Magickal Correspondence

Witches always end up to be the bad guys in television shows, movies, and books. But witchcraft is not evil. It is a religion and way of life. It is the craft with only the utmost respect for Mother Nature. They may possess supernatural abilities and can perform rituals that are out of the ordinary but they are not what the society pictures them to be. If you are one of those that believe in the witches’ religion and craft then there are ways you can do to start your path in becoming a witch.

First thing of course is to do a lot of research.

Everything at first is about the fundamentals and less of the practical applications. This is to equip your mind of the basics and what to expect when you become successful in becoming a witch. This is also a good way to think of what you want over and over again.

After reading everything you can about witches and witchcraft, you should be able to embrace it. Witches love and respect Mother Nature. That includes everything and everyone living in it. You should be able to be in sync with the environment because it will be your guide throughout your journey in becoming a witch.

Next would be finding a place that you feel belong with.

Like an artisan in his workshop, this place will be your haven- the one place where you can do all your rituals freely and without disturbance. You should also make sure that the place you will choose feels right. It will serve as your best friend so make sure that it flows with you.

Make your own Book of Shadows. This book is like the personal journal of witches. This is where they write their experiences and the knowledge they have acquired over the years. Your very own Book of Shadows will be filled with spells and rituals that you can use as reference and will be with you forever.

Live the witches’ life by experiencing magic and practicing spells. This defines witches. Witches can do spells and rituals that can help lift away pain, can protect from harm, etc. You do not need to be frustrated when you cannot do complicated spells at first because it is not possible. Always start with the basics because this will build the foundation of your becoming a witch.

Becoming a witch is a choice. It may have been a family legacy in the ancient history but because of circumstances, the legacy has stopped and so nowadays, the practice of witchcraft is a result of great respect for Mother Nature. And so if you really want to become a witch make sure that your ideals and principles are intact because this craft is not to be taken lightly. This is a way of life for some, a religion even. And so be 100% sure when you start taking your path in learning witchcraft because from this day on everything should be done wholeheartedly.

Wicca

When witchcraft is practised as a religion, it is called by the Old English term for witch, Wicca. This term is used to counter all the negative stereotypes that society has given witchcraft. Wicca is primarily a religion that worships nature, and sees all creation as sacred. In fact, all Wiccan holy days follow the cycles of nature and the changes in the seasons. Wicca also worships both a male and female deity, a female Goddess and a male God, who had together created the world and everything in it.

Black and White Witchcraft

Witchcraft is neither black nor white. Witchcraft is a path that respects Mother Nature and She is neither completely positive or completely negative, this is the same for witches.

Witchcraft Spells WICCA

Spells are used by Wiccans, and are a series of rituals and prayers that are conducted in witchcraft to ask for divine help in a certain aspect of life. All spells must adhere to the Wiccan Rede, the witchcraft code of conduct, meaning that any spells used to manipulate, dominate or control another person is forbidden. In witchcraft, spells may also be changed or adapted to suit a Wiccan’s personality or specific wishes in casting the spell. In this site there are a range of free spells to practise at home.

Witchcraft Book – The Book of Shadows

A good Book of Shadows will serve as a witch craft reference guide a place where you keep tables and correspondences, spells and rituals that you’d like to try, divinatory meanings and many other things of that nature.

The Wiccan Rules (Rede)

The Wiccan Rede is the rule of conduct that all witches must follow while practising witchcraft. It rules that a witch may engage in any action, as long as it is carefully considered, and their actions harm nobody, including themselves. Witchcraft is ruled by the Threefold Law, which is the belief that any action taken by any witch that affects another person, will come back to the witch threefold, whether it be harm or good.

Beginner Witchcraft, Paganism, Spellcraft and Magic

To some, these words have no place outside of fairytales and films; they’re figments of overactive imaginations that don’t belong in the “real world”. Yet to those who believe in them; witches, they’re symbols of pride and a sacred heritage that spans thousands of years.

Who or what are witches? Is there such a thing as magic?

