Note: This is an important lesson for the student. Do not rush through it. Read and study it carefully. Read it several times over. You should become thoroughly familiar with its contents.
WITCHCRAFT IS FIRST and foremost a religion. Worship of the Lord and the Lady is therefore the prime concern of the Witch. Magick is secondary to that worship.
Yet magick does play a part in most, if not all, religions (in Roman Catholicism, for example, transubstantiation is pure magick).As in other religions, then, so in Witchcraft we find magick—but, I reiterate, as a secondary aspect.
In itself, magick is a practice. If all you want to do is to work magick, then you do not need to become a Witch to do it. Anyone can do magick . . . or, at least, can attempt to do it. Such a person is a Magician.
There are many different forms of magick; dozens, perhaps even hundreds. Some can be very dangerous: in Ceremonial Magick, for example; when the Magician is conjuring and working with various entities, most of whom are decidedly antagonistic toward the Magician. Some traditions of the Craft do tend to lean toward this aspect of Ceremonial Magick in their workings, for whatever reason, and do in fact conjure various beings. But this can be dangerous. Not only that, but to my mind it is totally unnecessary. It is a little like trying to hook up a 1,000-volt power line to run a transistor radio! Why take the risk when a simple little battery will do the job just as well and without the danger? The magick dealt within this book, although quite as effective as any other, is safe . . . you cannot get hurt.
Primitive Man works magically by imagining what he wants. He sits and “sees” himself hunting an animal. He “sees” himself attack it and kill it. He “sees” himself then with food. Sometimes, to help him see these things, he draws pictures. He paints a picture, or carves a model, of himself hunting and killing. All of this is part of what is called “sympathetic” magic . . . To help you “see,” or visualize, there are some exercises you can do. The first is easy.
Take a picture from a magazine—let’s say it is of a house. Look at it carefully. Study it. See all the details of the house and of the rest of the picture. See the shape of the roof; the windows and where they are. See the door(s) and the front steps, if there are any. See the garden and the fence, if there is one. See the roadway outside the house, and any people who might be in the picture.
Now tear the picture in half. Take one of the halves and lay it on a sheet of white paper. Look at it. Visualize the missing half of the picture. See it whole. See all the details as you remember them. You can then check with the other half of the picture to see if you’re correct [see illustration 1].
The Everyday Practice of Voodoo
Boko Gede
CBE Books, Calif. 1984
You can do this sort of exercise with more and more complicated pictures, till you are able to visualize all details easily [see illustration 2].
Now take a picture of the person (this can be used for healing, among other things) . . . You need to study it till you can see him or her, in all detail, without the picture being there. You need to be able to see, to visualize, him or her doing what you want them to do . . . see it—concentrate on it [see illustration 3].
The Everyday Practice of Voodoo
Boko Gede
CBE Books, Calif. 1984
But what, exactly, is “magick”? It is one of those words that have different connotations for different people. First of all I am not talking about stage “magic”—conjuring, or prestidigitation. Pulling rabbits out of hats and sawing young ladies in half is pure illusion. Indeed, to differentiate between this and other true magick, that of Witchcraft and the occult world is spelled with a final “k”—magick— the old spelling. Magick done for good purposes is labeled “white magick”; that done for evil purposes, “black magick.”These terms have no racial connotations. They come from the early Persian concepts of Good and Evil. Zoroaster (Zarathustra) decided that of all the many, until then, good spirits or devi, there was actually only one who was all-good. This was Ahura Mazda—the Sun; the light. Now, if you have an all-good deity then you need an all-evil opposite (you cannot have white unless you have black as a contrast), so the role was given to Ahriman—the Darkness. The other minor devi became “devils.” This concept of all-good/all-bad was picked up later in Mithraism and then moved west into Christianity. So from Persia do we get the basic ideas for white magick and black magick.
Aleister Crowley defined magick as “the art or science of causing change to occur in conformity with
Illustration 1
Illustration 2
Illustration 3
Will.” In other words, making something happen that you want to happen. How do we make these things happen? By using the “power” (for want of a better word) that each of us has within. Sometimes we must supplement that power by calling on the gods, but for most things, we can produce all that we need ourselves.
Physical Body
To be able to produce power, though, we must be in good shape. A sick tree bears little fruit. Keep yourself in good physical condition. You do not have to run five or ten miles a day, or have to lift weights to do this. Just see to it that you do not get grossly overweight (or underweight, for that matter). Watch your diet. Cut down on the junk food and try to keep a “balanced” diet; though what is balanced for one person may not be so for another. Try to stick to natural foods. Avoid sugar (aptly known as “the white death!”) and bleached flour. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit. I do not suggest you become a vegetarian, but do not overindulge in meat. You will know if you are in good shape because you will feel good.
Cleanliness, before working magick, is important. It is good practice to cleanse the inner body by fasting. Eat and drink nothing but water, honey, and whole-wheat bread for twenty-four hours beforehand. No alcohol or nicotine; no sexual activity (this latter is especially important when preparing for sex magick, see below). Before the ritual, bathe in water to which has been added a tablespoonful of salt; preferably sea salt (this can be purchased at most supermarkets or at health-food stores).
Circle
The Circle itself is important. When magick is to be done, the Circle must be constructed with more care than might otherwise be the case. Dimensions may be as given in the earlier lesson, but the Circle must be
What is Witchcraft but the human control of natural forces through a supernatural power? . . . With fasting and incantation, with conjuring, men snare that power and use it—without actually knowing what it is that they use. So Witchcraft is the science of that power, within whose cult all mysteries merge and mingle.
