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Wednesday, December 12, 2012


Merry meet everyone <3 span="span" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  :
So Aphrodite is my patron goddess, I love her very much, so I compiled info mine and my friends to give to you,
Merry part <3 span="span">



APHRODITE (a-fro-DYE-tee; Roman name Venus) was the goddess of love, beauty and fertility. She was also a protector of sailors.  In Greek mythology, Aphrodite is the goddess of love, beauty and sexual rapture. According to Hesiod, she was born when Uranus (the father of the gods) was castrated by his son Cronus.  Cronus threw the severed genitals into the ocean which began to churn and foam about them. From the aphros ("sea foam") arose Aphrodite, and the sea carried her to either Cyprus or Cythera. Hence she is often referred to as Kypris and Cytherea. Homer (Iliad) calls her a daughter of Zeus and Dione.  Aphrodite loved and was loved by many gods and mortals. Among her mortal/demi-god lovers, the most famous was perhaps Adonis. Some of her sons are Eros, Anteros, Hymenaios and Aeneas (with her Trojan lover Anchises). She is accompanied by the Graces. Her festival is the Aphrodisiac which was celebrated in various centers of Greece and especially in Athens and Corinth. Her priestesses were not prostitutes but women who represented the goddess and sexual intercourse with them was considered just one of the methods of worship. Aphrodite was originally an old-Asian goddess, similar to the Mesopotamian Ishtar and the Syro-Palestinian goddess Ashtart. Her attributes are a.o. the dolphin, the dove, the swan, the pomegranate and the lime tree. In Roman mythology Venus is the goddess of love and beauty and Cupid is love's messenger . Aphrodite held sway in many realms: sex, marriage, fertility, sailing, civic order, even war. The breadth and diversity of Aphrodite's powers meant that a single city might have multiple shrines, each dedicated to specific aspects of the goddess. The recurrent theme for her devotees—male and female, young and old—was her capacity to create harmony and union. This could be purely sexual, or could pertain to marriage or fertility.  Furthermore, because of her ability to bring about unity, Aphrodite was perceived as able to grant good order and smooth sailing (as implied above). In certain cities she served an even greater and sometimes martial role, acting as civic protectors. Aphrodite’s festives were spent much in Greek and especially in Athena. Her high priestesses were women who celebrated their goddess in the form of free sex. Aphrodite had several sons, including Priapus, Eros, and Hermaphrodites.
Strengths: Potent sexual attractiveness, dazzling beauty.
Weaknesses: A bit stuck on herself, but with a perfect face and body, who can blame her?

Note to you… 

As I tuned into Aphrodite, her beauty was absolutely, amazing , bueautifuly illuminating. Aphrodite is a true beauty with flawless, fair, white skin and long flowing hair. She wore sashes of material just covering her body draped loosely like a Greco-Roman woman of years past. She was strong in her presence and confident with her role. When you meditate if you see her listen carefully for her to say something. Because when she speaks it is always important.

Symbols: scepter, myrtle, dove
    Sacred candle color: pink, red, orange
 Planet: Venus http://www.teenwitch.com/divination/planets/pict/venus.gif

Herbs associated with Aphrodite:


Aphrodite is one of the 12 Olympians.   Aphrodite was originally a Minoan Goddess before being adopted by the Greeks.

Her names   
Greek name: Aphrodite, Aphrodite Pandemos, Cerigo, Kypris, Cytherea    
Roman/Latin name: Venus

Stories

IN HOMER
When the Trojan prince Paris was asked to judge which of three Olympian goddesses was the most beautiful, he chose Aphrodite over Hera and Athena. The latter two had hoped to bribe him with power and victory in battle, but Aphrodite offered the love of the most beautiful woman in the world. This was Helen of Sparta, who became infamous as Helen of Troy when Paris subsequently eloped with her. In the ensuing Trojan War, Hera and Athena were implacable enemies of Troy while Aphrodite was loyal to Paris and the Trojans. In his epic of the Trojan War, Homer tells how Aphrodite intervened in battle to save her son Aeneas, a Trojan ally. The Greek hero Diomedes, who had been on the verge of killing Aeneas, attacked the goddess herself, wounding her on the wrist with his spear and causing the ichor to flow. (Ichor is what immortals have in the place of blood.) Aphrodite promptly dropped Aeneas, who was rescued by Apollo, another Olympian sponsor of the Trojans. In pain she sought out her brother Ares, the god of war who stood nearby admiring the carnage, and borrowed his chariot so that she might fly up to Olympus. There she goes crying to her mother Dione, who soothes her and cures her wound. Her father Zeus tells her to leave war to the likes of Ares and Athena, while devoting herself to the business of marriage. Elsewhere in Homer's Iliad, Aphrodite saves Paris when he is about to be killed in single combat by Menelaus. The goddess wraps him in a mist and spirits him away, setting him down in his own bedroom in Troy. She then appears to Helen in the guise of an elderly handmaiden and tells her that Paris is waiting for her. Helen recognizes the goddess in disguise and asks if she is being led once more to ruin. For Aphrodite had bewitched her into leaving her husband Menelaus to run off with Paris. She dares to suggest that Aphrodite go to Paris herself. Suddenly furious, the goddess warns Helen not to go too far, lest she be abandoned to the hatred of Greeks and Trojans alike. "I'll hate you," says the mercurial goddess, "as much as I love you now." Even though Zeus's Queen Hera and Aphrodite are on different sides in the Trojan War, the goddess of love loans Hera her magical girdle in order to distract Zeus from the fray. This garment has the property of causing men (and gods) to fall hopelessly in love with whoever is wearing it. Homer calls Aphrodite "the Cyprian", and many of her attributes may have come from Asia via Cyprus (and Cythera) in Mycenaean times. These almost certainly mixed with a preexisting Hellenic or Aegean goddess. The ancient Greeks themselves felt that Aphrodite was both Greek and foreign.


