Episodes
Tuesday May 30, 2023
S2 E21 Vedic Magic & St Osyth Witches
Tuesday May 30, 2023
Tuesday May 30, 2023
Pentagram/Pentacle
A pentagram is a five pointed star with each line connected, a pentacle is a circular disk, often made of clay, with a pentagram on it. A pentagram is a reminder of the four elements plus spirit that make up the world, one for each point and used most often as a Wiccan and/or pagan symbol of the faith. The pentacle is most often meant/used to represent earth on the altar. It took me far too long to remember the difference and I still get them confused sometimes.
Pentagrams can be found as early as 3500 BCE in Sumeria. Same for the pentacle. Pentacles can also be found as one of the suits of tarot cards as representing earth and the material sphere of life.
St Osyth Witches
Pope Innocent VIII, 1484 declared that witchcraft was heterodoxy and the crime was a capital offense as of 1563 in Britain. Approximately 200,000 witches were in some horrible manner put to death, often tortured, hung or burned throughout Western Europe. Queen Elizabeth I visited The Priory in 1579 and made it clear not enough was being done to condemn the local witches. The people who were blameworthy were usually poor elderly women who most often owned pets who were most commonly cats. They were considered to be their familiars which would help them carry out tasks of an evil nature.
In 1582 fourteen women who were from St Osyth in a coastal village near Brightlingsea in Essex were accused of and tried for witchcraft. They were tried in Chelmsford. Nursemaid and a midwife, the first person singled out was an elderly woman by the name of Ursula Kempe. An argument or disagreement occurred with Grace Thurlowe, the mother of sick Davy Thurlowe. This was after Ursula cured Davy but was not taken on as a nursemaid to care for Grace’s daughter. She became suspect of witchcraft after the daughter later fell out of bed and broke her neck. Then another incident of disagreement transpired; she was reported to the authorities and sent to Chelmsford to await trial. She was held at the Cage Medieval Prison in St Osyth. Interesting side note, the Cage was last used as a prison in 1908. It is now a private residence that has tales of hauntings and has been on several television programs.
Coming back to Ursula. A judge, Bryan Darcy from St. Clere’s Hall, convinced Ursula’s eight year old boy to make testimony against her as well as convincing her that he would show mercy if she confessed. Naturally she did. She even went so far as to admitting she had four familiars, two cats, a toad and a lamb. Interestingly the lamb was claimed to have been used in the death of the Thurlowe’s baby.
As with so many put to trial facing death she was convinced to point the justices in the direction and naming of other witches. In her case she named four other women: Alice Hunt, Alice Manfield, Elizabeth Bennet and Margery Sammon. As one can imagine these women were also convinced to give up the names of other witches, in this case it equalled the amount of nine other women. These women were Elizabeth Eustace, Anne Swallow, Cicely Celles, Joan Turner, Margaret Grevell, Agnes Glascock, Anis Herd, Alice Manfield and Joan Pechey. Two of all of these were for certain put to death: Ursusla Kempe who was hanged along with Elizabeth Bennet. It’s unknown as to what transpired with the others.
Proclaimed witchfinder General Matthew Hopkins was to blame for placing 300 to death between 1644 and 1647 in East Anglia. Catholics were often claimed to have been witches as the uprising of Puritan Preachers grew. In Bury St. Edmunds 68 were put to death, in Chelmsford 19 were hanged and 2 of those were from Osyth.
The Discovery of Witches written by Matthew Hopkins (born 1620- died 1647) in 1647 detailed “his gruesome methods for determining if someone was a witch… These methods were later used around the world and even quoted at the Salem Witch Trials in America in 1692.” (cited from St Osyth Museum, UK) “His first accusation was in a neighboring village known as Manningtree. The laws against witchcraft were abandoned in 1736”. (BBC)
The Vedic Period of Magic
The Vedic Era was 1500-500 BCE in India. It was, like in many other places, a time of magic. There were amulets, chants, and astrology. The Atharvaveda was written around this time period. It is one of the four Vedas, or holy books, of Hinduism and a collection of spells and chants. As with all the Vedas, authorship is not known.
Amulets were much like what you see from other ancient cultures. Invoking Gods and/or Goddesses and other powers to protect by using writing and images on a necklace. The swastika was also a well known and used symbol. We know it as the symbol of the nazi’s now, but this was long before that and used as a symbol invoking well being.
Chants were used widely. One such use was to ward off sickness, specifically the spirits that were thought to cause sickness, another use to gain a lover, and another to praise and or gain favor with the gods.
Vedic astrology is related to western astrology and they were much closer in practice thousands of years ago. But there are differences. One is the fact that Vedic astrology has Lunar mansions; sort of like sun signs, but having to do with specific divisions of the sky that the moon spends one day in during the month. Vedic astrology is also done around learning your karma. Astrology was used for many things including making personal decisions, but also was used in war decisions and running the kingdoms of the time.
The Atharvaveda as I said before is one of the four Vedas, the holy books of the Hindus. The Atharvaveda was written between 1200 and 900 BCE. It wasn’t accepted as a Veda till much later though (somewhere around the second part of 1000 BCE.) and many documents from the period of its writing only mention three Vedas. The Atharvaveda contains 730 hymns contained in 20 books. It contains hymns to deities, chants for love, chants to hurt enemies, chants for healing, and more.
