Old Naumkeag An Historical Sketch Of The City Of Salem

Book: Old Naumkeag An Historical Sketch Of The City Of Salem by Charles Webber

"Old Naumkeag" appears to be a work which will greatly interest the readers of the present day. The researches of Felt, Bentley, and others, embody much of what is known of the topography and ancient history of Salem and vicinity; but the compilers of this work appear not only to have adduced other facts gathered from authentic sources, but also to have presented them in a most attractive manner. Looking back over the days of our ancestors we cannot but admire the virtues and wisdom that carried them through the bitter disappointments and sufferings incident to a pioneer people. The history of Salem from the early days of Conant and Endicott, down to the present time, is replete with incidents of the most thrilling character.

The aim of the authors of "OLD NAUMKEAG" has been ocly to write an "historical sketch" of that portion of Essex County originally known as Naumkeag, but now divided into the city of Salem, and the towns of Marblehead, Peabody, Danvers, Beverly, Manchester, "Wenham, Topsfleld and Middleton; giving brief accounts of the more interesting events in the history of each, and descriptions of the places of interest to the stranger and to the native. The whole territory is replete with historical associations, and dotted with land-marks of the past—buildings or localities directly associated with some of the most important events in the history of America. To these shrines of antiquity, whose shadows lengthen and deepen with each departing year, come, annually, thousands of strangers ; while the young are growing up in our midst nearly as ignorant of their historic surroundings as the stranger is. We have neither guides nor guide-books, nor local histories such as the visitor seeks. The most valuable of our local works are now almost if not quite out of print; such as are not, are rare and costly. Eealiziug this, the authors have sought to prepare a work which should in some measure supply the want. At the same time, it has been so extended, we trust, as to make it interesting and useful to our own citizens. The young reader, it is hoped, will find information as well as entertainment; and the more ad vanced in life, find pleasure in retracing steps, leading back to the days of their youth, reviviug recollections and associations ever dear, at the same time affording valuable information concerning their ancestry.

We make no special claims to originality of material. On the contrary, we acknowledge our indebtedness, for most of the facts embodied in this work, to the antiquarians, living and dead, from the Rev. John Fiske, and the Eev. John Higginson, down to the present. We have searched the voluminous collections and writings of these painstaking recorders of the past and endeavored to present, in a popular shape, such portions of them as are of the greatest interest at the present time. Limited space precludes the publication of very much more which is of deep interest. With more time and space the book could have been made better. Such as it is we submit it to the public, asking only that all should bear in mind that (Charles Webber)

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Unicorn Tradition Of Wicca

Book: Unicorn Tradition Of Wicca by Bylaws

The Unicorn Tradition is an eclectic one, rooted in a family tradition through which our founders, Lady Galadriel and Lord Athanor, received their training and Initiations.

Goddess and God are honored as essential to the sacred dance we call life, and as emanations of the One Source from which the universe is created. We are a working and teaching tradition which celebrates the Eight Sabbats (solar festivals), the New Moons, and the Full Moons. We are an initiatory mystery tradition, with a five level, three degree system of training and attainment. Common beliefs and practices unite our family, so that no individual trained in one branch of the Unicorn Tradition should ever feel a stranger among those other branches.

As you explore our home on the web, you will get a sense of who we are. You will find information about our founders and some of the core teachings that unite us. You’ll get to know our Elders, Priests and Priestesses as well as connect with the groups that practice our lineage. Writings by our members can be found in the library and portals to interesting information can be found in links and Recommended reading.

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My Quest For The Magic Divine

Where does one begin the quest for the Ultimate? More importantly, when can one finally end it in fulfillment? I have struggled with these questions for all my relatively short life. I have always felt as though some transcendent force were tapping me on the shoulder, demanding my attention. Yet whenever I looked over my shoulder nothing tangible was there to greet me. What could I do, what path could I follow, that would lead me to the mysterious entity who so earnestly desired an audience with me?

I was born and raised in something of a Bible-Belt area. Churches of one type or another dominated the countryside. The different world religions, as far as I could discern, were Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, and Catholic. We even had Mennonite and Amish in the general area. It was a veritable smorgasbord of Christian denominations and none of them ever satisfied me. I simply could not feel a connection to the Divine under their auspices. Spending my Sunday morning sitting in a pew, singing hymns to some executed carpenter from another time and place was not my idea of worship. Christ may have been an exceptional man in his day, but to me he was as dead as Julius Caesar.

Thus it was I ruled out Christianity as the vehicle that could deliver me to the Divine. From there it was a logical step to further exclude Judaism and Islam; they both pledged fealty to the same God as the Christians, a God whom I always considered too distant and aloof to worship. With the Middle East religions offering no inspiration, I studied the ancient wisdoms of the Far East. I found them much more invigorating and broad minded than Monotheism, but I still could not internalize their beliefs as my own. Buddhism tried teaching me that my own sense of uniqueness was an illusion, something I simply could not accept. Hinduism was colorful but not very focused, offering the believer far too many deities to choose as a patron. Taoism and Confucianism were on the whole fine philosophies, but they offered no insight on the Divine force that I still felt earnestly tapping me on the shoulder.

