Second Quarter Lesson 1 by Wiccid

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Wiccid Academy of Witchcraft & Magic

Second Quarter Lesson 1 By Wiccid

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Wiccid Academy of Witchcraft & Magic

Lesson 4

Greetings Apprentice!

We now move into the Second Quarter of our 12 month apprenticeship – How exciting!

From now we begin to delve more deeply into everything

In this lesson we learn about the Sabbat Lammas, We talk about the season Autumn and 2 new Moon phases. We will be adding to your altar set up and tap into the wisdom of some of the Celtic Gods/Goddesses – how can we call them in to assist our magical work? Tool of the month is the Wand, in your ritual for this month you will learn how to cast a full circle, we take a closer look at Faerie magic, we are introduced to Chakra’s, Crystal magic and Divination and there is a new self-care ritual. You also get your regular tasks - A new meditation, We start a new book, There is a new practical activity for you to try out and you will be adding to your Book of Shadows!!

There is a lot to cover this month so just a reminder that this is self-paced and self-monitored learning, meaning I won’t be marking your work - how much or how little you participate and integrate these teachings into your life will be entirely up to you. I am simply here to provide you with the tools you need to bring magic into your everyday life.

Have a beautiful month,

Love, Light and Blessings to you, Bella x

How to get the most out of your lessons:

When you receive your lesson each month, I recommend you print and then skim through all the material to give you insight into what you will be doing for the month. Then gather the materials you will need and create a sacred study space for yourself that is quiet and private. I like to cleanse my space with a smudge stick or incense to clear any negative energies before I start.

It is up to you how you choose to study, some of you might like to tackle it all in one big hit and some might like to do a bit each day. There will be some tasks that will be required to be done daily but may only take a few minutes such as your morning ritual. Once you read through your material you will better understand how you will work through it. A few other things to note:

 - If you see this symbol it means there is an important point to note

 - This symbol means you are asked a question that you will be required to ponder/explore/journal about Some simple Terminology you may see throughout this course:

 Athame: A magical black handled knife used in ritual  Boline: A magical white handled knife used in the preparation of magic ingredients such as herbs ©Wiccid www.wiccid.com.au [email protected] 3

 Wand: A magical tool used to cast circle and direct energy  Book of Shadows: A sacred book to record all your magic information, rituals, recipes and more  Pentagram/Pentacle: A 5 pointed star representing Earth, Air, Fire, Water & Spirit. A symbol used to represent unity and protection  Guardians: Each direction has a Guardian that represents the qualities of that direction and who you can ask to attend your magic ritual for guidance and protection. (Please note: in the North the directions and representations are different)  Cast circle: To create a sacred space  Altar: A table/surface where you can place all of your magical tools/ingredients and use as your sacred space to perform ritual and magic

Things to do for the month at a glance

Read through your lesson Take note of any supplies you may need and make plans to attain them Continue to perform your morning ritual (Lesson 1) Set up your altar with this month’s Altar Set Up suggestion Do your energy work Perform your ritual Do your meditation Read your book Perform the monthly practical activity Add to your Book of Shadows Carry out your self-care rituals Journal the journal questions

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Lesson 4.1

Sabbats – Lammas or Lughnasadh

Southern Hemisphere: February 1st

Northern Hemisphere: August 1st

A greater Sabbat – A fire festival

A History of Lammas/Lughnasadh

Lughnasadh is the first of 3 Gaelic harvest celebrations according to the Wheel of the year and is held from Dusk July 31st – Dusk August 1st. This festival can also be timed astrologically or agriculturally to fit in with the lifestyle and culture of the person/people celebrating.

Lughnasadh, Lunasa or Lugnasad originated in Ireland and the name comes from the Celtic God Lugh – God of the Harvest, Human Skill and Kings. He himself was King of the Tuatha de Danaan, a race of Divine beings.

In Scotland it was called Lunasda or Lunastal. In the Isle of Man this day was called Luanistyn. In Wales it was celebrated as Gwyl Awst (Feast of Augustus) and in England it was called Lammas, meaning loaf-mass (this is a feast of the bread).

This Sabbat would bring together great gatherings of people and was traditionally celebrated in some of the following ways:

Dating back to the 6th century there are actual records that describe the Fair of Tailteann created by Lugh in honour of his Earth Goddess step mother Tailtiu –who died of exhaustion after clearing all the fields of Ireland for agriculture. Originally funerary rites - This became a fair that was held every year on August 1st near what is believed to be the gravesite of Tailtiu in country Meath Ireland. There would be feasting, games, athletic contests, horseracing, music, storytelling and handfastings, people would travel from miles around to attend the festivities. This fair later became known as ‘Telltown on the Blackwater’.

Other fairs were held at sacred sites throughout the country, typically burial mounds of mythical, divine female hero’s, such as Carman – the Goddess Mother of invaders threatening Ireland who allowed herself to become hostage and sacrificed herself as a way of ensuring the invaders would never return. The 7 day fair of Carman celebrated with daily races, food and exotic goods markets, trading of foreign gold and silver, clothing stalls and a livestock market. Matters of law were also settled at the fair.

In the second half of the 5th century, Germanic tribes from Denmark and Germany began to migrate into England and became known as Anglo-Saxons. While they did integrate into the local customs and traditions, they also bought their own and over time their August 1st harvest celebrations became a meld of the olde ways and new Christian traditions they called hlafmaesse or Lammas.

This Sabbat marks when the first crops of Summer are ready to harvest and joyful feasting, dancing and games were part of the celebrations whether you were attending one of the many fairs, celebrating locally or conducting your own rituals. Feasts were typically made up of the food collected from harvest, berries and the meat from a freshly sacrificed Bull (so it is said, be your own judge on the whole sacrifice issue). Protection magic was practiced and used for animals, homes and crops and symbols of fertility such as floral wreaths were hung around the home or worn.