The Vedic period in India was full of magic and new technology for the time. I have to say this was not the easiest research I’ve ever done, but hopefully this has piqued your curiosity.
Tarot
The Ace of Pentacles
Something of fundamental importance is headed this way. A gift to continue on our journey but see it with fresh eyes. What is blossoming in our world right now? This is a fertile time for new opportunities concerning the monetary in our lives, friendship, networking, work or home. There is a structure or routine that should be considered when dealing with any of these items. If this isn’t already in place it’s time to think about doing so. We are in the first signs of spring and it is now when we clean out and make room for something new on a material level. Is there something cluttering our lives? We should consider how to go about letting go of that which is in the way of our new found growth. Lets manifest what we desire by taking our intentions we set in the winter months and place them into action in order to meet our goal(s) for the year. How can we manifest abundance around what we are moving towards? Something we can do is to be prepared to recognize it for what it is, be grateful and accept it. We should also keep in mind to share in our wealth.
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Saturday May 13, 2023
S2 E20 Interview with Arwen
Saturday May 13, 2023
Saturday May 13, 2023
Interview with Arwen
This episode does not have its normal side notes of the responses, just the questions we asked.
Do you consider yourself a witch? If so, how did that come into being for you?
When did you start practicing?
Was there something that set you on the path of magic? If so, what was it or what was the experience?
What does witchcraft mean to you? What about magic.
What do you feel are the ethics of being a witch?
How do you practice the craft?
Do you have any daily practices?
Have you had any magical experiences that you would like to share with us?
How does your belief in magic fit in with the wider world (for you)?
We hope you enjoyed our first interview, please let us know what you think!
Saturday Apr 29, 2023
S2 E19 Beltane Talk
Saturday Apr 29, 2023
Saturday Apr 29, 2023
Beltane is over 2000 years old. No one really wanted to give exact or even ballpark dates in my research.
It’s the last of the spring fertility festivals. It’s about bringing the male and female, 2 halves, into a whole as one entity.
It is a fire festival. Fires would be lit and cattle would be led between them for protection.
People would also jump fires for protection/purification, and as couples to be wed or already wedded. Fires were also put out in the homes and fire from the main Beltane bonfire was gotten and brought back to the houses.
Mayday is also known as Walburga( Teutonic), Rudemas(Mexican Craft), and the Festival of Tana (Strega).
The maypole is the symbol of the phallus(or male) while the hole, in the earth, that the pole is put into is the yonic (or female) symbol that are brought together. As a union of the God and Goddess all life is seen as springing from this act.
Maypoles have been found somewhere in Europe as early as the 1400’s.
Ribbons that encircle the maypole were once red and white to symbolize the feminine cycle and purity. Nowadays we use bright colors of blue, lavender, yellow, and pink for our festivities.
A few Gods and Goddesses are: Hera (Greek), Flora (Roman), Brighid (Celtic), Cernunnos (Celtic), Bacchus (Roman), and Pan (Greek).
Sunday Apr 16, 2023
S2 E18 Q & A Spells, Beliefs, Etc...
Sunday Apr 16, 2023
Sunday Apr 16, 2023
S2 E18 Q & A Spells, Beliefs, Etc...
How do I de-Christianize my mind?
Examine your own beliefs and try to figure out whether they are something you believe or something you were taught. I’ve had to do this myself and it’s been a very long process reprogramming my mind.
Go through other cultures, religions and myths to find what feels like home (feels right) then research the history of where it began and where Christianity converted it over time.
How do you make yourself believe? Does belief even matter?
I believe because throughout my life I’ve had many unusual experiences that could not be explained in traditional religion. When I came upon Wicca I found that it coincided with all of those things and more. It felt like home and natural so I chose to follow that path. I felt like it was already within me. Belief is everything, without it there’s little way to attach to the energy you wish to use to affect change.
Sometimes I choose to believe, sometimes it feels like the belief has always been there. As far as spells and intentions though, belief is everything. If you don’t believe and see the outcome of your spell, then the energy put into it will be less and muddled with doubt.
Vetting your sources, being careful about who you follow and why.
I’d say it goes without saying but obviously we’re going to say it. Vet your sources. Wikipedia is a nice place to start but it’s not dependable. Start with some well known authors; Silver Raven Wolf, Starhawk, Scott Cunningham, Buckland but also look to the history of any given magical interest. Background can be everything and naturally context is a factor. Also you can research well known covens and then glean information from them. Today it’s hard to know what a good source is so if you get multiple places referring to the same area then it’s a fair chance it’s a good source.
Please, please, please, don’t just do what someone tells you to just because they’re popular or well known. That does not necessarily mean they’re knowledgeable. It means they’re entertaining. Tatjana already listed some good authors, Learnreligions.com is good as well as Pathos.com. Cross reference whatever spell(s) you’re doing.
What can I use witchcraft for? (What not to use witchcraft for?)
It’s much easier to ask what you shouldn’t use it for. I’d suggest not using it for ill will as the big one. It’s unlikely to help with things like gambling since that’s not how witchcraft works. Witchcraft is using energy to affect a change you desire within the constructs of some basic laws, one of which is “be it in the will of the Universe”. I feel that we don’t get the final say in other words. Also witchcraft is about setting an intention and goal to create change which requires you to be an ongoing participant. So what can it be used for? Things that you desire FOR YOURSELF that you are willing to put your energy towards and work on.
