The Wiccans Way - Recently Updated Pages

My New Moons

Greek Deities

The Wiccans Way

Fun Songs and Chants of Paganism

Monthly Calendar

Samhain

Samhain, October 31

The History of Witchcraft

The History of Modern Wicca

Priniciples of Wicca

Wiccan Verses

Divination Tools

Runes

Book of Shadows

Sabbats

Esbats

The Craft Of The Wise

Deities

Norse Deities

Celtic Deities

The Wiccans Way - Recently Updated Pages

My New Moons

Greek Deities

The Wiccans Way

Fun Songs and Chants of Paganism

Monthly Calendar

February 2009

March 2009

April 2009

May 2009

June 2009

July 2009

August 2009

September 2009

October 2009

November 2009

December 2009

February 2009

March 2009

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DrayconiaMoonDarken — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:25:27 CDT

My New Moons I hope its okay but I didn't like the way the Celtic, Old English, Colonial American no the Cherokee new moons were named. So I have made my own and with to show them to everyone for scrutiny. Now I didn't mess with the system its self just the names of the new moons. It took me months of research to find ones I felt fit that season and sabbat. so here they are:

Month	New Moon name	Known Origin
January	Wolf Moon	Colonial American
February	Milk Moon	Old English
March	Rose Moon	Old English
April	Seed Moon	Celtic and Colonial American
May	Lover's Moon	Heard before, Origin unknown
June	Mother's Moon	Don't remember hearing before
July	Corn Moon	Colonial American
August	Barley Moon	Celtic and Colonial American
September	Balanced Moon	Took out of context for the sabbat that month
October	Spirit's Moon	Did the same for this one
November	Leaf Moon	Leaves fall this month so yeah.
December	Oak Moon	Celtic and Colonial American
Any	Blue Moon	Older then old from what I saw it never changed in name :P only comes round every 2.78 or so years.

Lizybeth — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:20:35 CST

Zeus - God of the Earth and Ruler of Mount Olympus. Also known as Ceneus and Epiphanes. Son of Cronus. Husband of Hera.

Fates - Goddesses of Destiny and Fate. Also known as Moirae, Moirai and THREE-FATES. Daughters of Erebus and Nyx.

Apollo - God of all rounder. Also known as Apollo. Son of Zeus and Leto.

Uranus - God of the Sky. Also known as Ouranos.

Ares - God of War. Also known as Enyalius. Son of Zeus and Hera.

Cronus - Father of the Gods and one of the Titans. Also known as Cronons, Kronos and Kronus. Son of Uranus.

Hades - God of the Underworld and son of Cronus and Rhea. Also known as Haises. (He likes chocolate.)

Atlas - God of Weightlifting and Heavy Burdens.

Aphrodite - Goddess of Love. Also known as Acidalia, Cytherea, Pandemos and Cerigo. Daughter of Uranus.

Eros - God of Love, Desire and Fertility. Also known as Erotes and Himeros.

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Gothika_2004 — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:42:56 CST

Whether you're at the beginning of your Wiccan path or you're a practicing Wiccan this web site is for you. Here you will find almost everything you want to know about Wicca. This website is also geared more towards those who are solitary practitioners.

When I started practicing Wicca, three years ago, I had searched the Internet for information. However, most of the web site that I did find had more information geared toward wiccans in covens and the information was scattered. So I decided to create this web site to help out other wiccans like me and have all the information in one place.

Members of covens have access to teachers, they can attend learning circles and the experience of other Wiccans in guiding them and building their Wiccan knowledge. We, solitary Wiccans lack these opportunities. We must be creative by using these four tools, study, thought, prayer and experimentation to teach our selves.

Here you will learn about what Wicca is, Wicca's history, The Wiccan's 13 Principles, The Three-fold Law, The Wiccan Rede, Wiccan Sabbats, and much more.

Please remember that this web site is a work in progress.
Thank you.

Blessed Be,
Gothika

Priniciples of Wicca	Wiccan Verses	Sabbats
Book of Shadows	The Craft of the Wise	Esbats
Suggested Reading	Links	Study Group
	Chatroom

jamesenglutt — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:11:07 CST

These are some chants and songs that were passed down through the generations of Pagans and Wiccas.

Please feel free to write and share your own.

Elemental Chant

Water I am,

Fire I am

Earth and Air

and Spirit

I am.

We All Come From the Goddess/God

We all come from the Goddess,

and to Her we shall return,

like a drop of rain,

flowing to the ocean.

We all come from the God,

and to Him we shall return,

like a spark from flame,

soaring to the heavens.

The River Is Flowing
The river is flowing, flowing and growing,
the river is flowing down to the sea.
Mother Earth carry me, a child I will always be.
Mother Earth carry me down to the sea.

I don't remember the name of this chant but its really good for raising energy.

(Females) Mama Luna
(Males) Fera Cosha
Repeat over and over again

jamesenglutt — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:02:41 CST

January 2009

(uncomplete)

Please do not edit what is already here. adding is fine but i ask that you do not edit the current info because you dont really know whats in the persons head when they posted it. so i ask please dont edit and if you have please fix it, please.
Also please feel free to post your date of birth soz we can send you a happy birthday when it comes up.

