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Witchlings Course – Lesson 2

Lesson 2:  Detail, Intuition, Tune in

Greetings Apprentice!

Welcome to your second lesson of Witchcraft and Magic, I dearly hope you are enjoying the journey so far.

In this lesson we start to explore elements of magic more deeply. We will be learning about Wicca, We learn about the Sabbat Beltane and focus on 2 Moon magic phases, You will have a new altar set up, We talk about the different Goddess & God Pantheons, This month’s magical tool is candles and how to work with them, Learn how to raise your vibration to help your magical work, Try a new ritual, A new meditation, We start a new book, There is a new practical activity for you to try out and you will be adding to your Book of Shadows!!

I am also adding a new element to your lessons:

  • Self-Care tips for the month to aid our magic. Taking care of ourselves and our energy is super mega important to achieve optimum results when working our magic. We need to keep our body, mind & soul working together in flow and each month we will explore ways we can do that. I’m calling it Wiccid Holistic Witchcraft – So cool!

There is a lot to cover this month so just a reminder that 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.

Have a beautiful month,

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 and then skim through all the material to give you 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:

♥  If you see this symbol it means there is an important point to note

♦ This symbol means you are asked a question that you will be required to ponder/explore/journal about

Some simple Terminology 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
  • Continue to perform your morning ritual (Lesson 1)
  • 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
  • Add to your Book of Shadows
  • Carry out your self-care rituals
  • Journal the journal questions

Lesson 2:1

The Sabbats

In lesson 1 we had a brief overview of The Sabbats – Seasonal festivals corresponding to the Wheel of the Year. This month we are delving deeper into:

Beltane

Southern Hemisphere: October 31st – November 1st

Northern Hemisphere: April 30th to May 1st

A greater Sabbat – Also known as a Fire Festival

A History of Beltane

Beltane is believed to have roots in the ancient Roman festival of Floralia as well as in early Pre-Christian festivals of Beltaine (Celtic) and May Day (European).

The first known Beltane celebrations date back to Roman times with the annual festival Floralia that honoured the Goddess Flora – Goddess of fertility, vegetation, flowers and growing things. The first 6 day festival was upon the completion of a temple dedicated to Flora, erected after a particularly harsh drought.  It was believed that honouring Flora would bring fertility to crops, people and animals. This festival included games, feasting, dancing and performances and the atmosphere was one of pleasure, sexual freedom and wild abandon.

The ancient Celts celebrated the fire festival of Beltaine which marked the beginning of the summer season. Beltaine comes from a celtic word meaning ‘bright fire’ and was celebrated in Ireland (Bealtaine), Scotland (Bealltainn) and the Isle of Man with some of the customs celebrated in other areas of Britain and Europe.

The ancient Celts lived closely in harmony with nature and the seasons and at Beltaine they celebrated rituals for the protection of animals and their crops – encouraging ongoing fertility and growth in the seasons to come, as well as rituals for protection and health. This was a time of renewal, fertility, optimism and celebration of life.

As Rome spread its influence over Europe, customs from Floralia began to be incorporated into already established Spring celebrations that evolved over time to May Day, still celebrated in Europe and America. May Day also centres around flowers, greenery, fertility and sex.

Similarities can be seen in each tradition as they all mark these occasions with representations from nature such as flowers, greenery, wreaths, animals, feasting, drinking of wine/mead, dancing and ritual sex.

Beltane for us modern day witches is a blend of these different traditions as well as our own culture, beliefs and customs with focus being on celebrating the coming of Summer and the new energies this season brings with it.

Beltane Traditions:

  • Traditionally a time for Handfastings and renewal of vows
  • In Celtic tradition all fires were doused the night before Beltane and rekindled at dawn the next day.
  • In Rome hares and goats were released to be hunted as it was believed these animals symbolized fertility
  • Across all traditions ritual sex was often indulged in to raise power
  • Maypoles were focal points of old English village rituals with people often rising at dawn to collect flowers and greenery from forests and gardens to decorate the maypole, their homes and themselves. The flowers and greenery represented Goddess and the maypole God.
  • A procession of people and animals would walk to the nearest hilltop where the Beltane bonfires were held and walk 3 times deosil (clockwise) around the fire or even leap through it – an act intended to bring a good harvest
  • In Europe a May Queen was crowned. She traditionally wore white and was crowned with flowers and represented fertility, beauty and youth. She was often called on to lead the parades and preside over May Day festivities
  • Celtic bonfires were started using only friction and these fires were called ‘Needfires’. Fires kindled in this way were considered sacred.
  • On May Day children would decorate dolls with items from nature and then parade them through town.
  • People decorated their homes with lots of flowers with yellow being a favourite colour as it represented the sun and fire
  • People in the Isle of Man would waft the Beltane fire smoke over themselves and their cattle to ensure vitality
  • The Romans loudly sang and danced as it was believed the noise would ‘wake up nature’ after her long Winter sleep
  • Scottish people baked oatmeal cakes with 9 knobs – each one representing different things they wished to bring fertility to.
  • When the Beltane fires died down the ashes were sprinkled over crops to increase fertility
  • Young women would anoint themselves in the dew collected the morning after Beltane celebrations for beauty and healing
  • Druids would light 2 huge bonfires and then force cattle between them as it was believed to protect them from disease
  • On May Day people would meet up in the woods and spend the night together, emerging in the morning with greenery to decorate the town. These partnerships were sometimes called ‘Greenwood marriages’.
  • People visited Holy Wells on Beltane morning – the first water drawn from the well that day was said to be potent and very magical