JASON
Aphrodite involved herself on other occasions in the affairs of mortal heroes. When Jason asked permission of the king of Colchis to remove the Golden Fleece from the grove in which it hung, the king was clearly unwilling. So the goddess Hera, who sponsored Jason's quest, asked her fellow-Olympian Aphrodite to intervene. The love goddess made the king's daughter Medea fall in love with Jason, and Medea proved instrumental in Jason's success.
AENEAS
Another time, Zeus punished Aphrodite for beguiling her fellow gods into inappropriate romances. He caused her to become infatuated with the mortal Anchises. That's how she came to be the mother of Aeneas. She protected this hero during the Trojan War and its aftermath, when Aeneas quested to Italy and became the mythological founder of a line of Roman emperors. A minor Italic goddess named Venus became identified with Aphrodite, and that's how she got her Roman name. It is as Venus that she appears in the Aeneiad , the poet Virgil's epic of the founding of Rome.


HEPHAESTUS
After her birth, Zeus was afraid that the gods would fight over Aphrodite's hand in marriage so he married her off to the smith god Hephaestus, the steadiest of the gods. He could hardly believe his good luck and used all his skills to make the most lavish jewels for her. He made her a girdle of finely wrought gold and wove magic into the filigree work. That was not very wise of him, for when she wore her magic girdle no one could resist her, and she was all too irresistible already. She loved gaiety and glamour and was not at all pleased at being the wife of sooty, hard-working Hephaestus... She was unfaithful to him with Ares, despite being married to Hephaestus, Aphrodite took her job as a goddess of sexuality seriously, and had a multitude of lovers, but one of her favorites was the warrior god Ares. At one point, Helios, the sun god, caught Ares and Aphrodite romping around, and told Hephaestus what he had seen. Hephaestus caught the two of them in a net, and invited all the other gods and goddesses to laugh at their shame... but they had none whatsoever. In fact, Aphrodite and Ares had a good laugh about the whole thing, and didn't particularly care what anyone thought. In the end, Ares ended up paying Hephaestus a fine for his inconvenience, and the whole matter was dropped. And Homer relates in the Odyssey how Hephaestus had his revenge.
IN ART
Elsewhere in classical art she has no distinctive attributes other than her beauty. Flowers and vegetation motifs suggest her connection to fertility. Aphrodite was associated with the dove. Another of her sacred birds was the goose, on which she is seen to ride in a vase painting from antiquity. Hesiod's reference to Aphrodite's having been born from the sea inspired the Renaissance artist Botticelli's famous painting of the goddess on a giant scallop shell. Equally if not better known is the Venus de Milo, a statue which lost its arms in ancient times.
Was she a WAR GODDESS?
The ancient travel writer Pausanias describes a number of statues of Aphrodite dressed for battle, many of them in Sparta. Given the manner in which the militaristic Spartans raised their girls, it is not surprising that they conceived of a female goddess in military attire. She also would have donned armaments to defend cities, such as Corinth, who adopted her as their patroness. This is not to say that she was a war goddess, although some have seen her as such and find significance in her pairing with the war god Ares in mythology and worship. The two most recent editions of "The Oxford Classical Dictionary" are at variance over this aspect of the goddess. The 1970 edition sees her as a goddess of war and traces this to her Oriental roots. It is true that she has resemblances to Astarte, who is a goddess of war as well as fertility. The 1996 edition of "The Oxford Classical Dictionary", on the other hand, offers several counterarguments. It sees her being paired with Ares, for instance, not because they are similarly warlike but precisely because love and war are opposites. In any case, Aphrodite's primary function was to preside over reproduction, since this was essential for the survival of the community.


The Adonia Festival

Aphrodite's mourning for her beloved Adonis—who died tragically young … At one point, Aphrodite had a fling with Adonis, the young hunter god. He was killed by a wild boar one day, and some tales indicate that the boar might have been a jealous Ares in disguise. —was commemorated at sites throughout the Mediterranean during the Adonia festival. At Athens, it was celebrated by women only. In one of the rites, they planted quick-growing seedlings and then brought them up to the roofs of their houses, where the young shoots soon withered. This ritual re-enacted both Adonis's flourishing potential and his sudden death, allowing the devotees to emulate Aphrodite's experience.
Water Jar with Aphrodite and Adonis / Greek

learn_morehttp://www.getty.edu/global/images/ghost.gif
http://www.getty.edu/global/images/ghost.gif

This vase depicts Adonis before his death, reclining against Aphrodite in an idyllic setting that evokes the ease and abundance of the cult of Aphrodite en Kepois (in the Gardens).
The lovers are surrounded by Aphrodite's entourage of beautiful companions(I .e the graces), each of whom is a personification, such as Eudaimonia (Prosperity) and Eutychia (Happiness) on the lower left. At bottom right, Pannychis (All night Feast) alludes to the evening rituals associated with the Adonia festival
the Aphrodisiac festival
A festival was held regularly to honor Aphrodite, appropriately called the Aphrodisiac. At her temple in Corinth, revelers often paid tribute to Aphrodite by having rambunctious sex with her priestesses. The temple was later destroyed by the Romans, and not rebuilt, but fertility rites appear to have continued in the area.  at Athens.


How to….

