A Modern Guide to Witchcraft & Magick

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

A Modern Guide to Witchcraft & Magick A MODERN GUIDE TO WITCHCRAFT & MAGICK Wicca V4.indd 3 22/08/2018 14:15 First published in Great Britain in 2018 by Orion Spring an imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment London EC4Y 0DZ An Hachette UK Company 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 Copyright © Harmony Nice, 2018 The moral right of Harmony Nice to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. Illustrations by Laura Shelley at www.laurashelleydesign.com A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN: 978 1 4091 8145 3 Ebook ISBN: 978 1 4091 8146 0 Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in the book is accurate. The information in this book may not be applicable in each individual case so it is advised that professional medical advice is obtained for specific health matters and before changing any medication or dosage. Neither the publisher nor author accepts any legal responsibility for any personal injury or other damage or loss arising from the use of the information in this book. In addition if you are concerned about your diet or exercise regime and wish to change them, you should consult a health practitioner first. Printed in Great Britain by Clays Ltd, Elcograf S.p.A www.orionbooks.co.uk Wicca V4.indd 4 22/08/2018 14:15 Wicca V4.indd 6 22/08/2018 14:15 Wicca V4.indd 23 22/08/2018 14:15 and one that I use more for recording information, such as the historical side of spells and why I might use them. It is entirely up to you: start recording your journey and see what feels right and makes sense. 54 Wicca V4.indd 54 22/08/2018 14:15 aspects of the world you may not always take notice of. It can help you see how beautiful the world is, even when that seems to dis­­ appear when you are struggling. Not to mention, there are lots of aspects of Wicca that involve mental, physical and spiritual healing, which can help to balance your mind and emotions. Healing with crystals, herbal remedies, healing using spells and also, the most important, meditation. 69 Wicca V4.indd 69 22/08/2018 14:15 Wicca V4.indd 93 22/08/2018 14:15 Wicca V4.indd 126 22/08/2018 14:15 Another suggestion, if you’re completely stuck with setting up your altar, is to follow the pentagram set-up rule – that is using any item you have at your altar will have some relation to one or more of the elements. So, for example, your wand, because it is made of wood, can represent earth or air, so it can go to the lower left or the upper left of your altar, and so on. 150 Wicca V4.indd 150 22/08/2018 14:16 Wicca V4.indd 156 22/08/2018 14:16 181 Wicca V4.indd 181 22/08/2018 14:16 Another commonly seen alphabet is the runic Elder Futhark alphabet. This is seen on the rune stones used in divination. These symbols are also believed to have extremely powerful properties when using them to write, for spell work and messages. 182 Wicca V4.indd 182 22/08/2018 14:16 Wicca V4.indd 221 22/08/2018 14:16 Wicca V4.indd 225 22/08/2018 14:16 Resources BOOKS Wicca by Scott Cunningham Living Wicca by Scott Cunningham Earth Power by Scott Cunningham The Modern Guide to Witchcraft by Skye Alexander ONLINE www.thehoodwitch.com – this is a fantastic blog full of posts on everything from fashion to music, and the Sabbats to Tarot. www.wicca-spirituality.com – another wonderful resource for articles on all things relating to Wicca. www.wiccadaily.com – an online channel for all your Wiccan news, articles, photos, rituals and spell guides. www.witchfest.net – the largest organiser of witchcraft festivals in the world, this is a great resource for finding a Wicca-based event near you. YOUTUBERS Anaïs Alexandre BehatiLife Eadig Laura Daligan The White Witch Parlour 226 Wicca V4.indd 226 22/08/2018 14:16 INSTAGRAMMERS @behatilife @downtostars @thehoodwitch @wiccamovement @witchradio #wiccapath SHOPS Every Witch Way www.everywitchway.co.uk The Goddess & The Green Man www.goddessandgreenman.co.uk 17 High Street, Glastonbury, Somerset BA6 9DP The Hoodwitch www.thehoodwitch.com Innanas Festival www.facebook.com/inannamagicNORWICH 2 St Andrew’s Hill, Norwich NR2 1AD KrystalRealm www.etsy.com/shop/KrystalRealm Wicca Daily www.wiccadaily.com EVENTS The Norwich Mind Body Spirit Festival – this is a great way to meet other Wiccans and like-minded people. There are plenty of exhibitors all of whom are there to help you with finding spiritual enlightenment. The festival takes place every June in Norwich. 227 Wicca V4.indd 227 22/08/2018 14:16 Pagan Pride UK – celebrating and raising awareness of modern Paganism, this non-profit organisation organises an amazing annual festival in central Nottingham on the first Sunday of August. The Stonehenge Solstice Festival – a music festival like no other! Specially located in the Salisbury Plain, this is the perfect event making friends and enjoying its uniquely relaxing and magical atmosphere. It takes place annually, during the Summer Solstice. 228 Wicca V4.indd 228 22/08/2018 14:16.