The Story of Goddess and God

Beltane marks the emergence of the young God into manhood. He desires the Goddess, they fall in love and lie together among the grasses and flowers. The Goddess becomes pregnant of the God and we celebrate her symbol of her fertility in our rituals.

Magical Associations:

Herbs: Hawthorn, Coriander, Honeysuckle, St Johns wort, Blessed thistle, Woodruff, Tansy, Lemon, Dogwood, Mint, Nettle & Mugwort

Trees: Pine, Oak, willow and Birch

Flowers: Daisies, Ivy, Lily of the valley, Daffodils, Violets and Roses

Crystals: Emerald, Rose quartz, Malachite, Sparkling citrine, Bloodstone, Clear quartz, Golden tigers eye, Topaz, Garnet and Amber

Colours: Brown, White, Yellow, Pink and Green

Foods: Honey, Light cakes, Marigold Custard, Mushrooms, Oat cakes, Almonds, Vanilla ice cream, Radish

Gods: Greek Gods – Pluto, Pan, Apollo; Norse Gods – Baldur, Odin; Celtic Gods – Horned God, Beal or Belenos, Cernunnos; Egyptian Gods – Ra; Chinese Gods – Chung Kuei

Goddesses: Greek Goddesses – Horae, Maia, Aphrodite, Artemis, Astarte; Roman Goddesses – Diana, Flora, Venus, Prosperina, Bona Dea; Norse Goddesses – Freya; Hindu Goddesses – Sarasvati.

Animals: Doves, Bees, Frogs, Rabbits and Cows

Perform Rituals at this time for:

  • Fertility
  • Harnessing the power of the element of fire
  • Handfastings
  • Adding power and passion to your sex life
  • Strengthening self-esteem and self-love
  • Improving your communication skills
  • Prosperity
  • A bountiful garden
  • Protection and safety
  • Adding to the stability of your life
  • Health
  • Love and Partnerships

♥  Beltane marks the return of vitality, passion and life. Any magic performed at this time will have lasting effects.

Activities to celebrate Beltane:

  • Hang prayer ribbons on the trees and bushes around your house
  • Make necessary repairs around your home
  • Leave a bowl of colourful fruits and nuts outside for your animal and fae friends
  • This is a great time to do cord ceremonies – Weave or plait magical cords to use in your Beltane rituals
  • Decorate a mirror with flowers and ribbons for your bedroom
  • Sew colourful ribbons onto a white piece of fabric, empower each ribbon with a different intention or goal and keep somewhere safe until all your intentions and goals come to pass
  • Make a maypole and decorate with greenery, flowers and ribbons – even a mini one for your altar would be cool if you can’t do the real thing
  • Collect the morning dew and use for beauty and magic
  • Make braided bracelets with embroidery thread, empower them with magical intent and give them as gifts to your loved ones
  • Hold a magical feast and celebrate with mead and dancing
  • Light a Beltane bonfire and dance around it with wild abandon
  • Make up little baskets of flowers & fruits for your friends & leave them on their doorsteps as a blessing

For an even more in depth study of Beltane I would highly recommend reading Beltane by Melanie Marquis – part of Llewellyn’s Sabbat Essentials series.

Lesson 2:2

Cycles and Seasons

As I have said previously, everything in life is cyclic – The Seasons, The Moons monthly journey, Plants, Animals, our own physical cycles…And everything is connected – so learning to live in tune with these cycles allows us to harness the energy – which can greatly influence our magic.

This month we begin to explore the cycles of the Seasons and the Moon.

SPRING: This cycle is from the Spring Equinox to the Summer Solstice

Dark and Light are of equal length on the Spring Equinox. On this day the sun rises due east and sets due west – meaning we get exactly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night.

♥ What sort of energy work or magic would be awesome to do while having access to this powerful energy?

History & Legend:

Anglo-Saxon Goddess Eostre & Norse Goddess Ostara were worshipped with painted eggs representing fertility at their shrines. Bonfires were lit and a corn dolly made from last year’s harvest was tossed on the fire, the ashes of which were scattered over the fields to bring fertility to crops. The hare was considered sacred. Pagan Easter.

