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Witchlings Course – Lesson 1

Wiccid Academy of Witchcraft & Magic

Greetings Apprentice!

Welcome to your first lesson of Witchcraft and Magic – how exciting!

Your first lesson is an introduction to what you will be learning in the first quarter of this course. We will be discussing what is magic and witchcraft, magical terminology, types of magic, intuition and energy work + connection, rules of magic, cycles, sabbats, moons, esbats, Gods/Goddesses, tools and your Book of Shadows.

This month you will also receive a suggested meditation and energy exercise, a reading suggestion, your first altar set up and your first simple ritual.

This is self-paced and self-monitored learning, how much or how little you participate and integrate these teachings into your life will be entirely up to you. I am simply here to provide you with the tools you need to bring magic into your everyday life.

I have spent over 22 years learning my craft and am still learning every day. What I give you here is not only everything I have so far learnt about witchcraft but also everything I have learnt in my healing and energy work, years of meditation, study, workshops, work with lots of mentors and life experiences. I believe all of these things combined will help us become not only powerful witches, but powerful humans.

I feel blessed to be able to share this knowledge with you and hope you gain so much from it.

Love, Light and Blessings to you, Bella x

How to get the most out of your lessons:

When you receive your lesson each month, I recommend you print them and then skim through all the material to give you an insight into what you will be doing for the month. Then gather the materials you will need and create a sacred study space for yourself that is quiet and private. I like to cleanse my space with a smudge stick or incense to clear any negative energies before I start.

It is up to you how you choose to study, some of you might like to tackle it all in one big hit and some might like to do a bit each day. There will be some tasks that will be required to be done daily but may only take a few minutes such as your morning ritual. Once you read through your material you will better understand how you will work through it.

A few other things to note:

For ease of printing I have tried to keep the pictures to a minimum, and to reduce paper wastage I have put the lessons together rather than 1 lesson per page – I don’t like waste!

♥ Take note of this symbol as it means there is an important point to note
♦ Take note of this symbol as it means you are asked a question that you will be required to ponder/explore/journal about

Some simple Terminolgy you may see throughout this course:

  • Athame: A magical black handled knife used in ritual
  • Boline: A magical white handled knife used in the preparation of magic ingredients such as herbs
  • Wand: A magical tool used to cast circle and direct energy
  • Book of Shadows: A sacred book to record all your magic information, rituals, recipes and more
  • Pentagram/Pentacle: A 5 pointed star representing Earth, Air, Fire, Water & Spirit. A symbol used to represent unity and protection
  • Guardians: Each direction has a Guardian that represents the qualities of that direction and who you can ask to attend your magic ritual for guidance and protection. (Please note: in the North the directions and representations are different)
  • Cast circle: To create a sacred space
  • Altar: A table/surface where you can place all of your magical tools/ingredients and use as your sacred space to perform ritual and magic

Things to do for the month at a glance

  • Read through your lesson
  • Take note of any supplies you may need and make plans to attain them
  • Perform your morning ritual
  • Set up your altar with this month’s Altar Set Up suggestion
  • Do your energy work
  • Perform your ritual
  • Do your meditation
  • Read your book
  • Perform the monthly practical activity
  • Start your Book of Shadows
  • Journal the journal questions

Before you even start – Your BOOK OF SHADOWS:

What is a Book of Shadows (or B.O.S)? It is a book that will contain all of your magical information, instructions for rituals and magic recipes. This book is personal to you and should really only ever be handled or written in by you as it contains your energy and intention. I have recommended that you obtain a Book of Shadows before the course starts so you are ready to start working with it straight away.

♥ Your lessons will form your Book of Shadows

Your Book of shadows can be anything you wish it to be – A simple journal with blank pages, an elaborate leather-bound book or even a display folder with all your lessons in it. Every month we will be adding to your Book of Shadows and you may choose to either paste in your lessons, cut out the sections individually and paste them in or write the text in yourself. You may choose to keep your lessons in a folder and keep your Book of Shadows to journal in about your magical journey, paste pictures of your magic work, write rituals in, write recipes in and whatever else relates to your journey in witchcraft and magic.

