Lady Atheona

A Poem for Samhain

2010-11-14T11:48:00.000-08:00

Turn the hourglass. my friend
Let the year begin anew
Love and joy to thee i send
May your troubles be far and few

Rejoice in darkness; Awake!
Draw friends and family near
Merry, mirth and love do make
To bless your fruitful year.

Merry Samhain!

Love,
Atheona

Wiccans of the Mojave Desert Seminary

2009-12-11T12:26:00.000-08:00

WMDSeminary is a private teaching program taking those interested in Wicca and teaching them the basics to become a First Degree Solitary Initiate and beyond. We are thorough in our admissions and training. We will teach you to be the best there is in the Craft.

We are offering three programs:
Guidance Program
Initiation Program
Seminary Program

We teach Wicca in many ways so that everyone has an opportunity to learn.

The Guidance Program is a series of lessons that are provided once a month to give you a firm platform from which to study Wicca. These lessons will include herbs, stones, ritual, divination, history, and a plethora of other subjects. We have specially designed this program for those people who can not attend our Initiation Program. Those people include anyone living outside of Las Vegas, NV; anyone under the age of 18 (with parental permission); and anyone who lives in or near Las Vegas, NV but can not commit the time needed to complete our initiation program. This program will be available January One, 2010.

The Initiation Program is a weekly course designed to train you to become a practicing First Degree Solitary Witch. These lessons will include history, Wiccan tenets, spell craft, performing ritual, and the list goes on. When you're ready to get serious about your Craft education; this is where you will start. In this program you will not only get in-depth instruction on the religious aspect of Wicca you will also get hands on training in the physical aspects of Wicca. You will be participating in calendar rituals, extracurricular activities, and community functions. The first class will begin just after Imbolg 2010.

The Seminary Program is a course of study designed for those students who have completed the Initiation Program and wish to become leaders in the Craft. In this course we will cover advanced magical study, herbology, astrology, Hermetics (the science of magic), group mind and leadership skills and advanced ritual practice.This program is ONLY available to those students who have completed the Initiation Program or have completed first degree training with either the Temple of the Inner Circle or the Temple of Fire and Light. You must also pass the WMDS Seminary Program entrance exam. The first class will begin just after Imbolg 2010.

The WMDS derives its lessons from the teachings of the Temple of the Inner Circle, Las Vegas. We are continuing the tradition that we were blessed with. Because of the training given to us by our Lady we are uniquely qualified to teach you. If you have any preliminary questions, do not hesitate to ask.

We are a very disciplined path of study and are not for the faint-hearted.

Wiccans of the Mojave Desert Seminary will not accept any students under the age of 18 into either the Initiation Program or the Seminary Program. There are NO exceptions. This is not a public teaching temple. We are a private seminary program and as such acceptance into this program is at the discretion of the Board of Elders.

http://www.wmdseminary.org
This is hosted at Fatcow.com a 100% wind powered hosting company. Because going green is a religious experience!

Las Vegas Pagan Pride 2009

2009-11-14T19:40:00.000-08:00

So... because of some of my type A personality tendencies, I had a busy day ahead for PPD. The week before, I touched up the signs that would be posted out front, even acquiring a fourth to ensure that the problem from the years before of not being able to find the place were no longer a problem. A sign was made to let people know that photography was going to be allowed so people needed to be aware even though the photographers knew they were to ask before taking photos. Last minute changes to the program were able to be squeezed in and then Peter, the coordinator met me at the printers the Friday before to get them all printed up. The educational pamphlets we were going to hand out for those coming to PPD to find out just what the hell paganism was all about were ready to be printed, as well. Collected were both the tarot cards and layout cloth for the two hour window I would be volunteering for readings and the sign making materials, in case I needed to make a few signs on the fly. Truck was emptied and then reloaded it with necessary tables and chairs and, of course, the signs.... and I was entertaining the idea of being a vendor too? Ha!

It is 630 am when I awake! Holy Mother Earth and Her Lord the early morning Sun! I'm usually just going to bed at this hour... but I want to have coffee (lots!) and make sure I have time for last minute stuff so... Sue and I arrived on site at around 9am where we found the radiantly pregnant Leia and her new husband marking her vendor layout with little orange flags. First thing Sue and I do is check on her; she's fine, so we go put the signs up. Across the street is a makeshift yard sale on the corner. Cool! Maybe he'll bring us some peeps! Peter arrives and we lay out the entry area, canopies are erected, t-shirts, bracelets, and bags are displayed for sale, the food collection area is established, areas are taped off, and then the vendors begin arriving for their set-ups. One of the first is my group, the Temple of the Inner Circle and the BBC so I go and help them unload and see if they need my assistance setting up. Nope! They're good. Of course they are! Instead, I gather broom and dustpan and sweep up as much of the glass I can from the tarmac area. Thanks to the observation from the Sierra Club who offered to do so.

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Las Vegas has prepped the inside of the building for water and soda sales and the three separate divination areas to accommodate the call from the year before's lack of readers. Signs are posted for the restroom and by noon... we're breathing okay still. Yay! Our volunteer DJ, Byron, has brought not only his equipment but a beautiful backdrop for the outdoor stage area which was a bit of a puzzle but well worth the effort. Victoria, our first day of volunteer has arrived and I get her acquainted with everyone before I disappear to go and work my two hour shift at the divination booth. There are three of us: myself reading the tarot, Sue with her Aboukara cards, and an exquisite, classy lady named VaDonna with rune stones. Unfortunately, readings were not as in demand as they were last year so we three only had one reading each to do, but fortunately, I was able to catch some of J.D. Holveck's Chaos Magick lecture, make a sign to indicate the classroom area, and a sign for our featured author, Denise Dumars.

After a great lunch and watching the ritual, I had a lecture about the history of modern Wicca. It was nice to see many knowledgeable people in the classroom listening and nodding their heads and injecting their comments. I was a little scattered but I'm pretty sure everyone was entertained and even if they didn't learn anything new, they enjoyed the approach to the subject I had. If anything, I'm pretty sure it was pretty unexpected since I didn't do the norm and hearken back to our ancient ancestors much and kept to the 1800's and beyond.

So what is Pagan Pride all about?

Meeting and networking with other pagans. Getting a glimpse of what other pagans do if you already are one or seeing what the heck pagans are like if you are not one. Pagan Pride is about comradeship between all pagans and being proud of being a pagan! All of this... I got in the span of about an hour. I ran into a couple of fellow pagan friends I hadn't seen in years and we had lunch together (had to go out to get it of course). Then I watched the ritual that Vicki had put together and listened with rapt attention to all the different variety of blessings bestowed upon the food being collected for Three Square. I watched happy smiling faces as they wandered from booth to booth marveling at the hand crafting skills so many of us pagans have. I watched many people as their eyes lit up seeing their friends and “family” and being introduced to new people. I myself wandered from booth to booth marveling at the skill, friendliness, and creativity of so many in our community. I ran into a lot of great present friends, reconnected with some old ones, and the best... made quite a few new ones (like Bhen Rhuda and the Druids from the ADF who came in to support Beej and the Larrea Tridentata Protogrove.) Except for the few glitches we had... I'd say that Pagan Pride was a huge success. It does for the community exactly what it's supposed to and for that... I'm glad I am a volunteer and will continue to do so.

Saving Our Ass!

2009-10-11T04:59:00.000-07:00

My humble (and right) opinion on the LCROSS mission and search for water on the moon...O, and pagans... http://damevegas.blogspot.com/2009/10/saving-our-ass.html

Mercury: That F%&king Bastard

2009-09-12T22:27:00.001-07:00

Mercury: That F%&king Bastard

2010

Retro Station	Direct Station	Release

12 Taurus 37
Sun, Apr 18

2 Taurus 41
Tue, May 11

12 Taurus 37
Fri, May 28

info from http://www.astrologycom.com/mercret.html

The planet Mercury went retrograde on Monday, September 7th, 2009, at 6°13' Libra. If you were not prepared, or have not tried to ease the effects with your Mercury Retrograde candle, then more than likely you have been inundated with a host of problems. More than likely you are hiding under a rock. It won't end until October 18 as he passes the point where he first turned retrograde.

Your car has developed a glitch; you are constantly misunderstanding what others say... or they are misunderstanding you; your computer has a new virus; the dryer lost your favorite pair of underwear; the post office has lost your mail and your bills are overdue; etc.

You could, of course, curse yourself for not being a better witch by preparing for the event or... you can do what damn near everyone else does and blame someone else! In this case: Mercury: That Fu%&king Bastard! Sure! Pass that buck! Go for it! Everyone else is doing it! His shoulders can bear the burden of your oversights; your screw-up; your busy, busy life.... Hey!? Maybe we can get him to martyr himself for our sins, too!? Wouldn't that be a hoot?

The negative attention focused on a Mercury Retrograde period is absolutely amazing to me. It's even being blamed by secular people on the radio and television. It always seems portrayed to be the worst time of year to do anything. Don't do this... don't do that... avoid this.... avoid that... I mean, really?! Are your weekends that bad?! Do you hate vacations that much?

Mercury's influence is extremely diverse. Mercury, the God, rules over communications and all their devices, commerce, travel, crossroads, eloquence, work that requires skill and dexterity, and modern appliances. He is the patron of ambassadors, thieves, gamblers and magical practitioners. He is the guardian of boundaries and roads, and has sway over sleep and dreams.

His job consists of delivering messages, aiding in decisions, making sure business matters run smoothly, shuttling people (and gods) from one end of the world to the other, or in-between. He investigates would be problems, teaches magic and prophesy, makes sure your Internet is running smoothly, that you're good with your diplomatic skills, he enhances your persuasion abilities, guards your line in the sand, and makes sure you're up for work on time. Oh... and on occasion he may be asked to babysit a 100-eyed giant, end up killing it, steal some cattle, rescue someone's grandson or a god, and then teach some snot-nosed kid some music. Mercury is the busiest god in his pantheon and probably all others as well. For all his hard work, he is rewarded with 3 to 4 vacations a year (must be union). To our detriment (if we're not prepared) then we have problems to solve all on our lonesome without his obliging guidance.

One of the good things about a Mercury Retrograde period is that we can see it coming.... next one:

Sat, Dec 26 - 21 Capricorn 46 (begins) :
Fri, Jan 15, 2010 - 5 Capricorn 35 (stations, then goes direct) :
Thu, Feb 4, 2010 - 21 Capricorn 46 (end of phase).

If you can pickup and learn to read an ephemeris, or learn some astrology, or Google it...you can know this into forever.