Associations:

Direction: East

Colour: Yellow

Element: Air – Air brings the energy for change and growth

Plants: Celandine, Cinqefoil, Crocus, Daffodil, Dandelion, Echinacea, Goldenseal, Honeysuckle, Hibiscus, Lily, Primrose, Sage, Tansy, Thyme, Tulip, Violet

Animals: Butterflies, Serpents, Hares or Rabbits, Birds

Crystals: Green calcite, Amazonite, Green aventurine, Chrysocolla, Quartz, Moss Agate, Kyanite, Malachite

Things to place on your altar or in your sacred space: First of all: Give your altar and sacred space a good Spring clean!

And then decorate with any (or all) of the following: Yellow or white candles, Eggs, Yellow crystals, Representations of rabbits, butterflies or birds, Yellow flowers, Feathers, Pots of seedlings, Spring flowers, A representation of the Sun, A yellow altar cloth, Leaves with buds on them, Spring vegetables or herbs. Also, if there are any windows near your altar – open them up and let the fresh Spring air circulate!

Perform Spring Rituals for:

  • Starting new relationships – of any kind
  • Give your home a Spring Blessing – consecrate it with Earth, Fire, Air & Water
  • New beginnings and fresh starts
  • Cleansing and decluttering
  • Planting your Spring seeds – make it a ritualistic event asking for blessings and paying homage to Mother Earth
  • Pregnancy, babies & children
  • Manifesting
  • Bringing more fertility – to all things
  • Bringing new hope and positive outcomes
  • Abundance
  • Good crops in your garden

♦ Raise your awareness – Notice the cycles that exist all around you: In nature, at your work, in your home, in your body. Journal your observations.

Lesson 2:3

Moon Magic – Plan your Rituals by the Moon

Last lesson we talked about what Esbats are – Moon Ceremonies and Celebrations

To gain the most benefits from your rituals at this time, consider what phase the Moon is in and the star sign it is moving through -Harness these energies for your spells.

Moon Phases

♥ What phase of the Moon is most appropriate for your Magical Working?

The Waxing or Increasing Moon:

Timing: From when the crescent of the Moon first appears in the sky to the day of the Full Moon

As the Moon gets closer to Full the energies intensify, so it’s a great time to perform rituals for:

  • New beginnings
  • Improving your health
  • Manifesting your desires
  • Prosperity and Abundance
  • Stepping in to or standing in your power
  • Increasing fertility
  • Working on a long term goal
  • Good luck
  • Forming new relationships – new friends and new loves
  • Gaining employment or getting a job you specifically want
  • Attracting things to you
  • Making plans
  • Increasing your psychic powers

The Full Moon:

Timing: From moonrise to moonset on the night of the Full Moon

On this day the Moon is at its most powerful so perform rituals for:

  • Getting something you need immediately
  • Travel
  • Completing projects
  • Physical protection
  • Boosting your personal power on the spot
  • A quick confidence boost
  • Completing on a deal – like buying a new car for example
  • Releasing things
  • Healing
  • Manifesting some urgently needed cash
  • Shedding light on a troubling situation or feeling
  • Increased sexual powers
  • Consecration of your magical tools
  • Changing your career or moving house
  • Ensuring your partners fidelity, specially if things are a little rough
  • Gaining a promotion
  • Making a commitment to someone
  • Fulfilling your goals and ambitions
  • Bringing justice to a situation
♥  On this day the Moon is fully opposite to the Sun so be aware that the energies can be a bit tumultuous and unstable

The Waning Moon

Timing: From the day after Full Moon to the day when the crescent again first appears. The Moon decreases from right to left until it fully disappears over a 2.5 day period known as the Dark of the Moon. When the Moon again appears on the right it is the beginning of New Moon.

Using the energy of the Waning Moon is excellent for banishing and letting go rituals such as:

  • Removing negative influences from your life
  • Removing negative people from your life
  • Banishing debt
  • Banishing negative thoughts, beliefs, grudges, anger, guilt and anxiety
  • Accepting things you cannot change in order to move forward
  • Ending relationships with love
  • Releasing pain and illness
  • Releasing excess unhealthy weight
  • Letting go of addictions and destructive behaviours
  • Banishing jealousy and spite from others
  • Destroying blocks to your success and happiness
  • Removing anger, tension and disharmony from your home or workplace

The Zodiac & the Moon:

  • The new Moon – the Sun and Moon will be in the same sign
  • The full Moon – Cosmic powers are at their peak at this time
  • Blue Moon – A second full Moon in a month that occurs once a year

Moon in Pisces

Energy around this Moon: Compassion, Devotion, Sensitivity, Connection & Peace with the Universe, Psychic, Hibernation and Rejuvenation, Inspired, Creative, Confusion, Imaginative

