A Wiccan Journey: Wicca; there’s an app for that.

One of the things I love about technology is all the apps. I am an app fanatic but my poor phone doesn’t care for them. It constantly reminds me that I have very little memory left and I’m afraid one more app might put it over the edge.

Some of my favourite apps are Wicca related. While these might seem a little useless, I use mine quite a bit especially when I’m out to purchase something. Apps are not a substitute for a good Book of Shadows or Grimoire, but a hectic schedule can cause one to forget, and since we all carry our phones with us to begin with, why not have apps that help us on our journey?

Apps come in all shapes, sizes and price range. Most are free and come with the annoying ads, but the idea of free apps falls into teaching and many believe that it is our duty to pass on to new practitioners, our knowledge and experience for no payment. This is most evident with covens, but it pertains to just about all aspects of Wicca. This is why you can find just about all the information you need on a particular path online through blogs and Wiccan sites. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that Wiccans have to do things for free, on the contrary, but teaching and providing a service are two different things.

There are so many apps it can be a little overwhelming on what to choose. My advice; take it one at a time. No two apps are the same and some are definite you get what you pay for. If there’s a free and paid version, I would suggest going with the free first. See if it’s a right fit for you or gives you what you’re looking for. Sometimes apps can overlap, so you need to make sure the one you’re downloading isn’t a duplicate.

The one app I would love for someone to make, would be a blank or empty online Book of Shadows. Mine is such a mess, and I do so much on my computer to start with that having it online would be so much more useful and easier for me to access. I found one, but it wasn’t user friendly and Google sends me to sites where I can purchase physical ones. They are pretty, but not what I’m looking for. Maybe I’m asking for too much, but seriously, my handwriting sucks, but I know, one day there will be an app for that too. I just have to be patient (said no Aries ever).

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A Wiccan Journey: Spell-casting and curses.

There are two words people associate with Wicca; spells and curses. They instantly bring to mind bubbling cauldrons of foul-smelling liquid, or old women with warts on their noses muttering in some ancient language and pointing a bony finger. While these images will always be around, in reality spells and curse make up a small part of the practice. I liken them to prayers with other religions, and like prayers it’s up to the individual on how to use them. Let’s take a deeper look.

Spells:

There are as many types of spells and they can be as intricate or as simple as you please. My simplest definition of a spell is a series of words-spoken or written, which focuses personal energy to fulfilling an achievable goal. Most revolve around acquiring love, wealth and happiness, while others are more for finding harmony within oneself. There are two minds within the community on if/when one should cast. On one hand you have the saying ‘do what you will, so long as it harms none’; this allows for all sorts of spells to be cast for just about anyone. Cast whatever spell you want, as long as no-one gets hurt. Makes sense.

Others see spells as something more personal; that should only be done with the intent of good and not for any sort of gain. That there is a morality to spellcasting that can’t and shouldn’t be ignored, and there are consequences attached to the spell (Law of Three). Spells also require a lot of personal energy, time, and focus. Three reasons that some feel negates any reason for casting beyond a personal endeavour.

I feel spellcasting boils down to the caster. Myself, I don’t do a lot of spells. I think I’ve done a total of three in the last fifteen years. All three times were during low in our life and we needed a little extra to carry us through or protection. I don’t think I would ever do a spell for someone else. Like I stated, it takes a lot of personal energy and focus, and many times non-magic folks just want a quick fix to their problem or situation. While a wave of the wand works in Harry Potter, that doesn’t work in the real world.

Curses:

Curses are strictly cast for revenge or what the caster would perceive as justice. Unlike a spell, there are no positive side-effects of a curse. You are sending out negative energy into the world, and according to the Wiccan Rede and Law of Three, what comes around goes around, and will bite you hard in the ass when it does. My personal take on curses is that they are done so in desperation; which can make them all the more powerful. All magic evolves around energy-all forms of energy, and the more energy you have to put into a curse, the more power it will have.

 

Whether you cast a spell or a curse, please be away of the intent around it, for once it goes out into the universe, you can’t take it back.

The Crystal Realm: Taking stock of your stones.

I’ll be honest; this post is more for me. I have so many I need to list them someplace where I can get quick accesses for when I’m out. I don’t mind having more than one of the same, but it’s nice to get new ones to have in my collection. I also want to show them off. I have a few ‘high vibration’ stones too. They are a bit more expensive than others, but good to have. If you’re curious to know what each stone does, I’ve linked them to online sites that I trust and use quite often for information and reference. As I stated in an earlier post, almost all stones do more than one thing, and you can find help and/or healing for; physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

So, here goes.

