Conjuring Laughter,
Focus, Triggers, and Salutes
I guess you’ve gotten the hint by now that practicing the Craft is a lot of work. Granted, it is work you should enjoy (if you don’t, catch the next religion to find something you do like). Magick requires patience and skill-building techniques. Religion requires an integration—a willingness to work toward the growth of self and spirit. Both instill great joy and unity when practiced correctly. Correctly here does not mean a specific set of motions or words, but rather the ultimate association with Divinity. I’ve seen a fair number of salutes and circle castings from diverse individuals and traditions in the last twelve years. None of them have been incorrect. Execution of some are better than others, but that doesn’t make them any less religious or magickal in nature. All of them have one important aspect in common—the art of tuning body, mind, soul, and surroundings in harmony with the Universe.
Conjuring Laughter
I tell my students, “It must be fun. It is okay to laugh at your own mistakes and relax in the circle of magick. Laughter is magick, after all.” Stuffy rituals where everything must be politically correct are fine, too, if that is what you prefer. Personally, I think life is too solemn for most folks. Seek the Craft for both enlightenment and stress reduction in your life, but don’t forget laughter and fun. We should reach into ritual and find joy, not condemnation for calling the west quarter twice by mistake. It can happen!
It has certainly happened to me. Laughter can be a trigger to spirituality. When I started working in the tradition, there were many more people involved. The High Priestess (ahem) isn’t supposed to make mistakes. At least that’s what I thought. I assumed it was my position to be as perfect as possible to be a fine role model. Unlike many traditions, we all take turns to make sure everyone gets a chance to work with others and perform rituals in key positions. On this particular evening, it was my job to present the dedicant8 to the god and goddess. The night before, I practiced my lines diligently in the bathtub (the only place in my house where I will not be disturbed). The others could read their pieces out of books, but I was going to know my part my heart. This was a serious ritual and only once in a lifetime does an individual receive a dedication into our tradition. It should be special, said with feeling.
I breezed through the goddess portion of the presentation. The words “Queen of Heaven, Queen of Hell” always give me trouble. Halfway there, I thought. This was going to be a piece of cake. I began my bit about the god: “Oh Father, Son, and Potent Gun!” rang my words throughout a room of thirteen stunned people. I turned to our female, twenty-two-year-old dedicant and said, “Considering your age, I hope he shoots blanks for the time being!” Witches howled that night. Don’t let anyone tell you they don’t.
Of course, my greatest horror was during the presentation of a third-degree priestess to the service of the Lord and Lady. It was my first time in conferring such a degree and I was nervous. It went well, until near the end. I took her hands in mine and raised them above our heads. I proceeded to ram our hands into the chandelier. It swung like hell. This time, I was mortified. I looked straight in her eyes and said, “Oh, and I give you the gift of humor; as a third-degree priestess, you’re going to need it!” The woman was a lawyer. Guess the goddess was trying to tell us something.
We all make mistakes in ritual and the cosmos is not going to collapse due to an error of your making. I think the god and goddess force humor upon us if we are not open enough to let laughter into our lives. A friend of mine in North Carolina told me his most embarrassing ritual snafu was when his athame got caught in the altar cloth. He turned from the altar to raise his hands above his head and pulled the entire altar setup with him, incense, candles, statues—the whole works went plummeting to the ground. “I was absolutely mortified!” he wailed. I loved it.
The individuals who work here, in my home, at our Sisters of the Cauldron healing circles, founded the group on laughter. We have discovered that if the group is getting tired, a little laughter perks everyone up and gets us going again. We’ve done some of our best healing in the throes of laughter. Of course, there is a time to be serious, but never, ever stop conjuring laughter for the sake of religion. Laughter, after all, is an excellent tool of focus. You are all laughing at the same thing, focused on the same idea. The longer you laugh, the more quips you add, the longer and more directed the focus. And you thought magick was all book work, where every single act of magick had to be planned for eighty days and eighty nights to succeed—pah!
How does laughter help a solitary? My, my, I thought you would never ask! If you are feeling overly stressed but would like to do that special ritual anyway, watch something amusing on television to lighten yourself up a bit. You know, something like Rush Limbaugh or the Three Stooges, whatever you are into. Read a funny book, or talk to your next-door neighbor—whatever makes you hoot. Finally, learn to laugh at yourself. If you flub in your ritual, laugh at yourself. It won’t hurt anything. Laughter always lightens any emotional wet blanket.
Your Work
Project 1: Write a complete ritual using your favorite comedy character. Make it as humorous as possible. Keep it in your Book of Shadows to refer to when you are down or gloomy.