I was a year out of college and still left without a spiritual clue. It was then, however, that the Neopagan craze began penetrating into even my remote neck of the woods. I would walk into any bookstore and the New Age section was constantly expanding. I would surf the web for information on religion and eventually bump into a Wicca site. I decided to ascertain for myself just what all the fuss was about. At first it seemed kooky; people were trying to resurrect witchcraft and ancient nature worship? Surely this was the work of people with too much free time and too many acid trips.

The more I read, however, the more I became enthralled. I always loved noting the beauty of nature around me since my earliest years. The sun, moon and stars were ever-constant companions in my life in a way God had not been. What better deity could one have then Mother Earth herself, with nature and all the creatures that dwell within as her universal church? Here, finally, was a religion I could appreciate. Nature is something I need no external inspiration in revering; it comes naturally. Neopaganism, unlike most religions, embraces modern existence with all its recent discoveries in science, psychology, and social ethics. When I discovered this, I could safely say that I had found the worldview I had been seeking. I had come home.

Whatever happened to the man tapping me at my shoulder? That was the most startling discovery of all. I had been looking for some external force I thought had been hiding from me, which I would meet only after some arduous journey. Instead I have discovered the Divine is all around me, it is inside of me. It encompasses all of creation. It was always there right in front of me, trying to say hello. I was prepared to take the journey of a thousand miles to meet my maker; now I am learning to swim in an endless ocean of creation.

Does Neopaganism satiate all my cravings for understanding and happiness? Does it provide me with all the answers to the questions I have been asking for years? No, it does not. However, what Neopaganism does offer me is a light to guide my way as I continue to progress on my spiritual journey. It is one huge leap in the right direction. Neopaganism may not be the end of my quest for the Divine, but it is, at long last, a worthy beginning.

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Pagan Potions Brew Magic Formula

Book: Pagan Potions Brew Magic Formula by Al Selden Leif

Potions are used in Pagan and wiccan spells and rituals for health and inner magic. Potions act as liquid carriers for magical power. Sometimes you will drink them, but more often they are applied to the skin. Purifying Sage Spray is one example of this type of potion.

Potions can charm, heal or cast a wicked spell. In strict terms, perfumes are potions, designed to lure someone into a love snare. "Boil, boil! Toil and trouble." Even Shakespeare paid homage to the magic art of potion-making. But potions do more than implement spells. Potions are used to treat every kind of ailment (think about fizzy Alka Seltzer). Potions are a part of ancient herb lore and reveal the staying power of some of the "old ways," even if some ingredients (porcupine quills!) are difficult to obtain.

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Cleansing And Purifying Your Magickal Tools With Sage

Yes you should always cleanse and purify your Magickal Tools. especially if one of your friends with their curiosity has handled them. This will get rid of their energy that they may have put forth on them. You only want to have your energy into your Magickal Tools. You should also use it to cleanse and purify your Alter and your Crystals. Simply light the Smudge Stick and hold it in one hand and take the Magickal Tool in the other hand. Wave the Smudge Stick around the Tool cleansing and purifying ita. imagining all the unwanted energy leaving it and pure white light entering it. If you?re going to do thisa. go ahead and do all your tools and crystals and such. I know I have to do this because my Alter is out in the open and one of my friends or family will come by and always touch or pick up something on my Alter out of their own curiosity. You can?t blame them. If I was mainstream thinking and went to someone's house and saw these thingsa. I would want to touch them too. Curiosity killed the cat!

Sage is a wonderful herb that is not only good for cooking and Alternative Medicines but has great spiritual benefits. There are so many types of Sage out there but we are only going to discuss 1 typea the White Sage (Salvia Apiana) used for Smudge Sticks.

There is also the Diviners Sage (Salvia Divinorum) which is a Hallucinogenica but we wont get into that since our wonderful Government has made in illegal now in many states. Welcome to the Control System just like organized Religion!

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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.

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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 Enemies Of Our Enemies

Book: The Enemies Of Our Enemies by Isaac Bonewits

From:THE DRUIDS PROGRESS, Report #7. The DRUIDS PROGRESS is published seminannually (Gods Willing) and is sent primarily to the subscribing members of ADF. For Further information write: ADF, PO Box 9420, Newark, DE, USA 19714 (include a SASE). All Items acredited to "the Archdruid" have been written by and are (C) 1990 by P.E.I. Bonewits. All items created by other parties are (C) 1990 by them. All opinions expressed, save those specifically attributed to the Board of Trustees, are the opnions of the individuals expressing them and are Not official ADF policy.

Reprint Procedure: Neopagan, Druidic, Midievalist and all cultural publications may reprint any material written by P.E.I. Bonewits, but his copyright notice must appear in full. If more than 250 words are excerpeted, one cent per word should be donated to ADF.