In Sex and Culture (1934), Unwin studied 80 primitive tribes and 6 known civilizations through 5,000 years of history and found a positive correlation between the cultural achievement of a people and the sexual restraint they observe. “Sex and Culture is a work of the highest importance,” Aldous Huxley wrote:

Unwin’s conclusions, which are based upon an enormous wealth of carefully sifted evidence, may be summed up as follows. All human societies are in one or another of six cultural conditions: zoistic, manistic, deistic, rationalistic, expansive, productive. Of these societies the zoistic displays the least amount of mental and social energy, the productive the most. Investigation shows that the societies exhibiting the least amount of energy are those where pre-nuptial continence is not imposed and where the opportunities for sexual indulgence after marriage are greatest. The cultural condition of a society rises in exact proportion as it imposes pre-nuptial and post-nuptial restraints upon sexual opportunity.

According to Unwin, after a nation becomes prosperous it becomes increasingly liberal with regard to sexual morality and as a result loses its cohesion, its impetus and its purpose. The effect, says the author, is irrevocable:

The whole of human history does not contain a single instance of a group becoming civilized unless it has been absolutely monogamous, nor is there any example of a group retaining its culture after it has adopted less rigorous customs.

Fundamental to magick is a belief that the phenomenal world of the five senses is incomplete. Witches believe that we live in a world quite different from the one our five senses show to us – they believe that every living thing possesses, because it is living, certain energies which we as individuals can sense and ‘see’ if we become receptive to them. This

receptiveness is one of the aims of magickal or Occult Initiation – and may be said to involve the individual in becoming aware of the essence of things that is hidden by their outward appearance (and this applies to other individuals, as well as ‘things’).

We as individuals, because we possess the faculty of consciousness, re-‘gates’ to this acausal universe. We possess the (mostly latent) ability to ‘open the gate’ to the acausal which exists within our own psyche to draw

from the acausal certain energies, and these energies can and do alter in some way both our own consciousness or other entities/energies which exist in the causal. This “drawing of energies”, and their use, is magick.

External magick is the use of such energies, directed by individual desire, to bring about changes in the causal; Internal Magick is the use of these energies to bring psychic, internal change.

To draw upon such energies it is usually necessary for the individual to use some form of framework or symbolism, and techniques of external magick use such symbolism to bring both apprehension of the energies and their control. Various systems of symbolism exist – most denoting types of energy by Gods, Goddesses, Spirits or Demons.

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The heart of the arcana is in the brain itself, it is our connection and desire to unite the Hand and the Eye in the Grimoire of the Fallen, which was long ago scribed in the blood of our spiritual ancestors, those who walk the Ahrimanic Path long ago, when the deserts whispered the timeless name of Azazel, called our father and Lilith, the very womb of our birth and initiation.

Here’s the easiest explaination I can provide on light & dense vibrations (high & low vibrational energies).

Just like oil & water don’t mix, light & dense energies don’t mix.

When you are living in dense vibrations, pain, fear, judgment, resentment, anger, worry, jealousy, etc the light vibrations cannot come in.

Many people get stuck on judgments about emotions. There should be no judgement or resistance. All emotions are valid but you must let them flow & go.

The focus is allowing emotions to flow & go rather than ‘living’ in those emotions & states of mind.

You must choose what vibration you want to LIVE in because you can’t live in both light & dense. They don’t and can’t mix, just like oil & water.

I live in light vibrational energy. I live in gratitude, peace, happiness, contentment, and discernment. I experience anger, sadness, fear, but these are not the vibrations I live in.

If you need a hint as to what vibrations you live in, pay attention to your thoughts & emotions when you first wake up. You’ll get really clear on what states you habitually live in.

Look at the first things you choose to share with the world in the morning. Are you posting about how awful your morning was, complaining about your kids, spouse, schedule, car, weather?

Your morning thoughts & emotions are your natural state of being. Pay attention.

There’s a lot of information out there on Paganism, including but not limited to Wicca, in books, on the Internet, and through local groups. But how much of it is accurate? How do you learn to separate the wheat from the chaff? The fact is, there are several basic things you should understand about Wicca and other forms of Paganism before you make the decision to join a new spiritual path. Let’s eliminate some of the misconceptions and talk about actual facts… it will make your spiritual journey all the more valuable if you understand these issues from the beginning.

