Greetings all,
I have been receiving some great comments and also some questions I'd like to address. I've been asked, just yesterday, specifically in regards to the discussion on the pentagram, to describe in more detail the elements I referenced when describing the points of the pentagram. The elements and working with them is a very big part of the witchcraft I practice.
Please refer to the pentagram diagram on the side bar of this blog. The top point represents spirit. The lower four points correlate with the compass points. North, East, South & West. These elements also represent the physical world to us. My training and study is strongest in the Celtic pantheon and I call it Celtic/Druidic referencing the Priesthood of the ancient Celts. Were all Celts magickal? In comparison to people today, I would say yes. They lived amongst and with nature, a part of nature. They saw magick in all things, or the potential of the magickal in all things. Things like steam, fog and mist, not water but not only air, was in between and therefore very magickal. Twilight and dawn, not day yet not night, as in between. Midnight, not yesterday, yet not quite today, again, in between. These are common images when one thinks of the Druids and their magickal workings, as well as much of the imagery associated with the witch and the spooky world people envision around us. The natural world, which was all around them, was completely magickal to them and 5,000 years later also to us.
The Druid's who I believe acted as the scientists, the most learned of the Celts, were highly educated, and knew of the universal mysteries and the mystical. Yes, they were the 'Priesthood', the group of men and women who led the Celts in their religious practice as well as the physicians, pharmacists and judges when needed. They also sought to learn of the elements and to use the elemental energies to affect needed change in their lives and the lives of their people. This discussion will start with the element of North. Those who follow witchcraft with a Celtic background often start casting our magick circles in the North and go around the circle in a deosil or clockwise motion to then the east, then South and then the West, and continuing to finish again in the North. 'Deosil' means in Scottish folklore, to move Sun-wise, and was considered the “right, prosperous direction”, turning from east to west in the direction of the sun. To move in the opposite direction, against the sun or counterclockwise was known as widdershins. Going against the sun, or going in the 'wrong' direction.
I start in the North when casting a circle to work magick. The Northern Elements, also known as the northern watchtowers, the Guardians of the North, the elements of Earth, as well as many others, are the natural elemental energies that flow around us constantly and aide our workings if we choose to invoke them and utilize their powers.
The North elementals, by being properties of earth, have the following associations attributed to them. The color green, the qualities of abundance, fertility, growth, security, strength, foundational work, prosperity, wealth, money. To bring these qualities into our lives we use natural 'correspondences' color, herbs, essential oils, crystals, minerals and stones, wood, grains, seeds etc. Things created by nature, we feel, have inherent magickal qualities that either attract or repel certain energies. The element of earth, the north, in addition to the qualities it governs above, also claims the mammals, the trees, salt, rocks, mountains, dirt, soil and that found within, certain metals, such as gold and silver, copper and lead. Human qualities are also governed by the elements, and its believed from a Celtic/Druidic view point that beauty, the left foot, wisdom, endurance, patience, tolerance, judgment, respect all were qualities of the northern earth realms.
I will tell you how to do a simple spell that demonstrates a number of these energies being used in this discussion. It is one that is designed to bring in money. It is a simple candle spell where I will introduce you to a concept I call 'Layering a Spell'.
'Layering a Spell' is a term I came up with when I started teaching witchcraft at my school Enchantments, I'd never before heard of this term and I believe I came up with it. I applied this to spell casting, and I find that this descriptive term is really quite accurate. I found when teaching students I needed to present what we do in a fashion that can be learned and correctly utilized by them. I tend to compare much of what I do in spell casting to cooking. I was a professional chef in an early part of this life and I see many correlations with spell casting and cooking, so much of what we do looks like recipes, because they are.
I have created terms like 'Layering a Spell', 'Flipping a Spell', and 'Spell Manifestation', that are discussed in greater detail in my book. I will spend some time in the next few weeks talking about these areas a little more.
Use a small green candle, carve some simple symbols in the side of the candle. The money sign used in our culture is a good one. The F rune fehu is also a good one. A small drawing of the sun, a circle with rays around its edge is also good for bringing in money and good luck. After you've craved the candle, not too deeply, just so you can see the symbols, rub a small bit of oil into the candle. An oil with earth properties is a good choice, such as the essential oils of patchouly, pine, or basil, or a good one you just might have in your household today, olive oil. Olive oil has long been used in spell work, especially by those from Greece and Italy.