Recommended publications
  • A WEBERIAN ANALYSIS of WICCAN CHARISMA Robert Puckett The
    RE-ENCHANTING THE WORLD: A WEBERIAN ANALYSIS OF WICCAN CHARISMA Robert Puckett The rise of Wicca is largely a reaction to the modern disenchant- ment of the world. Sabina Magliocco (2004: 120) argues that Wicca is a form of creative resistance against the dominant ontology of the Enlightenment, which marginalizes imagination and ecstasy. The soci- ologist Max Weber (borrowing from Friedrich Schiller) described this phenomenon as Entzauberung der Welt, literally, the de-magifi cation of the world, which he regarded as the immediate result of the rise of Protestant ascetic rationalism, modern science, and modern capitalism. Weber’s most forceful statement of this idea was in his 1918 address at Munich University entitled “Science as a Vocation.” Speaking of the “meaning of science,” Weber said: It means principally there are no mysterious incalculable forces that come into play, but rather that one can, in principle, master all things by calculation. This means that the world is disenchanted. One need no longer have recourse to magical means in order to master or implore the spirits, as did the savage, for whom such mysterious powers existed. Technical means and calculations perform the service. This above all is what intellectualization means (Weber 1968: 228). The ascension of the “formal rationality” of science, which legitimates a “means-end rational calculation by reference back to universally applied rules, laws, or regulations” (Kalberg 1980: 1158), obviates the need for the common-sense “practical rationality,” which “judges worldly activity in relation to the individual’s purely pragmatic and egoistic interests” (ibid.: 1151), and ideological “substantive rational- ity,” which “directly orders action into patterns .
    [Show full text]
  • Scott Cunningham, the Healing of the Deaf and Dumb Man (Mark 7:31-37)
    THE HEALING OF THE DEAF AND DUMB MAN (MARK 7:31- 37), WITH APPLICATION TO THE AFRICAN CONTEXT Scott Cunningham Introduction Mark's. account of the miraculous healing of the deaf and dumb man occurs in the first half of his gospel, where Jesus' mighty deeds and words identify Him to His followers as "the Messiah" (1:14- 8:30). Within this larger section three cycles can be identified, each recounting Jesus' miracles and preaching, with the first two cycles ending in rejection and the last climaxing in the disciples' confession of Jesus as Messiah.! It is this last cycle which is the setting for the healing of the deaf mute. The miracle is found only in Mark's gospel. This alone would constitute a striking feature for the New Testament student who knows that almost all of Mark's material is found in Matthew and/or Luke. The details of the healing arc also certainly unusual. Some of the details are found in other miracle stories as well, but it is the cumulative effect of them all coming together in this one story which produces one of the most fascinating and stimulating accounts of all the miracles of our Lord. Although we will mention other details as the discussion progresses, our attention is immediately drawn to Jesus' use of his saliva and to the Aramaic expression associated with the healing. Others have pointed out the similarity between Jesus' healing technique and magical practices current in the ancient world. How should we understand the unusual features of this miracle? And how may these features contribute to the miracle's distinctive application in an African context? We will bypass the usual introductory problems dealing with the history and development of the story in the gospel tradition.