Project 2: When you make a mistake in the Craft, whether it is the performance of magick or a religious function, tell yourself it is okay to laugh, then do it.
Focus From the Heart
I find the reading of long passages in solitary ritual to be boring. You know what you are there for. You really don’t need someone else’s words to relay your feelings. Unlike other religions, Witchcraft does not require someone “above” you to call the shots with Divinity. It only needs you and your willingness to interact. Reading diminishes your focus on what you are doing because you are spending too much energy honing in on the task of reading, rather than the meaning of the words. If you try to do a dramatic reading for yourself, you may lose your focus. You should center on the intent, rather than flair. If you like a particular passage, then memorize it. That’s right (sigh, groan, ho-hum), take the effort to commit the words to memory. Start with something small and work into larger passages, if you like. Great things can happen in personal ritual when you take the time to express a memorized piece. These favorite passages can act as triggers to retrieval of higher wisdom.
Your Work
Project 1: Before you go further in your studies, find one piece that appeals to you and memorize it. It can be the “Charge of the Goddess” (either in poetry form or soliloquy) by Doreen Valiente, or a poem by Starhawk. Ed Fitch has some excellent collections of verse in his book Magickal Rites From the Crystal Well. Many American continental Witches use Valiente’s “Witches’ Rune.” It doesn’t matter, as long as it means something to you.
Use memorized pieces at any point in the ritual. In some traditions, the group focuses on a familiar recitation as soon as everyone enters the magick circle. The anointing can occur either before or after the recitation. Consider it a pep rally, where everyone gets their magickal motors going before the planned ritual actually commences. In other circles, group recitation snuggles close to a key aspect, such as the invocation to the god/goddess, before raising power for the work, or to set the stage for the cakes and wine. As a solitary, you can put the recitation wherever you like—before, during, after—it doesn’t matter. Take the piece you have learned and place it where it fits best for you. There is no wrong way to add a memorized piece to your work.
Of course, while we are on the subject, there is nothing wrong with writing your own poem or soliloquy. Be creative and adventurous!
Project 2: Perform a ritual with your memorized piece.
Project 3: Write your own special piece that can fall within any type of ritual. Use it faithfully.
Many working Witches, whether they be solitary or traditional/group, use a short poem, rhyme, or speech to ground themselves before they do anything religious or magickal. This act serves as a trigger—the first step toward melding with positive, universal energies. For example, if you decided to do a full ritual, there may be much to do, depending on your style. Before you gather or set up anything, step up to your altar, say the piece you have memorized (or part of it), then ground and center. You don’t even have to say it out loud if you don’t want to. Keep in mind its purpose—the one you have designed for yourself.
Dying to know what I use, aren’t you? Okay, I’ll give, but the credit goes to someone else—Marion Weinstein in her book Earth Magick. This passage has always meant a lot to me:
There is One Power
which is the god and goddess
which is perfect in truth, order, clarity, and mutual good.
With this simple passage, I’m ready to zap. We have a poster in our living room that says:
WARNING!
YOU ARE LOOKING AT A
HIGH PERFORMANCE HOUSEHOLD
WE CAN GO FROM
ZERO TO WITCH
IN 2.1 SECONDS
Get my drift?
Triggers
Any action, motion, word, or thought falls into the category of triggers. They need not be elaborate or complicated. In the occult, triggers allow you to quickly turn mundane circumstances into magickal ones, whether they are scientific or religious in nature. Triggers, as the word indicates, encompass actions, words, or thoughts that quickly set practices into motion and create affirmative thinking. How fast should triggers work? By the time it takes you to think one, two, three. The desired result happens about 90 percent of the time, leaving 10 percent to error due to your level of energy, circumstances, and intent. The more you work at perfecting personal triggers, the better you will be at using them.
Why bother with triggers? Actually, triggers come naturally. The longer you work at anything, whether it be occult in nature or some other skill, the faster things fall into place. Results will gather speed. Triggers are positive in nature, save for instances of physical self-defense, which is another set of circumstances entirely. Later in this book, I will teach you triggers for physical and psychic self-defense that have worked both for myself and my students.
If triggers are a natural phenomena with the progression of the level of skill, why bother to enhance their growth? Think of triggers as devices for expansion and doors to new realms. The more doors you open, the more information and experiences you will cultivate. The more experiences you have logged in your quest for religion, the better prepared you are to take on the challenges and joys of this lifetime. So far, we have covered several triggers, such as meditation, written or memorized passages that cultivate inspiration, the altar devotion, and the action of creating sacred space. All these can be triggers to both inner knowledge and the act of ritual, should you so desire.
