Tag Archives: Witchcraft

Magic/Magick, Witchcraft

Creating Magical Space

Leave a comment
Jarred wearing a ritual robe and casting a circle as part of creating magical space.

As I think back on my video about casting a circle, I find myself wondering if I fully answered Catz’s question. You see, I focused specifically on the part of marking out the circle and cutting it away from “ordinary” space. I’ve found that some people also consider calling the quarters as well. I see them as separate acts that are part of a single cumulative process: creating magical space. Some witches I know also call this “constructing the temple.”

To me, this is what the whole opening phase (and I’ll get into the phases of ritual in a future video) of a rite is all about.

  1. We cleanse the space with incense, saltwater, sound, and other methods to make sure it’s cleared of negativity and chaotic energies.
  2. We then mark out the magical space and separate it. As I said in the video, this is what casting the circle is all about.
  3. We then fill that space. By calling the elements in. We ask the Divine to join us. In my work, I also invite the ancestors and land-wights (nature spirits) in.

A well-planned rite or liturgical structure works to make sure that each of those steps work together. It keeps the themes going and offers a sense of cohesiveness. It draws us into our time with the Divine and the work we will do in that magical space.

For those who missed it, here’s my video on casting a circle.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvQ42z40hk8]

I’m not sure whether I’ll do a video about the other components of creating magical space. Let me know if that’s something you’d find useful.

Witchcraft

Witchy Questions: What is your favorite witchy tool?

Leave a comment

This post was inspired by Question #43 from this list.

A nice magical blade.

I’ve always had a thing for blades. The picture, which might be familiar to anyone who has listened to my podcast, is of my personal blade. Many people might be inclined to call it an athame, as it has most of the qualities associated with that tool. I don’t, however, as I don’t really feel that term belongs to the traditions that I personally focus on.

I’ve worked with a number of groups that seem almost reluctant to work with blades. They prefer wands. While i respect others’ right to practice as they see fit, I’ve never been comfortable with that approach. A blade is a weapon for cutting, piercing, and dissecting. These are essential practices in the Craft as I understand it. I have to be able to slice through unwanted bonds and connections and separate things. And to be frank, if you’re dealing with something truly negative, being able to threaten it at knife-point is a powerfully useful act.

Witchcraft

Witchy Questions: What is your favourite type of candle to use?

Leave a comment

This post was inspired by Question #42 from this list.

I’m a huge fan of these small candles, which I’ve found you can find in just about any witch or New Age shop. Also, note that I have no relationship to the seller who I linked to. I am not recommending you buy from them (nor am I discouraging you from doing so) nor do I get anything if you buy from them. Sometimes, a link is just a link. In this case, it’s a link to a convenient picture.

But I like those candles because they tend to burn down completely in an hour or two. Very convenient for the witch on the go who doesn’t want to spend days extinguishing and re-lighting a candle that lasts for hours.

For ritual purposes — such as quarter candles, deity candles, or similar candles that you want to re-use from ritual to ritual — I’m a huge fan of pillar candles in glass jars. I like that they’re self-contained and not dripping wax all over everything. And as long as you can keep the wick exposed, when they cool, the melted was becomes a part of the burnable candle again.

Witchcraft

Witchy Questions: What’s the craziest witchcraft-related thing that’s happened to you?

Leave a comment

This post was inspired by Question #41 from this list.

I have to admit, readers, that I’m a bit annoyed by this question. And it’s not just because I haven’t had any “weird” experiences. I’m a highly empathic witch with some mediumship ability. I’ve also mentored other people and have had some rather intense experiences while mentoring them, experiences which I will not share without the express permission of those people. So yeah, I could share a few tales here.

But those tales are not the point of my practice. I feel like despite all our talk about how Wicca, other forms of witchcraft, and Paganism being about spirituality and everyday life, we seem to quickly flock to the tales of the extraordinary and “weird.” That just seems self-defeating to me.

The only time I really like to talk about my “weird” experiences is when I’m talking one-on-one with someone who has had their own “weird” experience and needs a little reassurance that they’re not just “crazy.” In that case, it’s helpful to say, “Yeah, this sort of thing happens. Let me share a similar experience I had.” But after that, I think it’s time to explore why they had that experience and what they might want to learn from or otherwise take away from that experience. It’s time to re-apply it to “everyday life.”

Books, Witchcraft

Witchy Questions: What is your favorite witchy book, both fiction and non-fiction. Why?

Leave a comment

This post was inspired by Question #39 from this list.