Witches Still Live
Theda Kenyon
Washburn, N.Y. 1929
Never do magick “just to see if it works”—it probably will not —or just to prove to someone that it does. Do it only when there is a real need. It is hard work when you do it properly.
very carefully cast and consecrated at the Erecting the Temple. Make sure the point of the sword, or athame, follows the line of the circle exactly. The person casting the Circle should direct as much personal energy down through the instrument and into the Circle as possible—give a good, thorough sprinkling and censing. Magick is done at the Esbat Circle, of course, so the Esbat and/or Full/New Moon ceremony will be conducted, followed by the Cakes and Ale. At this latter, the coven will discuss fully what work (magick) is to be done and exactly how it is to be done. Then— just before actually starting the work—let the priest or priestess once more go around the Circle with sword or athame, to reinforce it (second sprinkling and censing not necessary, however). A few moments should then be spent meditating on the whole picture of what is to be done. As you will see, below, in the actual working of the magick you will be concentrating on the end result, but for now, right at the start, meditate on all that is to be accomplished.
Entry and Exit
At no time during the working of magick should the Circle be broken. At other times it is possible to leave the Circle and return, though this should always be done with care—and no more than absolutely necessary.
Leaving the Circle
With athame in hand, standing in the east, make a motion as though cutting across the lines of the Circle, first on your right and then on your left (figure 11.1A–B). You may then walk out of the Circle, between the lines. If you like, you can imagine that you have cut a gateway, or doorway in the east, through which to pass.
Some Wiccans start the cut at the ground on one side and come up to their full height, over in a curve, and then down all the way to the ground again on the other side, as though cutting out a large doorway. This is not really necessary since the very act of cutting across the lines of the consecrated Circle, with the athame, is sufficient to open it.
Re-entry
When you return to the Circle, walk back in through that same eastern gateway and “close” it behind you by “reconnecting” the lines of the Circle. Three circles were originally cast: one with the sword; one with the salted water; one with the censer. So you have three lines to reconnect. You do this by moving your blade backward and forward along the lines (figure 11.1C). Incidentally, this is why the blade of the athame is double-edged—so that it will “cut” in either direction, in this and similar magickal actions.
To finish, you “seal” the break by raising your athame and moving the blade to describe a pentagram. Start at the top and bring down to the bottom
Figure 11.1A
Figure 11.1B
Figure 11.1C
Figure 11.1D
left. Then move it up and diagonally across to the right; straight across to the left; diagonally down to the bottom right, and finally, back up to the top where you started (figure 11.1D). Then kiss the blade of your athame and return to your place.
Normally once the Circle starts, no one should leave it until the Clearing the Temple. The Circle should not, therefore, be broken unless absolutely necessary (such as when someone has to go to the bathroom!). If the person cutting out is to be gone for some time, then she or he should do steps A and B (above), pass through, then do step C to temporarily close the Circle whilst gone. On returning, she or he will then need to cut through again (at the same spot; steps A and B), pass through and close as usual with step C, followed by step D to seal it.
Once magick work is started, the circle must not be broken.
Cone of Power
We all have power within our bodies. It is this same power that can be used for healing; that can be seen as the aura; that can move inanimate objects; that lets you see things in a crystal ball or in the tarot cards. It is a very awesome power, and when used as you are about to learn, one that can change your very life.
When working in a coven, the power can be drawn off from the individuals and—contained by the confines of the consecrated Circle—blended together to form one massive instrument to “cause change to occur in conformity with Will.” Needless to say, the wills of all the coven members must be directed toward the same end. Whether from a group or from an individual Witch, the power generates and collects in the form of a cone, over the Circle. Once sufficient power has been produced, then this cone of power can be directed.
Whenever you are working magick, make sure that you are not going to be disturbed. You are going to be putting all your energies, all your concentration into the work you are doing. You cannot do this if, at the back of your mind, you are worrying that
What sort of magick is done? Mainly works of healing, though not always. A few examples might be in order. Any one of them, looked at separately, could be dismissed with the word “coincidence.” Coincidence, however, is a very handy word and much used whenever something appears unusual, incredible, or at all difficult to understand. When a large number of examples are produced, “coincidence” itself becomes a little strained. Witches have done sufficient to prove to themselves that it is not coincidence. Whether anyone believes them or not is unimportant—they believe.
Witchcraft from the Inside
Raymond Buckland
Llewellyn,Mn 1971
someone will discover you, that the neighbors will complain about noise, that the telephone will ring (take it off the hook), or that you will, in some way, be interrupted. Be secure.
Dancing and Chanting
There are several ways of building up the power within your body, before releasing it. I will start by looking at the most common method: that of dancing and chanting. Dancing and chanting are found universally, in ancient civilizations, and even in tribal societies today: the Amerindian, the African, the Australian, and many more.
In his book Witchcraft Today, Gerald Gardner gives an example of how music—in this case a simple drum beat—can affect the mind: “They told me they could make me fighting mad. I did not believe it, so they got me to sit, fixed in a chair so that I could not get out. Then one sat in front of me playing a little drum; not a tune, just a steady tom-tom-tom. We were laughing and talking at first . . . it seemed a long time, although I could see the clock and knew it was not. The tom-tom-tom went on and I felt silly; they were watching me and grinning and those grins made me angry. I did realize that the tom-tomming seemed to be a little quicker and my heart seemed to be beating very hard. I felt flashes of heat. I was angry at their silly grins. Suddenly I felt furiously angry and wanted to pull loose out of the chair; I tugged out and would have gone for them, but as soon as I started moving they changed their beat and I was not angry any longer.”