Aphrodite Meditation

Aphrodite – surrounded by the graces

One way to attune to the spirit of beauty is to imagine the birth of Aphrodite within your heart. Begin your meditation by creating a beautiful atmosphere that will attract her presence. Then:
  • Create an altar for Aphrodite and adorn it with flowers, angels and pictures of loved ones. If you already have an alter put the picture of the one you want or want to grow with.
  • Play a piece of music that is serene, calming and peaceful, or about the ocean or her. Allow the music to enter your heart, and let its rhythms pulse within you as the waves in the ocean.
  • Imagine that this feeling gives rise to an image of sublime beauty, of Aphrodite emerging from the depths of your heart. She is the essence of beauty, the perfume of loveliness, the embodiment of grace and joy. She is all light, joy and laughter. Bask in her beauty; feel beautiful, inside and out.
  • After immersing yourself in Aphrodite, open your eyes and survey the environment around you. Practice seeing the world through her eyes. See life transformed, alight from within: The flowers on your altar sparkle with color, the photos of your loved ones reveal an inner dimension that is new to you, the sky outside your window appears miraculous and luminescent. This is Aphrodite's gift - the vision of love and beauty that animates all creation.

Use the alter                                                                                                                                                                                 Bow to the alter and make the circle with your wand, call upon your god/goddess by calling (whispering, saying, yelling if need be.)  Their name. Light the candles. Before praying say Hail Aphrodite …
Maiden born of the Sea, She Who Shines Brightly, Ever Luminous Morning Star
Radiant Goddess of Feminine Beauty, Mistress of the Maiden's Sensual Allure Eternal Venus of Beauty & Grace Dancer in the Light, of every Woman's Eye The Maiden Who lives within Mother & Crone Feminine Sensuality Eternally Re-born in Woman
 if you are praying make an offering of incense, drawing or whatever your god/goddess likes.  Draw the circle again and if praying meditate on your god/goddess and what their wishes or plan for you might be. Banish all other things from your mind while praying it helps with clarity. 
Ask for  Aphrodite's Blessing
bow to the alter, draw the circle and light your candles and say hands ,palms up
Oh Goddess of Love
Lend me Your Bright Powers That my essence may Sparkle
Draw to me my own True Beloved  Spark our beings with the Magic of Love
Let no impediment hinder our Path to Bliss Guide our Pairing with Wisdom
Fill our Hearts with Tender Devotion Let us dance the Love & Passion of Equals
Radiant, joyous beings sipping from Eternity's Cup…
Making whishes
Take your wand and bless the ones you’re going to make a wish on. Then anoint them with vanilla extract, make a cup with your hands making sure the inside of the shell is facing you, bring it to your face and whisper your wish to the shell. Set it down on the offering plate (must be clean with nothing on it) draw the circle and bow.  Be reasonable.
Sabbaths

Beltane

Other names
Beltan, Bealtaine, Walpurgisnacht, May Day

Point of time
1st of May

About sabbath
Beltane is the next most important sabbath for wiccan right after Samhain. Beltane marks the first days of summer. Love is in the air on Beltane. Goddess wears now mother’s robe and God descends to rule aside his queen. The holy bond between goddess and god makes this sabbath also an important fertility festive.Beltane is a time of universal sensuality and sexuality. In Wicca, the Goddess is the creator of the universe and the God is the universal protector. On Beltane the God and Goddess come together in union to represent the creation of the universe. Many bonfire celebrations are held in order to devote the flame of your passion to the universal energies. One of the celebrations consists of dancing around a may pole with ribbons of red and white. The red symbolizing the fertility of the Goddess and the white symbolizing the fertility of the God.  Beltane is celebrated as the beginning of the planting cycle as well as the beginning of summer. The tradition of the bonfire came from the farmers burning the weeds and left over dead plants in a fire so they can begin the planting necessary for the first crops.

Some form of the great rites is included in this sabbath to almost every wiccan’s rituals, usually in the form of the athame being placed into the chalice symbolizing the union between the Lord and Lady.
Beltane is also popular among the pagan community for marriage, or in other words Hand fasting. Both parties write the words they will pronounce by them self and give their promise to each other. There is no middleman in this ceremony, although priestess or priest may help with the ceremony.

Rites for the sabbath
Beltane

 

 

Litha

Other names
Summer solstice, Midsummer

Point of time
21st of June

About sabbath
During the summer solstice we celebrate the God who has reached the peak of his power as this Litha the longest day of the year. From this moment on, daylight starts to diminish bringing full circle to the concepts of life and death, birth and rebirth, and the balance of masculine and feminine energies that are prevalent in the craft. Like other solstices and equinoxes, this can be celebrated either on the precise day or the day afterwards.

God is honored as the Sun god while the goddess is honored as the Earthly mother. Summer solstice is celebrated for a passion and a success. During Litha, the battle once again commences and the Oak King is stripped of his reign and the Oak King is now the old man and the Holly King the young and strong warrior.
During this time of year, goddess still wears the robe of a mother.
Summer solstice is a time of festivities, but also time to ponder. The Sun is at its strongest, but only the decaying of power is ahead. Litha is also a good time to seek protection and cleanse your own home from negative and harmful energies.

Rites for the Sabbath
Litha is Aphrodite’s strongest point celebrate!

What you need to to do
For this ritual you need a clear crystal, which has a hole (quartz is best, but well grinded glass will also do). Attach crystal about half-meter length ribbon or to a strong string.

