Spell For Needed Change

Thought I already had this posted here somewhere, but couldn’t find it so posting again, since I need to reference it for someone. Sorry I haven’t posted anything else in a while… I’m going through a weird phase. Will be more than happy when I snap out of it!! XD

Anyways…

Spell For Making a Much Needed Change

Purpose:

The purpose of this spell is to strengthen resolve and bring about much needed change. It was originally written to be used in conjunction with a New Year’s Resolution, but is great for whenever you have a specific change or goal you are trying to reach. It can be done as a group ritual or solitary ritual. If being done as a group each person would need their own materials.

Items Needed:

• Gold Candle (small ones are fine): to represent each person  (Gold helps to increase understanding and knowledge, for harmonizing wills and emotions, for hope, healing, strength and success).

• Incense (chose one of the following, or if you have one you prefer that is fine as well): Frankincense (raising power), Sandalwood (grounding/centering)

• Oil (for anointing the candle…if you have it): peppermint (for encouraging change) You only need a  small amount of the oil for each candle, if you want you can add something personal to the oil mixture that will help strengthen the bond to the person the candle represents – (such as a small drop of spit, blood, sweat, etc… )

• Small bowl (if mixing anything with your oil)

When to do the spell:

This spell was originally written to be done during the Waxing Moon, so that it would help to increase ones resolve to make a much needed change. So that would be the best time to do it.

What to do:

• Cast a circle, call the Guardians, Elements, Corners, etc… and Invoke the God/ess – however you would normally do before a ritual.

• Take a few moments to ground and center. Meditate if you want on your goals and the changes you are looking to make in your life.

• At this point formally state your “resolution”…what your specific goal/change is. Say it aloud, clearly and firmly. If you are trying to quit smoking, lose weight, get a new job, etc… My goal is to …

• On your candle inscribe the goal you are trying to reach, or the change that you are trying to make. While you are doing this clearly see yourself reaching that goal/making that change, keep that visualization fixed in your mind as you inscribe the candle.

• Take a moment with your oil (or oil mix), hold the bowl in your hand and visualize all the things that you will need to do/change in order to achieve your goal. Fix the images clearly in your mind, then pour all those visualizations into the oil. Peppermint oil is great for encouraging change, so we want to charge it up with everything we can think of to help us over the coming months, as we work toward successfully reaching our goal.

• Anoint the candle with the oil. Continue to see yourself doing the things that you were visualizing in the previous step. When you are done, place the candles on the North side of your altar, so that you are starting from a strong foundation.

• Take a moment to think about the “resolution” you are making, know that when you make it you will keep it, and you will be successful in reaching your goals. Take a deep cleansing breath and say the following:

A resolution
Made on this night
A needed change
Our goal’s in sight
 
An extra boost
Is all we need
To find success
Our goals achieved
 
So added strength
Is what we ask
Lend us power
To stay the task
 
Successful change
Is what I see
So as I will
So mote it be

• Allow the candle(s) to burn out on their own, as they burn your intentions are released into the universe so that they may manifest and allow you to be successful in keeping the resolution that you have made.

If you have any other things to do in your ritual circle, you can do them now, otherwise you can end your ritual. Be sure to thank the God/ess for their assistance (if necessary), release the Guardians/elements, and banish the circle.

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(S) Sabbat: Fall Equinox

While I don’t have a whole lot that I do on a regular basis, the Sabbats are something that I do make a point of acknowledging, even if it’s only briefly. Being Eclectic I do tend to sort of do my own thing – and while I do honor my God and Goddess, there are other aspects of the Sabbats that I honor as well.

I’m clearly a child of Fall, I relish in the crisp weather, the bright oranges and yellows as the leaves start to turn – that smoky smell in the air, of wood stoves or fireplaces that have been lit… and everything else that comes along with it. Spring runs a close second, but my true love is Fall. For quite a while I never quite knew what to do with myself on Mabon, and in truth I rarely call it that – preferring simply the Fall Equinox. At first glance it’s a sort of in between day – you’ve already celebrated one harvest, and if you really need to, there’s another one coming up… but that is the sort of beauty of it, when one takes a closer look (or at least there is for me).

Both Lughnasadh and Samhain have other components to them, that often overshadow their “harvest festival” aspect. So much so that I’ve really come to appreciate this particular day, as my actual day to celebrate the “harvests” of the year, and leave the other days to their other aspects. I rarely cook – it’s not something that I enjoy all that much and hubby is so much better at it than I am. He has that special gift of being able to throw things in a pot and no matter what it is, it almost always comes out amazing. A gift that I sorely lack. However on the Equinox, I usually will put forth the effort, and make it a true “thanksgiving” feast for the family.