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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!

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Witchcraft In History Of The English Speaking Peoples

Book: Witchcraft In History Of The English Speaking Peoples by Alan Macfarlane

Witchcraft, in various historical, anthropological, religious and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers, usually to inflict harm or damage upon members of a community or their property. Other uses of the term distinguish between bad witchcraft and good witchcraft, with the latter often involving healing, perhaps remedying bad witchcraft. The concept of witchcraft is normally treated as a cultural ideology, a means of explaining human misfortune by blaming it either on a supernatural entity or a known person in the community. A witch (from Old English wicce f. / wicca m.) is a practitioner of witchcraft.

Beliefs in witchcraft, and resulting witch-hunts, are found in many cultures worldwide, today mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa (e.g. in the witch smellers in Bantu culture), and historically notably in Early Modern Europe of the 14th to 18th century, where witchcraft came to be seen as a vast diabolical conspiracy against Christianity, and accusations of witchcraft led to large-scale witch-hunts, especially in Germanic Europe.

The "witch-cult hypothesis", a controversial theory that European witchcraft was a suppressed pagan religion, was popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Since the mid-20th century, Witchcraft has become the self-designation of a branch of neopaganism, especially in the Wicca tradition following Gerald Gardner, who claimed a religious tradition of Witchcraft with pre-Christian roots.

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Yule Celebrations In Great Britain

Yule or Yule-tide is a winter festival that was initially celebrated by the historical Germanic peoples as a pagan religious festival, though it was later absorbed into, and equated with, the Christian festival of Christmas. The festival was originally celebrated from late December to early January on a date determined by the lunar Germanic calendar. The festival was placed on December 25 when the Christian calendar (Julian calendar) was adopted. Some historians claim that the celebration is connected to the Wild Hunt or was influenced by Saturnalia, the Roman winter festival.

Terms with an etymological equivalent to “Yule” are still used in the Nordic Countries for the Christian Christmas, but also for other religious holidays of the season. In modern times this has gradually led to a more secular tradition under the same name as Christmas. Yule is also used to a lesser extent in English-speaking countries to refer to Christmas. Customs such as the Yule log, Yule goat, Yule boar, Yule singing, and others stem from Yule. In modern times, Yule is observed as a cultural festival and also with religious rites by some Christians and by some Neopagans.

In Britain and other parts of the British Influenced world, the modern Yule or Yuletide is more commonly associated with Christmas (along with Christmastide) which generally supplanted it around the 11th century other than in North East England where it remained the usual word (and had the variants of yel and yul), possibly being reinforced by the Norse influence (see Danelaw) on that region. It was revived in regular use in standard English during the 19th century however the name Yule log was recorded earlier in the 17th century.

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Candle Magic A Coveted Collection Of Spells Rituals And Magical Paradigms

Book: Candle Magic A Coveted Collection Of Spells Rituals And Magical Paradigms by Phillip Cooper

An excellent book full of nice candle rituals to perform. Some may not be to others likings there are some spells in here that do not follow the witches rede but there are some in every book right? I recommend this to anyone who already has a range of herbs etc as many rituals in this book require them. I've learned that when researching the subject of magic I cannot accept one book as The Way. My advice is that if you read this book, read others on the same subject and come to your own conclusions. The reason I'm saying this is that I've been doing Candle Magic without "the magic sphere" or many other things suggested in this book, and it's been working just fine.

As the author of this book stresses, it's all in the subconscious -- and I firmly believe the subconcious responds in a unique way to each individual with a few shared common rules (which are pointed out in this book). Cooper spends pages and pages mapping out imagery that he feels you should use. I say use your own as long as you are aware of the rules of handling your subconcious.

But that doesn't mean I hate the book. Actually I love it. I really love it when Cooper throws some modern Wicca-type nonsense right out the window. This needs to be done more often. I see where some reviewers are bristling at what he's done here, and it's not hard to see why because he ridicules some fondly cherished Wicca-type beliefs that are, as the rest of us know, nice but not necessary at best, and downright silly at worst. In that sense, in a market where the words "Wicca" and "witch" are being increasingly confused with one another, this book is invaluable.

I see total beginners as being intimidated by this book, however, and that's another reason I strongly suggest reading not just one, but several books on this subject before making up your mind on how to proceed. Cooper has a POV as specific as those of the Wiccans, and it's just as valid -- maybe even more so because it's solidly based in history and scholarship.

Like I said, my basic rule is, learn all the POVs (points of view) you can, then set out on your own. This book is recommended for its POV.

Buy Phillip Cooper's book: Candle Magic A Coveted Collection Of Spells Rituals And Magical Paradigms

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Silvers Spells For Abundance

Book: Silvers Spells For Abundance by Silver Ravenwolf

Here’s a delightful bag of tricks for Banishing poverty and opening the door to personal abundance. Renowned Witch Silver RavenWolf presents magickal techniques—personally designed and tested by the author—that can help you get the upper hand on your cash flow. From inviting wealth into your home with Prosperity Floor Wash to invoking the elements for financial assistance, this beginner’s guide to abundance magick is for anyone who’s ever worried about money.