Some Olde Lammas Traditions:

Festivals consisted of ceremony, feasting and theatrical productions, usually held on hilltops. Although later Christianised – this tradition survives today. The first fruit from the harvest was taken to the hilltop and buried as an offering to the Gods

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In Rome around the 23rd of August the people would hold a celebration called Volcanalia to honour the God Volcan (or Volcanus) – the God of Volcanoes and fire. He was offered ritual sacrifices in the hopes that he would protect the cities from fire Corn dollies were made to honour and represent Lugh Bulls were sacrificed and rituals performed with their skins. Plays about Lugh’s triumph over blight and famine were performed People would make a pilgrimage to hilltops wearing fresh flowers and bury them at the top as a symbol that Summer was ending. Traditionally a time for craft fairs. People would make elaborate items, decorate their shops and wear bright coloured clothing – often parading for all to see. A good time for handfastings and trial marriages (marriages that lasted for a year and a day & then dissolved if both parties desired it) Games and athletic competitions were held – these were thought to be like an Olympic games Protection magic was performed In Lothian Scotland opposing groups of young men would build ‘forts’ made out of sod with a flag on top. Over a few days they would try to bring down each others towers and on Lughnasadh they would fight it out with a mock battle Known as ‘The feast of the bread’. Fresh breads were baked and special Lammas cakes were made An Anglo Saxon Lammas tradition was to bake a loaf of bread and then break it into 4. A piece was taken to each corner of the house and crumbled to invite blessings and give protection to the home Red ribbons were tied to cows tails and magical incantations spoken over their udders to ensure a plentiful milk supply for the year ahead In Islands off Scotland, a cup of hand brewed ale was offered to the water spirit Seonaidh to bring in lots of seaweed to fertilize crops In Africa celebrations were held to mark the beginning of the Yam festival. There would be singing, drumming and dancing

The story of Goddess & God

The Goddess sees with sadness that the strength of the Sun God is fading; however it lives on inside her as her child.

Magical Associations:

Herbs: Cederwood, Fenugreek, Fennel, Ginger, Blackberry, Myrtle, Frankincense, Cinnamon and Heather, Basil, Rosemary, Allspice

Trees: Apple, Hazelnut, Oak, Holly, Ash, Bay

Flowers: Sunflowers, Marigold, Poppy, Aster, Cornflower, Rose

Crystals: Tigers Eye, Onyx, Lodestone, Carnelian, Adventurine, Fossilised wood, Topaz, Amber, Citrine, Rutilated Quartz, Obsidian and any dark yellow or brown stones

Colours: Green, Red, Gold, Orange, Brown and Yellow

Foods: Breads, Oatcakes, Vegetables such as corn & potatoes, Seeds and Grains, Berry pies, Fresh Fruits, Elderberry Wine & Mead

Gods: Celtic: Lugh –God of light and son of the Sun; Norse: Thor, Loki, Ragbod; Roman: Consus, Vulcan, Apollo, Vertumnus.

Goddesses: Celtic: Cerridwen – Mother Goddess, Tailtiu, Danu; Roman: Ops, Diana, Pomona, Juturna, Stata Mater; Greek: Dryads, Demeter, Kore, Nemesis, Hecate, Artemis; Egyptian: Isis, Hathor

Animals: Dog, Centaur, Squirrel, Roosters, Eagle, Calves, Lion, Stag, Phoenix

Perform Rituals at this time for: ©Wiccid www.wiccid.com.au [email protected] 6

Celebrating your Spirituality Justice Celebrating the harvest – Make offerings to the Deities Partnerships of any kind and handfastings Promotion in your work Stabilising your finances and paying off debts Fertility Celebrating your talents and skills Weather magic Sporting ventures Prosperity and Abundance Strength Protection

 The Lesson of Lammas is to embody peace and patience when faced with an uncertain future.

Activities to celebrate Lammas

 Begin your ritual at dawn  Bake fresh bread  Perform rituals for hearth and home  Make a witches prosperity bottle and bury at your front door  Paint a hex sign on something to add power to your ritual – Study which one would be most suitable for your purpose  Build a circle of stones.  Make a corn dolly  Trek to a hill or mountain top and leave an offering or hold a celebration (or both)  Do magic for partnerships and unions  Hold your handfasting with your partner  Hold a magical feast for friends and family  Harvest your crops  Brew up a potion of Vervain water to use in your magic  Make offerings to God, Goddess and your Ancestors  Organise and perform outdoor games  Celebrate your successes from the year that has been  This is a great time to have a family reunion

 For a fabulous in depth study of Lammas, I highly recommend Llewellyn’s Sabbat Essentials – Lughnasadh.

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Lesson 4.2

Seasons AUTUMN

Autumn lasts from the Autumn Equinox (March 20th-23rs SH) to the Winter Solstice (June 21st SH).

 What sort of energy work or magic would be awesome to do while having access to this powerful energy?

History & Legend:

Historically the Autumn Equinox was known as the ’second green’ or ‘harvest home’ as this was when any remaining crops of fruits and vegetables were harvested to store through Winter. On this day when the hours of darkness and light are equal and the journey to Winter began – families would hold a sacred feast where all the best of the harvest was shared and consumed to ensure plentiful food throughout Winter.

Associations:

Direction: West

Colour: Blue

Element: Water

Plants: Ferns, Myrrh, Pine, Apple trees, Wheat, Solomans Seal, Oak trees and Geraniums

Animals: Geese, Stag

Foods: Apples, Bread, Jams & Preserves, Grapes, Wine, Fruits & Vegetables from the harvest

Crystals: Ametrine, Lapis Lazuli, Citrine, Hematite, Dendritic Agate, Rhodonite

Things to place on your altar or in your sacred space:

Autumnal fruits that have been harvested, a blue altar cloth or blue candles, statues of geese or a stag, a water feature, woven grasses (my husband wove me a pentagram out of grasses which is pretty cool), wheat or barley, coins in copper or bronze, Autumnal leaves in all the colours.

Perform Autumn Rituals for:

Reconciliation Home protection spells Harmony in your life and your home Gratitude spells Success for the work you have put in over the year Improving your relationships Securing your finances Bringing long term goals to fruition

 Raise your awareness – Notice the cycles that exist all around you during this season: In nature, at your work, in your home, in your body. Journal your observations.

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Lesson 4.3

Moon Magic – Plan your rituals by the Moon

This month we look at the energetic influence of Taurus.

New Moon and Full Moon. You can check online as to when each sign is passing through the month or get yourself a Moon Diary.