Agate, banded, Agate, moss, Agate, blue lace,  Amber, Amazonite, Amethyst, Apatite, blue, Aventurine, green

Bloodstone

Calcite, green, Calcite, orange, Calcite, golden, Carnelian, Citerine,

Hematite

Jasper, brown, Jasper, red

Kyanite-black, Kyanite-blue

Lapis lazuli, Lepidolite

Malachite, Moonstone

Obsidian-snowflake, Onyx

Pyrite

Quartz-clear, Quartz-rose, Quartz-smokey, Quartz-wand (large), Quartz-wand (small)

Selenite (H), Serpentine, Sodalite, Sunstone

Tiger eye, Tourmaline-black

(I also have two very different pieces of coal, but there is no metaphysical use for them. They are strictly a money-spell item.)

Okay, that’s a lot of stones. I love collecting crystals and working with them. I was especially excited to acquire my ‘high vibration’ stones last summer, and I’ve incorporated them into my Chakra cleansing rituals, not to mention how the help me every day. I’m thinking about doing a series on crystals and how we can use them to enhance our lives. Nothing too crazy or pricey. Just a little thing for beginners.

What about you? Do you use crystals? If so which ones? If not, are you interested in learning more about them?

A Wiccan Journey: Books for beginners.

For those who don’t know, I am an eclectic, practicing Wiccan. I have traveled this path for close to twenty years. Sometimes not as faithfully as I’d like, but the Lord and Lady were always in my heart, mind and soul in every aspect of my life.

When I decided to follow the Wiccan path, the first thing I did was look into books that would help me on my spiritual journey. I had no idea where to even begin. We were a one-household family and I don’t drive (never have and don’t want to) so that meant that money was tight and I couldn’t drive to the local pagan meet-up as it was close to an hours’ drive. To be honest I could have gone; my husband offered several times to take me, but I felt very unworthy (for lack of a better word) to be in their company as I knew NOTHING of the path and I was afraid I would be shunned or mocked. I know differently now, but when you’re learning something knew there is always that fear of being rejected by those who are already ‘in the know’.

We had one metaphysical store in town (sadly it’s closed down), and the internet was still oh so new. I mean, we’re talking early 2000’s here. I managed to save up some money and headed to the one store that could help me. I must have scanned just about every book she had on paganism until I found one that appealed to me; Scott Cunningham’s LIVING WICCA; A GUIDE TO SOLITARY PRACTICIONERS . When I had enough money, I went back and bought another book by the same author. After a while I had several and understood all I could about Wicca. The next step was practicing.

I’m not sure how different it is to learn from a person compared to a book. I suppose there are little nuances and such, but if you can’t find a Coven or group, books are the next best thing. I bookmarked a site with many good books if you’re interested. This list is very comprehensive and gives a new searcher a wide range of possible paths. As someone who couldn’t be a part of a community (remember, this was pre-internet) books let me explore and find my path that was right for me, and not influenced by a single person or group.

https://wicca.com/forums/index.php?topic=400.0

Books were my first teacher and I still purchase them to learn. If there’s one thing I know for certain, learning about Wicca is an ongoing process because like all things, acquiring knowledge is a life-long experience.

The Other Realms: The World of the Fae.

As someone who believes in other realms, it’s not hard for me to comprehend the existence of fairies. They are the embodiment of whimsical fantasy; of a time when things were simpler and more magical. Legends of Fae have been around for centuries, and like many other mythical creatures, there  must be something to these stories otherwise they would not continue. As  a matter of fact, some of the oldest civilizations and beliefs have mention of the Fae, but we are mostly aware of the legends and stories of Western European countries, especially Great Britain. While there are many stories as to what they are, the history of fairies is long with some believing they were once Gods and Goddess of a pre-Christian world.

The Origin of Fairies

A mythical creature, it’s said there are many different kinds of fairies and that they can be either ‘dark’ or ‘light’.  Some folklore describes them as various “natural but hidden species, as spirits of the dead, or as descendants of either fallen angels or demons.” http://www.mythicalcreaturesguide.com/page/Fae

It’s also thought that with the rise of Christianity, the Fae were demonized and belief in them was banished into the realms of lore. In either case, Fae do not show themselves to just anyone, and like any other mythical creature, gaining their trust can be a long path.