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
1	2 Imbolc Waxing Quarter Moon - 6:13 p.m. jamesenglutts b-day	3	4	5	6	7
8	9 Full Moon - 9:49 a.m. Penumbral Lunar Eclipse - 9:49a.m.	10	11	12	13	14
15	16 Waning Quarter Moon - 4:37 p.m.	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24 New Moon - 8:35 p.m.	25	26	27	28

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
1	2	3	4 Waxing Quarter Moon - 2:46 a.m	5	6	7
8	9	10 Purim Full Moon - 10:38 p.m. EDT	11	12	13	14
15	16	17 St. Patrick's Day	18 Waning Quarter Moon - 1:47 p.m.	19	20 Spring Equinox or Ostara - 7:44 a.m. EDT	21
22	23	24	25	26 New Moon - 12:06 p.m.	27	28
29	30	31

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
			1 April Fool's Day	2 Waxing Quarter Moon - 10:34 a.m	3	4
5 Palm Sunday	6	7	8	9 Full Moon - 10:56 a.m.	10 Good Friday	11
12 Easter	13	14	15	16	17 Waning Quarter Moon - 9:36 a.m.	18
19	20	21	22 Earth Day	23	24 New Moon - 11:23 p.m.	25
26	27	28	29	30

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7 Full Moon - 2:12 p.m.	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15 Waning Quarter Moon - 6:15 p.m.	16	17	18	19	20
21 Summer Solstic or Litha - 1:45a.m.EDT	22 New Moon - 3:35 p.m.	23	24 Gothika's Birthday	25	26	27
28	29 Waxing Quarter Moon - 7:28 a.m	30

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
						1 Lammas
2	3	4	5 Full Moon - 8:55p.m. Total Solar Eclipse - 10:35p.mEDT	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13 Waning Quarter Moon - 2:55p.m.	14	15
16	17	18	19	20 New Moon- 6:02a.m.	21	22
23	24	25	26	27 Waxing Quarter Moon - 7:42a.m.	28	29
30	31

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
				1	2	3
4 Full Moon - 2:10a.m.	5	6	7	8	9	10
11 Waning Quarter Moon -4:56a.m.	12	13	14	15	16	17
18 New Moon - 1:33a.m.	19	20	21	22	23	24
25 Waxing Quarter Moon - 8:42p.m.	26	27	28	29	30 Samhain	31 Halloween

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
		1	2 Full Moon - 2:30a.m.	3	4	5
6	7	8 Waning Quarter Moon - 7:13p.m.	9	10	11	12 juggalo_25
13	14	15	16 New Moon - 7:02a.m.	17	18	19 Drayconia's Birthday
20	21 Yule Winter Solstice - 12:47p.m. EST	22	23	24 Waxing Quarter Moon - 12:36p.m.	25 Christmas Day	26
27	28	29	30	31 Partial Lunar Eclipse - 2:13p.m.EST

Gothika_2004 — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 14:57:46 CDT

You'll need:
1 white votive candleseveral black votive candlesdecorative candlesdecorationsdark colored table settingsFood

Prepare the area that you'll be using
You can use black and orange candles, pumpkins and other traditional Halloween items if you wish. Prepare a table for the Feast of the Dead. It should be covered with a black table cloth and set with black dishes, black paper plates will work. However, any dark color will do. Place a chair at the head of the table to represent the spirit. Set the spirit's place with a plate. On the plate place a white votive candle. Set places for each of the dead that you hope will join you. Place black votive candles on their plates. Plates for the living are empty waiting for the food to be served.

Preparing the food

Feast can be very simple including bread, fruit, nuts, and juice or wine. However, you can make them more elaborate if you would like. If you've invited guests, make it a feast potluck.

Are you ready to began?
Light the decorative candles and turn out the lights.

Cast the circle and call the quarters

Next invite the deities Thank them for their help during the past year and ask that they continue to help in the coming year.

Feast of the Dead Light the candles on the plates of the dead and the spirit and serve the food to the living guests. Sit at your table and eat the food you have brought to it. Feel the presence of those who have joined you. Allow them to speak to you. Take as long as you wish at the table, listening to those you have invited and speaking to them. When the feast is over, thank your spirit guests for coming, bid them farewell, extinguish the candles on the plates, and leave the table.
If you want to banish bad habits or addiction this is a perfect time. Write a list of things from the last year that you want to banish like anything you do not want to carry over to the New Year. Then Light a black candle and burn the list, asking the Goddess and God to help you get rid of these and all negative things in your life. Now you should speak to the deities about those things you want to bring into your life in the New Year.

When you're done, thank and dismiss the Deities and the guardians.
And open the circle.

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Gothika_2004 — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 14:11:58 CDT

Samhain is a festival held at the end of the harvest season. It represents the final harvest and the time to store crops for the winter. Samhain is the Wiccan New Year. This is the night when the veils between the two worlds are their thinnest and spirits of life and death are celebrated side by side. Samhain is a holiday of divination and a time of the dead. There is a tradition of placing candles to help guide the spirits on their earthly travels.

Samhain is a time of reflection, of looking back over the past year, and coming to terms with the one phenomenon of life over which we have no control which is death. We celebrate the year passed and the year to come by lighting bonfires and performing rituals to honor those who have gone before. We offer bread and wine to the God and Goddess as a thanks for their guidance throughout the passed year and in advance for the year to come. At Samhain, we say a temporary farewell to the God because he will be reborn of the Goddess at Yule.