By dancing around in a circle, especially to a regular beat or the rhythm of a chant, you can set the blood coursing through the veins. As the dance and the beat quickens, so does your heartbeat. You feel hotter; you get excited, the power builds. Most Circle dances, then, start fairly slowly and gradually build up, faster and faster, to a climax.
Invoking a pentagram
Cone of Power
As part of a coven, you can dance around (deosil, of course) holding hands, or you can dance individually. But joining hands does join the energies and help build up everyone’s power together, evenly. Actual steps of the dances and examples of suitable music are to be found in appendix D.
What to chant as you dance? You want something simple and something rhythmic. By simple I mean not only noncomplex but also intelligible. No mumbo-jumbo! Some covens dance around chanting strange words that no one knows the meaning of. How can you put feeling into what you are saying if you do not know what you are saying? You are working magick to bring money? . . . then chant about bringing money. Why not something like, “Lord and Lady, we’re your Witches. Make us happy; bring us riches”? It may seem mundane and non-mystical, but it is a lot easier to put feeling into that (and to remember the words) than it is into something like, “Lamach, lamach, bacharous, carbahaji, sabalyos, barylos . . . ” Not only is it simple and more intelligible, but it is rhythmic. There is a definite beat to it that you can put to a dance step. As you have seen from Gerald Gardner’s experiment, the beat is important; it can really affect you.
So there are no set words, no ready-made chants, no “Turn to page 27, chant number 33” for you. Magick must suit the individual, or the individual coven. Let the coven sit down together, either during the Cakes and Ale or as a separate, pre-Esbat, “business” meeting, and work out exactly what you want to say; which words you will all feel comfortable with. Solitary Witches will have to do this alone, of course. Remember: simplicity and rhythm.
Feeling
Feeling . . . perhaps the strongest single element in the practice of magick. To produce the power, you must feel strongly about what you are trying to do. Let us say a coven is trying to relocate an old man who needs to get out of a high-crime neighborhood. Every member of the coven must:
(a) feel strongly that it is right for the old man to move, and
(b) know where they are trying to move him.
The coven—or the individual, if a Solitary— must care about the old man as much as if he were their own father. They must really want to help him. This is why it is easier to do magick for yourself— and there is absolutely no reason why you should not do magick for yourself than to do it for someone else. The person who will have the strongest feelings about the case, the strongest desire for its success, is the person primarily involved in the case . . . and that is the best person to do the magick for it.
Get a clear picture in your mind of what you want done. Think, especially, of the end result. For example, supposing you want to write a best-selling novel. Do not think of yourself doing the actual writing of the novel. Rather, think of the novel having already been written (by you, of course), accepted, and published, and see, in your mind, the finished book. See it in its dustjacket (or as a paperback) in the bookstores; see your name on it; see people buying it; see it on the bestseller list; see yourself at autograph parties. Get this picture/these pictures clear in your mind and concentrate your energy to that end. See a stream of white light, as it were (or however you might want to picture the flow of energy), coming from you—directed by you—and leading to that end result. Do not see a thing working— see it finished.
In the example used earlier, do not see the old man moving out of his present neighborhood; see him living happily in a new neighborhood. This is one of the secrets of successful magick—the visualization of the end result.
Drawing Down Power
In Ceremonial Magick there is a tool much used, known as the wand (or magick wand). Several traditions of the Craft (e.g., Gardnerian, Alexandrian, Huson) have borrowed this wand—and other tools—from Ceremonial Magick, yet I feel the tool itself is unnecessary. We of the Craft have our own tool that can do all that the Magician’s wand can do . . . it is the athame. The wand is seen as a projection, or extension, of the Magician’s arm; a storage cell and projector of his or her power. The athame is all that too, so why bother with the wand?
If you should need to reinforce the power you are going to raise; if you perhaps feel (and this might especially be true of a Solitary) that you may not be able to produce enough power for what you want to accomplish, then you can “draw down” power from the gods, to aid you. As you complete your dancing, and just before releasing the power (see below), draw your athame and hold it, with both hands, above your head. Call upon the Lord and Lady, by whichever names you use, either silently or by actually calling their names aloud, and feel a surge of energy come down your arms, from the athame, and into your body. Then swing the athame down, to point out and away from you, and release the power.
Releasing the Power
Your aim is to build up the power to as high a point as possible and then to release it to cause the change, or work the magick. Think of it as similar to a child’s air rifle: the child pumps up the gun— the more pumps he or she gives it, the stronger will be the force—then aims it and releases the power by squeezing the trigger. You are “pumping up” your power by dancing and chanting. Now to aim and squeeze the trigger.
Make sure you have pumped up to maximum. Dance faster and faster and chant faster and louder, until you feel you are ready to burst. Then, stop dancing and drop to your knees (or flat on the floor, or however you feel best. You will find this by experimentation.) If necessary, draw down the power. Take aim: get that picture in your mind and focus it. You will feel the power within you as you focus; you will feel the power trying to burst out. Hold it as long as you can, keeping that picture in mind. When you feel you just cannot hold it any more, release it—let it burst out of you as you shout the key word. If you are working for money, then shout,“ Money!” If for love, “Love!” If for a new job, “Job!”
In your earlier deliberations, during Cakes and Ale, decide what is to be the key word. This is the release; the squeezing of the trigger. And shout it out! Do not be self-conscious; do not worry about the neighbors; do not think, “What will people think?” Just shout it out and release all that accumulated power. Obviously, not everyone in a coven will release at the same time. That is all right. Each person releases as she or he is ready. Afterward, you will probably collapse, completely exhausted . . . but you will feel good! Take your time recovering. Have a glass of wine (or fruit juice) and relax before Clearing the Temple.