Silver RavenWolf (Pennsylvania) is a nationally recognized leader and elder of Wicca, and through her writing has been instrumental in guiding the future of one of the fastest-growing faiths in America today. The author of seventeen books, she has been interviewed by The New York Times, Newsweek Magazine, and the Wall Street Journal, and her work has been featured in numerous publications, including Bust Magazine, the Baltimore Sun, the St. Petersburg Times, the National Review, Publishers Weekly, Body & Soul Magazine, and Teen Lit Magazine. Her many titles include the bestselling Solitary Witch, Teen Witch, To Ride A Silver Broomstick, To Stir A Magick Cauldron, To Light A Sacred Flame, American Folk Magick, Angels: Companions in Magick, Silver’s Spells for Prosperity, Silver's Spells for Protection, Silver's Spells for Love, Halloween, and the Witches’ Night Out teen fiction series.

This Little Book is very helpful for bringing positive abundance in your life. It's not a book that tells you: 'do these spells and you'll be RICH!' That's not what it's about at all. Rather, it's a book on getting your (financial) life into balance. Which is certainly not a bad thing! After all - it's difficult to focus on spiritual matters when you're constantly stressed over finances. I suggest to the bashers that they actually READ the book instead just assuming what it's about. (Gee, what a concept!)

Buy Silver Ravenwolf's book: Silvers Spells For Abundance

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The Outer Temple Of Witchcraft Circles Spells And Rituals

Book: The Outer Temple Of Witchcraft Circles Spells And Rituals by Christopher Penczak

This is one of the few books on witchcraft that didn't leave me feeling dumbed-down and dizzy. Most Witchcraft 101 books spend a good deal of time going over what have become well-known and relatively obvious facts about pagan deities, nature and its energies, the sabbats, and the very basics of magical tools and techniques. In this book, however, Penczak chooses a few of the more intriguing (and, for beginners, often intimidating) practices and explores them in depth.

Rather than the usual cursory chapter on magic--which is often no more than the repetition of warm-fuzzy affirmations about how "anything goes" and the power is "all within you" anyway--Penczak devotes two chapters to a detailed explanation of the theory of spellwork, discussing first the guiding principles of energy and the "science" behind magic, and then turning to a treatment of spellwork as artistic crafting. This is the only book that didn't take me from "it's easy!" to a "sample spell" of five or more exotic ingredients and astrological correspondences in one giant leap. Step by step, Penczak builds on knowledge in an intelligent and instructive way, without implying either a dumbed-down make-believe approach or an all-or-nothing game of calculations and memorizations.

Penczak, a New Hampshire-based witch and teacher, is one of the most prolific and esteemed authors in the Wiccan community. In The Inner Temple of Witchcraft, he helped readers go inward—mastering the interior state of consciousness needed to create magick. This sequel is a logical follow-up, with Penczak teaching readers how to bring the sacredness of the inner world into the outer, visible world. As he did with Inner Temple, he organizes this guidebook into a 12-part lesson plan, designed to be completed month-by-month over the course of a year. (Traditional training in witchcraft lasts a year and a day.) Whether or not readers follow the monthly time line, this still makes an excellent grimoire of spells, recipes and rituals. Lessons include an extensive discussion of the Gods and goddesses of witchcraft that helps practitioners understand why it's important to honor and work with them. Consistent with the nature-based foundation of witchcraft, Penczak devotes a lesson to the elements, explaining how to integrate them into rituals and cleansings. Like any good reference book, this one offers an abundance of exercises and visual examples throughout. But what makes this an exceptional resource is Penczak's ability to offer deeper philosophical discussions while simultaneously giving practical advice. One doesn't have to relate to the word "witch" to appreciate this guidebook; all it takes is willingness to create through intention, honor the cycles of nature and be ready to take personal power and responsibility over one's life. Once again Penczak proves himself to be a gifted teacher and a witch of the highest order.

In 'The Inner Temple of Witchcraft' author Christopher Penczak helped readers discover their inner divinty. In his follow up, 'The Outer Temple of Witchcraft', Penczak helps readers reconize the outer divinity through rituals and spells. Like the first book in the 'Witchcraft Temple series', 'The Outer Temple of Witchcraft' is composed of 12 chapters that are suggested to be covered one per month, ending with and intitiation ritual into the priesthood of Witchcraft.

Like the first, 'The Outer Temple' begins with four introductory chapters covering the sacred space, Witchcraft ethics, the history and use of magick, and the meaning of the Wiccan priesthood. From there, Penczak dives right into a through discussion of the Gods of Witchcraft, describing the five-fold divinty, archetypal beings, and relationships with the Gods. From there, the author uses three chapters to discuss the elements of Wicca explaining the what, why, and how of each element.