One of the easiest triggers to cultivate is one you invent yourself, using your hands. This trigger can be for any occult endeavor, but I will give you a specified task to begin with, then you can take it from there.
Your Work
Your main objective is to design a set of hand motions that will trigger tranquility within yourself.
Project 1: Begin by designing three separate patterns, and experiment with each pattern twice a day for a week. Be sure you write them down so you can repeat them precisely the way you initially designed them. Which pattern do you prefer? Perhaps you would like to fine-tune one of the patterns or meld portions of the three patterns together.
Project 2: Write down precisely what single pattern you feel will be the trigger for providing calm and tranquillity within yourself. Practice this pattern for one week. Do you have noticeable results? If not, redesign the pattern and continue your practice.
When you have settled on a specific pattern of hand motions, use them during periods of stress. If you have designed something rather elaborate, it may not serve your purpose. For example, imagine your boss is acting like an idiot, causing you to feel stressed. You would look stupid if you went back to your desk in the center of a technological sweatshop and began waving your hands around in the air like Chicken Little. It would be wiser to take a trip to the bathroom to do your hand motions. Keep track of your successes and failures. Naturally, given the variety of circumstances in life, simple hand motions may not work every time. They will, however, greatly reduce stress activators and assist you in living with more joy, patience, and pleasure.
Once you have a handle on this type of trigger, consider how you could develop other triggers for yourself. For example, the Lesser Banishing Ritual, as found in Donald Michael Kraig’s Modern Magick, is an excellent way to bring peace into your life before a ritual, conjuring sacred space, devotional prayers, or an altar devotion. Perhaps you are a card reader or an astrologer. Design a trigger that will assist you in opening the lines of communication you will need before a ritual. This would apply to any of the arts as well, such as dancing, writing, painting, or music. Don’t forget other tasks, such as studying for an exam, memorizing information—the examples are unlimited. Remember, in the end, the trigger should cause a reaction as quickly as you can say one, two, three.
Even when you are in a hurry, there are ways to put yourself “between worlds” by using triggers. For example, teach yourself to make sacred space by physically walking an area, envisioning a blue flame boundary between yourself and the rest of the world. (Some people like to visualize a green circular hedge, rather than the blue flame.) Later, no matter where you are or what you are doing, you can take a little walk to create the sacred space. You can calm your nerves or do a magickal action in your head.
the robe of stars
Working Witches never stop growing in their spirituality. They never cease searching for better methods of life interaction. They do, however, adopt specific triggers that they may use during an entire lifetime. One such trigger is the Robe of Stars, designed to bring peace and spirituality before an important event in your life. This event can range from a business meeting in which you wish to be successful to performing an initiation of another into the Craft of the Wise, celebrating a specific holiday, or honoring god/goddess energy. The Robe of Stars is a mental trigger, supported by props, if you desire. The object is to complete the trigger enough times so that in a few months or weeks, you will need only the words “the Robe of Stars” to trigger the energies. This does not mean you should never perform the devotion again. All mental pursuits need reinforcement by physical actions at intervals to keep them fresh in your mind.
Provide enough time to perform this trigger before the actual event.
Focus on the event you are about to encounter.
Take a bath or shower. Lay the clothes (including your shoes, jewelry, and any accessories) you will be wearing at this event by your altar. Relax and breathe deeply. Imagine that you are in sacred space.
Mix holy water and a dash of the herb of your choice (you will have to consult a magickal herbal for this, such as Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs). I use one from this book, or a mixture of lavender, angelica, rosemary, hyssop, and cinquefoil.
Empower the mixture in tune with the event and what you desire to manifest as a result of your attendance. If you like to use candles and their corresponding colors, choose the candles that best suit the occasion. Cleanse, consecrate, and empower them. Light the candles. Focus on your desires.
Hold your hands (or prop, such as a wand or athame) over the clothing and accessories. Draw a banishing pentagram in the air. If you do not like using the pentagram, choose another sacred symbol. I do not advise using the Christian cross, as originally it was a symbol for attack. If you want to use a cross, use an equal-armed one.
Sprinkle (lightly, to avoid stains) all your clothing and accessories with the mixture. Keep your desires focused, but don’t strain yourself. This is an act of affirmation. You are not summoning the avenging Morrigan (hopefully).
Breathe deeply and relax. Hold your hands over the clothing and accessories (or use a wand or other prop). Close your eyes and visualize the most beautiful robe of stars you can muster. The robe is one of power, purity, protection—any number of positive energies you wish to instill in it. You can envision any color robe you like. After all, it is your personal star robe, tailored for you. Astrally place that robe over your clothes and envision it melding to the fibers of the physical material. Take your time.