Your Book of Shadows is for you – there is no right or wrong so go with whatever feels the best. Below are a few pictures of a couple of my Book of Shadows. One has lots of writing in it and one has none – yet. I love them both equally and know they will both one day be filled to the brim!

Blessing your Book of Shadows:

I recommend you bless your book before using it as it creates an energetic bond and will discourage anyone who should not touch this book to stay away from it (FYI – no one should go near your Book of Shadows except you unless you choose to share it). You can create your own Book Blessing or find plenty online, I used one by Jack Veasey and actually wrote it into mine and made it all fancy and pretty.

Here’s a quick one I have created for you so you can get started straight away:

I bless you Book of Shadows to be my magical tome

May you be blessed always in this – your new home

May you be filled with wisdom

May you be filled with inspiration

May you be filled with my magical intention

May you be filled with all my love

You shall be only for my eyes and use

Should anyone attempt to touch you with the intention of abuse –

May their eyes be shielded, their senses be dulled

May they at once give yield and their energy be culled

I charge you Book of Shadows to guard my secrets

And in return I offer you my allegiance

As I will it, so it shall be

Blessed Be

Introduction

What is magic?

Magic is creating change through using natural energy and intention.

What is Witchcraft?

Witchcraft is the belief in and practice of magic

A few words on ‘White’ and ‘Black’ magic……

Some of you may have heard the terms ‘White Witch’ and ‘Black Witch’. It is said that magic is neither white or black, it just is. However, some will identify as white witches and their intention is to practice magic only for good, while there are also black witches who might practice the darker arts. At the end of the day it is up to the individual as to what sort of magic they choose to practice.

In this course everything you will learn is for the intention of good, and once you have learned everything I have to share with you, it will be up to you what you do with that knowledge.

♥ It is what is in the heart that determines the sort of magic you will do

To begin:

Intuition, Energy, Cycles, Intention, Connection

One of the most important things to know when you begin your magical journey is that everything – and I mean everything – is connected. Throughout this course you will be given the information you need to put together rituals and spells and how to perform them. But to be able to do that you need to understand the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of everything. Why do you need to cast circle? Why do you need to have representations of Earth, Air, Fire and Water on your altar? Why do you need to have representations of Goddess/God on your altar? Why are colours important? How does the moon affect your energy and the energies of the ritual you are going to perform? What do the seasons and cycles of nature have to do with anything?

Equally important is understanding your own energy and intention. For any spell to work there must be the right intention behind it. You can cast a spell for money but if your intention is to use that money to buy drugs or hurt other people – it is unlikely your spell will manifest.

If you cast a spell for money and your intention is to help your family to buy food and clothing – you are more likely to manifest this, provided you have taken all the other factors such as moon phase and magical associations into account!

Intuition also plays a very big part in your ritual work. In the beginning I did everything by the book – I had to have everything just right, and when you are learning this is a good thing. But you will also need to trust your intuition – If there is something in a lesson, a book or a ritual that just doesn’t sit right with you – you have to trust that and consider an alternative. If you don’t listen to your intuition, there is a pretty good chance that things may not go as you wanted or expected them to. Trusting and listening to your intuition comes naturally to some and for others it can take a while to develop (mine is still developing!), so exercises are included in this course to strengthen our connection to it.

Your energy can also affect your magical work. It is important to check that your energy is in good flow when you are going to perform any ritual. You are working with the energies of Nature and the Universe so it is essential that your own energy is vibrating high.

I would strongly urge you NOT to perform magic when you are drinking (not even reading oracle cards – seriously) on drugs or really, really sick. I have read that you shouldn’t even perform ritual if you are menstruating or have a cold. I would certainly avoid elaborate rituals at that time and just stick to simple work like your morning ritual or night time prayer (these are included in this month).