For a Mercury Retrograde period to be a GOOD thing, all you need is a swivel in your perception. Crawl out from under that rock. Don't pass the buck. Think of a retrograde period as a time to recharge and relax.... like a vacation! There are many tasks that can enhance the rest of the year so much more than you would have ever imagined if completed during a Mercury Retrograde period. But before I get into that, let's talk about what Mercury Retrograde actually is.

The planet Mercury traverses the heavens in its ordinary manner without fail day after day. It is traveling DIRECT... as in directly along it's course. Three to four times a year, the planet APPEARS to stop its direct course and not move at all for about three days. This is called STATIONING. Then it starts to appear to move BACKWARDS in the night sky.... this is RETROGRADE. After three weeks of retreat, it gives the impression of STATIONING once again before it starts to RETRACE the path forwards that it seemingly took backwards. This period is called SHADOW. Got it?

Direct-Stationing-Retrograde-Stationing-Shadow-Direct... this takes about six weeks. All this movement is a “cosmic optical illusion.” Much like when you are sitting at a stoplight and the car next to you begins to roll forward... giving you the illusion that you are rolling backwards.

So what exactly is all the hoopla? Well, Mercury has gone AWOL, kinda. You, my friend, are on your own. You can expect problems to deluge your profession, your transportation, your ability to walk and talk at the same time.. Your appliances will stop working, the warranties will have already expired, your ability to make sound decisions will be hindered, or nonexistent due to the simple omission of a single bit of information. Expect to lose money at dice in the alley. Expect all your magical spells to take a great leap into the weird and unknown. Expect to see your self on COPs with your face a huge blur and your pants around your ankles as you're stuck under a fence.

The biggest mishap everyone (most people) experience is in communication. The 'it's a small world' concept we are all used to falls prey to Mercury's disappearance since communication plays a role in the most important events in our lives to the most benign (you can now expect those benign matters to become overwhelming.) Expect to develop foot in mouth disease. Intonation, vocabulary, and discernment can and probably will cause wars.

But again... we know its coming!

Sat, Dec 26, 2009 - 21 Capricorn 46 (begins) :
Fri, Jan 15, 2010 - 5 Capricorn 35 (stations, then goes direct) :
Thu, Feb 4, 2010 - 21 Capricorn 46 (end of phase).

Before it arrives... while it's still traveling direct... PREPARE!! Back up your computer files. Pay your bills early. Send all the packages that need to be sent out. Make any large purchases. Get your car worked on. Make several copies of important numbers, appointments, itineraries. PREPARE!

When Mercury is STATIONING (holding still for three days – the day before, the day of, the day after) – MIMIC Mercury's inaction! Do nothing. Be still. Stationing is a very powerful time! The consequences of anything done, said or started during stationing points can come bac

k and bite you on the ass. If you take on any oaths or make any promises at these times and somehow you are unable to fulfill the requirements, the ramifications can haunt you for years.

During RETROGRADE, read the fine print if you have to sign anything...twice! Clarify any dealings by asking a lot of questions and then ask them again. Reconfirm any and all appointments. Bring a book or project for when you will get delayed. Keep the sales slip for anything you have to purchase. If things do happen to go sour... adapt as best as you can. Learn from the tutelage of Mercury because he walks alongside of you every other day of the year when he's not on vacation. Slow down a bit. Remember... you're kind of on vacation too. Engage your brain before you engage your mouth and know that this too, will pass. Above all, keep your sense of humor - the very best stories usually come out of a mercury Retrograde period.

Again, while it's STATIONING... do nothing!

When Mercury is in SHADOW (retracing it's way back along its backwards path) – the prefix RE- is highly advisable. Retouch, review, recreate, reassess, reapply, restore, rearrange, reassemble, rethink, redo, reevaluate, revise, relocate, renew, repair, restructure, research... Return phone calls and borrowed items, Reunite with old friends or restart old projects. Reflect and remember.

Reorganization and cleaning are the very best things to do during a Mercury retrograde period. Things are more apt to stay organized and clean if done at the time of shadow, which in turn, contributes to the smooth operation of everything and everyone concerned. Many major companies (that know this) utilize this time to restructure, reorganize, anD spring clean their offices and files. Employee stress levels are reduced and the company benefits year round.

When Mercury again passes the point of which it began it's seemingly backwards movement and is again traveling DIRECT you can climb out from under the rock and resume your normal life; until the next time. Put into action all those plans you rethought... write a killer book or blog with all your research... Check your computer... bet the glitch is gone!

Mercury's winged sandals are but mere shimmers in the fading dusk of the day as you rejoice in his return and renewed vigor. Meet me a the bar and we'll celebrate your fresh, new confidence in being able to adapt, improvise, and overcome. You're buying of course, since you never passed the buck. I'm so proud! Now... make mine a shot of Maker's Mark!

Mercury Retrograde Spell*

(to lighten the effects of a Mercury Retrograde period)
*NOTE: Does not combat all the effects, just lessens it so its not so traumatic

Items needed:
damp, not wet white rag (use Blessed Water if so inclined)
Blue 7-day jar candles (about 10)
Silver marking pen (paint)
Mercury oil
Lighter

Step One: Clean your candles with the damp rag. Wipe the outsides. Peel off any stickers. Wipe the wax on the inside removing all dust and debris. Know that the energies of the previous person who handles this candle is being removed as well.

Step Two: Draw the Mercury figure on the jar of the candle and the power symbol right below it with the silver marking pen.

Step Three: With oil on your power finger(s) (pointer finger and middle finger side by side) anoint the candle in a counter-clockwise motion visualizing yourself being eloquent, your car running great, your computer working smoothly, etc. Empower the candle as long as you can with your visualization.

Step Four: Light candle with lighter. Let it burn day and night. Put in safe place. Sit on a coaster or pie plate for additional safety. Before one goes out, light another. Keep the series burning through the entire period of retrograde, stationing, and shadow. Place empty jar candles in paper bags and break when they're out. Throw away and let your garbage men bury them for you.

*This spell was taught to me during my first year and a day of training at the Temple of the Inner Circle by Lady Morgana of the Bell, Book, and Candle, 1725 East Charleston Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89104 - (702)386-2950

Magic Siphon

2009-08-07T15:55:00.000-07:00

...taken from an original posting at http://damevegas.blogspot.com ....

I had the pleasure of casting our ring tonite and the energy was high.
Not a misstep nor wasted movement... We moved like the finely crafted
gears of a precision timepiece.

The room was instantaneously disassembled, the ring was quickly
erected, the magic performed, the cakes and wine shared, and then it
was over after the closing and retrieval of the rope. Absolute
clockwork. Beautiful.

When complete, we set the room to rights and cooled off from the heat
generated by our round. I offered the saved cakes & wine to the Lord &
Lady while Sue cooked up a storm.

Not more than an hour after our candle was lit and we were enjoying
the meal that Sue made did I get a query for calligraphy work. Magic
rocks!

After dinner, we three were still all giddy like schoolgirls. It was
asked before the ring about the possibility of being drained after. I
offered up my opinion on the matter.

Magic(k), as we utilize it, comes from everywhere around us: from the
earth below our feet and from the very molecules of the air we
breathe. In order to work your will upon those natural forces, you
must first become intuned to them... thus the purpose of ritual... And
once you are there, in tune, you yourself becomes the conduit of those
natural forces. So all those racing molecules, vibrating through you,
should have the effect of energizing you.... not draining you. If
you're being drained, imho, you're doing it wrong.

One of our observers, on the other hand, was completely drained by
rituals end. He gave himself fully to the work at hand, without guard,
sacrificing himself upon the pyre of good works. It only took a
minimal amount of time to bring him back up to rights. Must remember
to protect the observers on the outside before the next one.

All in a it was a good night. Working magic with close friends has a
tendency to open the mind and allows one to see old situations in a
new light. The energy expended on the periphery has a tendency to
energize and make happen other things you wouldn't imagine.

My fear of change had not subsided, but I move forward today with new
information and conviction. I move ahead a little more secure in the
steps I will be taking. Today I am the dawning rosy glow of optimism
and a smile is on my face. The good news is - is that there are no
fangs.

Erma aka Atheona
Improvise! Adapt! Overcome!

A Short Essay on Wicca History (Cos that’s all there is)

2009-06-12T01:16:00.000-07:00

A Short Essay on Wicca History (Cos that’s all there is)
By Lady Atheona

There was once a nudist by the name of Gerald Gardner. Somewhere around the mid-1930's, Gardner, while acting in a small theatre production in England, found a group who called themselves the New Forest Coven. He discovered they were practicing a form of nature deity worship utilizing fragments of rituals believed to be from ancient sources. Gardner, an avid anthropology hobbyist, believed he had discovered a religion that predated Christianity.

Gardner's contact and teachings from this group led to the publication of two books.... both fiction: "A Goddess Arrives (1939)" and "High Magic's Aid (1940)." Gardner, and anyone else participating in this form of worship at the time had to be careful for the practice of this "religion" involved witchcraft; illegal in England until 1951.

A couple of years after the repeal and replacement of the anti-witchcraft laws with a fraudulent mediums act, Gardner then began his own group called the Bricket Wood Coven. After initiating Doreen Valiente¹, her becoming his high priestess and partner, and culling from many sources ²; Gardner and Valiente reconstructed the rituals for the worship of nature with a primary focus on a horned god and mother goddess.

Gardner wrote two more non-fiction books: "Witchcraft Today" (1954) and "The Meaning of Witchcraft" (1959) and introduced many other people into the religion. These initiates spread out across the world and began introducing "Wicca" to others. Today, the Office of National Statistics estimates there to be 800,000 Wiccans worldwide.

Gardner and Valiente consequently became the Father and Mother of a new religion called Wicca. The term "Wicca" was never used by Gardner. Instead he referred to the people who practiced the "Ancient Arts and Crafts" as the Wica (meaning "wise"). Through the years with new minds taking, researching, and explaining the basic concepts of the Craft, "Wicca" and "Wiccans" have come to be the term.

Raymond Buckland, grandchild of Gardner's tradition, landed on the shores of America in 1962. His teachings about Wicca and witchcraft, along with others, took root and spread like wildfire across the country. Gavin and Yvonne Frost with their School and Church of Wicca (b.1968 in West Virginia) became the first federally recognized Wiccan church in 1972 (as per tax exempt status). In 1985, a prisoner argued he wasn’t able to freely practice his religion while incarcerated and it became a landmark case(3) for Wiccans making Wicca the first modern pagan religion recognized under the 1st Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. (And from what I’ve been able to find, they had nothing to do with Gardner or any of Gardner’s initiates.)