If you like, you can say something like the following:
By the positive powers of the Ancient Ones
I clothe myself in the star robe of peace, power, and honor
That I may walk the path of both protection and enlightenment
That I may greet any situation with grace and clarity
That I may behave in a positive manner
In the names of the god and the goddess
May my destiny be the affirmation of life
I have made it so.
If you have chosen a particular god or goddess archetype, you may like to put their names in place of “god” and “goddess.” In the Black Forest Clan, we honor the Morrigan and Herne. You may also like to say, “In the name of the All” or “In the name of Universal Divinity.” It doesn’t matter. All positive god/goddess forms lead to the same source. Again, as with much of the Wiccan philosophy and religion, the choice is yours.
Let the candle burn while you get dressed. Continue focusing on positive manifestations for the event at hand. When you are finished, extinguish the candle. You may like to utter a special devotion or use a particular hand pattern. Then go about your normal business.
After the event, when it is time to disrobe, mentally pack away or return the star robe to a special astral trunk where you know it will be cleansed and empowered. You need not perform a special devotion for this. A mental storing and a word of thanks to deity will do. If you like, you can relight the candle you used to perform the devotion. As you light it, envision any loose ends created as a result of your attendance at the event. Tie them neatly and attach one end to a positive thoughtform. Now relax, watch television, read a book, or go to sleep.
Pieces of jewelry can serve as triggers, too. Many traditional, clerical Wiccans have an empowered necklace. This jewelry stands for spiritual and magickal pursuits, or accomplishments on their path. Some use torques (a type of necklace), a set of bracelets, a pin, or other items to pull in specific energies. The necklace symbolizes the never-ending cycle of humanity as well as universal concerns.
For our Clan, I designed a woven cord for first-degree initiations. This cord goes everywhere, no matter what the function. It is very personal to me. The cord links everyone initiated by our Clan. When I touch the cord, I think of the bond between our brothers and sisters, and how we all came together.
Your Work
Project 1: Record your findings when using the stress-reduction triggers. When you feel you are ready, teach a friend or family member a stress-reduction trigger.
Project 2: Develop new triggers for ritual purposes. Keep a record of your experiences.
Project 3: Practice the Robe of Stars Trigger and Meditation for one moon cycle. Keep a record of your experiences.
Focus with Motions: The Salutes
Like memorized passages and rhymes, salutes are triggers without words. They are a set of stylized motions performed by the working Witch to get things moving in the right direction. They can be as complicated or as simple as you desire. Remember, if you open with a salute, you should close with a salute. Therein lies the difference between the salute and the pattern of hand motions you designed as simple triggers. Many individuals do the same salute in reverse to close. Others do a complicated salute to open and a very basic one to close. It is all in the mind of the Witch. The primary function of the salute is to serve as yet another catalyst for uniting with or honoring Divinity.
The Witch can perform salutes before a meditation begins, before entering sacred space, before a ritual, or simply when he or she walks past the altar and would like to touch Divinity. It does not always have to be a prerequisite to something more spectacular. It can just be. Salutes are like clothing—try different ones until you find or design something that is right for you. In a tradition, salutes are the same for everyone, or similar in nature to the degree the individual holds. This is to help focus the group mind; members in the circle who are spacing out might look at the person at the altar and say, “Oh, George is performing the salute. Now I know precisely where we are in the ritual and where my head ought to be right now.” The salute helps everyone to focus on the task at hand. A few continental traditions salute with their hands at specific times during a ritual, such as after the drawing down of the god and goddess, when someone says “So mote it be,” or at other key intervals. Sometimes they all do the same salute. At other times, the females perform one type of salute and the males another. Normally, the performance of these salutes is out of sight of guests, or not done at all. The main reason? They don’t want the guest to feel stupid. It is not a deep, dark secret that only the initiated may know (although there are a few individuals who probably think so). It is a signal for the group mind to unite.
Salutes can be done with your hands or with props, such as a wand, cauldron, athame, or a candle. Although I prefer to use my hands, I sometimes work with a palm-sized, obsidian arrowhead given to me by a lovely Witch named Rowan. I may perform the salute with a stick of incense, the cauldron, etc. How you begin is also a matter of choice. One tradition salutes clockwise with incense at each quarter, then moves back to the altar to finish. I have seen stunning salutes with all the above. Base your salute on your preferences. Salutes can be gentle motions, or sharp, stylized ones. I’ve tried all of them, and I suggest you do too. Choose the one that provides the most amount of focus for you.