Witchcraft is for changing the world in accordance with your will. I would say that free will is sacred and to never do anything that impinges on someone’s free will. “And ye harm none, do what ye will” is a good way to go about it. Also there are more powerful forces at work so, you might not always get what you want. As for what it can do, it can help heal your heart and mind, it can give lessons in self sufficiency, and yes it can change the world around you in a way that you desire.
How important are the elements and directions; are they different energies/entities?
Wicca bases much on the elements and directions, but not all pagans do. For me they are very important and very much intertwined. I do believe they are separate however. They are associated, but not the same thing, at least to me.
The elements are one of the foundations from which we work. It's part of how we pull our energy together cohesively and in a balanced manner to direct our energy into our magic. I feel they are separate entities that overlap each other. Each element is unto its own a source of a particular type of power. We pull upon the ones we need to affect change. The best magic is when you can balance them all together. I’m of a Wiccan tradition so it’s difficult for me to see doing magic without them but I’m sure there are those who can and do.
Can you have multiple Matrons and Patrons? (Not counting triple goddesses)(Can you frequently communicate with a deity that isn’t your Matron or Patron)
Can’t really speak to this one as I do not have a matron or patron.
Yes. It is good to find the main deities you connect with first and create a strong relationship with them but once that's done it is important that you realize they may not be the best one for every job. Deities have their own specialties and it’s like using water to light a match, you want to use the right one for the job. I contend that your main deity is most powerful for general uses and things that are their strong points. They make excellent consultants too. You can go to them for advice on most topics including asking about a use of another deity. Do you have to have a Matron or Patron, no. But it can be helpful.
The practices of collecting things from nature. How, what, where, when, leave offerings, etc… (storm)
There are many differing beliefs on this. When collecting I think almost everyone can agree that you must ask for permission from the item first. Then listen with your heart to hear the answer and truly listen. Collecting items from anywhere you can get permission is a safe bet but nature is optimal. It’s important to consider the surroundings if it’s not out in nature. A highly trafficked area is not something I’d recommend. Timing might be based on the type of magic you are doing correlating to the seasons, time of day or moon phases. Always leave offerings or bring some back if you’ve forgotten them. This has happened to me on more occasion. I suggest offerings that won’t hurt the environment. One could argue anything might be hurtful but things like honey, milk, herbs, birdseed, other things from nature or things that disintegrate are best. Now on one occasion, due to the type of magic, I left a crystal hanging on a branch in order to give back to humanity. The idea was that the right person would find it to gain joy in it or it would drop and be there for the Fae.
Collecting from nature is a big privilege. Remember to give back and keep things sustainable. When you gather keep in mind the timing, after a big storm might be a great time to find a branch good for a wand, it would be charged with lots of extra energy.
How precise do you need to be with the timing of an event? (Moon phases, holidays)
With spells it’s as precise as you wish to be, but keep in mind the less precise you are with it the less energy the timing will provide. As far as holidays, about a week leading up to and after, but keep in mind again the less precise, the less energy.
The closer you are to an appropriate timing the better but it doesn't have to be exact. We used to do rituals celebrating the moon or holidays on the weekends during class time but as close to the event as possible. If it fell on a Thursday then we’d celebrate it that coming weekend. I’m often asked about the full moon magic etc and you usually have 3 days before and after the actual official date.
Is it possible to do other things while casting a spell? (ADHD etc…)
Having ADHD myself I can understand this question. One thought is a coloring page to the theme of the spell, that way you keep busy, while still keeping in mind the spell. Now if you’ve closed circle already and are waiting for a candle to burn down, take all due precautions for fire, but I think it’s fine to do other things.
It all depends on what can keep you focused. My initial reaction is you should be focused on the deed at hand exclusively since doing other things at the same time can lessen the amount of energy you put into the actual magic. However, as Sylvia pointed out to me, some people can focus better if they are doing more than one thing at a time. Spells are tricky though, every thought that passes through the mind is adding its energy to the spell so be VERY careful of how you split your focus. At the very least try working on only magic while doing a spell. Coloring and doing a spell might actually add power to what you are doing for example.
How can I create a mobile altar?
An easy way is to get an Altoids tin and put a tea light in it with a little something to represent each element. There are many ways of doing this though.
One way is to have a shoebox that contains elemental candles and holders OR different items to represent the elements like - a feather - for east, a match or lighter - for south, a vile of water - for west, and a stone - for earth, then add a couple electric tealights to represent the god and goddess (different colored ones would be nice if they’re real tealights), some sage, incense, a small double edged knife if you can, a small dish for ashes (the bottom of a very small flower pot will do great). You can open your box and set the items up and have your ritual then put it all back together again. I’ve done a similar one for myself. But always practice fire safety!
How do spell jars work?
Condensed energy that can be carried with you. VS sachet. Vessels of protection capturing energy.
In the sense of witch jars or also called protection jars, the negative energy gets trapped in the jar with the other nasty things in there. With other jars people will shake them up every so often to get the energy going again.
What does it mean when spells go awry? Spell jar breaks, candle explodes, water spills, etc..
