robert Stowe Mead - A Mithraic Ritual
Anton Szandor Lavey - The Satanic Rituals

Tags: further notes witchcraft  the witches  practices 20th  spiritualism 1848  modern writer  cornelius agrippa  

Cutting A Doorway

At times you may have to leave the circle. This is fine, of course, but as previously mentioned, passing through the circle dissipates it. To prevent this from occurring it's traditional to cut a doorway.

To do this, face Northeast. Hold your athame point downward near the ground. See and sense the circle before you. Pierce its wall of energy with the athame and trace an archway, tall enough to walk through, moving counter-clockwise along the circle for about three feet. Move the point of the athame up at the arch's center and down the other side until it is near the ground.

As you're doing this, visualize that area of the circle's energy being sucked back into the athame. This creates a void, allowing passage in and out of the circle. Pull the athame out of the circle's wall. You're free to walk outside.

Once back inside, close the door by placing the athame at the lower North-Eastern point of the archway. With your athame trace the circle's perimeter clockwise, as if redrawing that portion of the Circle of Stones, again visualizing blue or purple energy flaring out from the blade and converging with the rest of the circle. It is done.

Books in PDF format to read:

Aleister Crowley - Which Things Are An Allegory
Mama San Ra Ab Rampa - Autumn Lady
Howard Phillips Lovecraft - The Thing On The Doorstep

Tags: further notes witchcraft  the witches  practices 20th  spiritualism 1848  modern writer  cornelius agrippa  

Witchcraft A Study In Bias Prejudice And Discrimination In South Africa

Book: Witchcraft A Study In Bias Prejudice And Discrimination In South Africa by Damon Leff

When discussing witchcraft in polite company, one discovers that although not everyone permits their personal bias to evolve into open discrimination, those with bias against Witches carry their prejudice like a moral compass. In less than civil society, bias against Witchcraft is often overtly smug and pretentious, as though the prejudice itself was some form of badge of honour indicating one’s measure of commitment to the moral struggle. If you’re a Witch, social bias against you is pervasive and perverse.

This short study in bias, prejudice and discrimination is intended to begin to peel back the shameful and barbarous layers of institutionalized cultural bias that exists against Witchcraft in South Africa.

'Witchcraft' makes no apology for its lack of academic qualification. The study is an honest portrayal of bias, prejudice and discrimination experienced by real South African Witches. It is not intended to be an exhaustive examination of the psychological effects of stereotyping, prejudice or discrimination, nor is it intended to be unbiased. It is intended to be a critical indictment against the avarice of superstitious fantasy that barely mimics logic and reason in our nation’s psyche.

Download Damon Leff's eBook: Witchcraft A Study In Bias Prejudice And Discrimination In South Africa

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Hippolyte Taine - Witchcraft And The Suspicion Of Witchery
Walter Gibson - Witchcraft A History Of The Black Art
Damon Leff - A Pagan Witches Touchstone Witchcraft And Witch Hunts In South Africa
Tim Hartridge - Witches Workshop Handbook A Short Guide To Participation In The Workshop Part I
Damon Leff - Witchcraft A Study In Bias Prejudice And Discrimination In South Africa

So A Man Thinketh So A Man Is He

It's the old Law of Attraction. The way we think draws those Energies to us. If we think Evil and Dark thoughts we attract this same Energy around us. Then we wonder why our life sucks and bad things happen all the time. This includes thoughts of hate, violence, anger and anything negative. We also attract Foul Spirits around us and sometimes Demons. Then these Foul Spirits feed off our negativity and they try to persuade us to do even more bad things. All this simply snow balls down hill into a big pile of "Life Sucks!". I have personal friends that walk around and complain & bitch all the time. They wonder why their life sucks or why God lets them be like this. Well duh...! Look at the way you think. Your life is a reflection of your own words and thoughts.