1. Most Pagan Traditions Have Rules

Sure, a lot of people think that just because there’s no Grand High Pagan Council that there must be all kinds of magical carnage going on. Truth is, there are some fairly standard guidelines followed by a number of different Pagan traditions. While they vary from one group to the next, it’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with some of the concepts. Learn more about the rules of magic before you continue your studies.

2. Not All Witches are Pagans are Wiccans

There are dozens of Pagan traditions, and as many different versions of Wicca. Not all are the same, and just because someone is a witch or Pagan doesn’t necessarily mean they practice Wicca. Learn about the differences in paths found among the umbrella term “Paganism.”

3. There’s No Pagan Dress Code

Contrary to what many popular movies might have you believe, you don’t have to be a teenage goth princess to be Pagan or Wiccan. In fact, you don’t “have to be” anything at all. Pagans come from all walks of life — they are parents and teens, lawyers, nurses, firefighters, waitresses, teachers and writers. They come from all different walks of life, all socioeconomic groups, and all sorts of racial backgrounds. There’s no Pagan Dress Code that says you have to toss away your polo shirt or khakis in favour of capes and an all-black wardrobe. On the other hand, if you prefer the goth look, go for it… just remember that goth and Pagan are not synonymous.

4. Religious Freedom Applies to Pagans Too

Believe it or not, as a Pagan you have the same rights as people of any other religion. Despite the fact that some members of other faiths might disapprove of the existence of Wicca and Paganism, the fact is that if you live in the United States, you’re entitled to protection just like anyone else. It’s against the law for anyone to discriminate against you because you practice an earth-based faith. Learn about your rights as a Pagan or Wiccan parent, as an employee, and even as a member of the United States military.

5. It’s Okay to Be Out of the Broom Closet… or Not

Countless numbers of Pagans have made the choice to “come out of the broom closet”… in other words, they’ve stopped hiding their spiritual path from others. For many people, this is a huge decision. You may feel that it’s not in your best interest to make your religious beliefs known, and that’s okay too. If you feel you could be in danger if you reveal that you are Pagan, or that it might put a strain on family relations, going public might be something you should postpone. Get all the pros and cons on coming out of the broom closet.

6. Most Pagans Are Not Satanists

Ask any Pagan about the cornerstone of their faith, and they’ll probably tell you it’s a reverence for their ancestors, a belief in the sacredness of nature, a willingness to embrace the Divine within ourselves, or an acceptance of polarity between the male and female. It may be a combination of those principles. It will not have anything to do with the Satan, Old Scratch, Beelzebub, or any of the other names attributed to the Christian devil. Learn more about how Pagans and Wiccans feel about such an entity.

7. Join a Coven, or Practice Solitary?

Many Wiccans and Pagans choose to join a coven or study group because it allows them the chance to learn from like-minded people. It’s an opportunity to share ideas and get new perspectives on any number of things. However, for some folks it’s just more practical or desirable to remain as a solitary practitioner.

8. Parents and Teens

Nothing will set a teenager at odds with a parent quite like coming into the house wearing a giant pentacle, toting a candle, and yelling, “I’m a witch now, leave me alone!” Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be that way. Parents, you may have some concerns about Wicca and other forms of Paganism… and teens, you probably aren’t sure how to talk to mom and dad about your new-found interest. Rest easy, though. With a little bit of good communication, both parents and teenagers should be able to find a happy medium.

9. You Don’t Need a Lot of Fancy Tools

Many people think they need to stock up on hundreds of dollars worth of incense, herbs, wands and candles before they can even begin to practice Wicca or Paganism. That’s simply not the case. While a few basic magical tools are nice to have, the key element of most traditions are the beliefs, not the tangible, physical items. If you’d like to gather a very basic “starter kit” of tools, there are several which are common to nearly every tradition.

