What is Paganism?

This month at Ravens Rest Moot we were covering the topic of what paganism is and what paganism means to us as members. We started out by defining what Paganism in the broadest understanding – that is an umbrella term for spiritual beliefs and practices which do not confirm to the societal normative religion. Today this would refer to Christianity and similar Abrahamic faiths but the term “pagan” was first used in relation to people within the Roman Empire who held on to their native beliefs instead of engaging in the Roman civic religion, or later Christianity.

Paganism is also understood as being a polytheistic practice, usually based reconstructing the religious worship of pantheons of the past (Greek, Roman, Norse etc.) and is sometimes also applied to living and continuously practiced traditions. This inclusion of lived traditions, such as Native American practices, Hinduism and Shinto is done under the colour of them not being Abrahamic but we acknowledged that this was problematic. These traditions are well established, independent and in many cases have been subject to marginalisation and attack by the mainstream and lumping them under the pagan umbrella is just another example of things being done to them rather than them being recognised for what they are.

As a modern umbrella term there are a lot of groups which sit under Paganism. A few examples include;

There are a couple of “trigger words” in that list which may cause upset and confusion in those that are not entirely familiar with them beyond what they read in the news and see in movies. By including them under the “Pagan” umbrella, which is far more understood as meaning “not mainstream and probably a bit of a hippy/goth/history lover type”

One of the things everyone agreed on was that Paganism is closely connected to the natural world. Animism underpins many of the groups within paganism, that is – the attribution of a living soul to plants, inanimate objects, and natural phenomena. One of our online members shared the following on this point –

[Paganism is a] connection to the natural world and an escape from the soul-destroying thing that is our modern technical society…

We also discussed the life-affirming nature of many pagan paths, and how there was an emphasis on personal responsibility and accountability in the actions we take in this life, rather than having an eye on what effect they may have on the next one.

One of the consequences of this is the fact that there is no central authority, dogma or even place of worship and a sense of freedom in the way that our beliefs are explored and expressed. One of our in person members said –

For me it’s the respect of freedom in practice and worship – whether you worship Gods that are different from someone else’s, or no gods at all, within a temple or other sacred space or in nature – you find that you are generally accepted by the wider community.

As our conversation developed we expanded to talk about the downsides of such freedom and autonomy – aesthetic vs practice and belief. Particularly in our “modern technical society” its very easy to become enamoured with the look and feel of a particular path. Whether they like it cute or edgy we agreed that whilst many people initially come for the aesthetic they largely stay for the community and belief.

By the end of the conversation we agreed that the key features of paganism are that Paganism;

• honors nature
• is anamistic and/or polytheistic
• Includes traditions which represent the attempted restoration of an indigenous religious practice
• is not based on doctrine and liturgy and is more interested in orthopraxy (right practice) rather than orthodoxy (right belief), which allows a lot of freedom of expression and exploration 
• does not have a centralized form or place of worship, preferring places which are more informal(homes, village halls etc) are a special place in nature (woodland grove, important landmark) or an ancient sites (StoneHenge, Rollrights etc)

The Elemental Triangles

Someone coming to witchcraft and Paganism for the first time will quickly encounter the most common representations of the material elements, the elemental triangles.

source

These symbols are representative of Air, Fire, Water and Earth, the four elements of manifestation which Greek philosophers posited were the underlying components of all creation. Combined, these four elements then create the fifth element of Aether, (also called quintessence or Spirit in magical praxis). These Greek philosophers didn’t just recognise the elements in the physical world but in the emotional and spiritual realms of each individual human, seeing them as contributing to both health and wellbeing.

In alchemy the four classical elements are represented by triangles, with their orientation and placement of a horizontal line denoting their association, and when combined form a six pointed star, representative of Spirit in this context. When viewed at a glance and without labels, the newcomer may find identification of the individual triangles difficult but the symbols are in fact quite logical in their association if you think of the line as indicating the horizon.

Element	Symbol	Representation
Air	An upward pointing triangle with a horizontal line through it	the symbol is pointing above the horizon to the sky
Fire	An upward pointing triangle	fire, heat, smoke etc. all rise
Water	A downward pointing triangle	water flows downhill to the lowest point
Earth	A downward pointing triangle with a horizontal lime through it	the symbol is pointing to the earth below the horizon

Hierarchy of Elements

The order we give to the elements is varied and may depend on context. When considering the elements in relation to the cardinal points we often start with Earth in the north before proceeding to Air, Fire and Water respectively.

source

On the other hand most magical operations with a foundation in the western magical tradition begin in the east and so order given is Air, Fire, Water and Earth. This recognises that the operation begins in the quarter associated with the dawn and start of the day.

In the ancient world the order given to the elements recognised their level if purity, beginning with coarse element of Earth rising through Water and Air to Fire as the second most rarefied element after Aether. The Neoplatonic philosopher Proclus framed it in terms of the qualities and dynamics of the individual elements which when paired with the modern  scientific understandings of each element might give insight into why they were ordered in such a way.

Element	Quality	Substance	Mobility	Scientific
Earth	Blunt	Dense	Immobile	Matter
Water	Blunt	Dense	Mobile	Liquid
Air	Blunt	Subtle	Mobile	Gas
Fire	Sharp	Subtle	Mobile	Plasma

Neoplatonic Hierarchy of Elements

The Elemental Triangle as Ritual Gestures

One upon a time I was participating in a public ritual where participants were invited to take part in the calling of the quarters of by forming the elemental triangles with our hands. I thought this was a really good idea of the organisers, as it gives one something to do with their hands and concentrate on energetically whilst someone does the circle work around you.

Earth

Air

Fire

Water

Baby Witch vs Seeker

Okay – putting aside the whole “TikTok Witches Hex the Moon” conversation (I think Gen Z is trolling us but it makes for some good meme’s), I wanted to concentrate on a phrase I’ve had a problem with for a long time.

It is not for me to tell people what they should, and shouldn’t, be labeling themselves. It’s your life and your identity but remember – the labels you use are a signal to the world around you and it might be useful to consider how the term comes across when engaging in a larger group.

For me – the term “baby witch” signals a lack of sincerity and commitment to the Craft. It indicates a desire to be spoon fed, a surrender of critical thinking and a lack of regard for witchcraft either as a practice or spiritual path.

Perhaps I am getting old – I came to witchcraft in my mid teens and I’m now in my mid thirties – but I do realise that the landscape of information avalible has changed dramatically. There is 100 times the information and 90% of it really isn’t all that great and it is overwhelming to someone approaching the craft for the first time. A novice may want to signal that they are just begining to find their way and are looking for guidance…

… so what is wrong with the term Seeker? It covers so many things. Seeking guidance, seeking knowledge, seeking understanding of the Craft, and of the self, seeking support…

… yes, the term could be seen as a little old fashioned but it retains the concepts of critical thinking, self awareness and personal commitment that the term “baby” throws out with the bathwater.

I realise that my own gut reaction is dismissive of the upcoming generation of witches and practitioners of the craft. Perhaps I am not hip enough to get what they are trying to signal with the use of a term I find infantile and self surrendering. I always reserve judgment about the person at the other side of the conversation but I just cant bring myself to respect the use to term, be that as a personal label, term of endearment or as an insult because of what it signals.

For a fuller discussion I recommend this video from Thorn Mooney. If you are truly seeking information and guidance in the Craft, and are desperate to read a book from a modern and living author, then Thorn’s book Traditional Wicca:A Seekers Guide is an excellent place to start, even if you are not wishing to become a Gardnerian persay.

The Magical Uses of Salt

Salt is one of the almost ubiquitous elements of modern day witchcraft practice. We have a pot on our altar, we sprinkle it in our baths, we bury crystals with is and wash our services down with it. It is an important part of western magical practice so I’m going to take a moment to look into it.