Herbs:
Pumpkin, apple, nuts, thistle, chrysanthemum, broom, oak leaves & sage

Incense:
Apple, nutmeg, sage & mint

Color:
Black & Orange

Decorations:
Jack-o-lanterns, photos of deceased loved ones, apples, fall leaves, autumn flowers & squash

Foods:
Apples, nuts, cider, mulled wine, pumpkin dishes, cranberry muffins, herbal tea

For more information: Samhain

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Gothika_2004 — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:21:13 CDT

Ancient History

According to most historians and archaeologists, the roots of the Pagan religion are as old as civilization itself. Ancient man was dependant on the earth, and nature, for survival. If the hunts were unsuccessful, or if the crops failed, starvation and death followed. These ancient peoples had to be attuned to nature and her rhythms.

As civilizations developed, they sensed a Divine Power, and sought ways to understand and use this power. Imagine them studying the world around them, seeing the natural cycles of life and the seasons, becoming aware of the movements of the planets, and trying to understand. If they could understand these natural movements, if they could predict the cycles; then they knew when to plant and when to harvest. They could predict when the sow would be fertile, when the game would return, when to expect bad weather, and all sorts of vital information. Is it any wonder that they built Stonehenge and other sites like it, to help them calculate the changing of the seasons? These would have been some of the most important tools of ancient man.

Initially, humans did not understand the relationship between sex and having children, only that women of the tribe could produce offspring. So the early creator Deities were female. She was typically displayed as a womanly figure with huge breasts and wide hips, representing her fertility and ability to create and sustain life. Because the first food gatherers and farmers were mainly women, this Goddess also represented the earth. In early human societies, this left the other duties to the men: like hunting for food, and protection from invading tribes of humans and other carnivores. A Deity of the Hunt was created and typically was represented by a male figure with animal features such as horns, hoofs, pointed ears and sometimes a tail. Eventually man discovered the relationship between sex and pregnancies and realized that it took both man and woman to create life. They then looked around and discovered that all of nature required male and female to reproduce.

As the early tribes grew and diversified, so did the Deities they used to represent their developing environment. In societies where women hunted, a Huntress Deity arose. In societies where men farmed, nature Deities such as the Green Man developed. All the world’s different cultures and societies had some things in common. All early Deities were nature oriented; the Gods and Goddesses interacted with man in this lifetime; and each served the needs of the society that worshipped them. Men and women who understood the Deities and the natural rhythms of the world were prized. They became the priesthood and initiates: the advisors, judges and important people in their communities.

In native American traditions, they were the Shamans; in India, the Brahmins. In developing Britain and Ireland, some became the Druids (early Druids were male, there was a female sect at the time called Dryads.) There is evidence that Merlyn was a Druid and advisor to kings. In Eastern and Northern Europe they were known as Witan, (some believe this word was later to become "Witch"). In every corner of the world, belief systems were developing and being practiced by the native populations.

This almost universal view of the Gods and Goddesses (yes, I include eastern religions) lasted for many eons. It was based in the sensible and natural concept of Deities in our image, male and female, who worked with us, and changed with us. And mankind was changing and developing. In the Fertile Crescent between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and on the flood plains of the Nile River, the hunter gatherers stopped their wandering and started founding farms and villages. These later became towns and then cities, and finally the early civilizations of Mesopotamia, Babylon, and Egypt were founded. These cultures were old when the Greeks arrived. Still this concept of Gods and Goddesses continued, from Greece to Rome, and throughout the Roman Empire. But within, it carried the seed of its own downfall.

It was in ancient Egypt, long before Greece and Rome, that a new concept developed. It started with a Pharaoh, Amenhotep IV when he renounced the multitude of Gods worshipped by the Egyptians and abolished the priesthood of Amun and the polytheistic worship of many Deities. Amenhotep established a new monotheistic order to worship the Sun God Aten and changed his own name to Akhenaten, meaning "Servant of the Aten." Interestingly enough Akhenaten was the father of King Tutankhamun (King Tut). Akhenaten's rule only lasted 17 years, and when it was over, the Egyptians thankfully went back to the old ways. But he did influence one group of slaves, the Israelites, who gave up their many Gods for just one God. It is not the concept of just one God that is revolutionary: it is that this one God is the God of all, and that everyone must worship this God alone. This intolerance for other religions and beliefs would be passed on to the Christians and Muslims, and these two groups would spread throughout the western world.

Then, in the fifth century C. E., a group of priests and monks gathered together and created the New Testament - and with it, the modern concept of Christianity. Initially adopted by the Roman Empire, the spread of Christianity - and the assertion of the church's power - would spell the violent and bloody end to the Old Religions. The holocaust that followed came to be called the Burning Times.

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Gothika_2004 — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:19:00 CDT

While based on the old traditions and lessons learned in the past, Wicca is a modern, living religion. This is to be expected. We are not the early farmers or hunters who first began to understand the Divine Power. These early Pagans were attuned to nature, and were searching for means to manipulate their environment. We, on the other hand, know all to well how to manipulate, but we have lost our connection to nature and the Divine Power.

