WITCHBOOK: HAPPINESS CAKE

very lovely! blessed be!

Goddess of the day

HEKATE (or Hecate) was the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy. She was the only child of the Titans Perseus and Asteria from whom she received her power over heaven, earth, and sea.

Hecate 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 Hades.

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 Hecate as her animal.

Hecate 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 Hecate was often depicted in triple form as a goddess of crossroads.

Hecate 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.

Hecate was an ancient goddess, most often shown holding two torches or a key and in later periods depicted in triple form. She was variously associated with crossroads, entrance-ways, fire, light, the Moon, magic, witchcraft, knowledge of herbs and poisonous plants, necromancy, and sorcery. 

She had rulership over earth, sea and sky, as well as a more universal role as Saviour (Soteira), Mother of Angels and the Cosmic World Soul. She was one of the main deities worshiped in Athenian households as a protective goddess and one who bestowed prosperity and daily blessings on the family.

Hecate may have originated among the Carians of Anatolia, where variants of her name are found as names given to children. William Berg observes, “Since children are not called after spooks, it is safe to assume that Carian theophoric names involving hekat- refer to a major deity free from the dark and unsavoury ties to the underworld and to witchcraft associated with the Hecate of classical Athens.” She also closely parallels the Roman goddess Trivia, with whom she was identified in Rome.

Hecate’s imediate family tree is like this:

Gaia is Hecate’s mother and father were Asteria & Perses  and Hecate’s great great was Gaia (Goddess of the Earth). My Goddess Nyx and they are both related to Gaia so you can say they are related.

Heres what the encyclopedia said about Hecate:

ENCYCLOPEDIA

HE′CATE (Hekatê), a mysterious divinity, who, according to the most common tradition, was a daughter of Persaeus or Perses and Asteria, whence she is called Perseis. (Apollod. i. 2. § 4; Apollon. Rhod. iii. 478.) Others describe her as a daughter of Zeus and Demeter, and state that she was sent out by her father in search of Persephone (Schol. ad Tleocrit. ii. 12); others again make her a daughter of Zeus either by Pheraea or by Hera (Tzetz. ad Lyc. 1175; Schol. ad Theocrit. ii. 36) ; and others, lastly, say that she was a daughter of Leto or Tartarus. (Procl. in Plat. Cratyl. p. 112 ; Orph.Argon. 975.) Homer does not mention her. According to the most genuine traditions, she appears to have been an ancient Thracian divinity, and a Titan, who, from the time of the Titans, ruled in heaven, on the earth, and in the sea, who bestowed on mortals wealth, victory, wisdom, good luck to sailors and hunters, and prosperity to youth and to the flocks of cattle; but all these blessings might at the same time be withheld by her, if mortals did not deserve them. She was the only one among the Titans who retained this power under the rule of Zeus, and she was honored by all the immortal gods.

Dem Bones- Bones and divination

“Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones
Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones
Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk a-roun’”

– Traditional

Bones are a type of fetish. A fetish is “an object regarded with awe as being the embodiment or habitation of a potent spirit or as having magical potency (source)”. The word fetish originates from the French fétiche which stems from the Portuguese word feitiço meaning “charm” or “sorcery”. Feathers, bones, crystals, and stones are all types of fetishes. Skulls and bones have an appeal to witches who perform spirit work and are a necessary and simple way to connect with spirits of the dead and of animals. Working with bones is not just for necromancers and black magicians. Practitioners who work with bones are a wide range of healers, diviners, shapeshifters, rootworkers, witches, shamans, druids, and pagans.

Cleaning Bones

The safest and easiest way to clean bones is maceration. Remove any remaining skin or flesh and place the bones in a container and completely cover with tapwater. Replace the water every few days with fresh water. You can pour out the smelly water in your garden as a morbid compost tea your plants will love. When the water stops becoming murky and as smelly you are ready for the next step.  Rinse the bones again with plain water and scrub off any remaining tissue. Then submerge the bones in a container filled with hydrogen peroxide. This both sterilizes and whitens bone. It may take a few hours or a few days depending on the size of the bones and the strength of the hydrogen peroxide. Afterward remove the bones and give them one last rinse with water and allow them to dry. They are now ready to work with as you please. Never use bleach. It will cause bone to degrade at a very fast rate and can also cause fatty tissue to become trapped inside the bone resulting in greasy smelly bones that will continue to decompose. Here’s a great pdf of instructions from The Bone Room: Prepping individual skulls and bones using maceration.