Throughout this course you will learn in more detail about the importance of these factors in your magical work and you will be given exercises to strengthen your knowledge in each area.

♦ What does energetically ‘Being in Flow’ mean to you? What does it feel like? Journal this question.

Lesson 1:1

The Rules of Magic

I don’t like rules so I tend to think of these as more guidelines….

  • Harm none – Pretty self-explanatory. Do not use your magic to harm another person/animal/living thing, including yourself
  • Do not use your magic to influence or bind the will of another person. If you do you may be subject to the Three-Fold Law which says that any magic you cast with intention toward another person whether positive or negative – will be returned to you times 3. Please note that some people do not believe in the Three-Fold Law. Once again it is up to you to decide how you feel about it.
  • Do not perform magic rituals while under the influence of drugs or alcohol – they alter your energy and leave you susceptible to negative influences, energies and entities
  • Respect all things – The Earth, Yourself, Others

Lesson 1:2

Different types of Magic

A few examples of different types of Magic & Witchcraft:

  • British Traditional witch: A mix of Celtic and Gardnerian beliefs. It is said that most British Traditionals practice with the Farrar traditions, they are quite structured in their beliefs and go through degrees in their training process. Males & Females make up these covens.
  • Celtic Wicca: Drawing on Celtic/Druidic traditions mixed with some Gardnerian. Focus is on the elements, nature, and the Ancient ones. They generally have a thorough knowledge of and respect for the healing and magical qualities of plants and stones, flowers, trees, elemental spirits, gnomes and fairies.
  • Ceremonial Witchcraft: This tradition uses ceremonial magic and detailed rituals with a flavour of Egyptian or Quabbalistic magic.
  • Dianic Tradition: This tradition has been described as the feminist movement of the craft as followers over recent years have focused mostly on the Goddess. Thought to have been established in the early 20th
  • Eclectic Witch: A witch that doesn’t follow any particular tradition, denomination or magical practice. They learn and study from various magical traditions and use whatever resonates the best..
  • Elemental Witch: One who lives in tune with the elements and works their magic harnessing the power of the elements.
  • Egyptian Witchcraft: In ancient Egypt there was no difference between religion and magic – they were all one and an integral part of everyday life. Egyptian practices were heavily steeped in ritual and worship of the Gods & Goddesses with elaborate temples built to honour them.
  • Gardnerian Tradition: Established by Gerald Gardner in England in the 1950’s. Follows a fairly structured route in ceremony and practices.
  • Hereditary Witch: An individual who can trace witchcraft back through their family tree and who has been taught the Old Religion by a relative who was still living. It is also possible to be adopted into a magical family and have wisdom passed down.
  • Italian Witchcraft: Also known as Strega Witchcraft (or Stregheria) it is thought to have been established around 1353 by a woman called Aradia. This tradition is said to be beautiful.
  • Kitchen Witch: A witch who practices by hearth and home, this craft deals with the practical side of religion, magic, the earth and the elements.
  • Pictish Witchcraft: This is Scottish Witchcraft with a focus on communing with all aspects of nature and animals. This is a solitary form of the craft and mainly ritualistic without much religion.
  • Seax-Wicca: Founded by Raymond Buckland in 1973 it blends Saxon with Gardnerian.
  • Solitary Witch: Also known as a ‘Natural Witch’, these are witches who prefer to practice alone. They can choose to follow any tradition or be of any denomination. They may formerly have been part of a Coven or learned their craft from books, workshops/courses or by hanging out and learning from other witches of different traditions.
  • Nordic Witch: From ancient times Nordic witches have been recognized as originating from the Germanic peoples of Europe – English, Dutch, Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish. Nordic witchcraft is also known as the Teutonic Tradition.
  • The Wiccan Witch: Wicca is a nature based religion that uses magic and reveres both Goddess and God. Magic is the practice of moving natural energies to effect needed change and in Wicca, magic is used to consecrate our sacred spaces, improve ourselves and the lives of those around us + make our world a better place.
♥ In this course we will be taking a closer look at some of these types of magic as well as some other magical traditions like faerie magic and shamanism.