Modern Wicca was born out of a hermetic order called Golden Dawn. The Golden Dawn was a society formed in late 19th century England. It's purpose was the study and practice of magic and the occult, applied in ways to bring about enlightenment. Presumably the organization emerged from a chance event. A master mason named A.F.A. Woodford purchased a second hand book, in which he found a document written in a 15th century cipher. His friend W. Wynn Wescott, a brother mason, recognized the code and had it translated. To their delight, the document turned out to be the framework for some curious initiation rituals and a letter from a supposed Rosicrucian adept named Anna Sprengel. One of the followers of the Golden Dawn was Aleister Crowley.

In 1904 British poet, magician, and philosopher, Aleister Crowley received the channelled dictation of a book called Liber Legis, or "The Book of the Law". The angelic intelligence dictating the Book declared its name to be Aiwass, and identified itself as "the minister of Hoor-paar-kraat" - that is, the minister of the Egyptian God of Silence, virtually the "Voice of the Silence" itself. The Book of the Law declared the dawning of a new spiritual era for humanity, governed by the God Horus, Child of Isis and Osiris, rather than by the "slain god" archetype of Christ which had governed, in different forms, the few thousands of years preceding. From this work, Crowley created the Temple of Thelema, the first modern group of witches. The Thelema order is still practicing today, carrying on many of the traditions formed by Crowley.

In 1921, Dr. Margaret Murray, an anthropologist, published "The Witch Cult in Western Europe", and followed it up with "The God of the Witches" in 1931. This was the first time anyone publicly challenged the hysterical ranting of the Church. She described two aspects of Witchcraft: ritual Witchcraft (the religious aspect) and operational Witchcraft (magick).

In 1954, in England, Gerald Gardner published "Witchcraft Today", the first positive book about Witchcraft. Gardner was the first to call this form of Witchcraft "Wicca", and its practitioners, "Wiccan". He reinforced the description of Witchcraft as published by Dr. Murray, and went further to claim that he himself was a witch. Gardner was a press- hound; his coming out made headlines around the world and drew a lot of interest from people. Raymond Buckland was one of these. He was initiated by Gardner's High Priestess and in the early 1960's, brought Wicca to the United States. With freedom of religion guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, the US was fertile ground for the revival of the old ways. In 1971 Buckland followed up with his own book, "Witchcraft from the Inside". In Europe too, Wicca was flourishing. In the late 60's and early 70's, a Witch named Alex Sanders made headlines and started his own Wiccan tradition in Britain, now known as "Alexandrian Wicca".

Written in the 80's -“Wicca, a Guide for the Solitary Practitioner” by Scott Cunningham is considered by many to be one of the most influential works on modern Wicca. Cunningham gave accreditation to those who practiced without a coven. The old belief was that it took a Witch to make a Witch, and that initiation into the Craft was conferred within a coven. Cunningham showed that being Wiccan was a matter of the heart and between the practitioner, and the God and Goddess. Scott Cunningham, among others, showed that Wicca was not just about following old rituals, but that a Wiccan can invent their own rituals, should investigate the Divine Power for themselves, and should do what is right for them.

In the past twenty years, interest in Wicca, Witchcraft and pagan beliefs have enjoyed massive growth, and today there are many books available on the subject. Authors such as Margot Adler, Stewart and Janet Farrar, StarHawk, Raymond Buckland and others have paved the way for the growth of information available about pagan beliefs. The boundaries of traditional beliefs are being pushed, and new covens and belief systems are being born every year – perhaps, as in ancient times, created to reflect our environment and unique needs today. Possibly the most attractive aspect of these beliefs is their ability, unlike other religions, to grow with the times, to adapt and to meet the needs of its worshipers … while enabling our own growth and spiritual satisfaction.

Colonial Wicca

The colonials believed that witches were cursing there village and/or villagers. These so called "witches" or "devils children" were no more than God fearing people who have had feuds with other villagers. 9 times out of 10 these were the same people convicting them of witchcraft.

Traditional [tolerant] attitudes towards witchcraft began to change in the 14th century, at the very end of the Middle Ages. ... Early 14th century central Europe was seized by a series of rumor-panics. Some malign conspiracy (Jews and lepers, Moslems, or witches) was attempting to destroy the Christian kingdoms through magick and poison. After the terrible devastation caused by the Black Death [bubonic plague] (1347-1349), these rumors increased in intensity and focused primarily on witches and "plague-spreaders." Witchcraft cases increased slowly but steadily from the 14th-15th century. The first mass trials appeared in the 15th century. At the beginning of the 16th century, as the first shock-waves from the Reformation hit, the number of witch trials actually dropped. Then, around 1550, the persecution skyrocketed. What we think of as "the Burning Times" -- the crazes, panics, and mass hysteria -- largely occurred in one century, from 1550-1650. In the 17th century, the Great Hunt passed nearly as suddenly as it had arisen. Trials dropped sharply after 1650 and disappeared completely by the end of the 18th century. Robin Briggs calculates that 20 to 25 percent of Europeans executed for witchcraft between the 14th and 17th centuries were male. Regional variations are again notable. France was a fascinating exception to the wider pattern, for over much of the country witchcraft seems to have had no obvious link with gender at all. Of nearly 1,300 witches whose cases went to the parliament of Paris on appeal, just over half were men. ... The great majority of the men accused were poor peasants and artisans, a fairly representative sample of the ordinary population.
This is an overestimate by a factor of up to 200, for the most reasonable modern estimates suggest perhaps 100,000 trials between 1450 and 1750, with something between 40,000 and 50,000 executions, of which 20 to 25 per cent were men.On average, 48% of trials ended in an execution, [and] therefore he estimated 60,000 witches died. This is slightly higher than 48% to reflect the fact that Germany, the center of the persecution, killed more than 48% of its "witches".