10. You Can Write Your Own Spells and Rituals

Despite a commonly held (and generally Internet-based) belief to the contrary, anyone can write and cast a spell. The trick is to recognise what the key elements are to successful spell crafting — intent or goal, components, and putting it into practice are all key. Don’t let anyone tell you that beginners can’t write a spell. Just like any other skill set, it will take some practice, but with a little work you can become a perfectly effective spell worker.

So you’ve been reading up on Paganism, witchcraft, Wicca, and all kinds of other things, and it seems pretty straightforward… but you’re probably wondering How does magic work, anyway?

Well, it’s a really good question, and one that may have a number of different answers, depending on which people you ask. First, there are many different types of magic — natural magic, practical magic, high magic, ceremonial magic — and each is a little bit varied from the others.

Even when it comes to spell work, you’ll find a number of opinions on the Hows and Whys of the process.

In natural magic, there is a theory that many natural objects — rocks, roots, plants, animal bones, etc. — have a connection within them to some part of the human experience. For example, a rose quartz is linked with love and matters of the heart, a piece of oak would take on the attributes of strength and sturdiness, and a sprig of sage is connected to wisdom and purification. In this form of magic, also called sympathetic magic, the link between items and their magical symbolism is referred to as the Doctrine of Signatures. Spellwork in natural magic is often carried out with no prayer or invocation to deities or gods. It is simply the natural attributes of the items involved in the spell that make the magic happen.

Cat Yronwoode at Lucky Mojo explains that “for most folk-magicians, symbology is very important.

Faith, technical knowledge, precognitive intent, and emotional power fuel belief and confidence in the effects of a culturally appropriate symbological working. However, once the rules of each system of magic are internalized by the practitioner, a great deal of improvisation may be done for any given ritual or magical job of work.

The mark of a good magician in his or hr own school of magic is his or her ability — to borrow an analogy from music — to seamlessly improvise a tune within the chord structure of the system being used.”

In some traditions of Wicca and Paganism, magic is the realm of the Divine. A practitioner may call upon his or her gods for intervention and assistance. For example, someone doing a spell working to repair their damaged love life might call upon Aphrodite for aid. A person moving into a new home could invoke Brighid or Freyja, goddesses of hearth and home, as part of a ritual.

Yvonne Arburrow of Patheos says, “If magic works at all, it should be verifiable by science (though not necessarily by contemporary science, which focuses almost exclusively on the material aspects of reality). However, there are so many variables at play that it would be difficult to envisage a sufficiently objective experiment. Investigations into whether petitionary prayer (asking for stuff) works have pretty much concluded that it doesn’t, so I don’t hold out much hope for scientific confirmation of results magic. However, whether or not magic affects external reality, magic, meditation, and prayer can work to transform the psyche, and are therefore still worthwhile practices to engage in.”

There is also a school of thought that believes magic occurs only in accordance with one’s will — in other words, intent is everything. Some people in these traditions believe that the physical trappings of spell work — candles, herbs, etc. — are unimportant, because all that really matters is the strength of will to bring about results. If one focuses one’s intent precisely enough, and manipulates the necessary energy, change will come about.

Over at Wicca For the Rest of Us, Cassie Beyer says, “Magic (by whatever definition) requires dedication, concentration, and belief. If reading someone else’s spells let’s you better focus on other things, so be it, but there are just as many practitioners who write their own spells because it helps them focus on the task at hand. Moreover, a religious ritual will accomplish nothing if it means nothing to those performing it.

It is not the gestures or the words that make magic effective, but the power and the will within us that these things help to evoke.”

Regardless of how you believe magic actually works and whatever tradition you choose to embrace, understand that magic is a skill set that can be used in tandem with the mundane. While magic will not solve all of your problems (and probably shouldn’t be turned to as some sort of cure-all) it is certainly a useful tool when used sensibly.

People become Pagans or Wiccans for a variety of reasons. Most of those reasons are pretty good – sometimes it involves a connection to the divine, a sense of coming home, or even just a gradual transformation. However, there are plenty of reasons that aren’t so great. If yours appear on this list, you might want to rethink your whole spiritual journey and what you hope to get out of it.