So, with the history above, Wicca is a modern religion only about fifty years old. It is, however, based on the ancient religious practices of Europeans predating Christianity. Despite its youth, Wicca has evolved into many different variants of itself and has spawned other pagan and re-constructionist movements worldwide. Gardner's vision of keeping an ancient religion alive has been exponentially fulfilled. Wicca is a thriving and prosperous religion with adherents being drawn to it faster than most of the old world traditions that have been around for thousands of years. Wicca is a beautiful new religion, filled with the wisdom and knowledge of the ages; one that can grow and evolve as our society does; one filled with the beauty and wonder of nature. It is a modern religion filled with the romance of our ancient past and can take us back to our roots. So take a single night, when the moon is full, and dance under the stars with us. You don't have to be naked to do so, but we won't stop you if you want to.

______________________________________________________________________

*Many argue that Gerald Gardner would have nothing if it wasn’t for his association with Aleister Crowley and that much of Gardner’s material came (was stolen) from Crowley himself . Those who argue this point always seem to draw attention to the fact that Gardner was also an avid nudist who incorporated ritual nudity and sex rites for his own purpose. Well, Gardner was a nudist and probably really did like sex, who doesn’t. My point is, Gardner is just the father of the modern religious movement of Wicca who pieced together a working outline of how to worship nature and practice the Craft. It was Gardner’s children and grandchildren that give the Craft of today it’s substance as a religion; children like Raymond Buckland, Patricia Crowther, Alexander Sanders, Janet and Stewart Farrar and these are just the most famous of names. More than likely, it wasn’t until Alex Sanders broke tradition with Gardner’s teachings to produce his own form of Wicca that Gardnerian Wicca got it’s name. Today, there are several branches of Wicca. Wiccans give credit to Gardner because it was he who pieced together this new religion they love. If Crowley’s fans want credit for Crowley for his contribution, most teachers of the Craft today give it, including me.

(1)Valiente is credited with taming the ceremonial occult influences of Gardner’s Freemasonry training and making the religion more nature oriented.

(2) Sources included Margaret Murray (The Witch Cult in Western Europe, 1921), Charles Godfrey Leland (Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches, 1899), Dion Fortune (The Sea Priestess, 1930's and many others), Sir James Frazer (The Golden Bough, 1890), Robert Graves (The White Goddess, 1948), Rudyard Kipling, Aleister Crowley*, The Golden Dawn, and other ceremonial magic cousins.

(3) 617 F.Supp. 592

United States District Court, E.D. Virginia,

Alexandria Division.

Herbert Daniel DETTMER, Plaintiff,

v.

Robert LANDON, Director of Corrections, Defendant.

Civ. A. No. 84-1090-A.

Aug. 28, 1985.

"the Court thinks that the Church of Wicca is clearly a religion for first amendment purposes. Members of the Church sincerely adhere to a fairly complex set of doctrines relating to the spiritual aspect of their lives, and in doing so they have "ultimate concerns" in much the same way as followers of more accepted religions. Their ceremonies and leader structure, their rather elaborate set of articulated doctrine, their belief in the concept of another world, and their broad concern for improving the quality of life for others gives them at least some facial similarity to other more widely recognized religions. While there are certainly aspects of Wiccan philosophy that may strike most people as strange or incomprehensible, the mere fact that a belief may be unusual does not strip it of constitutional protection. Accordingly, the Court concludes that the Church of Wicca, of which the plaintiff is a sincere follower, is a religion for the purpose of the free exercise clause."

Witches Bottle Found Intact

2009-06-04T20:21:00.000-07:00

Boffins boil down witch-repelling brew

Take one bottle of urine, insert iron nails, navel fluff, sulphur...

By Lester Haines

Posted in Bootnotes, 4th June 2009 10:31 GMT

A raft of modern scientific tests has revealed the contents of the first "witch bottle" discovered with its cork intact - a late 17th-century vessel buried by the owner's front door and designed to thwart the evil intentions of ill-wishers.

According to the Times, the salt-glazed stoneware bottle was unearthed in Greenwich. It's among 200 such witch-busting devices which have come to light, but the only one to still demonstrate just what was required to trap hexes and even send spells back to the caster.

Alan Massey, a retired chemistry lecturer from Loughborough, revealed that the recipe for success in this case comprised "a small heart-shaped piece of leather, a handful of iron nails, eight brass pins, a lock of hair, some nail clippings, a pinch of navel fluff" and, essentially, a pint of urine.

Over 12 months, Massey first subjected the bottle to X-ray and CT scan analysis, then extracted a sample of its liquid content with a syringe. This was the aforementioned urine with traces of nicotine which "indicated that it had come from a smoker".

The brew also contained sulphur, and suspected navel fluff. The nail clippings were adult, and Mike Pitts, editor of British Archaeology, said: “From their size, they probably came from a male and they were well manicured so he was from a higher social class. It is possible that we could one day identify him from DNA analysis and the location of the discovery.”

Pitts, whose magazine has published the findings, added: “This is a relic of early modern Britain. There is documentary evidence of how people were advised to make witch bottles but this is the first that has been subjected to rigorous scientific analysis.”

Witch bottles were traditionally stoneware Bellarmine jugs named after the Catholic Inquisitor, Robert Bellarmine. Their embossed decoration featured a scowling bearded face intended to ward off evil.

The owner's urine, nail clippings and hair were used as a decoy for hostile spells, while bent iron nails and pins would trap the enchantment. Tangled sewing thread, thorns or fishing hooks were also used for the same purpose. ®

I stole this from my twitter friends blog: http://blog.bocan.co.uk/

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/04/witch_bottle/

Prepping for LVPPD's Chili Cook-Off

2009-04-23T03:16:00.000-07:00

Tonight was voting box painting. Some of the ladies from the LVPPD committee rendezvoused over at the Bell, Book, and Candle store at the graciousness of the owners and painted beautiful little keepsake boxes (for the cooks) for the voting of the Chili contest winner.

Box Tops

Box Sides

Box Bottoms

Not bad for some acrylic paint and some creativity, eh? They were a huge hit last year with the cooks. This year I thought I'd date them for the ones that wanted to start a collection.

While at the BBC, Robin, the owner donated a few items for the door prize raffle we'll be having while at the Chili Cook-off. One of her best sellers is what she calls a "Grab Bag." It is one of the most popular items that the store sells. Essentially, it's a spell-in-a-bag, complete with bath salt, candle, oil, incense, and charcoal. The students are the biggest clients utilizing the surprise to build their oil larders. Also included in the BBC's donation were some of her handcrafted, potent, magical bath salts and two voodoo fetch pencils. I'll add those pictures when I get them. I asked her to leave them blank so I could decorate them up and to ensure she received some advertising that they came from her store because... that is what we do! Support our local community!

There's only a couple days till. Have you cleared your schedule to come? We hope to see you there!

Lady Atheona

Memories of Bealtaine Past: 2008

2009-04-21T03:54:00.000-07:00

05-08-08
The Weekend of Love and Hate, Light and Dark
or in other words: The Natural State of Things

I started preparing for sabbat early because I didn't want to get caught not being squared on the day of. Unfortunately, I had to work in the morning on Saturday because I have yet to train anyone up to standards to take my place - and on the mountain, we are unreachable. I am unable to camp this time, but my role is still important. I still have to bring up the firewood and pick up the Maypole because I own the only truck capable of carrying it up. Y'see how I insist on making myself absolutely essential just so I can be in the middle of things ... whether work or play? That's a Libran trait, by the way; always gotta know what's goin' on. Anyway, I was able to puppy-eye a friend to help me load the truck with wood Friday night and Maypole-gettin' was scheduled for noon on Saturday. But with all the list making and pre-preps, I was still running later than I wanted and I still forgot the flowers. Crap. Every freakin' sabbat. What the hell is wrong with me? Eleven years- y'think I'd learn by now.

The pick-up of the Maypole went smooth. Short and sweet, except for the half hour wait because the guy was running late, but that was okay. Really, it was. My thanks to Dragon (pronounced Dray-gun) for the pole and for having his crew load and tie it down. It seemed too short to be an effective Maypole - being only a few feet longer than the truck itself. I was a little worried. We have been so used to dealing with fallen trees in excess of 30 feet or so and 20 feet seemed puny in comparison. That and the fact that two of Dragons men were able to maneuver the pole with ease when I'm so used to seeing the Temple men and women and friends thereof struggling with the formers. I pushed the worry to the back of my mind where it stayed. Too late for worry, even though I probably still would.

I pulled into the camp area just after 3pm. Everyone was on break from setting up the circle area. A few came to greet me and used their break to unload and distribute the wood. My truck had only been 3/4 full and as they started piling logs next to the seven fire pits, I could see it wouldn't be enough. This was a worry I had addressed earlier in the day playing phone tag with Dragon. He assured me there would be enough because he had also brought up wood for personal use. We also had the Maypole to burn afterwards. I settled on trusting him in the matter. Measurement is definitely not my forte. Stand ten feet away from me and I'd guess five. Hold your hands a foot apart and I'd guess three. Have a pot of stew to feed twenty and I'd guess it would only feed eight. I'm horrible.

A couple hours later we attached the ribbons and the wreath at the top. I had given the priestess the design for the contraption I had come up with for when I was priestess of Bealtaine so that her wreath could travel down the pole as we wove the ribbons. The nail she had brought was huge which normally would have been okay except that the crosspiece she had chosen was round and thin instead of flat and wide. Duct tape had to come to the rescue. Definitely an essential outdoor and camp tool. Works great as emergency first aid, too... and , if you're clever, you can catch ducks with it. Heheh.

After securing all the ribbons to the pole itself so we wouldn't lose them to the wind that had started to blow, the pole was *ahem* erected into position and the kids worked heartily to stabilize the base. My fears about the pole being too short were unfounded. Twenty feet tall is freaking tall. Nice. It looked great. We all dispersed to robe up with one standing guard. You should always have the Maypole guarded: 1 for safety reasons and 2 because it's tradition. Not that tradition was being held by the type of pole we were using for our Maypole. Hel, in my eleven years this was only the second time a felled tree hadn't been used. But Wicca is a religion of malleability isn't it. Change is good? Invariability is stagnancy?

As we gathered back together, I noticed a few of us were still missing. I made a mental note to send a student out to phone pick-up areas to put out calls. We knew that a few were going to be late so sending out rescue parties wasn't necessary as they would stop on their way up if they found one of us in trouble.