Wicca in Early 1900's

In the early 1900's the witch hunts were not as widely discussed of in public view. The witch trials gave the people a sense of regret knowing that many of the accused were not actually witches. Into the 1920's on through the 1950's scientists began to try and explain the sensations that happened do to the paranormal interaction of the wicca community. For a while during this period, the average person would be disgusted and repulsed. Now, mostly this was because Wiccas have , in the most part, been respectful of others, no matter what race or religion.

Wicca in Modern Day

In modern Wicca we've had are name trashed as ''devil worshipers" by people who misconstrue the purpose and direction of the teachings. These people are known as ''unknowers" or "playgans". They resort to Wiccanism as a fad or trend to seem more mysterious and denier. This was a big thing back in the early 90's and late 80's. Now I don't mean to downgrade these people but if you know someone like that then try to show them that being wicca is not just a state of mind but a real religious experience. Studies show that at least 52% of pagans today are ''playgans". This is mostly to do with the lack of knowledge give to the public through media and Hollywood. For instance, the movie "The Craft",1996, had alot of things about witchcraft right as far as the spells and rituals and the Book of Shadows. However Hollywood felt it was necessary to involve myth and legend into the movie, such as the physical flight and energy pushing on physical things.This kind of thing was not unheard of in the mid 90's to early 2000's. In the early and mid 90's "playgans" were poping up all over the place. People were dressing in goth and saying they will "hex" or "spell" people that made fun of them. Now, some of these people were showed the truth about Wiccanism and Paganism and deterred from mudding our name. Hopefully, in the modern age of Wicca we as humans, children of the Mother Earth and of the Lord and Lady, can learn to live without religious, racial, and ethnic hatred towards eachother.
Blessed Be to all.

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Gothika_2004 — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:47:15 CDT

The 13 Principles of Wiccan Belief was written in1974 by Carl Llewellyn Weschke based on common beliefs discussed by the Council of American Witches as a way to dispel myths and distinguish Wicca from Satanism. The council later disbanded. Although it is not accepted by all Witches or all Wiccans, many modern Witches and Wiccans still use the 13 Principles of Wiccan Belief.

1. We practice rites to harmonize ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarters.

2. We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward our environment. We seek to live in harmony with Nature, in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.

3. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that apparent to the average person, because it is far greater than ordinary. It is sometime called Supernatural, be we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.

4. We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity as masculine and feminine and that this same Creative Power lies in all people and functions through the interaction of the masculine and feminine. We value neither above the other knowing each to be supportive of the other. We value sex as pleasure, as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energies used in magical practice and religious worship.

5. We recognized both outer worlds and inner or psychological worlds, sometimes known as the spiritual world and we see in the interaction of theses two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magickal exercises. We neglect neither dimensions for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.

6. We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those to teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.

7. We see religion, magick and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it. A world view and philosophy and life which we identify as witchcraft; the Wiccan way.

8. Calling oneself "witch" does not make a witch, but neither does heredity itself, nor collecting of titles, degrees and initiations. A witch seeks to control forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and well without harm to others and in harmony with nature.

9. We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness giving meaning to the universe we know and our personal role within it.

10. Our only animosity towards Christianity, or towards any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be "the only way" and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.

11. As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the craft, the origins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions we are concerned with our present and our future.

12. We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity as "Satan or the devil", as defined by Christian tradition. We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.

13. We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.

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Gothika_2004 — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:46:30 CDT

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The Threefold Law

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The Wiccan Rede

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The Charge Of The Goddess

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Drawing Down The Moon

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Great Rite Invocation

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Invocation Of The Horned God

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The Witches' Chant

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The Witches' Creed

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Gothika_2004 — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:45:30 CDT

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Runes

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Tarot

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Scrying

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Pendulums

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Gothika_2004 — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:45:03 CDT

Elder Futhark
"The Elder Futhark is thought to be the oldest version of the runic alphabet, and was used in the parts of Europe which were home to Germanic peoples, including Scandinavia. Other versions probably developed from it. The names of the letters are shown in Common Germanic, the reconstructed ancestor of all Germanic languages."

Futhark

The divination futhark consists of 24 runes which depending on different layouts can tell you things from your past, your future, or any questions you might have.

This is the Elder futhark in comparison the the others that reside in other european countries.

pic from: www.sunnyway.com

Fehu: (Domestic cattle, wealth.) Possessions won or earned, earned income, luck. Abundance, financial strength in the present or near future. Sign of hope and plenty, success and happiness. Social success. Energy, foresight, fertility, creation/destruction (becoming).

Fehu Reversed or Merkstave: Loss of personal property, esteem, or something that you put in effort to keep. It indicates some sort of failure. Greed, burnout, atrophy, discord. Cowardice, stupidity, dullness, poverty, slavery, bondage.

Uruz: Auroch, a wild ox.) Physical strength and speed, untamed potential. A time of great energy and health. Freedom, energy, action, courage, strength, tenacity, understanding, wisdom. Sudden or unexpected changes (usually for the better). Sexual desire, masculine potency. The shaping of power and pattern, formulation of the self.