Lesson 1.3

Sabbats – The Seasons  The Wheel of the Year

There are 8 Sabbats that are celebrated by witches, wiccans and other pagans throughout the year. These 8 sacred days make up the Wheel of the Year and each marks an important turning point in natures annual cycles. Following the wheel of the year allows us to live more in tune with nature and the season’s natural rhythms – meaning we can move with the natural energies and this gives our magic more power.

The Wheel is made up of 2 groups of 4 holidays – (SH = Southern Hemisphere; NH = Northern Hemisphere)

The greater Sabbats: Solar Festivals
  • The Spring Equinox – Ostara – September 23rd SH; March 20-21st NH
  • The Summer Solstice – Midsummers or Litha – Dec 21st – 22nd SH; June 20th – 21st NH
  • The Autumn Equinox – Mabon – March 20th – 21st SH; September 20th – 23rd NH
  • Winter Solstice – Yule – June 20th – 21st SH; December 21st – 22nd NH
The Lesser Sabbats: Fire Festivals
  • Beltane – Oct 31st-Nov1 SH; April 30th – May 1st NH
  • Lughnasadh – February 1st SH; August 1st NH
  • Samhain – April 30 – May 1st SH; October 31st – November 1st NH
  • Imbolc – August 1st SH, February 1st NH

As each Sabbat follows nature’s cycles, each one has different associations such as Crystals, Colours, Gods/Goddesses, Herbs and Incenses. Tuning into each Sabbat’s energies and associations can give certain rituals at certain times more power Eg: The Spring Equinox is a great time to perform rituals for fertility.

Throughout this course we will focus on 1 Sabbat each month (starting Lesson 2) and learn all aspects of it such as how it relates to the natural harvest, the journey of Goddess/God, all magical associations, suggested rituals and suggested activities for this time.

Lesson 1:4

Moon Phases and Esbats

Moon Phases play an important part in influencing our magic as the energies are different with each phase. Have you ever heard how fishermen will plan when to fish according to the tide? Or have you heard about people planting their crops according to the Moon? Or have you noticed that if it seems society is going crazy people will often say ‘Oh it must be a Full Moon’? If the Moon has the power to control the Ocean, imagine how much power it has energetically affecting everything on Earth! And imagine if you can how much of an effect these energies can have on us and our magic. That is why it is so important to really plan your rituals – to get the maximum effect.

Picture Credit: NASA/Bill Dunford

During a New Moon you might cast spells for anything to do with new beginnings, during the Full Moon you might cast spells to bring something to fruition and during the Dark or Waning Moon you may cast spells for things you wish to banish from your life.

Esbats

An Esbat is a Moon ceremony or a time to celebrate Full Moon rituals. The night of the Full Moon is when Luna’s powers are peaking so it is an excellent time to do magic of any kind. This is a great time to plan celebrations like dedications and initiations and a good time to stock up on supplies that will be needed for the month ahead.

Every 2.5 days the Moon moves into a new zodiac sign – meaning that every 28.5 days she visits each zodiac sign in her cycle. When planning your Esbats it is important to notice what sign of the zodiac the Moon is in as each zodiac sign brings with it different influences.

In the remainder of your lessons we will be delving more deeply into study of the Moon and her magic as well as the Sun, Planets and the Seasons.

♦ Do you notice your energies changing with the seasons and the cycles? Maybe you like to hibernate in Winter or declutter your house in Spring? You might like to journal your ponderings on this.

Lesson 1:5

Gods/Goddesses

Gods and Goddesses also known as deities from different Pantheons (different cultures) have been worshipped for Millennium. It is said that all Goddesses are one Goddess and all Gods are one God however they have many different aspects.

I often (well daily actually) invoke Goddess & God to assist me with various daily tasks and aid me in rituals. And when I am facing a challenging time I will often call on Goddess (in particular) to help me find my way.