Clear crystal with warm soap water. In addition to this you need a spiritual cleansing: Hold stone under running water and visualize all impurities leaving from it.
Call for elements, goddess and god to help you like you do in other rituals. Hold crystal in the sun light. See in your mind how the rays of sun fill the crystal with light and energy.
When you feel like the crystal has been “charged”, hang it into window to place where sun rays hit it. In the end, thank the elements, goddess and god for their help.
Whenever you need energy from the sun, take crystal from the window and hang in from the chain to your neck or otherwise keep it with you.

Samhain

Other names
All saints’ day, Halloween

Point of time
31st of October

About sabbath
Samhain is considered by some to be the most important sabbath of the year, a wiccan new year. It is the time of the third and last harvest. In olden days the celebration of Samhain marked the beginning of using food stores created to last the coming winter months. Samhain, being the last harvest, was the finally opportunity for the people to gather enough food to survive the harsh winters as they could only count on grain and animals. Festivities  start in the evening of the 31st of October and culminates at midnight.

Most festivities are still done in the 1st of November, the first day of the “new year”. In  the old Celtic calendar Samhain was marked as a leap day, which did not belong to a “normal year”. From Samhain starts the darkest time of the year, between autumnal equinox and winter solstice.
During Samhain the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead is believed at its thinnest, allowing witches to more easily communicate with past friends and relatives. Samhain’s reputation in both the old and modern world connects it to the cycle of death along with the spirits of the dead.
To wiccans, it’s possible for the spirits of the dead to return to their loved ones. Originally the ”festive of the death” was celebrated in Celtic countries by leaving food sacrifices on the altars and thresholds for “wandering spirits”. However the Spirits were not generally ”invited”, because it is generally viewed as  unethical to bother the peace of the dead unless the Spirits seek out attention.
Lighting a candle to the window is one tradition of the Samhain. The candle acts as a beacon to some as it is meant to lead the spirits of the dead relatives and friends home or as a repellant as it banishes the spirits you wish to leave your home. Extra chairs we set next to table and fireplace for the invisible guests. Next to roads and paths were buried apples for the spirits who were lost or did not have offsprings to take care of.
Cattle were slaughtered during Samhain to be eaten in winter season. Grain left over Samhain was left in the fields for as sacrifice to natural spirits. Samhain has been a great holiday for everyone, because it has often meant a last chance to get fresh eating before next spring.
Wiccans also believe, that Samhain means beginning of the Wild Hunt. The Horned God rides with his packs of dogs and gathers all souls who have been delayed or careless. The Wild Hunt continues over winter.
During Samhain goddess transfers into role of the crone and wiccans ask for her to shed wisdom and guidance upon them. For easier interpretation wiccans use tarot-cards or crystal ball.
High priest can call upon the crone’s spirit to set down into high priestess, which through spirit talks to whole group or a single member.
Rites for the sabbath
Samhain

Imbolg

Name
Imbolg

Other names
Oimealg/Oimelc, Festives of the Bride, B…

Point of time
2nd of February

About sabbath
Halfway of the winter solstice is a moment when it’s nature’s time to wake up from it’s hibernation. Imbolg means grow of the sparkle which was lighted during Yule to warm as a flame which warms man and ground. First signs of spring are already visible, and it’s time to bless seeds and tools.

The dark side of the yearly turn is in its middle point. Imbolg is the time of the year when everything starts living. It is a festive of a maiden. From this day to Ostara is her’s time.
During imbolg goddess throws away robes that had belonged  to the wise and returns as a white-robed maiden. From this day to Ostara is her time to prepare renewing. God birth during yule is now seen as young, vital man,now starts to reach out for a maiden.
During this time the home is stripped from the last of the evergreen plants, which it was decorated with during Yule. In some areas, Imbolg is the first day, when fields are plowed as a preparation  for sowing.
High priest can call old lady to set down into an high priestess, through which the  spirit speaks to the whole group or to  all to its single members.
Rites for the sabbath
Imbolg

Madron

Name
Madron

Other names
Modron, Mabon, Autumnal equinox, Harvest…

Point of time
21st of September

About sabbath
This sabbath’s exact day varies from year to another, but many choose to celebrate it on  the 21st of September. Coming of equinox means that the  day and the night last as long and hours of the night start to grow longer. It is again time of seeking your self inner balance, forsake the old and replace it with the new. In this relationship Madron is much like Oestra, but it  focuses on different aspects. Madron is celebration of the healer, justness and releasing of the prisoners.

In madron, goddess descends into underworld. As winter comes we observe weakening of the nature. We also wish farewell to the lord of the harvest. He is harvested with the harvest and his seeds are sowed into ground. During equinox  the harvest has already been harvested away from the winds and storms.
From this equinox sun’s light dims til the winter solstice, Yule, after what it starts again to get strong and days start to get longer.
Madron is a witches thanks-giving day, when we thank goddess and god for their generosity and divide the gifts of the harvest.
Rites for the sabbath
Madron

Yule

Other names
Winter solistice, Christmas

Point of time
21st of December

About sabbath
Although date of the winter solstice changes from year to year, many wiccans celebrate it the  21st of December. During solstice day is shortest and night is longest. When day starts to become longer and dark starts to become shorter, a new wiccan sun year begins, a birth of the divine child.