In some traditions the power is directed by the coveners into the priest or priestess who, in turn, does the actual releasing and directing. This can be quite effective, though I have found that it takes a strong priest or priestess to properly handle the accumulation of power and the direction, so I do not generally recommend this method.
Timing
It is important to know when to do your magick. In an earlier lesson I talked about the phases of the Moon. The Moon is your clock and your calendar for working magick. If the Moon is waxing, then that is the time for constructive magick—and the best time is as close to the Full Moon as possible. If it is waning, then that is the time for destructive magick—and the best time is as close to the New Moon as possible.
Constructive magick is that which is for increase. For example, moving an old man from a bad neighborhood to a good one is definitely going to increase his happiness. Love magick is constructive, as is the acquisition of a new job, wealth, success, and health.
Destructive magick is usually concerned with the ending of things: a love affair; a bad habit; a way of life.
Consider the problem carefully and decide on the best way to work. For example, if you want to be rid of an old girlfriend or boyfriend and get a new one, do you work to end the one or to start the other? Or do you do both? The answer can be summed up with “think positive.” In other words, as much as possible, work for the constructive aspect. If you concentrate on getting a new girlfriend or boyfriend then that will probably take care of the old one automatically. When in doubt, work at the Waxing Moon.
Always remember the Wiccan Rede: “An’ it harm none, do what though wilt.” Do not do any magick that will harm anyone in anyway whatsoever, or interfere with his or her free will. If in doubt; do not do it.
It is often a good idea, especially when working on something very important (of course you should not be wasting your time and effort on anything unimportant anyway), such as a healing, to work at it over a period of time. For example, you could do the work once a week throughout the Moon’s phase. Let us say that the New Moon falls on July 30 and the Full Moon on August 15. Then you could start your magick on August 1, repeat it on the 8th, and do a final working on the night of the Full Moon itself, the 15th.
Days of the week can play a part too. For example, Friday is always associated with Venus who, in turn, is associated with love. So do love magick on a Friday, if at all possible. The correlation of days and planets, with their governing of properties, is as follows. Choose your day for working magick based on these.
| Monday | Moon | Merchandise; dreams; theft |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | Mars | Matrimony; war; enemies; prison |
| Wednesday | Mercury | Debt; fear; loss |
| Thursday | Jupiter | Honor; riches; clothing; desires |
| Friday | Venus | Love; friendship; strangers |
| Saturday | Saturn | Life; building; doctrine; protection |
| Sunday | Sun | Fortune; hope; money |
Cord Magick
Many Witches and covens work cord magick. For this you will need a cord, or cingulum as it is sometimes called, that is nine feet long (three times three; the perennial magick number) and is red in color (the color of blood; the life force). It is best to make your own by taking three lengths of red silk (or wool, nylon, whatever you prefer—though natural materials are best) and plaiting them into one. As you plait, concentrate on putting yourself—your energies—into it so that it becomes another part of you. Like your athame, no one else should ever use your cord but you. Tie a knot at each end to keep it from unraveling. Make sure it is nine feet long.
Consecrate the cord when done. Use the consecration given in lesson 5, but using the words “Here do I present my cord for your approval . . . would that it henceforth may serve me as a tool, in thy service.” Some traditions use their cords tied about their robes and wear them all the time at Circles. I would suggest you keep yours for strictly magickal use, since it is a purely magickal instrument. When not in use, keep it wrapped in a piece of clean white linen or silk.
One magickal use of the cord is as a “storage cell” for the power. Rather than dancing around and working as a group, the coven will work as individuals, sitting and chanting, holding the cord in hand (the same is obviously done by the Solitary). As the power starts to build, each covener will—taking his or her own time and ignoring, or mentally separating himself or herself from the others—pause from time to time to tie a knot in the cord. The first knot is tied at one end, with the words, “By knot of one, the spell’s begun.” They will then go back to chanting—oftentimes swaying from side to side, or back and forth—until they feel it is time to tie another knot. This is tied in the opposite end with the words, “By knot of two, it cometh true.” Then back to the chanting. As they chant, the coven also pictures what they want . . . they “take aim,” as I put it in “Releasing the Power,” above. So it goes on; chanting and picturing, then tying a knot. As the power builds, more knots are tied until there are nine knots in the cord. They are tied in a particular pattern and with appropriate words. The first knot, as I have said, is tied at one end; the second at the other end. The third is tied in the middle. The fourth is halfway between the first and third; the fifth halfway between the second and third. Here is the pattern of tying, together with the appropriate words:
By knot of one, the spell’s begun
By knot of two, it cometh true
By knot of three, so mote it be
By knot of four, this power I store
By knot of five, the spell’s alive
By knot of six, this spell I fix
By knot of seven, events I’ll leaven
By knot of eight, it will be fate
By knot of nine, what’s done is mine.
At the tying of the last (ninth) knot, all the energy is directed into the cord and its knots, with a final visualization of the object of the work. The power has been raised and is now “stored” in these knots in the cord. There are old woodcuts, from the Middle Ages, which show Witches selling knotted cords to sailors. They were supposed to have tied-up winds in the cords so that if the sailor needed a wind for his ship, he just untied a knot and got it—one knot for a light breeze, two for a strong wind, and three for a gale!
Why would you want to store a spell? For some magick, the time for it to happen is important. Suppose, for example, that you want something constructive to happen, but the most propitious time for it to do so happens to be close to the New Moon. Do you do your constructive magick during the Waning Moon? No. You do it early on, at the Full Moon, using a cord.*
Now the power is there, properly raised, but stored for use.
