Good Afternoon,
I had a customer stop by Enchantments just the other day that made me think up this topic. I've spoken in the past about Internet 'crap' and that a magickal practitioner should be aware of it, and it seems like a good time to re-visit this topic.
This customer told me he was new to the magickal world and was just learning. He had read that the athame (the ritual knife used in circle) was never to be used to cut anything, which is generally true, but that he had seen a website that told one to use the athame to carve candles and inscribe magickal symbols into ritual tools. NOT TRUE!
Yes, there is a lot of areas where a witch can go off on her own and create magick as she/he wishes, but there is some foundational principles that generally need to be followed. When one sees a common theme in just about all published work (the only sources I take seriously) and then sees something coming from left field on a website . . . be aware, be very aware that you are most likely seeing a mistake or just someone's ignorance as to what should really be done.
In the case of the athame, there is only one physical cut an athame is allowed to make in it's magickal life and that's the first cut of a wedding cake after a handfasting. In truth, the cake knife a bride and groom uses to cut that first sacred slice is in fact an athame, even if it's put away after the ceremony never to see the light of day again and regardless of religion. Other than that, it is not used as a Boline, which is the ritual working tool used to cut, carve, whittle and the like for magickal usage.
Please, please, please keep reading from the published magickal masters such as Laurie Cabot, Janet Farrar, Gavin Bone, Raymond Buckland, Raven Grimassi and Scott Cunningham. Learn from the best and be wary of any of their work for free on a website as many websites pirate their works and these authors do not get the credit or any compensation for their efforts. Buy their books! Your magickal schooling deserves a financial investment and by buying their books you know you are getting solid, reliable magickal information.
Have a Happy Day and be sure to get out and enjoy some of this wonderful summer weather!
Peace and Happiness
© 2010-2013 Faith M. McCann. 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 or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited.
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