1. I want to cast spells on people!

So there’s a really cute guy you like, and you figure the best way to get his attention is to start flinging some hot and sexy magical mojo his way. Or maybe you lost your job, and you’re thinking a spell aimed at your former boss is a great idea. Well, while both of these are things that you could do, that doesn’t mean that you should. Although the majority of Pagans do incorporate magic into their spiritual practice, it’s not generally the primary focus. If you’re only interested in spellwork, that’s fine – but keep in mind that the word work is a key component of that. There’s a reason that not everyone in the world practices magic.

Also, keep in mind that some traditions of modern Paganism have guidelines regarding spellwork aimed at other people. Be sure to read about the ethics of love spells before you start targeting the hottie in the next cubicle.

Be sure to read:

How to Write a Spell

How Does Magic Work?

2. I was raised Christian but now I hate going to church.

So for whatever reason, you’ve decided the Christian religion isn’t for you. That’s fine – everyone is allowed to evolve and grow and move on. However, if you’re seeking out Paganism simply as an act of rebellion against your upbringing, you may find yourself disappointed later on. Many Pagans say they feel more at home in their spiritual path once they realized they were running TO something, instead of trying to get away from something.

If you were raised Christian, and now you’re thinking about becoming Pagan, it’s important to ask yourself why. Switching religions isn’t like trying on a new pair of shoes, and often involves some degree of commitment on your part. Be sure you’re exploring Paganism because it feels right to you – not because it seems wrong to your family.

3.I want to conjure up spirits! They’re cool.

So you read about some guy who conjured up a spirit to do his bidding, and he got all kinds of cool powers, and blah blah blah. Well, while working with the spirit world is something that some Pagans do, it’s not something everyone does. And if you do decide to work with the spirit world, it’s important to remember that they’re not pets or playthings – just because you invoke a spirit doesn’t mean it’s interested in doing you bidding.

Many people do have spirit guides that visit them periodically – and there are a number of different types. However, if you’re going to call upon otherworldly beings, make sure you do so safely. They can be hard to get rid of if you change your mind later on about having them as guests.

4. I’m a seventeenth-generation hereditary Wiccan.

Many people believe that they’re descended from a long line of witches – and indeed, some people do have a few witchy branches in their family tree. However, just because someone in your family was a witch or Pagan doesn’t automatically make you one by default. Also, it’s important to remember that Wicca itself is a fairly new religion, created by Gerald Gardner in the 1950’s. That means that your great-great-great-great-grandmother who lived in Salem wasn’t Wiccan. Also, that ancestor who lived in Appalachia and gathered herbs and was known as a cunning woman? Not Wiccan. However, she may well have been practising some form of folk magic – much of which co-existed happily with Christianity for centuries. But she still wasn’t Wiccan.

5. Everyone knows Pagans are really kinky and open about sex.

If you’re thinking about becoming Pagan because it’s going to increase your opportunities to get laid, think again. While many Pagans are pretty open about sex – and there are a lot of polyamorous Pagans – that doesn’t mean we all want to sleep with you. Open-mindedness and tolerance of different sexual preferences isn’t the same as promiscuity. Also, although some Pagan groups include ritual sex as part of practice, if ritual sex is performed, it is nearly always between two individuals who are part of an existing relationship already, and who are of equal levels of power within the dynamic of the coven.

If you want to have kinky sex, go have it. But don’t use Paganism or other beliefs as an excuse or justification.

6. I want to be part of a religion that lets me do what I want.

Some people mistakenly believe that Pagan religions, specifically Wicca, are “do whatever you want” belief systems. While there’s a lot of room for leeway in how people practice and what they believe, that doesn’t necessarily mean you can do things that defy the laws of logic and common sense. For instance, if you want to worship Hecate, go right ahead — but don’t proclaim to everyone that you honor her as a goddess of love and beauty instead of one of sorcery and destruction.

Also, some established traditions do have guidelines in place. Many Wiccan groups follow the Wiccan Rede, and other Pagan belief systems may have their own set of rules. If you’re joining one of these established groups, you’ll be expected to follow their tenets. If you’re starting your own tradition, or practising as a solitary, you can create your own system – but make sure you establish some consistency in things.