This year, celebrations will be slightly tempered though – while I am thankful for a lot (and some things are a lot better than they were the last couple of years, so I am thankful), it’s been a pretty bad month so far. Even though it’s been almost 15 years, events earlier in the month brought the reality of my mother’s death crashing back down on me. Then – while I was still dealing with that, got a call from my dad that he likely has skin cancer, and (in his words) “hope for the best, but prepare for the worst”. He’s not the type to be overly melodramatic, so needless to say, I’m a bit worried. All of which is bad enough, but then came the worst part (yes… something worse than cancer), confirmation that one of my son’s teacher assistants was more than likely physically and verbally abusing him off and on last year. He’s autistic and completely non-verbal, so had no way to tell us what was going on, and we had absolutely no idea. This was someone we thought of as a friend, and needless to say we are devastated.

So… clearly not really in a festive, or thankful mood at the moment, but it’s still important for me to mark the turning of the Wheel. So I’m looking forward to cooking a bit of something good later on, and hopefully regaining some of the inner-balance that this day is good for.

Hope you and yours have a wonderful Sabbat!!

P.S… if anyone is in need of a good balancing ritual this is one I wrote several years back, feel free to use/modify as needed (please credit me though if you are posting it elsewhere). 🙂

Parting Ways

If you feel the need for a spell to ensure a successful break up or to ensure an amicable parting of ways, you can use the following. But in my book break up spells are on par with  love spells (just reversed) – you are still messing with someone’s free will, especially if they aren’t the one that wants to break up. However, there are definitely times, particularly if a relationship has turned ugly, where such things may be necessary. So, if you still want to use it I suggest adding a little personal note (*) allowing for “if it is meant to be, then it will all work out in the end”.

In most cases though, I would advise just breaking up with someone the regular way. Sure…it can be a hard thing to do, but it’s generally better to go for mundane over magic, unless there is a specific reason not to.

PARTING WAYS

our paths diverged
new lives to start
what once was merged
here now must part

with blessings bright
we’ll start anew
the time is right
we know it’s true

*(see note)
As I will, so mote it be.

While normally you would do an “ending” spell with the waning moon, since this one is focused more on starting fresh, you could do it with either. The spell is fairly simple – just say it like you mean it. Also, either have a picture of the person (or have a clear image of them in your mind) while you say the words. You, of course, are welcome to add any additional materials – candles, incense, oils, etc… that you feel will help increase and focus the energy behind the spell.

disclaimer: As always, spells are not an insta-cure or guaranteed. There are many outside influences that can affect whether or not a spell works, despite our best intentions. Use at your own discretion and be aware that all actions have consequences. Any spellwork should be considered carefully before attempting.

(I) Introducing Oneself to the Gods

I’ve noticed that there are quite a number of books out there, such as the Farrar’s books “The Witches’ God: Lord of the Dance“ and “The Witches’ Goddess: The Feminine Principle of Divinity“, that often suggest just plopping down and introducing yourself to random Gods and Goddesses – just to get to know them. While these are both great books for getting to know more about the various attributes that a particular God or Goddess can exhibit, the idea of just calling on a particular God or Goddess out of the blue, is disconcerting to say the least. I fully admit I about fell out of my chair, in the chapter about Loki, when they made such a suggestion.

While I understand completely that Loki is not the “evil” God that many make him out to be, he is still one not to be taken lightly, and it’s generally not a good idea to bring oneself (purposefully) to his attention, unless one is prepared to deal with the bits of chaos he is likely to bring along with him. This is something that is true for any number of Gods and Goddesses, even ones that are generally considered benign. So I just can’t quite wrap my head around the idea that so many authors seem to think that it is ok to advise new practitioners to just jump right in like that – well before they have had any opportunity to understand the potential consequences of such an action.

Recently, as mentioned in my previous post, I was preparing to introduce myself to Odinn. To be fair it didn’t go nearly as bad as I thought it would, but the potential was there. Which is why it is important to know and understand who you are introducing yourself to. Just randomly showing up on someone’s doorstep, and saying “hey… wanna hang for a bit?”, not always going to go over very well. I don’t know about anyone else, but I really dislike it when people just drop by, especially people that I don’t know.

So what should you do if you feel that you are ready to get to know a particular God or Goddess on more intimate terms?

• The first thing is research – read all (or as much of) the available myths/lore as possible. Find out if there are particular items or foods/drinks associated with said deity, so that when it comes time, you can properly represent them, and have an offering that you know they might like. Make sure that you have a good idea of the customs that are appropriate to said deity as well, – such as purity standards (like the ones required within Kemeticism).