Sabbath of the Yule is the reborn celebration of the sun. Sun’s strength has worn out since the summer solstice, but now it starts to grow.
In the longest night of the year, in the year of the solstice, was celebrated as our forefathers waited for the oak-king, king sun, who warmed the frozen land and helped it to carry over.
During Yule wiccans decorate their homes with evergreen plants, which remind beginning of the new growing era.
Berried holly is a popular decoration, as its red berries symbol the resting mother and life’s returning to ground. Plants dark green leaves represent holly-king, who rules until the spring comes. During Yule bonfires are set and apple wine is spread to the fields. Mistletoe and ivy was used as a decoration inside and outside. Its purpose was to invite nature spirits back to celebration.
Mistletoe has very strong roots in paganism . It has considered a magical plant, since it grows without roots. The highlight of the sabbath was a ceremonial Yule-log. Along with tradition, log must not ever been bought , as it was to be retrieved from your own woods or received as a gift.
During yule, oak-king, ruler of summer, is reborn. Oak-king rules since middle winter to the middle summer, in which  time light increases. During yule the hunt is in its highest. In the night of the solstice it is not safe to stay out unless one wants to be caught by the great hunter.
Rites for the sabbath
Yule

Lammas

Other names
Lughnasadh

Point of time
1st of August

About sabbath
Lammas is a first festive of the harvest. It is also celebration of the dying and resurrecting god. Gaelic name Lughnasadh means to a Celtic sun god, Lugh’s death and resurrection. Lammas is spent in the beginning of the harvest and it has close relationships with stories about sacrifice and death.

In many cases, beliefs of the sacrifice are based on misapprehension or wrong conception. Lammas is celebrated quarter year after Beltane.
Lammas was a middle-age christian name for this celebration day and it means sanctifying breads. In lammas breads were baked from the first harvest and set as a sacrifice in to altar.
Lammas reflects first harvest of the autumn and it’s fruits. Harvesting season starts in sabbath, when gods and goddesses fertility aspect is celebrated.
Rites for the sabbath
Lammas

Oestara

Other names
Oestre, Eostar, Vernal equinox

Point of time
21th of March

About sabbath
Like in the other equinoxes and solstices, date of the celebration varies, but most want to celebrate it 21th of March.

Oestara means vernal equinox, a momemt of balance, when the night and day are as long. As the sacred balance of day and night is on, wiccans search for their own, inner balance. It’s time to throw away all old and replace it with a new. Oestara is also festive of the fertility.
This is a proper time for blessing seeds for the upcoming growing. Now it’s time to free yourself from the all what keeps you standing still. In Wales, Oestara is known as a day of Lady and it is respected as a wakening of the goddess from her long winter sleep.
Most myths connected with oestara are about god’s trips to underworld and their battles, and return to the surface of the earth. During this sabbath goddess is respect as a maiden and god as his brother or sun god.
Rites for the sabbath
Oestara


Monday, April 23, 2012

WICCA








 
The word “witch” immediately conjures negative images: evil, violence, deception, manipulation. This perception (fed largely by fairy tales and the Medieval Church’s fear campaign, which associated pre-Christian deities into demons, and pagan practices into black magic) is far removed from the true roots of Wicca. Read more about this interesting belief system which dates back 30,000 years.
Wicca is one of the oldest belief systems in the world. Cave paintings show 11 people standing in a circle with a stag-headed man and a pregnant woman, or the two creative forces of God and Goddess.
One of the core principles of Wicca is that human beings are deeply connected to Nature. Followers try to understand the ways of the Earth, and see every small thing—sunsets, flowers, the wind—as a reflection and expression of divinity. They draw upon the power of these things, through natural remedies and meditations, not to hurt but heal. There is a great responsibility to live in harmony, not just with Nature but with others. Because all things are a manifestation of the divine, then Wicca is fundamentally grounded in an honor and respect for life.
Thus, it is not true that Wiccans do sacrifices. One of the most important Wiccan principles is “Harm none.” While Wiccan spells and incantations can be misused, the principle of the Law Of Three (or the Law of Threefold Return) states that anything that is sent out rebounds on the user threefold. So, if a person were to curse another, and wish to inflict harm, then harm would fall on him too, and with much greater intensity, scope, and duration. Obviously, there are cults or misguided individuals who have used and twisted Wiccan beliefs for their own deviant purposes—but this kind of misinformation or malpractice can be found in other religion or belief systems.
Wicca does not have a centralized authority or governing body which regulates the practices of its followers. Instead, all Wiccans are bound by a personal code of ethics, with consequences set by virtue of the way the world works: hurt others, and you will hurt yourself. There is a great emphasis on personal responsibility and awareness of consequences. However, for support, Wiccans often form groups called covens, where members offer each other support. There are also online Wiccan support groups. They may teach each other, or provide emotional support—especially because of the discrimination they may encounter.


 
Craftsmanship (another known term for Wicca) has several features :

1. In Wicca there is a hierarchy (I am talking about  Old Faith). In coven (Wicca Organization) there is usually primary priest or priestess. They head the Sabbaths (Wheel of the year holiday).
2. In Wiccan texts there is a direct reference to the ethical standards (a commandment), which is bound by a witch (if she is good).


3. In Wicca there are canons of "netting" spells, as We believe that we should follow our route, drawing on the experience of those who went before us.
4. Wicca is very tolerant to other religions, as they believe that all gods are one of the incarnations of the Great Spirit.


5. Old Faith rejects violence. The origins of the religion dates back to the days when the main power in the society was in women hands. The women understand the value of life, as they brought a new life.
The law clearly states that a witch that preaches Wicca should not kill. She can do so only on two occasions as motivated by hunger (this applies to animals) and in the event of an attack.


6. The moral of Wicca is very different from Christian. wiccans do not accept slave obedience to God, as in most prayers of the Bible, a direct reference to the absolute god. Gods are our parents, not owners. They need love, not subordination.


7. Wiccan would not suggest other cheek when it get hit. Although we do not accept violence, but self-defense is acceptable!