Use of Salt

Many of the uses of salt relate to its folklore and mythology. Throughout Europe salt is associated with repelling get evil spirits and entities. For example in Scotland housewives would sprinkle salt around the butter churn to stop witches from souring the butter whilst the Irish believed that combining salt with the Lord’s Prayer would protect the against Fay and their enchantments.   

A lot of the salt folklore comes from the relative expense of the mineral. Salt was one of the driving forces of the La Tène culture expansion and the Roman army would sometimes pay their soldiers in salt so that they did not have to then buy something so important to the preservation of food. Given its importance and expense as a commodity it is not a surprise that the spilling if salt became associated with bad luck and quarrels. This association was further enforced by artists incorporating the spilling of salt in their paintings to indicate a sinister aspect. The most famous example of this can be found in such as Leonardo da Vinci’s depiction of the Last Supper, with Judas Iscariot spilling the salt indicating his intention to betray Christ the next day, who himself is referred to in the Bible as the ‘salt of the earth’.

Split Salt

Of course for every contraindication there is a remedy, and this is where the tradition of casting spilt salt over the shoulder comes from. The believe that such discord was caused by devils and negative spirits and that by casting the salt over the left shoulder would ensure that they were driven away when the salt filled their eyes.

As a result salt is used a number of magical operations including (but not limited to)

• Purification
• Protection
• Blessings
• Used to represent the element of Earth
• To define circles
• Repels / Absorbs many types of negative energy

These are a lot of potential uses but it is important to remember that before it can be used salt must be purified for use. This is because of its tendency to absorb energy. Whilst this can be useful in the grounding of energies it does mean that salt often contains energies which would be counterproductive to magical operations. There are a number of different methods to achieve this cleansing but the most common can be found in the various internet books of shadows out there in the greater world wide web.

Consecration of Salt

Whilst drawing a pentagram of Earth in the salt say

“Blessings be upon this Creature of Salt; let all malignity and hindrance be cast forth hence, and let all good enter herein; wherefore so I bless thee, that thou mayest aid me.”

Thus the salt is made pure and ready for use in magic. Primarily it is added to water that has been purified with the same actions and words to create holy water which can be used for purification, consecration and the casting of magical circles.

Types Of Salt

There are lots of different types of salts available on the market, each having their own magical attributes. This list is not entirely exhaustive however these are some of the most common, and the different types that have caught my eye.

Table Salt

Common table salt could really be the start and end of this part of the post. It is cheap, readily available and universal in its uses. Because it is so common it is perfect to use in bulk to create physical barriers! And it’s small uniform crystal make up make it easier to dilute in water and tidy up at the end of a ritual.

That being said table salt is often highly processed, with additives such as iodine and anti-caulking agents. Although this doesn’t negatively impact it’s effectiveness some may prefer a salt which has undergone fewer processes such ass…

Sea Salt

Sea salt undergoes fewer processes and is obtained through the evaporation of saltwater. This produces large irregularly shaped flakes which can vary in taste and colour. You can obtain your own sea salt however you are only going to achieve small yields and it is just as available as table salt and can be picked up in any well stocked supermarket. It is somewhat more expensive and this may mean it is more cost effective to use in small pinches and diluted in water.

Pink Salt

Himalayan Salt

The pink tint to this form of salt is due to the higher iron content found in the region’s where it forms. This emails the sale with all the attributes of iron, heightening the protective and averting qualities of the salt. Some of its specific uses relate to astral journeying and out of body experiences. Himalayan Salt is expensive, but can be found in larger supermarkets and in many new age stores. Because of the cost I recommend using it sparingly.

Black Salt – Lava

Black Lava Salt is a form of sea salt which is mixed with active charcoal and is available from countries with active volcanoes on the sea coast, like Hawaii and Cyprus. Although mainly used for cullentary and cosmetic purposes, the qualities of charcoal to absorb and remove negative toxins can be extended to include negative energies as well. This means that in small amounts black lava salt is useful in purification rituals and process. Whilst this can be bought in some limited stores at a price it is possible to make your own by grinding food grade active charcoal into sea salt, covering the salt in a layer of black.

Black Salt

Black Salt – Soot and Char

The other way you can make black salt is by using standard table salt and combining it with lamp black (soot) which you can gather from candles by holding a metal object directly over the flame or from around open fire places and then scraping the resultant smut into the salt. This can take a very long time if you are working from candles and a quicker way of doing it is to add the burned remains of ritual herbs and incense to the salt. Not only is the same absorbing and trapping effect achieved the salt also takes on the attributes of the herbs, lending the black salt further qualities. Black Salt made in this way often uses uncrossing herbs as their base to increase the salts potency in relation to breaking magical workings.

Fire Salts

Fire Salts are an entirely new one on me, but I was looking for an alternative way of representing fire when flames were not an option and this seemed like a good one which would double up as a nice condiment. Once you get over the idea that Fire Salt is something that you collect from the bodies of Fire Atronachs in Skyrim I think it is quite an appealing idea.

Fire salts are a mixture of salts and herbs which can be used to add the element of fire to your rituals and spells. They can be used to heat up relationship spells, add a spicy edge to protection spells and wake energies up. The salt forms the base whilst spices like paprika, red peppers and garlic bring ties to the element of fire. Other fire related spices can be used to create fire salts and can be substituted according to spell/ritual purpose.

To make fire salts you will need

• 2 parts table/sea salt 
• 1 part paprika,
• 1 part red pepper
• 1 part garlic

Unlike black salt simply mixing the herbs and salt together is not enough to activate the fire salt, particular if you are intending to use it in ritual as symbolic fire. You will also need to use a process of charging and/or visualisation to achieve this.

Charging

If you have a gas hob put all the ingredients into a pan over heat and stir the mixture well. Visualise the energy of the flame imbuing the mixture with intent.  

If you don’t have a flame based hob or oven but access to candles perform the mixing process in front of a candle lit in honour of the element and perform the same visualisation.

if you are making the mixture as an alternative to open flames to represent the element of fire and you have neither candles or gas hob then heating over an electric heating element will suffice, just add to the process a visualisation of the pan being filled with flames which are absorbed by the mixture.

There are a large number of other types of magical salts, including a variety of herb salts where the protective, cleansing effects of the salt are increased and complemented by various magical herbs. I am not going to attempt to cover them all and will leave it to the reader to research, or imagine, such salts for themselves.

When using salt one must always be cautions. Salt easily absorbs energies from its surrounding, quickly becoming energetically impure, and it is best practice to ensure that salt is consecrated anew for each use. Equally you should be aware of scattering salt, or salt water, in your local environment as it can have a negative impact on local fauna and flora. Small amounts are usually easily absorbed but dumping a large chalice of water so salty it may as well have come from the dead sea by your begonias isn’t going to do them much good. Just be a little cautious and circumspect and I see no problems with having salt water out in nature.

 

13 Goals of the Witch

One of my first introductions to Witchcraft  was Scott Cunningham’s Guide to the Solitary Practitioner and whilst it is dated, littered with the conflation if Wicca and Witchcraft and miss information about ‘self’ initiation, for a book of its time it is actually a good place to start.

One of the things presented in the book which continues to make an impact on my practice are the 13 Goals of a Witch. The principles laid out are easily transferable to any magical practice and whilst two or three specifically align with nature based worship they could be easily transmuted to be relevant to say Hellenistic or Norse reconstruction practices or even those that do not involve deity but that doesn’t mean that they are not without their problems.

Cunningham doesn’t present these goals with much of an explanation so there are many different interpretations of what is meant by each goal and how we can live them all based on the writer’s experience and personal practice. This can mean that they goals appear to be repetitive in some cases where the writer is not able to separate subjects clearly either in their writing or in their mind. On the other hand, explanations may appear to exclude those with disabilities because the author is writing from the perspective of being in full health and ability. That’s not to say I am not going to fall in these bear traps myself, or put my foot in my mouth trying to avoid them, but suffice to say when reading any interpretation of the 13 Goals take what resonates, leave behind what does not and replace it with your own interpretation and understanding.   