You have nine knots. Although they are all tied in one ritual, these must be released one at a time— one a day—for nine consecutive days. Release them in the same order in which they were tied, not the reverse order. In other words, on the first day untie the knot that was first tied (at one end); on the second day, the second knot tied (at the other end); and so on. In this fashion, the last knot untied, on the ninth day, is the ninth knot that was tied at the climax of the tying ritual—the time of greatest power. Each day, before you actually untie, do your concentration on what is to happen, rocking and again building power. Then, as you release the knot, release the power also with a shout.
Another use of the cords is in dancing, to raise power. Each Witch holds the two ends of her or his cord, with the center looped through that of the person opposite in the Circle:
Instead of holding hands to dance around, the coven is connected with the intertwining cords like the spokes of a great wheel.
Candle Magick
In an earlier part of this book, I spoke of early woman’s and man’s sympathetic magick; the construction of clay models of the animals to be hunted and then the attacking of these clay figures. Examples similar to this can be found throughout history: circa 1200 B.C.E. an Egyptian treasury official used a wax figure in a conspiracy against Ramses III; King Nectanebo 11(350 B.C.E.) fought all his battles ahead of time using wax figures. For hundreds, if not thousands, of years people of all races and religions have done this same sort of sympathetic magick using candles rather than clay or wax effigies. Not only are candles used to represent people, but also to represent things: love, money, attraction, discord, etc. By burning different types of candles and manipulating them in various ways, much magick can be done.
The candles can be of any sort, it is the color that is important. For this the following tables are important: candle magick can be done on your regular altar, but since many rituals require that the candles be left set up for a period, it might be a good idea to use a supplementary altar. This could be a card table, coffee table, box, top of a chest of drawers—almost anything. You will have a white altar candle (with God and Goddess figures on either side, if you wish). In front of this will be your censer, water, and salt. These are the basics.
Now let us look at a typical candleburning ritual. The one “To Win the Love of Another” makes a good example. On one side (the left) of the altar place the candle representing the petitioner (either yourself or the person for whom you are doing the ritual). On the other side of the altar place a candle to represent the one you wish to attract.
Here let me interject to say that you should never try to interfere with another’s free will. You must not, therefore, perform such a ritual as this, aimed at a specific person. For the second candle, use one
Color Symbolism in Magick
Table 1. Astral Colors
| Sun Sign | Birth Date | Primary Color | Secondary Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aquarius | January 20-February 18 | Blue | Green |
| Aries | March 21-April 19 | White | Pink |
| Taurus | April 20-May 20 | Red | Yellow |
| Gemini | May 21-June 21 | Red | Blue |
| Cancer | June 22-July 22 | Green | Brown |
| Leo | July 23-August 22 | Red | Green |
| Virgo | August 23-September 22 | Gold | Black |
| Libra | September 23-October 22 | Black | Blue |
| Scorpio | October 23-November 21 | Brown | Black |
| Sagitarius | November 22-December 21 | Gold | Red |
| Capricorn | December 22-January 19 | Red | Brown |
Table 2. Symbolism of Colors
| White | Purity, truth, sincerity |
| Red | Strength, health, vigor, sexual love |
| Light blue | Tranquility, understanding, patience, health |
| Dark blue | Impulsiveness, depression, changeability |
| Green | Finance, fertility, luck |
| Gold/yellow | Attraction, persuasion, charm, confidence |
| Brown | Hesitation, uncertainty, neutrality |
| Pink | Honor, love, morality |
| Black | Evil, loss, discord, confusion |
| Purple | Tension, ambition, business progress, power |
| Silver/gray | Cancellation, neutrality, stalemate |
| Orange | Encouragement, adaptability, stimulation, attraction |
| Greenish-yellow | Sickness, cowardice, anger, jealousy, discord |
Table 3. Days of the Week
| Sunday | Yellow |
| Monday | White |
| Tuesday | Red |
| Wednesday | Purple |
| Thursday | Blue |
| Friday | Green |
| Saturday | Black |
for the type of person you wish to attract. For example, you might use a pink candle if you desire someone loving and affectionate; a red one for someone energetic and sexually strong. Or you could use a Cancer (Sun sign) candle for someone sensitive and home loving, a Leo candle for a forceful leader; a Virgo candle for someone analytical and painstaking. With any of these, of course, you cannot find just one or two colors to signify all that you might want in a lover, so you might prefer just to go with a plain white candle. Whichever you use, you can elaborate on your desires when you “dress” it (see below). For the petitioner’s candle (on the left), go by table 1, according to birth date.
The candles of the two principles must be “dressed” before use. This is done by anointing them all over with oil. If you cannot obtain special candle-anointing oil, then ordinary olive oil will do. Rub the candles from the center outward (see figure 11.2), concentrating your thoughts on the person represented as you do so. See yourself (or the petitioner) as you rub the first candle. Mentally name it; saying that it represents you (her or him). For the second candle you will not be using a name, of course, but concentrate your mind on the attributes you wish for in the unknown person you want to attract.
Next to each of these astral candles stands a red candle. From Table 2 you can see that red equals strength, health, vigor, and sexual love. These red offeratory candles, then, will ensure that you are both attracted to one another for those reasons you already have in mind.
Now for the actual attraction part. Beside your own astral candle stand a gold candle. Again from table 2, you can see that gold (or yellow) is for attraction, persuasion, charm, and confidence. So by your charm and confidence you are going to attract the person you want; to persuade her or him to come to you.
Your altar is now set up like the diagram on the following page.
Figure 11.2
The ritual is started by drawing a circle about you and the altar with your athame, and consecrating it as usual. Now meditate for a moment on what you want to achieve.
Light the candle representing the petitioner and say:
“Here is . . . (petitioner’s name) . . . this candle is her/ him. This flame burns as does her/his spirit.”