    [Show full text]
  • An Examination of Societal Impacts on Gender Roles in American and English Witchcraft
    Illinois Wesleyan University Digital Commons @ IWU Honors Projects Religion 4-18-2006 Who's in Charge? An Examination of Societal Impacts on Gender Roles in American and English Witchcraft Austin J. Buscher '06 Illinois Wesleyan University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/religion_honproj Part of the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Buscher '06, Austin J., "Who's in Charge? An Examination of Societal Impacts on Gender Roles in American and English Witchcraft" (2006). Honors Projects. 6. https://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/religion_honproj/6 This Article is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Commons @ IWU with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this material in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This material has been accepted for inclusion by faculty at Illinois Wesleyan University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ©Copyright is owned by the author of this document. Who's In Charge? An Examination of Societal Impacts on Gender Roles in American and English Witchcraft Austin J. Buscher Senior Honors Research Carole Myscofski, Advisor th Received Research Honors April 18 , 2006 Ie INTRODUCTION Since its genesis in the 1970s, American Witchcraftl has shown itself to be one ofthe most forward-looking and tolerant religions in the area ofwomen's roles and gender theory.
    [Show full text]
  • A Christian Perspective on the Occult Moderate Occultism: Witchcraft by Richard G
    A Christian Perspective on the Occult Moderate Occultism: Witchcraft by Richard G. Howe, Ph.D. Witchcraft It May Not Be What You Think Richard G. Howe, Ph.D. 1 Preliminaries 2 What kind of thoughts does the term 'Witchcraft' bring about? What kind of thoughts does the term 'Witchcraft' bring about? 3 4 Deborah Ann Light and Don Frew of Covenant of the Goddess with Bishop Swing and Charles Gibbs of the United Religions Initiative visit together before the Opening Ceremony of the Parliament. 5 6 An Important Distinction 7 8 The Many Names of Witchcraft • The term Wica (one 'c') was introduced by Gerald Gardner in the late 1940s/early 1950s. Gardner is generally regarded as the founder of the modern witchcraft movement. • This aspect is sometimes referred to as "Gardnerian Witchcraft." Wicca 9 Gerald Gardner 1884-1964 • The term Wica (one 'c') was introduced by Gerald Gardner in the late 1940s/early 1950s. Gardner is generally regarded as the founder of the modern witchcraft movement. • This aspect is sometimes referred to as "Gardnerian Witchcraft." • The term 'witchcraft' encompases both "Gardnerian" Witches (i.e., Wiccans) as well as witches who do not regard themselves as "Gardnerian" (e.g., Alexandrian) Wicca Witchcraft 10 Alex Sanders 1926-1988 • The term Wica (one 'c') was introduced by Gerald Gardner in the late 1940s/early 1950s. Gardner is generally regarded as the founder of the modern witchcraft movement. • This aspect is sometimes referred to as "Gardnerian Witchcraft." • The term 'witchcraft' encompases both "Gardnerian" Witches (i.e., Wiccans) as well as witches who do not regard themselves as "Gardnerian" (e.g., Alexandrian) Wicca • The term 'neo-pagan' not only includes Wiccans and Witches, "but also includes the groups (and individuals) that try to Witchcraft 'reconstruct' ancient, pre- and non-Christian religious systems—such as the Norse, Celtic, Greek, Roman, and Egyptian Neo-Paganism religions—as well as the followers of various obscure, forgotten, and neglected occult teachings from around the world." [Alexander, Mainstream, p.