8. We are not alien to human joy.


9. Wiccans do not eat meat, We believe that all life is part of the Great Spirit. don't raise disputes about eating vegetables, which are also part of the Great Spirit. They are needed to live. But this is ignorable, Although lack of meat in food verified by the experience does not result in death.!


10. Wiccans are not extremist, we DO NOT believe in Satan, and we do NOT worship him. 


11. We do not accept the deliberate destruction of the body (to the issue of drugs, smoking and alcohol, which destroys the body). Yes, we use wine in their ceremonies, but this is happens eight times a year, and it is a very small portion. The wine in small doses provides therapeutic effect  Yet, it should be noted that Neo Wiccans replace the wine with various juices, which is also acceptable.


12. Wiccans believe in reincarnation, that is, that our souls after the death of the body (shell) does not die, and after a short rest will return to the earth to live again, but in a different body. Sometimes, the soul enters the country eternal summer, and remains forever with the Great Spirit. This is due to the fact that their life was righteous and life committed to performing their duty. The main postulate in Old Faith is the witch credo "An it harm none, do what you will" - (do what you want, just do no harm). For clarity any Wiccan regardless what branch he belonged, had no right to cause any harm (spiritual, physical, emotional), except in case of self-defense. Each Wiccan believes in the law of three ( "The rule of three"), which indicates that the damage given will cause three times more damage. Wiccan of clear mind does not induce black magic . This is shortly of what is "Wicca", and in particular the Old Faith. This small amount of information gives a superficial vision of what is Crafts.

MILD HEALING
Please remember that when dealing with potentially serious injuries, first aid is a stop gap measure until adequate medical attention can be found! Follow up on any serious injuries with a qualified physician!

Aloe
Break off an aloe leaf and scrape the gel to soothe minor burns, scalds, and sunburns. Aloe has tissue regenerative properties and will help heal all wounds.

Arnica
Arnica cream or oil can be used on bruises or sprains where the skin is not broken. Caution should be used with Arnica however since it can become toxic in high doses.

Calendula Cream
Homemade or store bought, this is antiseptic and antifungal. If you make it, try adding comfrey to the cream; it will help speed the healing process.

Clove Oil
Clove oil is an excellent antiseptic for cuts and is also useful for treating toothaches. It should be cut with a carrier oil when used on the skin since severe irritation can occur.

Compresses
Keep squares of gauze or cheesecloth on hand to make compresses. Use comfrey, witch hazel, or arnica for sprains; St. John's Wort for deep cuts; comfrey or witch hazel for burns.

Crystallized Ginger
Chew for motion sickness or morning sickness.

Eucalyptus Oil
This is a good inhalant for colds, coughs, and respiratory infections.

Rescue Remedy
This combination of 5 of the Bach Flower Remedies is effective for shocks and emotional upsets, especially in children.

St. John's Wort Infused Oil
Excellent for minor burns and sunburn.

Slippery Elm
Slippery elm powder is used to make poultices for drawing out splinters and bringing boils to a head.

Tea Tree Oil
Use as an antiseptic and antifungal. It is useful for cleansing wounds.

Hazel Extract
Use it to treat minor burns, sunburn, and insect bites. Apply to nasal passages to stop nosebleeds. Wash cuts with it to help cleanse them.

 
 

Reasons to be wicca
13. I live for persecution.

12. I'm a night person at heart.

11. We respect our elders... and alders and willows and oaks...

10. I just love explaining that a pentagram is NOT evil.

9. We do more after midnight than most people do all day.

8. Being burned at the stake is a great way to roast marshmallows.

7. We can talk to Elvis (and he is dead).

6. You live, you learn, you die, you forget. Then you come back.

5. Double the deities, double the fun!

4. We get more holidays.

3. Brooms get great mileage.

2. We were here first.

1. BELTANE!!!!



Beltane is the last of the three spring fertility festivals, the others being Imbolc and Ostara. Beltane is the second principal Celtic festival (the other being Samhain). Celebrated approximately halfway between Vernal (spring) equinox and the midsummer (Summer Solstice). Beltane traditionally marked the arrival if summer in ancient times.

At Beltane the Pleiades star cluster rises just before sunrise on the morning horizon, whereas winter (Samhain) begins when the Pleiades rises at sunset. The Pleiades is a cluster of seven closely placed stars, the seven sisters, in the constellation of Taurus, near his shoulder. When looking for the Pleiades with the naked eye, remember it looks like a tiny dipper-shaped pattern of six moderately bright stars (the seventh can be seen on very dark nights) in the constellation of Taurus. It stands very low in the east-northeast sky for just a few minutes before sunrise.

Beltane, and its counterpart Samhain, divide the year into its two primary seasons, winter (Dark Part) and summer (Light Part). As Samhain is about honoring Death, Beltane, its counter part, is about honoring Life. It is the time when the sun is fully released from his bondage of winter and able to rule over summer and life once again.

Beltane, like Samhain, is a time of "no time" when the veils between the two worlds are at their thinnest. No time is when the two worlds intermingle and unite and the magic abounds! It is the time when the Faeries return from their winter respite, carefree and full of faery mischief and faery delight. On the night before Beltane, in times past, folks would place rowan branches at their windows and doors for protection, many otherworldly occurrences could transpire during this time of "no time".




