ToStir-9

Conjuring by
Circumstance

Keep my words positive, words become my behaviors.

Keep my behaviors positive, behaviors become my habits.

Keep my habits positive, because habits become my values.

Keep my values positive, because values become my destiny.37

This chapter covers various religious and magickal circumstances that may occur in the working Witch’s life. I have provided a mix of techniques, spells, and assorted conjurations. All conjurations are a result of my own studies, or from the experiments of my Wiccan friends. Everything listed has worked for us at one time or another. Although I believe I have banged the following ideas into your head throughout this book, let’s take one more look at some pointers:

Magick follows the path of least resistance.

Magick cannot be turned on and off like tap water. Sometimes you’ve got it, and sometimes you don’t. Failure should lead to solution, not to depression. Learn to pick your magickal self up and try again, or perhaps try something different.

Never work magick for ill or harm to anyone, including yourself.

You need not follow the conjurations in this chapter precisely. In fact, I encourage you to use your own judgment. All I ask is that you carefully choose the changes you make, and double-check yourself before performance.

At the end of this chapter you will find four types of altar setups. By this time in your studies, you should be well-schooled on how to set up an altar. I thought it might be nice, however, to share both traditional and eclectic setups for you to try, should you be so inclined.

ategenos

To conjure transformation within yourself.

Moon phase: New, crescent, or first quarter.

Moon signs: Aries, Scorpio, or Pisces.

Day: Saturday.

Planetary hour: Saturn.

Deity: The Cailleach.38

Colors: Purple and silver or grey.

Totem animals: Stag (east), bull (south), horse (west), bear (north).

Tools: Hearthstone or altar; cauldron; cup that fits in cauldron; one seashell necklace; one candle (your choice of color) for illumination.

Tea: Valerian and chamomile, 1⁄2 teaspoon each in teaball.

Incense: Patchouli.

Circle: Full ritual.

Quarters summoned and stirred: Guardians to protect/Ancient Ones to assist.

Quarter opened: West only; acknowledge the others clockwise but do not open.

Conjuration

Ancient Ones draw nigh this night

circle around, assist my sight

guardians of the quarters, round I go

east, south, west, north

help the energy flow

protectors of Witches, round once more

to seal this circle

I walk

I conjure

’tis done.

Quarters

North, the earth, the wind, the rain

assist me now, upon earth plane.

East, the sun, the wisdom, the sight

assist me now, this sacred night.

South, the power, the passion, the gift

assist me now in this energy shift.

West I open, the gates swing wide

I seek the answers that lie inside.

Invocation

O Mighty Cailleach, Queen of the Underworld

I ,___________, seek the transformation of self.

I feel that I am prepared to make this transition in my life

I am ready to assume the responsibility of the chosen.

Meditate for as long as necessary on precisely what you have chosen to change within yourself.

Dark Lady, Ruler of Rebirth

I fully accept the responsibility of my own actions in this lifetime.

I ,_____________, ask for the enlightenment needed to

(specifically state the transformation).

Meditate for as long as necessary again. The Cailleach will appear in the circle or in your mind and give you the advice you need on your spiritual journey.

Working

Trace a banishing pentagram over the cauldron in which the cup of tea is placed. Place your hands over the cauldron and say:

I am the tool

you are the fire

fill this cup

with all I desire.

Drink the contents of the cup, imagining the desired change flowing through your body.

Draw energy from the west, imagining the Cailleach is sending it to you.

Chant:

Center and circumference

throughout and about

transcendence

transformation

change

everywhere and nowhere

within and without

the void

immanence

beyond time

the turning wheel

red, white, and black

the cauldron

changes me.39

Ground and center.

Closure

Thank the Cailleach.

Close the west.

Thank the remaining quarters.

Pull up the circle.

Ground and center.

Clean up.

Banishing

There are many types of banishing, which will certainly affect what magick you choose to perform. Banishing bugs from your yard is not the same as banishing an unwanted person from your life. One need not do a full ritual to banish small things. As your skills grow, there will be fewer things in your life you will need to, or choose to, banish. Your studies move you into a more harmonious environment where many difficulties are banished as a result of your positive endeavors.

There are times, however, when a situation arises, and something must be done. For small matters, folk magick works well. An old Pow Wow trick is to weave nettle and thistle together and throw it on the porch step of the individual who is bothering you. Often, the person will move.

Minor magicks such as the cord and knot, candle, and petition should serve your needs for little banishings.

Using meditation is also beneficial. Concentrate on banishing the negativity that has entered your life. Lock it in an imaginary chest. You can banish unwanted associations in the same way by sending your totem animal to ward a person away from you or your home. This technique works well for me. I call it the manifest spell, but it really is a matter of concentrated thought and a message carried by your totem animal.