I have many Young People write me who are very angry and want to seriously harm their enemies. They beg me to send them some serious Black Magic Spells. They are ready to bring chaos into their own lives for the simple short lived pleasure of getting revenge. It is not worth it. It is not even worth staying angry. It only draws more bad shit to us. It would be more more pleasing to Rise above the level of those whom have done us wrong.

On the other side of the Coin....
Those of us whom think Good thoughts most of the time and do Good Deeds will attract Positive things around us.
This does not mean that nothing bad will ever happen. But the bad Things That will happen will be from our past Karma.
You hear people say all the time... "If I do this it will be good Karma". Well yes it will but it will also attract better Energy around us. This goes for the way we Think.... yes every thought that goes thru our heads create Thought Forms that go out into the Universe that can and will manifest into our lives. So by Thinking Positive and simply thinking Good thoughts, this will Raise our Vibrations and keep Dark Entities and Energies away from us. This will also attract Higher Beings around us who can help us in these troubling times. These Higher Beings will also teach us things when we are Spiritually ready.

The Bible in the Book of Proverbs chapter 23 verse 7 got it right when it says... " As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he".
Here are some quotes from a book entitled "As a man thinketh" by James Allen back in 1902.....
"A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts".
"The soul attracts that which it secretly harbors, that which it loves, and also that which it fears. It reaches the height of its cherished aspirations. It falls to the level of its unchastened desires - and circumstances are the means by which the soul receives its own".
"Right thinking begins with the words we say to ourselves".

Some of you have read the book or watched videos of "The Secret".......? Well 2 me that DVD seemed more like a damn infomercial.
Plus..... it is no Secret and never has been a Secret! It has been open knowledge for Centuries.
Yes... the Power of Positive Thinking. As you see from my above words.... it is even in the Bible!
Now this does not mean that if you think your going to be the next President that you will be. I can tell you right now. That is a position filled by Destiny. Those of a Dark Bloodline. You don't get 2 be President by Positive Thinking.
But that's another story.... on another page.
Anyway... you can achieve many great things in life other than being President. We must remember that even when things are going bad... we have to still try to think Positive so we don't fall into that Dark Trap. Right now with the World being in the End Times.... it is hard 2 be positive all the time. Everyone is losing their jobs, their cars, their houses. But being that this is the End Times... we must watch our thoughts, forgive our enemies, raise our vibrations and prepare for 2012.
In Raising our Vibrations we should be working with our Chakras each day and be more loving towards others. The only thing real in this Illusion we live in is Universal Love. When someone accidentally cuts you off when your driving... simply smile and just mental say it's ok. There is no need to get angry over such petty bullshit. You will actually find yourself liking yourself better at the end of the day. This is because you have kept that Dark Cloud away from you and your Energy feels good! Being pissed off is no fun. Feeling good is fun and healthy for your mentally, physically and spiritually. Where as being angry and hateful leads to Stress and that Dark Cloud that will follow you and only bring more Darkness.
Remember that is not only our thoughts that count... it is also our Deeds.
Im not trying to be all goody 2 shoes here. Im simply trying to help you Enrich your lives. I am not Preaching... I am informing.
The ball is in your Court. Now it's all up to you......

Downloadable books (free):

Stephen Mitchell - Learning Magic In The Sagas
Roger Whitaker - Antinomianism
Hermes Trismegistus - Book Vi That In God Alone Is Good
Hermes Trismegistus - Book Xvi That None Of The Things That Are Can Perish

What Is The Best Age To Become A Wiccan

Many young readers write us asking if there is a certain age they must reach before "becoming" Wiccan. One email read "I'm 13 ... is it okay for me to learn Wicca now"? Later that day, another asked "I've been Christian my whole life and I'm wondering if it's too late in life for me to change faiths?" We get a great deal of email from individuals asking for guidance on when or how they can become Wiccan or be a Witch. Is there a proper age to take up this path? I don't believe that age matters. What's more important, is WHY a person is drawn to a specific path.

