Everything Witchy

Power of Three and Harm None

2012-02-01T09:07:00.000-08:00

Wiccans and witches believe in the power of three. This means that whatever you do, whether for good or bad, will come back to you three-fold. Wicca practitioners believe in Karma- negative actions will cause negative things to happen to you. Positive things will impact your life in a positive way. This is why wiccans strive to "harm none" so that they can live in peace and harmony with the earth and the people around them.

Wiccans and Witches are not Evil

2012-01-30T07:09:00.000-08:00

After centuries of propaganda, wiccans and witches have been labeled as evil. This can be traced back to organized religions in which those that do not believe in Christ must be against Christians. Christ is good and those that don't believe must be bad. And as we know, courtesy of the Spanish Inquisition and the Salem witch trials, those that don't embrace the Christian religion will never make it to heaven and should be eradicated.

Oddly enough, those that claim to be athiests suffer considerably less than those who claim to be wiccans or witches. Wiccans and witches do believe in a higher power; they just don't believe in the Christian religion. This makes them no different than many other major religions, including the Jews who also don't believe in Christ.

So in closing, I would like to encourage you, the reader, to explore the wiccan faith, as well as other faiths that are different from your own. Not so that you will convert to a different faith, but rather to learn about other religions and to help dispell some of the misconceptions that are perpetuated by ignorance.

Please check out the links below for information on the wiccan religion and practices.

Blessed be!

Pagan LoreThe 13 Basic Wiccan Principles
Wiccan GladeBasic information about the wiccan religion
Religion FactsLearn the origins of the wiccan religion here
Wicca.com

Wicca Recognized as a Religion in the United States

2012-01-28T09:10:00.000-08:00

Did you know that the wiccan religion is recognized in the United States? Wiccan practitioners are protected under the U.S. Constitution. In 1986 a federal appeals court ruled that it is a legal religion. Because of this many people have found the courage to announce that wicca is their religion of choice. Practitioners may also wear pentagrams in public schools or the workplace and cannot be forced to remove the jewelry for religions reasons.

What are Wiccans

2012-01-26T09:10:00.000-08:00

Photo by Loveliestdreams@Dreamstime.com

The Wiccan religion is all about nature and the spiritual world around us. It is based on ancient beliefs similar to paganism. Wiccans are accepting of everyone regardless of their religious background, race, sexual orientation or cultural background. Some wiccans come to this religion because they believe they have unusual or supernatural abilities. Because of these abilities they may not be accepted in the religion they may have grown up with. People come to the wiccan religion because they feel more accepted and embrace the idea of living in harmony with nature.

Not all wiccans are witches, and not all witches are wiccans. Witches can be both male and female; warlocks are witches, either men or women, who are shunned from their wiccan community.

A Good Witch

There is a misconception about witches or wiccans which has, pardon the pun, been brewing for years. The popular media has perpetuated the myth that witches practice black magic, cast evil spells, worship the devil and so on. While I don't dispute that some people, not necessairily wiccans, are satan worshippers, the majority of wiccans you will meet do not do this.

A wiccan practitioner will concentrate on their natural powers to improve their own lives, the lives of those around them, and their family members. It is more about love than hate; wiccans don't like negative energy and work hard to avoid it. Things a witch or wiccan will work towards in their lives include:

Live a "green" life
Conserve energy and gas
Plant trees
Clean up their community
Volunteer at many community businesses
Recycle
...and anything that can help improve the earth and environment

The Council of American Witches (which is now defunct), drew up a list of principles that are still followed by most witch and wiccan practitioners today. Of special importance is the following principle:

"We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as "Satan" or "the devil" as defined by Christian traditions."

Wiccan Altar Tool Placement

2012-01-24T06:48:00.000-08:00

Wiccan tools should be placed on an altar in a specific area that corresponds with a specific element. The tools shouldn't just be placed on an altar willy-nilly, even for the solitary practitioner. While there aren't any Wiccan ritual police out there to bust you for infractions on tool placement, there are several accepted ways to place tools on your altar.

The following is a list of the basic ritual tools, their relationship with an element and where they should be placed on the altar. The elements represent spirits and are called the Guardians of the Watchtowers. Some Wiccans believe that individual tools may be represented by more than one element.