We circled round and the priestess began doling out ribbons. Just then the wind started to gust. Not small, friendly, beginning of summer gusts, mind you. No... They were the rocks in your face, push you back apace, 500 mile an hour gusts! (Well, maybe 500 mph is an exaggeration.) But they were definitely very strong... strong enough to dislodge the wreath at the top. Damn the minimum of duct tape used. The kids were great for spending as long as needed to try and reposition the wreath so that the central hole realigned with the pole, but alas, another gust carried the wreath down the pole where it unceremoniously plopped at the students' feet. I think we all just stared at it momentarily in disbelief, incomprehension, and disappointment. But not for long. Another sharp gust snapped a ribbon. And then another one floated down after. And then another. In the span of a few minutes, we lost ten ribbons. We needed to get the show on the road if we didn't want to have to bring down the pole to start over. Me and two other girls sang a song as the priest, priestess and big teeth smiling students wove the pole. Much joy and laughter rode the blasts of air that threatened to ruin the festivities. Hah! Zephyrus was able to steal much of the slack in the ribbons at the beginning of the dance resulting in a very loose weave near the top of the pole but a quarter of the way down you could see the weave tighten. Near the base the pattern was so tight that no wood showed through at all. Everyone stepped away to stare at their handiwork after caressing the beautiful Maypole.

Lady Sistterwolf, the High Priestess, did the honours of interpretation. It pretty much echoed my own sentiments. The Temple as a whole, at the moment, is a bit loose because of all the individual problems everyone is having, but soon enough, probably around August or September, we will start to tighten up again, with problems smoothing themselves out for everyone, and by March or April of next year, we'll be so tight a group again that we'll be stepping on each other's toes.

And while at the time, we all smiled at the prospect, even me, I had a niggling feeling it was going to be in a way we would never have expected. There was a major distinction between the three areas giving me the sneaky suspicion that those changes would result because of something radical (I've had my toes stepped on. It's not always pleasant.)... not that I want to be any kind of naysayer. Just call me Cassandra and we'll leave it at that. Um, strike that. Cassandra was always right, just never believed. How about Obama? Purveyor of change? Hillary? Squeaking in a win when the odds are so against?

Anyhow, we downed the pole and the boys carried it over to Dragons camp so he could chop it up with his sawzawll. Definitely a good vibrator. We planted the phallus on a few spare pieces of firewood to raise it so that the girls could ride comfortably. And then we waited. And waited. The saw turned out to be impudent. Even with ravishing another one for parts and having two very nimble, very skillful, very creative minds handling the problem, we had to revert to other means of trimming the Maypole into more manageable members, um, I meant pieces. We did however, pass the time waiting with some very joyful renditions of the Moose song (I've had many women, my life has been loose, but I've never had anything quite like a moose!) and only five of the seven days of the Seven Drunken Nights song, since there were kiddies around. Yep, all those great church classics. I love the Craft!

After changing, we had a few hours before ring time so after clearing the hole of the Maypole and turning it into our Bel-fire, we relaxed and ate and socialized. Some of us napped. It was great. And then it was time. The fires roared to life and the darkness was illumined by the familiar glow of quarter fires. Everyone robed back up and donned their masks. They looked fabulous! The students assumed their positions in the northeast and the ritual began. During the love chase, the girls could be heard twittering with delight, as all girls do, and a few of the men even got to chase two different women so everyone could have a turn. I'm sure the new male student is saying it right now. (I love the Craft!) The Oak King died from his love of the Goddess but was reborn and managed to be tempered by fire in the process. The ring was opened for the Temple's Priest and Priestess and guests to join the round for the jumping of the Bel-fire. There were two couples that jumped the fire together....(Wow! I didn't even know.).... ensuring the solidification of their relationships by next Bealtaine. It seems the Oak King must have an entourage as he rules the remainder of his time so he tempered two others by fire as well. Sneaky devil! (Hah! Get it? Yeesh, I kill me.)

The celebration was filled with some beautiful poetry, high-larious stories, and a song from yours truly with accompaniment from three beautiful ladies. They are now known as the "Pips." I'm so very, very sorry. Then we finished the ritual in short order, taking our time at the Great Rite, of course, and got to the dirty joke telling around the centre fire after dismantling the stone circle and cleaning up the quarter and guest fires. Too much fun. Around 3 am I headed down the mountain, not tired in the least, feeling clear and free of any problems I may have had. By the time I reached my front door it was 430 am and the weariness assaulted me. I slept well. Better than I had in days.

The next morning, after just three and a half hours of sleep and a coveted and an extended steaming shower, I bounced my way out the door to work feeling recharged and refreshed. Life is good. And then I listened to my phone messages. Crap! Damn the infernal message takers. (I didn't mean that. I'm sorry. *kisses phone.*) The first message was great. One of the students we had lost was okay. He just couldn't find the place so instead of wasting any more gas, he went home to enjoy the evening with his visiting girl. The other was from someone who couldn't find the place either and somehow... somehow, it was MY fault. MY fault that he couldn't read a map. MY fault that he wasted copious amounts of gas looking for the site. MY fault for not returning his call earlier in the week because I was just supposed to know that he would be asking me for directions. (Huh, I am a witch*, y'know.) MY fault that he was an asshole.

From what I remember there was nothing in those messages indicating it was imperative I call him back. If I recall correctly, they were filled with personal crap that had nothing to do with attending the sabbat or the Temple. I didn't even know that he was planning on attending and... and... I didn't even draw the goddamn map. He waited until 4 pm on the day of the sabbat where everyone would already be on the mountain to find out where to go and was wholly depending on someone's phone working on the mountain to guide him where he needed to go. Now, don't get me wrong. I understand the rules of the Craft. I know the buck stops with me when it comes to the shit (and good) in my life and I'm more than famous for being able to shoulder a lot of freaking blame but.... C'MON!!!

I returned the call. I was not friendly and even less friendlier when he informed me he was going to be asking for a refund of his donation. To a church. Because he got lost. Because someone's phone didn't work. Because I didn't want him there. Because I didn't return his call.

Ohhhh, darn, you know what? Maybe I should be a little more understanding as to why he blamed me. If you all have decided to call me Obama because of the whole Maypole thingy, then I understand why he believes it's my fault. Last week he had told me that he truly believes that Obama is a Muslim... and Muslims are at fault for all the problems of the world, right? Yeah... THAT'S CRAP!

CRAP! CRAP! CRAP! CRAP! CRAP! Arrrgggh!

So, that was my Bealtaine weekend. It was fantastic! Except that I missed Lady Sistterwolf by my side a lot with her being High Priestess and all. And yeah, even getting angry and yelling afterwards was a bit o'fun. I don't do it very often and he just really deserved it; I felt anyway. I was able to revel in the preciousness of my life. To experience and consciously be aware of my emotions at the very moment they were flowering and enjoying every aspect of it. It is a gift, you know... this thing called life. That's why we celebrate it. I hope that you too will be able to experience the fullness of your being this summer season - every aspect of it.

Erma

(*Just so you know: being a witch does not mean you're psychic. I'm the very first to say that I AM NOT a psychic. Usually, if you've been initiated a witch, it just means you're more observant than most. Being psychic just means you're gifted.)

What's In A Name?

2009-04-11T00:36:00.000-07:00

Names are very important in our society. They distinguish each of us as individual entities. They group us together under a common theme or ideal. Some are very proud of their names and display them for the world to see. Others despise their names and will go through the red tape of getting it changed legally. Some adopt pseudonyms for protection and anonymity. Others because they do not believe their name match their personalities. Names can define us. Names can mould and shape us.

In many ancient cultures, and even to this day, there are some who will not give out the true name of their newborn child. Instead they will have a nickname designation they will share with everyone else and the true name of the child is whispered into the child's ear and shared only with those the mother truly trusts. It is believed by many societies that knowing the true name of a person can hold them in your power, mundanely or metaphysically (Rumpelstiltskin, Betelgeuse). Many also believe that the name and soul of a person are synonymous. To read the name of the dead would breathe life into their soul. Taboos against speaking a dead persons name for fear that it would invoke them and they would haunt you abound all over the world. Many great magi throughout the ages have utilized a version of this belief to call and control different demons, angels and similar entities.

The Craft name you choose for yourself, if you decide to do so, works in a similar manner as above. It will define you. It can ennoble you. It can give you courage, strength, or compassion. It will protect you. it will shape you into what you've always believed you can become.

In the Temple of the Inner Circle, we do require that you have one, because to us, the magical name is a most essential tool. The cool part though, is that you get to choose it.

Just as there are many diverse groups in the Craft, there are just as many protocols for finding, choosing, or being granted a magical name. Hopefully I can cover the gamut in this essay. I culled from a variety of articles, web pages, and books and put them together with what we teach here at the Temple and my own experience. Following is the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and Hows of the magical name.

Who Can Choose A Magical Name?

There are some in the very old tradition of the Craft that do not get to choose their own name. In some covens, a young student is observed for a year or more, given studies and tasks to perform for a period of time and then are finally given their Craft name by their High Priest or High Priestess upon initiation. Still others, if even semi-cognizant of the world around them, will be given their name by the Universe itself through a series of seeming coincidences. They'll receive some mail with a name that's interesting on it and then a phone call asking for that particular name. In a place they've been a thousand times will suddenly appear a book or article in reference to that name and then a friend will mention it out of the blue.... or something like that. Maybe they'll even dream about it. Who knows? Take it as a gift, a divine helping step into your new life.

There are some people who are not even in the Craft that love the aspect of having a pseudonym. The Internet with all of it's message boards, cyber-societies, and the like promote this behaviour and the reasoning as to why a witch would choose a name can dutifully apply to that of the Internet surfer as well. But unlike that of just finding a name to identify yourself on MySpace.com, the magical name will serve a purpose in your magic and Craft life for years to come. It should be given some deep thought and at least a little research. It should reflect a side of your soul and inner self that you want to share with the divine. The traits your name carries will come to fruition in your life, magically (and sometimes mundanely) speaking, but we'll cover that in just a little bit.

What's In A Magical Name?

The choice of a name can come from a variety of sources. Many choose names from fiction or mythology like Gandalf or Grendel. Others come from totem animals that the person may have an association with like Redhawk or Timberwolf. Mystical animals are utilized with names like Dragonfire or Basilisk. Still others like the occult mysteries from which we learn and choose names like Shadow and Rain. There are tree and flower names like Rowan and Waterlily. There are stones and other natural edifices like Amethyst, Amber, or Sierra. Still others go universal and use names like Starchild or Moonglow. Metals like Silver, Gold, and Iron are popular as are names that derive from the legends of heroes like Boadicea or Ulysses. Family ancestry can play a part in the choice of name a young witch may choose for themselves as well as the rapport they may have with a culture other than their own. Of course, many of these name are used in conjunction with one another like the popular authors Silver Ravenwolf, Starhawk, and Raven Grimassi.