The Zodiac & the Moon:

 The new Moon – the Sun and Moon will be in the same sign

 The full Moon – Cosmic powers are at their peak at this time

 Blue Moon – A second full Moon in a month that occurs once a year

Moon in Taurus

Energy around this Moon: Peace, Affection, Sensuality, Harmony, Reconciliation, Devotion, Stability, Responsiveness, Artistic ability, Love, Saving money, Sensitivity

Associated Element: Earth

The Sun is in: Scorpio

Associated Sun Element: Water

Colour Association: Red/Orange

Crystals: Rose quartz, Peridot, Jade, Amber, Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Dioptase

Animals: Polar Bear (spirit animal), Bulls and Cows,

Flowers & Plants: Iris, Roses, Berries, Cypress, Vines, Apples, Pears, Figs and Palms

Gods & Goddesses: Aphrodite, Pan, Dionysus, Hera, Freya, Xolotl, Isis, Frigg

Perform Rituals for:

Prosperity, Abundance and Saving money Love Getting your life in order and sorting through your emotional stuff Reconnecting physically with your lover Laying solid foundations – in your life or for a new project/business Inspired creativity Personal growth Harmony in your home Goal planning for the long term Changing negative habits Your loved ones Peace and finding serenity Work and career Connecting with your body Investing in a project Long term healing Success ©Wiccid www.wiccid.com.au [email protected] 9

Connecting with your sensuality Grounding and finding your balance Buying property

Focus your Awareness on: Being open to opportunities

 Remember: To avoid being too stubborn

Lesson 4.4

Working with the Tides

You can work with the tides to aid any rituals that are to do with the sea or any water.

The Incoming Tide: The incoming tide heralds new beginnings, things coming to you.

A quick ritual: Engrave an object like a stone, shell or crystal with a symbol that represents something you wish to begin like a new job or a new relationship. Throw the object as far as you can into the incoming tide and visualize your success coming to you.

The Turning Tide: This is when the power of the ocean is at its most potent. Use this power to help you make a huge leap in your life or when you need to move things along.

A quick ritual: Throw a representation of what you need to add power to into the waves. For example: a coin for prosperity, flowers or something heart shaped for love, a key for a new house….Visualize and feel what you need coming to you soon.

The Out Going Tide: A great time to release anything you no longer need in your life.

A quick ritual: Engrave an object like a stone, shell or crystal with a symbol or word that represents what you wish to release. Throw the stone as far into the outgoing tide as you can and as you do visualize what you no longer want in your life going with it. You could also write down what you wish to release, burn it and toss the ashes into the ocean (think environmentally when you do this).

Lesson 4.5

Gods & Goddesses

This month we shall learn about the Celtic Pantheon

The Gods and Goddesses of the Pagan Celts each represented different aspects of life and nature. Evidence of their worship comes from a number of different sources such as in statue, engravings, historical texts, in sacred places of worship, in people and places and in objects.

The Celtic Deities could be compared or likened to Deities in other European belief systems and in fact, when the Romans conquered Celtic lands and settled there, many of the Celtic Gods & Goddesses became associated with their Roman counterparts. Caesar actually referred to their Deities in the Roman equivalent name only.

There are over 400 known Celtic Gods and Goddesses with 300 only being mentioned once each. Meaning some were worshipped widely while others were worshipped only in local areas, shrines or at sacred sites like wells and bodies of water - like

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Sequana, who was found only at her sacred spring shrine in Dijon. It is also interesting to note that Celtic Deities were often described in pairs.

There were two types of Celtic Deities, General Deities or Local Deities. General Deities were known widely throughout many regions and were called upon to assist with protection, healing, honour and luck in rituals. Local Deities were embodied in Nature worship and were spirits native to particular parts of the landscape like mountains, trees or rivers so they were mostly known locally.

Now obviously I am not going to list 400 Deities so I will talk about some of the main ones.

The Gaulish Celts, Inhabited parts of Europe and the Brythonic Celts who inhabited Briton

Belenus – Is a Celtic Sun God who is also known as ‘Fair Shining One’. He is ancient and was a widely worshipped God, he was also patron Deity to the Italian city of Aquileia. It is thought the Sabbat Beltane is in honour of him. He is associated with horses and wheels. It is believed that he rides the Sun across the sky in a horse drawn chariot.

Cernunnos – Horned God often depicted with large stag antlers sitting cross legged and holding a purse filled with coins. He also often wore or held a Torc. He is the God of fertility, life, wealth, animals and the underworld.

Epona – Is a Goddess of fertility and is depicted in statues with a cornucopia (horn shaped container filled with flowers, nuts & fresh produce - a symbol of fertility), ears of grain, foals and a patera (libation bowl). She is protectress of horses, donkeys, mules & ponies and it is said her & her horses could have been ‘leaders of the soul’ in the afterlife ride. Epona is one of the few Celtic Deities widely worshipped in Rome.

Sulis – Is known as both a nourishing life giving Mother Goddess and an effective granter of curses that were wished for by her followers. She was worshipped at the thermal spring of Bath (that is now located at Somerset) and was worshipped by the Romano British as Sulis-Minerva.

Welsh Celts:

Arawn – Was king of the otherworld realm of Anwen. He was featured prominently in ‘The First Branch of the Mabinogi’ – surviving ancient Welsh texts that comprise of a 4 part series of mythologies. Although he doesn’t seem to have objects sacred to him or known associations he was still considered a Welsh God.

Lleu Llaw Gyffes – Is a hero of Welsh Mythology and is featured in the ‘Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi’. He is a warrior and a magician who also ascended to the throne of Gwynedd. His uncle is Gwydion who also features in the fourth branch as well as several other famous works.

Arianrhod – Is a Celtic Goddess of fertility, rebirth and the weaver of the cosmic time & fate. Her name translates as silver wheel – which represents the wheel of the year. It is said that Arianrhod carried the bodies of the dead to her heavenly realm of Corona, Borealis on an oar wheel where she and her female attendants would decide on the fate of the individual before they were reincarnated. She is most often depicted as fair skinned with pale hair and weaving implements, the full Moon, the silver wheel and Corona Borealis are her symbols. The owl and ivy are sacred to her and so is the spider because she is the weaver of fate.

Cerridwen – Goddess of death and rebirth. She is also the patron of witches and is associated with the Moon, fertility, science, poetry & prophecy. The symbol of Cerridwen is the cauldron which represents transformation, magic, rebirth, wisdom and creative inspiration, and it is in her cauldron that she puts things and transforms them. She herself is also a shape shifter who has transformed into a hen, an otter, a white sow and a hawk. The hen and the hawk are her sacred animals and corn is her sacred plant.