The Sun is in: Virgo

Associated Sun Element: Earth

Associated Element: Water

Colour Association: Crimson and purple

Crystals: Amethyst, Sapphire, Sodalite, Pearl, Aquamarine, Emerald

Animals: Dolphin, Rabbit, Pig, Seal, Sheep, Horse, Ox, Swan

Flowers & Plants: Carnation, Water Lily, Poppy, Roses, Elm, Willow, Lavender, Heliotrope, Orchid, Sage, Chicory, Ginger

Gods & Goddesses: Vishnu, Neptune, Anubis, Poseidon

Perform Rituals for:

  • Sparking your imagination and creativity
  • Improving your visualization skills
  • Astral projection and travel to other worlds
  • Understanding your dreams and improving your meditations
  • Healing
  • Working on art or musical pieces
  • Looking deeply within
  • Recharging and regenerating
  • Increasing your psychic powers and enhancing your clairvoyance
  • Telepathy and tapping in to your intuition
  • Universal peace
  • Connecting with your culture
  • Peace & harmony for you, your friends & family
  • Compassion – for yourself and others
  • Divination
  • Those that have passed

Focus your Awareness on: Not falling prey to illogical reasoning, Please don’t doubt yourself during ritual – it could cause you to lose your focus

Remember: To look at the whole big picture in your rituals (what is your intent?) and don’t get too caught up in the details

This is also a lovely time to gift your services to others who need them – Can you offer healings or card readings or guidance to others? What magical talents can you share?

Lesson 2.4

God & Goddess Pantheons:

What is a Pantheon? A Pantheon is all the Gods & Goddesses of a people or religion collectively. This month we are going to dip our toes into the different pantheons and from next month we start looking at specific Gods & Goddesses.

Greek Pantheon: After the overthrow of the Titans, there was a new Pantheon of Gods & Goddesses with the principal ones being the 12 Olympians who resided on Mount Olympus ruled by Zeus. They are:  Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hermes and either Hestia or Dionysus.

Besides ‘The Twelve’, various Gods & Goddesses were also worshipped in the countryside such as Pan, Nymphs (spirits of rivers), Naiads who dwelled in the Springs, Dryads (spirits of trees), Nereids who lived in the sea, and Gods of the Underworld such as Hades and The Erinyes. The Greek Gods & Goddesses have fantastical abilities such as immortality, never being affected by disease and retaining their youthful looks – achieved by drinking nectar & ambrosia which renewed the divine blood in their veins.

Each God & Goddess has different traits, personalities and interests but most are associated with a different aspect of life. For example: Ares is the God of War and Aphrodite is the Goddess of Love.

There is still evidence of amazing temples dedicated to some of these Gods & Goddesses standing today.

Chinese Pantheon: Chinese myths and legends give us a rich tapestry of Chinese history and date back thousands of years with the main characters in these stories being Gods, Goddesses, Demons & Ghosts. The main Gods & Goddesses depicted in these myths were: Pan–Gu, Chun-Ti, Guanyin, Fu-Xing, Fu-Xi, Chang-O, Hou-Chi, NuWa, Qi-Yu, Feng-Pho Pho, Sarudahiko and Gong Gong.

The main themes of Chinese myths usually related to human nature, social life and human relations.

Norse Pantheon: Norse Mythology is complex with so many myths and legends and layers – lots of layers.

According to Norse mythology, all beings reside in 9 worlds that centre around a cosmological tree – Yggdrasil. The Gods and Goddesses inhabit the heavenly world of Asgard and are frequently able to travel between the worlds where they liase with humans, elves & dwarves.

The main Gods & Goddesses of Norse Mythology are Thor – God of War, Odin – God of death, wisdom & poetry, Goddess Frigg – Wife of Odin who can see into the future, Goddess Freyja – Who must share half of the dead with Odin, is beautiful, sensual & wears a feathered cloak. She rides to battle to choose among the dead & takes them to her afterlife field Folkvangr. Freyja’ brother Freyr – God of weather, royalty, agriculture and human sexuality, Freyja & Freyr’s father Njoror – God of ships, seafaring, wealth & prosperity.

Freyja, Freyr & Njoror form part of a tribe of Gods known as the pantheon Vanir, and Odin, Frigg, Thor, Baldr & Tyr formed the principal Norse pantheon called Aesir. According to mythology, the 2 pantheons waged the Vanir/Aesir war with the result being that the pantheons merged and became one.

Japanese Pantheon: Japanese mythology embraces Shinto, Buddhist & agriculturally based Folk religion. The Shinto pantheon is made up of countless Gods & Goddesses, the most well-known being:  Izanagi, Isaname, Amaterasu, Ame no Uzume, Sarutahiko, Inari, Tsukuyome and Susanoo.