    [Show full text]
  • Wicca” Forthcoming In: E
    E. Doyle White, “Wicca” Forthcoming in: E. Asprem (ed.), Dictionary of Contemporary Esotericism Preprint manuscript of: E. Doyle White, “Wicca”, Dictionary of Contemporary Esotericism (ed. E. Asprem), Leiden: Brill. Archived at ContERN Repository for Self-Archiving (CRESARCH) https://contern.org/cresarch/cresarch-repository/ Aug. 13, 2018. Wicca Wicca is the term most commonly employed to describe the largest and best-known contemporary Pagan religion. The foundational premise from which Wicca emerged is the (since discredited) witch-cult hypothesis, the idea that the witch trials of early modern Christendom were an attempt not to combat a cabal of devil-worshippers but to eliminate a pre-Christian fertility religion popular among Europe’s peasantry. This theory had developed among nineteenth-century scholars, but only reached widespread attention when it was propagated by the Egyptologist Margaret Murray (1863–1963) in the 1920s and 1930s. When Wicca publicly appeared in the 1950s, its adherents claimed that it was the survival of this witch-cult and that its lineage stretched back into deep prehistory. Although most historians specialising in the early modern witch trials had already expressed reservations about the theory, it would only be firmly demolished by more intensive research during the 1960s and 1970s. By that time, however, the theory had entrenched itself in the popular imagination, particularly within sectors of the occult milieu (Hutton 1999, 132–150). The man often credited with establishing Wicca was Gerald Gardner (1884–1964), an upper middle-class, politically conservative Englishman who had spent much of his life in Southern and Eastern Asia. On retirement in 1936 he returned with his wife to Southern England, settling near the New Forest and joining an esoteric group called the Rosicrucian Order Crotona Fellowship.
    [Show full text]
  • Scusi... Lei È Wiccan? Perchè No!
    JOLANDA PIETROBELLI SCUSI... LEI È WICCAN? PERCHÈ NO! Ebook 1 Jolanda Pietrobelli SCUSI...LEI È WICCAN? PERCHÈ NO! © Copyright CristinAPietrobelli E-book E-Book 2015 Novembre 2015 Non si fa alcun divieto di riproduzione testi e illustrazioni, basta che sia citata la fonte di provenienza Questa pubblicazione viene scaricata gratuitamente dal sito www.libreriacristinapietrobelli.it 2 3 Dedica ...è affetto e riconoscenza per una entità amica wiccan, che mi ha tolta dalle paure ancestrali verso una scienza, la medicina, riconducendomi a sicura rinascita. Grazie! 4 Introduzione di Roby Orazzini Al momento di accingersi alla lettura di questo ebook, credo che sarebbe opportuno disporsi in uno stato d'animo di apertura, liberando la mente da idee preconcette e da condizionamenti, ricevuti o autoimposti riguardanti l'argomento in esame. Apriamoci dunque, senza falsi pregiudizi, a qualcosa di molto antico ed in eugual misura nuovo( almeno per molti di noi) con autentico interesse per la cultura e la conoscenza, così come è stato nell'intenzioni dell'autrice, che ha voluto in questo modo incamminarsi verso " altri saperi". La sua è una ricerca obiettiva e molto interessante nel mondo della Wicca, una realtà presente ed in continua espansione all'interno della moderna società, che affonda le sue radici nelle antiche credenze e nello spirito ancestrale dell'umanità stessa. Forse leggendo questa opera vi accorgerete che, anche in voi, qualunque sia la vostra fede religiosa, qualcosa procurera' una specie di risonanza spirituale e, sopratutto, uscirete,
    [Show full text]
  • Cunningham Scott – Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem and Metal Magic
    CRYSTALS • GEMSTONES • METALS Inthepastfew years the value andworthofcrystals have dramat­ ically increased. This is dueinno small partto the recent discoveryby manypeoplethatcrystals canbeusedfor a varietyofspiritual and magi­ cal purposes. Modem science has shown that crystals are of great value, and everything from telecommunications to watches makes use ofthem. The main spiritual use of crystals is as a psychic energygeneratorand director. The energies thus raised and directed are most commonly used for healing and psychic grounding. But what is little known is that crystals, gemstones and metals have theirown inherent powers and abilities just waitingto be used! The secrets of these powers have been hidden in rare and unusual books. Inthefollowing pagesScottCunninghamrevealsthese secrets alongwiththe results ofhis ownpersonalresearchinorderto present the most comprehensive book on the magical properties of crystals, gems and metals ever. MAGIC YOU CAN DO TODAY The magical uses described here do not require long rituals or expensive paraphernalia. Rather, they tap into the innate power of crystals, gemstones and metals! You willleam which can help improve your love life, which can help you study better, which can help improve your financial situation, andwhich can help you overcome a broken heart. All it takes is a few stones or crystals or metals, some ofwhich you may have right now! This is natural magic at its finest, with infor­ mation on over 100 magical items. Ifyou want to make positive changes in your life but don't like the idea of doing complicated rituals, this is the book for you! Here is a complete course in natural magic-magic you can use today; magic which has been used for thousands of years.