The most important thing about your magical name is what it means to you. If you're happy with a silly name like Tootsiepop or Starbunny then you should have a bonafide reason for having it. If you believe that you take life too seriously and this would aid you to lighten up - could be used as a pretty good argument for the use of that name if it is being presented to your Priest or Priestess, just argue it very well. While the Craft is filled with love and light and even the Charge of the Goddess may refer to mirth:

"Let My worship be in the heart that rejoices, for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals. Let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honour and humility, mirth and reverence within you." Studying the Craft to become a priest or priestess should be taken just a little more seriously. 'Mirth' is paired with 'reverence' Let's not forget that. There's lots of learning to get to.

Your magical name should reflect the qualities about yourself that you love and want to bring out. It should help to bring out qualities that you think you might lack. For those qualities that you lack, you have to be careful. If you want to convey strength, choose wisely. "Oak" seems to be the most popular for relaying this quality. "Storm" is a popular name in the Craft, especially after the X-Men movies, but Storm brings more connotations than strength. It brings the ideas of chaos, destruction, and turbulence. The word "Blood" is also used in the Craft often, especially those drawn to the mythology of vampires but you have to remember that the word "blood" can be a verb as well as a noun, ie; to blood someone. Even some innocuous names can have dire consequences in your pursuit of magical knowledge as well as in your personal life. We had a young lady who chose the name 'Gypsy' for herself. While it is a lovely name and evocative of her heritage and of mystery, Gypsy found herself moving from one place to the next constantly. She dropped and rejoined classes often. She's still trying to get her wandering under control. In the last introduction class (her third one), I suggested she change her name to something more stable, like 'Pat' or 'Mountain'. (I was joking with mountain.) I don't know if she will.

Powerful magus and sorceress names are popular as well. "Circe" is a common name amongst women in the Craft and while she may have ultimately helped Odysseus in the end to get home, she did hold him captive for over a year and turned his men into pigs. She could be quite treacherous and vengeful so if you believe that those traits are a good exchange for being a top notch enchantress, then by all means, just don't expect to have a lot of friends in or out of the Craft after you've attempted to turn them into swine.

Now a word about God and Goddess names. My name is Atheona, a derivative of the Greek goddess of war, wisdom, and handicrafts, Athena. I akin its meaning to 'daughter of Athena'. Of all the myths I read and was read in my youth, she was the one I had the greatest fondness for. I think it was the story of how she was born from the head of Zeus full grown, replete with battle regalia and helm (and a freakin' spear) that won me completely over. (How great is that a way of being born?) That and the fact that she was the maiden who breathed the breath of life into Prometheus' human constructions. So when I discovered the religion of Wicca and chose it to be the path I would follow, Buckland's book explained the magical name and how to configure it - so the first place I went to was to Athena. If Athena would have worked out numerically for me, it would be the name I would be using now. I'm glad it didn't. Instead, I added the 'O' to make it a numerological viable number and the rest, as they say, is history. Not only did I have a unique and beautiful name, but it honours Athena much better than calling myself by her name. (I get to explain it and talk about Her a lot.)

Just as the names of everyday things utilized as a magical name can invoke those particular traits into your life, you'd better believe that the same goes for the names of gods, goddesses, heroes and legends. I've known a Heracles, while having all sorts of great resolve, he was forever being tasked and persecuted by all the women he dated. Almost every god and goddess has a good side as well as a dark side. You have to be sure you can live with the dark aspects of that god and goddess before calling yourself by their name.

Some in the Craft believe it to be utterly presumptuous to go around calling yourself by a God name. If you decide to call yourself Thor, you'd better not go around being dishonourable in any way that could sully that Gods name. It is a great responsibility to wear the mantle of a god or goddess. Make sure you are up to the task, which incidentally, most of us mere mortals are not.

And what if you decide to change the God/Goddess name opting for something different after having been studying for a while? Changing the smooth flow of god-to-you-to-god energies that you decided to align yourselves with in the first place can have grave repercussions when you decide to interrupt those energies. It's likened to turning your back on those particular god-forms and a form of disrespect.

As Lord Tanys would say, "If you're going to be Wiccan, then you need to be wise."

When Should I Choose My Magical Name?

In Raymond Buckland's must-have book, "Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft" the magical name is covered in Lesson Three, only after the history and philosophy of witchcraft and beliefs. Choosing a name before the onset of true study is the call here. You could wait a year and a day after studying before you choose to make sure this is the right religion for you. Every young witchling should perform a self-dedication ceremony and in Buckland's version (a damn fine one, might I add) the taking on of a new magical name is needed for it to be complete. And of course, as I will say later, unless you are joining our classes or another group that requires you to have a magical name, you may never have need of one.

Where Should I Use My Magical Name?

There are some that use their magical name everywhere, like me. I write essays under this name and if it has to do with the Craft at all, I utilize the name Atheona instead of my mundane name. At my regular job, around my family and in my business, I strictly use my given name (which I also happen to like a lot since I was named for my great grandmother). Some schools of thought believe that your magical name should only be between you, your coven, and the gods. This is a good school. Others believe you can't fully experience all there is to experience with the Craft unless you immerse yourself into it fully. I can see their point. I don't quite agree with it, but I do see it. This all depends on you personally, your tradition, and location, location, location. If you find yourself living in an area where your magical name could get you persecuted, I would rethink having one that you use publicly.

Why Choose A Magical Name?

In the Craft, the reasons for taking on a magical name are numerous. First of all. Let me say that I agree with many who say there is no reason to take on a magical name if you don't want to. It should, as always, defer to the tradition and path you want to follow. In fact, I would rather a student go without a magical name instead of taking on a silly one just for the sake of having a name. Here in the Temple, it is required to have a magical name before the first non-introduction class. (about three weeks in) Keep reading for the pre-requisites to how to choose that name. That said:

The main objective of taking on a magical name is for its utilitarian aspect of being a 'tool of transformation'. It aids in the separation of the magical side of a person and their mundane life by helping a young witch focus and prepare for the work at hand. Using your magical name in a simple chant is usually enough to help 'switch' your mind over from the grocery list to making a holy space to practice magic. A magical name can give a wallflower a sense of courage and purpose otherwise not displayed on a regular basis. A forceful name can convey a sense of strength, fortitude, or steadfastness. A gentle name can tame the coarsest of behaviours. A spiritual name can aid in the attainment of enlightenment. Power and mystery can be easily conveyed through an enigmatic magical name far more than 'Wilbur' ever could. (No offense to any Wilburs.)

Unfortunately, even today, many witches take on a pseudonym for protective purposes. Adopting a magical name today serves the same purpose in the way of protection as it has for centuries. Authors, teachers, Craft leaders, and store owners can find themselves as targets of those with ill intentions towards any involved in the ancient arts and sciences. When the witch hunters of the medieval Europe went searching for a great magus, they usually only knew a magical name which kept the identity of many a nobleman or noble woman protected. On the other hand, I have a dear friend who did subject himself to the paperwork and fees needed to add his magical name to his true name so that he doesn't have to delay when he decides to devote himself fully to the Craft in deed and in work.

It can be a means of connecting to divinity without and even, within. Some in the Craft have such an affinity for the mythologies they grew up hearing as a child that when they finally do find this religion that caters to the stories of their youth, they can't help but align themselves more closely to that divinity they have loved their whole life. Others have a difficult time with the concept of a divine being outside of themselves. Trees, stones, animals and other humans having the spark of the divine within them can sometimes be a hard notion to embrace, but the other aspects of the religion are common sense enough that the connection to divinity is the only impediment. By aligning oneself to divinity, whether specific or general, can sometimes help bridge the gap.

Taking on a magical name can be symbolic of the devotion you have for your new found religion. I hear so often from introductory students that they have believed in the concepts of Wicca their entire life but never knew there was an actual religion that encompassed their beliefs. Upon finding a book, another practicing witch, or a class like ours - some of these students are so overwhelmed that they'll even start to cry. "It feels like I have finally found my place," is a phrase I hear at least once a year, usually through a veil of caught voices and tears. Even before experiencing an initiation, these students have had a rebirth into a religion they call home.

How Do I Go About Choosing A Magical Name?

Start by looking around you. Look at your favourite books and stories. Look to the flowers that you love and the trees that fascinate you. Look at the ideas and things that thrill you. Look at your own life and your own personality. The choices for a magical name are endless. Just try to remember the caveats I've expressed already. Tools you can use to help choose a name are divinatory. Tarot cards, pendulums, scrying mirrors, crystal balls, rune stones or chips, Yes-yes boards (Ouija), dreaming and meditation are all great ways of helping you choose or narrow your choices for a name. Sometimes, the universe can be cajoled into helping you find a name even if its not dropping it into your lap as described before. You're about to become a witch. Ask the universe for help. Wish upon a falling star. Write the request on parchment and burn an offertory candle. Stand with your face to the wind and put it out there into the ether. Connect with the nature around you by going out into it.

There. Hopefully I've covered every part of the magical name I could cover. If I missed something, please do not hesitate to ask. I'd be more than happy to provide an answer if I can. If I can't answer it myself, I'll find the answer for you.

The 7th Tool: The Temple of the Inner Circle's Requirements For Your Magical Name

1. Choose a name with positive aspects you want to enhance or obtain.
2. No silly names. We believe the Craft is a discipline and should be treated as such.
3. No super long names. Blue Sky Cloudy Heaven is not only too long but redundant as well.
4. No God or Goddess names - we will not be reprimanding Odin or Isis for not being prepared for class, thank you very much. We definitely don't need or want that Karma.
5. Beware of names that can be subverted. Zarathustra, while quite ancient and magical, could be easily corrupted to Theraflu-stra and then you'd be known as the great flu lord. Lady Anthrax always comes to mind.
6. Have one by the designated time or we may name you by what we know of you. We've had a Lord Zogleblen (which I actually really like) and a Lady Ricochet (which I also liked) You? Maybe not so much.
7. While very popular in the Craft and greatly revered magically, please stay away from names that come from the Authurian legends. Pendragons, Guineveres, Taliesins, Lancelots and derivatives thereof just don't seem to mix with the energies of our Temple.
8. You must choose your name using numerology, as in the Buckland book mentioned above. It must match your birth number. Your birth number is the total of your entire birthday written out completely in numbers, for example;

I was born September 23, 1967

09-23-1967

Add these numbers together and you get;

0+9+2+3+1+9+6+7=37

Reduce any two digit number down to a single digit by adding the digits up again

3+7=10 and then 1+0=1

The number I resonate or vibrate at is 1. Any name I choose must reduce down to the number 1.

Use this chart to figure the number of your chosen name.