Young people may be born into a family that has generations of witches. Which means that they are positively disposed and open to the concept of witchcraft. And the teaching would be passed down through the family. For those that have not had that formative experience, it's important to take on board that there is ABSOLUTELY NO BARRIER to you with practicing witchcraft. Or rather - the only barrier is yourself and your own attitude to it.

Those who are drawn to these paths because they want to cast spells, control others or command the forces of nature, are seeking the old ways for all the wrong reasons. Most in this category are still in their teens or younger. Our late webmaster Herne wrote "Simply put, it doesn't make sense for the novice to want to command the forces of nature and the universe when you don't fully comprehend or understand them. To do so, only invites total failure or worse if you are successful in casting a spell or opening a portal and letting some nasty out to follow you around."

Become a witch could be shrouded with mystery - and witches do love their mystery (and it has also been needed for survival from those that do not fully understand or are ill informed about the craft, it's workings and teachings). Who wants to do good in her/his own life, and in the lives of others who give permission for them to act on their behalf (the power is always with casting spells for yourself as opposed to paying other's to cast for you - as your energy is most powerful in attracting what you want)

If you think you might be too old to change faiths, ask yourself if you're actually CHANGING faiths, or just finally embracing beliefs and practices you have always known to be true? In his article, Herne continues to write that "Many find the philosophies of how wicca and witchcraft view nature are the same as the one's they currently hold. They just didn't know there was a specific belief system that shared their views. If you've seen striking similarities between what you believe and what you've found in the old Earth-based religions, there are generally accepted ways to increase your awareness and find communion with others who feel the same. The following are the steps I would recommend to any one who wishes to learn more..."

To read the rest of this article, click the first link below or copy and paste it into your browser. At the end of the article you'll find a link to an index with many pages of information about Wicca and Witchcraft paths. The second link below will take you to an area containing other articles written by Herne. Many of our regular visitors are already familiar with these writings, but if you are new to the site, or have not yet been to this area, we think you'll enjoy the thoughts Herne left behind for us.

The answer to that is simply START.

Start by working with spells. Pick a spell that you are drawn to. And then work with yourself to move yourself into that place inside where you truly believe and feel certaint that what you want to have happen will. A powerful witch is able to see, feel, and essentially put themselves into a space where they feel as if they have what they want already... And so it becomes.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Solomonic Grimoires - Lemegeton I The Lesser Key Of Solomon Goetia
Hermes Trismegistus - Book Viii That The Greatest Evil In Man
Anonymous - Witchcraft A Guide To Magic
Joanne Pearson - Wicca And The Christian Heritage Ritual Sex And Magic
Hesketh Bell - Obeah Witchcraft In The West Indies Ocr Version

Wedding Superstitions

This page is for all you people out there who are wanting to get Married. There are many beliefs and Superstitions surrounding the Sacred ceremony of Marriage. My thoughts on this are.... if you believe it so.... then so shall it be. Just remember this.... Don't be so anxious or Hell Bent on getting Married or think that time is running out. Take your time in life and find the one Mate you really wish to spend the rest of your life with. Get to really know the person you want to marry.... if you have not lived with this person for at least a year... then you really don't know them and all their habits. Also... why take Vows if you are not going to stick to them. So many people rush out to get married and a year later they are divorced. So take your time... and Choose wisely!