    [Show full text]
  • Witchcraft and the Techno-World Venetia Robertson
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by The University of Sydney: Sydney eScholarship Journals... Deus Ex Machina? Witchcraft and the Techno-World Venetia Robertson Introduction Sociologist Bryan R. Wilson once alleged that post-modern technology and secularisation are the allied forces of rationality and disenchantment that pose an immense threat to traditional religion.1 However, the flexibility of pastiche Neopagan belief systems like ‘Witchcraft’ have creativity, fantasy, and innovation at their core, allowing practitioners of Witchcraft to respond in a unique way to the post-modern age by integrating technology into their perception of the sacred. The phrase Deus ex Machina, the God out of the Machine, has gained a multiplicity of meanings in this context. For progressive Witches, the machine can both possess its own numen and act as a conduit for the spirit of the deities. It can also assist the practitioner in becoming one with the divine by enabling a transcendent and enlightening spiritual experience. Finally, in the theatrical sense, it could be argued that the concept of a magical machine is in fact the contrived dénouement that saves the seemingly despondent situation of a so-called ‘nature religion’ like Witchcraft in the techno-centric age. This paper explores the ways two movements within Witchcraft, ‘Technopaganism’ and ‘Technomysticism’, have incorporated man-made inventions into their spiritual practice. A study of how this is related to the worldview, operation of magic, social aspect and development of self within Witchcraft, uncovers some of the issues of longevity and profundity that this religion will face in the future.
    [Show full text]
  • THE INVOCATION of INVITATIONAL RHETORIC in WICCAN RITUALS by Kayleigh Howald a Thesis Submitted To
    THROUGH THE NORTH DOOR: THE INVOCATION OF INVITATIONAL RHETORIC IN WICCAN RITUALS by Kayleigh Howald A Thesis Submitted To The Faculty of The Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters In Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements For The Degree of Master of Arts Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL August 2016 Copyright 2016 by Kayleigh Howald ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to express sincere appreciation to my thesis chair, Dr. Becky Mulvaney, for her patience, encouragement, and guidance. Not only throughout the duration of this thesis, but for all the years she has mentored me. I am beyond grateful and now beyond words. I am immensely appreciative of Dr. Bill Trapani: committee member, graduate advisor, and more than occasional savior. Thank you for never allowing us to quit. I also wish to thank my committee member, Dr. Jane Caputi for her helpful suggestions and unwavering support. I also extend my gratitude to my loving support systems. To Kaitlin and Christine, the best friends a girl could ever have. To my fiancé Tom, my partner in all things (“I guess I hate most things, but I never seem to hate you”). And, finally, to my family: I will never doubt your love for me ever again. iv ABSTRACT Author: Kayleigh Howald Title: Through the North Door: The Invocation of Invitational Rhetoric in Wiccan Rituals Institution: Florida Atlantic University Thesis Advisor: Dr. Becky Mulvaney Degree: Master of Arts Year: 2016 Wiccan witchcraft, a contemporary religion, frequently suffers from misunderstandings; the worst of which, arguably, being that it thrives in a postfeminist society.