Light red #1 candle and say:
“The love of . . . (name) . . . is great and is here shown. It is a good strong love and sought by many.”
Light astral candle of the love desired and say:
“This is the heart of another; one whom s/he will love and desire. I picture her/him before me.”
Light red #2 candle and say:
“The love s/he has for . . . (petitioner’s name) . . . grows with this flame.
Altar candle
Diagram of an altar
It burns as does the light and is forever drawn toward her/him.
Great is the love that each has for the other.”
Light gold candle and say:
“Here draws the one toward the other.
Such is their love that all feel its attraction.
This candle burns and draws them ever near. Powerful is the persuasion.
Ever does he feel the pull;
the thought of her is constant.
His days are long with yearning for her,
his nights are filled with desire.
To be as one, together,
is all that he would wish.
To be as one, forever, is his immediate need. For no rest shall he find until beside her he does lie.
Her every wish he’ll move to fill,
to serve, to live—not die.
He cannot fight a pull so strong,
nor would he think to fight;
he wishes but to ride the stream to her, at journey’s end.
Where the Sun goes up shall her love be by her;
where the Sun goes down there will he be.”
Sit for a moment before extinguishing the candles (which should be blown out, not pinched out). Repeat the ritual every day, moving the astral and red #2 candles one inch toward the petitioner each time. Continue daily until astral and red #2 candles finally touch the petitioner.
You should be able to see the sympathetic qualities of the above ritual. This is typical of candleburning magick. There is obviously insufficient room in this lesson to give you all possible rituals. You can make up your own or you may prefer to turn to my book, Practical Candleburning Rituals (Llewellyn Publications, 1982), which contains rituals for nearly thirty different needs.
Figure 11.3
Figure 11.4
Candleburning magick can be done by a whole coven, with one or more speaking the words and doing the lighting and moving (where necessary) of the candles.
Love Magick
There is probably more interest in so-called “love philtres” and “potions” than in any other form of magick. The vast majority of these, however, belong in the realm of fiction. But there are rituals that do work. One of the best known and most effective is the one involving the use of poppets. These poppets represent the lovers. As with any sympathetic magick, what is done to the poppets is done to the lovers.
A poppet is a specially prepared cloth doll. It is a simple, rough figure cut from two pieces of cloth (figure 11.3). Whilst cutting the cloth, you should be concentrating on the person it represents. It may then be worked on further by embroidering it with the facial features; special characteristics (e.g., beard and moustache; long, flowing hair). Even astrological signs of the person may be put on it. If you are not too good at embroidery, then put these on with a magic-marker or pen. Now sew around the figure leaving just the top open (figure 11.4). The figure should then be stuffed with appropriate herbs, again while the actual person is being concentrated upon. Such herbs as verbena, vervain, feverfew, artemesia, yarrow, valerian, motherwort, rosebuds, elder, or damiana can be used. These are the herbs governed by Venus. The top may then be sewn up.
Two figures are prepared in this way; one representing the male and the other the female. All of this preparation, of course, should take place in the Circle, and can be done by the individual or by the whole coven.
Since you are seeking your “ideal mate” then, as with candleburning (above), make the second figure with all the qualities that you seek. It is nameless but again can display physical desires (e.g.,
Figure 11.5
long, blonde hair) and be made with all attributes in mind. Remember, this is strong magick. It is for a permanent relationship, so do not use it just to obtain a partner for a brief affair.
When ready, lay the poppets on the altar, one at the left-hand end of your sword, or athame, and one at the right-hand end. They should be in front of the weapon. Also on the altar lay a piece of red ribbon, twenty-one inches in length.
Petitioner: “O mighty God and Goddess, Hear now my plea to you. My plea for true love for . . . (name) . . . and for her desire.”
Petitioner takes up one of the poppets and, dipping her fingers into the salted water, sprinkles it all over. She then passes it through the smoke of the incense, turning it so that all parts get well censed. While doing this she says:
Petitioner: “I name this poppet . . .
(petitioner’s name) . . .
It is her in every way.
As she lives, so lives this poppet.
Aught that I do to it, I do to her.”
Petitioner replaces the poppet and picks up the other one. Sprinkling and censing it, she says:
Petitioner: “This poppet is her desired mate in every way. As he lives,
so lives this poppet.
Aught that I do to it,
I do to him.”
Petitioner replaces poppet, then kneels before the altar with one hand resting lightly on each poppet. With eyes closed, she pictures the two represented people slowly coming together, meeting, kissing ,and embracing. As she does this—which should not be hurried—she should slowly move the two poppets along the length of the sword toward one another until they eventually meet. At this point, she may open her eyes, and holding the poppets together, face to face, say:
Petitioner: “Thus may they be drawn one to the other,
strongly and truly.
To be together always as one.
No more shall they be separated;
no more alone,
but ever fast together as one.”
The poppets should now be laid together in the center of the altar, with the sword resting across on top of them. For the next ten minutes or so, the petitioner (if Solitary) or the whole coven may start to dance around and work magick, in the usual way, directed to the end of bringing the two people together.
As an alternative, the petitioner or coven may simply sit in meditation and concentrate on seeing the two people together—happy, laughing, enjoying one another’s company, and obviously in love.
This ritual should be performed on a Friday, during the Waxing Moon, and repeated on the following two Fridays. If the calendar is such that it is impossible to get three Fridays in the waxing phase of the Moon, then do it on a Friday, Wednesday, and Friday. Always aim to have the final Friday ritual as close to the Full Moon as possible. Between rituals, if the altar cannot be left set up with the two poppets on it (lying under the sword), then they should be taken (kept together, face to face) and wrapped in a clean, white cloth and put somewhere where they will not be disturbed.