Depending on the effect, it could be any number of things. The spell could be done, it could need more energy spent on it, or it could be that it got a sudden burst of energy.
I have had this happen and I chose to believe that it meant the spell had reached its max capacity and was done. But some have mentioned water turning a different color or a candle being blown out etc… In these cases it may be that an entity has found its way in and you may wish to deconstruct the magic and start again. If you do this I suggest adding to the spell some form of protection whether by ingredient or by chant.
How to get back into witchcraft after being a few years away?
Can’t speak to this as I have not yet left the craft.
I’ve been “gone” from the craft for over 12 years in being actually active. I’ve never stopped believing though. I started my practice officially back in the 90’s before much of anything was available. Things were still on the down low. I then taught for 10 years. After that came to an end I ended up as a solitary practitioner. That’s when I lost touch. The internet had just started opening its doors more publicly to the craft. Skip forward 13 years and here I am trying to become active again. It’s very hard. I don’t know where to turn or how to reconnect. I think it’s important to know if you practice better alone or with a group to start off with. Solitaries need only start researching on the web, reading and practicing doing those things that call to them as magic. Others have it a little harder because finding a group or like minded people is very difficult. Finding a group locally is optimal for me but not so easy these days. So I turned to the net and happened upon a group that I cautiously had started partaking in. I’m now very invested in them (I mean that both literally and metaphorically) and I am starting to pick up the pieces. They aren’t a perfect match but they are the best I’ve found so far. I currently still feel disconnected but that will just take actual doing of magic and time.
Sunday Apr 02, 2023
S2 E17 Norse Magic & the Windsor Witches
Sunday Apr 02, 2023
Sunday Apr 02, 2023
The Witches Cauldron
The witches cauldron is one of the witches’ tools. It’s not a must have, but features heavily in media with witches. Cauldrons can come in copper, cast iron, pewter, and a host of other materials depending on their use. Cauldrons date back all the way to the Bronze age (3300 BC - 1200 BC), so they have been around a very long time. Often nowadays, when it comes to magic, they are used for making black salt, burning papers with spells on them, burning incense, or mixing herbs.
The cauldron is associated with the north and earth and can easily stand in for that on your altar. It also corresponds to the womb and as such, is an object of creation, as well as a place of transformation. It takes all the ingredients you put into it and makes something new, whether that’s a stew, a herbal concoction, or something else, that is a part of its power.
The Windsor Witches
In Oxfordshire (England) four women were accused of having used witchcraft to put some prominent people to death. All of the ‘victims’ were well known citizens of Windsor. These women were put to death on February 28, 1579.
One of the women who gave an account of her ‘wrong doings’ was Elizabeth Styles otherwise known as Elizabeth Rockingham (which was her maiden name before her marriage to John Styles on September 1,1572). There were three other women who are only mentioned as Mother Devell, Mother Margaret, and Mother Dutton. These women were all elderly, poor, one of whom was crippled and lived in an almshouse (this is a house built originally by a charitable person or organization for poor people to live in. Apple dictionary). Two pamphlets exist as an account of the occurrence; one was given by Elizabeth herself through her confession. It was done in March of 1579, known as A rehearsal both straung and true. Not long thereafter the 2nd pamphlet came out called, A brief treatyse conteyninge the most strange and horrible crueltye of Elizabeth Sule[sic] alias Rockingham[sic] and hir confederates executed at Abington upon Richard Galis. The second one may have been a “first person account” of the son of one of the “victims” whose father had passed. The son had reason to believe these women were to blame and were witches.
Mother Dutton had a dispute with the Mayor Richard Galis. It was not long after (I imagine) that Galis’ younger brother took ill and later went insane. My understanding is that he in fact recovered, never-the-less Galis took her to prison in Windsor where he wanted her to be held. The jailers had not been instructed to “receive the prisoner” and therefore was denied admittance. She was released.
In 1578 three wax dollies were found with “pig’s bristles in their hearts” and thought to be representations of two of Queen Elizabeth’s Privy Councillors and of the queen herself. A connection was made to the women of Windsor because similar dolls had been discovered in their possession. The Justice of the Peace, Sir Henry Neville was made to determine whether these women were behind a plot to kill the Queen and her Privy Councillors through the use of imagemagick (which is a magic based on the belief that “like affects like”).
Richard Galis senior was likely all too happy to take all four accused women to Windsor Castle to be questioned. After being made to attend a public church service they were sent to Reading for trial.
Now a person having a familiar (which is a companion animal often embodied with a spirit to help attend to or guard the person with whom they live) automatically labeled a person as being a witch. Each of the women had been said to have a familiar. “Mother Dutton a toad, Mother Devell a black cat called Jill, Mother Margaret a kitten named Jenny, and Elizabeth a rat called Phillip.” Now 65 year old Elizabeth made her confession to the charges and admitted to other witchcraft crimes against a farmer (Langford), Langford’s maid, two butchers and Richard Galis. What she said implicated the other women too which led to their conviction and were put to death as well, despite their refusal to confess. The dolls “used” were hand spun by Mother Dutton and said to have had pins fatally placed on their left sides. Part of her confession included a relationship to a Father Rosimund from Farnham Royal, he was not however a priest despite the title. He was said to have traveled to Windsor with his daughter to meet with these women to discuss doing harm to various persons within the town. It’s curious that neither he nor his daughter were ever brought to trial. The four women were all hanged at Abingdon on February 28, 1579.