A=1 B=2 C=3 D=4 E=5 F=6 G=7 H=8 I=9
J=1 K=2 L=3 M=4 N=5 O=6 P=7 Q=8 R=9
S=1 T=2 U=3 V=4 W=5 X=6 Y=7 Z=8

Remember that I said I tried for Athena?

Athena = 1+2+8+5+5+1=22 then 2+2=4

See, it didn't work. But add an 'O' and we have

Atheona totals 28 then 2+8=10 then 1+0=1 Voila!

What Brought Me Up: More About Me

2009-04-06T01:25:00.000-07:00

This was a letter I received from another priestess on another site.

Hi
I just joined because I want to see what is going on here in Vegas. I have a question for you Atheona..If you are an elder and instructor how then are you a student? If you are an elder you have the wisdom of the ages and you teach your wisdom to those who are dedicated and respect our way of life. By saying you are a student at BBC to me this means you have not accomlished the wisdom you Profess. I am not here to show you disrespect but just to ask this. I would also like to know who brought you up and what Coven you were trained in. I have been trained and brought up in New York and my teacher was 78ys old. I stayed with her Coven for 8yrs then moved on to form my own. I think that (not including you as I really do not know you) to profess to be something you need to prove it as to help those who seek us out. I have met many here that claim these titles and have infact have had no training and that makes the rest of us look untrust worthy and this we cannot have because we must train the cowans (non witches) the old ways and the right way. I thank you for hearing me out.

Be Peaceful In The Peace
Blessed Be

And the reply:

Yay! A Post! And a question! And a good one at that!

Dear Lady xxxxxxxxxxxx,

First of all, let me welcome to you here.

Second, I'm so very glad for your question, thank you for it! One of the things that I have found in the pagan community is that many take people for their word without asking such a significant question (one of the most important in our book). We word it a little differently when we tell our students what they should be asking:

"What qualifies you to teach me?"

Where do I come from? What brought me up? As you so aptly put it.

My training in Wicca, not witchcraft, but the traditional-based, new religion of Wicca began at age 18 when another religious group came to my door and told me I had been a sinner all my 18 years of life and I should be praying for forgiveness. Within the span of just a few weeks I went from being blessed with a vision to finding an article by Erica Jong in a science magazine (Omni).

From that point, like most people who come into the Craft, I did a lot of reading and research on the religious aspect and just a wee bit o'dabbling in the Craft aspect. I tried finding others of like mind but everyone I seemed to run into who called themselves Wiccan could not seem to get their lives under control. Myriads of forces seemingly put them to the test and neither common sense nor belief in their own faith and practice could help them. But the most egregious act against what I had come to believe about Wicca was that the majority were prone to blame everyone else for their problems. From MY studies of the religion, Wicca is a religion of responsibility. There is no blaming others for anything once you understand the way the Universe works.

Twelve years of solitary study and attempted practice suddenly ended when I found the Temple of the Inner Circle. I was invited to a fundraiser by an employee whom I had thought joined some kind of cult. Seriously! He talked incessantly about his new "church"; he was constantly asking for loans; he was always very secretive.... so I assumed that next would be the disposing of worldly goods and the renunciation of family and friends. I went to the Temple to ensure the safety of my employee! I've been with the Temple twelve years now. :-) (I found that this employee had instead decided to throw himself fully into his new teachings and tried acquiring all the tools early, instead of slowly, as we prescribe.)

At the time I joined, the Temple of the Inner Circle was housed within a store called the Cat 'n Cauldron. My first year class was every Thursday night for over a year and a half (we have a year and a day minimum.) I became a first degree solitary after scoring very high on the final exam we give required to initiate (a minimum of a "B" grade on the final is required before initiation is granted). I asked and was accepted into the second year program which would bestow upon me a well-earned initiation to the second degree. I achieved that level after another year and a half of intense study and magical training. I am still currently an initiated second degree High Priestess, who, according to the Wiccan tradition, am able to train and initiate students up to the first and second degree and to branch out on my own with permission from my High Priestess and start my own coven/group. I chose to stay in the Temple instead and enroll into the third degree program.

I have been in the third degree program with the Temple of the Inner Circle for several years. Forgive me for not divulging the Craft aspect we are taught but along with all of that training - is LEADERSHIP training. The third degree students are required to take on aspects of leadership besides that of High Priestess or High Priest of a sabbat or esbat ring. We are able and have performed wiccanings and handfastings and may the gods forbid, a requiem or two. As part of our training, we must submit and then give lectures on various Craft-related subjects (sabbat lectures are usually the starter) and eventually we are required to teach a class of our own, usually with an already seasoned instructor. Our Lady requires that we take an active role in the everyday functioning of the running of a Temple so we may gain experience in what it is like to run a temple/group/coven of our own. We are tapped for opinions and suggestions. We are required to be examples of proper people for the younger students. We are in essence, training to become the very path we are studying, as well as Craft leaders.

So there you are, my status as an ELDER... a sounding board and suggestion maker for my Lady and also, on occasion, a representative for her in the pagan community; my status as an INSTRUCTOR... having taught several first and second year classes, I am now the seasoned instructor that new instructors are paired with, and my status as a STUDENT***... still enrolled and participating in the third degree program to acquire a third degree initiation when my Lady (if she's anything like your Lady) decides I should have one. (I also believe that the true Wiccan will be forever a student because the Universe has many secrets and lessons for us to learn and that usually takes more than one lifetime.)

A few things I should address:

One: The Temple of the Inner Circle is first and foremost, a private seminary school, as you can see, that trains Craft leaders but opens it's first year classes to the public four to five times a year for those searching for serious study of the Craft. We are a religious Temple in the fact that we celebrate our holidays without fail, almost always outdoors, in the mountains, as close to nature as we can be.

Two: While we are taught Gardnerian/Alexandrian Wicca, my Lady is actually from a long line of covens dating many, many years back (with the lineage paperwork to prove it). Hence the reason for coven-style training... you teach what you know, and those who can do.

Three: Somewhere around 1999, my Lady acquired the Bell, Book, and Candle store from Lucky Simone (who has passed away) and closed the doors of the Cat 'n Cauldron to focus on restoring the Bell, Book, and Candle to the shop it once was when Charmaine and Steve Dey first opened it some 50 years ago.

and finally, Four: Seeing that you are now a Las Vegas resident, you are more than welcome to come into the Bell, Book, and Candle on any Tuesday* after Noonish to visit with me and ask all the questions you wish of me while I work the store. Even though I did not "Profess" any wisdom, a few moments with me asking the right questions should satisfy your curiosity as to whether I am who you think I claim to be. If you do come in on a Tuesday, more than likely, you may also be able to meet my Lady, who will not only convince you of her credentials but will assuredly vouch for mine. My guess is that there will be several students available for you to speak to as well (including some of the ones I trained). You are also more than welcome to join us any Saturday night after 7pm, when the store closes, to partake in one of our fundraisers**, which, by the way, are open to the public. Sometimes it's a lecture and sometimes its just a movie or a game night. If you are going to be checking in regularly here then start looking for announcements of upcoming events. Or you can join the Temple's MySpace page:

http://www.myspace.com/inner_circle_temple

I would like to let you know that I felt no disrespect by your question for I deem it a most valued one and only wish that more not only asked it of their instructors/leaders, but researched it as well. I also want to let you know that it warms my heart to see another stout traditionalist here in the valley. While I love what a lot of the branched groups are doing and admire their flexibility, creativity, and accomplishments, I find that traditionalists are becoming far and few between. I only hope the teachings of the Craft, no matter from where they are gotten, instill the true state of love, acceptance, and faith in every Wiccan, as it is meant to, whether traditionalist or not. Thank you.

If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask and I will answer you to the best of my ability or I will point you to the one who can. Again, thank you!

Atheona
Temple of the Inner Circle
Bell, Book, and Candle

*UPDATE:

After having helped my Lady by working in her store on occasion for over eight years, (and her helping me with the indispensable lessons in quick-thinking-off-the-hip-magic and the countless stories) I have passed the baton onto the new and upcoming students so that they may gain the wisdom and experience garnered by working in an occult store. I am now no longer a regular there on Thursdays, but if you absolutely need help (from me) with a spell, let me know and I will meet you at our earliest convenience at the store to help you with your purchase. Otherwise, do not hesitate to ask who is working for help because they have received the very same education in the Craft that I did. 702-386-2950

**Fundraisers continue as normal. Please call them for more information at 702-386-2950. Make sure you tell them Atheona sent you.

***As of December 2008, due to family and work issues, I've had to suspend my status as student in the Temple of the Inner Circle. I still try to attend fundraisers regularly and have not missed a sabbat (or after sabbat party). I still represent my Lady for the Temple on the Las Vegas Pagan Pride planning committe and I still occasionally attend the classes to give the required lectures the young students need in order to initiate. As soon as my mundane life returns to some semblance of order, I will return to the Temple as a full time student. Until then, with my Lady's assurances, I am still considered an elder and instructor.

Real Witchcraft

2009-03-30T00:03:00.000-07:00

I posted this in response to a friends blog .

I took on a room-mate once and gave her a hundred bucks off the rent if she kept the house clean. She was my room-mate for four years. Once, I asked her to climb on the roof to check and service the swamp cooler. I stayed below and made lunch, lemonade, offered advice, etc. During a lunch break she said, "You're a witch. Can't you do something about getting someone here to do this?"

I replied, looking her straight in the eyes, "I did."

Vindication Baby!!!

2009-03-29T00:38:00.000-07:00

For years I have been explaining to students that the magic (or witchcraft) we, as Wiccans, practice is scientifically based. I pulled my proofs from chemistry and physics mostly (what little I knew) and tried to make my lessons easy to understand, palatable enough to where the practice of magic was still appealing, and based in reality enough so that new Wiccans on the path wouldn't think they were performing something so fantastically outrageously supernatural; that the magic we practiced was just normal, everyday, grounded on earth and in science... magic.

Today I heard a story on NPR's (local KNPR 88.9) All Things Considered about a new toy .

"With both Mattel's "Mind Flex" and Uncle Milton's "The Force Trainer," the goal is to focus your thoughts in order to levitate a ball. There are no blinking lights or 3-D graphics -– just a wireless headset, a lightweight ball and a fan.

Both toys use a modified form of electroencephalography — or EEG — technology to measure electrical signals emitted by the brain, says Jim Sullivan of NeuroSky, the company that created the technology that makes the toys work.

The signals are applied to algorithms that were developed by researchers after careful study of people in various states of attention, Sullivan says. With the right focus, the signals trigger a fan. The harder the player concentrates, the stronger the fan blows — and the higher the ball elevates."

Woot! Vindication, baby!!

