Familiar Spirits

Merry Meet my twitchy witches,

Last post I related to you how difficult it can be to feel isolated in your craft. Many of you probably know the feeling. As I was sitting at my desk typing that last post, I had two little fur-balls curled up in my lap purring away “You’re not alone in your craft,” they purr to me. And they’re right. I’m not. I have two familiar spirits: two little kittens. Ralph, the color of gingerbread, follows me wherever I go bringing mischief in his wake. Henry, my little latte kitten, the ever quiet observer who is always ready to wrestle his brother, sits in the sidelines observing everything with bright eyes. These little fellows are my familiar spirits. Many witches simply call them familiars.

My familiar spirits wake me each morning to greet the Goddess and God breathing in the light of the new day with enthusiasm (and I am NOT a morning person). They follow the house sprites and spirits, playing and teaching me to revel in the glory of the otherworldly.  They curl up on my yoga mat, purring as I meditate, guarding me during rituals and keeping watch, one on either side.  They teach me to see the divine in all things. I eagerly learn the wisdom they volunteer to reveal to me, and they let me know that I am never alone.

And I always have my strong, supportive, compassionate and often bemused fiancé.  This wonderful man, though he was raised by Baptist parents, does not condemn me for my beliefs, in spite of the fact that I tried to hide them from him. He didn’t question me. He didn’t rebuke me. He didn’t try to “save my soul”. He hasn’t followed the faith of his parents in years, so he is openly interested and tries to learn more about the path that I walk.  It is not my goal to convert him; everyone walks the path that they are called to. But it is so wonderful to have a partner who will hold me up in my beliefs and support me in every way…even if he doesn’t fully understand them. He is my familiar spirit, and with him I don't feel so isolated in my craft.

Who supports your beliefs? Who has touched your life and lifted you up? Comment and share!

That's all for now folks! Brightest Blessings!

~S

The Promise of Spring

Good morning! This morning as I fight with my internet connection, I wanted to share with you just a random tidbit from something that happened yesterday

But first! Some backstory!
I have been transplanted from the more open minded North to the Bible Belt of the South. I find myself surrounded by people who are both fascinated and horrified by the concept of paganism. I have heard it all: from being damned, the devil's lover, and even a satan worshipper, there are not many insults that surprise me any more. So I often find myself longing for the society I enjoyed in the North, even though I never truly loved the blistering cold. So I'm prone to idealizing everything about the North from their manner of speaking to the architecture and cuisine.

Yesterday I was planting bulbs in my garden with my fiance. We're fixing up his late great grandparent's house and expansive gardens which have been allowed to fall into disrepair. I'm truly hoping we get this unrully house under control before the wedding in June. While weeding a long forgotten flowerbed, I discovered- to my delight- peaking out of the mess was a tiny yellow crocus! I had no idea that crocus could grow down here in the South, they're quite well known in the North for blooming over the snow, helping us survive the winter til spring. They've always been a sign of hope for me. Finding them in this old overgrown flower bed gave me a sense of hope and well-being. I felt a sense of communion with this delicate little flower, in its isolation choked and surrounded by weeds. Perhaps I can also blossom even as isolated from amiable society as I feel. After all, spring will always come.

Perhaps many of you also feel isolated and alone in your craft. Many of us find it easier to hide in the shadows rather than be condemned by family, friends, and even miscellaneous people out in public. Many of us find that when we do reveal our beliefs we have the Bible shoved under our nose or lose people we once considered friends. We find our souls suddenly being fought over by people who would try to buy us salvation. The drama is often never ending and many people will never come to terms with the religious freedom of their neighbors. Often we find it easier to live a double life and only truly reveal ourselves to people we know will not scorn us for it.

 I tried to come out of the" broom closet" so to speak once. And only once. I explained Paganism in the most understandable and least threatening way I could: comparing its similarities to my parents' faith, Roman Catholicism. It was pretty eloquent for a 13 year old. My presentation was very poorly recieved and my Roman Catholic parents put to rest any rebellion (at least they thought they had). I recieved more lectures and books containing reasons why witchcraft is damnable than I even knew was possible. Even now, as a 21 year old bride to be, I still keep that "self" locked away from my parents. I am having a traditional Catholic wedding in which I will swear before a priest to raise my children Catholic and ensure their spiritual salvation. I'm not sure how I'm going to manage that yet.