Uruz Reversed or Merkstave: Weakness, obsession, misdirected force, domination by others. Sickness, inconsistency, ignorance. Lust, brutality, rashness, callousness, violence.

Thurisaz: (Thorn or a Giant.) Reactive force, directed force of destruction and defense, conflict. Instinctual will, vital eroticism, regenerative catalyst. A tendency toward change. Catharsis, purging, cleansing fire. Male sexuality, fertilization. (Thorr, the Thunder god, was of Giant stock.)

Thurisaz Reversed or Merkstave: Danger, defenselessness, compulsion, betrayal, dullness. Evil, malice, hatred, torment, spite, lies. A bad man or woman. Rape?

Ansuz: (The As, ancestral god, i.e. Odin.) A revealing message or insight, communication. Signals, inspiration, enthusiasm, speech, true vision, power of words and naming. Blessings, the taking of advice. Good health, harmony, truth, wisdom.

Ansuz Reversed or Merkstave: Misunderstanding, delusion, manipulation by others, boredom. Vanity and grandiloquence. (Odin is a mighty, but duplicitous god. He always has his own agenda.)

Raidho: (Wagon or chariot.) Travel, both in physical terms and those of lifestyle direction. A journey, vacation, relocation, evolution, change of place or setting. Seeing a larger perspective. Seeing the right move for you to make and deciding upon it. Personal rhythm, world rhythm, dance of life.

Raidho Reversed or Merkstave: Crisis, rigidity, stasis, injustice, irrationality. Disruption, dislocation, demotion, delusion, possibly a death.

Kenaz: Beacon or torch.) Vision, revelation, knowledge, creativity, inspiration, technical ability. Vital fire of life, harnessed power, fire of transformation and regeneration. Power to create your own reality, the power of light. Open to new strength, energy, and power now. Passion, sexual love.

Kenaz Reversed or Merkstave: Disease, breakup, instability, lack of creativity. Nakedness, exposure, loss of illusion and false hope.

Gebo: Gift.) Gifts, both in the sense of sacrifice and of generosity, indicating balance. All matters in relation to exchanges, including contracts, personal relationships and partnerships.

Gebo Merkstave (Gebo cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): Greed, loneliness, dependence, over-sacrifice. Obligation, toll, privation, bribery.

Wunjo: (Joy.) Joy, comfort, pleasure. Fellowship, harmony, prosperity. Ecstasy, glory, spiritual reward, but also the possibility of going "over the top". If restrained, the meaning is general success and recognition of worth.

Wunjo Reversed or Merkstave: Stultification, sorrow, strife, alienation. Delirium, intoxication, possession by higher forces, impractical enthusiasm. Raging frenzy, berzerker.

The history of the runes is that odin hung from a tree while wounded by a spear for nine days. The tree which was in fact Yggdrasil meaning "world tree" or a more correct translation meaning Yggrs horse or odins horse. This info is directed from the Rúnatal or Óðins Rune Song.

Veit ec at ec hecc vindga meiði a netr allar nío, geiri vndaþr oc gefinn Oðni, sialfr sialfom mer, a þeim meiþi, er mangi veit, hvers hann af rótom renn.

I know that I hung on a windy tree nine long nights, wounded with a spear, dedicated to Odin, myself to myself, on that tree of which no man knows from where its roots run

Við hleifi mic seldo ne viþ hornigi, nysta ec niþr, nam ec vp rvnar, opandi nam, fell ec aptr þaðan.

No bread did they give me nor a drink from a horn, downwards I peered; I took up the runes, screaming I took them, then I fell back from there.

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Gothika_2004 — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:41:18 CDT

These are some of the hardest things to find information on the internet.

Please feel free to add spells, and information about herbs, candles, incense, oils & rituals.

Spells

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Herbs

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Candles

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Incense

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Oils

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Sabbat Rituals

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Esbat Rituals

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Tools & Alta r

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Magick Ethics

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Divination

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Gothika_2004 — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:57:15 CDT

For those of you who don't know what a Sabbat is, it's a Wiccan holiday. There are 8 Sabbats in total. The word "Sabbat" comes from the Babylonian and mean's "heart's rest".

On each of the 8 Sabbats a different ceremony is performed. Essentially Sabbats are looked upon as a time for rejoicing and celebration. Work is not done at a Sabbat, unless there is some emergency such as a healing.

Samhain	October 31
Yule	December 21
Imbole	February 2
Ostara	March 21
Beltaine	May 1
Litha	June 21
Lugnasadh	August 1
Mabon	September 21

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Gothika_2004 — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:56:24 CDT

Esbats are Wiccan rituals, usually occurring on the full moon. They are regular meetings of witches and this is when work is done, such as full moon rites and new or dark moon rites, magic, healing, etc.

Full Moons

The Wolf Moon	January
The Storm Moon
The Chaste Moon	February
The Seed Moon	March
The Hare Moon	April
The Dyad Moon	May
The Honey Moon	June
The Wort Moon	July
The Barley Moon	August
The Harvest Moon	September
The Blood Moon	October
The Snow Moon	November
The Oak Moon	December
The Blue Moon

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Gothika_2004 — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:55:01 CDT

The word Witchcraft comes from the Old Anglo-Saxon word wicce-craeft, meaning "the craft of the wise." For many people today, the word carries a wide variety of connotations, but originally it was quite specific.