After preparing your candle, and be sure to rub the oil in very well, so the candle is not slick with it. We don't want to create and burn a torch, my young witchlings!! Oil and wax are cousins and when worked in well become one with the other, making their separate powers stronger when combined. During this process you are adding your energies to this combination making as I call it, magick or alchemy.
'Layering a Spell' consists of using more than one and sometimes many different spell components to construct a more elaborate spell for your needs. Working with the northern elements of earth, wanting to bring in money, we have a cute little candle, all dolled up with a pretty oil and nice markings ready to go to work for you! But wait! Not . . . so . . . fast. Let us continue layering our spell a bit further.
First layer : a small green candle. You want it to burn out within an hour.
Second layer: carving runes and symbols indicating money. You can even carve a specific amount like $20,000, for example, if you needed the money for a project remodeling a room in your house. Be realistic though. To carve a billion dollars on the candle, just because you can get that many zeros to fit, is silly. Keep within your realm of relativity and ability to truly see that money manifest.
3rd layer: Anointing the candle with essential, natural oils. Don't use aromatherapy oils if possible, only because they contain chemicals that are not safe to burn and inhale.
4th layer: you may choose to roll candle in one of the following depending on desire:
sugar - to sweeten your chances
ground cinnamon - to draw money and protection
ground geranium petals - to make the money come faster
The 5th layer is to place the candle in a fire proof holder and place on a green, silver or gold plate. (these are very plentiful in all the stores this time of year, the holidays are just around the corner. I also pick up red and heart adorned plates around Valentines Day for love spells all year long!)
A note on fire safety!! Burning a candle anointed with oils indoors is safe as long as precautions are taken to ensure burning in a fire proof container and always under supervision. That is why the candle needs to burn out within an hour. Never allow children or pets unsupervised around lit flames. Seriously, its just not a good idea. If you need to leave the room for any reason, be sure to snuff the flame out. Its not recommended to blow the flame out, snuffing is better. Then re-light the candle when you return, allowing it to burn all the way down, as your spell is cast.
At this time, and any time along this list of layers you may choose to stop, hold the candle, visualize the end result and burn the candle, thereby casting your spell. You do this by holding the candle, visualizing the money already in your life and how cool that room is going to look when its finished, or the party you'll throw to celebrate the new room.
You can do this by holding just a green candle, no further work put into it, but you will get a smaller manifestation. For a large amount, like $20-25,000 you may want to put in a bit more effort, and several layers into your spell. It is true in my world, you get out of your magick what you put into it. Lazy witches get little in the way of real manifestation.
If you'd like to add additional layers, you may now decorate the plate already holding the adorned candle in its holder, with a handful of coins ( layer 6 ) Silver dollars, half dollars, quarters are good, even coins representing money, though not real currency i.e. foil wrapped chocolate coins, found around Halloween, pirate money available at Renaissance fairs and the like, even coins that you won't redeem from a supermarket, or play coins from games. All represent abundance and wealth. So scatter some coins around the plate.
Next layer, where are we?
Oh yes, the 7th layer, Add a few dashes of gold and silver glitter.
These colors, gold, silver and green are used because these colors represent the color of our money, our green currency is based on gold, and our coins are silver. Color magick is an important feature to the magick I use. Green is also a color of nature, represents the earth element and gold and silver are metals that come from within the earth. Even our modern currency could be said to follow exactly the elemental magickal properties attributed to the Northern Realms from the ancient Celts.
Layers 8 and 9: you can also place on the plate stones that have money attracting properties such as gold pyrite, green agate, jade, copper etc. You can also put a picture, of what the money will purchase as an end result, under the plate. Maybe a decorator's model of that 'perfect' room with features you want to incorporate, like a big screen t.v., leather couches , etc. Place this under the plate. Make sure it is kept away from the flame.
You may add a 10th layer by burning your candle on a Thursday. Thursday is a day for financial, business and money spell work.
Now, light the candle. This is not a layer, but the final action of casting the spell. Let the candle burn down. After is has completely extinguished, any leftover bits of wax and the coins can be carried in a pouch, or placed in a small bowl. You may choose to put the picture on your refrigerator or bulletin board so that every day you see the picture, you can touch the coins and stones in the bowl thus keeping the magickal workings active until the manifest in your reality. Keep visualizing the same image of your spell manifesting, in this case the room you renovated, every time you see the picture and touch the bowl or pouch of spell bits.
Oh, . . . did you think magick was easy? hmmm
Our next discussion will be East - Elements of Air - Truth and Intellect
© 2010 Enchantments, LLC Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com
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The Contemporary New England Witch
Author Ms.Faith