While most associate Fae with European culture, creatures similar to them can be found in the folklore of most aboriginal tribes on all continents. In Mayan culture the Alux are said to be creatures “only about knee-high, and in appearance resembling miniature traditionally dressed Maya people.”, while in Hawaiian culture the Menehune were another race of small beings said to be superb craftsmen.

I cannot help but find it fascinating that legends of small beings are found from one end of this planet to the other. It leads me to think that there has to be some kind of truth to these legends, and while I’m sure all fairies don’t resemble Tinkerbell, their character and attributes, as well as knowledge and skills could very well be staked in a history we are only now remembering.

The Crystal Realm: The Three Categories of Crystal Energy.

For some time now, while studying crystals for friends and for blog posts, I’ve begun to notice that the metaphysical properties of crystals all fall into three very distinct categories. Now I’m not an expert on crystals, but I do know a thing or two about them so I found it very interesting that while there are pages upon pages of how their energy works on our bodies, no one has really categorised that energy. When people discuss categorising crystals, they mean their physical or lattice construct, maybe by colour or by attribute, but I’m looking more at how they perform and what their energy vibrations does or could do for our well-being.

I’ve created three simple categories; physical, emotional, and spiritual. Every crystal could be considered one of these three. For example, a Rose Quarts is well known for healing and attracting all forms of love, therefore it could be categorised as an emotional crystal, while Blue Kyanite, known as a high-vibration stone, would be considered a spiritual crystal. Black Tourmaline, a well-known protection stone, wards off physical danger and negative energy and that could be considered physical.

We are more than just a physical form; we have emotions and a spiritual side. The same can be said for the energy that vibrates from crystals. While the majority of these stones overlap properties, generally all crystals have one main function (for lack of a better word). We attach Chakra and Astrological symbols to crystals to better utilize their healing energy, why not focus that just a bit more?

I’m not saying this idea is ground-breaking and probably someone with a better understanding of crystals and how they work has already seen this, I just thought it was interesting that in all the books I’ve read, all the pages I’ve researched online I haven’t come across this idea. Maybe it’s a given; people who work with crystals understand this or maybe because stone properties overlap no-one cares. I just thought it was an interesting connection and it will make me look more closely into the metaphysical properties of all crystals a little deeper from now on.

A Wiccan Journey: Sigils

As a Wiccan, you learn there are many ways to cast a spell. All involve raising energy, direction/focus and intent, but simpler ways such as herbalism and crystals can introduce a beginner to a larger world.  Another simple way to create magic is with the use of sigils.

(https://www.howtopronounce.com/sigil/)

I’d heard of sigils a while back, but as I was too caught up in crystal work, I didn’t want to split my focus on two separate projects. Simply put, a sigil by definition is “a sign or image supposedly having magical power” [Dictionary.com, http://www.dictionary.com/browse/sigil]. It can be as small as a two letter word or a rudimentary drawing; the power with sigils lies in the focus and intent in which it was made.

Sigils are a very personal and are unique to the person who creates them. The image represents the goal and/or desire of its creator and is infused with the user’s personal energy.  Some use it in place of incantations or phrases. Because sigils are so personal there is no one way to create them, but the one thing they all have in common is the resulting image is unique to the creator. I have found a couple sites where you can ‘borrow’ an already made image but I feel this detracts from the intent. These pre-made sigils are however, good to use for examples if you are new to learning and creating them.

You can etch your sigil onto anything you wish to infuse with power; a candle, on paper, or if you are very creative, you could create an amulet and keep the sigil on you at all time. Infuse protection herbs with the power of a sigil by placing a small quantity of herbs on one drawn on parchment (this would be a good spell with moon magic).

Creating a sigil is simple. Focus on your intent and write that intent down. You’re your statement or word strong; no wishes or hopes. It must be focused. Cross out the vowels and then remove any duplicate consonants. Here the creation of sigils can vary. Traditionally, you would combine the letters unto an icon (see examples in the links below), but there are several techniques for the final step, including an online site that uses vector charts. A sigil can be as detailed or as simple as you want. There is no wrong way to create one.

This site uses a vector chart and numbers.

http://sigilscribe.me/

The Rose Cross Sigil creator

https://wisdomsdoor.com/wb/hwb-sigil.php

For more information, I’ve included several links that will give you more insight into the practise and creation of sigils.

https://sacredhandscoven.wordpress.com/2014/08/05/witches-tools-sigil-magick-in-witchcraft/

https://www.paganspath.com/magik/sigil.htm

This link contains colour coordination with sigils.

https://goddesshasyourback.com/2014/04/13/how-to-make-your-own-personal-sigils/