On the final Friday, after the above ritual has been performed, continue as follows:
Petitioner: “Now may the Lord and the Lady bind these two together, as I do bind them here.”
She takes up the poppets and binds the red ribbon several times around the two, tying the ends together about them.
Petitioner: “Now are they forever one,
even as the gods themselves.
may each truly become a part of the other that, separated,
they would seem incomplete.
So mote it be!”
The bound poppets are placed beneath the sword again and left for a few moments while the petitioner meditates (no dancing or chanting this time).
After completion of the ritual, the poppets should be wrapped in the clean, white cloth and kept carefully where they will never be unbound.
Sex Magick
This is one of the most potent forms of magick, for here we are dealing very much with the life forces. Dr. Jonn Mumford, in Sexual Occultism, states that the most important psycho-physiological event, in the life of a human, is the orgasm. Sex Magick is the art of using the orgasm—indeed, the whole sexual experience—for magickal purposes. Successful sex magick involves an interplay of four factors: (1) all aspects of extrasensory perception are heightened during sexual excitation; (2) immediately before, during, and after climax the mind is in a state of hypersensitivity; (3) consistency of peak sexual sensations facilitates access to the unconscious realms; (4) during orgasm many people have experienced timelessness and a total dissolution of the ego, accompanied by subjective sensations of being “absorbed by” their partner.
The sex act is obviously the best possible, and most natural way of generating the power we need for magick. The whole copulation process follows the pattern of starting slowly and gradually building up, getting faster and faster, until the final explosion of the climax. Within the Circle this can be done by a single couple, by a whole coven, or by a Solitary Witch, as you will see.
Start out as usual with a short meditation on what you want to achieve. Then take up positions with males and females, in pairs, kneeling facing one another (I will deal with the Solitary in a moment). With eyes closed, allow your hands to pass slowly over your partner’s body, stroking and caressing. This should not be hurried and the object, of course, is to bring about sexual arousal. When ready, the man should sit crosslegged with the woman sitting on top of him, facing him, and with his penis inside her. Now a gentle rocking backward and forward should take place. The man should try to keep his erection yet not climax. At this point the concentration should move to the object of the magick (which will also help in delaying orgasm); the “taking aim” part. Get the required picture in his mind and focus on it. Work on it, generating the power within you—you will certainly feel it building—and holding off the orgasm just as long as you possibly can. When the man feels he can hold off no longer, he should allow himself to fall backward so that he is lying flat on the floor. As he climaxes he should release the power—actually see it, in his mind’s eye, flashing away from him in a line of white light. The woman should strive for orgasm at the same time, if necessary stimulating her clitoris with her fingers to achieve it. At completion she may fall (gently!) forward to lie on her partner—still united—for several minutes.
If the male has difficulty controlling ejaculation, it may be better for him to lay flat on his back at the outset (after the caressing stage) and for the woman to kneel astride him and move as he indicates.
As Jonn Mumford puts it, “If one considers the achievement of orgasm as analogous to launching a rocket to hit the Moon (e.g., the climax), then it is an unequivocal fact that so far as the neural pathways of the nervous system are concerned, the method by which the sexual skyrocket is launched is of absolutely no consequence. All the nervous system is concerned with is that contact explosion in inner space. The firing modality, be it masturbation, homosexuality, or heterosexuality, is irrelevent. Only the end result (orgasm) is important and any form of sexual behavior is but a means to an end.” So, for the Solitary Witch the answer is masturbation; remembering to hold off the orgasm just as long as possible. The longer it can be held off, the more power is generated.
Of course, there are alternatives for couples. It might be that the woman has her period; that the couple are of the same sex; that there is some other strong reason why actual intercourse cannot be indulged in (and let us try to lose the Victorian continence so many of us became imbued with from early Christian propaganda). One alternative is mutual masturbation. Another is oral sex. To once again quote Dr. Mumford, “Any repugnance to oral sex among Westerners is due to widespread confusion about the difference between bodily secretions (waste products no longer needed) and sexual secretions (fluids rich in nutrients) . . . biochemistry has discovered that fresh semen contains liberal quantities of calcium, iron, phosphorous, and Vitamin C.*” Oral sex can be especially suitable, of course, when all chances of pregnancy must be eliminated.
I have already emphasized the importance of bodily cleanliness for magick. Where sex magick is to be worked, it is especially important.
Sex magick can also be very useful as an adjunct to such things as divination and astral projection. If being used as a means of charging a cingulum, then the tying of the knots should be done with the woman tying the first, the man the second, and so on. When the ninth knot has been tied, then the cord should be wrapped around, tying the couple together as they approach orgasm.
One final word on sex magick. It is only one of many ways to work magick. If you feel it is not for you, then do not use it. It is as simple as that. No one is saying you have to use Sex Magick if you are a Witch; you do not. Also, if you want to use it but feel you could not in a full coven situation, then do it only on an individual basis. The important thing— as in all of Witchcraft—is that you should feel comfortable with what you are doing. You should not be coerced into anything.
Binding Spell
This is used to prevent someone from giving away a secret. It is again a form of sympathetic magick. A clay or wax effigy may be used, or a cloth poppet. In ritual it is named for the person it represents. Then, with appropriate words, the Witch takes a needle threaded with a twenty-one inch length of red silk, and sews up the mouth of the figure. She finishes off by winding the thread all around the body of the figure. The concentration is on the fact that the person is unable to speak on the forbidden subject—whatever the secret may be that is being safeguarded. At the end of the ritual, the poppet is stored away in a safe place, wrapped in a piece of white cloth. So long as the thread remains in place, the person represented is bound.