To banish negativity from your home or work site without being obtrusive, there are stones you can either purchase or empower yourself, called spirit stones. These stones are said to carry the spirits of the ancestors (in general or in particular), such as lineaged ancestors. Sometimes the stones are taken from family grave plots to pull in the energy and assistance of those who have loved you or who were magickally inclined in your family.

Earth / Air

Fire / Water

Symbols, such as the banishing pentagram, are extremely useful and can be used in every banishing regardless of its complexity.

In folk magick, things to be banished are often anointed in vinegar, or a formula is made where specific herbs are steeped in vinegar.

Talismans40 can be designed to banish things; Tarot cards or runes can also be used.

Remember to match the magick to the level of difficulty or persistence of a problem. If you try to banish something and it doesn’t go away, you have a few things to consider:

This is a lesson, and you aren’t getting it. Do a little meditation.

You are hitting the problem from the wrong direction. Try a new tactic.

The problem may be more deeply rooted than you first thought. Do a thorough divination. Call a magickal friend for some advice or a reading on the situation.

You may not be seeing the proverbial forest for the trees. You may be missing the problem. Look beyond the obvious.

Psychic blocks are in place, either created by yourself or by someone else. Remember, someone doesn’t have to be magickally gifted to create a block. Everyone is psychic, some more than others, but many don’t realize it. Even that creep at work who harasses you can have psychic blocks in place. Psychic blocks are not only created by the demented. Extraordinary individuals in their field or very spiritual people build psychic canopies around themselves too.

banishing stalkers

Moon phase: Dark moon, full moon, last quarter, disseminating.

Moon signs: Scorpio, Pisces, or Libra.

Day: Saturday.

Planetary hour: Saturn.

Deity: Morrigan (a Celtic triple warrior goddess).

Colors: Black and red.

Totem animal: Wolf.

Angels: Most are acceptable for banishing work.

Tools: Spirit rattle;41 bottle with cap; vinegar; garden nightshade; morning glory vines; garlic; dragon’s blood; staff; two black candles; a piece of paper with the stalker’s name on it (or “the person who is stalking me”).

Circle casting with staff:

I conjure thee, O circle of art

that you will be for me a place of fulfillment and power

a fortress of strength and protection

containing the necessary energies therein until I release them.

I move

in harmony

and in strength.

Quarters

Call them all; you are going to need them.

Self-blessing:

Earth my center

air my wisdom

fire my power

water my energy

ground me

guide me

empower me

move me

to do what must be done.

Call to totem animal:

Hellish howl

sharpened tooth

power of clan

now appear.

Wolf of Silver

draw thou near.

Welcome pet

my dearest friend

with snapping jaws

my sign of kin.

Bound forward beast

in strength in truth

the hunted turns to hunter.

This night the ancients stalk their prey

in protection of the innocent.

My will be done by break of day

and evil will be spent.

Invocation

Great Morrigan, goddess of life and death, mistress of Clan justice. Wake now, my mother of trembling, and hear the chant of thy sister/brother who calls you from your slumber. Come forth and bring thy warrior spirit.

Put the dragon’s blood, garlic (crushed), nightshade, morning glory vines, and the stalker’s name in the bottle.

Pour vinegar over the contents of the bottle; empower the bottle and contents.

Working

Dark Morrigan on a Dark Horse

ride with me tonight

swirl thy soft cloak around _____________

so he turns from me in fright.42

Chant with rattle:

Move away the evil

move without a sound

send back his nightmares

morning glory bound.

Seal the bottle with black wax and inscribe your personal sigil in a wax puddle on the top.

With this sign I seal your fate

back you go

to evil’s gate.

Close ritual in the normal manner.

Clean up.

Bury the bottle off your property with an equal-armed cross inscribed in the dirt or at the foot of a black locust tree. (I do know a few ladies who keep the bottle around to shake every once in a while to make certain the stalker never returns.)

Chanting

Almost every spell book gives you a few chants, but no one ever tells you how you are supposed to feel or what you are to be doing while chanting. After all, you are only uttering words. How difficult is that?

There is an art to chanting, but you must find the art within yourself. Do you feel more energy when you chant fast or slow, soft or loud? Perhaps you like to start softly and end with a lusty note. Do you have the courage to let go while chanting, to let the rhythm vibrate? Relaxing into the beat will raise more power. Concentrating on the words will break the focus. Your mind must go beyond the language and into the Universe, which is why many students are taught chants in a foreign language. That way, they can’t concentrate on the words once they learn to pronounce them.