How can they assist you? Well as I said, different Gods & Goddesses have different aspects, for example: Goddess Brigid is the Goddess of Inspiration so I have been calling on her to light my flame of inspiration daily when creating this course!

A few other well-known Gods & Goddesses you may have heard of:

Artemis: Greek Goddess of the Hunt

Apollo: Greek God of the Sun

Oya: African Goddess of Change, Death & Rebirth

Demeter: Greek Goddess of the Harvest

Isis: Egyptian Fertility Goddess

Zeus: Greek God of the Sky & Thunder

Kali: Hindu Goddess of creation/destruction

Venus: Roman Goddess of Love

Hades: Greek God of the Underworld

Throughout your apprenticeship we will be learning about different Gods & Goddesses from different Pantheons. We will learn the stories about them, about their attributes and how they can assist you with your magic.

Lesson 1:6

Magical Tools:

Tools are a wonderful aid to your magic. Through our touch and intention they can direct energy, help you raise energy and help your focus. Tools can be used for everything from cutting your herbs for ritual and invoking deities to casting a circle. Below I give you an overview of the most common tools used in magic.

  • Wand: An instrument of invocation and can be used to direct energy.
  • Athame: It is used to direct energy raised in your rituals – an instrument of commandment & power manipulation
  • Cauldron: Used for brewing, cooking, holding small fires
  • Boline: A practical working magical knife
  • Bell: Can be used to shift energy and clear it around your ritual space. Can be used to signal a spells beginning and end
  • Chalice: Can be used to hold water for the water element on your altar or to hold the ritual beverage
  • Censor: A vessel to hold your incense for ritual. It can be a special bowl or something special you find in nature – such as a seashell
  • Broom: Can be used to ‘sweep up’ and clear negative or stagnant energies around your ritual space

You can find tools in antique shops, markets, op shops, online, magical shops – anywhere really. Your tools are sacred to you and therefore need to be chosen by you. You will know when you have found the right one – your intuition will guide you and you will feel it.

It is not necessary to have all magical tools, you can still very effectively perform ritual without them – they are an aid to your magic so don’t worry about having to get everything right away. It has taken me 20 years to collect all mine and I still have a few to collect!

During each lesson in the first, second and third quarter we will be looking more in depth at each of these tools and discussing how they can assist you in your magic. In the fourth quarter we will make some of our own tools!

Lesson 1:7

Your first altar set up

This is exciting – your first altar set up!

An altar is essentially a place where you can worship, a place for you to practice your magic, a place for you to focus, a place for you to keep your magical tools, a sacred place for you to connect with the Divine (though truthfully that can be done anywhere).

Your altar can be any sort of table or surface that you can turn into a sacred space. Your altar will contain all the tools you will need for your ritual such as: candles, incense, representations of the 4 elements, representations of Goddess/God and any magical tools you may have (your wand etc).

Your altar needs to be somewhere where you can have privacy and quiet and it also needs to be somewhere you feel really comfortable. I have mine in my bedroom and I have included a pic so you can get an idea of what an altar looks like (Please note that mine is very personalised and some of the representations are on opposite sides to what is traditional. This is what feels good to me):

Below is a pic of a fairly traditional altar set up. It includes representations of the elements, Goddess and God. This altar set up is one that I have put together according to different texts I have read (from both Southern and Northern traditions). In the Southern Hemisphere the Goddess representations are on the right and the representations of God are on the left.

1: God representation        2: Goddess representation        3: Chalice         4: Bell        5: Bowl of water       6: White candle        7: Pentagram           8: Censor       9: Bowl of salt      10: Wand      11: Athame

Tools sacred to Goddess are as follows:
  • The pentacle
  • The cup
  • The bell
  • The crystal
  • The cauldron
  • Green, silver or white candle
And to God:
  • Red, yellow or gold candle
  • Censor
  • Wand
  • Athame
  • Boline

While some people (such as myself) have statues to represent Goddess & God, you can also include other representations that are simpler. I would just like to point out again that it has taken me many years to collect the sacred objects on my altar so please don’t get hung up on having everything right away. My God statue – Zeus – was a gift from my Mum & Dad when they visited Greece about 7 years ago, and my Goddess Statue – a mermaid – is one that I found in Mount Tamborine during a family holiday about 8 years ago. I have been practising for over 20 years so this just goes to show the importance of waiting and connecting with the right tools for you.