Goddess
HEKATE (or Hecate) was the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy. She was the only child of the Titanes Perses and Asteria from whom she received her power over heaven, earth, and sea.
Hekate assisted Demeter in her search for Persephone, guiding her through the night with flaming torches. After the mother-daughter reunion became she Persephone's minister and companion in Haides.
Two metamorphosis myths describe the origins of her animal familiars: the black she-dog and the polecat (a mustelid house pet kept to hunt vermin). The bitch was originally the Trojan Queen Hekabe, who leapt into the sea after the fall of Troy and was transformed by the goddess into her familiar. The polecat was originally the witch Gale who was transformed into the beast to punish her for her incontinence. Other say it was Galinthias, the nurse of Alkmene, transformed by the angry Eileithyia, but received by Hekate as her animal.
Hekate was usually depicted in Greek vase painting as a woman holding twin torches. Sometimes she was dressed in a knee-length maiden's skirt and hunting boots, much like Artemis. In statuary Hekate was often depicted in triple form as a goddess of crossroads.
Hekate was identified with a number of other goddesses, including Artemis and Selene (Moon), the Arkadian Despoine, the sea-goddess Krataeis, the goddess of the Taurian Khersonese (of Skythia), the Kolkhian Perseis, and Argive Iphigeneia, the Thracian goddesses Bendis and Kotys, Euboian Maira (the dog-star), Eleusinian Daeira and the Boiotian Nymphe Herkyna.
 
Prayer to the Goddess

I call upon you Goddess Divine,
I stand before your sacred shrine.
Spread your arms, let in the light,
I pray you'll help me do what's right.
Help me steer from what is wrong,
and any evils for which I long.
Help me live out every day,
according to your righteous way.
Let your voice ring loud and clear,
to comfort me of all my fears.
And if I ever shed a tear,
I pray Mother Goddess, that you'll be near.
Your guidance I need throughout this life,
I pray you'll never leave my side.
And when at times my faith is weak,
in you, Dear Mother, please let me seek.
I call upon you, Goddess Divine,
I stand before your sacred shrine.

 
COLOR SIGNS
RED
Signifies: Strength, health, vigor, lust, danger.
Holiday: Yule
Planet: Mars
Day: Tuesday
Astrological Sign: Scorpio

ORANGE
Signifies: Encouragement, adaptability, stimulation, attraction, plenty, kindness.
Holiday: Candlemas
Deities: Brigid
Planets: Sun, Mars, Mercury
Days: Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday
Astrological Sign: Leo, Sagittarius

YELLOW
Signifies: Knowledge, learning, concentration, persuasion, charm, confidence, jealousy, joy, comfort.
Planet: Mercury
Day: Wednesday
Astrological Sign: Gemini, Leo

GREEN
Signifies: Finances, fertility, luck, success energy, charity, growth rejuvenation, ambition, counteract greed and jealousy, plants kingdom including herbal healing.
Planets: Venus, Mercury
Days: Friday, Wednesday
Holidays: Spring Equinox, Beltane
Astrological Sign: Taurus

BLUE
Signifies: Tranquility, understanding, patience, health, truth, devotion, sincerity, honor, loyalty, peace, wisdom, protection during sleep, astral projection.
Planets: Moon, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter
Days: Monday, Friday, Saturday, Thursday
Astrological Sign: Libra, Sagittarius

VIOLET/PURPLE
Signifies: Power, piety, sanctity, sentimentality, tension, sadness amplification of other energies, wisdom, high ideals, spiritual protection and healing, psychic ability, protective energy.
Planet: Jupiter
Day: Thursday
Astrological Sign: Sagittarius

BLACK
Signifies: Negation without reflecting, unlocking when stuck, banishing evil or negativity.
Holiday- Samhain
Planet- Saturn
Day - Saturday
Deities- The Crone
Astrological Sign: Scorpio & Capricorn

WHITE
Signifies: Purity, consecration, meditation, divination, exorcism, the full moon, healing, peace, spiritual strength.
(May be substituted for any other color.)
Planet: Moon
Day: Monday
Astrological Sign: Cancer

GRAY
Signifies: Balance, neutrality, used in erasing, canceling, neutralizing, and return to the universe without repercussion destructive energies.
Planet: Moon
Day: Monday
Deity: Athena
Astrological Sign: Virgo

PINK
Signifies: Healing, familial or emotional love (rather than sexual), friendship, affections, unselfish emotions, spiritual healing, banishing hatred.
Gem: Rose quartz
Planet: Venus
Day: Friday
Astrological Sign: Gemini

BROWN
Signifies: The Earth, grounding, trees, concentration, telepathy, spells to locate lost objects, protection of the familiars, pets, and animals.
Planets: Moon (tan browns), Venus (all), Saturn (dark browns)
Days: Monday, Friday, Saturday
Deity: Gaia
Astrological Sign: Capricorn
Holiday: Mabon

SILVER
Signifies: Purity, the moon, treasure, values, female energy, the unconscious mind.
Day: Monday
Astrological Sign: Aries
Deity: Artemis and other Moon Goddesses

GOLD
Signifies: The sun, male energy, wealth, financial wisdom, conscious mind, attracting happiness, activity, intelligence.
Planet: Sun
Day: Sunday
Astrological Sign: Leo
Deity: Apollo and other Sun Gods


Color energies are useful in many ways. One of the most basic ways to use color symbolism in magick is to select candles of the color appropriate to your purpose. The power of color may be added at any point in rituals and spells to enhance the symbolism, and thus the power of the spell.

Examples include:
  • Candles
  • Altar Cloth & Flowers
  • Fabric and components for Amulets, Talismans, Dream Pillows, etc.
  • Food coloring choices in Bath Salts.
  • Label/Container choices for brews, teas, essential oils etc.
  • Meditations on colors for reaching specific chakras, or areas for psychic development.
  • Garments for ceremonies or simply on days when you wish to attract (or deflect) certain energies.
  • Colored papers and inks for written spell work.
  • Awareness of colors you select in your decor and environment.
 