God Position / Goddess Position
the god /goddess simple salute
Stand with your hands at your sides, feet together, head bowed, and eyes closed. Breathe deeply for as many counts as it takes you to calm, ground, and center yourself. Slowly raise your head and your arms. Cross your arms over your chest, right over left. This is the Salute of the god, called the god position9 (see illustration). At this time, you should be thinking of the Lord and what he means to you. Visualize the god, the power and strength he provides. Feel his forest home around you. This is your first indication to the divine about the work you are going to perform. Some teachers tell you to wait a specified number of heartbeats (like thirteen, nine, seven, etc.) before continuing to the next portion of the salute. My only complaint with this is that the student will be focusing on counting rather than on Divinity. Counting is really for beginners, to help them slow down and get into the natural swing of a rite or ritual. If you find yourself rushing, then slow down and count. If you are taking your time, don’t worry about it.
Next, move slowly into the goddess position (see illustration) by spreading your arms out to your sides and up above your head, with palms up. Move your left foot out to the left. You’ll find your feet naturally have about twenty-four inches between them. Tip your head back a bit. Envision the energy of the goddess descending upon you. Let it flow around you and fill you with the hope of the goddess. Her caring and strength encompass you. Envision the god and goddess meeting and merging inside your body.
Begin to move your arms back into the god position (keep your feet apart). Envision capturing divine energy between both arms, and pull it toward your body. By the time you resume the god position, you will feel this extra boost of energy entering your heart chakra. Relax and feel communion with Divinity.
When you are ready, return your arms to your sides and open your eyes. You are now ready to continue with the work you have planned. When you have finished your work, perform the same salute as your final act of closure.
the sacred symbol salute
This one requires a choice on your part—what symbol summarizes your magickal and spiritual intent? Don’t make a snap decision. Consider carefully what symbol you would like to integrate into your magickal and spiritual practices. There are various books on the market showing occult symbols from which to choose (see appendix ii for a sample of these symbols). You may try all of them, or only a few. The choice is yours. What energies do you wish to manifest? You might try designing separate symbols for individual workings. You could even spend time choosing your symbol through the use of bind runes or other sigils, which I highly recommend. This makes your practices unique and totally individual. Every magickal application you perform on the physical plane reflects in the astral plane. One meaning of the Wiccan mystery “As above, so below” applies here. After all, that is the idea of doing a magickal or spiritual act—to request and use divine or positive energies. If you create your own salute, it is a signal to positive astral entities that this is you and you’re busy in the physical. Through meditation, you can even channel distinct positive energies to join you through your personal signature salute. This requires a complete meditation, in which you and astral entities agree on a relationship for spiritual work by using your signature salute like a telephone wire. The sacred salute is to be absolutely secret. Tell no one, ever.
To determine what sacred symbols you would like to use, write down on a piece of paper the specific energies you wish to manifest. Do you want direct connection with a particular archetype, or will the focus on the All work for you? Are you creating sacred space, or are you planning to do a complete ritual? Is your ritual for honor (one symbol); for work (another symbol)? What types of energies do you use (plants, gems, archetypes, totems)? There are unlimited combinations of signature and symbolic salutes. Is all this too much of a hassle? If your answer to this last question is yes, think carefully about why you feel this way before you scrap the idea of signatures and symbolic salutes.
If you are still confused about what to choose, do some research. Several other Llewellyn books carry occult symbols and their meanings. Perhaps one of these would suit you best.
Once you design your salute, try it out. How does it affect your application? How did it feel to you when you performed it? Rather than reversing this salute, you may wish to keep it the same and employ it again, near the end of your magickal application.
the lunar/solar draw
There are several kinds of drawing down the moon/sun in Craft application. The Lunar/Solar Draw is the process of invoking the energy of the moon or sun for either little magicks, sacred space, meditation, or full ritual. It is for any phase of the moon (lunar) or any time of the day (solar), depending upon your intention. All Witches may use the Lunar/Solar Draw. Most popular, of course, is using this salute when the moon is full. Should you wish to work with crone energy, however, the new moon is best. If you wish to work with god energy, solar applications are best. The moon phases can match the working you are doing: waxing to build, waning to destroy (such as a bad habit, negativity, etc.).
The first type, and the one with which most Wiccans are familiar, is the process of invoking the goddess (lunar energy) into the body of the High Priestess. This is done in a ritual circle cast to either work with or honor the goddess energy. In some traditions, the energy is drawn in through the aid of the High Priest. Then, in turn, the High Priestess (as the goddess) draws the power of the god (solar energy) into the High Priest. Why ladies first? The goddess is seen as the birth mother of the god.