For thousands of years before Christianity, there were many variations of Pagan worship. In the big cities of Greek and Roman times, the forms of religion were well organized, with dedicated temples and an established priesthood. One of the oldest is the Fellowship of Croatia.But out in the country areas, the common people did not have this luxury. They worshiped the same deities, but their temples were the woods, the mountains, and the open fields. They were close to nature and, by virtue of this closeness, felt close to their gods. Every man and woman was his or her own priest, able to commune with divinity on the same level as the official priesthood in the towns and the cities. Although the principle deities worshiped were the same in most areas, the names that were used frequently varied in different areas of Europe and Asia, with local titles and appellations prevailing.

The Rivalry of the New Religion

The rise of the new religion--Christianity--came to threaten and almost destroy the belief in, and worship of, the gods of nature. Unlike the "Old Religion" (as we might term Witchcraft), the "New Religion" was human-made and full of contradictions. Yet it became established and, for many hundreds of years, existed along side witchcraft. Initially Christianity was content to gain converts gradually, but, as we shall see, in time it became more impatient.

In Great Britain,when a king of a particular region was converted to the New Religion, it was declared by the church that ALL his subjects were also similarly affected, even though the majority of them were still worshiping the old gods.

Between 597 and 604 C.E. (Common Era), during Augustine's mission to Britain, London remained Pagan but King Aethelbert of Kent was converted. After his death, Kent reverted to Paganism. In 604 C.E., similar events occurred with the king of the East Saxons---the king was converted, but upon his death his successor reverted to Paganism. The years 627 and 628 C.E. saw the conversions of the kings of Northumbria and East Anglia, respectively. The king of Wessex was converted in 635 C.E., and in 653 C.E. the king of Mercia. But by 654 C.E., it was necessary to reconvert the king of the East Saxons. So there was not a regular, smooth transition from the Old Religion to the New. Far from it; what had been a part of everyone's lifestyle for generations would not easily be swept aside.

In an effort to appeal more pagans, the New Religion adopted many of the ancient conventions. The Christian Trinity is a good example. This was based on the ancient Egyptian triad of Osiris, Isis, and Horus. The immaculate conception and the resurrection were copies of old Pagan Beliefs found in many parts of the ancient world. Even the name Jesus was taken from the Celts' Esus, a nature god. The Pagan festival of Yule was also adopted as Christmas (even to the inclusion of the phallic tree). Easter was based on the goddess Eostre's springtime festival. The festival ti-val of contact with the spirits of the dead, known as Samhain, became the Christian's All Soul's Day. And for many centuries there were priests who served both Pagan and Christian populations.

One giant step forward for the New religion came when Pope Gregory (590-604 C.E.) issued instructions to his bishops in Britain that they were to take all pagan temples and consecrate them to the New Religion, installing new altars and redirecting the temple On the open sites of regular pagan gatherings, new churches were to be built.
"In this way," the pope said, "I hope the people (seeing their temples are not destroyed) will leave their idolatry and yet continue to frequent the places as formerly." He desperately hoped to fool, or even coerce, the people into attending Christian churches.
For a long time, Gregory's plans seemed to bear fruit, and more and more of the population became (at least normally) Christian. But finally, the saturation point appeared to have been reached. by this time, the church fathers had enjoyed their taste of power and were determined that Christianity should be the ONLY religion; all others were to be destroyed. This brought about the start of the persecutions, when anything non-Christian was automatically labeled anti-Christian and therefore undesirable.

Survival of the Old Religion

Many of the old rites lived on, both in practice and in legend. In early spring, it was accepted magical practice for a farmer and his wife to lie in the first furrow of a field and have intercourse to ensure the field's fertility and productivity. When the crops first began to appear, it was common for all to take up pitchforks, poles, and broomsticks and to dance around the fields, riding the poles like hobbyhorses. As they danced around the fields, the people would leap high into the air to show the crops how high to grow. It was simple imitative, or sympathetic, magic. At harvest time, of course, it was time to thank the gods for all that had been produced. Many Pagan rituals and customs such as these are still found across Europe and elsewhere.

In the villages were invariably found one or two "wise ones," those who had the wisdom of herbs and magic. As the local doctors, they tended the sick with herbal concoctions, decoctions, infusions, and macerations. They also knew the spells and charms passed on from generation to generation. These "doctors" were known by the old Anglo-Saxon name of Wicce (feminine) or Wicca (masculine). (In fact, the Saxon kings of England always had a Council of the Wise Ones know as the Witan.)

When it came to worship of the old gods and the forms of the rituals, the wise ones conducted the rites. They became the priests and the priestesses of the country side, leading groups from the villages or from neighboring farms in the major celebrations of the seasons. Later on, any followers of this Old Religion became known as Wiccans, or Witches.

The Old Religion Slandered

The Old Religion was lumped together with Satanism (which itself was an off-shoot of Christianity, for the older religions had no concept of an all-evil entity such as the Christian Devil). This was where the word Witchcraft began to take on a strongly negative meaning when used by people other than Wiccans themselves.