In the Japanese Creation Myth the first deities that came into being appeared upon the creation of the Universe. Collectively they are called Kotoamatsukami. Later when heaven & Earth was formed there came 7 generations of Kami (Gods), otherwise known as Kamiyonanayo which translates as ‘Seven Generations of the Age of the Gods’

The first 2 generations are individual deities known as Hitorigami and the five generations that followed were made up of male/female pairs of Kami (Gods) that were brother & sister and were also married to each other. So the Kamiuonanayo is made up of 12 deities in total.

Native American Pantheon: Native American tribes have countless myths and stories about Gods and Goddesses. Their belief systems centre around sacred spiritual stories that are based in nature and laced with the symbolism of animals, plants, the seasons, the weather, the Earth, the air, water and the sky.

Each tribe has their own sacred Gods & Goddesses, following is a list of just a few: Abenaki Tribe – Azeban, Tabaldak; Haida Tribe – Gyhldeptis, Lagua, Tia; Hopi Tribe – Aholi, Kokopelli, Taiowa; Inuit Tribe – Igaluk, Nanook, Sedna; Lakota Tribe – Canopus, Whope; Pawnee Tribe – Pah, Shakuru, Tirawa; Taino Tribe – Yaya, Atabey, Yucahu, Boinayel, Marohu.

Roman Pantheon: For the Romans, ritual was the most important part of their religious practices and it is for this reason that there are not as many mythological stories as there are with the Greeks. The mythological stories that there are mostly centre around politics and morals. Therefore it is said that when it comes to deities, Roman religion and myth is actually quite influenced by Greek religion and the Romans were fond of identifying their own Gods with those of the Greek and reinterpreting the stories of the Greek Gods, replacing them with their own Gods & Goddesses.

So although the Roman deities are known by name, the ones that are most familiar to us are the ones that have Greek counterparts. The Gods represented the daily needs of life and a few of the most well-known are Jupiter, Neptune, Mars, Venus, Juno, Minerva, Janus, Saturn, Ceres and Vesta.

At the head of the earliest Roman pantheon was the ‘Archaic Triad’ made up by Jupiter, Mars & Quirinus who all had priests of the highest order. The Etruscan influenced Capitoline Triad consisting of Jupiter, Juno & Minerva later replaced the Archaic Triad in official religion.

Hindu Pantheon: The deities of Hinduism have evolved from the Vedic Era (2nd millennium BCE) and through the medieval era (1st millennium CE) within India and South East Asia. The concept of the Hindu deity varies from a personal God to the 33 Vedic deities, to hundreds of Puranic deities, to millions of deities that are within the Tantra traditions of Hinduism.

The major Gods & Goddesses including Vishnu, Lakshmi, Durga, Brahma and Saraswati are known to have their own personalities and characteristics however, they are all considered aspects of the Ultimate Reality, otherwise known as Brahman.

In ancient Hindu texts, the body is known as a temple and the Gods & Goddesses are said to be parts residing within our bodies.

Hindu deities are referred to as Deva (masculine) and Devi (feminine) with these terms originating from ‘heavenly, Divine, anything of excellence’.

Lesson 2.5

A Closer look at: Wicca

Wicca – Known as the religion of the Witches.

Wicca is a term commonly used for people that practice neo – pagan witchcraft – a belief system that follows pre-Christian nature religions and has roots in Shamanism.

It is said that some prefer to use the word Wicca – (which is an old English term for witch (wicce) and Wiccian meaning ‘to work sorcery’ and ‘to bewitch’), rather than ‘witch’ or ‘witchcraft’ due to the negative judgements and associations with those words. I would like to say that that is a load of crap, but actually, I was literally asked several times when I launched this course ‘but isn’t witchcraft evil?’ So it is true that the term ‘Wicca’ seems to have less negative connotations.

Wicca itself is recognised as a religion centring around reverence for nature with representations of Goddess and God. Its spiritual roots go back thousands of years with modern day witches and covens still influenced by rituals, daily practices and techniques stemming from ancient traditions.

Wiccans have a deep connection with Deity – Revering both Goddess and God as equals who are present throughout the Universe – not just up in Heaven. Goddess and God are within ourselves, within all things and within all nature.

And nature is at the core of this belief system. Wiccans connect deeply with the Divine through nature. There is no need for dedicated buildings or churches because once you step outside; divinity is all around you, in every living thing. Lose your connection with nature and you lose your connection with the Divine. Through the connection with Nature Wiccans also observe and live in tune with the Wheel of the Year – 8 festivals held throughout the year to mark important turning points in the seasons (refer to lesson 1 for more info on this).

In Wicca, magic and ritual is used as a tool to improve our own lives, the lives of those around us and our world. Magic is using natural energies to bring about change and we do this through connecting with Deity, prayer, incantation and focused intention. Practicing magic is a wonderful way to expand our awareness.