Some of the accounts said above are in question because of where they originated but it is mostly accurate to the best of anyone’s current day knowledge.
Norse Magic History
There were many ways that magic was practiced in the nordic culture. Nordic culture in the Iron Age was prevalent in what is now the coast of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the coast of Germany and possibly some of the Polish coast. The Iron Age ran from 500 BC to 1 BC. The most well known form of magic from this time period is called Seidr.
Seidr was a practice of magic that was mainly for women. It was considered, at least in the time of Christianization, to be unmanly. Part of it was that it possibly required the wearing of womens clothes and using women’s tools. Unfortunately much of the original stories and myths of the Norse culture in general were lost to time and all we have are the Christianized versions. That’s not to say we can’t get good information, just that we need to be careful about how we read and interact with the texts.
Seidr was very much about divination, knowing what your fate was. There was also a connection to the spinning of yarn. Because of this, or maybe the other way around, the Norns, or Fates as we know them now, are associated with Seidr. The Norns were three women who harvested, spun, and wove your fate into the fabric of life. So they knew everyone’s fates including the gods. They were named Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld; possibly meaning past, present, and future respectively.
Seidr was also about messing with people’s minds, making them forget, remember, or muddling their thoughts. There is one story where a woman practices seidr to keep soldiers from finding her son in plain sight. Unfortunately each time after the soldiers left they realized they’d been duped so they finally found another seidr practitioner who didn’t like the mother and both mother and son were killed.
Runes also come from this culture, though if runes were used for divination and magic then as they are today, there is little evidence. Most well known is the Elder Futhark, so named for the first row of runes. It is a collection of 24 “letters” or runes, each one with its own meaning. Some meanings are agreed on, others are not so much. All in all a very interesting system of magic that may be more modern than the runes themselves.
Going back in this topic a little bit, one can not forget that the mythologies were preserved, at least somewhat.
Prose Edda was written by Snorri Sturluson around 1220 CE. It’s written in four sections each with their own topics. It is the most complete collection of Norse Mythology we have so far. Part of the reason it is now called the Prose Edda and not just the Edda is to differentiate it from the Poetic Edda.
Poetic Edda is a collection of narrative poems with no known author, but with older content than the Prose Edda. It also includes the Havamal. It has been attributed to Saemunder the Learned by Bishop Brynjolfur, but that is currently disputed by many current scientists. It comes from the Codex Regius which was written in the 13th century, which originally came from Iceland and was sent to a Danish king by Bishop Brynjolfur.
Some of the old Norse mythologies are still with us today. And mentions of Seidr are still being found. As it is we have to piece together the culture from what we still have of it.
Tarot
The Nine of Swords. Is what you know getting you into trouble? Are you feeling threatened? Today there is a call to wake up and see clearly what we’re up against. We might be feeling particularly anxious or worried. It’s time to figure out the whys of these fears, and to get to the root of the problem. Are these perceived or are they real? Perception is an important piece of anxiety, it’s a matter of the lens through which we view our concerns. How can we get out of our own way and see what is real and what is not? Perhaps a part of it is the drive to be in control (for whatever reason). What is the cause of that persistent desire that keeps us from relaxing? There are more questions than answers here today but sometimes that’s how it goes. This card wants us to ask the shadow work questions, to look inwards. What is it that causes us to feel hopeless or to worry? Is there past trauma that needs to be looked at? We all have some kind of trauma that drives us and our actions, the more we work on these the less control they hold over us.
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http://britishfolklore.com/windsor
https://engole.info/windsor-witches/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sei%C3%B0r
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Pre-roman_iron_age_%28map%29.PNG
https://www.wondriumdaily.com/magic-in-old-norse-seith-curses-and-blessings/
https://www.wondriumdaily.com/viking-gods-and-the-pre-christian-viking-heritage/
http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/seidhr.shtml
http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/gayvik.shtml
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poetic_Edda
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prose_Edda
https://witchipedia.com/book-of-shadows/curios/cauldron/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cauldron
https://knotmagick101.wordpress.com/2016/07/22/why-do-witches-have-cauldrons/
Friday Mar 17, 2023
S2 E16 Ostara 2023
Friday Mar 17, 2023
Friday Mar 17, 2023
Ostara
(Tatjana) Personal thoughts - a time after Imbolc when the friction from that time allows the breaking open of the shell to let new life begin. A great time to start putting your magic into its first throws of movement. Until now we’ve been working with setting the intention for the year but now it’s time to swing into action. How can we go about implementing our intention with initiative?
Balance - Equinox - heading into the light - Easter
(Sylvia) Personal thoughts- time of revival, rebirth, and resurrection
Christianity using the symbols and themes of pagan holidays.
Memory of an egg hunt using Nerf dart guns.