You can use many things to represent deities just as I did for years that are just as powerful. See below:

Representations of Goddess:

  • The cauldron
  • The cup
  • Five petaled flowers
  • The mirror
  • Necklace
  • Seashell
  • Pearl
  • Silver
  • Emerald
  • Rabbit
  • Bear
  • Owl
  • Cat
  • Dog
  • Bat
  • Goose
  • Cow
  • Dolphin
  • Lion
  • Horse
  • Scorpion
  • Spider
  • Bee

Representations of God:

  • Sword
  • Horns
  • Spear
  • Candle
  • Gold
  • Brass
  • Diamond
  • Arrow
  • Wand
  • Trident
  • Knife
  • Bull
  • Dog
  • Snake
  • Fish
  • Stag
  • Dragon
  • Wolf
  • Boar
  • Eagle
  • Falcon
  • Shark
  • Lizard

The most important thing here is that you make your altar set up your own. I have included what you need in your ritual kit to set up your first basic altar but you can also add whatever feels right to you. I now have many things on my altar that are not ‘traditional’ but that are sacred to me such as – a pipe my brother gave me and a magical manifesting tin my best friend gave me. I also don’t necessarily put things in the ‘right’ place (for example, my athame is on the right and my bell is on the left which are northern hemisphere traditions).

Your first altar set up can be as simple as a few candles and plants & flowers from outside. It important to understand that the objects you place on your altar are representations only – the Goddess and God are not actually present in statues or candles or tools. Your altar is a place to pay homage and focus your energy only.

Over the course of our study together we are going to delve more deeply into altar set ups and find out how we can use magical associations and representations to add more power to our rituals.

Lesson 1:8

Energy work:

Why do energy work?

Some of the things I will share with you in your apprenticeship might not seem like they have much to do with witchcraft but they are things that will greatly aid your magic. As stated earlier – magic is using natural energy to create change, and I have to tell you that there’s been times when doing energy work that I have experienced real magic. These have been moments when I have literally felt magic all around me. For example:

I was taking a client through a half day magical retreat. We were working outdoors and when I cast circle we both heard and felt a ring of fire go up around us – it was so powerful! We knew that we had powerful guardians assisting our ritual that day.

The energy work in these lessons will help you to learn and understand how to feel energy and how to work with it.

The first energy work we are going to do is creating white light. Surrounding ourselves and our sacred space with white light protects us from negative energies and any entities that may be hanging around. Entities are spirits that have not passed over and as we are opening to universal energies we become susceptible to them and other energies attaching themselves to us – so protecting ourselves is super mega important.

There are many ways to surround yourself with white light, bring it into yourself or open it within you. Sit or lie somewhere private & comfortable with your eyes closed to start. Here are a few methods I use frequently, practice with these or create a technique yourself:

  • Take several deep breaths and then imagine a ring of light above you. Imagine this ring begins to shower beautiful white light down upon you and you take it within yourself until every cell in your body is filled to the brim and you become
  • Ask your angels or guides to surround and protect you with a ball of white light. When you can see and feel yourself within this large ball your angels fill it with pure white light in a burst of power. You take this light within yourself and let it fill every cell in your body until you become light (imagine your skin glowing).
  • Conjure a sphere of protective white light to surround and protect you and your sacred space when you are ready to perform a ritual. Call on your angels/guides/the Universe/God or Goddess to bring this light to you and then extend it into a large sphere that connects into the Earth beneath you and the space above you.
  • Take a few deep breaths and focus on your centre. As you do so visualize a white flower within you. As you observe it, it opens petal by petal and pure white light pours out of it until it fills every cell within you and you are glowing with light.
  • Sit or stand with your spine straight, imagining yourself being pulled upright by a string extending from the top of your head. Now call cosmic energy to you through the crown of your head. You are filled with pure white light from head to toe, in every cell of your body until you become light.