Similar to most Witchcraft 101 books, Penczak discusses divination, ritual, tools, sabbats, and spells. Unlike most Witchcraft 101 books, the author explains the why of the various topics above. Penczak believes that in order to practice truely effective Witchcraft, we must know the why. One of the most enjoyable and interesting topics of 'The Outer Temple of Witchcraft' was the author's explaination of why spells work using astrological timing and correspondence.

Many would say that the information within this text is covered in other books on Modern Witchcraft. Much of the information is, but never have I seen a book that has all of this information in one place or explains it so well. Honestly, it has to be one of the best books I've seen on the market. If you're new to the Craft, don't hesitate to pick this one up. While you're at it, check out the first one in the series, 'The Inner Temple of Witchcraft'. I promise you will not regret it.

This is also one of the few books that does not place visualization as the primary tool of magic. I found this immensely comforting, as I have worked intuitive magic for years without hardly any visualization or "mystic experiences" (and always felt I must somehow be "doing it wrong"--even if it worked!). Overall, his approach is a scientific one, primarily, and yet it incorporates the foundations of personal and thoughtful spirituality as a necessary building block for (and ultimately the goal of) witchcraft. A great book, well worth the read.

Buy Christopher Penczak's book: The Outer Temple Of Witchcraft Circles Spells And Rituals

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Justin Winsor - The Literature Of Witchcraft In New England

Wicca Magic

Is wicca magick Real? Magick is not only real, it's the only thing that is! wicca magick is just one form of the mysterious and infinite Creative Power of the Universe. Life is full of real magick. But we've been trained not to notice it, even when it's right in front of our noses. Making Magick is your birthright - a personal gift from the Divine. Learn how magick works and how to work magick, and nothing can stop you from creating the life you dream of. Helping you understand how real magick works, and how to make it work for you, is the purpose of this article.

Magick is another word for transformation, creation, and manifestation. Wicca magick is a tool we use to act on the subtle - or energy, or quantum - level of reality. The quantum level is the causal realm. It is the subtle influences at the quantum level that decide which way reality will go. So if you want to manifest something into ordinary reality, you start by stimulating the quantum realm to favour that potentiality. That is real magick in action. Science has known since early in the last century that the material world is made up not of matter, but of energy. And while matter is fairly stable, energy is very fluid. So it is difficult to build a house or job or lover with your bare hands if the causal realm hasn't already foreseen these things, but it is much easier to create an energy wave that will lead to a house or job or lover coming to you. (Of course, you still will need to use your body to manifest them.) That's what real magick is all about. In magick we transform our reality, and ourselves, to match our choices. And of course, Wicca Magick is a key component to the Wiccan religion.

Working magick is what witch craft is all about. What would Wicca be without Magick? In fact, the standard explanation for the origins of the words witch and Wicca is that they are derived from "wic," which means to shape or bend. (As in wicker furniture.) While anything claiming to be historical is doubtful, the fact that we explain the word this way tells us a lot about Wicca - that its essence is transformation. Magick is at the heart of Wicca.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Aleister Crowley - Magick
Aleister Crowley - Intro Magick
Phillip Williams - Night Magic

Practical Solitary Magic

Book: Practical Solitary Magic by Nancy Watson

I found this book easy to read, understand, and use for practice. It is well written and gives easy guidence especially for those just beginning to explore magic. It is not limiting to one group or practice. This is a good feature for those who define their god or goddess slightly different from any other they have read or heard or seen. The author encourages the user to develop their own skills beyond mimicing those of others. She starts simply and leaves lots of room for expansion into complex spells and rituals. This book will especially touch those who are more logical and practical and doubt the powers of the universe. I have had a whole new world of happiness, power, and possibilities open up to me after completing this text.

Ms. Watson's book is a wonderful step by step guide to creating a ritual. There are plenty of annecdotes-always appreciated in occult books, where the author can come off as damn near godlike if they don't watch themselves. Her method is to use an architectural metaphor for magic, dividing it into Spiritual, Mental, Emotional, and Physical planes; spiritual magic deals with gods, Mental with thoughts, Emotional with feelings, and Physical with physically acting out ritual. One may work on one or many levels at once.

Watson's reasoning is easily understood, and the exercises constructed in a logical manner. Overall, this is an exxelent book. There are however, 3 flaws that stuck out at me when I read the book. One is relativley minor, the other two could cause major problems if the reader is not aware of them before hand. First, the minor one. Watson's footnotes are in chaos. There is no regular pattern to their placement, and in one case they repeat themselves. It really very distracting. One of the major flaws is that Watson references the Chakra system, in one case relying heavily on it, without giving the reader an overview of the subject. She just jumps right into them, with only the barest idea given as to how the system works. I would recomend Anodea Judtih's Wheels of Light as a good Introduction to a very complex system. The other problem is the personality test that gets quite a lot of mileage in the book. THe test itself is slightly confusing, and I often ended up picking the respnse that was closest to what I actually thought, rather than the one that resonated with my spirit. Many of the answers seemed to be the same anwser, in my opninion. While I feel that the assesment given by the test is more or less accurate, I don't quite trust it. Certainly not enough to base work with elementals on. And Watson is pretty clear about the dangers of working with elementals that go against your nature. Other than these tow considerations, the book is excellent. Anyone interested in Ritual Magic should read it at least once.