Family  TROUBLES
brew some peppermint tea, add a spoonful of honey to each cup, and stir deosil ( clockwise) chanting :

" My family are difficult to take,
They are no piece of cake.
Please let them see,
How difficult it is for me ! "

Give the tea to your family.


 
Since the earliest spell bottles were created for protection, it seems fitting to begin with one made for this purpose. Ideally, such a bottle will be walled up in a new home under construction, or placed under the floorboards. If this is impossible, simply place it in a position of importance somewhere in the home.

Items needed:
1 glass jar with cork stopper or lid (a small canning jar is fine)
1/2 to 1 cup salt (depending on size of the jar)
3 cloves garlic
9 bay leaves
7 TBS dried basil
4 TBS dill seeds
1 TBS sage
1 TBS anise
1 TBS black pepper
1 TBS fennel
1 bowl

In the morning, ideally on a bright and sunny day, assemble all items.
Place the salt into the bowl and say:
Salt that protects, protect my home and all within it.
Add the cloves of garlic to the bowl and say:
Garlic that protects, protect my home and all within it.
Crumble the bay leaves, place in the bowl and say:
Bay that protects, protect my home and all within it.
Add the basil and say:
Basil that protects, protect my home and all within it.
Add dill and say:
Dill that protects, protect my home and all within it.
Add the sage and say:
Sage that protects, protect my home and all within it.
Add the anise and say:
Anise that protects, protect my home and all within it.
Add the pepper and say:
Pepper that protects, protect my home and all within it.
Add the fennel and say:
Fennel that protects, protect my home and all within it.

Mix together the herbs and the salt with your hands. Through the movement of your hands and fingers, lend energy to the potent protective items. Visualize your home as a shining, safe, guarded, secure place of sanctuary. Pour the mixture into the jar. Seal tightly and place in your home with the following words:
Salt and herbs, nine times nine
Guard now this home of mine.
It is done.


Simple Funerary Rite

You will need:

·         a fire safe bowl

·         a half cup of wine or apple juice

·         a stick of incense

·         a white candle

·         a photo of the person, if possible.

If you can, do this ritual outdoors. If not, inside is fine.

Sit on the ground/floor. Light the candle and the stick of incense that reminds you of your friend. (i.e. if he was an outdoorsman, select a woodsy scent like evergreen or sandalwood; if she was a homebody, use cinnamon, etc.)

If you have a photo of the deceased, set it in front of you. If not, hold the image of your friend firmly in your mind.

Take a small fire-safe bowl filled with the wine. Warm the wine over the candle flame.

Visualizing your friend surrounded by a soft white glow, wish the friend well on his or her journey and assure your friend that you will see him or her again in your next life. Drink the wine and let yourself remember all the wonderful things you and your friend shared.

 
SPELL TO HEAL PHYSICAL PAIN

YOU NEED: piece of amethyst (as clear as possible), or a piece of Fluorite.
Sit in a quiet place and clear your mind of everything you can.
Take the amethyst (or fluorite)and hold it in the hand that is closest to the hurt.
If the pain is in the center of the body hold it in your writing hand.
Imagine a soothing light collecting at your feet and draw it up slowly towards your head filling every part of the body. Whilst doing this say silently:
"bright light, shining light
heal my hurts with all thy might."
Repeat this as you move the light up through the body.
When you reach the top of your head expand to fill outside the head with light for about a foot.
Then return to where the pain is most concentrated, push all your healing energy into this area.
If this doesn't work the first time then repeat. You should feel better soon.
To end the spell repeat the verse again but finish with "so mote it be"

 
WICCAN RELAXING AND TUNING

Divination Bath
3 parts Thyme
2 parts Yarrow
2 parts Rose
1 part Patchouly
1 part Nutmeg
Bathe in this mixture directly before practicing any form of
divination, to relax the conscious mind and to stimulate psychic awareness.


Divination Incense
2 parts Sandalwood
1 part Orange
1 part Mace
1 part Cinnamon
Burn during divination rituals.


Divination Incense 2
2 parts Sandalwood
1 part Orange
1 part Mace
1 part Cinnamon
Burn before and during divination.


Fire of Azrael Incense
1 part Sandalwood
1 part Cedar
1 part Juniper
1/2 part Saltpeter
Burn prior to divination and scrying.


Moonfire Incense
1 part Rose
1 part Orris
1 part Bay
1 part Juniper
1 part Dragon's Blood
1/2 part Saltpeter
Burn for divination, love and harmony.


Scrying Incense
1 part Mugwort
1 part Wormwood
Burn a small amount prior to divinination.


Witches Sight Incense
1 part each:
Gum mastic
Juniper
Patchouli
Sandalwood
Cinnamon
few drops Musk oil
few drops Ambergris oil
For Tarot readings, crystal ball readings, meditating.


 
Music:
nkubus Sukkubus:
- Wiccan Goddess Chant
- Death and the Virgin
- Danse Vampyre



Robert Gass & On Wings of Song:
- Lady of the Flowing Water
- May the Circle Be Open



Elaine Silver:
- Heart of the Mother
- Allelula Canon
- God Bless Humanity
- By the Earth
- Calling All Directions



Libana:
- Sisters, Now Our Meeting is Over
- The Earth is Our Mother
- The Earth, the Air, the Fire, the Water

Spiral Rhythm:
- I Am the Goddess

Jinmaku:
- Merry Meet

Loreena McKennitt
- The Mummer's Dance
- Breaking the Silence
- Samhain Night
- The Mystic's Dream
- Snow