So, what are the 13 Goals of a Witch?

 

My Interpretation of the 13 Goals

Know Yourself

It is significant that this goal appears at the top of the list given that it is both crucial in the pursuit of the Craft to have a full and truthful understanding of who we are, and who we are not, but also one of the primary reasons that people seek out the Craft in the first place.

The search for our ‘authentic self’ is authentic popular one in this day and age and whilst laudable we are only human, likely to ignore the things we find within ourselves that we don’t like whilst building false identities to build upon the impression that we contain everything that is desirable. The first of the Witches goals should be to be accepting of who and what we are,  a combination of both shadow and light. Once we accept the things which we may be told are less desirable, rather than suppress or hide them, we can begin to work on incorporating them into our lives in a positive way or trying to move on from them to allow other aspects of ourselves shine forth.

The Craft can help in this search, but if we are not honest with ourselves about our faults and foibles they can hinder our progress as well. Nobody is asking you to be perfect, just honest.

Know Your Craft

The subject of the Craft is a wide and vast and it is impossible to know everything about all paths. Quite often seekers come and express a desire to know everything, be taught everything. Whilst the approach of ‘Jack of All trades, Master of None’ is perfectly acceptable it is important for the seekrf to ve realistic and humble in the depth of knowledge that can be achieved this way. You can never be a master of all disciplines straight away, if at all, not is is possible for you obtain this knowledge from one book, one person or whilst walking one of the many pathways of the Craft. There is, however, still a need to read deeply. There are many introductory books which profess to give grounding in all aspects of the Craft but often are limited to the authors own bias and preferences. No single book or teacher will give you all the answers and it is important to sample a number of different authors and opinions to provide a rounded view. Such wide reading can often help the seeker find the areas and aspects they wish to specialise in.

It is often far better to choose a single path and to seek to become proficient in it. Even with the field narrowed in such a way it is still important to read widely, practice much and record your experiences. Do not limit yourself in terms of your sources, and don’t be afraid to seek out sources that contradict each other. Being aware of conflicting opinions within a discipline / the Craft while give you the opportunity to form your own opinion and ways of working.

Know your Craft refers both to the Craft you wish to practice and the way you practice it. It is important to keep a record of what you read and do, and your thoughts and opinions of such things, in order to be able to chart your development as a Witch. Whilst knowing your end goal or destination it’s important it is equally important to remember how you got there, and from what point you started from.

Learn

This may seem to be a repetition of the admonition (sp) ‘Know your Craft’, and in many ways it is but learning goes far beyond Craft matters. The old saw of “you never stop learning” is both true and applicable. In addition to seeking our new books and teachers, checking and cross checking references seek out new experiences relevant to or separate from the Craft. Go on a Ghost Walk, join an archaeological dig, try a new creative craft or find a new hobby. Seeking out new experiences in mundane life is helpful in maintaining a flexible approach to your Craft in the log run so don’t limit trying new things to Witchcraft alone.

Apply Knowledge With Wisdom

Knowledge and wisdom are not mutually exclusive. Knowledge is a form of power, and with it you can achieve great things, but it is just as important to learn when to put that knowledge to use. The Craft places a great emphasis on personal responsibility the acceptance of consequences and outcomes of any chosen action. This means that in addition to seeking out the knowledge of the Craft one must also obtain the discernment necessary to know when to use is and in what way.  

Achieve Balance

We have many aspects in our lives for which we need to balance our time and attention against, the Craft is nearly one more thing to add to the pile. (Video about making time for a full life). There is so much going on around us, with different people, tasks and interests vying for our attention, it can be difficult to find time for all the different this we need and want to do in our lives. Our Craft is important, but it does not have to become the be all and end all of our lives unless we want it to be, vertical lying this shouldn’t be at the expense of our family, friends and everyday life.

Be mindful of your health and state of mind. If it ever feels like the Craft is becoming a burden to you the take the time to evaluate your path and practice. It might be you are trying to take on too much and would benefit from either simplifying your practice or even taking a break to try new things. You may feel overwhelmed by your experiences whilst learning the Craft, or find yourself being overwhelmed by life in general, and it is no bad thing to take time to re-centre yourself or seek out help if you need it. An accept of personal responsibility is taking responsibility for your own mental health and seeking out support wherever and whenever you need it.

Keep Your Words in Good Order

This may seem like common sense but it only takes a casual glance at social media to know it is all too easy to let your words get away from you. Words have power both in the magical and mundane world’s, with the ability to harm and heal, create and destroy. It is important to choose your words with care to ensure there is a clarity in meaning, not only can  this mean the difference between success and failure of a spell but it can also mean the same in our interactions with people around us as well.

As Witches we face many condemnations and possibly even confrontations.  There around now many misconceptions about Witchcraft and there around reread just as many who wish to use them to malign practices they fear or do not understanding.  In a confrontation with any zealot, be they religious or secular, the ability to keep calm and choose one’s words wisely is paramount. It is important also to not match insult with insult, and attacks against other religions abandoned spiritual believes should be unnecessary is one has learnt all they can, obtained wisdom in their knowledge and the balance to choose their words with care both for clarity and maximum effect. This is another aspect of personalise responsibility, neighbours responsible with ones words.  

My final interpretation of this goal centres around the four power of the sphynx. Although not all points are represented into the 13 Goals “to know” is implied in goals one and two whilst “to keep silent” is represented here. Sometimes keeping our words under control is necessary in order to be able to pay attention to what is being given said by people around us. When we flap our lips trying to be the biggest names to with in the room we usually miss out on the subtle teachings of more practiced individuals in our community.

Keep Your Thoughts in Good Order

Words and thoughts are one in the same in the sense that they both have the ability to manifest themselves in our lives. How we think and feel affects our day to day lives and then our thoughts are in confusion then our lives can become disordered as well. When negative thought patterns become the dominant makeup of our thoughts process, be they related to anger, sadness or any like emotion, to the point where they are intrusive and disruptive to our lives it is important to take steps to ensure we are looking after yourself (self help) to seeking advice and support from people and professions. Again, we’re harking back to the importance of personal responsibility.

Another interpretation of this goal related to the importance of keeping our thoughts, words and actions aligned to ensure magical success. When these three things are not consistent and concise our magical efforts become dilute and more likely to fail. This isn’t a ‘The Secret ™’ situation where negative thoughts or a lack of will when wishing for an outcome result in negative consequences but rather if you can’t keep a firm image in mind when visualising your desired outcome in mind or it doesn’t match what you are asking for with your words, things aren’t going to turn out the way you expect them to.

Celebrate Life

Now we come to a goal where we start to hit a little bit of turbulence when it comes to interpretation.  Some would interpret this as an instruction to honour and protect all living things on the planet but this might be expressed as involvement in animal rights and ecological campaigning to vegetarianism and veganism. Whilst all these things can be done in moderation and are no bad thing they are a sliding scale, with the far ending being a form of almost militant extremism. This can be problematic when the phrase ‘to celebrate life’ includes the incorporation of animal remains into personal practice. It is important that life is part of a greater cycle, and one cannot truly appreciate life without being aware and reverent of death as well. This is particularly true when looking at nature and the animal kingdom, which is red in both tooth and claw. It is possible to celebrate the life of an animal through the tend keeping and reverent respect of its remains as part of a magical practice just as much as it is possible to do so by engaging in preservation efforts. Neither practice is wrong, both practices are equally valid.

But there is a more inward looking element to this goal. Celebrate life through living your own. Learning is all well and good but it is important to live out lives as well. Do things that you enjoy, look for the joy in your day to day life, magical and mundane. Sometimes it can be difficult to see these things through the day to day grind of modern living so try doing those journaling exercises or jar experiments that get touted around social media so much and take a constructive five minutes at the end of every day to find one thing that made you feel good about the day or greatful for the life you lead.