One of the best things about this book is that Watson fills it to the brim with autobiography. One gets far more about reading how a person discovered and used a technique in their life than from reading about the technique in the abstract.

Though Watson works out of a vaguely Golden Dawn-ish tradition, she is quite eclectic and encourages her readers to be. She makes the point that magic can be extremely simple -- nothing but writing down one's goal -- or extremely complex, and that a student of the occult should find for themselves what rituals, symbols, and gods they can work comfortably with.

Once again: an excellent work; I recommend it highly. Read it and it will give you a context for all the rest of the reading on magic you do.

Buy Nancy Watson's book: Practical Solitary Magic

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Hellmut Ritter - Picatrix In Arabic
Tommie Eriksson - Tree Cults In Northern Magic
Cassandra Eason - A Practical Guide To Witchcraft And Magic Spells
Malcolm Mcgrath - Practical Magickal Evocation
Ophiel - The Art Practice Of Caballa Magic

Mastering Witchcraft

Book review: Mastering Witchcraft by Paul Huson

If you were only to own one book on the practice of Witchcraft (not the religion of Wicca) Paul Huson’s Mastering Witchcraft is the reference you wold want. Not for the faint of heart and definitely un-fluffy this book is a grimoire unto itself and you could legitimately build your practice just around the information in these pages.

Huson’s Witchcraft is sort of a Paganization of a very simplified (and effective) Ceremonial Magic. There is a religious position taken in the book which may be uncomfortable for modern Neo-Pagans in certain respects and will offend Christians but for the Witch or Warlock interested in the practice of Witchcraft there is no better introduction or reference. One of the few books I’ve read that contains effective curses and bindings and it even has a section on running a coven, though the covens here are not your Wiccan covens of today.

Firstly it is an exposition of Witchcraft in the purely pre-modern sense of that word, as a Craft (Anglo-Saxon 'Craeft' -'Power, Skill, Force') and he comprehensively expounds the technical knowledge and applied methods by which this innate 'Power' can be methodically tapped and projected by the Witch or Warlock for various pragmatic ends. In other words the term Witchcraft here is used in the same archaic sense as one would find it used in say the 17th century astrological works of William Lilly or William Ramesey when they say that the 12th House of the Chart is the 'House of Witchcraft' - they were not referring to a wiccan-style cult or alternative religion but quite simply meant the exercise of magical power to 'bewitch'. It is in this original and authentic sense that Paul Huson's book is a genuine manual of 'Witchcraft', putting aside the modern meanings which have become attached to that word.

The author presents an immensely skilful synthesis of magical lore and techniques from the traditional Magic of the Middle Ages and imparts a very workable body of spells, invocations, astrological herblore, incenses, philtres and image-magic: he draws upon and weaves together elements from the Solomonic cycle of grimoires, the teachings of Cornelius Agrippa, the 'enlinking' techniques using archetypal images used by Giordano Bruno, the use of Cabalistic kamea in arithmantic invocations etc. For example the invocation to Saturn in the chapter on binding magic is actually a translation/adaptation of the 'Magical Oration to Saturn' from the mediaeval Moorish text the Picatrix(Ghayat-al-Hakim). He blends these learned Hermetic-Cabalistic-Astrological esoteric currents with the rural myhthos of country folk-magic in old England. This is acheived in a way which is both authentic and effective. Indeed Traditional Magic is not subject to contemporary notions of 'progress' or 'improvement': the 'Invincible Magical Discipline' as Agrippa terms it, is timeless, always characterised by a tenacious conservatism and adherence to paradigmatic forms and Paul Huson's book accordingly delivers magical lore which is substantially pre-modern and traditional in flavour.

Yet another minor strain discernable in this book is that of Hoodoo, as seen in the use of certain substances found usually in 'Rootworking' and the creation of sachets which are themselves basically the Mojo Hands or Pacquet Kongo used in Vodoun, derived from the Nkisi of Kongo Magic. Such is the author's consummate skill these cultural elements are harmoniously blended into the brew in a very effective manner.
Furthermore the author's 'voice' throughout is very enjoyable to follow and the book is a great read, lively and expressed throughout with intelligence, stylistic panache and humour.It contains many fine illustrations in an atmospheric woodcut-like style which add a great deal to the text.

In many ways this book was several decades ahead of it's time - it prefigured the contemporary return to authentic mediaeval and renaissance magical lore and technique and provides the reader with a great deal of stimulating and potent material to engage practically. Here is revealed in full detail the true Way of the Warlock for those intrepid souls who would dare penetrate the twilit demesne of mediaeval sorcery and attain to Nigromantic mastery of the Black Art. This essential book contains a wealth of material which will be invaluable to the magical practitioner at any stage of development and is greatly to be recommended.