The act of chanting uses the throat chakra. Divine energy can be reached through your transmitter, your voice. It is a call to the Universe for assistance. In magick, sometimes we get so wrapped up with mental and spiritual pursuits that we forget our voice can be heard and understood by the Universe, as well as by many positive entities within that Universe that we cannot see with the naked eye. Chants should be memorized for their maximum benefit and best performance. If you like to stick with small ones, that’s fine. If more elaborate chants entice you, that’s terrific. Use what raises the most power and the most self-confidence for you.

Along with chanting comes breathing. A natural thing, don’t you think? Nope. The key is to relax through deep breathing before you begin the chant and to continue that breathing pattern while you are chanting. You become a balanced conductor, capable of pushing more power. This takes a bit of practice, but it can be done. Group chanting is extremely powerful, whether you are on the playground with your kids and don’t like the looks of certain fellows hanging around over there, or in a ritual setting with your brothers and sisters. The place is not important when it comes to chanting, the tuning is the ticket.

chant for inner strength or when faced with a stressful situation

(by Autumn Raindancer)

I call the light of

golden rays

I seek protection

thus, I pray.

For heavenly forces

at my side

angels, sages,

spirit guides

or wolves who walk

with cunning skill

Come to my aid!

Come at my will!

Black bird soaring

light my path

so I am victim

to no one’s wrath!

And when my

journey knows success,

all those who aid me

Goddess bless!

Cauldron Magick

From our sisters perched on their porches along the winding Appalachian Trail to our kin in Louisiana, magick in the Americas traveled along the Mississippi River, branching in every direction. I often urge my students to attend family reunions, chat with their grandparents and their friends, and delve deep into those family trees. You have no idea what kind of magicks are lurking there, dormant, waiting to flower in your hands.

In practically all Craft traditions there is an item that is considered the focal point. Its meaning encompasses the core of the tradition. I’ve mentioned this information earlier under a footnote, but I want you to review it again, and consider its importance. Although repeated information can be boring, this is important for you to remember. The focal point for the British Traditional Witch is the wheel, and one is normally placed in the center of the altar. In Alexandrian and Gardnerian Traditions, you will usually find a pentacle, which has been adopted by most eclectic groups as well. In some traditions, such as the Caledonii, few props are used. You will not find their altars brimming with too many goodies. Other traditions, usually those born of eclectic groups, rely heavily on astrological symbolism. A disk of the zodiac may be found in the center of their altars. In the Black Forest Clan, our focal point is the cauldron, much like the needfire of the Caledoniis. (As it should be, since that is where we originally came from.) Our unusual twist, of course, is that all of our elders practice Pow Wow right along with our Craft techniques. For us, the cauldron encompasses the majority of our magick and is the foundation of our religious practices.

I mentioned before that in Celtic mythos, Dagda had the “cauldron of plenty” while Cerridwen had the “cauldron of knowledge, intuition, and wisdom.” The Cailleach, one of our primary goddesses in the Black Forest, holds rule over the cauldron of change and transformation. The Morrigan carries the cauldron of passion and war, from whence she mixes and draws victory and all such matters of attainment.

In a ritual, quarters are represented in the following manner:

Dagda: North—plenty, prosperity, stability

Cerridwen: East (some put her in the South)—knowledge, intuition, wisdom

Morrigan: South—passion, creativity, strategy

Cailleach: West—transformation, flow

Ana: Center—first mother of all

If you prefer more balance, then you can exchange Kernunnos or Herne for Cerridwen in the east, in reference to the Gunderstrup Cauldron.

The symbols at each quarter would have the cauldron as the primary base along with a secondary symbol, indicating the god or goddess or element for which the cauldron stood. Dagda’s cauldron may contain food or the fruits of harvest; Cerridwen’s cauldron may contain feathers, ink pens, a holy book, or incense. The Morrigan’s cauldron normally contains fire and the Cailleach’s cauldron contains water and ice—ice representing the crystallization of change or the normal refusal of humans to change, representing the idea that most change takes place slowly and deliberately. If you live near the sea, then seawater in the Cailleach’s cauldron would also be appropriate.

casting the cauldron circle

Stir the air (with your hand, athame, wand, or staff) in front of you in a clockwise motion at any speed you like until you naturally stop. Remember that your visualization is the key.

I stir the magick cauldron

the circle bubbles

into existence about me.

This Witches’ pot

stops time on the dot

the energy waits upon my command.

I call protective wolves to surround the circle.

I stir the ancients to assist.

I summon the energy of the elements.

This circle is sealed.

Quarters

Greetings, Father Dagda

spirit of earth and plenty

element of north