Lesson 1:9

Your first ritual:

We are going to start with a simple ritual I do every day to start my day off on a positive note with good energy. You can adapt this ritual and make it your own according to what feels good to you. I would encourage you to start with this one to get yourself into the habit of performing a ritual daily. It can take as little as 5 minutes or you can add elements to make it a little longer.

Morning Ritual Blessing – By Bella

Sit before your altar (or outside in nature) and light your white candle. Focus on the flame taking nice deep breaths as you do until you feel calm and centred.

Repeat the following incantation:

“I greet this day with an open heart

I call upon you Goddess & God from the very start

To bless me with your love and divine guidance

Throughout this sacred day

Help me flow through any challenges ahead

Bless me with joyful abundance

And fill me with vitality and glowing health.

With your guidance I stand in my power and live my truth

I give and receive love freely

I honour and respect all things

And I fulfil my own needs and desires.

Thanks be for guiding me, sharing your wisdom and your love.

Blessed Be”

Don’t just say these words, actually feel each of them as you say them, feel yourself taking them into your being so that they are a part of you. Understand that Goddess & God are listening to every word you say and when you believe this – they will grant you what you ask.

Over time you will feel your connection with the Divine growing stronger and stronger until you actually feel you are speaking to them directly.

To my morning ritual I also add a meditation, a gratitude practice (everything I am grateful for in my life) – “Thank you for my wonderful family, Thank you for love” etc…Sometimes I balance my chakras or raise my vibration – you will learn about these over the next few lessons. You may also have practices you would like to add – as I said above, you can make this your own. When you have finished, blow out or snuff your candle and go have an amazing day.

Lesson 1:10

Meditation:

Your meditation for this month: Centering

Why meditate? What does it have to do with witchcraft?

Meditation helps focus your mind and as magic will only work if you focus with intention – meditation is a handy tool to help you train your brain. It also calms you and brings peace to your heart as well as helping you to centre. This meditation is perfect for our first one. If you have not meditated before or you struggle with it, these guided meditations are great to help you get into the habit and increase your skill.

Centering

Choose a place when and where you will not be disturbed such as outside in nature or in your sacred space.

Sit or lie comfortably with your spine straight, your arms by your sides and your palms facing upwards – close your eyes.

We are going to be calling on Goddess Tara to assist you in your meditation.

Take 3 deep breathes and between each breath chant “I call on you Tara to help me centre”

Now focus your attention on your centre – or your ‘dantien’. For women this will be your womb and for men it will be your lower abdomen – inside your body. How does this area feel? Is it relaxed or tense and tight?

Counting to 5, breathe into your centre and then hold your breath for a count of 5. Notice how this feels – and when you are ready – breathe out for a count of 5.

With your eyes still closed and keeping in rhythm with your counts of 5, begin a series of in breaths, holds and out breaths – all the while maintaining focus on your dantien.

Breathe in for a count of 5 and as you do so feel yourself beginning to centre. Feel focus and clarity returning, feel yourself coming to life.

Hold for a count of 5 and feel any worries, negativity or issues beginning to dissipate and as you breathe out for a count of 5 – release anything that is not serving your highest good.

Continue with this exercise for as long as you need to (at least 5 minutes), allowing yourself to experience the feeling of being completely centred.

When you are ready, allow your breath to return to normal and then slowly bring your awareness back to the here and now. Thank Goddess Tara for assisting you and open your eyes. Take a final deep breath and release it with a relaxed sigh.

Re-centering at any time is as simple as closing your eyes for a few moments, focusing on your dantien and taking a few breaths.

Bonus Magical Bits

Your Practical Activity for the month:

MAKE YOUR OWN POWDERED INCENSE

I have tried to use ingredients that will be fairly simple for us all to obtain.