I am a huge fan of Terry Pratchett’s books about Tiffany Aching. I listened to The Wee Free Men on audio-book over fifteen years ago. The thing I love about these books is that it actually downplays magic as part of what witches do and explores what it means to be a witch in terms of mindset as well as other ideas, such as the importance and power of stories.

In the realm of non-fiction, I would say that my favorite book is just about anything written by Diana Paxson, who I suspect might not refer to herself as a witch. But whether you’re talking about her tome on runes or her guide to deity possession, she offers a lot of helpful information for many witches (though I admit atheist witches may find her less helpful) can access easily. Paxson tends to be well-researched, has personal experience to offer, and writes in a style that is easy to follow.

Paganism, Spiritual Development, Witchcraft

Witchy Questions: How do you incorporate your spirituality into your daily life?

Leave a comment

This post was inspired by Question #37 from this list.

I think a huge portion of everyday spirituality was covered by my podcast episode on the everyday sacred. Much of working my spirituality into daily life is just doing little things to help me remember that I and everyone and everything around me is sacred. This is reflecting in the fact that the coworker I’m talking to is another part of the Sacred Whole (so maybe I should rethink how I’m treating them). Or taking a moment to check in with my body, thanking it for getting me through the day so far, and asking if there’s anything I can do to keep it going.

Everyday spirituality also comes in those moments when I chant “Hail Freyja! Feed the flames!” and seek to rekindle my passion for and enjoyment of life.

Everyday spirituality is easy when you make spirituality about living and life.

Witchcraft

Witchy Questions: What is your favorite type of magick to preform?

Leave a comment

This post was inspired by Question #36 from this list.

I tend to prefer keeping my magic simple. I’m not the kind of person who comes up with complex rituals with lots of wordy chants, spell components, and complex instructions. Most often, I prefer to just visualize my objective and send that out into into the universe with a few words. Or I might light a candle or two if I feel the need to have something more concrete to focus on or do.

Witchcraft

Witchy Questions: What is your favorite season?

Leave a comment

This post was inspired by Question #35 from this list.

I grew up in Tioga County of Pennsylvania, not far from the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon, which is well-known for its fall foliage. (To be honest, the image in that article doesn’t do it justice.) It was always a delight to watch the trees go from green to being adorned in halos of red and gold. It’s a sight that I still occasionally enjoy going home briefly to catch a glimpse of.

Another thing I love about the fall is the weather here in the Northeastern United States. We’ve escaped the heat of July and August, but are not yet to the bitter cold temperatures of December through February. This is a time of year where our light jackets reappear and you can run around outside. It’s like Spring, but usually more dry. And you get the view of the lovely leaves.

There’s also that sense that the world is slowing down again, ready to go dormant, which appeals to my too-busy mind. (Seriously, I wish my often over-active brain would learn to be more like the earth in the Fall.) To me, that time of year offers the promise of rest. I am a bear, maybe even hibernation. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Spiritual Development, Witchcraft

Witchy Questions: Do you meditate?

Leave a comment

This post was inspired by Question #34 from this list.

One of the practices I’ve ben trying to work on regularly is just spending a few minutes connecting with my body. I will close my eyes and try to calm my mind. Then I will breathe deeply and focus on my body. I try to get a feeling for each muscle in my body and gauge its state and how it is feeling at that moment. This is an important exercise for me because I’m the kind of person who gets “stuck in my head” a lot and forgets to pay attention to my body, how it feels, and what it’s trying to communicate with me.

Another thing that I’ve been doing lately — though other distractions have gotten in the way for the past week or so — is light a candle and start out by reading this invocation to Freyja, Afterward, I’ll sit there and think and repeat “Hail Freyja! Fan the flames!” in my mind like a mantra as I try to feel her passion and zeal for life rise in my body.

Witchcraft

Witchy Questions: Would you ever teach witchcraft to your children?

Leave a comment

This post was inspired by Question #33 from this list.

I suppose that if I were to have kids — Joe and I both agree that we do not really see them in our future — I would approach this topic the same way that I approach sharing my wisdom, knowledge, and advice with other people in my life.

I would not try to convince my kids to become witches, let alone try to get them to practice witchcraft exactly the way that I do. Instead, i would rather focus on encouraging my kids to develop their own ethical framework — which I consider the most important thing in the world — and then consider them to explore the world and indulge in their own curiosity as they see fit. If that means they express an interest in the Craft, I will gladly share my wisdom with them and find any other resources that they may find helpful and enjoyable.

But in the end, my attitude toward any spiritual or magical practice they chose will be to make sure that it honors the dignity of all and otherwise let them be.