kthx bai

Hello everyone! I recently had a friend talk to me about Wicca, and he is new, so I decided to make some posts about basic Wicca so that he can go on Tumblr and find out information.

First, I’m going to talk about what circle-casting is. Circle-casting refers to setting up a temporary place to practice your magick. It’s round by definition. Circle-casting is most commonly found in Wicca, but there are other magick traditions that use it. The circle is put up at the beginning of the ritual, spell, or other magickal working and released/broken when the ritual or spell is complete.

There are many reasons casting a circle is useful. It helps get your mind into what I’ve nicknamed ‘ritual space’, which is how I feel when doing spells and rituals. It kind of alerts your brain that you’re doing magick and I find that helps make my magick stronger. Second, it’s a way to distance yourselves from the distractions of the mundane world. Negative forces can feed off a witch’s energy as well, so they are useful as a protective barrier. Another helpful bit about casting a circle is that it helps contain your magickal energy and focus it accordingly.

To oversimplify, a circle keeps the mundane and negative out, and your positive magickal energy in. 

There are many ways to cast a circle. You can do it silently or aloud, with tools or your finger. It can be as complex and ritual or as easy-going and free as you please. A traditional circle has four cardinal points, set equally far apart around the circle’s circumference.  These four points are associated with the four elements, the four directions, and the four seasons. You can think of them as four poles of a tent, balancing the energy of your circle.

What I usually do to cast my circle is sprinkle salt water clockwise where I want my circle, chanting “Thrice I cast this circle round, marking out this holy ground.” I then place four candles at the cardinal pojnts and light them. Some people like to mark their circle with stones or pour salt on the floor. Some people use dirt and some use twigs. I knew a witch who used chalk to mark out their circle, it’s up to you!

I find it important to note that plenty of Wiccans don’t cast circles. It’s not a hard-and-fast rule, it’s a simple thing you can do to strengthen your magick if you so wi(tch)sh. 

Just remember the Wiccan Rede: An’ ye harm none, do what ye will.

Today's theme is Wicca Basics

It's a newbie day folks!

Anon is on, asks are open, pm messages are open, ask and ye shall receive (sometimes good) advice!

Common Magickal Herbs:

There are a few herbs I feel are basics, I took down in my book of shadows.

These herbs have many properties and are used for different things by different Wiccians so please research further.

Thank you and good luck on your journey. 

Ansie- Used for purification, protection, and it’s good for getting rid of nightmares

Basil- Used for purification, protection, exorcisms, love, and happiness

Chamomile- Prosperity, meditation, calmness ( and it makes a great tea)

Cinnamon- Encouraging psychic abilities, protection, success and great for healing spells.

Dill- The seeds draw in money and good for protection spells, whereas the flowers are used for love spells.

Hazel- Mental powers, great for fertility spells!

Mugwort- Helps with divination

Nutmeg- great for encouraging psychic abilities, such as clairvoyance and helps with prosperity spells.

Parsely- used for purification and protection

Peppermint- used for healing and purification spells

Rosemary- protects from negativity, used for blessings, concertation, aids memory.

Sage- Used for healing, prosperity, wisdom, and cleansing.

Thyme- burn for purification and protection from negativity.

I picked up a few new items from a thrift store for my altar that will need to be cleansed, consecrated, and charged so I thought I would share the information while it was on my mind. 

Cleansing New Items

Removing old connotations and negative energy from the items allows you a clean slate for putting your own intention into that object. Plus, you don’t want anyone’s old baggage messing with your spells. 

There are a few ways to do this ...

Moonlight Leave items in the light of a full moon overnight, cleanses and charges ... double bonus! Full moon energy lasts for three days: the day before, the day of, and the day after. Overnight on any of these days will work, or all three if you wish. 

Water Leave item under running water for 10 minutes. I’m not necessarily talking tap water, though for those with limited supplies or in hiding, that will absolutely do. Intention is key. 

Other examples of running water are streams and waterfalls. Allowing the object to sit in the rain for 10 minutes would probably be ideal for Storm Witches. 

It does not have to be running water either. I have a stash of different kinds of water in jars that I collect and cleanse in the moon. A cloth dipped in pre-cleansed water of your choice, then used to clean the object, or allowing the object to soak in such water, will work as well. This can be done with Moonwater (see Moonlight ^^^), Holywater, Rainwater, Seawater etc.

- Note: obviously anything that can be damaged by the water, like books or some types of crystals, would not be ideal for this type of cleansing.

The Elements I consider myself an Elemental Witch first and foremost, so this is my favorite. It involves passing the object through Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. 

Air: Incense, sage, smoke Fire: Over a candle flame or hot coals - Note: be smart enough to not set anything on fire Water: drops of any type of water (see Water ^^^) Earth: sprinkles of dirt, sand, salt

Smudging Probably the most well-known cleansing technique outside of our world. It is an old Native American practice where Sage is used for cleansing spaces and removing negative energy. This technique can also be used to cleanse your person and your items. 