Too squeamish to deflesh bones and leave them in a bucket of smelling rotting water? No worries, there are two other methods you can use to avoid that part. The first is to bury the animal. Bury it fairly deep so scavengers don’t smell it and run off with your precious bones. Depending on the size of the animal, skull, or bones you are burying, it will take three months to one year for all the skin and tissue to decompose and just leave the bone(s) behind. To make it easier to dig up a skeleton of a whole animal bury it it in a burlap sack. The bag has to be a natural coarse material and loosely woven in order for the bits to still decompose properly. Once you’ve dug up your bones, wash them with water and follow the same instructions above using hydrogen peroxide. The second alternative method is exposure. Some people have had success leaving dead animals they find on a hot sunny roof to decompose. This is an efficient method if you don’t mind the smell and toss a dark rubbermaid container over top to get the heat, but not the damage from the sun. Once again, the length of time it takes depends on the size of the animal or bone. Please don’t throw a deer on your roof! I’d only recommend this method for parts of a larger animal or whole smaller creatures like birds and squirrels. If you use the exposure method you’d have to live on a farm or in a more rural area. Suburban neighbours tend to frown upon decomposing animals next door.

 

Reddening Bones

Take red ochre
Fat and tallow
Rub my bones
And say your prayers

“Barrow Song” — Telling the Bees

Reddening bones is a practice found across countries, cultures,  religions, and time. It is mainly performed by peoples practicing ancestor worship, but animal bones can be reddened as well. The process is literally making the bones red. This is meant to mimic the lifeforce, blood, and tissue that have since left the bones and give them life again. To redden human or animal bones you use, mix red ochre with red wine until it forms a paste and let it sit in a jar or bowl covered for a day or two. If you can’t get your hands on red ochre pigment you can substitute with old red brick dust as old bricks contain ochre. Then apply the mixture to the cleaned bones with your hands and cover the whole bone or skull with paste. Leave it on for another day (half a day at least). You can wrap it in plastic to keep the paste wet or spray it now and then with water or red wine to keep it moist. Keeping it moist allows the colour to leech into the bone just like henna into the skin. Then remove the paste and allow any remaining particles to dry. When the skull has completely dried, brush away any remaining red ochre particles. Do not wash the bones, but a gentle polishing with a soft cloth is okay.  Store your newly reddened bones on your altar or in a beautiful box or cloth bag.

Bone Divination:

There’s a thousand things you’ve got to see to believe,
c’mon and lay them bones down at my feet
we’re going to look into your future see what we can see.

“Bangor Mash” — The Devil Makes Three

There are so many different types of bone divination, mostly belonging within a cultural context, that it is better to find a method that resonates with you or is found in the culture you base your magic and practices in. I’d even recommend coming up with your own system. Most bone divination practiced today is performed in Africa and Asia. The amount of lore on bone divination merits an article of its own.  If I did write such an article it would solely be on Scottish bone divination methods. For the time being here are some more varied resources to explore:

• Ancient Bone Divination (video)
• Divination by Chicken Bones: A Tradition Among the Kammu in Northern Lao People’s Democratic Republic (article)
• Reading the Bones (video)
• The Oracle of the Bones (book)
• Throwing the Bones and Reading Other Natural Curios (article)

Human Bones

The possession and reverence of human bones is most commonly found in cultures who practice a long tradition of ancestor worship. It is still part of the mourning process in some Asian countries today to dig up the bones of your loved ones after a few years, clean them, reassemble them neatly in a box and find them a new home in a tradition called “second burial”. Despite misconceptions, it is not illegal to possess human bones in Canada and the United States. This doesn’t mean grave robbing is legal, but instead that it is legal to purchase human remains or to convince your parents or grandparents to let you have their skull after they die (that is, if you can talk them into it).