The Gaelic Celts

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Manannan mac Lir – Is an Irish God of the Sea and is affiliated with the Tuatha de Dannan. He is also guardian of the Otherworld and carries souls to the afterlife. He owned a boat named ‘Scuabtuinne’ or Wave Sweeper, which was like a sea chariot drawn by the horse Enbarr (who could travel over both land & sea). He also had the powerful sword called Fragarach (the answerer) and a cloak of invisibility (in some of the stories it is a helmet of invisibility). Some say the Isle of Man is named after him and others say he is named after the island.

Ogma – A prominent member of the Tuatha De Danann and fairest son of Dagma and Danu. He was extremely gifted with language and writing and created the first Irish alphabet which was named Ogham, which he gifted to humans. It was said that sunlight would glow from his hair and his inspiration would be invoked by bards and poets.

Brigid – Also known as Brigit or Brig, she was also a member of the Tuatha De Danann. She is the Goddess of Spring, fertility, healing, poetry and smithcraft. It is said that she was the Goddess that poets adored. Imbolc marking the beginning of Spring is her sacred Sabbat. Brigid had 2 sisters – Brigid the Healer and Brigid the Smith, suggesting that she was most probably a triple Goddess.

The Morrigan – Also known as the ‘Morrigu’ or ‘The three Morrigna’ as this Goddess is most often described as being actually made up of 3 Goddess sisters – Badb, Macha & Nemain. The Morrigan is the Goddess of Fate and foretells doom and death in battle. She flies above the battle field in the form of a crow. She is associated with wealth, land, cows and sovereignty. She has been likened to The Valkyries and The Norn of Norse Mythology.

Lesson 4.6

Let’s take a closer look at Faery Magic

The Fae or Faery folk are an ancient race of people that pre-date the ancient Celts and are believed to have descended from the Tuatha De Danann, a tribe of people of the Goddess Dana who flew into Ireland on ships that descended from the stars. They originally came from 4 great cities: Finias, Murias, Falias and Gorias and it is in these magical cities that the Tuatha De Danann learnt all their knowledge and magic. When they came they brought with them 4 magical treasures: The Sword of Lugh, The Cauldron of Dagda, The Stone of Destiny (Lia Fail) and a Magic Spear.

The faery realm and the human realm existed side by side for many thousands of years until the humans became trapped in this realm (the physical) and knowledge of the Fae gradually passed from them. 

There seems to be a few different types and definitions of Faery magic but my understanding is that it is essentially being in tune with Nature and the Fae folk and working with them. You can ask the Fae to assist you with your magical rituals. Their powerful energy will empower your spells but it is not just a matter of calling them to your aid and they help you - you need to build a level of trust and respect with them first, you cannot be discourteous as they have been mistreated by humans and have grown shy.

A good way to win their trust is to plant a faery garden. Favourite plants and trees are thyme, rosemary, yarrow, French lavender, petunias, pansies, willow, cinquefoil, bluebells, clover (3 leaf) and apple – to name a few. Regularly leave them offerings like crystals, honey, water, wine, bread, sweets and shiny pretty things. Don’t expect these things to actually disappear – Faeries can extract the energy from these offerings so you will need to replace them to keep them hanging around. Types of Faery’s:

Faeries & Elves: Can be found on Faery hills, in flower gardens, in Faery rings, in wild places, in forests and in fields. They know the magical secrets of herbs, stones and animals. They love to dance and play and they can see the future.

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Gnomes, Trolls and Dwarves: Can be found in caves, in mines, under bridges and in the hollows of hills. They have a deep knowledge of gems and metals – they know where to find them, how to forge them and shape them.

Brownies and Kobolds: Are found in human homes and help with chores whilst also protecting their family. It may be these Faeries that are responsible for those missing socks!

Elemental Faeries: These Faeries are fully sentient beings and have feelings and individual personalities. It is important to consider this when calling them to aid your magic. They will help humans with magic and ritual but only if approached with respect and honour.

North – Earth: Gnomes – Rulers of the forest, they will protect your outdoor circles and also sacred groves. They will bring material gain and stability. They are seen as little people or a green light.

East – Water: Undines – Rulers of water. They are givers of love and friendship. They protect the gates of death and karma. They are seen as merpeople, sirens or pink lights

South – Fire: Salamanders – Rulers of fire and the fields. They give passion and creativity. They are the protectors of our homes and business. They are seen as lizards, dragons or blue flames.

West – Air: Sylphs – Rulers of Air. They give knowledge, dreams and wishes. They are protectors of magical applications. They are beautiful beings with delicate wings and they are seen as white light or Faeries.

 You need to adapt these elements to your own feelings/needs. For example: I equate East with water because I live on the ocean and it is to the East but this may not be true to you and might not feel right. As always, go with what feels right for you. A few Faery Facts:

It is from the Tuatha De Danann that the majority of the Celtic pantheon originates from. Faeries are infuriated by our mistreatment of Nature as they are jealous of the fact that we have living breathing trees and plants – they themselves have had to reproduce these in their own world Beltane is sacred to Faeries as it is said that the Tuatha De Danann flew into Ireland on Beltane Their favourite stones are peridot, jade, fluorite, emerald and tigers eye Bringing life to your garden will also attract the Faeries. Plant flowers that attract bees and butterflies have birdfeeders and a pond or waterfall.

And then there is: The Faery Tradition

Was founded by Victor Anderson and Gwydion Pendderwen. When Victor was only 9 he came across a circle of witches who told him they were faeries. In the centre of their circle was a small old woman surrounded by bowls of herbs and teas who initiated him into the craft (sexually it is said, during which he had a powerful vision). He then worked in Covens that emphasized living in harmony with Nature, magic, celebration, ecstatic dancing and music. When his own son was a boy he broke up a fight between him and a neighbours boy who went on to become a close friend of the family and eventually changed his name to Gwydion. Victor started his own Coven and along with Gwydion wrote most of the rituals for the Faery Tradition. It is also interesting to note that later on the Coven were influenced by the Alexandrian Tradition and incorporated some of the Alexandrian Book of Shadows into the Faery Tradition.