Veil - Finding a tear in the Wedding Veil is a Omen of Good luck!
Bridal Wear - Remember the old saying... "Something old something new, something borrowed something Blue.
White Wedding Gown - Symbolizes virginity and purity. Those of you whom wear white... your not fooling anyone!
Mirrors - It is Bad Luck to have visible mirrors in the Ceremony area. It is Bad luck for the Bride to see herself in the mirror fully dressed before the wedding... she should leave off one item of clothing such as a shoe or something.
Bride and Groom - On the Wedding day, It is bad luck for the Bride and Groom to see each other before the Ceremony.
Bride - To overcome Bad Omens... the bride should carry salt in her pocket.
Groom - To overcome Bad Omens... Carry a miniature horseshoe in your pocket.
Front Door - In order to insure Good luck, the Bride must exit with her right foot first across the threshold.
Brides Car - It is Bad luck if the Brides car does not start the first time or has car trouble on the way to the ceremony.
Wedding Ring - A symbol of Unity.
Cats - It is a good Omen if the Bride or Groom sees a cat on the way to the Wedding.
Spiders - Finding a Spider on the Wedding Dress is a Omen of Good luck!
Funeral - It is a Bad Omen for the Bride or Groom to pass a funeral on the way to the Wedding.
Blue - Blue is the Symbol of Spirituality and Faithfulness. The Bride should wear or carry something Blue to increase her luck in Marriage.
Snow Fall - A very successful Marriage Omen.
Rainy Day - There will be a Stormy Marriage.
Sunny Day - There will be a very Happy Marriage.
Sun with Showers - Good luck Omen.
January - A lucky Month for Marriage.
May - This is an unlucky Month for Marriage.... this coming from ancient Rome when May was the month for making offerings to the dead.
June - A very lucky month for Marriage.
Well... Good Luck to those of you who are getting ready to tie the Knot. Many Blessings upon you!

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

John Dee - Enochian Magic Spanish Translation
John Fiske - Myths And Myth Makers Old Tales And Superstitions
Franceska De Grandis - Goddess Initiation
Howard Williams - The Superstitions Of Witchcraft

Using Hallucinogens For Spiritual Purposes

During the peak of one of my first LSD trips I came to the realization that all the knowledge of the universe was at my fingertips. So, I seized the moment and asked myself some the universal questions I had always wondered about.
I started with, "Why are we all here?"
And the answer came into my head as one word, "LOVE."
Then I asked myself, "What is the purpose of this life?"
And again, instantly I knew it was "LOVE."
I asked yet another question, "Who or what created us?"
And again "LOVE" cascaded throughout my being.

As you can begin to see, hallucinogens (or entheogens, as many of us like to call them) have helped shape, or unshape, my psyche and attitudes toward life. Before I used entheogens, I was not very interested in spirituality or discovering the answers to any of my questions about the universe. This is because I was the type of person that needed to see it, in order to believe it. I figured that there was really no point in trying to figure it all out, because no one could really ever know until they died.
Entheogens were a complete wake-up call for me; they totally changed my perspective on the nature of reality. They enabled me to see it, so to speak. By far, my entheogenic journeys were the peak experiences of my life – I wouldn’t trade them for any other experience in the world.
I am not alone in this belief; during a study at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institution, researchers gave 36 volunteers psilocybin, the active constituent in Hallucinogenic mushrooms. Two-thirds of the participants described the effects of psilocybin as among the five most meaningful experiences of their lives (Griffiths et al., 2006).

Overview of Spiritual Use

Entheogens have been used as a spiritual tool for exploring consciousness by many different cultures throughout history. Some examples are the kykeon of Eleusis, the soma of the Rg Veda, the peyote of the Native American church, the teonanacatl of the Aztecs, and the ayahuasca or hoasca of the Santo Daime and Uniao do Vegetal.
The word entheogen has a very spiritual connotation, unlike many of the other words used to describe psychedelic or hallucinogenic drugs. Entheogens, like LSD, DMT and mescaline, can help you understand the timeless divinity that links us all together.
The word entheogen was originally created by Carl A. P. Ruck, Jeremy Bigwood, Danny Staples, Jonathan Ott, and R. Gordon Wasson (1979). Here is what they wrote about its meaning:

All languages grow together with the peoples who speak them, borrowing or inventing terms to keep pace with what is new and retiring others when they are no longer needed. When the recent surge of recreational use of so-called "hallucinogenic" or "psychedelic" drugs first came to popular attention in the early 1960s, it was commonly viewed with suspicion and associated with the behavior of deviant or revolutionary groups....