Human bones are used in magic and ritual as a fetish or vessel to house the spirit of the dead person and enable them to ground better in this realm so a magical practitioner can better communicate and work with them. The spirits of the dead are not servitors to be bound and ordered around. Instead they are allies to help and guide us. Place your skull or bones in a place of reverence either on an ancestral altar or in a beautiful container like the reliquaries of churches in the Middle Ages. Leave your bones regular offerings. Find out if the spirit has any preferences of alcohol, tobacco, flowers, foods, candies, or objects. You can invite them to share in the essence of your meals ever day at dinner as well. The person the bones belonged to in life can become a familiar spirit to you in your art. They can help you commune with the dead and send messages back and forth. They can travel places you cannot and be your eyes and ears. Always make sure to work with a spirit out of love and respect. If you work with bones not of a family member be sure to build up a friendship with the spirit as you would with a real person. Do not ask too much of them too soon, but instead be consistent in your offerings and communion with them first.

Human bones can also be used in necromancy. Necromancy is a form of divination working with the spirits of the dead. One summons them and presents them with questions about the past, present, or future. It is believed the dead are not bound by time and are excellent oracles and advisers. For more information on working with spirits of the dead see my article on Ancestors in Modern Witchcraft.

Animal Bones

“All shells and bones
the spey-wife enters,
widdershins.”

Kathleen Jamie, Atoms of Delight

Animal bones are used in witchcraft and folk magic to commune and work with animal spirits as familiar, guides, and protectors. Like human bones, the bones of animals can be also be used to ground a spirit animal in this realm. Bones act as a spirit vessel for animal familiars to dwell in when you work with them. This doesn’t mean that the spirit lives in the bone(s) all the time, but instead it is their home when you call upon them. Animal bones and skulls can be placed on an altar or carried in a medicine or crane bag to work with them outdoors or on the move.  Animal bones can be used to call upon mythological creatures as well. To do this you need only to combine bones from the different animals that make up the creatures. For example, bind together parts from an eagle and lion to summon a griffon or combine snake, lizard, and the bones or feathers of a bird of prey to summon a dragon.

Animal bones can be incorporated into ritual jewelry for direct contact and easier communion with the spirits the bones belong to. Ritual jewelry using bones is the most practical and direct way of bringing your animal familiars into rituals and spellwork.  If you only have very small bones or a delicate insect to work with than you can place the parts in a glass vial and either use it as a vessel on your altar or attach a chain or leather thong to it to wear around your neck. By wearing animal bones you can take on the attributes and powers of the animal they belong to such as fox teeth for cunning, owl bones for seeing in the dark, or snake bones for the ability to renew and change your life. Bones can also confer an animal’s magical abilities. Many animals are “shamanic” in nature enabling the practitioner to whom they are familiar to adopt their ability to travel between worlds. Such creatures known to travel between the realms of earth, sea, and sky or have extraordinary powers of transformation include frogs, toads, snakes, all birds (especially water fowl), alligators, crocodiles, turtles, beavers, otters, dragonflies, spiders, beetles, butterflies, cicadas, and more.

Animal bones can be used to craft ritual tools. Many traditional rattles are made using skulls, turtle shells, or little bones tied closely together for the sound of their rattling against one another. Bones can also be tied to staffs or stangs, wands, or even sewn onto ritual robes. Animal bones, especially chicken and other bird bones, are used for traditional divination methods in many cultures. This can also be incorporated into European practice by carving Futhark or Ogham runes onto animal bones or using slices of deer antler instead of the usual materials of wood and stone.

Animal bones, hides, and feathers have yet another important use in magic — shapeshifting. These parts can be worn as jewelry or donned as a costume while going into trance to leave your body so either your spirit takes on the form of the animal or you are led to a living (and willing) animal to possess temporarily. Another method of using animal parts for shapeshifting includes making a magical salve or potion with bones, hairs, skin, or feathers to rub on your skin or take internally before attempting to shapeshift. If you are making a salve, include herbs and/or fungi associated with that animal as well as bits of your own hair or nail clippings in the recipe. If you are making a tea or tincture as a potion, make sure to do the same. In my experience tinctures are much more palatable than a tea of bone shavings and hair. For more information see my article: On Shapeshifting.