There seems to be some mystery surrounding this tradition as it is knowledge that is passed onto initiates only and is kept private and secret. Practitioners of this tradition utilize specific energy currents in their magic and believe that much of reality is unseen, they believe in maintaining the old ways and mystery. They believe themselves to be Faery and truly live their craft.

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So the bottom line with Faery magic is that you need to believe in Faeries! Like really believe and understand that they exist. And to believe in Faeries is to also believe in Elementals like sprites, goblins, sylphs, tree spirits and all the otherworldly beings.

I personally have always believed in Faeries and the Elementals, or at least I believe that they lived on another plane that humans were sometimes able to visit, or we visited theirs and this plane has been closed off to most of us for a very long time. It is something I am eager to explore further and reconnect with but as for you – that will be your own choice and journey.

Lesson 4.7

Magical Tools: The Wand

* Image: therushingriver.tumblr

The Wand is one of the main tools used in magic and has been around for thousands of years. The Wand most commonly consists of a wooden handle (I have also seen them made out of glass or metal) and may have a crystal at the tip. The handle can be made out of any type of wood but if you would like to keep it traditional use woods from willow, oak, elder, peach, cherry, hazel, olive or apple (remember to collect in a sacred manner – branches that have naturally fallen off the tree is best). The length can be whatever feels most comfortable for you to hold.

Wands can be decorated with wire, crystals, paint, engravings, beads, feathers, fur, skins, ribbon – any objects that have meaning or are sacred.

Element: The Wand represents air

Sacred to: The Gods.

Use it for: It can be used to conjure, invoke, direct energy, call in Goddess & God, draw sigils in the air, mark out your circle, and I have even heard it said that if you balance a Wand on the palm of your hand it will point to any danger around you.

Before you use it: You will need to consecrate it (bless and infuse with your energy). Your ritual for this month is for consecrating tools.

Where to find one: You can find them in magical shops, online or as mentioned above, you can make one.

If you don’t already have a wand, do not rush into it and just buy anything. Be patient and trust that the right wand for you will find you when the time is right.

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Lesson 4.8

An introduction to Crystal Magic

Crystal magic is, simply put, using the power of crystals to aid your magic and enhance your life. Every crystal carries with it different powers, qualities and its own life force you can utilize in your rituals. For example, you might use a rose quartz in a love spell and then carry it on you to keep the energy of the spell flowing. Or you might place an amethyst crystal under your pillow to help you sleep. Every crystal contains its own energy and the power of the crystal is released when you imbue it with your intentions, so it is important to choose the right one for what it is you are trying to achieve.

Some uses of crystals:

For healing To aid and give power to magic To calm you or help you sleep For meditation For focus and clarity For energy To bring out your psychic abilities To enhance your spirituality They can aid physical healing They can help regulate your bodies systems They can cleanse energy Use them in chakra healing

How you can use them:

 Buy jewellery containing crystals  Wear it on your person, I stuff mine down my bra when I need it on me  Place it under your pillow  Place it on your bedside table  Place it on your altar  Keep one in your purse (good for prosperity spells)  Put one on your desk near your computer to absorb energies emitted by technology  Keep one on your desk at work to deflect negative energies from other people  Put one near the till at your work or business to bring prosperity

How to choose and care for your crystals:

Let your crystals choose you. When you go shopping for a crystal, there will always be one that stands out or you are drawn to. Go with your intuition, it will not fail you.

When you have your crystal you will need to cleanse it. My favourite ways to do this is by running it under fresh water like a stream or waterfall, or by leaving it out under the Full Moon. You can also run it through some sandalwood or sage smoke or rub it with sandalwood essential oil.

When you are ready to use your crystal you will need to imbue it with your energy and put your intention into it. The best way to do this is to hold the crystal in your cupped hands and gently blow on it three times, speaking the intention to it between each breath.

From next lesson we will begin exploring the wonderful world of crystals with a focus on a different one each lesson. If you already have a collection of crystals, give them a good cleanse this month and begin incorporating them into your magical workings.

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Lesson 4.9

An introduction to Divination

What is divination? It is using the energies of Nature, magical tools and your own intuition to connect with the Divine to gain answers to questions you or your subject seek. Divination has been used since the beginning of time with Diviners seeking the answers to these questions through various means like reading signs, reading events, reading omens and using divinatory tools such as the pendulum, tarot cards, oracle cards, scrying bowls or ball, crystals or crystal balls and palmistry.

According to psychologist Julian James, Divination can be divided into 4 categories:

Omens & Omen Texts: Chronicled in Chinese history with documented occurrences of strange births, natural phenomena and other data. The Chinese government relied on this method of forecasting for long term plans.

Sortilege otherwise known as Cleromancy: This involves casting lots or ‘sortes’ of an object in order to read or decipher the signs from them. The sortes can be sticks, stones, bones, beans or coins. It is thought that modern playing cards came from this practice.

Augury: This is the practice of ranking a set of possibilities. Two examples are – dowsing which originated from rhabdomancy (using a stick like object like a wand) or the Romans Etruscan methods of Haruspicy (reading the entrails of animals). Augury at its core is said to be specifically referring to divination by reading the flight patterns of birds. This practice was called ‘taking the auspices’ and the auspices from the Gods could be favourable or unfavourable.

Spontaneous: A free form of divination in which any medium can be used, literally whatever the diviner lays their eyes on – cards or stones for example. The diviner may also use a spontaneous method of actually reading such as randomly choosing a rune stone or a card and taking that first pick as the answer to their question. Modern Feng Shui and reading auras are also forms of spontaneous divination.

Over the coming lessons we are going to study the various forms of divination more deeply and start practicing ourselves.

 Do you have any divinatory tools already like some cards or rune stones? If you do (and if you haven’t already), pull them out and start playing with them. Give them a cleanse with your smudge stick, sleep with them under your pillow for a few weeks to attune to them, start doing readings for yourself or your friends. Have fun with this but do remember to protect your energy with a bubble of white light first.

