Spell Casting and The Book of Shadows.

 

It’s interesting to me that many younger people, particularly females, are coming to Wicca with only the “spell” aspect in mind. There is so much more to Wicca than spell casting. The practitioner must know what she’s doing because energy is a very powerful force and it’s unwise to use it foolishly.

The concept of spell casting is no mystery. Many religions advocate prayer to bring upon blessings. Young girls make colorful string bracelets as symbols of friendship, with hopes that it will forge a stronger bond. Wishing upon a star is a perfectly acceptable way to bring luck and love into our lives. The truth is there is energy all around us.  Spells  are the words that are spoken, but the energy is what sends the spell out into the universe. The power of the spell is within the magician or witch, who builds up the energy and lets it go at the precise time so it can perform its intended purpose.

Spells are not necessarily found in ancient books or any store-bought book. The most effective spells are those written personally by the spell caster. And if the spell is rythmical then all the better. Many solitary Witches and Witch Covens have what are called a Book of Shadows. A solitary Witch is a Witch who practices the craft alone and a coven is a group of Witches, usually limited to 13 members. This is a book that is written and added to on an ongoing basis by either the Coven or the Solitary. It’s not a mysterious writing, but a place to record all of your magical work. It is not a place to put thoughts and feelings because these things are more suitable for a journal. Your Book of Shadows is your own personal reference book for your unique path as a Witch.  Books of Shadows are almost never shared or loaned out. They are, however often written with the intention of handing them down at some point to the next generation. Which is another reason to leave out personal thoughts and feelings. A good Book of Shadows contains the moon phases and which spells work better at which phase, information on the Sabbats (the eight seasonal holy days corresponding to former pagan seasonal festivals), information on The God and The Goddess, Magical recipes, meditations and a copy of The Wiccan Rede. As your experience grows so will your Book of Shadows. You’ll want to record each and every spell you cast and its results. It would be disheartening if you’ve cast a successful spell and have forgotten the ingredients you’ve used because you didn’t write it down. A Book of Shadows can be a massive handmade wooden book or it can be as simple as a writing tablet. It’s all up to you. Remember you can always “trade up” later and transfer your information to another Book.

 It is true that spells work with energy and energy means power. Power is neither positive nor negative. It is the intention of the spell caster that makes a spell “good” or “evil” and that determines whether the spell will be helpful or harmful. That’s where morality comes in. Most practitioners understand and follow the Wiccan Rede (Ye Harm, Do What Ye Will) and do not perform any spells to manipulate, hurt or kill anyone. This is why love spells break this important rule. Most love spells are a form of manipulation. Casting a spell to bring love into one’s life is fine. Casting a spell to make a specific person fall in love with you is not. This would involve manipulation of another person. Casting a spell to harm an enemy is negative magic and violates Wiccan beliefs. Using negative energy and spell crafting is harmful to you, to your intended subject and, more importantly, to the Earth and all its goodness.

***This post and all others (including all new posts not published here) can be read at my brand new blog site: http://www.mylovesleftovers.com. Thanks for checking it out!

The Truth About Witchcraft and Wicca

Witches have been victims of religious intolerance over the course of centuries. There is an incredible amount of ignorance when it comes to the practice of Witchcraft and Wicca. I can start by saying what Wicca is not. Wicca and Witchcraft are not satan worship. We do not perform sacrifices on babies or anyone else for that matter. We neither proselytize nor make attempts to alter a person’s mind from Christianity or any other religion. It is not a cult. We do not believe in sin, heaven or hell. We do not believe the Pentagram, a common Wiccan symbol, is evil and used to conjur up the devil.  

  So what are Wicca and Witchcraft? Witchcraft is the craft of the Witch, the craft of folk magic. Some Wiccans extend this to include the religious rituals of Wicca.  Folk Magicians rarely refer to themselves as Wiccan, but Wiccans often call themselves Witches. Wicca is a religion that is many centuries old.  Wicca is a natural based religion that is still being practiced today by thousands of people in the United States. It is rooted in a reverence for the God and the Goddess through nature. We practice a form of folk magic, believing that there is power in the Universe. This power is present in all things. It’s within humans, plants, stones, colors, shapes and sounds and it can be concentrated . It can be awakened and moved through dance and movement, through music and chanting, and through manipulation of objects and concentration and visualization. Hence the use of candles, stones and crystals, runes, colors, herbs, roots and oils,  just to name a few.

Folk Magic is used for protection, prosperity, peace, love, happiness, fidelity and employment among many other purposes. It is never used to “get even” or put “evil spells” on anyone. In fact, Wiccans live by a strict code of ethics that recognizes that every bit of energy we put out will come back on us threefold. Life is respected, Mother Earth is respected and Power is respected. We live according to The Wiccan Rede, which states “An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will” ( an is not used as a substitute for and, but as an archaic use of the word if). Here is the Wiccan Rede in its entirety:

Bide the Wiccan laws ye must,
in perfect love and perfect trust.Live and let live -
fairly take and fairly give.Cast the Circle thrice about
to keep all evil spirits out.

 

To bind the spell every time,
let the spell be spake in rhyme.

 

Soft of eye and light of touch -
speak ye little, listen much.

Deosil go by the waxing Moon -
sing and dance the Wiccan Rune.

Widdershins go when the Moon doth wane,
and the werewolf howls by the dread wolfsbane.

When the Lady’s Moon is new,
kiss the hand to Her times two.

When the Moon rides at Her peak,
then your heart’s desire seek.

Heed the North wind’s mighty gale -
lock the door and drop the sail.

When the wind comes from the South,
love will kiss thee on the mouth.

When the wind blows from the East,
expect the new and set the feast.

When the West wind blows o’er thee,
departed spirits restless be.

*Nine woods in the Cauldron go -
burn them quick and burn them slow.

Elder be ye Lady’s tree -
burn it not or cursed ye’ll be.

When the Wheel begins to turn,
let the Beltane fires burn.

When the Wheel has turned a Yule,
lighty the Log and let Pan rule.

Heed ye flower, bush and tree -
by the Lady blessed be.

Where the rippling waters go,
cast a stone and truth ye’ll know.

When ye are in dire need,
hearken not to others’ greed.

With the fool no season spend,
or be counted as his friend.

Merry meet and merry part -
bright the cheeks and warm the heart.

When misfortune is enow,
wear the blue star on thy brow.

True in love ever be,
unless thy lover’s false to thee.

Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill -
an ye harm none, do what ye will.