I want to emphasize that I am neither anti-Catholic or anti-Christianity. It is my belief that all roads lead to the same path and that all Gods and Goddesses are one and deserve mutual respect. That isn't to say that I agree with all of their doctrines and practices, I'm sure this is a belief that I am not alone in.

In anycase, this became far more rant-ish than I had ever intended.  Perhaps you would like to share some of your experiences coming out of the "broom closet" your successes, your failures etc. I'm sure that Pagans everywhere can identify and have their own story to tell. That's really all for now...

Brightest Blessings!
Stella

Grounding

Good evening my twitchy witches!

I mentioned in my last post that I would soon make an entry on grounding. As promised, I present it to you.

Magic is based in will. But in order to will something into being, you must first be able to concentrate on your intent, your power, and the power of the elements around you. Since this is the one of the first steps in casting and ritual work, this is an amazing beginning to your practice. It not only gives you the power of concentration to work your spells, but it is also a very relaxing way to meditate as well.

Begin by sitting cross-legged on the floor, with your eyes closed, hands folded in prayer. Bow first to the Goddess and God in respect to your teachers, your chin touching your chest. Bow secondly to the elements around you, and bow thirdly and inwardly to the divine power within you. Greet and welcome yourself, breathing deeply in through your nose, and slowly, out.  Place your hands on your knees (palms facing down to ground your spirit). Continue breathing deeply. Focus on the life force of air flowing in and out of your body. Focus on the beat of your heart. Feel the roots of your spirit traveling down and connecting you to the earth and water, it's branches unfolding to dance in the air and bathe in the sun.

As you deepen your breathing feel the power swell at your center. Allow this power to pulse through your veins, into your fingertips and travel throughout your body. When you are in command of  this power, and your intent is fully visualized, you may begin your craft.

That is just one of countless numbers of methods for self grounding and the one that I use in my own magical life. I tried to be as detailed as possible, but you may, of course, tailor it to suit your needs. While magic has a rule (namely the rule of three) there are no concrete ways that MUST be followed. What works for one witch may not work for another.  Feel free to explore different grounding methods until you find one that works suitably for you. I also find that laying down on the floor with my palms to the Earth is another way that I feel connected. Often having soft and meditative music helps as well as appropriately comfortable clothes or even no clothes at all! I encourage you to take time to ground yourself both before magic or even as you form your intent for the day's tasks. 

~Namaste
 Stella

Your Body-Your Temple

As I mentioned in the last post I made, the body is the spirit's vehicle into the world around it and is a temple surrounding our divine self. When we nurture our bodies and take care of ourselves, we feel more at peace with the universe. Our energies are balanced, and we have more space to meditate on matters other than our neglected temples.

The best way to show respect to yourself as a temple is to maintain a healthy diet, balance your diet with physical activities that you enjoy such as tending to a garden, sleep, and meditation. Meditation is a wonderful way to balance your energies and achieve clarity and calm. In fact, yoga and meditation is a good practice both to energize you for the day in the morning, and to cleanse you of the daily stress you faced before you go to sleep.

Rise in the morning, stretching, thinking about the light from the sun's rays nurturing your body and calling you to wake up. Breathe deeply and calmly. Set your goals for today and thank the Goddess and God for your waking. Greet the morning as it is a blank page that you get to turn into art.  Ask the Goddess and God to help you overcome today's tasks, particularly if the to-do list seems more intimidating than usual. Then breathe your worries away. Breathe in calm, breathe out love and determination.

In the evening unwind from your day. Thank the Goddess and God for their wisdom and guidance.  Acknowledge their presence and ask them to watch over your sleep, guiding your dreams and keeping the peace. Breath in deeply, filling your center with positive thoughts and restful energy, breathe out and blow the stresses and worries of the day with it, allowing them to disappear. Sleep...the Gods are awake. Be at peace.