Lesson 4.10

How to cast circle – A full run through of an elaborate circle casting

You will need:

Sea salt – about a handful Incense 5 white candles Bowl of salt Bowl of water Lighter or matches

Casting the Circle:

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 Gather what you will need for your ritual and place it near your altar.  Cleanse your space with a smudge stick or palo santo stick. I sometimes also like to ritualistically sweep around my altar with my broom, imagining I’m sweeping all the negative energy or dust away – I literally sweep it out a door to outside. (My broom never actually touches the ground).  De-robe and then mix the salt with a little water to make a paste. Hop in the shower and rub the salt all over your body to cleanse and purify yourself  Turn on the shower and rinse off  Hop out and pat yourself dry, do not apply anything to yourself (like moisturizer or deodorant) and go skyclad (naked, but only if you feel comfortable to do so, otherwise wear loose clothing) into your altar.  Mark the directions (N,S,E,W) with white candles placed just outside the perimeter of the circle  Light your altar candles and the incense  Standing before your altar, face North and extend your arm out in front of you pointing your power finger (use a wand or athame if you have one).  Visualize a stream of white light coming out your finger/wand and extending out at least a metre in front of you. Begin to turn slowly widdershins (anti clockwise – clockwise or deosil for the northern hemisphere) and trace the light as you go until you reach the point where you started and have made a circle.

As you do this, say the following: I conjure you circle so that you may provide me with a safe and sacred space to work within. So mote it be.

 Now visualize the light extending above and below the line of light you have created until it becomes a sphere of light encircling you and your altar. Technically speaking it is said by some that your circle should be about 9 feet in diameter but I think you should do whatever feels good to you. Just make sure your circle protects you and your magical working space.  Now consecrate the salt and the water to make sure they are free from any negative energies and can be used in your magical working. Touch the tip of your Athame or your finger to the salt and the water (separately), as you do so say: Salt of the Earth/Water I consecrate you so that you may aid me in my magical rite

In the name of Father God & Mother Goddess You are consecrated

 Now walk the circle with your representations of the elements – Your bowl of water (sprinkle some), your salt to represent Earth (sprinkle this too), A candle to represent Fire and your incense to represent Air.  Now it is time to call in the guardians of the directions to ask them to attend your ritual (Turn to each direction as you invoke them)

Come Guardians of the South!

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Thanks be for the Earth that holds us, for the bones that carry us, for the energies that ground us and for the plants, animals and minerals

We bid you to guard this sacred space and give aid to our ritual

Come Guardians of the East!

Thanks be for the waters of the Earth, for the gifts of flow and surrender and for the emotions that allow us to feel. We bid you to guard this sacred space and give aid to our ritual

Come Guardians of the North!

Thanks be for the Sun that warms us and heals us, for our own inner fire and for love, courage and compassion

We bid you to guard this sacred circle and give aid to our ritual

Come Guardians of the West!

Thanks be for the air that gives us life, for imagination, for freedom, for inspired ideas and for fresh eyes.

We bid you to guard this sacred space and give aid to our ritual

 And now call in Goddess and God: Goddess and God of all that is.

I ask you to witness and bless this magical working That is set outside of time within this sacred space. Blessed Be

 If you are asking a particular Goddess or God to attend your ritual you can substitute ‘Goddess and God’ for their names.  You may also like to call in your ancestors to witness your ritual  Your circle is now ready for your ritual.  When you have completed your spell remember to thank the Guardians and Goddess & God. Now walk deosil (clockwise – opposite for northern hemisphere) around the circle with your hand/knife pointed at the centre and ‘cut’ the circle, visualise the white light dissipating and say

‘The circle is open but never broken’.

 Always remember to ground yourself after your ritual. You have been working with energies so it’s important to bring your own back into balance. Simply go outside and put your feet on the ground or have something nourishing to eat.

©Wiccid www.wiccid.com.au [email protected] 18

Lesson 4.11

Your Altar set up for this month:

Have you obtained a Wand yet? If you have, add it to your permanent altar set up – Refer to Lesson 1 for the correct altar set up.

This month add objects to your altar sacred to whatever Sabbat is coming up such as fresh herbs, fresh flowers, crystals, candles, and you might like to decorate your altar with a coloured cloth.

For something different this month you might like to set up an outdoor altar within a circle of stones.

Lesson 4.12

Your energy work for this month: An introduction to chakras

Chakra is a word that means ‘wheel’ or ‘circle’ in Sanskrit. There are 7 main chakras in our bodies and each one is an energy centre – a swirling vortex that draws spiritual energy into our being, into our own energy fields – our aura.

Harmony and balance in our chakras is important as they are essential to our wellbeing and our wholeness, when one is not functioning correctly it can throw our whole energy off balance.

Each chakra is closely located to an endocrine centre in our body and is associated with the functioning of our hormone system. The spiritual energy they emit is able to be processed into useable energy for the body so physical wellness and healing is possible when your chakras are in alignment just as is emotional and spiritual healing.

Chakra Associations:

 Colour – Is a vibration and can affect our energy field  Elements – Working with chakras will heighten your awareness of the elements around you  Sense – Each chakra is associated with a sense in bodies and working with them may help to heighten your senses  Symbols – Each chakra has its own symbol and colour – meditating on these can bring new energy into your chakra  Lotus – Each chakra is represented by a pattern of lotus petals. Meditating on them can help bring harmony to your chakras

All the chakras except the heart also have a corresponding chakra, meaning that when you work with one it can open and affect another one Eg: The third eye and the sacral. The 7 Chakras

1. Base Chakra – Red – Located at the base of our spine. It is our centre of survival, balance, safety, strength and grounding 2. Sacral Chakra – Orange – Located approximately 4cm below our belly button. It is our centre of passion, creativity, sexuality, fire, joy. 3. Solar Plexus Chakra – Yellow – It sits between the belly button and the sternum. It is our centre of intuition, trust, decisions, our own power 4. Heart Chakra – Green or baby pink – Is located at our heart centre. It is the source of our love, love for self and for others 5. Throat Chakra – Indigo Blue - Located at the base of our throat, in the dip below our adams apple. This is the seat of our truth, communication, self-expression and willpower 6. Third Eye Chakra – Purple – Located right between our eyes just above the brow area. This is our centre of knowing, clairvoyance, clear seeing and higher powers 7. Crown Chakra – White – This sits just above the centre of our head. This is our connection to the Divine, our connection to source and the light

Over the next 7 lessons we will begin exploring and working with our chakras. Each lesson will focus on a different chakra beginning with the Base Chakra. We will explore more deeply its associations, its karmic lessons, how to work with it, how to heal it, how to harmonize and balance it and what symptoms can show up for you if one is out of alignment.