An Incense for Love and Abundance – by Bella

Roughly measure out equal parts of the resin (benzoin/frankincense) and your dried herbs/flowers. By ‘part’ I mean whatever feels like enough (depending on how you are going to use it – for a full ceremony with other people where you may need to use lots, or just enough for a ritual for you?)  – So maybe half to a teaspoon of each?

  • Grind one part of Benzoin or Frankincense in your mortar and pestle

Then add equal parts of:

  • Lemon herb
  • Mint herb
  • Dried daisies OR
  • Dried rose petals

Grind together to form a lovely powder and then add a few drops of Ylang Ylang essential oil and mix through.

Burn pinches of it on a charcoal disk in a bowl or censor using the appropriate heat safe methods.

Your reading suggestion for this month:

Women who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes.

This book will help us to understand how to tune into our intuition on a very deep level – which is integral to developing our magic. Some of you (including me) may find this a challenging read so its totally ok if you read a bit here and there and allow yourself to fully integrate the teachings into your consciousness while you read other books.

Your Book of Shadows:

For this month start your Book of Shadows with your Book Blessing – you may like to cut and paste it in or write it out yourself.

The next page in my Book of Shadows is ‘The laws I live by’ which is basically a collection of my own philosophies. It is good to know what these are before you start – but be aware they may/will change over the course of this journey.

Then you may like to cut and paste or write out some of the lessons within this month’s content such as: ‘Types of Witchcraft’.

As I have previously mentioned, your Book of Shadows is your own so it is 100% up to you how you wish to lay it out and what you wish to include. Some of you might like to record the teachings as you learn them or some of you may like to section your B.O.S out, EG: A section for moon phases, a section for sabbats, a section for Gods & Goddesses – and so on.

Ritual Kit Inclusions for this Quarter:

  • Small altar candles – Red, green, white, orange or yellow
  • Laminated book blessing and candle colour guide
  • Incense burner
  • Mini smudge stick
  • Incense cones or sticks
  • Crystals: rainbow fluorite and citrine
  • Glass jar to store your incense
  • Moon journal & pen
  • Roll of charcoal disks
  • A small pack of resin for your incense

This ritual kit contains what you will need for your first altar set ups, practical activities and rituals – all you need to add is your personal touches.

It costs $99.95 (+ postage if required) and can be ordered through my website in the ‘Wiccid Wares’ shop: www.wiccid.com.au

Next month:

For lesson 2 we delve further into sabbats & esbats, Gods & Goddesses and the different pantheons, we focus on a tool of the month, we take a closer look at Wicca, you get a new energy exercise, a new ritual, a new altar set up, a new practical activity for the month, a meditation and reading suggestion.

I hope you have enjoyed this lesson as much as I have enjoyed putting it together. Remember – you will only get as much out of this as you put in so I would recommend daily practice.

If you have any questions you can email me anytime: bella@wiccid.com.au or post them in our Facebook group.

Please also remember to fill out the feedback sheet and email it back to me so I can continue to improve your learning experience,

Love, Light & Blessings to you, Bella x

Resources

https://wiccid.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Wiccid-Academy-of-Witchcraft-lesson-1-Updated-Final.pdf

* Disclaimer:

Whilst every care has been taken to ensure an individual’s safety throughout this program – All recipes, meditations, magical workings and rituals are suggestions only and should only be undertaken under your own discretion and responsibility. Belinda Payne & Wiccid do not take any responsibility whatsoever for any adverse reactions to any of the items listed above whether physical or mental. If you are unsure as to whether you are fit to undertake any of the above listed items – please seek the advice of a health care professional.

*  Disclaimer:

Although 99% of the material in this program is my own words, where I have used pictures or quotes from others, all possible care has been taken to fully credit artists and authors for any work reproduced in all lessons. I have utmost respect for these peoples work so if I have unknowingly failed to credit a piece of work – this will be remedied immediately upon notification.

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