Candles are related to fire and the spirit. The spirit is center and fire is south.
The chalice or cup is related to water and should be placed in the west.
Deity images or sigils are related to spirit and should be placed in the center.
Pentacle and pentagram are related to earth. They should be placed in the north.
The wand is related to fire and air. Fire is to the south and air is to the east.
Water should be placed to the west.
Salt is related to earth and is placed to the north.
Athame is related to air and fire. Air is to the east and fire is to the south.

If you want to simplify the placement of your tools, you may also use the God/Goddess placement method. To do this, simply place the tools that are related to the God on the right and the Goddess on the left. Tools that are masculine symbols are the Athame, sword, want and incense burner. Tools that are feminine, for example, are the bell, broom, cauldron and cup.

Kiss of Shame

2010-08-21T16:29:00.000-07:00

Some of the stories related to witchcraft continue to amaze me, and so it is with the kiss of shame. This particular kiss was done during a witche's Sabbat, whereby a witch, after having his/her name called would come up to the devil and kiss him on the buttocks as a sign of homage. Thousands of witches were tortured and were forced to admit that they had participated in this part of the ritual.

I've written a brief article, Kiss of Shame, witches4you.com. Come here to learn more about witches, wicca and the history of "the craft."

Blessed Be!

Spell Casting - a Historical Perspective

2010-07-12T13:05:00.000-07:00

Check out our latest article on Witches4You.com, Spell Casting in History. This informative article gives a look at the history of magic and spell casting, from ancient times to modern practitioners of the craft.

Here's an excerpt from this article:

'Magic', in its simplest form, has been used by ancient cultures to control the elements, and bend forces of nature to the will of the user. The Prehistoric man was very much in tune with how they were placed in nature, and often felt they must give up sacrifices and offerings to their Gods in order to keep them happy. These rituals are the earliest forms of spellcasting, as their power of giving thanks helped them in their tasks of farming or gathering food.

African and Native American cultures had their wise men and women to perform their spells for similar reasons. They used wands and crystals to aid them in their spell casting, and offered gifts of thanks for the spiritual powers. They focused more on charms and trinkets, or dolls to be carried around, and could perform spells wherever they were needed. Those who performed the spells were highly revered in their society, as they had proved themselves strong enough to handle the power of the spirits.

Get more information on witchcraft and Wicca on Witches4You.com!

Spell Triggers

2010-06-18T12:27:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard of spell triggers? If you haven't, check out this excerpt from a new article on Witches4You.com:

First, let me talk about what a Witchcraft "Trigger" is. (Trust me, even some experienced Witches have never heard of Triggers before. You can use this with any wicca spells you get for free - or otherwise).

A Trigger is a way have "assigning" your spells to a word, a bodily movement, or sometimes even a thought or state of mind.

For example, instead of sitting down and doing a full spell ritual to bring "self love" to you, you can actually assign the focus, intention and emotion that the spell entails to a simple movement of your hand or arm. - Excerpt from Using Spell Triggers

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2010-05-19T11:50:00.000-07:00

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Tennessee Bell Witch

2010-05-14T12:23:00.000-07:00

Check out one of our latest articles on Witches4You.com: The Tale of the Tennessee Bell Witch.

Here's an excerpt from this article:

The story of the Bell witch is one that takes place close to two hundred years ago. It began shortly after the Bell family’s arrival in Tennessee. The incidences began in 1817 once the Bell family settled on the farm they bought. It was formerly a farm belonging to the Robertson family, not far from a town called Adams along the Red River. The strange happenings began after the head of the family, John Bell, saw a strange sight in his cornfield. He claimed to have seen some type of animal that appeared to have the body of a canine but its head was that of a rabbit. He shot at it but it disappeared. He tried to find this strange creature but there was no trace of it. It was this incident that seemed to be the beginning of all the awful events that nearly destroyed this family.