Leaving the shell of the seed to grow, i.e. leaving the old unneeded things
Activity
Last year S1 E19 Ostara - Break thru resistance using an egg
This year we can use the egg as a symbol again, however, we can use it for the action we would like to see started from our preconceived intention by hand painting it. Use colors that highlight your intention; draw pictures or a sigil, write words or whatever feels right to you onto the egg. Do not pre-cook the egg. Think about the action you wish to invoke as you are doing this. Maybe say a chant or words that embody your intention that you’ve been forming up until now raising a cone of power. Once you feel you have done all the magic you can and have raised the energy around it, take it and break it open. This is a symbol of moving from Imbolc’s energy to Ostara’s energy, embodying the freedom from the shell that has held our energy up until now as a sacred vessel. Then cook it up to be eaten, manifesting your action into motion by ingesting its energy..
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Sunday Mar 05, 2023
S2 E15 Q & A Protection Magic
Sunday Mar 05, 2023
Sunday Mar 05, 2023
Protection Magic
Why do protection magic?
This helps prevent negative energies from affecting you and your life and possibly those closest to you. It can help from draining your energies or weakening your magic.
There are entities out there that don’t have your best interest in mind. It is wise to make sure they can’t affect you.
How to do protection magic.
There are so many different ways to go about doing protection magic as with any magic. We will touch on this more as we go through this. It is advisable to cast a circle around you when you do this type of magic. It is always recommended to cast a circle whilst doing magic but in this case possibly more so because you already have a sense of negativity coming at you.
It is as easy or complicated as you want to make it.
On the go protection for travel.
I find it useful to visualize an orb of white light (safety and protection in mind) around myself and the vehicle I’m traveling in, repetitively if necessary. Especially if I’ve had any sudden thoughts come to mind about something bad potentially happening.
Protective shield for empaths.
I usually envision a shield all around me in white light, blocking negative energies from passing through. Yeah, what she said.
What does it mean if there is interference with your protection magic?
I think there are different schools of thought on this one. I feel it could mean that the need for the protection has taken its course and no longer needs to be in place. Or it could mean you need to strengthen the spell or reformulate it. I’d say be sure to focus the magic on yourself and not cast AGAINST another person. If you feel it's an entity that would be a different story.
Protection herbs & crystals…
HERBS: Basil (self-love), Bay (abundance), Cinnamon (success), Cumin (evil, theft), Garlic (protection), Lavender (peace), Onion, Rosemary (protection), Cayenne pepper (banishing), Peppermint (cleansing/protecting), Chamomile (stress reducing), Marjoram (negative energy), Salt (everything), Cloves (gossip), Fennel (curses), Coconut (evil spirits), Black Pepper (jealousy)
CRYSTALS: Empath protection crystals - Fluorite (psychic attacks), Labradorite (undesirable energies), Moonstone (shielding), Smoky Quartz (transforms negativity), House protection - Smoky Quartz (diverts negative energy), Obsidian (reflects it back to where it came from), Amethyst (defines boundaries), Black Tourmaline (creates a barrier), Basic Protection - Amber, Citrine, Lapis Lazuli, Black Tourmaline, Clear Quartz
Types of protection: home, personal
Home is usually done through cleansing the home while expelling negativity and unwelcome spirits, often done with sage. Personally, this has a plethora of ways to be done but it is used against any kind of negativity, unwanted or bad spirits, evil (if you happen to believe in that).
A mirror spell here isn’t a bad idea for personal protection. A mirror spell is simply a spell that is focused on “mirroring” negative energy back to its sender.
Also a witch’s bottle is good for personal and home protection. A witch’s bottle soaks in negative energies and traps them. A witches bottle usually includes unpleasant things in it like rusty nails, bits of broken mirror, and sometimes ( now don’t laugh) even pee. You would usually put one either at the corner(s) of your property or by the front door.
Types of tools to use for protection magic:
Sigils [think Supernatural] are a symbol that is written on paper or other inscribable surface that lends itself to a specific purpose also season 1 episodes 9 and 12 are good, jars which have herbs, crystals, oils, and other objects put in it and often sealed at the top by wax,
Witch’s ball S2 E11 Yule an old way to catch or repel bad spirits via encapsulating the spirit or having scared off by its own reflection,
Herbs and crystals in sachets, or on jewelry are good ways of using these energies, Candles can be rolled in herbs and oils with specific intention to expel pretty much anything,
Amulet a necklace or jewelry with an inscription/symbol in it possibly holding herbs and crystals depending on the type of charm,
Dream magic can be incorporated in a sachet with herbs, oils and crystals put together with a specific intent for protection,
Oils used as additions to other spells or as perfume for yourself
Do you need consent to do protection magic for someone else?
My feeling is that you don’t do any magic for anyone else without their consent request. Period. You never know what is best for someone else even if you think you do.
What can I use as a beginner witch with no money?
Do you have a pen/pencil and paper? A sigil is an easy thing to do. Or do you have kitchen spices? Any one of the herbs we previously mentioned might work in a tea; or if you have a small bag, a sachet; or a small container, a “jar”. I think Sigil magic is awesome because it costs absolutely pretty much nothing. Visualization is also effective if you are comfortable using energy magic (which is to say simply using your own energy to cast with intention into the spell you are focused on in your thoughts).
Do you cast protection before you do divination?
As with all magic it is wise to cast a circle around you. Divination is a form of magic. However, I do not feel it is absolutely necessary. I think one should call upon ancestors and guides to be present to help keep it a sacred space. Keeping yourself in the frame of mind of working within an orb of protection could be enough,it doesn’t have to be a big ordeal.