Wicca embraces reincarnation and teaches that when we die, we will reincarnate once again as human. This stems from the fact that Wiccans generally don’t believe that we evolved from rocks or trees or frogs as although these things have souls, they are a different type of soul then we house. Reincarnation can be a challenging subject for some and is one that the individual needs to sit with, meditate on and contemplate.

And that right there is one of the most attractive things about Wicca – you are free to choose what you want to believe and how you want to live. Wicca doesn’t dictate lots of rules and tell you how you have to live your life. There are guidelines for those needing them (The Witches Rede or The Thirteen Goals of a Witch) however the only real ‘rule’ in Wicca is ‘Harm None’, harm no living thing including yourself. This ensures that you are in the best possible condition to work your magic, help humanity and protect our planet because in Wicca, love for our planet plays a vital role in everything we do.

In the words of Scott Cunningham “That perhaps is at the core of Wicca – it is a joyous union with nature. The Earth is a manifestation of divine energy.”

Lesson 2.6

Magical Tools

Tools are a wonderful aid to our magic. Through our touch and intention they can direct energy, help you raise energy and help your focus. This month we are exploring Candle Magic.

Candle magic

Use coloured candles to aid your magic

During your rituals you can inscribe a candle with magical words – the words that describe the intention of your spell. Or anoint a candle with essential oils to give a similar effect, Eg: anoint a candle with basil oil to aid your prosperity spell.

Please click here to download a lovely PDF colour candle chart you can print and place in your Book of Shadows or near your altar (or both!): Wiccid Academy Candle magic

WHITE: Purity, Healing, Peace, Clarity, Innocence, Divination, Protection, Divine connection, clairvoyance, The Moon

YELLOW: Positivity, Masculinity, The Sun, Intelligence, Memory, Trust, Decisions, Confidence, Communication, Travel, Heightens visualization abilities

ORANGE: Joy, Ambition, Creativity, Sensuality, Sexuality, Justice, Opportunity, Pleasure, Justice, Celebration, Attraction, Increase physical energy

PINK: Love, Healing, Heart, Connection, The Feminine, Caring, Maturity, Nurturing, Friendship, Compassion, Relaxation, Self-love

RED: Stability, Strength, Passion, Energy, Safety, Fire, Independence, Grounding, Earth, Survival, Physical strength, Maintaining health, Courage

PURPLE: Spirituality, Knowing, Psychic power, Third eye, Meditation, Increasing your magical power, Healing disease, Success in financial affairs

BLUE: Healing, Truth, Speaking truth, Water, Calm, Forgiveness, Protection, Focus, Good fortune, Peace, Inspiration, Patience

GREEN: Heart, Healing, Love, Truth, Acceptance, Forgiveness, Money, Success, Prosperity, Wealth, Balance, Luck, Nature, Earth, Employment, Fertility

BLACK: Cleansing, Focus, Banishing, Clearing negativity, Pride, Safety, Transition, Endings and new beginnings

Lesson 2.7

Your Altar set up for this month

This month you will have all the elements of your altar set up from last month:

  • Bowl of water – Water
  • Bowl of salt – Earth
  • Censor (incense burner) – Air
  • Candle – Fire
  • Goddess Representation (refer to lesson 1)
  • God Representation (refer to lesson 1)
  • Any tools you have managed to collect so far such as wand, chalice (cup), Athame (knife) etc

Plus this month I would like you to add some of your own personal touches such as:

  • Things you have collected from nature
  • Crystals
  • Objects that have sentimental value to you – such as a piece of jewellery
  • God/Goddess statues

You may also like to add some items to mark an upcoming Sabbat or representations of a Season such as:

  • Crystals
  • Coloured candles
  • Items from nature such as flowers or leaves
  • A coloured altar cloth
♥ The more time you spend before your altar, the more you will feel into what you would like to have on it

Lesson 2.8

Energy Work for this month: Raise your Vibration

What is raising your Vibration?

It is raising the frequency or vibration you are putting out into the Universe. Raising your positive energy to emit positive vibes. Everything you think, say and feel becomes your reality so keeping your thoughts & actions positive means you are more likely to attract more positive situations & people into your life.

Some ways to raise your vibration:

  • Get outside in nature
  • Ground yourself
  • Eat leafy green vegetables
  • Smile, laugh, experience joy
  • Eat high raw foods daily
  • Breathe deeply
  • Do yoga
  • Eat figs, almonds or raisins
  • Burn lavender oil
  • Listen to relaxation music
  • Practice forgiveness, gratitude and kindness
  • Give love
  • Walk on the beach

An exercise to try…

My mentor taught me this amazing way to raise your vibration. Please try this sitting down with your feet perfectly flat on the ground. If you feel weird or woozy at any stage – stop straight away.