Divining Using Dowsing Rods

2010-05-13T13:43:00.000-07:00

Divining is one of my favorite activities. I have a gift for using divining rods in particular and enjoy using them to find lost objects, water and the occasional missing pet on my farm. If you'd like to learn more about this fascinating divination technique, check out my article on HubPages: Divining Using Dowsing Rods

The dowsing rods, shown here on the left from Amazon.com, are one of my favorite sets and are very easy to use for the beginner. They're handmade in Florida from C. Green and come with a handy how-to guide in the package.

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2010-05-12T11:40:00.000-07:00

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The_Scoop_on_Wiccan_Practices

2010-05-03T13:05:00.000-07:00

Check out our latest article on Witches4You.com: The_Scoop_on_Wiccan_Practices

Excerpt from this article:

The Wiccan religion is said to have been begun by Gerald Gardner in the middle 1950s. At that time he was a retired civil servant in Britain who became interested in the practice of witchcraft. He claimed that his new following was based on a combination of following nature and modern day witchcraft. He further claimed that the teachings began in old Europe but others claim the teachings he followed started no earlier than the early 1920s. Though Gardener may have brought the religion back and found followers the truth is that that practice of witchcraft never completely disappeared it simply became quieter to protect those who were followers.

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2010-05-02T12:26:00.000-07:00

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Gadget Spell

2010-04-27T08:40:00.000-07:00

If you work on the computer, or with other electronic gadgets as I do, you may have trouble with them either regularly or on occasion. Nothing for me is more frustrating than a computer that doesn't work, since that is the one item I use every day. If you're having trouble with your technological gadgets, try the Square G spell:

First, create a square shaped G. You can make this out of wood, draw it on paper, print it out on your computer (if it is working!), or any way else that helps you make this square-shaped letter G. As you make the G, recite your spell to banish problems with your gadgets. It could go something like this:

As I make this letter G,
I banish negative electricity,
Peace of mind I request of thee,
With this last line so mote it be.

Keep in mind, all spells are stronger if you write them yourself!

Next, place this letter G in your work area, or even affix it to the gadget that you're having trouble with. A small sticky note can help you with this, especially if you're trying to be inconspicuous at work and need to create a small square G.

Each time you enter your workspace or use the problematic gadget, place your hand over the Square G that you've created. Rub your hands together to cleanse the area of the negative energy before you begin using the gadget, and you should find that your tech gadgets run much more smoothly.

Herbs for Blessings

2010-04-25T19:35:00.000-07:00

There are many herbs that can be used for blessings. The following is a list of herbs that you can use for your next blessing, whether it is for the birth of a child or for a friend's housewarming party:

Onion
Ivy
Larkspur
Lavender
Mint
Garlic
Myrrh
Sage
Sandalwood
Geranium
Hawthorn
Heliotrope
Horehound
Hyssop
Nasturtium
Passionflower
Pennyroyal
Rosemary
Spearmint
Tobacco
St. John's Wort
Tansy
Thistle
Thyme
Mugwort
Witch Hazel
Willow
Vervain
Pine
Oak
Olive
Mulberry

You may find more information on these individual herbs on our sister website, HealingHerbs4You.com.

Have a great week, and Blessed Be!

Book of Shadows

2010-04-18T08:29:00.000-07:00

The Book of Shadows can mean different things to different people who practice Wicca and witchcraft. For some individuals who belong to a coven, it can be a book that is hand copied from the person who initiated them. For others, it can be a personal journal that is used to record festivals, personal thoughts, chants and incantations. Yet for others, such as solitary practitioners, a Book of Shadows may be a place where they record everything related to the practice of magick, including spellcasting and recipes.

No matter how you view the Book of Shadows, you'll find interesting information about it on my latest HubPages article, About the Book of Shadows.

Get more information on witches, Wicca and witchcraft on Witches4You.com.

Poppet Magick

2010-04-17T07:02:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder what a poppet was, or if you did, know how to use one? The following information was written by guest author, Darnell Money.

Magick with Poppets is usually done when you are directing a spell at a specific person (hopefully with their permission, and never to affect their free will). For example, spells for healing, loosing weight, protection, and love (remember, you must have their permission!). You can get poppet materials at any good wicca store.

Creating a Poppet is very simple. All you need is some cloth (or fabric) in a color that feels right for the spell you are trying to cast. Poppets are created in such a way where you can stuff them with special herbs depending on the spell you are casting.