I started working with chakras over a year ago and have found it to have a profound positive effect on my energy work and magic, so I am excited to share this wisdom with you.

Lesson 4.13

Your Ritual for this month

Consecrating your Magical tools

As you collect your magical tools you will need to cleanse and consecrate (dedicate) them so you can clear them of any negative energies and charge them with your own energy to use in your magic. It is also a great idea to ask Goddess & God, the Divine, Creator or your Guides to bless your tools and add their power.

Before you perform your ritual you will need to physically clean the tool in whatever way seems right to you and then it is recommended you bury the tool in the Earth to disperse its energies. You can also cleanse it in the ocean or fresh running water (like a waterfall or stream). Just be aware of the material the tool is made of so you don’t damage it.

For something different you may like to perform this ritual outside – near a body of water with a small fire would be amazing!

(Obviously if you choose the outdoor option you won’t need the candle or bowl of earth).

You will need:

 A bowl of salt  A candle  Incense  A bowl of earth or sand  A pentagram

The ritual:

1. Have all the ingredients set up whether performing your magic at your altar or outside. 2. Light your candle/fire and incense 3. Cast a protective circle. If outdoors you might like to make a circle of stones. 4. Lay the tool on the pentagram and then touch it with your magic knife or finger and say: ©Wiccid www.wiccid.com.au [email protected] 20

I consecrate you tool (say name of whatever the tool is) So that you may aid me in my magical rites In the name of Father God and Mother Goddess You are consecrated

5. Send pure white light into the tool to cleanse it of any past associations or negative energy 6. Now pick it up and touch it to the Earth, then run it through the candle flame/fire, dip it in the water and wave it through the incense smoke 7. Now still holding your tool stretch your arms out to the sky and ask Goddess & God to bless it: Mother Goddess and Father God I bid you to give this sacred tool your blessing

And charge it with your power So that it may aid me in all my magical workings

By the power of earth, air, fire, water and spirit This is my will, so mote it be.

8. It’s a good idea to then use your tool immediately to bind the consecration. 9. Close circle in the usual way

 Journal how you go with this ritual

Lesson 4.14

Meditation

Journey to the Faerie Realm

Find a time and a place where and when you won’t be disturbed.

Lie down with your spine straight and with a pillow tucked under your knees for support. Lay your arms out beside you with palms up. Close your eyes.

Take 3 deep nourishing breaths all the way down into your belly and release each breath slowly. On the next breath breathe in a violet purple and visualize this purple light travelling up to your third eye chakra and expanding the energy. Take another deep breathe, breathing in purple and on your out breath tone ‘eeeeeeee’ for a count of 8. Your third eye chakra, the chakra of knowing and sight, will now be open and harmonized.

Let your breathing return to normal and now in your mind’s eye you open your eyes and when you do, you are standing at the foot of an enchanted forest.

You can hear the soft rustle of the ancient trees. You can smell the delicious fresh yet musty smell of this old forest. You can hear the twittering of birds and the rustling of small animals. It is mysterious, exciting and inviting – you know there is nothing to fear here.

You step onto the forest path and enter. As you enter it becomes dark yet there is a soft glow in the air. It feels magical. As you walk along you notice the enormous trees. They are as wide as a house and as tall as the eye can see, they whisper to each other and you feel comforted by this. There are butterflies dancing in the gentle breeze and little animals scuttle in and out of the underbrush.

The path twists and it turns. It rises up and it goes down gentle little hills. Eventually you come to a beautiful clearing. There is green lush grass and wild flowers of every colour. There is a small stream running to one side. You see that the sun is gently shining on a huge old tree stump and you go closer to investigate. As you do you notice that it is covered in beautiful green moss and there are little pockets here and there, almost like little doorways. You think to yourself that surely faeries live here.

You step a little closer and touch the stump. As you do, you trip and instead of crashing into the stump - you fall into it. Down, down, down you go and somehow you are not afraid. After what seems like a long time you land with a soft thump on a cluster of moss and look around you.

You have entered the realm of the faerie.

Everything seems magical, the colours are so vivid. The air is the freshest you have ever tasted. There are trees and flowers everywhere you look and they all seem so alive, as if they could talk. The air shimmers as if glitter floats in the light breeze.

You get up and slowly and very carefully begin to look around. There are rolling green hills as far as the eye can see, bubbling streams, trees that extend up into the sky and magical little pools from which small creatures jump out of, seemingly playing.

You begin to see things out of the corner of your eye but as soon as you turn to look they disappear. You feel no fear, only curiosity. You walk over to an enormous tree and reach out to touch it, to connect with it, in total awe of its majesty. Before your hand reaches it a figure steps out from behind the tree and smiles at you.

This person looks human but a little odd, a little different. He has long dark hair, the greenest eyes you have ever seen and dazzling white teeth. He also has pointy ears and is wearing green clothes that look like they are made from leaves and plants. You realize he is of the faerie. A real faerie!

You timidly greet him. He greets you in return and asks you what realm you are from. When you tell him the human one, he looks troubled for a split second before looking at you and then into your heart. He tells you his name is Gwyn and as your heart is pure you may stay for a while.

You walk together for a while and you have the opportunity to ask him about things of the otherworld that you have always wanted to know.

All to soon he says it is time for you to return. He walks you back to the mossy pillow you landed on and asks you if you brought him a gift. You give him one with a grateful heart.

He bids you farewell and tells you that you may visit again. He then places his hand on the trunk of a nearby tree and suddenly you are flying up, up, up. Before you know it you are landing on the soft grass surrounding the tree trunk. You begin to walk back along the forest path feeling light, vibrant and touched by the magic of the faerie.

You walk up the path and down the path, you walk along the twists and turns noticing everything – every leaf on every tree, every petal on every flower. Everything now seems more alive and holds unlimited magic in it.

Eventually you reach the entrance to the forest and walk out into the open, into the sun. As you do you take a few big deep breaths and on the third one you come back into your own body and into the realm of the human race once more.

Welcome back!