Vernal Equinox 2009

2009-03-24T01:46:00.000-07:00

Our Priest and Priestess

Saturday was the celebration of our Spring Equinox sabbat. It was awesome, as usual! Lady Anwyn and Lord Gendel did a spectacular job, as well as did all the other ritual parts people. Everyone looked nice dressed in holiday fare. We went sans robes due to the public nature of our ritual space. Again, as per usual, many a vehicle slowed and stared (presumably) as they passed us by but other than that, there were no disturbances. I guess the neighborhood is so very used to us by now.

I did not get the golden egg, nor did I score the scarlet egg (darnit!) but Lord Caeious and Lady Gabriel did get fortunate. This coming year for them will be both abundant and fruitful! Lady Rowyn was proclaimed the Spring Queen and after being crowned with her beautiful chaplet and bequeathed her bouguet of spring flowers and greenery, she then received the five fold kiss from every male. Huzzah! (It's good to be the Queen!)

We wrapped up with an after party where the High Priestess provided us with superbly fine fare and Lord Caeious shared his home made blackberry mead. Yum!

The Charge of the Goddess

The Altar

The Spring Queen

The Great Rite

The Circle of Stones

The Athame

2009-03-24T01:27:00.000-07:00

The athame is the "true witches' weapon." This quote is as stated in the Gardnerian ritual for first-degree initiation in 'A Witches' Bible' by Janet and Stewart Farrar. In fact, the whole of it reads:

"Next, I present the Athame. This is the true witches' weapon, and has all the powers of the magic sword."

Uhhhh.... hold on.... okay, here you go....

"First, the Magic Sword. With this, as with the Athame, thou canst form all Magic Circles, dominate, subdue and even punish all rebellious spirits and demons, and even persuade angels and good spirits. With this in thy hand, thou art ruler of the Circle."

Symbolism behind the athame speaks to it representing an individual's control of the elements and as a personal symbol of witch-hood. Just imagine the control man felt the first time his knife made a difference in whether he lived or died, either from attack or starvation. The knife is a personal tool; revered and held in the highest of regards since it was crafted from stone. So much so that it has been buried with its owner since the beginning and taken to the next world with them.

Elementally, the Athame has been associated with fire, since it involves the use of an individual's will. It takes the heat of a forge and the skill of a smith (always considered a magical profession, akin to an alchemist) to produce a blade, furthering it's link to the element of fire. Its affiliation with the element of air is much of a controversy with many saying it was a "blind*" perpetrated by the Golden Dawn, from where Gardner may have adopted many of his ideas for Wicca.

But, modern day ceremonial magicians use a black-handled knife much the same way we do - to inscribe symbols and circles in the air. This knife is not, however, the "air" knife, which by Golden Dawn standards is yellow-hilted, with purple sigils. The "controversy" has always seemed to me unwarranted- it's all a matter of perspective.

In the Tarot, the suit of Fire is the Wands; of Air, the Swords (long Athames). On the other hand, the fiery Archangel Michael brandishes a sword, while Rafael, Archangel of the East, Air, etc, etc, is seen with a staff/wand. I do not think these revered traditions teach these attributions as blinds, rather, meaningful living symbols that aid us in our Work. However you use or decide to use your athame and its associations, just try to always remember the mantra: "Every coven is a law unto itself."

The sword/athame ultimately typifies the phallus and the masculine half of the Universal Creative Force, (the other half being the Chalice.) To take on the role of a man during a ritual a woman needs only to buckle (I said buckle!) on a sword and bam! - An instant appendage. (He-he, and yes - we've heard the joke about the man buckling on a chalice.) The fiery dagger being placed into the watery womb of the chalice signifies the union of that "essential [masculine / feminine] polarity that pervades and activates the entire universe" during the Great Rite. (2nd degrees… get it??)

The athame and its use has been traced back to the writings of King Solomon. Although there is no mention of a black handled knife, there is a depiction of a sickle-like curved blade with the word 'Artavo.' The bolline utilized for herb gathering is usually sickle-shaped. In medieval texts we do have the words Artavus, Artamus, Arthanus, Arthana, Arthamy, and Artharme used in relation to ceremonial or ritualistic knives. The pratice of carving or placing symbols on either the haft or blade also stems back to the time of Solomon but I'm pretty sure the practices of the Norse had some influence. They would carve Tyr's rune onto the blade and invoke him before battle. In fact, Tyr's arrow is still found on weapons of the British army today as a symbol of the war department.

To Wiccans, the athame is singularly THE "witches' tool," although there are many variations to it's type, color, and usage. "A Witches' Bible" dedicates five and a half pages to the athame alone. In comparison, its ritual counterpart - the chalice only received half a page. (The pentacle was the second highest tool with two pages.) But no matter what a witchcraft groups ideas on the athame are; the common thing they share is that they all have one (an athame, that is), whether some believe it is usurped by Gardner from ceremonial magic or a link to the ancient hunter/gatherer from which our religion spawns.

The knife is a double-edged dagger; the dual edges expressing the dual nature of the universe; positive/negative, active/passive, masculine/feminine, projection/reception, good/evil, and also symbolizing the dual nature of energy manipulation or magic all driven by the will; by intent for good or ill; for healing or destruction, protection or attack. The double edge gives the athame its symbolism. I have seen some exquisite examples of single-edged blades that are labeled as athames, so as stated above, whether to accept them in your own group is up to your own tradition.

The blade itself should be of steel, iron, copper, bronze, or other metallic alloy. Most utilized is steel because of its durability and availability. Iron is said to scare/harm/repel fairies and most others are too soft to endure the pummeling by fire it takes in some consecration rituals and other powerful magic. I would love to own a bronze athame, if just to be in complement with "Atheona" and my love for ancient Greek myth and culture, but to do so first I must learn to forge myself, hire a smith, or get lucky and find one sitting on a shelf somewhere. As for the consecration, there is more than one way to skin a cat. As for athames made of crystal or wood, in my opinion, it is a wand shaped like a knife. The only exception I have for this is one chipped of flint, obsidian, bone, or stone which I think lends to a further connection with our ancestors. Again, defer to your own tradition.

The haft is traditionally black. Black is the absence of colour, the absence of anything, a metaphoric black hole allowing the athame handle to receive your personal energy readily and store it for future use if needed. There have been several non-black-handled athames I have encountered usually made of bone, deer hooves or a fanciful wood like Brazilwood or rosewood. I would by no means suggest the coloring of these types of handles, but "do not leave the handle bare out of laziness." Besides, black is another color of the Goddess and the impaling of the shiny, pointed steel deep within the void of blackness helps to lend more symbolism to your tool.

There are some consecrations that require marking your handle or blade as mentioned earlier. If you desire to do this always take it into consideration before acquiring your tool. Obtaining by gift or purchase an athame owned and extensively utilized by a powerful witch is a phenomenal find and highly prized by those who understand the concept of resident energy and how it can guide and empower your own magic.

The tool will have never touched blood when you first acquire it, unless of course it is a storied blade previously owned by a witch. This is a holy tool, one that you'll be using in rituals where you'll be before the gods and performing spells of healing and benefice. To have a blade that has taken a life, any life, or that has a sketchy past is to bring that unknown energy (resident energy again) into whatever it is you are doing. Therefore, your blade should be new and shiny. I love browsing antique shops and flea markets too, but you never know the history of a used knife unless you're a gifted psychometrist.

Whether you decide to blood it later will be up to the consecration you use and of course, as always, your own tradition. While we're on the subject of acquisition, one caveat I'm a firm believer in is the "no-haggle" policy many Wiccans have adopted when it comes to magical tools. Ask the price; if it's too much it wasn't meant to be. Don't cheapen your magic by cheapening the tool. Bargain basement magic is just not the order of the day. Something you can do is ask the universe for the perfect tool and I'll bet, you being or wanting to be a witch and all, it'll manifest. Such is the way of the witch.

Another dictate regarding the athame that I don't agree with is that of dulling the blade and breaking it's point. Granted, the athame will only be used for the control and manipulation of energy, but if you have a problem with your double-bladed knife being a "weapon" then perhaps one of crystal or wood would suit you better. Some arguments regarding this mandate is the 'danger in a group' factor. Okay, I can see that, but if everyone practices safe conduct in regards to their weapon, then there should be no problem. In my years with a group, we have never had a mishap of someone accidentally cutting someone else… of course, cutting themselves is a different matter but that's not a concern if you're in the advanced classes.

Another argument against 'blooding' the blade whether intentional or accidental is as Donald Tyson explains; "once it has tasted blood it ceases to be a symbol of the will and becomes a weapon no longer consecrated in the service of the Goddess but to service the God of War." While this is beautifully stated and my Libran sense can grasp and understand the position, I personally want my Goddess-hafted weapon to be an instrument of war (besides isn't it Boaz that is severity?) How the Hel else will you be able to 'dominate, subdue and even punish all rebellious spirits and demons' if it is not a threat. On top of that, once consecrated the tool has an astral double that the adventurous witch could effectively utilize while traveling the astral plane. The astral plane can contain some nasties and I want to be sure the astral blade I call to my defense is wicked razor sharp. Again, this is my opinion… defer to your own tradition.

Do not think that I condone carrying your athame around with you so you can use it as an everyday means of defense. I most certainly DO NOT!! Number one, it is usually illegal to carry such a weapon and number two; it would be like the "Catholic priest taking the communion chalice down to the pub for a beer."

That being said, I disagree with the Kitchen Witchery philosophy of utilizing your athame for every mundane task to help build your rapport with it. If we were poor and lived in a one room cottage during the Middle Ages, I can see having one knife serve several purposes but we don't live in cottages in the Middle Ages and any witch worth his or her salt who wants to grow in their abilities will utilize their ritual dagger as often as possible because they will be doing magic all the time. As always, defer to your own tradition.

So... there you have it, my dissertation on the numero uno tool of the witch although this essay would not be complete without the mention of your Goddess/God-given athame. your God-given athame is the one you were born with. It is you pointing finger and your middle finger joined together to direct your energy. How's that for a bargain?

This message has been brought to you by your friendly neighborhood witch.
Lady Atheona
with help from the magnificent Lord Tanys

*A 'blind' is a deliberate 'lie' or omission in many books written by those who have sworn an oath to protect the information they have been given. Are there blinds in the essays I write? Yes, in the form of omissions. I have sworn that same or similar oath. But that oath also says I cannot refuse the true seeker. Join a class and find out for the truth for yourself.