  • Close your eyes and take several slow deep breaths
  • Call up Earth Heart energy from Mother Earth – Feel energy come up through your feet, into your legs and up your body until it reaches your heart
  • Now call down Cosmic Heart energy from the Cosmos. Feel the energy enter in through your crown, traveling down through your head and your body until it reaches your heart
  • Now tune into your heart. Connect with your heartbeat. Feel the Earth Heart energy and Cosmic Heart energy swirling in your heartspace
  • Now expand your consciousness and feel the heartbeat of any living things around you. Then the heartbeats of everyone/thing in your suburb, your state, Australia, the Earth, The Universe. Feel the heartbeat of the Universe and know that your heart beats in tune with it.
  • Now visualize a seed in your heart. It cracks open and a seedling sprouts
  • What is your seedling? Is it a flower, or a plant or a tree?
  • The seedling grows within you quickly, feeding off the Earth Heart & Cosmic Heart energy – the roots reaching for the earth, the branches and leaves reaching for the sky
  • It is as big as you now and you feel the roots sink into the Earth
  • You/your seedling is taller then a house now. You can feel the sun on your leaves, the air blowing around you, the earth nourishing you and the moisture in the earth sustaining you. And still you keep growing.
  • You will feel when it’s time to reach your growth and when you do – physically reach your hands down and cup them (facing upwards) on either side of the outside of your legs
  • Feel the energy in the palms of your hands. Now slowly lift your hands – continuing to feel the energy as they rise
  • Keep raising your hands until you need to stand up, keep raising your hands until your hands are as high over your head as they can go – feel the energy buzzing in your hands and throughout your body
  • You can take a breath and open your eyes

Note: If at any time the energy stops buzzing in your hands as you are raising them – It means there is a blockage so pause and summon more energy from Earth Heart/Cosmic Heart to move through it.

Lesson 2.9

Ritual for this month: Prosperity Spell – Create a prosperity pouch

Day: Cast on a Friday – The day for prosperity

Moon Phase: Waxing Moon (waxing is increasing)

You will need:

  • Small green bag (make one or buy one)
  • Rosemary or basil
  • A symbol to represent what you would like to bring more prosperity to, Eg: A coin to bring more money or a house pendant/symbol to bring more prosperity to your household, or a love heart symbol to bring more love
  • Citrine crystal
  • Green candle – Fire representation + green for prosperity
  • Water – Water representation
  • Salt – Earth representation
  • Incense – Air representation

The Ritual:

  1. Have all your ritual ingredients ready by your altar
  2. Set up your altar with your God/Goddess representations and your direction representations (salt, water, incense & candle – refer to your lesson 1 notes if you need to)
  3. Light the candles and incense
  4. Perform the white light exercise from lesson 1 to create a safe and sacred space
  5. Call in Goddess Lakshmi – Goddess of Abundance – to aid your ritual (just ask her to attend)
  6. Begin to focus on the intention of your spell. What area of your life do you wish to bring more prosperity to? Do you desire more love? More money? Better opportunities at work? Get very clear on what it is you want.
  7. Now turn to each of the items that are to go into your prosperity pouch – the symbol you have chosen, your crystal and the herb you have chosen.
  8. Pass each item for the prosperity pouch (including the bag) through the incense smoke to cleanse it and then empower each of these items by holding them and visualizing what you are manifesting – visualize it as if you already have what you desire. Imagine your own personal energy going into each of these items.
  9. Place the items in the bag and close tightly.
  10. Holding the bag, say this incantation:

Goddess Lakshmi bring to me

Unlimited abundance and prosperity

By the full of the Moon

I will be happy to see

Everything I desire coming to me

Blessed be

  1. Snuff/blow out the candles
  2. Thank Lakshmi for attending your ritual
  3. Keep your prosperity bag on your person or close by until the Full Moon, Eg: In your office if you wish to bring more prosperity to your business or in your purse if you wish to attract more wealth.

Lesson 2.10

Your Meditation for this Month: Journey to Lakshmi’s Temple

Sit or lie comfortably somewhere you will not be disturbed. Take 3 nourishing deep breaths, breath all the way down into your belly. Take one more deep breath and as you exhale – see in your mind’s eye that you are in a beautiful forest.

This is a lush tropical forest. Breath in the sights, smells and sounds all around you. This place feels magical and comfortable, you feel at peace here. You notice there is a pathway beneath your feet and you begin to walk along it now. The path dips and there are small rises, there are gentle bends in the path and you easily walk along it now noticing the ancient trees, the beautiful tropical flowers lining the path and the animals happily flying or scurrying around you.