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Sunday Feb 05, 2023
S2 E14 Mayan History & Balfour
Sunday Feb 05, 2023
Sunday Feb 05, 2023
BOS/Grimoire
A Book of Shadows is a very useful part of a witch’s tool set. If you’ve been with this spirituality you probably have a good idea of what a book of shadows is, but we’ll describe it for you just in case. It’s used to document spells, ingredients, and the results from spells. It can be a sort of recipe book, a journal, or a combination of the two. It can also be for a whole coven, in which case there’s often rules to what goes in it, or be for a solitary person, in this case it’s whatever the person wants in it. Alternatively people have used their electronic devices to create their BOS.
The term “Book of Shadows” began to be used for the book with Gerald Gardner sometime in the late 1940’s. Doreen Valiente, who was high priestess of Gerald Gardner's coven in the 1950’s, rewrote much of the first Book Shadows after she criticized it and Gardner challenged her to write a better one.
But Book of Shadows is not the only word that can be used. Grimoire is another term and much older. A grimoire originally comes from a French term grammaire meaning “a book written in Latin”. In the 18th century it became the name for magical books. There’s many famous grimoires; Testament of Solomon, Corpus Hermeticum, The Lesser Key of Solomon, and more. Often this is a less personal “recipe book” type set up, but some people have been using grimoire as an alternative to BOS. Whatever you call it, it remains a very useful tool in the witches toolkit.
Witch - Allison Balfour
Allison Balfour (aka Margaret Balfour) Is one of the most well known and spoken about witches in Scottish history. She lived in the region of Stennes of the Orkney Islands. She and her family were persecuted for witchcraft according to the Scottish Witchcraft Act of 1563 in which witchcraft was punishable by death. Her trial was held in 1594, she was found guilty and put to death.
Once again, as so many times in the history of the witchcraft trials of Scotland, if not all over Europe, this was due to the suspicion of some aristocracy plotting against another to orchestrate their demise. In this case it was the 2nd Earl of Orkney, Patrick Stewart (aka Black Patie) who believed that one of or all of his younger brothers were behind a plot to kill him, in particular John Stewart, Earl of Carrick. This was because the poison that Patrick discovered, at some point, was from Thomas Paplay, a servant of John Stewarts. Thomas was tortured for eleven days when he finally confessed to the event but also pointed the finger at Balfour and her family. Before Paplay was put to death he claimed his innocence. The damage to Balfour was, however, already done. It was found out that the brothers had gone to her to ask what kind of spell would be best to place on Black Patie to cause his demise. It is said that the first such meeting and others were in October 1593. Whatever was or wasn’t done the ultimate outcome produced no results, it had no effect on Black Patie.
Balfouf, her husband Taillifeir, her son and seven year old daughter were then moved to Kirkwall Castle in December 1594 . There she and her family were subject to extreme torture for two days in order to get a confession from her. After her trial they were all put to death by hanging and then their bodies were burned but not before she retracted and vividly outlined the entirety of the torture she had endured.
One such torture was that of a device which was made of iron that would enclose her legs so it could be heated to scald her legs until she past out. This was done multiple times. When she didn’t give in they took to her husband, it’s speculated that they used stones which were 700lbs and placed them on him to “press” the body. They then turned to her son and mutilated his legs by hammering them while strapped into an iron boot (stretching from knee to ankle). Finally they turned to her daughter and enacted the practice of the pinniewinkles (aka thumbscrews) which pulverized her fingers. This is when Balfour conceded to their accusations. It was strongly implied that they would not be put to death if she admitted to the crime. Naturally this was a lie.
So many “witches” of the time had the trials carried out in St Magnus Cathedral where they were also kept for their interrogation and torture. This wasn’t the case for Balfour, she was held in Kirkwall Castle. It is not clear where her torture was in fact carried out. Her interrogator was Henry Colville of Orphir, a friend of Patrick Stewart and a minister. After being found guilty they were taken to Gallow Ha for their sentence to be performed. This occurred on December 16, 1594.
Mayan Magic
This little history lesson should be prefaced with this, some of what we know comes from the Spanish conquistadors, who in their fervor to spread christianity, tried to destroy the native religion of Central America. They did write down some of the native religion, but it was done through a purely christian attitude.
Mayan civilization started a little before 1000 B.C.E. Theirs was a religion of order and chaos. Order was health, normal cycles of nature, and chaos was famine and sickness. There was a reciprocal nature to the relationship of humans to the Gods. Humans offered blood that the gods used, then the gods gave back supernatural power in exchange.
We’ve all heard of the human sacrifice there, but there seems to be little evidence for it in the archaeological records. If there was, it was probably during warfare and in small amounts. There was also the less lethal and more common bloodletting. This was done by rulers and their wives as well as others. There is one stone relief in which the wife is pulling a thorned rope through her tongue. I can’t imagine how painful that must have been.
The Gods included Kukulkan(feathered serpent), Chac (rain god), Itzamna (creator of writing), Kinich Ajaw (Sun god), Tezcatlipoca (archsorcerer), Yum Kax (maize god), and Ixchel (childbirth, healing, and the moon). It’s interesting to note that the gods had two sides, the side of order when propitiated and the side of chaos when not.