Attune With the Cycles of the Earth

More turbulence ahead because not all Witches worship nature or wish to observe seasonal celebrations. Whilst this goal is often presented as an instruction to participate in the celebrations of esbat and sabbat and experience the turning of the seasons as a spiritual experience I think there is a less ‘religious’ level that sometimes gets ignored.

“To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven”

Eccles 3: 1-8 NIV

Yes I am quoting the bible at you. Even witches who do not worship or observe the cycles of nature are at some leven aware of their impact upon the magical practice.  Whether they observe that it is better to cast spells of drawing during the waxing moon, or spells for new life are less productive when cast during the dying half of the year, or that the planetary hour impacts of the success of the spell, there is some awareness of the importance of cycles and timing and how they fit into the overall cycle of the solar/lunar year.

That being said I know some witches who will cast on regardless if they have a need, and in truth I don’t wait until the waning moon in the dark half of the year for the hour of Mars on a Saturday night to get a spell of the appropriate purpose cast. If something needs doing we just get it done, because if we will it, it will be so, but that doesn’t mean that we are unaware of the added value that incorporating such elements into our magical workings can bring.

Something that I think all Pagans can make an effort with, regardless of whether or not they honour nature as a divine force, is be mindful of their impact on the environment and seek to reduce it through mindfulness, recycling etc.  Not because they are Witches and should “honour and respect” nature but because they live on the planet and such efforts benefit them regardless. You don’t need to be a nature loving witch to realise that taking a dump in your back garden is going to pollute your life and doing it in your neighbor’s yard isn’t the beat idea either.

Breathe and Eat Correctly

I personally don’t understand what Cunningham was thinking when putting these two things together, certainly eating well would have been a better companion to goal number eleven but he did so to a degree we are stuck with it.

To breath correctly is easily interpreted – meditation and the control of the mind and thoughts through the act of breathing is an important part of magical practice and one every witch must practice and cultivate. Meditation is also a useful part of achieving many of the above goals, such as keeping our thoughts and words in order and maintaining out mental health.

Eating well also makes a certain amount of sense as, as above healthy diet is central to a healthy body. Yes we all indulge from time to time and that is okay. This can also be related to the practice of fasting prior to rituals. Fasting for 24 hours ahead of rituals is considered an ideal but not a necessity. Some practitioners will fast shorter periods of time whilst others will just ensure they eat lightly ahead of ritual. Fasting before ritual can help towards the creation of an altered state of mind however one must have a healthy diet in order to achieve this. Other choose to fast a few hours beforehand, or to eat lightly, to help avoid uncomfortable digestive distractions which might come before a heavy meal. Experiment and see what method brings results for you.

Exercise the Body

This one annoys me because quite often I see interpretations that demand peak physical fitness and take a very ableist approach when talking about what this goal interprets.

We are all different, and the level of exercise we can achieve varies dramatically from person to person. For some daily visits to the gym to lift weights or run long distances on a treadmill may be a possibility but for others experiencing chronic pain and complex health conditions it may be totally out of their reach. It is important to be realistic in what is achievable, both for ourselves and others, and to not engage in fat or health shaming.

The important thing is to be aware of how your health affects your magical practice, it may mean that certain practices are too strenuous or not accessible in the standard formats. In many cases rituals and processes can be adapted to accommodate a variety of health conditions but it is still important for practitioners to understand when they need to take a break. Efforts may become overly taxing, leading to a worsening of health, or diluted and you may become more vulnerable to negative influences and energies. Take the time to understand when it is okay for to be practicing magic, and when it might be necessary to take a break to allow the body to recuperate.  

Meditate

I personally think this is covered in goal ten but Cunningham wanted to actress the importance of meditation, and I suppose it is a point worth the repetition. Meditation is the foundation of many skills within Witchcraft,  most notably visualisation, and is an important tool in exploring spiritual development and communicating with spirits/deities/energies. Practice practice practice.

Honor the Goddess and God

So again, not all Witches honor deities in their practice of the Craft, there are indeed such things as Atheist Witches and they are just as powerful and as effective as someone who calls on the Morrigan, Pan or any of the many gods that modern pagans are drawn to. In my experience these Witches recognise the power inherent in the Craft and Magic and whilst it would be incorrect to say they worship it they treat it with honour and respect in the way they approach and employ it.

Equally there are branches of Paganism engaging in the Craft which see Divinity as something within oneself, such as Satanism. Adherence to principles and taking responsibility for one’s words and actions in the fullest sense honours not only oneself but also the essence of humanity and is a high ideal in of itself.

And then there are those who worship the Gods, ancient and powerful, treating them with respect and honouring them through ritual and rite.

Regardless as to your position on deity there is a core to this goal which is applicable to all.

Honour

Honour your beliefs and the things you have learnt by living your ideals. Honour the teachings you have received, the lessons that have been shared with you, the experiences you have had by living them in the truest way possible. Practice as you preach as much as possible and regardless of your stance on divinity, you will be honouring your truth.

Visualisations for Protecting the Self and Home

Here is another post inspired by some nonsense I came across on the web. There seems to be an epidemic of people concerned about being beset by, or at risk from, negative energy and looking for ways to protect themselves. Quite often the suggestions range for complex rituals and spells to the use of white sage smudge even though the poster and commenter have no idea of the native origins or practical application of the process. What a lot of new practitioners tend to miss early on is that this kind of ritualization is completely unnecessary when it comes to personal protection. Even when protecting the home visualisation can provide a quick fix whilst you resolve an existing issue, or even form one layer of defence.

Many new practitioners feel that they don’t have a large budget, or the ability to buy ritual items either because they are practising in private or are not aware of physical stores in their area. The great thing about visualisation is that it is completely free. You don’t need candles or incense if you don’t want/have them, or anything else for that matter. I do recommend the Headspace app for people who are just beginning to meditate for the first time, all you need is a smartphone. The free 10 sessions are all that is needed to learn effective methods of entering the meditative mind space and you are able to track the number of days and length of time completed. It is not necessary to pay for a full account as even after completing the initial 10 sessions they remain available to you for as long as you have the app installed.

Defences of these nature are not permeant fixes and need re-visualising on a regular basis. A skilled practitioner may be able to go up to a full moon cycle between each session and will be able to tell if they need to top up after encountering particular situations or individual. Someone who is less confident may want to do this more often, say daily or weekly. Confidence will come with time and practice, as will the ability to go longer between visualisations. Whilst they do assume some familiarity with meditation I have written them to contain grounding and centring as part of it, two steps new practitioners routinely filter out of their practices.

 

Home in the Dome

 

Personal Protection Visualisation – Rubber and Glue

The old school yard saying “I’m rubber your glue, what bounces off me sticks to you” may appear a really petty idea at first but as a sympathetic idea, it works well as a personal protection method.

Intent – to protect the individual from negative entities and intent by reflecting away from the person and back to the sender.

Maintenance – Skilled Practitioners may consider performing this on a monthly/lunar basis, but should be performed more regularly if required.

Process – In an upright and seated position, feet firmly pressed against the ground, and begin by entering a meditative state in your usual way. Visualise roots extending from the soles of your feet down into the earth, anchoring and grounding you. Feel a bright white energy flowing up through these roots and into your body, progressively rising to extend throughout your being. Once you are filled with light withdraw these roots back into your feet.

Now visualise a small rubber ball slightly in front of you at eye level. The initial size and colour of the ball are up to you. See the ball split into two and realise that it is hollow inside. Visualise the two halves of the ball grow bigger and lengthening until they are large enough to totally enclose you in the inner space both over your head and under your feet. Once large enough seen the two halves move around you and then come together, completely enclosing you. From the inside the ball appears transparent and although you do not feel enclosed you are aware of the impenetrable rubber surrounding you. Visualise the seam sealing itself fully until it looks as if it has always been a single continuous layer of protection. Be sure to do this all the way around.

