Hypocrisy In Spellcraft

Today the subject of banishing came up in a community I belong to. For some reason, people seem to think that banishing has to be this awful, negative, harmful thing. It really does not have to be. (You all know you don't have to banish someone to the deepest pits of hell, right...?)

But what bothered me, is they said there's always an alternative, like if you have an awful neighbor, you should pray for them to get an out of state job, or whatever. You wouldn't want to be banishing them, because that would be influencing their situation. That was their direct reasoning for not wanting to banish, because it would influence that person.

Here's the thing. Banishing someone sure is influencing them - but so is praying for them to change jobs.

I get that a lot of witches aren't into causing harm, or working on magic on someone without consent, and fine, whatever works for you. But come on. If you're going to follow that (and often while insisting others do, too), shouldn't you be following it all the way? If you're against influencing people, you have to understand that even "positive" things are still influences. Also, just because you might think something is positive, doesn't necessarily mean the recipient thinks so.

Comparing Spells to Prayers

It's a comparison I see often, especially when one is trying to explain what a spell is to someone who is unfamiliar with witchcraft. It's a quick and easy comparison to make, but it's not always an accurate one. This comparison makes it sound like a spell is simply petitioning a deity for aid in achieving a particular goal, but there are many who do not include deity at all when working a spell. The aid of a deity, or even belief in deities, is not needed to preform spellwork. Which is not to say one can't include deities in their workings, certainly you can, just that it's not necessary, and that there are many who do not do this.

I think it also reinforces the stereotype that all prayer is about asking a deity for something, when to many prayer is much more about communing with a deity, building a relationship, giving thanks, honoring, and not always about needing or wanting something. My reasons for praying and my reasons for spellwork often come from two totally different places - even if I do include a deity in my working, it is not the same as communing with that deity during prayer.

Again, I fully recognize that some choose to invoke a deity or deities for all spells, and there's nothing wrong with that in itself, I just wish it wouldn't be presented as the only way it's done, or as if it's a necessity to spellwork in itself.

Samhain

Happy Samhain and happy Halloween!

My original Samhain plans ended up being tossed around a bit, so this year it seems I'll be doing the bulk of my Samhain celebrating tomorrow and the day after. Which actually works out well for me, because it will coincide nicely with my regular lunar rituals for the last day of the cycle and the new moon, which have a very nice overlap in symbolism. Isn't it nice when disruptions end up working out?

Still, I was able to celebrate a bit last night as well. Yesterday it rained most of the evening, but stopped around midnight - it was foggy, warmer than it had been earlier in the day, and everything smelled damp and earthy. Perfect atmosphere for a small Samhain ritual. First I went to the edge of the woods and just spent some time meditating. Then I left some simple offerings for the spirits - flat bread, eggs, and apples.

I also ended up doing a little spontaneous working. I'm sure many are familiar with the basic concept of this working - you list negative things you don't want in your life, things that are holding you back, bad habits, and so on, then you burn the list and picture these things being removed from your life. This time of year is traditionally the time to cull the herds, the time to let things go, and of course has associations with death and release, so I thought it would be a perfect little working which would utilize those energies of this season.

I expected the real benefit of this working to come in the actual listing of what's holding me back, and to an extent that was helpful. There were no surprises on the list, but it was good to actually write these things down, to really see them and acknowledge them.

However, the surprise of the ritual was when I actually went back out to burn the paper. I felt like I received two clear messages from Westya (who is personified in flame), who I'd never really felt anything so clearly from before. Until now, our relationship was very quiet - a mutual sort of I'll remember and honor you, and you'll gift your blessings to my home, and that was it. But during the working, I felt she gave me two messages... First, that it's going to be hard work. Change is coming, and it's going to be hard, it might be a painful process, and to remember that I asked for it when that time comes. Not that unexpected of a message, really, it made sense. The second message, though, was that it was all going to be alright. That if I put my faith in my foundation (my deities and core/daily practices), I would get through the change, and that she is taking an active role in this, but likely in an unexpected way, and she will burn through my obstacles as long as I am willing to put the work in. The other deities I work with will be there to, but that in this I should look to her first.

 Honestly, for such a small ritual, I couldn't have asked for more, and I was not expecting anything like that. Simple rituals can still have big impacts.

Confession Time

So here's a confession for you all... 90% of the time when someone makes their spell/prayer/ritual rhyme, I think it sounds corny.

I know, I know. I'm sorry.

I mean, I would never point at someone's work directly and say to them, yeah, you tried, but that is so silly sounding - that's just rude, right? It's uncalled for. Still, I can't do it myself. I don't ever bother with making anything I write rhyme, and I can't remember the last time I incorporated something into a working which rhymed. It just doesn't do anything good for me.