If you are doing some form of Love Magick for instance, you would stuff the poppet with Love herbs mentioned in the Herb section. (you may even include a photo of a person who has given you permission to do the spell on, or one of their hairs, etc)

You would then cleanse and consecrate the poppet for the four elements, before using the poppet in a spell.

If you ever cast a spell using a poppet, remember that to end the spell (if you ever want to), you simply need to caste a circle, and take apart the poppet within the circle to remove the effects of the spell.

In my Witchcraft Home Academy In-A-Box, I show you exactly how to create poppets (it is very hard to describe without showing you) in the DVDs and includes step-by-step demonstrations of how to consecrate poppets and other Magick tools. And of course, I will walk you through some very powerful poppet spells that have brought me some amazing results.

Now I want to tell you all about using Mirrors in your Magick.

Though they aren't used quite as much as some of the other tools, their use can create results that other tools can't (such as the ability to see into the future in certain divination spells and rituals).

Not only are they used in Divination and Scrying (both discussed earlier in this book), but if a mirror is consecrated and blessed under a full moon it can be used to reflect negative energy - creating one of the strongest barriers for protection.

And it also works for positive energy. If someone sends positive Magick (or simple positive "thoughts") in your direction - not only will they be beneficial to you, but your mirrors will reflect this positive energy back to the sender.

There are also many spells that incorporate mirrors to bring inner beauty to the surface for the entire word to see - making you more attractive to other people in every single way. (and yes, some of the Mirror Magick will attract romantic prospects into your life)

Lastly, there are some advanced forms of home protection spells that use mirrors. One of the most powerful protection spells incorporates both Candle Magick and Mirror Magick. Even though it's not that complicated, I decided not to show the steps here. It is important for you to actually see the spell being done in a demonstration. I would never want you to be in a situation where you do the spell on your own without any guidance - and think your home is protected, and be completely unaware that it is not protected at all!

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Rose Ariadne has been practicing different forms of Witchcraft for over 27 years. For more information on what to look for in a store selling wicca stuff visit her site The Ask Rose Ariadne Witchcraft Site

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For more information on Wicca and Witchcraft, visit our website, Witches4You.com!

Astral Projection Information

2010-04-13T08:28:00.000-07:00

Our website, Witches4You.com has a new, five-part series on Astral Projection posted. If you're interested in learning about astral projection, also known as out of body experiences, check out the following articles:

Astral Projection Basics
Astral Projection for Beginners
Top 5 Astral Projection Tips for Beginners
What is Astral Projection
What is Meant by Astral Projection

African Venda Tablets for Divination

2010-04-07T14:32:00.000-07:00

In my continuing series of blogs covering the art of divination, I bring you the African divination tool, the Venda Tablets. The Venda oracles are from Zimbabwe. They used natural items to divine the future, such as bones and small, flat stones (much like Runes), to fortell the future. An oracle would call upon the four elements, earth, wind, fire and rain to help with a reading. Today, the tablets can be made of wood and have the symbols of father, son, mother and daughter carved or painted upon them.

Father - Rain; seed and one's life force
Mother - Earth; protector, home
Son - Fire; instincts, passion
Daughter - Wind; charm, attraction

To do a reading, the oracle will concentrate on the question being asked, then will take the four tablets in their hands, shake them and throw them onto the ground. The tablets that fall face down are removed. The remaining tablets are then read.

To learn more about this form of divination, visit Witches4You.com!

Ceremonial Athame and Summer Sabbats

2010-04-07T08:14:00.000-07:00

Spring is here once again and our thoughts turn toward the celebration of Mother Earth and her many offerings. I've spent the morning planting flowers and will spend the next few days starting many herbs from seed. I hope that the warm weather is inspiring you as well and that you're thinking of doing some spellcasting outdoors or simply enjoying the warmer weather.

I've added a few new articles to my website, Witches4You.com and will be adding many more during the month of April. I hope that you, dear reader, will find something of interest. If not, please feel free to contact me about writing an article or two for our site. While I can't pay for writers as of yet (advertisers are few and far between), I'll gladly post your byline and link to your website in any article.