Anything energy that is directed towards you will be rebound off the surface of the rubber ball and back towards the caster. If you would like to receive those energies that you consider healing or positive make a clear statement within the visualisation that such energies will be allowed to pass through and undesirable energies reflected away. Consider affirming that old schoolyard saying to embed in the visualisation that returned negative energies will stick to the caster. Once you feel the visualisation is firmly in place allow the rubber ball fade from view knowing that it will remain present and reflect unwanted energies even though you are unable to see it. Bring your awareness back into yourself and open your eyes.

Household Protection Visualisation – The Mirror Dome

Mirrors are often preferred for reflecting negative energies in personal protection and this visualisation works on a larger scale, able to protect a room, property or building.

Intent – to protect the property and people within it from negative entities or intent by reflecting it away from the property and back to the sender.

Maintenance – Skilled Practitioners may consider performing this on a monthly/lunar basis, but should be performed more regularly if required.

Process – In an upright and seated position, feet firmly pressed against the ground, and begin by entering a meditative state in your usual way. Visualise roots extending from the soles of your feet down into the earth, anchoring and grounding you. Feel a bright white energy flowing up through these roots and into your body, progressively rising to extend throughout your being. Once you are filled with light withdraw these roots back into your feet.

Visualise a dome of white energy forming completely around you, your body should be totally enclosed by the dome which touches the ground on all sides. Begin to project this dome outwards to enclose more of the space around you. First, the dome fills the room, then moves on to enclose the floor above you and then beyond to the roof. If you are on the second story or above visualise the dome reaching down to connect with ground level.

Continue to project the dome until you are able to visualise the entire property is enclosed within this dome of white energy. Hold this visualisation for a moment and the see the energy change into mirror panels, with the reflective side facing out and away from the property. Now all energies directed against the property will be reflected away and back to the person who sent them.

If you would like to receive those energies that you consider healing or positive make a clear statement within the visualisation that such energies will be allowed to pass through and undesirable energies reflected away. Once you feel that the visualisation is firm and in place bring your awareness back into the room and yourself, knowing that the dome of mirrors will remain in place once you leave the visualisation. Slowly become aware of your surroundings and open your eyes.

Note – you do not have to extend this around your house if you don’t want to, you may simply want to protect a single room or even just your bed. In this instance rather than a dome visualise a sphere so that the underside of the area is also protected.

Household Protection Visualisation – The Web

Not for the arachnophobe. Spiders are one of the most underrated household residents, actively keeping the home insect free for nothing more than a quiet corner. This visualisation draws on the function of the dream catcher as well as the spider’s appetite for little black things that fly.

Intent – to protect the property and the people within it from negative entities or intent by capturing it and grounding it whilst allowing positive energies to pass through.

Maintenance – Skilled Practitioners may consider performing this on a monthly/lunar basis, but should be performed more regularly if required.

Process – In an upright and seated position, feet firmly pressed against the ground, and begin by entering a meditative state in your usual way. Visualise roots extending from the soles of your feet down into the earth, anchoring and grounding you. Feel a bright white energy flowing up through these roots and into your body, progressively rising to extend throughout your being. Once you are filled with light withdraw these roots back into your feet.

Visualise a dome of white webbing forming completely around you, your body should be totally enclosed by the dome which touches the ground on all sides. Begin to project this dome outwards to enclose more of the space around you. First, the dome fills the room, then moves on to enclose the floor above you and then beyond to the roof. If you are on the second story or above visualise the dome reaching down to connect with ground level.

Continue to project the dome until you are able to visualise the entire property is enclosed within. Hold this visualisation for a moment and then see the dome transform into spider webbing, strong and flexible and able to capture any negative intent which may be directed towards the property and the people within it, knowing that positive intent and energy will be able to pass through unhindered. See large spiders moving around the web ready to gather the negative energy and consume it. Once you feel that the visualisation is firm and in place bring your awareness back into the room and yourself, knowing that the web and spiders will remain in place once you leave the visualisation. Slowly become aware of your surroundings and open your eyes.

Note – you do not have to extend this around your house if you don’t want to, you may simply want to protect a single room or even just your bed. In this instance rather than a some visualise a sphere so that the underside of the area is also protected.

On Ritualization

Meditation and visualisation do not require any form of ritualization in of themselves. They can be easily incorporated into your own ritual practices should you feel they fit however they do not need any special lead in or out beyond what you would normally use in this kind of process. If you wish you could burn incense to help set mood and space, or you may want to light a candle which has been charged with intent. This is not necessary.

 

Original Inspiration and Warning

I am not linking the original inspiration because once I stripped away the bad ritualization, terrible poetry and mixed deity/pantheon reference all that remained was the concept of a “spider web household protection” and I didn’t see the need to promote the terrible content. The three visualisations grew out of this concept, we all take inspiration from somewhere.  

I am aware that the spider visualisation may attract our eight legged friends into the home in a form of sympathetic resonance so please be aware of this is you are afraid of spiders or have an arachnophobe in the house.

 

 

 

Looking For A Teacher?

There is a strong belief that in order to learn about Witchcraft you must simply have a teacher. Whilst this isn’t always true there is nothing to stop you seeking out teachers, however, be prepared to be asked questions. These questions serve many purposes, not least to identify whether or not the seeker is actually ready to learn. There seem to be many seekers who are not prepared for, or to be, questioned on any level for one reason or another and for each and every seeker post I see there are as many flounces and upset.

There are many posts about what a seeker may consider asking of a potential teacher but I am adding my thoughts on some of the basic questions that a teacher may ask a prospective student. They are questions that I have been asked, and have asked myself of people who come to me looking for a teacher. My aim is to provoke some introspective thought, which is the purpose of the questions in the first place.

Witch Reading (still)

Why do you think you need a teacher?

As much as this seems an obvious first question very few people ask it of themselves as they post their plea for guidance in an open group. Assuming the poster is a genuine seeker, the realisation of “this is for me” sets of an impulse to act which, thanks to social media, often looks like an unplanned gush of joy. Unfortunately, the preconceived notion that Occult knowledge is only accessible through a teacher or other form of mediation is an old one. Whilst is it true when looking at individual lineages and traditions on a much broader level a teacher is totally unnecessary. There is a wealth of information on a wide variety of subjects and to an extent, this eradicates the need for formalised teaching. If the response is a variation of ‘I just assumed I needed one’ it is a safe bet that the seeker in question hasn’t don’t any real research into Witchcraft or any other magical traditions.

Now I admit, it can all appear a little daunting sometimes and it is not surprising that seekers often don’t know where to start. There is a massive amount of information available through the Internet. As well as the material published through mass paperback publishing houses there is a never ending supply of self-published materials available at low cost or even free. It is just a little too easy to print a book nowadays and identifying the pearls amongst the pig… poop is a job in itself, but it doesn’t exactly need a teacher. The process of learning by experience applies to both Witchcraft and it’s written sources and one of the best things you can do is read a book and critically assess it. If it passes muster then putting its words into practice is the next step.

What do you want to learn about?

Given that paganism is which a broad term, and the number of magical practices many and wide-ranging, it is important to try and narrow down What the seeker is actually seeking. This question not only helps the teacher identify whether or not they can actually teach you but gives them an indication of what you are wanting to learn about.

Asking this question helps both potential student and teacher identify if the fit is right. If the student is asking for something outside of the teacher’s knowledge then this is the opportunity for them to direct them to a more appropriate source.

There is no bigger turn off than the statement of ‘I want to learn everything’. Nearly two decades in and I don’t even know the name of half the magical and folk tradition that exists around the world, let alone know how to practice them. To learn ‘everything’ is an unrealistic goal.