Protection
It is possible for the nicest person to have enemies. Some people may be jealous of you, misunderstand you, or just dislike the way you do your hair! Many people have said to me, “I do not need protection. I do not have any enemies.” But there are the above-type “enemies” that you would not even know about. They may well be as sweet as pie to you, to your face, but be bitterly jealous, or whatever, behind your back. How do you protect yourself against their negativity? How do you protect yourself in case some warped individuals decide to work magick against you? You do not want to hurt them, but you certainly want to protect yourself.
The best way is with a “Witch’s bottle.” This is an ancient defense, known throughout folklore. It is made on an individual basis. The idea is to protect yourself and, at the same time, send back whatever is being sent at you. You should never be the originator of harm, nor seek revenge, but you certainly can protect yourself.
To make a Witch’s bottle, take a regular jar such as a 6-ounce instant-coffee jar. Half fill it with sharp objects: broken glass, old razor blades, rusty nails and screws, pins, needles, etc. When the jar is half filled with these objects, urinate in it to fill it. If a woman is preparing her bottle, she should also try to get some menstrual blood into it. Now put the top on the jar and seal it with tape. It should then be buried in the ground, at least twelve inches deep, in an isolated spot where it can remain undisturbed. If you live in a city, then it will be worth a trip out of town to find some remote spot to bury it.
So long as the bottle remains buried and unbroken, it will protect you from any evil directed against you. This applies whether the evil is directed by an individual or by a group of people. Not only will it protect you, but it will also reflect back that evil on the sender(s). So the more he or she tries to harm you, the more he or she will be harmed by herself or himself.
Such a bottle should last almost indefinitely, but to be on the safe side I would suggest redoing the ritual once a year. With the present rate of housing development, you never know when your bottle may be dug up or inadvertently smashed.
Form of Ritual
As you can see there are many, many ways of working magick, far more than I can contain in this one lesson. I have not discussed the magick of healing, but will look at that in lesson 13.
Do not be afraid to experiment, but do play it safe. None of the magick I have recommended is of the type that involves conjuring up some unknown and unpredictable entity. Avoid that type of magick. That is where you can end up in deep trouble. Wiccan magick is just as powerful (perhaps more so) as any other type, when properly done.
Let me recap the basic form of ritual for the working of magick:
• Cast the Circle carefully. If it is a regular Esbat meeting, reinforce the Circle before starting the magick.
• Never break the Circle whilst working magick. Your power will leak out and who knows what might be attracted in.
• Discuss what is to be done and ensure that every one is quite clear on how it is to be done. Decide on the exact wording of any chants and on the key word for releasing the power.
• Start with a short meditation in which you see the whole story—the changing pattern from the present situation to the final (desired) situation.
• Work up the power by any of the following, or a combination of them: dance, chant, cords, sex, candleburning, poppets.
• Take aim—see the finished product.
• Release the power.
This has been an important lesson. Please study it well. You are getting closer to the time when you will be practicing all that you have learned. Perhaps this would be a good point at which to start a full review of all that I have discussed so far. Go back and reread your lessons.
Important Reminder
In both the text of this and the next lesson, and in the examination questions, I use examples of “love magick.” Please always remember that love magick directed at a specific individual should never be done, for to do so would be to interfere with people’s free will. You would be forcing them to do something they would not normally do and may not wish to do. The only sort of love magick permissible is that aimed nonspecifically . . . to bring “someone” to you, without knowing exactly who it will be. But far better to just work on yourself, to make yourself generally more attractive, than to try to change someone else.
Lesson Eleven Questions
1. What magickal methods proved to be most effective for you?
2. Relate some of your experiences, aftereffects, from working magick.
3. Write out some of the chants that have worked well in your magickal endeavors.
4. Draw a poppet that you will use in a ritual. What will you stuff it with? See Charms, Spells and Formulas by Ray Malbrough (Llewellyn, 1986) for more on poppets.
5. Draw your altar arrangements for candle magick. What color candles do you use for specific workings? Keep a log of the dates on which you have performed rituals and the results. Watch for patterns in planetary influences, colors, days of the week, etc.
6. Illustrate and explain how you construct your Circle for magick work.
7. Explain your procedure for Drawing Down the Power.
Examination Questions
for Lesson Eleven
1. What is magick? How do you prepare for it (before actually stepping into the Circle)? When do you use it?
2. How and where would you create a Cone of Power?
3. Write a chant to:
(a) Bring about a just court decision
(b) increase the yield of a farmer’s fields
(c) recover stolen goods.
Also, give the key word for releasing the power in each case.
4. A young woman has been deserted by her husband (he ran off with her “best friend”). She is left with three children and a pile of bills. Explain, in detail, what magick you would do for her, including the method, the whole story you plan (from present to final desired situation), the chant, the key word.
5. Write a short paragraph on why chants and rhymes are important.
6. You are a Solitary Witch. A dear friend comes to you asking for help. What would you advise (remember who is the best person to work magick)?
Please Read
Practical Candleburning Rituals by Raymond Buckland
Color Magick by Raymond Buckland
Recommended Supplementary Reading
Sexual Occultism by Jonn Mumford
Magical Herbalism by Scott Cunningham
Earth Power by Scott Cunningham
*This is not to say that all magick is instantaneous, of course. It is not. But the closer to the event you can work the climax of your magick, the better; similar to the example of working weekly from New to Full Moon.
* The Tantric facial pack par excellence is liberal quantities of fresh, warm semen upon the skin, with special attention to the oily areas of the forehead and nose. As the semen dries, it closes the pores with an astringent action and tightens the wrinkles, feeds the skin cells, and thus leaves the face rejuvenated and smooth.