Resources:

1. Andrews, Ted. Animal-Speak: The Spiritual & Magical Powers of Creatures Great & Small. Llewellyn, 1996.
2. Andrews, Ted. The Art of Shapeshifting. Dragonhawk Publishing, 2005.
3. Baring-Gould, Sabine. “Skulls”. A Book of Folk-lore. London: Collins Clear Type Press, 1913.
4. Searfoss, Glenn. Skulls and Bones: A Guide to the Skeletal Structures and Behavior of North American Mammals. Stackpole Books, 1995.
5. Thompson, C.J.S. “The Folk-lore of Skulls and Bones”. Hand of Destiny: Everyday Folk-lore and Superstitions. London: Senate, 1932.
6. Yronwode, Catherine. Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic. Luck Mojo Curio Co., 2002.

Oils of the Moon and isis

High Priestess of NYX

Isis , Sleep & Moon oil formulas

Moon Oil#1

• 2 parts Wormwood
• 1 part Camphor

Moon Priestess Oil #2

• 1 Drop Queen of the Night Oil *
• 3 drops rose oil
• 1 drop lemon verbena oil

 

 

Isis Oil #1

• Myrrh (main)
• lemon (main)
• frankincense (minor)
• muguet (minor)
• mimosa( minor)
• lotus (minor)

Isis Oil #2

• 5 drops camphor
• 7 drops hyacinth oil
• 7 drops rose oil
• 9 drops myrrh oil
• 1 myrrh nugget

Isis Oil #3

• 1/4 oz. olive oil
• 21 drops lotus oil
• 14 drops cypress oil
• 14 drops frankincense
• 21 drops rose geranium oil
• roses
• amethyst

Isis (Rites of) Oil

•  7 drops oil of rose
• 2 Drops oil of Camphor
• 2 drops tincture of myrrh
• 3 drops oil of blue hyacinth

Blend the oils of rose, camphor, and blue hyacinth during the  waxing moon. Bottle and keep till the Moon wanes. Add the Myrrh.

 

Isis and…

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Loving yourself and Confidence spell

Confidence Spell  –  Loving Yourself

Self love is the most important love of all. Loving yourself will always bring love back to you… always.

You will need: A small shell or other item you can carry with you.

Yellow candle.  Light the candle and hold it in your right hand.

Say:  “Please give me confidence – So I can be the best –
I failed it once – But now I will be better than the rest”

Pass the shell through the flame and say:  “May this be my lucky charm so my wish can come true”  Kiss the shell for good luck and pass it through the flame one last time and say:  “May my charm help me in all I do” 
Keep the shell with you, touching it frequently to fill you with confidence.

 

#sixmoons, day 3: welcoming & blessing ceremony

House Blessing Spell & Chant!

Start with supplies:

Smudge stick of Sweet/White Sage with a couple 

5 small Drops of lavender essential oil

Three Candles One for the Goddess, God, and Spirit

Circle casting supplies:

agate(earth)/amethyst(air)/red jasper(fire) or onyx(water)

(protection stones used in your circle for the elements)

 Lighter, and Feather

cast a circle in your fashion.

Put the five drops of oil on smudge stick

Open all the windows and Light smudge stick& using your feather

take the feather in a counter clock wise circle motion

to draw out the negative energies! and brush the smoke towards the open windows.

Then in a clock wise motion use the feather to draw in the smoke while saying this chant!   

Then Shut the windows and thank the spirit and the God and Goddess

Close your circle! Let the spirit and Goddess and God Candles burn out !

 

 

Golden Rule

People are often
unreasonable and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind,
people may accuse you of ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.

If you are honest,
people will cheat you.
Be honest anyway.

If you find happiness,
people may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,
may be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough.
Give your best anyway.

For you see, in the end
it is between you and your God and Goddess.
It never was between you and them anyway.

Blessed Be!

 

Wicca

What is Wicca?

Wicca is a Pagan/Earth-based spirituality. It draws upon a diverse set of ancient pagan and 20th century hermetic motifs for its theological structure and ritual practice.

Wicca is a diverse religion with no central authority or figure defining it. It is divided into various lineages and denominations, referred to as traditions, each with its own organisational structure and level of centralisation. Due to its decentralized nature, there is some disagreement over what actually constitutes Wicca. Some traditions, collectively referred to as British Traditional Wicca, strictly follow the initiatory lineage of Gardner and consider the term Wicca to apply only to such lineage traditions, while other eclectic traditions do not.