What have you read?

I know quite a few training circles which will ask this question of every aspirant that comes their way as the answer gives an indication of the student’s starting point and direction of learning. No teacher will expect to you to have read every book on the market, nor have a fixed required number of books owned/read in mind. What they are looking for is some indication that the seeker has encountered the basic concepts of magical practice.

The other thing this question can reveal is a student’s commitment to learning as an independent student. No teacher is willing to spoon-feed their students, and is unlikely to take on someone who’s attitude amounts to ‘tell me what I need to know’. They expect the student to be able, and willing, to take basic or brief information and take it forward themselves and come back with insights and questions of their own. Even where a specific tradition is being imparted the teacher wants the student to be independent in though not a carbon copy.

Have you ever sought or received training before? How did it go?

This can be an interesting question, not so much for the number of people who give negative responses but the few who confirm they have sought or received training elsewhere. If things “just didn’t work out” what exactly was the problem and why do they think it will be different this time? The answer establish can be very telling, so can the other side of the story if it is available. References from prospective students are often sought for this very reason.

Will you take my advice?

Not everyone likes to be asked questioned and even fewer like being told ‘no’ regardless of the reason. This tends to turn them off to hearing anything else which is said to them. The aspiring student does themselves no favours by shutting their minds to the advice they have been given. In one sense it is short-sighted; the teacher has been approached because they are thought to be knowledgeable and skilled and a negative response is not a sign to the contrary.

In all likelihood, they have said no because they feel that the aspirant is lacking a foundation in the basic principles of the Craft or their tradition, or are generally unsuited for the tradition in question. At good teacher will not set a student up to fail. Equally a good teacher will send the student with information and to guidance and will leave the door open for the prospective student to return at a later date…

… If the student is willing to take their advice.

I’ll Second That – Witchcraft is Not Safe

I am blessed to be connected with some very interesting and connected people through social media and every now and again they throw up interesting blog posts which make me think. The most recent has been http://seohelrune.net/witchcraft-not-safe/ which got me thinking about my own practices, experiences and the experiences of people I know. The post focuses on the author’s experiences at a burial mound late one night and although their experience is not my own I am in almost total alliance with their sentiment.

The Path Unknown

Working in Nature

When you work out in nature you are going to attract attention. Gone are the days when the lines between the spirits of the land and the ancestors were just on the boundary of your settlement. The background noise of modern life drowns out so much that when we come face to face the underside of the spirit world it is very unnerving and many feel unprepared when that connection occurs.

My own experiences of working in the great outdoors are limited, so much so that in planning this blog I had to approach a friend for her experience so that I had something relevant to relate. There are a number of reasons for this but the main one is that I realise just how easy it is to attract the attention of something Other and often I have the two witchlets in tow. Visiting ancient sites and monuments in daylight and conducting limited ritual activities above ground always feel much safer, certainly, I have only ever felt that the attention we have garnered has been light interest and anything which may have followed us was left at the location if not the door of our house thanks to my wards.

The most unnerving experience I have ever had was as a teenager when I and a group of friends went down to the beach late at night and performed a small spell. We garnered attention that night, and we were all left frightened to one degree or another. Now, almost 20 years on, it is hard to distinguish between what was interaction with spirits, be they of the dead or the land, and what was in our imagination so it doesn’t really serve in this context. As such I will relate the experience of my friend, who we will call A.

A was camping with a number of friends out in a local woodland, with the intention of carrying out a ritual to celebrate the turning of the Wheel.  After the ritual, she and a couple of others left the area where they were actually camping and wandered off to commune with nature more directly for a time. They had sensed they had been watched during their working and wanted to experience something more directly. As they walked they felt the urge to sing, not anything in particular, just vocalising in a melodic way which fed off each other, increasing in volume and tempo as they went. The more they sang, the more they were aware of the sense of being watched, by many presences which were drawing ever closer. The situation began to feel very intense and suddenly worried that they didn’t really know what was being drawn towards them the ended their singing and hurried back to their tents and turned in for the night. A tells me that she was very aware of every single movement taking place outside the walls of her tent, movement which seemed to be something other than local wildlife. Her friends reported a number of experiences after turning in which left them all with the sense that they had been noticed and investigated and when they left they did so with a strong sense of relief.

Their experience was certainly no way as intense as that relayed in seohelrune’s blog however it does nibble at the edges. The spirits wakened by A and her friends were clearly more curious than angry, and there were no reports of attempted possessions, but it goes part way to show that it doesn’t take much to stir some interest.

Protection In Nature

So what can we do when working in nature to protect ourselves? The most obvious method would be to work within a cast circle. A circle can be used to keep out anything you don’t want in your working area but it doesn’t stop you drawing attention and once you step outside the circle you are fair game.

We’re on their turf so we don’t have the opportunity to call on home defence and have to carry everything with us. There are any number of talismanic protection charms and methods which can be employed to protect oneself out and about. Such things can be small and hidden about the person but should only really be supporting your own personal protective skills. Making sure that you enter the space well grounded, having used visualisation to form protection, ensuring that everyone working with you has similar understandings and protections etc will all help in keeping yourself safe.

The issue then becomes one of relative strength and confidence. If you encounter a spirit or entity which is stronger than you and your personal wards you are then in a whole world of potential trouble. This is one reason why I would say never work outdoors, and particularly away from your own property, on your own without being fully familiar with the location. If you have worked there before and have a positive relationship with the genius loci then you are in a much better position, though there is no guarantee that you won’t one day be caught off guard. At the very least check out the area in daylight and make sure you are comfortable with it before going ahead.

I don’t want to put someone off working outdoors. A sensible precaution, confidence in your own abilities and a willingness to push your abilities and boundaries are the watchwords of the Witch. I agree with the sentiment of seohelrune that if you aren’t scared or having that “this s**t just got real!” moment you aren’t doing it right.

In the situation presented by seohelrune there was a very near possession and at that point, you are reliant on the people around you but, assuming that the worst possibility is that something may follow you home there are something you can do to protect you and yours.

At Home

Seohelrune and I disagree somewhat when it comes to what it takes to deal with spirits you encounter within the home. I differentiate between those spirits that are resident in your home, belonging either to the property or are associated with a particular object, and those which have made their way in by piggy backing in on your or other family members.

The first group are resident and belonging, in some instances more so that you as the living occupant of the home. So long as relations are cordial there is no need to take any action and thought should be given to not aggravating them if at all possible. Where that isn’t possible these spirits need to be addressed using a particular set of tools and skills and things that may be useful in dealing with the second group will not be relevant here.

For example; wards will not help. The spirits are already present and active and it is impossible to keep something out when they are already in. Other suggestions such as LARP will have some effect but to effectively deal with residents you need to bring out very heavy guns and perform full blown, household banishing’s/exorcism which may even need to be repeated a number of times to ensure that the spirit is fully routed out or compelled to cross over. At that point, it is an exercise in making sure that something can’t return. Full and regularly laid wards, hunting out objects that may have been connected to the spirit and ensuring they get special attention or even removed from the property. There are no short cuts in dealing with this first groups.

In the case of those spirits which may follow you home they are less well connected to the location it is somewhat easier to expel them if dealt with quickly, and frankly, can be stopped at the door if you have sufficient and effective wards. There are many different types of wards which can be employed, too many to go into here today. One good book on the subject is Protection and Reversal Magick by Jason Miller (link).

But dealing with something that gets in can be very simple, particularly if you are faced with a simply curious spirit who wants to know what goes on at your place. What you don’t want is for them to decide they like it at your house and you want to make it as uncomfortable for them as possible and this is where I think this is where Seohelrune and I disagree. I find the whole banging of pots and wide-ranging swear language routine very effective for dealing with transient spirits. These spirits have no vested interest in sticking around and it is very easy to dislodge them. That being said, it is a sliding scale. If a spirit isn’t addressed quickly or is particularly aggressive bagging a few pots will not be effective and you need to step up the game.