Other traditions begin by drawing into the god first (as he represents the power) and he, in turn, draws the energy into the goddess (she who will wisely use the application of the power).
In other traditions, the maiden (much like the second in command after the High Priestess) draws the goddess energy into the High Priestess. The maiden is seen here as the divine Midwife.
These three practices are put into motion by either the Fivefold Kiss or the Eightfold Kiss, which are, in my mind, the most serious ritual acts performed in the Craft. Never, ever, laugh at someone performing either of these two ceremonial actions. Laughter here is both inappropriate and downright rude. When teaching my students these two salutes, I make them pair up and practice it until they are rolling with laughter on the floor. Why? This way they get the giggles out of their systems before an actual ritual.
The Fivefold and Eightfold Kiss are tradition-wide. This means the practice spans many traditions, including Gardnerian, Alexandrian, Caledonii, British traditional, and Black Forest, to name a few. It is a common practice, especially during initiations and on the high holy days.
In the Fivefold Kiss, the Priest or Priestess kisses five points of the human body in the form of an upright star (inverted for second-degree initiations, but we are getting ahead of ourselves here). Fivefold means mouth, right hip (the kissee’s right), mouth, left breast, right breast, left hip, and back to mouth. Notice this is the form of the invoking pentagram (see figure 2). In the Eightfold Kiss, the Priest or Priestess kisses eight points of the human body: each foot, each knee, the genital area, each breast, and the mouth. Before you fire off a thousand letters to me: Yes, I know the Farrars call my Eightfold Kiss the Fivefold Kiss. This is just a difference in wording, nothing more.
The tools most often used for this salute are the athame or the wand, however, hands, flowers (especially roses), etc., are also effective. A staff or a broom might be a bit clumsy.
This salute is not for ritual only. Let’s say you are at work again with that idiot boss. Are you going to hike up your skirt and whip out the athame neatly buckled to your thigh, or open your briefcase or lunch box and brandish that glittering twelve-inch blade, complete with deer-antlered handle, under his nose? “Oh, excuse me, Mr. Pain-in-the-you-know-what, I find it necessary to settle something right now and I wish to perform my Lunar/Solar Draw. Would you excuse me?” That would surely impress him.
Stand and face your altar (or the moon/sun should you be lucky enough to be outside or near a window where you can see it).
Take several deep breaths. Relax.
Ground and center.
Hold the tool you wish to use in your strongest hand. Envision the sands of time stopping in midair—no clock moves, no bells chime.
Raise the tip of it to your lips. Kiss the tip of the tool, if you so choose. (I have never gotten over feeling stupid in front of groups of people when kissing an inanimate object. I reserve my kisses for people—and my dog, of course—as an expression of affection. I also like kisses to be reciprocated, and laying a big one on a stick or blade is not my idea of ultimate interaction.)
Extend your stronger arm out in front of you, keeping the tool at eye level.
Elevate your arm so that you can see the moon/sun just above the tip of the tool. If you cannot actually see the moon, envision it.
Breathe deeply and envision the god/goddess. In your mind, tell her (or him) why you need her strength, power, magick, etc. Your reasons could be many. Perhaps you are in need of healing, protection, energy, a solution, etc.
Relax and feel her energy moving toward the tip of the tool. Visualize it balancing on the end of the tool, then slowly work the visualization down through the tool, into your arm, and finally, into your heart chakra. Once in the heart chakra, let it expand in both directions throughout your body. Hold this position until the energy has reached both the tips of your toes and the top of your head. After you have performed this salute several times, you will feel the energy moving through you and your visualization need not be your only guide.
Breathe deeply.
Lower your arm.
At this point, you have a choice: Ground and center, immediately do the Reverse Lunar/Solar Draw, or wait until after the meditation/magickal application/ritual is completed, then perform the Reverse Lunar/Solar Draw.
the reverse lunar/solar draw
In your mind, say thank you for the experience and energies given you. The tool should once again be in your strong hand.
Elevate your strong arm. Hold the tip of the tool out in front of you, just under the moon/sun.
Breathe deeply and center yourself. Reaffirm your oath of service.
Bring the tip of the tool slowly back to your lips. Breathe deeply. Lower your arm, then your head.
Imagine the sands of time trickling again, the tick of the clock, the soft chimes of the hour.
Ground and center.
the lord and lady salute
Stand and face your altar (or the moon/sun, should you be lucky enough to be outside or near a window where you can see it).
Take several deep breaths. Relax.
Ground and center.
Hold the tool you wish to use in both hands, and stop time as before.
Raise the tip of the tool to your lips. Then move your arms outward, balancing the sun/moon on the tip of the tool with your arms out in front of you.