Meditation is a good practice to get into. The more in touch you are with your center, the more at peace you will be with your thoughts. I think I shall post a grounding meditation next time I have more spare time. Less rambling thoughts hahaha. 

Til next time!

Stella

Connecting: You as Part of a Whole

So often I feel myself isolated by society rather than connected to it. The disconnect pervades everything. There's an unwillingness to be immersed not only in humanity and in communion with one another, but also with the world in which we live.

Following a pagan, or neopagan as it is most accurately referred to, path gives me insights that I do not find to be mainstream. We don't simply notice that the moon is full. We feel it swelling throughout the month. I personally find truth to the old adage, "for everything there is a season." Everything occurs within its own time, and the more aware we become of these changes the better we can navigate changes in ourselves as human beings, creatures of nature, not creatures of science or simply knowledge, but rather something more valuable. Ancient wisdom.

Many rituals both old and new follow the phases of the moon, the alignment of certain planets, the position of certain stars within the horizon and even the seasons. But society has shut itself away from these changes in climate controlled boxes and close their curtains to the the world around them, relying on the unhealthy glow of the buzzing fluorescence and the scalding brightness of LEDs. We are sick, obese, and poisoning ourselves with chemicals.

How do we swim against the current? How do we reconnect with the nature that dwells within us. How do we find ultimate freedom? Simple. Be nature. Follow the seasons. Breathe with the tide. Instead of fluorescent lighting, throw open your curtains and pull back the blinds! Nourish the body with the natural fruits and vegetables, dairy and grains that it craves. Your body is a vehicle into nature, a temple where your Divine self ultimately sits to look upon the world around it. Honor that temple. Be nature. Be magic. See how your body feels when you immerse it in healthy activity and natural foods and light. See how your mind feels when it refreshes itself naturally as you sleep with the sun's setting and rise with its rising. Your mood, your body, your spirit will be much improved. You will feel connected with more than just yourself and your schedules and responsibilities when you take time to be nature.

Take time to breathe. Note the changes in the world around you. When does the sun rise? When does it set? What is the current moon phase? What season is it? All of these are things that a witch takes into account daily, for different magic is more powerful when it is worked in its proper time. For example, spells to banish negative thoughts would be best worked under a waning or new moon. Spells to draw positivity would be best worked under waxing or full moons. It is for all of these reasons, but most importantly, for my divine spirit, that I walk with nature daily, and not simply in it.

This weekend I challenge you to let your spirit guide you as you walk with nature, instead of simply in it.

~Namaste
Stella

Warmest Welcome

Welcome! No doubt you've stumbled upon this blog by accident, or you have an interest in witchcraft. If Pagans and the concept of Paganism give you the creepy crawlies, I recommend that you don't linger, though you're welcome to if you're even slightly curious. If, however, you are interested in what it means to be a witch, I encourage you to pull up a chair. I'd pour you a cup of tea or some hot cider, but that would probably cause my computer's hardware to crash, so I'll leave it at that.

Witchcraft goes back to the very dawn of time. And magic is something that is used by people almost daily, many of you not even realizing it. Every time you make a wish, or cross your fingers for something you are using a very simple form of magic. Now, that isn't to say that every time you've made a wish, something magically appeared in a cloud of smoke. While that would just be the bees' knees, that simply isn't reality. Well, you're wondering, then what is magic?

Simply? Everything.
Confused? I'll elaborate.

Everything in the universe is connected by energies and vibrations and for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. (Laws of nature still applying) if I throw my will into anything, eventually it will come back to me. For example, sometimes when I am desperately craving Chinese food, my fiance will come home bearing Chinese food without me even telling him that I want it.

The idea that what you send out in vibrations to the universe comes back to you is also the origin of karma. However, this is the most basic explanation of magic. There are many ways to enhance the energies and more narrowly direct them for a specific purpose, and that is witchcraft! These methods and many other odds and ends will be the bulk of this blog, sort of a Craft 101 if you will. The rest will be little life insights as they strike me. If you have a question or a topic that you would like explained in an entry, you may leave a comment. Furthermore the magic of magic, is that we never stop learning! Therefore, if you have a tactful correction please feel free to comment that also.

BB (Brightest Blessings)
Stella