Download Paul Huson's eBook: Mastering Witchcraft

Books in PDF format to read:

George Moir - Magic And Witchcraft
Paul Huson - Mastering Witchcraft

Summer Solstice

The summer solstice is an astronomical and astrological term regarding the position of the Sun in relation to the celestial equator. The summer solstice is the date with the longest day and hence with the shortest night. This date, on the common calendar, usually falls on June 21/June 22 (in the Northern hemisphere) or December 21/December 22 (in the Southern hemisphere).

At the time of this solstice, the earth is in that point of its orbit at which the hemisphere in question is most tilted towards the sun, causing the sun to appear at its farthest above the celestial equator when viewed from earth.

Midsummer is the time around the summer solstice. There are traditional holidays celebrated in Northern Europe and elsewhere at this time. In Denmark midsummers eve is know as Sankt Hans Aften. Bonfires are lit on beaches throughout the land as darkness comes and mock witches and fireworks are thrown into the fires. It is also a sabbat of Neopaganism, called litha.

In the USA the summer solstice is regarded as the start of summer. In other reckonings, the summer solstice is midsummer. In Britain and in Ireland, the solstices and equinoxes all occur at about midpoint in each season. For example, summer begins on May 1, and ends on July 31.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Aleister Crowley - White Stains
Aleister Crowley - Magick
Montague Summers - Malleus Maleficarum

Wiccan Holidays

Wiccan holidays have existed since before Christianity. There are now several similarities found between the two.

Depending on who you ask wicca is either a new found religion or one of the oldest religions to be, and to be honest both of these statements would be true. Just as any other religion Wicca has conformed and grown over the years. Todays’ Wicca is an extension of the wiccan religion that was traced back to Gardnerian witchcraft which was founded in the UK during the late 1940s. But just as in any other religion Wicca holidays can still be found today.

WICCA is based on the symbols, seasonal days of celebration, beliefs and deities of ancient Celtic society. wiccans recognize the existence of many ancient Gods and Goddesses, including Pan, Diana, Dionysius, Fergus, etc. However they also view the God and Goddess as symbols, not living entities. In the trees, rain, flowers, the sea, in each other and all of natures creatures. This means that they believe in treating “all things” of the Earth as aspects of the divine.

And this brings us to the point of our topic today. There are eight commonly-recognized and celebrated Wiccan holidays. Four of these (the quarter days) are held at the time of the solstices or equinoxes. The other four are cross-quarter days, held roughly in between one solstice and the subsequent equinox. Historical research shows that these holidays were probably celebrated throughout Europe and the British Isles in pre-Christian times. Many of the festivals were so popular that the Christian church could not prevent the common people from commemorating them, so they were appropriated and held under the aegis of various (and frequently spurious) Christian saints. The popularity of these ancient holy occasions is linked to changes in the earth and sky, the seasons, and the natural year-round seasonal shifts that dramatically affect human beings, animals, and plants.

BRIGANTIA or as it is more commonly known as Imbolc (the day when newborn lambs begin to nurse) or, to the Christians, Candle-mas (the purification of the Virgin), Brigantia is usually celebrated February 2. It marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring, when buried seeds begin to stir within the earth. It also marks the beginning of the third of the year which belongs to the Maiden aspect of the three-fold goddess. “Brigantia” is the day of Brigit, an Irish goddess of smith-craft, healing, and poetry. The old Saxon and Norse communities knew her as Birgit, the lusty, spring-loving consort of Ullr, the god of winter. The color of this day is red.

THE VERNAL EQUINOX usually falls around the 20th of March. There are exactly 12 hours of darkness and 12 hours of light on this day, so it marks the changeover from the dark to the light half of the year. It is a time of conception and new growth. Roman Catholics turned spring equinox into the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (March 25, Lady Day).

BELTANE is May 1, traditionally celebrated by twining ribbons “round a Maypole, an obvious fertility ritual. The name of this holiday is taken from various solar fire deities known to Celtic and Norse peoples. Its color is white. The Norse goddess Iduna, keeper and creator of the runes, is good to honor on Beltane. Beltane fires were lit on this evening, and people leaped through the smoke to purify themselves and insure fertility. It was customary to extinguish the fire in all the households in a village, then kindle a magic flame in a nine-square grid from which the center piece of turf had been removed. This fire was made with an oak spindle in an oak log socket, and was used to relight everyone”s hearth. Beltane was also traditionally celebrated by couples who made love in the woods. In Germany, this holiday was known as Walpurgisnacht.

SUMMER SOLSTICE occurs around June 21. In medieval times, celebrations of this year were labeled the feast of St. John the Baptist. Bonfires were kindled on the highest points in the district to celebrate the son achieving the highest point in its circuit. Flaming sunwheels were rolled downhill, and burning torches were carried sun wise around buildings to bless them. This day is sacred to the great mother goddess, especially Cerridwen. The Maiden gives way to Mother aspect of the goddess.