Breathe deeply and visualize the energy entering the tip of the tool, moving back through the hilt, splitting into god and goddess energy (one fork for the right arm and one for the left), then joining in your heart chakra.
Lower your arms. Breathe deeply. Center yourself.
Perform the reverse salute now, or after the working. It is your choice.
Putting It All Together
How would all these nifty triggers, motions, and devotions go together? Here is a quick outline for you to consider:
1. Prepare (gather supplies, take a ritual bath, or ground and center).
2. Perform the Robe of Stars Meditation.
3. Perform a salute.
4. Perform an altar devotion.
5. Perform a quarter salute with incense.
Your Work
Project 1: Practice the god/goddess Simple Salute with your daily devotionals for two full weeks. Record your experiences.
Project 2: Choose a symbol for the Sacred Symbol Salute. Try it with your daily devotionals, in meditation, then in a full ritual. Record your experiences.
Project 3: Practice both the Lunar and Solar Draw for one moon cycle. Work on variations that will feel natural to you. Record your experiences.
Project 4: Practice the Lord and Lady Salute for two weeks. Record your experiences.
Project 5: Put it all together. Begin with gathering your supplies, the ritual bath, and grounding and centering. Perform the Robe of Stars Meditation, then do your daily devotional. Continue with one of the salutes, the altar devotion, and finally, a quarter salute. Don’t forget your rules of ritual. Record your experiences.
Focus: Choosing a Patron God or Goddess
Although it is quite acceptable to never move beyond the aspects of the Lord and the Lady, many working Witches choose to hone their skills and focus their religious energies in the direction of one or two particular archetypes. These gods and goddesses create symbiotic energies between the Witch and Divinity. Choosing a patron is neither a light matter nor a simple matter and takes time. Skipping from one goddess or god form to another will not permit you to reap the benefits of a long association in terms of focus, spirituality work, or attainment of skills. Working with a patron is relationship-oriented in the sense of “working in tune with,” rather than commanding or summoning. Should the solitary choose to work with a group (whether traditional or eclectic), his or her patron choice will enhance the workings of the group.
The patron encompasses the Witch’s character, qualities, energies, known skills, heritage, and other attributes, and mixes with it the known abilities of the god or goddess. You may wish to make a list of several gods and goddesses, shortening the list over time, keeping in mind that the energies of the god and goddess chosen must be compatible with each other as well as your desires and lifestyle. Refer to historical texts about your area, or texts pertaining to the mythos you are currently studying to assist you in your choice of energies. In many third-degree traditional rituals, there is a time when the elevated Witch is asked to choose his or her patron, thereby naming an astral temple after that choice. The Witch and the patron, connected in ritual, birth a new haven for brothers and sisters of the Wise. As that Witch travels throughout life, the patron will be present at all magickal functions and life experiences, whether invited or not.
Many times the working Witch chooses specific patrons for special work. For example, during my third-degree initiation I chose the Morrigan and Herne to be the Patron goddess and god of my astral and physical temple (hence, the Temple of the Morrigan Triskele—the Black Forest Clan). Now, before you history buffs tell me that the Morrigan and Herne aren’t specifically linked by legend and wonderful facts, let me explain that those choices work for me. I also have a patron deity for our hearthstone work inside the house and one for fountains and springs on our property. It is wise not to choose too many deity energies. Those chosen must carry energies in agreement with all those on the property and become activated through a ritual written by yourself.
Once the patron is chosen, it is time to get down to serious work. To begin, both a physical and astral shrine need to be established. Once you have completed this task, you are ready to do repeated meditation and energy work under the guidance of that patron. Your skills in visualization are something that cannot be bought, nor is there a shortcut to perfection. Many times I receive letters that begin this way:
Dear Silver, please help me. I have no money; all I can offer is my friendship. I am in major financial trouble, but I want to study the Craft. I want you to help me to do this. I don’t want you to think I am begging for a handout, but . . .
The first question in my mind is always this: What does money have to do with belief in a religion? Who taught these people that money and knowledge are one and the same? It is not that I scorn the letter-writer’s friendship. It is obvious, however, that the person feels money and religion walk hand in hand—you have to pay out one to get the other. That’s another religion’s ticket to the divine. The greatest enlightenment of self comes from interacting with the Universe without money. It may come while you are holding a flower and finally feeling its energy. It may come while you are in a ritual circle and, for the first time, you actually “see” the cast circle around you. It may come to you during a devotion, a meditation, or a hike in the woods. You cannot buy or sell spirituality. You cannot steal it or borrow it. It is a free gift for all to share.