7. People are mean to me, and if I’m a witch, they’ll be scared to pick on me.

Um, no. If people are mean to you, they’re going to continue being mean even if you’re a witch. If you’re interested in becoming Pagan just because it sounds spooky and scary, that’s not a great reason. In fact, you could find yourself having even more problems if you walk around telling the people who are harassing you that you’re now Pagan. If you’re a student and you’re being picked on – for whatever reason – you need to let an adult know so they can intervene. If you’re an adult and you’re being harassed by others, there are a number of ways to resolve the problem – call the police if it’s your neighbor, speak to your boss if it’s a co-worker.

Mean people are mean no matter what religion you are. Being Pagan isn’t going to change that.

8. All Pagans are peaceful and loving, so I want to be one.

Many people enter into the Pagan community thinking that every event they attend will be full of sunshine and rainbows, with happy Wiccans frolicking in fields, hugging trees and singing Kumbayah. Then, unfortunately, they get a rude awakening when someone at the potluck dinner says something snarky about someone else, one of the Druids makes a comment about the Heathens, and the drum circle erupts into a brawl because the High Priestess’ boyfriend drank too much.

Look, Pagans are people just like everyone else. We’re not all sparkles and light, and it’s unreasonable to expect everyone to be like that. Also, there are so many different sets of beliefs that you can’t just assume everyone’s going to be hugging it out in a giant gooey love-fest. Some Pagans are peaceful, others are not. But it’s a bad idea to expect every single one of us to be exactly the same – you’ll be sorely disappointed if you’re operating under these misconceptions.

9. I have psychic powers. That makes me a witch.

No. It makes you someone who’s psychically gifted. That doesn’t necessarily make you witchy or Pagan. There are many people who have varying degrees of psychic abilities – and there are a number of ways you can develop these skills so you can use them in a positive way. Witchcraft, on the other hand, is a matter of practice. In other words, practising witchcraft makes you a witch, while using your psychic abilities makes you a psychic.

10. I want to be like the girls on Charmed!

Charmed is a television show – you can’t use magic to change your eye colour, levitate, resurrect the dead, or any of the other amazing things that Phoebe and her sisters do. Likewise, The Craft and Harry Potter are make-believe too. While television and movies might have you believe that practising witches do all this fantastic stuff, most of the time we’re just hanging around trying to balance our check books, prepare dinner for our families, get to work on time, and walk the dog.

Magic power is inherent on Earth. By various means, we have learned how to use it. We hold the complete, pure energy of the All – of the Goddess and the God – most high. As witches, we know that we are a minute part of the universe. Yet we are connected to every other part of the universe. Everything affects us, and what we do affects everything.

If you do magic, it can truly change things. As a witch, you must respect this. You have the power to change things, and you can have a major impact on people and their lives. With this power comes great responsibility – to other people, animals, the Earth and to yourself.

Practitioners of magic understand that what is perceived to be the difference between the physical and the non-physical is due to our limitations as materially based entities. Some of the tools used in the practice of magic are indeed non-physical. Three of the most effective of these are music, dance and gestures. Writing and creating art can help to free your conscious mind and focus your concentration for working magic.

Techniques used to raise power, alter consciousness and to unite with the Goddess and the God often are part of ritual. In fact, effective, even powerful rites can be achieved using mere gestures. We honor dance and music as being among the earliest magical and religious acts. From the earliest of times, practitioners of magic have employed color, rhythm, hand gestures and bodily postures in their craft.

I define ritual as specific movements, manipulation of objects (tools) or a series of inner processes, which are designed to produce desired effects. For Wiccans, rituals are ceremonies that celebrate and strengthen the relationships with the Goddess, the God and the Earth. A simple rite may consist of a lone celebrant lighting a fire and chanting sacred names as she or he watches the moon rise. Conversely, a Wiccan rite may involve a number of people, each with specific roles, speeches and offerings in honour of Deity. Rites may be ancient, newly written or spontaneous.