• Once you feel you have exhausted the academic route, take some time to really think about the potential consequences of bringing yourself to the attention of a God. In many cases one may do an intro ritual (for lack of a better word, though it may not necessarily be that formal), and not much will happen – in other cases it can have profound, life changing consequences. Be absolutely sure that you are ready whichever occurs – as each can be just as devastating, if unprepared. Being unexpectedly claimed by a God or Goddess can be a scary thing, however the same is true if one attempts contact and said deity ignores you completely. It can leave you wondering about your path, and how to move on, especially if one truly felt that there was a connection to be made.

Once you are ready, the process itself is fairly simply – though you can make it as formal or informal as you like. Some will go with more of a guided meditation type exercise, and others will have a full on ritual. The choice is entirely personal, and really it’s whatever feels most comfortable to you. For me it was a matter of a candle, a chant and a bottle of mead to share. For others it may be more involved, the key is that it comes from your heart, and is sincere. You don’t want to approach the Gods under false pretenses, or with a lack of humility, or humbleness, for in doing so you would definitely be starting out on the wrong foot. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be having to look over my shoulder for the rest of my life, for showing such a lack of respect to the Gods – and if ever there was a time for making a good “first impression”, this is it!

Righting the Balance

I’ve not posted in a while, and truthfully I’ve been apathetic in my practices for the last few months. There are a lot of really stressful things going on in my life and to say that it has gotten me down would be an understatement to say the least.

I had made plans in August to celebrate Lughnasadh (as it is one of the Sabbats that has the most meaning to me personally), however those plans fell through at the last minute, so other than a quick “moment of silence” type thing, there really wasn’t much to write home about.

Even though it is difficult at best to find anything to be thankful for at this moment, as Mabon approached, I felt called to celebrate it. I usually do my balancing ritual at this time as well, and that is something I am in sore need of, so it was definitely appropriate that I heed the call.

I can honestly say things didn’t start out so well, my celebration actually spanned 2 days (not by choice). I spent about 2 hours on Monday cooking a most awesome (if I do say so myself) feast, only to realize at the very last minute that I was mistaken about the date. That hubby fell asleep before it was done cooking should have been a sign that “something” was not quite right, but yeah… it was a definitely ‘Doh moment. But I ate it anyways and it was really good.

Last night I held my ritual and for one who hasn’t done much recently, it went fairly well. Hubby sort of interrupted once, which threw my energy off just a bit, but it all worked out well in the end. I feel a lot better today than I have. I faced a few things, things that I have known, but have not really ever spoken out loud, and in saying them have hopefully begun to heal. I’ve been broken for awhile now, and trying to fix me has been difficult, but I am determined to get myself out of this hole I am in… and last night was a good first step. We’ll have to see how things go from here, but at least now there is shiny ray of light, whereas before there was only darkness.

Ostara

Well…unfortunately…this year my Ostara celebration consisted of a hasty communication with the Lord and Lady, while walking my dog. While it was also my oldest son’s b-day, my dad was also up for a visit, which pretty much ruled out any kind of actual ritual, since I am still more or less in the “broom closet” when it comes to the rest of my family, though at this point he may have more of a clue than he did. We spent the whole 4 days that he was here antiquing, and in one particular shop I found a little mini-book on Witchcraft from 1984 – very awesome!!! What wasn’t quite so awesome, was that as I was checking out, my dad comes up behind me and notices what I am buying. Other than making some crack about “arts and crafts”, he didn’t really say anything…I of course mumbled something stupid, and then let the whole thing drop (wishing desperately that I could sink into a dark hole somewhere). 35 years old, you think I wouldn’t care…

For those of you who are interested…here is a Balancing Ritual that I wrote last Mabon. The plan was to do it twice a year on the Equinoxes, though I obviously wasn’t able to do it this time.

BALANCING RITUAL

The Equinox…day and night are equal, so what better time is there for balancing the elements within ourselves.

What you need:

* 4 candles…green for earth, yellow for air, red for fire, and blue for water.
* Representations of the Elements… earth (the ground if you are outside or a bowl of dirt), air (incense or a breezy day), fire (already present if you have the candles), and a bowl of water, you can also use symbolic representations if you need to.

Note: if you do not have any of the above items that is fine, while they are helpful, they are not necessary (and of course if something else works better for you in terms of symbolism, you are welcome to use whatever works best for you as well). You can always simply visualize the elements when the time comes, if you don’t have actual representations of them.

How:

Find an quiet spot where you won’t be disturbed. Around your circle, make a small elements altar at each of the cardinal points, place a candle and the items at each one. The circle should be big enough that you can sit/stand comfortably in the center without disturbing the altars. When you have everything set up and are ready, ground and center, and then cast your circle. If you usually call the corners/guardians and invoke the Goddess, please feel free to do so. Once your circle is cast you can begin .