Unfortunately there seems to be this idea floating around that you need to make things rhyme, because that's the only way to raise power. Which is flat out wrong. Yes, this might be a good technique for some people! I know lots of folks who like when things rhyme... it makes it easier to remember, and yes, the flow of it helps them build energy for the working. Awesome, if it's working for you, go for it. It doesn't work for me, though, and I know I'm not alone there. The rhyming usually takes me out of the right mindset for a working.

So, if you're new to witchcraft, just know that you don't have to work with rhymes, even if someone says that's the only way to do things... because it's really not. There's so many ways to raise power, and heck, you don't even need to include words at all in a ritual if you don't want. Find what works for you. If it's a rhyme? Great. If not? Don't worry, try something else.

Using Dirt in Ritual and Spellwork

Yep. Dirt. Lots of people are familiar with using herbs, spices, oils, gems, and so on in their rituals - but what about dirt? Mentioned briefly in my post about budget witchcraft/paganism, dirt has a place in ritual and spellwork.

The idea behind using dirt for a working is fairly simple - dirt from a particular location gathers and carries the particular energies of a place. For example, libraries and schools are usually thought of as places of learning, so you might gather dirt from such a location for use in a working involving learning, intelligence, knowledge, and so on.

To give a few more examples, dirt from around a bank may be used for prosperity. Dirt from a garden or farm for fertility or growth. Dirt from around a courthouse for workings dealing with justice or legal issues. Dirt from a mountain for grounding and stability. Dirt from a sea shore (or sand) for purification, dirt from the bank of a swift river for messages. Dirt from a road for travel. Dirt from around a casino or racetrack for luck or gambling. Dirt from the soles of shoes for a working involving that person. Like many aspects of spell work, such things can be open to interpretation, so give some thought to your goal, and the energy you wish to bring to it.

Two types of dirt are often given more attention than others - graveyard dirt, and crossroads dirt. Graveyard dirt in particular has many different rituals and ideas attached to it. Usually dirt is not just taken from any part of the graveyard, but a bit of dirt from a particular grave. This might be someone who has traits specific to your working - such as a doctor for a healing. This might also simply be someone who you were related to, or were close to, while they were alive (particularly for protection). As such, it is important to work to know the spirit you will be working with. Take time to tend to the grave, to leave offerings, to ask for permission to take the dirt, to ask for their aid in your working, to listen to for a response before proceeding.

Again, that is just one view on the use of graveyard dirt. There are tons of different views on the collection and use of such dirt.

Dirt from a crossroads also has multiple associations and rituals attached to it, much as the crossroads themselves. For example, some say you must go during the middle of the night, leave an offering, take some dirt, and leave the area without ever looking back. Other collection rituals might be much less specific. This dirt is often used to add extra potency to any working, but again can carry a variety of meanings.

Now, when it comes to actually using the dirt in a spell or ritual, it's fairly simple. It can be stuffed into a bundle, sachet, or dolly much like herbs can. It can be sprinkled in a ring around a candle (or even added to wax in small amounts when making a candle). It might be sprinkled around an area, such as around the outside of a home in a protective working. Symbols can be drawn onto a paper, the dirt sprinkled on that, and folded into a charm. There are many ways to utilize dirt for all sorts of workings - get creative with it.

Budget Witchcraft/Paganism

All too often someone will say to me, "I want to be a witch/pagan/whatever, but I don't have any money to buy supplies!" Good news - all you really need is you. Yeah, sounds kinda cheesy, right? It's true, though. There are many things you can do that don't really require any money. You can learn to meditate, visualize, cook/eat mindfully, spirit journey, pray, and a whole host of other things, all without spending money on special items.

That said, tools and various other ritual items, while not necessary, are often nice to have, and can be useful aids in your practice. So how do you go about getting these things when you're on a tight budget?

Usually second hand stores, pawn shops, some antique stores, and even the occasional yard sale can bring about a good number of items, for little cost. These sorts of places have tons of little bowls, plates, and other bits - as well as nice stemware that can be used as a ritual cup. Small decorative daggers and letter openers can serve as a fine ritual knife. Such items generally need a good cleansing and blessing before use, but that's something many do for all their tools before use, anyway.

An all too often overlooked source is nature itself. You can go right out and pick up a whole bunch of useful odds and ends for free. Wood from a local tree could easily be made into a wand. Some people even like to carve ritual knives from wood. Herbs, stones, wood for charms, etc. can all be found right outside for a number of people.