By Invitation Only

There is a third group of spirits, those which you summon. Witchcraft often works with the invocation of spirits, are drawn to use spiritual tools such as Ouija boards and other practices which are necromantic in origin. Again, I don’t want to put people off. I have had some very good, and “this s**ts real” experiences with these practices. My first, and so far only, experience of the goetic spirits shook my 15-year-old self to the core and convinced me that the Spirits of the Key were not only real but were something I shouldn’t be messing around with. Fortunately, beyond being shaken by the presence I got off lightly. The work was completed and I have had no trouble since and you would think I would have been raring to go again but at the time I decided to leave well enough alone. I was working alone, with no guidance and I realised I wasn’t working with the best material (though I *wish* I could remember the name of the book!) and decided not to go down that route again. Now there are a lot better resources available should I choose to explore it again but as it is I am happy working with my Goddess, my beloved ancestors and the spirits of the land around me. I just tap into interesting podcasts and writings on the subject now and again.

Saying that working with ancestors spirits is not a failsafe option either. Fail to keep your end of a bargain and you will likely start to experience the repercussions, offer them something they don’t like (or like a little too much) and you will know about it. My ancestor pool is by necessity small until such time as I can research my family tree, although there are some that, based on my current knowledge, I really keep to work with. I just want to avoid offering alcohol to anyone who may have had a history of alcohol addiction…

When working with spirits the number one rule is “never summon what you cannot banish” because by inviting them into your space you are walking them past your wards. Things can get out of hand when spirits go their own way unsupervised. As I said to someone recently in an open group – If you don’t know how to banish spirits as part of summoning, or at all, you are not ready to summon spirits. If you do have this knowledge/these skills then have at ye!

 

The Tower – by Fawn Gehweiler

Witchcraft is not Safe

The problem is that when Witchcraft is “safe” it becomes a shallow and stagnant pool which frankly is no true reflection of the Craft at all. It is filled with posers and the passive aggressive who have never pushed themselves to experience that “oh s**t” moment, preferring to play around with their candles and crystals. Now, there is nothing wrong with candles and crystals, but there is so much more depth to Witchcraft that simply limiting yourself to these experiences is simply not enough.

You need to get down and dirty, or bloody, and really finding your connection with spirit, be they of the land, ancestor, gods or de(a)mons. Witchcraft is not a fast track path to spiritual enlightenment, nor is it a place of total acceptance. The phrase “Love and Light” is better placed in a spiritualist context where it is the most over-used and passive aggressive phrase out there on forums and groups. As one clairvoyant I used to know would say “Love and Light dearie, now f**k off”. A lot of people come looking for some kind of brother/sisterhood similar to that they experienced in a former religion or as a replacement for a lack in their lives. I do feel sorry for some but kinship comes through blood and choice, not some shared religious pick on the Facebook profile set up. I will call people on presuming to add me to their kin list whether it is through attempted coercion, presumption or sloppy language, much to their distress because to do so shatters their illusion that the Craft is somewhere where everyone is accepted without question or challenge. These sorts of challenges are very necessary given the fact that as a group we can enable a lot of very unhealthy and destructive beliefs and behaviours.

But as a practice Witchcraft was never intended to be a “safe”. It is meant to be done in the dead of night where the only sound it a bitch-dog howling to the moon; it should cause the hairs on the back of your neck and freeze the marrow in your bones and it should be a process through which the job gets done. Pushing the boundaries of what is possible is part of the process so staying in a “safe place” is not an option for growth.

Hekatean Cord Cutting Visualisation

In my Hekatean Binding Spell  I made reference to a visualisation technique called ‘Cutting the Cord’. This technique is popular for severing ties with a person (or group of people) but is also useful for breaking away from bad habits,  addiction and generally anything that you wish to make a clean break with on both a physical and metaphysical level.

The visualisation is a signal to yourself and the universe that your association with the subject has come to an end. As it is not a spell in of itself it is not making a change in the world around you but empowering you to do it yourself. As such you must exercise willpower, or discretion depending on your subject and situation, in order to avoid becoming re-entangled again in the future.

You don’t need any physical objects for this kind of visualisation, however, if you would like to make it a bit more of a ritual I suggest gathering the following items

• A representation of the subject – preferably a picture. If you are dealing with an addiction a picture is a strongly advised as having the substance or associated paraphernalia present may lead to a relapse.
• A knife or scissors
• Matches and a Heatproof bowl.
• Hekatean Cutting The Cords

Preliminaries

Settle yourselves into a comfortable position in a temperate room. Body temperature often drops during meditation so you want to avoid getting cold. It doesn’t matter if you are sitting up or lying down but avoid a position in which you may fall asleep last.
Decide on how you will word your request for aid in advance, particularly if you are completing this visualisation as part of a ritual. Your more passive request for aid will need to match the active statement of intent. For example ‘aid me in overcome my addiction’ should be rendered as ‘I have overcome my addiction’.
This meditation should take no more than 10 minutes and I recommend using a meditation track (without words) of this length which incorporates a callback. I personally prefer drums but use whatever works for you.

Visualisation

You can download the Cutting Cords Medititation in pdf form here nut for now, here is a road map of the steps involved.

1. Prepare for meditation in your usual way.
2. Enter visualisation
3. Approach Hekate and ask for aid
4. Body scanners and cut cords.
5. With torch sever cords and wounds.
6. Draw energy and blessing
7. Thank Hekate
8. Exit meditation

Ritual Element

If you are using this meditation as a ritual in its own right you will perform the ritual actions after completing the meditation.
Take up your picture and cutting implementation and make your statement of intent regarding the subject of your ritual. It should be an actualised statement, meaning that it assumes compleat success for the ritual; for example “(name) is cut out of my life for now and ever more”.
Now cut up the image into as many pieces as you want and put them into the heatproof container. Light them up and watch them burn, recalling both the resolve and strength you felt during your meditation.

Consent in Paganism

Consent is a huge issue in the modern pagan movement. From hugging without permission, all the way trough to ritual abuse there are many issues to be found in Paganism relating to consent. I am no expert – what follows are my thoughts and feelings about the conversation going on, or which needs to go on. If you are interested in further reading one book I recommend is Pagan Consent Culture by Christine Hoff Kraemer and Yvonne Aburrow. 

Consent as a Cup of Tea

Consent as a Cup of Tea

The place to start is the best analogy for consent to date the cup of tea, a conversation tool used to discuss consensual sex and rape culture. I strongly recommend that you watch the video in full but for now, here is an abridged version.

You’ve met someone for the first time and you’ve decided that you want a cup of tea with them. You like tea but you don’t know if the person you met does as well. Do you…

A) make them a cup of tea and force them to drink it regardless of what they say?

B) make them a cup of tea and guilt them into drinking it?

C) make them a tea and complain when they say no?

D) make them a cup of tea and accept that they may not want it?

E) ask them if they would like a cup of tea and accept their response and respect it?

Sounds a bit of a no-brainer doesn’t it? You’ve only just met this person and you have no idea if they even like tea, let alone whether or not they want to drink a cup with you. The sensible and reasonable thing is obviously to ask first rather than assume and I am sure that many reading this would have gone with option E.
It all seems quite nice and civilised, there is a clear boundary of ‘ask, don’t assume’ but swap out ‘make a cup of tea’ with other concepts people start to get some very strange ideas about what is sensible and reasonable.
Let’s start at one end of the scale and work forward.