Stand in the center of your circle (if you feel called to do so raise your arms towards the sky) and say:

Spirit within me, Spirit without
Unbalance within me, unbalance without
Spirit within me, Spirit without
Bring balance within me, balance without

Take a few moments, meditate on the Spirit within us and the Spirit all around us. What are some things in your life that are making you feel unbalanced, spiritually mentally and physically?

When you are ready, turn to the East and say:

Air within me, Air without
Unbalanced within me, unbalanced without
Air within me, Air without
Bring balance within me, balance without

Take a few moments, take several deep cleansing breaths…feel the air as it enters your body and becomes a part of you, feel the air around you, take a few moments and meditate on the air that moves us. What do you need to move in your life, that will help to bring balance?

When you are ready, turn to the South and say:

Fire within me, Fire without
Unbalance within me, unbalance without
Fire within me, Fire without
Bring balance within me, balance without

Take a few moments, watch the candle flames as they dance and flicker, feel the warmth, look deep into the flame and take a few moments to meditate on the Fire that transforms us. What do you need to transform in your life, that will help to bring you balance?

When you are ready turn West and say:

Water within me, Water without
Unbalance within me, unbalance without
Water within me, Water without
Bring balance within me, balance without

Take a few moments and look into the water, see the ripples and reflections in its surface. Take a few moments and meditate on the Water that shapes us. What needs shaping in your life, that will help to bring you balance?

When you are ready turn North and say:

Earth within me, Earth without
Unbalance within me, unbalance without
Earth within me, Earth without
Bring balance within me, balance without

Take a few moments and feel the earth with your hands, feel the strong foundation it gives you, the security you feel as the earth cradles you in her arms. Take a moment and meditate on the Earth that heals us. What needs healing in your life, that will help to bring you balance?

Sit/stand quietly in the center for a few moments, reflect on the lessons of each elements. Feel each one connecting and flowing within, and without. When you are ready say:

Elements within me , Elements without
Now balanced within me, now balanced without
Spirit within me, Spirit without
Now balanced within me, now balanced without

When you are done, be sure to thank the God/ess and guardians (if you called on them), and then open your circle.

Full Moon

So it seems for the moment that flashes and mere glimpses are pretty much the norm for me. In truth this doesn’t surprise me much, as I am about as closed up (energetically) as a person can possibly be. I’m guessing at this point a whole pantheon could be standing next to me, and odds are I might not even notice…but I’m working on it. I’ve said it before, but it would help if I actually got something that even remotely resembled time to myself…but I never do. So anything that requires a bit of peace and quite…not working out so well for me at the moment, but I do the best that I can.

Tonight I went outside to honor the God and Goddess and to meditate a bit under the full moon. Though not warm out by any stretch, for once it wasn’t raining or too cold, so it was nice to be able to work outside. It was a bit cloudy and breezy, but otherwise a great night. So I found myself a nice patch of ground to sit on, set out an offering and tried to meditate. Something that immediately happened that I found interesting is that all my cats that were outside at the time, came over to where I was and formed a circle around me (my 2 females and 2 of my males). Three of them never moved once they took up their positions around me, the last one would wander over to me every once in a while, but then wander back to the edge of the circle they’d made.

I spent my time listening to the wind in the trees, and the sounds of the animals moving around in the night, and for the first time in a while was able to simply relax – if only for a few brief moments.

Full Moon Ritual

I had a quite ritual this evening to mark the Esbat and my intention of the night was to simply meditated on the Lord and Lady. At the start of the ritual I read out loud both the Charge of the Goddess (Valiente version) and the Charge of the Horned God (author unknown), then I began my meditation. I admit that lately I have had a hard time reaching a good trance state, and unfortunately this night was no different. Some of it has to do with the fact that I am usually worried that someone is going to knock on the door and interrupt me, so I am constantly on edge – not good when one is trying to relax. So trying for a while with no real results, I decided to go ahead and end my ritual and hopefully try again on another night. After I ended…I took a few moments to go outside and stand under the moon. It was in the 70’s today, and though it was a bit chilly out, it was still very nice outside. Well as I was standing there I got a sudden flash of a woman’s face looking down at me from the night sky, though it was brief and she didn’t say anything I definitely felt the presence of the Goddess. I then turned slightly so that I was facing the wooded area that is on the side of my house, and again I got a sudden flash…this time of the God, in his guise of the Green Man.

Though it wasn’t exactly what I had planned, things ended up turning out fairly well. Sometimes it’s not enough that we want someone to come and visit us…we actually have to get up off our asses and go see them.