I can’t, nor can anyone else, give you religious belief. Either you attain it on your own, or you go without. What you and deity do together is up to you and your religious system. No amount of certificates, classes, workshops, tests, or friendships will create your religious beliefs. Of course, they will shape them, get you thinking, and fill your time in (hopefully) a progressive manner—but it simply doesn’t take money to be one with the Universe, nor does it take a certificate or a diploma to be a religious person. When it becomes necessary to prove on paper that we are Wiccan, Christian, Buddhist, Shinto, Muslim, Native American, or any other religion by means of expending money, we have missed the central theme of religion.
Learning magickal applications doesn’t take money, either. It takes practice. The gifts from patron gods and goddesses will assist you in your magickal work. You can’t pay them for their services with currency. You can honor them, do positive works and deeds in their names to enhance the Universe, or seek to bring about harmonious balance in self, thereby affecting the Universe in a positive manner by being you. You cannot, however, use your Visa or MasterCard, nor is there a credit line on how much knowledge you can obtain in this lifetime. In the Craft, you can’t buy your way into the Summerland with large donations or by erecting beautiful buildings.
Through working with the energies of deity, ancestors, and planet spirits, the human calls in a triad of power. Thus, your patron deity should reflect this triad in the way you feel will be most beneficial to yourself and your work. You can either work through this patron to pull in the triad of power, or you can work with the patron deity to enhance the triad work. We will discuss this procedure in more detail when we get into quarter calls and circle castings.
triad focus
Let’s travel back in time a bit before the amazing color wheel array of today. During my Pow Wow research (and thanks to Thor and Audrey Sheil of the Trollwise Press in Staten Island, New York), I discovered the colors black, red, and white were common magickal colors with both my German ancestors and the continental Celts. Although there are many correspondences for these colors (such as the Norns), we are going to deal with them here as a representation of a triad.
Black: The fertile earth and rolling seas (water and land united, promoting growth)
Red: The blood of our ancestors (fire of creation, procreation, and heritage)
White: The energy of Divinity (the divine breath of creation)
Clear your altar and try working with only these three colors. If you like, go to a florist and purchase a red rose, a black rose, and a white rose. Work with these or dry them, saving the petals in separate containers. Design an altar devotion that concentrates on dropping a petal or two of each color into a cauldron. Invoke the energies as listed above for a specific purpose, whether it be one of honor or one for future work.
Weave cords of these three colors together for a specific desire. In meditation, you can visualize each rose opening, spreading its energies around you. Use your imagination—that’s what Witches do best!
the shrouded supper
One of the easiest ways to assimilate these three colors and their correspondences into your magickal work is through the Shrouded Supper. Do this event alone, or with several people. There are only four rules:
1. The event should take place in sacred space.
2. All food, utensils, plates, napkins, glasses, tablecloths, etc., must be red, white, or black.
3. No one is allowed to talk from the moment they walk through the door. They may speak after the ritual is over and they have left the room where the supper took place.
4. You must eat by the light of a candle or oil lamp.
As you are preparing and eating the food, focus on the colors and what they mean to you. By ingesting the food, you are providing a future trigger for the color. I know this sounds silly, but many profound experiences (including a rapturous state) can be achieved during the Shrouded Supper.
Although the Shrouded Supper works well at any time, you may like to try it at Samhain, when the ancestral forces are at their peak.
I hope this chapter led you to the following Wiccan mystery: There is no limit to spirituality. Now, it’s your turn to zap up interesting ideas.
Your Work
Project 1: Choose a patron deity. Plan and execute a ceremony. Build a shrine to that deity.
Project 2: Triad Focus: Work with the colors and attributes. Record your experiences.
Project 3: Perform the Shrouded Supper.
Project 4: Write a short paragraph to yourself explaining where you are at this point in time in terms of mental, spiritual, and physical abilities. What would you like to improve? What have you already improved upon? Set a list of ten goals for a six-month period.
Project 5: Keep going.
8. A dedicant is an individual wishing to pledge him or herself to the Craft for a year and a day, in a sort of trial run. See chapter 9 for a more complete description of a dedicant.
9. Traditionally, the god position is wand in the right hand and the scourge in the left, held against the chest. This was called the Osiris position, named after Egyptian practices. The two shafts of the tools are grasped in clenched fists, wrists crossed and the shafts crossed again above them. More modern Wiccans are moving to the wand in the right hand and the sword or athame (knife) in the left hand. See the illustration provided for the Osiris position without the use of tools. Notice the body shape in the god position is phallic, while in the goddess position it represents the cup or chalice.