Sibling Terms

There are some in the pagan community that feel they simply must use kinship terms when speaking to people. Some think it a term of respect whilst others seek to establish a connection based on what they perceive to be shared interests. There are other who simply wish to acknowledge a shared connection as human beings, looking to the genetic Eve’s for some kind of commonality. These people are taking option D as their starting point. They don’t know if the person they are talking to will like being called Brother/Sister but they are going to use the term anyway.
The counter arguments to these beliefs and assumptions are many and wide ranging but regardless of the reasons a lot of people, myself included, are uncomfortable with this level of familiarity from strangers. Many reserve such words for their immediate kinship group, such as blood relatives or those acquired through marriage. Even where kinship terms are used in a religious or spiritual context it is limited to a single denomination/group where the numbers are small.
In the case of the latter it is a choice made by all parties and the terms is only used in amongst a select few. The words have meaning and imply degree of connection and knowledge regarding both parties which they value and hold dear and by having them applied to them by a strange can seem highly presumptive at times.

So how does consent apply?

Most people I know will simply ask the person talking to them to not use those terms. They withdraw consent, politely, and establish a boundary. In most cases people will respect this request, staying at option D. In some cases people will pout and a whine, sliding into the territory of option C but by and large they respect the withdrawal of consent and stop.
Unfortunately, it is common for the person to persists in using the sibling term, totally ignoring the withdrawal of consent. They place their preference over and above that of the person they are speaking to and settle into a category between an A and C depending on their response.
Now this issue has as much to do with about common courtesy and respect as it does consent. Someone has said ‘stop’ and the polite thing to do would be to do as requested. Continuing on with the method address once asked to stop shows a total lack of regard and respect for the other person.It may seem a small thing but in society where consent culture is in a fledgeling state and so easily overwhelmed by privilege  (real or perceived) it is an important line.

Let’s move this up a scale.

Give Them a Hug

This is definitely more of a real life thing. Some people are hugy whilst others are more aware of their personal space. Paganism isn’t alone in experiencing this phenomenon but there is this on going assumption that if you’re at a Pagan gathering hugging is mandatory.
This is a different level to sibling terms entirely because it involves personal space and sovereignty of self and potentially unwanted physical contact.
Now again, many people will try and communicate their preference but in this case it may be a non-verbal form of communication depending on the confidence of the individual. They may step away from the hug, shake their head or even attempt to avoid the huggy person in some way such as putting other people or objects between themselves. This is often interpreted as being very ‘negative’, with people being seen as rude or standoffish and the hugger may feel rejected, if indeed they notice the avoidance tactics at all. In this case consent is established but option C like behaviours are displayed, which make for a rather unpleasant environment when there no real need (I’ll cover why in a moment).
Unfortunately it isn’t always possible to avoid a hug as physical contact is all too often initiated before there is time to react at all. When this occurs consent is completely forgotten about and the act is forced upon someone regardless of their thoughts and wishes.
At the core of this issue is personal space and sovereignty of self. So much time is spent in modern pagan literature is spent on discussion how it is important to remain true to oneself and be aware of ourselves and those around us but only one aspect of these teachings seem to be taken up. People become aware of themselves and begin to express themselves freely but completely ignore the people they come into contact with subconsciously forcing their preferences on to the people they meet without a second thought.

Undermining Consent Culture

We live in a world where consent is under almost constant discussion in regards the rape culture which dominates certain sections of our society. We see rape culture in many places today, from t-shirts and comments in the street to the legal rulings of clear cut rape cases; the idea that the will of one individual can be imposed on another in the most intimate of ways should seem abhorrent but yet we allow it to occur at all points along the scale.
People get just ad upset when you discuss hugging in terms of consent ss they do with regards to sibling terms. They don’t see these things as carrying the same weight as rape or sexual abuse but what they fail, or refuse, to see how these things are part of the drip-drip breakdown of a consent culture which is really struggling to gain a foot-hold in the face of a very entrenched mindset of ‘might gives right’.
Whether is is calling someone by a term of endearment after they have asked you to stop or hugging some even though they have pulled away once you carry on or repeat the action after consent has been withdrawn a message is sent about the worth of an individual’s right to consent to what happens to their person, and for some that message can be life defining. This is one reason that when my daughters refuse to give an older relative quality hug or a kiss I will defend their right to choose not to.  It isn’t an insult or a sign that they don’t love that older relative, but it is a process through which they are defining their boundaries and ultimately their sense of self-worth in relation to others. These lessons may not protect themselves from everything that life throws at them but they will certainly help.

Fighting Back

Consent culture is becoming increasingly important to Paganism and organisers of pagan events, particularly in relation to hugging. Those people who are uncomfortable with hugging, particularly where invasions of personal space can relate to traumatic life experiences, can find it difficult to engage in ‘real life’ Pagan events. Some events operate a ‘sticker’ system which allows people to communicate their preference on this matter very clearly like, and there have been a number of cases where events have been managed through live streaming, such as the new Live function on Facebook, which enables not only pm those less physically mobile to attend but individuals who have social anxiety in one form or another.
Another reason for its increasing importance as a discussion topic is around the central role that sex has in some traditions.

Why Consent is Important in Paganism

In some Pagan streams sex plays an integral role, whether that is the act in itself or by representation. Clear conversations about consent not only protects the prospective initiate but also the group or coven which incorporates it.
Let’s go back to our basic example, though there needs to be a bit of a wiggle round to add a few new options which I see as subsets of option B.

B/i) make the tea and present it as the only avaliable option

B/ii) make the tea and lie about the benifits

Sex and sexual activities as a form of initiation are of course perfectly legitimate pathway to gnosis but it is one that is open to misunderstanding and abuse. If the issue is misrepresented or coercion used by one group then the actions of other groups can be called into question. This can be problematic for legitimate working groups and this is why consent is so important as a conversation.
Sexual initiation isn’t the only form of initiation. It may the only route in a particular traditions but if someone is uncomfortable with the idea then that stream really isn’t for them. A responsible group will guide the seeker to a path which is better a better fit for the individual, not pressure someone into an act they are not comfortable with. Unfortunately this isn’t always the case and many find themselves being tricked into giving consent.
I also included an option around being lied to about the benefits of the tea. Frankly put, not everyone offering sex-based initiation are actually offering any form of initiation at all. It is simply smoke and mirrors designed to trick people into consenting to one act or another either expressly or by implication (by which I mean sending sexy photos, agreeing to meet for the purposes of sex or engaging in naughty chat).

Note for clarity – evidence of implied consent doesn’t make a crime less real or damaging but it does make it harder to prosecute. One of the reasons to really shout about consent and make it a topic for discussion is to make sure that the reality of implied consent is firmly in the mind of everyone.

Enter Mr Lady Gardens again. He offered a spiritual awakening through sexual initiation. He did have a working coven, nor was he even attempting to build one, but he was claiming that sex with him would lead a great spiritual awakening. Now I didn’t have sex with the guy but I’m pretty sure he was fibbing in an effort to get vulnerable women in a position where they were even more vulnerable.

People like Mr Lady Gardens are unfortunately common, particularly on social media, and they aren’t always so blatant. Predators are not easy to spot and it is all too easy to get tricked into implying consent which is one reason to be self-aware and maintain a healthy level of scepticism when connecting with people over social media.

Closing Musings

As I said above, people get upset when the ‘smaller’ issues of kinship and hugging are brought up as part of a consent discussion, or even at all in some cases. I’ve put that in bunny ears because I don’t view them as small, I view them as the start. Ignoring the relationship these things have with consent is the point at which we start to undermine all the efforts to build a working consent culture not only within paganism but within society as a whole.
Rape is the ultimate betrayal of consent but by continuing we normalise the ‘small’ things; the little breaches which may be more thoughtless rather than malicious, we not only send messages to people about the behaviour they can or can’t engage in we also indicate what people are expected to accept in their day to day lives. We also establish moving goalposts for boundaries for any issue which is touched by consent culture when really we should be should be establishing a very clear culture of option D. Ask first, don’t assume.