First Night

Your affirmation for today: I am always connected to Spirit. Spirit fulfills my every need and my every desire. I know that Spirit lives within me.

Your symbol for today: the wind

Begin your day: Begin in the morning by reading the affirmation for the day. Today’s segment concentrates on wind, associating this energy with that of Spirit. Close your eyes, quiet your mind, smile, and allow Spirit to fully enter your body. Then repeat the word wind softly, conjuring your vision of wind in your mind. Open your eyes, and repeat the affirmation at least three times. Remember to smile as you finish! Throughout the day, repeat the affirmation as many times as you like. Begin and end with a smile. Write down in a small notebook (or your HedgeWitch journal) anything unusual about this day and events, people, or places that carry a strong wind association for you. In this way, you will be prepared to perform the first night Rite of Wind.

To do today: Choose your signature plant/herb/flower. It may be your favorite, or it could be a particular plant with a special meaning to you. You may wish to spend a little time surfing the Net, or visit a bookstore or library to read all about the plant you have chosen. Remember that you will need a physical representation of your choice. If you already have it growing in your garden, that’s great! If not, you might visit a local nursery, the grocery store, or shop on the Net. If you are already familiar with the plant’s wild location out-of-doors, a short trip to collect it might be in order. The physical plant can be dried, but you may wish to obtain a living one to forge a better connection.

Today I will release…all unpleasant odors in my home! I will open windows and air out stuffy areas and stagnant air. I will burn scented candles or use air fresheners to keep my home smelling pleasant and fragrant. If I own a vehicle, I will clean it out, removing all trash and junk that has collected there. If I have time, I will take it to be washed. If not, I will reserve this task to be completed before I have finished this fourteen-day HedgeWitch guide.

Weekly planner: If you are spending a week on this rite, look through Sections 4 and 5 of this book and choose one or more projects, techniques, or formulas that you feel relates to spiritual cleansing, and make those items. In this way, you will begin to build your HedgeWitch magickal cabinet of supplies.

Herbs for today: lavender, rosemary, chamomile, lemon verbena, lemongrass

Supplies for tonight: your magick key, incense, small bowl of spring water, a white candle, a representation of your signature herb (just the word or a picture will do for this evening), cleansing herbal mix (see recipe, page 52), cotton conjuring bag or small net bag to hold herbal mix, mortar and pestle to grind herbs if you are not using fresh herbs, paper (on which to draw your wind sigil), pen, pin to inscribe the white candle

Rite of Wind

Light incense. Pass over working area. Place the representation of your magick key (see Section 1) near your other supplies for this night. Smile. Close your eyes, and envision yourself surrounded by white light. Take thirteen slow, even breaths, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. When you feel relaxed, open your eyes, smile, and repeat today’s affirmation three times. Smile again.

Cleansing Herbal Mix

Combine equal amounts of:

Lavender

Rosemary

Chamomile

Lemon Verbena

Lemongrass

—If using fresh ingredients, no need to grind.

Loosely grind a small amount (about ½ teaspoon) of cleansing herbal mix with mortar and pestle. The ingredients for this mix are lavender, rosemary, chamomile, lemon verbena, and lemongrass. If you are using fresh herbs, you won’t need to grind them. Place herbal mixture in a cotton conjuring bag or white piece of cloth tied with white string. Hold your hands over the bag, smile, and breathe deeply. Now, repeat the following conjuration:

Sunlight to activate

Moonlight to blend
Spirit to bring the power to cleanse

Touch of wind!

Hold your hands over a bowl of spring water, smile, close your eyes, and breathe deeply, remembering to allow yourself to become one with Spirit. Say: “Joy, peace, and perfection. Peace with the gods, peace with nature, peace within.” Smile.

Dip the bag of herbs in the water and sprinkle the water over your magick key (do not let the bag touch the key). Say: “Joy, peace, and perfection. Peace with the gods, peace with nature, peace within.” Smile.

Dip the bag back in the water and begin sprinkling on yourself (if the bag touches you, that’s okay). Envision that all negativity you may be carrying around is lifted from you with gentle breaths of fresh air. Allow the winds of peace, healing, and harmony to circle about your mind and body. You may experience a tingling, a rush of energy, or simply pleasant and well-deserved peace. If you are having trouble releasing any unhappiness or fear, repeat the same conjuration you initially used to empower the water. You can sprinkle as much or as little of the water as you think you need. Throw the bag out when completed.

Note: If you are doing this activity with more than one person, each individual should use water empowered only for them and a personal herb bag.

Say: “Thank you!” and smile.

On the white candle, inscribe the word wind with a pin, nail, or clay-inscribing tool. Place the candle in safe holder, and light. Intone the following charm:

Herbal magick, speak to me

Of wind and language in the trees

Of cleansing breath and harmony

Of balance, knowledge, destiny

Spirit power lies in me!

Face east, and hold the candle out in front of you. Slowly, so that you can fully experience the impact of your own words, say:

I seek the source

I breathe in the source

I connect completely with the source of all things

Peace with the gods

Peace with nature

Peace within.

Face south, continuing to hold the candle out in front of you, and repeat: “I seek the source …” Face west, slowly intoning the same conjuration, followed by the north. Stand still, close your eyes, and raise the candle out and above your head, and repeat the conjuration (“I seek the source, I breathe in the source …”) one last time. Lift your thoughts as you say this, and join the sea of peace flowing throughout the universe. You should feel refreshed and experience a glorious connection with the source of all things.

At this moment, clearly state your signature herb aloud and say why you have chosen this plant.

Note: You need not begin with the east if this feels uncomfortable to you. Perhaps you’ve had previous training that places north as the source of all things. Or you could incorporate a bit of Spiritism, beginning with the west, moving across to the east, then down to the south, and up to the north. I would recommend against moving backwards, though, as this is a universal symbol of undoing, unless you really desire that type of energy in your life (which I wouldn’t recommend for HedgeWitch work).

Quietly meditate for a few minutes on the meaning of wind in the life of a spiritual person and the necessity of connecting with the source at all times, even when we are tense, angry, sick, or unhappy (when this connection is most needed, but we often let our emotions overshadow this wonderful connection). You can close your eyes during this meditation, or you can simply sit outside and enjoy nature and take a walk in a field, by the beach, or in the woods. If you are having trouble with a jumble of thoughts, simply repeat any of the conjurations given so far or use the affirmation of this day. When you are finished, draw your personal sigil of the wind on the paper. Repeat the word wind as you lay your hand over the finished drawing. Smile. Say: “Thank you! It always works. This rite is finished. Always a blessing!” Remember to smile!

Allow the candle to burn completely, if you can. In your journal, dedicate at least one page to first night wind. Record any experiences that occurred today which you feel are relevant. Write about the rite and your feelings. Leave space to record your dreams from this night and a large-enough area to add more notes about the wind, your connection to Source/Spirit, or your new purpose in general that might unfold tomorrow. Redraw or place your wind sigil in your journal, and be sure to record your signature herb. Carry your magick key with you. Dispose of water, cold candle end, used incense, and wet herbal bag in a way that is comfortable to you.

Before you drift off to sleep, close this evening by saying:

Peace with the gods

Peace with nature

Peace within.

It always works.

Always a blessing.

Remember to smile!