Wicca is typically duotheistic, worshipping a god and goddess traditionally viewed as a mother goddess and horned god. These two deities are often viewed as facets of a greater pantheistic godhead. However, beliefs range from hard polytheism to even monotheism. Wiccan celebration follows approximately eight seasonally based festivals known as Sabbats. An unattributed statement known as the Wiccan Rede is the traditional basis of Wiccan morality. Wicca often involves the ritual practice of magic, though it is not always necessary.

English: One of the Book of Shadows owned by Gerald Gardner, left in his will to Doreen Valiente, and through her to John Belham-Payne. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Gerald Gardner, a British Civil Servant, can be credited for bringing to light the religion of Wicca. Drawing from his own involvement in a coven, he was initiated into a surviving Witches coven by one Dorothy Clutterbuck in 1938 or 1939, assisted at times by Doreen Valiente, and the works of Margaret Murray, Robert Graves and other historians. It is composed of Western European folk traditions and Eastern philosophy and incorporates much of the ceremonial magician, the cabalist and the earth-loving pagan into its structure. It is an Initiatory, Oath bound, Mystery Path whose members are trained in Witchcraft, Priestcraft and the High magics of the Ceremonial Magician/Cabalist.

Pentagram with a circle around it (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There are many different Wiccan Traditions, such as Alexandrian, British, Celtic, Caledonii, Ceremonial, Dianic, Eclectic, Hereditary, Gardnerian, Kitchen Witch, Pictish, Seax-Wica, Solitary, Strega, Teutonic, Faery Wicca, Shamanistic Wicca.

“Wicca is both a religion and a Craft. … As a religion – like any other religion – its purpose is to put the individual and the group in harmony with the divine creative principal of the Cosmos, and its manifestation at all levels. As a Craft, its purpose is to achieve practical ends by psychic means, for good, useful and healing purposes. In both aspects, the distinguishing characteristics of Wicca are its Nature- based attitude, its small group autonomy with no gulf between priesthood and ‘congregation’, and its philosophy of creative polarity at all levels, from Goddess and God to Priestess and Priest.”

Janet and Stewart Farrar, Eight Sabbats For Witches, Robert Hale, London, 1981.

Alexandrian Tradition

The Alexandrian tradition was founded by Alex Sanders in the 1960′s, who had been initiated into a Gardnerian Coven. Perhaps the most noted of Alexandrian Wiccans are Janet & Stuart Farrar.

There are differences between the two paths; some merely external, others of a very significant difference of philosophy. There are differences between the two traditions Book of Shadows and there are some parts of Gardnerian ritual that are unknown within the Alexandrian tradition. There are differences in the use of tools and their elementary correspondences and Alex included rituals of a more ceremonial nature as well as material based on the Kabbalah.

Dianic Wicca

Developed from the feminist movement during the 60′s and 70′s, they focus more on the Goddess, womens spirituality and energies, authors include Z Budapest, Marija Gimbutas and Starhawk.

Gardnerian Tradition

The Gardnerian Tradition is the basis for most of Modern Wicca. It was begun with Gerald Gardner, publishing several books about Witchcraft: 1949-High magic’s Aid, and 1954-Witchcraft Today. He borrowed appropriate work from others, most notably Aleister Crowley, Rudyard Kipling, John Dee and with his High Priestess, Doreen Valiente wrote much of the most poetic rites.

What is Magic?

amarathewitch

The Magicians Maxim.

To Dare, To Will, To Know, To Keep Silent.

Magic, as opposed to magic the art of illusion and sleight of hand, is the Art Of Causation. Magic is a natural human ability, we are all born with this innate ability to make Magick, all it takes is the desire to learn, and practice. Magic is creating change by connecting with the energies of nature.

These energies of nature exist in all things, all solid matter is made of atoms, sub-atom particles, below this level is pure energy. At the this level of pure energy, there is no solid matter, here everything is connected by threads of energy.

Magic is the control and manipulation of these threads of energy, this energy exists at all levels and planes, so by creating changes to these energy threads causes effects to occur within the physical plane. Magic allows you to alter…

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