    [Show full text]
  • Student‟S Last Name 1
    Student‟s Last Name 1 Witches Misunderstood “Witch” is a very strong word with many meanings attached to it. Different people think of different things upon hearing it. Some might think of pure fantasy, while others think of the Christian devil and then there are those who think of the Wiccan religion. Though there are Wiccans who do not like to be called “witch” because of the negative history, there are quite a few who accept the word with pride. They accept it in order to try and erase the bad press associated with witches. There are so many aspects and layers to Wicca but one only needs to know a few things to understand that a witch isn‟t someone to judge right away. Wiccans have rules like any other religion, they worship a Divine Being (often more than one), some of their more recognizable symbols need to be brought to light, and they have holy days and rites of passage just like anyone else. First, one must know the rules. The most important rule of Wicca and really the only one expected to be followed is “Harm None.” It is our Golden Rule; it basically means the same as “Do unto others”. Most of the Wiccan Rede which can be compared in some ways to the Ten Commandments is really more like advice or guidelines if you will. It is not necessary and certainly would be very difficult to follow it to the letter. However, the last eight words should be followed if one wants to be a good person.
    [Show full text]
  • Modern Witchcraft: It May Not Be What You Think
    CHRISTIAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE P.O. Box 7000, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688 Feature Article: JAW188 MODERN WITCHCRAFT: IT MAY NOT BE WHAT YOU THINK by Richard G. Howe This article first appeared in the Christian Research Journal, volume 28, number 1 (2005). For further information or to subscribe to the Christian Research Journal go to: http://www.equip.org SYNOPSIS The term witchcraft evokes different images for different people. Many Westerners would be surprised to know that more and more of their contemporaries are embracing witchcraft as a viable expression of their own spirituality. However marginal or far out it may have seemed in the past, it is clear that witchcraft is becoming progressively more mainstream throughout the world. Witches are people who revere both the God and the Goddess. They seek a more friendly relationship with their natural environment, endeavoring to recognize the sacredness of all of nature. Witches, further, seek to utilize cosmic or psychic forces to do their bidding. To this end, the practice of witchcraft involves knowledge and skill in appropriating the rituals that are believed to harness and focus these energies. Seeing themselves in stark contrast to other occult religions such as Satanism, witches seek to work these forces in order to enhance their own experience of life and to promote healing and community. Do these rituals work? Is this even the important question to ask? What could possibly be wrong with such a seemingly benevolent religion? Witchcraft has something to say about who we are as humans, about what our relationship to our fellow humans and to the rest of the universe ought to be, and about how we should relate to the divine.
    [Show full text]
  • United States District Court Southern District of Indiana Indianapolis Division
    Case 1:06-cv-01701-DFH-TAB Document 32 Filed 03/27/08 Page 1 of 4 PageID #: <pageID> UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF INDIANA INDIANAPOLIS DIVISION RICKY LEE PEDIGO, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) CASE NO. 1:06-cv-1701-DFH-TAB ) CHRIS WILLIAMS, ) ) Defendant. ) ENTRY ON MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT Plaintiff Ricky Pedigo is a prisoner and a believer in the Wiccan religion. He has sued an official of the Putnamville Correctional Facility in his official capacity, seeking injunctive relief to remedy an alleged violation of his First Amendment rights. Pedigo ordered two books about his religion: Scottish Witchcraft and Magick: The Craft of Picts by Raymond Buckland and A Practical Guide to the Runes: Their Uses in Divination and Magic by Lisa Peschel. Prison officials notified Pedigo that the mail room was withholding both books from Pedigo because they contained witchcraft and that their possession was not allowed in the prison. Pedigo filed a grievance and exhausted his administrative remedies before filing this suit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Both parties have filed motions for summary judgment on the merits of plaintiff’s First Amendment claims. The record indicates some disagreement Case 1:06-cv-01701-DFH-TAB Document 32 Filed 03/27/08 Page 2 of 4 PageID #: <pageID> within the prison about the suitability of these books and whether they actually pose any threat to prison security or discipline. Compare Pl. Ex. D2 with Affidavits of Osburn and Phipps. The record also indicates that the present prison policy allows practitioners of Wicca to possess their own Book of Shadows.
    [Show full text]