As you reach the top of a small rise you look down and see a beautiful temple that looks like it is floating in a large pond. The temple shimmers in the Sun and is surrounded by lush gardens. You walk down to the temple and step onto the soft grass surrounding the pond. As you near the waters edge a large lotus leaf appears before you. You step onto the leaf and it gently glides on the water, floating towards the temple. As you approach the doors open and you glide through a well-lit tunnel. On the other side of the tunnel there is another pathway which you now step up onto and you follow it down to another smaller pond where a cushion has been laid out for you.

As you sit gazing at the water a huge lotus rises in the middle of the pond and begins to float towards you. As it does it slowly opens to reveal Goddess Lakshmi standing inside it. She is magnificent to behold – her clothes are made of the finest silks, she is adorned in golden jewellery and there is a golden glow all around her.

Lakshmi stands before you and asks you to pick up the paper & quill that have appeared beside you. She asks you to write out a list of all the areas where you are abundant in your life. You do so and thank Lakshmi from the depths of your heart for how much abundance you already have. She now asks you to write down the area where you need more abundance. You do so and hand her the paper.

Lakshmi asks you for a gift and you give her one with a grateful heart. She then tells you that you may go and worry no more about where the abundance you need will come from, she will look after you.

You thank Lakshmi again and return to the lotus leaf which takes you back across the pond. You step up onto the grass and begin to walk back along the path. As you walk along you feel an immense sense of peace in your heart. You also feel rested and relaxed yet full of vitality.

As you approach the point in the path where you began your journey you begin to take a few deep breaths, breathing in that forest air one more time. On the final breath you are back in your body. When ready open your eyes, welcome back!

Lesson 2.11

Self-Care Rituals:

Why are self-care rituals important and why are they part of this course?

As I have stated from the beginning – Magic is using energy to create change, so it is important that our own energy is flowing. For our energy to flow and for us to be really in tune we need to take care of ourselves – it’s all connected!

So each month I will be sharing some self-care tips with you that I would encourage you to implement during your studies. For small rituals such as your ‘morning ritual ‘, you don’t have to be in perfect flow all the time (because that is impossible) but for the more complex rituals it’s a great idea to take really good care of ourselves for even a week leading up to the magical working so we are in our best condition to maximise the effects.

This month I want to talk about SLEEP

Now I will admit that I am a shocker sometimes staying up too late because I am a night owl. But even if I sit up late I am still really anal about getting at least 7-8 hours. Leading up to important events – like magical workings, I do make a point of trying to get to bed by 10-ish so I wake up refreshed, clear and energetic.

♥ Our body heals during sleep, including our mind. So sleep is essential for clarity and restoration of our energy.

This month pay attention to your sleeping patterns. Are you already really good at getting your 8 hours a night or is there room for improvement?

If you have trouble sleeping, try herbs, night-time teas, essential oils, meditating before bed or reading in bed. Reading puts me out every time!

Bonus Magical Bits

Your Practical Activity for the month: Hang prayer ribbons for prosperity, abundance and attraction:

Hang ribbons in the trees around your home, or on plants, or anywhere you want to that feels right!

Empower each of your ribbons for something you wish to bring more abundance and prosperity to – Eg: Empower a red ribbon to bring more passion into your life. Empower a green ribbon to bring more money to you. Empower a blue ribbon to bring healing. Empower them by holding the ribbon in your hand and focusing your attention/intention on the ribbon. Imagine your energy actually going into the ribbon.

There is no right or wrong for this activity as in what colours mean what to you. Close your eyes and feel each ribbon. What comes to you?

♥ This is traditionally a great ritual for Beltane but you can do this activity anytime. I would suggest to do this during a new Moon.

Your reading suggestion for this month:

For those of you who would like to move on from Women Who Run with the Wolves, this month’s reading suggestion is:

Practical Candleburning Rituals by Raymond Buckland.

Interestingly there is both Old Religion rituals and Christian rituals + some interesting tidbits in the appendixes that I will let you discover for yourself!

Your Book of Shadows:

For this month:

  • Make a section for info on Sabbats and record the Beltane lesson
  • Make a section for different types of magic and record this month’s lesson: Wicca
  • Make a section for Moon magic and record this month’s Moon magic lesson
  • Record the info about God & Goddess Pantheons
  • Print out candle magic sheet and paste into B.O.S

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.

Ritual Kit Inclusions for this quarter: (This is an optional extra)

  • 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 and fresh ingredients like herbs and flowers.

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:

In Lesson 3 we learn about another Sabbat and focus on 2 more Moon phases, you have a new altar set up, we look more closely at individual Gods & Goddesses – focusing on 3 of each in all the lessons following, our tool of the month is incense and the censor, you are going to learn how to cast a basic circle, we take a closer look at kitchen witchery, you have a new ritual, energy work to do, a new practical activity for the month, a new meditation, a new reading suggestion and a new ritual kit available for optional purchase.

Phew – it’s going to be an amazing month full of magic!

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-Lesson-2-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.

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