Exercises
Over the course of Wiccan Witchcraft Year 1, you will be introduced to meditations, rituals and spells. This lesson will give you a meditation, and a spell to practice by yourself.
This meditation is especially useful for dealing with stress and worries. One of the biggest barriers towards magical working is anxiety, for when the brain is preoccupied it is difficult to concentrate and there is no space to raise positive energy. It is important to note that the following exercise will not make the things that you are worrying over disappear. What it will do is help you to put them into perspective and allow you the freedom to dispense with them for a period of time. What distinguishes a person who is less stressed than others isn't the amount or quality of concerns that they have; it is how they deal with these things that counts.
This meditation can be done in various ways; it can be practiced in the shower, during light summer rain or as a visualization in the comfort of a chair. Here I give the method for the latter, although it will be obvious how it can be adapted to the other two situations. Remember, Water represents negative, passive energy and is seen as having feminine qualities.
Light a candle in your meditation space. Use sandalwood or jasmine to perfume the air if you wish. Find a comfortable place to sit (lying down is not an option). Breathe in for nine, hold for seven and breathe out for nine. Repeat this cycle for a few minutes.
When you are ready, imagine that a light warm shower of rain is rhythmically pouring down upon your head and shoulders. Think of the things that have been bothering you. As you do so see the worries pour from your mind, down with the water and through your arms and legs, until eventually they seep through your hands and feet into the ground. Don't be tempted to try to force them out. Don't wish anyone or anything bad will -this is very important as it can have effects that can greatly complicate your life. As your worries flow with the rain, say "I release you and allow you to pass harmlessly into infinity." Notice that it is you that is allowing the releasing into infinity and no-one else. It is you that has the control over the release process.
By releasing your worries and your fears you are beginning to let go of the hold that you have allowed for them to have over you. Some of you may be resistant to this notion at first. That is OK, such a reaction is normal. You will find, though, that it is very empowering to realize that you are part of your problem. By changing your behavior, you will change your relationship to the source of your stress, and this in turn will then subtly change the dynamic of a situation in your favor.
As you feel the tension subside, see rays of sunshine appear through the clouds. Imagine a rainbow of shimmering light form in the sky. Know that this is a positive sign.
When you feel that you have given enough time to the outpouring of your anxieties become aware of your breathing again. Breathe in for nine, hold for seven and breathe out for nine. Repeat this pattern for a few minutes.
First a word about spells: It is generally true to say that the best spells are the ones that a Witch writes for themselves. This somewhat negates the importance of books that provide collections of spells for set purposes, you know the kind of thing; 101 Love Potions, 50 Spells To Make You Wealthy etc. However, Witches need to learn how spells function, what they look and sound like, the possibilities of various techniques, and so on.
One of the best ways to do this is to provide the trainee with some basics that they can then go away and adapt. There will be much more information about spells in a later lesson on magic in this work.
The Importance of Cleansing
Cleansing a space is very important as it frees the atmosphere from the residues of energy and events that have taken place within it. The amount of cleansing done will depend on the individual. Some Witches like to cleanse their living space at regular intervals to keep it "psychically fresh" whilst others reserve the cleansing process for a traumatic event. However, all Witches use cleansing regularly in their magical space. This is important as magic is difficult to effect in places where the Witch feels uncomfortable and under negative influences.
Cleansing works by giving the Witch the sense that they control the psychic happenings in the area that they have chosen to work in. Whether one explains this purely as psychology, or as the magical control of occult forces, makes little difference. The fact is, it is believed to work, and, as you will learn throughout this course, belief is one of the most important keys to magical working.
The method of ground and center, will, visualize, bless, seal, release (in varying combinations or with one or two additions) is common to all spell work.
Ground and Centre
Before starting any magical work it is important to use the technique of grounding and centering. A quick way to do this is to visualize a bright beam of light that stretches from just above your head down through your spine and into the ground. Allow yourself to feel the exchange of energy between you and the Earth and center yourself upon the balance of energies, breathing in and out slowly as you do so. This will have the effect of harmonizing energy within you before you start the spell work.
Will
Next set your intention. What is it that you want to will to be done? In effect this is setting your goal; try to be as specific as possible. An appropriate intention for this spell could be expressed as:
"I charge that this space shall be cleansed of all harmful negativity. I cast it from this place so that it returns safely to the Goddess who may recycle it as She sees fit."
Visualize
Hold your right arm in front of you and point your index finger at the center of the space you wish to cleanse. Now visualize a bright clear white light shooting forth from your finger. See the light entering the area and fill it completely. As you do this concentrate (but don't strain) on seeing the negativity completely dissipate.
Bless
Blessing is very important -it creates good feeling in all who hear it, including the speaker, and affirms the work in hand.
"I bless this space and all who come to be in it. May the light forever fill it and them."
Seal
Now seal the spell by uttering words of power. A favorite of Wiccans is
"So mote it be".
Release
A quick way of releasing energy is to imagine that bright light pours from your hands and feet down to the ground. For those of you who live in high rises it is important to see it dissipating into the Earth below the building. You can also use the Tree Meditation to get rid of any energy left floating around from the spell.
The tree meditation provides you with a way of grounding. During meditation, ritual, spell-craft or any other kind of magical work you are raising and working with energy. Grounding is the term used for the various ways that this energy can be harmlessly channeled back into the Earth. It is very important, once your work is finished, that the energy raised and worked with is properly dispersed, as, if it is not, it tends to hang around and become stale, creating lackluster feelings and tiredness. It can also be psychically damaging.
Light a candle in your meditation space and use either sandalwood or frankincense to perfume the air if you wish. Breathe in for seven, hold for four and breathe out for seven. Repeat this pattern for a few minutes. Try to just concentrate on your breath. This is harder than it sounds and you may find any number of images crowding into your mind. Don't worry if this happens; just gently bring your attention back to your breathing.
Imagine that you are sitting in a forest glade with your back against a tree.
Dappled light shines down on you through fresh green leaves. You can smell the scent of moss and pine, and feel the gentle rub of bark on your back.
Slowly allow yourself to become absorbed into the tree. Feel your back become as one with the bark and fiber of the trunk until you can sense the tree's energy flowing through your body.
Concentrate now on the light pouring down from the Sun, through the leaves, the twigs, the branches and the trunk of the tree. Feel the Sun's energy flowing through you as well. For a few moments allow the light to create a sense of well being and vitality as it seeps in to your very core.
When you are ready let this energy pass through you, back into the tree, from where you can feel it working its way downwards; down through the main roots, down through the root fibers, down to the dark rich earth.
Slowly and gradually become aware of your breathing. Breathe in for seven, hold for four and breathe out for seven. Repeat this pattern for a few minutes.
Come to normal consciousness, feeling refreshed and calm.
Record your thoughts and impressions in your journal or Book of Shadows.
There are many other ways of grounding, some of which you will learn in this course. For the time being, use this meditation after any work that causes energy to be raised.