The Polarity Within

2009-03-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

This post is in answer to a comment left on another blog I maintain. Read the original posting and the comment here:

Three Geologists, 15 Gallons, and a Dating Service

Sigfrith,

You never finished your studies at the Temple so while I appreciate you trying to remind/lecture me on the beliefs of the Craft, you should understand that this statement:

"With all due respect My Lady, Anyone who thinks they are "complete" without their complimentary oppisite is decieving themselves."

and this one

"...but we are never "complete" until we bond with our other half and then, and only then do we become something greater than what we are as , or even capable of become as seperate individuals. To denie this by for of will or self-deseption is possible, but the price for in mysery, both to ourselves and others, is excesively high."

is a matter of opinion I do not agree with... and the attempt at scientifically proving your point with this :

"Every electron spends its entire existance seeking out their complimentary oppisite, a proton to bond with and for something greater than either could ever be alone, a molicule."

falls far short of the mark.

In Craft terms: Yes, polarity is at the crux of Wiccan beliefs but even within each human, as within the singular molecule, both parts exist... just like a storm is both beneficial and ravaging, just like a wind is life giving and destructive... each person within himself has the ability to achieve a dynamic balance... (stagnant balances kill, by the way, although thankfully is extremely rare to achieve). If you want to go to an even deeper scientific theoretical level, each string has an opposite side and sometimes even layer upon layers of sides (that physicists call dimensions).

It is that balance that should be striven for... the work of which is what fill your cup. Even young witches know that they can perform magic without a working partner. That's because the polarity exists within them already. A good teacher shows them simple techniques and meditations to bring that balance into being enough to work the magic... and when the spell is done, 99% of the time, the witch-ling feels charged and ready to take on the world because the controlled dynamic balance is allowed to relax and go out of control causing fits of giddiness and excitement... if you're feeling drained after doing a spell, you're not doing it right.

So let's get back to relationships.... Granted, I'll give you that something... someone can be more powerful if paired correctly, Hel, water is a threesome right, but if your own energy is flawed to begin with... what you bring to the table of any relationship can do more harm than good. Mis-stepping or saying the wrong word during the Witches' Rune can mean the difference between saving a life and taking it. (And all it takes is one bad apple....) A slight variance in the pulse of the energy two people have can mean the difference between marriage and murder. It is extremely rare that two people who bring nearly empty cups to a relationship will ever get a full cup when they start sharing... let alone have the ability to start filling the cups they are now responsible for.

If I've explained myself well enough then number one, you understand my point that a person does have the ability to be complete within themselves and for you to intimate that any person who is single by choice is deceiving themselves is an insult.

Number two, that my philosophy:

My philosophy when it comes to relationships is, "My cup floweth over." Only when your own cup is full to the brim and spilling on the ground should you be looking for a second cup to share. Until then, nurse your drink, because unless you know how to fill that cup yourself...you never know when there will be a fount to refill it.

...is one of practicality and may not be right for everybody.

Please don't get me wrong... I'm a huge believer in the power of love... there are the exceptions to everything. I have seen two truly flawed people come together and then they conquered the world. Together they are a perfect being, apart -they are horrible messes... but that's rare.... very, very, very rare. All you have to do is look to the statistics for divorce to know that.

Ritual Connection

2009-03-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, tomorrow, is the TIC's Spring Equinox sabbat. I'm excited about attending. A young petitioner, Grendel, is making his entrance as the High Priest with his best friend and 2nd degree initiate as his Priestess. I know he is probably super nervous. No amount of practice it seems can keep you from being nervous the first time you get to lead the circle. I look forward to seeing his progress and his performance.

Ritual is a performance, especially when in group (coven). It's your duty as the priest or priestess (and even quarter caller and water sprinkler) to ensure that your part of the ritual is delivered with meaning and passion. Not just for yourself, for this is the time when you are able to get close... I mean really close with the true energies of diety. There are no trees for you to hug and derive energy from, no animals to admire their gifts, no bathtubs or lakes of water for you to delight in the senses of... just you and reflections of you... you and the faces of diety staring right back at you. Your performance... your connection to diety... your conveyance of that connection to diety and with all the other holy souls within the tight, amplified holy place of the circle will allow those that have been unable to connect with diety to CONNECT. When all the members of a group are peers and have worked together a long time, that connection is instantaneous... that connection is constant; but when you have varying levels of witches and petitioners to be witches in a sabbat circle... taking on the mantle of High Priest and High Priestess is a responsibilty. This is why it should never be conferred lightly. (I think I'll let Grendel read this after his sabbat.)

But I know Grendel is ready. He's called many a quarter, summoned for many a ring, and stays top notch in all his studies. I'm atwitter with excitement. I can't wait to drink the mead and eat some eggs. I hope I get the golden one!

Fascinating!

2009-03-19T01:58:00.000-07:00

Today was an absolutely beautiful day in the Las Vegas valley. The temperature hit the 80 degree mark and my jacket never touched my shoulders. I tooled around with the windows down in my truck and spent some time on the back porch with the dog answering emails and doing some research. The next few days should be the same. Spring has sprung!

As I walked out to go to work this morning, I noticed a profusion of brightly colored plants that seem to have sprung up overnight. Such is the way in the desert. They were just weeds but they were so vividly green, so pretty that I was sad at the thought of pulling them up. I think I'll wait a while.

Tonight, I was chatting with a new friend online about Wicca. We got round to discussing stones so I recommended "Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem, and Metal magic." Highly recommended if you want to incorporate stones into the work you do. Personally, I like the subtle way they work their magic. The stones in themselves are not magical per se, I hope most of you know this, but just like the body gives off energy in the form of heat, just like a plant exude energy, so do stones. The frequency of energy the stone exudes is coloured by its colour and structure.

Basic common sense rules apply here... red or pink for love, green for money, blue for healing, etc. Clear quartz crystal, on the other hand, being colorless is more of a mover of energy. This is why its the most popular stone to tip a wand with; to make radios with... it moves whatever energy it comes into contact with wherever you're pointing it. Larger quartz crystals can be generators and amplifiers of energy (think of starting a fire with a magnifying glass). Dark stones can take in energy and hold it (like the colour black holding heat as opposed to reflecting it) and make for good absorption and protection stones. They can also be good as batteries; collecting your energy and storing it for later use (use the heat analogy again)... but black can also transform energy and destroy it (black holes... into the unknown). Common sense, right? Rules of analogy apply.

There's a lot of books and writings on how to properly prepare and charge stones for a particular purpose and I highly recommend following whatever prescription you have for doing this. It helps you to build a rapport with the kind of "magic" you're going to be utilizing. Definitely cleanse those stones. There are a myriad of ways for doing so using any one of the four elements or combinations or all of them. If you're a beginner, I recommend going all out, it gives you more practice at ritual. Ritual is important! And then charge the stone with it's purpose, whatever it may be.

The stone I prefer to wear is a moonstone. I picked up a beautiful large round one from my Lady's store and it does exactly what it's supposed to... fascinate! It flashes blue and pink and everyone... and I mean everyone, come close enough to comment on it. They are fascinated. See... no spooky witchcraft here. But once they come close enough; once they're compelled enough to enter my circle of being... I have a few moments to "charm" them and make a friend or an associate for life. It's subtle, but it works. The person I was chatting with is a potential date. I think I was quite charming... and that's just over the Internet. He didn't even see the stone, I just made mention of it. Now that's magic. :D

Lady Atheona

Lady Atheona: Traditional Witch

2009-03-18T23:12:00.001-07:00

I am not a traditional Wiccan. I am not a Gardnerian. Nor am I Alexandrian, Seax-Wiccan, of the Faerie Tradition, or any of those other traditions of Wicca. If I am any tradition at all, I’m not quite sure what it would be called. I thought perhaps Farrarian, since I studied out of "The Witches’ Bible" by Janet and Stewart Farrar, (highly recommended) but my training encompassed so much more than that book. I could call myself "Morganese" after my Lady Morgana… what we (even her) affectionately called her sometimes dyslexic writing in her hand-penned teaching book of shadows, but it sounds more like a dog breed than a tradition of a religion I hold most holy. Inner Circlian, after the Temple of the Inner Circle? No. Circlian isn’t even a word. But then according to my spell-check and the squiggly red little line… neither is Gardnerian.

Usually, I say I am an "eclectic," meaning I take a bit from everywhere, which is kind of true… I took from the Farrars, who took from Alexandrian and Gardnerian. I have Lady Morgana’s coven training style under my belt with the reasons why I do things the way she did, which I fully advocate. And then there were the other books; the other lessons… like Hermetics, and a kind of witchcraft that I’m pretty sure influenced a lot of those witchcraft movies that came out during Vincent Price’s time and in the seventies; an Egyptian-style craft and kabbalah teachings, and even some that border on ancient Zoastrian. So when I say I "usually" claim "eclectic" it’s because it all depends on who said it right before me and the company I’m in.

Eclectic is a word most modern Wiccans use to describe themselves. In this category, you’ll find just about every solitary Wiccan from the very learned to the beginner, which there are a lot of. If someone I know who is a novice says that they are eclectic right before I introduce myself and give my tradition, I usually say… I’m a Garnderian/Alexandrian with other coven training… to distinguish myself as one who has coven training. (I’m sure there are some of you old coveners who might argue that, but that’s another chapter/blog.) Eclectic, truly, is what even Gardnerian is. Gardner himself admitted this when he said that he reconstructed the rituals from the fragments that the New Forest coven had.

So, why the emphasis on "Traditional?" Well, because I was trained and initiated in the traditional sense. I have a "Lady" and a "Lord" who trained me. I was taught out of the Farrars book, yes, but with coven style training to go with it. My teachings were a disciplined style of teaching. After week four in the Temple of the Inner Circle, not only can you recite the names of all eight sabbats and how to pronounce them correctly, (try 'Lughnasadh' on for size) but you know their alternative names and traditional dates as well. It is a great source of pride when we can call on a brand new student in front of yet another brand new class and have them bark out the sabbats like a Marine. I am by no means a novice at Wicca. Thanks to the traditions of my Lady and Lord and what they have imparted unto me.

What I plan on writing about is what I know. What I had the pleasure of learning and have put into practice time and time again over many years. I will give away no secrets save the "mysteries" which are for everyone anyway. Mysteries like love, and belief, and love… I know, I know... I said love twice. That's because Wicca is a religion of L O V E, whether you want to believe it or not; whether you’re old or new to it; whether you’re traditional or not. It teaches you how to live in a world of love; love of your fellow man, pagan or not - love of your fellow coveners - and most importantly, to me, love of God and of self… whether you break down God into specific god-form energies called Odin or Aphrodite, Kali or Setesh, or if you worship the Universal All, that which is within us and without us; that which pervades all things upon and off this world.

L O V E.... "all you need is love." No truer words were ever spoken.

Lady Atheona

originally posted Wednesday, January 21, 2009