Burial Bury the object in the earth of your choice, such as: outside in the woods (Note: make sure you mark the spot and know how to get back), in a graveyard/in grave dirt, in your garden, in a bowl of dirt/sand/salt.

Besom, A Witches’ Broom Sadly, the stories of witches flying around on broomsticks is a tall tale, though I enjoy fantasizing about having a power of levitation so strong, that it would be possible. Full size brooms are used for cleansing doorways and entrances. They can also be used by placing the object on the floor and sweeping over it. I would imagine that having a miniature one, as an altar for cleansing objects, would suffice, using it to brush away the old dust and energy. Perhaps you are an artist and would like to use a consecrated paint brush? :)

Speaking of ...

Consecrating New Items

It is not necessary to consecrate everything. Usually only tools and primary objects used in magic including Athames (Witch Daggers), besoms, candles, charms, talismans, and poppets. Anything you consecrate will become permanently sacred. If you have a specific ground you use outside for ritual or circles, you can consecrate that too. Churches, for example, are known as consecrated ground, which is why vampires and such beings cannot enter there. With other minor items, like crystals, a simple cleanse is fine. 

The Elements (See Cleansing > The Elements) The exact same gig can be used for consecrating, by blessing the items with your intention by using the Elements. Instead of “I cleanse this item of ....”, you can change it to “I consecrate this item through air/water/fire/earth, that it may ...”

Dedication Pray over the items and dedicate them to a God/Goddess that serves your purpose. 

Charging Items

Notice how I did not use the word “new” here? The charge of an item weakens over time and after use. So whether it’s new or not, you should regularly charge your items. I personally set my stuff out every full moon :)

Ritual A lot of what we do in witchcraft is ritual, but actions that are considered ritualistic behavior can be used to raise and imbue energy. These include chanting, dancing, and meditation. 

Anointing (Candle Specific) Rub/drip onto candles. You can use different oils to direct your intention.

Solar and Lunar Power As I mentioned above, you can charge your items in the light of the full moon, as well as the sun. I personally am more partial to the moon. 

Crystals Fully-charged crystals can be used as conduits to charge other objects. I have a Selenite stone that I use to reset my tarot deck. 

Sources: 

The Real Witches’ Book of Spells and Rituals

Wicca Basics and the 3 C’s: Cleansing, Consecrating and Charging

Cleansing Crystals with the Full Moon

Personal Experience

Chapter One (I): Elements: The Cornerstones of Magic

Reading Notes: 

- the elements are essential to spell work. It is possible to not use them, but such spells are “generally less effective and often do not work accurately, or at all.”

- “To craft an effective spell we must firstly have the idea (Air), we need to be enthusiastic about it (Fire), we become emotionally involved with it (Water), and then we put it into action (Earth, but we must also add a bit of our inner self (Spirit) to make it happen.”

- the first element is Air, thoughts should precede

- “Air is the wind, from the gentlest summer breeze to hurricanes and tornadoes which can devastate the the earth. All living things need air, in one form or another, to breathe.”

- our thoughts, our breathing, the sense of smell

- the idea and thinking process

- morning, spring, youth, the East

- yellow

This lesson is course work from Kate West’s The Real Witch’s Craft: Magical Techniques and Guidance for a Full Year of Practicing the Craft. 

The Author’s Website -                                                                        http://kate-west.webs.com/

Buy it here or here. 

This is part of series of books that I highly recommend for beginners. I own two and want three more. 

Practical Work I(i): 

I notice the breeze* and its soothing caress. The rustle of the leaves as they flutter rapidly in stronger currents. It is the beginning of autumn. The bright green leaves are fringed with yellow. One tree is bleeding; a dark patch of of red oozing into orange. There are casualties as summer fights to stay alive. 

But the air is also a protector. It shields us from the direct heat of the sun, and there was a definite chill. Summer, it is time for you to rest. Autumn is here (Scorpio, Death Card). There is such beauty in this season because that beauty is an analogy to teach us that there is beauty in death. 

And that is why I have always loved both Autumn and Winter. Nature is dying to be reborn again, showing us that it is okay to become a different person. To evolve. To grow. To be reborn you have to die.  The air I breathe has come in on the winds of change. I am shedding an old skin. I will step into the wiccan new year with pink skin, spending the cold days crafting a new person. I am the master of my own destiny. I will emerge in the spring ready to conquer, celebrating my treasure in the summer. All from that gentle push forward by these winds. Wind in my sails. 

*I chose to do my exercise outside, but this can also be done indoors with incense.  Information Links: 

The Air Element: Qualities and Correspondences  -http://www.thewhitegoddess.co.uk/the_elements/air.asp

http://thisbookofshadows.tumblr.com