The Mayan calendar was comprised of two calendars, one that had 365 days, a solar calendar, and one that had 360 days, a ceremony calendar. Generally about every 20 days there was a ceremony held where there was dancing and religious happenings. These calendars were connected by 52 year cycles. The end of the cycles was feared, because anything might happen. These days were also used to divine the future of a person, being born on a certain day could give you good fortune or you could be predicted to be a bad person. One fact of note is that the Mayan calendar was even more accurate than our own modern day calendar in the sense of how well it charted the days of the year.
On another note mirrors were special and dangerous, as they could let spirits through. Thus it was a sign of courage to look into a mirror. I read in one place that warriors would wear mirrors on their backs to discourage other warriors from attacking from the back in fear of seeing into the mirror.
I wish there were more documentation of Mayan magic, but I didn’t have a great amount of info to work with. Now that also could be that I didn’t look hard enough, but I did my best.
Oracle
The Ginkgo Tree
Here we see paths leading to and from the Ginkgo tree, it looks as if the sun is rising, there is an imprint of a Ginkgo leaf on a stone and a bridge in the distance. The sun shines on a new day where a new beginning will take root. There is a history that has brought us to this tree perhaps that of our ancestors. The golden leaves of the ginkgo tree always offer me a smile, some joy and some hope. Even in the fall they shine as brightly as the summer sun. What is it that does that for you? The wisdom of the trees can give us a deep insight to the history that holds so much for us to learn from. What can you discover from your past or your family’s past? This tree suggests that there is something you may have forgotten or are ignoring. Again look into your history to see what you may be avoiding or missing. There are lessons there that can offer great insight into who we are if we are willing to look for it and grow from it. It may bring new light to your life and perception as to who you are and why.
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Monday Jan 23, 2023
S2 E13 Imbolc Thoughts & Feelings
Monday Jan 23, 2023
Monday Jan 23, 2023
There are no official notes to this episode since it was recorded on the fly.
Some thoughts...
- Imbolc is the midpoint between Yule (Solstice) and Ostara (Spring Equinox) Usually on Feb 1st or 2nd
- Imbolc means "In the belly of the Mother"
- It's a time of gestation. Seeds are beginning to create the friction they need in order to break through their shells in the coming spring. It's a time that can be frustrating but in a good way and also of impatience but not knowing why. It is a Spiritual itchiness. This can be an uncomfortable feeling but just remember it is necessary.
- Brighid is the celebrated Goddess of the season. She was first recognized by the Celts. The Irish honor her with plaques near wells and water ways. Pagans and Wiccans also celebrate her.
- She is a triple Goddess and is a master of poetry, smithing and healing. She is associated with the element of Fire
- In our coven we used milk and honey instead of wine and cakes to honor her. It's possible that it is because honey is part of bees and summer and milk being the milk of the Mother
Sunday Jan 22, 2023
S2 E12 Divination
Sunday Jan 22, 2023
Sunday Jan 22, 2023
S2 E12 Q & A Divination
Divination Types & Spell Work
Candles
- I use candles to look into the flame, blur my eyes and let any images or thoughts come as they will.
- Release loved ones
- This among many of the different kinds of divination can be used in conjunction with meditation.
Pendulums
- Yes/No ?s
- Divine answers for names of children
- Picking magical tools
- clarifications
- Can be used in conjunction with pendulum charts to answer more involved questions.
Scrying
- To divine answers to questions or to get messages from Spirit or Ancestors, smoke, mirror, clouds, crystal balls, water (dye)
- Also good for meditation
Tarot
- Answering questions, setting intentions, add energy to a spell, readings(e.g. Celtic cross, moon phases,yearly etc…), clarifications
- Meditations on the imagery
Oghams
- Yes/No ?s, past, future, basic questions, readings, divining cloths
Runes
- Same as Oghams
Oracles
- Same as tarot in use but less of a specific storyline/freeform
iChing
- Less for yes/no and more for deeper questions.
- Can ask simple questions, but answers are rarely simple as they have a changing nature.
Chinese Fortune sticks
- (form of divination we are unfamiliar with but will be covered in our continued history of magic in China)
Ouija Board
- Uses a planchet to move across a premade board with numbers, letters, and yes/no words on it. (describe how it’s used)
Tea Leaf reading
- Scrying by staring into the cup with tea in it
- Looking for images in the leaf patterns
- Seeing where the leaves fall in different sections of the cup and symbols it may have (more modern)
Junk Drawer
- This is a low key (in the sense it can easily be hidden) kind of divination useful for yes/no and other questions
- Junk drawer divination is basically taking knickknacks and stuff from your junk drawer (i.e. penny, small pencil, paper clip, thimble) and assigning them meanings. Then creating a cloth with something like past present future on it. With your collection of doodads in a bag you pull out a small handful and cast it on the cloth. And so you get your answers.
- This one is great for those that want a form of divination that isn’t obvious to others.
- I will have to try this!!!
Bibliomancy
- This is great for a yes/no type question, though the answers will be more involved than that.
- Bibliomancy is the practice of seeking divination answers from a book. You do it by asking your question, closing your eyes, picking a page in a book and then pointing to somewhere on that page. The sentence your finger falls on is your answer.
- I use to do this in High School where we would just open books to random pages and see what it said and what it could mean but we weren’t aware of what we were doing per se