Out of the many words proposed to describe this unique class of drugs only a few have survived in current usage. It is the contention of the authors who have subscribed their names to this article that none of these terms really deserve greater longevity if our language is not to perpetuate the misunderstandings of the past....

[N]ot only is "psychedelic" an incorrect verbal formation, but it has become so invested with connotations of the pop-culture of the 1960s that it is incongruous to speak of a shaman's taking a "psychedelic" drug.

We, therefore, propose a new term that would be appropriate for describing states of shamanic and ecstatic possession induced by ingestion of mind-altering drugs. In Greek the word entheos means literally "god (theos) within," and was used to describe the condition that follows when one is inspired and possessed by the god that has entered one's body. It was applied to prophetic seizures, erotic passion and artistic creation, as well as to those religious rites in which mystical states were experienced through the ingestion of substances that were transubstantial with the deity. In combination with the Greek root gen-, which denotes the action of "becoming," this word results in the term that we are proposing: entheogen.


Conclusion

There is so much that I could say or explain about this topic. In fact, there's far too much to explain within a short article. I tried to give readers a Brief Introduction to the topic of using a hallucinogens for spiritual purposes. If you would like to learn more on this topic visit: http://www.NeuroSoup.com

References

Griffiths, R.R., W.A. Richards, U. McCann, R. Jesse. 2006. Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance. Psychopharmacology. DOI: 10.1007/s00213-006-0457-5
Maslow, A.H. 1964. What is the Validity of Knowledge Gained in Peak-Experiences? Religions, Values, and Peak-Experiences. Appendix D. http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/lsd/maslowd.htm
Ruck, C.A.P., Bigwood, J., Staples, D., Ott, J. & Wasson, R.G. (1979). Entheogens. Journal of Psychedelic Drugs. 11(1-2);145-6.
Yensen, R., D. Dryer. 2007. Addiction, despair, and the soul: successful psychedelic psychotherapy, a case study. In Psychedelic Medicine. 15-28. Praeger Publishers.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Frances Billinghurst - Is Wicca The Right Spiritual Path For Me
Scott Cunningham - Living Wicca A Further Guide For The Solitary Practitioner
Nevrom Ydal - Preparing The Ritual Area And Yourself
Raymond Buckland - Bucklands Book For Spirit Communications
Vladimir Antonov - Classics Of Spiritual Philosophy And The Present

Histoire De La Magie In French

Book: Histoire De La Magie In French by Eliphas Levi

L'Histoire de la Magie est l'aeuvre essentielle d'Eliphas Levi. Cet ouvrage publie en 1860 fait partie des tresors de la litterature esoterique. Il ete constamment reedite depuis sa parution. Il est divise en sept livres contenant chacun seps chapitres. Dans cet ouvrage incontournable, l'auteur nous donne les clefs de l'histoire et de la pratique de la magie depuis l'Antiquite jusqu'a nos jours. Une documentation exceptionnelle!

This is the single greatest book on the history of the spiritual Art and Science of Magick. My only two complaints about the book are that it's written in a rather biased view, from a purely Christian perspective (not that any other religion's perspective would be any better!) and the translator/editor, Arthur Edward Waite, once again sees fit to make some useless and innacurate remarks here and there. But still read his footnotes! He makes some legitimate points in this book! (reader's review)

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After Life In Roman Paganism

Book: After Life In Roman Paganism by Franz Cumont

1922. Lectures delivered at Yale University on the Silliman Foundation. The author was invited to lecture at New Haven during the month of March 1921 on a subject relating to religious history. He chose the ideas current in Roman Paganism concerning the lot of the soul after death. Lectures included are: Historical introduction; after life in the tomb; the nether world; celestial immortality; winning of immortality; untimely death; journey to the beyond; sufferings of hell and metempsychosis; felicity of the blessed.

About the Author: Belgian archaeologist and historian FRANZ-VALERY-MARIE CUMONT (1869-1947) wrote numerous books, among them Texts and Illustrated Monuments Relating to the Mysteries of Mithra (1900), considered his masterwork.

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