The wise ones, for example, had knowledge of poisons, among other things. This was essential in order for them to administer to those who accidentally poisoned themselves by eating the wrong plants. Persecutors turned this knowledge against them, saying that they used the knowledge to poison others! In fact, King James I's later translation of the Bible said, "Thou shalt not suffer a poisoner to live." James' translators---whether by ignorance or design--confused the Latin words "veneficor" and "maleficor" and chose to say, "Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to live," by virtue of her knowledge of poisons.

It didn't take long for the trickle of venom generated by the Christian Church to swell into a raging torrent. In 1235, Pope Gregory IX instructed the archbishop of Sens: "Thou shouldst be instant and zealous in this matter of establishing an Inquisition.....to fight bodily the battles of the Lord." Thirteen years later, Alexander IV issued papal bull against Witchcraft, with second one two years later. By the time Pope Innocent VIII issued his bull, in 1484, printing had been invented; with it came wide distribution of such utterances in writing. The Inquisition came into its own with the reappearance of this bull two years later, as a forward to diabolical book written by two German monks, Heinrich Kramer and Jakob Sprenger.

The persecutions turned out to be a powerful tool for the unscrupulous. By making a charge of Witchcraft--or even suggesting someone might be a Witch--it was possible to get rid of an enemy, acquire land that was otherwise unavailable, or generate personal power in the Christian Religion. Persecution became very much a powerful tool. When someone was accused of Witchcraft, his or her land and goods became forfeit to the state or church. This was great temptation for many, including Christian dignitaries.

Once accused, the victim had no defense. If the accused had a perfect alibi, then "spectral evidence' was admitted, which said that it was possible for a Witch to be in two places at the same time. Eventually, twenty people were put to death in this little New England Village. Still, this was a very small number compared to Europe, where two or three hundred people might be executed on a single occasion, simply at the nod of a bishop. In France, for example, the bishop of Treves had a whole village put to death because of an especially harsh winter, which he determined had been caused by Witches. Not knowing who the Witches were, he executed everyone. In Germany, on February 16, 1629, Prince-Bishop Philipp Adolf Von Ehrenberg executed 157 people, he was a Christian.

Wicca-
"An it harm none, do what thou wilt"

Throughout the time of religions, I have not read nor seen where any Wiccans have harmed another because of their religion of choice. The Christian Religion has persecuted and executed a many of innocent people while thrusting their beliefs down others throats, in order to gain power and wealth for themselves, as other religions have done so as well as to keep to themselves in a whole. However, the Christians have not been the only ones to force their beliefs on other people. In the early years of the Greek city/states wars were started because the regions worshiped different principle gods. I would like every one who reads this page to research all of the persecution for religion reasons. The more people know about the human prosecution in general the better we can understand the plight of other aspects of religion and life.
Thank you.

The History of Modern Wicca	The Burning Times	The History of Witchcraft

The History of Modern Wicca

The Burning Times

The History of Witchcraft

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Gothika_2004 — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:52:52 CDT

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Celtic Deities

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Egyptian Deities

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Greek Deities

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Norse Deities

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Gothika_2004 — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:50:57 CDT

Odin - Lord of War, Death and Knowledge. Also known as Gangleri, Odinn, Othinn, Vak and Valtam.

Loki - God of Hokey Poky. Also known as Loder, Loke, Lokkju, Lopter and Lopti.

Thor - God of Thunder. Also known as Donar. Son of Odin and Jord.

Magni - God of Strength. Son of Thor and Jarnsawa.

Baldur - God of Peace. Also known as Balder. Son of Odin.

Freya - Goddess of Love, Fertility and Sexual Desire. Also known as Freyja. Daughter of Njord.

Ragnarok - End of the World and Doom of the Gods.

Asgard - Also known as Aasgard, Asgardr, Åsgard, Godheim and Godheimr.

Tyr - God of War. Also known as Tiwal, Tiw, Tiwaz, Things and Ziu.

Valkyries - Choosers of the Slain.

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Gothika_2004 — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:23:45 CDT

Abandinus - Celtic Goddess for which only one shrine has ever been found.

Aonghus - God of Love. Also know as Aenghus, Oenghus, Mac-og. Son of Dagda and Boann.

Arawn - God of the Celtic Otherworld.

Brigit - Fiery Irish Goddess in charge of Poetry, Healing, Smithcraft and Martial Arts. Also known as Brigid. The daughter of Dagda.

Cernunnus - God of Nature. Also known as Cernunnos and Herne.

Cuchulainn - Known as the Hound of Ulster. Also known as Cu-chulainn, Setanta. The son of Lugh and Dechtire.

Danu - Celtic Goddess of Wind, Wisdom and Fertility. Also known as Anu.

Dagda - Irish Broth of a God. Leader of the Tuatha-De-Danann, he's the God of Life and Death, War, Banquets and Magic. Also known as Dagdha, Epchaid-Ollathair.

Morrigan - Mother Goddess and 'The Phantom Queen'. Also known as Morrighan and Morrigu.

Tuatha-De-Danann - The race of magical Irish Gods born of the Mother Goddess DANU. Their leader is DAGDA, and their number includes MANANNAN-MACLIR, NUADA and the MORRIGAN.

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1
New Year's Day

4

Waxing Quarter Moon - 6:56 a.m.EST

10

Full Moon - 10:27 p.m.

17

Waning Quarter Moon - 9:46 p.m.

26

New Moon - 2:55 a.m.

Annular Solar Eclipse - 2:55a.m.EST