Check out these new articles on Witches4You.com:
Athame Knife
A Midsummer Wicca Sabbat

As always, Blessed Be!

Celtic Ogham Divination

2010-04-05T14:53:00.000-07:00

Ogham divination was used by the Celts. In this form of divination, trees are used to determine portents of the future. Trees were believed to hold special cosmic powers and could therefore help people foretell the future. This form of divination is useful for interpreting a variety of situations.

To divine using Ogham you will need 20 wooden sticks with the name of the following trees (and in some cases, other greenery) on them:

Birch
Rowan
Willow
Alder
Ash
Hawthorne
Holly
Oak
Apple
Hazel
Ivy
Vine
Reed
Blackthorn
Fir
Elder
Heather
Gorse
Aspen
Yew

To do a reading, place all of the sticks in a bag. Ask a question, and take one stick from the bag. The tree that you have chosen will determine the outcome of the reading. Each tree represents a specific type of guidance that should help individuals solve a problem or how best to proceed.

If this type of divination attracts you, you may make your own set of Ogham sticks. Each stick should be 3 inches long and approximately half an inch thick. Individual sticks should have the names of each of the trees written on them. Sticks that you make yourself will be charged with your energy and should do well for you when using them.

Learn more about Ogham on Witches4You.com!

Types of Divination

2010-04-03T14:13:00.000-07:00

Some people are naturals at divination. There are many types of divination, some of which are more common than others, depending on where you live in the world. Some of the many divination practices include the following:

Ogham
Venda tablets
Oracle of Ancient Egypt
Mo
Darb er-Rami
Tarot
Aztec Book of Destiny
Colors
Zulu
Runes
I Ching
Numerology
Jogo dos buzios
Mahabo
Kumalak
Divining Rods and pendulums

Perhaps you've at least tried Tarot card reading, or had someone read your cards, or even have used Runes. Both of these are common in North America, as are Colors and Numerology.

I'll be explaining a little about all of these types of divination over the next few weeks and possibly you'll discover that you want to try a few new ways to practice divination. My favorites are the Tarot and divining rods, but I'm always open to new ways of doing things, and perhaps you, the reader, are too!

Check out my website, Witches4You.com, for more information on Wicca, Pagans and witchcraft. I'll be adding more articles on divination in the very near future.

Blessed Be!

Pagans, Wiccans and the Celebration of Easter

2010-04-02T08:01:00.000-07:00

It seems lately I'm seeing so much bantered about on the web regarding Pagans and the Christian holiday of Easter. I'm seeing negative things on the blogs and even Facebook regarding the "evil" Pagan holiday and rituals of the past. This is the root of many misgivings that Christians have about Pagans, Wiccans and the practice of Witchcraft. Even Catholics are being accused of practicing witchcraft or honoring Satan by even acknowledging the Easter holiday.

My least favorite blog post (on Amazon.com) warned people about the practice of dying Easter eggs because it was a Pagan fertility ritual. They went on to discuss how Pagans killed babies, then dipped the eggs in the babies blood and offered them up to Satan. This, according to them, is the origin of the Easter egg. While there may be historical truth to this, at least in the land of Babylon, it doesn't mean all Pagans worldwide were involved in this practice. Remember, we didn't live then and we only have second hand accounts of practices during this time. Since the Christians wanted to eliminate the Pagan religion, propaganda written by the church should be considered as such.

According to Christian traditions, however, the eggs are dyed red, not dipped in the blood of babies, to symbolize the blood Jesus shed when he was nailed to the cross. The egg shell, once cracked, represents Jesus' resurrection from the dead. The symbolism is that of life, not death.

If you're interested in reading about the symbolism of the Easter Egg or its origins, check out the following links:

Draw your own conclusions and celebrate the holiday as you choose. Since none of us lived during the days of Babylon, I think we should take everything offered up from today's, as well as church, historians with a grain of salt.

As always, Blessed Be!

FOXNews.com - Marine's Father Will Not Pay Court-Ordered Funeral Protesters' Fees

2010-03-30T15:49:00.001-07:00

FOXNews.com - Marine's Father Will Not Pay Court-Ordered Funeral Protesters' Fees

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