LAMAS announces the beginning of fall on August 1. Its traditional color is brown, and it commemorates the grain harvest. It is named after Lugh, a god of light, and an Anglo-Saxon word for “loaf of bread.” This is a time of thanksgiving and feasting.

FALL EQUINOX happens at About September 23, the light begins to decrease, and the dark half of the year commences. This is the second harvest festival, the harvest of fruits. Wine making commences now. The community begins to prepare for winter, and the Mother prepares to yield way to the Crone.

SAMHAIN falls on the last day of October, and is still celebrated today as Halloween. It was customary to slaughter livestock on this day and begin smoking meat. In the old Celtic calendar, this was the end of one year and the beginning of the new. The veil between the realm of the living and the dead is especially thin on this holiday. In Latin countries, the Day of the Dead is commemorated around this time of year. It is customary to do a divination on this day for what the coming year will bring.

WINTER SOLSTICE falls on or about December 21. Also known as Yule, this is a major holiday, when the sun reaches its weakest point, and we have the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The Crone is in full force. Many religions have placed the birth of their solar hero gods and saviors on this day: Jesus, Horus, Helios, Dionysus, and Mithras all claim Yule as their birthday. Since this day also represents the point at which the sun begins to wax, it represents rebirth and regeneration.

Books You Might Enjoy:

John Yarker - Arcane Schools
Melita Denning - The Aurum Solis
Gerald Gardner - Witchcraft Today

Wicca An Introduction

Merry Meet to everyone!

As a practising wiccan I often find that many people have preconceived misconceptions of wiccans or Witches and their Arts. This introduction – hopefully to become a series – aims to dispel some of those myths.

I have been a practising Wiccan for over ten years – though the interest had been going much longer than that. I generally prefer to keep my Wiccan ’status’ quiet, as I find many people laugh and scoff at it and some can be even quite rude! In todays modern times religion is a very diverse thing, most people prefer to stick to their own and don’t wish to encourage others. Although I’m sure that most Wiccans would agree that it isn’t exactly a religion, more a Lifepath; a choice that we make to continue on during our life’s journey.

Firstly, many ask if wicca and witchcraft are the same thing. The answer is both yes and no – it depends on who you ask! Some say that their art is a religion, others say it is not. It is all personal preference, and in most aspects of Wicca personal preference is the most important. I personally think Wicca and witchcraft are pretty much the same thing – they do have slight differences – so will refer to it collectively as Wicca for the remainder of this article. I also believe that it is not a religion – religion is in general a set of rules a person lives his or her life by. Of course, before anyone yells at me, that is not all that religion is, there is much more to it than that – I am merely stating this for comparison. Wicca, although it has its rules, does not give set precedences for living your life by – there is no rule which states you must do this on this day, or you must do something a certain way – again its all personal preference.
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One question I am often asked – Are Wiccans evil, or devil worshippers? NO NO NO NO NO!!! The vast vast majority of Wiccans are White or Good witches, there is such thing as black magic or Dark magic but it is not as widely used – and never in my knowledge to worship the devil (someones been watching FAR too many horror movies!!)

One of the main principles in Wicca is the Rule of Three – also called The Threefold Law or Law of Return. This states that what a person does will return to them three times. The way I was taught it was “Do as thou wilt, but harm ye none; for it wilst return to thee times three”. So imagine an evil witch casting an evil spell and consider the consequences – dark magic is just not worth it!!

There is also the belief that Wiccans can just magic things up – that spells can be cast for just about anything. This in part is true, a Wiccan can write a spell for any means they desire – within reason obviously. There has been tv shows or films which show witches who can click or point their fingers and things appear or disappear – no this cannot happen either!! (Shame I know!)

Spells are written to give energy to the desire. I know one of the top searches on the Internet is ‘Love Spells’ – though some believe that their is no such thing as a love spell. This is because another of the Wiccans beliefs is that we cannot overrule a person’s free will.

People say that Wicca is becoming a more popular belief than ever before. I don’t believe that is strictly true – my own view on this idea is that more Wiccans are being open about their beliefs; in this day and age many people are more open minded than they used to be and can accept us Wiccans for what we are.

I sincerely hope you have enjoyed reading my article; I intend to follow up to this with a history of Wicca, and also an insiders look into a Wiccan life. I will give information on beliefs, tools, crafts and various other things for a newly founded Wiccan who wishes to learn; an older, wiser Wiccan who would like to learn something new; or even for the interested individual who would like to learn more about Wicca.

Blessed Be to all

Books You Might Enjoy:

James Eschelman - Invocation Of Horus
William Wynn Westcott - An Introduction To The Study Of The Kabalah
Paul Foster Case - An Introduction To The Study Of The Tarot
Pino Longchild - Wicca Revealed An Introductory Course In Wicca
Richard Spence - Secret Agent 666 Introduction