There is much information in books; Wicca: A Guide For the Solitary
Practitioner, by Scott Cunningham, To Stir a Magic Cauldron, by Silver RavenWolf and many, many more (check booklists on the subject); and online by going to the Cyberwitch webpage and
The Craft webpage, on the Sabbats (only 2 of many). I will give you a little more details on my personal thoughts and some inserts from other sources mentioned. I will start with the calendar year:
Every Day Prayer I am one with universal perfection.
Breathe deeply, (remember to exhale) then go out and have yourself a glorious day! One of my very favorites, also from the same book, is for meal time. The ‘God is great, God is good....’ just doesn’t seem appropiate to me anymore, so I copied the meal devotion and placed it in a frame in our kitchen (with a pretty border): From the East the sun rays shine
We gather now to bless this food
Hail fair sun, ruler of the day;
OR Hail fair Moon, ruler of night,
You can make up your own or use ones listed here, the choice is yours. The thing to remember is to start making a concious effort to honor your ways each and every day. I am sure the God/dess will bless your efforts! Feeling a bit awkward at first is probably common to most of us, but with practice and inspiration performing a ritual becomes very familiar and you will find yourself looking forward to each and every one. Be inventive, raise your empty hands to the sky and ask that they be filled with ways to honor the Goddess and God. Here are some things you can do to help in your ritual preparation:
Tools are used to invoke the Deities, rid negativity and direct energy. To use them or not is up to you, they are not necessary to the practice. However, should you choose to use them, there are many places to obtain them: antique shops, flea markets, occult suppliers (can be pretty expensive though) and even some yard sales. As long as you feel comfortable with them, feel free to use them. The following is a list of some you may choose, a few or all, it’s up to you. All tools should be used for ritual/magickal purposes only, set apart from other items. Chalice-symbolizes the Goddess and fertility and is related to the element of Water. It may be used to hold the ritual beverage or simply to hold water. It can be made of many things, brass, pewter, glass or whatever suits you. Pentacle- the five-pointed star. Also, can be made of any material: wood, clay, wax, brass and most often inscribed with symbols. I made mine of clay and etched the pentacle on it. The pentacle represents the element of Earth and sometimes is used to summon the God/dess. The Broom-yes, Wiccans may certainly use a broom! Mostly used for purification, sweeping/cleansing an area for ritual. The bristles need not touch the ground or floor, it is used more as a spiritual cleansing. Brooms are also linked with the Water element. You can purchase one, make your own from tree branches, willow bindings on an ash staff or even use a pine branch. Brooms are also considered a protective tool, many were placed over the threshold to guard the home. Wand-represents the element of Air, a tool of invocation. Lifting a wand to the sky and asking for the presence of the Goddess and God can have a powerful effect. It may be used to direct energy or to stir brews. Wands are made of many materials: willow, oak, brass, whatever you feel most comfortable with. Censer-an incense burner. Obviously representing the element of Air, the censer can be the sort to hold which ever type of incense you prefer; sticks, cones or blocks to mention a few. The style and material from which it is made is totally your preference. Cauldron- a symbol of the Goddess and element of Water. Many antique shops and junk dealers carry cauldrons in a variety of sizes. You should get one that will withstand heat, for fires, and hold liquids for those wonderful things we just love to brew. Athame (magick knife)- is not used for it’s normal purpose, rather it is used to direct energy raised in rituals. It is NEVER used to harm any thing or any one. Most usually have a dull blade and can be double-edged, with a black handle (black absorbs energy). White-handled knife - is a knife used for practical workings: cutting herbs, flowers, inscribing candles and such things associated with magick. Since it has a variety of uses, it is up to you to decide if it should be used only for magickal purposes. Even though I know it can be used for lots of reasons, my white-handled knife is still set apart and only used for sacred purposes. Bell -a feminine symbol used to invoke the Goddess and call spirits. It can be of any type; brass, glass or whatever you like that brings the sound you appreciate best. Bells may be used to mark the beginning or end of a ritual or spell or to call attention. Whatever you choose, the vibration of a bell has a powerful effect on your ritual. The Book of Shadows - a private book (notebook, blank book, tablet, whatever) of thoughts, rituals, invocations, works of magick, etc. YOUR book in which to write your own memories of the practice. This was also one of the topics in Lesson 7. Personalize your Book of Shadows with drawings, coverings and whatever it takes to make it truly yours. Remember that these are tools that you may or may not feel the desire to implement, there may be others than the ones mentioned here. Choose the ones you like or choose none at all. Should you choose to use any item as a tool, you must set it apart, consecrate it, prepare it for ritual. There are many consecration ceremonies to choose from and I will give you the one I personally used: Cast a circle (in your favorite way), have all tools ready for the consecration (cleaned, etc.), have burning incense, a white candle, a bowl of water and a bowl of earth or salt. Summon the quarters (call the elements of Earth, Fire, Wind and Water), invoke the Goddess and God, asking for their blessings on the tools for consecration. Say: Before these spirits, I bring (insert name of tool) to be dedicated to the service of the Goddess and God. Pass the tool three times through the incense smoke saying: By the power of the Air, be thou purified. Be dedicated to purity, that all goals thou helpest to achieve may harm none and be for good of all. Pass the tool three times through the candle flame saying: By power of Fire, be thou purified. Be thou dedicated to desire, that all goals which thou dost help achieve may harm none and be for good of all. Sprinkle a few drops of water on the tool saying: By the power of Water, be thou purified. Be thou dedicated to emotion, that thou shalt be used in a spirit of harmony, harming none and for good of all. Touch the tool to the earth (or salt) saying: By the power of Earth, be thou purified. Be thou dedicated to steadfastness, that my goals be achieved without wavering, with harm to none and for good of all. Presentation of tools: Present each tool to the Goddess/God and say whatever you feel in your heart, asking for a blessing to use in magickal workings and to harm none by and with it’s use. Be creative, for example in the presentation of the bell you could say: To me, this ceremony should be a sacred, focused, dignified event. These are the tools you will use often and should hold a special place in your home and heart. Questions:
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