Maybe not everyone has the means to do this, but a lot of people who do still seem to overlook it. Last summer I was chatting with a beginner, and she was telling me how she had no money, and so she could not buy herbs or stones, and so she could not practice at all. This person was from a somewhat rural town in New Hampshire, very similar to the one I'd grown up in, and I can assure you if there's one thing we've got plenty of in New Hampshire, it's plants and rocks. For whatever reason, many people just don't consider what's outside, they want something from a shop, or online. The "real" magic sort of stuff.

Sure, you're not likely to go out and find quartz points or tumbled gemstones lying around, but the things you will find are no less powerful or interesting, and they have the potential to become as personal and meaningful, if not more so, than something you just picked up in a shop.

To the left are some examples of some things I've found for myself outdoors. At the top is a stick of lilac wood, which could easily be made into something like a wand, or a part cut off to make a charm. Below that, at the left, is a small horse charm. Not natural, no, but found while out walking anyway. Next, a stone with a cross through it, a symbol of the earth and protection. A chunk of granite, half black and half white, balance. Sea glass and a shell from a trip to the beach, feathers from the woods, teaberries and birch bark right from the yard. 

There are many plants and trees which can be easily identified with a little research, and can have many uses. Many people are already familiar with some of the more commonly found things, such as maple trees, acorns, pine cones, and dandelions.

Even something as abundant as dirt has a place in ritual and spellwork! Dirt from specific locations is often used in spellwork in hoodoo, for example. Dirt from a hospital yard for healing, or dirt from outside a courthouse for help in legal matters. (For more on that topic, see this post.)

It's also good to take a look around your own home. You want to purify yourself before a ritual, but no sage to smudge? How about soap? Yes, really. Soap gets you nice and clean, right? So there's no reason a good scrub down in the shower can't get you ritually clean, if you put the intent into it. Want to cleanse a space? Bet you've got some salt in the house, so put a little sprinkle of blessed salt into some water, and sprinkle that around the area you'd like to cleanse. What else have you got? Maybe some sugar, flour, pepper, honey or maple syrup, some basic dried herbs or spices (like cinnamon, red pepper flake, oregano)? Find out how you can use them, because you can. 

When it comes to offerings, you can always offer a bit from your own plate, or even something as simple as a cup of water, so long as you are truly sincere about it.

You don't need a bunch of expensive tools and fancy items to practice witchcraft, or to be a pagan. There's nothing wrong with saving up for a really nice tool, if that's what you'd like to do, but likewise there's also nothing wrong with using what's at hand or what you can forage and dig up, either. Don't put off practicing until you have a perfect collection of every item you could ever need, don't let it become an excuse. If you want to practice, do it! You may have to think outside the '101 book' item list, get a little creative, really get your mind working - but you can absolutely practice without going broke.

Four Thieves Vinegar

Four Thieves Vinegar is a blend of vinegar and herbs that is used to protect against disease (traditionally the plague, but other epidemics as well). It can also be used to ward off the spells of other witches, for general protection, repulsion and reversal, and to drive back or control your enemies.

Four Thieves Vinegar is said to have originated during the Black Plague. The four thieves robbed from the homes of the sick and dying (or sometimes from graves), without falling sick. They were eventually caught, and as a bargain to escape punishment they shared their secret for saying healthy.

Another version of this story has the thieves stealing from healthy people, being caught, and were sentenced to bury plague victims. They created this blend to survive their punishment. Some say these thieves were from a family of perfume makers, and would have had knowledge of herbs and which had antiseptic properties.

It is made by placing equal parts of sage, lavender, rosemary and thyme (one herb for each thief) into a glass bottle or jar. Then fill the jar with red wine vinegar (or a vinegar of your choice), and seal it well. The jar should be allowed to sit for at least a week, but it is ideal to make this blend on the night of the full moon, and allow it to charge until the new moon. Once each day the jar should be gently tipped upside down a few times, then left to sit again. After the herbs have steeped in the vinegar for the desired length of time, strain the herbs out of the vinegar, and again seal the vinegar into a bottle or jar.

The vinegar can be used to anoint the body, candles, or ritual items/tools. It can be added into a bath, or as a wash for the body in a shower. The blend can also be taken internally (wash fresh herbs well and pat dry if you are going to be using it in this way - research and follow food safety guidelines for making a flavored vinegar!), some say it makes a wonderful salad dressing when mixed with a bit of olive oil.

Sometimes other herbs are used in this blend. In later times lemon balm and mint were added to make the vinegar more sweet smelling and tasting. Garlic is another late addition, and on occasion is the only herb used. Wormwood and rue are also sometimes seen in recipes.

As the herbs may vary, so even the number of thieves can vary from location to location. Some places know this blend as Seven Thieves Vinegar, others Three Thieves. It can also be simply known as Thieves Vinegar, or Grave Robbers Blend.