Lesson 4.15

Self-Care Rituals - Keep your circle positive

Self-Care Rituals are included in each of your lessons as caring for our bodies, minds and souls is integral to keeping our energy flowing. Why is this important? We are working with energy when we work magic so to get the most benefit out of our spells we need to ensure that our own energy is able to fully tap in to the natural energies all around us. If our own energy is out of whack because we aren’t taking care of ourselves, we are not able to effectively tap into the natural energies that we are working with.

In previous lessons we have talked about sleep and movement. This lesson I want to talk about keeping your circle positive.

It is essential to our wellbeing that we surround ourselves with positive people that lift us up and inspire us to be better humans. It is very difficult to keep our energy positive when we have naysayers around us who do not support our successes, our dreams and our goals.

Do you sometimes hang out with someone and feel tired and drained after your time together? Do you have people around you that only have negative things to say when you start a new venture or have had a success in your life? Are there friends of yours ©Wiccid www.wiccid.com.au [email protected] 23 who constantly whinge and moan about their shitty lives but don’t make any moves to improve their situations? Are there some around you that don’t understand your path (such as this study for example) so they just try to talk you out of anything that will help move you forward to bettering your life? Do you work with someone that is just an ass?

This is going to sound harsh, but you need to work towards releasing these people from your life, even if it’s only for a while so they can sort themselves out. Is it family that is weighing you down? Then consider how you might be able to spend less time with them.

A few years ago now I released several people from my life that just made me feel heavy, judged, tired and not good enough when I was with them. I had been friends with these people for over 10 years so this was not an easy process and yes it did hurt.

BUT, once they were gone I did not miss them (that was how I knew I had made the right decision) and my life seemed to instantly improve. I felt lighter. Things felt easier because I was not dealing with daily drama and I felt better about myself because I didn’t have someone in my ear telling me I couldn’t do what I wanted in life. I also unknowingly made room for new friends – and my new friends are AMAZING!

They cheer me on, they support me, they inspire me with goals they are kicking in their own lives, they love me for who I am and don’t make me feel ‘less’.

If the negative nelly’s are in your own family (this is a tricky one), then how can you remove yourself from their bad ju-ju? Well I have a couple of occasional negative nelly’s living with me and I quite simply remove myself from their presence. I might hang out in my room, or out in the yard, or in my studio. If things feel yuck I will go out and hang out with my friends to give me a lift. And if things are really bad (which happily is very rare)…I completely cleanse the house with a smudge stick and then I will quite often use my singing bowl in every room to lift the vibration. In the past I have also performed rituals and written letters to bring more harmony to my home.

I know some of you will resonate with this immediately and some will need to think on it. Please do think on it, it’s a biggie.

 Journal who you surround yourself with and ponder whether there are any relationships you need to let go of or ones you need to nurture more. This extends to family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances or people in social groups you hang out in (yes even online).

Bonus Magical Bits

Your Practical Activity for the month:

Find some smallish, smooth rocks in Nature - remembering to ask Mother Nature and the Guardians of the Earth/Area if you may have them for magic – and then paint them with magical signs and sigils to use in your rituals and daily magical activities.

Some uses:

 Use in your magic rituals. For example: Place the painted stone on your altar when performing your ritual to utilize its energy and intention  Carry on your person to absorb its magical energy and intention  Place in potted plants in your garden to allow your garden to benefit from the stones energies (sigils for healing, world peace and Earth magic would be ideal)  Paint protection sigils on your stones and place near the front door or around your home  Keep a protection stone in your car  Put protection and love stones in your kids school bags ©Wiccid www.wiccid.com.au [email protected] 24

 Keep small stones in your purse or handbag, stones for prosperity, love and protection  Hold them for added power when calling in the Deities and Guardians

* Author Unknown From honeymoo.com

Your reading suggestion for this month:

Faery Wicca, Book 1: Theory and Magick, a Book of Shadows and Lights by Kisma K. Stepanich

Explores this old folk faiths traditions, history and practices. Learn more about the Celtic pantheon, the Celtic division of days and the fairies of the Tuatha De Danann, plus magical symbols and alphabets used to encode the teachings of the mysteries and more.

Your Book of Shadows:

For this month:

 Record Sabbat info  Add Moon and seasons info  Add Gods/Goddesses info

 Record Tides lesson  Add info about Faerie Magic  Record info on introduction to crystals (might need a new section)  Record info on Introduction to Divination (you might need a new section)  Record info on the Wand (have you made a section for tools?)  Record ‘How to Cast Full Circle’.  Record info on introduction to the Chakras (energy work). You may need a new section as we will continue with learning about the chakras throughout the next 7 months.  Record your ritual for this month

As I have previously mentioned, your Book of Shadows is your own so it is 100% up to you how you wish to lay it out and what you wish to include. These are suggestions only.

Ritual Kit Inclusions for this Quarter: (An optional extra purchase)

Crystals: Tigers Eye, Bloodstone & Jade Pendulum Incense cones or sticks Cage (for necklace) to hold one of your crystals Laminated chakra chart Pentagram altar stone 4 white tealight candles Mini quill & Ink Ribbon – multi colours Chakra stone set Pendulum chart Mini set of Runes

This kit contains what you need for the next 3 lessons for your rituals and practical activities. All you need to add is fresh items (like flowers) and your personal touches.

Next month:

In Lesson 5 we learn more about Sabbats and Moon magic, the Norse Pantheon, the Athame, Druidism, the Base Chakra, Crystals and how to use a Pendulum. You get a new ritual, a new meditation, a new self-care ritual, a new practical activity, a new reading suggestion and more to add to your B.O.S.

Phew – it’s going to be an amazing month full of magic!

In the meantime, I hope you have enjoyed this lesson as much as I have enjoyed putting it together. Remember – you will only get as much out of this as you put in so I would recommend daily practice.

If you have any questions you can email me anytime: [email protected] or post them in our Facebook group.

Please also remember to fill out the feedback sheet and email it back to me so I can continue to improve your learning experience,

Love, Light & Blessings to you, Bella x

* Disclaimer: Whilst every care has been taken to ensure an individual’s safety throughout this program - All recipes, meditations, magical workings and rituals are suggestions only and should only be undertaken under your own discretion and responsibility. Belinda Payne & Wiccid do not take any responsibility whatsoever for any adverse reactions to any of the items listed above whether physical or mental. If you are unsure as to whether you are fit to undertake any of the above listed items – please seek the advice of a health care professional.